

8 Signs You Are Leveling Up
For a while now, I have been praying to God to remove me from a stagnant situation in my life. It seemed as though my prayers were unanswered because He kept me there for longer than I anticipated. And trust me, I did everything imaginable to break free and nothing happened. So, I decided to make the best of it and simply bloom where I was planted. After I finally began to enjoy that experience, it was taken from me. I was confused, heartbroken, and devastated. It took time to realize what God was doing but I continued to pray and trust in him. And now I know, I am walking into a new season.
Level up season has arrived and if there is something that you have been working toward or waiting on, I am here to let you know that you are not reading this post by accident.
Just to be sure that this message has been delivered to the right person, I have created a list of the eight signs to alert you that you are leveling up.
1. You are starting to act on the plans that you made.
Do you remember those goals that you wrote down? Whatever stopped you from accomplishing those goals before cannot stop you any longer. Now, you are ready to do whatever it takes to make them come to fruition. You realize that everything you need to make it happen is right in front of you.
2. Your situation is shifting from the familiar to the unknown.
You are now taking action to make your dreams a reality. The territory is uncharted and unfamiliar; but, you are willing to pave your own road. You are excited about the uncertainty and see it as an opportunity to do what you once thought was impossible.
3. Your relationships are changing and you begin to lose meaningless ones.
New people are coming into your life who believe in you and your vision. They want to see you do well and want to support your cause. Old relationships are ending so that new relationships can arrive. You have learned from the past and have created boundaries to ensure that partnerships are mutual and fulfilling.
4. You start envisioning your new life.
You can finally see the end of the tunnel. At one time, you had no idea of how you were going to make things work. Now, you know what it is going to take to reach your goals and you are willing to put in the work to make it happen. You know what the end result will be and you are excited to imagine it come to life.
5. You are no longer afraid of anything.
They say, fear is: false evidence appearing real. Your fear is gone and you have nothing to lose. You are ready to put yourself out there and do whatever it takes to get it done. They also say, insanity is: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You are ready to do something different to get something different.
6. You are more courageous than ever before and open to trying new things.
You have a renewed sense of energy and are courageous enough to try new things. With your new relationships, you are going to new places and learning new things. Since your fear is gone, you do not mind making and learning from mistakes. You know that it is insane to continue doing things the way you used to. So, it is easy for you to change.
7. You own who you are and what you can accomplish.
Everything you have learned from the past has prepared you for this moment. You know what you bring to the table; so, you are ready for a seat or you are prepared to buy your own table. You own exactly who you are and what you can do.
8. Your failures were put on display for others to see.
Your story will inspire others to level up. The world will watch your setbacks propel your comeback. Everyone will witness how everything you've gone through has strengthened you for this moment. You will finally understand why it all happened this way and you will share what you learned with others.
This article was originally posted on CarjieScott.com.
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Dr. Carjamin (Carjie) Scott (she/her/hers) has over a decade of experience in higher education administration, community advocacy, and implementation of cultural competence initiatives. She is a leader for a number of professional organizations that encourage literacy, equity, and education access. Read about her journey at carjiescott.com, follow her on twitter @scottcarjie and @carjiescott on Instagram.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Blac Chyna Opens Up About Her Initial Fear To Share Her Spiritual Journey With Others
Watching Angela “Blac Chyna” White’s transformation in real-time has truly been a sight to see. It wasn’t that long ago that she announced that she was reversing her cosmetic surgeries in an effort to go back to who she was before the world came to know her as Blac Chyna. In previous interviews, she stated that she was dissolving her facial and lip fillers, removing her breast implants, and getting a butt reduction, as well as removing the dimple piercings that enhanced her fame and controversial tattoos.
In a recent Tamron Hall interview, the mother of two said that she has “fully recovered” from the procedures. She is also celebrating one year of sobriety and opened up about being worried about how her new journey would be received by others.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, right, and of course, like, you know, coming out, I’m like young, I’m gonna do wild things as we all have,” she said.
“...I feel like by me being vocal and showing everybody you can change your life and things can get better, like through myself, that right there is an accomplishment, and that’s a part of freedom, too.”
But as she started on her journey, many people have shown her grace, which is something she’s grateful for. “And then the fact that people have been showing me grace, it’s like amazing,” she said. “And I feel like when I did it, I just did it. It was more so like spiritual thing and I feel like people see that, and I’ve always been like my authentic self, so what you see is kinda what you get with me, and that’s just kinda what it is.”
Chyna, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacramento Theology Seminary and Bible College, has also repaired her relationship with her mom, Tokyo Toni. The social media celebrity surprised her daughter on the Tamron Hall Show. Prior to the sentimental surprise, Chyna dished on the reconciliation and having a better understanding of her mom.
“I must say, some of the things I have to take accountability for because, like my actions. As a mother, you don’t want to see your daughter doing certain things ‘cause it’s like it doesn’t matter what my past was or what we’re going through, I didn’t raise you that way,” she admitted. “So, it’s like, okay, maybe I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I was acting out a little bit. But I feel like as we grow older, I kinda see more, and I understand more.”
Chyna will be starring in season two of Fox's reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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