Shoulda Woulda Coulda

I told him when I first thought about moving my own cheese, I couldn’t see how I could stop working a 9 to 5 to pursue what I enjoyed doing and I didn’t know how I could capitalize on any of it.

Speaking with my career coach yesterday while he was trying to get to the nitty-gritty to explore my passions, I realized they hadn’t changed in years. 

  • My Faith 
  • Traveling 
  • Food 
  • Shopping 
  • Writing 

For as long as I can remember this list has remained the same. 

I told him when I first thought about moving my own cheese, I couldn’t see how I could stop working a 9 to 5 to pursue what I enjoyed doing and I didn’t know how I could capitalize on any of it. 

As the years passed, I’ve seen person after person show me how much profit and satisfaction could come from any one of the things I’ve listed. 

Faith– I kept boxes of index cards where I jotted down notes from sermons and books, ideas, inspirations, scriptures, and songs to refer to from time to time when needed depending on a challenging situation I faced or to use as an encouragement for someone else. The idea was to take the text from the cards and add a picture that coincided with the message to make posters, magnets, artwork, and other sources for showcasing. 

Travel– my fantasy was to be able to travel worldwide and write honest reviews about the modes of transportation, the lodging accommodations, and the food. Being a travel agent or a tour guide would be a great avenue to fulfill this dream. 

Food– Because I am a lover of food (I don’t know the correct terminology—I’ll look it up now.) I’m a self-described foodie. Yeah, I love food and at times I’ve made horrible choices because I was drawn and addicted to the chemicals in processed foods. I also like enjoyed fried, high fat, loads of sugar, cholesterol laden dishes, and delicacies that caused me to gain excessive weight. It took some retraining to acquire a taste for the foods that are good for me yet tasty.  

In my journey of discovery, I became a vegan when it wasn’t popular and there was no Beyond Meat or Impossible. Back then it was more of a joke, or you were considered freakish- now it’s the “in” thing. But, in those days you couldn’t easily find vegan choices in restaurants, convenient stores, or grocery stores. So, my idea was to put vegan vending machines everywhere but in 2022 that’s no longer an issue because the vegan population has grown enough to get the big manufacturers’ attention. 

Shopping– Who does not like to shop? LOTS of people don’t like to shop. Being the oldest child in a household of 6, I had to take or make lots of trips to the supermarket. I think I went to the store so much that I found more joy in it than a normal person should have. I also had a job working for a company that urged excellent customer service from all employees. I had the best training in all my years of employment. That experience made me love shopping even more. I also get pleasure in finding a good bargain. Anywho I thought I could offer to shop for people, and they would pay me for the service. But who would think of that as a business? I don’t know, maybe INSTACART

Writing– I love to write and I love to read. One small problem is when I’m reading for leisure, I sometimes find myself editing more than reading. I find it encouraging though and it makes me unafraid to put myself out there because even big-name publishers mess up. So, I’ve conjured a novel and even written some children’s books based on my own grandchildren and lessons I want them to learn and practice along the way. I thought it would be fantastic to see an array of books that represented my children and their culture. You might find this hard to believe but these books can be found any and everywhere now. 

There might be other interests I have and have yet to articulate because I might not even realize it. But I don’t want to see something else that I’d love to do go undone for fear of failure or disapproval. 

Take it from me if there is one legal and moral thing that you get lost in doing and would do for free, pursue it. 

Common Courtesy

I think this is equivalent to common sense, neither are common.

Let’s pretend we do want to exhibit common courtesy, what would that look like to you in April 2020?

  1. Stay home unless you absolutely have to go out.
  2. Wash your hands.
  3. Mind your business.
  4. Do your homework.
  5. Help out where you can.
  6. Don’t get on anyone’s nerves.
  7. If you are out, give people their space.
  8. Cover your mouth!
  9. Better yet, shut your mouth.
  10. Share funny tasteful things on social media– we need it.

Administrative Processing: Start where you are.

Start where you are.

It’s been said that when you lose something, you always find it in the last place you look. Obviously, but funny. Today I feel as though I found my solution at the end of my problem. You know how things just seem to CLICK. Things that have been there all along seem to appear out of nowhere. Why does it take us so long to realize what’s so simple?

As I write this, I cannot help by smile and laugh – probably because I know I’m not alone and that makes me feel human and relatable.

I was washing my dishes and listening to an audiobook when I remembered I hadn’t yet done the things I know have been in my heart and on my mind to do. Yet, I constantly pray and ask God to do His part while refusing to do mine.

I’m praying for a visa and praying that God will save and protect my marriage by allowing us to reunite quickly. Months ago, I felt in my spirit that since I married a man younger than me that I need to take care of my health and body to enjoy a longer life with him. I lied and said I would do just that – get my body in shape and make healthier choices daily. Instead, I dabbled in fads and made excuses or plain ignored what I should do and surrendered to laziness.

I also knew that what I’m experiencing now due to this visa delay, many others are tackling the same problem but without the joy I have inside. So, I decided to encourage all who care to hear and want to grow through this season of life. I won’t keep my deliverance and joy to myself. I’m full. I’m married to a Moroccan and all they do (from what I’ve witnessed) is share! In keeping with that custom, I’ll do the same.

Finally, I think because I’ve been so bored and frustrated in waiting and the enemy of my soul couldn’t attack me in too many ways – I’ve been loose in my spending habits. Spending very unnecessarily. I’m done with promising God, my children, and myself that this is the last month I will be wasteful. I have enough perfume, sneakers, gadgets, books, music, purses, and athletic wear. The line is drawn.

What have you been commissioned to do while you wait on what you’ve been praying for? How long will you wait to do what you should while you wait? As much as I don’t want to prolong my blessing and deliverance, I don’t want to prolong the things I need to do. I’ve started. And I’ve taken away your excuse. Follow my example, don’t put it off. Let’s go!