Author: Roshonda B

My name is Roshonda Blackmon and I have been known in life as “the encourager” God gave me that gift before I even realized what it was or what it truly meant, the only thing I knew is that a vast amount of people liked to come to me for advice and once that advice was received, I never heard from them anymore until they wanted more advice. That gifting soon became my ministry. I’ve been through quite a bit of challenges in life from dealing with suicide, low self-image which resulted in low self-esteem, to the difficulties of growing up in a one parent household and the list goes on and on. But God in all his Mercy and Grace blessed me to overcome those obstacles and situations and gave me a “second” chance by allowing me to live through all that darkness in order to help spread an encouraging light to others. In a world of uncertainty and negatism’s I want to encourage you to LIVE. Yes, Life does get hard sometimes, But if we keep looking up at the SON; we gain strength, we become empowered and we grow in the process with God’s help; for it doesn’t matter where you are in your life at this moment in time; God is able and will meet you within that dark place and change your life from Dark to Light, I’m not only a witness to this; but JustsumInspiration to show you, That you too can make it.

Sunday’s Thought: Is It Worth the REACH?

Published on June 11, 2017June 9, 2017 by Roshonda B4 Comments

The other day I was in the store (you’ll come to find out, I go to the store quite often =) – I was in there picking up a couple of things with my son and daughter, as I was checking out my items at the self-checkout; I noticed my son was no where in sight.

As I continued scanning my items, my eyes were doing double duty as I began to glance up and down to see if I could spot him out. Suddenly, my eyes zeroed in to the side of the store where he was standing over by the drink machines located near the exit doors. Whew! I thought to myself, now I don’t have to run all over the store trying to chase him down. I was exhausted, it was really late and the self-checkout lines were the only ones they had open at that time of night, I was very lucky to zip through and out before the crowd got started; it was after 11am at night and the store was quickly filling up with people. I didn’t know people shopped at that time of night, anyway as I checked out and grabbed my bagged items, my son came running up to me saying “Mama, I found a quarter beside the drink machine – Can I get It??

My first reaction was, really?? That’s what you were over there doing all that time?. He began to explain the quarter’s location and how if I could just move the machine, he’ll be able to get it. Do it really look as if I want to be Wonder Woman tonight, I mean did he expect me to use my bionic powers to move this big machine; mind you that was also in between two other huge drink machines. The space itself was very small and I couldn’t see how a quarter even got beside there unless it rolled there from someones loose change that accidentally dropped out of their hands.

He was determined to figure out a way to get that quarter and Why? What was he actually going to spend it on, what were his plans for it, he definitely can’t buy anything with it. I began to ask him, why was the quarter so important – he said he didn’t know, it just caught his attention and he wanted to get it. But why waste your time on something that’s not worth the trouble of even obtaining. I mean, if I’m going to perform miracles to move something out of the way, I want to make sure that it’s worth the time and effort in me doing it, otherwise what would be the point in me exhausting unnecessary energy for something that’s just going to sit on a dresser or in his case, get lost. I told my son, if it had been a five dollar bill meshed in between that machine, Wonder Woman would have been in full effect. Which brings me to the thought of the day, whatever you’re pursuing in life “Is It Worth Your Reach?”

On the way to our destiny, it’s so easy to get side-tracked by shiny objects, catch phrases and minor bumps in the road – at some point we will all be faced with the problem of either continuing to move forward or allowing trivial things to take our attention away from things that truly matter.

Sunday’s Thought:

Make sure the things that you are reaching for are worth your time and effort. A lot of times in life we waste the majority of our energy trying to grab minuet things that are not beneficial to our life, neither is it going to improve our current situation. If you’re going to reach for something, you want to make sure that what you are reaching for is not a distraction intended to knock you off track to your next destination.

Let’s face it, every minute counts when it comes to your future and you don’t want it to be wasted because something small, shiny or of little value got your attention. Be sure that whatever it is, it will be worth your attention as well as your time and will add value and meaning to your journey. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time.

Let’s Keep It Moving, Shall We?..

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud & Love Hard!

Feel free to comment or email us @ justsuminspiration@gmail.com

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Success In Mind; Not Wealth…

Published on June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 by Roshonda B3 Comments

The definition of success according to Merriam Webster’s English Language Learners is:

the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame
the correct or desired result of an attempt

Most of my life, when someone mentioned the word “Success” I also gravitated to the the first bullet (wealth, respect and/or fame) and because of that, I sought out in life to achieve and to do just that. When my attempts at stardom failed; it was then that I felt like a failure for not obtaining success “as I knew it to be” – I was blinded by what success really was and later realized that success had nothing to do with wealth, respect or fame; I mean don’t get me wrong, a part of success is known to be wealth and fame but if you don’t have the mindset to achieve the basics, you’ll never get to the other side of it.

The world we live in now, deems success as such things above and puts many stipulations on the word. Such as, if you haven’t achieved a certain goal or aspiration by a certain time frame or age in your life, then according to the worlds term of success, you would be deemed as unsuccessful. You might as well give up, close up shop to your dream and goals and wait to die. Sounds dreadful; and it will be, if we base our success definitions off of other peoples perceptions.

You see? True success starts within your mind. A lot of times in life we get mixed up by what success truly is because we focus our attention on other people, their status, their way of living, their wealth, their life and etc. and try to match and/or adjust our life to be set up just like their world is. I’ve been there and done that…

When I first starting blogging two years ago, I visited quite a few blogs during that time. Some had really cool site tags, but what really got me was how many people were following them. I was overcome by the comments they were receiving from their writing styles and topics and it was then that I became discouraged about my own blog. I began to think to myself – “Okay, maybe I need to do this or say that.” or “Maybe I need to change my Blog to look like theirs.” From that point, I found myself going through many different realms and circles just to get engagement, but failed miserably to get the responses that I felt were making them successful. Suddenly, I began to ask myself “Are my topics not interesting enough?, “What is it that they’re doing, that I’m not doing?” and the questions and comparisons went on and on and on. I literally made myself sick and depressed thinking about it. What I was trying to do was compare other bloggers success to what my blog should look like in order to get to the success and the level that they had achieved. “As Julia Roberts said it best in “Pretty Woman”….

What I had to realize was that their success was not my success and not only that – in order to get that type of following, they had to have been blogging for a couple of years or more. At the time I was just starting out and was already looking to shoot to the stars off of one blog post, trust me I think it’s silly when I think back on it now.

What I came to the conclusion of is that everyone has their own audience and while they had built up theirs through hard work and consistency. I had to realize that, that would be the same road that I would need to take as well. Was I doing this to get likes and follows? Or was this something that God had really birthed in my heart and spirit to do, because if it’s of God – we have to trust and believe that he has success worked out for us in his own time, including followers. But, if we’re into ourselves, then we’ll forever chase a rabbit that we’ll never catch.

Listed below are a couple of Success tips that I learned along the way, that might help you, no matter where you are now on your journey.

1.Wealth is not Wealth if you don’t have a Successful Mind to handle it.

Okay, so I’ve always been bad when it comes to money. I never really had anyone to teach me about wealth growing up and the benefits it can add to your life. If you want to have money and keep money, you first have to have a successful mindset towards it. As a people, when we advance in life whether this is from a job or other advancement; we tend to increase our life and possessions as well. We’ll go from a job making 25,000 a year to making 35,000 a year and still be broke. We’ll go out and get a new car with higher payments and take on more expenses in which will make us sink deeper into debt, then we’ll find ourselves asking God for a better job to pay off the debt “we” incurred. The new increase is not meant to increase our lifestyle but help us to save and make it easier to pay for the things and/or bills we are already facing, not to add to it. What we have to do is keep the same mindset we had when we were making 25,000. You might even want to pretend as if you got a 5000.00 increase instead of a 10,000 increase. I’m a firm believer, if you can’t handle what you have now, then you won’t be able to handle the million you’re praying for.

2. Stop with the Comparison

As stated above, I had it bad comparing myself to other’s. When it comes to success you have to realize that everyone is on a different level. Their success is not going to look like your success and vice versa. When you have a product or a service to offer to people, don’t get side-tracked because someone else’s products or services is doing better than yours. You can’t focus on what they are doing, you have to stay consistent with what you are doing in the space and time that’s given to you. Most people are grinding everyday and putting themselves in uncomfortable spaces in order to push their product because they believe in it. We don’t know the effort that anyone is doing behind the scenes that make it look effortless in plain view. Success is obtained through your hard work and consistency. What are you willing to do or how far are you willing to go to push yours?

3. Create your own Path

A minister told me when I was 18, she said “I tell my children all the time; create your own Path, Let people follow you instead of you following them” – I didn’t understand her words of wisdom at that time because my focus was always shifted on following someone else in whom I thought was much cooler, popular or better than me. It wasn’t until I hit 30, that the light bulb went off in my head. I was so busy following others until when I looked down at my own feet, I didn’t have a path of my own to follow. It was then that I immediately began creating my own path of self-assurance and success and while I am still adding to that path daily, it feels good to be the leader of my own destination and not someone elses.

4. It’s Never Too Late

I used to tell people, “It’s Never too Late to Do Anything you want to Do; It becomes too Late when they are rolling you into a church.” I say the same thing to you today, Don’t get sidelined because the career you always dreamed of didn’t happen in your 20’s and you’re now 40. Success doesn’t have a start date nor an end date to when it should happen and when it should stop. As long as you’re living, breathing and have the activity of your limbs; you’re capable of accomplishing anything you want. If it doesn’t happen, it won’t be because it wasn’t available – It’ll be because you didn’t allow it too.

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud & Love Hard!

Feel free to comment or email us @ justsuminspiration@gmail.com

For Daily Inspiration, you can follow us on one or all of the social media sites below:

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JUNE IS IN FULL BLOOM! & So Are This Month’s Topics…

Published on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 by Roshonda B3 Comments

IS IT JUNE ALREADY?

I promise you, It seems as if it was just a week ago when I posted the topics for May. I seriously need to put forth a protest to stop these months from moving so fast. June Already?? Wow!

Well, while the months are taking wings and flying away – so are we with the topics. I really appreciate everyone for reading and engaging in the topics we’ve had thus far. We have some topics for June that I’m sure you either can probably relate too or know someone whom has been through it.

So hold on June! Self-Help topics are back again. Without further ado, here are the topics and tips we’ll be providing for you this month.

Success in Mind, Not Wealth.

Do you really know what Success Is? I mean the first thing I used to think of when I approached the word was fancy clothes, cars, money and overall wealth of everything good. But Success is none of those things, as it starts in the mind and is exemplified in how you use that mind of yours. I’ll break down what success truly is and how you need to shape your mind concerning success by sharing my own story and provide tips of how you can obtain success now, not later.

A Renter’s Nightmare: Slumlords..

Most people rent because they either don’t have the money to purchase the home of their dreams at the time or if they owned a home; they wouldn’t have the money to fix something should it go wrong. Renters have a responsibility but landlords do as well; so, what do you do if you have a landlord that doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do, should you still pay the rent? What are your rights as a tenant? In this post I’ll be sharing my very recent experience with this issue, talk about what I learned and give you tips if you or someone you know is having issues with their landlord.

Did you say Divorce?

If you’ve ever been married and suffered through a divorce or have been separated and in the process of a divorce, then you know it’s not an easy road. No one ever thinks of the “D” word when they get engaged and eventually get married. The hope is to stay married for ever and ever and ever, unfortunately this dream doesn’t happen for everyone. In this post I’ll talk about my divorce and offer tips on how I got through it. Let’s face it, Divorce does happen and it can leave you in a rut (mentally, spiritually and physically) but you don’t have to let Divorce rule you, when you have the power to overcome it.

$20.00 or Less Lunch Week.

It may not seem like it to some people that actually know me, but I love a good bargain and I love to eat. So, when it comes to having lunch at work – I don’t have money to go out and grab something at the local fast food chain. Sometimes, all I have is 10.00 for the whole week for lunch and you know (depending on where you go), you can spend that and then some in one sitting. In this post I’ll show you how I get lunch for the whole week off of less than 20.00 and what I look for when I go to the grocery store to keep the cost low.

So stay tuned and be on the lookout every Thursday this month for a new topic. Feel free to comment, share, like or send us a message here at justsuminspiration@gmail.com. Justsuminspiration is geared toward helping you to live better and wiser, laugh louder and love harder. We don’t want you to just be Inspired but to Live an Inspired Life!

Sincerely Yours,

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

C’Mon, You Just Gotta ASK!

Published on June 3, 2017June 2, 2017 by Roshonda B2 Comments

Thursday afternoon, after work I went into the local market Wal-Mart to pick up a couple of items and as I always do – thinking I’m just going to go in for one thing and run out…(Intermission Break #ThatNeverHappens 😞😣, Okay…so back to the story) I began to see everything under the sun that I needed and/or wanted.

As my arms were filling up with items, I realized that I should have gotten a basket, so here I was running from aisle to aisle looking for an abandoned basket to place my items in but there was no basket in sight. Suddenly as I approached a self-check out line, I noticed a big basket (empty) just sitting there. I wanted to grab it but then I noticed there was a man there whom was just completing his transaction, he was about to go. I immediately backed away to continue my search to find a basket. It suddenly hit me, Why are you searching for a basket; when you seen one, all you had to do was ask? I was like, Yes…why didn’t I ask him, why did I just walk away?

I said all of that to say, in life we don’t monopolize on situations that are right in front of us. We procrastinate, take our time, beat around the bush and talk ourselves out of our blessings. Then we wonder why, things happen for other people and seem to pass us by. It’s not that things pass us by….it’s just that those other people know how to ASK & THEY RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITY! I went back, hand full of groceries and asked the man “Are you done with this basket? He said yes, you can take it. As I said Thank you to him, he in turn said “No, Thank You, you helped me out.”

So, I have to ask you a question. “What is Today your Day to Do” Is it your day to say Yes! Is it your day to Take a Leap of Faith in moving towards your dream? Because when you don’t use the time or take advantage of the resources that’s in your path in that moment, you’re not only hurting yourself, but you very well could be hurting someone else in the process.

Today is That Day! So Make It Happen 😉😉

You Got This!

Roshonda N. Blackmon

Creator of Justsuminspiration, Author, Speaker, Motivator & Encourager

Whose Your Bae? & Keeping God At the Forefront.

Published on June 1, 2017 by Roshonda BLeave a comment

Yesterday I did a Facebook poll that asked the question “Do you know what the word “Bae” means? I had listed several reasoning’s for what the acronym B.A.E supposedly stood for. If you look around social media and/or someone’s recent text messages, you won’t have an issue finding the word used frequently. But the question is “What does it really mean?

The term “Bae” has become one of the most popularest and well known terms that’s commonly used in relationships. Its meaning is used primarily to describe the most important person in your life. When a man or woman is referenced as “Bae” then they immediately know their status level and where they ultimately stand in the love category. It means that they’re considered to be number “one” or the “most valued” and besides them there is or should be no other. It’s amazing how we allow or automatically associate ourselves with wordings that we either don’t truly know the meaning of or even what it’s used for. If it’s popular, cute and in the latest trend on social media we assume it’s great and even use it ourselves in speaking or tagging it to others. But the truth of the matter is……..

Did you know that the word “Bae” in Danish means “Poop?”

However; you wouldn’t rightly know the true meaning of the word according to how the world plays up the word to sound. And here I was thinking it meant baby, sweetie or honey. Although the word does mean something disgusting and smelly, to be honest the word “Bae” has taken on many meanings of its own; because in reality, there is no true real meaning to it outside of “poop” that truly relates the word to anything special or meaningful. Bae can be used to really mean anything you want it to mean such as Bacon and Eggs, Big and Extraordinary, Bagels Apples Eggs, Business and Enjoyment or as Law Enforcement interprets it “Breaking and Entering.” Other sites are saying that the word means “Before Anyone Else”; I suppose this is why the word is used so so commonly around the internet.

Which brings me to my main topic – When I first heard the word “Bae” and inquired about its meaning, I was told that it meant Before Anyone Else (until I did further research) but let’s just say, that’s what the word really meant; so would you actually refer to someone as your “Bae” meaning that you are putting them before anyone else, including God? I think when it comes to “popular” and “trending” words, we immediately think their cute, catchy and relevant. Most of the times not researching their true meaning…but let’s get back to Bae and God. I feel that if we’re willing to make someone our “before anything else” then God should definitely be at the forefront, he should be our before anyone else no matter their relevance to our life, they should stand second to almighty God.

I’ve had my share of relationships (friendships included) and I must say, there were many times in where I was so caught up with the individual that I always put God on the back-burner but when those relationships hurt me; I found myself, suddenly humbled running back to God with a tail between my legs and head bowed down as I walked into his presence. Hurt, Ashamed and Betrayed were the feelings that I felt – not by God, but by the people that I allowed to be put before him…..until the next relationship.

I wasn’t thinking of the commandment “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” Exodus 20:3. And that is what I was making everyone else outside of the main numero uno). When we place anything above God, you can expect a natural disaster to follow and affect you wherever you go. And it doesn’t have to be a relationship, you can put your job, house, career, family, child, dog, cat (okay, so I might’ve went a little far with the animals, lol) but, putting God “before anything else” goes for everything in our life, even the things we feel are so dear to us.

God wants to be your one and only, not to say that he despises relationships…not true; but he wants to be the first person that you put above all your business. It’s so easy to get comfortable with people and make them the one person in our life that we go to for everything. The world cannot spin properly and our day goes south, if we don’t talk to ______________ or hang out with _________________ or spend hours upon hours with __________________. God wants to be the first person that fills in those blanks.

So what tips do I have for you today? It’s quite simple…

No matter what’s trending or popular at the moment – don’t allow yourself to get so caught up with the latest word phrases that we forget about the one person who makes everything possible. No matter what relationship you’re in, always make sure God is number one and if you choose to change the word Bae to mean “Before anyone Else” then make sure that God serves as the CEO of that acronym and not as the Second in Command.

And second:

Be careful about the names you allow people to call or tag to you, at least until you find out their true meaning. I find sticking to old fashioned words such as sweetheart, love, honey or baby are good enough for people to use as a word of endearment for someone that you love, care about or plan to spend the rest of your life with. Sometimes simple is the Best solution.

So, Do you have a Bae?

Roshonda N. Blackmon

Creator of JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker and Encourager

Did you like the post above?, Comment below or shoot me an email at justsuminspiration@gmail.com and let me know your thoughts. I love feedback.

Don’t Doubt Anything! Be Optimistic About Everything, Because Anything can happen! Roshonda N. Blackmon