Tag: motivation

Are YOU OK?

on By

Are you ok?

This is a pretty simple question right? Seems like it. Well…not exactly. Whether you’d like to believe it or not, realize it or not, there are many people walking around right now and they are in fact not ok. People you walk by daily, people you work with, people you’re related to, people you’re friends with, people you laugh with, and just people you cross paths with in general. But with all the hustle and bustle of life’s grueling duties, it never really occurs to any of us to stop and ask the question. “Are you ok?” is a powerful question and packs a healing punch. In many cases, it holds the key to the caged up pain. It could possibly change the course of a person’s day. It could possibly change the course of a life. Just because one wears their smile extremely well, does not mean they’re ok. Lots of people hide behind smiles and laughter which is why you have to pay close attention to the eyes. The eyes never lie. The eyes will give you a keen view into the soul and tell the truest story. It is the gateway. So many people are hurting in silence and are crying out in silence. Asking someone if they’re ok will cost you absolutely nothing and it’s even more priceless for them. I know what you may be thinking. Why doesn’t the person in need just ask for help? Why do I have to ask them if they’re ok? It’s so much more complex. Most people who are battling something in silence, feel like they have no one to turn to for various reasons. They may suffer from abandonment issues, they’re broken, they’ve been abused, and the list can go on. They feel like no one understands them, they’re afraid, and they don’t trust so easily. If you were getting hurt on a daily basis by someone who claimed to love you or if you were being bullied on a daily basis, Would you speak up so easily? What if you placed your trust in more people than you could count on two hands only for it to be broken every single time? Would you speak up so easily then? When humanity has failed you repeatedly, would you speak up so easily then? No I am in no way telling you that you need to be a savior or that you’re required to ask, “Are you ok”. But let me remind you in a friendly fashion, that it costs you nothing to show kindness and compassion for another human being. Another human being like you and one day you might be the one suffering in silence.

Recently, Meghan Markle did an interview and out of everything she said, there is one statement she made that has been embedded into my mind ever since. She said, “Thank you for asking because not many people have asked me if I’m ok”. Wow, I really felt that and her eyes screamed pure sadness. This is an example of how we all get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget to be human and we forget to show compassion for one another. So I challenge you all who have taken time out to read this, I challenge you to check on someone today and ask them if they’re ok. I challenge you to leave someone better than you found them.

 

BE WELL!

Advertisements

Interview with Malinda Williams and Tariq Walker!

on By 2 Comments

 

F0922582-D61F-4ACC-A2C7-456A907D9D0C

Malinda Williams, a compelling and amazingly talented actress/producer who’s played in some of our most beloved shows/films like Soul Food: The Series, A Thin Line Between Love & Hate, and The Wood! Tariq Walker, an award-winning journalist and successful media executive who’s made powerful waves in the digital media world. Together they have launched This Is Leaving, a Travel & Lifestyle Blog Site/Business that allows us to see beautiful scenic views and adventures, intertwined with love through their lenses. Recently, they allowed me to interview them. Here’s what the recently engaged couple had to say:

1. Where are you both from?
Malinda: New Jersey

Tariq: Philadelphia

2. Can we talk about your successful careers for a moment? Malinda, How did you get into acting and Have you always had a passion for it?
Malinda: I started acting when I was around 12. I started in television commercials and then transitioned to film and T.V. in my teens.

Tariq, what made you want to become a journalist and work in digital media? Is it something you’ve always dreamed of doing?

Tariq: I was drawn to journalism because of my love of writing and communicating ideas via the written word. My career in digital media began as a combination of my passion for writing and science fiction, combined with the growth and development of the internet. It seemed a perfect fit.

3. Can you tell us about your Travel and Lifestyle Blog Site/Business, This is Leaving and How it all came about?
This Is Leaving was an idea conceived from our love of travel and wanting to share our adventures and its benefits with our family and friends. We realized the impact on them, we decided we wanted to share that with a larger audience. We’ve since expanded it to include content production and our first e-commerce platform, Shopshesgotahabit.com

4. What place have you had your most memorable experience thus far and Why?

Our most memorable experience was probably the trip we took to Barcelona.

Malinda: For me, it was a way to connect with Tariq. He spoke the language fluently and I didn’t so I really had to rely on him for communication and getting around. I felt I was vulnerable and that helped build a trust between us.

Tariq: For me, It was our first trip to Europe together and she trusted me enough to let me to do all the planning which was meaningful. It showed she trusted in my abilities and that it laid an important foundation for our relationship.

5. What’s the most delicious food you’ve eaten thus far? Where and What was it? Tuscany and Monterosso, Italy. In Tuscany, we were blessed to have a private cooking lesson with the executive chef. We helped him prepare a tasty red shrimp risotto and strawberry tiramisu – ridiculously delicious!!!

6. Why is traveling so important? What are some benefits of traveling?

We get to have all of these great experiences…we learn about ourselves, about the world and about each other and we get to bring all the best parts of those learned experiences home.

7. What advice would you give to someone out there, who might be hesitant when it comes to traveling to new, and very different places?
We always say let love drive you, not fear, hesitation, doubt or the unknown. You’d be surprised how the world opens up to you, when you open up to it. There’s so much out there waiting for you to discover it. It’s amazing!

8. Any new projects coming up that you’re working on and can tell us about?
We just launched the first of 2 planned e-commerce platforms. She’s Got A Habit is a wellness, lifestyle and retail site all inspired by world travel. Shopshesgotahabit.com

Be sure to check out their site! https://www.thisisleaving.com/

 

Thank you both so much for taking time out!

Linnea’s Purpose

on By 1 Comment

6A1E6CE5-5EDB-4B7A-B348-5154AE75D33B

I used to always wonder what my purpose was in this life that I was gifted with. I could never really figure out what my calling was and I always found myself asking God, quite frequently to show me something. I just wanted something more, something big. I felt useless and unfulfilled which transitioned into depression. Now, I’ve dibbled and dabbled in many things like tap dance, dance in general, singing/songwriting, instruments, YouTube videos, and cooking. These are all great things and I like them. I do love music, even went as far as going into the studio. But, it’s not something I ever felt fully passionate about pursuing professionally. Even with doing all of these things, I still felt a void, and I still felt like it wasn’t my calling. It wasn’t my purpose. It didn’t move me nor did it move my soul.

When I was in Middle School and High School, I used to keep a journal. I wrote about my days, my experiences, things I was going through, and I wrote poetry. Oh and I wrote songs. Middle School was rough for me so writing helped me to get through it. When I got to High School, I started writing more and more. I wrote more songs, more poetry, and I wrote my very first story. The story was actually for a class and I received an A on it. It was about a girl who was possessed after staring into the snow and the story got weirder. Don’t know where the hell that story came from lol. My teacher loved it. I knew I was different lol. My teacher at the time, whose name I can’t remember for the life of me. He was an older gentleman with long gray Fabio type hair lol which he always wore in a ponytail, and he wore glasses. You know, he could’ve been kin to Sean Connery. Anyways, he told me to keep writing and to never stop. Of course I didn’t take him seriously at the time because I was young and dumb. I went on to graduate, went to college for a little bit to pursue a degree in forensics, and I stopped writing. I stopped writing. I had children and my writing got lost in my new life. My life revolved and still revolves around my family. Anything and everything I ever wanted to do was swept under the rug.

At the beginning of  2018,  I started writing again. I started to notice the feeling I got whenever I was writing. I felt joy, passion, and happiness. I felt really good! I enjoyed writing and I enjoyed reading. It eased my anxiety too which was a bonus for me! I had never shared any of my work with anyone except for my teacher. I was always private when it came to things like that. I was holding so much inside which was part of my problem and part of my struggles. Writing was my way of expression. Writing was my passion. It fulfilled me. Writing is my passion. Helping others is also my passion. So in September 2018, I finally decided to follow my dreams because life is so short. I launched my Blog in hopes of impacting and inspiring others through my words, my creativity, sharing my truth, and my experiences. I was nervous about my very first Blog Post because it was raw and very real. I was finally unleashing my weaknesses and struggles out into the world. For all to see and for some to judge. Weaknesses that have kept me dormant all these years. Though I knew I wanted to and I couldn’t risk caring about what people thought. I couldn’t allow it to stop me. I needed to build this blog on the shoulders of my transparency. I’m so happy that I did. So many people tell me everyday that I’m inspiring them, impacting them in some way, how they are now following their dreams, or starting their own blogs because of me. No I’m not a celebrity or even close to it. No I didn’t decide to do this just to please anyone other than myself. I did it because I wanted to. Yet, I’m still making an impact and trying to live a meaningful life in the process. That’s all I want to do. Do you know how great of feeling it is for people to look at you and go, “I got this”, “I can do this because she’s doing this”, “You’ve inspired me” because it is truly amazing!!! However, I’m not stopping there. I decided to start writing a book, an Erotic Thriller Novel, and I launched my Podcast recently because I need to go bigger. I thought writing brought me joy. Omg!!! This Podcast is definitely my calling as well!!!! I have so many ideas and places I want to take this new platform. I can reach even more people. I asked God to show me and he showed out. I have lots of work to do.

I wrote all that to write this, YOU HAVE TO PAY  GREAT ATTENTION TO WHAT MOVES YOUR SOUL, TO WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE ENDLESSLY, AND DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!!! Ask yourself why you’re in it. You can absolutely do anything you want to do. You can!! It is never to late to start and it is not impossible. There is room for us all to win, to be great, and to be successful! Always Remember this! Be well!

Thank you for taking time out to read this.

I STARTED A PODCAST!!

on By

0CC2C04D-D6FC-4CA5-A721-FB875B30EFE5

 

Hello World!!!

This is Linnea, the woman behind this blog and NOW PODCASTER!! On Saturday 7/27/19, I woke up in the morning and decided to launch my Podcast!! IT’S SO EXCITING!! I’m genuinely happy about it!! I named my PODCAST Linnea Presents: Unpacking The Box. I chose this name because I don’t ever want to put into a box and I will be unpacking many topics! You can listen to it on Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts and PocketCasts right now! It will be available on more platforms soon I hope! I’ve already done six episodes and they’re available now! You can also keep up with updates and episodes on my Podcast by following my Instagram page @  unpacking_the_box

Now, what is it all about?!! This is me in my most unapologetic form. It will be raw, real, uncut, explicit at times, informative, entertaining, and just fun! It will be a space, a comfortable space of course, and it’ll be like you and I are in the room together chopping it up like old friends. I will unpack topics on life, love, sex, relationships, men, women, empowering others, mental health, body image, politics, celebrity news, local news, a breakdown on some my BLOG POSTS and sooo much more!!!! NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS! I guess…it’s a extension of my Blog…BUT wayyy more fun lol!!!  I will also have guests on from time to time to weigh in on topics, and interviews! I hope you will take this journey with me!!! I WELCOME ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK!! YOU CAN MESSAGE ME HERE, ON IG OR EMAIL ME at unpackingtheboxpodcast@gmail.com to tell me about ANY TOPICS YOU WANT ME TO DISCUSS, or ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME, OR IF YOU JUST WANNA COMMENT ON THE SHOW IN GENERAL. Thank you if you support me in any way, shape or form! I appreciate it!! Share, and Tell a friend!

Always know that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to do. Do what makes you happy and just go for it!! Life is too short!

Be well!!!!

Breakup

on By 2 Comments

To Whom It May Concern,

I can no longer be your crutch…

I took you down countless deadend alleys. I sought out your weaknesses and instigated them further. I took your smile away and tried to bury it. I made sure you were always in bad company because I knew you’d feed into it somehow, as usual. I’ve thrown you into the thunder and the lightning. I really tried to break you and I really wanted to destroy you. You see…I represent a dark place. A dark place that you kept on revisiting. You’ve kept me alive all these years, simply by visiting me, and supplying me with a well lit space in your thoughts. However, it is time for you to let me go. While I’ve enjoyed your company, my work here is done. The trail of obstacles I set before you, in an attempt to keep you stuck, couldn’t even go up against your unstoppable strength, your will, and your determination to change. Things you probably never even knew existed within you. Hell, things I never even knew existed within you. I killed your soul countless times. But each time, it was exhumed and resurrected. Your light blinded my darkness. I can’t even define you. I admit that I definitely underestimated you and I failed. What a great thing for your sake because I don’t fit into anymore of your chapters. I’ve given you all the tools you’ll ever need to live in the present. I lured your power and your purpose out onto the surface which means I can no longer be a part of your life. I won’t mix in well with your purpose nor your power. Now, you must only move forward and use me as a stepping stool into your greatness. Don’t look back.

 

Best Regards,

Your Past

 

 

 

Linnea’s Crown Affirmations

on By

 

7E343F84-D0DB-46C2-B35F-EA02978FEF6A

THIS IS FOR ALL MY QUEENS!!

Repeat Daily…

 

  • I am a unique beauty.
  • I am an exquisite imperfect gem.
  • I am more than enough.
  • I am filled with mountains of strength.
  • My power is boundless. 
  • I can do whatever it is that I want to do, no matter how many people tell me no.
  • Fear will not survive, if it ever tries to break into my life.
  • Doubt is now a resident of my ancient memories.
  • I am built to surpass every storm of struggle.
  •  I’m going to get better because I know I deserve better.
  • I can build my own empire and create my own wealth.
  • When negativity trys to creep in through my door, I will shut it immediately.
  • I’m going to be okay.
  • It is my duty to believe in myself and to love myself even if no one else does.
  • If it’s a small dream or a big dream, it is still my dream. I will follow it until the end.
  • I will stay focused on my path and go to war with any obstacles that meets my eyes.
  • I see my potential and I will run to the stars with it.
  • I will never allow my past to define my evolution.
  • I will start forgiving myself and stop punishing myself for all the mistakes I was meant to make.
  • I will practice self care more and take better care of myself.
  • Quitting can never exist in my mind nor my vocabulary.
  • I will remove any and all things that creates toxins for me.
  • I am always fully responsible for my own happiness no matter what.
  • I sit on a solid throne. A throne that I’ve earned and built using concrete made of my own sweat and tears. A throne that I’ve taken my precious time building and I will not grant anyone’s access to tear me down from it. 
  • I am a Queen.

 

Can You Find Me?

on By

I exude a power so grand. A power so great. A power so strong that it will move you and the masses into your worthiness. It will erupt your soul into fire. I can shield you with a magnifying light of value. It will shine so bright into the eyes of those who don’t believe. Your presence will be a beauty to behold and light up any room. I’ve been known to ruffle the envious feathers of those who don’t know me yet. I’ve also been known to cause an explosive, life changing domino effect. Not only can I help  you find those tiny puzzle pieces that you lost. I can put them back together in perspective. I will give you inevitable strength of infinity and beyond. But you have to find me which can be tricky for you. I’m waiting for you to find me…

Isolate yourself, Sit, DIG deep, and pull back the troubled layers. 

There you will find me. 

Be Well!