by desing | Faith & Purpose, Tools
On my journey of embracing my legacy and pursuing my purpose instead of taking the “safe” route, faith has been the rock that I thought I stood on until recently. For the past few months, I have been forced to walk by faith in a way that I have never been challenged to before and it got me to thinking. Prior to this season of my life where challenges were not as “challenging” for lack of a better word, I believed that I “walked by faith” until it hit me that I really wasn’t because you really will not know what faith is until it’s all that you have to stand on. When life throws its curveballs, this is when the true testimony of walking by faith will reach its climax.
It’s easy to tell others to have faith and walk by faith and not by sight, but when it is your turn to do so, it may not be as easy. I am firm believer that I am serving God and serving others in my journey as an entrepreneur and “midwife to your legacy,” but I have yet to experience a time in my life where I literally had nothing else to stand on but faith.
Walking my faith is not always a pretty sight. There are moments in your life where your faith will be challenged and tested but it’s for you to grow. I am a believer in God of the Bible and Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior but this is not about me trying to preach the gospel to you, this is about living in honor and submission to your calling even when your faith is being tested to the point that your faith is no longer rock solid faith, but struggling faith.
You’re trying to pay your bills and the money isn’t there. You’re trying to make a vision come to pass but the resources are not there and nowhere to be found in sight. You’re biological clock is ticking and your future husband hasn’t even come close to showing up. You’re hoping that your loved one will be healed of whatever illness that he or she is battling but the doctor’s reports are getting worse. You want to quit your job to pursue your dreams but your fears are only getting louder.
These situations are just a few of the myriad ways that walking by faith can look like.
Oftentimes, we can be misled to believe that walking by faith will guarantee only seasons of abundance. Or better yet we think that we are the only ones who struggle with faith when challenges arise. I am here to tell you differently. You will not know what faith really is until it is all that you have to stand on. Walking by faith will not always be easy and it will look crazy at times. You may even be ridiculed by others when doing so but you have to be willing to endure the process of success if you want to experience the benefits of the outcome. I want you to keep the faith in spite of whatever you may be going through because getting through this time will prepare you to get through life’s next storm.
If your faith is currently being tested, please know that you are not alone! I am in that same boat too, walking on water, trying to keep my eyes focused on God’s power and not my own. I too have doubted, struggled with faith and even thought about giving up several times but there is something on the inside of me that will not allow me to do it. I am walking by faith even when no one around me thinks that I am making the wise decision to do so, however, I know now that I am walking truly by faith. So trust me when I say that I know how challenging walking by faith can be but we have to be willing to do it so that our faith can be strengthened and we can be able to tell others “I’ve been there before.”
So how have I been getting through it? Like this:
- Take it one day at a time. Allow tomorrow to worry about itself and focus on today. Even if you need to take it one hour at a time, then do so.
- Let go. Stop trying to figure it all out. Focus on doing your best and allowing God to do the rest; once you let things go that is usually when the magic unfolds. And magic has been happening by the way that I cannot wait to share!
- Stay focused on the end result by getting a mental picture. I try to focus on how life will be after the storm is over after I have received the deliverance; that keeps me going.
- Keep an attitude of gratitude. Instead of focusing on what you do not have, focus on what you do have.
- Change the plan. If the goal isn’t manifesting the way that you thought that it would, don’t change the goal; change the strategy to get there.
Walking my faith may have it’s challenges, but just because things may not be working out does not mean that things aren’t going the way that they are supposed to. Embrace that for a moment and please know that you are not alone. Remember that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Faith AND patience will obtain the promise in the end. Remain faithful, patient and grateful 🙂
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose, Tools
Money. It’s something that is synonymous with power and respect and has all been called “the root of all evil.” However, whether we like to admit it or not having a substantial amount of money can make our lives less challenging. If you are surprisingly let go from your job, become ill or need to pay for your children’s education – having a good stash of money can help ease your mind as you face life’s unsuspecting trials that require us to have some sort of savings to pull through those rough moments.
Let’s face it, we ALL could use a little more cash in our pockets unless you are millionaire reading this and if you are then GREAT; please tell us how you did it. We all need money to survive but as I have mentioned before, poor thinkers focus their thoughts on survival and great thinkers focus their thoughts on progression. One way to ensure that you will never be rich is to stick to one income stream. It is very hard to become wealthy by simply collecting a weekly check from your job. It is essential to create additional income streams for yourself. Before you try to tell me that this is a message of greed, let me tell you that when you have money you can use it to create change, serve and impact the lives of others. That business you want to launch, the non-profit you want to start in your community, that new house you want to by, that school you want to send your kids to, that life insurance policy you desire, that healthcare you would like to have all require money. I am NOT saying to be a slave to money because I believe that the love of money is the root to all evil. If you chase money, then you will never have enough of it and you will never be at peace.
There is nothing wrong with creating different income streams for yourself to provide the best future for yourself and your family. I always say, “You are the leader of your life and you have the power to lead your life from average to optimal.” This means that you have the gifts, talents and abilities on the inside of you to create the life that you want. So here is what I want you to do.
Instead of asking yourself, “How can I make more money?” – I want you to ask yourself “How can I use my gifts, talents and abilities to serve others and in turn generate more income for myself?” The latter is about using what you are good at to serve others instead of solely focusing on yourself. This is NOT about getting more money to get rich quick, this about using the principle of service and purpose to create the life that God has called you to live. There is nothing wrong with having things, just as long as you do not allow them to have you.
The next step that I want you to take is writing it down. Sit down with a pen and notebook and write down what strengths, skills and gifts you have and ideas as to how you can use them to serve others and generate additional income. I want you to be selfless and think about how can be of best service to others. Perhaps you have a knack for writing – well maybe you can help people edit their resumes or you can write blog posts that inspire people. Perhaps you have insane organizational skills, well then maybe you can be someone’s virtual assistant for a few hours out of the week. Get my drift ladies?
The final step that I want to you to take is to write down goals and possible strategies in regards to bringing those ideas forth. If you do not know where to start, then pray and ask God to give you the strategy. Oftentimes, we pray for a miracle to fall out of the sky, nonetheless, sometimes actions get the miracle. You have to position yourself in the right place to receive the miracle and prepare for what you prayed for. Thinking and speaking positively are important too, but there is a power in writing down your goals because it is the first physical manifestation of the thought which invigorates you to pursue the goal.
I sincerely hope that this message has been a blessing to you and that you can use this message as a catalyst to leading your life from average to optimal. I am here to serve you and if you need any further assistance in identifying your gifts to serve others to create additional income streams then please feel free to reach out to me for a 1-on-1 Goal Setting Skype Call. I want to help you WIN so if this is something that seriously interests you then please feel free to find out more here 🙂
Also, I wanted to let you know that I am also going to be hosting a FREE “Love Your Legacy Google Hangout” on Tues. Aug 19th at 8pm EST discussing the power of your story, manifesting your God-given dream, living in purpose and defining your legacy! The first person to register and attend the event will win a FREE copy of my book Love Your Legacy: How to UnMask Your Truth to Discover Your Purpose and Birth Your Vision. There will be other exclusive offers for those who attend so I am looking forward to hanging out with you then, you can register here.
As always, it’s my honor to serve!
Warmest Regards,
Maria I. Melendez
Founder and CEO
@EmbraceHerLegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose, Tools
We hear the term “life is short” but sometimes that does not hit home until we have some sort of tragedy occur in our lives that oftentimes will take the life of a loved one, friend or relative. These past few days have opened my eyes to what it really means to live and I want to share it with you.
This past Saturday night, I went to bed with such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I magnified all that I did have in my life instead of what I did not and for the first time I felt rich. I was filled with thanksgiving as I meditated on the blessings of my life. My life has not been an easy journey but it is one that I am proud to say that is mine and I am grateful. The next day, I was bombarded with the news that a family friend lost her battle to cancer and unfortunately passed away. My heart sank…
After receiving the news and sharing the news with the rest of my family, I went for a much needed walk. Oddly, the sun never shined brighter on my face and I felt an indescribable connection to life. My emotions were mixed – sad, angry, joyful and hopeful. All I kept thinking was how we can major in the minor things in life only to have this valuable thing called “life” taken away sooner than we think. All the hours of worrying, being angry, being unforgiving, being resentful, being fearful are actually a HUGE waste of our time. Time is one thing that we all have but also one thing that we can never get back once it’s gone.
We all think that we have more time. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that, how do you really know that you have more time? So this is what I am getting at here – take advantage of every day that you have. If there is someone that you need to forgive, then do it. If there is a goal or dream that you want to achieve then do it. If there is someone that you need to ask forgiveness of, then do so. If there is a truth that you need to speak, then honor your truth. If there is a place that you want to visit, then put the vacation on your calendar and go.
You can sit around and get upset about what you do not have or you can tap into your riches and praise God for what you do have. If you cannot find one thing, be thankful that you are alive and you can tell your loved ones “I love you,” because there is someone who wasn’t able to do it today or there is someone who wished that they could hear their loved one say it to them one last time.
Life can be flipped upside down in an instant and in those moments we have to learn to surrender to that process. As for me, I am learning to accept the transitions in life. I am learning that me becoming a woman who is “rich” has nothing to do with my possessions and I am living each day to the best of my ability. To live is to love, to live is to forgive, to live is to be thankful for each blessing and lesson learned, to live is to learn from our mistakes, to live is to be courageous, to live is be intentional, to live is honor our purpose.
I don’t know how much longer I have left, but I am committed to staying focused on what I have been called to do and embracing the journey and all the people I build relationships with along the way. I hope that I can inspire you to do the same.
Live. Forgive. Love.
Maria I. Melendez
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
@EmbraceHerLegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
Lately I’ve been digging into my vault of personal development books and one that I am paying closest attention to right now is “Thinking For a Change” by John Maxwell – which is highly recommended for one of your summer reads. One quote that has resonated with me the most was this:
Unsuccessful people focus their thinking on survival.
Average people focus their thinking on maintenance.
Successful people focus their thinking on progress.
Exactly what I needed to read at the moment…
If you’re reading this right now, I can safely assume that you are someone who desires to live life in purpose and who desires to define the legacy that you want to leave. If you know me, you know that one of my greatest grievances is to see people so focused on survival that they forget to choose to birth their God-given dreams. Oftentimes, we can get so caught up into day-to-day survival and maintenance that we can forget to think about how to progress, grow and achieve our big goals. It has been proven that the one quality that all successful people attain is the quality of being a great thinker. Everything begins in thought form which turns into an experience.
Focusing strictly on survival and maintenance can be a HUGE distraction from you achieving your dreams. Once you can be distracted, you can be deceived, then you can be dislocated and ultimately be destroyed. I know that it can be tough to achieve a dream or work towards a major goal, especially when your resources are limited. Nevertheless, when your resources are limited, this is a great chance for you to get resourceful, get creative and make your dreams happen with what you have instead of what you lack.
It’s time to think progress instead of focusing on surviving. Life is more than our bills or day-to-day superficiality where we praise Fridays and lament Mondays. I want you to focus on your big vision that you have for yourself and I want you to think about the progressive steps that can help you get there. Here are some tips:
- Think of who or what you have access to right not that can help you achieve your goals. There is ALWAYS someone or something. Start to build your plan from there, reach out to that person.
- If you need a freelancer for things like graphic design, logo design, web copy, web design and more, check out Fiverr.com where you can hire freelancers to do various jobs for you for $5. (There are possible add-ons for each job but it’s REALLY inexpensive and each job starts at $5!)
- Barter your services. Let’s say that you’re a make-up artist and you need to create a portfolio with images of your work. Instead of complaining about not being able to afford a photographer, how about finding a photographer who needs new images for their portfolio and you guys exchange your services. He needs a MUA, you need a photographer – work it out together.
- Brainstorm your tail off! Look at your goals written down in front of you and think about what you can start doing now to make it happen. Perhaps you want to publish a book and think that you will not be able to because you do not have a publisher. You can find ways to self-publish. If you can afford an order of (200) books, then focus on what you can afford.
- Google all free or inexpensive resources that you have access to. There are so many workshops, events and services available at local libraries, churches or non-profit organizations. Know what’s in your town and make it happen!
If you’ve been so focused on surviving or maintaining, then I want you to make a change and commit to thinking progressively. I want you to get resourceful for your dreams and MAKE IT HAPPEN! We can get resourceful when it comes to surviving but will not apply a progressive thinking to our dreams.
I leave you with one of my favorite songs by the lovely Mariah Carey “Make It Happen” – make this your anthem this week and always embrace your legacy!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
by desing | Faith & Purpose
A few weeks ago someone sent me a link of a recent graduation keynote speech of Jim Carrey’s. To my shock, that was actually the second time in a few weeks where someone was sharing a “Jim Carrey motivational moment” with me. I have learned enough in life to know that there are no such things as coincidences. I admit that Jim Carrey, who we all love for being the “laugh until you hurt” comic, would be the last place I would expect to find motivation. Not only was I motivated by his speech, I felt like I was listening to someone who absolutely understands what it means to live in purpose and do what you love in spite of what odds one may be up against. A big lesson here is to never judge who can be carrying your next piece of motivation, encouragement, wisdom or understanding.
Anyhoot, there is a special component of the speech that I want to touch upon. He talks about his father whose dream was to be a stand-up comic but because of the standard dream killers (need of a job, need to make a living, need to support my family etc), he decided to take the safe route as an accountant. A few years into his position, he unfortunately lost his job. He and his family had to learn to fend for themselves and were left broke and struggling after his job loss. Growing in wisdom from that situation, Jim Carrey goes on to make this extremely valid point. “My father’s situation showed me that you can fail at something you do not want, so why not try doing something that you love?” Following that, he says another key point. “People oftentimes make decisions rooted in fear under the guise of practicality.”
I am saying all sorts of “Amens”, “Say that again!” and “Yasssss!” as I am hearing him speak. How many times have I seen people say that they are doing the practical thing but what they are actually doing is living in fear? Dozens! The better question here is – are you one of those people? Last I checked, no one who is practical leaves a legacy that is one to remember. Being a woman who is embracing her legacy is going to require moments where you will have to go against the grain and do the impractical thing. Don’t you know that those moments of doing what is not practical are the very moments of your story that will stand out and be of positive reinforcement to others? Fear shows up looking like practicality; actually fear shows up looking like all sorts of things in our lives and if we are not careful then we can allow it to subconsciously rule our thoughts, actions, character and lives.
When I am dealing with those moments in which I am being “impractical” but following my gut and that still voice on the inside of me, I remember that I am serving God and not others people opinion of me. I understand that our loved ones can get concerned, but at the end of the day it is your life and not theirs. You have to lead your life the way that you see fit and make decisions that are not rooted in fear.
If you are struggling with fear to pursue what it is that you love then I want you to remember this. You can choose to be practical and still end up failing at that practical option you choose or you can decide to take a shot at doing something that you love. Our lives should not be enjoyed simply on weekends, days off or vacations, we have the power to make a change and create a life where every morning we wake up excited, knowing that we are living in purpose and doing what we love instead of doing what we have to do.
As always, it’s my honor to serve!
Watch the full speech here.
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy
