Geaux Live, Learn, Love!

Written May 21, 2020

During an interesting and heartfelt discussion with author, empowerment speaker and actress, Teriece Cherell, we had a detailed conversation regarding cultivating healthy and meaningful relationships. In reflecting upon the relationships in my life, everything ties back to the very same platform I promote regularly: Geaux Love Ya'Self! The key proponent in avoiding toxicity is knowing your worth.  When you love yourself and realize the true value you possess, it becomes more clearer which relationships we should maintain and which ones we need to let geaux of. Have you ever encountered a miserable individual? A person who just made your spirit tremble? I think we all have unfortunately encountered people who exude negativity. By embracing self love, my biggest lesson when it comes to relationships is to cultivate those that match as well as nurture my energy and to sever ties to those that drain, disrespect and devalue my being.  In making those choices, I learned that putting self worth over everything is an imperative factor to survival. It is not being selfish, it is being cautious, being protective and being aware of yourself. Just like poison or a rash, or even a virus, it is important to guard yourself and not to allow contact with things that may harm us. Viewing your time and energy as a precious and fragile entity opens up the idea of learning to set the proper boundaries we need. Some of the relationships we allow in our lives tend to linger past it's natural expiration date. Unequally yoked romantic partners, insincere friendships, emotionally abusive relatives, to name a few, are some of the toxic relationships that serve no purpose to self worth or self growth. In contrast, there are also relationships that serve as as a bright light in our lives. These relationships are the ones that I like to view as the positivity force. These relationships are the genuine ones that love us wholeheartedly, fill us up with joy and remind you of how special some people are just by simply being themselves. Everyone needs positive relationships in their lives. Positive energy helps mold us, and nurture us. Strong and healthy relationships are extremely vital for our well-being along with our spirit. It is easy to take these relationships for granted, but ultimately genuine friendships and familial bonds are precious and deserving of care.

So how do we differentiate between which relationships are worth salvaging and which ones should be terminated permanently? If you truly embrace the practice of self love and self value, the answer is extremely simple. Any relationship that is toxic and does not serve growth or forward movement should be terminated. Any relationship, whether it be a blood relative or a long term friendship, that disrespects, devalues or demeans you should be terminated. A lot of times, we manipulate ourselves into tolerating emotional abuse by family members because we are conditioned that family is family no matter what. In addition, we also talk ourselves into maintaining friendships that don't serve us because of the length of time we have allowed them into our lives. In my journey, I had to go through a lot of pain to realize that despite blood ties, or longevity with individuals, no one is worth more than the well being of my mental health or the value of my joy. We need to look past how certain individuals have formed placeholders in our lives and focus more on the purpose they are serving in our lives instead. In conclusion, is it possible to live, learn and love with an open heart? Of course, it is! As long as we live by my personal mantra and platform to Geaux Love Ya'Self, we can garner toxic free relationships in our lives. When we value ourselves, we attract the right energy. When we value ourselves, we also form a force field that deters the negative energy away from us as well. If you are at a crossroads in determining what relationships are worth salvaging and which ones should be done away with, make sure you evaluate what purpose does that relationship bring into your life. How does this relationship make you feel deep down inside? Do you feel full with happiness and joy or do you feel weighed down and small? Once you think hard about the answer, you will be sure to make a choice that goes in the right direction.  If no one has told you yet today, I love you! But most importantly, Geaux Love Ya'Self first!

COMMENTS:

Teriece Cherell Thursday, May 21, 2020

Great article Shronda!! It really hits the spot of what we discussed and helps bring it home. In the end, it really is about engaging in healthy and mutually beneficial relationships. As we discussed in the podcast episode, while all relationships are not created equally each one has the power to teach us about life, ourselves and how to deal with others. It all boils down to loving yourself, knowing your worth and setting healthy boundaries in all relationships. In order to love someone else, you must first Geaux Love Ya Self. This can be done by first developing a relationship with God and then yourself. It is all about learning how to acknowledge and appreciate those relationships in our lives, for the lessons and blessing that they teach us. Thanks again for having me as a special guest and I really enjoyed our conversation!! Everyday and in every way, remember to Geaux Love Ya Self!!