#I have digested the reality of the logistics and all that stuff

[misskamelie]

I might have reached a vague stability wrt the redacted situation 🤞

[themacarensesangle]

Ecological Philosophy: How it operates, and how we can incorporate it into our lives and thoughts

Note: this light research and summary is a lot to think about at once. If you're unfamiliar with big words (seriously, no shame, I had to google this stuff too) and have trouble digesting abstract concepts, feel okay with coming back to this post later once you feel confident in understanding the smaller parts of the greater whole.

For accessibility purposes, this is a list of some somewhat complex words and their definitions you should know to fully understand this information. Other words or phrases that may be complex will have a small link after they are said.

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Ethics: moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.

Philosophy: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

Metaphysics: the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

Ontological: relating to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being.

Holism: the theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts.

Reductionism: [sometimes used derogatorily] the practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of phenomena that are held to represent a simpler or more fundamental level, especially when this is said to provide a sufficient explanation.

Epistemic: relating to knowledge or to the degree of its validation.

Rationalism: a belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.

Empiricism: the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience.

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Wikipedia defines ecological philosophy as (somewhat paraphrased) "a concept under the philosophy of science centred on the practice and application of ecology, its moral issues, and the intersectionality between the position of humans and other entities [x].

The Methodology[x] of Ecological Philosophy centers around two debates. Though ecological philosophers today are more pluralist[x] and eclectic, it's valuable to understand these two debates. The first is Holism vs Reductionism [x], which feuds over the basic foundation of investigation in this area of philosophy, and the relationship of it between things like chemistry or physics. Though the debate, by nature, goes nowhere, as nothing in the physical world can resolve it, it's worth dissecting. The debate itself has progressed in the past and present as follows:

Both sides developed the theoretical foundation for their way of thinking, and therefore fleshed out their respective assumptions and views about reality.

Holists, however, struggled to build upon their foundation with models, tools, or experimental techniques, which somewhat conceded that the foundation itself didn't really correlate to the real world.

Two ontologies, one methodology (the reductionist one).

Most ecologists (philosophical and otherwise) accepted this dichotomy[x], but were unconvinced of its relation to the real world, the down-and-dirty ecology, since both sides were attempting to or using mixed strategies, simply superimposing their ontology on top and therefore not really adding anything of physical value to ecology.

Because of that, eclecticism[x] was a common practice.

Physical ecologists were starving for a good philosophy, but the philosophers weren't coming up with anything of substance.

To add to that, the physical ecologists and philosophers weren't on the same page about what "Holism" and "Reductionism" even meant.

In short, the more analytical and arguably more philosophical Holists built a foundation for their ontology based on the analysis of the systems and individual parts of the greater whole - the whole of nature and ecology. However, the Reductionists on their own foundation were more pragmatic[x] about ecology, and thus had more ability to apply their ontology to physical ecology (My ap-ology for all these -ology words. Ha.)

The second debate is between Rationalism and Empiricism. This debate is less concerned with the ontology, but more, rather, with the mindset each side thinks is needed when going into ecological work. For this reason, it's much easier to explain in short. The Rationalists are mathematical, and believe in using ecological theory as a guide to create logistic[x] models for ecology. Rationalism in ecology was most pronounced around the 1920s, through the work of Vito Volterra and later by Alfred Lotka, combined creating what is known as Lotka-Volterra equations by which Rationalist activities are used and done. Empiricism, on the other hand, was less focused on theoretical mathematical models and more interested in gathering empirical[x] scientific data from the real world. Once again, the dichotomy is understandable and accepted, but the practice of combining the two is important. Mathematical theories can be made to predict the empirical data. Once the empirical data is physically collected and recorded, the discrepancies[x] between the theory and the reality can be compared and corrected, allowing the mathematics to further accurately predict how the environment is actually doing, and the process repeats. That said, a pluralistic combination model of Rationalism and Empiricism has yet to be developed, and I'm speaking purely in speculation.

The ethics of ecological philosophy are encompassed, by, well, Environmental Ethics. Environmental Ethics was developed in the 1970s as a response to the classical anthropocentrism[x]. You're likely already familiar with Environmental Ethics without having the name for it. It's concerned with the human proclivity[x] of polluting the planet, and the act of preserving the life on the planet for its own sake, believing that Earth itself is a moral motivation, the survival of humanity simply being a nice side effect.

Further explanation and exploration of environmental ethics will come with later posts, so follow for more climate communication, information, and activism.

[blackfen]

Split, Chapter 3

(inspired by the combined efforts of @cockybusiness and @sheithpocalypse)

-

He told Shiro….nearly everything, omitting some parts that seemed best left for after he’d digested, as best he could, the fact that there was a completely different version of him currently living inside his head, one of whom could frequently take control of his body without his consent or knowledge. Curled up in the well-worn chair, hugging his legs to his chest, Keith fell quiet after he finished explaining, warily watching Shiro, a lot nervous to see what his reaction would be. Hands hanging uselessly between his knees, perched on the end of the bed, Shiro stared down blankly at the floor for what seemed like a millennia, the only movement he made was to occasionally blink – he didn’t even seem to be breathing – before he finally spoke in a low, quiet voice.

“So this…other me…he’s the clone from years ago? From when my consciousness was stuck in the Black Lion?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought his consciousness vanished when Allura merged me into his body.”

Keith shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t really know the logistics of it. That’s what he told me. Considering everything else, I was inclined to believe him.”

Shiro was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping, “This…actually makes a lot of sense.”

“It does?” Keith asked in surprise.

“Yeah.” Shiro paused for a moment before sighing again, “I’ve been experiencing blackouts, Keith. Sections of time during which I have no idea what I did or where I was. Started happening about a year ago. At first, it was just a couple of seconds, almost like I zoned out before jerking back to reality but over time, the time I spent ‘zoned out’ got longer and longer until I was losing entire hours. There were these huge blank spots in my memory. I was determined to just ignore them but couldn’t exactly when Curtis…he confronted me on it. He told me there were times when we were doing something together or were in close proximity to one another, and I would go…funny, is what he called it. After that I’d completely ignore him if he talked to me and wander off. Sometimes even out of the house.

Dropping his head further, Shiro murmured, “He said what made him approach me about it was after it happened at a restaurant. We were having dinner, I went funny and got up to leave. Curtis, he grabbed my wrist to stop me. He said when he did, I looked down at him with such an expression of contempt and hatred that he thought I was going to hit him. He said he was so scared that he was half tempted to lock all the doors when he got home. I don’t remember doing any of that, Keith.”

“That was him. I-“ Keith said cautiously, “He doesn’t like Curtis very much.”

“What does he want?” Shiro asked after a prolonged silence, one that stretched to the point that had Keith uncomfortably squirming in his chair, tossing around ideas of anything he could use to break it, only to immediately wish to go back to the silence after that question was posed.

Blinking owlishly at Shiro, realizing that he’d probably should have been preparing for that part of this whole convoluted thing from the moment they started talking but he’d been so distracted on trying to finagle his way around it that he hadn’t given what he could possibly say a single thought. Brain stalling, the straightforward, honest words right on the tip of his tongue, held captive there by the immense monster of panic gripping his throat in a stranglehold, Keith knew he had to say something – Shiro was looking more and more pale as the seconds ticked past, and it was more than certain in his mind that there must be millions of reasons flying through his – but what the fuck could he say?

‘Your clone started taking over your body because he’s madly in love with me?’ – now, didn’t that just sound a loaded as fuck statement. The situation was already bad enough, did he really want to involve something like that? What else could he say, though? Frantically searching his mind for some way he could handle this delicately but only finding the same obvious response again and again – to just fucking tell him – Keith pressed the tips of his fingers to his temple, closed his eyes and said, “Shiro, that-“  

“I’ve missed you.” Shiro interrupted him, his voice soft, “I was really happy when you told me you were coming back to Earth.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Shiro.” Keith replied, suddenly feeling exhausted.

“I’m sorry for how harsh I’ve been with you the past few times we’ve talked.” Shiro paused for a moment, then added, “I’m sorry for not believing you about all this.”

Keith waved a hand dismissively, offering a small, reassuring smile, “It’s alright. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes – saw you switch from him to you – I wouldn’t have believed it either.”

“Did he take my ring off?” Shiro asked quietly, stretching out the fingers on his human hand.

“Yeah. It’s over there. He, um…he threw it. I’m sorry, I didn’t get a chance to stop him.”

Looking over to where Keith was indicating, Shiro slowly got up off the bed, walked over to where the gold band lay on the floor and picked it up. To Keith’s surprise, he didn’t put it back on. Instead, he cupped it in the curve of his palm, went back over to the bed and plopped down. Sighing heavily, he dropped the ring onto the mattress beside him, his dark eyes gazing down at it with an unreadable expression on his face. Nervously glancing between him and the ring, a sense of dread building up in his chest, Keith made to say something, stopped, then nervously licked his lips before going for it again.

“Shiro-“

“Curtis and I…we’re getting divorced.”

“…huh?” Was all Keith could manage to say, a little bit convinced that he hadn’t heard Shiro correctly.

Sighing heavily, Shiro pushed stark white hair away from his face then let his hand fall limply between his legs, “We were having problems long before this started. By the time I started blacking out for extended periods, we were already talking about splitting up. I think…that night in the restaurant really drove it home for the both of us. We signed the papers about two days ago. It should be official by tomorrow.”

Mouth hanging open, Keith sputtered, “Shiro, I’m sorry-“

Shiro shook his head, “No, it’s alright.”

Another bout of silence fell over them. This time, Keith was grateful for it. The other Shiro…he said that this one, the real one, was miserable, that he had been for some time, and couldn’t admit that to himself. He’d been hesitant to believe it, simply because of the circumstances, but with what he’d just found out…it was a lot easier to swallow now. Divorced. Honestly, he didn’t really know that much about Shiro’s relationship. He’d gone to the wedding, he met Curtis once but never put any effort to finding out about their daily goings-on. Thinking back, it was a little bit obvious that may have been why Shiro was so tense when they spoke. He couldn’t imagine getting divorced to the man you thought was your happily ever after could be easy.

Why hadn’t Shiro told him, though? Was their friendship truly so strained that he hadn’t even bothered to let him know he was going through something like that? Frowning, his brows knit together over a pained gaze, Keith squeezed his legs tighter to his chest. Just how much distance was between them?

“I didn’t tell anyone.” Shiro spoke up quietly, seemingly noticing the look on Keith’s face, “Part of me was embarrassed that me and Curtis weren’t able to work through it. I didn’t want to involve anyone in that kind of drama.”

“Shiro, we’re your friends.” Keith said, “We would’ve wanted to be there for you.” 

Visibly flinching, Shiro blew out a long, heavy breath, scrubbing one large hand over his face, “I know. I’m sorry. Just…a lot of stuff has been happening, and I…I need to think my way through it.”

“He said you’re miserable.”

“What?”

Keith jerked his chin in Shiro’s direction, “The other you. He said you’re miserable and that you spend so much time trying to convince yourself that you’re happy that you completely exhaust yourself.” He paused for a moment then cautiously prodded, “Is he right?”

Shiro stared at him, wide eyed, for a moment, then turned away, his brows lowering. Frowning deeply, the paleness of his face more than a little alarming at that point, Shiro said, “He’s right.”

“Why? Shiro, what’s going on?”

“It’s fine, Keith-“

“It’s not fine!” Keith snapped, so loudly that it made Shiro jump back. Getting to his feet, the rate of his heart picking up, a burst of heat flowing out from the center of his chest where a mass of pain and anger was beginning to grow, “Why? Why won’t you just talk to me? You never hid stuff before so why now? Are we just not friends anymore, is that it?”

“No!” Shiro cried, jumping up, holding his hands out to Keith, “It’s not that. Keith, we’ll always be friends. Nothing will ever change that. You’re so goddamn important to me, I want you to know that. I just…I was wrong, okay?”

“Wrong? About what?”

“Everything. I was wrong about everything. I thought I knew what I wanted, I thought I had found what I wanted and without thinking about it, I threw myself headfirst into it. I married Curtis, I retired, I fucking nailed my feet to Earth’s surface and told myself that this was it, this was what was going to make me happy. I was wrong. The first couple of years were perfect, then you called me to excitedly tell me that you were part of a new excursion into unexplored space and I…I wanted to be there with you.”

Pushing a hand through his hair, Shiro sighed, “I devoured all pieces of information on that excursion. I drove Curtis mad by constantly talking about it. I wanted to be there, to be exploring with you but I was stuck on earth. That’s…that’s when I really started thinking about what I’d done. It wasn’t a conscious effort at first. Just little thoughts that wander in that I wouldn’t pay any attention to. Only it just kept happening, and the thoughts became louder until there wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t thinking about it. I missed being out there, I missed exploring, I missed the adventure, I missed…you.”

Shoulders slumping, Shiro murmured, “I missed you so fucking much. I wanted to race with you, to explore with you, to fucking be there with you but you were millions of miles away and I…I couldn’t admit to myself just how unhappy I was. I kept telling myself ‘this is your dream! This is what you wanted!’, over and over again till I could practically make myself puke from just thinking that first sentence. I started being so hard on myself that it even drove me to be harsh with you. I was taking out my own frustration on you. I’m sorry, Keith.”

“It’s okay.” Keith replied quietly, plopping back down into the chair, the anger and pain fading away to a simmer, ready to surge out again if something else happened but content with standing by for now, “What changed? Why finally admit it to yourself?”

“No other choice.” Shiro wearily shrugged one shoulder, “Curtis asked for a divorce. He said that it was obvious I wasn’t happy, and he was beginning to be affected by that. I managed to talk him into going to a marriage counselor, to try to work through it but it was a lost cause. Whatever the two of us perceived to be between us, it’d long worn off. We weren’t in love. We might’ve never been. Our divorce has been civil, quiet and quick. Neither one of us are interested in prolonging it with unnecessary trivialities.”

“You were still wearing your ring.” Keith gently pointed out.

“We agreed we wouldn’t take them off until after the divorce was final. I am still married to him.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“No idea.” Shiro chuckled mirthlessly, shaking his head, “I’ll figure that out later. Right now, my focus is more on the fact that there’s an interloper in my head who can pilot my body like a mecha. You never told me, why did he split away? What caused the rift?”

Keith stared blankly up at him for a moment then heaved a soft sigh. Well, there really was no getting around this, was there? He didn’t have any choice but to, “He’s in love with me.”

“…huh?”

Covering his eyes with his hand, Keith sighed again, and said, “The other you. He’s in love with me. Has been since Haggar first implanted him in our group. That’s why. When you decided to marry Curtis, it caused a rift between the two of you because he wanted to stay with me.”

“That’s why he-“

“Yeah.”

“That’s why we…just now, I was on top…oh…oh my god, Keith, please tell me he didn’t hurt you!” Shiro exclaimed, rushing forward to grab his shoulders, dropping gracefully down onto one knee.

Jerking back in surprise, Keith shook his head, “No, no, he didn’t hurt me. Well, I mean…”

“What? Keith, what’d he do?”

“You’ll get angry.” Keith mumbled.

“I won’t. I promise. He didn’t hurt you or…or force himself on you, did he?”

Keith remained silent for a moment, then said, “Your crotch is hurting, right?”

“Yeah, how did…” Shiro trailed off, realization dawning on his face. Clenching his eyes tightly shut, he dropped his head, and moaned, “Oh, Keith, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Keith said reassuringly, gently patting his head, “He backed off once I knee’d him in the crotch.”

Shiro sat heavily down onto the floor in front of him. Releasing Keith’s shoulders, he let his hands fall into his lap, where they sat idly. Blinking slowly, Keith tilted his head, and said, “You’re talking this a lot better than I thought you would.”

“Already had a suspicion.” Was all Shiro said in response.

He shouldn’t ask. That was the last thing he should do. Shiro, fuck…he couldn’t even begin to understand how stressful this must all be. On top of getting divorced and working out all of this emotional baggage he’d weighed himself down with, it couldn’t have been anywhere near easy to turn that something that’d caused so much trauma, so much distress years ago was still lingering inside his head, occasionally taking control of his body and driving his life around. He shouldn’t ask. Not now, maybe not ever. He should just be happy that Shiro missed him, that Shiro wanted to be around him, that he still viewed them as close friends, even after so much time and distance had been put between them. He shouldn’t ask. He shouldn’t, he knew he shouldn’t…

“Are you in love with me, Shiro?”

And there he went. The moments the words were out of his mouth, he wanted nothing more than to take them back. Sickening heat poured into his face. A bitter bile spread in a noxious goo over his tongue, making it stick to the roof of his mouth, preventing him from retracting the statement, from backtracking, from doing anything that could make the hard jolt that wracked Shiro’s body any easier to witness. Clenching his eyes shut, mentally kicking himself across the fucking galaxy for lacking so much goddamn tact, Keith tried to make his tongue move. No use, it was stuck. He was stuck, he couldn’t move an inch. That question had been on the tip of his tongue ever since Shiro’s clone had said those words, whispered them with such heat and passion in his ears that they’d pierced through his mind.

Something warm landed on his knee. Opening his eyes, his breath caught a little when he saw Shiro had rested his forehead on his leg. Breathing slowly, his broad shoulders visibly raising and falling from the force, Shiro made some sort of noise, he wasn’t too sure what it was supposed to be before falling quiet once more.

“Shiro?” Keith said quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

Shiro nodded, “Yeah.”

He waited a moment for clarification. When none came, he gave Shiro’s head a little poke, “Yeah what?”

“That was one of the reasons I could never admit to myself that I wasn’t happy.” Shiro murmured, each word spending a puff of hot air brushing across Keith’s skin, “I knew. I knew for a long time, maybe even before I married Curtis. I knew…and I was scared. When I finally made myself take notice of just how unhappy I was, I got scared because I started thinking about you. I missed you, I wanted you, and every day I thought ‘what if it’s been too long? What if he won’t look at me the same way? What if he’s found someone else?’, just talking myself into this endless loop of anxiety. I’d fucked up, I’d driven a wedge between us and it was too late to fix it.”

Keith stared down at him silently for a moment then gave his head another hard jab, “Just say it.”

“I love you.” Shiro breathed after an extended pause, “I have for a really long time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me years ago?”

“Because I didn’t realize that’s what I was feeling years ago. By the time I did, I thought it was too late.”

Another poke, “Well, I’m telling you right now that it isn’t too late so look me in the eye and tell me.”

Slowly raising his head, Shiro’s dark gaze met his. They stared at one another for what felt like a very long time, Shiro’s expression uneasy but…adorably hopeful. It took every ounce of his willpower to not stroke the back of his fingers along the sharp curve of his cheek, to not push him through that stark white hair so he could finally know what it felt like for the strands to slip through his fingers. This…it wasn’t a dream, right? That felt so cliché to think but he couldn’t help it. This…how long had he wanted this exact scenario? How many hours had he sat, guilt ridden for wishing for the love of a married man, yet unable to drive the fantasies of this exact occurrence from his mind? Part of him wanted to believe it was just a dream, that he’d taken a blow to the head during a mission and was lying in a med bay somewhere but Shiro’s hand was warm and heavy on his knee. He could feel him breathing. He could smell the scent of his aftershave.

He was there, right there in front of him. The real Shiro, not the clone that Haggar had created. The real one…his Shiro.

“I love you.” Shiro said quietly but firmly.

Nodding slowly, Keith said, “I expect a kiss when you and Curtis’s divorce is finalized.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. To Keith’s delight, he actually sputtered, a massive amount of red flooding into his cheeks. Curling the metal hand around Keith’s knee, he said, “You’re okay with this?”

Giving him an unamused, unimpressed look, Keith said flatly, “I’m not going to kiss you when you’re still married, Shiro.”

“No, no, I wasn’t…that wasn’t what I was saying. I know you’d never do anything like that. It’s just…just like that?”

“Like what?”

“You just…accepted it! No fuss or anything! Just…we’re…like that? Just like that?”

Quirking an eyebrow, Keith asked, “Do you have an objection or-?”

“No, no! I don’t! Just…” Shiro fell silent then dropped his forehead back down onto Keith’s knee, “I’m going to shut up now.”

“I’ve loved you for a very long time, Shiro.” Keith said quietly, reaching down to lightly brush the tips of his fingers through the short, soft hair at the base of his head, “I tried to let you go, I tried to forget you, I tried to stop loving you but it was no use. No matter how far I ran from you, my heart stayed planted firmly in your hands. I just grew to accept it. You think I’m going to object when you’re right in front of me, telling me what I’ve dreamed of hearing for years?”

Slowly shaking his head, Keith murmured, “Doesn’t matter how much time or distance. You’re my Shiro, and I’ve always been your Keith.”

“You keep saying stuff like that and I seriously will kiss you.” Shiro mumbled, his voice muffled.

And he was more than tempted to let him. Alas, it was going to have to wait. However, there was one thing he could do. Leaning down, he placed a soft, warm kiss onto the back of Shiro’s head, inhaling deeply, the subtle scent of his shampoo filling his lungs. Curling his arms as best he could around Shiro’s broad frame, sighing in relief when those muscular arms returned the embrace, the two of them stayed like that, completely ignoring how uncomfortable the position was, for a long time. The world around him just seemed to fade away, leaving nothing but Shiro’s warmth, his scent, his touch. It still didn’t feel completely real. Part of him was still expecting to wake up in the med bay, the sensation of Shiro still clinging to his skin. Yet, as the seconds ticked by into minutes, minutes into an hour, two, three, the realization that this was really real didn’t so much dawn on him as just quietly appear in his mind with a cup of coffee and a look that clearly said ‘you still on about that?’.

“Do you want to come along with me when I head back to the port?” Keith asked softly.

“Yeah. You’re leaving in a couple days, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That’ll give me enough time to tie up some loose ends and get ready.”

“Will Curtis be upset?”

“I think he knows something like this is coming.”

“Do you want to wait a while before telling him about us?”

“Yeah, probably for the best, though I think he knew this would be coming as well.”

“Why?”

“Because I kept saying your name in my sleep.”

Keith’s eyebrows shot up. Laughing softly, he said, “Did you really?”

“Yeah,” Shiro responded, laughter clear in his voice as well, “More than once.”

“If you get a chance…” Keith said, “you should thank him. He’s the reason that we even got to this point.”

“I’ll try. Though, I get the feeling that he’s going to come out again.”

He didn’t say it but Keith…he hoped that the other Shiro was able to. That Shiro loved him just as much as this one did. It couldn’t have been easy to fight against this Shiro’s mind in order to gain enough control so that he could break free to gain some semblance of happiness, so that he could try to fix everything that’d gone wrong. He didn’t want him to just disappear back into this Shiro’s consciousness without getting the chance to tell him thank you, and that he loved him just as much as he loved this Shiro. After all, he was Shiro, no matter how or why, he was Shiro, and that meant…he was his Shiro.  

[preciousmetals0]

A Claim Too Far: The Market’s Line in the Sand

A Claim Too Far: The Market’s Line in the Sand:

Batten Down the Hatches

I struggled with sugarcoating things for you today, but then I remembered … this is Great Stuff, we don’t do that here!

For the past couple of weeks, the market has idled in the eye of the pandemic storm. For all the volatility, the market has made little headway since early April. Wall Street spent the past two months digesting the U.S. economy’s reopening and hints of progress in treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

This week, it seems that the situation’s enormity may have finally set in. The market is exiting the eye, heading back into stormy waters.

This morning, the U.S. Labor Department reported another three million unemployment claims were filed last week. The eight-week total for unemployment claims now stands at 36.5 million. Apparently, we finally crossed a line that makes Wall Street uncomfortable.

Adding to the situation, tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and China. This morning, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) accused China of targeting organizations researching COVID-19.

“China’s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation’s response to COVID-19,” the agencies said.

Furthermore, President Trump ratcheted up his China trade deal rhetoric.

“They should have never let this happen,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business. “So, I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry, and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.”

The administration has hinted in the past week that the U.S.-China phase 1 trade deal could be used as leverage against China for the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the Dow has plummeted more than 5% in the past three days. The blue-chip barometer now threatens to break below its 50-day moving average.

This is a crucial technical indicator for the Dow that could give you an edge on when to sell those speculative bets you’ve played with during the recent rebound.

A close below this key level is a sign that it’s time to get out. Time to batten down the hatches and prepare for another major market sell off.

If this has caught you off guard, don’t put off preparing any longer. If this didn’t catch you off guard (I mean, you’re reading Great Stuff after all!), you can never be prepared enough.

Before you read another line: Please click here to make sure you’re prepared for what may lie ahead.

Now for something just as unprecedented as these employment figures … we’re diving straight into Reader Feedback!

I holler, you holler, he/she/it hollers…

It’s Reader Feedback time! This week, we’re talking tech and deflation, deflation and tech. I’ll stop my yappering, and let’s get right to it:

Teeny-Tiny Tech Trades

I’m a little confused. Are you saying Vuzix is worth buying or something to shy away from?

— H.A.J.

For those just joining in, we talked about high-tech and augmented reality (AR) glasses with Vuzix Corp. (Nasdaq: VUZI) last week.

Most of Vuzix’s customer base — pre-pandemic, at least — are scattered across the manufacturing sector, logistics chains, emergency response teams and so on throughout the industrial world. Nowadays, you or I could even go buy a pair of smart augmented-reality glasses … if you really want your neighbors social-distancing from you and your cyber eyes.

Now we’re adding in telemedicine, which gives Vuzix a massive market opportunity in front of it. But it’s not one that will skyrocket tomorrow. With so many companies just trying to get payroll sorted out, I doubt many managers will shell out the cash to don their fleets in $1,000 smart glasses anytime soon.

For these reasons (and other reasons that won’t fit here), VUZI isn’t an official Great Stuff pick that we recommend. But I will say this…

Trading these microcaps isn’t something I recommend if you’re just getting your feet wet with investing. What you need is a guide to walk you through the tech market’s nooks and crannies and tipping-point trends. You can find your guide by clicking here!

Cheaper by the Case

Deflation is not cured by interest rate increases! Not even by the Fed! Josef, please correct your comments. The fear of Deflation is that people won’t buy because it will be cheaper later.

— Everett S.

I … come again? You can’t trick me with that deflation deja vu, Everett!

Here’s what I wrote last week about deflation, word for word. Note the similarities:

“Higher interest rates mean higher minimum debt payments. And no one wants that right now. But the alternative is equally unappealing. Continued deflation leads both consumers and businesses to delay purchases as they wait for lower prices. This leads to economic stagnation.”

Good try, though, trickster. My memory may be foggy, but at least it’s not foggy.

Now on to our next email:

My case of Gallo or Sutter Home Wines just Shot UP! From $6.88 to 8.89 per 1.5 LITRE BOTTLE, that’s a $1.15 a Glass. I’m living on 458 ss. That’s 20 percent markup!

— James J.

I, for one, admire the dedication of anyone buying bulk wine by the case, but James! You’ve been had! That’s actually a 29% markup … for Shudder Home, no less! At least you aren’t drinking Boone’s Farm.

Oh, and Everett from above? Here’s your example of the consumer stagnation threat…

If you have more on your mind, let er’ rip in our inbox. We love to hear from every single Great Stuff reader worldwide. (Yes, this includes you right there! I see you scrolling!)

Send us an email at GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com. You might just find your email in next week’s edition of Reader Feedback.

That’s a wrap for today, but if you still crave more Great Stuff, check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, be Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[goldira01]

Batten Down the Hatches

I struggled with sugarcoating things for you today, but then I remembered … this is Great Stuff, we don’t do that here!

For the past couple of weeks, the market has idled in the eye of the pandemic storm. For all the volatility, the market has made little headway since early April. Wall Street spent the past two months digesting the U.S. economy’s reopening and hints of progress in treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

This week, it seems that the situation’s enormity may have finally set in. The market is exiting the eye, heading back into stormy waters.

This morning, the U.S. Labor Department reported another three million unemployment claims were filed last week. The eight-week total for unemployment claims now stands at 36.5 million. Apparently, we finally crossed a line that makes Wall Street uncomfortable.

Adding to the situation, tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and China. This morning, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) accused China of targeting organizations researching COVID-19.

“China’s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation’s response to COVID-19,” the agencies said.

Furthermore, President Trump ratcheted up his China trade deal rhetoric.

“They should have never let this happen,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business. “So, I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry, and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.”

The administration has hinted in the past week that the U.S.-China phase 1 trade deal could be used as leverage against China for the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the Dow has plummeted more than 5% in the past three days. The blue-chip barometer now threatens to break below its 50-day moving average.

This is a crucial technical indicator for the Dow that could give you an edge on when to sell those speculative bets you’ve played with during the recent rebound.

A close below this key level is a sign that it’s time to get out. Time to batten down the hatches and prepare for another major market sell off.

If this has caught you off guard, don’t put off preparing any longer. If this didn’t catch you off guard (I mean, you’re reading Great Stuff after all!), you can never be prepared enough.

Before you read another line: Please click here to make sure you’re prepared for what may lie ahead.

Now for something just as unprecedented as these employment figures … we’re diving straight into Reader Feedback!

I holler, you holler, he/she/it hollers…

It’s Reader Feedback time! This week, we’re talking tech and deflation, deflation and tech. I’ll stop my yappering, and let’s get right to it:

Teeny-Tiny Tech Trades

I’m a little confused. Are you saying Vuzix is worth buying or something to shy away from?

— H.A.J.

For those just joining in, we talked about high-tech and augmented reality (AR) glasses with Vuzix Corp. (Nasdaq: VUZI) last week.

Most of Vuzix’s customer base — pre-pandemic, at least — are scattered across the manufacturing sector, logistics chains, emergency response teams and so on throughout the industrial world. Nowadays, you or I could even go buy a pair of smart augmented-reality glasses … if you really want your neighbors social-distancing from you and your cyber eyes.

Now we’re adding in telemedicine, which gives Vuzix a massive market opportunity in front of it. But it’s not one that will skyrocket tomorrow. With so many companies just trying to get payroll sorted out, I doubt many managers will shell out the cash to don their fleets in $1,000 smart glasses anytime soon.

For these reasons (and other reasons that won’t fit here), VUZI isn’t an official Great Stuff pick that we recommend. But I will say this…

Trading these microcaps isn’t something I recommend if you’re just getting your feet wet with investing. What you need is a guide to walk you through the tech market’s nooks and crannies and tipping-point trends. You can find your guide by clicking here!

Cheaper by the Case

Deflation is not cured by interest rate increases! Not even by the Fed! Josef, please correct your comments. The fear of Deflation is that people won’t buy because it will be cheaper later.

— Everett S.

I … come again? You can’t trick me with that deflation deja vu, Everett!

Here’s what I wrote last week about deflation, word for word. Note the similarities:

“Higher interest rates mean higher minimum debt payments. And no one wants that right now. But the alternative is equally unappealing. Continued deflation leads both consumers and businesses to delay purchases as they wait for lower prices. This leads to economic stagnation.”

Good try, though, trickster. My memory may be foggy, but at least it’s not foggy.

Now on to our next email:

My case of Gallo or Sutter Home Wines just Shot UP! From $6.88 to 8.89 per 1.5 LITRE BOTTLE, that’s a $1.15 a Glass. I’m living on 458 ss. That’s 20 percent markup!

— James J.

I, for one, admire the dedication of anyone buying bulk wine by the case, but James! You’ve been had! That’s actually a 29% markup … for Shudder Home, no less! At least you aren’t drinking Boone’s Farm.

Oh, and Everett from above? Here’s your example of the consumer stagnation threat…

If you have more on your mind, let er’ rip in our inbox. We love to hear from every single Great Stuff reader worldwide. (Yes, this includes you right there! I see you scrolling!)

Send us an email at GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com. You might just find your email in next week’s edition of Reader Feedback.

That’s a wrap for today, but if you still crave more Great Stuff, check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, be Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[cwdcshows]

Well, I can't believe it; first Arrow, now the Flash is going to come to an end this year too?   What's that?  The show's not ending?  But how can the show continue if the speed force is going to die in this episode? You say it's probably not actually going to die in this episode; and the title is just a ploy to make us watch?  Yeah, alright.

"Why is it every time I visit all hell breaks loose?" Because you're dating a semi-retired, quasi-superhero who's on a team of superheroes, in a city in constant dire need of saving?  Or maybe because the producers like the woman who portrays you and just want an excuse to have you around? Either way, acknowledging that you're developing a tendency to be at Star Labs during moments of crisis, without actually offering an explanation, is not itself an explanation.  You're just making it more obvious that there is no reason for you to be there; something I hadn't really given much thought until you mentioned it.  I just chalked it up to the fact that you're in the know now and, in spite of Cisco's absence, have becomes friends with the rest of team Flash; which makes you a de facto member of the team, if albeit maybe an auxiliary one.  It's basically the Scooby Gang of Buffy; no one asked why Cordelia all of a sudden started hanging around before she started dating Xander, or after they broke up.  She was there because Charisma Carpenter was on contract, dammit.  This would be like Cecile exclaiming, "why am I even in this episode?"  It's a level of self-awareness that isn't necessary; especially if the writers do their job and make-up a fucking reason. I'm much more interested in the fact Caitlin actually gets to be Caitlin in this scene and not Frost. So the Star Labs equipment can tell them when a speedster is running around somewhere in the city, but isn't programmed to tell the difference between Barry or Wally.... Yeah, alright... Random observation - would Eva really still be wearing heels in this mirror dimension after 6 years?  I mean, I supposed all of that could be relative, given some of the other things that are relatively, like needing to eat or change clothes periodically in general.  And while I've never worn heels myself, I understand they can get pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly; so what would be the point in wearing them in a universe you're alone in, or even now where you have just one other companion? Wait, Eva's husband knows she's in the mirror and spend time trying to get her out?  I feel like they glossed over that little tidbit. Wait a fuck second, Eva's drinking water?  How the fuck is she drinking anything?  Does this mean they do get hungry and thirsty in this dimension after all?  Where the fuck is she getting fresh food, much less water?  I've brought up before that it makes no sense for some of the other trappings of this world to even exist; like a marker board or canisters of liquid nitrogen.  Do they somehow have running water in this backwards reality with all the stuff humans made, but no actual humans beside  these two people?   I'm not even going to broach the logistics of the other end of the digestive cycle. So how much of this mental breakdown is an act and how much of it is actually Eva?  Because in the previous episode when Iris walked away, Eva's mentality switched from someone on the razor's edge of sanity, to someone much more composed and intent.  This episode would suggest that things like her nervousness and focusing on the number of days she's been in this dimension are real, given how she's involuntarily manifested all of that in the Iris double. Yeah, Barry, let's just assume there's absolutely nothing wrong with the speed force; and not, I don't know, look into and check.  I'm sure if your speed force guide was dead, they'd have told you. Okay, two things.  First, if this meta-of-the-week can kill whomever this woman was with the wave of her hand; why not just do that in the first place, rather than whatever they apparently did to the helicopter at the start of the show? Second, not that I want to see the transition, I take the show poured the vast majority of its effects budget into some combination of Crisis and the recent Grodd episode; which would explain why all we're going to get is the rendering of a green bubble forming over the victim and then a shot that goes on for too long of the other woman just waving her hand, before cutting to the woman on the ground mummified.  And we're just going to have to fill in the exact effect of that with our imagination. "Other people? From other Earths? Not really, because any doppelgangers who managed to make it here, they would all be dead by no due to neurological degeneration." Shit, they must be dropping like fucking flies in National City.Good thing Other Winn snuffed it when he did.  And let's not forget that it's not just the doubles, but their counterparts who are indigenous to this Earth start to die too; and without some type of intervention that would allow one of them to die first, both would die at the same time.  That's a whole lot of fucking deaths; and a shit ton of stupidity they're carrying over from Batwoman. Wow, I never noticed how cluttered Star Labs is, or how many counters it has until recently.  You'd think they'd design the set better, to give a clearer shot of people; especially Caitlin.  But I guess on the upside, they're making up for it with a lot of close-ups; I assume because she's so beautiful, which she is.   On a completely unrelated note, I look forward to next season's story arc for Supergirl, where the big bad will be a hoarder; who fills National City is 3' tall stacks of old magazines and others odds and ends that Kara will spend most of the season wading through. Jesus Christ, Crisis is the shitty gift that keeps on giving.  So during Crisis they made it seem like Oliver was connected to a source that was somehow related to the Speed Force; or that it was all somehow different names for the same broad reaching thing and that they were as much entering Oliver as the Spectre as they were entering the Speed Force.  And they sure as hell acted like Oliver supercharging Barry was a good thing.  Oliver even says, "I've unlocked your potential, Barry." Which would suggest that Oliver, the man who had the power to reboot the universe and reshape it into a better world where all his loved ones didn't die and crime wouldn't happen in Star City for decades, knew what the fuck he was doing; and that it was a good and safe thing to do.   Now it would seem that Oliver basically gave the speed force syphilis. The speed force avatar speaking to Barry as if it really were his mother is just fucking weird. "We still have a residual amount of speed force left in us...." Wait, wait, I've seen this one. I've seen this one.  They need to stop Rita from burning the green candle, before it kills Tommy; I mean, Barry.  And then the other Rangers will need to use some of the energy from their power coins to infuse him with power.  But eventually he's going to lose his powers entirely, until Zordon makes him the White Ranger. I'll give them this, "Thawne" not realizing he has no powers in Nash's body, while predictable, was still funny. Ah, why do they have a season 1 Flash costume hung up at Star Labs, where his current costume usually hangs?

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

[likefusion]

I Spent A Month Living With An Amazonian Tribe At 23, And It Changed My Career Forever: In 2000, I was working as an IT consultant in Sydney, Australia, and using some of my earnings to backpack around Southeast Asia. During a hike in the mountains in Northern Laos, I stumbled upon an Akha village and was invited to stay for a week. It was an amazing experience, and by the time I got home I was already determined to go deeper. For the next few months, I researched other opportunities to spent time in remote communities, and eventually I connected with FUNAI, Brazil's governing body for indigenous peoples. After many conversations with officials, I managed to secure permission to organize a solo trip to a remote area of the Upper Amazon Basin. Later that year I found myself on a flight to Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, to meet with a local representative of the Tucano tribe. That contact helped me with organizing the logistics and materials for my upcoming trip, advising me to buy gifts for the community leaders such as fishing nets, metal pots, cigarettes and machetes. With those supplies secured, we set off. And after five days of painful travel, some 50 miles upriver from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, I arrived at the Tucanos' home and was warmly welcomed. I was 23 years old, and the next few weeks changed my life and career from that point forward. Related: From Ulaanbaatar To Johannesburg—How My First Sales Job Traveling The World Changed My Career The Mind And Body Adapt More Than You'd Think Upon arriving, everything was a struggle. There was no glory or romance here, I soon found, only nature at its most raw. All day, clouds of insects buzzed incessantly around my head and bit my skin. Since there was nowhere to escape, I had to learn to ignore them. Around noon, the heat was so unbearable that all human activity stops. Even in full shade, I'd sweat what felt like liters of water and would quickly dehydrate if I wasn't careful. In the afternoon, the rain would often come in such intensity that everything was muted by its roar. Sheltering from it wasn't always possible, so I'd often sit shivering, waiting for it to stop. I didn't sleep much, thanks to the bug bites, the rain leaking through the thatched roof, and the hard roots and vines on the ground beneath me. After a week of this, I was tired beyond belief, suffering from hunger pangs, and oscillating between unbelievably hot and horribly cold. But by the second week, something magical happened: I was so exhausted that I actually slept. Day by day, the very things that had bothered me so much that I'd wondered how I could possibly endure them began to fade into the background. Before long, I stopped noticing them. It's remarkable how adaptable the mind and body can be when you cut off alternatives. I've constantly used this lesson whenever I've faced subsequent challenges, including those of entrepreneurship. From downsizing to fundraising to scaling, the psychological hurdles have sometimes felt overwhelming. But whenever I've faced these obstacles, I remember the jungle. [Photo: Ammonitefoto/iStock] All For One And One For All When you're a potential food source for the other inhabitants of your environment, you start to see things differently. I was only a guest for a few weeks, but for my Tucano hosts, the excruciatingly difficult task of finding food was a matter of survival. In order to protect their quality of life, the tribe needs to specialize in tasks and work together. Meat is a rarity. It can take days for a hunting party to bring back game. The community's staple food, manioc—a root vegetable known elsewhere as cassava—is difficult to prepare. It takes a long time to extract the product's toxins with traditional methods in order to make it digestible. Overcoming all these daily obstacles meant constantly working together. Everyone I met had their own form of specialized knowledge and contributed in some way to the overall health of the community. Despite the fact that illness, accident, and death were ever-present realities, the tribe seemed to function like a highly coordinated organization. This lesson never left me. The value of bringing people together with specialized knowledge to exchange ideas and support one another is a bedrock of any team's growth and success. Wherever I've lived and whatever I've done since in my career, I've always done my best to surround myself with as many experienced people as possible. No Distractions Equals Deeper thinking It goes without saying that there was no cell-phone signal in the jungle, no power outlets, and no Wi-Fi (all things that many modern-day digital nomads often can't do without). I was completely cut off from the outside world and and, subsequently, any chance of distracting myself. This was before smartphones came on the scene, but as a 23 year old, I was still a pro at entertaining myself with digital media. It was just so convenient—and remains even more so today. But when distraction isn't an option, you're forced to face all your thoughts and emotions head-on. At first, the only thing I could think about was how much I hated this horrible place. What had I gotten myself into? I had no way of stopping my relentless feelings of frustration and self-recrimination—at least within the first few days. Then, after dinner one night, they came to an end. With nothing else to divide my attention, I began to reflect on more important things like family, community, love, and purpose. I was actually shocked that this stuff was coming from inside my own head; I'd never had such crystal-clear thoughts about those subjects before. I had never given myself a chance to reflect that deeply. To be honest, this freaked me out a little at first, but with no choice but to come to grips with these new thoughts, I realized they made me feel stronger, more connected, and better grounded. Meditation is now a key component of my daily routine and helps me grapple with my most pressing problems. Related: Sorry, Bali—Seven Underrated Hubs For Digital Nomads Perspective Is Everything But perhaps the biggest lesson my experience left me with had to do with perspective. My own life was dramatically different from the lives of my Amazonian hosts. No matter what high-pressure situations or low points I've experienced since—from sweating my way through VC pitches to wallowing in despair when my company wasn't meeting expectations—I know it's nothing like the realities of surviving in the Amazon. The month I spent in the jungle taught me, sooner than most people in their twenties learn, to move past self-pity, and to realize the tremendous privilege it is to work in an office with people I respect on something we feel connected to. I am grateful to be part of a team of intelligent, motivated people who care about their jobs. My visit with the Tucano people has served as a compass for my life and career ever since. Upon returning home, I joined the U.S. Peace Corps and volunteered in Romania for the next two years. I couldn't have been more prepared. Being stripped of everything I took for granted helps me to remember that things can always get much more difficult. Just as the bee stings and embarrassment subsided, so did my perception of them as negative events. The most challenging experiences of those few weeks—by far the hardest I'd ever experienced up to that point—now serve as guideposts. Sedarius Perrotta, CEO of Shelf, has managed and built technology teams all over the world, including the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine, Australia, Washington, D.C., and New York. http://bit.ly/2oNdqEv

[shawnallenblog]

A Black Belt Life

"Fighting is winning. Don't give up. Don't ever give up. 

You beat cancer by how you live, while you live, and in the manner in which you live. 

So live, and fight like hell." 

 * Stuart Scott, July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015

  Every day you are just a little bit closer to your own ending, your last breath. So, what are you doing about it ? What if that day was tomorrow ? The problem is that you think you still have plenty of time for all your hopes, wishes and dreams. The reality is that you may not have the time you think you have, or at the very least, enough time. I am at best a novice martial artist, however, I am in the game and learning. It is not logistical for me to be on the mats 3-4 times a week, but I study, I think, and I study videos when I am not at the academy. Jiu-jitsu is a very complex art, it is a life long understudy. For me, studying human movement is part of the process, it is rewinding film over and over studying the pieces, breaking things down and chunking them into digestible pieces before building them back up into complex forms. To be clear though, being a martial artist is more than just a journey on the mats and in the school, it is a journey that exists in your mind, in the community and in your family.

Presently, I am a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when I am in my school, but I strive not to be a blue belt in life, though many days I fail. This is perhaps the deeper and more important teachings of the Masters. One simply cannot be on the mats 24 hours a day, and so one's jiu-jitsu mentality must transcend the mats and the academy and be reflected in one's life, in the community and those you interact with daily. No matter what your belt color is on the mats, one must portray "the black belt way" in life. It is about the journey.  Just as in life, everything is about the journey, but we get distracted. We get drawn away from the journey and its purpose by the intoxicating meanderings and lies of the media, of the drama of the day, the 9-5 work day slog, and of the other life fluff that glazes our consciousness. Perhaps it is by design that we are distracted, for if the journey was clearly laid out for us all it might be meaningless, It might be too easy. The prize would be guaranteed, the wisdom achieved by the journey would be meaningless.  The journey would have no mystery and it would be free of the side roads and detours that take us off the path where the painful stuff lies, the good stuff that changes us. It is those side roads, at their ditches and potholes, that harbor the pain, the misery, the disappointments that force us to course correct, to back track to find our way again onto the main path to our journey.  The trouble is, we never really truly know if we are on that path, but we let our gut and our heart guide us if we are wise, for they often show the way. Just like when you were tempted to sneak that extra cookie as a child from momma's cookie jar, in our guts, we know when the path is right and when it is wrong. It is in us all, it's speaking to us daily, but are we listening clearly enough? Life is about choices, and then executing those choices. At any moment we can choose the right way or the easy way. In the silence of a painful lonely night, when we are feeling all alone, we should be able to hear the truth and know the path, but are we listening ? And perhaps more so, are we willing to endure the pain to walk that path day in and day out ? If it's too easy, question if you are doing the necessary work and engaging the right lessons. Make no mistake, there will be pain, there must be pain or there is no growth. So what kind of pain are you willing to endure ? What pain will you choose to face to get to your dreams and goals ? That is the tough question, what pain are you willing to endure to get to that place of joy and peace?  Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) only has 5 essential belts, though the masters might argue the only one that matters is the first one, the white belt because that is where the good stuff is harbored and borne from. And, perhaps more importantly, it is the belt that recognizes the initiation of the hero's journey, one filled with the most fear, the most curiosity, the most excitement, the most challenges, the least expectations but the greatest rewards.  For some it may take a lifetime to get that black belt, but for most, they will not make it. The odds are very small that one will eventually have a brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt tied around one's waist, it is a longer process than many other of the arts. Life choices will get in the way, injuries will derail us, focus will diminish, children, work and spouses will all tug at our time.  Just try to remember to endure, for the black belt is not the pinnacle. Ask any black belt and they will share that the true journey may in fact really begin there.  In BJJ there is an old story that there used to be only two belts, a white and a black.  And it was the journey, day in and day out, where the white belt was tugged, pulled, twisted, getting dirtier and more gray every day. It only became seasoned by the sweat and blood and tears until only after great adversity and pain it turned black with resolve. It is the journey, just as in life, we become our finest self after enduring the hardships.  As in BJJ we all start life as a white belt. The goal for most is to earn the black belt, a thing representing a status where wisdom and peace are supposedly found. A status where lessons can be shared and brotherhood grows deeper.  As in life, it may represent a another circle of life, a new beginning to start again, a kind of second level white belt.  A black belt is not attained alone. The belt is colored by the sweat and pain of our brothers and sisters, who afford us the opportunity of the struggle with them to better ourselves. It is a grappling with our mistakes, our misfortunes and our misgivings and the graciousness of their forgiveness.  There will be pain, just as in the journey of life, there will be pain.  As the lessons and skills of BJJ are imparted, embraced, learned and perfected we rise up in belts, just as in life from toddler to adolescent, to adult and to a senior citizen. Senior is a precious word, it means "holding a high and authoritative position". It means they are seasoned with pain, tears, faith, disappointment, defeat, victory and eventually the wisdom of life's teachings. Make no mistake though, not everyone gets to these grand levels, in fact, few actually make it. Many get stuck somewhere in the blue-purple belt of life where some lessons are learned, others are conceived but not executed, and others are ignored because they are just too painful to endure.  The same goes for jiu-jitsu I have been told; it is struggling day after day, week after week, year after year with the hard truths and the realities of life that get us to wisdom. But just showing up doesn't get us there, we have to engage, we have to sweat and bleed and quash the ego to get there, in jiu-jitsu and in life. I am guilty as charged, I can do better, I can do more. But I would like to say to my brothers and sisters walking the journey with me, that I do not think that all of the lessons in jiu-jitsu occur on the mats, so be sure to let it seep into your life, your kids, your family, your interactions and life choices. I think that is the secret.

The pains and disappointments in life are like injuries in jiu-jitsu. They hurt, they stop us, they challenge us to drop out and quit. Injures somewhat mirror the five stages of grieving (ask any serious jiu-jitsu student), denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. I would tag patience and grace onto those five stages.  Our injuries, on the mats and in life, look us dead in the eye and ask us if we have what it takes to continue and rise, to climb out of the ditches and get back on the road forward, the road we trust with our gut and our heart. Some people never get out of the ditch.  For some, there have just been too many derailments and it is too painful to one more time climb out of the ditch and with humility and disappointment get back up and step onto the road and raise our brow to the horizon and not give up. Those that accept these challenges move forward, they move up a stripe or belt, and sadly those that lay back down define the limits of their jiu-jitsu journey, and arguably, their life's journey.  The struggles and pains in life ask us to move to the edge of our comfort zone, for it has been said that if you are willing to live at the edge of our comfort zone, to accept the pains of life, you will find your true life begins at that edge. The good stuff is as the edges.

So where are you in your life ? Are you a blue or purple belt ? Are you on your way to brown? Are you progressing in life through your belts and embracing the lessons, or are you stuck in some aspects of your life ? Are you merely showing up in life or are you grappling through it, moving forward and upward ? Are you fighting the progress of each stage, each level and each belt, maybe hearing but not listening to the lessons ?  Are you too fixated on the next belt, the next goal or are you engaged in the lessons of the moment ? Perhaps that is what those little white stripes should mean, to keep us focused on the lessons of the moment, and not the next belt. Are you stuck in the ditch, finding yourself in the same one over and over, repeating painful lessons ? Are you a black belt father but a blue belt spouse ? Are you a blue belt emotionally yet a black belt intellectually? Maybe earning some stripes in certain parts of your life is in order. 

As on the mats, as in life. Our life begins at the edge of our comfort zone. Will you embrace the lessons ? Are you hearing and listening ? Are you executing or going through the motions? How are you living ? Are you living ? Or, are you merely existing ? What pain will you chose to endure daily to reach your goals in life ? It has been said that cemeteries are filled with the greatest riches never sought.

On your last day, you will want to have just one more day, one more sunrise, one more laugh, one more kiss, one more hug, one more chance to climb out of any one of a myriad of ditches you left yourself in along the way, wishing you could go back just one more day and redeem yourself, struggle a bit harder and reach a little higher?  So, what are you waiting for, today could be that last day. Get busy living, or get busy dying, but get busy.  Don't die with a white belt in any aspects of your life. It is not the belt you wear on the mats that counts, it is the belt you wear out in the world while engaging mankind that truly matters. The only belt you can portray is the one you have presently earned and the integrity, respect, honor, and kindness with which you live your life and present yourself. It is really truly about the "belt" that you walk around with in the lives of others that matters. If you walk with the Bushido belts of rectitude, courage, benevolence, mercy, politeness, sincerity, honesty, loyalty, character and in compassion, love and kindness then you have arrived and are a teacher. With these belts your life will be more fulfilled.  But more importantly, you are once again permissoned to be a student.  These are the teachings of the masters, the teachings of Bushido, the teachings I am trying to embrace on my life's journey. These teachings are about life, not just martial arts alone. Work towards your black belt in life, today and everyday, because tomorrow just may be the day you take your last breath, your last day on the mats. Work hard, leave all you have on the mats, and on the mat's of life, each and every day. 

I write largely for myself, a manner of talking to myself and keeping myself aware and attempting to grow. To this end, I embrace the reasoning of Hunter S. Thompson,  "One of the few ways I can almost be certain I'll understand something is by sitting down and writing about it. Because by forcing yourself to write about it and putting it down in words, you can't avoid having to come to grips with it. You might be wrong, but you have to think about it very intensely to write about it. So I use writing as a learning tool. "

Through writings like this one, clearly, I have plenty of self-work to do. 

As on the mats, as in life, I am grateful to walk beside you my brothers and sisters.  Thank you for catching me when I stumble, and thank you for offering me your kindness and grace when I struggle and stagger.

“The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live.”- Norman Cousins

-Shawn Allen,  Blue Belt . . .  on the mats

Gracie Barra, Downers Grove (under Prof. Carlos Lemos Jr.)

  * Initial story quote was by Stuart Orlando Scott (July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015) was an American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, most notably on SportsCenter. Well known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the network in its National Basketball Association(NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) coverage.  -From Wikipedia, read more about Stuarts life there.

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

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What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

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What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/

[cynthiadshaw]

What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey?

Every twist in our story, challenge we face, and obstacle we overcome is an important part of our story.  These difficulties make us stronger and wiser and prepare us for what’s ahead.  As we grow and succeed we may imagine that soon the challenges will fade away, but in our conversations with business owners, artists, creatives, academics, and others we have learned that the most common experience is that challenges never go away – instead they get more complex as we grow and succeed.  Our ability to to thrive therefore depends heavily on our ability to learn from our experiences and so we are asking some of the city’s best and brightest: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Steve Niedringhaus | Owner | Operator of AB & E Logistics | biker and family man

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey so far is to ensure that you communicate! It is something that you need to do very well and very often. Developing relationships on a personal and business level is how you survive and flourish in both realms of your life – period. A great relationship is something you have to work for. It’s not an automatic gift given to you. Trust me – My wife and I have had to work very hard on our relationship through our 25 years of marriage. It’s not easy work but the gifts a great relationship provide keep you in the game. It keeps you coming back for more and forever working to make it even better. The key to this is communication. To me, It’s no different in business. I provide a service and like most industries it’s highly competitive. You have to set yourself apart and the best way I’ve found to do that is to build relationships based on great communication. I basically complete the same tasks others do in my industry but I take it a step further. I talk to all levels of personnel at the customer any chance I get. I try to build those relationships from the person loading my trailer to the CEO of the company who happens to walk out while I’m loading. I want to ensure they know my name, my companies name and the service I provide and try to get to know them on a personal level. It’s not always price that brings in clients. It’s how they remember you when the next time for them to call on your industry comes up… You want to be that face and personality they remember!

@stevienied  @ab_and_e_logistics  @abandelogistics

Harlan Bowling | Designer | developer |  photographer and full-time traveler

I think the most important lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning!) in my journey is to be authentic and to open your heart and mind to the experiences of others. No one gains anything by keeping everything to themselves, and the willingness to share experiences, creativity and vulnerability with others offers both of you the chance to learn and grow. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve a bit too much, but I wouldn’t trade those deep moments I’ve had with people because of it for anything.

@grymttrs @grymttrs grymtt.rs

Alissa Fletcher | model/cosplayer

To go with the flow. Work hard but also remember everything happens for a reason.

bunniecupcakes.com @bunniecupcakes

Sydney Kurtz | Data Analyst | Rise Nation Instructor, & Dallas Fitness Ambassador

Perseverance is absolute key. If you set your mind to it and don’t give up, whatever goal you want can be achieved. There are no great successes without failures.

@sydney.kurtz @dallasfitnessambassadors @texasspiceonlamar @omnidallas

  Kerry L. Gipson Jr. | Comedian KG or “Komedian KG™

Addison Improv, Arlington Improv, Hyenas Comedy Clubs, Joke Joint, Gulley’s Comedy Event Center, Dayton Funnybone, Cleveland Improv, Backdoor Comedy Club, The Comedy Theater(Little Rock, AR), HaHa Café, LA Comedy Club, and more… During the start of his career, Komedian KG has networked with many great names of entertainment as well from; Robert Powell III, Talent Da’ Comedian, Finess Mitchell, Ronney Jordan, Jason Russell, Blame The Comic, Lil Duval, Carl Payne From “Martin Lawrence TV show, Christopher “Kid” Reid, Flo Hernandez, Shaun Larkins, Shun Jones, Flex Alexander, Dameon “Mr. Entertainment” Ellis, Kool Bubba Ice, Rodney Perry, Kenny Howell, Quinn Hudson (BET), HA HA Davis, Sydney Castillo, Clint Coley, Dean Lewis (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Davis, Roy Lee Pete(R.I.P), Comedian Michael Shawn (K104 Radio), IBF Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. and Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy

During the start of my career on this journey, I’ve learned that standup comedy is a small group of entertainers that has been growing rapidly due to internet and social media. Every day a new stand out talent is discovered. I’ve learned that social media has changed the way standup comedy and how comedy is portrayed to it’s audiences and viewers. As this rapid approach to spotlighting talent via social media is occurring, you must be adaptable with keeping up this change, creative and innovative with your ideas that will allow you to go the distance in your career. Stand-up comedy isn’t like any other career in entertainment, the level of difficulty to rely a story, message, and/or joke from your personal point of view will always cast judgement and opinion from others. Being able to expand your routine will help overcome these challenges as a standup comic. Change is inevitable in the career of entertainment and performing arts and you have to remain humble, stay focus on your goals, learn the business and soak up and filter all advice as you go. Never be afraid to learn and innovate new ideas!. Dallas, Texas is growing with new talent in every genre of entertainment and performing arts, and will someday be one of the world’s premiere go to places for pursuing entertainment as a career in the near future.

@komediankg @komediankg @komediankg @komediankg reverbnation.com/artist/video/15554643 soundcloud.com/komediankg youtube.com/channel/UCrgolqahdIyUYRyP5Ea5NPw komediankg.webs.com

Gigi Davison | Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Aerialist

The most important lesson I’ve learned on my journey so far is that I am the creator of my own path; and take advantage of opportunities… they always lead to more.

@gigioligy @beauty_bygigi  @mrs.gigid

Wayward Coffee Co. | Mobile Craft Coffee & Community

Jason Arreola

We’d say the most important thing we’ve learned so far, even though this is all new to us and we have a whole lot of work to do ahead, is that you have to just go for it. Each of us has had a dream at some point to start their own coffee business and we had to just take that passion and drive and finally do it. It has all come together in such a cool way and we’re real thankful for it. We’re so stoked about this and we want to make it the most unique, meaningful, genuine thing ever and bring so many other people along for the ride with us.

@waywardcoffeeco

Neil Kenner | Coach of Movement, Mindset, and Holistic Lifestyle

I resigned from my job as the SMU Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach in May of 2018 to embark on what I defined as a “Learning Journey,” so the lessons have been coming in literally nonstop. If I had to pick just one lesson, I would say that the ability to have patience and maintain self-belief throughout the journey has been the biggest. To expand on that, there are a lot of people out there who urgently strive to fill their schedules as quickly as possible. That may be the perfect protocol under certain circumstances or at a particular stage in life, but doing just the opposite has been my recent approach.

When I first started coaching, I said an emphatic YES to everything. My schedule was completely packed with private lessons, groups, tournament coaching, event planning, and anything else a tennis club could offer. I prided myself in taking no days off. After all, I was making pretty good money for a young single guy, developing a solid reputation as a coach, and gaining a crazy amount of experience in very little time. In my five years coaching at T Bar M Racquet Club, I must have experienced the equivalent of 15 years when compared to most. It was nonstop, and everything I did lead to growth.

A decade later, I find myself in a much different position. Rather than viewing a full schedule of lessons as a symbol of success, I now consider it a growth-stunting trap. Time is the ultimate item of value to me now, specifically having control over my own time. Sure, there are compromises that sometimes need to be made, but leaving enough open time and space in my schedule is what has allowed me to make this dream journey a reality. For much of the past year and a half, I chose to use that time to LEARN as much as I could from the resources that I felt were most applicable. Later on, I began shifting my focus more into digesting and then organizing all the new information into a form that made sense to me. Then more time went into applying this stuff into my own practice and combining it with what I’ve learned throughout my career. Just now am I at the point where I am ready to CREATE – which is what I love to do. One of the few things that I love more than creating is being able to SHARE my creations with others as a means to help improve lives, so the ability to begin doing so has been incredibly fulfilling.

Spending lots of my current time in creation mode and now getting a taste of sharing is only the beginning, and none of it would have been possible without PATIENCE. Had I panicked and begun filling my schedule with lessons again, I would most-likely not have had the time and energy required to achieve my bigger goals. So yes, PATIENCE has been my most important takeaway – and unwavering SELF-BELIEF has gone hand in hand with it.

@neilkenner

Chris Mendez | Realtor®️ & Dog lover

@annmariemendezphotography

In my journey, I have been able to learn that everything is possible if you set your mind to it. It may sound like a cliche, however, we are capable to achieve great things in life if we develop our mindset and put it to work. You are the one that can make it happen. Your mind is a dream and goal achieving machine. YOUR DESTINY is dependent on your DECISIONS.

@chrismendez_realtor @chrismendezrealtor LinkedIn: chris-mendez chrismendez.brayreg.com

Chidimma LaQueen Nwosu | Blogger/Influencer

For as long as I can remember I have always been the chubby girl who was shy and lacked confidence. I let people’s opinions of me tell me who I was. I never really knew who I was and this persisted into my adult years. After college a couple years ago, I decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and with that I lost weight. A lot of people think this would be the end all be all and you’re automatically happy, but more often than not, this is not the case. I still struggled a bit with my identity. Sure, my self-esteem went up, but I still was not internally happy and still lacked self-confidence. A little over a year ago, I moved to Dallas from Maryland to attend chiropractic school. Usually when you move to a new area, it is a chance to start over and meet new people. This was very hard for me and immediately felt out of my comfort zone. I retreated to myself and for the first time in my life I felt homesick. After the holidays and a few life changing moments, I decided that I need to get to know myself and really portray how I want the world to see me. Thus, began my selflove / body positive journey. I was terrified in the beginning, but in order to achieve the goal I set out I had realized that with uncomfortability comes strength. After a while I noticed that my vulnerability allowed me to own and embrace everything that makes me, me. Not only that, I also received messages from women saying that I have encouraged them to do the same. Knowing I have helped at least one person, is by far one of the best feelings ever! Society loves to tell women what we should be doing, from an outfit you shouldn’t wear because of your size to what lipstick you shouldn’t use because of your complexion. But when we come together to support and empower one another the sky is the limit. We can be any shape, size, or color and still run the world. In my 26 years of living, I have never felt so empowered and confident. This is not a one and done journey, life is ever changing. I look forward to the changes to come and will continue to share. If I can do it, you can do it too. Accept yourself for who you are first and everything will fall into place. There is so much more beauty in life when you change the narrative into something positive. Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that regardless of what I do, I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Whoever or whatever is meant for me will always be for me and no one person can take that away from me. I also learned that the tongue has power. Speak to yourself with kind and positive words because what you speak is what you create.

@ChidimmaLaQueen

BRYSON PRICE | Music Producer & Artist

Balance in life is KEY. You see a lot of musicians rise to the top, then fall off the map a couple years later. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m still a long way from achieving my goals, but I’m taking my time and doing things right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in! I’m putting forth my BEST effort and giving it all I’ve got, but it’s possible that I’ll never “make it.” Music is my passion, but I feel that the most important thing is my spiritual health, physical health and my family. Slow growth is much more sustainable than overnight success and I’m working hard towards my goals every single day. There’s no shortcuts..I’m making the best use of my time, grinding day in and day out, while making sure that my life is balanced.

BrysonPrice.com youtube.com/channel/UCImrrfbrWlax3REURMR7twQ @bryson.price.35 @BrysonPrice

Bryan Valadez | Visual Artist and Determined Individual

The most important lesson I have learned in my journey so far can be best described with the word perseverance. Throughout my years of painting I have come across personal challenges such as critical self reflection of my abilities, wondering if audiences will react well to my work, or even questioning the probability of being able to make it as a visual artist.

Although in these instances it has always been the act of striving to move forward despite any difficult situation, which has allowed me to grow. If there were doubts about my skills as an artist, I would push myself to become better with practice. If I wondered how people would react to my work, I would suggest to myself to keep working because I am making art to express myself. If fear of not being able to achieve success as visual artist were to arise, I remind myself that I’m devoted to achieve my goals and in fact I am hungry for success. With that in mind could I come to a conclusion and maintain constant progression. A vital lesson not only evident in my journey’s past but also applied to whatever I approach now.

@vala_alla_b  @bvaladezart

Cameron Taylor | Visual Leader & Photographer

That it is okay to not be in the same place as everyone else. With access to social media we tend to compare ourselves to our peers and even people we have never met. With things such as age barriers, financial differences and overall different circumstances it’s not fair for anyone no matter your social stature to put yourself against someone else or to bring yourself down cause you may not “be where someone else is in life”. It’s honestly a huge self love thing that I had to learn the hard way when for so long I thought I did love myself and was happy where I wasn’t and to find out I wasn’t in my mid twenties was a huge and rattling wake up call. I have expanded my time to utilizing social media to not just post about my life, granted I do that haha, but to also have conversations with people, make friends online and to unplug every once and awhile. The self love you have for yourself is so huge and I’m still learning each day on this journey called life how to get better and better at it.

@okcamcam longleglifestyle.com

Dr. Ragan Brown | Educator | Author | Self Care Influencer | Travel Specialist, and Academic Coach

Life as a Self Care Influencer began by me posting various positive quotes on my Instagram and Facebook page. Soon it developed in a career that affords me the opportunity to help others go from chaos to calm. Early in life I knew my gift was encouragement relatability and relief. However it took a while to come to the realization that being a light when others see darkness is truly part of my assignment. Many days there are battles and struggles with the idea of am I truly cut out for this journey. There are days when leads and sales opportunities happen and then there are days when you are pulling your hair out. Honestly, I question myself almost everyday. However every no, detour, and under construction. One of the most important lessons of this journey is that it multifaceted, which is a beauty all by itself. As an entrepreneur, you develop strength, that you didn’t know you possessed. Another important lesson on my journey is that it simply is a journey. It’s not a race or a destination. Although we feel that we should go with the crowd, on the entrepreneurship journey you must take “the road less traveled.” roadblock has some sort of lesson attached. Overall faith keeps me focused. Traveling through life as an entrepreneur is multifaceted. There are several layers to maneuvering your business. I wouldn’t say you completely master it, because you are always learning and growing from various situations. This journey has also led to multiple collaborations. From book anthologies to lifestyle photo shoots to commercial advertising and speaking gigs to help empower young women. These past few years I have realized how multifaceted and This entrepreneur journey has helped me to be a risk taker. Often times, I have to take a risk on investments that don’t yield monetary returns. Because of this, I have gained business buddies, and people who are just as passionate about my success as I am about their success. As a risk taker I have also invested in various projects and businesses in an effort to have multiple streams of income aside from that I recently embark on a new journey as a travel agent to further stress all things self-care. Almost every other day, I just want to give up as I continue to hone in on my niche. In the beginning, things were simple because I remained in the academic coaching box. As life became a whirlwind, opportunities were presented which required me to have a business growth spurt. My support system of family and friends remain a fixture for me as they keep me centered and grounded. The Lord has also connected me divinely to like minded individuals to propel me, push my buttons, and hold me accountable. As a business owner, I’m most proud of my growth, versatility and willingness to learn more. Sometimes it appears as the stars aren’t aligning, but when I revisit the core of why I chose an entrepreneur journey. I thank God over and over for choosing me to complete these assignments and bless others.

@drbrownconnection FB: Ragan Brown

Christopher Jenkins |Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at Grizzly Fitness and Herbalife nutrition

I use my journey to get through everything in life. The most important lessons I’ve learned in my journey is to first have faith and trust God; Even when I couldn’t see or understand. Proverbs 3: 5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I’ve learned that it takes motivation and dedication to achieve your goals. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is my motto because without God giving me the strength, this weight loss would of been impossible. It took much encouragement from my Pastor Calvin Wortham, Patrick Jefferson, my entire family and church family, and my brother and coach Alsce Crocker.

@gohustlapeewee

@GoHustlapeewee Facebook: Christopher Alonzo Jenkins Snapchat: peewizzle24

Myda Chapa | DFW realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex

One thing I have learned is to always keep an open mind and just go for it!

@mydachapa

Makya Love | Computer Science Engineer & Aspiring Model

@drivenimage

The most important lesson I have learned as a young model is that my journey is unique and far different from other aspiring models. It’s so easy to get distracted by others’ journey and their success. In the beginning of my modeling journey I used to dwell on the progress of other models around me, instead of focusing on my own progress. Later down the line, I learned quickly that the more I compared my journey to others, the more distracted I was from fulfilling my own journey 100%. So, keeping my eyes steady and ahead on my individual career path has been the most important lesson learned thus far.

@especiallymakya  @especiallymakya youtube.com/channel/UCvgzPmiqKygMMyigT_wLv5g

Jacky Alberto | Hairstylist & Online Boutique Owner

Alex Gonzalez

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to stop fearing and overthinking, just do it. For the longest time I’ve had several ideas, goals, and dreams but I found myself fearing the “what if it doesn’t work out” and being very self critical with my own work and ideas that I allowed that to become paralyzing in my journey which just kept me stagnant. This year I’ve learned to just take a leap of faith and trust God. I believe he places these thoughts, ideas, dreams, and passions in our hearts for a reason. If we don’t go for it then the years will just pass us by and we are left with regret of things we wished we would’ve went for. I’ve gotten a taste of what “shooting your shot” feels like with some of my goals and dreams and I’ve built momentum from that, it’s definitely been one of the best decisions ever!

fash-cultureboutique.com @fash.culture

Madeline Reid | Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey of capturing life moments, is that every single person has a different story and a different way of expressing their story! The best way to capture people’s individual moments in the way that highlights their story best is to actually get to know your clients. Ask them about their life, what they do, where they work, what are their interests? what keeps them going? When you know someone for who they are rather than “just another client”, you are able to capture their story in a whole new way, and the photos end up being so much better!

Madelineanikkaphotography.com @madelineanikkaphotography

Ashton Danora | Capturing Purpose Through Lens

This year has been really challenging. Throughout this week, I really had to sit down and think about what I learned about myself through the journey of 2019. What stood out the most is learning how to be present. I am always planning for the future and I tend to forget about, for the lack of a better word, the “now”. I used to be so focused on tomorrow’s agenda, or a week from now…and I would miss out on the blessings and opportunities of the present. As this year has flown by, the last three months of 2019 will be dedicated to seizing the moments that come to me.

@_ashton.danora

Cynthea Thomas | Entrepreneur & Jewelry Designer

Olivia Friesen with Copper Curls Photography

A lesson I have learned is to never compare myself to others. By doing this I don’t progress to where I want to be and it’s not a great place to be in. I am unique in my own way and I want to spread joy and love through what I create during my journey.

royalmadnessdesign.com  @royalmadnessdesign @royalmadnessdesign  @Cyntheyeahh

RJ Monae | Fitness Coach

The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is, “”You have to change to grow and to grow you have to change”. I think we all expect change throughout our lives. The mistake many make is that we don’t change personally. We hope to be the same in every area of our lives and not realizing that a different version of “”YOU”” is required. The key to change is “”YOU””. I learned that about seven years ago and begin to put pieces of my life back together.

I had to learn things don’t always happen the way we want them to. We tend to give up then accept things as they are. The action of not accepting leads to depression, weight gain, health issues, and stress levels. Don’t be hard on yourself; embrace every mistake, failure, disappointment, and heartache. I have been in health and fitness for about seven years. I officially started fitness coaching about four years ago to coach people through the process of change and becoming the best version of themselves. Many already know what to do; they need someone to guide and educate them to make the best choices for their lifestyle needs.

I have been a mentor and coach for 14 years. I have dedicated my life to help others become the person they’ve always wanted to be. My health, fitness, and lifestyle have taught me no matter what area or stage you are in your life, change is required. In the past seven years, I have worked to claim my independence back. Now, I want to help others to reclaim theirs through health and fitness because it’s never too late. “Don’t be afraid to change, be afraid to STAY the same”.

@rjmonae @rj.monae @rjmonae RJMONAE.COM

Christina Curas | Digital Marketing for snack startup and healthy recipe creator

Be true to yourself, your beliefs and your passions. If others don’t agree with you that’s okay, you can’t please everyone. I’ve learned if you share authentic content that you are truly passionate about you will reach others with the same passion. That’s what community building is all about. I prefer to do that in all aspects of my life. As humans, we are all influencers in some capacity and it’s our duty to share authentically, not solely based on compensation.

@cocofitfoodie

Tiffany Hayes | REALTOR & Author

Stan Fleming

I’ve learned to change the way I measure success. Someone once said, “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” I must become the solution to someone’s problem, then and only then will I truly be successful.

tiffanyhayesrealestategroup.com @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup @tiffanyhayesrealestategroup

Landis Dorsey | Artist and Family man

In my journey so far I’ve learned that patience is vital to the growth process no matter what your situation may be. A saying that my pastor uses has helped me “Life’s a cinch inch by inch.”

@landisdorsey_art

Olivia Delancey | Certified Nurse Practitioner & Aesthetic Injector

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my clients. Each person is different and understanding their individual concerns is priority. I build relationships with my patients, helping them feel comfortable discussing their wants, needs, and even their insecurities. I like to have a clear understanding of what my clients are seeing in the mirror. This way, I can create a customized treatment plan for each client, boosting their confidence while keeping their results natural and undetectable.

@oliviadplasticsnp  northtexasplasticsurgery.com/olivia-delancey-np

Vanessa Blanco | Salon General Manager by day & Aspiring Cake Artist by night

Never give up. I used to stress myself so much with trying to work full time, be a mom full time, and baking/decorating cakes. Thinking that I didn’t have enough time to do it all. So much so that I had even considered giving it up. But With patience and practice you learn how to balance. I now know the tricks to breaking up different parts of the cake making process up in to multiple days so I don’t stress like I used to. Now its enjoyable like when I first took my very first cake decorating class!

@prettypartythingsdallas @prettypartythingsdallas

Sebastian Yancy | MMA Fitness Trainer & Co-founder of Non-Profit Sweat 4 Service

I’ve learned that in life you must do what you love. Too often do people drain their souls away doing what they dislike daily & gel as though they don’t have time to do what they are love. But if you can figure a way(& there always is a way) to make what you love benefit you, your soul will be energized to do & create more happiness & success. & to give a way to share that with others, is a gift spawned of love that everyone can receive.

youtube.com/channel/UCnfepgcg8HfTLf5FOx1NHDQ  @playing4people

  Rocio Zapata | Home Baker & Cake Decorator

@cakesdenise

The most important thing I’ve learned is to have a clean working area and be kind and respectful with clients. One more thing would be to always give good quality, presentation, and lastly good flavor for the product. In this business of pastries we never stop learning, we will always learn new things to improve.

@cakesdenise

Kristen Vollinger | Believer in the strength of a new day and its noms

First things first, I must state anyone who says, “I forgot to eat today”, absolutely makes zero sense to me. Not sure if I am envious of their free thinking and lack of time spent planning their next meal or if these are just deeply sad souls. ha. joke. Okay. So What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far? I believe it is key to stay true to your WHY (why are you doing this?) and asking yourself this question often.  To help reach your why and stay focused, I try to surround myself with what I want to see more of in the world, especially on social media. When posting my own content, I want to be excited about it and not have it based in a belief of what is expected of me as a food blogger. I believe the message in return is more genuine and interesting. If I start posting what I believe others want to see, then I’m not being true to myself and my passion. I will not be favored by all, yet I wont have lost sight of the reason why I started this journey. We will never live this exact day again, so let’s celebrate it with some delightful tastes.

@DallasNewGirl

The post What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? appeared first on Voyage Dallas Magazine | Dallas City Guide.

source http://voyagedallas.com/2019/09/30/whats-important-lesson-youve-learned-along-journey/