The journey

before me

Best-selling author

Latoya Belfon

About me

Hello, my name is Latoya Belfon. I am a mother of two beautiful boys and a wife to an incredibly supportive husband. I am a three-time Amazon best-selling author, CEO of Labworks Publishing, Co-Founder of Empowered Women in Literature, a McGill University alumna, a Goal Sucess Coach, an Innovative Educator, Workshop & Webinar Facilitator and a dynamic Public Speaker.

The Journey Before Me

CLick Book to Buy!

Izzy never thought she'd want to hide or change parts of herself that represent her country. However, when her attempts at making new friends result in kids making fun of her accent, that's exactly how she feels. Empowered by her aunt's words and a fresh sense of pride for her heritage, Izzy bravely returns to school to ensure her voice shines through.

THE JOURNEY BEFORE ME

With Love

Latoya

@labworkspublishing image

Evvie works as a laundry washer in her village. It wasn't what she had hoped to do with her life, but it helped her care for her family. One day while tackling her load for the day, her hard blue washing soap fell into the water and as she was bending down to pick it up, a couple of young men were passing by. While their voices whispered of an event no one would want to hear, Evvie, lifting up her head in joy after obtaining her hard blue soap, realized she had been witness to something that she

really had no business being a part of it.

Contents

Part I

tangled choices

1    Fates Entwined

2   Unraveling Minds

3   Catch ME If you can

Fates

Entwined

Chapter One

Copyright 2023

No part of this story or written content in this blog can be duplicated or used without consent of the copypright holder.

Part I

tangled choices

"Life squeezed out of me, as battered clothing, tossed by the river current, twisted by strong, broken palms, pouring out the smell of what's left- clean, complete and never to regain its structure. It is too elastic now, It is bendable, toy-like but not broken, as yet."

Fates

Entwined

Chapter One

Click below to view Evvue's Story

Happy New Year! Welcome back to my blog! It is so exciting to rejoin you all for nine blog entries. Well, that is the goal I have set for myself regarding how I present myself on this blog. I've found that the key strategy in achieving goals is the ability to know oneself - understanding your limitations and strengths and adjusting for each to enhance your chances of success.

For example, if you have a fitness goal and you know that resisting your favorite donuts is excruciatingly difficult, then I wouldn't choose the gym that's right next to that bakery. Setting goals that directly impact or don't align with who you are as a person or your skills immediately sets you up for failure.

I didn't plan on starting off this blog talking about goal-setting strategies, but is that what the new year does?

So what is my plan for the new year? TO HARVEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will tell you all about my plan to harvest this year in the next blog!

But before I go LET US

TO THE PAST YEAR

Because there is no future without a past.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

In this workshop, we will -

- Dive into AI-generated illustrations using MidJourney

- Learn storyboarding, character creation, and text insertion

- Hands-on activities: isolate characters, place in scenes, choose effective text

- Collaborative book compilation and review

- Swiftly craft engaging children's picture books

- Transformative experience for aspiring authors and illustrators

My faithful readers, it has been quite the journey, but I am still committed to sharing my thoughts and life with all of you. So, let's catch up! I went on a fabulous vacation to Niagara Falls last month. Well, it was a road trip. We travelled to Toronto and visited the CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium. It was my second time visiting both locations and what a change it has been! The CN Tower views were unclear due to the forest fires that the Northwest of Canada has been dealing with.

The sky was cloudy, and enjoying the picturesque city view was impossible. Now, let's talk about how crowded it was. The waiting lines were so long, and with a baby and a toddler, it became uncomfortable pretty quickly. Then we visited the aquarium, and again, it was so busy; the lines were long, and walking around the museum to sightsee was uncomfortable. People were hitting and tugging at you from every corner. The fish and sea creatures there were beautiful, but being in such a crowded space became a dread. I should have known better, considering it's summer! What was even crazier was that as soon as we left Ripley's Aquarium, a Blue Jays Game had just finished and OH MY GOSH! The people in blue and white clothing came pouring out like a flood. We grabbed our kids, bags, and stroller and hustled through the minor part of the crowd to avoid what felt like an impending stampede.

After this, we drove to London, Ontario, and the hotel we had reserved to stay at was like a run-down, abandoned building in the ghetto. I don't know what happened on Booking.com, but the pictures and reviews differed from what we saw when we arrived. From cigarette smoke in the rooms, paint smell, mould in bathrooms, and a group of people smoking (something not to be mentioned in the parking lot), we literally stepped in, asked for a refund, and stepped back out. Thankfully, my husband's quick thinking switched the vacation vibes from sour to happy as his best friend and wife welcomed us to their home. I upgraded our hotel in London, Ontario, for the next day and also upgraded to the Hilton in Niagara.

I wasn't taking any more chances, so I went to TripAdvisor for reviews, and it was much more helpful in making a better decision on where to stay. We then visited Grand Bend Beach in Ontario and had the most beautiful time. Soon, we packed our bags and headed for our third stop - Niagara Falls. With the Hornblower ride taking us into the captivating mists of the waterfalls and colourful lights, the vibrancy of a town that never sleeps, there was so much to do, and so many memories were made. More and more, the idea of being financially stable to enjoy life with family is vital. I was even more motivated to keep working, writing, and putting myself out there to build a life and legacy for myself and my children that I can enjoy now. We often wait and put time on hold as if time is ours. As if we know the future. The time is now! Family is important, and we should always make time to connect.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

I started this blog about 4-5 times and knew what I wanted to say but didn't. I took an image of a turtle because I had just made my ai-generated illustrations masterclass live, and the pressure of it all brought along many questions.

Will anyone register? Will they enjoy my class? Is it too low cost? Is it too high cost?

Can I forget about doing the masterclass?

And then I thought of a turtle and wondered about the beauty of a recluse. If I could, like a turtle, decide to retract back into my shell and pretend that the world doesn't exist for a few moments or days. How happy I would be.

Then this idea came into my mind- Turtle Theory. And like many times before, I google it when something pops into my mind.

However, I am googling this idea, thinking I know what the theory would imply. Something similar to my desired recluse, of course.

But to my surprise, I end up learning about trading and the idea of consistency from the expressions and sayings of a turtle.

Ok, here's what I saw.

I bounced up on an idea called Turtle Trading. This intelligent trader had a group of students he taught trading to, and he called them his Turtles. But the idea was that they had to follow specific guided steps to a "T" to obtain CONSISTENT progress, like a turtle. Slow but steady.

I was delightfully intrigued by that.

Then I found a definition that tried to explain the Turtle Theory. Still, it brought me back to an ancient saying, " Turtles All the Way Down," which I didn't want to see. Still, it explained that you can end up in a never-ending train of ideas to understand an occurrence, possibly without ever getting a solution.

But then I saw an explanation of said saying that was insightful. The idea was that the world stood on the back of a turtle and then that turtle on the back of another and another and another, holding up the weight of the world.

Just a random story!

Random idea!

But the root of this saying comes from a turtle's back being incredibly strong enough to hold up the world. Not really! But figuratively speaking.

Isn't that something?

When I thought of being fearful or hiding, I thought of the turtle, and I would have never used it as a metaphor for strength or consistency.

But I think that's the beauty of God to use sometimes the most unexpected things and people for big things.

And instead of going back into a dark cover and letting fear and emotions make me doubt myself, I see a new horizon that can create a new idea and redefine - My Turtle Theory.

My Turtle Theory

SLOW AND STEADY PROGRESS- BE CONSISTENT- WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE REMEMBER YOUR STRENGTH!

And instead of using the shell to hide in fear, think of it as a way to block out the noise. The noise of I can't, and I am not ENOUGH.

Because I AM!

Side note I don't think there is anything specific called the

Turtle Theory, but if you find it let me know in the comments.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

Intentionally

Present

I close my eyes, deep breaths in and out.

What can I hear?

I hear the sounds of waves crashing.

What does it smell like?

Smells like Salt in the air if you can smell salt, but the smell of seaweed is everywhere. But the warm breeze somehow makes everything smell like summer.

I open my eyes.

What do I see?

White sandy beaches, palm trees, a Jamaican worker happily smiling with guests, happy couples, people dancing, children laughing, a young couple arguing and quickly making up. I chuckle.

It’s a Wednesday afternoon, and I am here. I am present.

A few years ago, this was how I embraced my special moments in vacation- by being intentionally present.

I found it was a profound way that my mind was able to be present and record a memory in full detail.

I also saw how obsessed I was with experiencing moments to record for social media and not enjoy them myself. I didn’t purposefully seek not to enjoy moments, but I was mistakenly confused about experiencing life and photographing life.

I ate for pictures, I went to locations for shots, capturing moments I didn’t experience.

It wasn’t living. There comes a time when you look back at your social media at beautiful images but can’t remember how you felt in that moment experiencing the memories because you were an observer of that life and not a participant.

Interesting yes? We have willingly to chosen to observe and not be present.

In 2019 I took a trip to Miami right after I finished teaching for the summer. That was the last time I was able to travel because months later, I was pregnant with my firstborn and a few months after that, covid struck, and travelling was shut down.

I have checked deep into my memories and picked out some of my experiences during that trip that I still remember every detail. And when travelling was impossible, these memories helped me through some difficult mental times.

My husband and I do this activity where we may look at a picture or remember a memory in detail, trying our best to recollect every essence of the moment. We lay down together and revisited the time. Sometimes we remember similar moments and sometimes have a completely different experience of the same moment. It would bring all the feelings and vibes as if we were there back in that memory. It’s helped us to stay connected to our journey and appreciate how far we’ve come.

And that’s the lesson!

The aha moment!

I never want to be so concerned with how my life looks on social media that while trying to connect with an image that doesn’t mirror my reality, I am disconnected from the moments that create and link me to my journey.

These moments build my why, my reasons, my because of.

Otherwise, I’m lost on a journey I’ve never started and started on a journey where I’m already lost.

Both roads lead to nowhere.

No matter where life takes you, feel it all, experience it all. It’s a part of your story, your journey.

So the next time you're at an event, on vacation or on. date, try using all your senses to record the moment. Be intentionally present and let me know how liberating it makes you feel. I hope you try being "Intentionally Present."

Let me know how it works out for you.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

moments I live for.

Travel Back

With

Me!

So I have this thing I do while I’m on vacation or if I’m in a strange space. I check for exits, I anticipate if something wrong will happen, and what I would do to escape or survive. I’m in survival

mode a lot. Maybe that’s trauma from my childhood, but honestly, this skill has saved me so many times.

I check out the landscape. I anticipate what conflicts or issues may arise, and I mentally strategize what action I would need to issue to preserve my life. If this isn’t some Lara Croft female James Bond-ish, then I don’t know.

It’s not like I think bad things would happen. I found that it sharpens my reflexes to make quick moves if danger should arise.

I remember looking over a carnival cruise balcony with my husband and telling him about the importance of swimming away from the ship if someone should fall over or the importance of being alert during a snorkelling excursion for sharks, wave currents or unexpected changes in the tide.

To my surprise, during my excursion a few years ago, sharks were not the scariest thing in the sea.

Do you know what was?

An individual with a life jacket who couldn’t swim thought they were drowning because the snorkel mask started to fill up with water.

You know the mind is really powerful.

Here is the story-

During an excursion in Jamaica, a couple of girls who couldn’t swim went to snorkel in the ocean.

First, I don’t know where they brought us because it was black as night underneath the sea.

I couldn’t see Ariel, flounder, not even a yellow neon sign saying swim here. The point of snorkelling is to be immersed in a colourful underwater sea adventure, swimming with beautiful fishes and observing the crystal rainbow colours of coral reefs.

This was not it!

Second, yes, it’s great to have a life vest on, but even with that protection, your mind remembers you can’t swim, so with snorkel gear filling up with water, I witnessed non-swimmers panicking in a sea of water.

Side note- take the mask off and lift your head above the water if this happens to you. And voila, you can breathe. Simple!

Immediately my mind switches into action gear, knowing that although they are panicking, they are safe above water and the life vest is secured. But if you think it’s a good idea to go close to a panicked non-swimmer to help, that may be your biggest mistake.

So I swam away just enough to ensure that she wouldn’t try to grab me in her panic state, pushing me under to lift herself above the water because she felt like she was drowning when she was not.

Do you blame me?

Isn’t that what some of us do?

Those of us with a saviour complex.

Always feeling the need to help or save someone without adequately assessing how making an unnecessary action can alter our lives path.

Or how about running to put an oxygen mask over someone else’s life before checking our own?

Does this sound familiar?

Sometimes a quick second to verify a situation can help you make an informed decision.

That quick second can make the difference between deescalating a situation or putting more fuel to a fire.

One of my favourite words to live by is verify.

I’ve learnt too many lessons and have been at the end of too many consequences to now live an adult life just bobbing around like a chicken, guessing my moves and actions or throwing caution to the wind.

No hate to chickens out there.

But that is how some of us perceive our lives and the lives of others, which is why we don't properly evaluate the impact or effect of our words and actions.

Unnecessary actions derail your life.

Always verify if an action or what action is necessary for the situation before making a move.

And it’s ok to put yourself first.

We spend so much time investing in others and hoping that they can notice or appreciate the magnitude of our input in their lives and return the favour. But sometimes the result of that is a lower return on your investment or none at all.

Don't get caught up in the giving to receive and drain yourself in the process and then get on a pedestal preaching of how many people you've saved when some of them have never even asked you for saving.

In this journey, my story, me, the main character, I intend on being a victorious protagonist, and I’m not going to feel bad about it.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

Is Failure Around Me?

I was skimming through social media a few days ago and saw a video on an individual’s production output based on sitting in the proximity of someone successful and someone who is not.

The statistics followed that sitting next to someone who is driven and productive can increase your work production output by 15%. Still, sitting next to, for example, someone who is unmotivated and lazy decreases your productivity by 47%.

Wow! The difference in the numbers is astounding.

I responded to the post by saying, “This is why it’s so important whom you surround yourself with, including family and friends.”

This is the truth.

Who is in your circle matters! Your support group matters! Your childhood matters!

You see, we are the products of our environment and whoever and whatever dwells in that environment, close enough, can affect and bring positive or negative change.

When I was in university, I switched my educational program to take Science courses. While I took classes for my teaching degree, I was in a different campus area with a different crowd. The courses weren't difficult for me, and the environment was quite, let's say, different.

My productivity output didn't represent my capabilities. When I switched over to Science, I was greeted with a punch to my stomach, figuratively speaking.

I was surrounded by so many high-performance students that I wondered what I was doing in university.

What is my purpose here?

I cried, feeling like I didn't belong. I felt hopeless that I could never keep up with such fast-paced content and students.

My grades reflected my mentality and my environment.

One day I was in the library and saw one of those high-performing students there. I saw her in the library in the same spot many days. And sometimes in the same clothing. I was curious to know how she succeeded in such difficult classes. So I started a conversation with her because if there was some secret way to succeed, I was desperate to find it.

Surprise, surprise! There was no secret.

She studied relentlessly! She connected with students who knew more than her and surrounded herself with high achievers.

But it got me thinking. If I could be around them when all of this is happening with just the trickle of wisdom and physics explanations dropping from these study sessions, I could improve.

I totally changed my environment, who I studied with and where I studied. She motivated me to do more to get more.

There were no easy A's.

I had to work for it more than I did in my previous program.

And I did just that. I was inspired by her dedication, hours of studying and desire for excellence, and it drove me the same just being around her.

I realized that while I had switched programs, I was still doing the same things, hanging with the same crowd and using the same methods as before. So my output was low.

Once I realized that this new environment I was in should propel me and not suppress me, I thrived!!

Successful people should not seem like a threat, but you should thrive around them. Learn from them!

When I went back to my teaching program, I was changed!

It was so heavily ingrained in me a level of excellence that my environment no longer influenced me.

I was the environment that influenced others.

And also, know that not everyone will welcome a spirit of excellence and high productivity. Many people will be quick to say, "She is doing too much, or She's extra". So, at times if you feel like you’re not putting out the quality of productivity you believe you are capable of, check your environment! Who’s around you? Is failure around? Is mediocre around? Is oh just do the bare minimum around?

Because the bare minimum never gave back anything but bare results.

This is an ever-present thought for me to stay consistent because, in the journey before me, I would already be lost if my present environment was filled with failure.

Don’t let those types of environments become too comfortable for you, Be willing to change your space physically and mentally if it is not supporting. the results that you need to succeed.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

Walking down ten flights of stairs to do my laundry has become challenging.

I'm chugging these humongous blankets, and a part of me is deciding whether to throw the blanket away or wash it- it's huge.

I grabbed my little one's laundry- how he can dirty so many little pieces of clothing always amazes me.

I load up the washer, add the blue liquid soap and hmmm.

Almost the smell of blue Caribbean hard soap.

And there it is, rushing in, memories of my childhood walking long, dusty roads with loads of dirty clothes, buying hard blue soap at the corner shop before heading to the river.

Quickly enough so to get the right spot! Oh, of course, the right spot.

How do you choose the best spot to wash your clothes in the river?

First, it can't be too far from the main road - wet clothes are hard to carry.

Second, you need a large stone to be able to wash on one part and dry on other parts.

Third, you need to choose that stone not too high in the river - where if there's a flood, you get washed away and not too low where others will be washing their clothing above you, and somehow, you believe that when the water reaches you, it will not be clean enough.

And fourth, your spot must be a good spot where you can hear and participate in all the village's gossip. What else is better than washing your clothing on a Saturday morning and being updated about all the latest news in the area? Nothing.

As I chuckled at these memories, it weighed on me how difficult those times were, although joyful. We had lots of fun after washing our clothes, swimming in the river or catching crayfish. But the weight is not in the memory but in my present. The fact that I could walk downstairs to do laundry in 40 seconds when I used to have to hike to get laundry done reminded me of my lack of gratitude. How quickly we forget our struggles when life is better.

Why do we do that? And then why shouldn't we?

It's not like I set out to be ungrateful, but these memories come at a pivotal point to remind me to appreciate that what may seem like a small thing now would have been a massive benefit to me back then.

And without restriction, I lower my head and say thank you, God.

Sometimes we are unaware of how complaining becomes so natural, and ungratefulness becomes familiar.

I'm grateful for this soft reminder that helps me appreciate the ten flights of stairs I have to walk down to do my laundry.

To the journey before me, if I can appreciate these ten steps, then I'm all the more prepared for what's ahead.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

A nod here, a smile there, my eyes searching for three available seats even though I need one. I need the space. My eyes hover around, and ah, there we go. Three grey plastic chairs waiting for me, and it's in the corner?

Oh, the joy!

I sit down, still catching up with a friend. We've been having difficulty connecting with so much going on for us both. But a few minutes felt like hours, and connecting feels good. I hang up the phone and look around. " Whew! Thank God it isn't packed here! "

I find it so interesting a waiting room. So many people walk in and out, some confused and happy, but most have blank stares. Our commonality, we are all here waiting.

I wonder what her story is. I look at the mother-to-be on her phone several seats over from me. We are all probably looking at each other, wondering what's the other person's story. Because what else can we do but quietly stare and wonder?

Then joy arises as if my name had just been picked from a lottery ballot or a "Price is Right" contestant. Latoya Belfon come on down!

I pick up my purse, happy that I'm leaving the sad, sorry people who are waiting, forgetting that I, too, was sad and sorry to spend what felt like an entire day waiting. Did I say we were waiting? Yes!

But I am no more like those people because my name was called. Ah! Relief!

Don't judge me because we all have that inner scream of joy to be picked out of a lineup.

I go to the nurse, weight check, I turn away from the kg display - avoidance is key. Blood pressure check - I peek over to check the readings quickly before hearing- "Return to the waiting room. You'll be called shortly".

With a smirk at the nurse, my eyes say, "Shortly? Really? You mean half a day?"

Yes, my eyes can say all of that

With a stare.

I return to the waiting room. My victory lap was short-lived, and I'm back with the sad, sorry people waiting in the waiting room.

This is what it is now. The constant verification of how much time I have left in a day. As a mother, I am constantly racing to accomplish my to-do list and adding business goals on top of that load every single hour, minute and second counts. So being in a waiting room is like watching a tall, neon-lighted, Las Vegas show billboard screaming - You're wasting time!

Am I, though?

Because I've reviewed my Canva content documents several times, jotted down ideas for my company, responded to emails, and am writing this blog. So what more can I do in the waiting room?

This new life before me as a mother of two with so many goals, can I handle it? The call for greatness- can I answer it?

I think I put too much pressure on myself because I think I've accomplished a lot during the time I've been sitting here. So why can't I stand still?

Take this waiting time just to be, to breathe. Why must every moment of my day be aimed toward completing a goal?

Scripture says that those who wait upon the lord he shall renew their strength. Thinking of it now, does it mean there is power in waiting? Waiting on God? Yes!

At the core of all of this is that I’ve learnt to be busy so much that I have unlearned how to rest and wait, and because of that, I’ve filled every spare moment with a task.

Wow, who knew that so much self-reflection would occur in this waiting room? But that’s what quiet waiting moments do. They cause you to look inwards because there is no noise or distraction to take your attention away- you must look within.

The Journey of now shows me that I have work to do for what lies ahead. But even if I have to wait a little longer and be present in the now, here, that is ok. I’m regaining my strength, powering up for the Journey before me. So I’ll wait.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure why this title popped into my head, but as I laid on my couch one sleepless night, waiting for my little milk eater to wake up, I thought, since I couldn't sleep, I might as well get some work done. And then, boom. It came. I don't know why, and I don't know how but as I was adulting, my unconscious self dug deep into one of my core memories as a child—a child who, in that memory, was happy but wasn't always. And so, at first, I didn't embrace the memory but censored it- do I want to remember?

Before I could answer myself, the tune to these words rang in my head, and I was taken into the memory- a group of girls in a circle singing, "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Number one stole the cookie from the cookie jar; who me? I said, "Yes, you!" they responded. It was a creative way of playing tag. The cookie thief revealed themself and then tried to catch everyone. I remember bare feet running on wet grass. I remember loud laughs and a warm Caribbean breeze. Oh, the joys of childhood!

And then, the cries of a sweet baby boy who needs his mother brought me back to reality. I am a mom of two beautiful boys, a wife, and a businesswoman struggling to meet the requirements of each of these jobs. At any point in the day, a mother's job takes precedence, and I often wonder or understand why many moms give up on their dreams.

When choosing yourself or your child, your home or stability, a shower or to eat, you realize everything comes before choosing yourself.

I wondered if I ever longed to grow up before my time.

Did I enjoy the journey behind me? Did I understand it, then?

How carefree and small the world was to me, as I came from a small village, in a small parish, and in a small country. Never knowing more than where my hands could reach, never wishing for more, and satisfied with little because little was what we had. My biggest issues at that time were not being caught at the end of the game, not stumping my toe on a rock or not finishing the game before my neighbour's mom called her home.

Perhaps I did wish to grow up faster. Because these memories seem to take longer to access every time, I sometimes forget the lessons learned from the journey behind me. But somehow, in my spirit, the memories, lessons that I need the most surface to give me hope, inspiration and encouragement to persevere the JOURNEY BEFORE ME.

To the journey before me!

Latoya Belfon

RIP EGBERT GAYE - EDITOR & CHIEF OF THE PAPER. THE PAPER IS ON PAUSE DUE TO HIS RECENT DEATH.

Bi-weekly I contribute written content to my local newspaper. I share my blog posts, poetry by one of my authors and an article on whatever health or social issue I choose to discuss.

You can keep updated with content from my newspaper column called ON THE BLOCK below.

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