Author Mara Prose

I had the most freeing moment this weekend and I simply had to share it with my Prosers. Anyone who knows me or who has followed me for sometime knows that I am all about promoting the right image. But those closest to me are well aware of how picky I am about, or should I say, WAS about my pictures. Well, this past week my gorgeous daughter turned 17 and she had several different events throughout the week to celebrate. The last one involved a dinner with her friends that took place after a very long day at work for me. By the time I reached the event, my hair was pulled up in a loose bun, my make up had wore off and I simply was not at my most stylish best; so far removed from the meticulously put together Mara of the past.

Of course, my candid camera daughter wanted a picture with her mother. I reluctantly posed and gave my usual instructions – watch those angles, LOL! When my daughter sent me the picture the next day, I inwardly groaned and quickly started to critique how fat my face looked, how I should have worn a dark colored cardigan, how I should have left my hair down that day, blah blah blah. I spent about an hour in this ridiculous state of mind until I really felt an inner voice tell me “wake up and shut up.” It suddenly came so clear to me that it was not about the way I looked in the picture, it was about capturing a beautiful moment with my daughter that I could forever treasure. Who cares how I looked! Especially since that day, that moment and that picture was not about me; it was about celebrating another year with my daughter on her birthday. The joy she had that night made everything else seem very unimportant.

In the past, I would have never posted the picture to my social media or really even shared it with anyone. But this time around I plastered it all over Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I purposely added a filter with the word Love – and it represents not only the love for my daughter, loving that moment in time but also finally just loving ME as well. I have wasted so much time worrying about what other people will think of me, making sure that I always meet their expectations of how I should look, act, feel, etc and the freeing moment is that I can FINALLY say to HELL with all of those small minded critics. The beauty within me radiates far past how I wear my hair, what I choose to wear and whether or not I have a full face of makeup on. The true beauty of Mara equates to so much more than the superficial. My beauty lies in my relationship with my Heavenly Father, within my heart, within my children and within my passions and purpose in this life. I am very much over having to deal with anyone who cannot see past the exterior.

The people I gravitate towards on a continual basis make me feel good about me – ALL of ME! They are in my corner and supportive whether I am glammed up, a hot mess, grumpy, impatient, loving – they are simply there for it all, loving me, supporting me and encouraging me. They don’t focus on my weight, my hair, what I am wearing or what I am doing in life. They love me for me. So here is sending a special shout out of THANKS to a few women in particular who I am so grateful to God that He has recently blessed me with their friendship and sisterhood – Alisia Kennedy, Debra Young, Teresa French and Stacy Strickland. These women encourage me everyday and I do mean, everyday! Every morning we all start our day with praise, worship, inspiration and uplifting one another. There is no negativity, there is no competition, ulterior motives – it is all LOVE. I absolutely love being around them, chatting and sharing our lives with one another.

I sincerely pray that everyone is able to surround themselves with people who make them feel good about who they are, who will not try to change them and who will encourage them to simply celebrate their uniqueness. So much time is wasted when you spend it with anyone other than people who bring out the best in you. Believe me, I know and I am grateful to be awake.

The glamorous pictures may bring more likes but the likes on the REAL pictures are the ones that count for they tell me who all see ME for ME and deserve a place in my life – another tool of discernment so to speak. I share this enlightening experience to help others who may be struggling with seeking unnecessary validation from virtual strangers when all you have to do is look within and listen to that inner voice that tells you “YOU ARE ENOUGH!”

Until next time,
Author Mara Prose

PS: Do not forget to follow this link and purchase your copy of The Journey to Mara Prose: A Poetic Testimonial and/or The Davenports: A Battle of Wills and thank you in advance for ALL who support my writing. You also have contributed to bringing out the best in ME! November 6th, 2019 will be the release of The Davenports: Crescendo.

I learned a long time ago that perception does not equal reality. Our society is built on nothing but perception. We look at pictures daily via social media and believe what we see based off of a single moment in time. If we do not have a lot of social media nonsense to go off of, then we begin to make assumptions. Nothing irks me more than people who feel they know you based off of a social media post or meme.

Perception is dangerous in my opinion. It is just too easy to take everything at face value and causes us to be lazy in our relationships with one another. It also places the person who is being perceived at an unfair advantage because the perceptions generally come with unrealistic expectations that are based on ideals that do not really exist. Yes, that is a mouthful, but it is true. We need to stop projecting and begin to focus on everyone’s true attributes. We all have many sides to our personality and for me personally, it is frustrating and annoying to be pigeon-holed into just one single side. Granted, I do not show all sides of me but then again, I am not always able to because it is simply too irritating to try to change one’s warped view of who you are.

I am deeply saddened at the state of our world. A lot of times it is so much easier and peaceful to stay far removed from it all. The message today for what it is worth is to stop judging and start learning to relate more and stop making ASS-umptions about everyone else. Stop looking only at the surface and stop the false pretenses you maintain with others. We need to work towards more meaningful relationships since we never know what someone else is truly going through.

Until next time, keep those you love very, very close.

~Author Mara Prose

By popular demand, I will be releasing the Prologue for Book Two of The Davenports: crescendo in the coming weeks; with an official release date of November 6th, 2019 – in honor of my loving son’s birthday!

I have packed Book Two with an equal amount of suspense and cliffhangers as we return to Alessandra’s world of greed, corruption and vengeance. I hope you will continue on this journey as we discover the hidden secrets of The Davenports

Several years ago, someone very close to me told me NO twice when I was in need and I attribute my entire transformation as a Woman of God, Renewed Focus and the Development of my Self Identity to this encounter.  At first, I was stunned, shocked and rejected.  My heart was hurt and I could not fathom how this person who had always been my rock could reject me in my desperate time of need.

I realized I was on my own and I was the only person I could depend on to bring myself out of the mess I had created in my life.  I am forever grateful for this rejection because it has opened so many doors that I would have never knocked on had I not been rejected.  Because of this NO, I am writing more than ever, I am officially a published author, I have my own radio show and a new career in IT and I am pursing more and more endeavors every day.

The NO I received set me on a path to true independence.  Stepping out of my comfort zone, desperate to find a new direction, made me focus on self improvement.  Thinking outside of the box has been a Godsend.  My do or die situation lead me to network with new clients who wanted my writing skills, my technical skills and excellent social media ability. But most importantly, it brought me closer to God, made me a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister and a better friend.

So in essence, do not feel bad or rejected when you are told NO.  It simply means it wasn’t meant to be.  All you have to do is shift your focus and learn that all you really need is faith in God and sheer willpower.  Believe in Yourself, Motivate Yourself, Love Yourself, Nurture Yourself and most importantly Embrace All That Is You!

Life is hard but it is not impossible.  Always remember, you got this and you can do anything you put your mind to.  All it takes is stepping out on Faith!

~ Mara Prose

Happy Monday, Prosers!! Today, I simply want to share YouTube videos of sermons I have been listening to on repeat for the past several weeks in an effort to break all unhealthy soul ties in my life. May these videos bless you, free your mind and renew your sense of self!

~ Author Mara Prose

Happy Mara Prose Monday!! I am so proud to announce that the new and improved version of The Davenport: A Battle of Wills is officially on Amazon. The e-books is live and available for purchase now! The paperback will be available for purchase within the next 48 hours or less. So please, please help your favorite writer go bestseller by purchasing the book, leaving a review and spreading the word!! Follow this link to get your copy today: BUY NOW

If you missed this past Saturday’s episode of Prosey’s Corner with our very special and talented guest Nayomi Charnelle, be sure to listen to the replay: LISTEN

This week I want to discuss the benefits of using solitude to heal, grow and evolve. It can be difficult sometimes to keep things from people who are close to us, but it is important to follow the intuitive guidance we receive. Even if their intentions are good, we may still want to be careful about who we choose to share certain information with and how they hold our vision. Today by following your inner wisdom to keep matters to yourself, you can make the most of the situation.

Sometimes even the people who love us the most fail to understand the things that are most important to us. If we have a dream that is precious to us, it makes sense to keep it close until it is strong enough to stand up to possible scrutiny and skepticism. We may just want to make our own decisions and learn our own lessons without interference. This too is a good reason for playing our cards close to our vest. We can be gentle with those whose interest in our well-being causes them to ask questions we’d rather not answer. And we may not have to keep our plans a secret for long. But today, by trusting that your feelings direct you to your highest and best good, you can follow them to success.

Next week, I will share how I have utilized solitude to forge a new path in life. Until then, embrace who you are, where you are going and most of all where you are meant to be – in Silence.

We often hear the phrase “seeds grow”. Planting seeds throughout life is imperative to your growth. I have planted many seeds over the past year – some I am still watering, some are starting to sprout and some have become full grown trees for me to nurture, treasure and cherish. When I speak of seed planting, I am speaking of more than a gardening practice, I am speaking of practicing the art of planting spiritual seeds towards a purposeful life.

To conceive and give birth to the miracles you need, you must first plant God’s Word like a seed in your heart. Conception cannot take place without first planting the seed.  I constantly meet Christians who pray and believe for God’s intervention in their lives, but remain frustrated with the results. It’s because they are missing the seeds of conception; they just don’t know God’s Word. You can cheat or manipulate nearly all systems that men have created. The legal system can be beaten, letting the guilty go free. Our educational system can be beaten, passing students who haven’t really learned the material. But you can’t change seed-time and harvest. Some people put God’s Word in their hearts for a day or two, but if they don’t see fruit almost immediately, they dig up the seed through their words and actions and wonder why it didn’t work. You have to leave it in the ground over time. Many people are impatient, wanting to bypass the growth cycle and get the full ear right now. I’ve actually had to tell people that what they were believing God for was not going to happen, not because the vision wasn’t good, but because they were expecting a complete ear of corn immediately. (Andrew Womack)

Living intentionally means to align yourself with your purpose. You do so by ‘planting seeds’ for future growth. Planting seeds is nothing more than planning your life goals, wants and desires and working to bring them all to fruition. Without a road map for your life, it is far too easy to be lead astray. I encourage everyone to dig deep inside themselves, shut out friends, family members and all naysayers and really focus on the internal voice of the Holy Spirit and allow that to be your guide. There are so many people that feel they know what is best for you, but only YOU know that. Never be afraid to push back and set boundaries against anyone.

Everything I have ever wanted in my life has started with a seed, an initial thought, a meditation if you will. When these thoughts become repetitive and turn into a strong desire, I know then a seed has been planted and it is up to me and me alone, to ensure that I am committed, disciplined and focused to turn that seed in something more. Please do not wait on anyone else to water your seeds. But at the same time, remember that is not all about obtaining your heart’s desires, it is about sowing in others as well.

Lord, save us from anything outward and anything that is not of life! Deepen the flow of life until it becomes something flowing out of us as many rivers to water others! Lord, make us the sowers with the seeds of life. We don’t want to be merely teaching others but imparting life seeds into them! Make us those who plant Christ into others – by having a rich experience of Christ as life! O, Lord, bring us fully in the way of life even in our working with You and for You!

When, Where and How to Plant Seeds

Plant Purposeful Seeds in Your Families

Plant Purposeful Seeds in All of Your Relationships

Plant Purposeful Seeds in Your Career

Plant Purposeful Seeds in Your Finances

Remember, the key world is Purposeful!