But first... who am I?

To those interested to learn a bit more about me,

My name is Joseph Massa; I am the designer behind M. Joseph Crystal Creations.

First, I would like to thank you for visiting my site and taking the time to read about how my business came to be.

Like many of us, I spent the majority of my life working in jobs that didn't fulfill my passion. Granted, I was good at the jobs I chose and hard work itself is no stranger... but none of them ever seemed to be the right fit. I've worked the majority of my professional career in retail management and then transitioned into higher education in the student financial aid sector. I've always liked helping others, but neither of these professions was ever the ideal situation. I was never a great student in the past and graduated high school with a 79.6 GPA. I never really applied myself.

I always had dreams of owning a business, but I never knew what kind. I’ve toyed with different ideas over time; but, in 2011 at 36 years old, I decided it was time to do something for me. I went back to school and majored in business management. I had tried the college route before; however, I never fully committed in the past and withdrew two times from different schools. I just wasn’t ready and the majors I had chosen didn’t resonate with me. Shortly after starting school, I unfortunately lost my father in 2012; but I was still determined to finish and obtain a degree. I didn't want to make any excuses this time. In 2015 after a great deal of hard work and sacrifice, I was the first of my family to complete college. I graduated at the top of my class, earning the title of valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA. I was so proud of my accomplishment.

I remained at my job as a financial aid director until my mother had suffered a brain injury from a severe fall and I left work to care for her. That unfortunately never came to pass because a month or so after I left my job in April of 2017, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In addition to intense pain, the tumor unfortunately caused hearing loss and facial paralysis and had to be removed. It was a very scary time in my life. In September and subsequently in October of that year I had two surgeries to remove most of the tumor from the temporal bone area of my brain. I developed an infection during my first surgery and had to undergo a second to ensure that I was no longer dealing with meningitis.  

By the grace of God, my facial paralysis reversed; however, I have been left without hearing in my left ear, constant fatigue, and a lack of full balance after having to have my eighth cranial nerve removed with the tumor. I have spent the better part of two years recovering from both my surgery and a deep depression due to my new physical limitations. It has been quite the journey relearning how to balance myself while simply walking and adapting to the drastic and sudden deficit of only being able to hear in one ear. I never could have imagined the challenges and obstacles I would face in my life post-surgery. I’ve always been an independent person, and this entire situation forced me to rely on the kindness and generosity of others. It’s been very humbling. 

During that time I did a lot of soul-searching to get my life back on track and regain some sort of independence. In the past, I have always put the needs of others before my own; it was a foreign concept to actually invest time in my own personal betterment and demonstrate self-love. When we don’t resolve to put ourselves first, life will present situations that force us to do just that. It was time to get out of this debilitating depression and because I have been no stranger to prayer I decided to start there. I won’t lie… I struggled; this was a difficult commitment to make my own wellbeing an unconditional priority. I found myself looking for more help. I have always been devout in my love for Jesus; additionally, I was fortunate enough to discover something else that enhanced my traditional beliefs even more.

During a phase of my recovery a nurse who was assigned to me for care was kind enough to gift me a rose quartz worry stone. I had been drawn to crystals in the past so I was very receptive to the idea of using this worry stone as a part of my rehabilitation. I was so attracted to the energy and found that it really assisted in my healing, both physically and emotionally. It was then that my love and connection to semiprecious crystals was affirmed.

Crystal healing has become such a tremendous part of my life and journey now. I wear crystals close to my skin in an effort to benefit from their vibrations. The positive changes I have witnessed in my life have been staggering. I began meditating with crystals, incorporating them into my prayer life, and making stretch bracelets of my own. I am proud to say that I have truly found my calling in creating crystal healing jewelry. I realized I could then “pay it forward” in an effort to help others discover the benefits of crystals in their own healing processes. February 16, 2020 marked the launch of my business: M. Joseph Crystal Creations. Why M. Joseph? Because my father is Mario Joseph; I know he is watching over me from heaven. He was one of the absolute hardest workers I have had the pleasure to know; he was an amazing father and mentor. I miss him every day. I hope that I am able to honor his memory with a business that has integrity and healing at its core. I am so proud of what I have accomplished and how I am able to finally use my father's advice combined with a business degree to further my life and career.

Running a home-based business and the nature of my work has been very therapeutic in my healing in addition to it being more of a sedentary job that I can handle since my surgery. It’s amazing how in the struggles that life presented me, I found my true calling. I refuse to let any disability define my destiny and my potential to succeed; furthermore, I know that the knowledge I have gained can be passed on through my creations to help others. After all, isn’t helping each other what we all need more of in this world?

Until next time, stay blessed!

- M. Joseph

So this brings my first official blog entry to a close. Be sure to subscribe with your e-mail in the "Stay Informed" section at the bottom of the Home Page and get notified when I post in the future. Anyone who knows me can attest that I have lots to talk about and I cannot wait to share information with you and create a dialogue.