Haiti-One Year Later

Its no longer on the front page of newspapers.
Its no longer the "lead in" for the nightly news.
Its no longer covered as heavily.
The major pushes for donations have stopped.
Resources have dried up.
Cholera outbreaks have claimed the lives of over 3500 Haitian people.
The people still suffer.
Families still mourn the loss of loved ones.


Prior to today, I really struggled with finding a "unique" way to honor the people of Haiti without mimicking the things other websites, blogs, etc. were already doing. It finally donned on me this morning that my focus on wanting to be "unique" was selfish. This day is not about me, or my blog, its about paying my respects to a great people. As one with Haitian friends all of whom I consider part of my extended family, I am ashamed of my self-centeredness. We all have our moments.

The island nation is still fighting the devastation caused by the quake, which killed over 230,000 Haitian people, and by some estimates left some 1.5 million people home. Additionally, the subsequent Cholera outbreak has claimed the lives of 3500 so far and the numbers are still climbing. All things considered, there is but one word that could describe the people of Haiti: Resilient. Resilience is the ability to work with adversity in such a way that one comes through it unharmed or even better for the experience. I found this little blurb about what the word means: "Resilience means facing life’s difficulties with courage and patience – refusing to give up. It is the quality of character that allows a person or group of people rebound from misfortune, hardships and traumas.  Resilience is rooted in a tenacity of spirit—a determination to embrace all that makes life worth living even in the face of overwhelming odds. When we have a clear sense of identity and purpose, we are more resilient, because we can hold fast to our vision of a better future.  Much of our resilience comes from community—from the relationships that allow us to lean on each other for support when we need it."


They have suffered from one tragedy after another but have remained hopeful for better days. Their spirit is inspiring.  What really breaks my heart when traumatic events occur is that after a certain amount of time we stop talking about it. The media stops covering it and we stop checking on the people who were affected. We stop asking people how they are coping with their loss. Its almost as if we believe that as time progresses and people stop talking about something then it MUST have gotten better.

I intentionally allowed the "Haiti needs your help" app to remain high on this blog in hopes that it would remind people that Haiti still needs us. The great thing about anniversary is that people are once again talking about Haiti. My hope is that the conversations turn into generous donations.

Read on for stories I've found so far about the anniversary...

Daily Inspiration from HUSL Today

GREAT morning ladies and gentlemen!! Today is the first anniversary of the day the earthquake devastated Haiti. In honor of the risilience and grace of the people of Haiti, this post and all posts for the remainder of the day are dedication to them. With that said, today's quotes are intended to inspire everyone to be resilient in the face of adversity:

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

"People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under." -Charles Swindoll

"There exist some evils so terrible and some misfortunes so horrible that we dare not think of them, whilst their very aspect makes us shudder; but if they happen to fall on us, we find ourselves stronger than we imagined, we grapple with our ill luck, and behave better than we expected we should." -Jean de La Bruyere

 

Love!!!

 

Keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers today and everyday.

Tuesday Trailblazers!!!

Michel Martin

In our inaugural edition of "Tuesday Trailblazers," I decided to give the spotlight to someone whose excellence in journalism has earned her many loyal fans-Michel Martin. She is the host and developer of Tell Me More, the one-hour daily NPR news and talk show that made its national premiere on April 30, 2007, on public radio stations around the country. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Martin graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College at Harvard University in 1980 and has done graduate work at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. In her show's development stages,  Martin served as contributor and substitute host for NPR newsmagazines and talk shows, including Talk of the Nation and News & Notes.


Before she joined the NPR family, Martin worked for several other news sources including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, PBS and ABC. Martin covered state and local politics for the Washington Post and national politics and policy at the Wall Street Journal, where she was White House correspondent. She was a regular panelist on the PBS series Washington Week and a contributor to NOW with Bill Moyers. 


During her stint at ABC from 1992-2006, she served as correspondent for Nightline from 1996 to 2006, reporting on such subjects as the Congressional budget battles, the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, racial profiling and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At ABC, she also contributed to numerous programs and specials, including the network's award-winning coverage of September 11, a documentary on the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy, a critically acclaimed AIDS special and reports for the ongoing series "America in Black and White." Martin reported for the ABC newsmagazine Day One, winning an Emmy for her coverage of the international campaign to ban the use of landmines, and was a regular panelist onThis Week with George Stephanopoulos. She also hosted the 13-episode series Life 360, an innovative program partnership between Oregon Public Broadcasting and Nightline incorporating documentary film, performance and personal narrative; it aired on public television stations across the country.


More when you read the rest...

Daily Inspiration from HUSL Today

GREAT morning everyone! Happy Tuesday!! Pop Quiz: How many of you watched the BCS Championship last evening? If you missed it, google it or something because it was one of the best football games I have watched in a long while. Ok back to business...below is today's quote:

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”-Albert Pine

Now that the holidays are over we are all going back to our "normal lives" of tight schedules, tight deadlines and even tighter jeans (I know I'm not the only one that gained holiday weight!). While you may no longer see commercials encouraging you to donate to St. Judes and there is no longer a volunteer standing outside of your grocery store ringing a bell, there are still people in need. The children in need of care at St. Judes dont disappear after New Years and neither do the people who utilize the services of the Salvation Army. Although you may not hear about it as much, the people of Haiti are still in need as well. I encourage you all to make a commitment to give of yourself to someone in need today. While the media paints a picture of a person in need  as one with tattered clothing and a shopping cart filled with their prized possessions, everyone in need does not fit that profile. Old proverbs and general wisdom sayings tells us that looks can be deceiving as one's appearance does not always reveal his/her struggles. For example:
A woman who is overwhelmed by a new baby.
A man who is mourning the loss of his father.
A child who tells you their father was recently deployed.
A soldier who recently returned to the states and is adjusting to life as a civilian.

More when you read the rest...

Daily Inspiration from HUSL Today

GREAT morning beautiful people!! Did you miss me a little while I was gone? I missed you all! Back to business...

“The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.” -David Weinbaum

After a brief hiatus I am admittedly nervous about my first post of the new year. I vented to a friend about how nervous I was about thinking of something to post. My friend said "Well girl, all you have to do is start typing and your fingers will do the rest." That conversation inspired me to remind you all that every journey begins with the first step. Once you take the first step it is IMPERATIVE that you continue "stepping." The first step will turn into another and another and before you know it you will have walked a mile. Pretty soon the miles will multiply and you will look back on your journey in awe of how far you have come. Proceed to progress and never be afraid of change because without change there is no progress.

Go ahead, strap up your boots and take the first step!

Today's song choice: Katy Perry-Firework. Love this song!

Love!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from HUSL Today

I know I have been slow in posting the last few weeks and for that I apologize. After finals, big projects and a few other things mentally drained me I took a few days off. Turns out those few days turned into weeks and I finally got the chance to REALLY rest my mind & relax. I hope you all enjoy your holidays and welcome the new year with an open mind!!!

Cheers to peace, love & happiness in 2011!!! 

Merry Christmahanakwanzaka and a Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Regular posting will begin again on January 10!!! 


LOVE!!!

...a quick announcement

GREAT Morning beautiful people! This week I've been EXTRA busy prepping 4 my trip home for the holidays. I apologize about the lack of posts. I'll be running around a lot more for the next few days but I'll do my best to post some inspiration for you all before Christmas.

P.S. You can now rehearse calling me "Assistant State Attorney"!!!! Now all I have left is to pass my background screenings and the bar and I'll be one of the best prosecutors you've ever met!

Love!!!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people! Happy Hump Day!!!

"If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody" -Chinese Proverb

Allow me to tell you a quick story: This past week my team and I all adopted a child via our chapel's annual Angel Tree program. As part of the program, we were given "Angels" with a child's name and their Christmas requests. One of the girls from our team went to Target to purchase her angel's gifts and during checkout she began conversing with the clerk about the purpose of the toys she was purchasing. Imagine her surprise when the man exclaimed "Oh my God, you're shopping for my son!!" At first she was in disbelief and thought the gentleman was mistaken until the child's mother, also employed by Target, came over to confirm. They quickly rallied around my girl to help her find the perfect gifts for their son. They thanked her profusely and the mother was almost in tears. While telling her amazing story, my girl admitted that before the encounter she was not in the giving mood. She confessed, "Before I saw the impact of my actions, I was not passionate about getting the gift for my angel. NOW that I've seen what can happen when you give a little bit of yourself, I'll continue to give selflessly of myself and encourage my friends to do the same."

One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is that it becomes so easy to give of yourself to others. Granted, there are opportunities year round but the spirit of giving is stronger as are the initiatives to get others to give. Opportunities to volunteer, to donate, and to generally bless others with your talents are plentiful and I encourage all of you to take advantage of them. Sometimes we become so involved in our own little bubble, that we forget about the struggles of others. Sometimes we become preoccupied with getting a new promotion or buying our first home or upgrading our material things, that we forget how little others have.  Allow yourself to connect with others who are less fortunate than you are.

Do not think that you do not have anything to give. You can give one of the most valuable resources-your time. Sometimes charities have all of the funds they need, and all they need are people willing to give their time. For example, one of my friends volunteered his time to shop for underprivileged children who were given $200 courtesy of their neighborhood's Elk's Lodge. He did not have to give any money, only a few hours of his Saturday morning to an underprivileged child. He confessed "I did not know some people had it so bad. I live in a big house with a nice car and these children live in places that do not even have numbers on their buildings. It was a wake up call for me to count my blessings."   Don't wait for a wake up call to see how helping others can move your spirit, seek out the experience! No matter how little you give, you can make a difference!

If you are successful, recognize that you did not become successful alone. The true test of success is your ability to "reach back" and help others become successful in their own right.

SN: *singing* Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!!!!!!

Today's song choice: Kanye West-All of the Lights

Love!!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people! Congratulations on making it past Monday and having another opportunity to do something magnificent!

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” -Calvin Coolidge

Do not ever think that anything can replace the value of rolling up your sleeves and persevering through tough times. It wont help you to acknowledge defeat early on. It wont help you to refuse to fight. It wont help to give up. When faced with obstacles you have two choices: (1) You can choose to run from your troubles or (2) You can choose to turn around and fight for your success. Its a decision that you alone will have to make and you alone will have to deal with. There is but one line of advice that I can give someone going through a tough time and that is this: sometimes suffering is your path to a blessing and ur blessing is living through it to emerge as a stronger and more confident person. It is my sincere hope that all of you will choose to pick your battles and "press on" through them. I cannot promise that they will all be easy, but I can say from experience that each obstacle carries with it a potential lesson to make you a greater person. I wish all of you peace and blessings on this beautiful and brisk Tuesday morning!


Today's Song choice: Shiny Suit Theory-Jay Electronica ft. Jay-Z & The Dream (sings backup)

Love!!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people!!! Happy Monday! Did ya miss me? I missed you all and I'm so very glad to have my exams in my rearview mirror. Do me a favor and say a prayer for my success.  Enough about me, here is today's quote:

“You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” -Ralph Marston

Today I challenge all of you to turn all of your frustration (from every angle of your life) and turn it into determination! Dont waste your energy allowing yourself to feel frustrated. Recognize your frustration and the source of it. No matter what is causing you to frustrated, remember you can gain control of your life by learning to control your emotions. Once you are able to recognize the source of your frustration it will become easier to eliminate it. Channel your frustration into something productive and make great things happen today!! You have to decide you want to remain positive in the face of adversity. I believe you can do it now all you have to do is believe in yourself!


Sidenote: Its my absolute favorite time of the year!!  I adore (almost) everything about the holiday season and I hope you take the opportunity to enjoy all the Christmas-like cheer. If you should happen to run into a Scrooge remember this: The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing very loud for all to hear!!

Today's Song Choice: Mariah Carey-All I want for Christmas

Love!!!!