Category Archives: Courage

My Favorite #Tiffirmation

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Means stop allowing people to walk all over you. Stand up for yourself. Do that thing that scares you. Do the right thing for you. Be authentic. Be audacious. Take risks. Speak up. Live a bold life with intention.

Synonyms: Courage, Bravery.

 

Checking in to see if you have been using yours? Erin Dawn has and just had to share her message from Facebook:

I see your posts and watch you guys on RHOD and think ‘I wish I had that’. My relationship was so unhealthy because God wasn’t first. Then I started watching your videos and got a little bit of courage….and a little bit more until I left that relationship and started loving me. God sent me that person I was meant to be with and he was my best friend first. Thank you Tiffany for teaching me how to love myself. You are truly my angel. Thanks for being beautiful on the inside and out. Thanks for teaching me to ‘use my lady balls’.

I’m sitting here watching the blinking cursor trying to think of something profound to write, but I can’t. I’m just truly in awe- complete chills-up-the-spine, belly flip flop, jaw dropping awe-  of God. He can even use social media as a mission field!

My passion (really it’s an obsession) is for women to drop the fear and pick up more faith, lose the shame and gain more confidence.
I want that for YOU!

 

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EMBRACE THE PLACE YOU’RE IN [Video]

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Hey Hey Sista!

Every once in a while, I browse through my library of YouTube videos to see what the heck I’ve put out there over the years. The awesome thing about a blog and/or blog is that you have a log and diary of your life. It’s cathartic to go back and see your growth smack in front of your face complete with the various hair colors and makeup attempts. Thank God I found a good HD foundation!

At this point in my life, I’ve become the type that keeps my head down and does the daily work God places in front of me. It truly ROCKS to be purpose + mission driven because you get more laser-beamed focused and ignore the peripheral BS. It also keeps you out of your head, out of your own way and out from being stuck in that whiny, woe-is-me, somewhat depressed place I marinated in for so many years. Lawd help me! You’ve got a task, an assignment, a job to do here and when you get busy with that– life is such a fun  adventure. Funny, how quickly we forget how far we’ve come because we are always looking forward. This is the ONE time I give myself permission to look back in the past!

Although this video is set around Thanksgiving a few years ago, it is still an IMPORTANT message TODAY. I pray whatever place you’re in- the cocoon, the transitional middle place or if you are soaring completely in your purpose- this message encourages you!

 

I would love to hear your thoughts.
Please share + like this post if it resonated with you!

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#MondayMotivation || To Raise Brave Girls, Encourage Adventure

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Gutsy girls skateboard, climb trees, clamber around, fall down, scrape their knees, get right back up — and grow up to be BRAVE WOMEN.  Learn how to spark a little productive risk-taking and raise confident girls with stories and advice from firefighter, paraglider and all-around adventurer Caroline Paul.

If you are raising daughters, mentoring young girls or need to be a braver woman… WATCH THIS: 

 

I just spent the most magical two weeks in California (another blog to come later) and my younger sister, Natalie and I sat on the beach one gorgeous evening reminiscing about our tomboy upbringing. Can I just tell you how grateful I am that our parents embraced ALL the multifaceted sides of our personalities?!? We were pretty, but brave little tomboys who had to wear shorts underneath our dresses on Sunday because we would not let a dress stop us from the chance to climb the monkey bars or race that little boy across the church parking lot.

One day we wanted to…

go muddin’ in the ditches,

learn piano the next,

climb trees after that,

race bicycles up and down the street,

play basketball,

try out for cheerleader,

perform all the songs to Grease for the family,

go on mission trips,

summer camp,

swim in the horse trough,

build a Barbie city that covered my entire bedroom floor,

my bad New Waver phase and Flock of Seagulls haircut, (Lawdy, Lawd!!)

beauty pageants, (then with my Belinda Carlisle haircut)

and on and on and on.

 

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Back then there were no screens to consume our time except for the television screen. We didn’t care much about TV except for watching reruns of Happy Days, Three’s Company, and Good Times. Oh wait, I did love American Bandstand on Saturday mornings. Anyone else?  We loved playing outside! We loved getting sweaty! We loved sports! We truly thought we could do everything the boys did. Although, I did hate it when my dad made us help with the yard work! But, even that toughen us up and taught us not be afraid to use our hands and get a bit dirty. I never realized- until I saw the above TED Talk by Caroline Paul this morning- that all of that freedom to express our “gutsiness” would make such a huge difference in our life as women.

Thank you mom and dad for allowing us to be little adventurous explorers.

Natalie went all over the world as a teenager doing mission work and almost won Survivor: Micronesia in 2008. Not as adventurous, but still gutsy- I began modeling internationally at 17. I climbed down a Bavarian alp and rode a mountain bike from Germany to Austria. (Talk about an achy bootie…think about doing spin class for 8 hours! OUCH!) Flew on an Ultralight, which is basically a go cart with flimsy canvas wings, in Mexico. Slept in a rat infested cabin in Southern Sudan. Drove a Lamborghini up the PCH and got it to 160 MPH. Yeehaw! I should have been Danica Patrick. Just sayin’. Snorkeled off the coast of Africa in the Seychelle Islands and the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Belize. Sang karaoke in Rappongi, the nightlight district of Tokyo. Lived in Milan, Italy for a Summer and rode a 10-speed to all my castings so I could see the city instead of being underground in the subway. Flown in a helicopter over the Great Ocean Road. Heck, moving to LA where I knew no one, took guts and independence.  Seriously, driving around LA the past 2 weeks is gutsy. It’s like a bunch of ants texting while their trying to drive. Now I remember why my adrenal glands were shot from living there. Whew! #RoadRageOnCrack

Has life dulled your gutsiness? Life can make us fearful. I get it. Life can make us whimpy. I get it. Especially, the world we’re living in today, but SCREW THAT! Today, more than ever, we need to raise brave girls and be examples of brave women for them. The conversation with my sister sitting on the beach last week, then stumbling across this TED Talk was no coincidence. I’m here to encourage you to remember how brave you are. I love the ripple effect we can cause for good.

  • Take a moment to reminisce on all the gutsy things you’ve done throughout your life. This will build confidence.
  • If you chickened out on many things you wished you had done, start a list.
  • Get busy being braver than ever and get out there. Check off the list. I want to hear about it!

We become more brave by exercising our bravery. I don’t think I’ve ever made a list of all the cool and somewhat crazy things I’ve done in my life. My confidence and bravery is officially built up and sharpened. Never let anyone or anything, especially yourself, dull your gutsy, girlfriend. 

 

Love to hear your thoughts or a specific gutsy moment you had. 

Share. Comment. Like. You know the drill.

 

EGO= Edging God Out [Video]

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Did you get your ticket yet?

Hope to see you at the Stix & Brix Fundraiser to help build 10 homes in DFW for sex trafficked victims.

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stix-brix-fundraiser-benefiting-treasured-vessels-foundation-tickets-27444134144?aff=es2

Tiff’s 20 Tips To Being More Joyful TODAY!

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1. Cut the crap…keep it real.

2. You get what you give…you want respect, give respect.

3. Be a lifelong learner.

4. Be present..the past is o-v-e-r.

5. Be flexible & open minded.

6. Keep an attitude of gratitude.

7. Create a vision board…keep your goals & dreams in plain sight.

8. Words are powerful…be mindful of what you say.

9. Exercise & move your body.

10. Learn the power of saying NO.

11. Do the right thing & take the high road.

12. Giving & helping others is like a natural anti-depressant.

13. Always keep believing in yourself no matter the circumstance.

14. Practice self-love by not comparing yourself to others.

15. Ignore other people’s drama.  

16. Admire your strengths & embrace your weaknesses.

17. What you focus on expands so focus on the good & get more good.

18. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. A different perspective is always a good thing.

19. Prayer is powerful and can be done anytime, anywhere~

20. NEVER GIVE UP!!!

 

 

Which of these do you need to focus on more?

Do whatever it takes to stretch, grow & expand.

Growth may bring temporary pain, but it will turn into a life of JOY!

Share these tips with any friends who could use the encouragement!

Shine & Strut,

Tiff

 

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P.S. Hey DFW Sistas, join us tonight Thurs, July 14th for a fun time of beauty demos and giveaways at Etre Belle in NorthPark Center.

 

ARE YOU USING YOUR #LADYBALLS?

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A few weeks ago, I had the honor of speaking at the 1st Annual Women Who Rock Event along with several authors and speakers. Talk about grabbing my own #Ladyballs and stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m still working toward getting more comfy doing speaking engagements. We’re really not exercising courage if we’re not shaking in our boots while we’re stepping out, right? I know God is calling me to it and I’m doing my best to be obedient! It’s not about me. It’s about the message.

I felt led to speak about the  #Ladyballs mentality and actually sense a book coming from it! After much prayer and meditation, a message for each letter of #Ladyballs began to take form. Here’s the brief version to inspire you and I plan to get the book finished over the summer. (hold me accountable!!)  When you work through each of these and truly take ownership of your life, you go on to soar, sista.

L- Lose The Labels

A- Always Be Authentic

D- Drop The Doubt

Y- Your Relationship With Yourself

B- Breakthrough Your B.S.

A- Adjust Your Attitude

L- Lift The Limits

L-Love Your Life

S- Step, Strut… SOAR!

 

Who’s ready to soar?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this mentality and which letter(s) seem to have you stuck.

Love & Ladyballs,

Tiff

 

P.S. Get your tee here before they’re all gone!

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WHERE IS YOUR CROWN? A Call To Action

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How fast did January fly by? We’re wrapping up the first month of 2015 and have gotten back into the groove or perhaps you’re trying to create a new groove for the year. With the hustle of life, women easily and willingly shove their crowns in the back of the junk drawer. Where is your crown these days? (Yes, I’m referring to your invisible metaphoric one, but if you want to rock a real tiara- go right ahead sista!)  How is your “queendom” looking? How are you feeling- body, mind & spirit?

I want to encourage you to make your “self-care” a top priority and treat yourself like the queen that you are. You are not a martyr, you are not a slave, you are not a pauper.

YOU ARE A QUEEN! THIS IS YOUR CALL TO ACTION FOR 2015!

Beautiful miracles open up in your life when you pamper, respect and love yourself. Too many women view this as selfish or self-indulgent. Moms, if you are taking good care of yourself, you are setting an example for your children to do the same. It goes the same for the opposite. If you are neglecting yourself, you are setting that negative example for your kids.

Everyone’s life is different so the various levels of self-care will be different for every woman, but here are a few ways we can all make self-care a priority this year:

  1. BE SPONTANEOUS. Take a break each week and do something totally spontaneous. I know this sounds contradictory to plan spontaneity, but we gotta do what we gotta do, right. Basically, it’s giving yourself free time each week and sometimes even that has to be scheduled. For example, on a day that has a light schedule, go do something totally fun. Last Friday after a morning meeting- which I had blocked off more time for than was needed- and when the meeting ended sooner than expected my girlfriend (who was also at the meeting) and I headed to the mall, grabbed a Starbucks for shopping stamina and went hunting  for boot sales! Totally spontaneous and just what the doctor ordered after a very busy week.
  2. ASK FOR HELP. This is a big one because we don’t like to “put people out” or bother anyone. I admit to being really weak in this area because 1. I’m a control freak and 2. I don’t like to bother people. As my schedule gets crazier and I have more responsibilities, I am forcing myself out of my comfort zone and asking for help. A queen allows people to do things for her. She’s not a B@&*# about it and she’s not demanding. She simply knows her queendom will run more efficiently when she delegates and isn’t afraid to ask people to do things that they are probably much better at than she is anyway.
  3. WEEKLY PAMPERING. Create a “Just for me” cash stash and go blow it on yourself every single week. Yes, I said every week not every few months. Get a mani/pedi, massage, facial, body wrap or treatment, etc every week. Maybe put the money toward an empowering seminar you’ve been wanting to take which pampers your spirit. I admit, I still do my nails at home every once in a while for convenience, but I started a “just for me” cash stash a few years ago and it is one of the best ways to practice self- care. I can no longer use the excuse of lack of funds for neglecting myself.

The list really could go to a hundred ways to take care of yourself, but these 3 things have stood out to me recently between my private lifestyle mentor clients and girlfriends. Don’t wait until you have chronic migraines, resent your family for spreading you thin and you begin to feel like a doormat. Start today. Set your intention on rockin’ that crown proudly.

 

I wanted to share one of my favorite Oprah quotes and just googled it to find there was more to it. I’m excited to add this to the post:

Be A Queen by Oprah

 

Be a queen. Dare to be different. Be a pioneer. Be a leader. Be the kind of woman who in the face of diversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward challenge. Take it on! Be a truth seeker and rule your domain, whatever it is—your home, your office, your family—with a loving heart.

Be a queen. Be tender. Continue to give birth to ideas and rejoice in your womanhood… my prayer is that we will stop wasting time being mundane and mediocre… we are daughters of God—here to teach the world how to love…

It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through, where you come from, who your parents are—nor your social or economic status. None of that matters. What matters is how you choose to love, how you choose to express that love through your work, through your family, through what you have to give to the world…

Be a queen. Own your power and glory!

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Cheers to my fellow daughters of God!
Please leave a comment and share if you’re going to dust off your crown and make sure to share this with your friends who need this call to action as well.
Love, Tiff

 

5 THINGS TO LET GO OF IN 2015: The 1st Motivational Vlog of the Year

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Hey Chicas!

Grab a cup of coffee, tea or a kale smoothie (wink) and your iPad and have some girl time with me. This is the very 1st motivational vlog of the 2015 and this time I’m giving you a list of 5 things to stop doing instead of adding more things to your to-do list this year. As we all plan to go bigger and elevate every aspect of our life we have to get rid of and grow out of behaviors that hold us back from being our ultimate best!

The heartfelt comments women are leaving on this video have inspired me and deepened my passion for the purpose of SOS. Women around the world are being braver than ever right now and stepping into their destiny.

Are YOU joining us? 

I hope so.

Love, Tiff

STOP SHRINKING! You Are Meant to Live Big

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During my morning reading, the author made reference to my favorite quote by Marianne Williamson. I’ve loved this quote for many years, but the section that jumped out at me this morning was “your playing small does not serve the world”. This concept is part of the theme I want us all to live by this year! You may remember my new year wish that stated, “Laugh loud, love hard, live big”. Coming across this quote today solidified this theme for me.

Are you going to join me? 

Read the entire quote slowly:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”

 

  • Have you been living small?
  • Are you afraid of your innate power?
  • Do you realize (really, really, realize) you are a child of God?
  • Do you dim your light and shrink around certain people?

I lived small, wasn’t powerful, didn’t know my worth as a child of God and would shrink back for years. I even wore brown, beige or black during that period. I know that’s why I was so drawn to this quote. It resonated with me and has been a driving force behind SOS.  2015 is our year to shine brighter and by doing so we will give others the freedom to shine their brightest as well. Yes, there will be those who feel threatened by your radiance, but DO NOT dim your light so they will feel comfortable. Some friends will prefer the small you because it makes them feel big. A true friend will grow with you and support the new, shinier you. Shrinking and dimming is truly a disservice to the world and a slap in God’s face. He created you to shine! 

The world does not need more women playing small. As my motto says, “confident women change the world”, so it’s time to stop dimming your light. The world is desperate for it. It’s time to stop holding back and start stepping out.. and struttin’ it! It’s time to stop crying and start laughing. It’s time to stop needing and start believing. It’s time to realize your gifts, share them and stop hiding them.

Small thinking leads to small actions which lead to a small life.

Big thinking leads to big actions which lead to a BIG LIFE.

Which do you choose?

Make a comment and share how you can live bigger in 2015.

Love, Tiff

PURPOSE GONE WILD by Guest Blogger Ashley Brown

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The Gift you are meant to give…

You are a rare specimen. I know that’s a random way of starting this blog, but its true! The fact that you are alive is confirmation that you have purpose. Out of MILLIONS of sperm and hundreds of thousands eggs, YOU WERE SELECTED TO BE HERE. This is simply amazing. In case you didn’t know, it only takes 1 sperm, and 1 egg to create a baby, and in that particular moment, you were created. This is phenomenal. There is a specific reason why you are here, and your purpose is directly linked to your passion.

Let’s talk passion today…

We all have our passions & interest. The problem comes when we fall into a hypnotic rhythm of imitating the lives of others, and fail to realize our own uniqueness. Those who are truly great and legendary are the ones who pursed their curiosities even when it was contrary to what everyone else was doing around them. They did not fear the opinions of others, they simply acted on their hearts desires and in turn, they made a significant contribution to the world. The problem with mass media and social media is that when you are so focused on the lives of others it can be a distraction and distort your thinking, making you believe that you are supposed to be in a position that you are not.

Truth is…

you are right where you need to be and as soon as you take your eyes off everyone else’s purpose you can start pursuing your own.

Don’t be afraid of your own happiness or success.

The world NEEDS that authentic thing you have to offer.

Imitating the masses is a sure way of neglecting your true calling. Dig deep to find your OWN creative voice. Copying is easy. Many people can do it and it makes money, but there is no rewarding feeling at the end of it. When you pursue your passions, that “rewarding” feeling is worth more than any dollar amount.

Take some time to revisit the things that captivate you.

The things that make your heart skip a beat or have you up for hours, researching, studying, dreaming etc. When you are really excited or passionate about something that is a green light that you are headed in the right direction. Some people have a misconception that discovering your purpose is supposed to be a drawn out struggle. It is actually the polar opposite. You are co-creating this life with the ultimate creator (God) and he has instilled a gift in you that will spark your interest.

It is important to act and dive deeper into even the most subtle passions that may seem random and pointless. For instance, if you have a passion for drawing on the ground with chalk, you may be able to start a campaign writing positive quotes on college campuses. As crazy as it may sound, extraordinary things happen when you take time to learn what drives you. God didn’t create anything that is not gifted. Master who you are, instead of being pre-occupied with everyone else.

As we head into the new year, I want you to rediscover your passions. Take some time to reflect back on what interested you as a child, and be confident on your pursuit of purpose. I can’t stress enough how living your purpose truly serves the world.

If your passions don’t line up with all the degrees you have received or career path you’ve been on, do not fear. It’s better to start now, than to look back 30 years from now, realizing you let all your passions die.

So…join me in re-discovering our passions and unwrapping the beautiful gift God has given us. #GettingMyLife #PurposeGoneWild (Hashtag! I want to see your success & progress.)

 Follow me: @AshleyEmpowers 

http://www.ashleyempowers.com

AshleyEmpowers