Reflections of my 32nd birthday

Today I turned 32 folks! YES. Another memorable year that I can tuck away in my memory of having lived fully and gracefully:-0

I guess I am genuinely grateful for all the people in my life. I realize with every year that I get older that this little thing we call life is not as uneventful as it seems sometimes. It makes me grateful for all of the collective experiences that make me who I am today…..so let’s see, I am a mother, educator, activist…that seems pretty reasonable in my book. See, most times I’m consumed with thoughts of making money and what I perceive can bring me to the next level…I wonder how many other people have the same thoughts?

As I discuss this very topic with other dear friends I realize were all seeking the same thing… a sense of fulfillment and purpose, for those of you whose parents planned it out for you, be grateful.lol! Atleast you don’t have to sit there trying to figure it all out. I wonder though, what makes the average person whole? I guess in order to feel that you have to have a genuine sense of comfort and ease with yourself…it is ok to be an average JOE, after all we can’t all be the superstars or starlets of the world, now can we? Don’t get me wrong, I am quite grateful and happy to have another year in which I breathe, live and see my young ones grow up, but it also makes me reflect on what it is that I truly want….Is that so wrong? How many of us sit here year after year trying to figure out a way instead of doing the obvious?

Is it that were all together to scared to incur more debt going back to school? Or, do you have a mortgage that keeps you stuck in place for fear that you’ll damage that beautiful thing we call credit? Well, I say, sometimes you have to just cast your fears aside and go for it! There are two types of peole on this earth, those who live their life and those who watch others living? I ask you today, which one will you choose to be? Me personally, I choose to live everyday because the one thing that is for sure guaranteed in life is CHANGE. How well you adapt to changes is what determines whether your outcome will be that which you merit and/or want. Live for today, reflect but don’t obsess about the future and everyday do one more thing to reach your ultimate destination…it’s only right! Besides you only have one life to live, be ok with what you’ve been dealt and always be stealthfull enough to think one step ahead, life will be much easier and nicer to you….that is my message on my B-DAY guys! Hope you enjoy it and remember to have a SOulSmart day!

Sending you love and hugs,

Niurka

Follow your Inner Voice and Success will follow!

Hey folks! Today I had the pleasure of reading a few excerpts of Russell Simmons’s new book “Do You” in it he talks about the idea of staying true to you and always listening to that glorious inner voice that is ever present and inherent in each and every one of us. He discusses the idea that life is best when you follow the spiritual voice inside of you and allow yourself to be guided by the most high. Instead of appealing to trends or what is popular, he merely emphasizes the fact that in order to achieve personal success one must be true to one’s self and listen to that inner godly voice that ultimately steers you to greatness. I guess the reason why it struck me so much is because Russell is merely emphasizing the obvious. Most of us are to scared of struggle to venture out and fulfill out true purpose and as I say this I’m not merely speaking to the choir, but rather speaking to myself and others like me who have a tendency to follow life trends in order to seek success. I say, ask yourself what really makes you happy, because happy thoughts, happy feelings are what ultimately make the individual feel good. How many times have you gotten a brilliant idea and not acted on it for fear that you might fail? If you’re like me…more than likely you’re afraid to follow up on your dreams and desires deeply entrenched in your heart because of fear that you’ll fail and screw your life up. Now, I know that sounds harsh but it’s the reality.

See the ancient yogis believed that enlightenment of self is key….one can only do that through a healthy assessment (non-critical) sense of self. Take time out today to read a scripture or a verse of something that is motivational, scripture that motivates you to think about what you truly want out of life. As they say, we only get one life, why not take a chance and live it the way that god intended you to do it. Now I know most people would think this idea is easier said than done but realistically it’s not as hard as we think…. It’s also important to realize that it is ok to fail….more often than not, if we try something and we fail at it, rather than badger ourselves about it, we should realize that everything is not for everybody. Everyone is not going to become a doctor or a lawyer but every person is born with something special inside of them that should be manifested in the best way possible. Although I have not fully read this book “Do you” I recommend that folks take a chance and actually read it, I’m sure we can all find something useful in it. I know that god has blessed me with some very interesting life experiences and my objective is to merely share that experience with others in the hopes that they may realize that no struggle in life is permanent, also, for folks to understand that struggle comes about when we do not follow the natural essence that is within all of us to manifest.

Granted, it’s work to look within for most of us because many of us are trained to follow rather than lead with our hearts…the idea here is simple….take some time out to think about your gifts and what god has given you and rather than follow the ratrace, be ready to spend some time doing that self discovery….if you do, it will lead you to great things and know that not everything in life has to be planned….most people stumble upon their success by accident and only those who follow that inner voice succeed and do so in great heights. So again, I urge you to take some time out today to reflect and simply “Do You” and understand that when you stay focused on your vision, everything else will follow….true in deed, for that is the law of life, I could be wrong but something inside me tells me this approach is good for the Soul ya'll, and as you know, what’s good for the Soul is Smart!

Sending you Hugs and Love,

Niurka

The Power of Appreciation: Reflecting the positive attracts all that we want and more

Today I woke up thanking god and appreciating all of the things that I do have versus what I do not….See a good friend of mine has been sending me these small excerpt phrases from the book “The Secret” and believe it or not….they are very insightful and genuinely have the power to change even the most glummest of person’s day around for the better….guess it’s all about perception. In this day and age where everyone is scared that they’ll lose their job and/or source of income….it is important to keep a level head and truly understand that happiness and prosperity begets happiness and prosperity. See to many times folks give in to what they see going on around them versus simply believing that they’re in a different position than most folks.

You’re disposition on a daily basis is key to in accomplishing this. You could be the one person in your company or department who remains employed and content, simply because of your disposition. I mean come on, people like to be around other people who bring good energy to them…period. So I guess I’ll share the quote with you…. “Appreciation for the things you have is using the law of attraction intelligently”.

Most people wallow in their misery, sad about the things that they don’t have and this in turn does not allow them to materialize more abundance in their lives. See when you appreciate what you have and/or the position that you’re in…that sense of gratitude alone attracts more good and positive things to you. It is good to feel good, remember the old VIDAL SASSOON commercial, when you feel good, you look good, and we all know that folks love other folks that make them feel good, it’s only right, so as I sign off today let me just say this….if you’re one of those chronic criticizers of self….STOP THAT, STOP THAT TODAY and honor yourself for the beautiful, amazing, resilient person that you are today and remember GOD don’t make no junk!

Feel good for your own sake and for that of those around you, it’s better to be a beacon of hope, strength and love always, than to be sad, gloomy or thinking negative thoughts…for we attract what we put out…Happy thoughts guys, they’re good for the Soul and as you know , what’s good for the SOUL is SMART!

Sending you Hugs and Love,

Niurka

A letter to every resilient person out there...not just Tyler Perry

O.K. folks, so I was online yesterday and I went onto Tyler Perry's website and left him a letter.. and I want to share it with you because I realized this letter should be dedicated, not just to him, but to every resilient black person out there who has overcome against all odds and consistently kept things moving forward through the grace of our good lord...here it goes:



Senor Perry,



I first want to begin by saying thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. I'm sure you get that alot nowadays but I must say your work is truly an inspiration and a testament to all that can be done when you put your mind to it and walk on faith. See, I was living in New York city not to long ago and I had the pleasure of attending a movie premier with DV republic where you spoke. You know what strikes me the most about you? It's your humility and frankness, in spanish we call that "humildez" it's beautiful to see a portly beautiful man like yourself carry yourself with such dignity and pride, particularly after everything that you have experienced.



You know, Tyler, not many people understand the notion of strenght and perseverance, the beauty of rising from your own ashes time and gain. The easy way in which you are able to share your stories of trauma and yet paint them in such a beautiful, humorous light are revealing of a man who has clear CHARACHTER and LOVE in abundance, may God always continue to bless you. Promise me, please, that you will continue to radiate that beautiful aspect of what black life in America is, for, were it not for you, many people would never be able to understand just how truly original our story of struggle as a people genuinely is.



I am a first generation afro-dominican and my parents experience in this country has been quite a miraculous one filled with many twists and turns but yet we continue to persevere despite the myriad of obstacles weve encountered.....would you ever guess by the way that I articulate that I am a 31 year old single mother of teenagers who attend Boston Latin School (top 25 schools in the country) ,whose first two children were born to her by the age of seventeen....trust me when most people see me they cant beleive it. I realize that appearance isnt everything and that the grace of God is good Tyler, may the lord continue to bless you and keep you, I can only hope that someday I may be blessed enought to tell my families story in the way that you have done.



Trust me! The plight of dark skinned hispanics in this country is a complex one as well, but anywho, God love you and keep you and thank you for being such an inspiration! I've been thinking alot about your most recent blog posting around grabbing a dream and holding onto it by faith.....Soul-smart is my dream Tyler, I want to tell stories that are good for the Soul because what's good for the Soul is Smart, it's what got me through college and has helped me pave the way for my siblings and my children...I'm keeping your message close to my heart and I only hope you dont steal my brand....if wishful thinking would have it perhaps you might actually reach out to me and talk a little more about my vision, but that would be presumptious and thats not why I left you this message, I simply wanted to acknowledge you today.....Thank you for being you Tyler Perry, you give this young woman courage to keep moving forward despite life's ills.



Sending you Hugs and Love,



Niurka LeBron

Slow Down……Success is around the Corner

Last night I was in the car with a loved one who is notorious for driving way too fast. We were driving from my moms house to mine and honestly it could’ve been a 10 minute trip, but my beautiful sibling likes to do things quickly so he got me home in about 5 minutes (which is virtually unheard of). In the misdt of him driving me home, the inevitable happened…..he ran a red light (did a stop and roll as we like to call it) and the police pulled the vehicle over. Now, granted when we got stopped, he realized he ran the light but he didn’t do it on purpose. Rather, it was an impulsive move because he really wanted to get me to my destination and move on with the rest of his evening..ie. watching the last quarter of the superbowl. Luckily we were stopped by a local cop, who obviously realized my brother was not being malicious in his driving, he simply was not being cautious and he was obviously in a rush. I guess the larger implication of all of this is that it really got me thinking about how fast paced we move in this day and age.

It seems like everybody is always rushing impulsively to get to the next thing, disregarding all red lights (flags that we may get in the form of life experiences). We tend to forget to just stop and reflect on what were really doing. Today’s message is not a long one, just a simple one….. if success is what we really want then we need to slow down and reflect on our actions a little more. Doing so would probably allow us to live better and really focus on the little things that are important in life and also brings us a little more joy. You know, too often I hear my friends talking about what they have to do next while they’re already juggling a myriad of projects at once in the hopes of attaining some sense of security.

I’m sure many of you know a few people who have multiple degrees and still don’t know or really have a sense of what they’re truly doing. I guess in hindsight, I’m speaking for myself and others like me whom I consistently come in contact with who continue to move fast in the hopes of attaining some instant gratitude and/or sense of accomplishment. The reality is that if we just stop for a second, slow it down a little and really watch for the signs that tell us when to make the right turns then we’ll all be less apt to get stopped by obstacles. See, when you slow down, you see things clearer and then get a much better understanding about the path that the almighty creator is designing for you….if I cant stress enough to all of you who are consistently doing, doing, doing…..slow down and smell the roses a bit, reflect and meditate on the turns you want to take in life (the choices you make) and you’ll see how the creator will open doors unforeseen to you when you were moving to quickly.

Trust me….it will give you piece of mind too and lord knows we all need that, it’s a Soul Smart thing to do you know….so in homage to one of my all time hip-hop favorites ….take heed to the words of the Grand Puba and “SLOW DOWN”. Success is not going anywhere, it will always be there for the taking but you won’t see it unless you take time out to figure it out.

Sending you Hugs and Love,

Niurka