LiveSisterLive is living life like it never mattered more and on less!

Dear Sister,

I'm going to be living my life like it matters more than it ever has in my life for the next 11 months and invite you to take the journey with me. My life is  packed and looking forward to my new way to live.   

My first stop on my itinerary is to get my finances in order and using Michelle Singletary's  and Deborah Owens' books to navigate part of my way.  These two sisters have books that are  packed with information on how to manage your money matters.

Michelle's book is 21 Days to Prosper. I love this book and all the wisdom and advice it offers from a biblical and practical perspective.  God, I know you're listening, so please help this sister get through the spending  fast that Michelle outlines. Help me to be consistent and stay away unnecessary spending for the next 21 days.

By the way, my husband doesn't know what's ahead yet.  I surprise him tonight. I know my husband will be happy but you know he's going to look at me with skepticism. I know it will make a difference in both of our lives but truth be told he's the more frugal one.

Deborah's book, the Power of the Purse, goes hand in hand with  Michelle's as she advances me to the world of investments, retirement and other make money work for you advice. 

I confess that right now, I am looking about my home wondering what I need to order, buy or get right now before I have to put a freeze on my purse and wallet.

What matters? I can do this. I can use what I have. I think I can, I think I can...

State of You: More from the State of Union for the State of Your Life

Knowledge is still powerful (that is if you use it)!

Dear Sisters,

What  matters?  Getting all the information you can and more on what the government is doing that could impact your living. Don't just get it; use it.

Want more on what President Obama's State of the Union speech contains that if implemented could change or impact your life?

Here's a summary of other updates in the text of the US President's Speech. Given LiveSisterLive has a global audience, if you are outside the US, also pay attention to what's happening. We are in a global world where one country's  intiatives often are also occuring in other countries.


Equal Pay for You. The President talked about getting more serious about equal pay laws that impact women and the pay they receive for work.


Education & Resources for Your Finances: The President commented, we need to make sure consumers and middle-class families have the information they need to make financial decisions. Message for us is that we need to stay informed about what decisions are being made of will be made.

Help to Pay for Yours or Your Child’s Education: In college? Here’s what the President said that could impact the costs you pay: Instead, let's take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants. And let's tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years -- and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college

Tax Credits for You: Look at what the President say you may get: That's why we're nearly doubling the child care tax credit, and making it easier to save for retirement by giving access to every worker a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg. That's why we're working to lift the value of a family's single largest investment -- their home.

Refinancing Assistance for Your Home: The President stated this year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages. And it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle-class families that we still need health insurance reform.

Look at your home mortgage situation, if you own a home, so that you can determine if it’s time to rethink what you’re paying can change your payments

Programs to Improve Your Children’s health: Weight problems are not just an adult issue. The President announced that First Lady Michelle Obama will launch a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier.

Don’t ignore your children’s health problems, given it can affect so many areas of their life the quality of life they will live as they move into adulthood.

Improved Civil Rights for You: The President talked of expanded efforts to stop and penalize hate crimes and other related violations. He also talked about other civil rights protections.

Health Care for You: The President reemphasized the work underway to ensure heath care is available to all.

Remember, knowledge is only as powerful as you use it!

More on the State of Union and the State of You…

Excerpts from 2 of several emails our State of You series…

Thank you LiveSisterLive for creating such a catchy series on the STATE of You and the STATE of the Union. I never thought about relating the State of the Union to the state of me. I’m going to get my state together --- G.C. , looking for a new state of me in Virginia

 I’m hurting and truly need some reform or someone to do something. I watched the state of the union and the president for the first time in a new way. I kept asking myself, okay sis, watch what’s in it for you… T.F. Florida

Dear Sisters,

What matters? The more action you take the more you can change the state of you.

Thank you for the positive messages and an idea that really was driven from women  like each of you who are looking for change. If you know me, you know my emphasis on  focusing on the "state of you" not someone else's state. Do yourself a favor, don't compare where you are to where someone else is or isn't. We want to help you improve your own state and your own life matters.

Again, thanks for all of the positive feedback on kicking off  the State of the Union and State of You (and more on it through the year). It’s what we’re about at LiveSisterLive, helping you to live life like it matters no matter what state you feel you’re in.

Just yesterday: Another sister commented, I never would have thought to tie my life to the state of the union. I replied to her, everything in this life and world can affect the state of us…

For now, let's discuss three major things we heard that could be good for improving the STATE OF YOU from the STATE OF THE UNION:

1. Job Creation & continued Extension of Unemployment benefits: The President stated that “ One in 10 Americans still cannot find work.”

If you are out of work, ensure you are taking advantage of unemployment benefits. I’ll be doing a series on how to get the most out them and the things you may not know. If you do have a job, pay attention where job creation is occurring that could create a new opportunity for you if you are considering a move. Also, if you have a job pay attention to where the layoffs may occur and be aware of how it could impact you.

2. New Small Business Credit: If you have a small business and looking for relief the President also proposed taking 30 billion dollars of the money banks on Wall Street banks have repaid the government to help give small businesses credit. This is one we will continue to pay close attention to and share information on life matters for those in business.

3. Education Reform. Parents ensure your children are getting best education, including looking at science, engineering, math and technology. Our girls are especially behind in this area. Look at how well your country is excelling in what are called the STEM professions.

The President discussed Congress must take actions to help our schools but we have to find ways to help improve the education of our children. He specifically called out the need for colleges and universities to reduce costs and a focus on community colleges. If you want education for you or your children, community colleges are an institution to watch and consider having your children attend. More on this in future blogs.



More of what we heard for the State of You tomorrow, focused on financial recovery, children and obesity and more…

In my book, WorkSisterWork, I have a chapter focused on preparing for bad times while you’re having good times. Do your state a favor:  Let’s work together to prepare for what’s ahead and get all of us in a better place and state!

State of You: Why Do Women Stay

“Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment” – Marsha Sinetar


What matters? Sometimes instead of staying we need to learn how to start over.

I am happy that  John Edwards' wife found her state of resillience and is not remaining in a situation that does not allow her to heal. The media has portrayed  her life descending, pinned down by the hurt of infidelity.  This week something new is happening and she no longer stays where her disappointment lives. She appears to have found her freedom plan and to be putting her life back in order.  It takes a lot of courage to walk away from any situation when you really want to stay.

Throughout my life, I've wondered why we do it, why we stay. Some women stay stuck in a relationship that holds their heart hostage. Some women stay planted in jobs that don’t allow us to flourish. Some convince ourselves that we need the money more than we need to go somewhere. Even in friendship and other harmful relationship ties we can refuse to break free of people.

My mother also says many women stay lacking courage, options or alternatives. Fear of the unknown, she says, may keep a woman enclosed in the situations that bind her. Lack of resources also can keep a woman's  life in captivity. And when emotions have us feeling unraveled, we don’t build escape plans for our life or find a new route to our joy and our happiness. A few of us, too, are going through life with the pain of the past and other secrets that also seem to stay and not let go of us.  No one sees that you want to get away in spite of the reasons you stay.


 What's the state of you? What are you staying in and should you come out? Are you a women who stays when you can't find your way? It's time to give the state of you a new day and to start life a new way.

The State of You

Women and girls make up one half of the human resources available to the world and it will be imperative that they are educated, empowered and integrated for a rapid economic recovery" -- Saadia Zahidi,

I'm watching US President Obama who will give the annual state of the union address, covering the condition of our nation. The state of the union is a time for a country's leader to discuss the nation's agenda, building a case for change, priorities and other ways to address the country's major problems.

What matters?  The state of your life and the impact of the economy on it.

Don't listen for the politics. Have your ears  open wide to hear how the state of the world is affecting a woman's world. The state of the  economy has not bypassed us and for some it's consumed the security of our life. Time to get more economic education and fuel your empowerment plan.  Our living has a lot at stake these days. The economy has not been kind to many of us, and we are feeling deficits in jobs, money, our investment and more.


 I don't know what you're going to do, but  here's what I am doing right now while I watch  President Obama  give his address. I'm going to use the time to figure out  my own plan for addressing the state of my  life matters. I need to define my own stimulus plan and definitely need to reset  my  priorities.
 
If you were watching your tv tonight, remember that what you watched is about your life too. Consider the state of you, the state of your mind, the state of your circumstances and life and get out of the spectator seats.  Your life, no matter what the government does, can only be changed best by you.

Stay informed about your life matters. Read all the transcripts, watch the state of union again (not for politics sake, but for the sake of your life).


Tomorrow: the State of You: What's Your Response, Sister?


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Oprah May Have Gayle, but I Have My Sisters & Sisterfriends

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. -- Barbara Alpert

What matters? Every woman deserves someone in her life who will accept her as she is and see what she  can become.

Oprah may have Gayle, but I have my sisters and sisterfriends.

Who wants to go through life without that good heart to heart,  woman to woman, deep down soul searching conversation? Remember Whoopie Goldberg and Angela Bassett's friendship in Stella Got Her Groove? Who doesn't want a good sisterfriend who will walk alongside you sharing the most important moments of your lifetime?  Remember the Joyluck Club,  Dream Girls, Waiting to Exhale, My Sister's Keeper and shall I continue and name every movie that centered on sisters or women  and our friendships?

We all need the sister in our life who can reach emotional levels at the same height as ours, go toe to toe with us , even stop speaking to us and  then love us again like nothing ever happened. We all need a sister who will  sit in the audience of our life cheering us  on no matter what's going on. Yes, we need someone whose sleeve  or dress will be our kleenex when there are no tissues to be found or a day when we feel like we can no longer hold on.

My sisters and  sisterfriends see all my possibilities and what I can't see in me. They also discover what I have not yet discovered in me. On what I call  my bad days, they don't see ugly when my hair's uncombed, there's a run in my hose, or I'm dressed down. They laugh with me, pray with me, cry with me and pull for me. They accept our diversity and allow for our differences.

If you don't have one, get one or forgive one.  A good sister and/or sisterfriend will do your life good and even balance you out.  Mine are  the  soundboard of my life, at times hitting me up with the truth, even when  I don't want it.   They are great turn signals, too, directing me to turn left when right is not the best way to steer what's driving me.

A Fairytale Life Isn't All About the Happy Ending

As a child, I loved children's stories that ended with and they all lived happily after.

What matters? Life isn't always happy but it doesn't mean you can't find happiness in life.

Grab a copy of a fairytale.    Cinderella didn't lead a life of total joy.  That sister had the stress of family relations on the road to meeting her prince. Snow White might have been running from her problems but she still found a way to have good times.  Sleeping beauty dealt with the stress of someone's jealousy but kept her eye on her goal.  Rapunzel had all that hair but grew up with the stress of living in bondage and at the mercy of another. She didn't cave in to sadness or give up on life. She turned her limited resources into a tool to move her out of her situation. Alice in Wonderland fell down a hole but didn't stay stuck there. She had to figure out her direction but too found a new way to live. In the Princess and the Frog, Tiana dreams of life beyond her circumstances and finds a better life.

Forget about the happy endings and rushing to what you think are life's happy destinations.  You'll get to that dream you desire but you may have to go through something to get there. 

Studies say not all stress is bad, but if any  comes your way in life, learn from the Fairytales.  Use your resources,  dream about what you want, enjoy the life you're in, and keep your eye on your goal.

Then, Sister, may you live happily ever after.

Take Up Your Position

Oh what a fabulously beautiful, wonderful, great morning I had this morning. My spirit was on a high today, as I got up taking charge of my day telling myself it is going to be a good, no GREAT week for a GREAT LIFE!!!! No blues were allowed to rise with me. The only blue I allowed was in the blueberries in the pancakes I made my husband and me for breakfast.

What matters? Positioning you for a GREAT LIFE

Everybody has something that gives their spirit a lift and to get them going. Yours may be a cup of joe or the wii, but for me, I first kick off my day with God , devotions and conversation about life matters.

This morning I focused on 2 Chronicles 20, for not just me but sisters who I know are struggling with what to do when we're in a battle or feeling hopeless.  We all get hit with one every now and then. Some of you might be talking back  to this blog saying, LiveSisterLive, my life is a struggle every day or I am in a battle right now or in this moment. Read on sister, I have something for you too.

What I loved about today's Word  is a verse from 2 Chronicles 20:17: Take up your position, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. I found myself thinking, "ready, aim and in position."

Whatever you believe, you also have to decide what you’re for,  be in position and ready for anything you want to happen in your life. You also have to be unmoveable, see what you want, aim  for it and go for it.

7 ways I  Spiritually Position Me to Get A Handle On a Struggle with A Life Matter:

- I stand before God and keep my eyes on Him

- I trust that no matter what I’m going through God will fight my battle if I let Him

- I try to stay encouraged no matter how large the problem seems

- I remind myself that what matters most is that God has all the power, will grant me success and give me what others may try to withhold from me

- I praise God for what He has already done and how he has kept me

- I thank God for what He is doing that I can’t even see

- I know that what concern me matters to God!

Other practical  actions I put in place to overcome a struggle in me or outside of me:

- I talk to a friend and rely on my support systems
- I walk, and I need to keep exercising
- I practice deep breathing
- I go get a massage on occasion
- I consider and analyze the situation to figure out the  best route to a solution
- I explore all my options and other resources


I am Aiming for my goals and  in Position and Ready for all the Great Things coming my way…Are you in position for you and to take on every one of your life matters?

Strengthening Our YOUNG Sisters

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. - Titus 2:3

What matters?  Teaching and reaching out to our younger sisters.

I'm very blessed. I have one biological niece and the blessing of  friends whose daughters are truly my nieces too. Recently,  I thought about all my nieces and started developing letters of encouragement to begin sending to them throughout 2010. I want to teach my nieces how to live a good life.

Each is different and all have very unique, wonderful qualities that can give them their best life.  There is so much that we as women can do to help our younger sisters and to build them up. When my youngest sister was getting married I spent time with her teaching her how to cook; she now is one fabulous cooking sister. She already had natural abilities that I knew would make her an iron chef.

Some of our sisters who are a part of the LiveSisterLive community are in college and need our strength and positive teaching. We can give them something good by sending a letter to cheer them on at final's time or during a time when school just isn't what they think it should be. They may also need a care package or a card that says someone is thinking of you. Some of our young sisters are in high school, like my God daughter, who may need a call from time to time or a way to let them know they matter too.  A first time young mother could also use our support if we have mothered children. A working young sister may need a listening ear or courage to pursue a career or business of her own. Sometimes our youngest sisters just need us to be there.

LiveSisterLive is all about helping women of every age live a life that matters and getting our life matters in order not just for ourself but each other.  What could matter most today is a young sister who needs someone to walk alongside her in life.

This coming week, do something that shows a  young sister she's worth it and she matters (because she does ).

What Are You Going to Do About It?

How many times in your life have you complained or shared that something in your life is not right or you wish it would change. Over dinner and for hours with a friend, she complained, "I'm so tired of this situation. I don't know how  much more I can take." The friend listened and then responded, "So, What are you going to do about it?"

What matters?  Stop the talking and do something about the things that are not right in our life.

Like a lot of women, I can have a lot to say to others when something's not right in my life.  I've had my share of don't know what to do or I can't do this anymore  attitudes. I have also slept my way through my troubles rather than move me out of them.

Sisters, it's okay to talk about that problem but remember most problems in  life won't change until you decide what you will do about them.

Right now, let's put some doing into action. Get a sheet of paper and find a pen.  Write down one thing that has your life in a hold pattern or that has become an emotional drama. Create your "what I'm going to do about it list." If it's about a person in your life, your doing may be about stepping away, walking away or staying  away for right now. If it's about the job, your "what I'm going to do list" may be to get a mentor, talk to HR, or look for a new job.

Whatever you are facing right now in your life,  don't stand still. Doing nothing is not an option for a situation that has you stuck in neutral.  Even a doctor will tell you a sedentary lifestyle works against you.

Get Doing, Sister, Get Doing!

What Lies Within Us

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What matters? Not necessarily the size of your body but what lies within you.

The news was popping yesterday and today with a story about how a woman's chances of getting diabetes type 2 are reduced if her derriere (backside) is big. It got my attention and I gave mine a second look laughing with my husband and telling him, wow, I've found its special purpose.

As a sister on LiveSisterLive talked about the story's  "behind the scenes"  benefits and others doubted how much substance there is to the story I had more questions.  One was what's the deeper story behind diabetes and the size of one's rear?

Here are some behind the scenes facts.  More research has to be done, since the ones that were big were the rears of the mice in the study. The researchers explained fat, for instance, may be good in the rear or thighs but not in your tummy.

Want more truths to this matter? Pay attention to the real "but" in the story.  Your rear can be pretty big BUT if your  tummy hangs over your waistline your risk of diabetes just went up again. Your thighs may be broad and your hips wide, BUT if you don't do something about what's getting inside and lying in you, the sizes of your rear, your thighs or hips won't matter.

Let's prevent diabetes by rethinking the size of our plates and what's feeding our health. Fast foods, fried foods, too many sweet foods living within us may hurt our blood levels, clog our arteries, feed cancer cells and even build fat that will cause the cartilage in our bones to be worn out and worn down.  Your mental health also plays a role so think about what may be eating your life.

Remember, there's a lot more to getting healthy then the fullness of what's behind you.

Become A Woman of Awareness

Dictionary.com defines awareness 2 ways:

1. having knowledge; conscious; cognizant: aware of danger.
2. informed; alert; knowledgeable..
 
What matters? Being knowledgable and being self-aware
 
Awareness doesn't just do a women's body good but other areas of her life. A woman of awareness recognizes the job is changing but doesn't wait for someone else to push her career forward. A woman of awareness deals with the recession and learns to live on less and change her spending habits. A woman of awareness knows her children yet shapes them based on their individual differences. A woman of awareness identifies her weaknesses and does something about them. A woman of awareness can also admit her own mistakes and the opportunity to learn from her past.  A woman of awareness understands the power of her tongue and the influence of her words. 

Women who stay aware are in touch with their bodies, are conscious of its changes. Being aware catches problems before they catch up to you. I had thyroid disease but wasn't aware of what a goiter was doing to my windpipe.  I kept watching it grow until til it began to move my windpipe to the side. I had an initial delay, but then did my homework, gained knowledge of thyroid disease, took steps to address what could have become a life threatening condition.

Awareness doesn't come without knowledge or the wisdom of others. It also doesn't come if you choose to close your eyes to the truth that is in front of you.
 
Are you aware of what's happening in your life? Do yourself a favor today, take extra steps today to become a woman of awareness. Gain knowledge. Be conscious of your life. Stay congnizant of anything that threatens you, your balance, your health, your spirit or your peace of mind.

Insecurity Tells Lies

What matters? How you feel about yourself.

She’s asked how she feels and responds “I feel very plastic.”

I’m sitting in front of the tv watching reality star Heidi Montag explaining why she underwent 10 rounds of plastic surgery in one day and how she feels after another round of surgery.

Feeling plastic is an understatement. I wonder how far a woman should go to change herself.  I look at the tv again and admit she’s attractive, but I still wonder why she did it and for who. I also don’t believe her list of reasons that she's serving the interviewer. She must know she is cutting out and stretching the truth as much as her skin has been stretched and cut in multiple parts of her body.

Heidi and over 12 million people, mostly women, underwent plastic surgery in 2008.  The fastest growing segment of women making their appointments at the plastic surgeon’s table are Asian women followed by African American women.

I study the host of the show, along with the eyes of the cameras. He and the cameras appear to be finding it difficult to not roam to places where the surgeon injected some body extras. I'm still wondering why and how far a woman should go to change herself.

Insecurity will lie to a woman and make it look like its helping us. It will  tell us we are not enough, what we have is not enough, and who’s in our life is not enough. It’s effects will have us chasing the wrong career, the wrong dreams, the wrong man, the wrong job, the wrong look and even the wrong kind of money. 

I've made my share of artificial additions in my lifetime: added nails, added hair, added height with high heeled shoes,  added stuff and too much stuff , added color to hide my feelings, added  a "sure I'm okay" additude when I was crying inside and more. At least one time in my life I've added age to get me in doors, but now I'm adding good for my life experiences.  Sometimes I changed because honestly it just felt good, but more often insecurity had lied to me too and was my only catalyst for change.

Security and Secure in God found it's way back to me a long time ago.  I intend to keep it around and hope it finds its rightful place in not only Heidi Montag's life but every sister's life.


http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/2010/01/19/20100119montag.html

Believe You Can Fly

There are miracles in life I must achieve But first I know it starts inside of me (from R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly")

What Matters?  Faith and what you believe.

A woman may cry, "stop it, why are you doing this to me?" except when it comes to what she's doing or believing about her own self. Some of us have the worse self-confidence and do nothing about it.  Yet, it can be as simple as doing some mind gardening and  planting the right thoughts in our head and pulling the wrong ones out.

Life's a head and faith game. Anything we're  going to achieve has to start inside, beginning with the way we think. It's not on others to get us to believe what we can achieve, it's up to us. We've got to get up for us when no one else will. We have to tell our self we look good, even when we don't hear it from someone else.  We've got to talk our own self off the ledge when someone has placed us there. We've got to edit the scripts in our mind that  are making our life seem like we're in someone else's movie.


We owe it to our self to inspire the change we desire, turn up the flame of our faith, and tune into all that is possible. Take this week to make yours a beautiful mind. Stand in the front of your negative attitude and dare it to come near you again.  Believe in you and know that you are deserving of applause. Stand up right now and give your life a standing ovation.

God has given you more than you need to fly. If you feel you can't,  the reason is probably living inside your head.

How Does A Woman Become A Butterfly? (mini excerpt from the 2010 to be released book LiveSisterLive!)

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked pensively."You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." ---Trina Paulus

What matters? Thinking about how women can change and how we must want to change for change to occur. When we started LiveSisterLive (living life like it matters), our first logo showed a woman with a butterfly, not chasing it or showing it getting away.

It showed her hand open and the butterfly upon her as if bringing her forward to her dreams.  While it has transformed from logo to our LiveSisterLive symbol it serves as a reminder that a woman can transform her life if she is willing to take the time, give up something, grab something better, and change the way she is living.
 
I've always loved Trina Paulus' butterfly quotation and how women can apply it to our life matters. If  we want to keep our financial life alive we must be willing to give up something to bring our financial matters in order.  If we want to keep our relationship life alive, we too must be willing to give up anything that is in its way.  This applies to our spiritual, personal, health, wellness, social, parenting, career and any other life matters that encompass a woman's life.
 
Sometimes what can elevate our situation and enable us to fly is our will and commitment to give up what can't transform our life in the same way a caterpillar does to become a butterfly.
 
So how Does a Woman Become A Butterfly?
 
We must first become like caterpillars.  Eat to grow and not just food. Nourish your life matters with the abundance of resources that are available to us from here, to where we live, to who we know. Shed too, Sister, like the caterpillar.  Let go of what's keeping down the areas of your life. Remove anything in your life's way.
 
 
Throughout the stages of life,  the caterpillar takes time to live in a cocoon, a place to be still and undergo positive change in its process of transformation and becoming a butterfly. When its new wings and beautiful life first emerge, it's vulnerable and  not yet ready to fly.  Its wings must be strong and then take shape before flying.
 
Change can make us vulnerable but doesn't have to make us weak. Take time for you and transform your own life matters. You, too, my sister are like a butterfly.  You are stronger than you think and can transform your life matters, fly high and live a great, big, beautiful life!

How do you begin your  life matters journey? to be continued in LiveSisterLive! Living Life Like It Matters (2010 publishing year)

7 Ways to Hopeful Living

What matters? As women, it's often an issue of the heart. Situations like the ones that are playing out in Haiti stress our emotions and can even leave us feeling broken or broken hearted.  When we break, we disband hope and shake up our belief system and its sound system becomes negative noise. 

Some of us will turn on hope when it appears to vanish from us.  Feelings of helplessness also cause hope's prominence in our life and promise of something more than what we see to dim its light during times like these. 

What should we do to strengthen our hope?

1. Believe that in spite of all that is happening hope still exists
2. Ignore the voice of discouragement
3. Hold on to faith even when it gets faint
4. Never give up on what you cannot reach the first time
5. Know there is value in waiting
6. Consider in possibility always lives what is possible
7. Trust in something greater than you, God

Fishing for Hope in Haiti

What matters? I can't sleep.

CNN has become my night light. Lately I am a net, catching words and stories from the news of Haiti. I am drawn to fishing for people stories that can reel in lessons of holding on to faith and the importance of not throwing faith away.

Today, my writing rod fills my blog with what the  media calls hopeful stories.  I gather the ones that tell of individuals who found someone they thought was gone. I watch with joy as one of the tiniest survivors cries out below the brick and underneath the mortar, telling her rescuers life is not over for all, reminding me of a  mother having just given birth.

Joy also fills my net when a friend or a stranger on Facebook posts contact has been  made with friend or family in Haiti. I am kept awake by every joyful story.

I cannot sleep, but I am not alone. I have many fishing rods by my side: my remote, the internet, and many different channels. They take me to places that have awakened the importance of not taking life for granted.

I am fishing for hope underneath the waters of sorrow and grief. I am hooked on survivors but I don't cast away the life that was lost. Life lost deserves its memories and is my teacher too.

I am fishing for reminders that no matter what life takes you through, as women, we must remind our self that life can still go on.

Living with All I've Got, All I Have

What matters? As I watch the news stories about Haiti, the scenes and pictures grab my emotions. Yes, I'm an emotional woman.

They invite with compassion tears down my face.  My ears sit up, though, and my heart beats attentive to what I hear.

Words like: fear, grief, heartbreak, down, dead, destroyed, rubble, gather inside my mind. I wonder what I can do that will matter to those who now live with what is no longer. On CNN, they show brief interviews of people sharing, showing and stating, "Look, this is all I've got."    Those words stay housed in my head, but not lightly.

I hear one anchor telling other stories of all they have to remember.  All is not an abundance of things, but perhaps a single picture or some small token of those who are now gone.

I watch hope in the face of a little girl who does not know the freedom we know because she is pinned underneath the rubble and many are trying to free her.  All she has are two free hands and half her body above the boulders that hold her legs down. I imagine how her mother must feel. I pray she will live and that no matter what she has God.

Tomorrow, if not today, think about Haiti. Think about all you've got, all you have when you think you don't have enough. Think about the little girl pinned down but through her tears holding on to hope.

Back to Work Emotions

What matters?  Many women have put the vacation behind and looking in the closet of tomorrow. It hangs reminders of the work we left behind and the end of our days off.

Let's do ourselves a favor. Let 's not treat back to work like a backache that causes us to bend over in pain. Turn tomorrow into less of a struggle. Look at the good in going back to work. You have a job.  If you have a great coworkers think about that. Look at the papers and think about the number of people who don't have what you have, a J O B.

Make tomorrow a great day by thinking about great positive things.  Dress to make you feel good tomorrow. Go to work with that winning attitude.

You are great, you matter, and you matter to God.  There's opportunity coming to your door. Open it and say Welcome!

Putting Super to the Side & My Goals on a One A Day Plan

What matters?  We've forgotten to create a "My day" for us. Women are still supersizing ourselves with no space for rest. We're superwomen, supersisters, supermoms,  superwives, superdaughters, superworkers, superlovers, supersisters, supergivers, supersiblings and have superlifestyles.  Yet, we wonder why we're tired! 

Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest, but has become the pre-work day.  I'm still up for other reasons, but my mind is on fast forward thinking about tomorrow. I hit my mind's pause button. It feels good. I've decided I'm giving the remainder of the day a rest and sticking to my one day at a time plan.

I look at the calendar and determined to not fall into the trap of the 78% who set resolutions and then fail them. I will not play with resolutions on New Year's,  vacation days or  any holidays, before starting back to work.

One foot is in front of me and one goal at a time too. Going to make this God's goals day and only think about how great the life is that He has give to me. Going to live life at rest, meditate on the Word, eat some chocolate (dark  because it's healthy), and watch a movie on lifetime for no other reason than to be still and relax.

I hope that every women reading this will live life today like it matters for her, and it just might make a difference in her day. 

Count what's good in your life and what really matters. Right now what matters to me is a good night's sleep, but I am grateful for the man I call my wonderful husband who wonders some days if I'm a social media addict (Can I help it if I love information? Afterall, I am the one who read the yellow pages as a kid). 

Goodnight and Good Morning to every sister around the world.  Have A One Day Plan today and please, get some rest and focus on only what matters!

What's Coming Up to help you Live Life Like It Matters?

What matters?  You do, and in 2010 we have a lot lined up for women to Get Living tm!

- Join us online in January (and each month after) as we host Episode 1 of the Live Sister Live internet talk show featuring one of our own life matters experts. In January, spend time with me, LiveSisterLive! Self-Care Coach, Njedeka Wiggins and other life experts.
- Each episode we will discuss and host topics that cover all areas of your living from your health to your wealth and more. We've got LiveSisterLive info, resources and more who will help you get a new do-over for your life. Look ar LiveSisterLive as your LifeSalon TM. Stop  by for regular appointments. Don't just take care of your hair, take care of your life and your life masters.
- I'll share what not to live with  and how to live with tips, resources and more...
- Meet women who are living life, I mean really living life like it matters, on our talkshow.

Our 1st topic?  January is all about helping us live by letting go: "Live Life Better by Letting Go." We are going to have a real life talk about why we hold on to stuff and how to let it go. But don't we as women also struggle with letting go of not just stuff, but bad relationships, shoes that hurt our feet, fears, etc.

For today, Live Life and Live Life Like It Matters (cause you do)

Don't Quit Resolution Makers! Have A Plan & Keep Your Goal list Short.

Went to a workshop on Jumpstarting your goals in 2010.  I took lots of notes but speaker Cheryl Martin helped to remind me that a lot of us, including me, are always jumpstarting our goals but getting no further then writing them down. "Focus" she charges us. She's right. Just like a car, once you get that jumpstart you have got to keep moving and keep your eye on where you're going.

I have made so many promises each year about what I'm going to do and many fall by the way side.

A research study reported by the Guardian stated that :"Of the 78% who failed, many had focused on the downside of not achieving the goals; they had suppressed their cravings, fantasized about being successful, and adopted a role model or relied on willpower alone."  The authors of the study found that those who focus on single goal  with a plan have more success.

This year, I'm keeping it real, getting out of the do too much, supersize my goals mentality, and break my goals down into something more managable.  My goals are going to be focused on one at a time and one day at a time. Even the Bible talks about "tomorrow has enough troubles of its own."  I think more than three goals are too much trouble for me.

Today only, I'm going to just concentrate on the goal of reorganizing home and staying focused on writing.  If I start thinking about too much, I'll be into going back to work on Monday and it's only Saturday. 

Thank you that today is Saturday, and one day at a time is working for me. I have already met my goal to attend a great workshop, do my social media updates, and now finish the organizing.

After that, I'm going to sit back, relax and  an enjoy the living and have a great dinner with my hubby.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/28/new-years-resolutions-doomed-failure