Welcome to Life Identified!

 Welcome to Life Identified, the one stop shop for encouragement, image consulting, engaging conversations, and style tips!  I am so excited to finally start a blog of my own where I can inspire people on a deeper level than what I can provide on Instagram or Facebook.  Life Identified was created with the purpose of sharing transparent stories of how I have overcome multiple identity crises by finally understanding who I am, Who I belong to and where my worth comes from.  I value transparency and believe that being open and honest is always the best policy.  Therefore, you can always count on me to share real stories about my life on this blog.  Some people have asked me why I share my life on social media and I believe it is because this is my mission; it's the way I influence the world.  There are people hurting everyday that continue to suffer in silence, as they are under the impression that they are the only ones dealing with their circumstance.  Someone once told me that "there is bondage in secrecy."  Meaning, people are holding onto secrets and testimonies of freedom because they are ashamed to share where they've come from; while, the world awaits their testimony so that they, too, can be liberated.  

Life Identified was birthed during an interesting season of my life where I was literally fighting for my identity.  After graduating in June 2017 with a Masters in Counselor Education, I found myself unemployed...again.  You see, in 2009 I graduated with my bachelor's degree and it took me two years to find a full-time job with benefits.  I was constantly hassled by family and community members about when I was going to land employment.  I never had answers because I was doing all I knew to do.  After landing a job as a probation officer, I found out quickly that I hated the job and wanted so desperately to find another one that would leave me excited and fulfilled.  I came to a crossroads in 2014 where I was determined to either find a new job or return to school so that my opportunities could be expanded.  I applied to graduate school with little hope because I never viewed myself as intelligent and I just knew I wouldn't get accepted, but it was worth a try.  In 2015, I got accepted to Georgia Southern University and started the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program!  I was elated and nervous at the same time.  Many thoughts were running through my mind, "would I finish graduate school, would I flunk out, maybe I shouldn't tell anyone just in case I decide to dropout."  Long story short, I completed grad school and just knew a job would open up really soon, after all, I have more credentials, right?  Well, not exactly.  

 After several months of completing applications and going on interviews, I began to believe that I was a failure, that God didn't love me, and that something was wrong with me since I just couldn't seem to land a position.  Many of my cohort members were landing positions left and right and they didn't even have nearly as much experience as me.  Some of them were not even believers, so you can only imagine how that made me feel.  I began to contemplate whether or not I should really even continue life as a Christian.  I asked myself, "Is it worth it?  I mean, I'm praying and consistently applying, but I am not getting answers or a job.  What's the purpose in this?"  I started to seek God's face about the situation, but more importantly, I began to spend quality time with God like never before. The love I felt for Him was different.  I wasn't distracted by a relationship that I wasn't supposed to be in, I wasn't going to a job I hated, but I was totally focused on Him.  God spoke through a couple of my friends and confirmed what I was already thinking.  They said, "You should start your own blog!"  I had thought about it, but decided against it due to laziness and fear.  As I continued to seek God, out of nowhere came the idea to start panel discussions about multiple topics- mental health, faith, fashion, finances, etc. 

God gave me the vision for panel discussions and even reminded me of all the other services I desired to provide to the community; which is how Life Identified came about.  Back in 2015 when I returned to school, I remember telling God that I was going to pursue a degree in counseling, but I didn't want to be a traditional counselor.  I also told him, as well as my earthly father, that I wanted to be a "walking business;" meaning, I wanted to provide services without having to be governed by another agency/company.  Just this morning, God reminded me of these prayers and confessions.  Life Identified is an answered prayer that I totally forgot about!  I am now building my own blog and providing consulting services in a unique way, which is exactly what I wanted!  I get the chance to talk about topics that I care about and serve individuals that deal with concerns that are dear to my heart. 

The moral of the story here is, to never shun the waiting period because the waiting period has the potential to show you who you really are, birth the things that you truly desire, burn out the things that cannot go with you into your next sphere of influence, help you dream again (which was something I stopped doing), and most importantly, waiting helps to get you back in line with your Creator and His desires for you.  Please understand that this is not a post to shade people with traditional 9-5 jobs, but I believe getting just any job was not God's plan for me.  Getting a job is comfortable for me and as someone told me, "getting a job is [my] default;" however, God desires to give me more...more of the desires of my heart, not just a job.  Furthermore, a job does not define us, nor the amount of money we make; instead, our character defines us.  What are people saying about you in the community?  I don't know about you, but I don't care if people know I'm the creator of Life Identified, I just want them to know that I'm kind, generous, selfless, and trustworthy...that's what really matters!  So, I am excited about the journey ahead and I look forward to sharing it with you all.  Until next time...

Stay Fashioned in Confidence, 

Nolie B.