by desing | Faith & Purpose
I hate “No!”I will try to turn any “No” into a ”Yes” but oftentimes there’s nothing else I can do but accept the “No” and move forward.
When we start our journey of success, we can be deceived into believing that we’ll hit our pinnacle mark of achievements overnight. You expect doors to fly open for you because you’re…you. But sooner or later you’ll realize that that’s far from the truth.
I hear No’s on a daily basis and at first that used to bother me but now I’m grateful for my entire suitcase of No’s because I have learned to persevere. Every setback I’ve experienced is only making my story sweeter.
No’s, rejection and closed doors are a part of the process of success. When you experience those setbacks, you have a choice to either keep going or to concede. If you’ve been experiencing setback after setback then I want you to fight back; you have to keep going!
This year I’ve experienced a few setbacks and instead of crying for days, I only cried for a few hours and then decided to change my strategy of how to accomplish my goal. (I’m a crier so that was huge for me!)
I identified the resources and relationships I had to help me, I pursued them each and I created my new strategy. I did not change my goal; I just changed my strategy to get there. Now, I’m thankful that my original plan failed because my new strategy strengthened my business plans AND the new strategy is working!
Sometimes we hear “No” after “No” so that we can grow in character to ultimately achieve our destined purpose in life. If you got everything you wanted, when you wanted then how do you expect to grow?
Every time you hear a “No,” then throw that “No” into your perseverance file and instead of crying about it, be thankful for it because in some way it’s either helping you become who you have been called to be or protecting you from something that you think you want but isn’t best for you.
Take it the next step further and think of new strategies to help you achieve whatever it is that you are trying to do. Ask yourself if there is another way to get what you want. Is there someone else that you can speak to? Is there someone who has done what you are trying to do that you can reach out to? Have you tried to simply “Google It” for more information that may help you?
Your “No’s” are making you a better business woman and career woman but they are making you an overall better woman. Instead of focusing on what you are going to get when you accomplish your mission, start focusing on who you are becoming on your journey. You are enough just the way you are. I don’t care if you’re struggling to get that job you want, hoping for that new contract to save your business or trying to get 1 million Instagram followers, you are enough just as you are right at this moment!
After hearing what seems to feel like a thousand “No’s” then it’s only a matter of time before the right “Yes” comes along. I promise you that your “No’s” are making you and your story better. People who have persevered through challenge after challenge are the ones who appeal to the masses because all of us experience setbacks in life. You are being set up to inspire and impact the lives of others! Isn’t that the essence of a woman who embraces her legacy?
I believe so! So put away your tears, put on your lipstick, hold onto your faith and march forward with new wisdom because no weapon in hell can stop what God has blessed!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
As much as you may have your moments where you want to do it all by yourself, you have to realize that thinking like that is one of the biggest setbacks in creating the ideal life you desire.
The “I can be bad all by myself” attitude has got to go now! That sort of mentality is often rooted in pride and pride will choke the harvest of love, prosperity, success and wealth to manifest in your life. You were not created to do everything in your own strength, you were created to thrive and one of the best ways that you’ll achieve your destiny is to know your blind spots.
What I mean by “knowing your blind spots” is to acknowledge your weaknesses. On your journey of pursuing your dreams and embracing your purpose-driven life, you must know what your weaknesses are not only personally but professionally so that you can take precautionary measures so that you always come out on top.
If you know that there’s a co-worker that gets on your last nerves then that’s a blind spot that you have to be aware of. So instead of getting frustrated with her, acknowledge that you need help to deal with her effectively in order for you to thrive in your new role as product manager. When you wake up in the morning instead of dreading to talk to her, ask God to help you in advance to deal with her and help you see her the way that He does.
Perhaps you keep dating the same kind of guy over and over again and it gets you nowhere. You might be missing some essential warning signs on those first few dates but for some reason, they keep passing you by. Well, that my dear is a blind spot. Ask for wisdom and discernment before you start dating again and admit that you need help – once again ask God to help you.
Understand that you’re not alone in this life and you DO NOT have to be bad all by yourself. You have an eternal helper who lives inside of you but you have to first be willing to admit that you need that help. Once again, pride will choke you into destruction because you will be deceived into thinking that you don’t need any help because “you got this.”
Yes there are certain circumstances that you will have to go at it alone but even then God is still with you! You are never ever alone; find your joy in that!
Ask for help where you need it. Know what is not your strong suit and pursue better. This is very crucial for my fellow entrepreneurs and those of you who aspire to become entrepreneurs. If you have a business and social media marketing is not your thing, don’t drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out on your own. What you can do is find someone or a trusting resource to help you.
I will pray for everything and anything because I know that it’s God’s joy to give me my heart’s desires. Once I began to change my thinking about who He is, I started to see a difference in my life. We can easily be fooled to believe that God doesn’t care about our day-to-day lives but that is so far from the truth! He wants to help you and sometimes He’ll do it just between you and Him and oftentimes He’ll send people into your life to help you.
So what are your blind spots? What do you currently need help with but your pride will not allow you to ask for it? It can even be something like forgiveness. You know you need to ask for forgiveness from someone but your pride is stopping you. Admit it and ask.
You cannot be “bad all by yourself” anymore, it’s time to grow. Don’t be afraid to ask for help where you need it. It may not always be easy but it will for sure be worth it.
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
There’s a point in everyone’s journey of achieving a goal where you may feel stuck! You want to shift careers from one industry to another so you’ve sent your resume to dozens of jobs postings and you’ve heard nothing. You’ve been trying to pitch your book idea to publishers and you keep getting rejected. You’ve tried to save money for your new business venture and you end up tapping into those funds every week. Or you’ve been praying for healing, a mended relationship or a financial breakthrough and it seems like God is silent.
It’s in those moments where we must embrace the power of persistence! As women, we tend to be naturally more timid and less aggressive than men. A man can see a job posting where he only has two of the 10 qualifications listed and he’ll still apply. A woman can have 7 of the 10 qualifications listed, feel inadequate and choose to forego her application.
Just because you’re meeting opposition or things may not be going the way you anticipated does not mean that you aren’t right where you’re supposed to be. Every person who has achieved their dreams can give you story after story of the hurdles they had to overcome before realizing their desired outcome.
You cannot sit back and wait for opportunities to fall at your feet, sometimes you will have to go after them in full force. Just because you hear a “no” does not mean that you stop there. You have to be persistent! When I pitched my book to my publisher, they originally declined. However, I asked if they would give me an opportunity to get on the phone with them and discuss. They agreed and the rest is history. If I wasn’t persistent, I would have never received my publishing contract.
So you’ve sent your resumes to those jobs and you’ve heard nothing. Have you tried to send a follow-up email? And even if you didn’t get the job, shake it off and move on to the next potential job. If you’ve tried to save money for your new business but can’t, tell yourself that this week you are going to take at least $25 out of your check first to put aside in your savings account. Or better yet, track your spending habits and come up with ways that you can cut back.
You’ve been praying for that particular prayer and nothing yet? Well God himself tells us to keep on asking. So be persistent in your prayers with Him and trust Him to give you what you need to carry you through until He answers.
Being persistent means to stand firm in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Maybe you have to change your strategy instead of simply giving up. Maybe you’ve been emailing schools to promote your after-school program, well how about picking up the phone and calling the schools? You’re not getting orders for your catering business but your only focus has been social media marketing, perhaps you should try becoming a food vendor at an upcoming festival to increase your brand’s visibility.
If you don’t embrace the power of persistence, someone else will. There’s a difference between being persistent and being overly aggressive to the point that it’s unattractive. Start getting creative and think of new ways you can accomplish your goals. If you’ve allowed discouragement or a few setbacks to stop you, I want you to get back up and be committed to your dream!
We live in a microwave society where we want everything to be handed to us or we want greatness overnight. You have to work at what it is that you desire and I believe that if we always got exactly what we wanted when we wanted then we would never grow. Or even worse, we might ruin an opportunity because talent catapulted us to a place where our character couldn’t sustain us.
Keep asking, keep believing and keep going!
And if you want some help in creating ideas to help you achieve your goals, I’m available to work 1-on-1 with you in a Strategic Goal-Setting Session or you can download last month’s teaching on Mastering Your Goal & Manifesting Your Vision here. If you have any questions about either, let me know!
Continue to shine brightly!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
You ever had a time in your life when it seems like if it’s not one thing it’s another? Or you have that one day or week where all hell seems to be breaking loose?
First your car breaks down, then you break the heel on your favorite shoe, your student loan auto-payments caused your bank account to overdraft, your phone gets cut off, you’ve got family drama going on, your co-worker just got the promotion that you’ve worked your butt off to get AND she decides to flaunt it in your face!
It’s in those moments where you can feel like God has forgotten about you; however, you need to realize that those “all hell is breaking loose” moments are normally an indicator that something big is coming.
It’s no coincidence that you have everything coming against you right before your answered prayer is manifested because there’s an enemy who wants you to take your focus off of what you’re hoping for and onto temporary circumstances which have been strategically placed to distract you. Not only are those circumstances there to distract you, but the intent of that adversary is to get you to lose hope.
Once you lose hope (which is an expectancy of a certain thing to happen), then you can be easily deterred from fulfilling the dreams of your life.
The most common indicator that something big is coming is when people close to you are coming up against you or your dreams. Oftentimes, those people will be the ones who are closest to you because only the opinion of those who you care about will have the most impact on you. It’s difficult to believe for God’s goodness when you have strife and discord in your life. Someone may be spreading rumors about you, someone may have lied on your name, a co-worker may have thrown you under the bus, someone may have hurt you, someone may have stolen from you, a loved one may have disappointed you; whatever it is, I want you to know that these are all attempts to get you off your game.
If you put your energy into fighting with someone, or trying to clear your name or trying to prove your point, then that’s energy that you’re wasting which should be focused on the pursuit of your goals. Don’t fall into the deception of trying to vindicate yourself, trust that God will do that for you. Don’t allow any person or circumstance to steal your hope or distract you from what you know is already yours and it on it’s way.
When Eve was deceived in the Garden of Eden, she was deceived by a serpent but it was not the serpent that deceived her. It was the voice behind the serpent, who really was the enemy. I know you’re probably like, “Really, Maria? Are you talking about the devil?”
Yes, I am! Too many of us think that he isn’t real or that he’s someone in red suit who comes out on Halloween. He’s very real, he hates you and his sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy all that you have. You have to know who your real opponent is. It’s not your circumstance, it’s not the person who’s coming against you, it’s him.
Once you know who your opponent is, then you can discern his ways. Once of his greatest tactics is distraction because it leads to deception and he is the father of all lies. He also loves to bring strife, disagreements, friction and discord between people. Stand firm in your faith and refuse to allow anyone to shift your focus. You’re strong, you’re powerful and you WILL receive all that has been promised to you.
Take back the authority over your life. If all hell is coming against you then be glad because I am certain that something BIG is coming! Don’t be distracted and don’t let anything take your eyes of off your prize. Don’t be so easily offended, quickly forgive those who try to offend you, let it go and get ready to receive all that you’ve hoped for!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
Exactly what is faith? Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen and it’s the evidence of things that aren’t seen. That’s why when you’re on your journey of manifesting a vision that has been placed on your heart, you cannot judge your future success by what you can see happening now.
Too often, we allow what we can physically see around us to stop us from exercising our faith. If you could see actually receiving that $1 million contract next week, then why would you need to have faith? Nowadays, we want it all and we want it all now but if you birth your vision prematurely you’re in danger of risking the growth and long-lasting success of that vision.
There’s a reason why it takes nine months for a human baby to be born because the baby has to be properly developed inside the mother’s womb. The process of manifesting your vision may take longer or shorter than nine months but it’s definitely a process that will always require you to stretch your faith past what you can see. When God plants a vision in your heart it’s vital for you to understand that He gave it to you and only you because only you can do what He has called you to do. God doesn’t do group calling. The vision may be so big that it scares you and you may be deceived to think that it’s impossible but that’s when God does His best work; He specializes in the impossible.
Every vision that God has called you to realize will require you to stretch your faith. You attract success by the person you become and if you’re someone who only focuses on what you can see, what you can afford on your own, what you can do in your own strength then you are limiting God’s power in your life.
God is such a gentleman and He will not force His way on you. He will not stop you if you want to figure it out on your own but He’s always there waiting for you to rely on Him. If you could manifest that vision in your own might, then what would you need God for? That’s the wonderful lesson that God wants to teach us individually because He loves to be trusted.
Living with your eye of faith means that you cannot be defeated when others don’t understand your vision. God gave you the vision, not them, so it’s important to understand that people will impose their own fears, hardened hearts and insecurities onto you. Living with your eye of faith means that even when things may not go the way you anticipated, you still trust God. Living with your eye of faith means that even when you have no idea how it’s going to get paid, you believe that all your needs are already met. Living with your eye of faith means that you are so secure in your journey that no matter how many “No’s” you hear, you know that your “Yes” is on its way.
It’s your season; there’s no time to shrink back any more, live with your eye of faith not what you can see!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
