Category Archives: Empower Yourself

Empower Yourself

Embrace Who You Are

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“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.” — Brené Brown

This quote speaks to one of the deepest struggles we face as human beings: the tension between external expectations and our authentic selves. From childhood, we are shaped by family beliefs, cultural norms, and social pressures that tell us who we should be—how we should act, speak, succeed, and even feel. Over time, these expectations can become a heavy mask, disconnecting us from our true identity and creating a life that pleases others but fails to nourish our own spirit.

Letting go of who we think we’re “supposed” to be is not an act of rebellion; it is an act of liberation. It requires courage to question the roles we’ve adopted and to acknowledge the parts of ourselves we have silenced for acceptance. Embracing who we truly are means choosing honesty over perfection, presence over performance, and self-compassion over self-judgment. It invites us to recognize our strengths, vulnerabilities, and unique gifts without apology.

When we align with our authentic selves, we step into a life that feels lighter, more meaningful, and more grounded. We begin to create relationships built on truth rather than image, make decisions that reflect our values, and develop confidence from within rather than from the approval of others. Ultimately, Brown’s message reminds us that authenticity is not a destination—it is a daily practice of returning to ourselves with patience, love, and the belief that we are enough just as we are.

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Empower Yourself

Mental Health Day

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One day, I asked a friend why we cannot discuss our mental health as we talk about diabetes, blood pressure, asthma… he said: “because none of those can cause you to hurt yourself or others.” That made me think oppositely. So we must talk about our mental health more than anything 🤷🏾‍♀️ because it affects the “sick person” and the whole family, community, state, country…

Hi, I am a Nephtalie. I have demons who come to visit once a while. But the universe gave me tools, friends, authors, strangers to help me fight them all. And today, I can proudly say suicide will never be an option!

Please, for your welfare and your loved one sake, talk to your friends. Seek professional help. As they can manage their asthma, we can control our mental health with the right guidance. Reach out to your friends. You never know the “strong ones” might be concealing their weakness.

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” – Fred Rogers

Empower Yourself

Everything Will be OK

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Would you believe me if I tell you everything will be okay? Would you stop crying if I tell you the situation that makes you think life is worthless will make perfect sense in the future, and you will be grateful for it? Please, I am the living proof!

I was rejected by almost every family member when I was 17. You’re probably asking why? What did you do?

    I stood up against my predator.

  • And would have done the same thing again today regardless of all the awful things that happened in my life because I didn’t let him take a piece of me.

    • Today I am grateful for my story because it makes me ME. My friends think that I am strong because I didn’t/ don’t let go. But, I believe that I am just a strong woman who knows her weakness. I took some selfish decisions because I wasn’t strong enough for the reality.

    Here I am today, right where I belong with my lovely tow kids who are giving me every reason to continue this journey!

    Please remember you are going through this because you have what it takes to turn it into the best chapter of your story.

    Empower Yourself

    Where Are Your Priorities?

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    One of the most important thing that I learn in my journey of becoming a better version of myself is the fact that you need to know your priorities and stick to them. Keep in mind your priorities are temporary. For example, today your priority could be to get a job and one year later your priority is to get a raise or a promotion. I am a core fan of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy, and I am very proud to say I watched every single episode from Meredith meeting Derek at the bar to April Married Mathew. (Sorry if you haven’t watched the last episode of session 14.) Thursday night used to be “The night” from 8 to 11 PM, because I also watch scandal and HTGAWM, nothing else matter but ABC. Now ask me what did I gain from watching every single episode of Greys Anatomy? How did the show change my life for the better?

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    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

     

    The only thing I “gain” is that crazy conversation that I can have with another fan and if you’re not a fan it will be impossible to understand what we are talking about. Or maybe Grey’s Anatomy might make its fan miserable if they are still searching for their “person” “Christina” or “Meredith.” If you’re not a fan don’t try to understand that last sentence. It is just to tell you all those hours I spent whacking the show were in a sense a waste of my time. I could have used it to read the 5 Second Rule of Mel Robbins.  Don’t get me wrong, we need some “down” time in our lives, some watch sport, other watch reality show, and me, I watch Grey’s Anatomy. Now the question is, do you make watching your show or sport your priority? If I get a job offer that requires me to work every Thursday from 6 PM to 12 AM would I reject it? Just because it is the time that I watch my favorite show.

    The other day in a conversation with a friend, she told me even though she was supposed to study/review for her final exam she couldn’t help herself from watching the Royal Wedding. This statement is the classic example of someone who does not know her priority. Why didn’t she save the program on her DVR if watching the whole thing was that important? Why having a good grade for her final exam was less important than watching Meghan and Harry getting married? What did she GAIN from watching the wedding? The answers to all those questions are simple she doesn’t have a priority.

    Yes, we need to relax and do things that we are interested, however, those things cannot come before the things that are going to bring us to the next level of our lives. Do the math and ask yourself what you will gain from choosing this task over another one. Set your priority and stick to them regardless.

    “The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”

    Brandon Sanderson

     

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    Work Hard but Be Patient

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    “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

    Human being have a lot in common including IMPATIENT we can’t wait to see result, we want what we want now. I always wonder why are we so impatient because for example, if you believe in the creation theory “God who is the most powerful of all” took six days to create the universe. According to the way that the Bible describes God he probably could have created the universe in one second “if it was his will.” If God took six days to create the universe how much time do you think we need to create our happiness? Why are we so impatient to see result?

    If you believe in the Evolution Theory, you have no reason to be impatient at all because “the theory of evolution encompasses the well-established scientific view that organic life on our planet has changed over long periods of time and continues to change by a process known as natural selection.” LONG PERIOD OF TIME, meaning if you believe in that theory you must be the most patient person ever, you have no choice but to be patient, you know it takes time before getting from one state to the next one.

    Being patient doesn’t mean you are lazy it just means you are doing the work but you know you won’t see result the next day.

    We need to cultivate patient we need to know that result take time. Sometimes we look at someone and we wish we were that person, not even knowing that person story. Maybe if you start putting the work today you might achieve way more than the person you wish you were.

    “It took Patience, persistence and perspiration to make an unbeatable combination for success.” Napoleon Hill

    Empower Yourself

    Make Today Your “Day One”

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    There are many things in our lives that are put into places just for us to fail. We need to be aware of those things and work into finding a way to use them to succeed. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

    The objective was not to get the wind out of the airplane’s way but to find a way to make the airplane go through the wind. Too many times you and I are counting our excuses for not taking necessary actions that are needed in order for us to have a glimpse of the “happy life”. While all we need is to accept whatever might be a weakness or problem and find a way to make it works for us. For example, Fran Drescher, an actress and activist best known for her role as Fran Fine in the hit TV series The Nanny, did not let her nasal voice stop her from becoming an actress. Au contraire, she used it as an asset. More recently, Christine Metz an overweight actress and singer known for playing Kate Pearson in the NBC drama This Is Us, has earned Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.In a world where almost every actress looks a certain way Christine did not let her weight get in the way of her success.

    Those two women inspire me a lot. Since I moved to the United States of America I have always been very self-conscious about my accent but I am not letting it get in my way.

    Just like the airplane take off against the wind let’s take off against anything that is in our way

    Empower Yourself, Uncategorized

    Your Routine Shapes Your Future

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    We usually give credit to people who are successful, but ignore those that are on their own road to success forgetting that those successful people were once beginners as well.

    Maybe this is what is stopping you from starting your journey to the “great life” health, wealth, and happiness. If you do not take time to know someone else’s path you will think it just happened that they are where they are. For example, if you want to be the next LeBron James, one of the best basketball players who many refer as The King, and you do not know his story, do not even know how many hours he puts every day into practice, you will never be able to follow his footsteps.

    We put successful people on a pedestal and that, my friend, is what is stopping you from starting your journey to success. We have a tendency to think successful people are geniuses. Do not get me wrong, most of them are, but I also believe we are all a genius. Oprah Winfrey is a genius but so is J.K. Rowling, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grant Cardone, and Jeff Bezos. They are all geniuses in their own way.

    We need to know their path and their routine, if you ever read a biography you’ll realize most almost every successful person has a routine, things that they do in a regular basis that lead them to their success. One thing that they all have in common is improving themselves every day in the field they are in. My advice to you if you are really serious about your success you must work every day to become the best at what you do.

    You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.John C. Maxwell

    Empower Yourself

    Do You Have a Limit?

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    “You are your only limits.” This quote is one of the most powerful quotes that I have come across, and it is one of my favorites. Too many times people have created excuses for not taking actions. We are so protective over our comfort zone that we do not want to take the leap of faith to get on the road to success.

    • The only thing stopping us from reaching our goals and dreams are our limits, and we set our own limits.
    • We waste too much time explaining to others and ourselves the reasons that we cannot do certain things.
    • We are great at setting up limitations than trying to find out how to be great.
    • We put limits on ourselves through our thought and then we limit the actions we take.

    Meanwhile all we need is to believe in our potential, have faith, be more confident, and take actions. The human brain is very complex. Studies have shown that our mindset is the first step toward success. Our positive mindset plays an important role to our success, however, it also can be responsible for our failures. If you do not think you are able to carry a box, you might have all the muscle needed to move the box but still are unable to move it because of the limitation set by your mind.

    “Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else; it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being… There are NO limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.” Bruce Lee

     

    Empower Yourself

    What Are You Waiting For?

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    • Have you start your journey to become the best person you can be yet?
    • Where are you in your journey?

    When do you think your journey started? The day you were born? I know for a fact that mine started on Jun 21, 2001 because since that day I have been making decision for Nephtalie. Sorry to tell you that your journey kicks off the day you start making decisions on your own, the day you start question things you were told. Your journey starts on the day you stop letting the society instructs you its definition of happiness and telling you what path you need to follow in order to be successful. Your journey start when struggle arise and only you can take control and turn sh$&t around.

    You need to assess yourself, believe in who you are, and who you want to be, then develop your self-confidence and ready, set, go. Start your journey regardless of what the society thinks of you and your perceptions.

    You need to get up and start building yourself, start making decisions that will change your life for the better, it is almost never happened for someone will show off and start making those decisions for you. Remember you are in control of your life you are the captain on of your ship. Yes, I know if you believe in God, you can say that God is in control of every aspect of your life. However, you are at the only physical person who is in control of what your tomorrow will be. The only things that can stop you are illness and death, and in most cases, you have no control over neither one.

    “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” Leonardo da Vinci

    Empower Yourself

    High-Self-Esteem is The First Step Toward The Best YOU

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    The Merriam Webster Dictionary define self-esteem as a “feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities” Many time we look at someone’s achievement and say  “I am so proud of you” “I respect and admire you”  So now let me ask you, how many time have you take a look at yourself and tell yourself “I’m proud of you” “I give you a lot of credit for your accomplishments” “I respect you”  if the answer is I cannot remember or never you need to read the title of this post one more time.

    You might be in a situation where you are feeling weak, powerless, and that you cannot handle things that are happening in your life, trust me I’ve been there. Today I am delighted to tell you that you can boost yourself up, you can start the process of becoming the wonderful soul you were born to be.

    The first step toward achieving great is to believe in yourself. You must Have Faith in Your Abilities to Become great. Maybe this is why Jesus said, if you have faith you can tell the mountain to move and the mountain will move. You might ask “how can I believe in myself when most of the things that I started fail?” The answer to that question is simple, “Everybody is a genius. But If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that It is stupid”-Albert Einstein. To have faith you must know yourself, know your strength and weakness.

    In 2015, I was 31, with two kids, (the youngest was five-months-old) and one fulltime job when I made the decision to go to college. For many, except myself, this decision was impossible to achieve, they saw in it my “mountain.” Two years later, in 2017, I graduated with distinction from a community college, now I am pursuing my bachelor’s degree. My secret was and still is “I BELIEVE IN MYSELF” “I HAVE FAITH”

    “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done”