April is always a month of reflection for me because it's my birth month. And consequently, I usually disappear the most during this month. Since I usually don't discuss what I do all day, I've decided to publicly share my daily list of things that have occurred each day that I'm grateful for.

I know how hard it is to remind yourself how blessed you are. You're grinding, putting in the hard work. Sometimes it seems as if you're barely keeping your head above water. Been there. Still there. But at the end of the day, I get to lay my head down on soft pillows and cover my body up to my neck, tucked deep within a comfy bed.

That's a blessing.

Hopefully, me writing this will inspire you to create list of your own to remind you of your continual blessings.

April 1st - One of the craziest parts of self-publishing a book (more on that tomorrow), is all the things you have to pay for. Today, I purchased my ISBN. Although I didn't want to spend $150, I'm grateful that I had the money in my account to get it, because it's an important part of completing the book. I'm grateful that even when I think I'm broke, I'm really not.

April 2nd - I never realize how essential breaking away from my solitude is for my mental health. Today, I briefly rejoined society and hung out with friends. Always great to be with good company.

April 3rd - Supporting people who I know in real life is really important to me. Seeing them do what they love and SHINING brings me joy. I stopped by Eryn's launch party for her company of So Worth Loving, celebrating the new location in East Atlanta.

April 4th - I'm the girl who asks you for your input even though I may have an idea of the decision I'm going to make. Grateful for friends who offer their opinions (when I ask), whether I take it or not.

April 5th - I had a pretty frustrating day. Overwhelmed by responsibilities. Sadness because of uncontrollable family situations. This often brings me to tears. Later that evening, I had a meeting to discuss an upcoming project with two of my friends. As soon as I walked into the house and heard them laughing, all of my frustrations melted away. We ate, drank wine, worked and laughed. Being with them was the medicine I needed. Women uplifting each other, cheering for each other and genuinely praying for each others success is what Black Girl Magic is all about. I'm so glad to know women who pour into me everyday. And I openly do the same.

April 6th - Grateful for temp jobs.

April 7th - Video editing is not something that I enjoy but I realize that I need it. Learning to do it for myself is frustrating but seeing the end results are always awesome! My perfectionism is useful sometimes lol. Grateful for that.

April 8th - My grandfather has been very ill. This is not information I like to discuss with too many people. today, he finally got a procedure done that will prayerfully make him better. I'm really glad it was successful. He's all I've got.

April 9th - Today, I had the opportunity to be a creative director of my friend Dominique's photo shoot for her online boutique. I'm sincerely grateful for friends who entrust me with their vision. Thank you.

April 10th - Grateful for lazy Sunday's, when I can actually rest.

April 11th - I don't have health insurance, or a "real" job, yet today, I went to the dentist, grocery shopping, bought supplies for a home improvement project and stuff to color my hair. I try not to worry because at the end of each day, God always provides.

April 12th - I'm grateful for FINALLY finishing my manuscript!!!

April 13th - I decided to write a book at the beginning of March and it has been CHALLENGING. There was a chance that my book would be rejected if it didn't meet certain requirements. I'm proud to say that my manuscript was accepted on the first try! Hard work pays off. Grateful.

April 14th - Small confession: I'm naturally lazy. I'll put off tons of importance tasks for whatever reason I can come up with. But the truth is, marking that thing off as complete is like finally reaching the top of the mountain. I feel like a champion. My to do list was crazy long but I buckled down and got the shit done. Because I am capable. We all are. Now that they're done, I'm so happy.

April 15th - Creating my book literally drained me. In those times when I didn't believe I could do it, 8 friends cheered me on. They don't know this but I dedicated my book to them. And when everything was complete, those 8 people were the first to congratulate me. I'm grateful I picked the right people to dedicate the book to. 

April 16th - Grateful for fun-filled nights in the city. Nights filled with food, laughter and body rolls. Good times.

April 17th - One of my favorite things to do is a hands-on activity. Whatever I can make with my hands brings me so much joy and peace. Today, I watered my two cactus plants. I really love them! I also painted shelves for my room. Doing things with my hands is my therapy of choice. And today, I choose to ease my mind.

April 18th - I usually refrain from sharing anything until I've gotten a clear lesson and this one is worth sharing.

There are many reasons why I choose to love, serve and obey God but I'll only mention one thing. The grace He continues to extend to me because of my faith in Him never ceases to amaze me.

Seven months ago, I was let go from a crappy job. Being on this entrepreneur journey for the last 2.5 years has been rocky. Sometimes you stay the course and other times you give in and temporarily go the corporate route, as I did. But in this time of serious uncertainty, I have never gone without...anything. Even when I *thought* I was broke, I really wasn't. And in the past seven months, you would never have known I haven't had one steady paycheck. Not one in seven months.

God told me to do what I had to do and He'd handle the rest. I truly believed and let Him handle everything I couldn't figure out. So I kept on living my life. I barely changed my lifestyle (Whole Foods hot bar will always be bae), I still traveled and I paid every bill on time. How? Long story short: because I don't have rent to pay, I saved everything I made from previous jobs. When those drought seasons came along, I always had a cushion to live off of.

When I got back from Haiti in February, I decided to seriously buckle down and write my book. In my soul I felt like God was saying, "Ok girl, you have ONE job to do. Get to it while you have all this time." Like I said, when I wasn't working on a project, I lived off of savings. By the time I started writing the book, my savings was almost non-existent. But I still had to pay for everything out of pocket. I told myself to chill. God will handle it. Just do the work.

God always steps in right on time when you need Him.

Today, I received the proof of my book. On Wednesday, I start a new job. Grace.

I don't say this lightly when I say I put my COMPLETE trust in God in EVERY situation. I didn't know how I was going to pay to get you guys these copies but my homie came in right in the nick of time. I haven't even really wrapped my mind at how quickly He provided for me yet.

I don't take this faith thing as a joke. My walk is personal. My relationship is personal. But God's grace is for everyone. If you love Him, have faith! Do the work He has called you to do and watch Him move mountains just for you.

April 19th -