Why Do We Have To Call It Work?

Since most of us don't like the idea of work, then why don't we call it something else?

Stats and reports keep coming to let us know that most people are 'under this...' or 'over that...' - or not quite ready for anything new when it comes to the 21st Century world of work. I'm a stats junkie so I can't help but read and digest the stuff if only to discount lots of it and move on. Many of the details or concerns raised in various areas are quite valid and deserve a second, third, or continuous deep look followed by introspective actions. 

The world of work is one of those areas.

While examining report details over the last few weeks, a question came to mind and it's sticking around. The question is around this idea of work. The question is:

Why does work cause so many of us so much angst? Could it be that we have our definitions or frame of reference all wrong?

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Work is defined as the effort applied to produce a deliverable or to accomplish a task in exchange for services or payment

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The definition seems straight forward and simple enough. As far back as the beginning of time, the idea of work has been embedded in our cultures and lives. We crave the opportunity to do work for something that is important to us or with someone who shares our goals or with a company or organization that values us. For some of us work is simply "all about the benjamins" which is alright I suppose.

Before I ramble on too much, here are some stats that made me ponder the definition of work.

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Stat #1 - 72% of productive life span is spent working

Stat #2 - 70% of U.S. workers are not fully engaged in their work and are not reaching their full potential

Stat #3 - 71% of U.S. workers spend less than 10 years with their employers

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This is a problem only if...

Stat #1 is a problem only if we don't want to spend our productive time producing results. If we enjoy what we're doing, we'll look forward to spending a majority of our waking hours performing designated tasks and activities in exchange for services or payment.

Stat #2 is a problem only if we're doing something that we don't like or are with someone that we don't like being with for a majority of our working days. If we enjoy what we're doing, then engagement will be automatic and we will crave growth and development.

Stat #3 is a problem only if we believe that everything should stay the same giving us the opportunity to remain stagnant in our careers and in our lives. If we accept that change is inevitable and important to our progress, then we will embrace it as part of the norm.

Defining how we spend our productive time in disempowering ways limits our desire to engage. The definitions that we use may even make a majority of us regret waking up on Monday mornings! 

We can change that.

A New Definition of Applied Effort

We often become masters at reframing unpleasant situations when it suits us. For example, if children don't want to eat spinach and we know that it's good for them, then we may tell them that it will make them stronger and smarter. Remember Popeye the Sailor Man? He made spinach seem cool. I still eat my fair share.

If we can do that for children, then why can't we do the same for ourselves and reframe the definition of work to suit us? When someone asks you where you "work", why not think - then say?

• I add value as a Management Consultant for ...
• I make a daily contribution in Operations for...
• I deliver outstanding service to my customers and stakeholders in ...

Aren't these the kinds of statements that we put on our resumes or include in our work histories? If so, why don't we use these types of statements every day to help us reframe what we really do with our productive time? 

Perhaps Mondays won't seem so bad if we reframe the definition of work.

We add value. We contribute. We deliver.

I realize that simply changing wording won't completely fix certain complex work situations, but it can definitely produce a shift in attitude and perspective around work. If it helps even a little bit, then isn't it worth the applied effort?

I appreciate you taking the time to read my article. Let me know what you think by commenting, liking, or sharing.

In Honor of Dr. King: Truth, Justice, and Service

This morning I woke up - grateful...

Grateful that on Monday we will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's national holidaywhich was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 (yes - that's right!). The holiday has been celebrated in all 50 states since 2000 for all of the right reasons.

Truth, Justice, and Service

Dr. King represents the best of the best that humanity has to offer and he belongs to all of us. Wonderfully powerful and awe inspiring for his ability to raise the consciousness of America and the world to new heights, truth and justice were his calling and he answered boldly.

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We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group living in ignorance.... We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with one group so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced into unsocial attitudes and crime.

The Autobiography of Dr. Martin Luther King (Clayborne Carson)

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Dr. King knew what had to be done, but he certainly didn't do it alone as was so brilliantly shown in Selma.

There were countless names and faces - some mentioned and some not mentioned in history books - yet they carried the burden for the rest of us. It was their very lives that made it possible for America to change.

I can only shake my head in amazement at the strength and courage that it took for human beings of all stripes who realized that life simply wasn't supposed to be the way that it was so they set out to change it - and they changed it.

When I reflect on my contributions to date, I'm proud of where I am but I know that I didn't do it alone and that I have so much more to do. Much of the work was done before I was even born.

With gratitude I'll do what I can to support others on their journeys forward. While making the most of the opportunities that I've been given, I also have to create opportunities for others while I'm at it. The national Martin Luther King Day of Service is one of those openings - a chance to serve alongside others in honor of Dr. King. After all it's not just about me and mine.

The Next Generation

Last summer (2014) I took my daughter along with several family members on a tour of national monuments. My goals were to decompress, spend high-quality time with my daughter and family, and to enlighten them about the history of the country they call home. Our first stop was Washington DC where we spent time walking the entire mall (yes - walking!). One of the major highlights of our visit was the MLK Memorial.

I was pleasantly surprised that my daughter and her young cousins - all under 15 - were actively engaged in the education that they were receiving without too much prodding from me. They listened and asked lots of questions at each stop. They were quiet and reverent when required. Their tech gadgets were used to document their lessons learned. My daughter is shown using her iPad Mini to take pictures of the quotes lining the MLK Memorial wall.

Yes - there were also lots of complaints about the heat and all of the walking but there were sufficient breaks in between as well. I was determined to ensure that my next generation came away with a full experience and positive anchoring from which to grow their futures.

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There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.

A Testament of Hope (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and James M. Washington)

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While many youngsters may be super-absorbed in selfies and on-line social encounters, there are alternatives that are equally engaging. It's important for the adults in their lives to set the tone through exposure and increased awareness to the good in all of us and alert them to the tragedies that can result when good people remain silent. With properly directed insight next generations can work to expand truth, justice, service, and human dignity (the essence of bold leadership) in their everyday lives or in broader contexts as they are called to do so.

How will you lead and who will you serve on Dr. King's holiday?

Add your comments or insights below.

I (We) Woke Up Like This

"...to get all Beyoncè about it, People I woke up like this..."

Shonda Rhimes, executive producer of ABC's "TGIT" prime time line up, is another in a long line of amazing women who make me say "Wow!". 

Last week Shonda's acceptance speech for The Hollywood Reporter's Sherry Lansing Leadership Award had me glued to my computer screen with tears streaming down my cheeks as she recounted the tale of women who were and are responsible for gigantic cracks in the glass ceiling making it possible for others to simply walk through. With intrigue she proclaimed that she herself had not broken through any glass ceilings.

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I have not broken through any glass ceilings. If I had broken through any glass ceilings, I would know. If I had broken through a glass ceiling, I would have felt some cuts, I would have some bruises. There’d be shards of glass in my hair. I’d be bleeding, I’d have wounds.

 Shonda Rhimes, THR Speech

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Those Who Went Before Me Already Had It Handled

With such excruciating pain all around us right now, Shonda's speech was a welcomed tribute to "them" - those women pioneers who suffered cuts, bruises, and shards of glass in their hair as they tackled gravity-defying moves while breaking down doors and climbing ladders of all types. Shonda put into words what I've felt for years but had not yet articulated - not even to myself. My tears weren't for me. Instead they were for "them" - those who went before me and handled it.

To be clear my life is not without challenges - no one's is, but none of my challenges so far have become ultimate showstoppers. I always see options and I act on them as I see fit. There are so many people of all types who can't say the same and it's beyond painful to think about. Self-determination is everything and all lives matter. All lives matter! Our life circumstances may be different, but the breath that we breathe comes from a single source (#ICantBreathe).


I Woke Up Like This

I wasn't escorted to school by armed guards. I haven't been told "you can't sit there" or "you can't pee here". I haven't been barred from pursuing higher education in fields or at schools of my choosing. I wasn't held back from my desired role in the military. I haven't been kept from pursuing or acquiring progressive roles in my career. I haven't been barred from purchasing homes in my chosen neighborhoods. I haven't been harassed by unscrupulous bosses or cops. I haven't been full-stopped from pursuing my dreams because of my gender or color. With a bit of Shonda and Beyoncè sass and class, I too proclaim "I woke up like this".

Yet...

I've been followed around in stores of all types by super "helpful" associates. I've been stared down at stop lights because of the kind of cars that I drive. I've experienced the "double-take" when I walk into a room full of executives or when I open the door to my home for a service call. It's been said that I sound really "intelligent" when I speak. 

All of these "signals" are code for what today's subtle racism and racial profiling often looks and feels like for black and brown women. I have to teach my daughter these things in order to reinforce her with the armor she'll need as she lives and breathes - or as she charges up stairs or break down barriers of her own. Like Shonda, glass ceilings won't be her reality. 

She woke up like this.

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Think of them heads up, eyes on the target, running full speed gravity-be damned towards that thick layer of glass that is the ceiling. Running, full speed - and crashing. Crashing into that ceiling and falling back. Crashing into it and falling back. Into it and falling back. Woman after woman. Each one running and each one crashing - everyone falling.

How many women had to hit that glass before the first crack appeared? How many cuts did they get, how many bruises? How hard did they have to hit the ceiling? How many women had to hit that glass to ripple it, to send out a thousand hairline fractures? How many women had to hit that glass before the pressure of their effort caused it to evolve from a thick pane of glass into just a thin sheet of splintered ice?

 Shonda Rhimes, THR Speech

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We Woke Up Like This

The protests all around the country are in response to what many black and brown people have known for generations. We woke up like this.

The Ferguson and New York grand jury results were not a real surprise and neither were the initial responses. The narrative was (and is) predictable. I'm always afraid for the black and brown males in my life - for my brothers and especially for my nephews. It's an underlying fear that I wake up with. It's always there.

I caution my daughter to keep her mind open because negatively judging others is what causes most of the challenges that we see playing out in our lives and all around the world. I tell her that it's necessary to make smart judgement calls, but judging others and justifying it through the use of outdated rules and systems is a different matter altogether.

Negative judgments say "This is the way the system works so why can't you just get it right!" or "I'm right and you're wrong!". Smart judgement calls say "You can do this or that, but I choose this instead" or "What can be done to make it better?" or "What can I do to make it better for more of us?". Smart judgment calls consider the common good.

Turn the light on in your heart and mind. Take a look at whether you're making negative judgments or smart judgement calls. It's in all of our best interest to do away with negative judgments and instead to make smart judgement calls.

We all woke up like this, but we can change what happens next...

Congratulations Shonda Rhimes! You rock!

The Maximum and Minimum of Really Small Things

...lest I forget that I'm first and foremost a technologist

Reading the details of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry prompted my nostalgic flashback - way back - to the maximum and minimum of really small things...

While at the University of Florida, I spent countless hours flipping through 1000+ pages of Dr. Chih-Tang Sah's book Fundamentals of Solid State Electronics (good luck!) and other hard core texts on semiconductors. The complexity of the topics didn't derail my intense desire for a career in semiconductors. I worked hard to earn the right to wear a fab lab "bunny suit."

I didn't realize that working in a fab lab meant that I had to be bland - no fragrances, no nail polish, no make-up, matted hair from the head gear, almost always casual clothing. As you can see from my picture bland isn't part of my image. In those days I just wanted to be on the bleeding edge of technology no matter what it took.

After graduating from the University, I accepted a role in Motorola's Engineering Rotation Program (ERP) and confirmed my first assignment with Materials Research and Strategic Technologies (MRST) in Austin, TX. I was proud to be part of a small team of scientists that studied substances like barium strontium titanate (BST). Having just graduated I was eager to try anything.

My research liaison was Dr. Bo Jiang. I remember her name because it reminded me of Bojangles - a popular fast food chain. Bo was smart, funny, and drove a red Mazda Miata. She inspired me to think small - really small. I remember being impressed that she had acquired a PhD at a very young age (something like 23).

Bo tasked me with developing an HP VEE (Visual Engineering Environment) program to run time and temperature tests on BST capacitors. At the time .75 microns were the smallest size ferroelectric thin-film capacitors being designed, tested, and inspected in our lab. There was talk of nano devices, but it was still just talk.

That was then.

Each ERP rotation only lasted for 3 months so there wasn't much time for me to revel in my role. I buckled down and pulled together a program that captured BST hysteresis loops over several days and weekends - stepping through defined increments and capturing data. I summarized my findings on colorful PPT charts and reviewed the details with Bo.

Adjustments were made so that a final report could be presented to our Senior Scientist. I don't recall his name, but I do recall being really intimidated by him. He was very quiet, pensive, and super smart. In the end I managed to impress him with my work even though he pointed out several holes in my results. These were exciting times.

My passion for technology is undeniable. I love being on the tech edge and I'm willing to take risks to be there. I'm in awe of what we understand and of what we don't yet understand. I love the fact that the boundaries of knowledge continue to be shattered in ways that we can't even fathom.

While my work hasn't taken me into fabs or labs for many years, I can still feel the excitement of the time I spent buried in equipment, systems, test plans, data reviews, field trials, system deployments, outages, point releases, new releases, new technologies - repeat. I took great pleasure in breaking things that others said couldn't be broken so that reliability and standards of excellence could be improved. These were exciting times indeed.

The Maximum Limit of Really Small Things

Really small things matter.

In the late 1800s the diffraction limit for microscopy as defined by Ernst Abbe (1873) and Lord Rayleigh (1896) noted that it was impossible to resolve two elements of a structure that were closer than half a wavelength.

That was then.

The sizes of the biological entities as related to the diffraction limit are shown in the image. The limit runs through the mitochondrion.

Review additional details in the Advanced Information summary.

The Minimum Limit of Really Small Things

When I saw the that the nano-scale barrier for microscopy had been broken I smiled really wide even though I had absolutely nothing to do with it. I'm proud of the work of Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell, and William E. Moerner. They have taken us forward by focusing on the really small things.

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...these efforts will allow live-cell imaging at a truly molecular-scale resolution, thereby enabling the direct visualization of molecular interactions and biochemical events in living cells

Huang, B., Babcock, H., Zhuang, X. (2010)

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Benefits of Really Small Breakthroughs

Results of the nano-scale breakthrough have already advanced the fields of cell biology, microbiology, and neurobiology. I envision revolutionary treatments for diseases as just the beginning of what this breakthrough really means.

There will be rapid development of strange combinations of cheaper, faster, better applications of technologies and substances to a vast array of living organisms. I find it difficult to even think of solutions on a nano-scale, but it's fun to try.

Really small breakthroughs like this one are leading to a massive shift in knowledge requirements, a large number of new types of jobs, and new industries in science, technology, engineering, and math. Check out these projections.

That was then.

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Projections from U.S. Department of Education

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It's settled then. Really small things matter - and there are no limits!

Are you prepared to take advantage of opportunities created by really small breakthroughs?

Add your comments and insights below.

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Check out these and some of my other LinkedIn feature articles:

• UnderSTEMulated
• What's THAT Got To Do With Me?!
• and more...

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(NOTE: Dr. Bo Jiang referenced above is NOT the same as the male NASA contractor that was recently indicted for espionage.)

Do You Measure Up?

...depends on whose measurements you're using...

Some of the greatest "ah-hahs" that I get these days come from conversations with my daughter. I'm grateful that I take the time to engage and listen. She makes me a better person with each passing day.

This week she had questions about the perceptions that people have of each other and how those perceptions develop. I explained that views of ourselves and of others develop through family teachings, cultural norms, stereotypes, education, peer associations, and experience. I emphasized that it's important for her to keep her mind open so she can see things for who or what they are rather than for who or what she thinks they ought to be. There's no need to measure or judge - only to wait.

She said my explanation was too complicated so I tried another...

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When someone shows you who they are believe them - the first time

Dr. Maya Angelou

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She got it...

Continuing with the lesson du jour, I went on to explain that the way we define and measure ourselves internally is far more important than any thoughts or views that come from outside of us. She piped up right away with "What about my grades?" Smart kid.

I said "Grades are very important, but they are the minimum. Continue to make excellent grades but don't stop there. You have to decide how you will use what you've learned to create something in the world. Don't wait for someone else to define for you what that something should be. You decide."

I let that thought hang in the air as she got out of the car to go into school. I received similar guidance from my dad as I was growing up.

When I picked her up I could tell that she had already begun to make a shift in her thinking about herself. She was very excited and talked about several projects that she intends to take on that aren't related to her school studies. Why? Because she decided to...

How Do You Measure Success?

I believe that the most powerful voice we will ever hear is our own. That's not to say that we're always right about everything, but it is to say that our perspective of how successful we are is the one that matters most.

I'm grateful for a dad who instilled in us that we were "special"... I can hear sighs and see eyes rolling as reflections about kids getting trophies just for showing up come to mind. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to the type of "special" reinforcement that prevents other people's thoughts (O.P.T.) from taking over our own.

With this type of "special" reinforcement in place, fitting in becomes the low bar and self-determination becomes the high bar. Why fit in when we're made to stand out with unique and countless dreams, talents, skills, faults, goals, and pathways? We're all special and we should be proud of our nuances in a "special" kind of way.

How do I measure success? From the inside out. I decide.

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I demand more of myself than anyone else could ever expect

Julius Irving

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External validation is part of the feedback loop that allows for the integration of lessons, observations, comparisons, and realignments where necessary. I too must keep my mind open...

Success means different things to different people based on family teachings, cultural norms, stereotypes, education, peer associations, and experience. It ultimately depends on our own measurement criteria.

How do you measure success?

Drop in, like, share, and add your comments and insights below.

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If you like this article, check out some of these:

• Act Like A Lady, Think...
• Act Like A Lady? Who's Acting!
• Mommy, Do Entrepreneurs Have To Go To Work?
• Corporate Beauty Contest? Now That's Just Taking It Too Far!
• What's THAT Got To Do With Me?!
• Beautiful Leaders, Beautiful Liars
• Dis-Comfort Zone Exit Strategy - Let Go!
• These Heels Were Made For Climbin'
• and more...

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10,000 Failures and Other Magnificent Lessons

What do you do when you want something so bad that you can taste it?...

I'll bet your mouth waters at the thought of having juicy ripe cherries even though you know they have pits - depending on whether you like cherries in the first place. That's how it usually works, right? Practically everything that we want comes with pits as part of the package.

Whether it's that shiny new job (time clock) or that shiny new car (payments) or that bustling new city (traffic) or that beautiful new baby (sleepless nights) or that great big house (mortgage) or... The list goes on and on.

If we're lucky then we learn very early that life is a series of challenges - (1) either we're coming out of a challenge, (2) in the middle of a challenge, or (3) preparing to go into a challenge. This may seem like a bleak view of things, but it's quite the opposite.

If we're even luckier then we also learn that challenges arrive to help us build the strength that's necessary for our journey. Challenges make us dig deep down inside to find the promise that we were born with. Either we unlock that promise and grow or we allow challenges to us beat down.



I often think of people that I admire and what they've taught me. I try to model their examples to make myself better and to make a greater contribution. This summer I had quite an adventure all over the U.S. visiting places where many timeless leaders have been cast in stone. From the Lincoln Memorial to the King Memorial and all the way to the Statue of Liberty, I revisited the past and opened myself up to even greater possibilities for the future.



From museum to museum and book store to book store, I picked up bits and pieces of classic parchment as reminders of how far we've come and how far we have yet to go. I was awe struck by how many people there were who etched their blood, sweat, and signatures on my future and how many times things didn't work out as they had planned. Yet they just kept going. When one door closed, they didn't just open another door. They built altogether new structures!

That's because they knew something... They knew that there is no such thing as failure as long as one learns from their experiences. Even the act of refusing to learn is a lesson. Thus there is no such thing as failure. There are only challenges to be learned from.

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I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

Thomas A. Edison

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Voila! After 10,000 tries there was light.

The number 10,000 comes up often when talking about success or failure. Malcolm Gladwell reviews it in his book Outliers. Scientists have done metadata studies to dispute how Gladwell talks about it. Gladwell says that folks are oversimplifying when they talk about it. What all of them do agree on is that deliberate practice makes you better. Not perfect - just better. You've got to go deeper to go from Good To Great.

How do you get from good to great?

Listen to Jennifer Bricker's amazing story.

When someone tells you NO or you CAN'T or you SHOULDN'T - be grateful for it because they're helping you to build your muscles for whatever's next. Let each NO, CAN'T, SHOULDN'T be like a drop of water on a thirsty plant and let it REVIVE you.



What is failure? It's your choice. Choose well.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you on this topic. Join the conversation by adding your comments below.

Act Like A Lady? Who's Acting!

My dad would always say "act like a lady!" as I climbed trees like many kids my age were doing...

Of course I'd correct myself for the moment but when he wasn't looking I'd resume "acting" however I wanted. Most kids do this. Well I'm not a kid anymore yet I still enjoy climbing trees. These days those trees include motherhood, corporate ladders, entrepreneurial pursuits, and global causes.


After the robust conversation generated by Act Like A Lady, Think..., I decided to follow up with the stellar wisdom of several incomparable female leaders who continue to inspire me with their incredible strength and amazing "take-no-baloney" winning ways.


There's a fire inside of these women that burns in me - that burns in all of us. We just have to remember that it's there when faced with challenges. If they did it - whatever "it" was, then so can we! Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women - and countless others - have shattered barriers for all time. To them I say "Thank You!"

These First Ladies Are Simply Superb!

In her role as First Lady and mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis inspired me to reach up and grow long before our new First Lady came to the forefront. Both First Ladies and mothers display strength, elegance, and a sort of gentle defiance in their mannerisms.

First Lady Michelle Obama keeps me on my toes through the powerful implication that you must be prepared when opportunity knocks. Growing up on the south side of Chicago didn't predict where she would end up. Yet here she is - a beacon for women and girls everywhere. No acting required. These First Ladies are simply superb!

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One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals...

You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen

  

First Lady Michelle Obama

 

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"Miracle Mary" Jones Lit the Fire Within

"Miracle Mary" Jones defied long odds when she arrived on the scene in Jacksonville, Florida, prepared to carry the Olympic Torch during the 2002 Winter Olympics relay. The theme that year was "Light The Fire Within." Three years earlier in November 1998, "Miracle Mary" had been diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and was given less than 6 months to live.


Fighting off near total paralysis and many other challenges spawned by the disease, she held the torch high over her head that day and lit the fire inside of all who watched in awe. Her family and supporters knew that they were witnessing a miracle. At the end of her relay segment, "Miracle Mary" passed the flame on to the next torchbearer. She had demonstrated that no obstacle - even death - is too large to overcome.

...Hospice came. Hospice left. "Miracle Mary" is still here!...

 

- Submission for Torchbearer Slot (May 2001)

 

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Dr. Mae Jemison Rocketed to Outer Space

 

Have you seen the List of Female Astronauts? Mae Jemison is definitely on it as an American first. She became the first African-American female to orbit earth in September 1992 on the Space Shuttle Endeavor. She is also a physician, engineer, educator, entrepreneur - and holds 9 - yes 9! - honorary doctorates in science, engineering, letters, and humanities. Mae inspires me to look up at the stars and continue to dream.


After completing her medical training, Dr. Jemison became a Peace Corp Medical Doctor and later worked with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) studying vaccines. She applied to NASA in 1983, following Sally Ride's example as the first - and youngest - American female astronaut. After completing her trip to space, Mae left NASA to study "how social sciences interact with technologies." Today she focuses most of her attention on "The 100 Year Starship" project.

Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations. If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won't exist because you'll have already shut it out...

You can hear other people's wisdom, but you've got to re-evaluate the world for yourself

 

Dr. Mae Jemison

 

 

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Dr. Maya Angelou - Our Poet, Our Mentor, Our Friend

Dr. Maya Angelou's voice stirs me every time I hear it. She could be reading the phone book and I'd stop to listen. She was an amazing soul who came to teach us that no matter how you start out, it's how you end up that matters most. After being brutally attacked as a child and refusing to speak for many years afterwards, she went on to become the world-renowned author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer that we know and love.


Her credits cover more than 50 years of essays, books, autobiographies, plays, movies, and television shows. Her talents rewarded her with dozens of awards and over 50 honorary degrees. Talk about incomparable! I miss her presence here on earth, but I take comfort in the legacy that she left behind. That and - she reminds me of my mother.

Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently

 

Dr. Maya Angelou

 

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Picking up where I left off above...

 

...that next torchbearer was me. "Miracle Mary" Jones is my sister and she passed the Olympic flame to me. I strive to make her proud by carrying life's torch high above my head. She passed away in January 2004 and continues to inspire me every - single - day.

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As you've undoubtedly noticed, all of the exemplary women that I've spotlighted in this article are African-American except one. If you think for a second that this is because I don't have a diverse array of role models and mentors, you would be absolutely wrong.


My heart is overflowing right now with love and reverence for all of my mentors and teachers - of all hues, of all genders, in all industries, in all places around our globe. There just isn't enough space to claim them all so I'll have to simply say "Thank You!" Yet it doesn't seem like nearly enough...


Who inspires you to be better, stronger, faster, more fierce, more prepared? Add your comments below.