She Left her Profession to Seek her Promise!

                 When the signs become evident, it's time to follow our hearts. This woman saw the signs
                 and followed the path, which lead to healing and miracles.

                 

The Other Side of Valentine's Day

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I received a distress call the other evening from a dear friend. The gentlemen she had been dating for a couple of months and become quite fond of, text messaged her that he wanted to end the relationship. He said that she was ninety percent of what he was looking for, but the ten percent was a deal breaker, which was travel distance between their homes. His maximum allowance was twenty-five miles and their distance was thirty-six miles.

Honestly, I kept my comments short and brief, suggesting she should simply move on. I saw no point in wasting time and energy on someone who does not feel you worthy of ten extra miles past his cut-off distance and texting a breakup.  While I certainly understand her devastation in believing their relationship could be more long term, at some point, we have to move beyond drama, particularly when there is not a lot of time involved. I truly believed she did a lot of the right things to grow the relationship, just with the wrong person.

In actuality, while I was sorry about the situation, the point of this story is not my friend’s breakup. It was something she said during the course of the conversation that struck a chord with me. She expressed that she was now going to spend another Valentine’s Day alone. While I certainly understand her sentiments particularly in a situation where the break up is fresh, I encouraged her not to get hung up on one day. If you are not in a relationship, there is really no need to acknowledge or celebrate a day that has no benefit to your current situation. Also, recognizing more serious situations such as loss of a loved one, divorce and separations due to military service can cause intense feelings of depression, there are other ways that may be helpful to cope with the loneliness this day may bring about. Most important is to look for ways to spend the day that is not focused on what someone does for you, but what you do for yourself. Some suggestions include.

• Make someone else happy. Consider ways you can bring a smile to others including the elderly, children, domestic violence victims, sick and shut-in. Volunteering will also provide you with a sense of gratitude for what you do have in your life.
• Host a family and friends get together. You will be surprised at the people who would rather not go out to restaurants for dinner.  The theme does not have to be Valentine’s Day and ask everyone to bring a dish or beverage.
• Make plans to start or finish a project you have wanted to do for a long time.
• Do something you may not ordinarily do such as book a glamour photo session, get a complete make-over or take a fun art class to stimulate your creativity.
• Don’t look at old pictures, love movies and songs that bring memories to make you feel sad. Watch funny movies or read inspirational books.

It’s important to remember that you have to live beyond one day and should always focus on things and people that add value to your life. Above all, my most endearing suggestion is to spend time with God. With God’s presence we are never alone. Happy You Day!

Do You Need a Nudge?

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We all need a nudge to get us moving at some point. Whether a goal, vision, project or a simple everyday task, sometimes we sit back as if we were in a daze and allow time to pass without action. I admit there are days it’s a lot easier to do absolutely nothing rather than execute the tasks at hand. After all, it feels so much better to think about our assignments then actually put in the work involved to get them done.

When I am in that mode of thinking which encourages a lack of action, I can rely on God for a power dose of inspiration by listening to his inner voice. The insight obtained from listening and following those most valued instructions guide me back on track. With your mind focused on God’s guidance, you can make the absolute best decision about moving forward and then act on it. The messages can come through various sources providing inspiration. It may be a preached word, motivational tidbit, or a kind gesture from a total stranger. The realization that acting on the call to finish a task becomes a priority when you understand completion is a benefit to your success.

If this brief post provides you with the nudge you may need to proceed with your tasks, consider it inspired by God through my morning meditation.

 

 

 

Maya Angelou One of Those Women

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I admire successful women, not necessarily financial success, but women who have pulled themselves from nothing, meager beginnings or adverse situations, and emerged from those adversities to achieve what some only dream about. 

Maya Angelou was one of those women. Every time she spoke I listened with great anticipation of being inspired. Her words were so elegant and full of substance, provoking me to stand firm and stay on course with my goals.

Even though I was not honored to have personally met her, she was part of my path and growth through her writings, good deeds and actions. She proved that you don't always have to come from something to be something. Great people can come from unknown places. She was not without fault, but rather than hide the misfortunes of her youth, she wrote about it in the award winning autobiography, I Know Why Caged Birds Sing. Opposed to living her life as a victim, she rose to become a prolific writer, author, teacher and activist who educated and inspired millions.

Through her widely popular poem, Phenomenal Woman, Maya taught women that true beauty is not on the cover of magazines, but beauty eludes from your body language with attitude and confidence. She encouraged men to look beyond our external features and discover our inner mysteries.

I give honor to Maya Angelou. It's beautiful when you touch someone's life and your legacy is a gift to future generations. That gift should not be taken for granted. If Maya touched many, surely we can touch a few. It only takes one to touch another. Imagine the boundaries we could cross with an arm's reach. 

She died quietly in her sleep. Her voice is gone, but her light will shine forever.

Maya Angelou was one of those women.

The Shifting Seasons of Life

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This is the time of year that we see a shift in the weather. Depending on where you live, that could mean a cold, long and brutal winter with snow and ice, cooler with only an occasional dip in temperatures, or places many envy with warm climates and palm trees that appear mesmerizing as they flow in the wind.

Similar to the seasons of Mother Nature, we experience changes in our lives that collate with the drastic changes of the weather.  Some changes we welcome with open arms because they bring about joy and happiness. Other changes are difficult because they involve sadness, loss or unexpected shifts in our lives.

One can only imagine how joyful it would be if our seasons were always bountiful or we were always prepared for our life shifts.  The real truth is our lives never stay the same. Regardless of your age, financial position, occupation or social status, everything must change.

How do will deal with change? We prepare ourselves.  Like many cities and states who know they are about to experience a change in climates and conditions, they prepare for what is about to take place. There is a plan of action to deal with possibilities that may occur from adverse weather conditions.  Even with the best of disaster plans, people lose lives, homes, income and other meaningful possessions. Once the storm is over and the damage is assessed, cities, towns and communities began to pick up the pieces, rebuild and move on with their lives.

When we experience seasons of life, we can hold on to our faith and know that God does not change. Our faith is our security.  Even in our worst storms, God prevails over Mother Nature. When the winter storms become unbearable, know that the season will change, flowers will bloom and you will spring forward into your new season.

Be A Blessing!

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A friend told me an inspiring story the other day. While driving through a heavy Atlanta rainfall, he noticed a couple standing at a bus stop with two small children. The woman was under an umbrella, the children were hovered closely to her on each side and the man was standing next to them without cover.  This picture touched him in a way that he detoured from his original destination, drove around the corner and returned to the bus stop. He did not want to frighten them, and he also wanted to exercise caution. He was prompted to ask if they had a car. The father responded “no.” My friend asked if he may have his phone number because there may be a possibility he could help them obtain a vehicle.

A few days later, he called the father and was moved by the family’s financial situation. They agreed to meet for lunch. During the lunch, he offered to give the man the car he had been driving the evening they met. He not only blessed them with a 2007 vehicle, the insurance was already prepaid for one year. He transferred the title and added the couple to the policy, which allowed them to have paid insurance for the first year. What a Blessing?

My friend was in a financial position to bless this family in a tremendous way, but being a blessing extends from the heart.  His heart was in the right place. There are many times we can be a blessing to others even in a very small way.  I received a blessing just a day ago in the amount of $5.35. I pulled up to the drive-thru window at a restaurant to pay for my order and the cashier informed me that a lady in the car ahead of me had paid my bill.  I had no idea who this lady was, but the gesture put a smile on my face and made my day.

During this season of giving, many stories of generosity will occur. As we go about these last few days of shopping, let’s remember the homeless, senior citizens, children and those around us who are lonely, ill or missing a loved one. Be a Blessing!

Reconnect with Your Joy!

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     In a recent conversation with my daughter, we reminisced about times past, which included family gatherings, career and business successes, and life experiences on our individual journeys.  We identified this conversation as reconnecting with our joy, the times we used to laugh, be carefree, had more financial freedom, better relationships and appeared to enjoy life more.

     Life certainly does have different stages. Some of us lose that zest for life when things that used to bring us joy are no longer visible. Often those joyful times are diminished by our constant struggles of everyday living.  During our conversation, my daughter and I made a vow that we were not going to allow life’s situations to strip us of joyful experiences.  We committed to a rejuvenation period.

     When you reconnect with your past joyful experiences, you are allowing yourself an opportunity to experience more pleasant memories that are significant to your rejuvenation process.  In this process, you experience a transformation. While reconnecting is experiencing moments of joy, transformation is making the appropriate changes to put joy, happiness and positive energy back into your life.

     Some things from the “good old days” will be hard to relive or revive, but there is always hope through reinventing your life to move to a better place spiritually, mentally and physically.  With a transforming spirit, you make a commitment to make changes that include a step-by-step process of connecting you to positive energy.  The real key is to find balance, passion, purpose, and make things happen for you, instead of allowing things that happen to you take away joyful moments.