“THE CREATOR OF ‘ABOF’…” As you previously learned, my name is Nelista Lord-Morgan. In past years, I humorously described myself as an “Afro-Caribbean-British-American Geriatric Diva” on some social taglines. Although “diva” is generally regarded as a fun playful word, in recent years it has taken on a more negative connotation (i.e. demanding, self-centered, entitled, overly dramatic, hard to work with, etc.) - and I definitely did not want to be associated with any of those labels. Needless to say, I removed it from all my taglines, “geriatric”☺. Anyway, less of the trivia… I was born in the Caribbean, grew up in England, and moved to America over 35 years ago. I believe my rich cultural makeup has been instrumental in shaping my diverse thinking, experiences, beliefs, and even my approach to business. It has also given me the ability to see things from all angles without bias or prejudice. My professional background started as a legal secretary for a prestigious law firm in London, England to a Member Service Health Insurance Supervisor in southern California, with many superficial jobs and online ventures in between.

I love everyone, but only a handful of people make it into my inner circle. Through life’s ups-and-downs I have managed to keep my child-like (corny) sense of humor in tact, for which I am truly grateful. It has not only minimized my stress levels, it has also helped me keep things in perspective during difficult times. I enjoy being around genuine warm-hearted people because I believe a warm grateful heart cannot coexist with a cold hateful one. In order of importance, here are some of the personality types I tend to gravitate towards when forming my inner circle: People who perform deeds & gestures with no ulterior motives - i.e. they expect nothing in return; are loyal & honest; who accept my little idiosyncrasies without ridicule or judgment; who have a sense of humor; and, for the most part, who have a positive outlook on life. Do you have any unspoken requirements when forming your inner circle? Do you even have an inner circle (your inner circle is that very special group of trustworthy & loyal friends)? To protect my mental serenity, I sometimes have to distance myself from the people who disturb my peace and positivity. Although positivity is important to me, I do realize it is simply a mindset that frames how we react and respond, if it is not paired with a firm grasp of REALITY our ability to navigate life’s many challenges becomes much more difficult. Another philosophy I try to live by is to always focus on a favorable outcome rather than a negative one. I believe everything happens for a reason, and with the passing of time and personal reflection, we often discover what happened in the past was actually for the better.

In summary, the number one takeaway I would like all my visitors to have is that life is too short to spend endless hours feeling “less than,” constantly angry, or overly stressed, especially when those emotions stem from situations beyond our control… easier said than done, right ☺? When you are able to develop a conqueror’s mindset and the wherewithal to put things in perspective, you will quickly realize that your “big” problem was merely a microscopic piece in that infinite jigsaw puzzle called life. In situations when you are unable to be optimistic, at least be hopeful. Lean on your faith if you are “a believer;” it will give you great strength in moments of great weakness! “Peace is its own reward.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Statistically, only an estimated 1-5% of all website visitors ever read an entire “About” page, especially a long one that doesn’t follow the typical “About” page format, like this one… but who wants to be typical ☺. The good news is, statistically, most visitors will at least give the “About“ page a cursory glance or partial read. If you are one of the 1-5% who took the time to read this entire page, I hope you were able to glean at least ONE thing that enlightened you, encouraged you, inspired you, or simply gave you a better insight into who Nelista Lord-Morgan really is.