"Graduation Time!"
by Wendy Gladney on 05/13/13
This is graduation season. Over the next several weeks there will be many that will graduate from some level of higher education. From "pre-school" all the way to post graduate degrees including Masters and Doctorates. It's a time to feel proud about your accomplishments, celebrate a milestone in your life and a time to plan next steps.
I remember when my son Freddie was just a wee little boy graduating from a Christian pre-school close to twenty years ago and he was given a little lamb called "fleecy." He loved that little stuffed animal and would play with it all the time. The lamb represented the fact that little ones still needed guidance so they wouldn't go astray. However, it gave him pride because it was a gift that showed he accomplished something, but it also served as a reminder that he still had more to learn.
If you're graduating or accomplishing a goal that you've strived to complete, pause and enjoy the moment, but don't stop there. Keep striving to be the best you can be. Learn as much as you can about the world, your community and the things that you're passionate about. Try to find some sort of reminder (your own "fleecy") that brings a smile to your face and makes you proud, but will also keep you humble and hungry to keep going.
Life is short and none of us know how long we have on this earth. Don't throw your life away by not becoming the best person you can be. The goal is not to compare yourself to others, just to yourself. Learn to be balanced along life's journey, but don't allow yourself to get complacent or lazy. Continue to set goals and review them from time to time to track your progress.
When I was a little girl my grandmother would oftentimes make me do something that I didn't want to necessarily do, such as learn the piano or read another book, but as I look back on my life they became building blocks that provided the foundation on which I stand today. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and one day you will look back and realize you've accomplished more than you ever imagined. Keep going.Congratulations Graduates!!!
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
"Happy Mother's Day"
by Wendy Gladney on 05/06/13
Mother's Day provokes so many emotions. According to statistics it's the busiest day of the year for restaurants and florists. It's the one day that most men and children feel that mothers should relax (I find this hilarious). However, there are many women that feel very lonely and alone on this day.
As a mother of two beautiful children and about to become the mother of three additional children and six grandchildren, my heart is full and I am truly grateful to the Lord from whom all blessings flow. But there are many women who will either never experience the embrace of a child's love, or maybe they're estranged from their children, or they've experienced their children passing way too soon.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in a conference that talked about the importance of loving your life. It was filled with lots of valuable information that women need to embrace to have a full and fruitful life. I want to share a few of the points discussed. Share them with the women you love to help them have a healthier and happier life.
1. Get back to basics
2. Make a healthier lifestyle a priority (start small and increase as you can). Balance exercising and healthy food choices.
3. Drink plenty of water
4. Get plenty of sleep
5. Take your vitamins
6. Make getting check-ups with your doctor a priority (and learn your family's health history)
7. Take care of your teeth and your mouth (I learned that oral hygiene plays a big role in our overall health)
8. Take care of your skin (cleanse, hydrate and protect with sunscreen)
9. Reduce stress as much as possible
10. Be kind to others (we do reap what we sow)
This Mother's Day don't forget to show your mother, grandmother, godmother, and any other woman that's embraced your life to help you be the person you are today. Also be kind and respectful to women that you may know who are childless. Remember point # 10 says we should be kind to others!
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Moving Beyond Tragedy
by Wendy Gladney on 04/22/13
I recently picked up a magazine and one of the headlines read, "Moving Beyond Tragedy." This seems to be a subject on so many lips these days. The word "tragedy" is described as an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime or natural catastrophe. As soon as we read the paper, or turn on the television, or tune into the radio we are hearing about another tragic situation.
Throughout time we've experienced natural or man initiated situations that would make us ask the question...why? Globally, all around the world, each and every day people wake up not knowing what they will have to face during that day. It may be a mother not knowing how she's going to feed her child, or it may be a hurricane or natural disaster that wipes out a family's home, it may be the aftermath of war, or it may be a mentally challenged person that decides to set off a bomb that takes the lives of many innocent people.
In life we will always have situations that present themselves that we don't have control over. The question becomes how do we move and heal through it, how do we help others in their time of need, and how do we give hope for a better future? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said "the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."
Overall humans tend to respond when there's a major crisis (ie: 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, the recent Boston Bombings to just name a few), but our hearts seem to be a bit callous until it hits home. It's the difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy is how we express our feelings when we know someone is hurting, whereas empathy is when we've experienced something in our lives that allows us to understand the other person's pain. When tragedy strikes us personally our perspective changes.
In order to move beyond tragedy, we have to express compassion towards others and embrace them in such a way that lets them know you truly care. As my grandmother would say, we are all either going into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of a storm, either way at one time or another you will experience it. So, in your day to day walk, treat others the way you would want to be treated if you were going through that same situation.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
Steady As You Go!
by Wendy Gladney on 04/15/13
Life is so amazing. It's filled with swift transitions, one day you can be flying real high and you blink and things can change completely. Years ago when I moved to Los Angeles to attend college I was attending a church, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where Dr. E.V. Hill was the pastor. He used to always make a statement "steady as you go. Never get too excited when things are good and never get too sad when things are bad." Basically just ride it out.
I prefaced this week's article with that remark because I'm in a season where things are good. This month Congresswoman Judy Chu presented me with an award as one of her "Women of Distinction." We also just celebrated the Sixth Annual PLUS Awards with Forgiving For Living, where we highlighted the work we do with young women across the Southland, and this coming Saturday, Shining Glory Publications, Inc., is presenting to me the Corporate Community Service Award. I am truly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve. Again, "steady as I go."
I recently read a quote that said, "It's sad when we're standing in the present, but living in the past." I feel this is appropriate to share at this time, because whether we experience good or bad times, we shouldn't keep looking back. If it's good, enjoy but don't rest on your laurels. Keep pushing towards the goal that's set before you. If it's something bad, learn the lesson and then let it go. Don't let it control you in such a way that you get stuck and can't move forward. This too shall pass.
So overall remember at the end of the day, it's not about you, it's about what you do for others that really matters. True wealth is about investing in the lives of the people that cross your path and you have the power to make a difference. Don't let an opportunity of a lifetime pass you by!
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
"Forgiving For Living, Inc., Celebrates 6th Annual PLUS Awards"
by Wendy Gladney on 04/07/13
Saturday, April 13th we will celebrate the 6th Annual Forgiving For Living, Inc., " PLUS Awards" at the Beverly Wilshire: A Four Seasons Hotel. We are excited about all of the changes going on this year as we debut at a new hotel. Forgiving For Living, Inc., has been around since 1999, and this event celebrates the work of the organization and the people we serve. Beyond our Ambassador Program we've now established an on-going program with Jordan Downs and we're expanding in the Inland Empire.
Without the support of companies such as Wells Fargo, Verizon, The California Endowment, Southern California Edison, U.S. Bank, Broadway Federal Bank, NBC 4, Southwest Airlines, L.A. Brotherhood Crusade, Dr. Lauren Walton, all of our auction donors, and everyone that supports this endeavor we couldn't do what we do. Thank you! I also want to thank the individuals who walk with me daily on this journey. To the Mentors that give of themselves to help make a difference in the young ladies we serve, I say thank you. To the young ladies in our program we hope that your life will be better because Forgiving For Living touched you in some way. To my family and the Forgiving For Living Board and Advisory Council thank you for caring about others even when it's not convenient. One of our mottos is: People truly don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. So thank you for caring!
To all of our honorees Julia Cooksey, Director External Affairs, Verizon; Earl "Skip" Cooper, President & CEO Los Angeles Black Business Association; Evelyn "Sparkle" Toliver, School-to-Career Project Director, LA County Office of Education; Gabrielle Thomas, Founder, My Beauty; Attorney Charlene Usher, Usher Law Group; Najee Ali, Community Activist; Jacque Malone, CEO, Musicians in Action; Tammy Tumbling, Director, Philanthropy & Community Investment, Southern California Edison; and Terri Hernandez-Rosales, Vice President Communications & Community Affairs NBC4 Universal. We salute all you for going above and beyond in the communities you serve.
I believe it's up to all of us to make a difference in this world. You have to find your path and don't be afraid to travel on it. We all make mistakes, but get up and dust yourself off and keep going. When your heart is right, and you mean to do the right thing, God will work it out. Strive to do and be your best. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: "Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service." Remember, it's when we help others that we find our help.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.
