The Pursuit of Love and Happiness in the LivMor Diva's Lounge

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I thought I'd initiate the LivMor Diva's Lounge today!

The LivMor Diva's Lounge was birthed from the idea that we all need to learn how to LivMor, and not by other people's standards. No, we have to learn to live for ourselves. Life is about the pursuit of love and happiness. We are all different, so our definitions of happiness may vary a little. What I do know to be a stone cold is that you will never truly be happy until you learn to live for and love yourself.

Someone once told me that "Happy people aren't the ones that are thankful. Thankful ones are the ones that are happy."

Think about it... Are you truly thankful? Are you happy with your life? Or do you look for things and people to complete you? Are you the kind of person that says 'I want to continue to grow, but I'm happy for all that I have and all that I've been through? Or do you think to yourself 'this (insert word here) will make me happy' or 'he/she will make me happy'? Is your happiness a state of mind? Or does your happiness depend on the things you have and the people that are in your life?

If the latter describes you better, we've got a lot of work to do and a long way to go. I know because, at one point in my life, I used to think the same way. I was so lost. I didn't know how to love myself and, in turn, I allowed myself to be mistreated. I looked for love and happiness in all of the wrong places. Instead of looking inward for happiness and love, I was hoping that all of the things I had would make me happy. I was hoping that a man I loved would make me feel complete, but all he did was break me down, confuse me and cause me to feel even more lost.

The more things I acquired, the more places I went, the emptier I felt. I was going to basketball games every week, sitting in box seats. I was buying the flashiest jewelry. I got a new car every year. When one thing didn't do it, I told myself that I needed a new "thing" and that would finally make me happy.

That is, until I lost everything... I lost my big boss job. I lost my brand new car. I lost my baby boy that I was carrying. I lost my health. And, thank goodness, I lost the man I thought I loved. For years, I'd measured my success and my happiness by the worldly possessions I'd acquired. It wasn't until I was at my lowest that I learned what it means to truly love myself. It wasn't until I lost everything I thought was important that I realized I already had it all and, although I had been searching for years, the key to my happiness was learning how to love myself and being thankful for everything.

So, as everyone was planning and preparing for Thanksgiving, that one special day out the year that's set aside for us to think and ponder on what we're thankful for, I sat down and wondered why we wait for one day out of the year to show our appreciation for the little things in life. I'm thankful for everything. I'm thankful to be able to wake up and breathe everyday. I'm thankful for my journey to where I am today. I'm thankful for the years I walked around in darkness. I'm thankful for the lowest points in my life. I'm thankful for all of the trials and tribulations that I lived through, that I struggled through, that I survived. Without them, I wouldn't have a testimony today. And I'm thankful that I finally know what is important in life and how to truly love myself.

I try to make sure that a day doesn't go by that I don't tell someone I love how much they mean to me. I try to make sure that the people in my life never have to question how I feel for them. I try to make sure that I never let the sun set with a grudge in my heart for a person I care about. And, most importantly, I try to remember to never guide my own steps. That's how I got lost in the first place.

So, let's embark on this journey together. Let's take a vow to live for and love ourselves. Let's take a vow to LivMor in the LivMor Diva's Lounge!