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Do you want to get well?

A fourteen year-old boy was stabbed to death in an effort to protect his mother from her live-in boyfriend. According to numerous sources, Prince George’s County has the highest rate of domestic violence cases in the state of Maryland; despite its recognition as one of the most affluent counties for African Americans. The mother praised her son for his efforts to protect her when she spoke outside Potomac High School – where her son attended. She described her relationship with her live-in boyfriend as a friendship and stated, “I think sometimes you never think that helping someone will end up in this matter.” Our paraphrase, she never thought her efforts to help someone would result in her son’s death. John Chapter 5 talks about a pool called Bethesda where sick people laid in wait for an angel to stir the pool water and whoever stepped in first would get healed from whatever disease they had. A man lying by the pool with an infirmity for thirty-eight years caught Jesus’ attent...

Identity

Have you ever attended a special occasion and observed how individuals describe themselves? “I’m a doctor, lawyer, an accountant, or an entrepreneur." If accomplishments, titles, degrees, or material things were taken away, how would they be identified? The social arena is inundated with individuals pretending to be something they're not. And what's startling is people who are normally content with their identity, become discontent after interacting with a new social group or environment. The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of the followers of Christ, and was miraculously converted to a follower himself. Paul realized it was God's grace that made him who he had become - an Ambassador for Christ. As an Ambassador, Paul traveled to different countries to organize churches and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was not ashamed of being a servant of God and did not waiver in his new identity with Him. If you have a relationship with God without titles or a series of...

Feelings vs. Facts

Feelings can be a challenge to prove in the workplace. They’re challenging because some feelings aren’t based on current realities, but on experiences that can cloud the truth. If you’ve experienced an offence at work, think before you respond or react. And if you want an apology or resolve from the offender, here are a few things to consider: Was the offence intentional? If so, can you prove it? What was your emotional state when the offence occurred? Are you viewing the current offence through the lens of your past? What impact does the offence have on you and the company as a whole if it’s not addressed and resolved? Telling someone how we feel in the workplace may be impossible to validate without tangible proof. One sure way to get heard is to measure offensive behaviors against the company’s mission and core values which should be outlined in the company’s employee handbook. Also, make sure you have the ability to show your value to the company as a problem-solver, not a ...

Pursue Your Greatest Self

In 1996, The SOFEI Group started in the apartment living room of its current Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO) under the umbrella of Virtuous Enterprises, Inc. The organization’s foundation was spiritually and biblically-based because the CEO discovered the challenges many women faced stemmed from how they viewed themselves and their lack of faith and belief in a Being higher than themselves; not because of limited access to resources. We set our heights to empower women to transform their lives by transforming their minds through biblically-based fellowships and our quarterly newsletter - Inspirational Expressions. As we evolved, we realized we lost focus on our spiritual core. What was true at our origin stands true today; women cannot achieve or be their greatest without knowing their true power. Unfortunately, this power has been decreased to sexuality and looks, and this power isn’t sustainable like our innate power during seasonal challenges. Oprah Winfrey states, “Everyo...

Fret Not

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked. – Psalm 24:19 Fretting is energy that can leave you stagnant. Quite frankly, it’s wasted energy. Whether your co-worker gets your dream job without much effort, a friend with a promiscuous past gets married during your season of singleness, a surprise break-up, or a family member moves into their luxury abode while you struggle to pay rent, envy will leave you powerless. The hurt or disappointment does not entitle you to live a life looking through the lens of anger, rage, or worry. It does give you an opportunity to learn how to accept and deal with the growing prevalence of evil, ill-treatment, and personal deficiencies. Critic Samuel Johnson advised, "He who has so little knowledge of human nature to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief which he purposes to remove." Thinking, talking, and hoarding en...

Giving: An Antedote to Poverty?

God instructed The Prophet Elijah to travel to Zarephath (a city of Sidon) and dwell with a poor widow to escape drought and a grievous famine in Israel. When Elijah arrived in the city, he saw a widow woman gathering sticks and he asked her, “Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.” And while she was going to get the water, he asked her to bring him a morsel of bread. Her response, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” Elijah’s response, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” The poor widow woma...

Twelve ways to ‘C’ your way through 2015

Clarity – Get clear on who you want to become and what you want to achieve. Completion – What will be the positive or negative result if you achieve or don’t achieve your desired outcome? Confide – Tell at least one person that will hold you accountable to creating change in your life. Commitment – Create a plan and system to be steadfast and unmovable. Chase – Pursue only your dreams; not the dreams of others. Control – Take control of the forces (e.g., habits, people, or substances) that can create barriers to achieving your inner-most desires. Confidence – You have everything within you to succeed. Do not base your success on external conditions. Condition – We are what we think. Defeated thoughts will lead to a defeated life. Train your mind to win. Courage – Be audacious and create your own path for success. Contentment – Be satisfied with what you have and don’t compare yourself to others. Character – Who are you or who will you become as a result of you reaching y...

Invest in yourself

"I only take classes my job pays for." "If my company wants me to stay, they should pay for my training." "As soon as I get my MBA, I’m out of here!" "I only enroll in workshops or classes that are free." If your company pays for training, who’s investing in your professional development, you or your company? If your company pays, what do they get in return? If you pay, what’s the ROI (Return on Investment) for your growth and development? Imagine hiring a contracting company that specializes in home renovations showing up at your doorstep without the skills, tools, or resources to perform the job. Would you pay for the training and resources the contracting company needs to complete the job? Or, would you hire another contracting company equipped with resources and expertise to meet your requirements and deadline to renovate? Corporations are discovering better ways to yield returns on their resources and investments. And unfortun...

Don't Die with Your Baton

‘The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.” – Dr. Myles Munroe On Sunday, November 9, Dr. Myles Munroe, a leader, prominent pastor, and author expressed his concern about the next generation of leaders not passing on the legacy of leadership. He described this as – a person dying with their baton. And if someone wanted that baton, they would have to pry it from the hands of the person who was dead. Exodus 32:9 states, I have seen these people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people! This verse signifies the depiction of people with hardened hearts and ears who are unwilling to listen or heed to the voice of God. Pride is the culprit of a stiff-necked generation, and this generational type implies growing from the strength of pride. Individuals who are unwilling to learn are not willing to lead. And, they should not question or complain about the demise of their communities or society? God did not create humanity to receive and keep but to r...

Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID)

In 1980, Mary Catherine Swanson (an English teacher) created AVID - a program designed to help underrepresented students succeed in high school and college. The program's philosophy is: "Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge." A group of AVID middle school students completed their assignments fifteen minutes early and wanted to watch YouTube videos which were unrelated to AVID. When asked to turn off their videos, a student responded with: "My mom watches YouTube videos all the time at work, so why can't we watch them at school?" What legacy are we leaving our children in reference to work, finances, or service? Students need role models to coincide with their lessons to advance academically, socially, or economically. And their parents should be their first point of reference. The industrialized workforce is depleting and individuals that choose to watch YouTube ...