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4 Ways To Modify Your Resolutions To Manifest Greatness
As a writer, I believe in the power of words. As a woman of faith, I believe that we manifest what we speak and do the most. I apply both principles to the way I set goals and resolutions. I take time to truly understand what I feel and what I want, then I work to speak those very things into existence, and onto my vision board. It's the difference between wanting a boyfriend and wanting a husband. Anyone can be a boyfriend, but, sis, I want a husband; I want my husband. That is what I speak. And in doing so, I call into existence the very thing I desire: my husband.
See where I'm going with this?
This same idea should be applied to your New Year's resolutions. While it's easier to set standard resolutions each year, it's important (and far more beneficial) to set resolutions that honor your true desires. This way, you declare and work toward what you truly want.
To manifest your heart's desires, it's important to speak to the depths of what they really are. Below are the most common resolutions with new suggested language. The point of this isn't to hijack your resolutions but to encourage you to think critically about how to ask for – and manifest – what you truly want for the new year.
Common Resolution: I want to lose weight.
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Suggested Resolution: I want to be healthier.
Rationale:Losing weight is a great goal but it's often created under superficial pretenses. If you want to lose weight for you, go for it! But if you want to lose weight to emulate the people you see online and in magazines, then you'll always fall short. Losing weight will always be a challenge when your desire to do so is for inauthentic reasons. Instead, opt for something more beneficial to you in the long term.
"I want to be healthy" is rooted more in self-love and -care, as opposed to "losing weight" which is often a desire rooted in self-loathing. Through self-love and body positivity, you're more likely to make the changes necessary to yield the results you're looking for. You'll eat better, establish healthier habits, and dedicate yourself to discipline– not because you hate your weight, but because you love yourself.
Changing this language takes the thought off of the dissatisfaction we usually have with our weight and puts an emphasis on what matters most: our health. Opt for this resolution rooted in self-love and you'll begin to see the weight loss results you've always longed for.
Common Resolution: I want to learn a new trade.
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Suggested Resolution: I want to sharpen my gifts.
Rationale: Growth is a beautiful thing and finding interest in a new trade is wonderful. But, sometimes we let knowing how to do many things steer us from doing the right things. Instead of trying to learn something completely new – and possibly unrelated to your life's purpose – focus on sharpening your gifts.
Your gifts were provided to you, divinely, for a reason. They are what you've been provided to live a purposeful life and carry out God's assignment. Many times, the new talents we're looking to establish are just our gifts that haven't been developed yet. Desiring to sharpen your gifts will not only ensure you're learning new things, but that those new things are relevant to the work you were put here to do. Remaining intentional about what new skills you establish helps position you for a life rooted in purpose.
Current Resolution: I want new/more friends.
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Suggested Resolution: I want better/more quality friendships.
Rationale: I said this one plenty of times. I wanted more friends for the different things I wanted to do, and the different areas of life I needed companionship in. I felt that having more friends – particularly, professional friends, creative friends, going-out friends, friends who give good advice – would fill those various voids. It didn't; in fact, it made it harder, for an introvert like me, to keep up with and nurture those many friendships.
While I don't think there's anything wrong with having different friends for different things, I think there's a missed opportunity in not understanding why. Sometimes we say we want new friends when what we really want is a different presence in our friendships. Instead of rushing off to make new ones, expecting voids to be filled, work on cultivating better more quality friendships.
Current Resolution: I want a new job.
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Suggested Resolution: I want my dream job, or I want a job in my career.
Rationale: Sometimes you do just want a new job to get out of your current one. But a lot of times, our cry for a new job, is really a cry for work that we're passionate about. The more we ask for a new job, the more new jobs we'll get; but at some point, we must switch gears and work to manifest what we truly desire: a fulfilling career. Being clear about our desire for meaningful work, rather than a new job, will get us to be more intentional about our pursuit throughout the new year. It can also open you up to opportunities at your current job that you never thought to consider.
The more critically we think about our 2019 goals, the more intentional we become when proclaiming them. The clearer we are about our desires, the more likely we are to work to manifest them. So as you prepare for the new year, do so with reflection, self-discovery, and clear, intentional resolutions.
Featured image by Getty Images.
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Zoe Hunter is the writer, speaker, and creator behind the women empowerment brand DEAR QUEENS. She uses vulnerability, storytelling, and spiritual development to empower women toward healthy decision-making. Stay connected to Zoe's work by visiting DEARQUEENS.com or following her on Twitter @zDEARQUEENS.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."