REFLECTION:
So I recently had my 33rd birthday and I must say it was a bit of an anomaly. There was a different energy and intention to it. Normally, I am super stoked and I start thinking about a million different creative and fun-filled blasted kind of ways to turn up. Normally, I am letting all of my close friends and family members know to mark their calendars months in advance because it’s going down and airplanes and hotels need to be booked and money needs to be saved as I want the closest people to be there with me on that day no matter where life has us all positioned.
The most Turnt birthday extravaganza to date was my 30th born day that was an entire weekend long in Miami, FL. People flew from everywhere and we had all sorts of swagged out fun from a spa day, golf outing, yacht cruise, brunch, penthouse gathering and the culmination event that happened at Club LIV on Sunday. My boss and friend at the time, Rash (COMMON), performed at the party and had everyone sparked with life. The party was so live that people found themselves in all sorts of unpredictable predicaments the following morning including: my college girlfriend making it to the airport but unfortunately not on the actual plane because she fell asleep at the gate and my best friend’s brother falling asleep on a palm tree on the beach. It was a memorable experience for all people involved to say the least.
And although it took everyone a week or so to regroup from the birthday festivities, one thing that was for sure, people left so inspired and pumped and excited about life and it felt good that many of the people that I hold close to my heart from every decade of my life had a beautiful time and were able to let loose and take a pause on the crazy world we live in and the ups and downs that life often presents to us.
PRESENT:
This birthday was a bit different. As a social entrepreneur and creative with three businesses, overwhelming life demands and ambitious visions for any project I am a part of, I did not even think about planning one thing this year. As far as I was concerned, I just got back from an international fashion week run in NY, London and Milan for Heart of Cool and quite frankly everyday is my birthday because I am blessed.
And so with the desire of wanting to finish my fourth quarter strong and start planning a dynamic first quarter of 2016, I knew my birthday was going to be just a little different this year. There would be no birthday plan alerts months before and there would be no airplanes and hotels booked. There would be no hype this year, but there would be tears and raw authentic moments of some of the most deep and divine internal reflections that I have ever engaged in on my born day.
REVELATION Part 1:
According to my father, I have a tendency to see things for how I want them to be as opposed to how they really are. I think the world calls that idealism so I guess that would make me an idealist from a societal perspective. I, personally, call it being positive and optimistic. Nonetheless, coming to grips with this truth about myself and in an effort to see things for how they really are, the first realization I must confess is that life is crazy and people are crazier and when life comes at you fast, you better be sober minded enough to make the right decisions to set your future up properly because if you do not, you could lose the plot and lose it fast.
REVELATION Part 2:And in order to do that you have to be accountable and responsible and realistic with your weaknesses and strengths; your intentions and values along with your priorities and beliefs in addition to a full understanding of the sacrifices that you are willing to make to get to where you want to go because deposits and investments must be made in order to make future withdrawals. And seeds must be sewn if you look to reap the blessings of a harvest. And it all comes down to what serves and honors you – not your parents or friends or people you look up to – but you!
To become great from the inside out and live in true prosperity and abundance and to live with a joy that the world can’t take away, you must understand that self-love is ruthless and in the process of becoming great, you really have to have the courage to commit to putting yourself first and to entertaining the situations in life which truly serve and honor the highest version of yourself (you without the ego).
DECLARATION:
So as out of the blue as it may sound to you and me included, on my 33rd birthday as I sipped my last libation at 11:59 pm with an intimate group of friends at a bowling alley, I examined my life and decided that alcohol was one vice of mine that I was willing to have the courage to release as a gift to myself for my new year. Yes, for the next 365 days, 52 weeks, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes or 31,536,000 seconds I will eliminate the consumption of alcohol from my life. Now I refuse to not turn up because life is to be seized and captured daily, but I will give up an activity that has adverse affects on my brain and body. Besides, after drinking for 12 years, if I cannot go a year without alcohol, what does that really say about the role that alcohol currently plays in my life. I mean let’s face it, alcohol for the most part is poison
With 3 days down and 362 more days to explore, I guess we will find out together.
Check Out:
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“The Effects of Alcohol On The Body”
“Alcohol’s Effects On The Body”
?Love & Light☀️,
Cris
