Picture this- It’s the week after a great Mother’s Day and it it NOT…I repeat N-O-T the week I planned. It was wild. It was stressful. It was overwhelming. A couple of times I thought, “Is this really happening to me?” “Did [insert the miriade of adults and children that said off the wall things to me] just say that to me?” It was a week I would like to forget in many ways, but one I have to lock away in the memory bank. I had planned a completely different post to go out Thursday, but Thursday was the straw that threatened to break my back. I don’t know if it is the result of 5 planets in retrograde right now or something I did

This is how I felt at several points this week! 🙂
in my former life that forced me to literally bite my tongue to prevent me from responding to my stress in a negative way. Either way it was NOT the week I planned.
I originally wanted to share my experience with Zumba (which I LOVE by the way) as my personal stress reliever and it is ironic that my week ended up being filled with stress. Shout out to B’More Fit Studio/@bmore.fit.studios. That post will be coming soon.
Even with all that was going on with me and my 9-to-5, I still had to keep it together to have something to give to my family. As much as I wanted to stay home and catch up on the shows on my DVR, I still had people depending on me to be places and do things and I had to show up. I had to keep going. I had to keep pushing. I had to keep moving forward. That was hard. There were moments when I sent text messages to people asking for help (and prayer) to not do the things ‘the other Krystal’ was telling me to do. I even came home right after work one day before picking up the kid from school and caught up on the last 2 episodes of Blackish and laughed out loud. I mean I really laughed out loud…HARD. And I enjoyed it. I took a moment to not eat [or drink] my feelings and instead sat, prayed, then zoned out for a few moments to laugh. I even got in 3 workouts this week and I’m proud of that. Humph, the more I think about it, I managed to hold it together pretty well amidst a bit of chaos. Insert a ceremonial pat on the back for me!
While the week had its Kings Dominion-ish highs and lows, it ended on a great note with seeing my niece and nephew off to the prom and meeting a new group of women I connected with over a good book and life. When stressful and oddly annoying things happen to me I often think that I have to remember the nuances of the events because there is a lesson I am supposed to learn and if I miss it I may be forced to repeat the stress and I DO NOT want that to happen. So here are my lessons from the week I didn’t plan:
- Say what you mean and mean what you say. One thing I am is genuine and I don’t lie.
- Operate in kindness, fairness and equity. I am a fair person and believe in that.
- Do not compromise who you are for what others think you should be. Point blank.
- Stick to your guns and believe your ‘gut.’ Again- do not compromise.
- Sometimes you have to remind them who you are…just in case they forgot! My name is Krystal, hear me roar!
I know this is not the last time I will have a stressful week…I hope the good Lord waits a long while before I get another one! When the next one comes I am going to have to reread this post, say my prayers, get support from my network, put on my ‘big girl’ undies and trudge on through. Keep moving forward. –krystal

I saw this and it immediately spoke to me. Keep moving forward. Thank you for the reminder Dr. King.
Well, writing is a stress reliever so you’re ahead of the game! (Your “old network” is still in tact and able, btw. )
Thank you klockw1…Ghana Club forever!
Loved, loved, loved this post. So many times I have lived this truth.
Roar on sister Roar on! There is a calmness like meditating when you are able to release what is no longer needed in your daily life.?
..LOL@My name is Krystal. Hear me roar!!..YOU MADE IT THROUGH
Thank you sis…whew!