Monday Morning Mindset – Challenges

This week’s Monday Morning Mindset focuses on “the conqueror within.” In life, we all encounter opportunities for growth. The differences between those who succeed and those who accept defeat is the ability to push forward regardless of circumstances. We are innately built to conquer, overcome and strive. Challenges enable us to decide the type of person we choose to be in life. When one receives an opportunity, a challenge is not far behind. The decision on whether to accept the challenge can be life-changing. Life-changing moments happen at the most opportune times. It is important to stay aware of your ability to do all things, knowing that it may not necessarily be easy to obtain. The sooner one realizes the challenge assists in establishing one’s character, the easier it will become to overcome the challenge. The real question lies in the ability to understand that struggle is not always necessarily bad. Challenges and struggles often provide us with the capacity to reflect and see how strong and resourceful we are. Take some time today to reflect on past challenges that you have overcome. Then make a list of current goals. Challenges are difficult, but you have everything you need to conquer and overcome within you.

Dr. Jaye

Monday Morning Mindset

This week’s topic is “Developing Your Inner Voice.” Developing your inner voice is important because it makes you aware of your thoughts. When you’re more aware of your thoughts, you’re more aware of your intentions and goals. When you’re more aware of your intentions and goals you’re more aware of the steps you must take in order to achieve those intentions and goals. When you’re more aware of the steps you must take, you then begin to develop your inner voice with a focus on positive outcomes of your thoughts. Many of us have more negative voices than positive voices, which interrupt our daily thoughts. Instead of focusing on negative things or things you don’t want to happen, this week try focusing on positive things and things you do want to happen. For an example instead of saying “I don’t want to be late for work” you can say, “I’m will leave earlier to get to work on time.” You can change your mindset, which will change your ability to act, which changes the outcome for what you believe is possible.

Monday Morning Mindset

Today’s Mindful Monday focuses on living courageously. In the face of adversity and with fear slathered all over your physical body, you must come to the cross roads of “Living Courageously” and “Fear.” Living courageously takes you toward your intention and awareness. Fear pushes you away from your goals. In order to live courageously one must be able to understand that you will fail, and you will have to start over at times. But, it is in the starting over and the failing were you realize your true nature. Your true nature is searching for the ability to live more courageously than the day before. Living courageously is something you embrace, knowing that the result will be for your benefit.

Monday Morning Mindset

When was the last time you reflected on how good your life was? When was the last time you were grateful for what you have, how far you come or where you see yourself being in a particular time period. It is time to renew your mind and realize that you have a choice on how you will react to “this moment” in time. Will you “bless” it or, will you “curse” it. Complaints and negative thoughts can have an adverse reaction to a situation, while on the other hand, embracing a situation and trying to find the “message in the mess” will allow for you to grow your character and experiences.

Take some time to write down your thoughts on a situation that may be irritating to you. What is the situation? What are the components? What are the pros and cons of the situation? How can you utilize self-control in the situation? Are you a direct component of a resolution? Then, sit with this information and release “good thoughts” with resolving it even if you don’t believe it to be true. When the situation comes up, reflect back on your notes and remember that you can only control what YOU do in any given situation. You have more control over the situation than you may think you do.

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

Poem:  Food for Thought

Mind is a powerful thing to waste
Why waste when you can use every drop for profit
Profit which can assist with growth and development
Development of body and soul
Soulness of knowledge and aspirations
Aspiring to grow and become one with your reality
Reality of life
Life of knowledge
Knowledge of growth
Growth of one

By: Jenice

Poem: The Meaning

The graciousness to be love and feel love is with me

It is with me because of the unseen fore-being

Without ache or pain I am able to know thee

Understanding that the great pleasure is in the unseen

 

You are the heartbeat of my soul

In you I have divine rest which is untold

I know so to be truthful

And in that I have a divine call

 

With you I can do everything

Without you I can’t be anything

It is through you that I have meaning

It is by that I am all-things

 

Under the pressures of the world can be troubling

Without the untold story of enabling

Others have the ability to say mean things

But is it only through you that I am able

 

Thank you for being the meaning

Thank you for always understanding

Thank you for uplifting

It is in you that all things have meaning

By: Jenice Armstead

Monday Morning Mindset

Is your soul as lonely as your mind? Is it even more neglected? And when was the last time you felt your soul being expressed? When was the last time you cried with joy? Wrote poetry? Make music? Danced in the rain? Baked a pie? Painted anything? Fixed something that was broken? Kissed a baby? Held a cat to your face? Hiked up a hill? Swam naked? Walked at sunrise? Played the harmonica? Talked ‘til dawn? Made love for hours … on a beach, in the woods? Communed with nature? Searched for God? When was the last time you sat alone with the silence, traveling to the deepest part of your being? When was the last time you said hello to your soul?

We have 3 wells of opportunity. The Physical Well is about your body and what your body wants. The Mental Well is about your mental state of mind. The Spiritual Well is about your soul and spirituality stimulation. When one lives as a single-faceted creature, you become deeply mired in matter of the body: Money. Sex. Power. Possessions. Physical stimulation. Security. Fame. Financial gain. It is time to be more, it is time for greatness to prevail and love to endure all things.  Do something for your Soul today.

All the Best,
Jaye

Monday Morning Mindset

An attitude of gratitude is more important to your physical health than you may realize. During this time of year, it is important to show gratitude for what, who and all of the blessings that you have. Gratefulness is contagious, show gratitude and you will be given more. How can you expect anything good to happen if you don’t have gratitude for what you have currently? You can always find something to be grateful for. No matter your situation, you can always be grateful. Make a “Grateful List” and keep it to remind yourself of all that you are grateful for. Here are a list of items I am grateful for each and every day, with this list you can add to it or change it to suit your personal goals in life or things that are most important to you.

My Grateful List
I am grateful for the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
I am grateful for a new day and new beginnings
I am grateful for forgiveness and peace
I am grateful for my good health
I am grateful for my sound mind, body and soul
I am grateful for my beautiful spirit
I am grateful for the beautiful spirits I will meet today
I am grateful for love, peace and joy
I am grateful for my success
I am grateful for my ability to motivate and inspire others
I am grateful for the ability to see, hear, smell and speak

Decide what you want from life, believe you can achieve it, and focus. Believe that you can have it, and know that you deserve it. Close your eyes several times a day and focus on having it. Visualize having it and feel grateful for having it right now. When you take the time to believe, receiving and achieving you will start to be more optimistic about your life.

All the Best,
Jaye

Monday Morning Mindset

In an economy where you must “find a way or make a way,” it is important to understand your professional value. We all bring different attributes to “the table” when it comes to our field of choice, what we are good at and what we love to do. What are you good at? Take some time to find out. It is important to spend some quality time finding out what you are good at and what you are not so good at. One of the best ways to do this is to simply try.

That simple word, “Try!” Has been used many times in the negative condensation that it is perceived as a “bad word.” How may times have you heard someone or yourself saying “At least I tried!?” That gives the impression that it was all you could do. It is saying of defeat, when that is not the case at all. Succeeding isn’t in the “trying” it is in the “doing.” It is in the “doing” that you find out what you are good at.

Doing is how you find out if you have a natural gift for something, or if you need to practice. People that are good at what they do, either have a gift or have to practice. Either way, it is in the doing that they are truly successful. The key to success is in failing and then finding yourself. Failure is not a bad thing, it allows for you to see how you can improve yourself. Step out and find out, it is time to do more than try. It is time to do!

All the Best,

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

Be careful not to complain in your thinking, doing and being. Complaining is a form of being stagnate in yourself. When you complain about something or someone, you are giving into the “lower” part of yourself. Instead of complaining about a situation or person, take some a moment to reflect on the good things about the situation or person. For example, if you are at a job that doesn’t pay enough you can take a few moments to write down all the things you are grateful about within the job. Such as, the knowing you have enough to eat and provide. If you have a complaint about your spouse not doing enough to help around the house you could make a list about all the wonderful qualities that made you fall in love with your spouse in the beginning of your relationship.

You may find that by taking a few moments to reflect on the situation or person that you are the one that causing the “friction.” It could be as simple as changing your attitude in the moment you are complaining. Your attitude has more to do with how you feel and react to a situation or person than you may think. With the “thankful lists” that you make, keep it handing when you start to complain. Sit down and read the list aloud. Take a moment; reflect on the situation and how you can make it better with some “self-realizations.” In all things, “give thanks” because there is always something good you can be thankful for in any and all situations.

All the Best,

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

You Can – Poem by Jenice Armstead

You can
You absolutely can
You can because you believe that you can
You can because you remind yourself that you can
You are
You are because you say that you are
You are because you have no other choice but to be who you are
You will
You will because you have the ability to do so
You will because your spirit guides you
You know
You know because you have the wisdom of the world
You know because you have been there before
You know because you have told yourself that you know
You do
You do because you are able to
You do because you can
With the ability to do
And the wisdom to know
You can

Jenice R. Armstead
Copyright © 2013 By Jenice Renee Armstead

Monday Morning Mindset

Speaking truth starts with understanding what you feel about yourself and your abilities. There a ways to get your mind set for the weeks’ challenges. When dealing with difficult situations it is helpful to get somewhere quiet and ask yourself a few quick questions:

• Am I being kind to myself in this moment?
• Is this necessary to do?
• Does this situation make me whole?
• Is this true of my core self?

When asking yourself these questions remember that each situation in your life is not about how you act, but rather how you react to it. The best way to not draw offense from any situation is to find clarity from within. Speak aloud some positive affirmations about yourself such as “I am a kind person, I am a person of truth or I have the ability to overcome this situation and come up higher.” The ability to “self talk” in a positive manner can determine your ability to see the challenge as a benefit instead of a hindrance. Being mindful of yourself is the first step toward growing and becoming a better person. You will make mistakes, because you are human. It is okay to take a moment and gain clarity in a world full of challenges.

All the Best,
Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

Thoughts become things, if you don’t believe this just look outside your front or back door. That building across the street, the car you drive, the bus you ride or the clothes and shoes you wear were all once someone’s idea. Thoughts are all ideas of the mind, which have the ability to become “things.” It has been said that the average human being has up to 5,000 single thoughts each and everyday. Keeping in mind that 5,000 of those thoughts become up to 500 ideas and of those 500 ideas only 20 – 50 have the tendency to become actual things with using provoked action. Those 20 – 50 things could be up to 1 or 2 published, created, invented or researched physical or tangible objects. Thoughts are important for various reasons.

A thought is the creative and intuitive way for your brain to understand the environment for which it is viewing. There are various ways for the brain to view one single event, item or person. There are truly hundreds of thousands of ways for something to be viewed, interpreted or communicated. The whole idea of a thought is to provoke action. It is mindful to have “Think Sessions” with yourself. “Think Sessions” are a great way to build thought control. Since your thoughts have the ability to become things, it is wise to remember that those “things” may or may not be in favor of what you want to create in your life. Choose your thoughts wisely, or they will choose you.

Thoughts Become Things

Monday Morning Mindset – Happy Veterans Day

Veterans Day is more than a holiday celebrated for shopping sales, free meals and discounts.  Veterans Day is the day for all of us to honor those who have served both voluntarily and involuntarily for all to enjoy the freedoms of civil rights, equal rights and rights to come.  Veterans are the backbone of this country, being a veteran of the United States Navy is my honor.  I am honored to have served these United States of America.

Being a veteran has allowed many benefits that I other wise would not enjoy.  The military provided an education that my parents couldn’t afford to give me.  I earned my Associates in Science from Vincennes University, Associates in Art, Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Science, Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Saint Leo University and currently earning my Doctorates in Business Administration.  All this education has been provided by the opportunities of being a veteran of the military.

What most people who know about all my educational path don’t know the challenges that took place while earning my education.  The many nights I was on “watch” while cramming for an English exam.  Military deployments to South Korea; Mombasa, Kenya; Rhoda, Spain; and Iraq where I was sleep derived and living off of Ready Made Meals (MREs) while scheduling exam retake dates to graduate on time.  The training operations in Camp Pendleton for mortar missile training while staying up until the early hours of the morning to ensure I had my math test submitted on time.

Today, as you see people in your coming and goings remember the ones who have given their lives for the rights you freely enjoy.  Don’t merely “thank a veteran” “appreciate a veteran.”  Appreciation is worth more than any thank you could ever say.

All the Best,

Yeoman Second Class (Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist) Armstead aka Jenice

Great Lakes, ILL.  aka  Great Mistakes

Jenice Armstead Boot Camp Photo

 

Monday Morning Mindset

Having and keeping peace in your life is all about active action toward deciding to remain constant in every situation. In a world full of turmoil, unemployment and despair “Peace” says that no matter what the situation is, you have a right to remain peaceful at all times. Peace isn’t about getting what you want when you want it. Peace is the ability to remain stable in the middle of a tragedy, uncomfortable situations or simply when you are having a bad day. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When you have peace, you can remain grounded in knowing that everything will work out and be okay in the long run. Take some time to remind yourself to remain peaceful. Set your calendar or a alarm clock to remind you to remain peaceful throughout the day. Then say aloud “I am at peace with myself, others and all situations.” Remember, thoughts become words, and words become deeds.

Peace

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

In a world full of upset and disappointment, it is encouraging to see positive views of your perception of what the world could be. Having worked for several large corporations and small businesses, the realization has come to me that it isn’t what you do – but how you do it. When you realize how invaluable you are, you begin to see the most positive sides of everything.

The other week I had the honor of meeting a complete stranger during an interview for a business contract. In perfect hindsight it seemed that we had no common denominator with one another. But, it is always important to look past what you see. This young woman shared her hardships with me about her starting to “go natural” with her hair. She asked about my natural hair journey and advice on what she could do. I answered her questions, but it was also put on my heart to tell her about my personal and emotional depletion with my natural hair journey. I told her how I have received many adverse comments and snide remarks about my hair and how the comments often made me feel. I shared how it was one of the hardest things I had ever done, yet one of the most freeing things I had done for my Spirit. She started crying uncontrollably and I asked her if I could give her a hug. She agreed, and then we both sobbed together for a few minutes.

For a moment we shared the same pain, discord and upset about “going natural.” But, it was much more than that, we sobbed about not being accepted by society, low self-esteem and our overall feeling about how our “nappy” hair made us feel. She apologized, for being “silly” and crying. I told her that it wasn’t silly, and that sometimes you just need for someone else to simply understand your pain. She thanked me and I was honored to have shared that moment of human empathy with her.

There is freedom in sharing the truth, no matter how painful it may seem. If we took a little more time to share in each others pain, the healing for each one of us could infect the world with more love.

Jenice

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Monday Morning Mindset

Way too often workers are under appreciated, overworked and not compensated to the proper financial amount. Being a United States Navy Veteran, I can speak from a first person stance on all of the above being valid and true. But, many small businesses are facing the same hardships. With the economy in a yo-yo state and federal programs like SNAP and WIC being cut, one has to ask themselves: How am I going to survive this event? The answer is not simple, but one that has to be continuously answered and revamped depending on the events in your life.

If you are worried about what you are going to eat, how your are going to pay your rent or how you are going to put gas in your car which probably needs serious maintenance work – you are not alone. The key to getting some of the resolutions for these simple needs is communication with oneanother. Talk about it, talk about your needs and then see if you can be of assistances to someone else that may be in an even worst off situation than you. We need one another to survive; once that is rekindled the human race will begin the healing process of progress. Until then, the individual mindset will do nothing for us except to separate us from us.

Jenice