Motivational Monday - Be Brave

As we go through life tough times come and go, but we sometimes face adversity and need to make sure that we are going forth with courage, being brave and stepping out on faith until you reach your highest potential. Being strong is not always something that is physical, but is a combination of things, your mental agility helps your body to move, your will can help you achieve things that your body might not been able to do by itself, and having great emotional intelligence can help you deal with hard moments you are presented with in life. When you are brave, it is not something that is always planned, it involves determination, overcoming, hard work, showing up, helping others, it is more than a mindset, it is a way of life. Today, choose to be brave. If you don't try something, you will never find out how brave you are. Today, choose to try. Think like a winner, and win. Monique Lyn elle Gray

Give Thanks - Thanksgiving Week

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving Week,

It is my great pleasure to invite you all to give thanks with me. This year has been rough, tough, hard, crazy, you name it. I call it a 2020 kind of year, however, we are all here and able to say things about whatever we choose, which means we can choose to give thanks. I started this year out with a "Thankful List," this list consisted of all kinds of things that I could think of to be thankful or grateful for in my life. Some people might not think this is important, but it helps us realize some of the things that we do have and some of things we do not have to go through or be burdened by. When I was a cosmetology teacher I started having my students write 3 things that they were grateful for to start the day. The reason I asked the students to do this was because every person in the class had a life outside of that classroom and some people had rougher situations to deal with than others, I wanted the students minds to be in a place a gratitude, because it helped lift their spirits and have a better outlook on some of the things they might have been taking for granted. So many people complain on a daily, but how many of us give thanks on a regular basis. I hope that everyone can start a thankful list and then take it a step further and start a gratitude journal. I am going to start writing one, because there are so many negative things and thoughts that happen throughout the course of the day or week because of the way the world is and how people can mistreat us, I have decided to stay grounded in what I believe, and to be grateful for what I have. I do not need someone messing up the things or relationships I do have, but I cannot make those choices for someone else, I can choose to be grateful and thankful for being an overcomer, resilient, and hopeful that I have the many blessings that God has given me and have faith that justice will come to whoever tries to interupt the greatness God has for me. So many people have lost loved ones this past year and it might be hard to deal with, but if you are still here please do not give up on yourself and your future. You still have a chance to fulfill your destiny, and that is why you are still here. Please do some research about the history of Thanksgiving and other holiday's to ensure you are educated about what you are celebrating. I am thankful to be alive and that is a reason to celebrate. The video below gives some information, not all, but does impart some information we do not usually hear. Remember others during this time of year. Be blessed and be thankful. Monique Lyn elle Gray

Monday Motivation for Nov 16th - "Consistent Prayer Challenge"

Hello Everyone, Today I want to share something with you that I did last month and would like to invite you to challenge yourself to do the same. The challenge was to pray at the same time everyday for 21 days in a row. I partnered with my sister to do this, but I called it the "Consistent Prayer Challenge." From Oct 13, 2020 to Nov 2, 2020 I chose a time to spend in prayer. The purpose was to have a meeting with the Lord and to incorporate a structure time. This was the set up initially, to spend at least 15 minutes to praise and worship, petition to the Lord, and have silent meditation or to wait on God's response or encouragement. Utilizing 5 minutes for each. Well, of course, things did not go exactly as planned for the structure and sometimes it would be more than 15 minutes, but I found it refreshing to start my day this way and I felt like it was an intimate time with God that He was showing up for also, because I kept showing up. Of course, you can pray throughout the day, and any time you choose, but the point is to be consistent. Right now in our country and world there are many things and situations that are currently going on that cause distress for many, and we cannot solve these issues by ourselves. Many people feel alone, many are upset for one reason or another. Some people feel lost, some are in poverty, some have no belief, faith, or religion. With that said, regardless of who you are, now is the time to bring healing and to activate your faith. If you do not know or believe in God, this is a great time to ask God to show up in your life. Bottom line is we need prayer, so if you'd like to do a challenge similar, I challenge you to set a time to pray, and then try to commit to praying for our country for 7 days straight. If you do not know how to pray, I will post some of my prayers and I will pray for our country. Try not to be selfish in your prayer, be respectful to God, HE created the heavens and the earth. Try not to complain, but show gratitude and thanks for your life and the things you have been blessed with. Our country as a whole needs to repent, which means to stop the things you are doing that are considered sins to God, confess those things and change and go toward what God would have for you. I am not here to preach, but these are evil days and many people have no direction, so this is my suggestion. To be healed anyone would say to seek a healer, right? To be delivered, you would want to seek a deliverer, etc. The results I got from doing this challenge is a closer relationship with the God head, as I know it to be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now if you happen to believe differently, please pray that God would show you the truth, ask God to reveal the truth about who HE is, and pray not to be deceived, and you always have a choice from there. I was able to see that making God a priority made things clearer, and helped me understand that I can make it through the roughest of times being connected to HIM. I am not perfect and neither is this world and we need understanding, empathy, compassion, unity, the ability to listen to one another, direction to the right path, and peace. If you do this challenge for at least 7 days, please pray for our country, our leaders and their minds, will and emotions in leading our country, and a peaceful transition of power. Thank you for your time, and be encouraged, we can make it through this time. Be strong and of good courage. Monique Lyn elle Gray

Motivational Monday - Veteran's Day Week

Happy Veteran's Day to All of the Veteran's of the US Armed Forces! As some of you know, and other's do not, I am an US Army Veteran. I served in the Army Reserves in 1997-1999 with a Unit in Fort Belvoir, VA, and then completed my Inactive Ready Reserve time in Oct 2005, only to return for Active Duty with the US Army in 2006-2009, stationed at Fort Hood, TX and Camp Carroll, South Korea. As a woman in the military, I learned that serving your country was not easy, but it had meaning and I was able to dig deeper and found out that I had strength that I did not know I possessed until I was tested. There were many days that were long and hard to get through, but I persevered and stayed resilient and was able to make it through as a beautiful warrior. Today, my encouragement is to those that might feel like they lost their fight in life, their reason, their purpose. It is not over, you have more fighting to do, you cannot give up on yourself. It is time to make your mission, yourself. The same way you fought for your country, you can fight for your soul, your peace of mind, your sanity, your joy. Some people have not served in the armed forces, but their life has been filled with battles, don't give up on yourself, your dreams, your faith in God, because those things will help fuel you to the victory you are destined to have. Make wise decisions and as we used to say in the Army "Stay Alert, Stay Alive." Your life matters, make it count. Monique Lyn elle Gray (Former Married Name "Harper")

Monday Motivation for November 2nd

Hello Everyone, Today is Monday again, but this is a time that none of us have been a part of before. We are in a world of unknown things, and we have a chance to decide how we will think, how we will continue on, how we can keep going. Sometimes we need to take a moment and just breathe, other times we need to dig deep and pray. We are all diverse people, but we are all here and we can decide to love ourselves, not give up on ourselves, or our dreams, or our families, and continue on a path of purpose. Be encouraged today and know that you have a choice to have joy in the midst of chaos, be calm in the midst of chaos, and start looking deeper than the surface for answers to the issues we all face in life. Have a good week and try to be productive on purpose. Make sure you vote. Monique Lyn elle Gray