Be A Blessing!

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A friend told me an inspiring story the other day. While driving through a heavy Atlanta rainfall, he noticed a couple standing at a bus stop with two small children. The woman was under an umbrella, the children were hovered closely to her on each side and the man was standing next to them without cover.  This picture touched him in a way that he detoured from his original destination, drove around the corner and returned to the bus stop. He did not want to frighten them, and he also wanted to exercise caution. He was prompted to ask if they had a car. The father responded “no.” My friend asked if he may have his phone number because there may be a possibility he could help them obtain a vehicle.

A few days later, he called the father and was moved by the family’s financial situation. They agreed to meet for lunch. During the lunch, he offered to give the man the car he had been driving the evening they met. He not only blessed them with a 2007 vehicle, the insurance was already prepaid for one year. He transferred the title and added the couple to the policy, which allowed them to have paid insurance for the first year. What a Blessing?

My friend was in a financial position to bless this family in a tremendous way, but being a blessing extends from the heart.  His heart was in the right place. There are many times we can be a blessing to others even in a very small way.  I received a blessing just a day ago in the amount of $5.35. I pulled up to the drive-thru window at a restaurant to pay for my order and the cashier informed me that a lady in the car ahead of me had paid my bill.  I had no idea who this lady was, but the gesture put a smile on my face and made my day.

During this season of giving, many stories of generosity will occur. As we go about these last few days of shopping, let’s remember the homeless, senior citizens, children and those around us who are lonely, ill or missing a loved one. Be a Blessing!

Green Don't Mean A Thing When Racism is Queen!

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Last week, journalists and social media went into a frenzy when news broke that a store clerk in Switzerland refused to allow Oprah Winfrey a closer look at the expensive handbag she was admiring in an upscale store. Oprah is America's first self-made woman billionaire and one of the few in the world who made their money without a husband or inheritance. Oprah is the brand, the product and the service.

As I listened to news reports and read social media comments, many questioned whether it was a racial incident or not. I contend without question it was racial. There is one simple rule to determine retail racial profiling, "Did the store clerk refuse to show the handbag to any of the white customers who asked to see it?" If the answer is yes, then it is not a racial incident and she treated all customers the same. I hardly believe if Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx and also a self-made billionaire who is white, would have been treated in the same manner.

According to reported comments the store owner Trudie Goetz made, the “poor clerk” was upset. She was merely trying to communicate with Oprah and show her options. If that was so, then show her the option she wanted to see. Oprah is a very intelligent woman and her unique ability to communicate is largely responsible for her fame and fortune.  It is not likely that after repeating to the clerk three times she wanted to see the Tom Ford handbag there was a communication issue. 

I don't feel sorry for Oprah. She certainly can buy anything she really wants. I am sad about the incident and the fact that we still live in a world where a person can earn enough money to purchase a car, house, yacht or any expensive items they desire and be denied because of their skin color.  As many reasonsTrudie Goetz offered for her employee's actions, there is simply no excuse that would cover ignorance. The worldwide racial profiling of people of color whether men, women or youth is a reminder that money can be a non-factor when people are color blind.

Hatred and ignorance has a permanent place in the minds and hearts of many people.  We can't change that, but like Oprah, we can take the high road.  She was much more effective by choosing the right timing to tell the story, rather than creating a scene about it while in Switzerland. The store owner not only lost a possible thirty-eight thousand dollar sell, but received some embarrassing and unwanted publicity for her upscale store. The cost of the handbag is really irrelevant.  Many women of color including myself have similar experiences in stores where handbags are much less. It’s a horrible feeling to know you are being profiled while shopping. I get angry, but like Oprah, I leave without making a purchase.

Are You In Need of Some Fitness Inspiration?

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If you are beyond the first ten days in the New Year and in a slump, with little or no movement and progress towards your fitness and health resolutions, you may be heading towards another year when you are not meeting your goals.  Consider this, “Are you in the same place now as you were last year or even years before?”  If the answer is yes, you may be a prime candidate for a triathlon awakening, a renewal of the mind, body and soul. 

Athletically, a triathlon is a contest of strength and endurance in three levels often associated with swimming, cycling and long-distant running.  Whether an athletic or not, our minds and bodies need similar types of endurance disciplines to navigate successfully through our challenges, and focus on creating a healthy lifestyle.  This is the race of life.  What we do with our bodies has a direct result on whether we will go a short or long distance.

Each of us has an opportunity to experience a healthy lifestyle.  All we need do is carefully prepare and train with exercise, fitness and proper nutrition.   When implementing disciplines similar to an athletics’ training, you may have a better chance of qualifying to receive the crucial reward of moving from the place that you have been complacent in for so long, to a more healthy and fulfilling life. The healthy development of one’s body will create a direct flow of energy to the mind for a soul-satisfying experience.

The good news is, even though you may be over ten days into the New Year; you can still experience the excitement of achieving success in your health and fitness goals.   Here are a few tips triathlon athletics incorporate that will be useful for anyone desiring a transformational lifestyle.

·         Set goals - Goals are important and help produce the motivation needed to achieve some things that may appear impossible. 

·         Periodization – Refers to a process in which athletics divide time into manageable blocks designed to produce specific fitness and performance results.  Set your goals so they will be realistic and manageable within the timeframe you have on a day-to-day basis.  A desire for fast results will soon become discouraging.  If you assign specific blocks of time for each lifestyle objective, and pace yourself, results will become visible faster.

·         Motivation – Make it personal. Why do you want to have a transformational lifestyle?  Do you want to shed pounds for a specific event?  Do you have a physical challenge or do you want to look and feel better for a lifetime? Consider things that will fuel your motivation for achieving your goal.

·         Measure – How will you measure your results?  Give yourself specific parameters such as losing inches, reducing body fat or losing ten pounds.  Stay focused.

·         Time Frame – Give yourself a defined period of time.  If you wish to lose 30 pounds, cut the goal to 10 pounds every month.  Each time you meet your goal, you will get excited about the next interval.  Don’t set a goal like 30 pounds in one month knowing that it may be too much too soon.  Be realistic.

·         Challenge – Make your goals doable. Keep your meals interesting by trying new healthy recipes.  Get your family and friends involved in sharing dishes with each other.  Diversify your fitness routine by experiencing different workouts such as short marathon challenges fewer than 5K for charity, and joining walk/run groups.  You can also start your own challenge with family and friends, which helps to motivate you and others by making it fun.  Don’t keep the same routine.

·         Envision – Can you see the pounds coming off, the positive doctor’s report, the beautiful outfit in your closet fitting without the bugles or crossing the finish line?  How would that make you feel?  The wonderful thing about vision, it helps you to see what the future can look like.  Create a vision board or simply create a vision where your goals are firmly planted in your mind. 

Don’t give up because you have not begun the program or reached the goals you so eagerly resolved to do in 2013.  You can always start at any time realizing each day is a new beginning.  The important thing is to start.  If you fall short, pick up where you left off and begin again.  We are all in the race and everyone has an opportunity to cross the finish line.