You Matter

Sometimes you have to wake up in the morning and tell yourself that YOU matter! 

Nicholas Watkins once said "it's not about the cards you're dealt, it’s how you play them. We either become a victim of our own circumstances by perceiving them to be obstacles or dead ends.  Yet, we can choose to look at them as stepping stones.  Don't be a victim.  Remember, you hold the keys to every prison you'll ever find yourself in". 

Where are you finding yourself this morning?  It is my hope it's in a place of victory because you matter! 

Embrace your struggles in life as they position you for your new season of life. So turn the page and get started! 

~ Dr. Miranda 

Keeping it Real

Your quality of life is determined by YOU! What you want for your future is determined by the steps you take to get there.Whether it is a healthy relationship, love, like-minded individuals, like valued people, or simply good friends you seek, you must get out the house and network. I learned a while ago that my future husband nor my dreams were going to knock on my front door and be handed to be. I had to put in work, sow seeds and watch my seeds grow. While I'm nourishing my seeds, I have to remember that I deserve the best life in world. #Live,Laugh,Love 

Les Brown says it this way "Keep it real! Stop lying to yourself. Look yourself in the mirror and say..."I am not running away anymore...from my dreams or the life that I deserve." I can live more, love more, do more, and achieve far beyond what I've done so far. Act as if you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Run toward your GREATEST life ever" 

Who I am and Whose I am

Who I am and Whose I am

I was feeling a little disappointed and disheartened yesterday evening about some things going on right now and my 9 year old son said something so profound to me. He said "why are you worried about the small things that God has already taken care of for you? I know the problem seems big to you but nothing is too big for HIM". I just looked at my son in amazement and said thank you. 

God reminded me through my son last night that when you feel like 

your world is not falling apart,  it's really falling into place and that I can't take everyone and everything on this journey with me. 

Raising up leaders who model after Jesus' leadership  in my household, allowed God to step into the conversation and check me before I wrecked me. 

Later that evening, God allowed me to connect with other strong leaders that I probably wouldn't have done without the reminder that he has already taken care of my small problems. 

I almost forgot that I am the daughter of the Most High and that's who I am and was meant to be. I am the Lord's and nothing or nobody can take this status from me. 

#dreamchaser

What Commitment Looks like to Leaders

What Commitment Looks like to Leaders: 

What do you think about when you hear the word commitment? Maybe you think about a romantic relationship , or a time when you committed yourself to an event or a commitment to a team. Well,  the commitment that I'm referring to is the commitment of a leader! 

In one of my biblical leadership studies, I learned that Commitment comes before anything else in a leader’s life. "Nehemiah had it and drew it out of others, the people finished the wall in 52 days, despite many adversities. Their great accomplishment so thrilled Nehemiah that he wrote, “When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things...they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God” (Neh. 6:16)".

In this biblical leadership study, it made me pause and think about the characteristics or traits of a leader who brings out leadership in others especially those who are leaders empowering leaders. I found that most successful leaders who complete a monumental task, one that others said couldn't be done, possess at least four characteristics:

1. A compelling purpose: They make a great commitment to a great cause.

2. A clear perspective: They don’t let fear cloud their view of the future.

3. A continual prayer: They pray about everything and gain God’s favor.

4. A courageous persistence: They move ahead despite the odds.

As a leader who develops leaders, I understand that it takes a different set of skills to accomplish this goal therefore, I have embraced these four characteristics and demonstrate them daily. Why? Because I understand the power of raising and the power of developing other leaders. 

I challenge you today to lead a leader, develop a leader to their highest potential or if you're a leader who wants to be developed to your highest potential, then I challenge you to contact me for professional coaching or leadership development training, sophiamiranda@johnmaxwellgroup.com 

Be Great, because you are... Now it's your time to show the world. 

~Dr. Miranda 

Circumstances

We all have been through or are currently going through life's circumstances. In some sense it's the rights to passage process from one season in our life to another. The way we decide to handle each circumstance is key to our growth or to our demise. You see I know who I am and whose I am therefore, I am equipped to handle what life throws at me. Each morning I decide before I get out of bed that, I'm going to have a good day, hence, I have a good day. Why? Well it's simple, no matter what life throws my way I will be positive about it. For example, I remember once, meeting with the Vice President of my division and him saying blatantly that there is no longer a need for the program I run and if left to him he would get rid of the program all together. At that moment you would probably all agree I had the right to say it's a bad day however, I didn't say nor think that way, I thought to myself, well this season is coming to an end and I'm excited to see where God is leading me. Long story short  since that meeting with the VP, I have be blessed with many new opportunities. Oh and he never eliminated the position or program either! So, I am glad that I did not allow that meeting to shake my faith. 

Today, I would like you all to keep in mind this quote I once heard "The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg.  It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances". As you go through your day repeat to yourself over and over.... I AM UNSTOPPABLE! 

~ Dr. Miranda

Live a stirring life

"Live a Stirring Life

Each of us should lead a life stirring enough to start a movement. We should yearn to change the world. We should love unquenchably, dream unfalteringly, and work unceasingly.

We should close our ears to the manifold voices of compromise and perch ourselves on the branch of truth. We should champion the value of people, proclaim the forgiveness of God, and claim the promise of heaven.

And we should lead a life stirring enough to cause a movement. A movement comes of age when one life harvests the seeds planted by countless lives in previous generations. A movement occurs when one person, no greater or lesser than those who have gone before, lives a forceful life in the fullness of time.

Let’s live lives stirring and forceful enough to cause a movement. A true mark of the visionary is his willingness to lay down his life for those whom he’ll never see.

Will the movement come in our generation? I hope so. But even if it doesn’t, even if we never see it, it will occur. And we’ll be part of it".

From Max Lucado's new 365-day devotional God Is With You Every Day [2015] 

Dr. Miranda

Today I Will.....

Today I Will . . .

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s okay to stumble. . . . I will get up. It’s okay to fail. . . . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My my children, my family, close friends. Today, I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening.

Today I will make a difference.

From Max Lucado's new 365-day devotional God Is With You Every Day [2015] 

Dr. Miranda

Leap!

Leap!

Have you ever felt uncertain about something you knew in your heart was the right step towards growth but the discomfort or fear to take that first step caused you to miss an opportunity? I know I have experienced this very thing in my life and I have missed an opportunity due to fear of the unknown.

At this stage in life, I am continuously faced with new feelings of discomfort and uncertainty as I continue to chase my dreams, asking myself questions like “is this really my dream?” or “is it really worth it”. Then, I look in the mirror and remember that I am unstoppable and that my comfort zone is not where my potential is. My potential is in the sweat and tears of the process and strive I am making towards attaining my dreams and working through my goals. Fearless, I am not, but I do it afraid because I know that the risk of staying in my comfort zone is not greater than the reward on the other side of my potential.

I have learned “fear, uncertainty and discomfort are your compasses towards growth”. So, I challenge you to take that leap and see where it leads you. I can promise you it will be somewhere better than where you are currently.

~Dr. Miranda