My Home Office Refresh

My Home Office Refresh

Hey loved ones! I wanted to share my home office with you and some changes I made in it. You will see from the video that I “absolutely love!” one of the newest main features, LOL. I express this a lot in the video ; ) Check it out and let me know what you think and if you have any questions. XO

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Beauty, blessings & prosperity,

Don’t Celebrate Other People’s Downfall

Don’t Celebrate Other People’s Downfall

 

I wanted to talk about this podcast that I was listening to Monique, the comedian and her husband have. They were talking about Steve Harvey and the recent events that have just happened in his professional life where he’s lost a couple of really big opportunities. His talk show, the Steve Harvey show or Steve, whatever it’s called. The show Little big shots, which was sort of a variety talent show for children. And these are pretty big deals. These are pretty big losses for him. And I guess a lot of people on social media, they were celebrating the fact that this happened to Steve and they were tagging Monique about it, hoping that she would either chime in or agree or you know, join into the celebration. Well, I have to say that what she said really touched my heart and she said we can’t celebrate the things that are happening to him right now because that’s not something that I ever wished on him.

And that’s what I want people to really listen to. And the reason I would I relate to that is because I have experienced things in my life where people that I thought had my back or I knew I was helping them out in some way. They turned for the sake of money, they turn for the sake of I can do better without you and make more money without you, and other reasons. So I’m going to just go and forge this out on my own. And you know, it was for the sake of money. And they said, screw the integrity. And many people may disagree with Monique, but she said a lot of the things that she was doing was for integrity and also for people that were, or are, coming behind her. She wanted to pave the way.

So when she made the stance to boycott Netflix, which I mean, I didn’t really agree with that completely, but I understood it. But she’s not celebrating Steve Harvey’s losses in business and his professional career. About three months ago, I want to say it was either back in late February or maybe even earlier when the episode was recorded, his talk show when he interviewed her, he was talking about this is not the integrity game. This is the money game. Which I did not agree with that either. And he said I can’t sacrifice everything that I have going on for the sake of integrity when I have other people that I’m responsible for and people that I have to take care of.

Okay. That’s his decision. That’s his opinion. He had the right to choose, do that well, now that these things are happening, that’s my belief. I’m in agreement with the law of sowing and reaping in life. Whether you agree with it or not, it is real. Whether you believe in gravity it is real. If you step off the ledge, you’re going to fall to the ground and you’re either going to be extremely injured or you’re going to die depending on how high up you are, so you don’t have to believe in gravity. You don’t have to believe in sowing and reaping. And that’s why it is so important to treat people the way that you would want to be treated so that you will reap a harvest from that.

It doesn’t matter someone is wishing that on you or praying that upon you. It’s going to happen because that’s just the way life is. So I do believe a lot of these losses that he is experiencing is the law of sowing and reaping. He is just reaping the harvest of the seeds that he has planted, but we don’t have to celebrate the harvest.

There’s a lot of videos and stories out there that talks about the stuff that Steve Harvey’s done to his previous wives cause I guess he’s been married two times before this current one. And I even did on my podcast last year and I talked about will you sell out to be sold out. And I also talked about how Steve Harvey, it was reported that he treated the employees of his previous talk show when he was in transition from Chicago to Los Angeles and moving his show there. I believe that he did a lot of the people wrong that was working there for the sake of a come up. And for the sake of doing better in business. I just don’t operate that way.

We all have decisions in life that we have to make and it’s our decision whether we want to do that or not. And for the sake of money, he decided to let integrity go by the wayside. So he said it out of his mouth. He said this is not the integrity game. This is the money game. That might be a true statement for the overall industry of Hollywood. But the fact that you choose that over integrity speaks a lot about your character. So apparently that’s the way he’s been operating his life and now he’s reaping the harvest of the seeds that he had that sown. But Monique is being the bigger person. And I love that. Like I almost was brought to tears when I was listening to her podcast because I’ve lived a life where I have had so many people that have done wrong undeservedly.

I know that what they have done, they will see it again in the future because my mom has the same. It’s behind me and it’s before them. It’s, you know, it’s your past. It’s behind you now. You keep moving forward. They’re going to keep moving forward as well, but they’re walking toward what they did to you, and it’s going to be greater. Because the thing about it is when you plant seeds, the seeds don’t grow into seeds. The seeds grow into greater things. You plant a seed for a tree, you’re going to get this huge tree with an abundance of leaves.

It’s not going to grow into a little seed. So that’s why it’s very important to sow good seeds in your life. Because what you sow, you will reap it. It is always greater than what you have sown.

She learned her lessons from the things that she went through and is currently going through from being blackballed in the industry. She learned about people that she thought had her back and she thought were friends and she still loves them. I believe deep down in her heart, but she learned the operate and that’s the lessons that she had to be taught. And I have learned lessons about people. People that I thought, you know, were for me that thought had my back (family, you know, so-called friends, former business colleagues that I’ve invested in and helped out.) You learn who these people are. And it was a hard lesson, but I learned it and I had to, I had to do that and she had to do that, but she’s not going to glory in the stuff that he is losing. And you know, even the Bible says that we’re not supposed to celebrate other people’s sufferings, even if you’d know that they were wrong in what they did. You don’t celebrate their sufferings, but you hope that they will learn from the things that they have gone through, the things that they have experienced, the losses that they may have encountered. You hope that they learn from it. And I’m hopeful that Steve will learn from these things.

No, I don’t believe that he’s going to be destitute from these losses. But I do believe he sowed those seeds and is reaping a harvest. I don’t know all the ins and outs of his personal business. I don’t really care to know. But what I do know is when people reap a harvest from bad seeds sown, I hope they learn the lessons and grow from it at the end of it all.

Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity,

How to Deal With Text Miscommunications

How to Deal With Text Miscommunications

If you’re having a conversation via text or messenger with a friend and you’re just asking a simple question and that person responds in a way that is kind of out of the left field and you were really not expecting that person to respond that way, how do you handle it? And what I mean by that is they come across very cold or rude or mean. What do you feel is the best way to handle that? reason? I’m asking this because I had a situation recently that happened with a friend/a colleague and I just simply sent her a message asking a question and it was regarding just trying to figure out some things with regards to working.

And the response was extremely like snappy and rude and it was, you know like I said, my message was very quick and to the point and the response that I received was very snappy and rude and it was like long and I was like, where’s all of this coming from? So me being a person that I am, I don’t feel that if there are misunderstandings or someone is unhappy about something, that the best way to handle that is texting or messaging. I feel that’s the time to have a conversation where you’re speaking to each other. So yeah, you can still misunderstand someone when they’re speaking to you, but the chances are less likely because if somebody is already in a mood and they’re having a day when they’re reading the message, they already have the attitude, a negative attitude. So when they’re reading it, then they’re reading it in a way that reflects their attitude.

So that’s what I felt and I’ve just learned over time that when people snap like that, it rarely has anything to do with you. And it’s all regarding something that’s going on with that person. But I want to know how would you handle it if you’re wanting to speak to this person so that you can clear the air and make sure that there are no more misunderstandings and they refused to take it there. They just continue to go back and forth. I don’t want to say go back and forth because it wasn’t even me going back and forth with them. It was just like literally like, here’s another message that’s rude and here’s another message that’s rude and then here’s another message that’s rude and I was just like, okay, like wow. I found myself apologizing when I didn’t feel I owed an apology, but I really was just doing it for the sake of peace because I feel blessed are the Peacemakers. So I refuse to stir up strife even if I know I’m right because I’m able to give up the right for the wrong; I’ll take that “L”. Because for me it’s just not worth it to have an argument or you know, anything like that with somebody that’s already got a hothead because they’re not even going to see that you’re right or listen to reason.

They have to cool down and get in a space with, you know, cooler heads will prevail so that they can then see that, you know what I that that wasn’t cool. I really shouldn’t have come across that way. So like I said, I left it alone.

Well, I just allowed the messages to keep coming. And then finally the final message I received from that person was, sorry if I snapped at you. And it’s like, yeah you did. But I didn’t throw it back in that person’s face. I just said thank you. Because obviously, they realized that they were wrong and that’s why they said, I’m sorry. I’m sorry THAT I snapped at you.

Speaking to someone over the phone is the next best thing to a face to face confrontation. And when you’re, you know, doing something in a cowardly way, you would rather do it via text or email or some messaging app opposed to speaking to that person over the phone or you know, better yet face to face. So that’s just my opinion. But I wanted to know what you guys thought about it. I would love to get your opinion on it. So let me know in the comments section how you feel about that.

Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity,

🙋🏾‍♀️ Things You May Not Know About Me 🙋🏾‍♀️ | Get To Know Me 🤗

🙋🏾‍♀️ Things You May Not Know About Me 🙋🏾‍♀️ | Get To Know Me 🤗

Okay. Just want to share a few things you may not know about me. I meet new people and they ask me certain things and then when I share some of the things with them that they’ve asked me questions about, they’re like, oh my God. Wow. Really? I’m not that spectacular. But at any rate, I just thought I would just kind of put some of these things in this blog to share it with the new readers.

One of the things you may not know about me is I was a teen mom. I know it’s a popular show that’s on and TV has been for many years. It’s doing very well for them. But I don’t really recommend being a teen mom, but I was a teen mom. I had a baby at 15 and I didn’t plan to have that happen, but I don’t regret it. So that’s something you may not know about me. I don’t regret having a child young because I got it done and it’s over with and I did not continue the cycle. I never really had that mom bug where I said I wanted to have two or three kids and you know, that just never was the life that I saw for myself. So I’m grateful that I had my healthy child. I did not go through with it again because it wasn’t something that I wanted to do again.

Another thing you may not know about me is I’m married to my child’s father. We met in high school and we got married when our son was four years old, so we didn’t rush into getting married just because we had a child together and it wasn’t a huge thing for me to get married. I didn’t pressure him to do it. It would have been nice if it did happen and it did, but it wasn’t something that I pressured him to do and he didn’t pressure me into it either. It wasn’t the easiest. We were still kids when we got married. I was 20 years old when I got married and my husband was 23 I was a freshman in high school when I met my husband and he was a senior. So that’s something that you may not know about me. Another thing you may not know about me as I went into the legal field, fresh out of high school. I actually started while I was in my senior year of high school and I continued in that field and I stayed in the legal field in working in different law firms for 12 years.

Something else you may not know about me. I became a licensed massage therapist in 2006 and I started my business straight thereafter while continuing to work in the legal field. Another thing you may not know about me is from there I continued my education in aesthetics and eyelash extensions. And I became, well I am now and I have been for many years, a master lash artist and a beauty business entrepreneur since 2008.

Another thing you may not know about me is I don’t come from a very close-knit family. I’m close with my mom now, but we didn’t really have an understanding of each other growing up. And she hid a lot of things from me and my brother over the years with regards to my dad. So yeah, my dad was a drug addict for many years and we didn’t really know it until, well I should say I didn’t really know it until I was in late years of middle school. So there was a lot that was hidden from me. So I had held some resentment towards her for that. But yeah, I grew up in a household where it was not the best, but she did her best to try to make it seem as if it was the best, but my lifestyle over the years it started out Okay. And it continuously declined. So I don’t have a close-knit family.

But the other thing you may not know about me is, to be honest, I really don’t care. That may sound harsh coming from someone saying they don’t really care if they don’t have a close-knit family. But what I’ve learned is that society, and especially television puts this impression out there that if you don’t have a full family, then something’s wrong with you. But that just isn’t everyone’s reality. And when I came to the realization that that wasn’t my life, I was okay with it. As long as I have my health and I had a strong mindset, I knew that I could achieve anything. And it didn’t matter what my background was or who my family was, that just didn’t matter to me anymore.

And another thing you may not know about me, I am the big 4-0! I turned 40 in August of 2018 and I still can’t believe it. And in spite of all of the things that I’ve gone through, I’m still getting carded. So that is a blessing when I go to buy a bottle of wine or if I go out to dinner and I’m getting, you know, a glass of wine or champagne every single time they ask me for my driver’s license.

So it’s not to Brag, I’m just saying it’s something you may not know about me. And another thing you may not know about me is I am an extroverted introvert. I am introvert around people I don’t know well. But I’ve learned to be an extroverted introvert. And what that means is that around people that I know and trust, I just let loose. And I’m not saying I’m wild and crazy, but I’m not as reserved as I am when I’m around people that I don’t really know. In my brick and mortar business, I have to be an extroverted introvert because I have to converse with my beauty guests. And on video, I have to converse with you all that are watching me on youtube or wherever, so I can’t sit on this camera and be silent. I have to kind of let myself loose and just be me as an extroverted introvert and being an introvert just means that we’re uncomfortable around people that we don’t really know and it’s not so much that we’re afraid of them. We’re just afraid and thinking that we don’t want to say anything that may hurt or fan other people because we care about other people sometimes more than we care about ourselves.

Somebody who was just extroverted, they just say what’s on their mind at all times for the most part, and they don’t really think about other people’s feelings. As an introvert, I’m always thinking about other people’s feelings, so I’m always saying sorry or excuse me like it’s just common for me to do that because it’s just my introverted nature. So that’s something that you may not know about me. Some of you may have guessed it.

Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity,

How Entrepreneurs Suffer In Silence With Depression

How Entrepreneurs Suffer In Silence With Depression

Okay. I’m no clinical specialist when it comes to depression, but I know what I know when it comes to me and what I’ve experienced and yeah, guys I was going through it with depression. It’s got so many different levels. Depression is real and just because someone is successful doesn’t mean that they don’t have hard times that they go through in their mind and their heart and their spirit, and other things that are outside of who we are that can affect us. 2018 was a very hard year for me. Well, I’ve been hurt by so many people, but in 2018 I experienced it on a very huge level which affected me mentally.

It affected me emotionally and it even affected me financially because I had people that did things that caused my business to suffer financially for a little while because they made decisions that were very selfish and I had to do what I had to do for my business. When I tell you that I had my moments where I felt like, is this even worth it anymore? You know, I started to think about people that you hear of that have been super amazing on-screen or in business. People like Robin Williams, the comedian who committed suicide. I’m like, he overdosed on some prescription drugs and maybe hung himself. I don’t remember all of the full details on that. Kate spade, super successful handbag designer and um, has an amazing brand and she killed herself because she was going through some, some personal things and a number of other people.

I’m not saying that I came to the point where I was thinking about taking myself out of here, but I understood more. But depression is real and it has a lot of different levels. But how someone in business can deal with depression or have depression and suffer in Silence is because when you are a businesswoman, a businessman, an entrepreneur or someone that’s in business, it’s not just you, you work for everyone else.

I tell people this all the time. When you are in business, it’s not about you anymore. It is about everyone else. It’s about your customers. It’s about your clients. It’s about your employees and staff if you have them. It’s about the people that you owe money to that are providing services for you so that you can conduct business. It’s not about you anymore, it’s about your family that’s depending on you. So there’s so much pressure that’s on you as an individual entrepreneur that you can’t really allow anyone around you to see you breaking down. So you have to come in, put a smile on your face, continue to conduct yourself as if everything is okay and it’s really not. I even shared some things with one of my employees the end of 2018 not because I wanted to share, divulge my own business information, but she’s one of the people that’s been rocking with me from the very beginning of me even having staff.

And I shared, you know, a few things with her and she said, wow, I didn’t even know you were going through all of that. I’d never would have known if you didn’t tell me. And I said, yeah. I said I couldn’t. I had to come in and continue to be the Elizabeth that you know, to be here because I can’t have you guys thinking that I’m breaking down or that the business is, you know, not going to be around or you know, whatever types of thoughts might come to your mind if you feel like I’m losing it so to speak. And so yeah, I was like, yeah, I had to continue to operate in spite of what I was going through so I could not let you see me sweat. I could not let you see me feel discouragement or look like I’m defeated.

I had to keep moving forward, but it really was not easy. It was very hard and there’s so much pressure on me that I didn’t know how much longer I could do it without breaking. So yeah, we have to keep up appearances for the sake of people not thinking that we’re crazy. And unfortunately, when Kate spade committed suicide, you started seeing all these different memes and Facebook posts where people were talking about “I’m here for you. If you need me, all you have to do is reach out.” But to be honest with you, most people don’t want to hear about the hard struggles that you’re going through. It’s just the truth. That’s why on social media, people, for the most part, want to see happiness. See you winning, see amazing, great things happening. They don’t want to see people that are going through hard times and struggling or you know, whatever they’re going through.

People don’t really want to see that. And I understand why; because it’s kind of an escape. No one wants to be going through their own issues and struggles and then they go to social media and then they see someone on there talking about the hard things that they’re going through or complaining about, you know, talking about how hard things are. Nobody really wants to hear that!

So a lot of times that stuff is just talk for the moment, but it’s not genuine. But yeah, you know, I was depressed and there were a number of times where I thought about just hopping in my coupe and just hitting the road and driving and just going wherever. No, no plan in place. Just get the heck up outta here because it was just that heavy. And I was like, is this even worth it? And honestly, those moments come to a lot of people on a number of occasions.

It’s just if you choose to stay there. So I made the decision that I wasn’t going to stay in that space. I knew it wasn’t healthy, I just knew that it was going to get better. It can’t stay bad forever. It has to get better at some point. So, you know, I dived into content that was super uplifting and inspirational to lift my spirits and to lift my heart, remind myself of who I am, go back to my affirmations that I had written about myself and continue to speak it even when I didn’t feel it. But just saying it is psyching myself up to get to a better headspace because I knew that space wasn’t healthy for me and I had to get out of there. I couldn’t stay there.

You can have depressing moments as well. It’s not always just about because you’ve had some financial, health or familial depressing moments that bring you down. But sometimes it’s just because you’re so lonely and nobody that you are around with really understand your journey. I’m not an only child. I do have another sibling, but we don’t have a relationship. And I don’t know if we ever will, but you know, some things were done to me by him that was super hurtful and it, you know, it caused some depressing moments as well, but I have to remind myself that I was created for greatness. I had to really dig deep, shut out those voices that were shouting in my head that you don’t deserve success. You’re not worthy. You are going to fail. All of those negative words that were being, set in my head that was not true.

I had to dismiss those thoughts and I had to speak out positive affirmations and it did help overtime to help lift my spirits. And again, being around other people I had to put on a brave face and that smile and show my teeth and say all is well when people would ask me how things are because I couldn’t break down as an entrepreneur battling depression in silence.

So when you see someone that’s super successful and then you hear a story about how they took themselves out of here, don’t question that anymore. You have to know that people are going through some really hard struggles, and it’s not always because they’ve got a lot of money in the bank, and their business is doing well. There are so many other factors that are involved, so just remember that.

Beauty, Blessings & Prosperity