Author: admin

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.  I don’t know whether or not it’s age or attitude, but I have noticed that I no longer rush to get anywhere these days.  Most of the time when I am driving I know that the person behind me is wondering if I am taking a Sunday stroll on a Monday.  Thank God that I have a part-time job where I don’t have to be to work early in the morning.  On those rare occasions when I do have somewhere to be before 9am, I find myself in a world that is very unfamiliar to me.  Even when I stay in the right lane people still try to run me over.  It makes me wonder if everybody else left home late.  No matter what time I have to be somewhere, I always allow myself an extra fifteen minutes; sometimes a half hour if I don’t know exactly where I’m going.  I think it’s very unfair to get on the highway at the last minute and jeopardize everyone else’s life for your failure to leave home on time.  Maybe it’s just me or maybe it really is old age!  I’ve heard that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  Perhaps someone needs to tell my GPS system that!  But the interesting thing is that whenever I follow my GPS I get to see things and places that I did not know existed.  Sometimes I even find shortcuts to other places that I have traveled.  There are times when I am discussing a location with someone and they call out a street that I have passed a few weeks ago while I was taking my Sunday stroll.  An unfamiliar journey just might show you things that you need to know or see.  So go ahead and take the road less traveled today, and stay in the right lane as others pass you by, while you’re enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.

Photo by Charity Beth Long on Unsplash

Be successful because of setbacks, not in spite of them! When life gives you lemons don’t just make lemonade, make it and sell it!  That’s what I do.  The minute I see lemons rolling my way I start asking, “What can I do with these lemons?”  My brain goes into overdrive while I sort out the possibilities until one of them sticks and before you know I have pitchers of lemonade and a stand all set up ready to go.

It is easy to allow one setback to reproduce itself.  We need to learn how to tackle each situation with all that we have at our disposal.  Sometimes something as simple as a phone call can make all the difference in the world.  Yes we serve a God who is able to do more than we ever imagined, however, He does expect some action on our part as well.  We can’t just lie around and expect God to show up and say, “Here’s what you asked for!”  That’s not the way life works.  We need to stop saying we are doing good in spite of our circumstances.  A lot of times we are doing good because of our circumstances.  It’s all good when you really think about it.  Some of the best results can come from circumstances that we try to prevent.  What we perceive as a setback most of the time is a setup from God!

When I moved from Virginia in 2009 and made my way to Charlotte, NC I had no idea that it would be a stopover and part of the divine order to eventually get me to South Carolina.   Arriving here with no job and no paycheck for weeks gave me a better appreciation for money when I did receive my first paycheck.  After being here for nine years it really feels good to not have to rush to the bank before a check bounces.  That was my life once!  Immediate gratification of material things will steal your future if you allow it.  Learn to live below your means and within your needs.  It’s a very comfortable place to be.  This did not happen for me overnight.  It took a lot of discipline and sacrifice and total transformation from a lack mentality.  It happened because God and I both worked hard the minute my feet hit the ground in South Carolina and I haven’t stopped since. I don’t recall being a big spender because I was never in a financial situation that would lend itself to that, although I didn’t always live paycheck to paycheck.  I remember my sister-in-law telling me over thirty years ago that you don’t have to save a lot of money when you get paid, just save something and watch it add up.  I took her advice and decided to pay myself first.  Of course God gets the tithe, but then I get paid.

This message may not resonate with everyone and I truly understand and I pray God’s bountiful blessings upon your finances if you are reading this and still struggling.  If you are on the bottom then there is no other way but up.  Even a small step is better than taking no step at all.  We all have a purpose, and the person who chooses to help you will be serving their purpose.  The day that you can look back on your life and realize that your struggle was to strengthen someone else is the day that you begin to live life to the fullest.  You will find yourself fighting battles with such ease that you feel like you are standing on the outside of your own life.  You don’t just pinch yourself, you look around to make sure you are not dreaming.  Your testimony will be different than mine but you will have one.  Just trust God and start where you are and let Him do the rest!

Are you the right recipient.  We like to talk about how God will not put more on you than you can bear.  He also will not bless you with what you cannot handle.  Your blessing is not held up!  When’s the last time you did something for someone else?  Did you do it in secret or announce it to the world?  We all love a good pat on the back.  We find it hard to do good with no recognition whatsoever. We wonder when our day will come.  Where’s the sunshine on my side of town?  Where is my blessing?  The question we need to be asking is, “What would I do if God truly blessed me with what I want?”  Everybody wants to win the lottery, even the ones who don’t play.  We think we will give more to charity and would do such great things for others.  But that’s not true for all of us, and we know it.  We try to convince ourselves and God that we would be a different person if we only had more to work with.  That’s a lie.  What you do with what you have is exactly what you would do with more.  Money and success does not automatically make you a caring and giving person.  Yes, you will probably give more to the church if you tithe.  That’s doing what you have always done!  The real test comes when you look at your checkbook and see a very little, but you give anyway.

We want the benefits and blessings of what we ask for, but we don’t want to do the work.  You will only discover excellence on the other side of hard work.  We don’t want to love as we should but we want others to love us.  We don’t want to put in the extra effort of looking good but we want a good looking person to approach us.  We are part-time lovers expecting full-time benefits.  Stop wondering where your blessing is.  Be the blessing and become the right recipient!

Find your next step!  In a world of “right now” we are constantly trying to make things happen in a hurry.  We want to know what’s around the corner before we get in the car to take the ride.  Our curiosity keeps us from taking risks or living life to the fullest because we want guaranteed results.  There are no guarantees in life.  We will always have moments, days, or even months where it seems like the world has landed on your head and you don’t know what to do.  All you need to know is your next!  Ask yourself what is my next step, and take it! And then repeat the question until you make your way to where you want to be.  Will there be some missteps along the way?  Of course there will be.  But use those opportunities to fine tune your approach and get back into the game.  Everyone who made it to the top did not start at the top.  There was a lot of climbing to be done along the way.

I remember wishing that I had different parents, different siblings, and different neighbors.  As I look back over my life I realize that I bring a unique perspective to the world and the people I meet because of my upbringing.  My moments of loud laughter and sense of humor is genuine because it comes from a place that others have not visited.  Growing up in my household we all were loud.  It was not something that was seen as weird or out of place during our conversations.  Maybe we talked loud because it was so many of us and we wanted to be heard.  Now I find myself in circles where I feel the need to tone it down so others will feel comfortable.  Although there have been times when I’m told that my presence is a great reprieve from being around so many “fake” people.  “It’s a nice welcome,” they say.  In this world you cannot say and do whatever you want to.  But being “fake” is not the same as tempering your words to match your perspective audience.  The “Geri” that shows up at my brother’s house is not the same “Geri” that shows up at work.  That’s not to say that I’m putting on some type of front, but the “Geri” that my family knows allows  me to let my hair down.  Unfortunately, there are times when family make it difficult for your authentic self to show up as well.  It all depends on the makeup of the family unit and if you have grown together or grown apart in certain ways.  As you live your life keep in mind that the way will not always be clear, but all you need to do is find your next step and take it!

We all remember the days when the “Layaway Plan” was the way to go.  If you could not afford an item today you simply made a down payment and the store would hold the item for a period of time with regular payments; usually every two weeks.  Once the bill was paid in full, then you could take the item with you.  If for some reason you failed to keep your end of the deal, then eventually the store would return the item to stock.  What a wonderful way to get the things we needed without having to fill our a credit application or pay finance charges.  Of course there was a small layaway fee because the store had to get something out of the deal.

How many of us today deal with life’s challenges through the “Layaway Plan?”  We keep pushing them aside rather than tackling them at the onset.  Instead we put the worry off and promise to come back and pick it up later.  No doubt we would love to have the problem solved right now, but we don’t have the time or the money to deal with it.  So we worry a little bit now and a little bit later.  We put it off as long as we can until the problem gets bigger or becomes harder to handle.  We tell God, “I definitely want this item Lord. (I want to keep this problem in my life.) I can’t afford it right now so just hold it for me.  Put it on the 90-day same as cash plan.  I’ll keep paying on it and come back to get it later.”  And God does just like the cashier; He takes the down payment, puts your name on the book and waits for your return visits.  With God, however, the scenario plays out a little differently.  Every time you go back, he reminds you that the item has already been paid for. (Challenge already taken care of) He doesn’t force you to make larger payments nor does He make the payment for you.  If you choose to keep coming back, then he allows you to do that.  He would love to see you take the item home and off His “to-do” list.  And just like the Layaway Plan, if your payments are not made on time, God will put the item back in stock.  The sad part is you will see that item every time you walk into that store.  The day you decide to discipline yourself and approach life on a pay-as-you-go basis, (trust God) you will be able to have what He promised you without a down payment.

Although I wake up every day knowing how blessed I am to still be alive, the month of October is always different because it is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the month that I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  To be given such devastating news at age thirty with no history of cancer in your family background, your only thought is, “I am going to die!”  For the first five years after the diagnosis that’s how I lived my life, as though I was dying. Today I live life to the fullest with anticipation for tomorrow and many years to come.  There are times when I hear about someone I know who has lost the battle, and of course I ask God why am I still here.  I read about the husband, the young children, and wonderful friends they left behind and I’m reminded that I’ve lived a full life with all those things yet I’m still thriving.  Why?  What do I have to offer that I haven’t already given to this world?  There is never an answer so I continue to do what I have done since the day I was diagnosed and that is tell my story.

As I look around and see people going through such traumatic experiences with this dreaded disease I realize how blessed I am to not have had any of the problems that others are going through.  Nobody looks forward to the chemo or radiation that is recommended to fight off the cancer cells, but I had no problems with both during my treatment.  Some people have to be on various forms of chemo for years.  I only did six months and never got sick.  Matter of fact, I worked every day and left early for my treatments so that I could go to the comfort of my home.  Another interesting factor is I never lost my hair, instead it grew and became more beautiful.  Praise God the cancer has never returned in any form anywhere in my body for all these years.  So this month, I ask myself and the world, “Is my testimony less powerful?”  No it is not!  Thirty-four years breast cancer free.  That’s powerful!

I wake up every day fighting to see my dream come true.  There may be times that I take detours because the bills still have to be paid, but trust and believe that no matter where I am “Geri Speak” is still in the house.  Yes!  I never leave home without a business card, a postcard, or some type of promotional material for what I am working towards.  You are your brand.  My mom used to say, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”  I know that to be true.  There is always a way to share what you are passionate about in every conversation that you have, unless you are NOT passionate about it.  To be honest, if you are operating in your purpose then there is no way to separate you from your passion.  Anyone who knows me, know that you will never get Geri Mason without also getting “Geri Speak.”  We are one in the same.  We are not separate entities.  Whenever I open my mouth I’m always speaking.  Actually I should be charging my friends for the free advice they get.  Although I am a writer at heart, my passion is speaking, and that came out of my writing.  I’m that person who dares to do the unattainable.  When I see others doing things, like appearing on the cover of a magazine, my first thought is, “Why not me?”  And that’s exactly what got me started in my writing career.  In 1985, I was bold enough to enter a cover contest for a small magazine in my home town of Virginia.  I won that contest and like they say, “The rest is history.”  The moment they started clicking that camera and I saw myself on the cover, and my letter that I wrote them on the inside of the magazine, I became unstoppable.  When the first call came as a result of that magazine, asking me to share my story, it was on.  I immediately birth “Geri Speak” into existence.  You can do the same for your life.  It all depends on how bad you want it.  How determined are you to see yourself succeed?  What are you willing to do? Where are you willing to travel?  All of these questions require an answer when it comes to paying the price for your dreams.  Of course, we need help from others. But we need to make sure that we are not copycats and we are not using people in the process.  There is a price to be paid for your dream!