The Big Chop!

There is power in hair. All my life, I've wanted long hair. Perhaps I was socialized to believe that long hair would make me pretty. I remember being young and draping a towel over my head pretending like it was long flowing tresses. I started out with long thick hair as a little girl, but once I got a perm at the age of 7, everything went down hill from there. Then I got a hold of an electric curling iron and further damaged my hair. 

Once I began swimming in middle school, the chlorine caused it all to fall out. In college I tried Debbie Allen's "Copa" product (which people later sued her for), which was supposed to be all natural, but my hair fell out once again...then later in college when I took on a full load of classes, three jobs, and five extra curricular activities, it broke of from stress.

After reading several books about coming out of a perm and wearing my natural hair, I finally got it right in my early twenties. My hair was long, thick, healthy and flowing down my back. Then in my early thirties, stress, or love, or trying to be cute and sleeping without wrapping my hair up caused my hair to do things that I had never experienced before. I noticed it thinning, then next thing a knew, I had a CLEAN BALD patch on the top left side of my head that I tried to hide with different styles for months, but pretty soon I had to get a full sew in weave to hide my bald spot and my bruised self-esteem.

Since then, the hair has grown back, but it still has never been the same. SO for my 34th birthday, I decided to do something different. I had reached a cross roads in my life and decided that it was time for some major changes. Time to let go of some things. My attachment to my hair was one of those things. SO I decided to cut it. Something that was unheard of for me in the past because I was always so obsessed with wearing it long and trying to will it to grow. 

Soooooo.....I finally went through with it. The BIG Chop! And I must say, that it was quite liberating and I feel like it was symbolic of my transition from being a young woman to a grown woman.  

I plan to let it grow back out, but sometimes in order for something to be healthy...and truly grow...you have to let it go.

A Social 'Media' Experiment

I have unplugged from the matrix. I have deactivated all of my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Have you noticed?  This blog, my LinkedIn account and my website are pretty much all that is left of my online presence. 

Why you ask? I was ready to live in the real world...to be present and in the moment. I was spending more much time wrapped up in a virtual reality than I was living in the here and now. 

I had to take a step back and re-evaluate where and how I was spending my energy, what my motives were and what type of fruit was being produced by the seeds that I was planting.

Most importantly...I had to get back to me...just Me...Monica Marie

Marriage License Renewal?

So, I just got my real estate license. And I am learning that in order to keep it, there are several requirements that must be met. I must take ongoing continuing education courses. I must take yearly trainings in ethics and legal updates.  The case was also somewhat similar when I got my teaching certificate and my certification to be a youth development trainer...

So it got me to thinking, what if there were certain requirements that couples must meet in order to get and keep their marriage license?  With all of my licenses, including my driver's license, I had to first study and take a test.  After that, if I did not meet whatever obligations were set forth, my license or certificate would expire. 

How awesome would it be if couples HAD to study what it takes to be successfully married first, then they had to take a test, and THEN once they became husband and wife they had to take ongoing classes, workshops and seminars to make sure that they stayed strong in their union for years to come? Would 50% (or whatever the current statistic is) of all marriages still end in divorce?  Think about it...

-Just Me...Monica Marie

Transitions...

My latest book

It is due time for me to fill you in on the adventures that are my life. I am in a time of major change and transition. For the last several years I have branded myself as an author and motivational speaker. The love and support that I received from that path has been amazing. Lately, I have been having strong feelings that it is time for a major shift in my life. Now is the time for me to put everything in its proper place and order of priority. For some things this means taking a step away or ending it all together, for other things, this means an exciting new beginning.

One of my 1st Investment Properties

I have embarked upon a new path. The new priority in my life is Real Estate. This is not to say that I will never write or speak again, because I will. Writing and speaking are a very important part of any successful business...but you may find that what I write and speak about at this point may be more focused on the area that is my priority.

I entered the real estate game in elementary school. My first job was at my Grandfather's real estate company called Westchester Estates. It was called Westchester because that term is a combination of the two Parishes in Jamaica that my Grandmother and Grandfather were from...Westmoreland and Manchester. I've always had a wide variety of Real Estate books collecting dust on my shelves because in my heart of hearts I always knew that I would get back into it some day.

One year ago, I re-entered the field as an investor. I began acquiring residential properties in my hometown of Detroit. I was immediately fascinated and intrigued by it all. This led me to do further research and seek more education and professional development. In a whirlwind process over the last few months I took my real estate pre-licensing class, took and passed the state exam, got my real estate license and got hired into an office as a real estate agent. In the midst of all of this my real estate investing company acquired 5 new properties, several of which were multi-units.

Out ballroom dancing

So as you can see, I've got quite a full plate. 

Each piece of this message can be broken down into it's own detailed story in separate blogs...and I just may do that at some point...but I just wanted to take a moment out of my self-imposed crazy busy life to tell you what's new with me.....Monica Marie.

Can Men and Women be "Just Friends?"

Valentine's Day

I love LOVE...but I must admit...that I fight it. As I look back over all of my relationships, I realize, that I'm the one that starts acting funny. I say what I want, then when I get it...it's still not enough. Perhaps the problem is that I am looking for my joy and my peace and my passion in my relationships...

Relationships are great to supplement those things, but true joy and peace and passion can really only come from self...from within. I know this...preach this...so why in the WORLD don't I practice this. 

The first time I truly fell in love...I learned that love was not enough. So then I found someone who had the other end of the spectrum...the logistical side...but that's not all peaches and cream either. Does a balance exist? Or does the answer lie in me?  Do I give up too soon?  Could I with patience, dedication and hard work, could I make either situation end up as a success story?

Or does Prince Charming really exist? Could I find a man that has a perfect balance of loving me to pieces...a man that I am enough for...a man in whom I evoke such undying love and admiration for me that he loses all desire for any other woman...a man who is a strong and responsible leader...who adds value to my life...teaches me...and makes me better...

Is that all a fairy tale...or is it possible?

There have been amazing things about all of the men that I've had serious relationships...things that other women only wish they had... so it makes me wonder if I'm unhappy...or ungrateful...or if it has anything to do with them at all...perhaps the problem and the answer lies in me.

I feel like with enough time and research...I can figure anything out...except for love. Love is the only thing that still baffles me...consistently.

Is it only me?

I'd love to hear from someone that feels that they have it figured out.