Author: Sincerely Angie

How I’m Starting My Mornings

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Post originally written 10/26/2023

I was listening to a podcast (Blessed and Bossed Up) the other day and the
host talked about 5 steps to take, to start your mornings and how to focus. That
got me to thinking about what I could do in the morning to be more intentional with
my time with God and my gratitude. I started to picture in my mind what was
feasible for me in the morning. 

First thing I tend to do is look over at my clock to see the time and then
let my baby Rockie out to do his thang. Depending on the time, I will grab my
phone and swipe through the notifications. Then I realize that I hadn’t thanked
God yet and put it down to give thanks. I usually have a text message waiting
for me with a inspirational/motivational video, so I lay with my eyes closed
and listen to that. Then I get up and start my day, that’s if I don’t fall back off to
sleep.

There was no intentionality to the start of my days at all. Also, the other
day I saw a video where someone was saying to laugh for 20 seconds when you
wake up to set your mind to happy. They named a few other things but I forgot
what they were. I took this as a sign that I needed to change my morning
routine.

This is what comes to mind for me. When I wake up, the first thing I do is open my eyes so the first thing that comes to mind is to be grateful for another day and the gift of sight. The second thing is to sit up or switch positions so that it’s a little harder to fall back asleep. Thirdly, be still. Fourthly, give thanks and speak affirmations to myself and for the day. Fifthly, find a scripture to study/meditate on for the day. Ex. “This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Lastly, get up and stretch.

  • See Opening your eyes to see the gifts before you. The gift of sight, the roof over your head, your bed, the electricity is on and you have breath in your body. Just to name a few.
  • Sit up or switch positions Prepare your mind and body to wake up fully to start your day.
  • Stillness Be still. No TV, no phone, no distractions. Just take a moment to breathe.
  • Say/Speak Give thanks for the new day that you were blessed with. Speak positive words, thoughts and affirmations for the day.
  • Scripture Meditate on a scripture for the day or think of a positive word to speak to yourself and others throughout the day.
  • Stretch Stand up and stretch out your arms to heaven, expand your chest, take deep breaths, bend over and touch your toes. Loosen those muscles.

This blueprint may not be meant for everyone but it’s helping me and hopefully it can help you. Just as I was motivated based on the podcast I heard, you too can be motivated. Alter these steps to your liking. Happy grateful, thankful and positive mornings!

Sincerely,

Angie

Yes, You Can Save and You Can Save NOW!

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Truth is, it’s 2025, you should already be saving. If Hurricane Katrina didn’t teach us anything twenty years ago, it taught us that we should have a rainy day fund, or in Louisianians case, a hurricane season stash. Everyone doesn’t live in Louisiana, so COVID-19 should’ve taught us that having a savings account with enough in it to get by during a trying time, is necessary. At least six months worth of bills and living expenses.

Don’t believe the lies you’ve been telling yourself. Yes you can save and you can start today. I’m not going to reiterate the millions of ways you can save. I have many posts under the budget tab with tips and tricks on saving. This post is the reality check you need. In the day and time that we’re living in, it may seem hard to save but the reality is, everything is not always what it seems. And our minds are playing tricks on us. We have to have mind control over Deebo! With the state of the world and the economy, having money to spare is paramount.

If you can shop, you can save!

If you can go out to eat, you can save!

If you can go to happy hour, you can save!

If you can buy gifts for yourself and others, you can save!

What you need is discipline and to sacrifice for a few months to a year or more to realize that everything you think you need, is all in your head. You don’t need it, you want it. And everything you really need, is on the other side of your sacrifice. In this season, you’ll have to learn the difference between needs, wants, priorities, your “why” and sacrificing for a bit of time, to get to the future you want. So this blog post isn’t laced with tips or tricks. Just do it. No more excuses, because excuses keep you comfortable. Growth comes when you get out of your comfort zone. Time is not standing still and life can and will life when it wants to. Don’t put off any longer what you CAN actually do today. Save your money now so that your money can save you later, if you need saving. Otherwise, it’ll save you from a lifetime of lack, borrowing and missing out on an abundant life.

Sincerely,

Angie

Who Are You?

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Currently, I am in a season of learning so much about who I am, even though I’ve always been confident and sure of who I was, outside of knowing my purpose. But as of late, I am finding out things that are rooted. I won’t share it all just yet because I still value privacy but I will try to bring it all home to make the title of this post make sense.

There are a few questions I have always had problems with people asking. Whether they were too invasive or just irrelevant to the person asking or the situation at hand. The whole time, all I’m thinking to myself is, once I answer it, what are you doing with the information? Are we getting married, are you hiring me, does this determine if we’re friends or not, are you helping me achieve anything? Is this question a space filler, or rhetorical?

The easiest and most common question came from young men to women. “Who do you stay with?” Now, I am far from dumb and I know there are multiple reasons for a guy to want to know the answer to this question, but at this “big ole age”, why is that the way the question is framed? Moving on because I can go off topic with that one. Second question, “What’s your five/ten year plan?” This question sends me because, TO ME, it’s such a personal question. If I’m just meeting you, why should I or why would I share that with a stranger? Again, I understand what the person may be getting at but TO ME, I’m sure there’s a less invasive way to ask a person their future plans or goals. Because honestly, if you just sit back and listen, people will eventually tell you exactly who they are!

Lastly, a question that I am always perplexed by is when someone asks “Who are you?” I’ve heard people answer “I’m a mother or I’m a real estate agent”, and the person asking the question responds, “No, not what you do. Who are YOU?”. I’ve answered “I’m a child of God, or a lover of life, or a student of life” just to name a few. And still, that answer wasn’t what they were looking for. My thought, to the asker of the question is, it seems that no response given suffices. I absolutely 1000% understand that they want the person to dig deeper and know that they aren’t just “a mother, or a doctor, or a helper”.

I wonder what gauge is being used to determine what answer suffices? At the core of this question, it seems that we are supposed to narrow ourselves down to just one characteristic, trait, title, quality, ability, etc. As humans, we are so much more than one thing. We don’t have to be either or, we can be both and. And since most of us are always learning and growing, it can’t just be a single answer to who are you. It must be, “who are you in THIS moment?”. This blog, my podcast, my YouTube channel, etc. are all proof that I am and cannot be narrowed down to just one thing. It’s literally a gumbo pot over here baby!

Over the last few months that I’ve been finding out more about myself, I’ve had to check myself. My father hadn’t been around since I was 4 or 5 years old. So growing up, that side of me didn’t exist and I was fine with not knowing. Yes, I may have been curious over the years but I had no luck finding the answers. It wasn’t until God saw fit and now, finding that side of myself has garnered so many revelations. I’m learning the balances of the two DNA’s that merged together to make me and why some things never made sense on one side of me. Reality check! I’m so much more than whoever I thought I was before. I have added knowledge that has ignited a power within me that overwhelms me with so much joy! Because knowledge is power!

Sincerely,

Angie