I Want You To Be Encouraged

It is wonderful to hear the applaud of a crowd after a performance, or the compliment from someone you admire. The gentle pat on the back when you have excelled or that simple gesture that you are magnificent.

All these things are wonderful! But what happens when it all stops. Are you strong and confident enough to encourage yourself? Do you think you have what it takes to be the best? In the end the only opinion that matters, outside of God's, is yours.

We believe that the good days are usually the better days of our lives. However, in reality, the best days are the bad ones. These are the days that teach us how to persevere, grow and mature so that when we get to those good days we are more than grateful and prepared for greatness.

What makes a day good isn't just the emotion it creates to signify that it is good, but it is more about what was gained in that day that will help us in the future. Don't think of it as ruined. Change your perception and ask, What did I learn? How has it helped me? What can I gain from this day to affect my future. 

It's like a glass-half-full kind of thing. You can effect your day simply by your thinking. I do, however, understand that some things are out of our control and pretty much devastating. But you can recover from anything if it doesn't kill you. That in it self should encourage you.

Other questions to ask yourself would be...

What are you like on a bad day?
Do you keep your head up and smile? 
Are you grumpy and snappy? 
Do you just give up every time things aren't going your way? 


I guess what I'm asking is.....Are you a SELF Encourager?

Don't allow anything or anyone to deter you from reaching your full potential. Even if the compliments and applause stop, you continue to do what it is you were created to do. Don't let the 'bad days' keep you from moving forward and using them as your stepping stones.

It is only a matter of time that you will see the manifestations of your blessings. You must remember to change your outlook on what everyone else says is negative. Encourage and motivate yourself every step of the way even on the 'bad days'. You are a winner! 


So....continue to be ENCOURAGED.

How To Conquer Fear: Fear of Success

Success is the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the

 like. 

It seems to be the pinnacle of ones career or livelihood. Only a person can determine what success is to and for them. All views are different. A persons outlook on life and/or upbringing can determine what their success is.

The fear of success, however, is something that a small population of our society appears to struggle with. This overwhelming urge to count your chickens before they hatch is never a good sign. In the long run when things don't add up as you hoped, you become terrified that you are not qualified or ready for the high point in life. 

This is where it begins.

When you have a vision for your life, you begin to make decisions that will effect that very thing into becoming a reality. But this type of fear hinders you once you begin to excel. It will try to make you talk yourself out of completing the vision because of what you think you can't accomplish while at the top. 

Here's an example of what it does.

You have a vision. You start working and believing towards that vision. Opportunities are opening for you and you are moving onward and upward. You are starting to see the manifestations of your hard work, and they are great! Everything is going your way. 

Then you begin to second guess yourself. You don't know exactly what the next level holds for you, so then you begin to think the worst (the "what ifs"). What if I don't have enough money, what if I can't get enough help, what if my clientele starts to drop....what if???  This could be the worst thing you do when God begins to elevate you (in whatever area). 

Here's how you conquer It!

Remembrance - Remember that God is your source and no matter what anyone tells you, He always gives provision for the vision. It is not up to you to decide how it's going to happen. God works in ways that are not always comprehended by man. But remember that He's got you!

Expectancy - You should always, no matter what, expect the best even when it looks the worst! You have a right to succeed in every area of your life. You were not created to fail. We sabotage ourselves by expecting the worst and therefore we get the worst. Remember, "For as a man thinks, so is he.." (Proverbs 23:7)

Keep Moving - Whatever you do, don't stop! If you stop, you run the risk of losing it all (your previous hard work, you encouragement, success, and worst of all your vision). You don't want to go through life wishing and wondering what you could have done. Keep moving and press through any of the negativity that is thrown at you. The reward is great in the end....trust me!

Perception - Change your perception on success. Look at it as being a life long friend that welcomes you every chance it gets. There is always a positive to a negative. Everything (yes, including the bad) works together for your good (Romans 8:28). So perceive greatness and the power within. You will be amazed at what you can change just by doing this.

Don't allow fear to shape your future. You are the master of your fate (Invictus). Why? Because God has already created you to win, persevere and conquer every situation in your life. Now, you have to make the decision (in your actions, thoughts and heart) whether you are the victim or the VICTOR! 

How To Conquer Fear: Fear of Failure

It was 2006. I was a finalist out of 3 that made it to the "big stage". The light show was fantastic and the sound was so crisp that it all made you feel as if you were a rock star on tour. I was so nervous. The time was coming for me to get on that stage. My emotions were a mess and I could not keep my body from shaking. My nerves were getting the best of me.


The guy before me is almost done and the stage manager is calling me to get into position. I want to pass out, but I don't! I try to collect myself and then I hear my name thunder in the room over the loud speaker......"CHRISTYL BENFORD". The crowd is really cheering for me...wow!


The music begins to play and I begin to sing. I'm working the stage and then.....


So, let's talk about the fear of failure.
One of my biggest fears was failing. I thought losing with the worst, public defeat I could ever go through. Thinking about the pinnacle of my career and being successful and all that came along with that was not the issue with me. It was getting there and losing everything.


We have seen so many people make it to the top and then come crashing down because they didn't count the cost or they made some decisions that would cost them their careers. No, I didn't think I would mimic their mistakes but I definitely didn't want to go from one extreme and then down to a negative.


It took me YEARS to realize what type of fear this was. Of course, fear is fear and it is all bad, but when my eyes were open to the problem I begin to see that I was allowing this fear to hinder my life and progress.


So I went back to where this took root. It was when I lost a race to a boy in field day. For years I beat every kid in the school in track and field and then here comes a new kid and he beat me by a foot. Now I know this seems childish and minimal, but let me tell you how minimal is wasn't.


I stopped racing in school and never ran track again! Right, how dumb. I didn't have a sports driven family to encourage and tell me that you loose some (and that's ok) and you gain some. Get back up and keep running. Instead loosing was the end of the world for me.


So as I grew up, everything that seemed like a contest, I would (in my mind) sabotage myself to where I would loose over and over. This made the fear in me stronger and me weak and insecure. I couldn't see victory and the win due to me magnifying the possibility of defeat.


After I gave it over to God (because I couldn't do it all by myself), I would jump feet first into an opportunity and not give fear a chance to whisper in my ear and hinder me from moving forward. I became an overcomer and I AM an overcomer!


Fear still tries to stick its ugly head up when I'm getting ready to transition or do something big. But I keep moving and won't stop long enough to listen to its lies.


Ohhh yeah! You want to know what happened to the story in the beginning? I sang, I messed up and I didn't win. I know, a bummer right. But that lose is the one that transformed me into who I am today....a winner, overcomer and a conqueror of my fear!

Why Tomorrow? Start Today!

It is so easy to put off what is important. We say day after day, "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I'll start next year". You find yourself saying "I'll start on Monday" every week until you have let a year go by without completing that task you set out to do.


This problem could be for losing weight, starting a business or project, calling someone that has been on your mind (and probably for good reason), and you still continue to say what you should do instead of what you can do right now. This is nothing but unadulterated procrastination. The root of that stem is FEAR!


This was me in the past. I would put things off until I eventually either didn't do it at all or by the time I did do it, it was out of season and too late. I was the 'Monday' person about everything, as if Monday was some magical day that would supernaturally pull a finished, un-worked-for project out of a hat and everything would be all better. Yeah right!


If I was too fearful to do it today, then what is going to change about Monday, next year or even the next day if I don't change my mind set and put fear in its place....which is beneath me. Every Monday came and I would be good for 2 or maybe 3 days and be right back to where I started...."I'll start on Monday".


Fear is an immobilizer and procrastination is it's right hand man! It will keep you in a stagnate place, like a hamster running on a wheel, in a cage, and going nowhere FAST! I know this seems dramatic, but you have to know that when we put the important things off for a later date, instead of doing them now, we are only hurting ourselves.


Take the 'I'll start on..." out of your vocabulary and just start doing. No more talk! Talk is cheap if you are not putting works with it. Let's make a change today and just do it! (whatever that "it" is for you). You have a responsibility to yourself to be the best you you can be right now.


Don't let fear tell you where to go (which is nowhere), you tell it where to go. YOU have been given the authority and power to change your current position into a promotion, if you believe it. You are more of a force moving, than standing still. So why wait until tomorrow to start? Take your first step now and start today!

The Secrets to Destiny: Vision Video

Here is a video on the topic of Vision in The Secrets to Destiny. I hope that it will give you encouragement and insight to how important it is to be a visionary. 


Take your life back and start today with great expectations and a map to where you WILL be in the future. You are greatness! And the power to succeed is in you. All you have to do is believe and see yourself there......that's vision!

The Secret to Destiny: Vision Is Needed to Succeed

Vision is necessary! Whether you are in the beginning stages of starting a career, or are at the pinnacle in your ministry, it is imperative that you have vision every step of the way.


What is vision? 
The act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be; the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight. 



We have to see where we want to be before we start our journey and before we get there. Faith is the 'power of sensing with the eyes' (spiritual eyes), seeing the unseen, "..things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (with the natural eye)" (Hebrews 11:1). 


No one as a child expected or longed to be lonely, depressed or in a financial bind when they grew up. But some where along the way we began to see things differently than we did then.


Yes I know, you grow up and life takes place. The throwing of curve balls, disappointments and the great ups and downs. But where did we forget to get back up again (just like a child learning to ride a bike).


We allow the negative things in life to alter our perception (vision) of where we see ourselves in the future. Then we begin to accept the failures as if they have authority over us and not the other way around.


Your vision (great expectation, "the anticipation that...will.....be") should remain despite your current or past faults and regrets. If we loose it then we loose hope. And that is where we begin to lose.


Let it be clear that there is no one that can force you to give up on your dreams and desires. The vision has to be given away (or given up) by the visionary. It is your responsibility to guard your heart which is where the vision lies.


I've said this before, if you write down the vision clearly (Habakkuk 2:2), you will never forget what it is your are striving for. It will also encourage you when you are at your lowest. It reminds you of who you are, what you are working for, and make you accountable to self concerning it.


But when you don't have vision at all, it becomes a dangerous, spiraling out of control life that will cause nothing but confusion and keep you in a stagnant, complacent place that will give you an uninspired life. Nobody wants that.


It is not too late for you that have no vision. Picture yourself where you want to be, not where you think you could be. There is a difference. Vision stretches you and takes you out of your comfort zone while allowing you to mature and grow. 


It makes you want to press harder through all the unnecessaries of life. Become that great singer, business person, minister, mother etc. that you desire to be. IT IS NOT TOO LATE! Just do it already (in love people, in love).


Vision is the foundation of success! Every person must have it, from the least of them to the greatest of them. YOU MUST HAVE IT! The vision never changes, it just get clearer and more precise as God begins to reveal more to you in part. 


See it, claim it, protect it and watch it manifest in your life. The vision is yours, so what are you willing to do with it?

The Secrets to Destiny Series: Know Who You Are

The most important thing we can do in life is KNOW THY SELF! Knowing self is actually easier than we believe it to be. We exhibit characteristics of ourselves all the time in every day life. It is our likes and dislikes that generate emotions that turn to actions, therefore reflecting the part of us which is the true essence of who we are.


It took me years to figure out exactly who I was and what I wanted to do in life. I went from one profession to another and continued to add little quirks to my personality that would clone a person I thought was likable. One day I took a good look at each of my mannerisms and began to see me, as oppose to what I gleaned from past and present (at that time) relationships.


I had to strip away the addition personality traits to reveal the real me. I began to get a glimpse of who I was created to be. This helped me to see myself through God's eyes, which affirmed in me, that I was wonderfully and fearfully made. (Psalms 139:14)


Why is this important?
Because in order for you to move forward in your destiny, you need to know who you are. This is the foundation to succeeding in anything! It will direct you to making the right decisions during the most important times of your life.


How does this affect me as an artist?
Whether secular or christian, you have a obligation to your followers to be honest about who you are. There are too many out there that say they are one thing but the songs they sing tell another story.
You don't want to confuse people with your lifestyle or message. If you love singing secular, then sing it whole heartily. If you know without a doubt you are a gospel singer, then don't let anyone talk you into something else. You always have a choice!


Is there anything wrong with one or the other? No! Absolutely not. The most successful artists are being themselves in their music and in life (with a few exceptions). There is no confusion.


There are however, many artists that sing both (crossover music) and are very successful. They don't go from one extreme to the other (Explicit to Gospel and then back to Explicit). They stand firm on their beliefs and who they are. This is what makes them a success.


The best medicine for finding yourself is to pay attention to your life, mannerisms and attitudes. Learn from your likes and dislikes and embrace what you see after removing layer by layer of what you have learned from others along the way. Begin to see yourself in the pure state of how you were created to be, and keep in mind that you were created in God's image (perfectly and wonderfully made) with the mind of Christ.

To Be Or Not To Be Accountable

The definition of accountability is the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable. Another definition is responsible to some one or for some action; able to be explained.

When you hear the word, what crosses your mind? Do you feel that you will have to answer to someone for every little thing you do? Does it mean that you won't be able to just get by, but some one at all times will be watching you and questioning your every move? Is being accountable good for you? And if so how does it help you?

Well hear it is. 


We have all made the mistake of trying to do things on our own with out any help or advice from anyone else. Sometimes it works, but most times it doesn't. It is important that we seek wise counsel before making a move. Because really, we don't know it all. 

In my previous blog Do You Need A Mentor, I talked about the importance of having someone in your life that can help guide you in the direction you want to go. Someone that is wise and is currently where you want to be, or at least further along than you are. But what we sometimes do is try to find a mentor to just 'learn the trade'. However, we don't always take into consideration the accountability part.

With mentoring you have accountability. There is not a great mentorship without it! You can also be accountable to someone that's not your mentor, like a friend, relative or co-worker. But it must be someone that believes in who you are and what you are trying to do. 

I just added consulting to my business. I've always been passionate about helping music ministries, but I really didn't know how to get there. I knew I had the gift and desire, but I did not understand how I could make it a reality and a paying paying career.

Well I have a friend, Kellie Gardner, who is a social media and branding consultant. She agreed to help me reach the goals I desired. Although she gives me the tools I need to succeed and move forward, she also holds me accountable for what I need to get done and in the time frame I set. And I will tell you that being accountable is not always fun, especially when you're being stretched.


What being accountable is (as we learned in the definition above), is that you will have to give an account (answer) for what you have done, are doing or have not done by being responsible for your own actions (fails and successes).


Although Kellie is my consultant, mentor and friend. I also have 2 other people in my life (out side of God of coarse) that hold me accountable for what I do, my best friend and husband. However, they all are a cohesive unit for me. Everyone is on the same page.....no confusion.


Accountability is not just about answering to someone about goals and deadlines. It is also about someone pulling your coattails when you're wrong and applauding you when you're right. We ALL need people like that in our day to day lives. 


No I'm not saying to depend on what people say! You should have sound judgement for yourself and God's Spirit to lead you, but like I've said before.....people need people. You can't think that you are so great or smart that no one can tell you anything.


The most powerful people in the world have someone to be accountable to. They don't just wake up one morning and decide to be wealthy and powerful all by them selves. They have people (and mentors) in their lives that can help them make the right decisions and move forward in the right direction. 


The Bible talks about wise counsel. There are many scriptures but one that sticks out to me is, "A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel..." Proverbs 1:5 There is nothing wrong someone asking you what you are doing to fulfill your destiny. Or making you think twice about what you did or said that wasn't in your best character. Or pushing you to be mindful of the decisions you make that can definitely alter your future.


ACCOUNTABILITY. Most cringe from it because of the fear that they will always be reprimanded or never be able to do what they want to do. But....this is not it at all. It is a tool God has given mankind that will make us greater and wiser than before. 


Do you want to be or not to be accountable? That is your question? Now what is your answer?

"No" Is Not the Enemy

When I was a child I remember wanting to go spend the night with a friend and having to ask my mom for approval. Instead of a positive anticipation, I feared the possibility of "no". You would think this word would be a death sentence, but all it was was a  mere "no".


For me it was like 'no' was the enemy. It was rejection and a mirror of what I could not have. As if life was taunting me with things that I desired but seemed as if it would never be.


As I began to mature I started to see that 'no' was not the enemy or a dead end, but it was more of a delay in some cases. Just like when my mom said no, it didn't mean ever, just not today. But eventually I would be able to go to my friend's house.


Because of my past, false perception of what 'no' really meant, I began to detest the very word. There seemed to be no redemption if I was turned down for a position. Or if I couldn't have ice cream, I thought I would not make it through the night (ok this an exaggeration but you know what I mean).


But what I realized was no one had the power to keep me from anything but me and God. And God doesn't withhold from me, but he just simply knows the right time and way for me to receive those things that I desire.


Me on the other hand, I could mess myself up just by letting the 'nos' discourage me from ever trying anything again. And all because I didn't understand them.


Paying attention to the order of things, I would finally see that "no" could be a great friend. Sometimes it would protect me from things unseen.


When I was 17, I remember making plans to go to a party with some friends. I asked my mother in advance and she said it would be fine. The night of the party my friend called to tell me she was on her way.


After I hung up the phone, my mom came in my room and told me she didn't have a good feeling about this one and I should stay home. Knowing my mom and how liberal she was in letting me go out, I didn't question it. I called my friend and told her I was going to pass for the night. I didn't think anything of it. I took off my clothes, jumped in the bed and watched a movie.

I spoke with my friend the next day and she told me some gang members crashed the party and started shooting. Thank God no one was killed, but I noticed right then and there that my "no" to going out was a "yes" to my life possibly being saved.


It is amazing how we perceive things. We think God isn't answering our prayers because we have yet to receive what we want. Or, because God told us "no" to what looks like a good opportunity.


We wonder if we're being punished for doing something wrong because he is not allowing these blessings to manifest now. But this is NOT TRUE!


Let's change our perception right now! Make a conscience decision to know that "No" does not always mean no forever. It can also mean.....

• Not now.
• Protection.
• Greater is for you.
• Your character is being built.
• This (particular thing) is not for you.
• It will be yes when you're ready.

There is so much more to that word than what we've been taught. It is not a bad word or the end of the world.


Sometimes you will meet a lot of "no" to get to the big "Yes!". Why? Because "No" is not the enemy, it's just a bridge to something greater.

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Enter Contest to Win a Visa Gift Card

Hello everyone!

Here is a great opportunity for you to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. Don't miss out on a chance to bless someone else for the holidays, or add this to your Christmas money to buy great gifts for your family and loved ones.

Check out this video and Like Christyl Benford Music on Facebook today. Tell you friends too. Who knows...you just might be the winner. But you won't find out until you enter to WIN!

THIS IS FOR REAL!!

Contest ends November 30th 2011.

What Plan Are You Following?

God says that he knows the plan he has for you. It's to prosper you and not harm you.... (Jeremiah 29:11)


There is more to this scripture than what I've written above. But I want to just talk about this part for now.


I have been preparing for a CD release for like ever, and finally have come up with my date. But I don't know what has been bothering me more, the anxiety or the great anticipation of the project and what will come out of it.


When we make plans in our lives we often don't think about the plan God has for us. What we don't realize is that God's plan is bigger and greater than ours.


He knows our beginning and end and all the desires of our hearts. Who better to give understanding and wisdom to show us how we should proceed in fulfilling our desires and dreams.


Sometimes we get stressed out with what we should do next. But there is never an easy way out of the "process". We would like to believe that there is a quick way to get to the promise, however easy is not in the "process" vocabulary.


We try to avoid process by finding our own detour, but once again who knows our lives better than the creator? There is no detour. There is only our guide, the bible, and the leading of His Spirit.


God has already laid out instructions on what to do for every situation in our lives. This is why we must stay the course and study the guide.


So when it comes to the process, just go with it. It is beneficial for you and gets you ready for what will come next. I had to really learn that in this season of my life.


I have to take it one day at a time and just be patient, but working. Because in the end I will (and you will too) reap a harvest if we faint not.

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Do You Need A Mentor?

Mentoring is powerful if you have a "successful" mentor! Sometimes we think we can do everything by ourselves but the truth is we need people. We need others to help us reach our full potential in our careers, relationships, spiritual growth and other aspects in life.


What we fell to realize is that God created us to be relational beings. When he made Adam, it was not long before he created Eve. She was a perfect, God-created match for him. So is God's flawless match making built for mentors or as I like to call them "divine connections". He knew that Adam would need some one that would help him do the things that he could not do by himself, hence the word "helpmate" or "help meet".

 Although God is the greatest mentor of all, he still wants you to connect to some of his other wonderful and awesome people. It helps you not to become prideful, as if you think you know everything. But it holds you accountable to some one that can make sure you don't become complacent in your current position.


As you began to grow as a person and even more so a business or brand, God will place people in your life that will help cultivate the gifts that are already there. Then you will become wiser, 'mature and complete, not lacking anything'. (James 1:4)

 I received a message from an awesome mentor by the name of Jonathan Budd. His message was about being mentored, and it was powerful! Anyone who is a entrepreneur, artist or just feels like they are stuck and can't move forward in life, this should show you how the right mentor can help get you to that next level.



"How to End Struggling for Success" by Jonathan Budd

I remember when I wasn't making a single dime.  When everything I tried... failed.  And usually failed badly.
I remember when I had no clue how to move forward, or what the best action steps for me to take even were. 

I remember when I knew NOTHING about marketing.  Nothing about advertising. Nothing about running a real business or being a real leader.
I remember all of this like it was yesterday... because the pain, the struggle, the desperation for me in those moments was utterly real. 

It was do or die for me, sitting there in my parent's house knowing there was no "2nd choice" for me.
Not for nothing, but at age 22, to be back in your parent's house is not a good feeling.  I was so ready to be creating my OWN life I could taste it... yet the knowledge of how to do that in a way that was truly fulfilling was still outside my grasp.

Then Came the Turning Point...

I remember the first time I got to speak with a real mentor on the phone.
Just that ONE call gave me clarity, strength, and confidence about the direction I needed to go. 

My problem was that I didn't know what direction to go.  I didn't have clarity.  I didn't have a true game plan.  I was aimlessly wandering.
Just that one 42 minute phone call... gave me the confidence & insight I needed for me to move forward POWERFULLY in a brand new direction.
So I did it.  I took action on what I learned from that mentor.  And that got me my first BOOST in my business career. 

Then I hit my next block.
For some reason I couldn't get past the first level of results I had figured out how to produce.  Something in my vision, my actions, my thinking... was stopping me.

So... I had ANOTHER turning point.

I chose to go spend time with another incredible mentor. 
And this time... I got a whole new vision for my life.  I got a whole new sense of empowerment about what I could do.  I got exactly what I needed being around that mentor.

I came back from that trip... and within 60 days had my first $50,000+ month.  I'm not kidding.
It was the most unexpected rapid blow up you can even create in our industry.  From "jack squat" to $50k+ a month, like a rocket. 
It happened so fast I was still living at home in my parent's house while pulling down most people's annual salaries monthly! :)

Then I Hit my THIRD Block...

I was stuck at 50k a month again.  Almost 12 months went by with not that much upward variance.  I was pissed.  I wanted to be growing.
So again... I sought my 3rd mentor.  This time... I went and spent even LONGER learning from him.  My mind was blown.

I got exactly what I needed.  A whole new strategy, a whole new vision, a whole new clarity.
I came home & implemented what I learned into my business immediately.  In 30 days I broke $100,000 a month... and have never looked back since.

Why Am I Telling You This?

In case you haven't figured it out by now... there is one DETERMINING factor that precedes massive breakthroughs in your life & income.  Almost 100% of the time... it's the MENTORSHIP you are receiving.

It's the knowledge you have access to.
You see, what was stopping me is likely what's stopping you from hitting whatever your next level is.
I was lost.  I was confused.  I didn't know what I didn't even know.

I needed clarity that I couldn't provide for myself without spending YEARS more learning through trial & error. 
I needed directions that I had no map for.

And regardless of how hard you work... if you don't have crystal clear clarity, a well developed strategy, access to all the right tools, & a way to get feedback if it's the right plan or not from people who have DONE it before you...
... you can work till your blue in the face & will likely get no where fast. 

That's been my experience.  And it's why I now seek out ANY & ALL mentorship I need as fast as I need it.

What To Do When You Hit Walls

I have been preparing to release a full CD for some time now and I have finally come up with a date....March 29, 2012. But it seems like this last month has been a struggle.

My mind is all over the place! And at times I get so overwhelmed with what I need to do, that I just don't want to do anything at all. But I know that does not accomplish anything. 

When I started social media on July 5th of this year, I hit the ground hard and took off in a full sprint. It was great to feel productive every day. It encouraged me to want to learn more about it so I could excel and then eventually help other artists. 

But as fall began to approach, I saw a shift. It is like seeing no fruits of your labor and I began to dwindle. The thing about social media is that once you start, you have to keep it up and become creative so you are not giving the same old boring things that people will easily tire of. So even though I wanted to, quitting was not an option.

I know I have a short attention span for the same old thing, so I had to think of new and interesting topics, blogs and videos to share with my public. In short, God began to give me great ideas! And often times He would also give them to my friend and branding consultant Kellie.

We would begin to collaborate and put everything to paper with precise and reachable deadlines. I then could see some things began to pick up. But as I moved forward it seemed to come to a stand still. I could feel the discouragment and dissapointment begin to set in and I started to withdraw myself from everything.

It was like hitting a brick wall over and over that was too high to climb. Connections that looked promising to get this CD project going and finished were beginning to fade into non existant relationships. Now it feels like nothing is progressing.

I fight daily to not get into a place of depression and anger. I have to continually speak positive declarations and God's word to myself to keep me from giving up. You find that people you thought cared, really don't. And people talk a good 'I care for you and I'm here when you need me' talk, however the actions don't match up. But...that's life right?

But in all this, it makes me take a look at self and see how I can be a blessing to others who are going through the same thing. Even though I can't see light on this road for me right now, I know I have gifts that will help others to be encouraged in their time of need. And sometimes in blessing others and taking the focus off of self, you find joy.

Sometimes we push so hard for our agenda. We totally forget that God knows what's best for us in our current season. The answer is always available to us if we're listening. So I will stop....and listen.
Hope you will too.



There is no road that is bump free.
No river without ripples.
No life that doesn't have changes.
But what I have learned this far is that there is a time for everything (Ecclesiates 3:1).
And the best thing to do when you hit a wall is to see what God is saying.