LA LIVING

Photographer 📸: LaToya Lee

Hey family, I would like to speak on reshuffling puzzle pieces on your life journey. Life is forever changing, even when you're not ready for change. We all have a mission in this lifetime. We all have been provided with gifts. It is up to the individual to accept their gifts. It is up to the individual to accept the calling upon their life. Those who do accept, understand changes are inevitable. When you're onboard fully with your life mission, acceptance will happen. No matter the difficulties of the new changes. Also, when you are closer to your calling, things are revealed that you could not see previously on your journey. Let's get into the blog!  

Again, I am reshuffling puzzle pieces 🧩 in my life. After spending time in Georgia this summer, I knew I would be moving out of The Valley. I wanted to experience a different type of living when I returned to the West Coast. So, I decided to live in Downtown Los Angeles. City life living is much different from the quiet gated community living The Valley provided me. It is like I am experiencing a whole new LA. I always had will power, but you must have a different type of will power living in the City of LA. Also, you must be alert at all times 😩. It’s teaching me new things. Do I love living in Downtown LA? Yes, it’s very much alive living. Living in the city opened my eyes to how I am truly blessed. No matter how much some religion groups down play mental health illnesses, it is very much a real thing and it will shake you up when you are immerse within it. Living in Downtown LA you can see mental illnesses up close and personal. You can think your life is hard, but some people have it harder than you. Not to say your issues aren’t valid, but I will say I am truly blessed.

Also, the city life brought me out of hiding 🫣. I can no longer say hold on GOD, wait a minute 😩. Why? Because, when it's time, it's time! Also, I have accepted the calling upon my life fully. GOD isn't gonna wait. So be ready, so you don't have to get ready. Because, there is no turning back! There will be times, you will have to re-strategize your original plan for a better plan. At times, walking in your purpose cannot be explained. When you get deeper into your calling or even inner work within self, you want to paused the process, because it can be too much on certain days 😩. But, you cannot, because you agreed to the calling. And, it’s said, we only live one lifetime 🤔. I very much doubt that 🦋. For me, it does not matter how many times I have to reshuffle my life puzzle pieces to get my life on track. I will do so and so should you. It's all apart of the journey. Leaders have a responsibility to their community. Do not allow anyone to stop your process or the flow of your journey. Every time it's not working, do not be afraid to regroup or repiece together your life puzzle. Believe me, you rather get it right and not wrong, before you get to the major work. Reshuffle your life puzzle pieces on your life journey as many times as necessary. Also, get used to being uncomfortable, now you can no longer hide 🫣. No matter the situation, we must be willing to do a reshuffle when necessary.

Remember it's all apart of your story. The setbacks was the push you needed to make the goal happen. The hard times made you appreciate the good times. The hate was there to allow you to see the truth of someone's character. The darkness was there to make you appreciate the light. Show you that you can overcome the darkest of days. The closed doors allowed you to shake the doubts of your calling and believe in your gifts fully. The non believers showed you how everyone can’t see the vision and you must always believe in self. The loss made you see what was needed in your life and what was not needed. It showed you how everyone cannot travel every road with you. How some people will travel in the spirit form. How some people will travel in physical form. How some people will travel in the distance. It made you appreciate what you have and what you had. The pain you felt or feel will pass through if you move with the storm ⛈️. Sometimes we must move with the storm to see the rainbow 🌈. GOD don't want you to live in misery. Keep going and have faith in what you cannot see. It's all apart of your story. When that light shines on you, no one can stop it from shining, but you. You want your light to shine always, because you might bring someone out of darkness. And if anyone made you believe you weren’t worthy, that's only because they allowed someone to dim the light within them. Shine Bright ⭐️. RISE to your greatness. Pain will come, but we have to rise above it for higher purpose. Keep the dream alive!

I have a few more blogs in the chamber. Possibly, I will release them before the end of the year. Only if my spirit tells me to release it. At the moment, writing blogs aren't my top priority in Quarter 4 of 2024. I am working on bigger creative projects 🎞️. Blogs was just one of the ways I used my gift of creativity ✍🏾. Now, I must move onto other forms of creativity. Thank you to everyone who read my blogs throughout the years! What’s next for me you ask? Quarter 4 is looking a little different for me 🫣. I am resurfacing one of my creative gifts 👩🏾‍🎨. This creative gift is having me sit down much longer than expected. It's requiring something much deeper from me. And baby, when I say it is requiring stillness, baby stillness 🙈. At the moment, I don’t know how far back in time I will have to travel to re-cultivate this creative gift. Or even, how long I will have to sit down; or if it will become too emotional, or too deep. There’s a poem in my Book of Poetry that I speak on how my creative writing sessions can be too emotional for me and sometimes I just put down the pen 🖊️. Why? Some days, I don’t want to be emotional or deep. The blog writings don't require too much from me; it's when I get into my deeper writing sessions (storytelling, poems, songwriting, and screenwriting) more is required from me. I have to sit with myself in a different space of time to be able to re-cultivate this creative gift 👩🏾‍🎨. I have to grasp what this creative gift is trying to say. This gift will need space, time, quietness, and massive energy to come into fruition 🫣.  If I decide to sit with this gift for the period of time it is requesting, I know it will generate something special. Stay tuned 🤫!

- Filmmaker LaToya 🎞

If you feel the need to share this post with someone, please do! #filmmakerlatoyagang 

Lastly, here's a poem from my book of poetry 📗

STAGES OF LOVE

BY LaToya D. Lee

Did I agreed to the complexities of love?

Not sure

For me

Love is too complicated

Too many stages

Close to the center

Love makes you search

Your inner

Love is full of rain

Can you feel the heavy rain pouring onto your skin?

LOVE is heavy

Love makes you feel

Can you take the pain?

Love makes you sad

I feel the tears forming in my eyes

Not tears of joy either

I am shaking

The release is happening

It is shaky

Love is shaky

Can you feel the storm coming?

I am crying again

I was told a rainbow comes after the storm

But

Do you see it?

LOVE

Do you see it?

Love makes you happy

Smile

Joy wants to show up

Ready for love

Not sure yet

Why?

The pain has not seized

But

A new beginning is coming

Healing

Healing is coming

LOVE is healing

But

The pain has not seized

Can you process?

Why?

A new beginning is coming

Ready love

Not sure yet

Love is you

But

There is pain

A new beginning is coming

Ready love

Not sure yet

Why?

LOVE made me foolish

LOVE made me enrage

And

What?

LOVE made you heal

A new beginning is coming

Ready love

Yes

Here comes the disconnect

The release is happening

Ready yet

Is LOVE me?

Yes

Ready now?

I...

What?

I have more words to say

What?

Love was not what I thought it would be

Love changed me

What did you think love was?

I...

Bliss and Paradise?

Yes

Love is not what you think

The release is happening

Are you ready now?

Yes

Did it hurt?

What?

Love, did it hurt?

Yes

The release is happening

Breathe

Release

Process

The tears are no longer forming in my eyes

Congrats

You weathered the storms of LOVE

All her different stages of life

Ready?

Yes

I am ready

And

I have more words to say

What?

LOVE was not enough to make me stay

Why?

Emotions were too expansive when it came to LOVE

I was not ready for Love

The release is happening

I am free

The rainbow is coming soon

Be ready

Ready for?

For new

It is arriving soon

New

Stages of LOVE

Thank you again for your support! Peace ✌🏾  #filmmakerlatoyagang  

Connect with me on social media @filmmakerlatoya (all platforms).