She Will Not Lose: The Indigo Trip

Troy University c/o 2017 The Ceremony  I walked into the arena and instantly felt the vibrations from the roars of families and supporters in the stands. "Pomp and Circumstance" echoed on each side of the gym as I followed the line of graduates to our seats. My eyes eagerly searched through the sea of signs, flowers, and cheering parents as I hoped to catch a glance of my family. I suddenly flashed back to my childhood and all of the activities my parents helped me embark in. I recall moments in my childhood where my parents’ time were taken by Corporate America or military deployments. As a child, I did not understand the toll that disappointment can have on a person. I had my mind set on dropping out for a term in order to find a balance in my life. I made that decision my last semester of college. This past semester was one of the toughest in my college career.  If it were not for the support and push from my parents there is no telling when I would...

Depths of Diaspora I am two weeks away from becoming a college graduate and this journey has taken me to heaven, hell, and back. I approached my freshman year of college with dreamy eyes and anxious ambitions of being the next former NBC host Melissa Harris Perry . I also came to Troy University with a heart that was dedicated to a high school sweetheart of two years. My relationship was over by the end of my first semester and I was completely devastated. I had new responsibilities, a new home, new people and the only familiarity that I had was with my ex back home, who was gone. Many people experience their first heartbreak in high school after being stood up at the prom, movies, etc. My first heart break took place in my shabby dorm room with a roommate whom I barely knew and was rather uncomfortable with my unorthodox relationship all together. During that breakup, I lost myself chasing unrequited love. The longer I chased, the more I began to trap myself in desperation, d...

I’m sure you can recall a moment when you would walk into your living room and blurt out, “why did I come in here again?” Although it may take a few trips from room-to-room to figure out what you are missing, there is still an “oh yeah!” moment that arises. We all encounter situations that leave us questioning our initial purpose. No matter if it involves you picking another profession after college or finding another career after retirement. Marriage, parenthood, careers can have a person running in lanes that they never intended on competing in. My mother and I have a lot of things in common. For instance, we are both writers and we both grew up wanting to be Hollywood stars. As my siblings and I got older my mother became more drawn into Corporate America rather than in freelance writing. She went to college for journalism but was not able to follow through with that plan. I am now in my senior year of college and I am an aspiring writer and journalist. I bel...

Anger is addictive and I do not think people realize how easy it is to slip into the traps of negativity. It is not impossible to be positive through troubling times. Antagonism is a constricting sign of distress. Anger is reflected differently in people. According to www.psychguides.com , there are different forms of anger, which include: Chronic anger  – prolonged, cause of other mental disorders Passive anger – sneering sarcasm  Overwhelmed anger – caused by stress Self-inflicted anger – caused by feelings of guilt Judgmental anger – directed towards others Volatile anger – violent anger From experience, I grew up watching family members carry anger throughout their entire adult lives. They carry the weight of rage from their childhood and into parenthood. I have witnessed their own children growing up and avoiding their parent when they were no longer forced to be in that type of environment. It is natural to be upset but when anger becomes your pe...

Life is challenging but we are not put here to live in struggle. Struggle is nothing more than life lessons. There is absolutely nothing wrong with failure, we can't always come on top. When a person makes a mistake, experience teaches us. Perfection does not exist in man. There is no good in holding disappointment within yourself because everyone messes up. We are accountable for our life choices and the actions that we take, however, we can not harbor our mistakes. Consequences can be harsh but with forgiveness we have a gateway to a fresh start. For example, it is hard to live up to certain people's expectations. I have disappointed quite a few people because of the choices that I made. Self-condemnation was one of the heaviest crosses that I grew up having to bare. I could not bring myself to asking for forgiveness, nor practicing how to forgive myself. I realized that withholding my mistakes, left me stagnant. I was stuck in denial and I made it more difficult ...

Let's face it, nothing in life comes easily. Balancing your professional and personal life can be exhausting. We are forced to put on masks to conform to certain environments. Stress can be a result of you running through your journey with no breaks. Sometimes it can be difficult to find peace in the midst of chaos.  When we allow ourselves to be boggled down in stress, our body begins to adjust to it.  High blood pressure, depression, insomnia, and anxiety are just a few traits that result in your body undergoing constant stress. It is so easy to adapt to the negative facets of pressure, however, discovering your own stress relievers can be extremely beneficial. Below are five beneficial ways to relieve stress:  1       Talk – Whether you are confiding to a trusted individual or a higher power, you have to vent. I have grown up learning the hard way how unhealthy it is to suppress what you are going through. I was always fearful of being judged,...

We all get occupied by the burdensome traffic that life will throw our way. Nothing you want is handed to you. All desires take sacrifice, time, effort, and passion. What we neglect to focus on is the time that needs to be taken out for ourselves. When your focus is taken off of yourself, your life becomes unbalanced. Each component towards reaching our desires takes pieces of us until the peace within us fades out.  How can a person progress when they are exhausted mentally and emotionally, and in some cases physically? The trip requires a person to be at peace with their past, present and future. Corruption is a road block and either you work around it or through it. You can’t follow a desire if you’re experiencing doubt or fear. IT JUST DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT! I learned today in church that if you focus on fearing your destiny, you will lead yourself to failure. With that being said, don’t stress… just rest! Two weeks ago, I was sent to the emergency room f...