Authenticity Required

For many years I struggled with wanting to please people. Fearful that if I didn't make every effort possible to be the person that others wanted me to be, they wouldn't accept me. However, what I have come to realize is having that type of mentality is poisonous to my life. No matter how may people talk about us for not living and/or acting a certain way, we must remain committed to being our authentic selves.

Now, please don't get me wrong - being authentic doesn't mean that we shouldn't be adaptable. Additionally, I'm not saying that we should never concern ourselves with what other people think. After all, people's impressions of us play a huge part in our lives, specifically in how we network and progress in the world (both socially and professionally). Adaptability is one of the best qualities we can possess. Whether we are hanging out with friends or conversing with colleagues, having the ability to modify our behavior and the way in which we communicate effectively in any environment is a must. However, we mustn't compromise who we are (fundamentally) in an effort to please others.

Life truly becomes increasingly joyful when we stop pretending to be someone else. When we are no longer fearful of what other people think about the person we used to be, the person we are and the person we are becoming, we have the courage to be our authentic selves. So I challenge you, as I have challenged myself, to be authentically you. And while we are being our authentic selves, it is imperative that we remember to be bold, beautiful, kind, encouraged, courageous, genuine, conscious and well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.

The Beginning - 2014

As the first day of the year comes to an end, I can't help but reflect on the past year; I am so grateful for all that I have in this world. My family and I had many ups and downs in 2013; some things were out of our control and others were intentional. And I know that I talk a lot about perspective because I truly believe that when you have a positive perspective, even the worst situations become less stressful. However, very rarely do I talk about the challenge of getting to that perspective. And it seems that when things are out of our control, it's most challenging to gain a positive perspective.

Over the past few months, I began to forget this. And not everyday and in every situation, but intermittently. I began to lose sight of the value of positive perspective. I allowed things that I had no control over to take "control over me". And the "control over me" didn't go away at the stroke of midnight, today. I'm still working through it. And I realize that it's going to take a great deal of work to get completely through it.

Everyday isn't going to be applesauce and rainbows. Some days are challenging (in the least positive way) and mentally, physically and emotionally overwhelming. And every situation or challenge that we encounter doesn't just go away overnight. And you may be reading this while dealing with some challenging and/or overwhelming situations in your own life.  But as you navigate through life, I hope you'll remember what I had to remind myself: you are not alone in this world. Be bold, be beautiful, be courageous, be patient, be conscious, be positive, be kind, be loving, be grateful and be well!

Happy New Year!

Love & Peace

Niki B.