It's a celebration!

For me, the month of May is synonymous with celebration! I can always count on this month to bring a little extra excitement and a number of celebratory invites. It kicks off with Cinco de Mayo, which also happens to be the shared birthday of my sister, Dahn, and my Aunt Barbara Howard, who, unfortunately, passed away in September of 2015, untimely. But, for those that knew her, it’s the day we reflect on the extraordinary woman that she was and the tremendous impact she made among her family, friends and in her community. Since I come from a fairly large family, there are a number of other birthdays sprinkled throughout the month and, among my friends and tribe, I can count on a few other birthday celebrations to round out the month. 

Each year within the month of May, we also get to celebrate motherhood on the second Sunday. I’m blessed to be a mom of two beautiful children which is truly the greatest accomplishment in my life. I get such joy out of being a mom and I’m so grateful for the wonderful relationship I share with both of my children. I’m also thankful for my own mom, Princella Howard Dixon, and all the other mothers that have imparted their wisdom and knowledge that has impacted my life in one way or another. Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there! This month is for us! 

Fortunately, the celebration doesn’t stop there! There’s always a graduation, or two, that I can always look forward to. While I enjoy attending graduations, I enjoy celebrating the actual graduate for achieving such a monumental goal even more. My daughter, Taylor, will be among the high school graduating class this year, which we will celebrate on May 23rd. I couldn’t be prouder of all of her accomplishments, therefore; an exciting graduation celebration has been planned that will honor her and all that she has achieved. Way to go Taylor!

The month of May also happens to kick off wedding season so normally, I may have one or two weddings to attend throughout the month as well. So far, I don’t have any on the calendar, but who knows, the month has just begun. If a last-minute invite happens to pop up, I’ve made sure to be prepared. Several months back in anticipation of the wedding season, I went ahead and purchased a couple of dresses, shoes and matching accessories that are perfect for a Spring wedding. After all, I’m such a sucker for a fun wedding and reception! 

And, if the previous celebrations weren’t enough events packed into one month, I also take into consideration how I like to take time during the month to just let my hair down. Every day is such a special gift and opportunity to take in the sights, sounds, and of course, tastes within the beautiful city of Atlanta with the people who are near and dear to me. That, in itself, is truly a celebration on its own!

It’s possible that the month of May will be bustling with planned celebrations for you too, but if not, take a little time to simply celebrate yourself and the people around you. Find a few events and activities that you enjoy and make plans to do them. Life is meant to be lived so get out there and ENJOY it!

Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma!

Wow! I can’t believe it!!!

My paternal grandmother turns 90-years-old on April 4th. But, to see her you’d never guess it! All my life she has exuded a youthfulness, both in her physical appearance and her spirit. “Dorothy”, as she is affectionately called, has always had a zest for life, a strong fortitude, and an undeniable love for her family and friends.

My earliest memories of my grandmother include her distinct flair for fashion. She proudly wore any and all things animal print, glittery, glowing, and shiny; the sexier and more extravagant, the better. Her outfits became complete with matching purse, shoes, and jewelry. My Grandma’s elaborate wardrobe is comprised of purchases made from any one of her hundreds of vacations and shopping trips to the Caribbean, New York, and even Europe. I’ve admired my Grandma so much because she accomplished all this while being one of the most disciplined and conscientious managers of money I know. My grandmother was the first person to teach me about life insurance, savings bonds, and the importance of having strong credit.

For anyone that knows my Grandma, or better yet, anyone from Pittsburgh, you know how serious she is about the city’s sports teams, specifically football. The people of Pittsburgh are very passionate about their Steelers and my grandma is no different. Being in a room when the Steelers are playing, though regarded as a serious matter, can be quite comical. The talking to the screen, the pacing the floor, the cheers when the Steelers score as well as the reprimands consisting of frowning and shouting when there’s a bad call or play. The experience is priceless.

The same passion my grandma has for her Steelers is the passion she has for everything. Whether it’s lending a helping hand to someone in need, being the voice of reason when critical decisions need to be made or achieving her life-long commitment to healthy eating and exercise. As long as I’ve known her, she has always kept to a strict diet that has including primarily of fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts; though she has admittedly acknowledged her weakness for ice cream. In order to keep her girlish figure in addition to her impressive diet, she’s always had a penchant for anything that “keeps me moving,” as she’s been known to say. That includes dancing, aerobics, walking, swimming, and basketball.

So, to my Grandmother, as it nears her birthday, I say this: Grandma, you inspire me every day. I’m thankful for all you’ve taught me. Your steadfastness, tenacity, and strength remain unparalleled to many, and I’m so grateful for your love and support. Every year, like clockwork, I look forward to the card I receive, on time, from you for my birthday. In honor of you on your 90th Birthday, I want you to know how much I love you! Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Who's in your circle?

An African Proverb states “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I would also add,

“give some consideration to whom is a part of your journey.”

Naturally, the first people that come to my mind when thinking of my journey thus far are my dear family, my closest friends, and my many business acquaintances. But I’ve recognized the importance of reinforcing my circle with individuals that provide value such as bringing industry experience, spiritual guidance, insightful perspective or business acumen while also seeking to bring out the best in me.

In order for this to happen, I’ve had to let some connections go at times. In other cases, I look to cultivate relationships that would continuously allow me to build my personal or professional network.

Taking stock of who is in your circle sometimes brings you to the realization that some people’s time in your life has expired - be ok with this. Spending time trying to analyze or rationalize why that person has been placed in this category could be easily summed up in the fact they were actually taking more from you than you were rewarding from it in return and it just wasn’t a mutually beneficial relationship any longer. The positives about letting some people go mean there is now space to make new connections. Seeking out people that will add value to your circle will ensure you have a stronger network to bounce ideas off of, to gain encouragement from and to glean from their respective industry expertise.

You may also find currently you may not need to eliminate anyone within your circle, but instead, you may desire to add more diversity. This could be in order to benefit from the professional or personal perspective of someone different than yourself and those you’re already connected to. There could be any number of reasons to do this: to broaden your knowledge about another ethnicity, industry or religion, or even someone of a different generation than you.

It’s amazing the things we can learn from others if we open our minds and hearts.

Giving yourself the chance to create a solid core group of people around you will ensure mutual support, unlimited growth potential and the acquiring of a wealth of knowledge that you can tap into. That’s what we call making your circle count!