sisters

I’ve run out of goals 

business, entrepreneurship, organization

Impossible, I say. But as I opened up my Passion Planner last week to conduct my mid-year check-in, I stared at the page….and stared at the page. 

What do you want, Brandy? What will be your BIG push for the second half of the year? What’s on your list?

Nothing…

Sadness came over me. Am I finished? I thought, but pushed the idea aside. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been chasing one goal after another; accomplishing and failing; starting and restarting; learning and growing. I’ve read countless books about goal-setting, success, mindset and all the woo-woo pseudo scientifically texts about attraction and manifesting you can name. I wouldn’t say that I’ve mastered these systems but my skillset has grown and I have evidence to the effect that I make more shots than I miss. 

Almost two years ago now I did the possible and quit my full-time teaching job. Ha! What an adventure that has been. Anyways, when I did, I hit the goriund running overachieving and overworking myself into the ground. 2015 was my year! My side hustle became my main thing Anf I was roooolllliiiiinnnn! Cloud 9.

So what happened? 

I finally started to grow into the person I’ve always wanted to become. I mean, things I envisioned for myself as a child finally came into fruition. I am, in many ways, living my dream. So at some point…I stopped dreaming.

Don’t get me wrong, on a smaller scale there are still things I want to do (spa days, girls trip, tattoos, save money, etc). But the big, hairy, omg scary goals…. I can’t think of any.

I can’t think of any because I never thought beyond THIS, what I have right now. My whole life I’ve been focused on “getting there” and now I’m here. I never thought about what to do once here. I am reminded of the adage “what got you her won’t keep you here”. Although I think this is supposed to bring me solace, it makes me uneasy. What do I do now?

I decided to control what I can and not stress it. The other day I gave my sister-friend the gift of “yet” and with it, the power to control what is immediately in your control. So, I decided to give myself that gift as well. 

For too long I’ve lived each day truly like it was my last and worried that if I made one misstep or took my eyes off the road to blink I would die…literally. I think at 30 years old, I deserve to not have everything figured out. I will take this time however to learn me and evaluate what makes sense in my life and what my next step will be. Right now no goals, just a commitment to live my best life – on my terms. #BrandyWasHere

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My 2016 Book List

books, Uncategorized

I’m an avid reader. If you’ve been been following this blog or follow me on any of my social media accounts you knew this already. You also know that I constantly battle between quantity and quality when it comes to read. In 2013 I challenged myself to read a book a week and in 2015 I only completed 10 new reads. While my reading interests lead me to non-fiction texts, particularly those focused on business or self-improvement, I have been known to read a novel or two…or three.

In 2016 I took a different approach. I only read books that were directly recommended to me. I pillared through the list of over 200 texts that friends, colleagues and acquantices have offered as “life-changing” or “inspirational”. I compared that to books recommended from my favorite podcasts, blogs and thought-leaders.

Woooo!!! Exhausting.

Milestone: I’ve read over 40 books this year (even got a subscription to Audible.com and Amazon Prime to make reading on demand easier.)

These 8 books I consider to be essential to your growth and personal development as a human being on this planet. Read them all and read them again! Share them with friends. Blog about them. Thank the authors!

  1. The Year of Yes by Shondra Rhimes:Image result for the year of yes

     #Fact I’ve never seen any of the shows she’s produced. However, the advice in this book is clear: DO SOMETHING EVERYDAY TO SURPRISE YOURSELF. Push your limits beyond what you can imagine.

  2. Between the World & Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates:

    Image result for between the world and me

    A crystal clear almost haunting depiction of what is means to be Black, woke and parenting in America.

  3. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison:Image result for god help the child toni morrison

    An amazing journey of self-love and discovering and the power to reinvent one’s self. Belle’s beauty, boldness and confidence shines through despite the emotional scars she tries to hide.

  4. Miss Jessies’s Creating a Successful Business From Scratch by Titi Branch and Miko Branch :Image result for miss jessie's book barnes and noble

    It’s more than a hair product, Miss Jessie’s  sparked a movement among women that has transformed the way we think about hair and business. This in-depth book not only tells the story of two entrepreneurial sisters, but gives real-world advice for the budding business owner.

  5. Writing My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor:Image result for writing my wrongs by shaka senghor

    I, for some reason, read alot of texts by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men. While this one contains all the grim and ghastly details of prison life, it also tells the story of a man seeking to make amends with himself, his family and those he hurt. 

  6. The Power of Broke by Damon John:Image result for the power of broke

    A Shark Tank favorite, Damon John is well known for starting the urban clothing line FUBU. Since then, John has started and helped other start countless profitable businesses. Here, in this book, he calls on other business to share their experience in harnessing the power of broke to push past excuses right into their dreams.

  7. The Science of Self by Supreme Understanding and C’BS Alife Allah:Image result for the science of self by supreme understanding

    Know thyself. Learn the science. If you snoozed through all of your science classes or like me, attended them all wide awake and left confused then this book is for you! Free from all the academic clutter in textbooks, this books breaks down the science of who we are, why we are here and how we relate to one another.

  8. 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy MorinImage result for 13 things mentally strong people don't do

    There’s power in saying no to things and recognizing what you don’t want. Morin helps the reader understand how breaking free of a few mentally draining bad habits can help us make sense of our life and get closer to what we actually want.