What I want...

I want to soak up the sun because it gives life.

I want to play hooky from work on a work day and act like I have no worries.

I want to put on a flowy dress and twirl like a ballerina just because I'm a girl.

I want watch cartoons all day in my PJ's eating junk food on a Saturday.

I want to stay in a hotel downtown and act like a tourist on vacation.

I want to loved and be loved like in the fairy tales.

I want to keep my friends and family close to my heart because, otherwise what is the point?

I want to have absolutely no regrets when it comes to the life I lead.

What do you want? What steps are you taking to get there?

So I am technically obese. Dammit!

I stay in the gym. This is something that has been a part of my life for the last few years. It makes me feel good and I feel healthier. Here lately I have also been changing my eating habits because just working out wasn't working. I wasn't seeing any visble results. And I do consider myself pretty healthy. I can run 4 miles in an hour. I lift weights. I workout 4-5 days a week. So imagine my surprise when I saw the numbers that told me that I was still obese. (Dammit!)

So I normally wouldn't release these numbers, but it is for the greater good. I am 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch tall and I weigh 170 lbs. According to the BMI calculator and this stupid little machine, my BMI is 32.4, which technically makes me obese. (Not very good news.) Actually, it kinda sucks. I was doing the calculations, I would have to get down to 155 lbs just to be considered only overweight. I haven't seen 155 lbs since high school, so I am not sure if that number can be hit again. Now I say all this to say, do you know your number? Even if that stupid little machine or calculator isn't looking at my body type, or the fact that Black men love my butt and thighs, or that both sides of my family has weight issues, I know that I can stand to lose a few pounds.

Most people are scared to get bad news. They would rather stay in the dark about what their health is. Why do you think that so many people avoid the doctor and the dentist? Because they just don't wanna know. Once you hear the news, it becomes real, then you have to make a decision. Do you continue on the path of unhealthiness, or do you change course? It is just easier to stay in the dark, right?

In Florida, one school district started sending out letters to parents telling them if their kids were at an unhealthy weight. I'm sure that you can guess the reaction. These parents were pissed. Pissed 'cause, according to one parent, they don't want people saying negative things about their kids. I do not think that that is the real reason. I think that the report is a reflection of the parents. (Just an opinion.) But who is really responsible for what kids eat? Who instills health and healthy behavior into kids? Shouldn't that start at home? Then one of the parents blamed the school for lack of gym and food selection at school. Ok that is probably a part of the situation. But really who has the most control, the school or the parents? Or better yet, who has the most responsibility, the school or the parents?

If folks don't wanna know their own numbers, fine. Trust me, it sux to find out that you are obese. But finding out that you kids are obese and doing nothing but blaming the school is tantamount to child abuse. You wouldn't deny your kids medicine if you knew that that would help any other condition. So why is this any different?
So after my little soapbox sermon, the bottom line is know your number and know your kid's number. Maybe these numbers will shock us into some action!

Need a boost in productivity, increase ur caffeine.

So I had an epiphany after my workout today. I was sitting in Barnes and Nobles, reading a magazine and enjoying a steaming cup of fresh brewed coffee, when I decided that I needed to go home and be super duper productive. I finished reading the magazine and jumped in my car with a sense of purpose.

I came home and cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash, swept the floors, cleaned my bathroom, put up clothes, cooked enough spaghetti for a week, and prepared myself for tomorrow. I did all of this while watching the basketball game. I think I did more in three hours than some folks do in a week.

I think that my productivity was really due to that cup of coffee. So if you too want to be productive, add a jolt to your body. Stimulation is great!

The Value Proposition of a Successful Partner

Today's consumers are a lot more selective. I believe this holds true for our relationships also. We need, want, and expect more out of our relationships. And I think that as education levels increase, so does our self-awareness and expectations.
When I first meet someone, I immediately notice the packaging. That is my superficial side. That is the side of me like likes the shiny materials. That excitement lasts as long as a kid's attention span for a new toy. After the initial attraction there has to be something else that keeps my attention. That is where the total value proposition of a partner comes in. The total value is the sum of their character, compatibility, friendship, relationships with other, values, and their experiences. All of these things must mesh with your value system. It would be very hard to compromise on the major things in life. Your value compatibilty will play a major factor in the success or failure of your relationship.
If you go into business for yourself, you have to do everything. You run the business, hire employees, and handle the books. You also assume all of the risks and reap all of the rewards. When you bring a partner into the business, you should be easing the load on yourself. You have someone that helps run the business, that assumes some of the risks, and shares in the profits. When you are single, you are running your own business. You handle all of your bills. You keep yourself entertained. You live only for yourself, good or bad. When you bring a significant other into your life, that person is supposed to help ease the load a little. That person shares in the hard times and the good times. Hopefully the synergy of the relationship should also be more then the sum of the wholes.
Anyways, I guess I am still single because I haven't found a quality partnership. I get sucked into the pretty packaging to find that the person is lacking substance. As a discerning customer, it would be silly to not test out the marketplace. There are so many options out there. And hopefully that perfect partnership will present itself when the time is right.

Sometimes u gotta wear ur sunshine shield.

Earlier this year I made a resolution be postive. I would not allow folk’s negativity into my life, I would tune these folks out. But one of my co-workers is determined to give me a hard time on this. He wants to throw cloud bombs on my sunshine. For this reason, I come armed with my sunshine shield. It blocks all cloud bombs no matter how powerful.
My job is fairly straight forward. You make phone calls, you recruit people to the school, and you close files. That is it in a nut shell. We have deadlines and we have goals. Everything is in black and white, none of us should be confused. There will always be things that happen that is out of our control. A student changes their mind, the student is denied financial aid, the student fails the tests, whatever. But your goals are still clear, you gotta replace them, not complain about them.
My co-worker is determined to keep complaining. Both he and I didn’t hit our last target. The shit is like that sometimes. But what do I do? I try to make up for it this session. What does he do? Complain about every reason why he didn’t hit target. (Trust me, no one cares. We are sales people, it is all about the numbers.) He says the students suck, our manager is terrible, our compensation plan sucks, this is a terrible job. And I say, recruit more students, we really don’t need our manager to do our job, hit your target and you’ll get paid more, and this is an easy job (comparatively speaking.) Man this dude was determined to make me feel as miserable as he was feeling yesterday and I wasn’t feeling it.
No matter what job you do, you are accountable for some goals. You don’t hit your goals, there are consequences. Deal with it and quit complaining. This guy yesterday said something profound and I’m going to hold on to it. He said "bring your own weather." By this he means if you decide that you want to be sunshiny, be that no matter anyone else’s weather patterns. Do not let someone’s cloudiness, storms, or gloom affect your weather. Put on your sunshine shield and keep shining.

Do your actions reflect self love?

Outside of your love for the Creator, you should love yourself in the highest regard. You may think that you love yourself, but do your actions reflect self love? Are you nourishing your body with healthy food, not crap, drugs, and alcohol? Are you feeding your mind constantly? Are you surrounding yourself with positive people? Are your thoughts pure? Is your language a good reflection of you? Are you a role model? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, maybe you should re-evaluate your love for yourself. Because honestly, until you truly love yourself, can you really love someone else?
If you love yourself, how can you put harmful things in your body? If you know that fat-laden food is gonna make you sluggish and fat and un-healthy, why eat it? If you know that drugs and excessive drinking tears up your mind, judgement, and internal organs, why keep doing it? I think that people that cannot sacrifice in the short-term for the good of their well-being long-term must not really love themselves. Otherwise why would anyone willingly jack up their own body?
Surround yourself with positive folks. If you write down everyone you hang around or who you consider your friends, chances are you embody the majority of their traits. My friends, I am proud to say are some educated girls, who are all independent and getting their grind on. So evaluate your list. If your list consist of people that dropped out of school, think partying is a way of life, still live with their parents, can't hold a job, what does that really say about you? If you are a winner, why hang with losers? They will only bring your stock down and likewise bring you down. Get some smart friends!
Self-improvement leads to a healthy mind, body, and soul. You shouldn't live in a bubble. Read a book sometimes. Finish school. Listen to someone who knows something about something. You'd be surprised about what you learn just listening and reading.
Something that we can all do better is speak positive thoughts into the world. Saying "hello" is the easiest way to brighten someone else's day. It will even make you feel good. Good actions are a direct reflection of good thoughts and intentions. So do good things and naturally you will become better.
I realize this is kinda preachy. But sometimes I see things that really show a negative self worth and it reflects in people's actions. The world would be a better place if the hating stopped. Change the world. Love yourself.