Are you LIVING?

LIVE LAUGH LOVE

Lately I’ve been asking myself, am I really LIVING or just existing?

Summer is here, I’ve started back working out again…for like the 5^th time now, I’ve cleaned out my closet and even made a visit to my wax lady!

All of these things are simply action items, which made me think, what actions am I taking to ensure I am fully LIVING each day to the fullest? Being happy and productive? Great questions right?  An even better topic to think about while you’re at work lol.

As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, I have my days! Some days are more difficult than others, but thankfully I find strength from God to get through those tough moments. But as of late, I’ve been good! And I was able to answer my own question! YES I AM LIVING and not just existing! But what exactly do I consider living, is probably what you’re asking yourself.

My definition of living is being present in every moment of life. Putting forth effort to make you happy and not missing out on opportunities to learn, love and experience things.

There is still so much more I need to be doing to keep my momentum going. I’m aware and making clear growth plans for ME. That takes me back to those action items. Although they were vain action items, they were still things that make me happy. Here’s a list of a few items I wrote down for myself:

• ·         Pray more
• ·         Drink more water
• ·         Audition Audition Audition
• ·         Start saying “NO” more when necessary
• ·         Work out 4-5 days a week
• ·         Save Save Save
• ·         Move Soon

I’m focused, encouraged and excited about LIVING! Is everything peachy? Absolutely not!! But I’m being good to myself and not giving so much energy to the things that are negative and feeding the positive!

I’ve been learning how to love and accept people for exactly WHO and WHERE they are in life. Why? I want people to do the same for me! I want us all to grow together!!

Are you LIVING? If not, let’s work on that! Write down a few goals and get started!! You can even get started just by reading this blog. Live!! Experience!! Grow!!

We only get one life; let’s make the best of it!

Go be great!! Go be great for YOU!

Cryslove

XOXO

Remind Me Again!

Have you ever needed someone to give you a reminder?

Don’t forget to call the doctor.

Remember to pick up Taylor from cheerleading practice.

Don’t forget to take the dog out.

Simple reminders to ensure you complete tasks or goals.

A close friend reminded me to not be so hard on myself. Reminded me of all the great 

things I am and the talents I possess. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and literally forget all the things I have done and am currently doing. I have a strong tendency to focus on the negative when it comes to ME and the positive when it comes to OTHERS. I can build a person up in no time! But when it comes to me, I struggle.

I appreciated the reminder because it gave me the push I needed to keep moving. I act, model, sing, and write. I’m a success story in the making! But I’m not doing enough! I can’t want keep “trying”, but I need to start “doing”. I am single with no kids at the age of 31. I have my own place, take care of my own business and I grind for what I want. I’m a gem! But there’s still so much to do.

So after my heartfelt talk with my friend, I made sure I wrote down some tangible goals! I also made sure I snapped out of it and started thanking God for my talents and visions.

It’s so easy to forget how precious we are to this world. Life can throw you all kinds of curve balls and have you out here thinking you’re nothing and accomplishing nothing!

Let me be your reminder today!

You are enough!

You are talented!

You are an amazing mother, father, sister, brother or friend!

You are capable of being great!

You are beautiful!

Be that reminder for someone today!

Sorry, NOT Sorry!

Have you ever made a decision and people around you judged you? Tried to make you feel bad about what YOU decided to do? Umm yea, me too!

Growing up the baby daughter of a pastor, I often found myself caring a lot about what people thought of me. I took into consideration the unspoken opinions of others for years. How I dressed, what I said, how I reacted to things, filtered my thoughts and ideas and more. I never once did anything without thinking twice about what people would say.

Can you imagine how that felt? Suppressing feelings and thoughts all for the sake of upholding this pedestal I never once asked to be placed on. This trickled down into my relationships with friends and men. I found myself being overly cautious and sensitive, just to protect others “perception” of me. I get angry just thinking about it sometimes.

I believe it is important to be respectful and uphold a positive reputation; however losing who you really are should not go hand in hand with that.

Over the years, I have endured extreme growing pains. Pain that cannot be articulated! I made mistakes, said some things I didn’t mean, entertained poisonous company and made some decisions that I am not proud of. Do I regret any of this? NOPE!

I don’t regret one ounce of my journey. I needed to have that season of “Caring too much about what people say”. I needed the sleepless nights of persecuting myself over silly mistakes. I don’t regret the way I began to grow, through pain and tough lessons. I needed to care less about what others thought and more about what I thought of myself.

• I’m sorry I slighted myself the opportunity to express ideas I had at a young age.
• I’m sorry I never danced at that party because I didn’t want to smudge by “church girl” image. 
• I’m sorry I cared too much!

Fast forward to today…

§  I’m not sorry for the woman I have grown to be

§ 

I’ I'm not sorry for my sassy personality

§ 

   I’m not sorry for changing my hair with the wind, trying new colors and expressing myself

§  

   I’m not sorry for growing

§   I’m not sorry for loving and learning

§   I’m not sorry for finally accepting who God made me to be.

A loving, thoughtful, intelligent, wise, fearless queen that loves God’s people! All of God’s children!

Because of what I went through, I feel as if I have a gift for not judging! I accept people for where they are in life and love on them regardless of what “season” they are in. I try my best to be open to allowing people to feel free around me and not feel the need to filter who they are because of me!

God is love. God is real. Love is real.

I want to love like God loves! Flaws and all!

Sorry, not Sorry!

Cryslove

XOXO

Explore your POTENTIAL!

I’ve decided to explore my potential! That’s right, I’ve joined the world of It Works! I can’t describe how excited I am to start something new! I love the products (still testing out a few myself) but I am in awe of this company. First off, it’s faith based, and offers so many people across the globe the chance to “Take a Chance”on themselves and see what they can really do!

I’m a firm believer in trying! I’m either going to SUCCEED or LEARN! Failure doesn’t exist when you actually put forth effort and give “It” your best shot.

The introductory training video asks what is your “WHY” for joining the team?

I joined for 2 specific reasons, Growth and Additional Income! 5 years from now, it is my goal to no longer work a 9-5! I WILL be working full time as an actress, singer, and model! All while building the CRYSLOVE Brand. A brand that will include books, community programs, films, opportunities, and more!

I am well aware that this is a lifestyle that requires discipline and guts! None of my aspirations are cookie-cutter goals. They all require me to attack them head on! It’s a faith walk, and faith requires ACTION! People crack me up thinking that faith works by sole belief. No, no, no, you have to put in some work! Show God how much you really want it, work for it! WORK!

I have literally knocked out all self-doubt and I’m pushing towards my goals. With God’s help and guidance, I will reach each and every one.

Take a peek at the site…tell me what you’re interested in! www.crysfoster.myitworks.com or call me directly at 586.307.5196

This may be your fifty-eleventh time 😒 (LOL) seeing something about It Works! Ok, so let this be the time you actually inquire about it! Learning about the company and the products won’t hurt Just ask! 😉

Be great today! Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Cryslove 💋

Thirty is the new 20! 💋

Let’s get one thing straight here…30 is the new 20!

So here’s the scoop:

I get told on a daily basis that I look every bit of 19-24 yrs. old. When you’re 30 this is the greatest compliment. Until you sit down with a teenager and they look at you straight faced in the eyes and say, “I think 30 is old”. Truth is, when I was 13, I thought 30 was a lifetime away and yes, it was OLD.

But times have changed, and I’m rolling with them full fledge! And I am done believing this LIE!

Yes I’m tired all the time, and prefer a glass of wine on the couch over a night out, but that doesn’t make me a senior citizen (I love them btw).

This light hearted topic brings me to a bigger issue within our society of yet another “PRESSURE”. We are pressured to believe that you MUST have a spouse, children, 401K plan, house, multiple cars, investments, multiple degrees, a gym membership and make monthly charitable contributions all by the age of 30! Who the heck made this stuff up?!  Why does society pressure me into thinking that I have failed at life if I don’t have at least half of the items mentioned? Why does society force us into believing that life should be completely figured out by 30? Please find this person who had this bright idea and send them my way!

This is WRONG! 👊🏾

Life is a journey that is filled with twists, turns, mistakes, triumphs, failures and unpredictable moments. Does this mean I am not a success because I’m not married or with child at 30? Nah!

Society has an annoying way of placing pressure on all of us, no matter your age, race or gender.

I do believe that life offers you experience and by 30 you should have some things in place, and be settled enough to at least care for yourself. But all the other “stuff” doesn’t come for everyone by this time. Trust me, I KNOW. And I refuse to feel bad about not being where the societal dictionary tells me I should be!

Yes, I’m behind on the latest IG updates and can’t seem to figure out how to add multiple items to my IG story but I’m up on snapchat! Haha! 💁🏽

I’m learning at the age of 30 (2months shy of 31) to take my life and apply my own pressure! Push myself to attain the goals I have set for myself, no matter what age! After all, it really is just a number. I’m taking my experiences and wisdom, and moving forward by the grace of God.

This message is not exclusive to 30 year olds, it’s to everyone. Do not listen to what society says we should do or have by their time frame. Live your life, set your own goals and work at them. Goals can be mapped out (degrees, finances, etc.) but I personally feel that Life can’t. You have to roll with the punches and accept the journey God mapped out for YOU! Each person has a different path!

Don’t be so hard on yourself! Your life is not mine and my life is not yours. Take ownership of your destiny and leave society’s opinions behind.

Huge shout out to my lovely bff for suggesting this blog topic! 😘

Ask yourself, how old do I feel??? I feel 25, so yea I still have time to make it happen! 😏

Live.Laugh.Love and GROW!

XoXo

Cryslove

You QUIT?!

Ever watched a movie where the main character decides to quit and completely give up on their talents? Odds are stacked against them, they reach a breaking point and decide I QUIT? But then an event occurs or they have this huge epiphany and instantly get back in the game, or get back in the fight!

Yea, I’m that character! And my game is called REAL F#!@n’ Life! I completely tapped out this week and QUIT! I literally said it out loud! I QUIT! I have no more strength to keep fighting. People always compliment me on being so strong and having such calmness about myself, but in reality I literally am losing it. Not every single day! But I have my moments, and this week was a few days of “Moment” LOL.

What does it really mean to Quit? It’s a universal term that holds the same weight anywhere you go. It means to give up, throw in the towel, and leave all hope of succeeding behind. I QUIT on myself this week. I felt like I had no strength left in me to keep trying.

Being a “Creative” is more difficult than most people think. You have to be stronger than the next at all times. You’re fighting to be free and do exactly what it is your heart desires!

I work a 9-5 (great job that I’m thankful for) but I want more! I act, model, sing, mentor, host, plan events, write, and so much more! And guess what, I love doing all of that but none of it has flourished the way I’d hope and it’s partially because of my job. I’m tired and frustrated all the time. And I won’t even start on my personal life! That’s a soap opera in the making!

At times, the frustration is overwhelming and the pressure to give MYSELF what it is I want becomes tough. So I quit! At least for a day I did…

Now, I’m back in the game. I’m getting my resume edited, renewed my gym membership and I’m not quitting. Isn’t that the ultimate goal in life…to be HAPPY?! Whatever HAPPY looks like for you, you shouldn’t QUIT til you obtain it! At that point, you shouldn’t QUIT so that you can KEEP IT!

I’m not quitting anymore! I owe it to myself and to those around me to never give up on myself.

This blog is my THERAPY! This is my way of speaking it out loud and shouting to the cyber world that I SHALL NOT GIVE UP!

I encourage that 1 person that may read this today, to never give up on your dreams, aspirations, goals, or your happiness. Fight for it! My fight may differ from yours but we are still fighting together. I am willing to be transparent for the sake of letting someone know that you’re not alone and that we all have our days! We all have our fights! You can act like you got it all together if you want to, but I for one will admit it’s a struggle but not IMPOSSIBLE to overcome!

DON’T QUIT!

Side note: I’m always open to sharing an open dialogue via email if you are in need of support! I’m a great listener ;) my email is crystalfoster.d@gmail.com

Cryslove

XOXO

Fine. Flyy! Fresh 💅🏾

H&M, Zara, Ann Taylor, Windsor, and yes even Forever 21! These are some of my fav places to shop!! When I am searching for a new piece to add to my closet, I keep in mind a few things:

·         PRICE

·         Versatility

·         Quality

I’m certainly at that awkward stage in life where you are transitioning out of dressing like a 25yr old and an actual 30 year woman. To be honest, I still love crop tops and graphic tees lol. But they make me look every bit of 18 and it can become quite annoying on the wrong day! 🙄

I’ve gone from rocking Bebe and Von Dutch in High School to wearing what’s affordable yet cute now! It’s an interesting change of pace and perspective. Back in high school, I was extremely insecure about my shape and complexion! I was the dark skinned SKINNY girl! I knew I was pretty but lacked any type of confidence. However, I found an outlet in name brands! Yep, I was that girl, I even won class “Best Dressed” because of it LOL. I lived at the mall and carefully picked out my ensembles every single day! It was a part-time job SMH! But ultimately it was my way of feeling better about myself. It’s hard to think about now but it’s my truth.

Fast forward to 2004-2012, I’d finally let go of the idea of “brands” and started to really experiment with my STYLE. I would play with colors, patterns, hairstyles, and make-up. I was finally starting to develop a sense of who I was and my image was a reflection!! This may seem like such a trivial topic, but it is such an issue with the Black Community!

Our babies are STILL growing up finding confidence and solace in name brands and images! It’s absolutely terrible. I want young ladies and young men to realize their worth extends beyond a piece of material hanging on your body. I’ve seen some stunningly beautiful people look hideous in some pieces, and it was all because of their attitude!

This issue extend deeper than what my post can allow! I’ll touch on it, but save it for another individual topic next week. Just as we were and the generations before and ahead of us, we are taught that MONEY and MATERIAL THINGS make us! If you ain’t ballin’ out of control or buying every Jordan put out, you ain’t %@!$. We obsess over things we can’t afford like expensive cars, jewelry, gadgets and more! And guess who is watching us? The next generation! They repeat the cycle and only continue to place their WORTH in things! It’s one thing to desire nice things and plan for them, but it’s a whole different story when your confidence and worth are interlocked with it! It’s sad and I wish we talked about it more! (I will at a later date).

I’m sure I sound real cliché by now, but who cares! Beauty and self-confidence start within! ✨✨My clothes don’t make me! They help me present myself to the world, but at the end of it all, it’s my personality and energy that set the tone. I don’t ever want people to remember me for what I had on, but for how I made them feel or something positive I said. 

Ok, so back to my initial thought LOL. My style now is based on what my pockets can afford and how many ways I can wear it! A great blouse that can be worn to work, church and out is a winner for me! A dress that can be dressed up or down is a keeper! 

That’s why I love the stores mentioned above. Some may be a bit more pricey than others, but they give me what I need. 

True style comes from within, and reflects the person on the inside. I love my style, it’s classy and regal at times, and spunky or earthy at times. It’s a reflection of me!

How do you define style? What works for YOU?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Be sure to comment below!!! 😊😘

XOXO 

Cryslove 💋