Buy Your Own Flowers

By: April D. Byrd

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserves your love and affection. ~ Gautama Buddha

Someone once bought me flowers and I was extremely happy, later after the relationship didn't work. I realized that It was that gesture that I liked most, so instead of being sad. I thought: "why don't I buy my own"? It was a liberating thought that slightly changed my outlook on life. "Buy Your Own Flowers". We're not dependent on anyone. No one created our lives, so we shouldn't expect anyone to be a source of it. Instead let self-esteem and love blossom from the inside.  So many times we may wait to be honored or acknowledged by people.

Don't wait to be celebrated, loved, accepted, affirmed by anybody. When people see you've upgraded your life and doing well, they take notice. If you celebrate your value and your worth then others will too. Even if some don't it still doesn't matter.  Everything you need already comes from the inside of you. Loving yourself right first, causes everything else to fall into place. You will expect good treatment from others, because you treat yourself well. Make sure you love what you see in the mirror first, and dress up for yourself.

Sometimes we may feel lonely or expect love from others in return for our own, but its best to love with no expectations give from ourselves wholeheartedly without expecting anything in return. The ability to love without attachment comes from self-love. Self-discipline ignites from the flame of  self-love and makes achieving success much easier. In taking the initiative to buy my own flowers, pretty soon i'll have my own garden, and it will be filled with enough beauty inside to share with the world.

Celebrate yourself, Feel free to buy your own flowers (literally) and decorate your own soul, there are few things that are more liberating than realizing that you're worth everything.

Motivation: Be Fierce

Maybe people don't like to hear that if you're called of God, you're going to be used anyway; whether you like it or not. Even though that is the case, there is a very real power in actively pursuing a purpose-driven life. Yes, God uses us, but the power of compliance makes life so much easier, and the power to act on one accord with the spirit is what makes life good.

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began," (1 Timothy 1: 6-9) NKJV

Stirring up the gifts within us is an action we have the power to take, even though life and love are major forces out of our control. We have the ability to hone the power that's found in them. A good friend of mine over the weekend told me to be fierce. Fierce means to be a little aggressive, to be active in pursuit. It's kind of hard to ignore the love and influence of God on our hearts, but sometimes it's harder to make right decisions for our best interest. It's easier to gravitate towards the cheap and easy, but if we really ever wanna get serious things done, we have to have a serious faith. 

Being fierce involves risk taking and that's where trusting God comes in. Our power lies in the very essence of who we are: children of God.  There are very few cowardly lions, they know they have power and authority, knowing who created you and why you were created gives you just the same confidence. Be Bold, Be Fierce, Be Ferocious on purpose and actively pursue your dreams and vision. You can do it.


What dreams and visions do you have an "Eye" for? Share them in the comments section below.

Motivation: Your Power To Win Is Within

The blessing doesn't come from what you get out of life, 
but from what you put into it.” -April D. Byrd 

The DRIVE comes from inside...

We have the gift of life! Life is the ability to move, to do, make choices, make decisions, so on and etc. It encompasses everything we make it to be, because we have the power to make it so. Empowerment is action based. Truly every choice that we make and action we take can either bless us or break us down. When we have wisdom and enlightenment in our lives, we make better choices than if we didn't have them at all. Here are a few simple, yet powerful ways to take over the world:


Study:
Read the bible and other positively empowering or faith-based content. Show yourself approved, verified, certified. Stay Motivated! Wisdom makes you a more valuable human being. Knowledge is power and an asset to the whole world. “Because of your wisdom, because of your knowledge, because of your life giving word, you can help somebody out of the pain and anguish that they experience! You can also continually help yourself. Study is a reminder for the brain. Words are powerful don’t take studying and knowing the Lord for granted. Utilize the power!

Pray: 
Communication is key. Your life is based on your own perception of it, if you have a wrong perception of it can be miserable, if you have a God perception of it it will be exhilarating... to say the least. Prayer provides a confidante. It helps to give dominion and authority in decision making. It's also a practice of focus and it makes us more in touch with our good spirit daily.

Conquer: 
Self-discipline is vital for success. Harness the power of focus. It can be gained through prayer and meditation. Fasting also helps. Our conquering is in our concentration. its so easy to get distracted in all the business of the world . All the different types of media can be a big distraction. People can be as well. Do not let other peoples emotions affect your emotions, primarily ones of negativity or hostility. If someone else's bad mood sways your own it shows they control you, it projects your own lack of vision and good perception. Scripture reads if the blind lead the blind both will fall in the ditch(1), or otherwise grave. Where there is no vision the people perish(2). Hate kills. Your life is your liberty. Experience it as a gift.

(click) Matthew 25: 14-30

Seek good counsel and get the joy and peace you need for your soul. “Everything you want in life, you have the power to go get.”

but remember it's important what you get! Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding. -Proverbs 4:7


Money doesn't rule the world, innovation does and it's all yours for the taking!. Make the choice to be awesome today and #thinkBOLD!


*references:
1.) Matthew 15:14
2.) Proverbs 29:18
3.) Matthew 25: 14-30
4.) Proverbs 4:7

Motivation: You Can Start Living The Dream

Moving forward requires three things: preparation, dedication and revelation. To succeed, you must depend upon God for direction daily. - Thomas Dexter Jakes

God created us and gave us dreams, goals, and aspirations. So who's dream are you living? It's easy to get caught up in the lifestyles of the rich and famous, although it looks nice its not always the ideal. 

Its not the best fit for everybody. The only way to know whats right for us personally is to acknowledge and connect with the creator. If you're not motivated to get up and pray and communicate with God routinely, chances are you won't be motivated for much else.

Prayer is the best thing to do regularly, it also builds a habit of consistency in other areas. The things that drive us, what we go after, and why we go after them will affect what we produce as well as the outcome we receive. Our motives directly affect what we produce. If were pursuing money just for the sake of having money, or a house just for the sake of having a house, then that's all we'll produce.  When we intentionally seek God first and go about our day in good spirit we reap all that comes with it. This notion has been personally tested and approved. I have realized how literally nothing goes right if I don't put God first, but the day goes superb when I do. 

Also, Scripture reads: ...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. "All these things" include abundance on the greatest level and that is truly what "living the dream" is. God's dream for us is better than any dream we could ever imagine by ourselves, and when we stand behind that vision it becomes the motivating force that empowers our dreams and keeps us pushing through reality to achieve them. It is faith that makes the "in the meantime" moments so amazingly powerful. scripture reads: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

If that includes money then so be it, but it also includes emotional intelligence, peace, and a personal G.P.S for your soul. It's putting God first that helps us stay motivated. The dream is not the glamorized, commercialized idea pop culture has in mind. It's a vision by the master of creation and the creator of everything good. There is no road map for life, but there is a guide to everything you've ever wanted or could ever dream. God's word is the fresh content daily. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 



-April D. Byrd

*Matthew 6:33
  John 10:10
  Jeremiah 29:11

Maximize Your Personal Development

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. – Carl Jung

Most “Millennials” and many close to the generation are being targeted as lazy, but there is power to make a positive difference with the advanced tools and resources in this age, especially in the field of networking and communications. Personal development helps us to realize what we have to offer the world. It gives us a brief estimate of our value and on what exact talents we can place worth on, that can in turn be incorporated into all areas of life and authentic success.

If we want the best out of our lives, it means we should give life the best of ourselves. As William Shakespeare noted:  “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”  Knowing your authentic self and developing your highest potential is the key behind personal branding and development, it is the essential function that serves our purpose and service to the world.

Consciously achieving your goals means allocating the time to do so. All big problems started as little problems. When left unchecked, simple issues can gradually grow out of proportion. Health is one thing any professional can’t allow to go in the wrong direction. 

Personal development also relies heavily on mental sharpness and acumen. If our perception is limited, the very experience of our life will be too. You can only see the world from your perception, why not make it awesome?!  Your key attributes and your authenticity give life to your personal brand. 

Low self-worth and lack of good communication causes individuals to make bad choices, which leads life into a series of bad experiences. Life is all about communication. How are you relating to everything and everybody else in the world? Self-Investment is the key to increase communication skills and career success.