Last Christmas, I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with my family in Hawaii. Growing up on the coast, nothing makes me think clearer and feel more at peace than the presence of the ocean. It’s boundless, free, and always knows how to stay fulfilled, even when it is polluted, and no matter how many shores soak up parts of its nature—it still rolls on. *(Listen to my spoken piece on the ocean through the link located at the end of this blog!)*
As I was sitting crisscrossed by the edge of the shore, looking into the horizon and reflecting over my previous year and recently gained this urge and yearning to become free—to express who I truly am in a way that would never again hide my true identity. To have a profession that matches my deepest passions and gifts. Have you ever battled choosing your passion or choosing your profession? Why can’t they be the same?
From this new revelation of wanting to be free, I knew I had to create that freedom. I had to take off the mask. As you have read in my two previous blogs about cutting off my hair and deferring the Doctoral program, I had quite a thick mask on to make sure that I kept the “successful" persona that made others proud of me. But, this mask became so thick…I forgot who I was. I didn’t even recognize my OWN traits. Who I was DESIGNED to be.
We shouldn’t just choose jobs because they are available but choose jobs that are our passion. We shouldn’t live a certain lifestyle because it’s convenient and less of a hassle. We should live an intentional lifestyle that best represents who we truly are and what we were designed to do. Otherwise, we really wasted a lot of God’s time making you unique and His handiwork. And that is what I did. Allow my true gifts to sit on the back shelf behind the regular use of complacency.
So, I prayed. And prayed. AND PRAYED. And, in that moment, sitting on the shore, the courage came to me. I realized that I really wanted to create a platform that coaches and supports others in this same place that I am in, to work towards becoming the person who they aspired to be. What better way to work through your healing journey than helping others with their journey? With so, this was the birth of what you are experiencing now, RAW Honey.
As my stage/blog name is Bee, I wanted to keep a relationship to my name. Something sweet, yet difficult to produce; something that takes time to create, but the process involves the most beautiful forms of nature; something that is best from the direct source and that many can enjoy – RAW Honey. From the moment that named fell in my spirit, I began typing my fingers away. I didn’t talk to my family (I know, terrible) for 3 days of the trip because I was writing a business and platform plan. It was flat out exhilarating. I was creating something that showed the true me, the raw me, and my raw talents, not the things that society applauds me for being. I never thought of being a coach, but now it is one of my first descriptors in my bio. I never saw myself as an artist, but I gladly and initially describe myself as such. It’s so freeing.
I won’t explain RAW Honey in detail, because you are currently bearing the fruits of it with this blog. However, I will say, it taught me to invest in myself, make new avenues, and bravely and consistently invest in my passions and dreams. Of course, as with any new thing, it takes time to develop. It takes energy, sacrifices, mistakes, and patience to actually see a harvest from your sowing. But the focus is not on the results (believe me, with following God, results come). Instead, the focus is on that you were brave enough to show the world who you truly were and go for that. That although you are a wizard at science, your passion is to be a dancer, so you pursue that, no matter what others think is successful. The true result is that you have a better understanding of yourself and more peace in your life.
This revelation has opened up the door to present myself as a coach and artist, something I was previously ashamed of because it carried no accolades. In turn, this has expanded and spread in everything I do, beyond RAW Honey. I am able to express, to motivate, to empower, and to write this blog now. Over time I grew to understand that the vision of success is pre-destined, self-determined, and love-induced. I AM A COACH. I AM AN ARTIST.
Takeaways:
-If you believe and KEEP believing, your dreams ARE your reality. Flatout. Firsthand.
-Don’t live by default, live by design. Doing things because your family is full of this profession, or because other people your age do this, doesn’t mean that is what GOD designed for you to be. Tap in. Look at that design plan.
-Investing in yourself is SO much more valuable than investing in what others want for you. At least you know when you invest in yourself, you will always receive a harvest of connection, joy, peace, and self-love.
-No one of this world can determine your worth. God can, did, has, and WILL. Step into it and be you. The world deserves to experience your gifts. Be your most natural you—the RAW Honey. :)
-Define your pre-defined purpose. Anything can be a plan or thought, but it’s beautiful when you allow yourself to come ALIVE.
-Your passion and your profession CAN be aligned. Go for it, because you only get one shot at living a fulfilled and happy life. DO NOT hold back because you “wasted time” (it’s never a waste if you learn) on a different hobby, job, education, relationship, or career because that season has many valuable lessons that brought you to this jumping place. Years does not equal value.
-People who are truly happy for you will still believe in you when you give up your masks (I’ll explain more in my next blog). If they doubt you in those moments, they were NEVER truly happy for you. They just have too many masks on and are suffocating from the real emotions flowing in and out, including happiness (that’s right, you’re not truly happy with the mask on—just contently existing).
-Journal/record the moment(s) when you choose you over the opinions of the world. When your spirit is feeling challenged to go back, you can revisit this and experience how excited, fulfilled, and loved you felt. Let me tell you, I’ll never forget that feeling on the beach.
Drop of Honey:
Be brave—take the mask off and jump into who you are destined to be. You are so worth it, and it is not too late. Be free.
Ocean by Queen Bee: https://soundcloud.com/queenbee-339289868/ocean
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