In life you either have faith to succeed or you give in to fear – that little voice that tries to take your shred of hope away. When you do have hope, day-by-day that little bit of hope grows into faith and suddenly you believe again. There is no greater strength than to have faith.

Fear on the other hand can stop you before you even start, it can set you into a state of panic and paralyze you from what you once thought possible.

The next time you find yourself at a crossroad, truly examine your feelings and think to yourself- am I choosing fear over faith? If the answer is yes, quickly make a choice to follow your faith.

I am the sweetest monster and many women of you reading this are too. What is a sweetest monster? It’s a woman who stops at nothing to attain her goals and desires. The monster exterior is built upon layers and layers of self-protection, but hidden underneath is my big fragile heart.

I’ll stop at nothing to attain my goals because I know they’re destined for me. Their doubt is what fuels me – their pessimistic remarks and inability to see my sweetest monster. When I say they I really mean ‘her’, my mother. She doesn’t believe it or care to see that I am a strong, driven, ambitious and successful businesswoman. The sweetest monster I am is visible to all but her. While I have learned to act as though I don’t care, I admit, it takes a blow to my heart every time. I fight every day to show her that I am THE Sweetest Monster, so one day she can see the fruits of my gifts and hard work.

At the heart of every sweetest monster is one reason that fuels their drive. I compete with myself on a daily basis and continue to surpass my expectations without a blink, and not because I want you to applaud. I do all of this in hopes that when I achieve my highest height, for the love of me; I pray she will see the sweetest monster in me.

Jess

March is Woman’s Month. So naturally, this month we celebrate women who act to make change.  Let’s clear the air: there are ladies who subject themselves to roles that contradict who they are out of fear of rejection. Others like to play dumb – so much that it becomes who they are. Sure, they too are celebrated (I guess *sigh) but BHD isn’t applauding.

Sweetest Monster is I, because although I get scared and doubt I still follow what my being dictates. Some situations are difficult, scary even, but I push really hard without losing my femininity. This theme came about as a response to one of our greatest pet peeves: ambitious women are bitches. As if.

The Sweetest Monster is a woman that fears not to contest and supports others with passion. She stands for her beliefs and is sensible to the needs of others. She fights for what is hers and loves until it hurts. As women we have sweet power; use it wisely and good things will follow. I promise.

Photography by: Di Mora

Art Direction: Jess

Makeup artist: Allison Nolan

Styling: Carolina Mondonedo

Model: Victoria Mora

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

–Maryanne Williamson
Quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

Whatever you fear most has no power… it is your fear that has the power. - Oprah Winfrey

This yearning has dissolved into trust
This fear has faded into dust
From the first step taken in fear
To the final confident step
You have been there
Showing me the way
There is no love in fear
No need to be right
Nothing to chase
There is only love
And your choice to express it
Or let it wither and die
Forget what you have been told
Embrace what you really know
That you are a seed ripe with potential
Plant yourself in the faith or your expression
Cast out into the unknown sea
Forge on one more day without needing to know
How it ends
Because the only true ending is the one that never begins
Otherwise, all of life
Is one giant leap of faith into the arms of Love
You were born to express your gifts
Do not wait a moment longer
Because the next moment may be too late
Live unafraid of death
And your fear will die
And all that will be left
Is the festival of your life

Copyright 2010 Mastin Kipp, All Rights Reserved.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be?”

- Marianne Williamson

I have been a fan of this quote for some years now, always good to see again a quote that inspired you a while ago. The part that sticks the most is “WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?”. Think about it.