Happy Temptation Tuesday! With almost the first 6 months of the year behind us…it’s time to do some reflection. A few weeks ago, I was blessed to celebrate the beginning of my 38th trip around the sun (my birthday) in Las Vegas with Harmony!!! And it was glorious! We partied, saw Janet Jackson in her limited residency, and watched Magic Mike Live (our third year). In between the drinks and sweet desserts, I could not be more grateful that the Good Lord chose me to live this imperfect but blessed life! Sometimes I feel challenged and like obstacles are always in my way but in the midst of celebrating my birthday….I am reminded of how far I’ve come! ?? Now that I’ve started my 38th trip around the sun, I want to share some wisdom! Here are 5 things that I have learned on my journey into my late 30s: 5. YOU CANNOT MAKE HIM LOVE YOU!!!! Whoa Chile….say that again for the folks all the way in the back…in the cheap seats! ?? There is no wearing a man (or any person for that matter) down when it comes to true and genuine love! If he don’t love you…he just don’t! Go out and be open to meeting a man who can love you the way you desire! Took Kingston 8.5 years to realize this!!! Don’t be Kingston! ??♀️ 4. SET BOUNDARIES FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR LIFE!!! If you let some folks, they will run off with your self esteem and your draws! ??♀️ No matter who the person is…family, friend, spouse, coworker, boss…set those boundaries!!!! And if they aren’t being met…get out of there! Toxic folks love to bring others down! I don’t care if it’s your own mama or papa…don’t allow that negative energy to seep in. Cut ties if need be! ?? This sounds crazy but you will thank me one day for dropping that little nugget on you!!!! 3. WE TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO TREAT US! To piggyback off of number 4, when we do not set boundaries in our own lives, folks will continuously walk all over us! Every day, how we interact with and react to others….directly and indirectly…teaches others how to treat us! ?? Whoa! This is something I wish I had really paid attention to in my 20s. The more shit you take is the more shit you gonna get! ? Folks watch how much of yourself you are willing to compromise for their company and they dish mess out accordingly! ??? No ma’am! This is not the way to get love and respect. The way you love and respect yourself, your time, and how you manage your life will guide others on how to treat you! ?? 2. SOME FRIENDSHIPS EXPIRE! Some friendships expire like spoiled milk on the damn sell date!!! Meaning you aren’t expecting stank curdled milk (yet) but that’s what you got! Every now and then we all need to take inventory of our friendships! The longer you have been friends with someone is the more you need to ASSESS if this friendship is STILL a positive one for you! I’ve had tons of old toxic friends try to hang on to our friendship under the guise of they have been my friend forever! News flash…some folks don’t know the meaning of real friendships or they suddenly forgot! Friendships are like any other relationships…they are a two way street that should serve as a positive, supportive, and inspiring force! If you are feeling like you need to get to another level in life….tweaking your immediate friend circle just may do the trick! We may have been down for 20 years but I’m evolving and so should our friendship!!! GROWTH! ?? 1. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND TAKE RISKS!!! Remember that growth I spoke about in number 2….well it doesn’t happen when we continuously play life safely. In my 20s, I felt like I could do anything! As I approached my 30s, I noticed that society started limiting me. All of sudden my professional accomplishments did not matter if I was not married with children. First, I kind of accepted that the 30s are going to suck and started to question my entire being. Then I snapped the f*ck out of that negative feeling, started shedding negative friends who supported low self esteem and self doubt, and started to take some major risks in my life! ?? I continued to date a guy 8.5 years younger than me!!!? No matter how that shit turned out…it was a ballsy move that I got judged for left and right. ??♀️ In my 30s, I continued to randomly move around the east coast until I realized that Jersey was and is always home. I started to solo travel, dress even more sexier than when I was in my 20s (tastefully of course), and brag about my vibrators along with all my daily orgasms! ??? And my friends now match my life goals. I like my friends to be ahead of me in every area of life! No need to be the smartest one in my group…nothing to gain from that. And lastly, I am trying to find my career niche….the thing that’s going to define me as the growing empire I know I can be! It’s never too late for growth in all areas of life!! ~KJM is spitting knowledge on Temptation Tuesday! The 30s are the give no f*cks decade! ?? Shout out to HARMONY for out doing all the previous years she’s been hosting my birthday celebrations in Vegas! This journey of my 38th year around the sun started like no other!!! Love you girl! ?
Your advice is invaluable. In particular, #4, #3, and #1 resonate with me. At 36, I find it difficult but extremely necessary to set boundaries with certain family members. After years of the same old ways, people learn your triggers and how to pull on your heart strings. I’m blessed to have someone in my life that can help me see through the bullsh** and stand firm on my decision. Now, stepping out of my comfort zone is going to take a lot of work for me. I have brilliant ideas for a business within education, but I haven’t brought it to fruition for fear of failure. However, I feel like your post was confirmation for me. It’s time to start planning and writing the vision. ? Thanks!
Go DC! Go! I have faith in you! Now is the time! ~KJM