and you can add whatever adjective you think is necessary for consider yourself as someone
who is given to the things of God. After much growth, and countless trials, and lessons, I learned that I can be exactly who I am authentically, and still be a lover of things pertaining to the soul. With that said, please know that this place I am in right now in my life is not maintained by only my pretty looks (I am very beautiful just in case you didn't know!); but by a series of consistent efforts on a
regular basis.

Here is part of my daily practice; remember I have to keep this short, LOL!

Intentional Gratitude: This single handedly changed who I was and catapulted me into who I am
today. At first, I was literally giving thanks for everything in front of me. I mean EVERYTHING.
However, I have since evolved from this way of practice as I was feverishly writing 3 things
everyday out of ritual. Do not get me wrong if you follow me on Instagram, you will see me write
daily 3 things in my stories. Now, I do this as a way to hold myself accountable to what I believe
and preach. I have learned over the years that the practice of intentional gratitude is not about
things or even people; it's spiritual and inward. More than anything, it is about grace. Even as I
write this, I can feel it.

Laughter: In the car earlier this week, I laughed so hard that I had to pull my car off the highway
onto a side street. I was laughing so hard that tears formed and blurred my vision. It was a belly
aching, thigh slapping, choking type of laugh... and you know what? I needed it. It brought me
back into the present. I believe that no matter how tough or hard life might get we should be
able to still enjoy the “lighter” side of things. This is just one way we maintain our power.
Some days are better than others of course. However, for the most part, I keep it “tight and
right” with the above listed things and some others that I will mention at another time.

With Love and the Spirit of Gratitude,
Akilah