“YOU HAVE CANCER” are the 3 most feared words in 7 different languages. No one wants to hear them, however, it became my reality on October 8, 2009, the birthday of my deceased sister, who happened to pass away from cancer. I couldn’t believe I was hearing those words from my doctor. However, I didn’t just hear those three words. I heard, “YOU HAVE CANCER and you don’t have a husband yet to support you through this. YOU HAVE CANCER and you don’t have your white picket fence and 2.5 kids. YOU HAVE CANCER…and you really haven’t lived. YOU HAVE CANCER…and you may die.” I was scared to death. I… Read More
Continue Reading7 Ideas to Help You Reduce Stress
As I opened my eyes this morning, I couldn’t help but smile at the singing of the birds and the hoo-ing of the owl. For a quick moment, it felt like any other day. Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long. Reality set in and I was reminded of the war we’re in against the coronavirus, COVID-19. I was reminded as to how I’m being isolated in my home, away from the outside world. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’d experienced being on lockdown when I battled cancer, twice. However, it feels different this time because it’s not just me. Everyone is on lockdown, too. These are challenging times to say… Read More
Continue ReadingAre You Realizing Your Dreams?
I love music. I mean, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MUSIC. It stirs my soul. It’s joyful. Nothing can compare to it, especially when it comes to the smooth, baritone voice of Will Downing. I’m not sure how many of you have heard his voice or are familiar with him but he is amazing. He is a Jazz/R&B musician. I have loved him and his music since 1990. That’s twenty-seven years! That’s twenty seven years of attending concerts all over the country. Just recently, I took a road trip to Detroit to see him perform at Chene Park. I would have to say that I’ve probably seen him over twenty times. Did… Read More
Continue Reading7 Tips on How to Win in Life
Last week, I won tickets to a musical concert from a local radio station. I was so excited because one of the performers is my favorite male R&B singer. However, this wasn’t the first time I’d won something from the radio station. Actually, I win quite often. I’ve won tickets to comedy shows, concerts, CDs, etc. Because of my success on the radio, people ask me, “How is it that you keep winning? What exactly are you doing?” I respond the best way I know how, “I keep winning because I keep participating.” I participate in many of the various contests they have. If they ask listeners to call the… Read More
Continue ReadingFACING GIANTS
We are in a crisis…a global crisis. COVID-19 has shaken the entire world. Never in our lifetime have we experienced anything like this. It seem surreal. It’s like we’re living in one of those Bible stories you read but never thought you’d experience in real life. Everything seems bad. Each day, there’s an increasing number of people confirmed with the virus (and we won’t hit the peak until May…at the earliest). People are dying. People are losing their jobs. People are scared. These are uncertain times and many people are experiencing fear, anxiety, confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness. This pandemic brings back memories of my two cancer experiences. I was scared… Read More
Continue ReadingRANDOM-ish THOUGHT
This was something put on my heart and I wanted to share. I am reading the book, The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and I ran across something that spoke to me. Here’s an excerpt from the book: “How many people do you know who are obsessed with their work, who are type A or have stress related diseases and who can’t slow down? They can’t slow down because they use their routine to distract themselves, to reduce life to only its practical considerations. And they do this to avoid recalling how uncertain they are about why they live.” Those words caused me to pause and reflect. How many people… Read More
Continue ReadingMirror, Mirror on the Wall…
Most of us are familiar with the line made famous by the Evil Queen, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?” This quote comes from a children’s story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Recently, I had my own ‘mirror, mirror’ experience. I wasn’t asking the mirror a question. Instead, I was standing in front of it yelling, “I AM NOT EQUIPPED!” That was the thought I was having in that moment and I felt the need to verbalize it. I needed to say it out loud so I could see if what I was saying made any sense. I needed to know if those words… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Art of Saying “NO”
“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” – Tony Blair It’s been almost one year to the day where I had the opportunity to meet Oprah Winfrey. Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely love her. It was an awesome time experiencing her “The Life You Want Tour.” I had so many “a-ha” moments. I remember hearing her talk about the power of NO. She mentioned that she had a difficult time telling people “NO.” She said that she was afraid to do that because people may talk about her, may not want talk to her anymore, or even be… Read More
Continue Reading