THE LIFESTYLE PASSIONISTA RULES ON LIVING YOUR DREAMS: 

PASSION UP!

Another new year is almost here, the time when once again we set New Year’s Resolutions, vow to stop procrastinating and try to set it off with a new lease on life. We all want the same thing. We want to live our dreams. But how do we do that?

Last year I was a of an HP Netbook campaign on living your dreams — videos below. They asked for my personal rules on “How to Live Your Dreams” and I am thrilled to share them with you now. Happy New YOU, Rockstar!

How To Live Your Amazing Dreams!

1) BELIEF and HOPE are not the same thing. Many of you hit me up asking how to live your dreams — how to write YOUR own BOOKS, shoot YOUR own FILMS and create YOUR TV. Question: Are you hoping or believing? Think about it. 

BELIEVE, believe, believe with your language AND your actions.


2) GRATITUDE. What are you grateful for? I am grateful for you reading my blogs, watching my videos, and grateful for getting to know you. Thank you for helping me to live my dreams. Because of YOU, Busta Rhymes, Young Lloyd, Eric Benet and LL Cool J call me when they have a new project. Thank you! 

I’m just getting started, but I am grateful. Wherever YOU with your goals right now, be GRATEFUL.


3) MENTORSHIP. So many great people have asked me to mentor them and I can’t because of time— otherwise I would never get my books and shows done. I tell them to USE ME though. 

Your mentors don’t have to know that they are your mentors. Read their books, watch their work, interact with them online, subscribe to everything they have — study them!! TAKE the knowledge you need to succeed. If you’re an aspiring lawyer, find a mentor & STUDY her.


4) RISK. Don’t fear NEW things. LEARN by doing. Jump in! Be about it– not just talk about it. Express yourself.

5) POSITIVITY. Are you somebody that passes your negativity on to others? Sometimes I read so many nasty comments online it makes my stomach hurt. You beef and gripe then on positive blog posts you say nothing. 

Be conscious of what YOU are giving off. There are only two true emotions: Love and Fear. Which one are you sharing? Speak also to yourself with love. We may not always succeed, but we dust ourselves off, try again and get better.


6) CREATE. DIY. Do for self. If you want to write a book, don’t wait for permission. WRITE– for 15 minutes every day. If you want to create TV or film — GO FOR IT. With a computer & a phone that has a camera you can create anything. Don’t have a video camera? Get creative with stills. 

Although I had a book deal with Simon and Schuster I used social media to share and sell books! Even though I have hosted TV shows like The Buzz for HBO, Source Hip Hop News for NBC or The Best Shorts on BET, I created MY OWN web shows. I will ALWAYS be on the web with you & DOING for SELF!


7) HAVE FUN & SEEK JOY. My life is FUN and my WORK is FUN! Not every day in every area, of course, but I am always REACHING for JOY. Like you, I’m a HUGE work in progress. My main goal is to be better than I was yesterday.

8) COMMUNITY.  No man or woman is an island. We don’t make it alone. If you have unsupportive people in your life get rid of them.

9) SHARE. Using pop culture to empower and entertain in unexpected ways has always been my mission. MY MOTTO is if you don’t like who’s representing you, REPRESENT YOURSELF. 

It’s not easy sharing my life, loves and fears in books or on “reality TV.” It’s a RISK but it’s my job to represent myself and those like me. NOW I am excited to see what YOU create. I know how much TALENT you have. You came to the PLANET with a PURPOSE.


10) RISE AND SHINE ON. Of course there are HATERS in any community who have loud voices, but I love that the beautiful people here ALWAYS shine through! I see you shining.
BE a Shameless Self-Promoter.

***MY MAIN RULE: BE your FUN, WEIRD, QUIRKY, INDIVIDUAL self and give the rest something to talk about!!