I have a two year old nephew who is one of the cutest and sweetest little boys you ever want to meet. All of that cuteness is masking a serious character flaw. He is stingy. He’s the type of kid that will play with a toy, put it down to play with another toy that he likes more, but will forget all about the better toy if he sees someone start to play with the first toy that HE WALKED AWAY FROM. He runs over and snatches it away from whoever has it, but then he just stands there like he doesn’t know what to do. That’s probably because now that he has it he realized that he didn’t really want it in the first place. So he goes to look for the toy that he really wanted, but it’s gone. I don’t get it. He had the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things – actually had them in his grasp – but he missed out on them because he was too concerned with what was in his past. He’s two, so he’s got some time to get himself together, but what about the 22, 32, or 42 year olds who do the same thing?

My nephew does this because he’s stingy and doesn’t want anyone else playing with his toys. I believe older people do this for a lot of different reasons. The two that I encounter most often are fear and laziness. I have been in a lot of situations where I have hoped for something better. Sometimes it was something as simple wanting new clothes or shoes. Other times, I’ve prayed for a different job, or some other opportunity that I felt would move me up to the next level in my life. Here’s the thing, though. Every time I have been blessed to receive something that I asked for to upgrade my life, it required more of me. I buy new clothes, shoes, or some big ticket item; I have to put in work to pay for it. I get a promotion, it comes with more responsibility. I get a great new job that pays more; I have to move.
Sometimes, I get what I ask for, but I’m so intimidated by what it requires of me that I consider putting it down and running back to what I left behind. My most recent example of this was a bout with laziness, not fear. I love music, especially hip hop. For a very long time, I have wanted to learn how to DJ. Not long ago, the opportunity to learn just fell into my lap. I was so excited about it the first few weeks, but it started getting a little rough to work a full day then go spend another 4 or more hours at DJ training. I was thinking about not going one day a few weeks ago, but it hit me that this was something that I asked for. It’s an opportunity to move things in a different direction… to step up to the next level. Who do I think I am to ask for something then turn it down or squander the opportunity when I actually get it? I had to check myself.  Since then, I’ve been making it to every class and really enjoying them. A few hours ago, I was on the phone with a friend. She was saying that she wants another job, a better job, but is a little afraid to leave the company where she’s comfortable, even though she doesn’t like her current position. If she let’s fear keep her stagnant, who knows what she’ll be missing out on.

The Bible says that to whom much is given, much is required. Sometimes in order to reap the benefits of the things that we asked for and were fortunate enough to receive, we have to give more of ourselves. Don’t let excuses fueled by fear and laziness keep you from the greatness that you’re meant to achieve.

“Always be smarter than the people who hire you.” -Lena Horne

“Don’t be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it’s just death.” -Lena Horne

You have to be taught to be second class; you’re not born that way. -Lena Horne

Hey Fly Girls!

We are SUPER excited that our Spring Session for C.O.R.E On-Site is kicking off today! We’re giving a warm welcome & a big Thank You to all of our wonderful volunteers & girls at LEAD Academy! Since the first session is talking about “Creating Your Fly” we wanted to show you what our C.O.R.E collage looks like too!

Good morning Beautiful Girls,

We have to put a stop to all of this senseless violence. Each one of you has too much to offer the world to have your precious  life taken at such an young age.

After Hadiya Pendleton performed with her high school marching band during the presidential inauguration two weeks ago, the King College Prep teen became Chicago’s 42nd homicide victim of 2013. She was gunned down and killed on Chicago’s South Side becoming an unintended victim of a gang dispute.

We know that President Obama cannot solve the issue of gun violence alone. But going to Chicago and addressing Chicago’s youth violence is a priority in dealing with the future of our country.

President Obama rightly went to Newtown to comfort the families who lost children in that horrible tragedy. Now, Chicago needs his leadership & guidance. since over 500 families have loved ones to violence in the last year alone.

Please Sign the petition to get President Obama to make a speech in Chicago dealing with youth & gun violence! 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION!

Good morning ladies!

Check out new, talented singer Mali Nicole as she covers Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me”

Enjoy!

“Never be afraid to sit a while and think.”
-Lorraine Hansberry

“A woman who is willing to be herself and pursue her own potential runs not so much the risk of loneliness, as the challenge of exposure to more interesting men – and people in general.”
-Lorraine Hansberry

“There is always something left to love. And if you haven’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing.” -Lorraine Hansberry

As we begin February, I have two things on my mind, tax season and catfish. Yeah, it’s weird to me too. For 29 years of my life, catfish meant bring light bread, mustard, hot sauce, pickles, spaghetti and your wallet because if you weren’t at a family function, you were probably at a fundraiser. So you can imagine my astonishment when I found out that there is a documentary and tv series about catfish that didn’t involve a deep fryer. For those who don’t know what I am talking about, a “Catfish” is a person who pretends to be someone else on social media with the intention of getting other people to fall in love with them. This activity is so prevalent in our society that two guys made a documentary about it and MTV created a spinoff television series. The “lifestyle” hit mainstream last week when it was reported that the assumed deceased girlfriend of Notre Dame star football player Manti Te’o never really existed. That’s heavy! People fall victim to Catfish schemes because they allow their vulnerabilities to affect their grasp on real life. So, to make sure you have a firm grip, I am going to dispel arguably the longest running Catfish scheme known to youth of lower and middle class families. Your parents’ income tax check isn’t really what you think it is!

When I was a child, I thought that income tax checks were like awards for being American. In reality, a tax refund isn’t a gift, a bonus or a guarantee. It is the result of an overpayment on a federal tax bill. Every time a person gets paid, the government deducts a certain amount from their paycheck in which it uses to help fund the operations of the federal government. At the beginning of each year, they are required to report their income and certain details about their personal lives to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS uses this information to determine their tax liability for the previous year. If it is determined that the amount withdrawn from their paycheck was more than their tax liability, they are awarded a tax refund. It’s like giving a cashier $60 to pay for a pair of $50 heels. The cashier will give you $10 in change. The $10 is equivalent to your tax refund.

Typically, the more money you make, the less likely you are to get a tax refund and this is where things get deceptive. Although I haven’t done an official survey, I think most people would prefer an extra lump sum of money every year. I also think that most people would prefer an increase in salary every year. However, in regards to income tax refunds, it is rare to get both consistently. So which is better? It is best to have your money during the year as opposed to a refund later. From the perspective of common sense, I am more comfortable holding my own money as opposed to allowing someone else to hold it.

From the perspective of financial discernment, money earned during the year can immediately be used as an investment to earn more money. This is an example of the time value of money. If you wait a year, you forfeit the potential to earn interest on your money. So regardless of the perspective, it is best to have your money during the year. Unfortunately, too many people have an impoverished mentality and share my childhood perception of tax refunds, valuing that one time a year where they strike gold, green or both. These are the people looking for happiness in all the wrong places. Thank goodness I matured and stopped dating online.

C.Hale

Check out Amber Riley’s Fresh Style!

Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut by wearing the same old hairstyles. No worries, check out a couple of quick & easy looks that will help remix your style!

Good morning, Beautiful Girls!

Check out the talented Chloe & Halle as they cover ‘Nuclear’ & ‘Girl On Fire’…