I started Moments with Missy via a private Facebook group in 2012. These were literally moments when I would share my heart and specific details of my life with my audience. I didn’t just share my experiences, struggles and triumphs but I shared how I overcame them. I shared the not-so-pretty parts of my life and the ups and downs during my journey toward hope and happiness. I didn’t plan to have a website, blog or create a brand. I just wanted people to know that they weren’t alone and that they didn’t need to wear masks – they could be honest about what they were going through.

While I was sharing and being vulnerable, I was building quite the collection of content. In February of 2015, I published my first book, MsMissy Speaks, an inspirational memoir that consists of real, raw moments of my life, detailing my struggle with depression, an abusive relationship and loss of loved ones. I had know idea how effective Moments with Missy would become. What started as me virtually stepping up to the mic and giving my pain a voice has blossomed into full ministry. I am so blessed to have had an opportunity to minister to people near and far and to receive positive feedback on my book, blog and social media content from those I know well and don’t know at all. I am honored that God would take the broken girl I once was and transform her into the woman you see today.

I still have my struggles. I still have to deal with the effects of my past mistakes and decisions. But I am strong, resilient and becoming more and more wise. Now that Moments with Missy has become official and has taken on a life of its own, I have to be more vigilant and focused than ever. A lot of my time has been spent teaching, mentoring, coaching and pouring into others. I realize that I need to invest more time in me. I must continue to take care of Missy. There is no way I can pour from an empty vessel.

When I began Moments with Missy it was to be of help to others. I don’t want to lose sight of that. I’ve gotten a little distracted with creating the brand. I want to reconnect with the purpose of Moments with Missy and make sure that that purpose is reflected in everything that I say and do. I want to help people live their best lives. I want to empower, inspire and motivate, using my life and my truth as a backdrop for the story of hope. Life is truly a gift and it is worth living. Nothing is more important than being happy and at peace. My biggest happy is loving God and putting Him first in my life. This has resulted in my greatest peace.

Being able to combine my degree in Psychology, experience servicing the mentally ill and my own life experiences with depression and toxic relationships to create a platform for empowerment and hope has been a blessing. My painful past has turned into something good. I am able to relate to and be empathetic toward people because I understand hopelessness, feeling lost, grief, betrayal, sickness and the tendency to live a life less than one deserves. I have learned to survive and then thrive. I have learned to allow my obstacles to fuel me forward. Instead of accepting defeat, I constantly look forward to the thrill of the thrive. I love conquering and refusing to cower to life’s blows. I love being happy and intentional – filling my days with the things and people I enjoy.

Reader, I invite you to join me on a journey of hope and healing. A journey that celebrates life, wellness and the process of growing through the pain. There’s no need to pretend that everything is perfect. There’s no reason to pretend that you like every circumstance. The only need is to keep going, moving forward. Trust the process. Trust in you. Believe that you are more than able to handle whatever may come your way because you are able.