BALANCE AND JOY THROUGH INTENTIONAL LIVING
Each month we will share a monthly debt update to document our progress and use it as a way to reflect and keep us accountable and motivated. March was an exhausting month. They all seem to be these days. But what keeps us going is the opportunity to actually have options…eventually. So we keep pushing, keep making these debt payments because we see the progress. And it is so motivating.
Each month we will share a monthly debt update to document our progress and use it as a way to reflect and keep us accountable and motivated. We are making steady progress and things are feeling like they are on autopilot. Tax season is here, so we’ll eventually need to take a step back in order to pay our tax preparation fees. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes.
I’m finding it harder to make financial plans, which is completely opposite of my normal way of operating. But setting money aside to pay for future expenses makes me anxious because I just want to put everything toward debt immediately. So lately we pay for things when they come up instead of saving for them and having it ready in advance. I am only comfortable doing this because we have an emergency fund. Emergency funds are extremely important. If you don’t have one, start creating one now.
My Dad has always been my mentor and hero! He has several notable career and life accomplishments, but most important to him is his role as father and grandfather. A few weeks ago, my Dad turned 80 years old and I took the lead in coordinating an amazing virtual celebration for my hero.
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Intentional living is a personal journey. A journey that sometimes means finding the courage to go against the norm. It’s about taking steps, usually small ones, to get closer to the life you envision. And since everyone’s dreams and priorities are vastly different, your journey will be different as well.
Continue reading “Finding Courage To Live Your Intentional Life”
Neither Sean nor I got financial lessons growing up. Money just wasn’t something that was talked about much at home. So like most people we know, we’ve had to figure it out along the way. We’re going to do this differently for our kids. These 6 money lessons are the foundation we are setting for bigger talks we’ll have as they get older.
Like any parent, we want to make the road a bit easier for them. If we plant the seeds, we are hopeful that they will make sound financial decisions as they grow. We don’t want to keep them in the dark when it comes to finances and we think that age-appropriate lessons are a good way to start their financial educations.
Continue reading “6 Money Lessons We Are Teaching Our Toddler With Intention”
As a child, my mom always stressed the importance of drinking plenty of water and eating our vegetables. Vegetables were tolerable but water was not my drink of choice. I loved soda, orange crush to be specific! As I got older, I began to take my health much more seriously. But it wasn’t until I watched a video by the late Dick Gregory that I took an assessment of what I was drinking. He explained that our body is composed of the same amount of water as planet earth. To sustain life, we must all drink a sufficient amount of water.
We all know that words have power. And colors are as beautiful as words are powerful. The way we describe colors can affect how we see ourselves and others. Think about how people say things like “there are dark days ahead for him” or “it looks dark and gloomy outside”, and other common idioms that are even in religious text. To offset the stigma that dark is scary, I reframed how we talk about dark colors to our kids. I remind them often that the world is a rainbow of beautiful colors, dark ones included.
I am intentional about this because I want to promote a sense of pride and love for their brown skin. The reality is that there are many things that will try to say something contrary. If I’m reading a passage in a book and the word “dark” comes up, I always insert “beautiful” before it. I’ve done this since they were born.
All colors have beauty, its why the world is such a remarkable place. But due to the negativity that is subconsciously and consciously promoted about dark colors, dark skin, we have to be intentional to foster a sense of love and pride for themselves, just the way they are.
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Culture – the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. That’s the Oxford definition. Culture for me is pride. It’s a rooted connection to my history. I feel it running through my blood, I hear it in my voice. It runs deep. Ask me where I’m from and I can tell stories all day long. My culture is an important part of me.
I am from a community rich in culture. It permeates the island. The food, the music, the celebrations. When anyone opens their mouth to speak, it screams culture! I miss home so much.
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The kitchen is a sacred space. It’s where delicious food comes to life. But I never wanted to prepare the meals, I just wanted to enjoy them. Unfortunately or fortunately, Simone never agreed to this philosophy. I fought this responsibility for a long time for a few reasons, but cooking helped my personal growth and changed my perspective. Embracing this shared cooking responsibility has been a long time coming. Let me first explain.
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Each month we will share a monthly debt update to document our progress and use it as a way to reflect and keep us accountable and motivated. We’re getting so close to being rid of rental #1 and we are so excited. We’ve been side hustling, working extra hours, and really ramped up this month. We had 2 windfalls – stimulus and a reward at work – and both went to the mortgage. They really helped propel us to under the 10k mark.