“Your past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.”

-Unknown

When I was 17 I drew a picture of a plaza. I named it Tassy plaza short and simple. The plaza consisted of a daycare, hair salon, real estate, investor’s group, tax and insurance office. Now looking back at this drawing I realized I’ve always been working on this building. Markeisa Tassy enterprise has been unfolding and although it’s nowhere near altogether it’s coming along. I claimed the building when I drew it. I didn’t have to look at it continuously but it was embedded in my heart.

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.

Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing,

and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

-Maya Angelou

Now had I continued to go back to the drawing board I probably would have the building but could’ve lost it or been a millionaire. Never think anything you’re trying to do is out of your reach. You have to make a plan to get it done otherwise it’ll just be waiting on you. Less yes this year and more actions for personal growth for self. I can’t commit to weekly blogs right now. I can promise you this book I’m writing will make up for it. What’s something you committed to but yet to take any actions to get it done?

“If your dreams don’t scare you. Then they aren’t big enough.”

-Unknown

Now after a few years of telling you it’s not to late to finish anything I looked back at my life. 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2015 I set out to do one thing but caught up in excuses I never finished. I continuously ended up in dead ends. To break a never ending bad cycle you have to look at self and say that’s it. Set out realistic goals that you know you can accomplish. Start off small maybe a six week goal or maybe a three month goal. Before you know it you’re at six months and planning a year out from now. One step in the right direction beats a long journey to dead ends.

“May this be the year you choose yourself. Again and again and again.”

-Cara Alwill Leyba

January is almost over and a lot of people already fell off of that New Years resolution. Others have cluttered their vision boards and can’t think of the actions behind executing the ultimate vision. If that’s you I want you to create an action board or spreadsheet with one goal. Yes you heard me correctly one goal, not two, or three something you can execute within 21-30 days. There’s a method to my madness if it takes 21 days to make a break a habit I’m only trying to get you use to just that. I truly believe it’ll be that perfect step in the right direction. It could be something so small to just waking up 10 minutes earlier to have to with God, meditate, or speak life into yourself with positive affirmations. Or you could workout for only 10 minutes a day at home. Maybe it’s always been a goal for you to work on your finances but you’re scared to look at your money. Conquer that fear and begin to budget the more self-aware you are the better. If you don’t know where or how to do it turn on youtube it’ll lead the way. Last but not least if you gave yourself a timeline to execute one thing doing just that.

“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

-Nelson Mandela

Don’t forget to tell me something you’re going to hold yourself accountable for this year.

Look top $10 H&M

Skirt $8 Platos Closet

Shoes Goodwill Sam Edelman $30

When you adjust your crown everything about you speaks for itself. My past life is just that my past. My best life is speaking for itself.

The 30’s club is actually fun. Trust me there’s nothing to be scared of. Although I haven’t been here long I’ve learned so much. In your 30’s you kind of know what you want. I might look like I’m all over the place but the truth is I would regret if I never gave it a shot.

You’ve come to grip with life not going accordingly. Having a plan is there to keep you focused. I remember when I went to college my major was business. Although I didn’t finish everything I’m doing is in business. So trust me you’ll get there eventually.

Don’t spend your life worrying about pleasing others. Why? It eventually drains you. Career or relationships….

There’s a valuable lesson to be learned at every stage of your life. Slow down so you can learn. If you don’t I promise you’ll continue to make the same mistakes.

YOU’RE ENOUGH THE END!

Here’s a little message to get you through the remainder of the year. Please don’t let the opinion of someone else discourage you. When you’re called to do something you can’t run from it. Being persistent and determined no matter how long it takes will get the job done.

Jay Leno’s high school counselor told him to quit school. Imagine if he would’ve listened. He went on to graduate and got his bachelor’s degree. I have a friend whose dean told her she wasn’t fit for the master’s program. She’s a semester away from graduating.

What bothers me people in higher positions would say those nasty comments. Those comments could affect you if you let them. You have to decide to rise above all negative and turn it into a positive.

Every day I wake up betting on myself. There’s so much I want to do. People tell me all the time “you’re doing too much.” God didn’t give them my vision. I’m doing everything I was called to do and then some… So of course it would look like too much to someone else.

Don’t look for anyone else to validate you.

Five things I’m going to leave with

1. Be proactive
2. Set realistic goals
3. Review your progress on the regular
4. Change some bad habits
5. Everyday reset

About my look top from bombshell boutique, jeans from charlotte russe, and shoes from barefeet

Hello November,

It’s been a minute and boy have I missed you. If you’ve been with me from the start, we’ve talk break-ups, fitness, parenting, time management, and the list goes on. Recently I did some collaborations which if you missed it go back a few blogs and catch up. While I’ve been working on my book it’s taken time away from me blogging.

I do believe I come alive in the fall and want to share some fashion inspiration with you. How to thrift or go out and find the perfect look for any occasion. If it’s anything else you would like to see me talk about leave a comment below.

Love,

Markeisa Tassy

Loving this look well the blazer is Forever 21 $8, jeans American Eagle $15, and shoes Steve Madden $8 I scored the whole look at Plato’s Closet

It’s always an evolving story whenever you ask a person what they are passionate about. Figuring out why God placed you on this Earth, what’s your calling, what will make you happy, and what will change lives…Just thinking on those words evoke pressure…Probably because we never truly know and can spend a lifetime wedging into categories we feel we ought to be aligned with… Passion, however, found its way to me by trusting and letting go. I discovered my peace of mind in visual art, and it wasn’t until I allowed myself to be receptive to it, did I realize how much I truly loved it.

Now I don’t want to bore you with the traditional story, so I’ll keep it as simple as possible. I’ve always been good at two things; calculations and creative thinking. They often conflict with each other, but that’s why it took me forever to learn how to embrace both. I took the traditional route in college and got my degree in civil engineering, currently working in construction. I always wanted to go to school for art and design but usually the things you want to do the most, aren’t what will pay the bills. Don’t get me wrong, I also wanted to be an engineer, so I chose the more secure route. Fast forward to my life now, and I’m trying to master both.

I never really painted much until my first year after college, but it was sparingly and only personal projects or small décor for friends. Last October I took a leap of faith and entered my first art show curated by some old friends. I remember being nervous, unprepared, and stressed because I had just moved to Miami and the show was in Baltimore. No one even knew I could paint, and I didn’t know the least about shipping art or branding work. Who knew that I’d end up selling every piece and receive so much love and positive energy, that I turned my craft into a business..

This new-found excitement led me to a more consistent approach to creating new artwork. I started to research techniques, mediums, styles, artists; you name it! In doing so, I quickly gained an appreciation for other creative mind around me, which opened doors quickly. I haven’t lived here a year and have been apart of numerous shows throughout Florida. That’s big for an introverted person like myself…The analytical, antsy, and occasional weirdo, but I knew interacting amongst strangers was a challenge I had to overcome. Actually, I’m still overcoming this, but these changes let me know that this was for me. The obstacles helped me grow as an individual and live in my purpose. The Arts have not only enlightened me, it has increased my patience for everything else around me. I guess if you spent 30+ hours on a painting, you’d probably feel a little more patient too (lol).

I’m mentioning all these things because I want to emphasize how my passion, though I didn’t know it at the time, has improved multiple areas of my life. When you allow your faith to guide the way, the answers you tried to seek will come to you at the right time. I’ve developed friendships, traveled, increased income, and collaborated with so many dope people around me. Who knew that sketches in a book would evolve into bodypainting, logo designs, murals, and more.

Don’t get me wrong, everything about art isn’t glamorous. Like everyone else, I get frustrated with the things I care about most. Working a demanding 50-60hr job, and trying to keep up with a business is no easy task. There are times where I am inconsistent, have “painters block”, busy, or just not in the mood to indulge in painting. People often misconstrue passions as something you’re always supposed to feel motivated to take on, but that is so far from the truth. We are all human and get tired of things occasionally, but as long as you get your dose when needed, you feel accomplished. I’m not the best at my craft, but consistency trumps all. To see the progress in my work keeps me going, and doing it for my own satisfaction keeps me centered. If my friends had never pushed me to take art more seriously, I’d never have been confident enough to let go and put myself out there.

It’s important to remember that people often see the potential in you before you see it in yourself, so never let the success of others discourage you path of happiness. Whether good or bad, the outcome is growth and that is enough to keep pushing and never let go.

-Tiffany Snow

Proverb 18:22

Remember God will give you the desires of your heart. Just know that he has heard your prayer and he is preparing you for your future spouse just like he is preparing your future spouse for you. So that when you are joined in marriage  you are able to be selfless and love one another as Christ loves the church

My name is Laurinda Andujar and I am the Founder of the Heal the City Tours, SheBlinked Literary Arts and Poetry and speaker at the John Maxwell Company. I grew up in a small town in Florida, I came from a single parent home and believe me my mother did the best she could with what she had.  

The things that I found myself struggling with the most, served as the catalyst for change not only in myself, but also in how I would interact with others moving forward. Those “challenges” shall we call them would leave me on a quest to help others realize not only their potential, but their self-worth and value. I needed them to understand how critical they were to the overall success and goodwill of this planet called Earth.

So you may ask why? Why in the world would I care about others? How did I expect to have an impact on their lives? Who would trust what at times seemed to be a perfect stranger with their most intimate secrets. I did it because I felt a social responsibility to do so. I did it because I witnessed all of these broken people trying to lead others… at times without one single ounce of emotional intelligence. I did it because I could not have been the only one out there dealing with these types of issues.

Early on in life, I would learn that life owed me nothing. I as a child experienced things the adult mind was not capable of processing. I would be labeled a victim, because I had been molested by a family member for years, which warped my view of relationships. I watched my mother endure countless nights of domestic violence. She was in the fight of her life.

As a child myself I had to play the role of mother at times. I would find myself baby-sitting being considered a baby so my mom could put food on the table. We were all we had. I guess you can say that’s where my protective instincts were born. When I wasn’t protecting myself or others I found myself creating alternate realities. Places where I was safe, places that I could win, places where I would be considered whole.

The problem is my alternate realities would fade away and I’d be left with reality. Later in life I would find myself in leadership roles. I would recognize some of these challenges in others and I would feel compelled to help them. That’s when I learned that we as people shared more in common than we had differences. The thing that we would find that we had in common was that we were all individuals trying to keep our heads above water. We were trying to take care of our families, and we just wanted internal peace.

Another thing that I would discover is that sometimes those in the leader role had not conquered their inner demons and were trying to help others fight theirs as well. That is the moment I decided there had to be more. So I would lace up my boot straps and fight for others. I would host conferences, which were free to the public. No gimmicks, no games. However one of the challenges that I would face is that people are so conditioned to believe that nothing worth having is free or easy. At times I found myself frustrated because I was serving up freedom on a platinum platter and few were willing to eat.

Let go of FEAR

Let go of DOUBT

Let go of INSUCURITIES

 Samuel 16:7 For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Man sees the outer appearance God sees the heart. No one can tell your story like you. If you have accepted Christ as your personal savior he has washed away your sins and forgiven you. God has made you a new creature in Christ. Some  people  will still perceive you to be that person that was robbing, stripping, killing, etc. but God know who you are in him he see your heart. As long as you know who you are in Christ Jesus that’s what matters. This walk as a saved Christian is not going to be easy but the thing about real Christians is that they help one another when we fall short. Remember that God is a forgiving and merciful God he is also there for you. Who you are and be who God has called u to be.

TMy name is Monique McCray -Jackson, and I am a Speaker!

Being a Speaker was not a part of my original plans. I decided to become a Speaker after reflecting over my life one day trying to figure out what I really wanted to do at this stage of my life.

Life happened fairly quickly for me after high school. I became a mother immediately after I graduated. Three years later, I became a mom for the second time. Immediately after my second child I became a wife. Two years after that I got married and I gave birth to my third child. Six long years later I gave birth to my fourth child.

As you could see, I really didn’t have time to focus on identifying my God given purpose; because I was too busy taking care of my family. I knew it was there, but to pinpoint it and birth it, I just didn’t have the time.

After giving birth to my last child I decided it was time for me to continue my education, so that, I could advance in my career, to pay for all of those children.

After completing graduate school, I advanced in my career as planned, but I wanted to continue learning and growing in a supportive environment. So, I joined a local Toastmasters Club where I currently serve as President.

It wasn’t until I joined a local Toastmasters Club, that I realized my love for speaking. I’ve always had a love for talking to people. I remember as a child one of my Aunties naming me “Mouth of the South”, because she said I talked too much, little did I know ,she was speaking into my destiny. I never been afraid to ask questions even if its sound crazy to others.

I’ve always been bold in my speaking, but I had to develop my speaking skills in order to become a Speaker.

This year, 2017, is when I decided I was going to take a leap of faith and start calling myself a Speaker. First, I started out calling myself an Aspiring Speaker. Then, I said to myself, I’ve been “aspiring” for too long. It’s time that I become who I said I want to be, and that’s a Speaker.

Before, I finally stepped out on faith; I was fearful about receiving opportunities to speak, because I didn’t have a website. I started telling myself all sorts of negative things trying to help my subconscious mind justify why I couldn’t become a Speaker.

Once, I got out of my head, and stopped making up stories to justify my fear. I became a Speaker. To date, I’ve had the opportunity to speak, and host several events, but this wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t stepped out on faith, and believe that I could be a Speaker.