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What’s Holding You Back❓

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What are your biggest dreams? Think of the impossible things you’d like to see come into your life—and dream big. Want to give your vision a jumpstart? Start by writing down your goals and then use these questions to make your dreams come true faster.

1. What’s your highest priority in this lifetime?

What’s most important for you to experience, explore or embrace this time around? Maybe you want to travel the world or go to an Ivy League college. Until you can answer this question, your life goals will be off purpose. When your intentions are unaligned with your inner passion, they will lack the power to attract the people and situations necessary to become reality.

Get clued into your true joy. What activities did you enjoy as a child? What are your hobbies now? When your goals are aligned with your soul, synchronicity kicks in to guide you to your target.

2. Is this your dream, or someone else’s?

Are your goals your own choice, or what others think you should strive for? Are you all wrapped up in making other people happy by doing what they want or by fitting into other people’s visions for your life? Do you want to look back in your old age and wish you had followed your passion? Will you regret having “played it safe?”

It’s not selfish to follow your own dreams. Only you can determine what path is right for you. What joy can you share with others if you haven’t given it to yourself first?

3. Are you settling for less than?

Are you resigned to accepting less than your full share of love, health, and success this lifetime? Have you compromised and sacrificed your dream? It’s not too late to change paths and follow your dreams.

Anything short of living your true passions will never make you happy.

4. What will you feel like when you reach your dream?

Imagine that all your dreams have come true. Really focus on that feeling of accomplishment, and let it sit with you. Personal passion fuels a vision. Dive into the thrill and exhilaration of the feeling of living your dream.

The Hawaiian Kahuna say, “Where your creative attention flows, so flows your life.”

5. What steps can you take today toward your dream?

Don’t defer your dream. Set up supports and systems around you to instantly translate your intentions into action. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your aspirations. Seek out mentors who will encourage you to pursue your goals. Jump on every opportunity that is in line with your purpose and vision.

Are there smaller projects that lead to your larger dream? If the dream is to run a marathon, train for a local fun-run first. And find a way to measure your progress. Track those little wins by writing in a journal or telling a friend.

6. Are you telling yourself: “I can’t have my dream?”

Most people don’t believe they can live their dream. Either their belief system has them believing they can’t make a living doing what they love, or they feel they don’t deserve their dream. To avoid the pain of feeling they can’t have their dream, people often keep their dream so buried they can’t remember they ever had a dream. Keep your dreams at the forefront of your thoughts by reminding yourself every day what you’re striving for.

Everyone has a dream! And everyone is destined to fulfill that purpose. Why wait?

Last Time That I Checc’d

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Last Time That I Checc’d.

I have been told in so many ways that if I’m not an executive by 50 it’s not going to happen. Well maybe that’s true in this realm, current employment situation or even market but in my best Nipsey Hussle voice, “last time that I checc’d” there were no “best if used by” dates in GOD’s plan.

GOD’s promises are HIS promises. PERIODT.

For those feeling that you’re too old and have missed it, I want to remind you that age is never a hindrance to fulfilling the purposes of God. While you still have breath in your lungs and a pulse, God has a plan and purpose for your life.

There is no such thing as being too old to fulfill the purpose for which you were created – just ask Sarah, Caleb or Elizabeth.

No, you and I might not have the access nor privileges like some but the GOD I know specializes in using highly unlikely people to fulfill his purposes – the kind of people others overlook, discard, dismiss or ignore – because it brings Him great glory.
(Go run and tell that!)

Today is a reminder for anyone who’s on a “climb or “grind” you’re not done, it’s not over. Your latter days can be more fruitful than your former.

Keep pressing, keep reaching, keep going. Jesus is worthy of every last ounce of energy expended for HIS Glory on this earth.

As for me, “last time that I checc’d” I’ve only tapped into about 23% of my potential.

Losing Myself

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I’m tired of people places and things. 

There are moments in which I take a serious pause with a jolting stop with the hydraulic actions-Iike a car with switches. Y’all don’t know nothing about that bounce! Ha! Did I tell you that in the 10th and 11th grade my crew wore the blue… and that wasn’t Dallas blue. Well I was more of a friend of the crew or more like a girlfriend of one of the crew. Even then I had much love for being in a community. Quite frankly a lot of my identity came from being “in community”. Whether that being in a social club, sorority, crew, life group aka cliques it’s all the same. But one thing at this seasoned salt age, I’ve really that I’m really tired of people,places and things that require me to lose myself in the process. 

I’ve always felt the pressure to fit in. There’s always been a gap between what I want to be and what I think the world thinks I should be which turned me into a social chameleon. 

I tried to be the person I felt I should be so I’d blend in with those around me, whether that meant spending a Friday night at the club or attending a corporate meeting at the head office it all required dedication. 

So without even realizing it I would change myself, my desires, and sometimes even my opinions to fit into whatever mold was required at the time. But if you’re constantly trying to prove your worth to people, it may be true that you’ve already forgotten your value and that’s where I am today! 

There was always a difference between what I wanted and what I thought I should want—my opinion and the norm of society somehow differed—and I’d always assumed I must be the one off beam.

This leads to a life of sacrificing ourselves to please others, living their dreams at the expense of our own.

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you losing yourself—in work and busyness, addiction to success, pleasing others, trying to be or appear perfect, accepting your cultural programming, following default options, or a relationship?
  2. What will you do, starting today, to bring more of yourself back into your life—to be unapologetically YOU?

Hey MaximizHer! Rise Up!

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The world offers you many solutions to your fear. Anxiety medication, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy exercises or even escapism through alcohol or drugs.

But here’s what God offers you:

Him.

God offers you the peace of His love, the steadiness of His protection, the rock solid foundation of His promise.

And His promise is that if you step into the legend He created you to be, you WILL succeed.

It doesn’t matter what other people say.  There IS greatness in you. God designed you to reach your full potential, to be powerful beyond measure, to have success and joy and abundance in your life.

Don’t let fear make you quit.  Don’t let the terror of what “could” happen affect how you take the next step forward.

As a daughter of Christ you’ve been given the incredible gift of God’s peace. This means you don’t have to let the fear trouble your heart, you don’t have to let the unknown shake your fight.

You can leave it in God’s hands because He knows exactly what He’s doing.  Believe me, sister of Christ, you can do everything God designed you to do.

He knows exactly what He’s doing.

So stop quitting. Stop giving up. Fight your way through the fear. Fight your way through the hardship. Fight yourself through the struggle.

Trust in God’s peace, trust in God’s strength, trust that you are BIGGER than any fear trying to get in your way.

You are BIGGER than any fear standing in your way.

You CAN do this.  It’s your season to rise!

I’m almost 47! 😒

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As I stare down the barrel of 50, everything has a new sense of urgency…..

In other words: time never felt so precious.So short. I have to outrun this aging body and try to check off the items on my bucket list in a decade or two.

There’s no time to spare!

It’s alarming to me to look back on my youth and realize how much time I wasted. I know you might be tempted to reassure me, to assert that I didn’t waste anything, that everything ended up meaning something.

Well, I’m sorry to inform you — believe me, I am — that I really, truly did waste time.

You see, I was always waiting for something or someone to get things started. Sure, I was pretty proactive when it came to my writing. I regularly worked on my craft and reached out to magazines and publishers, hoping to catch an opportunity.

But every other part of my life felt confusing and overwhelming. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t even know I could do or start something. For a good block of my years I’ve wasted it on pursuing dreams or aspirations that quite frankly I don’t even know why they were aspirational goals in the first time.

Life, however, is not a race against others. It’s a personal journey, unique and significant in its own way. Embrace the fact that you are on your own path, with its own set of challenges and triumphs, learning and growth. It doesn’t matter how fast you go or what others are doing. How much you grow, learn, and enjoy along the way matters. Celebrate your achievements, however small they may seem, and embrace your failures as opportunities for learning and growth. Let your journey be driven by your own goals, values, and passions, not by the desire to outdo others. Ultimately, it’s all about running your own race and finding joy in your journey.

I believe we all have greatness from within and the challenge is to spend time enough to discover it. So I’m making this personal declaration today that I’m going to cease the second half of my life and I’m choosing to do it my way!

Independence Day! 🇺🇸

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What do you need to free yourself from?… 

When it comes to freedom, we often associate the term with work or things that bring us stress. We fail to realize that freedom is associated with our spiritual well-being and our ability to surrender to God and obey his plan for our lives. The Word of God stands true and leaves us with instructions on how exactly Jesus set us free through his life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection. 

As we celebrate another 4th of July, I would like you to pause and consider this. 

What’s getting in the way of you engaging more regularly with joy? 

A negative mindset? 

An unproductive habit? 

A self-limiting belief? 

Is there something that you need to free yourself from so you can experience more or deeper happiness? 

As for me, I’ve been working on my belief that a jam-packed schedule is the only way to demonstrate productivity and value. Instead, I am leaning into the power of breaks, the value of rest and play, and the importance of letting go of the guilt that makes me think that I need to “make up” that time on the next day. How am I doing this? Glad you asked! I have made the commitment to fully reclaimed back my Fridays! That’s right no meeting Fridays unless they are critical! It has been so liberating to say the least….

You should try it. And if it’s not Friday’s how can you maximize the time you have? How can you use your time more wisely on things that bring an upside curve on your mouth?

 What can you let go to lighten your shoulders and engage in more smiles? 
That’s how you make this “independence day” count!
Let Freedom Ring!

Affirm Yourself Sis!

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Affirmations are a self-help strategy used to promote self-confidence and belief in your own abilities. 

You’ve probably affirmed yourself without even realizing it by telling yourself things like:

  • “All I can do is my best.”
  • “I’ve got what it takes.”
  • “I believe in my ability to succeed.” 

These simple statements help shift your focus away from perceived failures or inadequacies and direct your focus toward your strengths — those you already have and those you

want to develop. 

But do they actually work? Kind of. 

Affirmations generally work as a tool for shifting your mindset and achieving your goals, but they’re not a magic bullet for instant success or healing.

For example, you might replace a negative or anxious thought, like:

  • “I’m so terrible at interviews. I’m probably not even as qualified as the other candidates. There’s no way they’ll hire me, I should just leave.” 

With a positive affirmation:

  • “I have all the necessary skills and experience, and I’m the perfect candidate for this job.”

Using affirmations may help you feel more relaxed before your interview, and knowing you’re fully prepared can also help you avoid self-sabotaging thoughts or behaviorspotentially interfering with your success.

Remember, action is key

Repeating an affirmation can help boost your motivation and confidence, but you still have to take some action yourself. Try thinking of affirmations as a step toward change, not the change itself. 

Consider that nosy co-worker who always asks questions about your personal life. You don’t want to say anything to offend, but you also have no intention of answering their questions.

An affirmation like “I can remain calm even when I feel annoyed” might guide you to a habit of deep breathing or grounding exercises when you start to feel your blood boil. 

These tactics, combined with your affirmations, help you get through the stressful moment until you can politely make an escape. 

The affirmation didn’t make the change, you did. But it did offer a starting point. 

Sunflowers 🌻

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I’ve always loved flowers. During the summer I am drawn to sunflowers. I love their big, bright petals but what really draws me to the flowers is their story. I learned as a child that sunflowers grow towards the sun. Even on cloudy days sunflowers will find the tiniest ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds and turn towards it. Instead of focusing on all the darkness, the sunflower seeks out that little light and faces it. It may not surprise you that sunflowers have somewhat of a thing for the sun. Even at night they’re hankering for the light, turning their faces back east in the dark so they’ll be ready to catch the first rays the moment dawn breaks. Sunflowers flourish when they are facing the sun. Isn’t that just like us? When we are facing Jesus’ light we are able to prosper and grow. Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Just like sunflowers, when we pray we are opening up from darkness into the light. Light reveals us to ourselves, which is not always so great if you find yourself in a big mess, possibly your own creation. But like sunflowers we turn toward light. Light warms and in most cases it draws us to itself. And in this light, we can see beyond shadow and illusion to something beyond our modest receptors, do what is truly deep down inside of us. 

Today, let’s turn our backs on the darkness and face the brightness of Jesus’ light. If you’re going through a dark period in your life, know that God will be your ray of sunshine shining through the clouds that you need to turn your face towards healing, hope and grace.

I hope the next time you see a sunflower you’re reminded that when you turn your face toward the SON, you will receive the light you need to brighten your day and circumstances.   
excerpt from Breakthroughs and Bless You’s by Kara Barker.

order your copy today!

Living Your Best Life!

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You don’t have to retire from all those years of labor to begin living your best life. Many of us have visions of a better tomorrow, a future where we will except is more, or find a career that we actually love, make more money, have more feee time and so forth. If you’re reading this, it is because you want more and you suspect you’re capable of more. You have hopes and dreams and you’re ready to create the life you want. Jesus lived and died to give us this gift of abundant life. So how do we go about receiving it? We see the need to change direction in our lives, the need for forgiveness for past sins, and the need to start down the path of discipleship with Jesus. But that is only the beginning. The next part is the “following” part, the “imitating Jesus” part. We begin to realize that there is left in our life a root of sin, from time to time we act unchristian, and we know that there must be more that God has for us than what we have. So what actually is our best life and how do we live it? 

The most important word in the phrase “Living your best life” is “your.” Strip away the Instagram filters and look at your own values objectively and with honesty. Figure out what’s most important to you, what matters on an achievable level and go from there. What do you need to do to be satisfied with your life? Once you’ve figured that out, set some goals. Hate your busy city life? Then make time on the weekends to escape to the country. You’re not energized by your career?  Well, do something about it. Take tiny steps to inject things you like into your workplace, set new goals, talk to your boss about new responsibilities, or look for something new. Take a class, learn a skill, take up a new sport or hobby — everything is within your control. Ask God to take a certain habit away, to prune away a particular behavior and as God takes away those undesirable traits in your life, ask Him to fill those now-empty spaces with His love, His “likeness,” and His presence. It is then that we find ourselves living out loud the best versions of ourselves. I believe we should be living life to its fullest, which is the life God intended for each of us to have and the life for which Jesus died. There is no reason to ever be ashamed of where you are in life. Not when you’re doing your best. Not when you’re in your best moment. There’s always gonna be people to tell you “No.” Or “You can’t.” Or “you shouldn’t.” Or even that it’s just not in your cards. No matter what anybody says, you have to have the mindset that saids, “They may not see my potential but I’m still doing this and I will give it my best.” Defy the odds. Take chances, take risks, try to appreciate the things you do have and surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. Sometimes our happiest moments are among the most mundane made special by those they’re shared with. Don’t hinge your happiness on things you think will impress others — that’s not living your best life. That’s only living someone else’s idea of it. This is the life that you can claim today.
Why not you?

Excerpt from Breakthroughs and Bless You’s 100 Day Devotional Journal by Kara Barker available now!

Adjust Your Focus, Change Your Perspective!

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What are you focusing on today? Are you focusing on your situation, or on God’s promises? You may have all kinds of problems coming at you. Maybe you’re feeling discouraged as new problems and challenges have popped up in your life. I have an iPhone and there is a new setting that allows you to take pictures in portrait mode. This feature allows you to focus on the object of interest and somewhat blur the other surrounding areas. When someone asks what they should do to ensure the power of God continues to work in their lives for unending peace and prosperity, I give them a simple answer: focus your mind on the Lord the same way you focus your camera lens on an object to get a clear image. When your mind (thoughts, emotions, and attention) is focused on God’s Word, you’re guaranteed to always walk in peace and prosperity. Your mind is a powerful tool given to you by God for transforming your life from glory to glory. If you’d give the right attention to the word of God, it doesn’t matter the storms that come against you, you’ll be at rest because the Lord Himself keeps you in “perfect peace.”

The Hebrew word for “peace” in Isaiah 26:3 is “shalom,” which describes the “rest” of God, wherein is prosperity, health, strength, and salvation. This means that you can be as prosperous, successful and healthy as you want to be if you yield your mind to God’s Word. But if we lose our focus, we are susceptible to the darkness. If you’re currently walking in spiritual darkness, I encourage you to shift your focus.
Focus your eyes on Jesus and His glory. The Word of God is your secret to a miraculous and supernatural life. So keep your focus on God’s Word and divine peace and prosperity will be your continuous experience. Don’t let it get you down. Don’t let it take your focus off of God.

Prayer for Today

Jesus, thank You for bringing light into my spiritual darkness. I confess that sometimes I focus on the things of this world rather than setting my sights on You. Help me to shift my focus. I want to look upon Your glory and have it transform me. In Your name I pray, Amen.

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