Have you ever woke up and just felt at peace? Like there was just an ease about your life? Content?

Yeah - I’m back to THAT place. And I’m taking up permanent residence.

Does it mean that everything in my life is as I desire (or as HE intends)? No. It means that things are good, soon to better because I am on my way to being greater later. It means that today, in this moment, life is good and if it’s good today, there’s a good chance it will be good tomorrow. And I can make that happen. Does it mean that life wont’ throw me any curves, that my smile won’t be knocked slightly askew from time to time? No - it simply means that I’ll deal with whatever comes when it gets here. It means that it’s not so much what happens to me but how I respond.

Last week, I resolved to stop doing some things, to stop talking about some things unless there was a chance that those things would help someone else. I was going to post a short list of those things but suddenly I couldn’t remember them. And as I turned THAT thought over in my mind, I realized that posting them wasn’t necessary. Chances are most people didn’t notice them anyway so their absence will only have meaning for me.

Posting them was about accountability but you know what? I need to hold myself accountable. It’s all about self-discipline. It’s like asking someone else to pray for you when you haven’t taken the time to pray for yourself. Besides, I don’t need a lot of fanfare for these changes. I just want to sit back and watch them evolve, watch them unfold. Revel in their beauty. And keep doing what I need to do to get where I’m destined to be.

Contentment. It’s a tricky thing at times. You can be content to the point of becoming complacent, inertia sets in and you find yourself locked into what’s called “the comfort zone” even though it starts to pinch like cheap shoes. The level of contentment I’m speaking of is where I’m fully engaged in my life at the present moment, I’m enjoying everything and everyone who’s a part of my life, and I’m building a dream so big, I know it’s got to be of God. The kind of dream that I used to think scared me until I realized what I was erroneously labeling as “fear” or “anxiety” was actually the fluttering of butterflies in my tummy because I am excited to see what comes next. Those butterflies that I hope will last forever as I step into me fully, completely.

Living unapologetically. Authentically. Baby, it is what it is and I am what I am. You ain’t got to like me and you ain’t got to love me but don’t get the sour look on ya face when I tell you that I’m loved enough not to miss you much. Everything ain’t for everybody and I ain’t mad at you for knowing what you like. Not at all.

Am I full of myself? To a certain degree. Tell me this - besides Jesus, who else should I be full of? You best get you some of this.

As Nikki Giovanni says, “Show me a woman who isn’t full of herself and I’ll show you a hungry woman.”

Hungry women, hungry people, will tear you apart over scraps. If they’re hungry enough, they’ll make a meal out of anything - even something that they know isn’t good for them. Hungry women, hungry people, will settle for the .99 menu when filet mignon is what they truly desire AND deserve. Hungry women, hungry people, don’t trust themselves or life to provide what they need so they gorge themselves on what’s before them - they focus on lack.

Not me. I’m only interesting in feeding myself things that make me stronger, make me shine, help me grow, things that nurture me, things that energize me. I’m no longer interested in feeding myself on a poor diet consisting of things like stress, drama, fear, doubt, procrastination.

Why? Simple: if those are the kinds of things you feed your mind, body and soul, it’s no longer what you’re eating - it becomes what’s eating you. They will eat away at your peace of mind, your confidence, your abilities, your focus, and your spirit. Personally, that’s too high a price to pay for a meal that leaves me feeling empty and unsatisfied.

It’s all about choices and perspective. You can see yourself as “hungry” and fight over the scraps or you can open yourself up to the abundance of life, relax in the peace and contentment that’s your birthright, and live your life from a place of joy.

I know what MY choice is. Who got next?

Live DELICIOUSLY!