Taking Risk

It’s easy to do the things that we think are expected of us, and easier to do things the way someone else has done them before us, but some of the greatest rewards in life come from the chances we are willing to take to make changes in not just our own lives but in the lives of others.

We allow our fear, fear of being wrong, fear of what others might think, or fear of being made a fool to hold us back, believing that it’s in someway this fear is keeping us safe, but in many cases what our fear is doing is stopping us from moving forward and truly living our lives. It is stopping us from the possibility of the greatness we desire.

Sometimes it’s worth losing everything, our money and most of all our pride in order to receive your true rewards. You have to remember that there is a blessing in every situation whether it is pleasant or challenging. A situation may not be the blessing or reward you were looking for, but it will be the exact one that you need.

Are there risks you need to take???

Love and blessings in divine order,

Stacye

Song of the day: “Risk It All” - Blu Cantrell

CD: Bittersweet

www.StacyeBranche.com

Making Lemonade

As I move through my life I am always shocked at those moments that happen so unexpectedly. When you land in the place you least expect to be, or meet someone that you know, just knowing them will make a difference in your life. In the past few days I have been able to look at my life and see just that happening to me. 

I realized that I had landed somewhere happily that I could not have imagined I would be two years ago, and met people along the way that have or I know will have an impact on my life, and all I can be is grateful.  Grateful that all though it was not the path I had seen for myself I couldn’t be happier to be on it. But, more grateful that I was not trying to force my will, but allowing things to move as they were suppose to. 

I am okay with the things that didn’t happen, that I thought would. I am okay with the plans that fell through. All because I am grateful for all that I do have. It may not be the plan I saw for myself, but it is the one I am living. As I say for every lemon I am handed it just helps me make a better pitcher of lemonade. 

Are you making lemonade with your lemons?

Love and Blessings in divine order , 

Stacye

The Student and The Teacher

Many times we end up in relationships and we can’t understand why the other person does or doesn’t do something. We assume that they know better, but what we forget is that everybody has a back-story, those events from their past that have help to shape and mold who they have become. 

We all assume that everyone has been taught the same etiquette. Not just how to behave in public or using their napkin, but how to treat others, especially the person that they are romantically involved with. What most of us were never taught is that with each new person that you bring in to your life you become the student and the teacher. 

As the student it’s important that you pay attention in class, because there is always something to learn from and about your new teacher. If you observe carefully they will tell you more about themselves without ever having to open their month. 

As the teacher you have to not only show up as yourself, but you must teach the other person how to treat you. You can’t assume that they know anything, because if they fail a test you are the only one to blame for not supplying your student with all the information needed. 

We always assume that someone knows how to treat or talk to us, but truth is you can’t know what you’re not taught. 

Are you being a good student and a good teacher? 

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the day: “Teachme”  - Musiq Soulchild

CD: Luvanmusiq

Clouded Judgement

There are many times when we allow our desires to out weigh our judgment.  We can feel and see that things are not right, but yet we allow our desire to paint the picture prettier than it really is. The trick in life is to remember we can’t allow our desires to become obsessions especially in relationships. 

If you pay close attention I believe that a person tells you a lot about themselvesin the first 5 - 10 minutes with their words as well as their actions. You will see a glimpse of the kind of things that make a difference as to whether or not you should or should not continue on with a relationship. The problem is that most of us don’t pay attention. We get caught up in the fairytale of what we hope can be. We continue on the journey until one day the fairytale becomes a nightmare and we are shocked that things have gone so wrong. 

Many times we look back on a situation and realize that in actuality the red flags were waving in front of us the whole time.  If we were to tell the story of our journey and what we thought we wanted so badly the red flags will stand out, and we will realize we chose to overlook them.

Love is not a myth, and having a great relationship is possible with the right person, but it is important to pay attention. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. You may have to kiss a few frogs to get to the prince or princess, but it is better to take your time getting to the fairytale, than to be trapped in a nightmare. 

Are you using your judgment or being guided by your desires?

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

From the book “It’s All In How You Look at It (thought and questions about life) 

Song of the day: “Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”  - The Isley Brothers

CD:  3 + 3

Making Room For Happiness

Happiness seems sometimes eluding, but the truth is that sometimes we have to make room for the happiness that we desire. In life there are always going to be up’s and down’s, and sometimes the down’s may seem lingering. Sometimes what those downs mean is that it’s time to clean the closet of your life. 

As we go through life we don’t often realize how much stuff we’re collecting. Not just material things, but people and emotions.  Now most of us are aware of the fact that we need to let go and clean our physical closets, homes and garages, but very few of us ever think about or take the time clean out our emotional closet.  You see in the search for happiness we don’t always realize that what gets in the way of us achieving the happiness we desire is our allowing of our past experiences, hurts and sometimes the people in our life to get in the way of our present and future happiness. Many of us continue to live our lives without taking a moment to acknowledge the lessons and the blessingsthat we’ve gain from what we have been through, so that we can move forward. 

Happiness can be found in the smallest and simplest things, but when your emotional closet is full or overrun with negative things and people it can be very difficult to find appreciation for the good people and things in your life. How can you find joy, or happiness in a closet full of clutter?

We all have so much going on in our lives, but it’s important for you to make time for yourself.  You need to make time for yourself everyday, even if it’s only five minutes a day to check in with yourself, so that you can work through and let go of some of those unwanted and many times negative feelings that fill your emotional closet, and get in the way of your happiness. 

Happiness isn’t hiding from you. It’s just waiting for you to make some room so it can come in. 

Are you making room for the happiness you seek or are you holding on to the clutter that prevents happiness from coming into your life? 

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the day : “Happy”  - Pharrell Williams

You Can't Fit A Square In A Round Hole

I always say that you can learn a lot about a person in the first five minutes. People tell you and show you more than you are every aware of if you just pay attention. Sure, there may be jittery nerves and a bit of caution, but if you are alert the truth can’t hide. 

Sometimes in our search for love and our desperate attempt to get away from loneliness we continue to try and find something that connects us with another person even when the red flags are waving at full staff. What you have to remember is that just because you are single and someone else is single doesn’t mean that you are going to, or have to have a love match, and if you are already in a relationship that seems to already have a few too many differences you are probably never going to have anymore in common than you already do. 

It’s important to know and love yourself, and to know that you cannot make someone be the right person for you, just like you shouldn’t have to change to be the right person for someone else. Sometimes the writing is in big bold letters on the wall, but we refuse to see them, and in turn we allow ourselves to be verbally and sometimes physically mistreated all in the name of desired love. 

The belief in love is important, but believing that there is a right person who fits you perfectly is more important. With the right relationship you never have to try to fit the square into a round hole. 

Are you trying too hard?

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the day: “When I Dream” - Barbra Streisand

CD: Emotion 

Working From The Inside Out

As the year changes from one to the next we each sit and think of all the things that we are not happy with and all the things that we feel we need to change, but no matter what we think is not right in our lives we have to start with ourselves. How we feel and how we see the world whether we realize it or not starts with how we feel about ourselves.

Before you can concentrate on all the eternal things that you feel needs fixing in your life why not start with the most important thing – you. When you are honoring yourself by acknowledging the things that trouble you and working on those things as eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and exercising all the other things that seem to bother you will start to work themselves out.

We all attempt to be super human, but the only way to truly be super human is to honor and love yourself enough that you will be equipped to be apart of all the things that you feel you need to be apart of. When you are healthy you think better, and you handle things better. Prevention is always your best doctor.

So, make a promise to yourself that you will honor and love yourself by trying to live healthier, and I promise everything else will work itself out. Because, anything that you want to change in your life first start with you and within you.

What are the healthy changes that you want to make?

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Love and blessings in divine order,
Stacye


Song of the day: Life Is Good - Jo Dee Messina
Cd: Delicious Surprise 

Choices

As the year changes from one to the next, we each sit and think of all the things that we are not happy with and all the things that we feel we need to change. But, no matter what you think is not right in your lives, you can’t look outside of yourself for the answer. you are the architect for your happiness.  The only way to make true changes in your life starts with take an honest look inside to find the real cause to the problem you want to change.  

What most of us forget when dealing with a challenges is that our lives are a reflection of our choices. Are choice in how we treat ourselves as well as who we allow in our life, and how we allow them to treat us. There is no challenge that cannot be overcome once we can identify the root of the problem. 

We are each changing every minute of everyday, but the real changes that we want to see in our life can only happen when we make those real choices that allow those changes to happen. Those choices can range from treating yourself better to removing people from your life, as long as the choices you are making are for your highest good and so that you can live your best life. Change doesn’t happen over night, but the most amazing changes can happen once you acknowledge who you are, where you come from, and where you want to go . 

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the day: “Happy” - Pharrell Williams

Happy New Year- A promise To Myself- Gratitude

New Years is that time of year where we reflect and we plan. You think of all the things you want to change in your life, your weight, your jobs, your hair, and in some cases your relationships. Its’ easy to sit around complaining about your life, but all that does is make you more unhappy. But, if you can learn to practice gratitude you will begin to find more to be grateful for.

What if you started a new tradition? Instead of starting the New Year out thinking about all the things that you think you want, or things that you think need changing, you started the New Year by making a list of all that you are grateful for, and being grateful for what you already have and enjoy.

I choose to spend my 2016 in gratitude. I choose to be grateful for all that I have in my life, those things that are enjoyable and those things that seem to be challenging. I choose to be grateful for everything because I know in the long run each and everything in my life is for my good and for my growth.

I believe that if you start your year out being grateful for what you already have you would have less that you feel needs to be changed, and it would be much easier to stick with making the changes that you really do need or want to make.

Happy 2016!!!

Love an blessings in divine order ,

Stacye

Breaking Patterns

The hardest challenge many of us will ever face is getting out of our comfort zone. The thing about the comfort zone is that we are so comfortable being there that no matter how much we want change in our life, or how much we know that things in our life should be different that we sometimes don’t realize how much we have allowed the uncomfortable to become comfortable.

Sometimes there are things that we desire and whether it’s in life or in in our relationships we may allow our comfort zone to dictate our actions instead of doing the work necessary to obtaining what we desire, and then one day we look up and say, “Why can’t I have what I want?” The answer plain and simple is we keep repeating the same patterns. We weren’t willing to do the work to have better.

We are all attracted to certain things, ranging from colors, shapes and sizes. When dealing with people we gravitate to what is familiar, to what is comfortable even when we know it’s not good for us.

The first step to having what you wantis to acknowledge that you have patterns. That doesn’t mean that patterns are a bad thing.  But, if you want change in your circumstances than you have to realize that you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone. You not only need to break your old patterns, but you need to create new and more productive patterns. 

This is where knowing and loving yourself is important. You have to figure out what it is that you like and dislike in the situation that you want to change, and then stop settling for what you no longer want and what doesn’twork in the life and the life that you are working to build. If you can articulate what you don’t want in your life, than it is that simple to work towards removing it from your life.

To obtain what you want in your life the changes needed could be simple or they could take a bit of work, but even with the subtlest shift in your behavior and thought process the benefits can be great.

Are there some patterns you need to change???

Love and blessings in divine order,
Stacye


Song of the day: “Changes” - David Bowie
CD: Changesbowie 

www.StacyeBranche.com

A Time To Remember

There are so many that will not be here with us this holiday for many different reasons. Let us hold them in our hearts, and in our prayers. 

For those that have transitioned we will forever have our memories of them, and those that are in the ongoing conflictlet us all pray that they are able to have the best holiday possible, and for their safe and speedy return home.

Let us each find and share the love in our heart with those that are with us, and make the most of our time together.  The gifts and all are great, they’re the gravy, but the holidays areabout sharing love, that’s the real meal. 

Are you remembering the love???

Song of the day: “Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas , New YearsAin’tNew Years Without The One YouLove ”    - “ The O’Jay’s”

CD of The Day : “HomeForChristmas”

www.StacyeBranche.com

Hold Onto What's Good

The only thing that we can truly do is take life one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time.  That is all any of us can really do.  We all suffer losses, have fears, and experience hurt, but in each minute we can move closer to our strength. We have the choice to try to understand our challenges and try find the blessing in any challenging situation. In each moment we each move towards feeling better about the things in our life that we are not so happy about because in each moment we move further away from our past and our pain. We all have good days and some that are not so easy, but if you stay the course the good will be better, and the not so easy will get easier. 

It’s important to hold onto what is good. It’s important to focus on the things that matter to you, the things that make you happy, and the things that bring you joy. It’s the happy memories that will help us through the hard times, and give us the strength to fight on.

During the holiday season when moments seem hard you have to remember to hold onto what has been good, and what is good in your life no matter how small you might think those things are– good is still good.  It will be those good thoughts that will help you get through any difficult time. 

Are you holding onto your good???

Love and blessings in diving order,, 

Stacye 

Song of The day: “Hold Onto Your Dream” - Stevie Wonder

Getting Through The Holidays

The holidays are an interesting time. For some it is a time of joy and sharing, but for others it can be a time of loneliness and sadness. It’s important that we keep in mind that there are some people in our lives that might have no family to share the holidays with. We have to remember to keep those people in mind by sending cards, making phone calls , and inviting them to festivities. 

We are not all fortunate enough to have family and close friends to share holidays with, and sometime a person is too proud or embarrassed to say they need to be apart of something. So, in the spirit of giving we should all take a look around us to the people in our lives and see if we're needed. 

It’s so easy to think about what is obvious the homeless and under privileged, but let us not forget those in need closer to home.

Is there someone that you can help get through the Holidays???? 

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

What Did You Give Today!

As you walked through your day what did you give? As you made your way on your usual path did you at least give a smile to those you came in contact with or did you   hold your head down allowing the world to pass you by?  Did you wear a frown or did you turn your head away and move about as though no one else exist? 

While at work did you give your all and more, or did you give just enough to get by?

As you spoke to your family and friends were you loving, kind, considerate and giving or were you complaining, selfish, and having a “Pity Party” with the entire trimmings? 

As you moved through your day were you the best that you could be? There is a saying “You get what you give”. So, if you were not loving, kind, considerate, caring or pleasant why would you expect to get that from someone else? If you are sitting around complaining having your own non-stop “Pity Party” why would you expect anyone to want to be in your company?

We sometimes want so much from others, but give so little in return. Then we act as though we don’t understand why our lives are the way they are.  It starts with you. To quote Michael Jackson “I’m starting withthe man in the mirror”. 

So, I start my day being thankful and grateful for all of the blessings in my life, and continue my day giving thanks. I acknowledge everyone I come in contact with. I smile at everyone whether they smile back or not because I have that to give, and I don’t need their permission to be happy. You see I give love, kindness, and consideration because those are the things that I want in return, but more importantly I know that if I put those things out into the world I know that I am in a small way helping to make the change I wish to see in the world.

What did you give today?

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the Day: Love's In Need Of Love Today - Stevie Wonder 

www.StacyeBranche.com

Pride Aside

It’s a funny thing how we do or don’t do something because of our pride? Like not calling someone we care about because we want them to call first, and as both people put their pride in front of their hearts time passes, and it gets harder for anyone to say what needs to be said. 

I use to live with my pride held high, then one day I realized that pride has it’s place.  You should have pride in your work, in your home, your family or children, but not when dealing with the heart.  We all come from different backgrounds, and have different issues from our past that we might be dealing with, and sometimes we don’t necessarily speak the same language as someone tat we care about.  Our differences sometimes makes it difficult to say what needs to be said, and sometimes difficult to hear what is being said. 

So, I have learned to listen to my heart, and realize that sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war. It’s not always necessary to be right. It can be difficult and unpleasant to have to say the things that need to be said like “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong,” but I would rather experience and uncomfortable moment than a lifetime of regret.  I don’t want to look up one day to find that I miss someone that really meant something to me because I thought I had a point to prove.  When coming from a place of love so much more is always gained than pride can ever award you.   

What are you holding pride for?

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Here Comes The Sun

In every life there will be hills and valleys. Without the valleys we couldn’t learn, grow or appreciate the hills. Without the hills we wouldn’t know joy or appreciate what we learned in the valley. 

For different reasons any of us can be in the valley at any time in our life. The amount of time that we stay in the valley will depend on our attitude towards and our willingness to learn the lesson or lessons we have to learn in the valley. If we choose to be depressed and not be proactive about taking a long look at our life and the things that we might need to change than it can take longer to climb back up that hill to the Sunshine. When we can find appreciation for the difficult times that we are experiencing and begin to make the necessary changes in our life the tide can turn in our life over night, and we can once again stand on the hill in the Sun. 

The changes that we need to make in our life could be mental, and we might need to change the way that we are looking at things which effects how we deal with them, or the changes could be emotional, because we are holding onto a negative feeling about a person or event that we need to let go of. No matter what the changes are that you need to make in your life you must believe that the lows you have experienced were for your greater good, and without finding appreciation for the lesson getting back up that hill can be a long hard process. Remember nothing negative or what you view as negative is forever unless you choose for it to be.

Without the lows we would never grow,  and surely never appreciate the highs. 

Love and blessings in divine order, 

Stacye

Song of the day : “Here Comes the Sun” - George Harrison 

The Little Voice

We each have a compass that guides us through life. It is that little voice, our gut, or instinct that leads us forward. If you listen carefully that voice always leads you in the right direction for you.  That voice will lead you on your perfect path, to your perfect destiny. We each have that something that is just for us and our own road to getting there.

The thing about this voice is that we all have one, we just don’t all chose to listen to it. Our heart speaks and yet we will sometimes not listen because of fear or impatience, or we are trying to do what we think is the right thing or the thing that will lead to what we think that we want or need.  

The truth is we don’t always know what is right for us, or what will help us best to get where we want to go. Many times we get in our own way slowing our progress because we are so busy trying to force a situations instead of allowing things to move as they should. Sometimes things are moving slowly because there are lessons to be learned or a situation that needs to be avoided, but learning to be patient can be the rue key to our success.

Always listen to that little voice. It Is there for you and you alone to help you navigate these sometimes difficult waters of life. You are never alone because God has got you, and if you listen closely you will always hear the words you need to hear and you will always be on your right road. 

Remember fear and faith cannot occupy the same space.

Love and blessings in divine order,
Stacye 

Accepting

It’s funny how un-accepting we can be.  We criticize, we judge, and just basically make no effort to understand when people are different from ourselves.  Why is it so hard for us to accept what it different?  Why can’t we allow others to be themselves? 

What makes the world interesting is individuality. Be it Black, White, Straight, Gay, Married, Single, Thin,Thick Christian, Jewish or Muslim.  Why can’t we allow others the express themselves the way they see fit as long as they are bringing no harm to others? But, more importantly why can’t we appreciate and be loving towards those that are different?

I ask this question, because I notice that during the course of the day there is no person who does not experience or witness some form of discrimination because they themselves or someone else is in someway different in appearance or culture.  Instead of blessing the spirit that stands before us, celebrating their individuality or maybe taking a moment to get a better understanding of the other person the person that is considered different is treated in a rude or disrespectful manner. The truth is each of us is different to someone.

We come from different times, cultures, backgrounds, and religions, but at the end of the day we have to remember we are one. There is only a difference if you want there to be. But, that little bit of individuality shouldn’t get in the way of anyone being loving, kind, considerate, or understanding. Every life from every race, social economical background, and religion is valuable and should be treated as such.

Yes, we all run into those that who do or wish to do harm to others, and those people come in all colors and religions, but it still does not call for judgment just distance.  You bless them, and send them on their way. We will never really understand all that there is in the world, but my won’t it be fun trying.


Were you accepting today?

Love and blessings in divine order,
Stacye

 Song of the day : “We Are One” - Frankie Beverly and Maze

Living The American Dream

From the day we’re born there is someone telling us the dream we should hold for our life. You go to school, go to college, you find a mate, and you marry, buy a house that hopefully has a white picket fence, and have 2.5 children. Whether these plans suit us or not the people in our life wait for us to complete this list. We are constantly asked why are we single, when are we getting married, and when will we be having children as though there couldn’t possible be another course of action. The unfortunate thing is that the effort to achieve and maintain this so called dream can in many cases be the cause of stress and unhappiness.

Never in the course of all this planning are we asked or do we even consider what we want or what would make us happy. The thing is that happiness is different for everyone. For some the standard “American Dream” might be a dream come true, but for others it might very well be a nightmare.

Only you can know what will make you happy and the road that you need to take to find and achieve your happiness. It’s not about the dream you have been sold, or trying to keeping up with “The Jones’s” or “The Kardashians” if you will, but finding those things that bring joy to your life whether anyone around you understands them or not. Dreams and Joy are personal one can tell you how to achieve them, and no one can experience them for you.

Are you living your own American Dream or someone else’s ???

Love and blessings in divine order,
Stacye

Song o the day: “Expression” - Salt-N-Pepa
CD: Blacks' Magic

In Our Words

As we go through our days talking about this, and talking about that so effortlessly we never really think about the power of your words, and the energy that we put out into the world.

If most of us were to for just one day really pay attention to our dialog we might notice some of the negative, unhealthy, unhappy, and unsuccessful things that we can say about ourselves, and about others. But, more importantly what we might notice is how these negative words, thoughts and action affect our lives in a negative way.

In this one day of awareness, of being conscience, and making an effort to be more positive in our words and actions it could possibly change not only how we look at things, and maybe even change our lives to something more healthy, positive, happy, and successful. This one day could change how we see ourselves, and how others see and treat us. That positive change that we all claim to want for our lives starts with each of us being conscience in our words and actions. When your words and actions are positive you bring more positive into your life. 

 Do you pay attention to your words???

Love and blessings in divine order,

Stacye

From the book “It’s All In How You Look at It (thought and questions about life)

Song of the day: “Beautiful” - Christina Aguilera

CD of the day: “Stripped” (2002) - Christina Aguilera