Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

A Look Back At 2020 And A Look Ahead at 2021

2020, may be coming to end, but the challenges we faced this year continue as we go into 2021. Yet in 2020 we saw people around the world come together to help others facing the unknown, as allies and advocates for not only their friends and community members, but for people they may never meet — providing financial support, emotional support or even inspiring others to lend a hand in any way they can. 2020 is the year that forever changed us all. It forced us to slow down, give up things (whether we wanted to or not), but it forced us to grow in ways we might not have grown without Covid.

I used to think that being busy all the time showed people that I was one of the best go get’em and knock them dead entrepreneurs.. That if I wasn’t doing anything productive or knocking off all the items on my to-do lists that I was just a complete failure. 2020 taught me that it’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to take time off from my “busy life” and just live in the moments that I am given.

Another thing that 2020 has taught me is that it’s okay to ask for help. Some people are so afraid to ask for help because then it means that they aren’t the superman or superwoman most thought they were. We all can’t do everything alone, sometimes we need to put our egos aside and reach out.

As someone who loves social media, 2020 has taught us that your mind can’t handle the constant negativity, fighting, and toxicity that you see, and hopefully you learned to really limit your consumption of it all. I did this prior to 2020, but I do this even better because of crazy-ass year we have had.

Finally, instead of worrying about all the things yet to come and all the things I wish we had, this year I found myself learning to be completely content with what surrounded me. Yes, I had the worst birthday, with not being able to go out, and yes, I wanted to have new adventures this year, but what 2020 made me realize is that the most important thing in the world is love and being surrounded by it.

2020 taught me that sometimes you have to risk opening up and putting everything on the table because if you don’t, then you lose the chance of not getting to know people. We’ve all been hurt and we’ve all had heartbreak but if you’re not willing to take a risk then you miss out on the relationships that could be amazing. Life is short. Don’t sit there and ponder, “What if.” No man is an island. Reach out, and it may be the beginning of something beautiful. 

We all faced many challenges this year, but I was blessed to have some amazing people who stood by my side the entire time. They know who they are. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. And to all those strangers out there on social media that have become some of the best people that I have light conversations with, thank you for becoming a part of life.

Happy New Year!

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

2020 Should Be The Year Of Gratitude

2020 has somehow been the best year of your life and you don’t even know it. We’ve all faced challenge after challenge. You’ve adapted, no matter how slow it took you to adapt. And 2020 has forced us to grow exponentially. We shouldn’t take that for granted. Instead we should be grateful for that opportunity. Take the negative, flip it, and turn it into a positive.

Think about how you have grown and how you have spent your time this year.

Did you reconnect with people you would have never connected with otherwise?
Did the quarantine force you to spend more time with your family, bond with your kids and also help you learn patience?
Do you appreciate your health more and respect your body more?
Are you still afraid to live in the moment?
Are you ready and able to take calculated risks?

Think about all that and tell me that is not living your best life. Yes, Covid19 was a struggle and still is, especially if you own a business, run a business and it also took some of our dear family and friends away, but when we focus on the negative we never get to appreciate what we have and the growth we experienced.

As you sit down to dinner on Thanksgiving day, take a moment and recollect all the amazing things you did experience this year and try to figure out ways to take the negative moments, flip them, and try and find any sliver lining.

In a society that has you counting dollars, pounds, and time, be a rebel for once, and count your blessings.

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

20 random things about me for 2020

 

1- I am trademarking a name of a product that I intend to sell.

2. I am still researching the development of an app.

3. My follow-up to hello love where is Cupid second edition will be published in 2020. I still yet have to create a title.

4. My competition cheerleading team will be competing in 2020.

5. I will be posting a lot more branded content in 2020 since I am a social media influencer and a lot more companies want me to do it. 

6. I want to read 20 books in 2020.

7. I may go back to school to take a course in 2020, but I am still looking at my options.

8. I never make New Year Resolutions…. ever.

9. I will also be writing a few short stories in 2020.  Including a paperback for my Cat’s Diary Book.

10. I am on social media for work at least 60 hours a week- but I do take breaks.

From 11 to 20 will just be random fun facts about me- so you can get to know me.

11. I was not made for winter.  Summer is my favorite season.

12. I wrote my best seller ” Hello Love, Where’s Cupid? 2nd ed” while I was at the beach. ( I put it together… It took 2 years of research though.)

13. I can’t eat mushrooms.

14. I really don’t like to eat fish unless I put hot sauce on it.  But I do like crab cakes and shrimp.

15. My birthday in 2020 is on a Tuesday thanks to leap year!

16.  I spend my early mornings working out, drinking coffee, planning out my day.

17. I am part of a million dollar BNI chapter.

18. I can’t stand it when people don’t say Thank you.  I don’t need anything in return other than having folks show me that they appreciate my effort.

19. I am left-handed.  Living in a right-handed world still isn’t that easy.

20. My favorite flower is a daisy. My favorite color is pink.

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

2020 On Social Media Is Going To Be Brutal

 

If you haven’t guessed where I am going with this yet, then maybe you really are hiding under a rock. I am talking about the dreaded Presidential Election in 2020.   If talking and reading about politics hasn’t killed you yet, don’t worry, it will in a year and a half.

You will have nut jobs from both sides of the isle arguing back and forth and forth and back on why we should vote for ……. and not for ………

So this is my plea to all those crazies who JUST love to talk politics: For the love of everything that is holy, please, don’t make social media even worse than it is now!

Social media was developed for 3 reasons: 1) To keep in touch with family and friends. (Yes, I want to see those pictures of kids I once taught, kids that I know and cute cat videos!)  2) To network. This is the most important thing for any business man or woman to do if they want to succeed in their business. Entrepreneurship is all about connecting with not only customers or clients, it’s about people in the same industry as you are. It’s also reaching out to those who aren’t to see if they can support you in any way possible.  And finally, 3) To build up the community.  This is what we really should be doing instead of tearing each other down and building up hate.  There is more hate and negativity on social media than I have ever seen the eleven years I have been a social media guru.  Literally, people will argue over the dumbest things!

vote 4

Are we really becoming that cynical?  We should be banning together, like everyone did after 9/11. Remember that moment? Remember how we all hung the American Flag from our homes and cars, everyone held open doors, was polite, compassionate, and showed what the American Spirit TRULY was- One of the worst days in U.S. history brought out the best in  ALL of us.  And for those who weren’t born then, read this:  http://bit.ly/2wuliw4 

We need to go back to HOW we were back then. We need to STOP bashing each other on social media. Instead we need to use social media for the greater good.  Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion whether or not you agree with that opinion, ( remember that while you are trolling Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, okay?)

vote 3

How about we all cool off and go back to posting pictures of food, rainbows, unicorns, and cats? You know, the way Facebook use to be BEFORE people decided to use it as a platform to bicker with each other who don’t agree with their point of view. If you want to have a political conversation, why don’t you do it the old fashioned way: in person?  This way there are no “misunderstandings,” while I read your post on why I need to vote for_________. Oh, you weren’t being serious, only sarcastic?  Oh, you meant that as a joke? Oh, you were trying to tell me how important this issue means to you but at the same time you keep posting pictures in the opposition? People can’t read emotions on social media.

It’s one thing for people to talk about freedom of speech, but it’s another to to be a hypocrite in the same sentence.  Freedom of speech doesn’t work when someone ONLY agrees with you. It works even when someone doesn’t agree with you. Remember that, okay?

You’re not going to change someone’s beliefs on social media. You can argue until the cows come home or pigs fly, but you’re just wasting your time. People are different and believe different things. Accept it and move on. Life’s too short.

Let your vote be your voice.