Where do I begin...
I guess it would make sense to start at the beginning, but the beginning would focus too much on the past, rather the immediacy of the present. With that resolved, I will start at the present.
Change has been the name of the game for the past 11 months. Not only change, but in some ways complete overhaul.
I switched careers for a while. I left full-time finance to purse non-profit work. This is the most rewarding, however the hardest work (other than my current relationship) that I have done is non-profit work.
The King's Daughters, Inc, my mission and focus took center stage for a year. Now, I have to work on the next steps to make TKD, it's best. In addition, I began working for a very elite non-profit.
Working in non-profit has been an interesting learning curve mentally and emotionally. It has also helped me realize certain steps on my path of life: some sensible, some backwards, but they all count.
I want TKD to be a worldwide movement. As such, I need to do some more work on myself. That has led me back to media and working to build my ever growing media career.
In the past five years living in NYC, I have enjoyed singing on stages for 50 to 5,000 people, recorded in basement recording studios and participated in sessions at Chung King studios. I have appeared on MTV, had TKD appear on BET, been featured as a spokesperson, news host, been published as a writer for a national publication and the list goes on! I have been shown so much favor since manuevering this complex city. However, I have learned that everything I set out to do when moving to NYC is not nearly as important as the person I would become.
I have become a well rounded, mature, self aware, woman who genuinally loves people. I am not without my flaws, hang-ups and inconsistencies, but I am better today than I was five years ago. I've grown up a lot.
Where am I?
Spiritually: I am building on the foundation started years ago. I am discovering God in a new way everyday. He is not to be put neatly in the box most spiritual people like to keep Him in for our comfort. He's beyond our conceptual finite minds. As such, I am following Jesus to a daily relationship with God and all it's splendor.
Mentally: I am intrigued by all the chaos of this world. Some call it signs of the times. Whatever you call it, the atmosphere, the envoirnment, the world as we knew is shifting gears and will most likely never be the same. The Bible descibes many of the events taking place and their increased frequency as signs of Jesus' return growing near. The state of our world calls me to spend more time praying for others and petitioning God for greater revelation as to how to overcome.
Physically: I want to be in better shape! I just turned 28 with the realization that I actually have to work to stay in shape. LOL! That sounds crazy, but when you have never had to work to do this, to me it is crazy. Those pesky 5 or 10 unwanted pounds seem to stick around a lot longer. I have been working with a dynamic trainer that I hope to begin training with her regularly. Hopefully she will help me to kick these pounds to the curb!
Emotionally: I'm in a great place. I have greater control over my erratic emotions, however I am not without them. I have embraced that I do have emotions (this took a long time). They are not all bad, they are sensors that help me locate myself. Sometimes, I am way off base and sometimes, I am discovering. For sure I am ever evolving.
Financially: I have learned how to budget a lot and a little. I don't have all the money I want, but I have learned to live with what I have and make it work. My debt has decreased greatly and that is not all due to my doing, but financially, I'm in a good place and getting better.
Continuing with the question where I am...
Drum roll...roll...roll...roll...!
I'm engaged to be married!! Whew! I can exhale, now that I got that out. In February 2010, Richard Albert Pope III asked me to marry him and I said yes. He surprised me at my job on 2/1/2010 and proposed marriage. I no longer have to whisper to myself that I am engaged. It has sunk in and the lovely symbol he gave me is a constant reminder=)
RP3 (as I call him) and I have an interesting story. It is a story of divine intervention, blessing and favor. I will let him come back and tell the story as his version is better, but for now I will say, he and I began courting in July 2009. We let our parents (who introduced us) know our courtship status in person Sept 2009. In Dec 2009, Richard asked my father for permission to marry me and my father gave his blessing. In Jan 2010 Richard and began ring shopping. On Feb 1, 2010, he enlisted the help of my friends to help execute his surprise proposal at my job. Since our meeting, we have travelled the entire tri-state area and more: NY, NJ, CT, PA, MA, RI, MD, FL, AZ. Our relationship has been a wonderful adventure with it's ups and downs, but the discovery of one another, of ourselves and the ability to love beyond our personal limits has been liberating. It is true, "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." I feel free.
We are getting married in January 2011.
I also attend a new church. First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem. I have always been civically involved on the local level. It's interesting that it took me 5 years, to become a member of a local church. All things are purposeful for it's season. In this new season, FCBC is purposeful.
Personally, I feel that I am coming into a more accepted, true self. Professionally, I am working on becoming what I believe: a media personality with the ability to own and operate media and financial empires. TEAM RADIKL in the building!!!
Today, I am Connecticut based and headed to the beach w/my lover.
More to come...
Kristen (The King's DaughterBillionairessKL in RADIKL)
