Greetings and Good Afternoon Everyone!☀️😃 Happy Monday! Another week has passed, and another weekend has come and gone. So here we grow again! It's time to take another step towards greatness. This past week, I watched an episode of Iyanla Vanzant's, "Fix My Life", and in this particular episode she helped four felons; convicted of murder; recently released from prison; figure out who they are and their next steps in life. During this episode, they completed an exercise on focused on the principles of their foundation, to understand what they "stood on". By the end of the episode, all of the men were able to identify and release all of the negative traits in their foundation; and understand how those traits contributed to their decisions; and led to their convictions, but most importantly it's purpose was to ensure their childhood foundation didn't define who they were becoming now and taint their future. So, I wanted to think about the concept of foundation this week, and examine the principle traits of our individual foundations. So, let's get into this week's message!
When you think about your foundation, do you feel solid? I mean, honestly, are you cool? I'll admit I've had some moments in life when I've felt, "off kilter", but for the most part my foundation has been on point. As a teen and young adult, I struggled with my confidence, self-image, self-esteem (at times), and weight. As I became an adult, I remembered, how I see myself is what mattered, and having confidence in myself and abilities was important. These things used to be apart of my foundation, but not anymore. After watching "Fix My Life", there were three principle questions that Iyanla asked the men, that I asked myself today, and I will share those questions with you, so that you can ask yourself those questions too. In asking these questions, they serve as a check and balance that our foundation is still strong and serving us well.
What do you stand on?
Think about your current foundation. What are your personal traits that make up your foundation? Do they serve you to make you better or hurt you? When I thought about my foundation now, and what I'm standing on, this is what came to mind: I stand on my self-worth; values; independence; passion; stability; success; strong relationships; integrity; loyalty; confidence; dedication; motivation; inspiration; and being supportive. What does it say to you? How do feel about this question? What are you standing on? What does those traits look like?
What do you stand with?
An important piece to your foundation is who you're standing with. Do you have the right people around you? Maybe it's not people, maybe it's your principle. For me, it's quite simple, but I stand with my husband always, my son, and my people. If I'm needed, I'm there to help. In recent years, I have learned to keep my circle small because, not everyone stands with you when you've stood and will stand with them. Remember to stand with those who will stand with you, and won't let you down.
What do you stand for?
The old adage, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything", is so true. However, don't just stand for "anything", but when you do stand, define what you're standing for. When this comes to me, I stand for family, sisterhood, knowledge, love, passion, and empowerment. I know who I am, and I know what I stand for. Let this question, guide you in understanding how you stand now. Be deliberate with the traits that resonates with your morals and values, and stand on those principles.
When we delve into these questions, it brings into light the puzzle pieces of our foundations. If we have a strong foundation, we can combat anything, we can face anything. But, holding on to the negative parts of our past can affect our foundations, especially, if we do not look at them through fresh eyes. The old building blocks of our foundation can be fixed. Our old foundations do not define our current foundations, it is merely a snapshot of who we used to be. We can do better, and when we know better, we can and will do better.
Today, I examine your foundation. Ask yourself, these three principle questions, and evaluate the strength of your foundation. If it's weak, make the necessary changes to strengthen your life. Have a beautiful day, and God bless!
Peace and Happy #MondayMotivation!
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