Spending time thinking... It is honorable, even expected, to gain wealth and profit from your God given resources, talent, and work. That is good stewardship of talent.

What's the opposite of profit? Loss.

So, conversely, loss of wealth - especially when you are not using your talents and resources - is NOT good stewardship.

Don't agree? Take a look at The Parable of the Talents (Matt 25)

The servant who buried the talent did so because he said he was afraid. The master called him wicked and lazy! 
Breaking even is worse than a loss because it shows lack of initiative!

The talent (Capital) was always meant to be stewarded and meant to produce ROI. Passive preservation (aka burying) is unacceptable and irresponsible. He was treated harshly because he hid it, and did not labor on behalf of his master. It was the lack of initiative that was punished. If he tried, even if he lost, he probably would have received praise for effort. (Notice how both of the servants who used the talents, actually gained btw - that says something to me. Loss isn't really an actual result when you put the talents to use. So...I look at it as a moral responsibility!)

The parable reminds us that while the unknown is uncertain, courage to confront, with an expectation of a ROI is rewarded. And no one does this better than an entrepreneur

For those of you still burying your talents because you think its safe, its time to stop... It's not why they were given to you.

Steward them well, be responsible, invest them, grow them, use them to serve God and the world. And hear "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." 

Are you overwhelmed by your life?

This has been on my heart for quite some time now. Because i have heard it so much from clients "I'm soooo overwhelmed!" I get it. So many things to do, when it seems like there is no time to do it.

First of all, thats an illusion. There is plenty of time. Often, time management skills are whats lacking. Not time itself. 
Second, lets break the science of this down as to why being "overwhelmed" is awful for you...it literally shrinks your brain! Specifically, the prefrontal cortex.
 

Third, sociology says you're not that busy. You just think you are. Thats what sociologist John Robinson tells us. He has been studying time use for decades and he found that Americans are actually LESS productive than ever - given the same amount of work hours.

The overwhelm is actually caused by being mentally drained from switching between too many activities (email, tv, making dinner, email again, etc) + multitasking is what is hurting us. And heres the kicker...multitasking doesn't even work! You're less efficient, less productive, less creative.

Science shows us that no 2 tasks can be done with 100% precision when you are doing them at the same time.

And yet people like to appear busy doing stuff! They love to seem like they are doing sooooo much, like its some sort of status symbol.

Well, I think the opposite to be true. The fact that I can leave for weeks at a time and bop around the french riviera while still running a successful business is the status symbol. I think the fact that its 9am, and the majority of people my age are sitting in rush hour traffic while I am still comfortably in my pajamas drinking tea with no where to go is the status symbol (plus my bed is really comfy) Don't get it twisted. Busy does not equal success! Doing what you want, when you want without guilt that the ball will drop, thats what you should strive for!

You get to create any life you desire. Why not create one you love

And this is why I'm hosting a special training for my PLATFORM clients to address this very thing - using time to effectively get to where you wanna go without feeling like you are a slave to it, because the feeling of overwhelm is not cool!

"But... I'm scared." - a client said to me last week.

Most people choose to live lives that fall short of their true desires because they are afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of ridicule, afraid of the boogey man. Who knows. So, they go on living as if the their dreams were unavailable to them. *spoiler alert*

They are 100% available.

Don't be surprised when the second you decide to follow your dreams is also the second everyone in your life seems to become the judge, jury and prosector. And the bigger the dream, the grander the court case.
You're going to do what? Leave your corporate, cushy job where you've worked 60 hours a week for the last 16 years? You're gonna forgo that annual 3% raise and your 14 days of PTO to become an entrepreneur? Are you crazy?

Here is what I want you to remember: You get push back because your decision to follow your dreams makes other people uncomfortable, mostly because they have spent a lifetime talking themselves out of following theirs.  
Purpose driven living, dream chasing, growth, entrepreneurship... None of it is for the faint of heart, my friend. But it's much better than living a subpar life that was never meant to be yours in the first place. 
Plus, there is something really cool about watching your life unfold in a way that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning. So there's that... So, my question to you is, when are you going to stop living someone else's life and start living your own?

I get A LOT of questions about my hair, what I do, products I use, etc etc etc... Which was one of the reasons I started my @youtube channel way back when.

I try to keep my hair as healthy as possible. It grows pretty fast (I need a haircut), and I very rarely have split ends. Even with the heat styling. I have tons of tips, tricks and tutorials on there if you're interested. But today, here's today's deep conditioning concoction! 

1 egg for protein - I have curly hair. And protein helps to keep integrity of the curl pattern

1/4 C Coconut oil cuz it is the only oil that can penetrate hair shaft. Helps hair growth, adds shine

1/4 C Coconut milk to ward away split ends and prevent/restore dry/damaged strands

2 Tbls Castor oil is also a natural hair growth stimulant and moisturizer

6-8 drops Lavender essential oil to keep hair shiny and calm itchy dry scalp

8-10 drops Peppermint to stimulate blood flow to the scalp

2 Tbls Honey for moisture. It's a natural humectant

1/4 C A store bought, plant derived conditioner (optional) just cuz. It has some other ingredients like rosemary, glycerin and camellia which are great for hair.

I have no rhyme or reason with my measurements I kind of just freestyle it, so the measurements above are just rough estimates. I usually just eyeball it.

Put hair in a bun, wrap in a shower cap or plastic bag. And chill. I leave it on for at least 30 min (sometimes all day). Then shampoo and condition as usual.

I probably do a deep conditioning of sorts at least twice a month. *I have curly, bi-racial, hair. This cocktail can work for anyone, but just be aware that ingredients may need to be adjusted.

Try it... Let me know how it goes!