Change for a Change!

Singing *in my best Whitney Gilbert voice* "I can change... you can change... we can change... Can I have some change!? Chaaaaannnnngggeeee!! LOL! I love "A Different World" don't you?

I know I have not written anything in a long time. I clearly need to do better and be more consistent with all my endeavors. And thinking about some of my flaws and short comings I was forced to think about one of the biggest milestones that I am about to come across. I'm ALMOST 30!! A month and a half before my 29th birthday, I realize that there are a number of things that are simply unacceptable and cannot be taken into my 30's. They say life begins at 30! Well I have a year and half to get some things together and in place! What's wrong with self-improvement? Think about it. We upgrade our iPads, Mac books, iPhones, and Androids pretty frequently and not by choice in some cases I might add. But it is all for the good and life of the device. As I make that analogy it makes sense doesn't it? You have to change/upgrade to make the device better and more efficient for you! Simply profound!

I had a "friend" moment with one of my best friends not too long ago! A "friend" moment is when you ask your friend any hard hitting question and expect the truth, whether you like it or not! I asked her the question and she gave me a two part answer one good and one not so good! But I really do appreciate the fact that she gave me a rational explanation.

Something to really think about! I pose this question, in what ways have you grown up in the past 10 years. Have you seen a development of self since your college days? As we get ready to enter our last year of "whatever our 20's are" what ways do you want to see yourself upgraded!

Just food for thought! Happy Friday!

This Black Girl Rocks!!

Sitting at my desk watching the recap of last night's Black Girls Rock on www.bet.com, I am rocking and bobbing my head to the performances and throughly enjoying the show, even though I'm a day late.  But better late than never right. 

But it made me go through a number of different emotions... from empowerment to reflection from being proud to almost a sense of sadness.  Let me tell yall why...

Empowerment- This show shows women of all ages, educational backgrounds, complexions, and talents doing big things for themselves and others.  From philanthropic efforts to social engagement, this showed every little black girl what can be done.  From watching divas like Mary J Bliges who have very publically gone through ever issue and addiction ever know to man... and has made some pretty good music because of it and has blossomed into one of the biggest voice of our time.  Or from watching the stories of Angela Davis (fist in the air) who was persecuted for trying to help her people in the 1970's and if you don't know about Angela Davis please use the powers of Google for good and Google her ok! All of the honorees of last night shows had some "pull up from your bootstrap" story and it made me feel proud of first of all being black... and secondly being a woman (the backbone of society as we know it) Because I know and understand of what a strong woman is capable of.  I was raised by one... The strongest in my opinon... HEY MOMMA!!  And it just made me want to sling my weave and let the world know I am woman here me roar. LOL!  But then my mood went to one of empowerement to one of reflection.

Reflection- This was more of self-reflection.  I was thinking well what am I doing.  Can I do bigger and better with my life?  Am I tapping into my talent that God blessed me with and be a blessing unto somebody else?  When will I be at the point where I am stable and ready to sow the seeds that were planted?  Sometimes I feel as if I am not doing all of what I could or can.  As a young woman in our 20's we can get so caught up in what the other person thinks.  But I talk to older ladies who speak of the same struggles and say well hey when you get in your 30's, 40's, and 50's all of that doesn't matter.  All that matters is that you take care of you and your business.  So yes, we can still stumble along the way while finding oursleves but the key is to be happy at were you are now.  I am still learning that myself.  By no means do I want to be complacent or just ok with my life what now.  Because I know there is a bigger purpose that I going to have walk into.  I wake up everyday wanting that something better.  To do better, to live better, to continue to build a stronger relationship with God, to continue to enjoy my life right now because being Young, Fabulous, Gifted, and not Rich at 28 is ok and just fine. 

Proud-  I automatically became proud of myself and those around me.  Proud of what I want to accomplish and what I have already accomplished.  Honestly, there are some people my age that are still searching and trying to find their way and not knowing what it is they want to do and be.  I pray for myself and those people on a daily basis.  I am proud of the the fact regardless of what other may think... I am still pretty awesome.  And I surround myself with awesome people. 

and finally...
Sense of Sadness-  Just like Black Girls Rock was on last night Real Housewives of Atlanta began last night and like most people myslef included... we decided to watch the mess and not the positive.  Now, if you are like me that decided to watch one after the other that's ok... but we all know that some people didn't look twice at Black Girls Rock because they were watching NeNe tell yall about that "Trump Money."  Now, I am not hollier than thou.  I watch the ratchetness and bafoonery that is RHOA, BBWives, and Love and Hip Hop (which I am super excited about btw) but purely for the entertainment.  I believe that if you decide to set yourself out there then I will watch to get some good laughs at your expense.  While I will not argue it is good tv, I don't go out there thinking that NeNe and Jackie Christy are my role models of how to act.  But unfortunately, there are some girls and even grown A$$ women who actually think that ish is cute.  Well Boo Boo its not!  Just to let you know.  There are no video cameras so no need for the show!  Just saying!  But it really does make me sad that we let other people's opinon and those that we see on the media draw out what we are supposed to be.  Or look like. Or act like.  It's not that serious y'all I promise!

Seriously though yall we need to look to a place a little positivity into our lives to offset the negative.  It's ok to enjoy the idoiot box but let's not make us into idiots.  Just know that the world looks at you the same way they look at NeNe and all these other Black Women they watch on tv.  So it is up to you to show them differently.

Black Girls Rock honoree Shirley Cesar said "The hand that rocks the craddle rules the world."  It's power in them rolling hills ladies... Jilly from Philly said it best.  We have to know the power we possess and use it for good!

And that's the way Flo sees it!

One Day You're Here...

Happy Friday everybody!!  It's funny the titles of all my blog posts are song titles or song lyrics.  HA!  I guess I am a human jukebox. 

But today's blog title was more befitting than every!  I woke in a reflective mood this morning.  Although its the weekend and we are all happy about that, my weekend will have a little sadness to go along with it.  I have to attend some memorial activities and events from on of my beloved sorority sisters.  When I shared the news with people that did not know her they ask well how old was she, was she sick, what happened?  It's hard to answer those questions.  She wasn't very old not even 50 yet.  Her demise came so quickly and unexpectedly and was a major shock to us all.  But her sudden death made me really think about how life is a gift and people including myself take it for granted sometimes. 

So the song of the day is UGK's "One Day U Here" which is the title of the blog today.  By the way... "Riding Dirty" is a classic album, just saying!  I regress...but seriously think about that statement.  One day you are here "among the living" as the old folks say and the next day "death" has stopped by and paid a visit.  The church folks say no man knows the day nor the hour but we all have to go...  So why do we waste our precious time in negativity and doubt?  I mean really... while I was driving in this morning I was thinking about a lot of things.  About future plans and where I want to be in the next 10 or 15 years from now.  Then I realized... the only thing I need to worry about is the right now... TODAY!  Because tomorrow is not promised.  I said a prayer and told the Lord "THANK YA!!!!"  For real though yall... it's something that we all need to think about.  We think oh well we are young... well young folks are dying out quicker than old people.  I had three of my mother's siblings to pass away before my 96 year old great- aunt.  So age means nothing!  Our lives are planned out before we are born.  We have a purpose...  it's just up to us to ask for guidance so that we won't be going against God's Will. 

The reason I chose to write about this today is because all of us everybody... you, me, your momma and cousins and 'nem need to let the craziness and foolishness go.  Squash the beefs, forgive and forget, let go of any regrets, learn from your experiences, and live your life like T.I. and Ri Ri (go ahead and sing the song!)  You never know when death will be at your doorstep.  And thats real!

So take a min and say a prayer and be thankful for waking up this morning and make a change for the better.  We all have something that we can improve about ourselves.  Me??  Well, I play it safe not a big risk taker and a bit of a worry wart... but I plan on doing some other stuff to make my days on this earth better for me and those around me.  If I had to take a page out of my sorority sister's book of life I would be as active and full of life and joy as she was when she was alive; do all the things I love to do and put my all in it. 

"Everybody dies but not everybody lives!"  Enjoy your moments for life!

And that's how Flo sees it!

Lessons Learned: School Daze Edition

"Thy noble tri-colors that ripple the breeze, bridging the mountains... spanning the seas..."

Now for some of you that read those words above they mean absolutely nothing to you... but for others... my fellow alumni of Clark Atlanta University, it means a whole lot for you.

When we graduated from high school some 10 years ago we all made different decisions in life. Some decided that living in our hometowns was cool and it wasn't necessary to leave or it wasn't feasible for us to leave because of our circumstances. For others, we embarked on the journey to leave the nest and go off to do our own thing; maybe it was going to the local community college or going on a sabbatical to far off lands abroad. And others decided to go off to do the college experience... like me. I decided to leave the small town living behind and go to the big city! Yea, somewhat reminiscent of the Beverly Hillbillies story minus the oil and the big family... it was just me. But I wanted to see what the world looked like outside the bubble that was York, Alabama and move to the A-T-L... Atlanta, GA that is... Me and two of my closest friend embarked on a journey up I-20 together to take over Atlanta. It was a great experience for all of us... But I like to think that my experience at the illustrious and prestigious Clark Atlanta University is what made my Atlanta journey so memorable.

This week is Homecoming Week and like most of us that went to college especially HBCU's we have been preparing for this weekend for some time now. We have purchased plane tickets, rented cars, bought tickets to the all the parties, and started stocking up on our favorite brands of liquor to make the weekend memorable. But as I sit at my desk today, it made me think and reflect on all of the lessons I learned at CAU. Not just the ones that I "tried to pay attention to in Wright Hall but the ones that I learned on "The Strip," on the shuttle bus to Studio Central, as well walking through University Holmes and throughout the city. So in honor of CAU Homecoming 2011 I am bringing you 5 Lessons/Moments that "Clark-eezy" taught me. (from Kayne's "The Blame Game" skit) LOL!

#5- "Never Judge A Book By Its Cover"

- Going to CAU I met people from everywhere... Dirty South folks such as myself, East Coasters, West Coaster, Mid-West Swingers, Islanders, etc. and everybody had preconceived notions about each other. I was always told that I didn't look like I was from Alabama... well what do people from Alabama look like?? I had stereotypes in my head too. People that you would walk by their room in New Res or Heritage Commons that reeked of weed smoke actually graduated and have high paying jobs now... You just never know!

#4- "Don't Exclude Yourself"

- Because there was so much stuff going around campus it was overwhelming to find something to get into. If I could do it all over, I would have actually joined a lot more clubs and been active around campus. You meet 10 times more people and have a richer experience. In this situation there there is nothing wrong with cliques you can actually clique with more people if you just surround yourself with others... but I still have a really dope group of people that I know through others so I guess I came out on the good side with that one.

#3- "Look to Your Left and Look to Your Right..."

- I giggle every time I hear this line. And yes, it is still being used on our youngsters today! I think this is just an HBCU thing but in orientation they told us to "look to your left and look to your right because those people will not be at graduation." Now that I am 10 years older and realize that mean I was on somebody's left or right and wasn't supposed to make it. However, I proudly had a seat at Commencement 2005. BUT my point is that line is somewhat true, society or whomever, wants you not to succeed so it is up to you to make that out as a lie. What they said at orientation where just merely statistics. Glad I didn't take it to heart or else I could have been defeated before it even started... True enough college is not for everybody but it’s up to you to make it what it will be... I'm pretty proud to say that I believe those that were sitting by me in orientation did indeed make it.

#2- "The Team of Me"

- As much as there was to do in Atlanta, on campus and off, I knew that I was there to take care of business at the end of the day. My mother remind me every day about what she could be driving sending me to school. Yea I slacked off the begging of the semester and then buckled down after midterms. I could have really had an awesome GPA if I had just done everything I was supposed to do. You can laugh at your classmates or decide to take a nap in Heritage or just say eff it and not go to class but ultimately it’s about you at the end of the day. I had some bomb semesters and had some not so good ones... Shoot I made an A in Finance and everybody was struggling in there it seemed. So it was on me to do what I needed to do... It's Team Flo to this day!

#1- "Celebrate/Remember the Past... But Don't Dwell on It"

- Finally as I giggle and laugh at a lot of the dumb stuff we did in undergrad those same experience are the things I have brought to the forefront and learned from. My 28 year old self can tell my 18 year old self some things... But that's all about growing up. I would tell myself stick out being on the step team or stop laughing at people in Marketing class with Dr. Api. However, everything happened for a reason and things in the past are just that in the past... Those times were good, some bad, and some just downright ugly... that was MY college experience and I am so glad I had it!

There are so many other things I learned at CAU, so many great people that I met and still connect with, I've been to baby showers, weddings, and celebrated home ownership and 2nd and 3rd degrees with these people and I am thankful for them... Wishing you all safe travels to Atl this weekend! I'm bringing the Jell-O shots!

GO PANTHERS!!! Happy Homecoming 2011!

"Reign Clark Atlanta... thy reignest reignest!"

Ohh Ohh Ohhhh... I Got a New Attitude!

"I'm wearing a new dress, new hair, brand new ideas, as a matter of fact I've changed for good..."

Patti Patti was feeling herself when she was singing this song "New Attitude."  Being what... 3 or 4 when this song came out, I didn't know the first thing of what she was saying.  But let my mom tell in I was rocking in my booster seat.  Seriously,  this song came to mind while I was doing some researching on the internet for new clothes and a new hairstyle as well as trying to find new ways for self betterment.  I have a new found tv love and that's Dr. Oz.  They placed him in Oprah's timeslot here and I would like to thank them for it!  He has this new challenge along with Weight Watchers.  It's called "Transformation Nation."  Of course its about self help and health and wellness.  Usually I like to hear the little tidbits of information he has to share and he knows so much about everything that I respect his intelligence.  But this website if full of helpful info about sleep, exercise, mental health, stress management and everything in between.  I think it's pretty cool!  It's the geek in me sure but overall its for me!  I have been on a weight loss journey since May and have gone up and down and tried so many different things to no avail.  So it really is taking me to sit down and focus on this make it a part of lifestyle and not just something to look good in the CAU Homecoming pictures next week.  LOL! 

So as I continue to journey into self acceptance and betterment.  I just thought I'd share this with whomever decides to read this because it could be of some help to you!  So the first step was to write my goals down so hey... again that's what the blog is for so I'm gonna do it on here...

Road to Happy Goals
1) Daily Prayer and Meditation (sometimes twice, three, four or more times a day!)
2) Exercise three times a week (I hate exercise especially activities that feel like exercise)
3) Get an extra 30 mins of sleep a night ( I don't have a sleeping pattern for real.  I'll just dose off whenever but Dr. Oz says its something to sleeping and weight loss that goes together.)
4) Be content with my choices (No more back and forth about stuff... once my minds made up THAT'S IT!)
5) Find a Hobby! (LOL, yes, find a hobby!  Don't know what's its going to be yet but I need something to do that is just for me and makes me happy)
6) STOP DRINKING MOUTAIN DEWS (The green crack is getting me yall and I have got to do something about it!)
*and a Possible* 7) Start writing... so maybe this blog will be like my journal.  We'll see...

So I'm getting to happy, y'all one step at a time.  Happy to be me!  Regardless of the thoughts and comments of others.  It is what it is!

Here's the link to Dr. Oz's program yall... Read and see what you think!  Maybe we can do this together!
http://doctoroz.sharecare.com/


"I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes, Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do
I tidied up my point of view, I got a new attitude!"

Just another Manic Monday!

Monday, the second day yet the first work day of the week.  The day of the week before Tuesday and following Sunday.  It's just another day right?  I mean... We learned when we were little our days of the week, months of the year, numbers, and alphabets.  Its just another part of life right?  So why are Mondays so hard to adjust.  I have a tendency to wear a lot of black.  Maybe its the wanna be east coaster in me but I just love the color.  The mysteriousness, the drama, and the overall safety of the color.  However, I wear black mostly on Mondays... Go figure, it is the point of the depressing fact that you have to go back to the daily grind of work and adulthood.  You have to go back to hustling for another dollar when you really do live for the weekend?  I laid down last night perfectly fine and woke up with a blah feeling because its Monday.  It's funny because we get over it on Tuesday and have this escalation of emotions as the week gets closer to Friday only to get let back down Sunday night by 9pm because Monday morning is only a few short hours away.

I know this is a heavy topic for my very first blog post but hey that's why you blog right to get it off your chest!?  I promise posts to come will be more upbeat and light hearted!

LOL! Let me stop being so dramatic. You got to go through Monday to get to Friday so its all a part of life.  Monday's are a good metophor for life... The first step is always the hardest but you gotta take it to get through.

And that's how Flo sees it!