Back from M.I.A.

First I would definitely like to say how much I've missed this blog! I've missed sharing and connecting with those of you who read and I am officially back from being missing in action today!

Just in case you were wondering- I spent a week in the Dominican Republic on vacation, and the other three weeks were spent re-evaluating my life. I found myself thinking about my relationship... my friendships... my family... my job... my purpose... my- well, you basically get the point. I was thinking about LIFE. I am only a few months shy of my 25th birthday and believe me when I tell you, I'm having a hard time grasping the fact that I'm going to be in my "mid-twenties". I knew this birthday would be a big deal for me- I just didn't know it would start affecting me so far in advance. (There's a two-part blog post coming on what turning 25 means to me, I assure you)

In any event, I'm back to blogging and I wanted my first post to basically sum up what I've learned while I've been on my month long hiatus. I spent this break thinking about alot and I really wanted to be able to share with you what I've taken away from my time alone with my thoughts. It was hard at first to put into one theme the many topics that I've contemplated over the past few weeks. But some internet browsing early Sunday evening finally triggered this post.

As I sat at my desk to begin writing, I was distracted by You Tube (as usual) and stumbled on the Stanford Commencement Speech given this year by Oprah Winfrey. One of the points she raised was the importance of not fighting against the seemingly negative situtations that may arise in your life- instead try to focus on the lesson these circumstances are here to teach you. This was definitely not the first time I've heard this antecdote but it was definitely the first time that I found this concept so applicable to the frame of mind that I was in at the present moment.

Previously I've been mulling over all the bad decisions I've made in my life. Among other things, I was regretting the choices I've made in relationships (both platonic and romantic) and wondering why I'd turned down an Ivy League graduate school to work myself to death in corporate America. I was regretting not spending enough time working on and promoting YBR and not making enough of an effort to nurture the relationships with my family and friends.

Once the video was over, I found myself on Oprah.com and came across a list of tips in the Inspiration section of the site. It was a list on ways to open yourself up to your life's purpose. There was one tip that seemed to jump out at me. I'd found it! It was the basic theme that could summarize all that I'd contemplated over the last month and the mantra I could use to get me out of whatever "slump" I was putting myself in on the heels of hitting the quarter century bench mark. Have no regrets. According to the experts, it's easy to regret the time you've spent being unhappy or unfulfilled. Realize that during that time, you developed the skills you need to succeed! Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But how many of us can truly say we apply it's principles to our everyday lives?

I was complaining to one of my fav friends a few months ago about my job. Saying how much I couldn't wait until I didn't need to work anymore. How much I hated waking up and going there everyday blah blah blah. And I remember her saying to me "You obviously didn't learn the lesson you were meant to learn yet. As soon as you do, you will leave." I always held on to her comment but wasn't quite sure how to apply it until I read those words on Oprah's site and listened to what she said at her speech at Stanford. Yes, there will be times in life when we're faced with situations and circumstances that are less than desirable, but since experiencing some of these things are inevitable, wouldn't it make the most sense to learn what we can from it and move on?

I just know that I'm tired of playing the victim. I'm tired of complaining. And as cliche as it sounds I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I'm not sure what the lesson is that I'm supposed to be learning at this point of time in my life, but I can't wait until I figure it out. Because it's at that moment that I'll realize that I've finally moved on and made it to the next level.

To Your Success,
Alecia D.