Beacons on the Frontline

How to Have Zeal Without the Fiz”zle”

October 25, 2009 – 6:22 pm
  Have you ever wanted to do something, but haven’t made the time or had the energy to do it? Do you or someone you know constantly start projects, but fizzle out before the idea manifests? Infusing your life with zeal will help you to zoom into action, but these tips will strengthen your follow-through muscles so you won’t lose steam before reaching your goal. As you may recall from the article Clear Blockages to Get in Order , September is the month of Order. The theme for October is “Zeal.” Month Faculty Disciple Part of the body January Faith Peter Center of brain February Strength Andrew Loins March Discrimination or Judgment James, son of Zebedee Pit of stomach April Love John Back of heart May Power Phillip Root of tongue June Imagination Bartholomew Between the eyes July Understanding Thomas Front of brain August Will Mathew Center front brain September Order James, son of Alphaeus Navel October Zeal Simon the Cananaean Back head, medulla November Renunciation or Elimination Thaddaeus Abdominal region December Life Conserver Judas Generative function   Zeal is the power that motivates. It literally moves us to act. It’s easier for some people to be jump starters. It’s their “method of operation,” ...

Posted in Motivation, Personal Development, Self Mastery | No Comments »

Clear Blockages by Getting in Order

September 16, 2009 – 10:52 pm
Photo by: Guillermo Esteves When I taught middle school, my classes always had a theme of the week. Discussing themes like: trust, respect, discipline, and pride, sparked honest dialog that in the end drew the students closer to one another. They admitted mistakes and took responsibility for doing better.   After I stopped teaching, I kept my theme of the week for a while, until I forgot about it and it faded into oblivion. Now that I attend Hillside International Truth Center, my place of worship, I have a theme of the month. Each month we recognize one of the spiritual faculties or God-given powers that each of us has within.   There are 12 spiritual faculties that we strive to embody. The faculties also correspond with a disciple and a part of the body. The list, from Charles and Cora Fillmore’s book, The Twelve Powers, is below.   Month Faculty Disciple Part of the body January Faith Peter Center of brain February Strength Andrew Loins March Discrimination or ...

Posted in Environment, Personal Development, Stress Relief, Values | No Comments »

Where Did the Money Go?

September 10, 2009 – 10:10 am
Despite my aching legs and feet from all of the walking, Patrick and I had a blast celebrating our 5th anniversary in New Orleans. Labor Day weekend also marked the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. After Katrina, I lamented not having traveled to New Orleans sooner. In my mind, I always had time to visit. Now that I have toured the city, I shouldn’t have whined so much. I didn’t miss much at all pre-Katrina, which is why I am so disturbed.   The French Quarters wasn’t damaged too badly by the hurricane or water from the levees. Four years later it is vibrant and well populated with tourists. After frolicking in the downtown area for two days, my husband and I took a bus tour around the city that included a tour of the Ninth Ward.   I thought four years would be enough time to rebuild homes and fix the damaged ...

Posted in Environment, Nonprofit, Travel Lessons, Volunteering | No Comments »

Anatomy of a Thriving Marriage Part II

September 4, 2009 – 8:00 am
Yesterday, I posted Part I of the Anatomy of a Thriving Marriage. This is a continuation of the last three tips, including resources.   Make love often – Often is of course a relative term, just make sure you get enough from your spouse. I’ve always been a touchy, feely person and after reading the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman my suspicions were confirmed. Physical touch is my primary love language. Physical and emotional intimacy plays a vital role in keeping a marriage vibrant. While making love, cuddling, hugging, and caressing are acts that keep us physically bonded, expressing our deepest truths and respecting each other’s vulnerabilities provides us with an emotional safety net that thickens with each demonstration of trust.   Laugh- We’ve all heard the popular saying, “A family who prays together, stays together.” Well, I’d like to add that “A couple who laughs together stays together.” Laughter is the ...

Posted in Marriage, Values | 5 Comments »

Anatomy of a Thriving Marriage Part I

September 2, 2009 – 8:46 pm
[caption id="attachment_233" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="My husband Patrick, the real Madea, and Me"][/caption]   On Sept. 4th, my husband and I will celebrate five years of marriage. “Hallelu-yer,” as Tyler Perry’s character, Madea would say. To honor our union, we’re vacationing in New Orleans. Perhaps, I will have a chance to see Sandra Bullock’s newly purchased 6,000 square-foot home. Since Katrina, she has become a major donor of Warren Easton, the first public high school for boys in Louisiana. This is my first trip to the Big Easy, so I’m ecstatic to explore the city and to relax during this get-away.   In our years of being married, my husband and I have lived in three different states, survived being unemployed at the same time, and endured the transition of my father-in-law. So, our short time hasn’t always been a cake walk.   On the other hand, we’ve deepened our faith together, enjoyed time vacationing, sold ...

Posted in Marriage, Values | 4 Comments »

Volunteering for a Tax Deduction? Not So Fast.

August 28, 2009 – 9:00 am
Can workshop leaders who donate their time facilitating programs at the local church claim the estimated value of the service on their taxes?   Can teachers who tutor adults in a literacy program claim a charitable deduction for the estimated value of the service provided to the organization?   The answer, according to the IRS is NO! In publication 526 the IRS details what can and can not be deducted on your taxes. Now that you know that deducting your volunteer time is not acceptable, here are some do’s of reporting.   Do report volunteer expenses related to: ·         Air, rail, and bus transportation ·         Out-of-pocket expenses for your car ·         Taxi fares or other costs of transportation between the airport or station and your hotel ·         Lodging costs ·         The cost of meals. The IRS considers the above travel expenses as non-business related, therefore the expenses are not treated like business related expenses.   Do deduct:   Any costs associated with uniforms ...

Posted in Nonprofit, Volunteering | No Comments »

Events You Don’t Want to Miss!

July 31, 2009 – 9:12 am
Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals August 2009 Career Growth Event Hosted by William Bryant, ANP Chair   Topic: The Nonprofit Entrepreneurial Incubator – What You Need to Know Before Jumping Ship?   Speaker: Nancy Flake Johnson- President/CEO- Atlanta Urban LeagueDate: Monday, August 10th 6:30PM     Location: Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America 1800 Circle 75 Parkway SE Atlanta GA 30339   RSVP: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UqVN_2bGVtrteXw3Rwnt51kw_3d_3d     20 Under 20 Atlanta Event Submitted by Kathy Powell   Do you know any stellar teens? Atlanta's 40 under 40, a group formed of people who have been named to Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 list,  has partnered with the youth leadership development organization, 21st Century Leaders, to find this year's 20 under 20!   If you know of any outstanding young leaders who might be interested or any youth organizations who might have nominees, please pass it on. More information, eligibilty requirements and the nomination forms are available at http://www.21stcenturyleaders.org/20under20info.asp.    I was at the event that celebrated last year's 20 under 20 ...

Posted in Event Happenings, Networking | No Comments »

9 Steps to Manifesting What is Divinely Yours

July 20, 2009 – 3:38 pm
[caption id="attachment_195" align="aligncenter" width="281" caption="Asia Hadley and Lisa Nichols"][/caption] Do you have something that you want so badly that you’d do anything legal and moral to manifest it? There is a meditation technique that I recently learned and applied that worked so instantaneously that it caught me off guard.   I learned it from Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book Manifest Your Destiny. Thanks to my good friend and yoga expert, Anika Francis for loaning it to me!   Last January, the Spirit of Sisterhood group that I chair at Hillside International Truth Center sponsored a seminar: Ignite Your Passion. Fuel Your Purpose at the elegant Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree.   After its success, I immediately began thinking about the featured speaker for next year. Though I kept my thoughts to myself, I was unconsciously summoning the universe. I nurtured my thoughts with visualizations that made my heart sing.   Six months later, while selling items at the Father’s Day Expo at Hillside, ...

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Are You a True Optimist?

July 17, 2009 – 11:09 am
Asia Hadley, Delores Tulloss, and Debbie Mazur Last month, two other people joined me at the Foundation Center to discuss Alex Pattakos’ book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts. It was an enlightening book that generated a dynamic discussion. We sprinkled our conversation with concepts from other authors that harmonized with Pattakos’ principles. Here are my take-a-ways from the discussion.   One paragraph that caught all of our attention was on Pattakos’ belief about true optimism; which according to Jean Chatzky’s book, The Difference, featured on Oprah, is a trait of the wealthy.   According to Pattakos, true optimism requires us to make three choices:   “(1) we choose a positive attitude about the situation at hand; (2) we choose a positive attitude that supports a form of creative visualization about what’s possible: and (3) we choose an attitude that generates passion for the action that makes the possible become a reality.” To move out of a negative ...

Posted in Attitude | 3 Comments »

Are You an Outstanding Atlantan?

June 30, 2009 – 12:42 pm
I am reposting an invite that I received for the 41st Anniversary Celebration of Outstanding Atlanta. You are invited too! It gives us great pleasure to invite YOU to the 41st Anniversary Celebration of Outstanding Atlanta . This is an event YOU DO NOT want to miss. Special surprises and 3 Alumni Awards will be presented! Please RSVP today and share with your colleagues and respective networks!!! The event is open to the public so please encourage potential applicants to attend!!!  http://www.kilpatrickstockton.com/invites/view.aspx?id=206

Posted in Event Happenings, Leadership, Networking, Nonprofit | No Comments »