1. Make travel More affordable. 
a. Shop around third-party sellers. Don't limit yourself to just going directly to the airlines.

​Here are a few great options for travel sites we've used:
1. kayak.com   2. cheapoair.com  3. expedia.com  4. google.com/flights 


b. Shop long in advance for plane tickets.  The closer you get to the date your travel date, the more expensive tickets become.

c. Consider alternative routes. You can save time and money when you do! 

d. Search for flights strategically.  If you've been searching for flights for a few days or you return to specific pages, clear your browsing history. Close the browser and relaunch the page because sometimes when the cookies track your previous activity, you won't get the best prices, you actually won't see the most competitive rates, and in some cases, you're actually offered higher prices!

2. Accommodations. Explore options.
You don't have to limit your options to hotels rooms, you can try travel sites such as  airbnb.com and flipkey.com.
In countries that are safe, these are great options worth exploring.  Read lots of reviews, pay close attention to pictures, ensure you see the units and the compound (beware of close up shots, too many shots about activities but not the venue itself)

Choose hotels wisely. When in doubt stick with the more prominent Hotel brands. Look closely for hidden fees.  Enquire about parking facility and cost if you plan on renting a vehicle. 
 
3. Ensuring your Safety is a must.  Before heading off to an unknown country consult travel advisory. Research the country or island you are traveling to intensely. 
Locate your nearest embassy.  Secure all the contact information including the embassy's address.  If your country doesn't have an embassy in the destination you're traveling to, locate one that is friendly to your country or island. (especially if you're going to nations with high conflict zones)
Get insurance. It's useful to have international medical insurance (ask your bank for credit cards that provide insurance coverage)  
Get your immunization shots. Outside of being a health precaution, being immunized is a requirement of some countries. 
Don't travel with large amounts of cash.  Consider credit and debit cards as a viable option. Bare in mind, sometimes cards may not work at certain hotels or merchants, so having multiple cards can be useful. When changing currencies most times I've gotten more value for my money at merchants rather than the airport Cambio (currency exchange).


4. Secure important documents. Always check your boarding pass before leaving the ticketing counter. Ensure personal and destination information is correct. 
Take a picture of your travel and identification documents as a security backup. Lock your Passport and travel documents in the safe in your hotel room when going shopping. 

5. Don't make assumptions about in transit requirements when you have connecting flights.  Think ahead, about the countries you'll be stopping in, not just your final destination. Depending on the passport you hold, you may require an additional visa or immunization requirements to be allowed to move on t your final destination. Not having these requirements can result in you being held back for additional screening or even turned back. Now that would totally suck! ​

Make travel creative, strategic and fun while securing your safety with these few tips.
Cheers to exploring a world of wonderful experiences! 
What are some of your travel tips!  I'd love hearing from you. You can share your experiences and recommendations in the comments below. 

Follow me on instagram @simplyshellytnt where I share my travel adventures and lifestyle tips! 
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Shelly

Hi, everyone!

It's Shelly your Vocal Coach and Life Success coach to singers at PRVM Performing Arts Academy!  
Today it's all about you wonderful women! 
Acknowledging the value, bravery, tenacity,  ambition and focus that women bring to this world! 
Now on March 8th, 1914 International Women's Day was held, simply because it was a Sunday, but the observation started before on various days! 
Today we celebrate the strides and inroads we as women have made in society.  

​Growing up I looked at my parents live through a recession with five kids. 
Then my father was retrenched unexpectedly! WOW! What an impact that must have had on him.
Just before dad was retrenched he bought a brand new car. 
Now, I've always been a daddy's girl and I was always around him, he is not only my father: He is  my mentor, teacher, spiritual covering and adviser. I remember being so excited and over joyed when he allowed me to drive the car it into the garage! 

When he was retrenched, inspite of the stress of that, my father didn't crumble or give up.
 
Instead what he did was, he took the car he had recently bought and turned it into a taxi. My mother, a homemaker, took her love for sewing and turned it into a small business. And together they raised five kids; all successful today.

Did my father go down financially? YES!
Did he give up?  NO WAY! 

I never gave thought of how unsettling and worrisome that experience must have been until I was an adult! 
What I saw as a child was resilience and resourcefulness! 
He raised five kids, all educated and successful, built a beautiful house, travels and lives debt free.

​
Even in his down times, my father taught us by EXAMPLE to pray without ceasing, be honest,
save, be generous, be respectful, stay focused and always be grateful.
By his actions, he taught me to take whatever skill or resource I had and use it to build the life I wanted.

It's from this example I built the PRVM Performing Arts Academy and my Life Coaching practice. I took my love for singing and my care and compassion for people and made it my business. I used  my simple goal setting system to move me along and keep me focused now I successfully walk in my passion, natural nature and divine purpose!

Today, I pass these principles to my kids and everyone in my circle of influence.
I happily look on as both parents still use their gifts but now for different reasons.

The saying when life throws a lemon make lemonade makes so much sense to me now. 
So, I say when life throws you a lemon make lemonade and build the best lemonade franchise! 
Powerful life lessons learnt from my parents' misfortune and life successes!
 

You can achieve your dreams If you write down the goal, are the goal clear, be specific, meditate on it, speak it out loud , speak faith fill words over it and take consistent action.  

Ready Set GOAL is a simple streamlined goal setting system that you can use to help you accomplish your dreams. https://www.prvmperformingarts.com/shop-1/


​
What positive life lessons have you learnt from your  parents that you can use or pass along?

I look forward to hearing from you! 
Like, Comment and Share

Shelly

 Woman do you know just powerful and valuable you are?  

Knowing your worth can influence your decisions and approach to situations.
Many women reject submission but as a Christian woman I go by the word of God, and I use many of the principles laid out, and I have gained much success, fulfillment in my marriage and life as a result.

I want to share with you, my point of view coupled with my experiences.
I'm a go-getter, outspoken, fruitful and blunt woman. I say it as I see it so in no way am I a walk over.
​I, however, refused to be caught up in the vicious cycle of the "battle for position."  

I choose to step into the purpose and utilize my unique greatness!  I often say to newlyweds, or engaged couples marriage is not for the weak or the faint of heart, and you should understand what you're getting involved in before getting all wrapped up in feeling and jumping into marriage!  
Marriages are failing all around us!  It's sad because so much hurt and pain is attached.
People treat marriage as a disposable towel.  

I asked many couples who split/divorce, why they separated many spoke of selfishness, self-centeredness, control, abuse. But the one that tickled me is when I'm told they did not know what they were getting into and no one told them… in my mind did you pay attention to the vows?  

Why give anyone your greatness, brilliance, and strength if it's not seen, respected or valued? 

Happy relationships cultivate happy families! 
Happy families cultivate productive children who bring value to the communities! 

​
Remember before marriage look for the traits of a Proverbs 31 woman and women pay to look for the characteristics of an Ephesians 5 man. The traits of these two characters compliment each other!  

Love unconditionally, forgive daily!
Wishing you much marital bliss and success.
~ Coach Shelly.

​​

I grew up with gratitude being very much a part of daily conversations in my home.
I didn’t however, discover the many awesome benefits of gratitude until I was an adult.  


As a young girl my grandmother always had a story about why she was grateful and why I should be as well.  She would get very disturbed at any sign of ingratitude.
I remember her asking me "Did you thank God for this day? Tomorrow is not promised.”


 My father was also aware of the need for Gratitude and taught us to pray before each meal. I'd hear him praying every morning, thanking God for keeping his family safe and for providing for us. That left a huge, positive impact on me.  Alongside these lessons on Gratitude always came the mentions of being content. Gratitude is a huge part of my life, I’m more considerate, mindful of my self-care, creative and spiritual connected. I now share this trait with my daughters as well as anyone within my circle of influence. 

Grateful people are very aware of kindness and are generally in better moods, they possess better attitudes because they are more optimistic, creative, hopeful, caring, forgiving, kind, generous, and compassionate therefore developing better relationships. ​

Find a quiet comfortable spot and reflect on positive things occurring in your life, supportive friends, family members, health etc.  Practice gratitude daily and you too will benefit!  
    
Emotionally, inner peace, awareness, spiritual alertness which enhances health and increase your ability to feel joy and happiness. ​
​
~ Coach Shelly.

​


I used to live in a tiny old board house,
I used to have low self-esteem,
I used to have low confidence,
I used to be broke,
I used to think I was ugly,
I used to be crippled by fear,
I used to be depressed, sad and broken,
I used to be mishandled and mistreated.

“Used to...”

All of that is over now.

Now? Now, I’m barely recognizable!  That person I described, is a story I stand on today.

Because of a shift in my MINDSET!

Yep, something as seemingly simple as a Mindset Shift transformed me into a WHOLE new person.
My choice to think differently, act differently, and see my challenges and obstacles as stepping stones is what got me where I am today.

“You mean just thinking differently can change my whole life?”

Yes, exactly. Follow me here; a shift in my mindset required a conscious effort to think *and act* differently.

What was meant to block me, hinder me & destroy me made me stronger, more skilled, wiser, BETTER!
I paid attention, I looked for lessons, and I didn't allow the intent of negativity to incapacitate me. 
I refused to sink into the dark abyss of sadness but rather drew from my inner strength and stood on those sad stories. It’s a matter of perspective and a decision to see the message in the mess!   

When the wolves came in sheep clothing with evil intentions, I took it as a lesson to be vigilant and wise.
The hurdles I had to get over made me an experienced jumper, agile & proactive becoming able to quickly recover, move around, even find another route to get where I needed to be faster. 

Those cynical, sarcastic characters that crawled into my space trying to break my stride and demotivate my spirit helped me to disregard negativity & dig deeper for inner motivation. 
The distractions that could have derailed me taught me to keep my guard up, be more focused, & fix my gaze on my goals like flint.
Falling into those low emotional spaces helped me to get deeper and get stronger with my relationship with God.
Disappointments and betrayal helped me to understand that the only person I have control over is myself and what a friend I have in Jesus as he was and still is my constant friend in times of need!
Trust the navigator, as a Christian woman I place my faith and confidence in God, and I follow his voice of instruction. I surrender to his guidance, understanding fully that when he gives good counsel and advice, it's up to me to move and act!
 
My "used to" shaped me into a confident, bold, outspoken, purposeful, productive, life changer, go-getter, game changer!
A woman who speaks faith-filled sentences that slay all defeating internal conversations! 
I trusted my mustard seed faith to move those mountains before me and it did.

It made me the successful, prayerful gladiator of a woman that I show up as today!
It molded me into a representation of the possibility of transformation.

So, stand on your story!  Learn from your ex-peril, move forward with the wisdom gained from the lessons of the past. Don't sink into it and be swallowed!
I’ve met some people who remain stuck in their "used to," crippled by it, never liberating themselves to accomplish all that God created and called them to be.
Moving through life creating havoc; as the saying goes “hurt people hurt people."
They seek out pity parties where people will entertain their “poor me, the past is at fault” mentality.
Don’t be one of those people who as grown adults never move beyond their past.
The ones who walk through life crying “My mother, my father, my uncle, the government” pointing a finger at every possible person they can blame for not achieving the life they desires except themselves.  
Failure to take up responsibility for self is one of the main reasons many people never progress, never move forward, never grow.
I know this sounds harsh, but after consistently lying to yourself for years, and using others as scapegoats for your failures, there comes the day when you have those moments of “to thine own self-be true, " and the blaming grows weak! 
It is in those quiet moments you will know that if you had made different choices, if you had taken responsibility for self, your life would have been better.
Choose, to be honest with yourself from now on. Promise yourself that you will make decisions that are in your best interest and take steps that lead you to your dreams. Then watch your happiness and self-esteem skyrocket!
 
I used to be the girl who had nothing 
I used to be the girl treated like nothing 
I used to be the girl who felt like nothing.
Used to...

What’s your "Used to"? 
How are you using it for good to turn the tide in your life?
It’s up to you.
 
Here are a few steps I've used for years that got me to a better place in life! 

1. Write down your goals and review them often.
2. Write the steps you need to take to accomplish your goals.
3.  Implement quickly and build momentum.
4. Identify what adjustments you need to make to your beliefs, perceptions, and behavior to achieve your goals
5. Get pictures of what your dream looks like and create a vision board.
6. Meditate on how it would look, feel, sound, even smell in some cases.
7. Get a coach and start talking about your ideas and goals.
8. Manage your vocabulary and be mindful of your self-talk.
9. Start speaking positively about the things you want to achieve.
10. Have an attitude of gratitude

 
Accepting that you are responsible for creating the life you desire and deserve is crucial to if and how you move forward today!  You can be more than you think. Unleash faith-filled thoughts, and your mind will get to work to attract all things you need to accomplish them! 
 
Radical Success awaits you.
~Coach Shelly .