Happy New Year's Eve & Thank YOU 2014!! See Ya!!

My last ‪‎creative‬ contribution to 2014!!! I'm crying tears of joy right now y'all!!! This has been quite the year of new beginnings, pushing through, standing my ground, walking further and further into my purpose, and truly realizing what it means to have inspiration be your lifestyle!! I LOVE IT!!

EXTREMELY thankful to have connected with YOU in some way, shape or form!! YOU ARE AMAZING and have amazing things/opportunities in store!! I know it...and that is NOT crazy talk but COURAGEOUS TALK/DECLARATION!!

Without further ado...before I get my celebration on... allow me to present YOU with your 3rd annual end-of-the-year ‪FREE‬ GYC-GirlYOUCrazy.com ‪‎Book‬!!! IT'S A COOKBOOK!!!!!!!  Read below!!

"Let Those With Passion Eat Cake & Other Things"

Y'ALL AIN'T READY!!!! Enjoy!!! And see in 2015!!!!!


*Before the year is over and as the New Year begins...write a quote and allow that to be a seed!!


With LOVE.

Sincerely and ALWAYS Defeating Crazy with Courage,

Lauren Alicia, Miss GYCGirl...Let's Rock THIS 2015!!!

Open doors, Open doors // Part 2: I Have Big Picture Vision…Do You?

Hey y’all!! I hope you all are enjoying the Holidays!!

I wanted to give YOU Part 2 of November’s “Open doors, Open doors” before I gift you with a fun FREE GYC Book next week!! When you get a chance…checkout the previous years too!!

But anyway…

I’ll make this short because I know that at the end of the year, we are often bombarded with last minute “make it count” ideas…but I will not fake the funk and act like I am not a BIG encourager of placing some GREAT things in your future…RIGHT NOW, NOT LATER!!...because I am!!

This world needs everyone to live out his/her AMAZING Purpose!! Okay, let me focus on this post before I rant (or get loud) and haven’t even built up to it…

“Calm down Lauren!!”

“I want everyone that stops by GYC-GirlYOUCrazy.com to be inspired/encouraged/provoked to continue on the journey to their dreams.”

So here’s to this post being just that!!

Like I said in the previous post, I think (I hope)…

The thing about open doors is that the more you walk through them, the more you get to know the person you are and have yet to become! And the other side of that, which makes this post so important is that the more you open yourself up to the desires of your heart, more and more ideas will grow and become from simply saying YES to the first one.

Let me take you on a quick but worth it mental road trip (you don’t need snacks…but I won’t judge if you grab some)!!

Think about a tree, once a seed, planted, watered, nurtured, loved throughout every season…and even when it wasn’t personally watered…it was personally watered with rain.

…That’s deep!

A tree serves many purposes:

+ Shade

+ Food

+ Beauty

+ Lumber

++ Circulating Oxygen++

---The List goes on and on!!!

+++ Overall… it is a pretty HUGE resource to everyday life…that’s my point, if I missed something about it, please don’t be offended!!

“Girl YOU Crazy”

But a tree started as a seed, sprouted roots and became many (MANY) different things that are not all necessarily related to each other but under the same source, became a resource…

Think about that.

The more people needed things, the more it became and/or was realized!

Big Picture Vision.

“A tree is a big picture vision.”

Big picture vision is “open doors, open doors” because one door will lead to more (good or bad…purpose-filled or distractions). Even if the door you entered was small/entry-level/may even seem currently irrelevant…going through it with an open-mind that’s focused on your purpose…you’ll realize that each experience is bringing you closer and closer to the person you are becoming.

Now…let’s travel back to YOU/ME/WE and our one seed growing/leading/prospering/becoming everything that WE desire to be!!

I said I would be brief…I think we all know by now that my brief and your brief are 2 completely different things...buy hey, I sincerely appreciate YOU for being here!! But in being brief, below is how I want to end this post and rock out the New Year with some fresh thoughts and perspective that’s ready to go through these open doors (YES, PLURAL) confidently!

I am declaring a domino effect of open doors in YOUR 2015 and mine too!!! HELLO!!!!!!

So…

Here are 10 questions (with a few statements) to help YOU/ME/WE (continuously) realize our open door and big picture vision for 2015 and beyond!!

Remember… Small can always land on greater.

1.  How will your dreams impact the world? What industries will be influenced? Are you currently working in, researching or following the industry leaders on Social Media?

2. Who will be inspirationally provoked by the reality of your dreams? Have you met them yet?

3. The things that make you mad/happy/sad, does it provoke your passion?

It's not about the size of the step(s) that make the difference...but the direction and intentions behind them.

4. List the reasons YOU use to think that you’re not qualified.

5. Now, list the reasons YOU want to create change and look at your not qualified list… and laugh!

**Yea... tell Old Slewfoot to SHUT UP!!

6. What was the first step you took to realize/recognize/acknowledge/accept/understand YOUR Purpose? Do you believe that YOU honored Your Worth with that step?

Proceed with Purpose.

7. If you could imagine the next step in fulfilling YOUR Purpose…

Take a moment.

What does your vision look like? Who’s there? And what are you doing?

8. What do you want to be said about the life you live and the legacy you leave? And will there be a torch to pass?

9. About how many dreams do you have? Can you put them in order from wildest dream to everything in between? Have you considered the smaller dreams as stepping-stones to the big dreams like a puzzle with many pieces? Maybe the smaller dreams that we thought would happen after we achieved the big dreams are instead preparation for the big dreams?

Courage gets bolder, stronger and louder with use.

10. If you did something bold that related to living and fulfilling your dreams at least once a month…as in plan to be bold, what would it be?

**Let’s create bold goals together!! Tweet me!!

What’s YOUR Big Picture Vision? Have YOU planted the seed?

Random but related GYC Quote:

“Open your eyes to see the bigger picture even if it is another picture or many pictures…pay attention & “zoom in”… you might just see that they are puzzle pieces.”-Lauren Alicia

Defeating Crazy with Courage,

Lauren Alicia, GYCGirl…Putting My Imagination into the World and more importantly…into my reality!!

I’m not ready to commit… | I’m Ready To Commit!

“The power of our story could be the key to someone’s healing.”-Dear Divorce, Thank You (even though I HATE you) Sincerely, My Parents' Grown Kid: A Journey of Hate, Healing and Understanding, By Lauren Alicia

Yes…I know it is a long title.

“If I commit, I can’t quit.”-YOU

“You never know who is waiting to be influenced on the other side of your commitment.”-Life

Well…here it is beautiful people…my moment of honesty that cant/wont be filtered (no worries, I don’t cuss, I have other words…truth)…nor can/will I take it back.

Breathe Lauren, Breathe.

My official commitment to my 1st Rough Dream becoming reality… aka this post will be like a ceremony with a little bit of everything!

*key music…

I wrote a book, THE BOOK that I’ve been referring to since the beginning of 2013 (or maybe even earlier…hmm…), and now I am sharing it with the world…officially, Tuesday, August 19th!!!

HERE IS THE COVER!!!!!!

Let me just say that I am proud!

Okay, back to the GYC Girl YOU Crazy Commitment Ceremony…

First off… Girl, what is a rough dream??? (because I know you were thinking it…)

Rough Dreams Definition

GYC SideNote Rant (you know miss these)… Rough Dreams will make you say, “Where Is My Success?” , “Let me get on the elevator,” “The surface is the only thing that matters to me, forget substance,” “I’ll just wear my shower shoes,” “You’re right, I am all over the place,” “If I keep knocking they’ll answer” and the 2 classics, “I don’t have to reap what I sow if I just keep doing good deeds” and “yeah I know ‘What is for me is for me’ but I also want what’s his and/or hers too”…you get the idea…GYC is FULL of posts about YOU/ME/WE getting this thing together!!

I call them Rough Dreams because …

+They’re not glamorous and you’re not sure if it will ever appear to be glamorous

+They’re not what you expected

+They might be hard for those around you to accept

+They’ll make you find 50 (or more) reasons…really good reasons to quit

+ They’re dreams because you know deep down that even though the route is rough, the destination is a dream, it’s beautiful, amazing, ____(insert your favorite description here), and you know that you need to commit!

“When we commit, it’s like that 1 thing Purpose is asking for hits the surface while the rest of you is still marinating in the substance waiting for Purpose to call it too.”

What does it mean to commit?

These following 4 points were my struggle as emotions made me say maybe I don’t publish this, which is the main reason I self-published…yep so that I can have a way out… Can I be real?

**I won’t write GYC Commentary after the points…I’ll just let your thoughts be enough.

1. See the vision, Hear the directions, Take the steps

++ GYC Note To MYSelf (and you too if you need it) // Make it plain… Do NOT overcomplicate this thing Lauren, please stop…RIGHT NOW! Whew!!

Breathe Lauren, Breathe.

2. Take steps until the vision is complete!!

++ You’re not done until the vision is an image YOU can hold!

3. Let passion be present and refreshed!

++ Give it your all so you can be re-filled with greater!!

4. Minimize (or cut off) communication with what distracts you from where (and who) Purpose asks you to commit.

++ Know your priorities beyond the surface.

>>>Tell me what points you would add!!<<<

So…

This is ME taking the next step, commitment.

When I commit, I get quiet…

Focusing on the less to create the greater

Muting the noise that attempts to override the voice of Purpose and direction

Choosing to be guided by what already lies within

It’s been nurtured to maturity

         Although I do have my moments…

But this is The Moment that I shall take

Hustle it until the vision of victory is part of my history

and stepping stones for my future

I’ve let the pain of the past not be told because all I wanted to do was hate it

Now it’s time to turn the page

And welcome you to this part of my story…

A Journey of Hate, Healing And Understanding

More completely Dear Divorce, Thank You (even though I HATE you) Sincerely, My Parents’ Grown Kid: A Journey of Hate, Healing And Understanding

This is only the beginning.

HERE IS THE BACK COVER!!!

Now Available for Pre-order on Amazon.com to be released Tuesday, August 19, 2014, the day before the reason this journey began (my parents’ wedding day)!

Stay tuned by following DearDivorceThankYou.com!!! Watch out for interviews, articles, journal videos, posts & posters, and how you can join and help me promote!!

“ I can’t stop until I see the win, you’ve felt achievement before so can you be patient enough to wait, dedicate and commit until you feel it again? Your answer better be YES.”-My Note to Self

GYC (unnecessary) SideNote // I’m loving adding in these gifs…!

Thank you everyone for your support, patience and blessings!!

Last Note (and I’m done…)

What if GYC-GirlYOUCrazy.com was unintentionally intentionally created to bring me to this point and keep me going? What if the thing(s) you’re doing right now that you might think no one is listening or everybody is watching me not be who I WANT to be, or ______(you tell me…) is unintentionally intentionally paving the way to your dreams into reality… Honestly, that “What-if” is actually (or probably) “What IS.” One day we’ll see and be able to feel the vision of how each step was a puzzle piece designed to create a masterpiece…that looks like the most amazing version of the person in the mirror!

What if just might be what is…

I appreciate you all soooooooooooooooooooooo much!!

Defeating Crazy with Courage…watch me commit and hold me to it,

Lauren Alicia, GYCGirl…Getting her Author on!

P.S. Here’s a preview of the posts you’ll see on DearDivorceThankYou.com

FREEDOM (audio)

http://youtu.be/TlnsCFMx-z8

If you were brought in for questioning

and many things were before you

would you be able to identify

and recognize

freedom

or look yourself in the mirror

to see it

living in you?

Living and breathing out

all of you

before you were consumed

by a non-existing

box

as a looking glass to gaze through,

use as a format,

example,

blueprint

of the stamp and label

placed upon

many

too few to count

who have yet to identify

freedom

therefore given and believing

something false

to know

and trust

as their truth

So

when we say

FREEDOM

oh so often we use it

as a tool to stand

and declare

but some of us

don’t even know

its name,

the characteristics,

its personality,

the uniqueness of its fame

I’d rather tell you

You are free

than ignore the truth

of you being bound

by reality

not yours

but the one

re-created

told to you

and delivered as the accurate genuine inner makings of you

yet to be realized

because it is disguised

as your ________<<< “truth…”

when you look in the mirror

let’s all finish the line

 ______________ <<< “Do you really know you????”

Not a personal attack

but for me to even write,

Right this

I have to look within

day in

day out

and humbly admit…

do I really know freedom,

and do I live like it knows my name

Bigger than any word

you could ever pronounce

A gift we’re all given

but many of us refuse to live it

Afraid we will miss out

On this movement

that movement

Top Twitter trend

and the number of everybody talking about this

It’s cool,

I’ll give you a minute

it is a constant self-reality check

If an interviewer asked

“Is it a fight to be you,

the real you?“

Would you really say,

“YES”

Given the moment

to be introduced to

Freedom,

the stress and pressure

that you were actually built

to push through and progress

No faking the funk,

taking time to open up

and no longer masking

The privilege,

the true

and accurate

genuine

inner makings

of the

FREEDOM

to be

YOU

go wherever that may lead

Fight to consider

only your designed beautiful truth

Leaving behind

all the re-this and re-that

…that just really isn’t

REAL

But a prison with an indefinite sentence.

Take

Make

Time

To reflect

Realize

Recognize

That

FREEDOM

Knows You

And requests that

You know It!

If you were brought in for questioning

and many things were before you

would you be able to identify

and recognize

freedom

or look yourself in the mirror

to see it

living in you?

Dreams that Beamed.

GYCGirl...Speaks! Finale

No words this week...Just watch, listen & enjoy!

 

Dreams that Beamed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnPT0L0Lsno

I didn’t want to go…

“Let’s be honest, this path I’m on called my journey…I didn’t want to go.”-The Honesty of Lauren Alicia (Coming soon to a theatre near you…not really!)

How often do we make plans that appear so simple and achievable…? Then… as we attempt/proceed/move in the direction to make the first step in our amazing plan, the planned step is nowhere near the actual step we take/make???????????

…

And that is the reasoning behind this post’s title “I didn’t want to go…”

No worries, it ends well!

But I can’t promise the relationship with “I didn’t want to go…” is over…and be honest, I won’t speak for you but YOU (yes, YOU) have a thing going on with “I didn’t want to go…” too!

Anyway…

Quick Simple GYC Definition(s):

+Didn’t = DID NOT, negative thought for the actions taking place

+Want…desire to, not a necessity or necessary but aligned with my wishes

+Go = movement, travel to

Therefore, when I say, “I didn’t want to go…” all of that above is what I mean…

Now let’s proceed!

GYC Personal Story

At this point in my life, I can look back and say, “I didn’t want to go”, and I was wrong, Wrong, WRONG, and in spite of all the kickback I gave…the impact of my paths were strong.

Like many kids and teens, I made up my mind about many things that would take place in my adult life and stuck to them for a long time, then forgot about them…then remembered…

Which is how/why I can write this post today…

But the things I had decided on, I felt so strong and passionate about… that if I did anything against the plans, it would ruin the amazing story of my life.

I know, All the Drama, I was and still am it…

and even went to the library to back up these plans with biographies and proven resources.

“A fully determined mind cannot be stopped from an attempt.”

One of these “great” ideas was something I stated in one of the first GYC posts…  

“I didn’t want to go to college.”

That’s right, I said it!

As much as I dreamed of going to Parsons School of Design (where I graduated) and living in NYC, I wanted NYC without the college connection. I found this book that backed up my plan about careers without college…and I was ready to go!

Side Note: Although I didn’t want to go…I did make sure that I could go wherever I needed. I’m pro-preparation for wherever, however your dreams need to be achieved…as long as it’s legal…

But as I began to walk toward that moment, I realized the plan I set in motion mentally lacked in physical step-taking detail…and even the smaller steps in a possible college life lacked detail in application…meaning, I was NOT prepared like some are to have a career without college, and even so, the program I first applied to, showed/proved my vision lacked vision beyond one dream.

(I eventually got it together…well that part…the rest is still a great journey)

Your dreams will always make provisions for the mistakes you make against them, if you’re willing to admit you were wrong.

So…

Now, my moments of not wanting to do something or go somewhere remain as simple thoughts that don’t keep me from entertaining/attempting their potential ability…to increase my life.

Regardless of how crazy…or lack of understanding/comprehension/I just don’t get it…an opportunity/path/route looks… I realize all these dots connect, and taking knowledge from each allows me to be the person I am today, moving in forward motion.

GYC Last Thoughts

My journey is far from over, and not at all free from me saying, "I don't want to go" or "do something" but my pride won’t get in the way of saying, “I was wrong.”

We all have our own definition of success…so whether we do, don’t or didn’t want to go…take the time to recognize if this undesired path will lead you to your definition.

“Admitting you’re wrong sets you up for what is right!”-Recovering Wrong People

I didn’t want to go…but I’m glad I did.

Another Chance to Dream

“I didn’t settle, it paid off...and I got another chance to dream.”-YOU, Me, We…speaking as Victorious Winners

“I went into the battlefield…too early, realized the equipment I had was for the pre-battle…and I went over there.”-Memoirs of Another Chance to Dream

I didn’t lose focus, my heart just expanded.

Sometimes we think we’re only given one dream, one BIG goal to achieve, you dream a new dream after we reach the “top”…

Or so I thought!-It’s cool, I’ll be the honest one here, whatev’s.

It’s that moment when we feel the need to give whatever “it” is, all we have. Then when we do, and the results don’t appear to be in our favor, we go back to drawing board and wonder…:

“Was this really my big dream?!?!?”

Maybe I need to try a new route, maybe I need to do this, or maybe I need to do that? Maybe, maybe…Maybe!

But in the moment of thought...reevaluating/reflecting/just really thinking about how YOU, Me, We got here…

We pause

Side Note: This post is not about getting rid of the bigger dream but recognizing you have been given room for other dreams in between.

GYC Personal Story (that will make sense…if you want it to)

I know I’ve talked about running track…and discontinuing “that” but you should know, I played soccer next (for a moment).

Honestly, I’ve never wanted to play team sports…because it required a team effort…all at the same time, not like your appointed/designated/given time on the track.

I learned what it’s like be on a team and need a team to win. Class projects can need teams (groups) but when it's all said and done, it may be a lot of work but you can do it all yourself (been there, got the t-shirt to prove it)…BUT it's pretty hard to win a game all by yourself.

“Girl I don’t care about you playing soccer!”---Just wait…

When I first started, I played on the indoor soccer team where the coach explained my role/position on the field as all of them… “You’re fast enough to play the entire field (of course the field was much smaller than outdoor) so that’s your job when you’re out there”…and I did, although I was terrified and setting myself up to possibly be embarrassed (no, I did not play this sport before hand). ---And yes, my dad flipped and was all “Girl YOU Crazy” as did other parents and coaches from the track team…I never needed or more importantly wanted sports to get into college or be my career. *Quick Note: I knew enough about myself to be myself.*

Indoor soccer was my 1st forced and known encounter with versatility (giving all I had at one time)…yep!

But what I learned was…

Versatility opens your eyes to many things… but when you’re so focused on the one big dream…it gets hard as you appear to have moved on from waiting and preparing for the big dream. Even in starting GYC, I was asked many times about my dream to be a shoe designer and if that was still there…it is.

However,

Really, really Quick Rant…I had to…

One day I sat down to really think about all the things I wanted to do (after I realized it wasn’t time to pursue shoe design in the way I had planned)… 

A vision of me doing these other things (pre-Big Dream) started to form as I began to start all of these ventures such as writing a book…no, not “Don’t Take the Elevator…” which you should read, share and print…gift…all of that…have fun!

As these visions birthed as my own and not as ventures that I wanted to propose to businesses, I realized that I got another chance to dream, think and live more than one dream, be the steward over more than one gift and realize that it all can and will happen in its timing.

Example: The Truth about GYC Girl YOU Crazy

GYC was no way near my idea of giving back nor the non-profits that I had dreamed about owning and running after I was full on grown (and had all of my businesses in full swing). HOWEVER, as GYC began to take form in front of you all…as it still does today (6 months strong and counting), a friend of mine told me that GYC Girl YOU Crazy is just like me.

Open your eyes to more…you never know what is waiting to be birthed RIGHT NOW! The bigger dream is amazing but the journey can be greater.

What do people always say on Twitter…“Be the YOU…YOU always dreamed of being…today”---I don’t know something like that… well…that’s the GYC Girl YOU Crazy version of it (quote me)!

GYC Last Thoughts

Every now and then again…You, Me, We need to wake up and get lost in our dream(s) and the possibility of all of them happening… by developing their details.

Live and pursue YOUR own dreams for the love of YOUR sanity.

“I tear up at the thought that my heart had room to dream more dreams.”-Lauren Alicia

We always have Another Chance to Dream…as long as we have today.

"Print me"