Archive for January, 2009

Have You Been Targeted by The Fakers and The Haters?

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

haters.bmpNow that we are nearing the end of January, you should be establishing a good stride in the Marathon of pursuing your Dreams. There are those who took off sprinting and are way ahead of you, but don’t worry; most of them will hit the wall as that New Year excitement begins to wear off. You are mentally prepared for the long haul. As those around you notice your persistence growing stronger, most will be inspired as well and want to join your team. You need good people around you so use them. Allow those who are truly for you to be your cheerleaders. A wonderful thing happens when you begin to move in your own direction; you lead others to do the same. But just as you attract those who support you, you will also be targeted by those who despise you: The Haters and The Fakers.

The Fakers are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. They mesh themselves with your real supporters. They high-five you, pat you on the back and celebrate with the masses on your achievements but deep inside they anticipate your failure. They look for opportunities to instill fear and doubt. In a subtle manner the Fakers shoot down your ideas, always willing to tell you why you shouldn’t as opposed to why you should. The Fakers are the worst of the worst. Once identified, they should be immediately eliminated from your team.

The Haters are simple. Their only purpose is to hate on YOU. I give Haters respect because unlike the Fakers they know and embrace their position. A Hater will let you know up front where they stand. They hunt you and create chaos because they want you destroyed. Haters get angry when you seek to climb above and beyond what is “acceptable”. Don’t EVER waste your time trying to convert a Hater….. But you can be strategic in using them as motivation. When you see Haters, smile and keep it moving. The closer you get to the finish the harder they’ll hate. That’s what they do; so don’t keep’em happy, keep’em Hating.

Have you been targeted by The Fakers and The Haters? I’m listening…Holla at ya Gyrl !

What Is Your 12:06 p.m. Reflection?

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

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Today the nation stopped at 12:06 p.m.

At 12:06 p.m. our hearts paused its beat as President Barack Obama uttered the first words of his Presidential Inauguration Speech.

At 12:06 p.m. America received a welcome overdose of Hope and Change; injecting renewed spirit, renewed confidence, true unity, and confirmation that when we stand together as a people, America is truly our country.

November 4, 1841 Frederick Douglass delivered one of his first recorded anti-slavery speeches for the Massachusetts Society. In this speech Mr. Douglass says, “They will not allow that we have a head to think and a heart to feel and a soul to aspire.”

Today, souls of Americans drown in aspiration, acknowledgement, and testimony that we have reached the epitome of what our Ancestors hoped to see. I can only imagine they are looking down upon us with a quiet smile saying “well done America…well done.”

I know we have a long road ahead of us which will likely get worse before it gets better, but I didn’t want to worry about that today. I simply wanted to emerse myself in the moment. This is my reflection as I witnessed History take place, what about yours? I want to know how you felt today at 12:06 p.m.; good, bad or indifferent…I’m listening…Holla at ya Gyrl !

What Dreams Do Your Heart Desire?

Monday, January 5th, 2009

paint-the-sky.jpg I never become tired of talking about the things we dream of. Dreaming about things to come or the way we envision ourselves is vital to our foundation and maintaining ourselves as an individual. Last week we acknowledged that life does get in the way of our dreams. Growing up our choices seems limitless then we become adults with responsibilities and discover it’s not all that we thought it would be. The freedom is great but the margin for error closes quickly. We leave High School and enter a life of true responsibility. As our responsibilities increase our passion for pursuing our dreams slowly fade away. Then one day you wake up and the kids are bigger, your career is steady, life becomes a little more balanced and you discover the passion you had for your dreams is still within you. Where do you start? Now that you’ve lived 10 or more years in strict rules and rigid timeframes it’s time to unlearn some of what you’ve dedicated your life to; coloring inside the lines.

I use the term bittersweet often because it sums up something that’s good and not so good at the same time. I view rules as being bittersweet. We need rules to establish order. However, when too much focus is placed on rules we neglect our ability to be creative. We start seeing the glass as half empty as opposed to half full. Our optimism is replaced with pessimism, and we shift our thinking to why we “can’t” as opposed to why we “can”. We let people convince us to remain in our comfort zones though it is innate in us to venture. So, in order for us to let go, revive our creativeness and nurture what we are good at we should start by giving ourselves permission. Permission to;

- Be different!
- Have a crazy idea and treat it seriously!
- Talk about what you dream in your heart and believe in it!
- Be confident and somewhat arrogant about your natural talents!
- Invest in making your dream come true!

Let’s move forward together and shift our dreams from our heads and back into our hearts. What dreams do your heart desire? I’m listening…Holla at ya Gyrl !

Godspeed
~Latoya~