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Take A Moment: Feel Your Best, Be Your Best

Lovely Miss Jones, LLC, GLLOW, LLC, and Still Becoming Inc. presents:
Take A Moment

Feel Your Best, Be Your Best

Often times as women we run endlessly. We have many obligations, and we wear many hats. We give in so many different areas. But how often do we stop for a moment to take care of ourselves?
Friday, May 26th we set out to have an evening of educating, networking, and exploring ways to keep ourselves in a healthy space; which in turn will help us to be our best selves. It’s difficult to be effective when we aren’t wholly healthy.
We’ll have a panelist of women in the heath field, covering areas such as: medical health, psychotherapy, mental health, sexual health, and holistic health. We will engage in a panel discussion and Q&A.
Come out and enjoy a night of connecting, performances and amazing discussion! All for the purpose of healthy living and effective giving! 

Panelists:


Dr. Kelita Alston -Jones is currently a Regional Medical Director and Clinical Consultant in Oncology for the largest company in the nation, for which she is the youngest and only African American female to hold the position. 
Founder and CEO of Healing Hands Medical Group, which provides workshops and medical referrals to aide the community in increasing awareness of common diseases and providing access to affordable care. She also owns her own health and wellness business called Get Healthy with Kelita, that provides all natural supplements and alternative ways to keep your physical body in optimal health. Kelita is a motivational speaker and a dynamic preacher of the Gospel. 
She believes in the empowerment of women and is the founder of Daughters of the King Ministries. She currently holds monthly empowerment sessions, mentorship classes and one o one sessions that help women to “take of their masks” and reveal the truth of who they are, while healing the deep wounds that may hold them back. Kelita is the co-host of the Ladies First Radio Show on WBJL Gospel.  

Chanel McCord is the founder and CEO of Oasis Wellness Group. Chanel received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Seton Hall University and a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Liberty University where she graduated with distinction. Chanel is licensed as an Associate Counselor (LAC) in the state of New Jersey and is in the application phase of obtaining her Professional Counselor clinical licensure. She holds several certifications including CPR/First Aid, Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Posttraumatic Stress Management (PTSM). Having settled several years of counseling experience under her belt, Chanel seeks to restore and assist in the healing process of adults, adolescents, children and families through counseling, psychoeducation, mentoring and wellness initiatives targeting the physical, mental, social and spiritual paradigms of one’s life. Education, empowerment, encouragement, enrichment and hope are aims that Chanel seeks to share with others.


Jasmine Marie Utterback is a passionate and engaging public health professional whose work is focused on building community partnerships to deliver sexual health education and training. She has worked with incarcerated women, college students, youth experiencing homelessness, and adults with developmental disabilities. Her topics of interest include building healthy relationships and safer sex communication. Jasmine’s motto for life is, “Together we are better.” Together we can develop the skills needed to protect our sexual health. 


Shelley Chapman, EdM is a nutrition educator, weight loss motivator and wellness workshop facilitator. Before stepping into those roles she received her Masters in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and her Bachelors of Arts from Spelman College. She also spent ten years overweight as a Compulsive Overeater and starved, binged and mistreated her body for years. In her commitment to heal, she learned about healthy eating, how food production affects the body, and the dietary lifestyles that reverse disease and turn on the healing switches in the body. She also addressed her emotional traumas that played a role in her eating disorder.

As a result, she went from a size 12 to a size 2 in one year. She now creates health curricula and travels throughout the country teaching workshops on how to shift from emotional and stress eating to mindful eating and how to integrate healthy behaviors into busy, modern lifestyles. She has worked with a variety of companies and institutions including Food Network, National Institute of Mental Health, Teach for America, New York University and Emory University. She is the author of the Amazon Best Seller Tantric Tastes and she also produces health focused web series and cooking videos for her YouTube channel, ShelleyWellness. You can find her online at BodyFoodFreedom.com and on all social media @ShelleyWellness. 

Crystal Fulwood is an Emotional Health Advocate and a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, teaching the general public about mental health awareness. Crystal is also the founder of f.l.a.w.e.d., which is an organization that connects, equips and supports women on their journey to wellbeing. 

You don’t want to miss this event! May 26th! An evening of education, discussion, and ways to keep ourselves healthy as a whole. Register today! Takeamoment526.eventbrite.com!

 

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Special Announcement! Lovely Miss Jones Scholarship Brunch in NYC!

This past August, lovelymissjones.com has reached its one year anniversary, and it’s our hope to help young people with their college tuition. But we need your help in assisting us in presenting a scholarship award to youth who are just entering college, or currently attending college this spring. We strongly believe in education and pushing young people towards their goals. College can be very expensive. There are many semesters where people aren’t sure if they would able to return to school. We would like to alleviate this problem for a student who may be struggling with a tuition bill, or doesn’t know how they will be able to pay for their books. 

The Lovely Miss Jones Scholarship Benefit Brunch will be held on December 19th! Join us for an afternoon of delicious brunch, desserts, speakers, and entertainment; along with networking and getting to meet new people. The proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to the scholarship fund. In which we will be able to give to someone as they take their journey through school. 

Please help us as we intend to help young people pursue their dreams! This next generation needs all the help they can get to succeed and be our future leaders!
Early bird tickets are on sale now! Only $10 until Sunday! Purchase your tickets here. 

More information coming soon!

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Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings 

Who we surround and connect ourselves with is imperative in life. It’s beneficial to our growth or lack thereof. So often we put ourselves in situations and positions and we don’t always realize how important it is for us to really give these things some thought. There comes a point in our lives where we have to evaluate the people we are connected with and what influence they may or may not have on us. And vice versa. 

Everyone experiences change and difficulty. Regardless of how great your life may seem. No matter how great your disposition may seem, we all experience difficulty. Although it’s very important how you choose to deal with it and have a positive outlook rather than a negative one, it’s also very important to be connected to the right people in those moments. 

As I’ve discussed in previous posts, when I go through things, I’ve always wanted to be alone and try to deal with things on my own. However, I’ve learned over the past few years, that this isn’t always the best way to go about things. Sometimes when we deal with different situations, keeping to ourselves may push us towards depression, rather than growth. In some cases, not all. And this is where connection comes in. 

We have to be mindful of who we place ourselves around. We have to be sure that we connect ourselves with people who are in a certain place in life. We have to be in positions where we connect ourselves with people that have ambition, and continues to go down a path of joy and success regardless of what they come against. They may have their own methods that help them along the way. But we have to be around people who aren’t stagnant. Positivity and determination are truly contagious. There’s no way you can be around a group of people who are living their dreams, and you stay in the place that you’re in. Not only will their success be motivation for you, but their words of encouragement will also inspire you to keep moving. 

Everyone has their moments when they want to just retreat when difficulty arises. But after some time, you get to a place where you refuse to stay down. Where you refuse to stay in a place of defeat. The process of going through, means just that. Go through, you acknowledge it, and keep moving. I recently had a discussion, and also did a little rant on snapchat about this season of my life. This has been a year of complete change for me. I’ve been dealing with things I’ve never thought I’d have to deal with. And although I have no choice but to acknowledge it, I refuse to wallow in it. I’ve chosen to deal with it, and continue to move forward. Because there’s not only greatness in store for me, but for someone else through what I’ve experienced. And yes, that’s a conscious decision that Krystle has made. But I’m in a place where I’m also very conscious of the people I’m around in this season. Placing yourself in the wrong circle can deter you from where you need to be. It’s important that you’re around people who believe in your gift, passion, and vision. Someone who knows what you’ve been given and how powerful it is. And won’t let you have a pity party and stay in your difficult times. People that can encourage, motivate, and inspire you. 

So I encourage you to stay mindful of the people you choose to surround yourself with. Be sure to have the right people in your life in the right seasons of your life. Someone who won’t allow you to brush off your difficulties and experiences. And on the other hand, someone who won’t allow you to wallow in it. Also, someone who has ambition, and is not content with not reaching their goals. One should always surround themselves with people who will empower you, help you to acknowledge your issues, but also helps you to continue down the right path. Stay connected with people who will help you grow. 

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Who Are We Entertaining, And Why?

I came across a post this week on Instagram that said, “I’m not responsible for who I attract. I’m responsible for who I entertain.” This made me think, because I’ve most definitely, like many of you, have been here. On both sides of the spectrum. 
There are many cases where we attract people we have absolutely no interest in. That’s not on us, and as the post said, we’re not responsible for that. However, what we do after, and how we act on the situation is. And there are times we give in and entertain them anyway. But the question is: 
Why entertain someone or a situation you know isn’t going to grow? 
I’ve been there before. At a point where I knew it wasn’t going to work, but I entertained it anyway. Here are a few reasons why we tend to stick around and stay in situations where we aren’t really interested in the other party: 

1. Sometimes we just want to have fun. And think to ourselves, why not? The right one hasn’t come as yet. There are times where we just want someone around to keep us company. We see there’s no one else around with potential, so we we just accept what’s right in front of us. 
2. We think they’re really good people, and don’t want to hurt them. There are times where we get to know someone and still have no interest in them, but we realize that they are good people. It’s hard to potential hurt someone you believe is a great person. It’s quite often that we just stick around to spare the feelings of someone else. 
3. We want it to work out because of where we are in life. We may feel like we’re getting older and are ready to settle down. So instead of waiting it out, we settle for who right in front of us knowing we aren’t really feeling them, or knowing they aren’t really good for us. We try to rush things because we feel like we’re supposed to be in a relationship or married by a certain time. Or even because all of our friends have been going in that direction. 
Although these reasons are understandable, they’re not beneficial at all. I have most definitely been in these situations, and I’ll tell you, they never work. When we just entertain someone for our purposes, we not only hold ourselves back, but we end up hurting the other party. I’ve realized how selfish it is to just want to have company when the other party is genuinely invested. And you’ll never get any real fulfillment in the long run. 
It’s often that we want to put other peoples feelings before ours. However, in this case, there’s no win win. We end up becoming bitter because there’s nothing in it for us. And eventually it’ll destroy the relationship. And the other party would be more hurt than they possibly would’ve been if they were told in the beginning how you felt. It’s ok to let a person know that you think they’re a great person, but it won’t work out. 
Many women and even men, put a time stamp on relationships and marriage. And when it doesn’t come in their timing, they (we) tend to settle. But we don’t realize that we are blocking what’s really meant for us. Sometimes we have to go through a waiting process. A process that prepares us for what’s coming. And in that process, the one that’s meant for us is being prepared as well. 
Sometimes we have to take a step back and evaluate the people we entertain. Question why you’re entertaining them. If you know for a fact you’re not interested in them or you don’t see it going anywhere; it may be wise to just be upfront about it. It’s better to keep it real than to go through a whole relationship unfulfilled. Think about both parties. In some cases, you need to be selfish and realize when you’re settling. And other times you need to think of the other party and if you’re entertaining them for your selfish pleasure. You don’t want to hurt anyone and you don’t want to end up becoming bitter. 
Let’s learn to make better choices and realize when we’re entertaining people for the wrong reasons. 
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Distant Connections 

It’s very important that we evaluate the people we are connected to. It’s imperative that we evaluate the relationships that we place ourselves in. Although it may have been good, or looked good doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best place for us to be in. On the other hand, just because we come across a disagreement it doesn’t mean we should completely severe the connection. 

It is very often that I’ve wanted to always just run and hide and take a break from people. When an issue or reoccurring issues surfaced itself, I was ready to jump ship. And in most cases, I did just that. After some time, I began to realize it was of no benefit. It didn’t really solve anything. 

There are however, some connections that need distance at some point. And it may be beneficial. There’s nothing wrong with a little space here and there, when done correctly. My issue was I just wanted to retreat as fast as possible without even deeply addressing the issue. 

Honest moment: I strongly dislike when I feel as if things or situations in my life are repeating cycles. It just does something to me. So there was a situation with this one particular individual that I kept pulling back into my life. No matter what happened as to why we originally needed the space. I will say, this was at one point a great connection. The very last time I felt just a tad bit of familiarity, I said I have to get out of here. I tried, but it just felt like it wasn’t working. So when the time came for me to back away, I did it all wrong. There was no explanation one, and it was the wrong form of communication. (We have to be mindful of how we approach situations.) This led to one of the biggest spats I’ve encountered; confusion, frustration, and all around miscommunication. Which ended the connection completely.  This could’ve gone differently, without the initial stress, had I evaluated the situation and connection thoroughly. 

After this particular situation, I was able to learn from my past mistake when it came to addressing people I’m connected to. Another issue occurred, where I didn’t necessarily feel as if I was in the wrong, but knew I had to address it. (Sometimes we may only view things from our perspective, not knowing how the other party may have interpreted the situation.) During the discussion, we were able to put our feelings on the table, and walked away with no hard feelings. Although, we had no intentions on growing or building the connection any further, it was beneficial to address it and move on. A smooth transition with no arguments, where there’s no love lost. 

Both of these situations taught me how important it is to carefully evaluate the people you are connected to and the situations that will most likely arise. There are some connections that need to be removed for a little while, and some that need to be shifted for the long run. All in all, we must be careful in our approach and execution. Let’s not be hasty when it comes to severing relationships without assessing the situation and moving in the correct manner. It’s also beneficial that we see when we need to clear the air, but step away in a peaceful way. 

So I encourage you today, take time to focus on the direction of your current connections. Evaluate, and act accordingly.  

 

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Purposeful Connections

As I sat and thought about what I was going to write about, the only thing that came to mind was connecting with people of purpose. I tried to think of another topic because I felt as though I touched on this in a previous post. However, this particular subject just wouldn’t leave me.

If you can’t help support one another and push each other towards growth and success, what purpose does the relationship hold? It is very important to be sure to have people around you that live on purpose with a purpose. When you have a desire to move towards greatness by any means necessary, the people you’re surrounded by can effect your moves. Either negatively or positively.

As you all know, I officially launched the blog by throwing a party this weekend. Although I was already blogging, I knew that this was something I had to do as a symbolism of growth and a gain to the site as well as my future business. Quick honest moment, I’ve struggled with asking people for help so I planned to do this entire party and planning alone. I don’t think I did half bad with the planning, but it’s good to have people around you that want to see you succeed so they’re willing to help you whether you’ve asked or not.

So as I talked about it with a few people during the planning process, immediately they asked what I needed and how they could help. One even asked was I trying to do it all by myself. When I said yeah, and explained my issue with asking people, they decided to help me with a behind the scene move. Something I didn’t know I needed. I figured I would learn my way through this whole process. Although I somewhat did, it’s always nice to have people around that’s been places and can share part of the experience.

These people who had their hands in this project or was just a listening ear or mouth of advice was necessary. Connected to people that are about success and want to see people they’re connected to grow and go places they’re meant to be in.

So I encourage you to evaluate the people you’re surrounded by. Are they willing to be there for you during times of big decisions? Are you willing to go the extra mile for them? Are your relationships based on success and the growth of one another? Answer these questions and make moves accordingly. Your future success depends on it!

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We’re Better Together

When I originally started this post, weeks ago, I wanted to make this a women’s empowerment piece. After attending an event called Battered 2 Beautiful, I immediately felt the urge to write about women’s empowerment. However, as I began to think, I see a generation as a whole that needs empowering. There are too many people wandering without any sense of purpose or direction.

Recently, I’ve been attending networking events. I’ve been trying to take advantage of the moments. Not only was it beneficial to my career, but it helped me realize more, just how important networks and support groups are.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve encountered various people who are going down or have been down the path that I desire to. It’s was great to be able to hear and see the different avenues they went down and what ways they thought were best to get there.

The day of Maya Angelou’s death, one of my friends asked me how I felt about it being that I too am a writer. As we began to talk about her, he said he feels bad for this next generation. He shared how there’s not as many people around for the next generation to look up to and somewhat pave the way. I then said, “so it has to be us.” We have to be the ones to help lead and direct this next generation to success. If we see the need, we have to be the ones to meet the needs. Whether it be something we created or recommending something that someone else created.

As I join networks that cater to helping me in my writing career, such as NYC writers network, we too can help those around us find their niche in their desired field.

When we have someone else to call who’s doing what we’re doing, it gives us that extra boost that we need to keep going. Or even having positive people around us who are moving towards greatness.

It’s so important to join as well as create different social/support groups and networks. Not only will it benefit you by having like minded people around you, but it will help push others to greatness.

So I encourage you today to look beyond yourself and see the needs of those around you, and the next generation. Let’s help empower and grow them to the next level as others have done with us!

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