​All the searching for answers and feeling all alone during the discovery ended when I asked the one question that I should have asked before the Google search.  I wasted nearly half of my day looking for answers instead of leaning on God.  “Lord, will you please help me?” When I started to pray, I felt a calm starting to cover me. I prayed for the Lord to guide my thoughts and mind. I prayed for fear to leave and for patience to take over for the days to come. It was not easy for the next few days when each time I brushed my hair I was reminded of the monstrous possibilities that could be brewing.  What I realize now is that with each day of prayer, there was less and less hair in my brush. By the time my appointment came around, my hair loss had declined significantly. They sent me for several tests over the next month. I wore my hair out embracing my natural curl patterns trying to prevent more loss. In all this, prayer was making me more confident. In the end, my doctor did not find anything in my blood work or in the test results that could have led to hair loss. It was categorized as stress-related, but I learned an invaluable lesson. Never will I rely on Google for answers to things only God can resolve.  Always rely on your Faith first and foremost. God will help guide your way through tough times and even the good ones. Pray everyday.

Feel free to comment, share, and like to support my blog. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. — Carla   
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Check out plus-size printed dresses at www.bestyoubyhts.com and the Believe Beyond Boundaries journal at www.grownfolkmotto.com to support small businesses.
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I could not count the number of times I've said, "Be yourself."  I often advise people to be natural when facing difficult situations. In reality, sometimes situations dictate more action than our normal selves would provide. As part of life, we cannot predict what is going to happen today or tomorrow. We are all hoping and praying for the best each day.  It is inevitable that something is going to happen to throw you off your "good day" game. 
What's Your Mindset Strategy?
You cannot prepare for everything, but you can have a plan for success no matter the circumstance. From my experiences, I have created a recipe for success in any situation. There are three ingredients that create the "success" pie. I will identify and explain them below. It is all about your mindset. Mindset is defined by google.com as "the established set of attitudes held by someone". What is your attitude? Is it a winning one? Your purpose on this earth is to be valuable to life.  No one is here to be insignificant. You have to value your potential and strive to make the most of everyday. Here are my keys to success, the blueprint of being the best you.

Recipe for Success Ingredients
As promised, I have stated that the recipe for success has three ingredients. They are:
*100% Motivation
*50% Crazy
​*0% Negativity

Fully Motivated
Being fully motivated takes time and attention.  One does not wake up and give every drop of their energy to improve themselves or their situation.  You cannot expect that from others or from yourself off the bat. What you can do is give everything your best shot. I'm sure you will not disagree with me that being motivated can be hindered by not understanding the purpose or outcome. Let's start with believing that you can make a difference and turn things around. Giving 100% to your marriage, your kids, or your job is not a goal but a must. Fully motivated means that you are not going to quit until you have exhausted every safe route to success. Setting the example usually cause other things and people to get on board. Before you know it, you will have a team working toward your goal with the highest level of proficiency. 

Half Crazy
Notice I said, "50% Crazy".  Having common sense is a must at all times, but sometimes your reasoning can hold you back.  Someone once said to me that success takes sacrifice. If you are not willing to take risks, then you may be holding yourself back. Walking a straight line leads you straight to a destination.  That destination may not be the best, but you do get somewhere.  Even to cross a mountain you have to go up and then down. Take a risk. Don't be afraid to go the extra mile to get what you want. I was talking to a friend just the other day. She spoke about how difficult it is to date in 2019. I suggested online dating. She looked at me as if I asked her to run 30 miles barefoot. It took a while but I explained that you cannot overcome stubborn barriers with traditional means. There is a way to date online safely, just as there is a way to lose weight by not exercising. You just have to have a plan and stick to that plan, but be a little crazy. 
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Ain't No Place for Negativity
ZERO NEGATIVITY... I met a lady last weekend who was so inspiring. She said some really positive things about me and my business. She was so encouraging to me, but when she started to talk about herself, it was a totally different story. She said that she always wanted to start a business making baskets but only ended up creating them as gifts for family and friends. She went on to say that she really enjoyed it but thought that if she would make them for a business, it would take away that enjoyment. I could feel her regret. Her smile faded. 
The first point I want to make is that you cannot just be an inspiration to those around you. What you say and feel about yourself are so important to your success and health.  It is not okay to put yourself down. You are your biggest fan.  Self-negativity is a vicious disease that will eat away at you until there is nothing left. When you commit to being a positive person, your view of life changes. You start to see open doors instead of closed ones.  On barriers where there seem to be no weaknesses, light begin to shine through.  It is all about your mindset for success and being positive is a must!​

A Mindset for Success
Here is a recap:
*Motivate yourself! Go for it! Set a goal and work to achieve it!  Success is not optional! Be a go-getter!
*Try it! As long as you are safe, try something new! Get a little crazy! Think outside the box! Every problem has a solution.
*Stop Negativity in its tracks. There is no place for negativity in your life. Squash it!  

As always, thank you for reading. I hope you have found some truth and motivation in my blog post. Feel free to comment below. Also, check out all  the plus size styles in this post at www.bestyoubyhts.com. Best You Clothing will have you looking and feeling great in their cute, curvy, and comfortable styles. Best You has clothing for women in sizes small to 5XL. Use code BEST15 to save 15% off your order.  This blog contains affiliate links.

Parents and teachers have a lot to prepare for as they get ready for the back-to-school season.
Luckily, I'm no longer involved in the back-to-school supply rush, but it does not mean that I have less respect for the moms and dads carrying the supply list around the stores trying to find the wide-rule paper instead of college-rule.  Remembering my frantic search for the 3-inch mat for nap time, I am grateful that we are not in 2005 anymore.  School shopping in 2019 should be a piece of cake. To top it off, stores now have same-day pick-up and next-day delivery.

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​Why go to the store?

This is a valid question. If you are dying for social frustration and love racing for that last 24-pack of crayons, you should go to the store for your school shopping.  What about those parents that forget to take the supply list with them? YIKES! Well, I'm the type that will shop from my iphone while chilling on a poolside lounge chair sipping an icy, sweet drink.  Some people start browsing stores weeks before the deadline just to snag those popular items. With online shopping, you could continue the vacation up until the day before school starts and still have the backpacks ready.

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​What was the craziest item you ever encountered on a school supply list?

Teaching is a tough job.  You have to be prepared for just about everything, but seriously, some of these supply lists are extreme. I recall one with a first aid kit.  Imagine if all twenty students showed up with a kit each. You would need to rent a storage unit or maybe each student could have their own nursing station. ​​I understand that teachers have fixed budgets so I did not 

mind sending in the facial tissue and good paper towels. I can imagine that they must use a lot of those in a school year and have you ever tried wiping something up with those school paper towels? Literally, 50% or more of the liquid rolls off them and back on to the floor - a teaspoon of liquid could saturate a whole roll (Only a tiny bit of exaggeration here). 
Well, I believe I have made my point. Save gas, save time, and save energy by doing your school shopping online from anywhere around the world. 

Read, shop, and giggle a little. - Carla

I really wanted to travel to FL Keys during our mini vacation, but the weather forecast was not in my favor.  Scattered thunderstorm warnings all over South Florida for last weekend deterred my plans. We set out for Savannah, instead where sunny skies highlighted the forecast map. The weather was exactly as planned. 
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Our Saturday plans included lots of walking - starting with downtown and exploring most of the streets one-by-one. I did not want to miss anything. There was so much to see.

I've tried many shampoos and conditioners in the past. I've tried ones for wavy hair, ones for curly hair, ones specifically for course hair, and just about any brand you can name. Recently, my friend starting selling Modere products. She told me all about some of their items and I told her about my struggle with finding shampoos and conditioners that do not leave my hair all frizzy and brittle.  Modere sells lots of  products with great reviews so I decided to give it a try. The results after one wash were amazing.  My hair began to show its natural curl pattern and became more manageable.  Here are my before and after pictures so you can see the different for yourself. My hair looks fantastic. The Modere Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner are all I use now.  Modere has made me a customer for life. 

Some people feel empowered by closing doors for others.  There is no empowerment in bringing strife or insecurity to someone else.  I recall the scenario where a seasoned employee was tasked to be the mentor of a new employee. Immediately, she did not like the new person. Instead of being a dedicated mentor, she went out of her way to prove that this person was not the right fit for the job. Nothing the new employee could do was right, and she did not provide the support to that person to help with success in the job. 

 Preconceived judgments often set the stage for limitations of progress.  What if she would have taken this person under her wing and guided her to success? Most interestingly, the new employee was a cancer survivor, and after she left, the mentor was diagnosed.  If she had embraced this person and helped her grow, she could have possibly earned an invaluable cancer warrior and prayer partner for her ultimate time of need.   I know cancer has no bounds and how it chooses its victims is a mystery, but the decision to invest in someone could have possibly earned her a friend in her most needed time. Help people release their potential.  Don't be an obstacle.