YES, WE CAN!

Check out the star-studded music video to the “Yes We Can Song” which includes excerpts from Sen. Barack Obama’s speech following the New Hampshire primary. The video which premiered on Dipdive.com, features appearances from several celebrities including: Will.I.Am, Scarlett Johansson, Common, John Legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tatyana Ali, Adam Rodriguez, Kelly Hu, Nick Cannon and more.

“I’m blown away by how many people wanted to come and be a part of it in a short amount of time. It was all out of love and hope for change and really representing America and looking at the world,” Will.I.Am said.

It’s Time To Make an Impact

Because if not now … when?
And if not you … then who?

And yes, I do mean to be dramatic. Desperate situations call for desperate measures, right?

Well, luckily it doesn’t have to be a desperate situation. The power to change it is ours. All we have to do is make an impact.

Think about it …

Every day you come across people you know and don't know – each one could use your help and each person could help you in some small or large way. But how often do you make an impact on somebody's life - with the intention of making an impact?

Chances are you're like most people - just trying to make it through the day and not really paying attention to the people that cross your path everyday - both strangers and those you know.

Yet everyday you have an opportunity to do something significant - sometimes it can be something small - and make an impact - to help somebody. Stranger, friend or family, it doesn't matter. Just make a positive impact.

Why?

Well first of all – it’s what we as human beings should be doing. But secondly, when you make a positive impact you not only help somebody else, you also help yourself and those around you because you start to create magnetic energy.

When you generate magnetic energy you attract more positive situations to you and into your life.

But there is a catch – it has to be from your heart. You must truly want to help someone in some small or large way. You can't do it because you want to attract positive situations into your life - that will naturally happen. But to begin creating that magnetic energy you have to make an impact because you want to and because you feel it is what you should do.

I know some of you may say: “I’ve been helping people for years but when I need help – no one's there. Why should I keep putting myself out there?” I say again: because it’s what you should do. It’s not about people helping you – it’s about making a positive impact.

If you truly feel that you have been helping people, making an impact and you haven't been attracting positive situations, or positive events, or positive people into our life - then maybe you need to take a closer look at your intentions. Check your motivations and determine if you really did things to help other people out of the goodness of your heart - or did you expect something in return?

Next - take a look at the opportunities that came your way - and examine how you reacted to them. Did you welcome the opportunities that crossed your path or did you dismiss them thinking that they weren’t for you or that it may have been too good to be true?

What about the people that you’ve met? Did you develop friendships? Continue to network with them or did you ignore them assuming that they weren't the kind of people that you would help you?

Often we dismiss events, opportunities and people that we encounter – thinking that we already know the outcome.

The truth is - we don't.

You don't have to make a big impact. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

Give your time, your understanding, your knowledge.
Give somebody a hand with their shopping bags.
Open a door for somebody who has their hands full.
Listen to your son/daughter the next time that you speak with them.
Take a moment to smile before getting angry.
Share your wisdom.
Be pleasant to a stranger.
Offer some kind words to a colleague or family member.

When you do this you'll begin to change your energy. And at the same time you'll begin to instruct your subconscious mind to attract more of what you give - because you'll only get what you give. At the same time you'll create a positive mindset and that will attract more positive situations into your life. And then you'll be able to create the life you want.

You'll immediately start to feel better about your life and your situation.

After a few weeks of regularly making an impact you will begin to see new opportunities come your way. You will begin to meet new people, and you will encounter new events. All of these can help you improve your life and the lives of those around you. Pay attention to them. Don't assume that you know whether they will or won't work for you.

Everything you come across and every person you meet can help you - but only if you are open minded and willing to explore the opportunity. If you're not then you can never truly improve the quality of your life.

Once you've started creating magnetic energy - you can instruct your mind and subconscious mind to help you make the right choices, attract the right people and the right situations so that you create the life you want.

But you have to be consistent - so make a commitment to make an impact everyday in 2008.

Try it for the rest of the year and see how your life changes or improves.

You can make an impact.
You can make a difference.
You can attract positive situations.
You can create the life that you want.

Shouldn't Love Be?

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. I Cor.13:8

Personally, I love the 'love chapter' because it talks about something I love: love. It's not just any kind of love that is described here, not just the feeling of love, but this text talks about what love is and isn't. Love as a noun. Love's character. Who love is and exactly what it looks like. We may find in our scripture text for the day the most telling reason and most deeply rooted necessity we have for love in our lives.

We live in a day of self-gratification, not only outside of the church, but more disappointingly, inside the church. Saints of GOD in this dispensation want to live saved and do the things of GOD when it's comfortable and convenient. Because of fear, something not given to us by GOD(II Tim.1:7), greed and selfishness have reared their ugly heads within the Body of CHRIST, leaving those outside to not be able to see and experience the power that CHRISTians are supposed to yield on a daily basis because the CHRISTians have prioritized other things and thus are not walking in that power. This is not a statement of condemnation, but a revelation of sobriety that we need to return to. I heard someone define love, in contrast to lust, as the desire to please others at the expense of self. Hmm...shouldn't love be? Hold on if you will...

The Apostle Paul begins the eighth verse of this text, his final in defining love's attributes, by saying that charity never fails. Why is love referred to as charity in this passage of the Bible specifically and not another? GOD wanted us to know what HIS perfect love consists of. Charity is something that is given for the benefit of someone else. It's not sat upon. It's not kept quiet. It's not withheld. It's given away. Remember the Commissioned song, "Love Isn't Love", until it's what? Given away...that's charity: love that's given away. Now, if this type of love never fails, I mean for no reason does it ever fall short of completing it's task, a statement of absolution here, then shouldn't love be enough? Why isn't love our primary motive? Our absolute driving force? Doesn't it make sense? If love as our purpose, our motive, our root, our foundation (and not just any love, but love that's given away) never fails, ever, then why don't we do everything in love? Why aren't we operating more in love? Why aren't we ministering for love's sake(Mark 6:34)? Why aren't we giving and sowing for love's sake(II Cor.9:7)? Why aren't we seeking another man's wealth for love's sake(I Cor.10:24)? Why aren't we interceding for love's sake(Isa.59:16)? I mean, think about it, if I'm doing what I do out of love, then I won't stop or start when I feel like it or ultimately leave things undone or incomplete. Why not? Because love never fails; it doesn't fall down on the job or give up at the first sign of adversity or struggle, and it never operates solely based on how it feels or whether or not it's receiving in return. My gifting would be more effective in blessing others and being of use to the LORD and fulfilling the needs of the people when I'm not concerned about love offerings and honorariums or making a name for myself. Why? Love never fails.

If every purpose, goal, ambition, we set our heart's desire on was done out of love, how much more successful would we be? Now keep in mind, that when we speak of love and when we speak of success, we're talking about the love of GOD and success measured by the standard of GOD and not the world. I can;t and won't love the unconditional way GOD would have me to outside of the will of GOD; outside of relationship with HIM. Any good that I do would lack consistency and not be pure. But the love of GOD given away is the will of GOD and within that, how definite would be the manifested plans of GOD for my life(Jer.29:11), as my resume would read before GOD "giver of love to those who are in need."

GOD's plan for my life will be there, but it's up to me as to when or whether or not it's ever realized.

Charity never fails. When love is not our motive, the things we think we have and the gifts we like to place on display will wither away. Why? Love is an absolute spiritual entity and spiritual things are eternal. Everything that is not spiritual is temporal and lasts for only a short time(II Cor.4:18).

We know love is not the primary function or reason behind things that go on in and around our lives today, but shouldn't it be? We can't choose the motives of others, but we can choose for ourselves. Give love away today, and watch your life shift into another level of glory as you become more like GOD by modeling HIS flawless character.

With a fresh voice and sound, King David tha Vessel (or KD) blends skill, talent, the ability to minister to various groups and ages, and charisma with the two elements most essential for breakthrough ministry: Gods word and His anointing. The result is cutting edge music that bridges gaps, stirs, motivates, convicts and compels all while encouraging individuals to walk in Gods will for their lives.

Click here to learn more about King David.

HoW cAn I BE so STUPID?!?!?!?

I recently asked myself this question. I hadn’t done so in a long time. I know that usually individuals can be much harder on themselves that any other person could ever hope to be.

But all of that momentarily slipped my mind. I trusted someone who purported to be a man of God and allowed him to opportunity to sponsor one of my charity events. I thought of him as a kind person who wanted to do something good in the community and let down my usual guards. I believed every excuse he gave about why he hadn’t sent the money for the sponsorship even after my organization had committed itself to other companies that were demanding payment. To make a long story short, he is nothing of what he said that he was. To be even more to the point – he is a con artist.

At first, I believed it was an isolated incident. That maybe the economy had been hard on him and his business and he was experiencing a monetary cash flow. Then out of the blue – I begin receiving a barrage of emails about other people he had conned.

That’s when I asked myself the dreaded question, “How could I have been so stupid?”

It was almost in the same instant that I had a moment of clarity. Taking responsibility for making a mistake is one thing – berating yourself for it, is something entirely different.

Think about it.

Do we yell at children when they fall down and bump their heads or bust their lips? No. Do we punch guest who break glasses or spill drinks? No. Do we lash out at plants that die or flowers that don’t bloom? No. Somehow we find compassion in our hearts to forgive and excuse the mishaps and errors of others. Yet we have little if any compassion for ourselves. For some reason, we tend to forge we are growing and learning, and that we will fall down and sometimes make a mess.

You may not always know what to do. It’s okay! You will not always be able to find the right words at the moment at the moment you need them. It’s okay. You may swear you won’t, then do it anyway. It really is okay! It’s okay if you do, or say, or forget to do or say the “right” thing at the “right” time. The challenge is to learn not to beat yourself up about it. Even better – pretend you’re five again, give yourself a big hug and whisper, “It’s okay!”

Because guess what .... it really is.

THE POWER WITHIN

Would you like to improve your life instantly?

Would you like to change your life, make millions of dollars, meet the right person or start experiencing happiness right away?

Now imagine that you have the ability to turn things around right away by working with special powers.

But What would happen if you actually had those powers and didn't know how to use them?

Think about it.

You do have special powers - the only reason why you're not living the life you want is because you don't know how to use those special powers.

I call it the Power Within - and if you know how to apply the awesome power that you have within - you will be able to dramatically change or improve your life faster than you thought possible.

And now that you know you are a Super Hero with magical inner power. Let's get started.

To access your awesome Power Within, you first have to learn how to direct your subconscious mind to attract the people, situations and circumstances that will help you create the changes or improvements you want.

Then you have to begin changing how you see things and how you see yourself.

What do I mean by that?

Well, if you want to be successful then you have to see yourself as someone who is capable of being successful.

If you want to be in a healthy, loving and caring relationship - then you have to see yourself as someone who is capable of being in a loving, caring relationship.

It also means that you can no longer accept any limiting or negative thoughts and beliefs that prevent you from accomplishing your goals.

For example: If you want to be successful you can no longer say, think or believe that "it's too difficult to be successful, I don't know what to do. I never get any great opportunities. My parents never encouraged me. My friends don't support me. Everybody around me is too negative. I don't get any positive feedback."

These are all negative statements, thoughts and beliefs that prevent you from achieving your goals. Now it's time to eliminate them and change them into statements that do help you achieve your goals.

If you keep the negative statements you have your Power Within working against you.

Now that you know your a Super Hero is't time to start using your Power Within for good not evil!

'Cause when it comes right down to it - only you can determine your own success. It doesn't matter if people around you are negative. You don't need encouragement and support from friends or family. You only need to believe and see yourself as someone who is capable of being successful.

Once you do that - once you raise the bar a little higher - once you see yourself as fully capable of achieving your goals you can then begin to direct your subconscious mind so that it begins attracting opportunities for you to be successful.

So don't believe the excuses or reasons that your mind gives you.

Take a look at where you are today and decide what kind of life you want to live. Start seeing yourself as successful in every aspect of your life. Once you see yourself as successful you will be able to direct your mind and subconscious mind and start using your power within to help you achieve your goals.

Once you've decided to raise the bar and you've decided you're no longer going to put up with the excuses that have limited your success - your next step is to develop a higher level of self-awareness.

Let's face it most people are not aware of the incredible Power Within that they posses. Most people aren't aware of why they do the things they do - they just do them.

Most people don't know why things happen the way they do - they simply accept that they happened and that's the end of it. They miss out on the opportunity to work with their Power Within.

I'm not suggesting that you analyze every little detail in your life - I just want you to become more self-aware so that you realize what you want, where you are heading and how you plan to get there. It's like giving your Power Within a set of instructions to follow.

This is something that few people do - and those who do it become tremendously successful like Russell Simmons, Oprah Winfrey and Bob Johnson just to name a few. All three had a HUGE dream that was only realized by harnessing their Power Within.

I suggest you take a look at someone you consider successful - see if they followed the above formula on some level and you'll find that a lot of them did - often without knowing that they did.

At the end of the day - you have to live with your life and you have to live with the excuses - not me. But if you want to get results - if you want to properly work with your Power Within then you have to change the way you do things.

This means no more complaining or whining. Man up! Because you only attract what you focus on. If you constantly complain you are focusing on what is wrong and guess what? You'll only attract more what you complain about. You'll also attract people who complain and together you'll all get exactly what you complain about. This creates the negative cycle and you actually end up using your Power Within to get more of what you don't want. So stop complaining and stop focusing on all that is wrong in your life.

When you do this you get your mind moving in a new direction - you start to utilize the power of your mind because now you're giving it something new to do - issuing a new challenge one that it is more than capable of meeting.

You also start utilizing the power of your subconscious mind in a positive way. Instead of attracting more of what you don't want - you begin concentrating the energy and power of your subconscious to create the situations that will help you achieve your goals. This is how the power within begins to work for you and gets you results.

The best part is that you'll begin attracting the people that will help you achieve those goals and the people that believe in you - and more importantly you'll repel those people who used to enjoy complaining and whining about the same things over and over. Why? Because now you're taking action and you intend to achieve your goals - so you will naturally attract the people and situations that will help you, while those that can no longer help you will have less of an impact on your life and ambitions.

Now there is a lot more that can be done - but I've outlined the basic starting points for you to begin working with your Power Within. Now it's up to you start doing what I've outlined. You may say: "Oh yeah, I know this stuff - I've heard it before." But do you practice it - I mean really practice it every day!

If you don't practice the above exercises everyday so that you instill a discipline that leads to greater success - nothing will change. It's really that simple. The life you live tomorrow is based on the thoughts, actions and beliefs you hold today. Change those - and you change your life.

So Super Hero (yeah - I'm talking to you) grab your cape! It's your turn to launch your Power Within!

And We Call Him Martin ......

Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy is being celebrated today - January 15th, on what would have been his 80th birthday.

It took nearly two decades to make King's birthday the legal holiday that Americans celebrate on Monday (January 21st). Legislation to declare King's birthday a national holiday was introduced in Congress every year after his assassination on April 4, 1968, but throughout the '70s the bills were rejected time and time again. President Ronald Reagan finally signed legislation creating the holiday in November 1983, after a persistent15-year lobbying effort. It was the first new federal holiday created since Memorial Day was established in 1948.

The holiday's first official year was 1986, but many states -- most notably Arizona and New Hampshire -- were slow to adopt the holiday. In 1999, New Hampshire became the last state to honor Dr. King with a holiday when the state's Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed a bill setting aside the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Day.

King is the only American besides George Washington to have a national holiday designated for his birthday. The birth dates of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, and others have been celebrated in some states but not nationwide.

Internationally, King is one of the few social leaders of any country to be honored with a holiday (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday is observed in India). Countries usually only honor military or religious figures. Given such obstacles, the holiday is a powerful tribute to King's philosophy and stature.

We can never forget those who have come before to pave the way. Especially a man named Martin who had a dream. Click here to see King's speech, "I Have A Dream."

ON NONVIOLENCE (From Birmingham jail, 1963): "In your statement, you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of the Crucifixion?"


ON BLACKS IN AMERICA (From Birmingham jail, 1963): "Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands."


ON NONCOMFORMITY (1963): "This hour in history needs a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists. Dangerous passions of pride, hatred and selfishness are enthroned in our lives; truth lies prostrate on the rugged hills of nameless Calvaries. The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority."


ON BLACK POWER (1967): "Today's despair is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow's justice. Black Power is an implicit and often explicit belief in black separatism. Yet behind Black Power's legitimate and necessary concern for group unity and black identity lies the belief that there can be a separate black road to power and fulfillment. Few ideas are more unrealistic. There is no salvation for the Negro through isolation."


ON MARCHING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS (Selma to Montgomery, 1965): "Like an idea whose time has come, not even the marching of mighty armies can halt us. We are moving to the land of freedom. Let us march to the realization of the American dream. Let us march on segregated housing. Let us march on segregated schools. Let us march on poverty. Let us march on ballot boxes, march on ballot boxes until race baiters disappear from the political arena, until the Wallaces of our nation tremble away in silence."


ON PEACE (1964): "Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant."


ON THE DREAM OF FREEDOM (1963): "So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed . . . that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true."


ON FREEDOM (1963): "So let freedom ring. From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. And when this happens, when we let it ring, we will speed that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last, free at last/Thank God Almighty, we're free at last."


ON HIS OWN FUTURE (April 3, 1968): "We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. I won't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."


There will be a lot of talk today about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the impact his dream continues to have on African Americans and people of color around the world. I am sure forums will be held and panels assembled, bread will be broken at luncheons around the country and candlelight vigils will be held in his honor. Sometimes we as Black Americans talk too much about our fallen heroes as we celebrate them on some appointed day or holiday. Dr. Martin Luther King deserves to be honored for the great man that he was and all that he accomplished in his relatively short lifetime. But Martin deserves to be remembered on the other 364 days of the year. Because Martin was a simple man with a dream who made all the difference in the world.

What Kind Of Game Are You Playing?

And how does it manifest in your life. Chances are if you play the blame game then your circumstances may not be what you want them to be. But how do we change them if we point the finger at everyone and everything else as the reason for the bad things that happen to us?

Well, the first step to changing your circumstances is to stop blaming somebody or some events for where you are today.

Sure other people and events had an influence - but it's time to accept some responsibility and admit that you may have had a role in how things turned out.

If you look carefully at the events of the past you'll find that a single decision or a series of decisions that you made played a major role in creating your own circumstances.

When you accept some responsibility you begin to give yourself the power to change things.

If you continue to blame somebody or an event - you give them power and you will continue to live life on their terms.

You can live life on somebody else's terms and change your situation. It simply won't happen.

If you still don't feel that you played a role - then take a look at your thoughts. Are they predominantly negative? Are they filled with anger? Resentment? If they are then you will only attract more negative situations to you and this will lead to more negative circumstances.

If your circumstances are negative or if you feel you are not living the life you want then in order to change this you have to accept that on some level you manifested the life that you have.

You may not want to admit to that - but work with this idea for and you'll begin to understand how you can create change.

For example: if you are currently unemployed - what decision or choices did you make that may have played a role in you being unemployed? Did the job you selected that you eventually lost lead to your current situation? Had you made a different choice would you still be unemployed?

If you recently got divorced or broke up with your spouse - what choices or actions did you take that may have played a role in your current situation? Could you have made a better choice?

Chances are we all could have made different choices that would have changed our circumstances. And this is the process of accepting responsibility. Because now you can focus on making better choices, attracting better situations and creating the changes that you want.

How can you make better choices?

Change the way you think. Instruct your subconscious mind to help you make better choices. Attract better situations into your life by changing the way you think and live.

So think about your current situation. Accept some responsibility for what happened - when you accept responsibility you give yourself the power to create the changes that you want. Look back at some of the decisions that you made that may have influenced the way your life turned out. Track your thoughts - are they predominantly negative or positive?

Start making better choices. Get your mind and subconscious mind working for you so that you begin improving your situation.

Change Your Attitude.

Now that you have accepted some responsibility it's time to begin attracting positive situations and people into your life. To do this first start with your attitude. This means instead of looking at what is wrong in your situation and other situations - look for what is positive and find ways to correct what is wrong.

How do you change your attitude?

Change what you regularly think about. Instead of filling your mind with negative thoughts - fill them with positive thoughts.

Instead of looking at why things won't work out - force yourself to find solutions and think of how things can work out.

Open yourself up to all possibilities.

Think of your mind as garden, you can cultivate it, or you can let it run wild. You can fill it with the weeds of negative thinking, thoughts of lack, limitation and worry. If you don't control your mind and cultivate it with positive thoughts regularly - the weeds of negative thinking will take over and destroy your life - just like weeds can
destroy your garden.

It's your mind and how you think, live and see things will have a direct impact on your current situation.

Why?

Every thought you have is picked up by your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind then considers your regular thoughts as an instruction - telling it to create what you regularly think. So if you are constantly negative and have a negative attitude you will continue to create your own negative circumstances.

This constant negative thought process could lead to you losing your job, breaking up with a spouse, losing your home, making bad investment choices, losing on a business venture, etc.

A negative attitude leads to a negative life and negative circumstances.

So start changing your thoughts and attitude today. Regularly think about the positive situations in your life.

Search for good and positive things everyday. Look for solutions instead of constantly looking at the problem.

And start playing a different game - one that you control not one that controls you.

Get Excited About 2008!

..... 'cause I know I am. I have my red party dress laid out on the bed even as I type. No matter what did or didn't happen in 2007, I am so excited just thinking about the possibilities that 2008 has to offer.

Because you know what? The quickest way to turn a bad situation into a blessing is to get excited! Things may not look so good right now. You may be facing more trials and tribulations than you ever thought possible. Your job may suck and your love life non-existent. You may even doubt your ability to hold up under the pressure or the scrutiny of trying to make things different. You may think you’ve done something to deserve the storm that circles around you.

It's all okay! You can still choose to be excited.

Excitement is the opposite of anxiety. It brings a new energy into any situation. Excitement gives you power and puts you in charge of what you do and how you react to what’s going on in your life.

Just imagine how you will feel when the situation is over. Think about what you will do with the knowledge and experience you are gaining. Think about the stories you can tell, the people you can assist, the fact that you will know what to do if you are ever in this situation again. Isn’t that exciting?

In any situation, you have the right, power and ability to choose your experience. Old habits and negative thought patterns will be the first to show up, but we can choose a new way in which you affect the outcome. Rather than slipping into fear, resentment, or anger; you can get excited! Be excited that this has come to an end. Be excited that you are equipped to handle it! Be excited that life is trusting you to do the right thing! Be excited that you will do your best, no matter what happens. Be excited that your best is more than good enough.

And be excited that in any given moment, you can change your life.

Wishing you the best of everything in 2008!

Rest In Peace - 2007

Pamela Joyce Johnson - my sister-in-law, a friend, mother, sister and daugther - died December 20th from cancer.

Terry Armour - my friend and a damn good entertainment reporter - died yesterday of a heart attack.

Both gone too soon, but what a difference they made while you were here. I can only hope to do the same.

Life is too short to waste even a second on being unhappy. As long as you can take a breath - there is hope and a chance for a new start. If something isn't working in your life, all you have to do is make a different choice. That's one of the wonderful things about life.

Nailah O. Franklin and Brandi Drexler - both died from senseless violence this year.

Because I am you and you are me - I will never forget.

The Legacy of Mae Phillips

This is a repost. My grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday today and I feel so blessed to still have her, I could cry. I wouldn't be who I am today without having her hand firmly planted on me every step of the way. I love you Mama Mae.

Mama Mae

Her name is Mae Phillips but I call her Mama Mae. She's 96 years old and barely weighs 100 pounds but I still am in awe of this woman who is my grandmother.

While in Ocho Rios, Jamaica last week to celebrate my __ birthday and 3rd wedding anniversary I made the trek to Kingston - the capital of Jamaica - to spend the day with Mama Mae because at 96 years of age, well, you just never know ...

Despite the terrible road conditions, the ride was easy and the length of the trip seemed shortened because the driver I had hired was personable depsite his strong political views on the declining state of his country. The weather was in our favor - no rain in sight - but I still entered Kingston with a heavy feeling in my stomach.

Kingston is a world unto itself and hard to describe to anyone who has never been. The high crime rate and increasing levels of poverty are bad enough, but add in the heat (that most days is unbearable enough to be described as smothering) and the congestion (that could make the most social of people feel like a claustrophobic weenie) and you've got less than a tourist attraction. Yes, it is steeped in culture and history and is the location where Bob Marley recorded some of his best stuff, but to ME it's about as close to hell as you can get.

BUT Kingston is where my grandmother lives and for whatever reason the need to see her on this visit was so strong, I would have dueled with the devil himself if he had tried to keep me from going.

I think she felt the same way; she began crying when she heard my voice and hailed my visit as a sign. I didn't understand the gravity of her statement considering this is the same woman who for the past five years has described the Thanksgiving holiday as her last supper but as the day wore on - and got hotter - I knew our time spent together was indeed special.

For four hours she talked about her favorite memories of me. The long summers that she stayed with my family, teaching me to bake plantain tarts, beef patties and coconut cookies. How she kept my mother from knocking me out (too many times to count) when my mouth was at its smartest. How she thought I would put her on a plane back to Kingston when she accidentally let my dog escape from the house and how hurt I'd be when my cousin David would come for the summer because my daddy's attention would inevitably be taken away from me. She spoke in amazing detail about the summer trips we took in the family station wagon, criss-crossing the United States and Canada. She was the reason I got married in Jamaica, her traveling days long since gone and I couldn't imagine taking my vows without her. I cried tears of joy when she pressed a hanky in my hand and told me I looked fat in my wedding dress.

But then she also told me that she was proud of the woman that I had become.

The more she talked, the more I laughed, realizing how many of my best childhood memories are shared with her. I also realized how large of a hand she's had in shaping who I am today and I realized how very much I love her.

And Kingston. Because it is my heritage. It is the place where my grandmother taught me to wash clothes by hand, how to pick ackee then sautee it with saltfish. Kingston is where I learned how to properly suck my teeth and say "me soon come" in a proper Jamaican accent and eat Mangoes right from the tree.

Yes, I am the legacy of Mae Phillps. But I call her Mama Mae and she is my grandmother.

As We Go Into A New Year ...

... maybe you should ask yourself a new question.

The question is, what are you willing to do to get what you say you want? Are you willing to discipline your mind and your mouth? Are you willing to get up early, stay up late and work hard all the hours between? Are you willing to work for free? Are you willing to do it with excellence? Are you willing to do it even when your best friend shakes her head, laughs at you and tells you that you're crazy?

The question is, what are you willing to give up to get what you say that you want? Are you willing to give up bad habits, negative thinking, and negative people? Are you willing to take a risk and put your butt on the line when all the signals indicate that you are totally insane? Are you willing to stand up for yourself? To speak for yourself? Are you willing to walk away from the people who will be very upset when you stand up and speak up? Are you willing to walk away from everything you now know to get to something and someplace you can only hope will be what you want it to be?

The question is, who are you willing to be? Are you willing to be a free and independent thinker? Are you willing to be the one who calls the shots? Are you willing to have fun? Are you willing to live in total peace and joy? Are you willing to have fun and joy in total peace all by yourself, if necessary? As long as you can find one excuse not to answer these questions affirmatively. You will never have what you say you want.

This Makes No Sense ......

But after yesterday's post .... I needed a good laugh. Click here if you do too!

Thanks Thelma for forwarding!

Yesterday I Cried

I had to post this poem TODAY because YESTERDAY I was too busy crying. I think sometimes people are ashamed to admit that they cry - especially men. That crying is a useless and embarrassing thing to do.

But even crying can have a purpose.

Shedding tears can be a healing experience. If you know why you are crying. Yep, it's called CRYING WITH A PURPOSE.

We've heard it all before. Situations show up in your life to make you stronger. I get that. But haven't there been certain times in your life when the situations just keep on coming and it begs for the question to be asked ... just how strong can one person be? I mean really - when is enough ... ENOUGH?

Yesterday was that day for me.

So yesterday - I cried tears of frustration and tears of confusion because there are times when I just don't get it. Days when the devil has so completely knocked my off my square that I don't see the path that shone so clearly just the week before. Thank goodness those days are few and far between.

But I had one yesterday - and I cried tears of pain - not only for myself but for everyone that has ever felt the same way. I cried until my eyes stung too much to open and my nose was too sore to blow. I cried so hard - I exhausted myself. Cried until there was nothing left to do but go to sleep. Funny how what was so distorted while you are awake becomes crystal clear when you are still enough to allow the divine light in you to shine. Even if that opportunity comes only when you are in the quietness of sleep.

When I woke up this morning - tears were a thing of the past. Today - I know I can still be stronger - so yes, the situations will continue to appear ensuring that I continue to grow into my purpose.

And I'm sure tomorrow I will cry again - but this time - they will be tears of victory.

I share this poem with you by Iyanla Vanzant. She says it much more eloquently than I ever could.

Yesterday, I cried.
I came home, went straight to my room,
sat on the edge of my bed,
kicked off my shoes, unhooked my bra,
and I had myself a good cry.
I cried until my nose was running all over the silk blouse I got on sale.
I cried until my ears were hot.
I cried until my head was hurting so bad
that I could hardly see the pile of soiled tissues lying on the floor at my feet.
I want you to understand,
I had myself a really good cry yesterday.

Yesterday, I cried,
for all the days that I was too busy,
or too tired, or too mad to cry.
I cried for all the days, and all the ways,
and all the times I had dishonored, disrespected,
and disconnected my Self from myself,
only to have it reflected back to me in the ways others
did to me the same things I had already done to myself.
I cried for all the things I had given, only to have them stolen;
for all the things I had asked for that had yet to show up;
for all the things I had accomplished, only to give them away,
to people in circumstances, which left me feeling empty,
and battered and plain old used.
I cried because there really does come a time when
the only thing left for you to do is cry.

Yesterday, I cried.
I cried because little boys get left by their daddies;
and little girls get forgotten by their mommies;
and daddies don't know what to do, so they leave;
and mommies get left, so they get mad.
I cried because I had a little boy,
and because I was a little girl,
and because I was a mommy who didn't know what to do,
and because I wanted my daddy to be there so badly until I ached.

Yesterday, I cried.
I cried because I hurt. I cried because I was hurt.
I cried because hurt has no place to go
except deeper into the pain that caused it in the first place,
and when it gets there, the hurt wakes you up.
I cried because it was too late.
I cried because it was time.
I cried because my soul knew that I didn't know
that my soul knew everything that I needed to know.
I cried a soulful cry yesterday, and it felt so good.
It felt so very, very bad.
In the midst of my crying,
I felt my freedom coming,
Because...

Yesterday, I cried
with an agenda.

Women are SiNginG, DaNCinG, BreAthing and LiVing

Something quite phenomenal is going on.
I’m not so sure what it is,
but quite frankly,
I don't care!
I simply know that, whatever it is,
it will be great!
It has to do with change, healing, growth, and evolution. And it has to do with women.
If I were pressed,
I would put it in words like these:
There are changes taking place in the hearts and minds of women
that are going to rock the world!
Women are changing their minds about who they are and what their role will be in the world order.
Women are learning to be responsible for the healing of their mental, emotional, and spiritual selves.
Women are learning to love themselves and each other.
Most of all, women are evolving to the point
where they are no longer willing to accept crap
from themselves or anyone else.
I love it!
How you ask are they doing it?
Well, I can only tell you what I know.

Women are learning how to breathe.
They had forgotten how to breathe.
Now, they are breathing consciously. They are breathing deeply.
Breath awakens the divinity resting at the core of our beings. It brings light into the soul.
It lightens the mind, body, and spirit of women. It brings light unto the world.
Women are learning how to lighten up.
Women are praying.
They know that prayer is the inner communication between themselves and their Maker
which turns on the force-the power of the creative nature of life.
They are realizing that prayer can get into places they cannot.
Prayer can reveal what cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Women are learning that prayer is the best weapon one can use when one is engaged in spiritual warfare.

Women are singing.
Somehow, they know that singing stimulates the forces of the Divine
and they are realizing that it is their responsibility to sing to the glory of God.
Women are singing:
"Ain't Conna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" because
"Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This."
Sometimes, they sing, "My Soul Looks Back and Wonders How I Got Over,"
but they know "There's Something Inside So Strong"
and they sing, "1 Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!" and
''I'm Every Woman!" and
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now!" and
"Everything Must Change!"
They know "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and
''I'm Gonna Pray Your Kingdom Down!"
'cause they know "You Got the Right One, Baby!"
Women are singing loud.
Women are singing joyfully.

Women are dancing.
Women are dancing playfully. Women are dancing seriously.
When the pelvis of a woman swings in the movement of dance, the energy she emits heals the world in which she lives.
Women are coming to understand that one of the major problems in this country
and the world
is that it is being run by people who cannot dance, who have no rhythm,
who are out of step.
These people are stepping on other people's toes.
Dancing women are women in rhythm,
women in time with the beat of life.
Women are beginning to boogie their way to peace and prosperity.
They are doing the Hustle,
Electric Sliding themselves out of darkness, and waltzing into the light.
They are creating new steps and dancing to their own music. Women are beginning to realize that their ultimate dancing partner is the One Mind, One Spirit, One Power of Life called God.
It is a beautiful sight to behold:
Women - breathing, praying, singing, dancing, and living from that place of divinity that can change the world.

Weapons of Mass Seduction

(Giggling to myself. I just love the title.)

I just had to share this wonderful book by Lori Bryant-Woolridge called, "Weapons of Mass Seduction". It's been sitting on my desk for a while but time just has not allowed for much recreational reading. But since it was raining and cold - and I couldn't do what I would normally want to do on a day like this - a book (preferably a romance) is usually an adequate second choice.

Who knew I was going to be taking a partial course in sensual living?!?!?!?!

AND I loved it. I think as a woman gets older she gets a better understanding of her own sexiness but sometimes forgets how to use it. Especially if she has been through a bad break up or difficult relationship and just wants to shove the drama to the side ...... aka be by her damn self. It's so easy to shove that part of yourself to the side and get caught up in the day to day.

So it was refreshing to get some tips on how to continue to grow in your sexiness and embrace your sensual side - not just during intimacy with a man but everyday for no other reason than it makes you feel good. I also appreciate the fact that Lori stresses that your physical attributes are not the only thing that makes a person sexy. More than anything, it's being comfortable in your own skin.

I love it.

SO if you're ready to further explore your sensuality, swing by Lori's blog and get some tools to how to bring your sexy back!

And then unleash your weapons of mass seduction!

RoAd TriPpIn'

And trippin' we were ......

Consider this: Close to three thousand miles, more than 5 states, at least three days of steady rain - and two women on the edge. It's lucky we made it back home alive.

But we did pick up the dubious title of Thelma and Louise (Thanks V!) midway through so that should give you some idea of the level of madness that was achieved during our stint. Most of which both will take to our graves.

It was actually a business trip - Tonya is an author and we were on an East Coast book tour. She doing the actual signing and I doing whatever in the hell she told me to do. That's the kind of relationship we have.

Never mind that we were scheduled for several outdoor book signings and it rained for more than three days straight.

We made the best of it and learned some important lessons along the way.

Number one and most important - There are different levels of "Gettin' your hustle on". And thanks to the DC Bookman and his lovely better half - Tiah, Tonya and I sprinted through all levels of hustledom in one afternoon. I will break these down in a later blog!

Number two - Harlem (and New York in general) is not for the faint-hearted. Especially when you're trying to sell a book or cross the street while looking like a tourist (see pic below). But once again, we were saved - enter Lester from the Harlem Book Center who not only took a considerable amount of books off our hands but saved us from being a permanent bumper sticker and taught us how to safely cross the street in the big apple. If you're like us and think the big red "do not walk" sign actually means something - think again before you go to NY.



Number three lesson - you always want someone in your corner who tells you the truth (straight, no chaser) but tempers it with love. There's nothing like six days in the car with your girl to learn about all the B.S. in YOUR life. :)

And number four - the new Keyshia Cole album is DA TRUTH. If you haven't listened to it yet - I would recommend that you do. Best part is Anthony Hamilton's verse on Losing You.

Baby, I know what you've been through.
So I'm here to relieve you.
Remind you.
Renew you.
Rebuild you.
Girl, I'll do whatever it takes just to reshape what he messed up.
Cuz real love needs real love.
And I'm here love cuz I need you.

Whooooo wee! Now that's what I'm talking about.

But then maybe I'm still TriPpin'!

The Original Video Vixen?!?!?!?!?!

I was just talking about this YESTERDAY! I did an interview with a magazine recently and this is one of the questions that was asked.

Mike TRIBE!: It's not an easy thing being in the media is it?

Nikki Woods: No, it's not but I know it's what God has called me to do.

Nikki Woods: Young girls need to see women who really care about them and want the best for them.

Nikki Woods: Women who are strong and beautiful and don't need to shake their butt to get ahead in life.

So it was more than a little interesting that I should get an email today containing this documentary about a woman named Sara Bartman. The content speaks for itself but I have to say as I sat and watched it - I started crying. It hurts to see women being exploited so visciously centuries ago but it hurts moreso today because a lot of it is by choice. Sure we can get political and say that some make the choice because they feel they have no choice but when are we (and I'm talking to the Ladies) going to stand up and reclaim our power. I'm ready and I'm willing. Are u?

'Cuz my mind is free, Feel my destiny, So shall it be!

Today, I'm simply going to post a quote that I discovered earlier this morning by Muhammad Ali and follow it up with my new anthem for living. Both really speak to the way I'm feeling on this cool fall evening in Chicago.

I know it is way too much to ask that people just ask decently or truly want the best for you. Most people are entirely too wrapped up in what's going on in their lives to waste too much energy on being concerned with what's going on with mine.

But question for ya: Why is it so challenging for others to be happy at someone's success because it's not their own? I'm so sick of others who are so limited in their vision that they hate to see others doing well. I'm extremely tired of those narrow minded people who only want to see you contained in a tiny box of their making. It infuriates me when someone wants you to mold to some cookie cutter shape that they've created.

I will not be contained.

I will not be held back and I will most certainly not bend to someone else's standards just so they can feel better in their own skin. It's the closest thing to insanity that I've ever experienced.

Today, I dare to fly like Maya Angelou and do it "my way" like Sammi Davis. I'm gonna float like a butterfly and sting like a bee just like Ali. So if you're not with the program then you bettah get out the way, 'cause you just may get hurt.

Tell 'em how you feel Your Greatness: "I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want."

Amen, my brotha. Amen.

And if that wasn't enough - take a hint from Jill Scott's latest masterpiece, "Hate On Me." I'll just hit you with a little bit of the refrain and even that might be too much for you!

Hate on me, hater
Now or later
'Cuz I'm gonna do me
You'll be mad, baby
(Go 'head and hate)
Go 'head and hate on me, hate on
'Cuz I'm not afraid of it
What I got I paid for
You can hate on me

You cannot hate on me
'Cuz my mind is free
Feel my destiny
So shall it be

Oooooooooh! (That last part was from me!)

I'm BACK!

LOL. Yes, I took a brief hiatus. Well maybe not so brief. But I am back and more determined than ever to contribute something to this blog at least once a week. I just spent the last hour reading through past posts and really became quite emotional. I didn't realize I had been blogging for so long.

It's been a rough 16 months and I didn't realize how drained I was until this past weekend. But God is good. He has never failed to drag me through the choppy waters to the security of dry land and he won't now. I hadn't realized until now how certain situations and events had totally knocked me off my square! Meaning - I had allowed outside influences to redefine who I was as a person. Guess I had to take the refresher course in a few classes. And though I am not proud that I didn't honor my feminine intuitiveness in certain situations - life is too precious to waste even a second on unhappiness - but no sense in dwelling in the past.

Anywho, It's a new day and with each page I turn in the book of MY LIFE is a chance to reclaim the essence of who I am and rewrite the parts that I am not happy with.

So with pen in hand - the erasable kind cause mistakes do happen - I open up a new book, and start with a fresh page.

And I say to you (and me too) ..... WELCOME BACK!

My Son Tyler Graduates From Preschool!