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TOOLS FOR SURVIVAL Personal Empowerment ““SSttrraatteeggiieess ffoorr CCrreeaattiinngg LLiiffee aanndd WWoorrkk SSuucccceessss”” Don’t Let the 4P’s Rule You by Anita Davis-DeFoe, Ph.D. AS WE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS, challenges will provide us with a steady dose of life lessons that contribute to our growth. Self-knowledge opens the door to a better awareness of life dreams and personal goals. If you find that you are not progressing professionally or personally, make sure that you are not being plagued by one of the 4P’s. What are the 4P’s? The 4P’s are beliefs, attitudes, and habits that hinder our personal growth or cause us to sabotage ourselves. One common “P” is prejudice. Generally, when we think of the work prejudice, we associate it with racial issues. In many instances, our deepest prejudices relate to self. Some of us are our own worse enemies, and we walk around filled with constant feelings of inadequacies. We tell ourselves, “I’m Not Good Enough,” “I’ll Never Achieve My Dreams,” on and on we go, verbally abusing ourselves nonstop. Practice learning to love and accept yourself. Recognize that you are unique and realizing that you have been blessed with a unique talent that is your responsibility to discover. If that is not bad enough, some of us toss a heap of pessimism into the mix. No matter what the situation, we expect and just seem to know that the worse is going to happen. If this describes you right now, work to change your attitude to a more positive mindset. Put the Law of Expectancy to work for you. After all, we receive what we expect. Being purposeless haunts some people. Purposeless people have few goals, very few concrete plans and can often be heard bragging that they are “just going with the flow.” Without a vision for one’s future, achieving very little becomes relatively easy. An individual without purpose is vulnerable to opinions, self-doubt and self-sabotage. Listen to the yearnings deep within your spirit. There you will find your life’s purpose. The fourth P is that old dream crusher that is also poor time management’s best friend; procrastination. Procrastination is a learned behavior and through diligence you can overcome it. Procrastination often results from being uncertain about what to do, having unclear goals to start with, having a negative attitude, feeling overwhelmed, waiting until the last minute, or planning but never doing because you’re waiting for the right time to come along. To combat procrastination, prioritize the things you need to need, do the things that contribute to accomplishment of your goals, and use your time wisely. We all have a day of birth; we all will have a day when we are transformed from the physical to the spiritual; and we all have a period of time, the precious time we must use to live our lives to the fullest. Don’t let the 4P’s rule you. Don’t let the 4P’s steal your joy. Dare to dream my friends, pledge to soar. ▲ ▲ Dear Big Sister, BIG SISTER COLUMN My friends have boyfriends, but I don’t. Is something wrong with me? Please help! A.J., age 17 Dear A.J., Are you sure all of your friends have boyfriends? Even if it is true, boys do not define you as a young woman. There is nothing wrong with wanting companionship, but please do not sacrifice your standards and your sense of selfworth for anyone. At age 17, you are just beginning to know and understand who you are. Take your time, what’s the rush? Everyone tells me I have low self-esteem. I guess it’s true. How can I feel better about myself? S.M., age 23 Dear S.M., Self-esteem is a measure that reveals how much you possess self-love and self-acceptance. Did you read our article about self-esteem on page 43? The author, Tec Jean, is correct when stating the five guidelines: 1) Know yourself: be confident, 2) Do not be in denial, 3) Love yourself, 4) Respect yourself and 5) Protect yourself. Please read it, copy it and post it on your mirror to review each morning. Also, read Beautiful. and read the affirmations in Sisterhood Agenda’s Sister Journal. Believe in your inner, divine qualities and surround yourself with positive people—you can increase your self-esteem if you really want to.
The Best Day of My Life Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice. Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for her and how much she means to me. Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine. And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever! - Author Unknown SISTERHOOD AGENDA 37 SUMMER 2007
Page 1 and 2: HIV/AIDS CRUSADE • AFRICAN AMERIC
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Page 9 and 10: Mercy Makhalemele, crusader for HIV
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