What's Your Fight?

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2013/0213_aahm/

 There are so many conflicts going on in the world each day. Some of these conflicts tend to last for months and years. Many become so brutal and inhumane that we forget what the purpose of the conflict. Just go and search for conflicts of today. There are tons that I did not know about and I ask myself, Why? What's the purpose? Of course conflicts are bound to happen when differences come in to any situation. But killing innocent children,  involving bystanders minding their own business, shooting a person due to an argument, and harming helpless people is by far not the right way to go about handling any situation. We need to learn coping strategies and  appropriate ways to handle situations, because too many people are suffering for fights so many of us know little to nothing about. Its time we practice civil solutions and find a way to get along regardless of differences. Let's not forget the most civil fight to gain freedom to even be able to coexist without discrimination.  We are bringing the same qualities and limitations that activists fought to get rid of back into our daily lives without even realizing it.  They fought for equality and freedom...and how are we repaying them? Rather than using all of our opportunities to our advantage, we have more people dying over petty crimes,  going to jail only for a modern-day enslavement,  and rejecting the chances to rise up in society along with our well-off counterparts.  Whatever your fight is, fight it the right and noble way and quit blaming others for shortcomings.

" In America, we share a dream that lies at the heart of our founding: that no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter how modest your beginnings or the circumstances of your birth, you can make it if you try."
- President Barack Obama, Jan. 31, 2013 -Presidential Proclamation

Be Informed to Transform

We are mostly familiar with the repetitive facts that:

Ø  On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man which led to the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott and the end of segregation on Montgomery buses.

Ø  Martin Luther King was a Civil Rights activist.

Ø  The Underground Railroad was the name of the escape system used by slaves to find safety in the North.

Ø  New Orleans, Louisiana is known as the birthplace of jazz.

Ø  Malcolm X was the first who taught the principle that “black is beautiful” and believed that self-reliance is the means to success.

Ø  Vanessa Williams was the first Black American chosen as Miss America.

But, do we really think about:

v  Why did Carter Woodson choose February as the month to celebrate black history?

v  Before it became Black History Month, what was the observance of Black History called?

v  What was the first year that Martin Luther King Day was observed?

v  Where did the first “sit-in” at a segregated lunch counter take place?

v  Why was there only one African American among the original NAACP executives?

v  Which constitutional amendment abolished slavery throughout the United States?

v  Which U.S. Supreme Court decision declared school segregation unconstitutional?

And that’s only to name a small amount of the knowledge that we as a nation lack.  We, as parents, have the obligation of educating our children.  It is obvious that we are failing that task as we see and speak to our children on a daily basis and realize that they don’t even know the basis on which the United States was founded.  Many people think about slavery and automatically get upset with white people.  However, if it were not for white people, slavery would probably still be going on today.  White people alongside phenomenal black people have led the United States beyond our wildest dreams.  In order to understand that, we would have to extensively gain knowledge on the topic.  It is nice to believe that the United States was always a place of freedom, but it is not reality.  Is there a reason why we are shielding our children from the truth? Are we afraid our children will take us back to the past? Do we think our children will become scornful from what they hear? Or do we not have enough knowledge on the topic of history to adequately educate our children? Whatever the case may be, we owe it to our children to teach them about the happenings of the past and help them understand that there is no reason to be upset.  Have we ever thought about how much stronger and wiser our children would be if we educated not only our children, but ourselves, on the topic of history??? We, as a nation, as a people, would have soooo much more power! However, we can never achieve greatness if we don’t even acknowledge our past.  We have to put more than just the future in perspective. We need to know where we came from in order to know where we don’t want to go. In honor of Black History Month, I challenge everyone to become a bit more educated on the topic of Black History and learn the whens, whats, whys, hows, and whos of Black History.   

LET'S BE INFORMED OF THE PAST IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM TO THE FUTURE!!!

New Year Resolu-WHAT?!

Okay...So, we have now made it to the end of the first week of 2013. My question to you is "Have you stayed true to your new year resolution or are you finding yourself falling short already???" Hence the title of this post, many people begin a resolution but don't carry it out long enough to make it a solid solution to any issues. If you are already questioning how you are going to keep up with your resolution, it is okay. That's normal! Besides, you didn't really think you would automatically become this new and improved person at the strike of midnight on December 31, did you???

One thing that we must remember is that change isn't something that just occurs overnight. It is something that we must constantly work at on a daily basis. Change is the only thing that remains constant, so we can't expect to reach our moving targets while standing in the same place doing all the same things. With that being said, our resolution should be something that we can monitor and adjust as the years go on. As I walk through the stores, I see all of the exercise equipment out in plain view, multiple weight-loss commercials are being aired back-to-back, and even the gyms have significantly lowered their registration prices for the month of January. That's because the most popular new year's resolution is to lose weight. How many people say they are going to lose weight each year, but fall short when they can't make it to the gym as promised or can't resist their favorite restaurant-TONS!!!

Lebel, Annie Taylor. “Angus and Phil” Cartoon. 4 Jan 2012

Rather than momentarily working towards weight loss, try working towards being HEALTHY. Being healthy takes more effort and requires dedication. Don't fall into the trap of quick resolutions...get a resolution that requires you to mentally prepare yourself to be a better you. If you choose a resolution and expect to accomplish it immediately, then it is not a resolution-it is a task.  Choose your resolutions wisely.

Whatever resolutions you have set up for yourself, you should make sure it is an obtainable goal over a reasonable amount of time. Any resolution that you think of should also be a solution to any obstacles in your life at the time.  Before acting on the resolution, get the right mindset and be ready for changes that should occur over a long period of time. Know that it is absolutely fine to revise your resolution plans. And oh yeah, you don't have to wait until the new year to make a resolution. Becoming a better you should occur more than just once a year...it should happen daily. No matter how good you of a person you might be, there is always room for improvement somewhere in your life.  I mean, who wouldn't want to be even better?

You are never great until your greatest you has become greater. -D. Johnson


Images: bing images

 

No Stress!

Who would have ever thought life would be so busy!?!?! At times, we find ourselves trying to juggle numerous activities and we tend to get stressed out.  However, stressing does not get the job done... it only makes the situation worse than what it really is. In the past couple of months, I have had to write essays, research, complete stacks of paperwork, attend meetings & workshops, work to meet deadlines, continue to be a mother and wife, and the list goes on and on...With all of the demanding tasks that take priority in my life, I have learned to prioritize my activities.  So, I am going to leave you with a few helpful tips to help you remain stress-free even when you have a ton of things to do.


1.  Meditate - Learn to just take a step back from all the demands of your life and just focus on serenity.  That doesn't mean neglect your responsibilities.  It just means to put yourself first so that you can have a sound mind in completing your responsibilities.
2. Exercise - I know, I know...You just don't have extra time.  However, it is important that you find time.  Exercise can be something as simple as standing in place and doing squats while you are on the phone handling business, stretching before bed, or running in place while watching t.v. Just make the time to take care of your body, because your fitness plays a role on your state of mind as well. 
3. Just do what you can - Realize that you are not going to complete every single task in one day.  I remember a time when I would get to work early and stay late just to catch up on tasks. It never worked! Remember that you will always have something else to do once you finish each task, so work sensibly.  Learn to say "no" to tasks that do not carry a true purpose.
4. Prioritize - Get the most important tasks completed first.  Work according to deadlines. Try to even work ahead of deadlines so that you do not stress about getting the job done at the last minute.
5. Focus on YOU - Once again, put yourself first.  Do something nice for yourself throughout the day.  Eat your favorite snack, take a nice bubble bath, or do a hobby or activity that you have been neglecting. Just do something that relates to you and makes you feel happy and helps you to forget about the stressors of life.

Remember to stay inspired!

Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.
Johann Gottfried Von Herder

Image from:
http://youknowwhereyouare.com/expert-ways-to-help-tackle-stress/

A Night To Remember

I thought I had experienced lots of things in my lifetime, and not much more would be able to excite me...Man, was I wrong!  Let me start from the beginning (I will try not to be long-winded with all that I would love to share). 

A friend of mine has always talked about this elite dance group located in New York since I met him three years ago.  I never seemed interested enough to Google the name or even think about researching the company.  My friend kept track of this dance theater's events and noticed that the group would be performing in our town.  He somehow ended up persuading me to act interested enough to attend... I told him that I would only be attending for the sake of my daughter since she likes to dance. 

I only had 2 hours to get from work, get myself & daughter dressed, get dinner, and head back to the other side of town to catch the performance.  On top of all this, it was a school night, and my daughter can be very cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep.  I thought about the time that it would take to get ready and started thinking about whether or not it was worth the trouble. An hour before the performance, my friend called to make sure I was getting ready for the event, which helped me to change my mind yet again. Somehow, I ended up getting everything done and got out the house in enough time to meet my schedule.  However, I had to turn around, because I had forgotten my ID and money!  I still decided to go even though I was now 20 minutes behind schedule.  On the way, I got lost and had to be redirected setting us even more behind schedule. Upon arriving at the venue, we were informed that the show was sold out and we would have to wait until the first intermission to be admitted to any available seats. By this time, I was getting upset because I felt I had wasted my time and gas to get there when I could have been doing something else.  I spoke with a nice man who let me know that he had extra tickets! Things started to look up for us at that time.  We were seated and saving seats hoping that my friends were able to find tickets to enter.  Thankfully, they found us after the first intermission.  My daughter's eyes stayed glued to the stage for the entire 2 hours! She was mesmerized by the dancing, lights, and music.

After the show, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to get pictures with the dancers.  Obviously many other people were thinking the same thing, because they waited around after the performance.  After waiting for about 20 minutes, people started leaving due to impatience.  Needless to say, we stayed.  We waited until we saw the dancers exit the building and head to another building for their private reception... Do I even have to say what I did next??? I told my friends, "Let's go", and we followed them into the reception.  Thankfully, we were not asked to leave.  Everyone was very friendly.  From there, the ultimate experience began. We were able to take pictures, talk to the dancers, understand them as individuals rather than performers, and my daughter was able to dance for them! Awwww! I was so excited for her!  No matter how many dance classes she has taken, this was her first real experience as a dancer.

The name of this awesome company is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  We were able to enjoy a show from the Ailey II group.  These individuals gave a stunning performance that I will never forget (and I am sure my daughter won't either)! I will be sure to keep track of their performances to see when they will be near the area again, because this is a group that I would not mind watching multiple times.  Now, to make a long story short...This was an amazing experience that I am so glad I took the time and energy to attend this event. Most importantly, I am glad that my daughter was able to enjoy it.  The moral of the story is that even when things do not seem worth it, it is okay to venture out to figure out the worth on your own.  You may just come out wealthy.  In this case, we did not come out financially richer, but we were able to gain an experience that will last for a lifetime.  Don't be quick to dismiss ideas.  They may be better than you think.  It is okay to take a chance on something that you would not usually do every once in a while. 

Success -vs- Failure

The difference between success and failure is continuing to fight even when you're tired.

It's Yours!

If there is ever anything that you want, go after it!

Do not allow others to limit you.

Do not allow fear to hold you back. 

The most successful people are the ones who took a risk.  If you believe in something enough...go for it.  Your dreams are just that-a dream; until you get up the courage and make your dreams come true.  Make calculated moves when taking a risk.  Don't do anything that can jeopardize you or your family's well-being.  However, work towards what is rightfully yours.  You deserve to be satisfied, happy, and successful.  So, just go for it because it's yours!