Be Inspired by Miss Stone

I used to wonder what it would be like. You know, living out my dream. It took me a while to get here. I had to jump over a few hurdles along the way. But I think now, it's finally sunk in. I obtained that Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and now my possibilities seem endless. I love what I do. I love waking up in the morning and giving thanks to the Lord, for blessing me, yes, but mostly for my happiness. For the sun that is shining on me again. For the opportunity I have been given to shine my light onto others. Marianne Williamson was right when she said 'It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.' For the longest time my light scared the living daylights out of me. Not anymore though. Not since I have learned just how bright it can shine. Now, there is no way I am dimming it for anyone or anything. God equips us with gifts. Talents. Strengths. Call it what you may. But he gives us these things, not to sit in a corner and wonder about how to u...

‘In the chaotic rubble, she still remembered who she was.’ - R.M. Drake How easy is it lose to yourself when the world around you makes no sense? When the windows shatter and the walls cave in. When the ceiling collapses and the foundation you thought was solid enough to survive countless earthquakes starts to crack. And when you are surrounded by nothing but rubble and dirt. Will you get lost in it? You cannot get lost in the fire when you know that your soul is ignited by the fire that lives within you. You cannot get washed away in the rain, when you allow it to cleanse you of the dirt that envelopes your body. You cannot drown in the ocean when you have submerged yourself in it, willingly, to heal the wounds that have covered your flesh. You, my dear, cannot sit in the rubble and become a part of it, when you know who you are. When in the depths of your soul, you have experienced pain and managed to heal yourself. When you have lived with pain and manag...

I was asked the other day ‘Toya, what does it feel like to be a woman?’ This question did catch me off guard for a while, but it made me think too. What is it to be a woman? What does it feel like? As part of my answer, I responded with a Maya Angelou quote and stated ‘Most times, when I walk, I feel like I have diamonds at the meeting of my thighs.’ I continued by saying being a woman is both majestic but so real. Painful too. God made us soft but also so strong. I walked away from this conversation feeling there was so much more I could have said. Yet, I could have said less too. And so, I turned to what I know best. Words. And I started writing. When I think of women, so many images come to mind. I think of my mother who raised so many children, both hers and that of others, but never once discriminated or gave her biological children special treatment. She sacrificed many of her own dreams so that we could live ours. Therefore, when my mother comes to mind, I thi...

Ever sold your soul to the devil for a quick buck? For a minute of pleasure? For some desire that only mortals need? Ever sold your soul to the devil?  I once believed in fairytales. I mean, haven't we all? But as we grow up, reality becomes more of a, well, reality. We realise that the plans we've made to get married and have children by the age of 30 seem nothing more than candy coated dreams; dreams that might take a few more years to come true. We realise that other things become more important. Yes, marriage and kids are still on the cards, but then work starts bringing you more pleasure, more satisfaction, more money, just more of what other things cannot bring you. Family members start needing you more. Other things require your attention. And your plans, they kind of get put on hold. Because they're plans, and they will develop, just not now. I have had quite a few sleepless nights these past few weeks. Wondering if the plans I have made need some alterati...

When Cata said 'Tap into my Chi', I didn't realize how much it would affect me. These four words from a song, this one line; it changed my life. What is Chi? In its literal translation, it is 'breath' or 'air'. Simply put. Chi is life. It is that which gives life. However, Chi is more than the physical body. Chi influences both our emotions and cognitions too. Unbalanced Chi causes distress. Balanced Chi causes your emotions to become smooth. When mental Chi is refined, it causes creativity, not only in art or business, but in child rearing and relationships. It is that natural energy that each living being has. Our goal, as humans, is to manage our Chi flow in our homes and around us in such a way that there is a good flow of Chi in our bodies. Thus, we want to avoid the Chi flow that is aggressive, attacking, low or depressive (Energy Arts, 2014; Tchi, 2014). So, why am I telling you all of this you might not have an interest in? It's simple. Wheth...

I sit here, alone, with my thoughts. I am filled with gratitude. My heart is overflowing. I have joy in leaps and bounds. I look to the heavens, and I cannot help but laugh and cry simultaneously. The Lord has been good to me. He invited me to a special event this year and I am still in awe. I look back on the year. The challenges were so great. At times, I was unsure of how I'd make it through another day, or night for that matter. My body was exhausted and everything within me wanted to give up. I still don't know how I did it, but I do know there was something in me that was not ready to give up yet. And because of that, I had no choice but to hang on.  And then, the invitation came... A few of my favourite quotes come from a poem (which later turned into a book) entitled 'The Invitation' by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. In this poem, three lines spoke to me, especially this year. She says 'I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, witho...

Whitney Houston says in one of her songs, 'I was not built to break...I didn't know my own strength...'. If this year has taught me anything, it has taught me that I was not built to break. One morning you wake up, and everything you've known, everything you've become accustomed to, can crumble down. I woke up one morning and everything was alright with my world. When I got home the evening, everything was turned upside down and inside out. I cried. And cried. And cried some more. I cried until I had nothing left to purge. And when I was done, I said 'Lord you know my heart' and left it in His hands. There really wasn't much I could. I had no more fight left in me. So I gave it over to the Lord.  It helps. When you've done everything you can possibly do and you get to the point where there is nothing more you can do, you hand it over. You pray to your Higher Being and you hand it over.  I've grown in strength this year. Not physicall...