Lea's Happily Ever After

"It's a Wrap"

Hope you all enjoyed the season. I always look forward to your comments both good and bad! I always feel I can learn something from everyone, and the fact you took the time to post comments means a lot to me personally. Obviously, you wanted to share your thoughts, compliments, praises, and constructive criticism. I've always believed that our perceptions are just that. That is how we perceive ourselves, how others perceive us, and how we think others perceive us.

I've learned a lot about who I am, who people think I am, and things I can do to make my life and other lives better while hopefully having fun and entertaining viewers.  For all of that I want to thank you all. To every single one of you who watched, shared with your friends, and took the time to post comments I give you a very sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be part of a "reality show" or that anyone would care about my silly laugh or my turbans or antics or jokes -- so it’s been fun (most of the time! LOL). I hope in some small way you connected with me and we shared some "moments" together that made you smile, or made you think, and I'm sure there were many moments that made you wonder, "What was she thinking?" Others may be stubborn or hold a grudge or be vindictive or bitter or angry. For me, I truly meant what I said on the waters of Bimini -- I truly hope everyone gets what they want from being a part of this show. That goes for the girls, crew, all the support staff, behind the scenes hairstylists, makeup people, wardrobe people, logistics staff, the network, and most importantly the viewers. You know -- we do this all for you. Otherwise we would be "all dressed up with nowhere to go."  For me it’s been an opportunity, a blessing, and sometimes a curse. But one thing’s for sure -- it’s been memorable! And if my memory ever fades, there's always TiVo!

I have tried to live up to the personal expectations I have of myself -- to do the right thing, speak my peace, look for the good, and not compromise who I am, even when tempted. I found myself defending myself, but not with the intention of having it be at the expense of anyone else. I stood up for what I thought was right, even when sometimes it was uncomfortable or at the risk of a relationship. I have always believed that what I think about myself is more important than what others think about me, and I've always been one to take a stand even when it may be unpopular.I have spent a lifetime on self-improvement, and I have a long way to go, but I vowed not to sell my soul to the devil for ratings, popularity, relevance, or attention. I hope that I was able to stay true to myself and yet play in the sandbox of craziness, heartache, heartbreak, fun, and fodder.
 
On a frivolous note -- tune into the Reunion where I was lucky enough to borrow 25 million dollar jewelry totaling 100 carats of D flawless diamond earrings, loaned to me by my friend and renowned jeweler, Jeffrey Rackover. I'm still pinching myself and I'm also still going through withdrawals! LOL! I screamed and hyperventilated when I first tried them on.

Please visit me on my website at theworldofleablack.com, friend me on Facebook, and follow @leablackmiami on Twitter.

Please also keep on the lookout for my novel, Lea’s Little Black Book, a Jackie Collins-type mystery novel about Miami’s finest. It’s been one of the most fun projects I've ever done.  And one shameless plug -- everyone asks about how I keep my skin looking fresh and youthful. It’s been suddenyouth.com since the mid '80s, and it works. Try it and share it – I promise you will see and feel immediate results. It will become the one thing you never leave home without.

I can't close without saying the events of the last few days in Connecticut have made so many of us sad, angry, and depressed. We must hold all that is dear to us tighter than ever, recognize how blessed we are, know what's important, and live in the moment. And then we must take action. We must commit ourselves to the challenge of finding a way to prevent these types of tragedies from ever happening again. We must honor the lives of these children, as our own, by taking a stand to stop this madness. We truly are all connected. We must call upon the goodness of ourselves and others to vow to put an end to these tragedies forever - whatever it takes, and remember, "There before the grace of God go I." If this tragedy doesn't define what's important to us, nothing ever will. The other things we get so worked up over are just the shallow lessons of life and things to fill our time.

I encourage all of you to read Do You Quantum Think, an enlightening book that I refer to constantly. Let's vow to evolve the thinking of all of us who want to make the world work for everyone.

Spread the love, keep the peace, and #don't deal with stupid.

Love,
Lea

Lea Black - part of a cast on a crazy show called Real Housewives of Miami and a footnote in the history of reality shows, the 21st century reincarnation of soap operas.