I Am
I am NOT perfect; I can’t be and won’t be perfect.
I AM special; I am loving and lovable.
I am ONLY one, but I am one.
I am God’s UNIQUE creation.
I CAN make a difference.
I AM Phenomenal!
Leave a Comment August 31, 2010
Filed under: Confidence
You want something, go get it!
“Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me.”-Will Smith playing Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness
This movie is in my DVD collection. Chris’ story is a wonderful example of how talent, determination, perseverance and grace can pay off. This is one of the most powerful moments in the movie. It’s also a wonderful example to show the world that many African-American men are loving, commited and present fathers.
Leave a Comment June 26, 2010
Believe in Yourself
It’s wonderful to have someone in your life who believes in you and tells you that he/she does. If you don’t have someone like that in your life to do that for you, BE that person for yourself. Or, you can give me a call! 
If you are a parent, please make sure your children grow up knowing that you believe in them. Don’t make the mistake of ASSuming that they know. TELL THEM, repeatedly!
Leave a Comment June 25, 2010
Live life, Pass it on!
I love the song “I hope you dance!” Personally, I spent WAY TOO MANY YEARS sitting on the sidelines and holding up the wall at the party of life. I’m so grateful that now I’m “dancing” literally and figuratively; I’m enjoying living a Phenomenal Lifestyle! I’d love to pass on a piece of that to you too. I hope you enjoy this video!
Leave a Comment June 25, 2010
Character, Pass it on!
I like these videos, so I want to share them with you. Please, pass it on.
Leave a Comment June 25, 2010
You’ve lost your muchness-Alice in Wonderland
Alice from Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland
“You’re not the same as you were before. You were much more muchier; you’ve lost your muchness.” –Mad Hatter
“My muchness?” – Alice
“In there (your heart/core), something is missing.” –Mad Hatter
I recently saw (twice) Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton; I can’t believe how much I loved it. It was such a powerful metaphor for life. In my opinion, the dialogue above was one of the most powerful moments of the movie. And, based on Alice’s continual reference from that point forward to possessing her “muchness,” it was powerful to her as well. Many of us have found ourselves involved in events and circumstances that caused us to lose our muchness. Survivors of any type of abuse, molestation, rape, harassment, stalking, disease, cancer, job loss, etc are very likely to experience this as a result of their negative experiences. I’m very grateful to know for a fact that we can regain our muchness, once we decide that we deserve to reclaim it!
As with most aspects of personal development, it begins with making a decision. I hope that today you decide that you deserve to reclaim your God-given right to restore your muchness. If you still have some of it, but it seems to be on life support, then decide to resuscitate your muchness. If you are one of the phenomenal women that has successfully reconnected with and revived your muchness, please look around and help another woman that is currently where you have been. I promise, you won’t need to look far to find one.
Just as Alice does in the movie, we all have a Jabberwocky (scary dragon) that only we can slay. And we all have access to the “sword” we need to slay that dragon. The question I ask of myself and encourage you to ask yourself is “Am I willing to have faith in God and myself, face my fears (despite how real/pressing/pee-in-your-pants-scary they may be) and take the action to retrieve the sword and slay the foe?” For me the answer is “Absolutely! Yes!” I will admit that there was a PROCESS for me to get to that YES. But, I did it, by God’s grace and I believe you can too. If you decide, to reclaim your muchness and be much muchier once again!
Leave a Comment June 24, 2010
Really Cute Daily Affirmation Video!
I just saw this today, and I think it’s super cute and very encouraging, so I wanted to share it with you. This is a prime example of the fact that children learn what they live. This little girl has obviously seen and heard someone using affirmations and speaking positively. It’s so nice to see videos of kids doing positive things instead of pretending to be pop singers and dancing inapproriately and gyrating.
Leave a Comment May 23, 2010
WFMY Passport 2 Success
In my booth at Passport 2 Success in Greensboro, NC
Today, I had the honor and privilege of volunteering as a Career Coach for the WFMY Passport 2 Success event. This was my second time
WFMY Passport 2 Success 2010
working with this event and I continue to enjoy being able to contribute to others in such a significant way. I really enjoyed helping job seekers by providing suggestions, feedback and resources to assist in being better prepared for their searches. Two of the things I saw consistently were lack of clarity about what type of job is actually desired, and lack of confidence that someone would hire them. It always hurts me when I see a person convince themselves that they are not worthy or valuable. It’s my life’s purpose to help people, specifically women, to acknowledge their worth and know their value. That’s one reason I’m so grateful to be able to give back by participating in events like this.
If you are looking for a new job, here’s my advice:
- Prepare for the interview by researching the company, do NOT go into an interview unprepared
- Ask questions of your interviewer, you can NOT possibly know everything about the company or the position, ASK QUESTIONS
- Understand your worth and why you will be a valuable employee to the company
- Let yourself grieve the loss of your last job, if you don’t do this your negative feelings are likely to show through as you present yourself
- Know your strengths, and be able to discuss them with specific examples (if you can include numbers like how much you saved the company, etc that even better)
- Know your weaknesses, and be able to describe how you work around them
- Be able to explain how you benefited your previous employer (why was the company better off because you worked there)
- Focus on personal grooming and hygiene (it shouldn’t have to be mentioned, but unfortunately it NEEDS to be mentioned)
- Smile and be confident that you are the best candidate for the position
- If you believe you must wear a black & white outfit to the interview, please make sure it helps you stand out in a good way, not blend into the background and become very forgettable as a job candidate. If everyone wears black and white, how will they remember you specifically. Your purpose is to stand out above the rest of the applicants and prove to the employer that you are the best fit for the job and the company culture.
In front of my booth at Passport 2 Success in Greensboro, NC
Leave a Comment May 5, 2010
Celebrity Spotlight: Lessons Learned from Angelina Jolie
Whether you love her or love to hate her, Angelina Jolie is definitely a powerful force. She’s a devoted mom, a
committed humanitarian, and a highly sought after and talented actress; how’s that for a triple threat. Despite the tabloid’s obsession with her and the twists & turns in her life, she remains steadfast in her determination to be herself, for better or for worse. I’d love to share with you the lessons I’ve learned from Angelina over the years.
“I think all women go through periods where we hate this about ourselves, we don’t like that. It’s great to get to a place where you dismiss anything you’re worried about. I find flaws attractive. I find scars attractive.”
- Angelina Jolie
What does it say about us when we live in a society where most women can find some aspect of themselves (physical or otherwise) that they dislike? Even many women who have been voted The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, like Angelina, battle insecurities and feelings of being undesirable. It’s definitely time for us to acknowledge that we were indeed miraculously and wonderfully made. I agree with Ms. Jolie that the so called flaws that we possess can be quite beautiful. I’m reminded of one of my favorite lyrics from an old song called Lady, from The Whispers. The lyric says “Your body’s designed by the wisdom of time. And, I couldn’t live without you, without losing my mind.” I love this line because I think it perfectly describes the unique beauty of women. I think of it when I see the alterations to my body after carrying my beloved daughter. Then, I say to myself “Girl you still look good! These changes are beautiful, they were designed by the wisdom of time!”
“If you ask people what they’ve always wanted to do, most people haven’t done it. That breaks my heart.”
- Angelina Jolie
This is a sad but true epidemic, even in the age of the “bucket list.” But, I am committed to do my part to help change it. That’s why I focus on helping women create the lifestyle they thought was out of reach. I know that so many women are tired of pretending to have it all together, when in actuality, they are not living the life they wanted, in the career they wanted or in the relationship they wanted. The lesson I take from Angelina here is that I have the right and the responsibility to pursue the life I want for myself and my family.
“I’m happy being myself, which I’ve never been before. I always hid in other people, or tried to find myself through the characters, or live out their lives, but I didn’t have those things in mine.”
- Angelina Jolie
Getting to the point of being genuinely happy being yourself is one of the most important goals of personal growth and development. For most of us, this is an ongoing journey that parallels our lives; just when we think we’ve arrived, BAM something happens that requires us to regroup and start over again. The goal is the dust yourself off and get to that place again and again until we are there more often than not.
My challenge to you is to take some private time alone and look at yourself in your natural state, that’s right in your birthday suit. See the beauty in your “flaws” and the sexiness that comes from having a body that’s designed by the wisdom of time. Then, think of 3 of the things you really want to do with your life, relationships, career, home or another area. Write them down, and create an outline to get them started. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get started. Finally, ask yourself if you are in a place where you’re happy being you (the real you, not someone you pretend to be so that other people will like you). If we take a lesson from Angelina Jolie in these areas, we’ll be on our way to being powerful forces too!
4 Comments March 17, 2010
Time Tested Beauty Tips Poem
True Beauty
For attractive lips,
Speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise,
Walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
you’ll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands;
one for helping yourself,
the other for helping others.
- Sam Levenson
Leave a Comment February 17, 2010
