In honor of “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali) and to all of you, realize that you too can achieve your dreams and goals and as you travel on your journey in the pursuit of happiness, define yourself for yourself and be unapologetically you. Be original in all that you do! Take pride in the fact that you are unique and be your inspiration to keep rising to the top, knowing that one size does not fit all. Know and believe that you do not have to settle for mediocre because you deserve extraordinary!
What I admired most about Muhammad Ali was his love of life and all people, his unique style, belief in equality for all, how he stood firm in his convictions and his love of self. I admired the fact that he lived his life through his eyes and showed the world that when you have a strong sense…
Was 2015 a good year for you personally, professionally and socially? Did you achieve your goals? Is your job or career fulfilling? Are the people in your inner circle enhancing your journey? Carefully examine events that occurred in your life in 2015 and if you did not accomplish your goals, ask yourself why. Did you allow negative people to infiltrate your inner circle and bring negativity into your life? Did you lower your standards and expectations? Did you settle? Is your job so unsatisfying that it drained your creativity and/or motivation? Did events just happen that threw you off balance? You probably answered yes to at least one of the questions, and that is okay, because now you are aware of what you need to do to get back on track and make 2016 the year of great accomplishments.
Prepare for 2016 by setting realistic short-term and long-term goals that you will accomplish in the new year. Develop plans for achieving each goal, and when you do, know that it is okay to refuse to settle, understand the importance of setting high standards and expectations for yourself, the reasons why you should never lower your standards, embrace defining yourself for yourself, and know that it is important to live with passion, through your eyes. Develop realistic personal, professional, and social goals that enhance your life and make your journey meaningful, significant, and fulfilling.
The Personal Dimension
This is your life so live it through your eyes. Set yourself up to win big and in style by raising the bar and setting high standards and expectations and refuse to lower them. Personal goals can include a commitment to eating healthy and exercising daily, completing a degree, changing your style, spending quality time with family and friends, preparing to buy your dream house, saving for retirement, redecorating, volunteering, mentoring, starting a non-profit, taking a stand on social issues, planning a trip, or something as simple as writing your memoirs, etc. Regardless of the goals that you decide to pursue, know that you are worthy of the best of everything and then some so do not settle for mediocre when you can have and deserve extraordinary. Focus on pursuing your dreams and turning them into reality by your standards, on your time and by your terms.
Most importantly, set aside time for you. Schedule personal time – time alone to reflect, relax, rest, rebalance, and rejuvenate. You may decide to spend your personal time taking a long walk and enjoying nature, a day at the spa, being home alone, treating yourself to something spectacular, working on a hobby, writing, soul-searching, meditating, or goal setting among other meaningful activities. Regardless of how you spend your personal time, make sure that it is time dedicated for your psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being and growth. When you are balanced, you will note how other areas of your life seem to flow in a good direction, allowing you to channel positive energy and positive thought processes. You will emerge rejuvenated, rebalanced, and refocused on accomplishing your goals. Focus on thinking positive thoughts, taking positive action, and refusing to allow any negative or toxic people or thoughts to enter your space. Your thoughts and the words that you speak can determine your destiny so focus on being in a good place psychologically, emotionally, physically and socially in 2016. Think positive thoughts in all that you do!
The Professional Dimension
A few weeks ago, I asked a good friend if his job was fulfilling and he responded that he had never been more miserable in his life, and his salary is in the six-figure range. I honestly understood how he felt and suggested that perhaps it was time to move on to something more fulfilling and challenging, he agreed, and shortly thereafter called to inform me that he was changing careers to pursue his dream. The point here is that life is too short to be stuck in a job or career that is making you miserable across the board. Examine your job or career and ask yourself if it is fulfilling. If your answer is yes, wonderful, however if your answer is no, perhaps the time has come for you to make a change. Career changes can be rewarding especially so if you are realistically pursuing a dream. Refuse to settle in a career or job that stagnate your growth and overall satisfaction. Challenge yourself to learn new skills and when you have developed the knowledge, skills and abilities required to enter a new career, begin preparing yourself to make the change. Consider starting your own business by exploring and researching opportunities, developing a business plan, and then moving forward. Know that through hard work, perseverance, and determination, you can be a success story. Set high standards and expectations for yourself and refuse to limit yourself or allow others to limit you. Know that one size does not fit all, you can be bigger, better and bolder, and that change can be good for your mind, body and soul. It is possible that 2016 will be your year to embark on a new or second career. Dare to be different and challenge yourself to reach for the stars!
The Social Dimension
Set high standards and expectations for your social circles and refuse to settle. If you are focused on reaching higher ground in life, then seriously evaluate the people you surround yourself with and ask yourself if they are bringing too much negative energy into your inner circle. Have they grown significantly over the past five years? Are the people within your inner circle holding you back from achieving your goals? If people within your inner circle are stagnating your growth, it is time for a “come to Jesus” after which, you will probably make a decision about whether they will remain a part of your inner circle. Sometimes people do not realize that they are stagnating you and keeping you from reaching your full potential. Set high standards and expectations and surround yourself with positive people who are like-minded and focused on reaching higher ground. Life is a journey and sometimes you have to sever the ties with people in order for you to continue to grow and reach your full potential. Plain and simple, you cannot take everyone with you. Take charge of your life in 2016 and refuse to settle!
In closing, set high standards and expectations for you in 2016, refuse to lower your standards, refuse to settle for mediocre because you deserve extraordinary. Think, believe, and practice positive thought processes in all that you do. Think positively about you personally, professionally and socially. At the end of each day, before you retire for the evening, think positive thoughts about your journey. Your thoughts and the words that you speak have the power to transcend your life. Regardless of the situation, believing, thinking, and speaking positively will make the difference. Believe, with every fiber of your being, that 2016 is going to be the year in which you accomplish great things. Know that the power is within!
Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Successful, and Prosperous 2016 and remember to define yourself for yourself and keep rising to the top!
Join Dr. Culbreth and guest, Ms. Sonia Renee Brown for Refusing to Settle: Setting High Standards and Expectations. The discussion will focus on refusing to settle, setting high standards and high expectations on three dimensions: Personal, Professional and Social; and how setting high standards and expectations (for self) make a difference in the lives of girls and women of color from the following perspectives: psychological, emotional, physical and social.
The discussion will be thought-provoking with final thoughts on setting high standards and expectations for yourself in 2016!
Living Life Fabulous at Fifty: Affirmations for Women of Color is a new book by Dr. Donnamaria Culbreth that focuses on women of color transitioning into and living life in their fifties as they re-balance and embrace their psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being. The fabulous fifties is a time for women of color to celebrate, rejuvenate, enhance, and empower themselves to begin living life fabulous!
About the book
Filled with positive affirmations designed to help every woman of color transitioning into and living life in their fifties think, believe, and practice positive thoughts! As you read this book, prepare for an awesome change in the way that you think about everything! The power is within!
Focus on re-balancing your personal, psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being and status because, this is the time to celebrate who you are by rejuvenating, enhancing, and empowering yourself! Begin your journey by setting new goals and achieving them, creating a bucket list for your fabulous fifties, discovering a new hobby, embracing the beauty of nature, beginning an exercise routine, scheduling your general and women’s wellness exam, eating healthy, writing your memoirs, and most importantly, making time for you to truly enjoy your fifties. As you write this new chapter in the book of your life, focus on finding your balance, embracing the Principles for Living Life Fabulous, thinking big, dreaming big and living large as you embrace being a woman of color living life fabulous at fifty!
Affirmation topics include the fabulously fifty bucket list, being a trailblazer and torch-bearer, colorism, hair, standards of beauty, resiliency, refusing to settle, destination success, personal space and time, change, intimacy, gratifying love-making, physical changes, menopause, and the Principles for Living Life Fabulous among other topics.
By thinking, believing and applying positive thought processes, women of color in their fifties will begin to live life fabulous.
Listener Line: 914-338-1308. Call in to ask questions, comment or share
The topics will focus on living life to its fullest, pursing your dreams, rediscovering, reinventing and redefining you as you travel on your journey to the what next stage in life. Food for thought: Are you living a fulfilling life – one that will note your dash as extraordinary and significant? Are you happy? Do you know where you are going to?
Topics:
What Really Matters
Living Your Dash in Style
Rediscover, Reinvent and Redefine You
Embracing the What Next Stage
Celebrate, Embrace and Empower You
Home
Live Your Dream
Do You Know?
One Day at a Time
Leave a Legacy of a Significant Life
Ready, Set, Go
Link to the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/complexitylive/2015/08/14/living-your-dash-in-style-your-legacy-of-a-significant-life
The National Girls and Women of Color Council, Inc. has added a Resources page to the NGWCC website. The page contains resources for girls and women of color. If you would like to have your business, book, or other resources (fitness, health, beauty, magazines, nutritional, consulting business, etc.) listed on NGWCC’s Resources page, please visit our website, complete the NGWCC Resources Form and submit! We will contact you shortly.
Jealously is one of the most wasted emotions that humans experience because it has no purpose. Instead of wasting energy being jealous or envious, spend time enhancing and improving yourself. Jealous and envious women thrive in negative environments and radiate negative energy. Fabulously fifty women of color thrive in positive environments and radiate positive energy.
When you allow yourself to become consumed by jealousy, your psychological, emotional, physical and social well-being may become unbalanced leading you to act, react and interact negatively – and without warning, you suddenly find yourself stuck on a page in the book of your life, an abyss, or the murky waters of envy, spite, and anger.
You focus on embracing other women of color and being supportive. You clearly understand that you will meet women who may be more creative, smarter and prettier than you are, have better bodies, prettier hair, larger homes, better opportunities, class and style, or women who have embarked on awesome careers. Embrace them while embracing you, and never allow yourself to waste time or emotions dwelling on negativity. Giving someone the evil eye glare, being a crab in the barrel, making nasty comments, or being mean-spirited, all limit your ability to live a fulfilling, happy and significant life.
Lift each other by celebrating, embracing and empowering each other through words of encouragement, support, and unity. Cheer each other on and be the inspiration needed to conquer the negativity of jealousy.
You are too busy living life fabulous to waste time, energy or thoughts that are not conducive to your overall well-being!
Reference
Culbreth, D. (2014). Living Life Fabulous at Fifty: Affirmations for Women of Color.
Being bigger means that you are the bigger person who takes the high road at all times and that you are the bigger person when dealing with adversity, disagreements, and difficult people. You understand that being bigger means standing firm in your convictions and calling attention to issues that affect girls, pre-teens, teens and women of color worldwide.
Being better means that you are better person today than you were yesterday, last week, last month or even last year. You have learned valuable life lessons from your experiences and now use them to make you a better person. You read and research issues affecting girls, pre-teens, teens, and women of color throughout the world and work to make the world a better place for them.
Being bolder means that you dare to be different and dream of being a trailblazer and torchbearer for girls, pre-teens, teens and women of color who will break down race and color barriers impeding girls, pre-teens, teens, and women of color across the board.
Your ability to be bigger, better and bolder will enable many girls, pre-teens, teens, and women of color throughout the world to believe that they too can break down race and color barriers and be a part of the change that is needed in this world. You are bigger, better and bolder. Think it! Believe it! Be it!
As we celebrate, embrace and empower girls and women of color, the National Girls and Women of Color Council, Inc. (NGWCC) and I Am Beautiful Global, Inc. are seeking nominations of girls and women of color who have and are making history as trailblazers and torchbearers in their own right. Selected Nominees will be featured in the special thematic issue of the Journal of Colorism Studies (JOCS), Celebrating, Embracing and Empowering Girls and Women of Color, under the section, Girls and Women Making History.
Nominees demonstrate character, commitment, perseverance, determination, strength and resiliency. They inspire and empower girls and women of color to achieve their dreams and to reach higher ground. Nominees may be students, parents, seniors, business leaders, lawyers, artists, writers, organizational leaders, administrators, educators, health workers, politicians, change agents, role models, mentors, clergy, founders, community activists/leaders, social workers, visionaries, volunteers, employees, etc.
We are very interested in receiving nominations of seniors who are unsung trailblazers and torchbearers within communities of color.
The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2015. Please complete the Girls and Women of Color Making History Nomination (below) and submit to nominees@ngwcc.org.
The National Girls and Women of Color Council, Inc. (NGWCC) is growing and we are excited about our growth. We will hold our organizational conference call in May and would like to have our Board of Directors and Task Forces ready to launch. Our goal is to build a membership base that includes members from every state as well as international representation. Our success is determined by your involvement, commitment, and interest in being a part of the change needed for girls and women of color worldwide. Accordingly, we are seeking Chairs to lead the following Task Forces:
Open Task Forces
Art
Education – Higher Education
Fundraising
Mentoring
Career & Professional Development
Research
STEM
Global
E-Newsletter (new)
NGWCC Journal (new – The Task Force Chair will serve as Editor-in-Chief)
Women of Color Living Life Fabulous at Fifty 