Mama Shujaa

I love looking up and realizing that 36 years have passed without my really noticing because all the while we have been immersed in raising a family, in pursuing personal goals, in a sense, we have been immersed in our book of life.  Transporting ourselves along, bumpy roads notwithstanding, gliding over the smooth tarmac, crunching through graveled throughways - With God's Grace Always. Love has invented and reinvented us. I am so grateful for you, my wonderful life partner, for good health, and for family and friends.  We thank God for all the blessings. Thank you for a lovely birthday celebration. And I look forward to the journey continued following the clouds, visions on the horizon, life's auditorium awaits our becoming... "Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more." Hana. 

It is the most validating thing you can do. Do you ever feel out of balance? Like you’ve been running ragged, trying to live up to someone else’s vision for your life? Juggling roles throughout life – daughter, son, father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife, team manager, coworker, boss, friend volunteer… You can get into alignment. Just like tires need alignment, you can align and get to living your life like it’s not a dress rehearsal. With some personal development work, you can find your lane, live life “on purpose.” In Beyoncé’s words: "Long live the king, you a king, you know it. King already, already, you know it. Mind, body, soul, got a king body." Just Go Ahead and align already. xoxox,

It is always like this: after you start something you discover you love, you ask yourself why did I not begin sooner? The crafts business that I launched in November, 2020, is sprouting and stretching.   It all began with a friend's request:  "You must do something with your penmanship!" That led to intentional conversations...and the universe was captivated!  God put me in the midst of people who want to create and install fresh ideas. Three months later, cross-pollination is occurring.  Like a bee, moving from flower to flower, trailing pollen, borrowing ideas to create new ones,  my imagination is profiting and my creativity is soaring.  And my writing is calling me! "...openness to experiences can sometimes be related to creativity.  After all, being creative requires doing something you have not done before.  If you are not willing to do something new, then it is hard to be creative." Read More .  I have decided I am not going to ask why did I not start soo

Can you trust what you see in your mirror? Yesterday, I was prompted to reflect deeper on Who Hana Is and Why she does what she does - from the most unexpected source. I had sought the assistance of a personal branding consultant with the intention of executing on goals I have set for 2021. Maybe I knew that personal branding delves beyond beautiful selfies and orchestrated photo shoots but that knowledge was superficial.  Within five minutes of the virtual meeting, there was a disturbance in the atmosphere of my heart. The swelling in my chest gave way to emotions welled up for: 1) the chronically homesick twenty-something African girl who was forced to work as an au pair for a single boss lady mom of a precocious five year old in Englewood, NJ; 2) the thirty-something year old wife, mother and (finally) college graduate whose dreams were still on hold; 3) the forty-something year old pre menopausal with emotions hovering a few centimeters above or below reality; who took a year off t