17 Amazing Things that Happened in 2017
Its a brand new year and many of us stand here bright eyed and bushy tailed firmly believing that this one will be the best yet. I stand here with you...I am one of those people!!! One of those new year, new man, new plan people...I am into the vision boards, the intention setting, the plots, the plans, the yearly themes the new bullet journal spread.
But...before I enthusiastically forge ahead onto unchartered territory I want to take this moment to reflect on 2017--on the victories, the lessons and the proverbial ah ha moments. This is the foundation on which I build for a whole new cycle of manifesting abundance (us melenials love us some manifesting abundance).
Last year I wrote a post called 16 Amazing Things that Happened in 2016 and many of you loved it...In fact is is my most popular post to date. I figured I could make it into a tradition of sorts (no promises though).
Here we go- The Top 17 things I loved about 2017
In 2017 I found myself pulled to tribes of like minded people excited to co conspire a more intentional and fulfilling life. I met my fellow Spice Bloggers and it was as if once we joined forces opportunities were abundant. This taught me that there is so much power in forming a community of support and empowerment with people interested in the same thing. I love that in none of these spaces were we competing as though there is a limit to goodness to be had in the world. It is also much easier to get things done as a community, everyone has a special gift that can all contribute to the strength of the collective and make magic happen.
This year I took things step by step and accomplished more meaningful things than ever before.
Alright fellow creatives, we all know how we can obsess about our creations before releasing them out into the world- sometimes they don't even make it out into the world because we are often too critical of our selves. Elizabeth Gilbert reminded me to just let it go. Although I don't second her belief that art is blessedly non-essential, I am convinced, as is she, that art and creativity have magical and otherworldly origins, and, that the creative is merely a chosen co-conspiritor to bring the work into this dimension.
Since 2016 I have been actively involved in planning, marketing, documenting and executing the annual Grenada Chocolate Fest. It is a festival that celebrates ethical organic tree to bar dark chocolate made from fine flavored cocoa. The festival is adored the worldwide ethical craft chocolate community. This year I went beyond planning and actually did a demonstration at the Healthy Benefits of Chocolate Beauty workshop on how to make my Whipped Cocoa Butter. It was one of those moments when saying "yes" that was one step in a larger plan, even if I did not know it at the time.
After showing everyone how to make the magic stuff, i.e, Whipped Cocoa Butter, I started getting enquires of people interesting in buying it. A friend suggested I do samples and give them away! Well I did just that (remember we were talking about steps)- I whipped up a batch and gave it to anyone who wanted it- in return they gave me honest feedback and I tweaked my formula until I was satisfied with its consistency and texture.
I then gave a bunch of samples to my friend Malaika, a Grenadian Yoga Therapist and soon to be certified doula for the goodie bags of her Creative Healing Maroon Retreat- out of those 20 odd samples I got my first sale!
Fast forward to the end of the year-my homemade, small batch, all natural, all Grenadian and much beloved whipped cocoa butters can be purchased in 3 stores on the island and from me personally! They have made it to the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada. I have been warmly supported by friends, my social media community, family and strangers! I am so humbled and excited for the future of this business.
This results in more pollution of our environment and the exploitation of people. Although I am far from perfect in the things that I purchase the weight of the reality that I directly support some ugly business models has found its way closer to the front of my consciousness. In 2018 may we all support businesses that pay fair wages, ensure good working conditions and are environmentally friendly in their operations because ultimately the financial empowerment of people who give a shit is important.
I have heard this term floating around for the longest while, but, it never seemed like something I would be interested in. What was this podcast thing? It seems like in 2017 podcasts made a serious come back from its initial incarnation -everybody and their mama's cousin has a podcast now! I am a huge fan of the Hey, Girl Podcast by Alex Elle and Black Girl in Om with Deun Ivory and Lauren Ash. The conversations had have inspired me and sparked new ways of thinking and perceiving this world. What are some of your favorite pod casts? Leave a comment below
I just love that term! To me black girl magic is self love- embracing myself wholeheartedly, building community and power with my fellow sisters through support and appreciation. It means recognizing my worth and worthiness, understanding that my talents and passions when embraced and nurtured contribute to the healing and amplification of the whole black community...and essentially all people. Wooo...now that is powerful. My super powers- creative entrepreneurship steeped in a love of nature based wellness and artistic expression through images and the written word. What are your super powers?
A wise friend said- pick one and do it for a month- that is how the Whipped Cocoa Butters made their way into retreat goodie bags and lead to my first sale. From there things became more and more clear, the common thread become apparent and the "Why" behind my many ideas revealed itself. It is so much easier to move forward with purpose- it allows you to prune those ideas that just don't align.
This trip was somewhat of a last minute decision. I knew that I was burnt out from working non stop (with the exception of a week of semi vacation) and my head was spinning from balancing being a new mom and working full time and navigating life's more sticky situations without taking a moment to pause. I listened to my intuition and the encouragement of a few friends and in mid September we flew off to Hamburg and then London. You all know how how I love everything about travel! This trip was a spiritual journey of sorts that filled me up in so many ways. If you are interested in getting the whole scoop I wrote a blogpost about it in November.
At the start of the year I connected with Chantal from the UK based collective of Caribbean women called Island Girls Rock. I had been following their Instagram account for some time and really vibed with their content. In May I did an instagram takeover covering Grenada Chocolate Fest for their travel account called @igr_travel.
In September when I was planning my travels I reached out to Chantal again hoping we could meet up. September was a turbulent time for the Caribbean as many of you know- we were hit by catastrophic hurricanes Irma and Maria- by grace Grenada and other islands were spared. While I was in the UK I was lucky to be part of the Island Girls Rock meet up that raised funds for relief efforts in Dominica by selling and raffling Caribbean made artisan products- including my Whipped Cocoa Butter.
Now- I know we love the throw around the word manifesting- and by we I mean - the crystal wearing, oracle card pulling, self- help book loving, yoga practicing, mindfully meditating, new wave spiritualism and ever grateful melenials- OH YES WE DO. One of the allies of this magical manifesting equation is the much beloved vision board.
I started 2017 by making my first vision board- 2016 was rough in many ways (and also very beautiful) and I needed to believe that 2017 would be less turbulent. For me- vision boards (yes I ended up making more than one) helped to clarify what I am trying to accomplish in this life and then remind me of it on a daily basis. When we look at our goals and dreams each day we start to make decisions based on them and draw ourselves closer to what we are trying to bring into our reality-like I said- step by step action.
This was actually on my vision board that I knew I wanted to bring to this platform in 2017. I felt ready to put Grenada Soul Adventurer out there as a platform that was excited to welcome new things and collaborate with other bloggers, businesses and creative entrepreneurs. Once I opened myself up to that possibility- things like the Island Girls Rock instagram takeover happened. I covered the Maroon Retreat on Creative Healing, decided to rediscover scuba diving and my whipped cocoa butters were part of an amazing Christmas Wellness Gift Box made by local jewellry maker Eyeriie . I participated in pop up shops and did a few instagram giveaways. I also had to choose to reject some opportunities that were not mutually beneficial or aligned with what we are trying to do here- it was all part of the learning process. All in all it was a good time and I am looking forward to more of this in 2018.
If you think we could make some creative magic happen with me in 2018 shoot me an e-mail: gndadventurer@gmail.com.
We made it to just shy of 2 years of breast feeding! Breast feeding a toddler is no joke and towards the end I felt it was best for both of us that we ended that aspect of our relationship...two words- SLEEP DEPRIVATION. I am a firm believer in the benefits of breast feeding beyond just 6 months for nutrition, strengthening a child's immune system and bonding. However, towards the end it become more like torture for me than anything else.
I feel like often self care can come across as self indulgent because we are told that taking care of other's needs first is a more valuable way to spend our time. However, how can we give of ourselves when we have little left to give? Just today I noticed just how impatient and easily triggered I was because I felt so depleted. I had not had a meaningful moment to myself for a while--it was eating away at me.
What does self care look like for me? Washing my hair, taking a long shower, tidying my space, listening to an inspiring podcast, yoga, a healthy meal, drinking water, moisturizing my hair and body with products safe enough to eat, going to the beach, taking a hike, good conversations, belly laughs writing and reading. Doing these things consistently makes me glow! How do you take care of yourself?
This was the year I began to host giveaways on my instagram account. I always thought these were reserved for people with huge followings who had things sponsored to them by big companies. Who made that rule? Is that even a rule? Probably not. It was so much fun and felt great to give some things I loved in hopes that you too would love them. Turns out you do!
Has Chronixx even ever released a bad song? I swear everything this man touches is pure gold. Spitting lyrics like
"Black eye, black hair, black skin,
Black Queen stand majestic with the Black King
Today I'll sing you a black song, you need to hear about beautiful black things...."
What was even more amazing is that he came to Grenada has part of his Chronology Tour. Unlucky for me I was relieving myself of the entire content of my body (organs and blood exempt) and was literally too weak to leave my bed. I was an emotional wreck but I chalked it up to "nothing is co-incidence" and made my peace with it.
So there we have it, my list of 17 lit things that happened in my life in 2017. Writing this post was a beautiful exercise in gratitude and I feel ready to get cracking on my 2018 intentions. What are some of the beautiful things that happened in your life in 2017? Leave me a comment below--I love hearing from you all.
Peace and Bliss,
Grenada Soul Adventurer
But...before I enthusiastically forge ahead onto unchartered territory I want to take this moment to reflect on 2017--on the victories, the lessons and the proverbial ah ha moments. This is the foundation on which I build for a whole new cycle of manifesting abundance (us melenials love us some manifesting abundance).
Last year I wrote a post called 16 Amazing Things that Happened in 2016 and many of you loved it...In fact is is my most popular post to date. I figured I could make it into a tradition of sorts (no promises though).
Here we go- The Top 17 things I loved about 2017
1. Tribe- Building Positive Communities and Networking
 |
| With two Spice Bloggers Neisha and Glenisha |
In 2017 I found myself pulled to tribes of like minded people excited to co conspire a more intentional and fulfilling life. I met my fellow Spice Bloggers and it was as if once we joined forces opportunities were abundant. This taught me that there is so much power in forming a community of support and empowerment with people interested in the same thing. I love that in none of these spaces were we competing as though there is a limit to goodness to be had in the world. It is also much easier to get things done as a community, everyone has a special gift that can all contribute to the strength of the collective and make magic happen.
2. Action!
Oh my goodness. I remember reading a caption on instagram by my friend Malaika saying something to the effect of people often overestimate how much can get done is a little bit of time and how much can get done with consistent steps over a longer period of time. I had to let that one marinate as I am the queen of trying to do a lot in a little bit of time- I am such a procrastinator!This year I took things step by step and accomplished more meaningful things than ever before.
3. I finished Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Alright fellow creatives, we all know how we can obsess about our creations before releasing them out into the world- sometimes they don't even make it out into the world because we are often too critical of our selves. Elizabeth Gilbert reminded me to just let it go. Although I don't second her belief that art is blessedly non-essential, I am convinced, as is she, that art and creativity have magical and otherworldly origins, and, that the creative is merely a chosen co-conspiritor to bring the work into this dimension.
4. I discovered an online bookstore that ships for free worldwide
How many times have I said to friends this year..."I need to write a blog post about book depository"?. Well here is goes- This website sells almost every book you can think of and it ships free worldwide. The best part is that in Grenada we don't pay taxes to bring books into the country. I am a lover of books and have probably purchased in excess of 20 books over the last 12 months from this website alone!5. I was an official participant in Grenada Chocolate Fest (yup...my picture is on the website!)
Since 2016 I have been actively involved in planning, marketing, documenting and executing the annual Grenada Chocolate Fest. It is a festival that celebrates ethical organic tree to bar dark chocolate made from fine flavored cocoa. The festival is adored the worldwide ethical craft chocolate community. This year I went beyond planning and actually did a demonstration at the Healthy Benefits of Chocolate Beauty workshop on how to make my Whipped Cocoa Butter. It was one of those moments when saying "yes" that was one step in a larger plan, even if I did not know it at the time.
5. I launched my own all natural skin care business - Whipped Cocoa Butter by Grenada Soul Adventurer
After showing everyone how to make the magic stuff, i.e, Whipped Cocoa Butter, I started getting enquires of people interesting in buying it. A friend suggested I do samples and give them away! Well I did just that (remember we were talking about steps)- I whipped up a batch and gave it to anyone who wanted it- in return they gave me honest feedback and I tweaked my formula until I was satisfied with its consistency and texture.
I then gave a bunch of samples to my friend Malaika, a Grenadian Yoga Therapist and soon to be certified doula for the goodie bags of her Creative Healing Maroon Retreat- out of those 20 odd samples I got my first sale!
Fast forward to the end of the year-my homemade, small batch, all natural, all Grenadian and much beloved whipped cocoa butters can be purchased in 3 stores on the island and from me personally! They have made it to the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada. I have been warmly supported by friends, my social media community, family and strangers! I am so humbled and excited for the future of this business.
6. The concept of conscious consumerism hit home
Let us be clear- I am not a perfect consumer- purchasing only fair trade, organic, ethically made, fair wage, small business and fairy magic dusted things. I probably bought a fe or a lot of things this year that were made by unpaid and underpaid workers- some may have even been children. The truth is- capitalism has done some really ugly things to us as a human race. In the pursuit of the biggest profit margins companies cut corners wherever possible to compete for our dollars.This results in more pollution of our environment and the exploitation of people. Although I am far from perfect in the things that I purchase the weight of the reality that I directly support some ugly business models has found its way closer to the front of my consciousness. In 2018 may we all support businesses that pay fair wages, ensure good working conditions and are environmentally friendly in their operations because ultimately the financial empowerment of people who give a shit is important.
7. I discovered podcasts
I have heard this term floating around for the longest while, but, it never seemed like something I would be interested in. What was this podcast thing? It seems like in 2017 podcasts made a serious come back from its initial incarnation -everybody and their mama's cousin has a podcast now! I am a huge fan of the Hey, Girl Podcast by Alex Elle and Black Girl in Om with Deun Ivory and Lauren Ash. The conversations had have inspired me and sparked new ways of thinking and perceiving this world. What are some of your favorite pod casts? Leave a comment below
8. I embraced my Black Girl Magic
I just love that term! To me black girl magic is self love- embracing myself wholeheartedly, building community and power with my fellow sisters through support and appreciation. It means recognizing my worth and worthiness, understanding that my talents and passions when embraced and nurtured contribute to the healing and amplification of the whole black community...and essentially all people. Wooo...now that is powerful. My super powers- creative entrepreneurship steeped in a love of nature based wellness and artistic expression through images and the written word. What are your super powers?
9. I began to acquaint myself with my purpose
After leaving the legal profession I began to feel a little lost as to how useful my daily activities were to the bigger picture- you know...not just my personal explorations in creativity. How many of us have a lot of ideas and think...oooooh I could do such and such...oooh...and that too and then you are left with a bunch of ideas wondering how it will all come together. What is the common thread? To what end has all this inspiration entered my consciousness?A wise friend said- pick one and do it for a month- that is how the Whipped Cocoa Butters made their way into retreat goodie bags and lead to my first sale. From there things became more and more clear, the common thread become apparent and the "Why" behind my many ideas revealed itself. It is so much easier to move forward with purpose- it allows you to prune those ideas that just don't align.
10. N and I had a Soul Adventure in Europe
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| Sky Garden in London |
11. Island Girls Rock Collaborations
At the start of the year I connected with Chantal from the UK based collective of Caribbean women called Island Girls Rock. I had been following their Instagram account for some time and really vibed with their content. In May I did an instagram takeover covering Grenada Chocolate Fest for their travel account called @igr_travel.
In September when I was planning my travels I reached out to Chantal again hoping we could meet up. September was a turbulent time for the Caribbean as many of you know- we were hit by catastrophic hurricanes Irma and Maria- by grace Grenada and other islands were spared. While I was in the UK I was lucky to be part of the Island Girls Rock meet up that raised funds for relief efforts in Dominica by selling and raffling Caribbean made artisan products- including my Whipped Cocoa Butter.
12. Vision Boards and Manifesting Magic
Now- I know we love the throw around the word manifesting- and by we I mean - the crystal wearing, oracle card pulling, self- help book loving, yoga practicing, mindfully meditating, new wave spiritualism and ever grateful melenials- OH YES WE DO. One of the allies of this magical manifesting equation is the much beloved vision board.
I started 2017 by making my first vision board- 2016 was rough in many ways (and also very beautiful) and I needed to believe that 2017 would be less turbulent. For me- vision boards (yes I ended up making more than one) helped to clarify what I am trying to accomplish in this life and then remind me of it on a daily basis. When we look at our goals and dreams each day we start to make decisions based on them and draw ourselves closer to what we are trying to bring into our reality-like I said- step by step action.
13. Creative Collaborations
This was actually on my vision board that I knew I wanted to bring to this platform in 2017. I felt ready to put Grenada Soul Adventurer out there as a platform that was excited to welcome new things and collaborate with other bloggers, businesses and creative entrepreneurs. Once I opened myself up to that possibility- things like the Island Girls Rock instagram takeover happened. I covered the Maroon Retreat on Creative Healing, decided to rediscover scuba diving and my whipped cocoa butters were part of an amazing Christmas Wellness Gift Box made by local jewellry maker Eyeriie . I participated in pop up shops and did a few instagram giveaways. I also had to choose to reject some opportunities that were not mutually beneficial or aligned with what we are trying to do here- it was all part of the learning process. All in all it was a good time and I am looking forward to more of this in 2018.
If you think we could make some creative magic happen with me in 2018 shoot me an e-mail: gndadventurer@gmail.com.
13. N and I ended our breast feeding relationship
We made it to just shy of 2 years of breast feeding! Breast feeding a toddler is no joke and towards the end I felt it was best for both of us that we ended that aspect of our relationship...two words- SLEEP DEPRIVATION. I am a firm believer in the benefits of breast feeding beyond just 6 months for nutrition, strengthening a child's immune system and bonding. However, towards the end it become more like torture for me than anything else.
14. The realization that I don't need to do it all
Have you noticed how busy things can get- how many things make their way onto our to do list and how much we think we can and need to take on? I am one of those "sure I will do it" people. Towards the end of the 2017 I came to the stark realisation that in 2018 some things just need to get axed . I want to do things with love, passion and intention without feeling burned out. Towards that end- I hereby banish the rigid blog schedule and promise that my content will not be created through the pressure of a schedule but will be fueled by my inspiration.15. Healing through Self Care
 |
| Pausing to take in the view on the hike to Mt. Qua Qua |
What does self care look like for me? Washing my hair, taking a long shower, tidying my space, listening to an inspiring podcast, yoga, a healthy meal, drinking water, moisturizing my hair and body with products safe enough to eat, going to the beach, taking a hike, good conversations, belly laughs writing and reading. Doing these things consistently makes me glow! How do you take care of yourself?
16. Giveaways!
This was the year I began to host giveaways on my instagram account. I always thought these were reserved for people with huge followings who had things sponsored to them by big companies. Who made that rule? Is that even a rule? Probably not. It was so much fun and felt great to give some things I loved in hopes that you too would love them. Turns out you do!
17. Chronixx released his album "Chronology" and healed the world
Has Chronixx even ever released a bad song? I swear everything this man touches is pure gold. Spitting lyrics like
"Black eye, black hair, black skin,
Black Queen stand majestic with the Black King
Today I'll sing you a black song, you need to hear about beautiful black things...."
What was even more amazing is that he came to Grenada has part of his Chronology Tour. Unlucky for me I was relieving myself of the entire content of my body (organs and blood exempt) and was literally too weak to leave my bed. I was an emotional wreck but I chalked it up to "nothing is co-incidence" and made my peace with it.
Bonus- Grenada Soul Adventurer hit 1, 600 followers on Instagram before 2018
I have to admit that my vision board for 2017 did say 10, 000 followers and even until the last few days of the year I remained positive that such astounding growth could happen overnight. That being said... I am more than pleased with the existing GSA community! You guys give me nothing but love over there. I have not had a single negative comment...strictly positive vibes. Thank you for remaining with me on this rollercoaster journey as we align more and more with our purpose.So there we have it, my list of 17 lit things that happened in my life in 2017. Writing this post was a beautiful exercise in gratitude and I feel ready to get cracking on my 2018 intentions. What are some of the beautiful things that happened in your life in 2017? Leave me a comment below--I love hearing from you all.
Peace and Bliss,
Grenada Soul Adventurer
This is one of my favorite posts of yours til date! What a magical year for you. Wish you the best for 2018. Slay away Queen!❤️
ReplyDeleteTotally liked this. Made me recount some of the fun and not so fun things I got into last year. I’m going to make a more conscious effort in 2018 to continue to build myself.
ReplyDelete