Allow Your Village To Raise Your Dream

I started listening to podcast recently and I stumbled across one called, Rants & Randomness w/ Luvvie, and it sparked so much thought and new perspective. Her guest on this particular episode was Eunique Jones, best known for her awesome campaign "Because of Them, We Can".

To summarize, Eunique said that we all know the saying that it takes a village to raise a kid, but it also takes a village to raise a dream. This made me say ahh ha, Weekendish!

Questions that came to mind were, are we tapping into the people in our lives that can lift us up, motivate us, give us advice, promote us, and even cry with us.

This spoke to me because I am definitely the person who always feels like I am too prideful to ask for help or just go to my village to vent or even just to relax.

This year alone has tested my ability to be strong, intentional and kind. Sometimes, I just want to be the complete opposite. Honestly, at least one day a weak I'm completely in my feelings. I use this time to really reflect. I give myself permission to be completely honest with myself. I cry, I complain, I pray, I motivate myself, I strategize, and then I set out to get it done.

I get it done, when everything tells me to just quit because it's easier. The biggest lesson thus far has been that being successful means being able accept what didn't happen. The outcome you hope for is never guaranteed, no matter the effort that you put in. What is guaranteed is that there will be lessons that will propel you to new heights and keep you chasing the light.

So my solution to learning or allowing your village to help you is 3 things:

1. Check in with yourself.

• take time out to really talk to yourself, God, and be vulnerable. The biggest obstacle is always learning when you are not being honest with yourself, and being comfortable with listening. When you are in listening and understanding mode, you are in the only place that you can truly allow you to be open to new ideas, and lessons without distraction.

2. Check in with your village.

• Your friends, family should be people whom you can go too to let your hair down, get constructive criticism, and positive outlooks from. One thing that has become apparent, is that we put too much energy into being good for someone else and are constantly missing that fact that they aren't good for you. Point is, everyone doesn't belong in your village. We know who this people are, but we are too busy being their village. Get a village of people who can reciprocate what you give out.

3. Check in with you vision.

• Visit with your vision, so you can keep focused on what you are working toward. The daily grind can make this unclear, but intentional focus will keep you on track. All year, I have been referring back to my vision board I made earlier in the year, I constantly brainstorm business ideas, family goals, financial goals. I started listening to podcast that will not only keep me in a positive space throughout the day, but also align with some of my aspirations.

Take care of you physically, mentally, and spiritually, because as I always say, without this you can't be the best you.