Sister U Matter!

I want to continue our theme from last week’s post: Kick Off!  

Yes, the college football season’s kick off is a time of enthusiasm, preparation and anticipation. However, it is also a time for reflection and a gauge for our next preparation steps. Remember, this is only the beginning of the season; there are still many more scheduled games to play.

So, did the team win? Or did they lose? Win or lose, the team and coaches still have to assess the strategies used during the game. What went right? What went wrong? What worked? What didn’t work? What were the strengths displayed during the game? What were the strategies that need more work?

So it is with this new season in our lives, we have to assess which strategies worked well and which did not. We have to assess if some of the players may work better in different positions. There may even be some starters that have to be repositioned. (The starters are those plans that seemed perfect in the planning phase and we begin our season with them; however, they may or may not have worked as well as anticipated when actually executed).

Just keep in mind that this was just the kick off. It completed its purpose…to start a new season in our lives. Continue to ASK throughout the season: Assess. Strengthen. Keep Moving Forward!

We’re off to a great season. Regardless of the final stats, it is a winning one simply because we kicked off our new season; a new season full of new lessons, strategies, opportunities and a whole lot of promise.

Comments (0)     

This weekend was the official kick off for the 2016 college football season. You may not know this but I am a HUGE football fan and have been for most of my life. I watch it all, from little league to the pros. So this weekend was awesome for me:  seeing the enthusiasm of the fans, the preparation of the players and coaches and the anticipation of getting that first win of the season. Yep, this is just an exciting season for me. This kick off to a new season just holds so many promises of what is to come.

Well, guess what? It's kick off season for us, too. What are you enthused about? What have you been preparing for? What have you been anticipating?

It’s time to start. It’s time for the first game. We have been preparing and anticipating the start of this new season in our lives. For some of us, like me, we’ve been preparing for a long time. Not knowing the outcome, just knowing that there is something bigger, better and greater to come.

So, what are we going to do? Execute the game plan(s) we’ve been preparing? Or show up for the game and play like there is no plan, no preparation? Regardless of which option you choose to play, the game will be played. (In other words, life will still go on.) It’s already on the schedule. So what is it going to be? I say…KICK OFF!

Comments (0)     

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou is one of my all time favorite poems. I had even envisioned it to be on the home page of the Sister U Matter!® website. Each time I read it, I'm reminded that the phenomenal is a virtue, an inner quality that exudes to the outer person. I AM a phenomenal woman; and guess what, Sister? You are too--you phenomenal woman you. Sister U Matter!®

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Maya Angelou

Comments (0)     

Well I have to admit that I wasn’t feeling too good about myself after last week’s post--the “What’s in your hand?” one. I was really beating myself up because so much time had lapsed between writing the dreams and actually taking steps towards making them happen.

You know life happens and sometimes those wish list and dreams get pushed to side or to the very bottom of the list. Generally, managing life, the day-to-day stuff ALWAYS becomes the priority especially when it comes to being a contributing family member in whatever role needs your appearance at that time. You know the roles of wife, daughter, mother, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, best friend, mentor, mentee, neighbor, caregiver, chauffer, tutor (for those of us whose children have already started back to school, sigh)…you get my drift. I don’t know about you but these realities ALWAYS seem to trump my advancement towards my dreams.

But then I realized something: in most of my dream areas, I am closer to obtaining them than I thought I was. See, I’ve been taking baby steps all along. I took inventory and here’s some of my inventory listing so far:

And guess what? I accomplished all of this while life was still life. There were still struggles. There were still battles, crises, emergencies, obstacles, wrong turns and even some low blows. But I still managed, through it all, to make some positive steps towards working my dreams lists.

So what about you? Let’s see your inventory list. I bet you have one. And, I bet you’ll be surprised at all that you have already accomplished to make some of those dreams a reality. I think, You Just Might Be Closer Than You Think…

Comments (0)     

What’s in your hand? A dear friend has been asked this question recently. She has explained to me that this question has really prompted her to examine her life path and take inventory of her talents, skills abilities, desires and dreams.

As I examined myself through the probes of this same question, I too begin to assess what I currently have “in stock”, currently in my hand.

I came up with some intangibles like love, joy, peace, a sound mind and a solid faith.

I came up with some tangibles like a loving family, a stable job, a safe and comfortable home, a well running vehicle, money to pay the bills, a healthy body and at least one good friend.

Then I started remembering my dreams, my hopes, my desires, all of my future plans like taking a cruise, living comfortably and solely from income earned by own business(es), traveling to foreign countries, making life easier and more comfortable for those around me, etc.

As I began to accumulate a listing of the “What’s in my hand”, I begin to consolidate—in one space-- the many “dream” listings that I had written over the years. Some of my listings dated to as far back as 2002. (You do realize that it is now 2016—that’s 14 years, sigh.) I finally decluttered an extra bedroom to function as my in-home office. (I started on this project at least two years ago, another sigh.) I also begin to create a vision board for my own business and categorized my dreams and began assigning functions/tasks to help me carry them out. I even started drafting a business plan.

So now, I ask you the same question: What’s in your hand? I challenge you to assess what you already have. I think you will learn that you already have what you need to move towards that next place in life. I think so many times we are waiting on the next external thing, person and/or place to move us forward when in reality we have already  been equipped with everything we need to at least get started. For instance, do you want to own your business? Okay, have you thought about the type of business you want to have? If so, have you written your ideas down? Identify what steps you can take today and within the next few weeks to get you closer to reaching that goal. Write those down, too.

What’s in your hand? I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised at you find. I think it will be an awesome source of motivation and inspiration to moving you closer to that next phase of your life that you have anticipated for a long time. It sure worked for me.

Comments (0)