There Will Never Be Another You

We are so much more than the money we make or the clothes that we wear. Unfortunately, society has taught us, to judge our peers on what they don't have. They promote a cookie cutter lifestyle that most people don't even want to live.

Answer this question: what taste better, cookies from a convenience store or a fresh batch of cookies made by your grandma. The answer is obvious, right?

Now, this isn't because I said fresh cookies versus just cookies. It's because your grandma's cookies are made with love and tradition and are like no other cookie in this world.

We at times find it convenient just to fit a mold, figuring that we will have fewer critics if we do so. Whether you fit the mold or not, the critics will likely be there no matter what you wear, what you say, what you do, or even how much money you make.

There will never be another you. Bask in your uniqueness and walk confidently through each day because you are beautifully and wonderfully made. If I asked you to name all of the things that you love, how long would it take for you to know yourself?

- Jean Claude, Instagram

Perscription for Self-Love

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Today is not just a day for dinners, dates, and presents. Today is also a day to project and acknowledge self-love. It’s always important to cultivate the love within so we can be strong individuals and make others feel good. Self-love is important to living well, it guides our everyday decisions, and it helps us appreciate oneself.  I’ve compiled a short prescription list for self-love below to help guide you through your journey.

1. Become Mindful: People who have more self-love tend to know what they think, feel, and want. They are anchored by confidence and act how they wish, not how others want them to.

2. No More Comparisons: It’s something we all do. How many times have you been on a celebrity's social media account and thought to yourself, wow this person has an amazing life. You have to remember people show you what they want you to see. Don’t get caught up in what someone else is doing or how they are living. You are unique and no one can be you. So live each day spectacularly.

3. Build your ability to let go: If someone, something, or a situation bothers you, let it go, it’s not worth it.

4. Find what makes you happy and do it: Whether it's catching up on your favorite reality show, traveling, or spending time with friends. Find what makes you happy and spoil yourself. We are all put on this Earth for a reason. We weren’t given the reason but we have been given the opportunity to figure it out.  

5.  Build a community of people who are for you: We all have loved ones and people we trust. It may only be a handful of individuals but that’s ok. Surround yourself with people who uplift you, challenge you, and unconditionally support you.
 
-Shayma S. Sulaiman

Love Yourz

It’s been quite a while since I last used a song to facilitate a positive message to each of you. The previous reference was titled Harlem Shakin’ Through The Pressure, and it was about how to dance your way through times of adversity. Thank you, Drake and Future. Inspiration can really be found anywhere. 

This week will be a little different as it will focus on a popular hip-hop artist named J. Cole, specifically his “Love Yourz” track. In this song, J. Cole highlights the importance of being grateful and living your life as if nothing was missing. One of my favorite parts of this song is the hook, which says there is "No such thing as a life that's better than yours". The digital age has completely changed our daily lives as we now have the ability to peek into anyone’s life every second of the day. As humans, we naturally try to find similarities and differences with anybody that we meet or know. Because of numerous social media platforms and our fundamental human nature, unfortunately, this leaves room for many of us to compare ourselves to everyone around us (friends, family, coworkers, etc.). Accomplishments, appearances, and even personality traits are all examples. We all do it, it’s honestly hard not to, but you must continually remind yourself that your life is a blessing just the way it is now.

The moment you start acting like your life is a blessing and truly appreciating everything in it, is the moment it starts to feel like one. If you don’t love your life, your life will not love you back. No matter what you think you want or need, your life will never be enough until you start to appreciate what you have now. Remind yourself to focus on the blessings in life to intensify your sense of gratitude. Doing this will virtually continue to remind yourself of everything that’s amazing in your life, as oppose to things that are “missing.” Just like J. Cole, make sure you Love Yourz.

Love your family. Love your friends. Love the ups. Love the downs and remember to enjoy the journey of life.

-Chazz Scott

Patience Is A Virtue: Are You Ready for Your Blessings? Are You Ready for Your Miracle?

When people want something.. they want in now. I've learned the hard way that patience is a virtue. What does that mean exactly? 

• Patience (noun) = the ability to wait calmly; the capacity to accept delay without getting angry 
• Virtue (noun) = a quality or trait that most people consider to be morally good or desirable in a person.

Whenever I leave the gym, I immediately check my abs. I receive positive acclamations at work but immediately wonder why I still haven't received a promotion. I pay my bills on time but why hasn't my credit significantly increased. While you're on this journey called life, it gets difficult trying to wait for certain things to come to fruition. It's important to realize that success doesn't just happen overnight. Continue working towards your goals, have faith, keep your eye on the prize, and don't look back.  

- Nikki Abraham

Maintaining Your Mental Strength

Maintaining your mental strength is an everyday mission for all of us. Here is a quick thought that came to me while I was in the gym.

Your mental strength is just as, if not, more important than your physical strength. Each time you go to the gym and focus on a specific muscle, you are training that body part to become stronger. Once you do enough research on your body and you master consistency, you eventually began to see results. You will never see any guaranteed results until your body goes through discomfort and even occasionally pain. Once you fight through the pain to finish that very last repetition, you will start to notice growth and results.
 
The same goes for our mental strength, our brains!
 
I like to think of life as hundreds of millions of repetitions. Each setback, loss, fear, and discomfort that you might feel or think every day is considered a repetition to exercise our most powerful muscle—our brains. Each time you build up enough courage and confidence within yourself to overcome each repetition, you become more resilient. You began to see growth in yourself and in your abilities because of the intense pressure you had to fight through. Next time you feel like you’re not enough, next time you fear the unknown, next time you feel uncomfortable, next time you start comparing yourself to someone else, next time you feel like you don’t know how you’re going to make it—remind yourself that this is just another repetition that you will eventually push through. With each push, your mental strength becomes more resilient and packed with character that no one can ever take from you. Each time you overcome a fear or struggle, you will slowly begin to see growth in your life.
 
Every time your back is against the wall, think of life as another repetition in the gym. Remember each setback, fear, loss, discomfort, and negative thought is a repetition for your brain to become stronger and more resilient. Eventually, you will be unstoppable.

Trust your journey but more importantly, trust yourself.

-Chazz Scott

Less Is More

I would like to share a lesson with you I learned this past week. As I was out shopping I noticed I was trying to find happiness in the purchases I was making. I thought to myself if I could just buy one more item that would then make me a little more happier. I was trying to continuously reach for an emotion that couldn't be achieved by the action I was ultimately making. The anticipation of the purchase made me happy, but after checking out that excitement and emotion would vanish. I was wrong in that sense, buying those items didn't make me happy. I then realized sometimes we believe materialistic things like shoes, clothes, and bags can make us genuinely happy and give meaning to our lives but it's not true. It's the friendships, adventures, and experiences we make that bring us happiness. As you continue your day ask yourself this question...Do I place happiness into materialistic purchases? If the answer is yes, ask yourself why?  Surround yourself with people who make you happy. Do activities like going to the aquarium, playing basketball, or trying something you've been wanting to try. Then do something kind for someone you love. That always brings happiness to my heart.  

By: Shayma Sulaiman 

Continue Searching For the Light

I wanted to share with you a new book I have just started reading titled "Jump" by Steve Harvey. Many of you know Steve Harvey as a comedian and television personality, but most are not aware of his dark past. Before becoming a 100 million dollar man (wow, this guy has some serious money), Steve Harvey was a college drop out at Kent State University, living out of his car, and surviving off of bologna sandwiches for three years. Even many of his peers wrote him off completely by saying "Man, you don't know how to finish nothing."

His remarkable story to fame and success led him to write a very personable book about Jumping through the pain, fears, and adversity to eventually live a life of abundant happiness. 

Throughout Steve Harvey's struggles, he explains that he was always able to find that one glimmer of light in the darkness. Furthermore, he says,"No matter what happens to me, there has got to be a glimmer of light." After failing out of college, losing his job, and being homeless for three years.. he still continued to look for the light.

As 2016 comes to a close and we begin to start another year, continue to search for that glimmer of light through dark times. Once you find it, hold onto it and never let it go. That glimmer of light may just be what you need to keep going!

Just in case you missed our past post, check out the video that started it all and Jump towards the life that you want to live here.

As always, continue to stay positive!

Right Where You Should Be

Much like the nucleus symbol that represents our company and the connectivity of atoms in life, our world is connected through the people that inhabit it and the actions in which they do. Every action has a reaction, and everything has a purpose. There is no wrong place for anyone in this world and everyone is here for a reason, no matter how small or how significant.
 
For everyone going through a transition phase, whether it be graduating college, trying to find a job, etc, it can be tough. There is a lot of pressure to find out exactly what you should be doing and where you want to take your life. Not only that but figuring out how you want to contribute your part to the world with your career.
 
You need not worry about making a huge impact on the world, finding the cure for cancer, making a lot of money, or having a hugely successful life. What you will do is change people's live. Live your life as a good person, be kind to those around you, take care of the ones important to you, and your actions will leave an impact and make a difference, as is it meant to.

Everyone has a place in the world and a role to play, and yours will come, so don’t worry about how you will get there, you will.

Right Where You Should Be
By: Austin Tran, 2016