It's My Year...

Today is my 23rd birthday and I'm grateful to have made it! I recognize that we all tend to take life for granted whether it be waking up in the morning or arriving safely to our many destinations so to have made it through another year I am truly grateful. In my 23rd year of life I am making it my goal to be consciously purpose driven and great. The picture that I added to this post shows two great individuals that are the definition of hard work, perseverance, purpose, and success.....greatness at it's finest, and those are all expectations I've set for myself this year. There are lots of things that I've wanted to try, lots of places I've wanted to see, and lots of people that I've wanted to connect with and I plan on doing all that and more this year. 23 is MY YEAR TO GROW, SHINE, and most importantly DO ME!

As my blogger profile states, "I look forward to the ups, am ready to attack the downs, and enjoy myself no matter what."

P.S. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me this year! Ya'll will be on the adventure with me so buckle up :o) xoxoxo

Mr. Perfection...

"He was what I wanted
Exactly what I needed
He was what I fantasized
He was what I dreamed...."

I saw this commercial for the first time yesterday and it's a perfect rendition of what I like in men:



When I watch that I see an aura of confidence, success, status, hard work, and I get an overall charismatic vibe. From the board room to the street corner...I like that. The problem that I find situations like this is that although women desire a "commercial man" as reflected in the Jay-Z piece above, they tend to complain about lack of cuddle time and the length of phone conversations without seeing the bigger picture. So ladies, be careful what you ask for and remember that in order to have a successful relationship with an all around man you have to have your own hustle and goals instead of riding his wave (hence Jay-Z marrying one of the most iconic women in the game right now who has her own order of business and probably doesn't have time to complain about a lack of time).
Men that possess all of the above reflected qualities are extremely rare, but I'm sure there are a few around. On the flip side, if you are "that man" then stay mindful of the woman in your life, but never stop grindin and "doing" for someone else because you will resent them later.

P.S. Excuse me while I cuddle up with my BP3 album and order 50's book xoxoxo

**UPDATE: Just came across yet another example of an all around man. From G-Unit to CNBC:

The Game...

This post is going to be short and sweet and is only meant for one person and you'll know who you are. It' 2:20AM (EST) and I'm watching "The Game" season 3 online. It brings back a lot of memories, raises a lot of questions, and makes me think (for some reason watching this show makes me reflect on everything). Even though I don't know what you are up to you're still in my thoughts daily and here's the link for a website I found where you can watch all the season episodes...just like we use to: click here . To the rest of you reading this, maybe one day I'll share some Melanie and Derwin moments of my own, but for now I don't think so :o)

P.S. The youtube versions are the clearest and don't skip xoxoxo

Chillaxin...

Labor Day is coming to an end and I must say that I enjoyed a day of nothingness! No emails...a little bit of homework...and 2 TV marathons (Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Game). I finally got in some "me" time outside of conference calls, deadlines, and busines trips and it was much needed. The thing that I kept thinking about the most is that I'm going to be 23 on the 17th of this month....23! I've been trying to reflect on the past year so that I won't make the same mistakes again and will improve on the new habits that are for the better. My personal theme for 23 can be summed up in this quote:

"Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes up his mind to do. We are all capable of greater things then we realize."
~~Norman Vincent Peale

Self- improvement and establishing a clear vision for my life is my goal for 23 and I'm proud of that because some people don't get to this point until it' too late.

P.S. Introspection can be scary, but it' necessary to move forward...do it one day at a time, but most importantly just do it xoxoxo

"Ego"...

When did putting on a facade become the cool thing to do? I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately that I want to share with you. More often I find myself running into people with great ideas and inspirations who fail to humble themselves to the knowledge of their peers in order to be successful. In order to avoid failure and unnecessary pitfalls one would be smart to listen to the experiences and advice of others who have "been there, done that", but in today's society people tend to put on an act to reflect an idea that is bigger than what they are in order to come off as influential movers and shakers in their industry. Simply put, I really hate this! You are what you are so there shouldn't be a need to be anything other than that.

As far as I'm concerned people can really erase their titles (VP, A&R, CEO, etc.) and let their reputations and actions precede them. I feel this way because a title doesn't define who you are, but instead is a mere label/representation of the responsibilities entrusted to you. In other words, just because you have CEO tied to your name doesn't mean that your company isn't a failure.

I think that it shows a high level of maturity and drive when a person can take the advice of their peers who are established in their respective fields. For example, if I know that a person is great in marketing and they offer me some tips, chances are that I am going to soak up that information like a sponge and apply it. The exact opposite is more common though and I know this from personal experience. I've tried to help so many people with so many projects, but because they feel that they know best I continue to watch their visions remain stagnant. I am at a point where I know how to humble myself and accept criticism and feedback, I even petition for it. Just like in order to be a leader you must first be a successful servant the same holds true with egos. In order to walk around like a big shot you have to humble yourself to the established heavy hitters.

P.S.
I walk like this 'cause I can back it up... I talk like this 'cause I can back it up... I can back it up, I can back it up...xoxoxo

It's Just Those Rainy Days...

Today has been real chill and low key with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Woke up to the pitter patter of rain on my window sill and followed the normal routine (check emails, voicemails, etc.), but spur of the moment decided to round up the troops and take a trip to IHOP. When I got back home and checked my emails I found out that I got another freelance writing gig with a big name publisher that is definitely going to be a great look for me! I'm learning each day to learn to be thankful for all opportunities that I'm presented with...especially in this economy.

In about an hour I'll be off to do an interview with music video director Mickey Finnegan for Street Report Magazine so I need to get myself prepared! I hope your weekend brings you lots of laughs, smiles, and memories :o)

P.S. Make a conscious effort to be thankful and never take anything for granted! xoxoxo

Can't We All Just Get Along...

Is it just me or am I the only one who thinks people give way too much credit to "haters"? Please sit back, grab a drink (preferably non-alcoholic so you can make it through this post), and allow me to vent...

Being a person that's exposed to so many worlds on a daily basis I've learned that haters are valued differently on each level. From the music industry to corporate america and everywhere in between there are obviously haters present. To get the gist of what I'm talking about we have to first define exactly what a hater is. According to the Urban Dictionary a hater is "a person who feels anger and/or jealousy for someone who has succeeded in something they have worked hard for; a being who speaks badly,and/or takes negative actions in attempt to create problems for a successful person". Here's some of my Twitter Fam's definitions:

Dreamm @Go_Getter Someone not motivated enough 2 do what u do or even in a position to do it.Haters usually have an issue w/ any success of others

NerdAtCoolTable @Go_Getter I don't even now cuz that term is played out...lol...I'm sick of hearing it

christinallison @Go_Getter one word: envious

So with that said, in order to have haters in the first place you have to have some success under your belt. After all, you don't ever see wealthy people "hatin" on the homeless or people in happy relationships hatin on miserable single people. Lately, the thing that upsets me the most are the haters/borderline failures who have the audacity to project an image that they have a slew of haters...almost like they're trying to pull a Jedi mind trick. One thing I've learned is that those who actually have put in the work to be able to attract such a hateful following are the same ones who continue to walk in the shadow of humility, while the ones who are still trying to make it are putting everyone on their road to failure on blast as a hater.

In my opinion, everyone needs to chill out and have tunnel vision for whatever goal it is they're trying to achieve. If you're doing you then you shouldn't have time to negatively influence the hustle of the next guy. It's about time that we stop talking about haters and immerse ourselves deeply in our craft and our goals...we're not toddlers anymore.

P.S. If I don't support something that doesn't make me hater, it just means that either you and/or your movement sucks :o) Nothing personal xoxoxo