Month: June 2021

When I was growing up, the expression was, “it takes a village”. A village to support you in making sure you stay on track and achieve the goals that were laid out before you. There was the babysitter, the person who walked you to and from school, maybe a tutor, your friends, your family and so on.

Nowadays, that has more significant meaning for me. I’m not a child anymore however the goals that I want to achieve are equally as important as they were when I was in my youth. The people that I have around me are invaluable to my growth and progress and play a huge part in the success I have.

These are individuals I can call on to guide me spiritually, emotionally and impart wisdom whenever I hit a crossroad.  They encourage me, support me, walk with me, talk me through and some even journey with me so that I don’t have to travel the roads alone. Someone is always there to make sure that I am covered.

I realized as I often do, how tired I am in the mental sense. When I sit and ponder why I am mentally tired I break down everything that I have going on. I am involved in a lot of activities and I signed up for most of them myself. Giving so much of yourself is exhaustive and rewarding at the same time. There are constant thoughts on how to improve and make things better.

My village, or team is phenomenal in every area that I am involved in. My gratitude for these individuals run deep because I know the good works that we do together could not be done without the contributions of each specific one and the unique talents that are bought into the cause. Everyone has a role to play.

I have a greater purpose at work. It drains me to sometimes think about how much work we have to do to change the culture. We have been going at it non-stop for a little more than a year. This week, I had to encourage them, and myself, that our hard work will pay off. As a team we are rock solid and we stand firm in our beliefs. Together we have already moved the needle. We must continue to keep our eyes on the bigger picture and press forward.

I am involved in several nonprofits. This week was a busy one for both of them.  In one instance we are preparing for a fundraiser while restructuring and the other had an annual audit. In my brilliance I get a bright idea on how to expand one of our programs and in the midst of a million other things began to do research and call up others to assist me in my thought process while the idea is still fresh. My village.

When I am feeling overwhelmed at work, I call a very specific person to discuss how I should navigate my feelings and recalibrate to center myself again, my mentor. When I need just to laugh, plain and simple, I call my best friend. When I need to hear good sound advice and feel calm, I call my sister. When I need to be checked and get the absolute truth and wisdom, I call my brother. When I need that boost, and to feel loved after getting beat down in the middle of the day, I call my husband.

These calls are interchangeable. My point is that I have a village. People I can call on to help ground me and who always have my back. No matter what a situation looks like, they are there. They show up, they rock with me and they encourage me to keep moving forward in the right direction.

I am fortunate that my village extends far beyond the few that I named. I value those who invest their time with me and see it not robbery to join forces to work along side me and do good in the world. I made a commitment yesterday to become a part of someone’s team in some capacity. I don’t know yet how but I know that I want to because I believe in what they are doing and how they are executing their plan. Results bring reward. The reward is seeing change happen.

No matter what you are doing in life, surround yourself with people that will uplift and support you. Be a support system for someone else. You never know what people are going through and just availing yourself with kind words or a shared laugh can make all of the difference in a day!

Until We Meet Again!

Be Safe Out There!

I love You ALL!!!!

We are all selfish. It is in our nature. We want things to happen for us, to us and to be our way every time. There are times we commit selfless acts however overall, when it boils down to what we really want and need, it is all about me, me, me.

I talk about this a lot with my husband. The selfish nature of the human. No matter what you do and how much you give of yourself, someone always wants more than you have. In the instance where you simply cannot come through, you become the bad guy. There are many ways to break down the word selfish. I want to go with concentrating on one’s own pleasure, advantage or well-being without regard for the others.

I suffer from an auto-immune disease. It’s not a secret and those that know and love me are quite familiar with the challenges that comes along with it. There are days I can be myself and do whatever and there are some when I can barely make it out of the bed.  This week, I had a flare-up. I made my challenges known because I had committed to do several things through-out the week.

Two individuals I made commitments to heard what was wrong and immediately gave me release from our engagements. One I accepted and the other I forged ahead on. A third individual wanted to keep me on the phone discussing their issue, even after I told them how talking made me feel, because it was important to them. Their situation was not life or death. I had said I would review something with them and I am woman of my word. Was I wrong to think they were being selfish and we could talk later?

You owe me money. Before you borrowed it, we spoke pretty regularly. Now I can’t seem to get you on the phone and when I do you seem distant and rushed and almost angry like I did something to you. Once you pay me back things go back to normal. I decide I will put distance between us because of how you acted the last time and I tell you. You get upset and say I am overreacting. Your defense is that you had a lot going on and don’t want to mess things up with me. Is it me or accessibility to my funds?

My husband and I toss back an interesting view when we “disagree”.   He says we’re both selfish looking for resolutions to our disagreements because if one doesn’t get it their way, the other is getting it for themselves. There is never really a true compromise. Someone always has to concede a little bit more than the other.

I never wanted to think of myself as a selfish individual. The fact of the matter is, I am. I can break down all of the selfish ways that I have but they are personal. 😊 What is important is I am working to balance my selfishness with a greater level of selflessness. When I can do more and be better, I let the light within me shine brighter. It is not always something I set out to do intentionally, I believe I have enough goodness in me that being selfless comes naturally.

We are living in a time when our leaders are as corrupt as they have ever been. Their only goal is to maintain power and privilege above the will of the people. Selfish. Corporations are going through reckonings and seeing employees reimagine themselves in better positions and roles that they have long been qualified for and deserve to hold. Senior members are trying to figure out ways to “make room” for them while maintaining their positions. Selfish. The healthcare industry is undergoing an overhaul where Black and Brown innovators are now being asked to come to the forefront to help quelch a pandemic when it has been those same innovators behind the scenes for years helping to make cures to save lives. Selfish.  Everywhere we turn there are selfish acts being committed. Globally and surely right in your own personal lives. It is a guarantee that you were involved in a selfish act within the past 24 hours.

The question is, how selfish are YOU? How is your selfishness impacting the world around you?

 Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”.

Until Next Time….

Commit a Selfless Act!

Be Safe and Keep Cool!

Love You ALL!