Double Portion Inspiration

It is almost Summer and many families have booked their 2021 vacation. I visited my mom for Mother's Day and I could tell by the traffic on the highways, people are already traveling. It was a beautiful moment to surprise my mom on Mother's Day weekend by bringing her sister to surprise her. They had not seen each other in 15 months. I sat on Mother's Day reflecting that a year ago this type of family reunion wasn't possible because of the pandemic. What a difference a year makes! In our home we've been celebrating many birthday milestones. I picked a perfect beach cottage for us to finally get away. We like to keep it simple, just have fun at the beach. Before vacation, I get so excited thinking about what I want to do each day. I'm cautious now not to make ANY plans. You can pack numerous activities into your vacation and come back needing a vacation from the vacation.  The only vacation plan we had was to visit the beach everyday. Well the first two days of...

 As a young girl I remember being afraid to speak in public. I was an introvert. People would describe me as quiet and shy all during my childhood. My sister, Renee, on the other hand was always an extrovert. She is outgoing and can strike up a conversation with ANY stranger.  My mom would put us in oratorical contest where we would recite poems in front of hundreds of people (SCARY). She would also volunteer us to read scripture during youth Sunday church services (SCARY). I did NOT like it. I would have knots in my stomach thinking about speaking in front of all those people. I remember reading the story of Moses in the Bible. He was commanded to tell the big mean king Pharaoh, "let my people go." Imagine being the one given that assignment. Moses came up with many reasons and excuses on why he wasn't the person to go to the king. "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "Oh Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been , and I'm not now, even though...

We all have people in our life that are unlikable. Maybe they are annoying, unpleasant, mean, rude or just overall different than us. Ok, most people won't admit it but we all know people that are unlikable. We also encounter those that live with a different set of values. This unique world, allows our paths to cross with all types of people. We interact with those we like, love, and dislike. That's our reality. This pandemic shows how we are all interdependent on one another. I came face to face (through Zoom) with someone, and we don't share the same values. I was rubbed in all the wrong ways. Now, I naturally can deal with many different personalities but this person was just...I will save that comment to myself. How do you handle interactions with the unlikable? What if the one that's unlikable is in your own family? Again, NO one wants to admit it but it is our reality. We find many reasons and ways to distance ourselves from people, not just geographically but eve...

When was the last time you took the opportunity to dream? Assuming no limitations, what is your wildest dream? How many dreams are buried inside of you? I remember being with a circle of women and the facilitator of the group asked us to complete a homework assignment. The homework was creating a list of 100 dreams. The dreams could be large or small (ex: mailing a card or reading a book uninterrupted). The pace of life often times gets in the way of us dreaming. As kids, I remember daydreaming all the time. During Summer, I would dream of being an educator just like my mom. I would dream of being a pretty princess in a fairytale. The curiosity of children keeps them imagining a different world. I realized with that homework assignment that I didn't even know where to start in listing my dreams. At first, I struggled to write down any dream.  My ability to dream was buried.   It's been buried as I navigate the role of mom, wife, colleague, girlfriend, sister, volunteer, leader...

  A few weeks ago, I shared my cancer journey. Did you get a chance to read it? If not, here's the  link . As a result of the diagnosis and the surgeries that followed, my body was thrust into menopause . It was a shock to my system. Many women I know are either in this season of life or close to it. I wanted to share some of my challenges to let the guys in our life know what the heck is going on.  Just know, this can be a sweet time in a woman's life or it can literally be hell on earth . (Most likely, it's hell on earth).  For simplicity sake, menopause is the time in a woman's life when there is a decline in reproductive hormones. A woman normally reaches menopause in her 40's and 50's.  Ok guys, here's 5 things to remember: She's probably HOT !  Meaning temperature hot. Personally, the hot flashes are the worst part of menopause. It's not just a typical hot either. It's an internal flame that comes out of nowhere and literally stops my abili...

  For years, Roslyn and I have provided inspiration through our blog. It's been a way to bring calm to everyday chaos. Well, we've decided to join our years of business experience and form DPI,LLC ! DPI,LLC  is a high impact consulting firm focusing on leadership training, business strategy and talent management.  It's an opportunity for us to encourage through consulting services for small business owners, corporations and faith based organizations. In this chaotic time, DPI is here to: Take the fear out of starting over Assist organizations pivot during a pandemic Identify your value proposition in the NEW marketplace Equip Executive Leadership & their staff in the area of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Change is inevitable and we want to help you navigate it with innovative solutions! Ways to support us: Visit our website for more information:  https://www.dpi2.com/ Like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/DPI2LLC Follow us on Instagram: ...

The thoughts twirling in my head on any given day in 2020 are random. As I try to process the amount of information and news to stay informed it can lead to anxious thoughts and nervousness. Sometimes the largest battle in our life isn't happening externally (outside world) it's happening internally (inside us). Our smiles and normal demeanor can hide the true feelings rattling around in our brain. We mask (no pun intended) how we really feel thinking no one has the time to truly listen.  WHO wants to hear us complain?  I hear people say reach out to someone if you are struggling, but honestly most often that someone is too captivated with their own day to day living. How do we stop the self defeating and anxious thoughts? What do we do after we've reached out to someone and we feel the same way? With each passing day in 2020, there is more and more to frighten us. I'm learning (not there yet) to sit still. This might be the hardest part of my day, sitting still.  I si...

I know this is shocking news especially since my oldest son is already 20 years old. If I had to do it all over again I would want a sweet newborn that would sleep through the night, not have allergies and not have to deal with asthma or multiple ear infections. CLEARLY - not possible!!  Babies are full of life and innocence. We don't get to choose their temperament. We are designed to parent and love our children NO matter what. As parents, we learn life lessons of being adaptable and vulnerable. Having a newborn in the house is humbling and complex. Everyday we learn about them and also about ourselves. Most likely this year we've wished for a more perfect world. A world that wouldn't have a global pandemic. A world with more employed workers. A world without poverty or social and political unrest. Unfortunately, that's NOT our reality now. How will we RESPOND when our situation isn't changing? Our RESPONSE is the one thing we can control. We can always choose h...

Kelly and I are different. She's Canadian and I'm American. We have worked together and we refuse to focus on our differences. Kelly is a #1 best selling international children's author. You can find her book on Amazon. I read her book OFTEN . I am honored to have her as our guest blogger today.  Kelly discusses strength she's discovered while raising a daughter with facial differences. You never know where inspiration will strike; for me, it was a train ride into the city of Toronto. I was sitting there drinking my morning tea when it came to me; all the situations that we've encountered had one thing in common. We taught her to introduce herself when someone was staring. When my daughter was born, we didn't know that she had Treacher-Collins Syndrome or had ever heard of it. The moment I met my little girl, it changed my life for the better. I took one look and said this little girl is going to change the world. I realized I wanted to be a part of changing it...

The ground underneath us is MOVING. Can you feel it? This is truly the year of TRANSITION . If you feel that you are not grounded or you are unsettled in your spirit, that is a normal. Be patient with yourself through this process. While you are being patient, STRAP on because this ride through 2020 will continue to have turbulence. We've become so accustomed to our norms and when they are shattered we feel a roller coaster of emotions. If you are experiencing self defeating thoughts, a sad heart, confusion, anger, sadness, etc. it is a part of being in a world that's constantly evolving. We must learn how to sit in the seat of uncertainty . We also have to teach our children how to sit in the seat of uncertainty. I was reminded on Sunday that GOD is my anchor when life feels like a merry go round. This is the moment to wrap your life in the arms of God's security. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into Go...

Many times we limit our ability to be provided for by only the paycheck earned with a job or side hustle. We narrow our focus to only look at money in a bank account as a gauge of provision. God can provide beyond our wildest desires. I am on a mission to grow a " victory garden" . Victory gardens were grown during the recession as a way to sustain families. My victory garden is being grown to commemorate the chaotic year of 2020. I forever want to remember this moment in history. I've researched, watched YouTube videos and went to purchase the items needed, but really didn't want to make the investment yet . Yesterday, I started out for my morning run and a miracle was right in front of me. My neighbor was THROWING AWAY 2 bags of unused potting soil and variety of clay pots. Many of the pots had the tags on them. He had never used them. It's exactly what I needed to start my victory garden. PROVISION IN POTS Now it may seem trivial to get this excit...

How are you navigating these uncertain times? Does your heart constantly feel sad? Are you feeling that life is out of control? Are you extremely tired? Have you lacked motivation to get out of bed? Are you having restless nights of sleep? Are you experiencing heart palpitations? Are you walking through grief? If you are anything like the majority of Americans and me, you've had shifts in your mood and emotions on a daily basis. Keeping up with the ever evolving COVID19 updates, being a caregiver, learning the new "rules" to go back to work, being unemployed, loss of a loved one or even dealing with small children while working from home can add to our anxiety levels. Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans suffer with mental illness?  I found a great  resource to help me research a local therapist in my own area. Mental health matters . If you've been feeling like you are having some tough days because of isolation reach out to someone for a virtu...

In these unprecedented times most people are feeling that life is out of control. In fact, 80% of voters feel this way. One person I spoke with said, "I wake up every morning with a sad heart." I've come to realize that some of the greatest progression in history comes during times of chaos and commotion. We have certainly entered a time that has an all new normal. Simple activities like grocery shopping and getting a haircut require a new process. In our quest to make sense of what's going on, imagine the conversations in homes with children, teenagers and young adults. In the midst of adversity, humanity collectively feels unsettled with all that is happening in our world and communities. Each day we wake up, we face a new set of fears and worries. Trouble seems to be pressing in and we are fighting to find the JOY of each day. How do we keep moving forward ? How do we stop the self defeating thoughts in our minds? When grieving and sadness become as common as...

Can you believe this was the advice that I gave to a small business owner facing a large hurdle? JUST DON'T CARE ! There are moments in our life that we handle with great care and concern. There are other times when we have to release and surrender away the worry and anxiety. I noticed very quickly that I was spending a large potion of time digesting the fast pace news stories regarding the pandemic. The virus was changing and mutating so quickly the guidelines given seemed obsolete before they were released to the public. We were bracing for a storm that had no "time of arrival". I JUST DON'T CARE ! I am intentional to protect myself and others while I am out in public. I will act as a respectful citizen, but I don't have to hang on every negative news story to feel safe. Psalm 91:11 reminds me that angels have charge over my life. I realized that ingesting all that information was becoming a source of anxiety. When you are faced with situations and e...

Is it over yet?  Has this all been a bad dream?  Will I wake up and life will return to normal?  Will I be able to go to the mall again? NOPE, not a bad dream. This is REALITY!  It's been a rolling change but we have entered a brand new way of living. 2020 has ushered in a new era. A new level of sensitivity to frailty. It has also expanded our level of understanding how connected we are as a globe. It's not us vs them. It doesn't matter if you are a parent in Spain, Bangladesh or the U.S., you are trying to figure out the best way to protect your family from COVID19. I'm adapting to this "new world" by learning breathing exercises to help cope with stress. I notice that certain conversations, social media post or news stories can start my heart beating faster. In my head I think that I'm calm. My outward demeanor is relaxed and tranquil.  My inward body tells a much different story. Lessons From A Retainer Unfortunately, I had to star...

It's been 8 weeks. Eight weeks of a solitude think tank for me. Eight weeks of being at home. Eight weeks of seeing my world quickly evolve. I don't think any experiences in our life are wasted. I believe it serves a higher purpose. I've heard many people say that God is trying to tell us something. Well, He certainly has my attention. The collective breath of humanity will persevere through this moment. Some people will come out stronger, some battered, some with scars and there will be some still wondering what the heck is going on. What are you learning through this process? What life lessons will you take away from this moment in history? I truly believe in the midst of this chaos God will provide clarity .  Clarity to know who God is. Clarity to know how strong we are in Him. Clarity to know our families more intimately. Clarity to know all the "busyness" of life is actually quite distracting. Clarity to understand what matters most....

As I write this, it's Easter. For the first time on Easter, I've attended church and experienced communion on FaceBook Live. It was nice to gather in my own home with not only my physical family but also my church family. It's been quite a long time that I've dressed for church without wearing Spanx. 😁 There was a beautiful garden and an empty tomb. There was a prophecy declared (Isaiah 53) and prophecy fulfilled. But there was also weeping, sadness, confusion, doubt, fear and grieving on that first Easter Sunday. Mary Magdalene came and found an empty tomb. It was reason to celebrate yet she was confused wondering what happened to the missing body of Jesus. And they said to her, " Woman, why are you weeping ?" ~ John 20:13 NASB Why was Mary weeping? The empty tomb was a sign of a promise fulfilled. In light of all of the emotions that day, the disciples and Mary forgot the promise that Jesus gave about his death but also his resurrection . ...

The sound of this global pandemic is SILENCE .  Sports Arenas - Silent Restaurants - Silent Schools - Silent Church Buildings - Silent Parks - Silent Playgrounds - Silent Barber Shops - Silent Libraries - Silent There is a wave of SILENCE sweeping across our world. I truly believe this "GLOBAL PAUSE" has been provided for a reason. As my dear sister told me, we are having a Ctrl-Alt-Delete moment. It's time to hit the RESET button on our lives. When you stop and think about it, we are grieving . I am hoping the word grief helps me understand my MOOD swings. One moment I am fully confident and the next I feel other emotions like sadness and anger. Grief looks different for all of us. But grief will always bring out raw emotions. That's why I keep saying to myself - be PATIENT. We could be grieving the liberty of going to work. We could be grieving the freedom of dropping our children at daycare. We could be grieving the liberty of go...

I wasn't created for this. Feeling isolated from the world is a humbling experience. From the moment I was conceived, I had another human with me. God knew my limitations by providing an identical twin sister to always be by my side. In 2020, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays & graduations all looks different because of quarantine guidelines. As the number of days increase for the "shelter in place" mandate, we miss the liberties of "normal". HOW many of us are desperate for a hair cut or just hair color? We will ALL soon be embracing our gray hairs. What is NORMAL these days, is the ability to feel a myriad of emotions from fright, fear, anxiety, confusion, anger, discouragement, and loneliness. Don't try and push those feelings away. Don't suppress them. Be honest about how you feel. Although feelings are NOT facts , they ARE there for a reason. Not dealing with the reality of our feelings can lead to us pushing them down. Negative fe...

Our world is changing right before our eyes. We are now, more than ever, aware of the fragility of our world. The systems that we've put our security in are collapsing around us. Our grocery stores shelves are empty, malls are closed, sports are shut down, churches & synagogues are closed, schools are closed and our financial investments are plummeting in value. In all candidness, I have been discouraged . What about you? The sound of this virus has been SILENCE . Main avenues through downtown are empty. Broadway is empty, libraries and movie theaters are empty. The sound of silence and the unknown leaves us feeling more vulnerable than ever. I am learning like many of you, to keep my social media time to a minimum and watch the news only when necessary. I'm learning how to plug into the blessings that are all around me as our world goes through a GLOBAL PAUSE . We've asked for more time to get things done - now we have it. We've asked for more time with our...