"Takin' It to the Streets"

"Best and Worse of Times" A Retrospect:

In a myriad of ways this post is a retrospect of how my blog "Where Do We Go From Here?" dated October 13, 2009 began.  I moved to Charlotte to foster the concept of change and opportunity. In the days since, I have continued to invest both time and belief in a process our country has both celebrated and lamented - The right to vote. My volunteering in the 2008 Presidential campaign not only gave wings to my rebirth in Charlotte but also taught me the importance of grassroots organizing. Today those experiences underscore my feelings of being both blessed for that lesson of empowerment but also being angered today by the the seemingly lack of outrage by those who at once benefited from the Democratic process during that historic election but who now seem to exhibit no sense of outrage over the current onslaught of voter suppression. 

Apparently, media giant Clear Channel thinks it’s a-okay to use its billboards to intimidate voters in an effort to keep people of color from voting.

As a result of President Barack Hussein Obama's historic election in 2008 we can never declare we didn't know or understand the importance of one man's vote. To not fight for that right is unacceptable! Every citizen has to have access to the election process to make this country a democracy. Today the rights of citizens are being compromised. Voter suppression is real!! And it is this fact which leads me to a saying I've imparted to my friends and children for many years - when your civil rights are at stake you need to collectively "get real", go "old school" style, - "Take it to the Streets"!!

As a kid during the '67 riots in Detroit I witnessed the physical outcry of frustration, pain and disillusionment of people fed up with injustice in this country. Since then one essential fact has always resonated with me - race matters.  I was born Black and proud but no matter how high my level of education or success, for some I will always be looked at as "less than". This statement is an ongoing struggle not only for a race but for a country. This country.  Let's get back to that Doobie Brothers lyric "Takin' It to the Streets." At this moment, juncture, spirit in time, today, it's on!  Standing online for 2 1/2 hours to early vote during the 2012 election in Charlotte, NC, I was amazed by a story I was told about a woman who wasn't going to early vote because she believed it would give someone the opportunity to change her vote. Change it? She didn't even get the point that in 2012 she wasn't even suppose to have one.

Only a month after the President's re-election - by an overwhelming majority of the American people - 51% to be exact! - Chief Justice John Robert's conservative led Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by striking down Section 4 which required preclearance for states and jurisdictions, mostly in the former Confederate States, that historically used voter suppression tactics to prevent minorities from participating in the voting process. Under Section 4 these states were required to submit any voter law changes to the Justice Department prior to enacting them. Within hours of this atrocity, the same states that committed these discriminatory practices couldn't wait to pass extreme voter id legislation. If, according to Chief Justice Roberts, the need no longer exists to require these offending states to get pre-approval for any voting law changes, why the rush to return to Jim Crow days? New voter id requirements (what was wrong with the id we used in all the previous elections?) Oh that's right - Obama. Less days available for early voting. (What's that got to do with so-called voter fraud?) Oh that's right - Obama.

In North Carolina, where I live, Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed into law the nation's most restrictive and draconian voting law - voter id, cutbacks to early voting, an end to same-day registration and the repeal of public funding of judicial elections and many more harsh and unnecessary anti-voting measures. That legislation passed a month after the Supreme Court ruling. The Republican majority House and Senate have accomplished and set the model for the national Republican Party strategy. Prevent minorities, people of color and the disenfranchised from voting.

With the overwhelming voter turnout in both the 2008 and 2012 elections, the Republicans know with the shrinking majority of the white vote and their extreme right wing mindset of exclusion and lack of any policies that the majority of the country wants, their time is done. So, what the heck, if you can't win elections fair and square - cheat! 

We, the people, have got to stand up and push back against this fear and hatred. Too many great souls fought and died for equally and justice for ALL.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  It's time to start "Takin' It to the Streets!"

What's Presidential?

I'm a news watching, political junkie and Rachel Maddow is my hero. But, after the Wednesday night debates, I refuse to read another word or watch another news program. I can't believe that we as a country have sunk to the level where we celebrate lies and deception. I watched a little red faced man, who doesn't even deserve to stand on the same stage as President Obama, conduct himself in the rudest rant filled with lies performance I've ever seen in a presidential debate. I'm not saying he needed to say please and thank you after every remark but I do expect a man who wants to represent my country and represent The United States of America on the world stage to show some class and decency. Sure, the whole spectacle was done to whip up "the base". They loved it! I'm not surprised, look at the type of people "the base" represents. Divisive, bigoted people who want to "take their country back".

Looking at presidents throughout our history - Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Obama - it's plain to see that Mittens is in no way, shape or form representative of the character of a President. He started out as a moderate but has sold his soul to the "tea party" who went around calling themselves "tea baggers" (really, do you know what that means?) Anyway, we've built a great country through the contributions of all walks of our society. We abolished slavery, women fought and won the right to vote, The Civil Rights Act, Roe v Wade. These "tea partyers or baggers, whatever, have been dismantling layer by layer the fabric of our society since coopting the Republican Party. The likes of Todd Akin, Rick Perry, and Rand Paul would love to see slavery brought back. Women, forget about it, barefoot and pregnant since there will be no birth control, the right to our own bodies, and anyone who believes in "legitimate rape" should be institutionalized.

In a world of ever increasing technology and immediacy, we've actually gotten dumber. We have at our finger tips access to a body of knowledge we've never had before but what do we do with it? Play games, ignore people as we walk down the street with eyes glued to a screen, texting about nothing. We've become rude, obnoxious, hateful and uncaring about the truth. I know sometimes the truth can be difficult to discern, but come on! Facts are facts and saying lies over and over doesn't make them true.

I just needed to get this out of my head because I'm becoming increasing saddened and frightened for the future of this country.  Not in my lifetime have we been this divided, angry and disillusioned. My Sands Kym posted on her Facebook page, "I really hope that by the time my three year olds become adults that there is not so much hate in this country". To that comment I say - Amen.

"Who Am I Meant to Be?"

Whenever I describe myself I usually use the phrase "A work in progress."  Just when I think I've achieved that "ah ha" moment I reluctantly have to admit that "ah ha" what I know for sure is nothing.  If you've read my other 2 posts you'll probably notice a reocurring theme; attempting to figure out what the heck to do with this life and then how to go about achieving it. 

It took me forever to write "Best of Times Worse of Times" because of over analyzing the process.  I need to fully understand a concept before expressing my thoughts.  My background is traditional writing - newspapers, articles, even poetry.  But blogging?  That arena felt foreign and therefore uncomfortable in my mind.  Finally, I just had to do what I did in junior high to learn how to swim. Jump into the deep end and let the struggle for survival take over.  It worked!  I guess that's just how to approach blogging.  Jump in and have faith in my skills and my ability to pull it off. 

Okay, this might sound like it's "off point", but when I lived in Minneapolis, I worked for a marketing firm and reps from various magazines would often leave complimentary copies.  On one particular occasion the rep from Oprah magazine asked if I'd like a copy and because my mother raised me right I accepted with a "thank you."  I'm a firm believer in cosmic energy and karma and believe this particular edition of Oprah came to me as a vision quest for my life.  On the cover of the magazine in bold, 48 point font was the title "Who Are You Meant to Be?"  Well, I don't think the Universe needed to scream much louder because I had to check it out to see if Oprah actually had a clue as to who I'm meant to be.

This edition included a quiz based on personality science.  It identifies seven "Striving Styles," modes of thought and behavior that direct us to seek satisfaction in different ways.  The article went on to explain that although everybody is wired with all seven styles, most people have one that dominates.  The payoff for taking the quiz is to discover your striving style and use that style for the best shot at fulfilling your potential.  Now I'm definitely in!

I won't go into all the questions but the Seven Styles are: Striving to Help, Striving to Be Recognized, Striving to Be Creative, Striving to Be Spontaneous, Striving to Be Knowledgeable, Striving to Be Secure and Striving to Be in Control.  I was sure my personality would play out as Striving to Be Creative or Spontaneous but it blew me away when my score added up to Striving to Be Knowledgeable - You are an Intellectual.  I've never considered myself to be an intellectual.  My husband's the intellectual in the family for Pete's sake!  But, as I continued to read their definition, intellectual means being incisive and curious; driven to understand how things work.

I read that article over 2 years ago and the irony is I'm still trying to figure out who I'm meant to be.  My life has taken several twists and turns since that day I pondered my place in the world.  Truth be told, who we are isn't set in stone.  We are perpetual "Striving Styles" because our lives aren't linear.  We are constantly adjusting our style to meet the hopes, dreams and challanges we face along our paths.

 "Ah ha"! - I do strive to help, be recognized, be creative and spontaneous. And "Ah ha"! - I also strive to be knowledgeable, secure and in control.   Who am I meant to be?  The book is still out on that one.

"Where Do We Go From Here?"

Wheel of Life

For those of us who’ve taken the leap of faith to strike out as an entrepreneur or start-up business how do we begin the journey of discovering and uncovering our goals and dreams? Several years ago I attended a weekend coaching seminar on "finding balance" in our lives. Breaking down the elements of change we'd like to affect in our relationships. During that weekend I was taught a valuable tool that I've found to be very effective in making life changes a little easier and a lot less daunting a challenge. The "Wheel of Life" is a technique of seeing a "snapshot" of where you are presently and identifying areas for growth.

Understanding the connections between work, family, health, etc. and being able to balance those elements is the key to all-round success in business and interpersonal endeavors. Having a visual construct to recognize the individual "slices" of your life can be a first step in "working" your life/business plan.

Setup: First, draw a physical representation of the "Wheel of Life" as a circle divided into 8 compartments. Label each compartment with an area you'd like to examine and develop possible steps to make adjustments or improvements. You choose whatever aspects you'd like to consider. Some examples are: recreation, friendships, career, family, social life, health, financial, creative.

For my personal "Wheel" I've chosen the areas of: Family, Career, Finances, Personal/Spiritual Growth, Health, Recreation, Friendships and Environment.

The next step is the “Rating Process.” On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being "poor" and 10 being "excellent", take a hard look at each "slice" of the “Wheel” and be truthful about how successful or in need of improvement you are in that particular area.  Remember: honesty is essential in order to chart a course for change.

Third: Now, let's use the "Rating Process" to re-evaluate our goals and set a strategic plan in action to accomplish them. Looking at each category ranking, jot down one or two actions you can take to achieve the desired goal. Don't overwhelm yourself. Take the most important area the first week and strive to review and make one or two changes each subsequent week until your "Wheel" isn't quite as lopsided.  Now we're on our way to a better understanding of ourselves and a process for achieving a more balanced and effective way of life.

Exceptional Business Ventures, Inc.

"ActionCoach Business Coaching"
"Business coaching designed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowlege and skills to actualize and enhance their business performance."

Kevan Woodson Certfied Business Coach
Phone: 612-991-0766
Email: kevanwoodson@actioncoach.com

"Let your heart pave the way, and your dreams build the view."
Carol James

"Best and Worse of Times"

Husband laid-off after 20 years! Starting our own business!! Moving to Charlotte!!!? What??

These are the "out of left field", string of events that lead to this blog. Even though I didn't even know what that term "blog" meant until about 8 months ago, I knew I had to share my vision and excitement about what I believe is the rebirth of the entrepreneur.

When I first heard the news about my husband's layoff after 20 years with the same company, the first thought that hit me was "Yes! Now I'll finally be able to get out of this freekin', frozen tundra." That reaction might sound odd but I looked at the layoff as an opportunity not a source of distress or panic. It felt like freedom to me and a chance for us to do something for ourselves, something we felt passionately about instead of giving our talents away to a company that viewed us as "just another body on the assembly line." We can no longer rely on "The Corporation" to take care of us and guarantee retirement and pensions and stability. All our beliefs about the safety net of "The Corporation" have been turned inside out. It doesn't matter what level - management to mailroom- all bets are off! No one is safe. We are all vulnerable. But, if we're not afraid and have heart, we can beat the system at its own game.

Somewhere along the line we forgot that it's the small, mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurs that are the backbone of this country and our economy. We forgot that "we the people" have the power to direct our own destiny and we don't need to rely on "The Corporation" to fulfill our "American Dream." Corporations may be slashing the positions of their "best and brightest" for the sake of the shareholders and the bottom line but in the end it will come back to bite them. More and more of us are starting our "own thing". With social networking and media we're taping into alternative methods to realize our potential and thinking in terms "outside the box."

These are truly the "Best of Times and Worse of Times." The best of times because of the chance to get back to basics. To create our own blueprint of the future. One that advances our society to the next level. But it can also be the worse of times if we don't take advantage of this moment to reach for new heights and change our shared destiny.

Exceptional Business Ventures, Inc.

"ActionCoach Business Coaching"
"Business coaching designed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowlege and skills to actualize and enhance their business performance."


Kevan Woodson Certfied Business Coach
Phone: 612-991-0766
Email: kevanwoodson@actioncoach.com

"Let your heart pave the way, and your dreams build the view."
Carol James