Watching Friends Grow

Day 265: This has been an interesting week for friend's as some Ive not heard from in years have resurfaced. Even some that are right here in Atlanta with me but for various reason our paths don't allow us to see each other often.

My friend Carl came in from New York this week and we became business partners and spent hours today mapping our strategy. As we were working our mutual friend Dedie called from Paris to assure I was still coming to Guadalupe in August.

This week four of my college classmates whom I hung around with in college all resurfaced on Facebook and we're having a Rita and her four boys reunion next week. Linda is the first friend I made freshman year in college and she's been in my life over 30 years. She called and I was blessed by the peaceful place she now finds herself.

It was very cool to see my daughter attend an Events and Wedding Planner Conference today that my friend Robin Ware's agency put on. Robin use to babysit my daughter and now she's teaching her how to do something that she loves.

Gerald, his cousin Darrel ( who's deceased) and me use to golf and hang out during my Publix days. He came back into my life two weeks ago and on Friday we closed an incredible business deal that allows us to team up for the next three months. And to top off an amazing friend's week my sister friend Harriett is here from Maryland with her husband AJ getting their house in order and ready for them to move back to Georgia. How wonderful and happy we both are to be back in the same city with each other. She is my iron sharpens iron friend and I can't wait for our late night latte's and to plan our next international trip.

God is so very faithful and I'm continually amazed by his grace and mercy towards me. It fells like many things in my life are coming full circle. I believe that I'm about to hit my stride where in His word He declares, " you latter days will be better than your former days."

10 Minutes Late

Day 266: It never ceases to amaze me how we as women treat each other. It does not pay to dumb yourself down ever to try and fit in with other people. This is something that I've found myself doing when I want to try and fit into other people's world.

Trust me when I tell you it's never worth it and every time you will live to regret putting yourself in that position. About six month ago, I left my hair salon of about 8 years to try a new stylist. Even though the salon is in the hood it's nice inside and all of the stylist do good work. Yes its gossip central and you can buy all sorts of bootleg merchandise on any given day. Yet they act like it's Salon Rodeo Drive with their arrogance but I kept going.

I received an invitation from a client to come out to a reception for the Atlanta Jazz Festival late in the day. Which is cool because I already had a 3:00 pm hair appointment. Atlanta traffic is always unpredictable and today it was bumper to bumper on holiday Friday. Knowing I would be about 10 minutes late I phoned into the salon to let them know. The receptionist told me she had to check in with the stylist to make sure it was okay. I in turn said, " are you kidding me?"

She came back with, "on any other day it would be alright but my stylist ( let me change that to the stylist I went to ) was by herself and having to do her own shampoos and wouldn't be able to take me." She offered to do my hair in the morning and I declined. I was really stunned by this because I kept thinking who does she really believe she is and how insensitive. I wanted to scream in the phone who are you people!

When you're out of your element other people recognize you're different. They never accept you they simply tolerate you. There's at least a dozen hair salon within a 3-5 mile radius of my home so I regrouped and said saylavee to my hood experience.

I love supporting small business and won't let this experience change the way I feel about that. What I do know is this stylist who is co-owner of the salon with her sister does not care that she lost me as a customer.

The problem- her not caring makes me sad.

What is your mirror saying-back

Day 267:"History is apt to judge harshly those who sacrifice tomorrow for today." ~Harold MacMillan. Americans are not dying from starvation but of overeating because we refuse to do anything about it today. Tomorrow I will go on a diet, tomorrow I will go to the gym. Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll start taking care of me- on tomorrow.

It has been said, and I'm sure proven that it's easier to put weight on than to take weight off. Four out of the five day's this week I've been on the tracks walking about 5 miles. Every day I look in the mirror it seems as though I have so far to go. But I'm not focused on that as much as I'm committed to doing something everyday.

This message is not a pretty one but one that makes me sad because as obese as Americans are African American seem to have the market cornered. Almost everywhere I go I can see African American women who are overweight. The other day someone said, "you're not fat, you carry your weight well." That's called I don't want to hurt your feelings and I'm so glad first Lady Obama is raising awareness on childhood obesity.

I'm taking back control of my physical life one day at a time. Some day's are easier than others to work through. I remember my friend Ben one day ask me "when is enough enough" as it relates to taking control back.

I have sister friends who tell me they love who they are as a defense mechanism to not do anything about where they are. The hardest part is getting started. Maybe it's just drinking more water, or turning your plate down once a week. Women we just got to do something to get moving and moving now. I want to be around to healthy watch my grandchildren grow up, go to college and get married.

If you're mirror is telling you that doesn't look good then take it off. If your mirror is saying your butt is expanding and expanding it probably is.

If your mirror is saying, "darling you look fabulous" then you probably do.

In Whom's Presence are you Energenzied

Day 268: All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth."Napoleon Hill There are some people who are just people magnets. No matter where they find themselves in life they attract only the best.

Worked on projects for clients today and my Project Management class which is over on Tuesday and all I can say is ...yeah. Today was a winning day and though I had a very crazy conversation with one of my teammates in PM I let her role off my back. Nothing makes my hair stand up more than grown folks who don't take responsibility for their own actions.

Do you believe that you were born to win and that before you were even born you that was part of your destiny. I'm energized when I'm in the presence of those who want to win.Who get up expecting great things and who are bold in their pursuit of happiness.

I heard a young woman say today, "at this point in my life, I don't have time to be bothered with negative energy."Her statement actually blessed me because here was a young woman already committed to only the right energy.

What kind of energy are you drawn too? I really need some face time in His presence and so I'm signing off to do just that. It's in His presence there is the fullness of joy.

Bonsair

How Do You Know When Enough is Enough

269: "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."-Albert Einstein What an incredible ride this day has been in most every way possible. Woke up and the entrance to my daughter's bedroom and closet were soaked with water. The plumber discovered the drain was stopped up and we had the problem solved in a matter of hours.

Now I have to get the carpet cleaned or pull it up on tomorrow. This little hick-up got me thinking about all the decisions I have to make as a single woman. As I was thinking about it my ex-husband called to get my input on some medical coverage for our daughter. My daughter called to share her enthusiasm about her new job and ask me how what she should do about summer classes.

In preparation for my meeting with my millionaire mentor Donald Bradley it forced me to work on my June goals and objectives. As I wrote them out I knew my thinking was to small. Sometimes as women we are afraid to think "Big" because we don't really think we're suppose to have wealth. Not only don't we think we're suppose to have it but we're even afraid to dream about it.

As I began to adjust my goals I felt empowerment like never before to move my life forward in a mighty way and break the cycle of poverty off of my bloodline. Never again will I sit on the sidelines applauding as others live and walk out my dreams.

I'm going to ask for exactly what I want and I won't compromise on those desires because there are to many people depending on me to get it right.It's really time for women to start to walk in boldness and bring as many other women along with them as possible. I know its my set time for favor because I feel like timing has been released over my life and I'm ready.

So the question posed to me at a very late team meeting was "how do you know when enough is enough." It was a question around desires and knowing when to put a cap on how much you think you should believe for. I say, "take the limits off of God" and free Him to be total God in your life. I truly believe that we are destined to live in the overflow if we are committed to making the kingdom of this world become the kingdom of our Lords.

I Need a Sleep and I Need it Now

Day 270: My body is screaming for some sleep after its 5 mile walk/run and a very hot shower. Will be back after a short nap. I have been burning the midnight oil and the daylight oil and I'm so unbalanced.

It's so important to keep your life in order. God does not bless mess and if your house is out of order everything else is as well. I promised God that I would not put anything else before Him if He would bless my business. I promised Him that He could trust me with wealth .But the truth is I want Him to be able to trust me with wealth, His people and time.

So tonight, the blog is short because I realize I need to- be refreshed to study the word, love on my family, build my business and ace my classes.

Bonsoir

Celebrating When You've Done Good

Day 271: Long talks with my son are always eye openers to me. He calls me First Lady because he says," you're the first lady in my life." It makes my heart feel really good to hear.It's a really nice spot to have until his wife comes along. I then shared with him the importance of a First Born Son and you can see him stick his chest out with pride.

Today he said," mom you did a good job raising me" and I knew he meant that with all his heart. It got me thinking about how we focus on the things we don't achieve and the goals we don't reach. Instead of celebrating when we achieve we spend to much time focusing on what didn't work.