I couldn’t help but to wonder what it would be like to step out on faith and start something I knew very little about.  At age 29 I decided to start a blog, because I lacked the experience in a field I held a Master’s Degree in.  The irony in that is I actually studied for that degree; I spent long nights and endless hours trying to master that degree. I lost sleep for that degree, and the most frustrating part was I spent money for that degree.  Hell, I’m still paying for that DEGREE!

Until now, I never paid attention to how powerful the number 29 is.  Aside from 29 being the age I decided to start my blog, it also represent the number and birthday of the first black female host to appear and own a nationally syndicated talk show; Oprah Winfrey.  It also happens to be one of the rarest days in the month of February; leap day, which comes every four years. Ironically enough, that’s also my mother’s birthday, but of course she recognizes it as being on the twenty eighth.  I know some of you are probably reading this and have some of the same thoughts I have running through my head. What’s the correlation between all of this? What does any of this really mean?  What does this have to do with blogging?  Ok, is Toya going crazy?  Trust me; I have chills going through my body as I’m typing this post. But wait there’s more….

I ended 2017 the complete opposite of how I did the entire year. My only goal for the holidays was to celebrate life with my family and friends, and end the New Year refreshed and renewed.  After attending numerous events, interviewing celebrities, and helping people with different business ventures; I just felt I needed to take time off to read, and make deposits back in my own life so I can be well prepared for the road ahead. I had so many major highlights in 2017; from doing a private tour at the Falcons Stadium with my daughter on her birthday in December. In that same month, a good friend of mines received his pilot license and took me and my daughter on a private flight across the blue skies. All of that took place a month after I attended the book signing of T. D. Jakes new best seller book, SOAR.

 In the book SOAR, T. D. Jakes takes about building your vision and entrepreneurship.  I’m still reading the book, but he starts off by telling the story of his father who was an entrepreneur and built a janitorial service business back in the 60’s in West Virginia that grew to have over fifty employees.  Surely if his father can build that kind of empire back in the 60’s with only a mop and a bucket, we can build mountains with the resources we have today, right?

To commemorate the book, my journey, and a promising future for all of us, I decided that I would carry the theme SOAR in 2018.  To be honest, I don’t even know how I puzzled all of this together.  I just know I wanted to encourage you to spread your wings and fly to new heights.  I promise you I had no idea when I wrote my first blog post at 29 that it would award me the opportunity to meet so many intellectual people and open doors to new opportunities as it has today. When I wrote my first blog post at 29 my only mission was to come out of the despair of hopelessness and share my testimony in hopes that it would help someone or change lives.  My only dream was to lift off and see how many stars I can count; all while providing a better life for my daughter.  Because the truth is, we can’t really prepare for any of this shit. We can’t study for it, pay for it, apply for it, or even control it.  All we can do is take our talents and wisdom and reach for the stars.  Make your vision a reality this year- and like an eagle remember to SOAR!

Finally, here’s the twist…. When I did this shoot on Saturday, January 6, 2018, with photographer RhaynaC Photography, I saw it only fitting to shoot at the aviation school/airport where my friend received his pilot license and where he flies (DeKalb Peachtree Airport). I was literally freezing during this shoot, but was super excited, because it was different from any shoots I had ever done.  When the photographer sent me a few of the edits for me to review, to my surprise there goes that number again (N 29) big and bold on one of the planes.  What’s so crazy is none of this was planned or arranged.  I was too busy freezing to even focus on anything other than smiling.  These are random student planes; parked in random spots.  This was me and the photographer first time ever shooting at this location, and she definitely didn’t know anything about the significance of the number.  You’ll probably say it’s crazy; and I’ll probably say it’s destined….Vow that today onward, you will wear the “Harness” of life (experiences, lessons, pain, wisdom, talent, spirituality, etc) and instead of allowing it to defeat you, allow it to control and navigate you to the next level…. SOAR!

Click Here to purchase book: S O A R

Dress: Its Fashion Metro

Shoes: Urban OG

Hair: Lylas Extentions

Makeup: Enhance By Lai

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