OMG!! She's running a way!

First of all i miss you! Yes you!! *hugging your screen* Listen its been haywire over here...in a good way! Good haywire! Lol Do you know there is a high school friend of mine, Airais, is running a marathon on January 27 in Miami and is supporting my nonprofit??? Are you hearing me?? *tapping on your screen* A full ma-ra-thon! Not a penny drive...not a lemonade stand or bake sale! An event she is taking months to train for!! *passed out*
How do you ever have another doubt or fear ever again in your entire life when somebody puts their blood, sweat and tears into your dream and vision?? You simply can't. Never again can u ponder the possibility of quitting. Never. Her sacrifice and discipline is helping people in several communities better their lives and situations. Students get a new addition to their support system because she is running! She is running a way for lives to be touched! All because our work represents what she believes in and connects with what her life story symbolizes...never giving in to circumstances and pushing through to the goal! Airais is running a way for this work to continue!!
Please visit www.facebook.com/miami.marathon.for.Geechie.Gurl I have to go cry now.
Smooches!
Respect the sway...and the run!

20 minutes and 24 hours

I had a  most lovely conversatio with a former student of mine yesterday and we swapped stories of overcoming feelings of defeat. She's going through a rough time and I told her that she was allowed 20 minutes to have a pity party just for the purpose of acknowledging her feelings then she was to call me back so we could move forward. She chuckled and I replied, "Oh yeah I do suggest small pity parties, but I don't rsvp to attend any. lol" She called me back and we moved forward together.

Today this is what she had on her Facebook wall:

 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to full it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar wad full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes". The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remains, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff." If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there its no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life." "If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you." "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn." "Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple beers with a friend."...

 

FORWARD! Enjoy the rest of your day! 

Smooches!

Respect the Sway...before, during and after that 20 minutes!

Tuesday Tickle...ENJOY!

Even when you think you're not getting anything accomplished, someone else is in awe of your smallest triumphs! Believe me...you're helping to inspire someone else!

STAY IN THE GAME, MY FRIENDS!!

 

Smooches!

Respect the sway...no matter how slow it may be right now!

Iyanla fix my breathing

 I watched her show "Iyanla Fix my Life" and she was counseling a group of women known as the "Six Brown Chicks". This was a group of bloggers who came together for one woman's vision of uplifting other women. Ironically, they self-destructed due to the different personalities and personal agendas. Perfect breeding ground for chaos. Needless to say, Iyanla got down to the nitty gritty and "put the stank on da table"! Yup that's what I call it when you find out what's causing that smell and you expose it for all the funk it has caused right before you dispose of it properly to freshen the air. Several issues of misuse of power and greed were discussed but the one that broke me down was Iyanla's encounter with one of the women who was the sole caretaker of her husband as he battled cancer. She was doing it all alone and would lash out in her own way against anyone within reach. Iyanla told her that it was a choice to either trust someone to be there to support her or suffer. *sledgehammer to the gut*

I never in a billion years realized that choosing one cancelled out the other! Sheesh! *bent over trying to breathe*

I know I speak for alot of people...no wait...scratch that. I speak for myself. What I mean is I'm sure people can relate to what I mean when I say over the years of disappointment from people I consider trustworthy, I conditioned myself to be numb to the need for support. Numb and breathless. I tend to do real shallow breathing when I'm doing projects that could use a few people as a support system. I don't even realize I'm doing it...kind of doing it now *deep breath* When you get that one or two or twelve major disappointments that blind side you and knock the wind out of you, you do your best to protect yourself from that ever happening again. You become an enterprise within yourself. You're the CEO, the custodian, the mailroom clerk, the PR department, the social media manager, the cashier...I think you get the picture. Some may do this not because you have to but because you CHOOSE to..suffer..no trusting allowed. Someone else may or may not do something that could or could not possibly destroy your vison. Naturally, or unnaturally some may say, I chose to hold my breath and swan dive into a world that did not entertain depending on anyone. Not good. Sleep deprivation, exhaustion, no time for self, luggage under your eyes, no social life. Yeah I'm admitting it. I"m suffering. I guess I didn't realize it because all of my work is done to help bridge the gap between a person's goals and achieving them. I don't regret anything that has been done to help.

After tonight's show, I have some serious thinking to do. Where do I go from here? I'm passionate about what I believe in. There will be no abandoning ship. I just have to figure out how to sail a healthier ship!

Smooches!

Respect the Sway!
 

Methods, Madness, Mayhem, and Miracles

Had a discussion with a family member about some really deep stuff and just wanted to share. I think about this all the time. We  (ages 30's & 40's) are the ONLY generation that has the benefit of knowing the strength, integrity, and discipline of "the good ol' days" and the potential, resources, and growth of the "nowadays" HOWEVER there's a problem. The Nowadays don't have a clue about the Good Ol' Days, and people beat them up for not knowing. That's not their fault. You can't blame the fruit for what the seed produced. Either we will continue to shake our heads and turn a blind eye to the fact we are creating our future caregivers or we will train them how to take care of us when the torch is passed..and believe me it WILL be passed. It's called the life cycle. The only difference between uninformed and ignorant is your choice to BE ignorant. Most young people I meet AND get to know are hungry not only for attention but guidance. Of course they kick and scream and "nowadays", cuss to fight you on how they should be guided but that's their job to be that way. Anybody in here ever been a teenager? No? Well I'll speak up..I was an IDIOT when I was 14, 15, and 16, a jerk when I turned 17 and 18, upgraded to a complete ass 19 & 20 and 21-39 I was just stupid! lol Why do I laugh? Because I'm 40 years old. LOL! But seriously, think about it. No matter how old you get, you will NEVER be older than your elders who will ALWAYS be wiser because they will ALWAYS be the "been there, done that" crew.

Yeah I know there weren't iPhones or Droids or internet in the Good Ol' Days and I'm a lover of all things technologically advanced. Me and gadgets are thinking about taking our relationship to the next level! lol Ok wait that sounded like I have stock in AA batteries *talking in code & giggling* But I digress..the Good Ol' Days are not to say that Nowadays can't be just as good. All I'm saying is that there are some fundamental things that will never change. For example, writing a complete sentence. I'm sorry but I'm afraid of the future that does not include the WRITTEN word. Reading DEPENDS on writing!! If a person cannot read, they cannot communicate with a world outside of their familiar space. That's called prison! No outside experiences? Yup..that's prison. Same ol surroundings and experiences? Prison. Mental bondage is the equivalent of paralysis. No movement. Stagnant. Complacent. Frozen. Unproductive. Think about one of  the most important elements we need on a daily basis...water. When water does not move, it provides an environment for bacteria to grow and bugs to breed. When a person is lost in the jungle, still water is not safe to drink and just the sound of moving water means there's direction to something greater whether it be vegetation or even civilization. The Good Ol' Days taught us this...the nowadays takes a pic of it and uses it as a screensaver. *smh* I don't know about you but I'd much rather be AT the beach with my toes in the sand then to look at in 3D.

All I'm saying is just as the nowadays are pushing forward and making new traditions, the Good Ol' Days need to STAY in the mix to filter out some stuff that won't do anybody any good in the long run. Don't turn your head and "wish" somebody would do something. You ARE somebody! And by all means don't take the mentality that nobody can't tell you and yours anything either! That's why conversations and mediations are NECESSARY! When the nowadays admit on a Chicago news report that "killing is the only solution" but they haven't had to kill anyone, that is a true indicator that they may know there are alternate solutions BUT they haven't even been trained on how to use them! It doesn't take any training at all to pull a trigger, but it takes strategies to use intellect properly. I don't care how beautiful a car is, if you don't know how to drive, somebody else is now going to be in the driver's seat...you're screwed! You can't do a thing about somebody taking your non-drivin' tail clear across town to instead of to your true desired destination. You can jump out the car but then that's dangerous and you could kill yourself! They need to learn how to use the tools!!! We've got to teach them!! *deep sigh and a woosaw*

Listen, that's enough venting..I like to follow venting with a plan of action, otherwise, I'm no better than people who whine and complain then disappear. When will we move on this, people? I'm hitting 12 cities as part of the Knotty Gurl Calendar launch parties and I've got a plan! If you are a 227 stoop resident, then just wait for the recap of what went on, but if you're Saaaaaandra, then you are more than welcome to be a part. Go to www.knottygurl.com, see what the calendar is about, then say 'I wanna fight, too!" on the contact form. The method to my madness seems like mayhem to those who could care less or who aren't used to doing anything for anyone other than themselves. It's ALOT of work..oh yes indeedy! I'm sitting here now with my laptop on top of a HUGE sketch pad with a gazillion flow charts written and a dry erase board by my left foot! Seems like mayhem, but to those who have a desire to make things happen, it's organized chaos and we still believe in MIRACLES!

 Good... Ol'.. Days....

G....O....D..

Need I say more?

 

Smooches!

Respect the sway!