The Status is Not Quo: Occupy

My correspondent blogger, Leslie is back.  Recently, the Occupy movement was in the news practically everyday. It began with Occupy Wall Street and quickly spread like a bad rumor.  You know, I must confess I love a good protest, especially if it is about bringing about meaningful change.  Bear with me, I came of age in the 1970s where I grew to appreciate marches, boycotts, and other types of civil disobedience.  That was then... what is now?  Leslie took it upon herself to investigate two Occupy movements.  She questioned participants and she interviewed observers, to produce the following:

When the Status is not Quo: Occupy

There is this movie called Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.  In the movie, the lead character, Dr. Horrible, goes on a rant about how “the status is not quo”; that “homelessness is but a symptom of the problem”; and “the fish rots from the head.” When I heard about the Occupy movement, I immediately thought of that soliloquy.

From what I understand the Occupy movement, is a ground swelling of individuals who are sick of the status quo; the rich getting richer and the poor reaching a new level of poverty.  Some people, less appreciative of the movement, refer to it as the new hippie movement.  On either side, there is validity.

            

The goal of the movement in my eyes is and has always been, conversation.  An honest dialogue about the state of America’s finances and how the government runs.  In that goal, the movement has succeeded.  It has changed the way we look at protest and this particular recession.  It can also be viewed from the side that, there is no unifying cause.  The movement, from my understanding, is up to one’s own interpretation.  Each city has different needs and is to draw up its own list of demands.

Each movement is so unique that you can take two separate cities extremely close to one another, San Francisco and Oakland, and get two very different personalities. There is a more militant feel to Oakland and a more welcoming feel to San Francisco's Occupy movement.

The common enemies I’ve noticed are the Federal Reserve and the “1%”. Each city has more demands that can be found online by city.

As a personal note, it appears that the Occupy movement elicits a range of responses in part because the goal of the movement is quite diverse ... according to city.  For example, I wonder why Oakland feels more militant and San Francisco's feel more welcoming.  Does it matter?  Check out the protest at UCLA Davis... it was peaceful and yet the response from authorities was so militant and egregious.  I have my own views about the movement, but my larger issue is the implication of these types of protests to tomorrow's world.  One thing is for sure, we are manifesting our power, we are using our voices.  Are we using our power and our voice for good?  Now that is my question.  

Character of a Leader

Have you ever wondered what someone means when they say a person is of good character? I'm always interested in the character of a person with whom I associate.  I try to learn the character of my leaders, my managers, my partners... even before I give them my allegiance.  But what does that really mean?  Is it one of those words that we just throw out there and pretend that everyone shares the same meaning? 

Can you switch your character like a gorgeous suit and then take it off when it is convenient? Or should your character be like your personal brand?  Does the sparkle in your character only exist for a moment, or does its shine get more brilliant as you are tried and tested?

I decided to do a quick search and found, one dictionary defines character as “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person.” In another dictionary, character is "the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual".  Yet another definition suggests character is "the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances.” Someone's grandmother told me, "you want to learn a person's character, watch how they are when times get bad."

Is character good or bad?  To say, "That person is a woman of character", "That is a man of character", usually infers good character.  Conversely, if you say, "That person has no character", then you imply the qualities and traits that individual possesses are not admirable.. are not good.

I look for friends with good character.  I look for leaders with good character.  Not so much what they have done or who they know, but the nature of the qualities that are distinctive to their person.  A person's character becomes his legacy.  A person's character defines the way she is known and thus, the expectation others have for her.  How would you define your character? How would others describe your character?

Maybe now is the time for a character inventory.  Is your character the way you would like it?  Will your character inspire someone to do a good thing?  Does your character make you proud? We can develop and refine our character, so I ask you... what is your character?  

Today I read about nine graces, or characteristics of the highest order: love, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, goodnesss, humility, temperance, and faith.  Today I aspire for those traits.  What is the character you want ... for you?

Write it down and watch it grow

How many times do we say I should-a, could-a done that thing?  How many times indeed.  I'd like to say that years ago the brilliant Dr. Maya Angelou took my idea and ran with it when she published greeting cards.  I'd like to say that but the truth is I had a similar idea. I did nothing with my idea and regrettably, it died.  I could kick myself.  I could-a, would-a, should-a, created my own greeting cards.  Yes I could, but I tarried.  Ughh! 

Maybe you've also had a vision for something of your own.
"I can't do it."  "It won't be good enough."  "No one will want this [thing I have to offer]."  "If it was such a good idea, someone else would have done it already." Are those some of the excuses we give ourselves when we don't act on our dreams? 
Recently I was on a teleconference called Sunday Seeds.  The conference takes place on Sundays from 8:30 - 9:00pm (800-416-4956 code: 3812-2365).  The speaker, Dr. Donald Hilliard emphasizes the importance of giving life to those seeds of ideas that we possess in our minds and hearts.  He encourages us to write down our vision.  "Write it down", he says over and over.  "Write it down and declare it every day." 

Dr Hilliard encourages the following steps:

• Identify your vision
• Write down your vision
• Believe in your vision
• Commit to your vision
• Declare your vision
• Affirm your vision
• Prioritize the tasks you need to do to make it happen... and do it.

Today I've decided my dreams will live, I will plant the seeds of my dreams. I will write them down and nurture them. I will affirm them everyday as I begin to take the small steps to making them grow. This dream will live... I will not let another vision die. Neither should you!

"There are seeds of possibilities in each of us that will bear great fruit if allowed to grow." Dr. Denise Williams

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A New Voice

My vision for this blog was always to inspire the winner in each of us.  To encourage that dream, pull out that talent, give life to that seed that's waiting to grow into the future we want for ourself.  As part of that vision, I welcome a brilliant student writer, whose views, insights, and research will undoubtedly inspire the very best from you. 

HERE IS OUR SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER: LESLIE D. VERNON

Putting oneself in words is hard to do. Do I talk about my diet of cheese popcorn and vitamin water? My love for cheesy movies and bad tv shows? The neurotic way I hum in the bathroom? None of these things encompasses all of me (or would particularly interest you). So I’ll keep it to the bare relevant facts (though I do accept bribes of cheese popcorn and vitamin water).

I love the written word. I started pretending to read and write at a very young age, just ask my mother. I did eventually learn to do these things, and do them quite well as a matter of fact. I loved to tell stories. This would get me in trouble occasionally (mmmkay, often).

As I grew older, I found myself drawn into writing. I used to have this container chocked to the brim with my writings. As I matured, rather than using just loose paper, I took to carrying a writing journal. If you see me out and about, I probably have it on me. As I wrote more, I also read more. I read constantly. I’ll actually read anything if it comes down to it. From the cereal box at the kitchen table to men’s magazines in the doctor’s waiting room, if I’ve got time to kill I’ll be reading.

I love to talk to people and get to what makes then tick and capture that. Share their light with the world.

So, in honor of all those great people, who led me on the right path. In honor, of the great females before and to come after me, I will be writing on this blog.

Gia's World ... Achieve It!!!

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to sit on a panel honoring young people who had achieved academic excellence during the past year.  The panel was extremely diverse and included an actress/singer/entertainer - Gia McGlone.

I will admit when I first met Gia,  I was struck by her beauty.  In no time, I would soon discover there was much more than beauty to this woman.  You see, by the end of our discussion I was fascinated by Gia's passion for her talent and desire to use her gifts to inspire others to excellence.  She shared a story with me that speaks to the love that drives her creativity, her passion, and the way she nurtures her own Inner Winner. 

One day Gia found herself between jobs and feeling somewhat blah.  Count yourself blessed if you do not know the feeling.  She wanted to be productive, and do the work she loved, but it was not happening for her in that instant.  As is sometimes the lot of an actor, she was out of work... for the moment.  The low feeling that creeps in when we are not using our talents, may have been hovering nearby ready to capture her inner winner, drown her spirit, diminish her confidence, and deplete her energy.  However, Gia is amazing.  She decided to create a cartoon that would inspire others.  Armed with no technical skills, but a lot of passion and desire, this brilliantly talented entertainer, created Gia's World.

Gia intrigued me because she is as wise as she is young. Wise enough to want to use her gift to serve and inspire others.  Wise enough to use her gift for a higher purpose than her own desires. And brilliant enough to figure out a way to branch into a new frontier (she created the cartoon for YouTube with little or no real technical skills).   Gia does all the singing in the video and I invite you to view Gia's World, a reminder for how we might achieve our goals.


To learn more about Gia, visit www.giamcglone.com. In the meantime, does this video help you develop your inner winner?

You are a Superwoman... yes you are!!

This past Sunday morning, I awoke to the news that this was the day the US women's soccer team would face Brazil to vie for a spot in the World Cup semifinals. This would not be a slam dunk.

You see, except for a relatively few pockets across our country, soccer does not receive the type of attention given to basketball, baseball, football, or even track and field sporting events, although fans know that few sports give the adrenaline rush of a good soccer game. Along with that, Brazil still brings to mind the legend of the great Pelé, who ruled the sport when he played the game. Let's be clear, the American team is no slouch, and neither is the Brazilian team. This would be a tough row to hoe... and all these factors form the backdrop against which our soccer team must perform.

On Sunday evening, I smiled with satisfaction when I learned that our women beat Brazil and would move ahead to semifinals. (Go Girls!!) Today, as I'm writing this post, the US soccer team just beat France and will be advancing to finals. Who-hoooo!! 'Who run the world... girls, girls!!'

They dug deep to find their inner winner, because they are superwomen. They wanted to win. So do you... so do I. So many of us as we raise our families, take care of our spouses, attend to aging parents, work hard in our jobs, and try to attend to a trillion things as we plan a future... and look cute while doing so, we should remember our inner winner - our own superwoman.

There is a verse in Alicia Keys' song "Superwoman" thus:

I am a Superwoman
Yes I am, yes she is
Still when I'm a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes I'm a Superwoman

When I'm breaking down and I can't be found
As I start to get weak
'Cause no one knows me underneath these clothes
But I can fly, we can fly
Today the women on the US Soccer team are acting like superwoman, and so should you.

After a long hiatus from my blog, (technical difficulties) I have returned with a new name and a new assurance that when we fly, we help our families and our communities soar, because each of us is indeed a Superwoman.

"Mile 21" on the Road to Greatness

Over the past months, I've had the privilege of talking to some amazing women who have been travelling for some time on the road to greatness. They sometimes do little more than put one tentative foot in front of the other, until one day they meet someone like me who asks them, "How did you get here?" It is exhilirating to have met women whose road to greatness is one on which they have stayed the course, even when they get to Mile 21.


Here's my own tale of "Mile 21":
A few years ago, I had an idea that I would walk in the Avon 2-day walk for breast cancer. This means walkers must complete a mere 26+ miles on day one and approximately 13+ miles on day 2. Well, with months of training underfoot, the overzealous me brought along my own pedometer and discovered that in the end, my 26+ miles turned out to be way over 30miles. Truth be told... nothing in my life could have prepared me for this walk, but the experience was powerful and unforgettable.


What started out as a day of anticipation would gradually lose its vim as I added on the miles. My friend who had agreed to walk with me, and I talked or kept silent... as the mood moved us. We met other walkers, survivors, family members, and people like me who just wanted to do something toward eradicating this disease, each with a story that confirmed my commitment to this walk. Along the way there were rest stops where walkers could receive nourishment or care if needed. My friend and I by-passed most of the stops... until Mile 21.


Even now I remember that rest stop. It seemed to have more hoopla and fanfare, and I recall singing cowboys and a lot of nurses. I had some refreshments and resumed the journey with some reluctance. It was at this point that I started to feel true pain. My legs were feeling like tree trunks and it was increasingly difficult to walk. I was done. Both my physical and mental resources were depleted and I knew what it must feel like to be pulling a herd of unwilling elephants. I think I tried to summon tears that would validate my pain and even those refused to form. My girlfriend was no longer even walking next to me, as I had slowed down and by this time I could no longer remember why I had decided to do this walk. Looking ahead was no longer helping.. all I saw was a trail of random walkers and no end in sight. With the knowledge that I could physically go much further overshadowing my every step, I wanted the right opportunity to stop. It was at that point that the money in my pocket reminded me that I could hail a passing taxi to finish the journey. In other words, abandon my commitment, and just take a shortcut to the end. This was indeed a most brilliant thought which I shared with my friend. She shot it down, reminding me that our commitment was to walk the entire distance. I was duty-bound to honor my commitment. But how was I to do this? It was then that I remembered, the way to walk a thousand miles... take just one step at a time.


I looked down at my feet and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. After a while, the end loomed before us.


In the road to greatness, we get to Mile 21, and will need to call upon every resource... friends, prayer, sustenance, values, inner strength, or we may even consider leaving the trail and taking a shortcut. The women that I talked with reached and journeyed past their Mile 21.

Mile 21 gives insights to the strength of our character, our mettle, and the fiber of our integrity. On the road to greatness as in the rest of life... we make a choice. Either we off the road and take a shortcut, OR... we may stay the course, keep our eyes on the prize, and continue moving with dogged determination toward a noble goal.



At this the start of a new year, after many of us have already made plans for achievements. How do you suppose you might handle Mile 21. It is a necessary part of your road to greatness.