When a Stranger Lingers… Part 1: Funky guests make your whole house funky

“When we grow…we need to know, WHO didn’t grow with us. Then distinguish if they are the one’s farting on our forward motion vibe.”-GYCGirl…Keeping the TRUTH Simple

“Attitudes are contagious and sometimes place you in bad associations…when the people you choose to hang with…do the things you no longer do.”-Someone in Recovery of an Attitude Change!

You know that moment in your life when a profound movie/TV quote comes on…and you are in TOTAL agreement…

Like the script was meant to talk YOU specifically about that issue???

I know I am not by myself…

Well, my quote is…

“I didn’t change; I grew-up.”

(I do not know the originator of this quote but I did Google it…and Drake was Not the 1st so…if you know…please enlighten me…thank you!)

Take a moment…

Think on it…whether you had to say it to someone or maybe he/she said it to YOU…

No judgment…WE are all growing here!!!

But,

It seems like every time we enter a new season (in life…not weather…well maybe…), some people around us become dead weight that we need to remove so we can move…forward, and meet the amazing people meant for our right now season:

+People that will help us grow and not find joy in keeping us stuck with them.

+People that understand and Respect that our old ways and habits…are OVER, and if they help keep/maintain/give us a reality check…how much greater of a friend YOU, Me, WE can be for them.

It’s like our senses changed…

What once smelled delightful or was enjoyable is now funky and messes up the vibe of whatever good we are trying to pursue…

Our new tolerance begins to be open to attract what pleases/embraces/encourages our new mindset…and we realize “Funky guest make your whole house funky” and at some point we MUST HAVE been the funky guest too…messing up the vibe and/or holding people back!!

When we grow, at some point we have to let go to keep growing.

---I think this lesson we have to live and cannot only be told.---

Because if we can be honest…and GYC usually is…HELLO!!!

There is always someone there when you grow up whether past or new that presents the setback of stepping back…and it’s our responsibility to locate, recognize and decide to keep moving forward with or without them.

My own found truth/Quick Rant (let my grammar do what it wants…)…before I tell a GYC Personal Story…

I later realized that the people I let go of for a season or possibly for good kept me in habits that pushed me nowhere but around…and wondering are they really my friend???...Because in that transitioning state I began to question…Am I funky or is it my guest because I think I’m growing up and moving forward but every time I get around so-and-so or hickamado (if you have grandparents from the south…ask them!)…I can’t tell the difference between who I am and who I was!!! 

When we change for the better on the inside…it should be reflected in our outer actions.

It’s up to us to provide the possible choices of how people decide to perceive us through our decisions of what we keep around us. At some point, when our character changes…so shall our guests.

GYC Personal Story

I want to give a GYC Personal Story…but I have SO MANY examples of this…and I’m sure YOU do too…but I’ll keep it light and people from wondering if I’m talking about them…for the most part…

“I speak of the past so you may know submitting to the process allows you to be built to last.”-Me

So…

I think I’ll tell 2 possibly quick stories…and see where we land!

Let’s start in the 2nd or maybe it was the 1st grade (whatevs),

There was this girl that I considered my best friend…who happened to be picking on/possibly bullying another girl from my neighborhood of which my then best friend is not from…but from what I do recall…they were going back and forth at each other.

HOWEVER, by the end of these events, the next day I walked home taking my usual route…and I was aggressively greeted by the brother and sister of the girl my then best friend had exchanged words with…

That’s right, I was pushed up against a fence and questioned about the words/actions that took place and did not involve me at all…I WAS ALMOST JUMPED for association in the 2nd grade! Until I threw that then best friend all the way under the bus!!! Please excuse me but I have never been one to play those games…I need my life (undamaged)!

If you don’t get down with what is going down…you need to find some new friends to be around.

Long story short…I did my best to stop recruiting or accepting friends that could potentially get me beat-up for their actions…until this one instance…I won’t discuss it, it was just crazy that as I mature, I keep having to learn this lesson with new people…

But anyway… I will tell of the story behind the title before I close!!!

So, I had a roommate (in college)…I won’t say which year but she often had guests over that were interesting in different sorts…and some of the guests…I did reject their sleepover requests…

But one in particular (oh yes!)…I’m pretty sure was a stranger (although she attempted other strangers in our dorm room)…this one was female and friendly plus our other roommate was there as well (for extra eyes on our things)… and made us not so alarmed by her presence as with the strange men.

However, let’s get specific…

Homegirl needed deodorant on a serious level…the funk filled our room (which was not small) with her funk for several hours even after she left!!!!

The other roommate and I cried laughing after the 2 of them left…because of how long and how much Febreeze we needed to change the situation…

Therefore, Funky guests make your whole house funky, as do funky attitudes.

Let me say this…and I’m done…yep GYC Rant Style

When we grow-up, mature, think a lil’ more about our actions and consequences…we have no choice but to start giving time to the things that will grow us in our new thinking…aka…stop hanging around funky people if you ain’t funky no more!!! Also…funky is not just bad attitude…I’m including people with small thinking…if your thinking has become bigger and you finally have realized the endless possibilities of your abilities…STOP discussing this with people who have yet to realize their own…just inform them that they have a truth bigger than what they are living right now and they NEED to access IT!!! …It seriously is TIME UP for maintaining BAD relationships at the cost of your growth!!! If YOU, ME, WE don’t… our house will be FUNKY even after we clean up, bathe, brush our teeth, put on deodorant and all of that!!! STOP WELCOMING FUNKY GUESTS IN YOUR PERSONAL SPACE…

I know you’re thinking… “Girl YOU Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!! But she is telling the TRUTH!!!”

Listen…we are in this together…because Girl…YOU, ME, WE are going to the next level and funky guest are not welcome!!!

Last Notes in GYC Quotes

“If you want to attract new people with different attitudes…stop inviting the old ones with funky attitudes.”-Sounds like something your mother might say…it’s cool…some have called me Mama Lauren!!!

“If you offer someone with bad breath a mint and they won’t take it…walk away because they are not ready for change.”-The Truth (if you ever heard it!!!)

I’ll give you a minute to think on that…

“You are better than your past because you are still here in the present…so walk worthy in your position by being selective of who you give permission...to walk with you.”-Just GYC…no extra commentary

Join us next week on Thursday at 7pm EST for our Google+ Hangout for the What is Beauty? Campaign...where I will be speaking on "Purpose"...and celebrating GYC's 1 year anniversary on June 25th! Then on July 1st 8th, join us right here for Part 2 of the "When a Stranger Lingers..." If YOU missed the introduction, click here

Stop being nosey...

This is not what you think…or maybe it is (you will have to read it to find out!...I won’t keep you long…)

“Some things are unnecessary to know but require us to be open and make room to grow.”-The Future informing you that your nosiness is currently not helping

“If we knew all the details of our journey…would we be too overwhelmed to go?”-The Reality of our Present, The Moment of Now

No need to nosey, just make room for growth.

I'll be honest, I strongly dislike…writing this post but I know I need to say it for myself and anyone else that may relate….

Remember “Don’t Take the Elevator…” be a step-taker?!?!?

As we all smile and nod, Mmmhmm… “yea, what about it?!”

WELL…

We never talked about wanting to take the elevator up for a little peek…look around…and gaze/be in awe/fantasize at what will soon…SOON be ours…

Then, come back down and take the steps!

You know what I’m talking about???

Those moments when we Want or appear to Need all the details… FIRST before taking the FIRST step or maybe taking the next step (like me)…

+Really visualizing where we want to go, become, grow, be, influence…

(And we can be here forever, HELLO!!!)

But in all that excitement…questioning and uncertainty came…and maybe YOU, ME, WE stopped,

Said, “This isn’t me”…

”Girl YOU Crazy”…

Or thought, “How will this (my placement right now) lead to that?”

Maybe you thought all of that above and still took the next step, and didn’t like the result or didn’t see how that outcome could land on greater?

And from all those thoughts, I reflected.

I sat on my floor in silence as all my questions began to roll/breathe/talk/…try to get me in fear and complete uncertainty…

I recognized how crazy all those thoughts and questions were…

AND I STOPPED and just breathed

(…)

Realizing I forgot to acknowledge/notice/welcome/invite/recognize the trusting factor that allows us to keep what is important RIGHT NOW, in our focused perspective.

So if you haven’t understood the title just yet…

I was being nosey about my own life and not giving myself room to grow into my dreams and wanting to leap for the big dream before I’m ready. As amazing as questioning can be…to go crazy with questioning concerning the path of your dreams…it welcomes in doubt and it’s relatives worry and fear.

“So where did YOU go from there Lauren?!”---I know that’s what you were thinking…so I said it!

I started this for 2013 and I remind myself of it time after time, crazy situation after situation…rehearsing this silly after that silly!--> “Is this permissible conversation profitable…is this important right now? If not, then shut it down and walk away…let it drop!”

+++Push back on comments/thoughts that lead to negativity and doubt…and all other unnecessary-ness (yep, new word on the scene!!!)!

Let me say this (Quick GYC Rant…if I may, and I’m done):

I’ve watched people talk themselves out of what they know they are meant to become by trying to figure things out before it’s time. We meet the big dreams young as the smaller ones in between follow after.

Let’s be real/honest/simply tell the truth…we met our big dreams but now it’s time to get to know them and all their relatives (smaller dreams) without giving up and remembering to trust.

Josie Bissett said it:

“Dreams come a size too big so we can grow into them.”

And she is right! It’s just like old slewfoot to get us in a rush and start brewing up our own negativity to throw us off track…but WE Are Bigger, Better and Stronger than that!!!

“Sometimes we don’t need to know the whole story before attempting to read the book, we just need to know and trust that the best is yet to come!”-The Truth about our Present

So “Stop being so nosey”…relax, breathe and enjoy the journey!

Also…Please stay tuned for Next Monday’s webisode…The whole month of March will be webisodes!!!

Don't Take the Elevator... the GYC Book

[http://issuu.com/gyc-girlyoucrazy.com/docs/dont_take_the_elevator_book_gycgirlyoucrazy?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222]

Enjoy GYC Girl YOU Crazy's Gift from me (Lauren Alicia) to YOU! View it, Print it, Share it, Re-gift it. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

“Don’t Take the Elevator…” Part 2: Strength looks like Confidence

Check out the ENTIRE SERIES...IN A BOOK!!

 

“My confidence stands on strength.”

“To take the first step is strength, to take the next is confidence.”-The Inner YOU coaching & leading you to your dreams

I tell you one thing…there is no confidence involved in riding the elevator…just a whole bag of TRUST in some buttons that maybe working.

YOU & I both know that IS The TRUTH!

So let’s talk about it!

The steps that is…since this series is called “Don’t Take the Elevator…” and we’re on Part 2…

*I was just reminding you how Crazy it is to ride the “elevator to success”…that is all. *

Okay so YOU, ME, WE are on the steps right now, standing on Strength after we told the elevator that the fast track to success is not for us, and

We take the steps so we’re able to stand on

+ Solid

+ Unshakeable Ground and

+ Knowledge & Understanding of who we are…

Did I leave anything out???

If so, read Part 1…I’ll wait (yep it’s that deep).

And back to it!

In planning for this series, I was reminded of a popular TV sitcom family (from the 80s) and what went on before, after and while they were filming. In this family there we’re 5 kids but 1 in particular really opened my eyes to see, relate and understand what it looks like to take stairs…and have others think that a possible elevator was involved.

What I learned about this sitcom was that the producer taught the kids the business (so they were not just adorable actors)…and how to produce an episode…so much to the point that some of the episodes were produced by this 1 kid (and some of the others too) because now their talent agent had wrote in the contract for them to be paid for acting and producing!!! ---They even went on to produce some episodes of another popular sitcom from the 90s…super popular!!!!

“But what’s the point?”---I know that’s what you’re thinking or what show is she talking about…but that is not important (right now).

What really stood out about this actor’s life was what we didn’t see…

+The strength that it took to not just be an actor but the want to know more, building an unshakeable ground that can stand even when the show goes off the air.

+The strength that developed confidence to say, “I need to be recognized not only for acting but producing too.”

The steps are not a punishment!

But building YOU, ME, WE to not just be STRONG but appear CONFIDENT in our strength to keep moving on the next level…knowing that YOU deserve to be where you are.

GYC Commentary

When you take the steps, it makes it that much easier to have a foundation to lean on in struggle/opposition/setbacks/negativity/foolishness and stand firm with confidence to take the next step forward.

The first step of strength builds a foundation that says, “I’m strong because I know who I am” but the next step, confidence, allows you to walk in your strength.

There is something about strength that leads to more things and guides you to the next step. Opens the door for more opportunities and pushes you to be the best you…which reeks of confidence!

Quick GYC Rant

The fast track, elevator success is just as fake as a temporary tattoo that fades every time you wash or something rubs up against it…you can tell that it is not real!

Think on that for a second…

The steps build you up (whether you started as a kid or as an adult) to be who you say YOU ARE, and be able to defend yourself with confidence if anyone questions you.

Side Note: Defending yourself with confidence does not look defensive…as in unsure, shifty, guilty, shady, suspicious, skeptical… etc.

“Is that so???”

YES… Confidence looks like…no words needed

+ I know who I am

+ Listen to what I have to say

+ I know what I am talking about

+ Ask questions when I’m done…if there are any…

Let me Encourage you as YOU, ME, WE take the steps with this:

Strength builds the confidence that says, “I don’t have to pretend about who I am, I know what I’m doing… let me do it”

What does strength look like? Like confidence saying that “I was created/designed/set up to win!!!”

“Strength should be a garment you never take off…for it takes strength to even be humble.”

- Strength Looks Like Confidence

Check back here for Part 3…next Monday!!! “Well, how long is this going to last…'Girl YOU Crazy'”---December 3rd will conclude the “Don’t Take the Elevator…” Series…Okay? Okay. I’m almost done!!!

Here comes Old Slew Foot

When negativity knocks…tell it to SHUT UP and Go away! Or close the blinds and lock the door! Your choice but I would probably do both and laugh in between…

So old “slew foot” comes to the door…

Wait…let me tell you how I use the term “slew foot”, since I know we all have a definition of what “slew foot” means and sometimes we add our own spin, in our own words…especially since this word is a hockey term, I believe, I’m sure you will correct me if I’m wrong or will you?

Definition of Slew Foot

I’ve heard “slew foot” used by people who do not play hockey, so my definition is as follows:

            Unwanted/negative actions or words placed in your thoughts or done by people, which are meant to knock you down and keep you from your goal when you are confident and in pursuit…

Description of “slew foot”:

-Envious

-Jealous

-Distraction

-Hater

-Negative

-Busted and disgusted….

            Shall I go on???...No? Okay, you get the picture!

And we’re back…

 So old “slew foot” comes to the door…whether you open it or not…

“Negativity comes when it’s unwanted...which is always.”

GYC Commentary and Story

When it looks like everything is going good/great/fantastic/all of that, and something not so great happens… You think, “It was too good to be true,” “I knew it couldn’t last for long,” “I was too excited, too fast” and/or all of “slew foot’s” relatives and descriptions…

I remember being in a moment like that when I was younger but now it’s easier to fight off because I know the truth… but in that moment, there was a serious feeling of weakness, defeat, embarrassment, all of these emotions that scream “Fail! Failing! Failed!”

Slew Foot came when I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grow up (that’s just like old slew). It showed up in older/grown people, some successful, some not so successful and none were not doing what I wanted to be, nor did they know much about my desired industry…but that didn’t stop them!

It was in those moments of second, third, fourth guessing and discouragement that I remembered the encouragement from people that I actually respect and love. From then on…I choose to remember encouragement from those who owed me nothing whenever “slew foot’s” cousin discouragement came a knocking...and I put a smile back on my face!

Old Slew Foot will always try to come back in different shapes and forms, people and things…it tries to visit me often but I call it by name and stop it dead in its tracks…

We’re destined for greatness… so we don’t have time for that!

For every comment that tries to push you backward, have a comment/phrase/thought ready to push you forward, whether you say it out loud or in your head…be ready!

Thank those who encourage you, use that encouragement to push back on discouragement and knock “slew foot” on the ground & under your feet, where it belongs!

-GYC Girl YOU Crazy HAS Spoken!

So You Dreamed it...What's Next?

 

 “A dream is but a dream until YOU decide to make it YOUR reality.”-Someone wanting you to succeed at the right thing

That moment, that age when you said what you wanted to be…then you (actually) did it!

“Mom, Dad, Sis, Bro (whomever!),

- I want to be a singer…(and you started singing into the hairbrush & holding backyard concerts)

- I want to be an engineer…(and you started breaking things around the house to build new things)

- I want to be a veterinarian…(and you would attempt to bring home all the wandering neighborhood animals)

- I want to be a ____________(fill-in-the-blank)…and you did it!“

Remember that? You didn’t wait for everyone to give his or her opinion before you pursued, you just went for it!

Quick/Short Personal note:

I know that I’ve had many “I want to be Moments” when I said it, then I did it but as I got older... I dreamed it, thought about it, then I forgot, something reminded me of it…and repeat. After I graduated, I looked time in the eye and realized those dreams that I thought I had forgotten were important/significant to the life I live and pursue now… I call them stepping-stones.

 After having a reality check, “putting pride aside and looking in the mirror,” I began to take every interesting thought, dream, idea, and requests from others as an introduction to the different possibilities and/or levels of me that I needed to accept!

Hey! Life is A Process!!!

Know this!--- If you dreamed it, you now owe yourself & your imagination (the birth place of your dream) an attempt at living your dream.

+Research it

+Google it

 +Borrow a book on it…

That will only cost you (wait for it…)…

TIME! (that’s all)

No matter the dream or desire, there is always something more to be learned. Talent may open the door but knowledge will keep the door open and allow for more opportunities.

And if it doesn’t work out…So What! Life isn’t over and that is not failure… call it Experience &…DREAM A NEW DREAM!

**When you begin to attempt your dreams whether past or present, you never know what the bigger dream or purpose is that your imagination is trying to get you to see/understand. Be open to being a “Jane of All Trades!”**

So YOU Dreamed it… What’s Next?

   You can “Work at life while still living life” but

-- Don’t let your dream die by not letting it grow.