Month: March 2018

My list of “Must have” things as of now

/ Nicole Cherise / Leave a comment

Hi friends! I hope all is well!

At the age of 32, there are some things that I believe are important to have as of right now. The list goes as follows:

  • Major important Correct documents of yourself i.e Birth certificate, passport, state I.d/ Drivers License, and social security card
  • Health insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • A Savings/investment/retirement account through your employer (401k, retirement funds etc)

Now, I’m pretty sure many would say things like a ownership of a living space (home, condo, townhouse, co-op), owning a vehicle, marriage, children, fur babies and so on. I believe those are things that can happen at any time and are goals to accomplish. However, proper identification, health insurance and life insurance are necessities.

Your important documents should be stored somewhere safe, but not too hidden that it becomes lost lol. You need them for everything. Make sure all your information is correct because it will haunt you later (trust me on that, I work in vital records). Health Insurance… need I say more? And oh Life Insurance, a policy some people don’t want to pay for. We all have to pass on from this earth one day, this is a way to help with those transition expenses and to make sure your family will be ok. Lastly, a 401k or similar account and retirement fund are also important. It’s your money and hard work building for itself. In some cases you are able to borrow from these accounts without penalty for certain purchases such as a down payment for a home.

Obviously, what I mentioned here isn’t law, but it’s a good start to having things in order.

Friends, what are some necessities that find to be vital? Do you feel these things are important? Let me know below! And don’t forget to like and share 😊

Thanks so much for reading!

Nicole Cherise ♥️

Highs and lows

/ Nicole Cherise / Leave a comment

The snow brought a lot of time to reflect with the chilly temps. It reminded me that it’s a cold world out there.

Observe Everything!

Many people want to celebrate around you when you are Up but disappear when you are down. Make that circle tighter. No hurt feelings

Nicole Cherise♥️

The Process…

/ Nicole Cherise / Leave a comment

Hi friends!

Many of us have dreams and goals that we want to accomplish. I, too, have this desire, however, it seems that distractions and negativity can get in the way. As I wrote in my last blog entry, we have to change our cognitions. The way we think, how we view ourselves is a part of the process.

Stay on Course!

Everyone moves at their own pace. There are some of us who are more technology savvy, some are Natural Leaders, quick learners, are more visual and so on. We can’t tell the next person how quickly to meet goals, but we can encourage them to Stay on Course.

Trust

Trust the Process. It’s a journey that will require hard work, dedication, and Time. Once you see your goals come into fruition, it will all be worth it.

Hold on Friends and continue to Rise to the challenge.

Thanks for reading!

Nicole Cherise ♥️

How do We See Ourselves?

/ Nicole Cherise / Leave a comment

Hi Friends!

I was reading from the Bible app and this was a screenshot of one of the devotionals. This is a struggle for myself and I’m sure for many of you reading. The issue of How we see ourselves vs how God(or your spiritual self) sees us.

I’ve created this tape of negative thoughts and it is hard to erase. No one in particular put it there but it does exist. I believe in order for us gain Peace in our lives, we have to change our cognitions and behaviors.

We can achieve this goal by performing daily affirmations, prayer, and meditation. Will it be easy? No. However, anything worth having will require hard work and dedication.

Why not experience The joys of life besides the unfortunate struggle? Why should we only indulge in self pity and the “woe it’s me” attitude? Instead, make a Decision to want more and SERVE more. Things will get better for us friends, we just need the time to believe it. 😊

Thanks for reading and sharing!

Nicole Cherise ♥️

Claim back your Joy

/ Nicole Cherise / Leave a comment

Hi friends!

What does Joy mean to you? For myself, it’s knowing positivity and happiness coexist. This doesn’t mean that every day is peaches and cream, but there is always something to be hopeful for.

Beware, there are people who will through their expectations for our lives. People will do and say things that make us frustrated because we might not meet “the guidelines”. M̶o̶s̶t̶ Some of the time it’s our own family and friends that do this. I truly do not believe it’s on purpose or that they even know it’s happening but it does. When it does, insecurities build up, we may question our faith, our joy can slip away…. DON’T LET IT!

Stay strong to The Most High’s plans, stay true to your goals and ambitions, stay Strong during conversations. You don’t have to show aggression but be assertive with Your position. We got this friend, Joy will remain with us, no matter what others Expect.

Thanks for your support!

Nicole Cherise ♥️

Hard work now and play later.

/ Nicole Cherise / 2 Comments

Hi friends, Happy Motivational Monday!

Needs vs Wants… or can we say the necessities vs the Luxuries.

I remember in elementary school when we learned the difference. Needs were : shelter (place to live), food, clothes and transportation. The wants were an extension of the needs. Like I “wanted” an expensive car, I’d love to eat lobster as much as I wanted, top name brands for clothes and I wanted a mansion with a staff. Hmmm some of that still sounds the same in my adult life, don’t Judge me LOL

So Excited Reaction GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

There are things that I’m coming to terms with in regards to Needs vs Wants. My goals are to Own a Home, have financial comfort/freedom, leave a legacy for my child (and future children), have an organization to help people and to feel better as I battle MS. On the other end, I yearn to travel more. I want to visit more states, I want my family to see the beauty of our world. I know with hard work, all these things are possible but it takes time. The money it takes to do those things cost and I could save for it but what about the house? Or what about the student loan debt?

As a MS patient, I get nervous at times for the future. Meaning, I don’t know how strong my legs will be 10 years from now. Would I be crushed that I can’t travel the way that I want? Is there a chance that traveling may become a hassle? These can be considered extreme realities but as we all know, MS is unpredictable, therefore, it could happen. Due to those thoughts that run through my mind, I always have this attitude of “wanting to do, while I can”. I honestly can say that it is a struggle in my head. Like my DH said, “there isn’t anything wrong with having a bucket list but you still have to prepare for it”. This is the most realistic thing I’ve been told in a while.

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In five to ten years from now, I’d like to say that my family has traveled to Africa, gone on vacations more than six times in a year, however I would LOVE to say that we have our Home, we are almost done with Student loans, my children have a substantial amount of money in their accounts.

I don’t know what the future holds, or when the good Lord will call me home, but I rather know that I left my loved ones financially comfortable instead of debts to close out.

Friends, have you gone through this? Do you struggle with your needs and wants as well? Let me know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading and sharing!

Nicole Cherise ♥️