Tag: brave

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Beauty After Breast Cancer

Beauty After Breast Cancer!  Sometimes beauty is described by our physical body rather than our mindset.  I discovered my beauty from within after being diagnosed with breast cancer at age thirty.  What could have been a devastating moment for me turned into the best thing that has ever happened. Although breast cancer does not define me, it did create in me a desire to live life to the fullest while searching for my purpose here on earth, to make sure that God got all the glory for every day that I lived past my diagnosis.  My whole world changed the minute I heard those words, “You have breast cancer!”  Rather than see this as a death threat I took that diagnosis and created a platform to share my story of survival through my business, “Geri Speak.”  I started with one speaking engagement and after thirty-five years the speeches and events that I have attended and planned are too numerous to count.  Every day that I wake up I thank God for another opportunity to be a light in a dark world.  I ask Him to guide my thoughts, my deeds, my words, my efforts and my every move.

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Who’s Pushing Your Swing?

Who’s pushing your swing? The other day during my bible study this title came to mind. As I was reading my devotional materials I came across something that made me see myself as a little girl on a swing.  In this  video of the mind I saw me trying to swing higher and higher by pushing off with my feet.  What I realized was I could only go so high and the height lasted for a very short period of time.  It took quite a bit of energy using my feet to propel myself.  I thought about giving up because the height that I reached did not merit the amount of energy that it took to get there.  There are situations in life where we spend too much energy trying to create stuff, when all we have to do is ask someone else to push us.  When someone else pushes us it not only relieves the need to be in control while using our own energy, it also allows us to reach higher heights.  In doing that, the thrill of the ride is more enjoyable and it seems as though you remain at the height a lot longer.

Who’s pushing your swing? Are you reaching the heights that you deserve or are you still operating in your own power to push?  Have you considered having God push your swing?  The heights that He is willing to take you, and the destiny that He has for you is unimaginable. We will have pain along the way, but misery is optional.  We can decide how we will react to the pain that inevitably comes to us all.  Will you spend your time blaming the world as you shuffle your feet at the playground and watch everyone else swinging high?  Or will you tell pride to take a seat the next time life takes you outside of your comfort zone?  When you find yourself swinging without a partner, why not ask someone else to push your swing?

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You See my Light Not my Light Bill

When I think about where I started from as a sixteen year old wife and mother, and becoming a single parent at age seventeen, there is no way that I could have visualized the life that I’m living today. In my prayer and meditation room there is a picture of my two daughters and my two grandchildren, which reminds me of the amazing job that I did as a single mom to both my children.  I may not have been able to give them the latest fashions or the favorite gadgets that other kids had, but I did give them love and I taught them tenacity, and how to survive in a world that judges you by your current circumstances.  I thank God that my daughters have truly grown up to be beautiful women, who are doing an amazing job with their own child.  I must say that I have no regrets.

There are times in life when we look at people who have made it, or made it to the top as some would say, and we tend to see their “halo” and not the struggle that it took to get there. We place people on a pedestal based on their accomplishments or their notoriety.  Nobody is going to tell you the whole story of how they got to the top.  There will always be a secret or two that remains untold no matter how close a friend you may be.  Even husband and wives have secrets because no one needs to know everything that you have gone through.  As you watch me do what I do you are only seeing my light not my light bill.  Don’t allow anyone to dictate what is possible in your life.  Only you know what it takes to light up your world.

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Brave Enough to Break Your Own Heart

 @simmonmigaj

How many times has your heart been broken? Not just by the opposite sex.  What about having your heart broken by your children, your boss, or by your dreams?  When it comes to reaching for the moon we tend to hesitate, because we think that if we don’t make it we have failed.  There are so many things that I have done or started to do that broke my heart.  But I learned so much about who I am and what I am capable of getting done under pressure.  Just because you fail at something does not mean that you are a failure.  Failure teaches you what not to do and/or what needs to be done differently.  Most of the time failure prepares the way for a smoother ride going forward. We allow others to break our hearts and we continue to survive, so why are we so afraid to be brave enough to break our own hearts?

When I did my book tour this year I was so psyched it was unbelievable. However, when I ended up visiting two states instead of four, I never considered it a failure.  The knowledge, the exposure, and the momentum that I gained simply by having my name out there was indescribable.  Now doors are opening for future collaborations in the year 2018.  Remember, everything you go through is preparing you for now or later.  No time is wasted if you look at life from a learning perspective and realize that things happen at the right time.  In addition, I have people who have watched me grow over the years and are now asking me to speak.  If you put in the work eventually you will reap the benefits.  Patience and persistence will always create results.