Cleansing Spaces and Spirits for a Year of Intentional Living

Happy New Year, Power Squad! Yeah, I know it's February, but roll with me. 

As we usher in 2024, I want to share my latest escapade—a massive home cleaning spree. It’s more than just a laugh about my fantasy for a gadget that folds laundry; it's about making room for new blessings and joys in our lives. So settle in with your favorite cup of comfort as we chat about shedding the old and embracing the fresh starts that come with a new year. Through stories infused with humor and candid revelations, I delve into the importance of positive self-talk and how it can reshape our self-image, boost our confidence, and help us combat the foes of insecurity and imposter syndrome.

As we continue on this shared path, it's astonishing to realize our podcast community now spans over sixty countries. This episode is a collective high-five to each of you, celebrating our diversity and unity. I'll let you in on my pre-show rituals that may mirror your practices for life's many stages and encourage you to embrace your complex identities, whether you're extroverted, introverted, or somewhere delightfully in between. With stories to make you smile and insights to warm your heart, we revel in the knowledge that love and support are universal currencies in our global family. Join me in this episode, and let's step into 2024 with intention, togetherness, and a whole lot of heart.

Chapters

• 0:01 Starting Off 2024 and Finding Joy
• 14:18 Boosting Self-Confidence and Embracing Identity
• 23:56 Global Reach

Transcript

Tracey : 0:01

Oh, what's good. Welcome to The Charging Station. It's your Tracey Massey, Living My EmPOWERed Life. You are here for the shenanigans and I am here that I'm so glad that you're here. I'm so glad that I'm here. Come on in, grab your coffee, grab your tea, grab your water, grab your wine, whatever your beverage of choice is. Go on and grab that thing and have a seat on the couch, couch, couch. If this is your first time joining, hey, welcome, welcome, welcome. Come on. Y'all make room, make room for the new peeps. Y'all have a seat, get comfortable. If you are a returning listener, you know I love me. Some of you. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Tracey : 0:45

Happy New Year, happy 2024. Oh, we are here y'all. I don't know about you, but 2024 came around so dang Twenty twenty-three. got up out of here. You hear me? I was like yo the way Thanksgiving slipped up on me. I literally looked up and was like yo, thanksgiving is next week. I feel like. I feel like I've been running behind, but running fast at the same time, like how, how is that possible? But here we are. Here we are. We made it. Some of us by the skin of our teeth, some of us by the chin hair on the chin, but we made it and with that I am just.

Tracey : 1:35

I'm excited about the new year. Happy new year. I'm excited about new opportunities. There are some things that I went after in 2023 that are coming to fruition in 2024. And it's like I'm going to be honest, it's scaring me. It's scaring me. Your girl is shook it. Your girl is shook it, but I know that God is with me and I will not fail. But when I tell you I'm shaking in my boots, the Lord has to tell me, like Holy Spirit has to tell me be courageous, be strong and courageous, for I am with you and I'm listening, like I know he's here. But who, who, who, deep breath. You know, sometimes you just got to do stuff afraid, like for real. You just got to look that thing in the face and be like I am scared of you, but I'm going to keep going, I'm going to keep going, I'm going to keep going. You know, it was never promised to us that we would not have fear. It was not promised to us that we would never feel fear. What is promised to us is that God will be with us in it. So that's comforting to me. I don't know about you. It is very comforting to know that, even in the midst of chaos, confusion, you know all the things that life can bring. Knowing that God is with me that kind of takes the pressure off. You know now that I think about it that that's kind of a relief, knowing that I don't have to be perfect. I don't, I don't have to be perfect. So, yeah, we're in 2024.

Tracey : 3:15

I got my house cleaned, thank God. I feel like my mama will be proud because, honey, when I tell you I went to town with some ammonia and some bleach, I almost, I almost thought I was going to meet Jesus early because I forgot to, you know, crack the windows a little bit. So it was the chemicals and stuff was, was, was taken over, but we made a chair. I do that every time. Every time I deep clean like that, I'm like open the window, girl, but you, when your lungs start burning, by the time your lungs start burning, baby, you might need to go sit outside for a little while. But we got the house cleaned and it feels amazing.

Tracey : 3:58

It feels amazing to declutter and it got me to thinking about decluttering other areas of my life. You know, I get in these modes where I'm like I'm cleaning everything, I'm cleaning everything and it gets to a point where if I hadn't touched it in six months or so, it's got to go. I just throw everything out. And I actually have a podcast guest who specializes in organization. That episode will be coming up real soon and she will be so proud of me because I've taken some of her gems that she's dropped and she continually drops gems every week where she talks about mini cleaning, not M A N Y, but M I N I. Mini cleaning where you take a cute little basket or something and you just kind of like put stuff in that basket and every other day or every week, whatever your cadence is, you just clean it up. So you have, like these little pocket areas of cleaning instead of waiting the end of the week and you're doing everything.

Tracey : 5:03

And I was like that has made a big difference. So I've been able to declutter my desk, declutter my bedroom. My closet looked like it got some sense. You know, kitchen is organized and I feel so much better because for one, I can't stand a whole bunch of clutter. I really cannot stand it If I feel like I'm in an episode of hoarders. I can't do it. I can't do it Like I can't stand not being able to reach for something and find it, or go to something, a specific area, and that thing that I'm looking for is right there. So now I feel so much better by myself that my house is clean. Yeah, yeah, I do.

Tracey : 5:40

I even fold the clothes and put them away. You know, I hate, I can't stand, I can't stand for the clothes. I can't stand for the clothes. I wash all day long. I will wash all day. But why don't they have a machine that folds clothes for you, like you got to wash it, you got to dry it.

Tracey : 5:59

Why isn't there a machine that folds clothes? Lord, give me that idea. Show me how to do that technology. I will be so rich. You talk about somebody selling that right quick. I know somebody somewhere working on it. I know a mom somewhere. I know a mom somewhere is working on that. And since I hope you get it, I hope you do it, I hope you bring in that technology and don't let it cost the arm and leg either. Just, you know, give us a break. You know one day it's going to happen and you are going to remember the day that you heard me say that that machine exists in East Virginia. You're going to remember this day, so don't laugh too hard. Anyway, y'all, I hope and pray that your 2024 is off to a good start and I hope the rest of your 2024 is good as well.

Tracey : 6:52

You know, we can't really expect everything. You know, let me not even. I'm not even going to let that sentence come out of my mouth. I'm not going to let that sentence come out of my mouth. I'm not going to let that sentence come out of my mouth. I'm not even going to let that sentence come out of my mouth. I'm not. Uh-oh, yeah, I'm not going to let. Sorry, I thought I turned the mic off. I'm not going to let that sentence come out of my mouth because I truly believe and this may be a little doodly-doodly, but this is my belief I believe life is all about what you make it.

Tracey : 7:27

I believe that even in the midst of extreme circumstances, I can find the good in something. So, the most minute thing I'm going to find the good in something and you know where I got that from it was not, it's not, tied to religion or nothing like that. I've had rock bottom moments, like really rock bottom moments, where it's like, girl, you, how you survive, you know. And one thing that I've realized even in survival mode, I found joy. I'm very intentional about my joy, and when you've been in and out of the hospital, when you've had to bury your child, when you've been homeless, when you've been unemployed, when you've been sick, you tend to find some joy. At least I hope you do, because my thing was, if I don't find some joy somewhere, I'm not going to be here.

Tracey : 8:29

Yeah, yeah, and it's no secret that I've battled with suicide before. You know, trigger warning I try to commit suicide twice. Well, the first time I heard the Lord say don't do it. The second time I was like getting ready to do it and I remember what the Lord said and I stopped myself. And so suicide is not an option for me, because I know what the Lord said and you know I'm more scared of him. Then I am, you know it, facing anything on this earth.

Tracey : 9:01

But yeah, it was tough. It was really really tough, especially when you, you go through a sickness and and Doctors don't know what to do. You know there's there's no solution, and and some doctors are real quick to say this oh, it's mental, oh it's stress. But I was like I know my body, I know my body, something is wrong and I really had to advocate for myself. And I thank God that I have people surrounding me who advocated for me as well, because we got to the root cause of the problem and got it taken care of.

Tracey : 9:39

But when you wake up every day in pain and Not really knowing you know, am I really like, questioning yourself, am I really sick? Is this really stresses, you know, the bills pine piling up because, let's face it, insurance chair, medical insurance in this country, oh Lord, even when you have insurance, it can. Those deductibles and then the, the things that insurance won't pay for. That stuff starts to add up. Like at one point I didn't even tell you, let me just put it like this it was at one point what I was. I was having to get an MRI every six months. Mris run you a good three thousand dollars a hit Just for the test. We're not talking about the facility charge or the charge the radiologist Charges you to read the result. So, yeah, when those bills started piling up and you know, at that time I wasn't working because I couldn't work. So and and thank God, I had a job with some insurance.

Tracey : 10:42

But when you go into the disability, the disability insurance it is what? Like 60 percent, 70 percent of your income is not a hundred, it's not a hundred percent. So that spirals down. I'm not gonna lie, it spirals down.

Tracey : 10:56

I was like you know what, if I don't find some joy, some kind of way, shape or form, it's gonna be a wrap for me. And so this name may not be the thing for everybody else, because I know everybody processes things differently, everybody, and that's okay. But for me, I got to find the joy. I've got to find the joy. I Can't function without it. And another thing when, even now, I'm not saying I'm, I'm bubbly all the time, y'all, I'm not. I have my moments, but I've I've understood, I've come to understand that Even when I don't feel like it, I have to find an alternative way to get it.

Tracey : 11:39

So there are times when I'm like I don't feel like reading. I don't feel like reading the Bible, but I know that the word of God sustains me, so I'll turn on my Bible, open up my Bible app and and press a button and scriptures are being read to me. So I'm still getting the word of God. You know, it's like it's this battle between my flesh and my spirit. My spirit, my spirit girl, my spirit is a fighter. You hear me? Oh, she's a heavyweight fighter. But sometimes, when we go to battle with that spirit in that flesh, I'm like, all right, I got you flesh. Click, turn on scriptures in here, or I turn on sermons and listen to sermons, or I'll turn on worship music and listen to worship and just get in the presence of God, and and being in the presence of God Brings me joy.

Tracey : 12:23

So I have to turn all of this stuff around now, like I said, to each his own and I know somebody may be listening to this podcast, me like child, you talking crazy. I know what worked for me, that works for me, and I'm gonna try Jesus before I try anything else from here on out, because I Can't go wrong with him Never been wrong with him. But anyway, we're in 2024 and so far this year, you know, like I said, there are some things that I was working on in 2023 that are actually coming into fruition in 2024 and I'm excited and scared Not scared to the point where I'm not gonna do it, because at this point, you know, some things have contracts, you gotta do it. But I'm really Leaning on my word for 2024, which is completion, and also I'm leaning on doing things afraid and I've had to tell myself a lot of times in 2023 and I'm going to say this to myself from now on out, whenever I'm in a room with people who, you know, their resumes run circle against around my like their resumes just you read the resume be like boom child. That can be intimidating, right. So I'm telling myself when I'm in these rooms with that tables, with these people, I'm telling myself this room is blessed because you're in it and if you weren't in it, if you weren't supposed to be in it, you wouldn't be in it. So the fact that you're in it means you're supposed to be here, y'all.

Tracey : 14:18

I talk to myself a lot because I have to combat those negative thoughts. You know the negative self talk, that degrading talk. I'll never forget my best friend I was. I was like coming down on myself real, real hard and I'll never forget my best friend Stop me dead in my tracks. She may not even remember this, but I do. She said to me don't you ever talk about my best friend like that again, I was like she meant that. She meant it because she grabbed air. Now you got to know my best friend. She grabs air One of my besties. When she grabs air, she is serious and, depending on how she does it, so like if she does the scooping motion and it comes, she grabs air from the scoop. Oh, you're in trouble. She grabs air like you just have to see it, depending on the scoop, you know how deep you, how much you're in trouble. And yeah, I knew that she was dead serious.

Tracey : 15:13

So at that moment I started to stop talking to myself any kind of way, and a lot of you need to stop talking to yourself any kind of way. Like, think about what you say to yourself or what you think to yourself. Would you let somebody in real life talk to you like that? No, okay, then stop talking to yourself like that. Like for real, for real, you are qualified to be where you are. You're probably more than qualified and I can guarantee you go into rooms like that. Everybody in that room got some kind of insecurity. Everybody. Everybody deals with imposter syndrome in some kind of way. So when you start thinking about it like that, you can walk into a room with your head held high and like I'm the baddest chick in here I'm the baddest dude in here and just do what you do.

Tracey : 16:00

You know, and one thing I've had to learn to is going into rooms prepared. I research people. Now, you know it's really easy to do that. Somebody call this talking. It is not. I'm not showing up at people's houses, but especially business meetings and things like that Networking events, like you can pull up Google real quick or even LinkedIn and learn about people. You know you don't have to deep dive into their family history or nothing like that, because then that is maybe a little stalker-ish.

Tracey : 16:33

But going to a space prepared, like if you have a presentation. You're not just going to go into a meeting not having a PowerPoint, some kind of presentation for people to see. You're not just going to talk off the top of your head, right, you're going to prepare, like even with this podcast, I don't just come talking off the flop. You know, top of my head I have a script sometimes. You know that's how. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I just took you all behind the veil. You know I don't read directly off that script, but I know when I come in here and sit behind his mic, I know what I'm going to say. You know, because it costs money to get behind his mic. So I will be prepared.

Tracey : 17:11

And anytime you go into a room, it's going to cost you something. It's costing you time to be there. You probably had to get a little nice outfit. If you're a woman, you know what it takes for us to get ready. So it costs you something to be in that room. Why not be prepared to be in that room and go in that room knowing I am supposed to be here? I got the juice.

Tracey : 17:35

You know what I do. Let me tell you. Let me tell you it's a little secret. It's a little secret of what I do sometimes. Well, all the time, I will look myself in the mirror and give myself the best pep talk. I'm talking about affirmations, I'm talking about song lyrics, I'm talking about the whole gamut. If y'all ever get the opportunity to see me get ready in a day, you'll be like yo, something wrong with her. My friends know, you know. But yeah, I literally will give myself a pep talk.

Tracey : 18:11

There have been times where I was looking in the mirror like, ooh, girl, you pretty. Ooh, you so pretty. And Cardi B gave me a line walking past the mirror. Ooh, damn, I'm fine. I will do that, because I'm like if nobody's going to gas me up, it's going to be me. Okay, I boost myself a steam up so well, like, hey, hey, because I remember a time in the younger days when I was a kid being called ugly to my face. So now it's like no, I am pretty, and even in my fluffy state I'm still sexy. Okay, and I'm not being conceited.

Tracey : 18:53

Because you know, if you ever meet me in real life, you're going to be like who is this person? I'm very shy. I am very shy and I'm very much of an introvert. So if you ever meet me in real life and I give you a look, it is not towards you. For one. I'm trying to figure out where you know me from, where I know you from, like, have I forgotten your name? Because that is not an uncommon thing for me. I'm trying to figure out where I know you from and also I'm trying to figure out what the heck to say, because I'm very shy, very shy, very much of an introvert. Nobody believes it, because you get to see this side of me, but what you don't see is me being behind the microphone in a studio by myself, and I always feel like I'm supposed to be in a room but I'm going to be the quietest thing in the room because I'm always looking and watching dude. So I'm very complex. I'm very complex and very different, but if you don't take anything from this episode, I want you to take the fact that you belong where you are.

Tracey : 19:55

You are right where you're supposed to be. You may be on a different level than someone else, and that's okay. Everyone learns differently, moves differently, timing is different. Run your race. Run your race. Don't let nobody rush you, rush you through a process, especially like a grief process. Don't let nobody rush you. You are where you are supposed to be, and this is not licensed to sit still and do absolutely nothing all the time, unless the Lord tells you to sit still, even if it being still, though, when the Bible talks about being still and knowing that he's God, even in being still, there's some work in being still, like you'll catch that. But run your race, be the best that you can be and gas yourself up. You deserve a hype crew.

Tracey : 20:55

You know what I wish I had? I wish I had a theme song. Well, I kind of do, I kind of do, but I wish I had a band that would play my theme song wherever I walk into a room. No, I don't, because that would draw too much attention. But you get what I'm saying. Like I wish I had somebody, I wish I had a band behind me just to play my theme song. Like you know, I can't tell you what my theme song is, but it just knows a little ratchet.

Tracey : 21:24

But, yeah, gas yourself up and know that you are where you are supposed to be. Yeah, I think we're gonna end right there, so until next time I'm gonna pray us out. Just remember y'all, god loves you, I love you, and ain't nothing you can do about it. But also remember that if you need prayer, I'm here, head over to Instagram, live In my Empower life and click the link. If you need prayer, submit your prayer requests. We pray for everybody. Everybody gets a prayer. You get a prayer, you get a prayer, you get a prayer. Well, yeah, live life to the fullest. Y'all, you deserve it. All right, so let's pray.

Tracey : 22:05

Father, hey Pop, hey Dad. First I wanna say thank you and just tell you that I love you and I think I appreciate you so much for being the loving father that you are. Thank you for your guidance, thank you for discernment. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for trusting us with gifts, talents and treasures. Lord, help us to walk in rooms with confidence. Thank you for going before us and making cricket plays straight. Thank you for opening doors that no man can shut. Thank you for giving us wisdom to know when to hold them and know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run. God, thank you for giving us choices and helping us to choose the best thing for us.

Tracey : 22:50

Lord, I pray that whomever is listening to this podcast that if they are struggling with identity, they're struggling with purpose. I pray, father, that you would open the eyes of their heart and show them why they were placed here on this earth, because I truly and firmly believe that every person under the sound of my voice has a gift. And I pray, father, that you will stir up the gifts inside of them that they can't sleep at night until that gift is out. And, god, I pray that you would guide them and direct them and lead them into the right rooms, let their names be spoken of in rooms they have yet to step into. And when they step into those rooms, god, let them have the confidence to know that they belong there. God, give them supernatural energy to run their race and give them supernatural blinders so they don't look to the left, to the right, up or down, but on the path that you have chosen for them. In Jesus' name, I pray amen.

Tracey : 23:56

All right, peeps, until next time, a better car in surrounding countries, worldwide, y'all? We are in 60-something countries. That still blows my mind. That still blows my mind. So God is true to his word. I'm just gonna say that. But anyway, I am going to sign off and before I do remember, god loves you, I love you, and it ain't nothing you can do about it. Boo, until next time, peeps, bye.