The Joshua Gray Style Concept #77: “Warmth in the Winter” | PC: Okennichiwa

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures my daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to share an inspirational message. For the past few years, I’ve been a fan of earthly tones and, in the winter, a big fan of layering. Showcasing both, I employ these trends to share some thoughts on seeking comfort whilst challenging stagnation in the pursuit of our purpose.

When chasing purpose, many condemn comfort as something that is unproductive or unnecessary, illuminating the inevitability of discomfort. Although I agree that we will endure discomfort when pursuing our purpose, I believe it’s worth appreciating and acknowledging those things that gives us warmth in the winter–those things that make us comfortable during our growth while also conditioning us for our goals and dreams in life.

As a few thoughts on honor and appreciation where it is due, below are three keys that I believe lead to a grateful heart–a key to success:

1. Love what is healthily loving you: Love is prospective, love foresees aspects of your future and prepares you in the present, ensuring you’re the best version of yourself when your future manifests. Start loving what is healthily loving you and pushing you to your purpose. Honor such warmth and appreciate that love with your life.

2. Acknowledge the how behind the what, in what is encouraging you for your [GRAYTER]: Consider what pushed you to your purpose and how it propels you to your purpose, how does the warm love from your family or warm love from your friends assist in pushing you closer to your God-given graytness? Knowledge of the how, assists in discerning the what, in the future.

3. Continuously discern what is healthy comfort and what is unhealthy comfort: Ultimately, healthy comfort brings you peace; peace with God & peace with yourself.

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #77 + Words: Warmth in the Winter first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #76: “The Transformative Trench” | Photo Credit: Okennichiwa
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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures my daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to share an inspirational message. While living in Shanghai, I designed this “transformative” trench, as a personal souvenir of sorts; nevertheless, it’s more than a customizable trench, it’s a testament to the power of keeping “you” in “your style”.

When creating this jacket in China, I wanted to maximize the number of styling possibilities from one piece, thus I was inspired to create a lite trench with a detachable lower half (one in red and one in black).  I literally put on a show (fake calling my accountant, fake crying, fake budgeting issues, etc.) at the tailors to bargain (a tradition at such places in China) for an appropriate price.  Nevertheless, sometimes we have to do what it takes to maximize the number of possibilities of creating the life we want. The key to creating the life you want is not always knowing what you want, but knowing your purpose.

1. Align With Your Purpose: Placed on this earth for a reason, once we become one with our purpose we are then equipped to live the authentic life we want.
2. Dream in Your Purpose: Dreaming on purpose and dreaming in purpose, creates impactful and meaningful possibilities. Dream the biggest dreams possible that all fulfill your purpose.
3. Work in Your Purpose: Seek opportunities and projects that fulfill your purpose; if none available, ascertain skills and values from your current situation to assist you to work in your purpose.
4. Don’t Give Up on Your Purpose: When you work in your purpose, yet not seeing fruit…don’t give up, you’re only toiling the soil. The expectancy of fruit must remain.

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #76: The Transformative Trench first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #75: “Olives & Chocolates: The Layers of Levi” | Photographer: Okenichiwa

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures my daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to share an inspirational message. Taking on a Levi’s Coat designed to acclimate to various temperatures with its various layers and components, I share a few reminders and thoughts to consider, when it comes to being prepared for the various layers and components of 2017.

When I purchased this jacket over five years ago, I appreciated that this Levi’s jacket had various options for customization (inclusive of detachable fur-trimmed hold, long flight trench, perforated under jacket). This Levi’s purchase (that I got from Ross for a mere $20.00) purchased seemingly prepared me for anything, any type of temperature; with 2017 across the block, I’m presented with a similar question: am I prepared for anything?

Reflecting on 2016, it brought with it a plethora of life experiences from: testing my physical limits during a 16 mile hike in Argentine Patagonia, to graduating from Pepperdine University with a B.S. in International Business, to then discovering how relaxation and too much social media can lead to a depressive mentality, to experiencing the affects of such depressive mentality on relationships. 2016 revealed much about me and I revealed a portion of that to the world via this site, such as how Buenos Aires surprised me, to my top 20 Midyear Moments, to how I responded to the 2016 Presidential Election with the launch of my online store GRAYTER. But, once again, as this coat prepared me for anything, I’m asking myself: am I prepared for anything in 2017?

In the year of 2017, I literally have full control and autonomy over what I allocate my time to and what ideas I’m going to pursue and develop. Honestly, it’s one of my scariest years yet, filled with potential moments of uncertainty; nevertheless, here’s how I’m conditioning myself to be prepared for anything in 2017:

1. Strengthening Relationship with God: Admittedly, this is a relationship that needs strengthening because it is the foundation, in which all other relationships are built, the foundation for my confidence, and the root of my success. With this relationship strengthened, I know I’ll be prepared for anything because I’ll have a redeemer, a refuge, and reassurer! This can be your foundation too!

2. Dreaming Bigger & Strategizing Smaller: At this point in my life, I have nothing to lose, so I’m preparing myself to dream bigger and then strategize through smaller, realistic goals. 2017 can bring whatever it brings, however, each step of the way, I’m preparing to dream bigger and better!

3. Being More Authentic in All Situations: At the same point in my life, I’m striving to be more authentic within all situations. As a relatively optimistic person, I can sometimes void valid emotions or valid assessments in hopes of things being better. Nonetheless, I’m committed to distinguishing between the faith value of something and the face value of something, that’s when your works make your faith alive!

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #75 + Words: The Layers of @Levis & 2017 first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #74: “Uncommon Distress” | PC: Okennichiwa

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures my daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to share an inspirational message. Taking on distressed knitwear, I share a few reminders and thoughts to consider, when it comes to unexpected distressed.

While shooting this style concept, I recall discussing the unconventionality of knitwear distressed with holes, rips, and tears. Recently popularized by a few of Kanye’s Yeezy SZNs, there’s something deeper than the vain ambitions of staying on top of this trend.

Who would of thought knitwear would be a plausible or passable texture to distress (besides one who must succumb to homelessness)? Socially, who would think that not every smile we see reflects a smile on the inside of every person who affixes one to his or her face?

Similar to the recent, urban popularity of distressed knitwear, unexpected distress in the lives of those who seem unfit to experience distress may be more common than we realize. I know many times, my smile reflected what I wanted my life to be and not what it actually was. Therefore, be open to opening your happiness for someone else, consider these various ways to share the light you may have with those distressed, when they don’t even seem fit for stress:

1. Pray for someone, even if they seem as if they don’t need it.
2. Smile at someone, you honestly don’t know what they’re dealing with!
3. Continue fostering relationships with the ones who love you, before you develop an unwarranted love for the ones who only like you!

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #74 + Words: Uncommon Distress first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

As the musical complement to the introductory GRAYTER capsule, “GRAYTER 001 Playlist: The Election Year” lyrically and sonically encompasses the spirit of the three piece merch capsule. 

Curated through the lens of a marginalized & oppressed community, the playlist aims to ignite motivation & optimism within the hearts of those eager to heal authentically and progress transformationally from the 2016 Presidential Election & subsequent socio-political climate. 

Vocalizing the struggle, the plight, the promise, and the purpose embedded in those struggling to identify with or acquire comfort in the current flow of social concerns, the 16-track playlist commences with Chance the Rapper’s “We The People.”

As the opening selection, “We The People” vocalizes everyone’s hope–regardless of socio-economic affiliations–to have a hero that champions the ideals & matters of a community; nevertheless, Michael Jackson’s “Scream” sustains an optimistic hope through the soulful and urban jam production, yet the lyrics and its original elements of rock capture a rising frustration in the injustices that plague a community. 

As the third selection in the playlist, “My People” is a remix of Drake & Meek Mill’s “RICO” that more specifically details the injustices relevant to those that plague the Black community. In essence, the following soulful, southern Church ad-libbed remix of Solange’s “Weary” captures the emotions depleting one’s energy, when it comes to internalizing the injustices occurring in the world. 

Fifth, Tamara Chauneice’s smooth, sultry tone glides over Bryson Tiller’s “Don’t,” a soft, yet respectful reproach to the invokers of injustices as a plea for peace. With peace in mind, PJ Morton’s piano driven “You Should Be Ashamed” follows. Honest & apparently authentic, ‘Ashamed” aims to evoke reflection of the prejudices within the heart of some–given the need for reflection at this point, Brik Liam’s acapella interlude “So Reflective” allows for a minute of reflection, considering the plethora of emotions exploded in the first half of this playlist. 

From hope to frustration to anger to weariness to longing, “So Reflective [Interlude]” permits you to recognize your internal emotions as you continue vibing to the playlist. A sample of a Martin Luther King speech ushers in Darius Scott’s “America,” a plea not to man, but to God. The elements of rasp and assurance in his voice heightens the importance of faith when dealing with the plethora of emotions hovering the hearts of the marginalized. 

Once again, recognizing the presence of such emotions, SHINE–a Brik Liam cover by Lindsay Niccs–summons the shining of the sun in light of rain. Essentially, the interlude of sorts summons the turning of a new leaf. 

The Kayla T cover of Arian Grande’s “Be Alright,” softly turns that leaf. The Kayla T reinterpretation prepares the way for a reassured confidence found lyrically and sonically in Alic Wall’s “Beautiful” and Ajanee Hambrick’s subtly ferocious “Titanium x Ready Aim, .” These two tracks follow Chance the Rapper & The Social Experiment’s contemplative confident “Wonderful Everyday,” the successor of Kayla’s “Be Alright”

Finding & identifying with a lost confidence is essential to the climax of the playlist, Brittney Wright’s “Be Alright.” Purposefully selected as the more vibrant & energized twin to the previous “Be Alright,” Wright’s original song establishes the assurance that we will be alright–regardless of the turbulence we encounter. 

On the same energized funk, soul, and inspirational runway, Cooley Kimble’s “Higher” is a cool, yet relentless song of ambition, with a simple assurance of going higher. 

Ultimately, the playlist captures the intended ethos of the Election Year Capsule: keeping hope, gratitude, faith, and confidence to continuously press forth towards something. Thus, the playlist ends with an enchanting & inspirational draft “Go On” by Isa –inclusive of affirmational words and a confident readiness for the forthcoming. 

After listening to the playlist, head to www.grayter.co to preorder one of the shirts in the Election Year Merch Capsule. 

The post STREAM: GRAYTER 001 Capsule Playlist | The Election Year on @Soundcloud first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #73 + Words:  “Black Friday Deals” | Photographer: @Okennichiwa

Thanksgiving came and went, and now we’re eating leftovers, shopping, or looking at Black Friday Weekend deals in our emails with no intent of indulging (Me!). Nonetheless, there are few deals that you should take advantage of, that never expire! They’re all void of capitalistic characteristics, but they are deals that save you something in life. Consider taking advantage of these personal deals, starting this weekend:

1. Your Deal With God: Assessing your relationship with all of the factors in your life and assessing how involved God is in the simplicity or complexity of your life, make a deal with God. Moving into the new year, agree to involve Him more than you did this year!
2. Your Deal With Yourself: What did you do with your life yesterday, this week, this month, or this past year? Make a deal with yourself that you will maximize the time you have daily and that you will begin to experience high productivity!
3. Your Deal With Family & Friends: Begin encouraging and uplifting your family & friends more. It doesn’t hurt to share their flowers with them more and more while they are alive for them to experience your love.
4. Your Deal With Society: Given the polarizing times, make a deal to make society a better place in truth & authenticity, agreeing to propel others into their best lives possible!
5. Your Deal With Negativity: Negativity will always be there, in various forms and flavors; make a deal to never let it season your life or allow it to marinate your mind!

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures TJG daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to inspirationally convey Gray’s philosophy: 1) Use what you have, 2) Get what you can, and 3) Do what you do.

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #73 + Words: #BlackFriday Deals first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #72 + Words: “The Tone of Thanksgiving” | PC: @Okennichiwa

Life is a culmination of seasons. With each season, we may acquire new relationships, lose relationships, experience new things, learn new skills, gain momentum, or lose momentum. All experiences, deserve the tone of thanksgiving–they all deserve our gratitude. All of our experiences deserve our gratitude; not because all of those experiences proved beneficial, but because there was a lesson in every experience. Reflect on ways you can apply the tone of thanksgiving in your life & in the experiences you’ve endured this year!

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #72 + Words: The Tone of Thanksgiving first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

Keeping Hope & Faith has been vital and will continue to be vital within the next few months (and next few years). Well, it’s something that’s vital to internalize for the rest of our lives, ha!.

Launching Grayter, the commerce adjacent of the site, is definitely a step of faith. Beyond applying hope & faith to our personal lives, extend some to your community, your region, and America! With that in mind, check out 3 things you should know about this shirt in the 3-piece Election Year Merch Capsule when you preorder on Grayter.co:

About the Store:

3 Things to Know about this Shirt:

1. The Shirt Identifies Alliance: Similar to Hillary Clinton’s #ImWithHer slogan to identify one’s alliance with her campaign, this shirt highlights your alliance to the things God has for your life during this season!
2. The Shirt Merges the American Flag & Declarative Text: This shirt augments the American flag to format a cross with the “I Am With God” declarative text!
3. The Shirt is a shirt of Hope: At the end of the day, this shirt is an assertion of your hope in something greater for your life, for America, and for the world!

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Keep hope, keep gratitude & preorder the OBAMACARED: We Thank You Shirt & additional #ElectionYear Merch, here: www.grayter.co

The post GRAYTER Store & Merch Launch: 3 Things to Know About the “I Am With God” Shirt first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

Controversy & confusion has been a common occurence within the past couple of weeks. Nonetheless, we don’t have to succumb to its impact or influence. If nothing else, believe in yourself enought to fight for your goals & dreams. Internalizing that notion, I launched the commerce adjacent to the site, GRAYTER CO.

As a 3-piece shirt capsule, the Election Year Merch aims to inspire you to keep hope, gratitude, confidence, and faith! The GREAT Already shirt aims to empower your confidence! Learn more about the store and the shirt, below:

About the Store:

Three Things to Know about the Shirt:

1. The Shirt is Reflective: This shirt aims to inspire you to reflect on what makes the world already great, what makes America already great, and what makes you already great! There’s something already great in all three, preorder and ponder on what that “great” is!
2. The Shirt is Affirmational: If by chance you fail to identify what’s “GREAT Already” in the world, America, or yourself, this shirt is curated for you to speak greatness over all three–an expectancy of greatness
3. The Shirt is for Personalization: With an expectancy of greatness, this shirt is curated for personalization. Whatever is the reason you wear it, wear it as you prepare to walk in GREATNESS!!

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Keep hope, keep gratitude & preorder the GREAT Already  & additional #ElectionYear Merch, here: www.grayter.co

The post GRAYTER Store & Merch Launch: 3 Things to Know about the “GREAT Already” Shirt first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

What a time to be alive, eh? So why not pursue your dreams and goals. Resonating with that mantra, I launched the commerce adjacent to this site, GRAYTER. The online store aims to empower you to embrace your GRAYTER with each capsule installment, through every purchase. 

Excited about this new addition to TheJoshuaGray.com, the Election Year Merch Capsuld is available on GRAYTER.CO for preorder until Wednesday, November 30

About the Store:

Three Things About the Obamacared Shirt:

The Election Year Merch Capsule curates three exclusive short-sleeve shirt designs  incorporating political, conversational, and inspirational undertones. The “Obamacared: We Thank You” Shirt is a statement on keeping hope & gratitude, here’s three special elements of the shirt

1. The Wording: A play on words of President Obama’s “Obamacare,” the wording enhances the commemorative nature of the shirt and the myriad of issues President Obama cares about in the past 8 years–from some policies to the poise his administration exuded throughout this election year. 
2. The Presidential Silhouettes: Adding a reflective and finalizing touch, the wording contains silhouettes of Barack & Michelle Obama looking at each other. 
3. The Significance: In its completion, this shirt symbolizes hope in the future (regardless of its bleakness) and gratitude for President Obama’s service to America. 

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Keep hope, keep gratitude & preorder the OBAMACARED: We Thank You Shirt & additional #ElectionYear Merch, here: www.grayter.co

The post GRAYTER Store & Merch Launch: 3 Things to Know About the #Obamacared Shirt first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #71 + Words: “Autumn Awareness” | PC: Kenni

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #71 captures TJG daily style and incorporates fall/autumn colors, textures, & sentimental accessories to inspirationally push a message on “Finding Self-Awareness”.

Life + Style Concept Message: “Self-Awareness”

Breast Cancer Awareness was the inspiration behind the ensemble in this concept #71. In Mid-October, I was scheduled to attend an event for Breast Cancer Awareness, and the challenge was to wear pink. As an owner of not one single pink item, I improvised–correlating the pink flower with my bright Salmon pants. Nevertheless, this correlates with something more–this concept correlates with my association with Breast Cancer. My aunt survived Breast Cancer; outside of the miraculous nature of her survival, AWARENESS played a significant in putting up a fight against it.

Merely a sophomore or junior in High School, my aunt’s fight taught me the importance of awareness. Throughout the entire process, she proved self-awareness is valuable in fighting against what’s fighting against you. For some, day in and day out negativity strives to steal, kill, and destroy our purpose and our destiny. Nevertheless, similar to my aunt’s battle, awareness of the specific forces charging against you is significant in charging against those forces.

Self-awareness isn’t the easiest of realities, nevertheless, it can be a reality. In moving forward in fighting against those things that are fighting against you, consider the following, in hopes of developing self-awareness and then applying it to your life:

1. Escape the Grid: Life has a way of integrating us into a grid of robotism with the need for us to be busy, resulting in lives of mudanity and unawareness. Take some time to escape that grid and reflect on the who’s, the what’s, the where’s, the how’s, and why’s of life. Be aware of your life!
2. Be Tactful: We can easily follow the lives of others so much that we fail to follow our own lives and the things that concerns the betterment of ourselves. Once we escape that grid, be tactful when you return to that grid; return to the grid with an awareness of the things that are good to you and the things that are bad to you–all assisting in fighting against what’s fighting against you.
3. Be Committed: Negativity, procrastination, ailments, and all of the like, can pose a formidable threat against your life. But once you’re aware of those things and subsequently develop a tact against those things, be committed to fighting against them. It won’t be easy and you may not see success at first, but be committed to putting up a fight!

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept + Words #71: Autumn Awareness first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #70: “Believing in Blue” | Photographer: Kenni

Life + Style Concept Message: “Believing in Yourself: The Present & the Potential”

What do you believe about yourself? What are your thoughts about yourself? What do you believe about your potential and what do you believe about your present?

Believing in yourself encompasses what you believe about your potential and what you believe about your present. Being honest with your present is okay: What are the factors that are contributing to your flaws? What are the strengths contributing to your success?

Honesty assists in believing and pursuing the fulfillment of your potential, authentically. Personally, I recall a time during college, in which I avoided the reality of my present: the self-inflicted stress, the unwise habits, and impractical sleep schedules. With me blaming the “college norm” on everything I was enduring, that lack of authenticity prevented me from walking in the fullness of my potential and the fruition of my purpose. By the time I started walking in authenticity (after I graduated), I realized I missed out on a lot of personal objectives and personal goals. Nevertheless, walking in a new found authenticity allowed me to believe and pursue my potential and purpose.

After embracing honesty with your present, consider embracing the following with your potential:

1. Dialoguing with Yourself: What do you believe about your potential? What gift is on the inside of you that can be flourished? What talent will take you to the next level, take you to the sky, take you into outer space?
2. Enhancing Your Potential: Once you identify that gift, skill, or talent, continue building and enhancing those tools–tools to take you and others higher!
3. Pushing to Your Potential: Never let your present push you to lose faith in your potential; continue being authentic and being aware of your present, so you can always be able and armed to arise to your potential!

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures TJG daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to inspirationally convey Gray’s philosophy: 1) Use what you have, 2) Get what you can, and 3) Do what you do.

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #70 + Words: Believing in Blue first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.

The Joshua Gray Style Concept #69: “The Denim Combo” | Photographer: Kenni

Life + Style Concept Message: “Control”

When on a quest to keep your barrels in a bunch or keep everything you have going on in life, together, it’s easy to strive to do so in hopes of constant perfection–a reality unattainable due to our humanity & our humanness.

If not easy for you, definitely for me. There has been many times in which I would work to combine things in my life with a belief that perfection is achievable; with a belief that I could control every aspect and manage every aspect of my life (and the lives of others around me), in hopes of bridging our circumstances to perfection. Even if you’re in the same boat as someone else and you’re trying to steer the both of you to the right destination, you can’t control every aspect of their lives nor can you control everyone who accompanies their struggle–it is your life that you have live & it is their life that they have to live.

When you aim to have full control of the perfect route to healing, deliverance, or unity, you’ll cause more hurt than healing to yourself and to the others involved. When you’re trying to keep your barrels in a bunch–whether it be the tasks you must complete in a day, the number of friends’ issues you come into contact within a day, or the number of personal issues you must come into contact with daily–complete control is not the solution to keeping everything together. Understand:

1. You’re human, you’re not perfect, so you cannot individually attain perfection in any situation.
2. You don’t have complete control. Surrender to something higher, surrender to God to receive appropriate control.
3. Once you obtain the perspective for you level of control, stay in your lane & control what you can control!

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The Joshua Gray Style Concept captures TJG daily style and incorporates a style, trend, and concept message to inspirationally convey Gray’s philosophy: 1) Use what you have, 2) Get what you can, and 3) Do what you do.

The post Joshua Gray Style Concept #69 + Words: The Denim Combo Control first appeared on The Joshua Gray | Live Grayter.