think positive! magazine

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10 Be the Change18 Reasons to Volunteer Your TimeWe know that volunteering a portion of our time is some-thing we should do.But that is not the only reason to vol-unteer.

26 Health ISolid Advice on How to Maintain a Healthy MemoryTips that will help you maintain healthy brain function andensure that your memory remains intact for many years tocome.

34 Higher GroundUnderstanding Intense EmotionsHow To Manage Today's Heightened Levels Of StressToday's world is changing at the most accelerated ratesever, and our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits are allbeing affected by these larger changes.

56 Change for a dollarBenefits of Flipping HousesAside from the obvious financial rewards that go alongwith real estate investing and flipping houses there are afew more abstract benefits that can be gained when youembark on a house flipping adventure

32Health IILaughter thath Heals

The great thing about thehistory of black America and

the methods AfricanAmerican leadership has

used to seek full equality andacceptance in this country isthat there have been many

roads to that goal.

Features

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14 Social Media & ServiceIn an era where everything is [mobile and] readily accessiblefrom our cell phone, tablet, Bluetooth & wifi connections …

where is the Innovation for our Community & People Services?

20 Good ImpressionHow to Use Eye Contact to Create a Good Impression

Researchers have discovered that one of the most strikingdifferences between people who are socially confident and

those who are shy.

24 The Power of LikeHow is it that so many of us excel at our careers,

but fail miserably at personal relationship? Love is the greatestreward. The goal of everyone is to love someone

unconditionally, and to be loved in return.

44 ULGNOYP Welcomes YouThe Urban League of Greater New Orleans and their

YP chapter look forward for exciting things to come, as theyanticipate the 2012 YP summit and continue to empower the

New Orleans community.

Welcome tothe MovementYoung Professionalsadvocate and Presidentof the NULYP, BrandiRichard introduces usto the National UrbanLeague and theExecutive Board teamthat has her back.

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Contributors

Think Positive! would like toextend a very special thank youto this issue’s guest contributors.As Urban League ambassadors,these young black professionalsare some of our country’s toprising leaders within the NULYP.TPM is honored to serve as a plat-form for creating more aware-ness around the movement asthey continue to shine as exam-ples for us to empower under-served communities.

Brandi Richard - @BrandiRichardBrandi currently serves as President of theNational Urban League YoungProfessionals (NULYP), an auxiliary of theNational Urban League. She previouslyserved as Southern Region Vice Presidentof NULYP, supporting 25 chapters acrossthe Southern United States. Brandi is acivil servant, working over 7 years in thefederal government and currently worksas a Program Specialist for FEMA NationalProcessing Service CenterCommunications at the Department ofHomeland Security.

Kamilah Collins - @KamilahCollinsKamilah's commitment to excellence andenthusiasm goes beyond her profes-sional career. She is currently a memberof the Potter’s House Dallas and theirBrickHouse ministry. Kamilah alsoactively serves as National UrbanLeague Young Professionals (NULYP)Communications Chair. As Chair she isresponsible for NULYP branding effortsand chapter connectivity. She firmlybelieves her life has been impacted bythe National Urban League movementand is a reflection of their mission:Empowering Communities and ChangingLives.

Jonathan O. Sumter - @JSump25Mr. Sumter is the proud father of a seven-teen year old daughter. He is passionateabout the importance of equality, the youthof greater New Orleans, and empoweringthe city he loves. He’s ardent about engag-ing young professionals through theULGNOYP movement, and to encourageyoung professionals to network, develop,and the importance for us to be civicallyengaged in our community.

Richard Martin Badger -@RichardMBadgerRichard is passionate about family, com-munity and politics. He is the manager ofthe Burleigh Street CommunityDevelopment Corporation where he over-sees the day-to-day operations of theorganization. Richard has served theUrban League Young ProfessionalMovement for over ten years in a variety ofcapacities. He was the President of theMilwaukee Chapter for three years. In histenure, Richard rebuilt the branding of thechapter and was instrumental in the forma-tion of three new corporate relationships.

Photo Credit: Jeremy JohnsonCover Design by Deonne MooreMagazine Design by Arturo Diaz Olmos

The name says it all. Think Positive! is a call toaction. It is a lifestyle. Daily our readers seek toimprove their health, finances, education, career,family, spirit and community. Every interview, col-umn, feature and photograph within this magazinespeaks to those desires and helps society live amore productive way of life.

We aim to eradicate false media images anddestructive frames of mind by empowering,encouraging, and educating the urban communitythrough quality journalism. Think Positive! speaksdirectly to the hearts and minds of readers whilemotivating action toward positive change.

Those who purchase this publication are not onlyreaders; they are change-makers, activists andtrendsetters. Read about the people who make adifference in our society, as well as the stars thatproudly uplift the African American community.

Company InformationThink Positive! Magazine is published 4 times per year. Subscriptions are $12.00 for4 issues. TPM is published by Miracle Media, Inc. and designed by 100% Ideas &Graphics in the city of Chicago, IL.

Advertise in Think Positive! MagazineFor advertising information or to request a rate card, please call 866-931-7576 oremail us at [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without writtenpermission. This publication is purchased with the understanding that the informa-tion presented is from many varied sources from which there can be no warranty orresponsibility by the Publisher at to accuracy or completeness.

This magazine is inspired by The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.Copyright 2012 Miracle Media, Inc • Printed in China

www.thinkpositivemag.com


Think Positive! MagazineExpect to be challenged

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Welcome!Think Positive! Magazine is excited and honored to bring insightful information about historic civil rightsorganization, National Urban League (NUL) and more specifically its auxiliary National Urban LeagueYoung Professionals (NULYP). As members of the NULYP, Miracle Media recognizes the organizationsdedication to community service. In support of the NUL, the National Urban League YoungProfessionals are committed to a five-point agenda including:

• Education and Youth Empowerment,• Economic Empowerment,• Health and Quality of Life Empowerment• Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment• Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment.

The organization holds an annual conference and this year Young Professionals from around the nationare headed to New Orleans for the “Empower the Nation” conference in which President Obama will bethe keynote speaker. The conference will promote the positive programs they offer communities through-out the nation. This issue’s cover features former New Orleans Mayor and current President and CEO ofthe National Urban League, Marc Morial as well as Brandi Richard, President of the NULYP. We werethrilled to sit down with President Richard and chat about the Urban League movement and the how chap-ters across the country are impacting lives!

You are officially on deck. Welcome to Think Positive! Magazine

Expect to be challenged.

Photo by Im

pakt Studio

Editorial

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We know that volunteering a portion of our time issomething we should do. There are reminders allaround us that our help is needed. Other peoplewill significantly benefit from any time we con-tribute. But that is not the only reason to volunteer.

Have you thought about the benefits you will getfrom volunteering? If you consider the many bene-fits you will receive, you will be asking yourself whyyou aren't more involved with helping a cause.

18 REASONSTO VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME

Consider these 18 reasonsto volunteer some of your time:

1. To make new friends2. To build personal and

professional contacts3. To build your self-esteem

and self-confidence4. To develop new job skills5. To make a difference in the world6. To increase personal satisfaction7. To add experience to your resume8. To develop people skills9. To develop communication skills10. To do something as a family11. To explore career possibilities12. To feel needed and appreciated13. To share your skills with others14. To be challenged15. To do something different16. To earn academic credit17. To improve your health18. To have fun!

You will get more out of your volunteer experience than you putinto it. Don't hesitate to identify and donate some of your time to a

worthy volunteer opportunity. You will be glad you did.

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We are born with limitless potential. Help us make sure that we all have the chance to achieve.Please visit uncf.org or call 1-800-332-8623. Give to the United Negro College Fund.

®

NOTE TO PUB: DO NOT PRINT INFO BELOW, FOR ID ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAs.United Negro College Fund - Magazine - (7 x 10) 4/C - UNC204-N-08231-A “NASA” 120 line screen

digital files at Schawk: (212) 689-8585 Ref#:216015Public Service Director - Please Note: This PSA ad expires: 7/17/06

Running this PSA after the expiration date may result in claims by licensor, photographer or Talent.

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MENTORINGThe Glue that Binds African Traditions

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When the subject of conver-sation turns to rich cultureand traditions, Africawould definitely be a part

of that discussion. And with the voy-age of Africans to the Great Americas,we have endured so much—poverty,discrimination, racism and numerousother attacks. The society, as itseemed, had waged war against ourrace but we remain resilient. Andnow that they are among a differentnation, it is imperative that theseAfrican Americans uphold our tradi-tions.

Just looking at how African Americanssurvived the slavery and intoleranceagainst us, you would grow to respectour people. But what made us pliant toall these trials? Was it keeping our tra-ditions? If it was, how did these tradi-tions reach the modern day AfricanAmerican kids? Handing down thesecustoms to younger generationsmeant having someone teach theways of the old. This is where mentor-ing comes in.

Mentoring is simply defined as aprocess where an experienced individ-ual gives support and encouragement

to a person who has less experience.The mentor then serves as the advisorthrough his example and guidance.Mentoring could be informal or formal.With formal mentoring among AfricanAmericans, the mentor could be theguide of the student on his academicworks. He could also guide the stu-dent to community affairs which aimto maintain their traditions throughseveral factors such as religion,music, poetry, and others. It couldalso be as serious as coping withracial discrimination and how to beconfident despite the environmentalcircumstances. With informal mentor-ing, it could simply mean teachingtime management or networking withthe same groups of people.

But what are the traditions that needto be handed down to the next gener-ation? Looking at the younger gener-ations of African Americans now, wecan conclude that they have gone along way and have improvedimmensely in all aspects.

Confidence and self-worth is a greatpart of African American mentoring.What is there to be ashamed aboutour culture anyway? They are a great

people and they value close familyties, respect for the elderly and theyexcel in arts and sports.

Due to this need for mentoring amongthe black race, 100 Black Men, Inc.was born in 1963. Its purpose is toimprove African American lives in acommunity full of whites. Currently,there are famous members such asDenzel Washington, Bill Cosby, andMichael Jordan, to name a few.

Mentoring was and still is an essentialduty of this organization. One of their pro-grams intended that children ages nineuntil post secondary learning would getholistic knowledge through some rites ofpassage which includes preparation ofthe males for their manhood. Also, thesubjects cover aspects of heritage, fam-ily, etiquette, survival and other skills,and even faith. Resource management,athletics and tutoring are also essentialparts of the learning process.

By taking part in such mentoring activi-ties, the young African American woulddevelop better understanding of hisculture. Pride and self-esteem wouldalso be established without disrespect-ing other colors or race.

The Glue that Binds African Traditions

The mentoring process, in general, teaches respect and appreciationfor the African culture. By knowing the rich history and contemporaryassets of our people, we are better able to keep and protect what right-fully belongs to us which no amount of slavery would be able to corrupt.

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SOCIAL MEDIA & SERVICE

NEXT GENERATIONPHILANTHROPY

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I n an era where everything is [mobile and]readily accessible from our cell phone,tablet, bluetooth & wifi connections …where is the Innovation for our Community &

People Services?

The answer is National Urban League (NUL) andNational Urban League Young Professionals(NULYP).

The National Urban League is EmpoweringCommunities. Changing Lives! We are in over 90communities across the country with ourAffiliates, Guilds, and Young Professional chap-ters. The focus of NULYP NOW Communicationsis to promote the great work of this movementand build connectivity.

In the trademark words of our Boston Chapter[YPNULEM], “Volunteering is Sexy®!” So howdo we tap into that appeal, what’s the best wayto take Service and the National Urban Leaguemovement viral?

As Communications Chair, my hope is to under-stand the diversity found in our chapters, andthen provide opportunities for those individuals toconnect and galvanize within the NUL move-ment. What is essential to that purpose is build-ing our social media presence and creating aspace for active dialog.

From U-streams about Civic Engagement &Professional Development, 4 Square & FBCheck-Ins at our Volunteer events, Tweets aboutour Programming to Trending Topics atConferences, NULYP is developing online

resources for our chapters, sponsors, members,alumni, and friends to join the movement.

National Urban League has blazed the trail withcontent on IamEmpowered.com. NUL has anElection Center (for our Occupy the Vote move-ment), electronic petitions, letter campaigns, andconsistent communication from our Presidentand CEO Marc H. Morial.

Our supporters can expect to see more of thatfrom NULYP.

In case you didn’t already know, NULYP hasAMAZING members! Check us out, you’ll findthem in our NULYPtv videos. You can view theirpictures on Facebook and Twitter. You’ll see ouryoung professionals participating in educationalseminars, community and mentoring activities,as well as a few well-dressed networking events.With social media, we can stay in touch andshare experiences beyond our face to face inter-actions at National Conferences, that’s whatmakes us feel like an NULYP family.

Under the leadership of President Brandi Richard,our NULYP Executive Board is serving day in andday out to support, engage, and lead our chap-ters. President Richard refers to us as herTalented 10 because we reflect the sameresourcefulness and passion found in our chap-ters, except there are just 10 of us. We connectto over 50 chapters in a variety of ways, groupmessaging, email distributions, conference calls,and of course our NULYP.net website.

The diversity and support of our services is thedifferential for the NULYP movement. We supporteach other, our members, affiliates, and our com-munities. Our service and diverse talent sets usapart! NULYP has pioneering minds, amazingprofessionals, and great leaders in our organiza-tion. Our professions include civil servants, engi-neers, lawyers, health and financial services, andso much more. #WeDevelopMe is our campaignto highlight and support the training of thosediverse individuals. We want to honor their per-sonal commitment and experiences that makesup NULYP.

What’s next for us? The end goal isn’t to justincrease our klout number and create a flashy

video. (Although that doesn’t hurt) We want tocontinue to uplift the NUL legacy established byfolks like Whitney M. Young, Vernon Jordan, andMarc H. Morial. Our challenge is once we’ve gar-nered national attention how do we move fromsocial interest to activism?

We do it with Your Support. Your Involvement.Your Participation. Your Donations. YourCommitment… Join our Occupy The Vote move-ment, help us Educate, Employ, and Empower.Together we can Empower Communities andChange Lives.

**Find a NULYP Chapter near you and join us forour National Day of Empowerment.**

“NULYP is an outgrowth ofthe National Urban League’scommitment to developingnew leaders… Through aninfusion of youthful energyand new tools like Twitterand Facebook, these youngleaders are making a bigdifference within our organization and throughoutsociety.”~ Marc H. Morial ~

“Volunteers do not necessarily havethe time; they just have the heart.”~ Elizabeth Andrew ~

“Innovation comes frompeople meeting up in thehallways or calling each

other at 10:30 at night witha new idea, or because

they realized something thatshoots holes in how we've

been thinking about a problem.”

~ Steve Jobs ~

Kamilah CollinsCommunication Chair forthe National Urban LeagueYoung Professionals


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CHILDREN FOR

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Afrequent questionamong those

people looking tobecome adoptive par-ents is that of what thechildren are like. This isunderstandable, of course.After all, before welcoming achild into one's home, it is use-

ful to know what options areavailable and what one can

expect of the child. Since all chil-dren are different, there is no single or

precise way to answer this question. Byexamining the various kinds of childrenwho are generally adopted, it is possibleto paint something of a general picture.

One option is to adopt an infant bornwithin the U.S. The infants placed forpublic adoption are generallyAfrican-American, Hispanic or mixed-race. The number of Caucasianinfants placed for public adoption isrelatively small in comparison, asthese children are generally handledby private adoption agencies.Adopting an infant is preferable forthose people who wish to raise theiradopted child from a very early age,possibly to simulate the experienceof raising a birth child. Because this

is such a widely sought option, it canoften be difficult to find a readilyavailable child, often resulting in longwaiting periods before being able toadopt.

A second domestic option is to adopt achild who is already in foster care andwaiting for a family. These children tendto be older, from grade school age upto adolescence. They may have specialneeds, such as emotional, mental, orphysical disability, or they may be partof a sibling group that must be placedtogether. Often called "waiting chil-dren," these special cases are handledby both public and private adoptionagencies, with entities called adoptionexchanges helping to provide matchesbetween child and parent. Often, adop-tion subsidies are available to help off-set the cost of caring for a child withspecial needs.

A third option is to adopt internationally.Children are available for adoption inover fifty foreign countries. These chil-dren have been put for adoption for avariety of reasons, often linked to thenation or culture in which their parentslive. In South Korea, for example,unwed mothers are looked upon

shamefully, so would-be single momsoften put their infant up for adoption.Often these children are living inorphanages, just waiting for someoneto adopt them. The process of adoptingfrom abroad can be a tedious one, butthere are agencies and attorneys thatwill facilitate the process.

No matter which option is right for acertain individual, one theme remainsthe same: there are children whoneed to be adopted. From infancy toadolescence, both at home and over-seas, there are children who are with-out families. For prospective birthparents who do not have the meansto raise a child, and for people look-ing to start a family, adoption is asolution to be considered. If you orsomeone you know is thinking ofadopting and would like some moreinformation, some good onlineresources include Adoption.com andAdopting.org, both of which areaimed at providing information onadoption to pertinent parties.AdoptableKids.com is an onlineadoption exchange where one cansearch and browse photo listings ofhundreds of kids currently waiting tobe adopted.

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ADOPTION


Planning a reunion can be a majorundertaking, but with the help of alocal convention and visitors bureau,

it can be made easy. For example, theValley Forge Convention and VisitorsBureau in Southeastern Pennsylvania pro-vides free assistance with booking hotelsand banquet facilities, tour buses andeven planning tours. Reunion plannerscan get competitive bids and work closely

with a service representative to make thebest choices for their group. This can savehours on the phone, and give plannersideas for adding special excitement to theirreunion.

"We can help a group plan customizedtours around its special interests," saidPaul Decker, president of the ValleyForge Convention and Visitors Bureau."Our area has an abundance of gardens,history and recreation, and we've devel-oped itineraries for groups interested inspending a day or two of their reuniontouring the area."Newest among the itineraries are the"Quest for Freedom" African-Americanheritage tours that highlight dramaticstories of African-American soldiers,slaves and abolitionists from theRevolution through the Civil War.

"The history of African Americans is anintegral part of our nation's historyand the stories are present atmany of our historic sites, fromValley Forge National HistoricalPark to Brandywine Battlefieldand beyond. This initiativebrings those stories to theforeground and affords themthe attention they deserve."

Depending on their budget, groupsmay choose to have a costumed step-on guide; a special program atWashington's Headquarters in ValleyForge; or a craft or cooking demonstra-tion at an historic site.

The bureau's membership of more than500 hotels, restaurants, attractions,shopping venues and service providersmakes it possible for event planners toenjoy the convenience of one-stopshopping when customizing a reunion.The free planning service includesaccess to picnic sites, florists, entertain-ers, photographers and more.

Decker said another key to success isto keep your family members informed,to maintain interest while the reunion isbeing planned. The Bureau can helphere too, providing photographs, visi-tors guides and other publications sofamily members can become familiarwith the area, in advance or on arrival.

Valley Forge is 18 miles from historicPhiladelphia; midway between NewYork City and Washington, D.C. andeasily accessible by Amtrak orPhiladelphia International Airport.

Tips For Planning a Fun andSuccessful Family Reunion

October 11-14

National Urban LeagueYoung Professionals

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Researchers have discovered thatone of the most striking differ-ences between people who are

socially confident and those who areshy, is that confident people have muchmore frequent eye contact with theirconversational partners.

Many shy people never make eye con-tact at all, tending to look downward oraway, instead of looking at their conver-sation partner’s face. Most NorthAmericans, especially Caucasians,prefer to have a lot of eye contact whenthey are talking with someone. When aperson doesn't make eye contact withthem, North Americans tend to assumethat person is hiding something.

When you are speaking with someonewho is from a culture that prefers a lot ofeye contact, be sure to keep looking atthat person frequently while you aretalking, even while you are wonderingwhat to say next. You don’t need to usea piercing stare, a friendly gaze will do.If it really bothers you to look directlyinto another person’s eyes, you canlook at the person’s face without focus-ing solely on the eyes. If you gaze gen-erally at the eyebrow area or the bridgeof the nose, this is close enough to theeye region that you will appear to belooking at the person’s eyes.

You may find that it eases your own dis-comfort if you let your vision go slightlyout of focus. Whenever you are in con-versation with someone, keep themajority of your focus on the other per-

son. If you glance around the room toomuch, or look too frequently at otherpeople, your conversation partner mayassume that you are bored, or that youare looking around for someone elseyou would rather talk with.

If you have difficulty knowing exactlyhow to make eye contact, you can ben-efit from practicing in front of a mirror,or with another person. While somepeople have difficulty maintaining eyecontact during conversations, othershave the opposite problem. They staretoo intently into other people’s eyeswhen they are talking to them, oftenmaking their conversation partners feelvery uncomfortable. It can be veryunpleasant to be on the receiving endof an intense stare, particularly at closerange.

In many animals, the use of staring ispart of a power struggle to determinewhich animal is dominant over theother. In humans too, a struggle fordominance over another can often besignaled by a staring contest. Avoidintense, prolonged staring into anotherperson’s eyes, except in very rare situ-ations.

Although some people use staringintently as a deliberate tactic to intimidateothers, not all people who stare piercinglyat others mean it as an act of aggressionor dominance. Some people who starevery intently into the eyes of others arequite unaware of the negative impressionthey are creating. If it has been your habit

to stare intently into the eyes of other peo-ple without looking away, you may havebeen making your conversation partnersvery uncomfortable.

You can lighten the impression you aremaking by smiling more often, nodding,and by gazing at the entire face as wellas the eyes. In addition, you can fre-quently glance away for brief periods.

Although most North Americans liketo have a lot of eye contact with theirconversational partner, this is not trueof all people. If you have grown up ina cultural group that expects eye con-tact, it can be a shock to find out thateye contact is not always welcomed.There are many countries in the worldwhere looking someone in the eye isconsidered to be disrespectful andan invasion of privacy. Even withinNorth America, there are some cul-tural groups that prefer not to makevery much eye contact.

In many cultures around the world,averting your eyes and keeping themlowered is considered the polite, desir-able thing to do. In North America, peo-ple of African American and FirstNations origin usually prefer to make farless eye contact than Caucasians do.

If you are dealing with someone whohas different cultural practices thanwhat you are used to, make an effort tobe sensitive to the expectations of theother person if you want to have asmooth relationship.

HOW TO USE

EYE CONTACTTO CREATE A GOOD IMPRESSION


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How many times have you lookedat your stack of reading materi-als, and felt overwhelmed? Most

of us are bombarded with more andmore written information every day-magazines, reports, e-books, newspa-pers, professional studies- it seems tonever stop.

All this information has made becominga speed-reader a necessity for thosewho want to stay on top of their profes-sion. Reading faster and increasingcomprehension has become a manda-tory time management technique.

Evelyn Wood developed speed-read-ing, in 1959. Currently, there are a widevariety of classes and techniques avail-able for anyone who wants to masterthis skill. There are classes, books,

audio programs, and computer pro-grams to suit any learning style.

Here are five quick steps you can useright now to increase your readingspeed and comprehension:

1. Prepare to read- set aside some timein a distraction-free environment. Find acomfortable spot, and check yourfocus. If you find you are having a hardtime concentrating on what you arereading, close your eyes, and take acouple of deep breaths. If that doesn’twork, and you are still distracted, putoff your reading for another time.

2. Overview the material- look at thetitles and subtitles. Ask yourself,” Whyam I reading this book? What can Ilearn from it?”

3. Preview- read the introduction, andthe first sentence of each paragraph.Determine what the focus of the pieceis, and what the key points are.

4. Read Actively-Underline the mainpoints, mark any areas that are signifi-cant to you. Take note of anything thatyou don’t understand, as well as anytopics you find for discussion.

5. Finally, relate what you are readingto what you already know. This willput everything in context for you, andhelp you remember more of what youread.

Speed-reading is a skill that is built upover time. If you begin to practice it,even for 15 minutes each day, you’llsee results quickly.

DO YOU EVER WISH YOU COULDJUST KEEP UP WITH YOUR READING?

Who would have thought? Alfred L. Cralle did in 1897. The Ice Cream Scoop, developed by Alfred Cralle,

is just one of the many life-changing innovations that came from the mind of an African American.

We must do all we can to support minority education today, so we don’t miss out on the next big

idea tomorrow. To find out more about African American innovators and to support the United Negro

College Fund, visit us at uncf.org or call 1-800-332-UNCF. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

©2008 UNCF


Richard M Badger, NULYP Central Region VP

The National Urban League YoungProfessionals has longed to bethe premiere young professional

organization that enhances the profes-sional development of each of ourmembers. We excel at preparing, train-ing and identifying serious talent allacross this wonderful nation, but whatabout the personal development?

How is it that so many of us excel at ourcareers, but fail miserably at personalrelationship? Well this article is for theyoung professional that desire to be ina fruitful, healthy and productive rela-tionship, but is not clear how to getthere. I don’t profess to be a relation-ship expert, but I have had my share ofrelationship up and downs. Through itall, I find that love is the greatestreward. The goal of everyone is to lovesomeone unconditionally, and to beloved in return unconditionally.

Can one love without like,or like without love?Communication, sense of humor, finan-cial stability, love of family, these arecharacteristics that I have heard allthroughout my life of what is important

in a relationship and what can sustain arelationship. So, as I think about thesethings, I find that they each have value,but there is no greater characteristicthat I can think of other than love, thenthe importance of liking the person thatI am with!

The power of like is a very real issue.Two people can be attracted to oneanother, be the most beautiful couplephysically, but cannot sit in a roombecause they just don’t get along. Howmiserable will a marriage be, if you trulydo not like your spouse, but they havea great sense of humor, they are finan-cial stable, educated, love their familyand all of the other characteristics peo-ple have told us are important? I canassure you that your life will be a livinghell at best.

As professionals, we have learned howto adapt to a variety personalities in theworkplace. But when we get home, weshould be able to shed the workplacesmile for comfort and peace. Thereforeour spouse should be someone that Ilike, so that I am assured of this peacewhen I arrive home after a long day.

Love is constant. Once you love some-one, you typically will always love them,while like is something that is morechallenging. Liking someone can bedone at a distance. You don’t necessar-ily let people you like into your personalspace, whereas with those you love,you share yourself fully. You can lovesomeone, and not like them momentar-ily, but you can like someone withoutloving them at all.

Example: You have colleagues at workthat you like, but will never invite themto your home, because you don’t wantto get that close to them. They aregood people, but outside of work, youwouldn’t necessarily entertain a rela-tionship with them. In 2012, let’s put alittle more focus on our personal devel-opment as we do our professionaldevelopment. Success is hard enoughto achieve, but it is so much sweeterwhen you have someone to share itwith! My worst day married, is betterthan my best day single! Being loved isa huge blessing!

*** For More Check out the NULYPblog. Visit http://www.nulyp.net ***

THE POWER OF

LIKE

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Success ishard enough toachieve, but it isso much sweeterwhen you have

someoneto share it with! Being loved is ahuge blessing!


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Memory is an integral part of brain func-tion, and can fade if the brain is not keptin optimum health. Maintaining goodoverall health will also assist in keepingyour memory sharp. The following tipswill help you maintain healthy brainfunction and ensure that your memoryremains intact for many years to come.

Create a system to help you rememberthings, and use it. Computers, with alltheir vast memory, still sometimes relyon an outside memory source. Youshould do the same. Using a system toeffectively remember something is liketapping into your external memory. Usethis effective tool whenever you need it.It's a well known fact that stress is hardon a person's body, but it is also veryhard on a person's memory. Chronicstress is detrimental to brain cells as itdestroys them as well as the hippocam-pus, which is the part of the brain thatretrieves old memories as well asmakes new ones. Practicing stressreducing techniques are vital in main-taining a good memory.

Do not cram information before anexam or a test. You will rememberbetter if you study regularly. You canimprove your memory by making itwork on a regular basis, and you willremember something more easily ifyou go over it every day instead offocusing on it for a few hours only.

Try learning a new language.Learning a new language canreally help to keep your mind andmemory in shape. It has alsobeen proven to delay brain dete-rioration and dementia. Justimmersing yourself in the lan-guage will do. There is no needto become a fluent speaker of it.

Color code information to help youmemorize it. Color coding helps the leftand right sides of your brain to worktogether, and better allows you to com-mit material to your long term memory.The color also plays as an associationto the word or phrase you're working tomemorize.

One way to improve your memory is bylimiting distractions and focusing onlyon the information you want to remem-ber. With today's hectic lifestyle, mostpeople spend a great deal of time mul-titasking. By clearing all distractionsand focusing only on the informationyou are trying to remember, it allowsyou to build a strong, clear memory thatwill be easy to recall at a later time.

Carefully focus on what you are tryingto memorize. This is especially impor-tant when you are studying. Never try tomultitask. Turn off the television, turn offthe radio. Just focus on what you needto memorize and the knowledge youneed to retain. Many things can distractyou without you even realizing it.

A great tip that can help you improveyour memory is to start limiting howmuch alcohol you drink. Drinking toomuch alcohol can destroy many braincells over time, which can severelyimpair your cognitive functions, such asmemory. Limit your alcohol to only oneor two drinks a day.

There is quite a bit of fear associatedwith losing one's memory.Understanding the ways to feed thebrain and keep it at a healthy function-ing level, will give you more confidencein your ability to maintain your memory.Don’t delay to implement as much ofthe advice that you can.

End poverty.Start getting kids through high school.

Start Something™

Donate money or time at BigBrothersBigSisters.org

77% of Littles reported doing better in school because of their Big. One-to-one mentoring works.

Even big change starts with something little. Support kids in your community at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

SOLID ADVICE ON HOW TO MAINTAIN A

HEALTHY MEMORY

“ “Just focus on what youneed to memorize and theknowledge you need toretain. Many things candistract you without youeven realizing it.

End poverty.Start getting kids through high school.

Start Something™

Donate money or time at BigBrothersBigSisters.org

77% of Littles reported doing better in school because of their Big. One-to-one mentoring works.

Even big change starts with something little. Support kids in your community at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.


COVE

R FE

ATUR

EInterview by Telie Woods

TPM: Describe the National Urban Leagueof Young Professionals (NULYP) movementand what it offers young professionals.

BR: NULYP is an auxiliary of theNational Urban League (NUL) and itprovides young professionals with anopportunity to get engaged in the mis-sion of the NUL and its 97 affiliatesacross the nation. Within those affiliatesthere are young professional chapterswhere YPs are able to get involved incommunity service. YPs are also able todevelop as leaders. In each chapterthere is a leadership structure. They areable to run for offices or showcase theirtalents by leading a committee, workingon specific tasks, and communitydevelopment. Each chapter is a littledifferent in what it offers, but all aretraining grounds where individuals maysharpen skills in a friendly environment.Many become better leaders and takethose skills back into the work place ortheir chosen profession. NULYP offersyoung professionals the ability to growin a local chapter, with opportunities todevelop their fundraising ability.

BrandiRichard

NULYP PRESIDENT

It is extremely importantthat we extend a helpinghand to our fellow man.As community servicetakes center stage in

the lives of many, a richhistory of civil rights still

marches on. YoungProfessionals advocate

and President of theNULYP, Brandi Richardintroduces us to the

National Urban Leagueand the Executive Boardteam that has her back.

WELCOME TO THEMOVEMENT

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Who is the President of the NUL andwhat is his vision for the YP chapters?

Marc Morial is an amazing supporter ofthe National Urban League YoungProfessionals. He makes it very clearthat he’s interested in the expansionand growth of young professionals sowe can support more of the work of theNUL affiliates across the country. It’simportant that we become leaders inour individual professions so that weare able to give back to the NUL in thefuture and be examples of what thattraining really produces. PresidentMorial provides exceptionally strongbacking to our organization.

The NUL is one of the nation’s oldest civilrights organizations, why would you saythe NUL is still relevant in 2012?

That’s a very interesting question. Thisquestion has been tossed around quitea bit. If you look at where we are as apeople, many of the issues and prob-lems we faced during the civil rightsmovement are problems we continue toface today. Have we gotten better?Have we created solutions to move usforward? The answer is emphatically,yes. But, we still have work to do, soyes the NUL is still relevant.

As an organization we are uniquelypositioned to address the challenges inthree ways. First, through Marc’s lead-ership, we have our fingers on thepulse of urban America. And now theurban demographic we serve is morethan African Americans, it’s Latinos,and other people, regardless of color,who need our assistance. Bottom line,Urban League affiliates across thecountry are serving everyone with amodel created to address AfricanAmerican urban issues. The solutionswe provide are working to empowercommunities and change lives.

Second, we provide public policy sup-port. We research and provide policyrecommendations on education, entre-preneurship, health and quality of lifeand other areas of our agenda. Ourrecommendations are used by legisla-tors including President BarackObama’s jobs agenda which included

about 3 of our recommendations fromlast year from our jobs plan. From apolicy perspective, we do our home-work to understand exactly what’sgoing on in the community and commu-nicate that information to the peoplewho can affect change.

Finally, from a grassroots perspective,we’ve engaged a new empowermentmovement with our web presence.Iamempowered.com allows the publicto really get involved in the issues weface. It provides them an education onwhy we’re still relevant and why thework that we do is still extremely impor-tant. We provide information on all ofour programs ranging from BEEP whichprepares students at HBCUs for suc-cess in corporate roles to standard pro-grams at our affiliates. We’re actuallycreating grassroots advocates acrossthe country.

What are the characteristics of atypical young professionals member?

We have a couple of things that weput together as an executive board,which I affectionately call the“Talented Ten.” Young professionals,at their core, are skilled in their profes-sion and masters of their talent. Theyrespond to the cause and createengagement by using current technol-ogy. They impact others with energyand passion. They are prepared forwork and life with a vision for thefuture. They are improving their healthand fitness each day. They are guard-ing and increasing the civil rightsstandards of their ancestors. And,they are expanding on the opportunityto build wealth for themselves and fortheir community.

Statistically, 70% of our membership isfemale, 30% is male. 97% of them havea Bachelor’s degree. Many have goneto graduate school. Most of our mem-bers, me included, are aligned with theNational Urban League’s five pointempowerment agenda and have incor-porated them into our lives. We’veincorporated health and fitness into ourlives. And as we learn about entrepre-neurship and the importance of startingmore businesses in our community, we

have more members starting busi-nesses. The typical young professionalis starting to look more like what theNational Urban League is promotingacross the country, which is good.

Some people may assume thatmembership to the NUL is only for thetalented tenth. Would you say that’s a true statement or is the movement for any and everyone?

No, it’s definitely not a true statement. Iwould say that, we are one of the feworganizations where you can jump rightin and get involved. You are not limitedby where you came from, or whatschool you went to. You are limited byyour desire to achieve. I am a primeexample of that. When I started out inthe Urban League of Greater DallasYoung Professionals, 97% of this groupof YPs had bachelor’s degrees, and Ididn’t have one. Although it wasn’t anissue for me or the people I was lead-ing, it was imperative that I get one. Notbecause someone told me I needed toget one, but just because beingengaged with all these people andunderstanding the importance of edu-cation, you can’t lead in a space thatyou don’t believe in. So, during my timeas President, I finished my bachelor’sdegree, as a single parent, and with allthe responsibility that comes with beingthe President of an YP chapter. Thereare a lot of gifted people in our organi-zation and if you had said I would beNational President of over 50 chapters,based on where I was when I started 5years ago, I would have laughed. But ifI can do it, anyone can.

Wow, that’s inspirational; we didn’t know that about you.

(Laughter)

How does the Urban League attractindividuals who may not be inclinedto serve their communities?

I’ve seen people come into the organi-zation and find out how communityservice oriented we are and they maysay, “That’s not really for me.” However,we have leaders that are able to shapeand mold views so people are more

BrandiRichard


motivated to serve. There are severalways to do that. We know how to getpeople excited about some pretty mun-dane things sometimes. For example,people are getting more interested invoting (especially in the last election).Once you have people in the door, youcan sit down and strategize on how toget others excited about voting. Makethem feel like they are a part of theprocess; make them understand with-out them we can’t get the work done.They are then more inclined to stick,stay and continue to work to help othersget there too.

With voter registration, it was kind of aneasy sell because people really wantedto make sure that we got folks out to thepolls so that their voices would beheard. And that’s something that we’reworking on nationally again this year.But it could also be a person gettinginvolved at a local affiliate to build aplayground which is actually somethingthat Central Florida did. People gottogether and built a playground rightbehind their affiliate for the community.And it’s really just a matter of explainingto people how their efforts are going tochange and impact people’s lives.

Why do you call yourself theYoung Professional Advocate?

Yeah, that’s funny. When I wasPresident in Dallas, I realized that peo-ple didn’t know who YPs were and peo-ple were like, oh yeah, the young peo-ple, the high schoolers, the kids, yeah,we believe in them. I was fortunate

enough to do debates for candidatesbefore they were elected and I wouldask, “What are you going to do for theyoung professional demographic?”They would respond, oh yeah, well edu-cation is extremely important to us, welove the babies, blah, blah, blah, andI’m like, you don’t even know who weare. You’re coming to our event, you’reinvolved with the Urban League andyou have no idea. So, it got to the pointwhere I created a young professionalsbill of rights, which was a documentthat said these are the important thingswe need an opportunity to do. We needan opportunity to be able to sit at thetable and learn from you, you can’t con-tinue to keep us out of the board meet-ings. We must make sure that peopleunderstand the importance of ourdemographic and why we need to be atthe table.

So, by the end of my term, I startedturning out newsletters about youngprofessionals. And some of those can-didates we did the debates for wouldstart to invite us to their forums toexplain who we are and our thought oncertain issues. So I’d ask the questionsand get back to them. So, it kind ofbecame a brand in and of itself.

With The NUL being built on equality fromthe Civil Rights movement, why wouldyou say, that you are only the secondfemale president of the NULYP movement?

Well, first of all, let me correct you a bit.Karla Ballard was the first femalePresident. Cassye Cook was second.

I’m not going to say that I’m clueless tothe idea that many times women arenot allowed the same number of seatsat the table. Within the Civil Rightsmovement, we have been in strongsupport of male leaders who have ledthe movement. And I’m very cognizantof that, so I don’t want any womanreading this to feel as though I have noconcept of that. But I also feel that, weas women make our own way. So, if Ihadn’t stood up and raised my handand said I was willing to lead thisorganization, I wouldn’t be leading it. IfI hadn’t done the work that it takes toget here, then I wouldn’t be here. Ithink sometimes we assume thingsaren’t possible because we haven’tdecided we want it bad enough to getit. I would encourage women to takeroles of leadership in whatever they areinvolved in and be strategic about itand make sure it fits them. I’m sure Iwon’t be the last female President ofNULYP.

Excellent, so when your term is over, howdo you want your legacy to be defined?

I want to create more advocates. I thinkthe young professionals advocatequestion you asked me was reallyimportant. I want to create other YPswho take the information they receiveto become advocates in their commu-nity. They can advocate for others whoprovide community service, exposehealth disparities, create businessopportunities, or promote economicadvancement for a certain demo-graphic of people, that’s extremely

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important to me. I want to empowerpeople to be able to go out and sharewhat they’ve been given.

Of course within our organization, Iwant to implement the full NULYP NOWplan. I’d like to see an increase inmembership, definitely a growth in ourability to use social media to reachmore audiences and strengthen ourinternal pipeline (NULITES to BEEP toNULYP to Alumni to Donor/Life-longUrban Leaguer) to ensure that we arearound for years to come. Those arethings that are the lifeblood of ourorganization and those are the legaciesI’d like to leave. I want someone tocome up and say, “Hey, I was just com-ing into the organization during the endof your presidency and now I’m thePresident of such and such and now

we have all these great programs.”That’s what I’d like to see.

Are there any initiatives for the YP’s to developa lifelong commitment to service? Are thereany programs to keep them involved?

We just started a new initiative and we’llbe getting more information about it atour National Conference in NewOrleans called NULYP Alumni. Thosemembers who have physically or men-tally aged out, and want to be involvedand know about the programs we havewill be able to learn about new pro-grams and participate in the NationalDay of Service. That’s on its way to acomputer near you! Within the organi-zation, we want to make sure that peo-ple are committed to service. One ofthe goals that we’ve created is 50,000

hours of service. This doesn’t includethe hours that individual chapters willdo outside of their affiliate work, but wewant to make sure our commitment isfocused there.

We’ve also created the distinguished YPmember designation, which means thatif you’re a member of a chapter andyou’ve given 16 hours of service at aminimum to your affiliate and 100 hoursto your chapter (those 100 hours couldbe planning meetings, in the community,getting other people engaged in serv-ice) then you’ll be recognized as a mem-ber at our National Conference. So wewanted to institutionalize the serviceaspect of what we do as an organizationand recognize them for their commit-ment to service because it’s extremelyimportant to us.

The NULYP Executive Board (from left to right) Kamilah Collins, Rita Lassiter,Rahshib Thomas, Tiffany Thomas, Marc H. Morial, Brandi Richard, Pamela Perkins,Richard Badger, Karen Anderson, Sean Bradley, Jameeka Green


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The great thing about the his-tory of black America and themethods African Americanleadership has used to seekfull equality and acceptance

in this country is that there have beenmany roads to that goal. Yes, the greatsocial, political, legal and even militarymovements that have been conductedto free African Americans from slaveryand achieve full citizenship were cru-cial. And the great black leadership ofdynamic personalities like Martin LutherKing and George Washington Carverhas made things possible that wouldnever have been possible otherwise.

But not all of the gains in society havebeen achieved through tears andanger. In fact, some great black lead-ership can be found in a place onenever would think to look. It can befound in the standup comedy nightclubs and on forward thinking televisionshows as black comedians helpedeverybody, black and white, laughtogether at the differences in the racesrather than cry separately.

Some of the most revered figures incomedy in the last thirty years werefrom the African American commu-nity. There are many notable namesthat spring immediately to mind thathave used the “podium” of a comedymicrophone and stage to talk about

issues of race, color, discriminationand race relations in a way that allcan appreciate their thoughts andachieve a common understanding.The names of Bill Cosby, RichardPryor, Eddie Murphy and many morestand out as both very funny enter-tainers and people who have repre-sented the African American commu-nity with pride and intelligence thatall can admire.

Many African American children tookhope from the idea of rising up out ofpoverty and difficulty to reach great-ness because they saw these blackentertainers do it. Just by using theirsuccess to show the youth of blackAmerica that they too can be success-ful and that with hard work, intelligence,and the willingness to try they too canbe somebody to their families and totheir community. This is truly the role ofa great role model and these men havegiven much hope to youth to makesomething of them and make a differ-ence.

Sometimes it was hard for these enter-tainers to achieve equality. WhenSammy Davis Junior first was recruitedto make his valuable contribution toFrank Sinatra’s team, many in that soci-ety did not think it was appropriate thata black man could perform with equal-ity with his white contemporaries. We

can be grateful too for the openness ofothers in the entertainment communitythat they would not stand to see racismkeep talent such as Sammy’s down. Itwas Sinatra himself that made sure thatSammy Davis could perform with the“Rat Pack” and in doing so; anotherdoor of racism was blown down in thiscountry.

Stories like this are frequent. TheHollywood establishment always hasbeen forward thinking in presentingentertainers based on their talent andnot on the color of their skin or otherartificial divisions. It has been televi-sions as well that has broken barriersand open the discussion of race andcolor for all of us to engage. By makingit “ok” to talk about race relations, it alsomakes it ok to see those relationshealed and clear the way for reconcilia-tion and healing.

Many times when a black comedian ismaking his crowd laugh, he might say“the important thing is we talk aboutthese things and laugh about themtogether”. And that is the importantthing. We can be grateful we have hadsuch outstanding leadership in enter-tainment to bring black and whitetogether in a way that eliminates hatredand hostility. Because it is hard to hateyour brother when you are busy laugh-ing together with him.

LAUGHTERTHATHEALS

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LAUGHTERTHATHEALS


Today's world is changing at the mostaccelerated rates ever, and our bodies,minds, emotions and spirits are allbeing affected by these largerchanges. Have you noticed recentlythat you're experiencing more intenseemotions? Many people are feeling aheightened sense of emotional inten-sity, so we are seeing more incidents ofdisruptive outbursts and behaviors, andalso more positive emotions related toexpanding love, that are inspiring peo-ple to take more risks within their inter-personal relationships, and in relation toimportant life choices.

The human heart is growing larger on aspiritual level, expanding beyond itsperceived small boundaries of focus onthe self. The growth of technology andthe process of spiritual evolution on theEarth have created unprecedented lev-els of communication between people,and also between humanity and theplanet Earth that we live upon. It hasbecome clear that our previously selforiented behaviors have created multi-ple planetary crises that must beaddressed. Each of us is being calledby the time we live in, to step forwardinto greater self responsibility and agreater willingness to join with others tofind solutions to our common problems.

As the spiritual evolutionary impulsecontinues to transform us and to openthe hearts of humanity, we are also see-ing increased incidences of the worseof humanity as well. We see shockingexamples of negativity expressing itself

in large and small ways, which seemeven more abominable as we becomemore spiritually aware and more sensi-tized to the world around us.

This process which seems so harshand difficult is known as the process ofpurification. As greater levels of spiri-tual light manifest on the Earth, the lightacts both to open the heart and openspiritual awareness, and it also acts toilluminate what has been hidden andseparated from the light of spiritual one-ness. When the negativity is released,it floods our awareness and feels like itwill never end. This is the most difficultpart of the process, which we are in themidst of right now on planet Earth.

Once the flood of negativity has sub-sided, we can begin to be able to feelthe greater love, light and freedom thatresults from being cleansed at a deeplevel. The end result of the process ofpurification is a life that exists in har-mony with oneself, with God, and withall of life. This process is happeningboth individually and on a global level,so that humanity can live at peace, inharmony with God and with all of life.

Most of us carry within ourselves painwhich we endured in our younger lives,or that we are aware of from within ourhearts. As the spiritual atmosphere ofthe Earth becomes more illuminated,we may feel these emotions in a moreheightened way. It could be a constantsense of anger, or despair or grief, thatseems to pervade our consciousness

LEVELS OFHOW TO MANAGE

TODAY'S HEIGHTENED

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no matter what is happening in our dailylives. It may be that little has changedin our outer lives, but suddenly we arebeset by all these feelings which seemto emerge from an endless well. Or, wemay have endured unexpected lifecrises which trigger deep and painfulwounds that feel like they will never behealed.

These intense emotions that are surfac-ing right now are a part of this largermovement happening on the Earth.Your inner being is a pure and divinechild of light which carries within itselfthe inner knowing of what needs to behealed within you. If you can hold theawareness that the emotions you arefeeling are a part of a natural healingprocess, then it becomes easier tobreathe, and to remember that you arefeeling the emotions but you are notyour emotions.

You are a precious and beautiful soul,created in God's image with infinitecare, to share something special withthe world that only you can offer. Allowyour emotions to pass through you likewater, with trust that they will pass. Onthe other side of the storm is a newtomorrow with infinite possibilities thatexist within God's loving embrace ofspirit. You are deeply blessed with thegift of God's life, for a divine purpose.Trust this and follow your innermosthearts calling. Your body, mind, emo-tions and spirit will find a new harmonyand alignment, and a new level ofpeace and inner fulfillment.

STRESS““

Understanding Intense Emotions

Once the flood of negativityhas subsided, we can begin to beable to feel the greater love, lightand freedom that results frombeing cleansed at a deep level.


HIGH

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Daniel DietThe Daniel Diet is not simply a fad

diet to lose weight. Instead, it is aspiritual commitment that may

result in a drop in pounds. But, first andforemost, it is designed to improve yourrelationship with God.

The Daniel diet is based on a versefrom the Bible. Daniel 1:18 says,“Daniel proposed in his heart that hewould not defile himself.” At the time,the Hebrews were living in exile inBabylonia. Daniel was an adviser to theBabylonian king.

The Babylonian king ate all kinds offoods restricted to Jews. This includednon kosher foods, wine, and foods anddrinks that had been offered to idols.

The modern day Daniel diet popular-ized by author and Pastor Rev. Elmer

Townes does not require that you followthe same program that the BiblicalDaniel did.

The Daniel fast is not a full fast. You areallowed to eat whole grains, legumes,fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, andwater, fruit juices and vegetable juices.You must specifically avoid all meat,white flour or white rice, fried foods,caffeine, carbonated beverages(including diet soda), alcohol, foodswith any preservatives or additives,refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup,chemical sugar substitutes like equal,and margarine, shortening or any prod-uct with animal fats.

Before you begin the diet part of theDaniel fast, you need to prepare spiritu-ally through prayer. Make a commit-ment to stay on the diet for a specifiedperiod and publicize it by writing itdown and telling your family, friendsand faith partners what you havepromised God you will do.

You will also need to prepareyourself physically for the diet. If

you are addicted to caf-feine, it is a good ideato wean yourself off ofcoffee or soda for two

weeks before starting theDaniel diet. Also, beginreducing meat consumptionahead of time so that this isnot a shock to your system.

The length of time you stay onthe Daniel Diet depends on

you. Remember, this is not primarily aweight loss plan but a spiritual redemp-tion. Some people make a commitmentto stay on the fast for the rest of theirlives. Many churches are doing achurch-wide Daniel fast for 21 daysencompassing 4 Sundays. This stemsfrom a 21 day fast that Danielrecounted in Daniel chapter 10. Otherpeople fast for the entire 40 days ofLent. However, you can do the Danielfast for as little as 7 days and seeresults.

Some people report that they do a oneday a week complete fast as a sacrificeto the Lord.

Here are some tips to help you be suc-cessful on the Daniel Diet.

1Be specific about the amount of timeyou will spend on the diet.

2 Use the fasting as a spiritual com-mitment not a weight loss plan.

3Use your external discipline toreflect your internal desire.

4Pray and ask God to show you whatsin’s role is in your physical problems.

5Use your fast as a testimony toothers.

6 Use your fast to learn the effects ofthe food you eat on your body.

7Give praise to God for whatever suc-cesses you have on the Daniel Diet.

®

BECAUSE I DON’T JUST WEAR THE SHIRT, I LIVE IT.GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. LIVE UNITED®

Michael Cleveland is part of United Way’s ongoing work to improve the education, income, and health of our communities. To find out how you can help create opportunities for a better life for all, visit LIVEUNITED.ORG.

INSTEAD OF JUST HANGING OUT ON SATURDAYS

I HELP KIDS HANG IN THERE

AT SCHOOL

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Author Name

At Mijiza’sShifting landscapes of beautyBraided togetherBy generationsOf simmering ebony folkloreConjuring in kitchensCrowns of natural gloryA graceful griot grandmotherA passionate poet warriorAnd her prodigious progenyA warmhearted womanistMeshed together in loveFlowing in laughterLike the strands of locksCrying freedomOr riotous natural ringletsTwisting and turningSharing tales of kinshipFrom head to headSacred ebony science in each fingertipSistah triplets remember…Village stylistsClicking at stovesHumming at sinksDancing between braidingAnd beckoningYou to sit your soul stillAt the altar of ritualsRoots to the soil Of Black antiquity

Proud & happy nappy, y’all. It’s alwaysbeen something more than just hair.Leave a little more love 4 the lusciouslanguage of Juanita Crider!

What’s happenin’ Positive People?!?It’s been awhile but we have returned! WELCOME 2 this, our newest installment of

the People’s Vocal Reactionary Liberation Movement© open-page poetry set righthere N Think Positive Magazine! We have been away from the scene 4 awhile but

we hope that like a mother finding her lost child, U’re thrilled 2 C us again.

I am your host & facilitator 4 this fly feature, Discopoet Khari B. and I B real happy2 have your sight locked on these words about 2 B dropped. Without

further delay, leaving script this day is a serious soul sista who can’t B a stranger 2finger blisters. This powerful performer, grad student AND

grandmother skillfully writes without limitation & with unlimited ink; always canmake U smile; always will make U think. Hailing from B-More, please bat your eye-

lashes and grab this page as we welcome

MS. JUANITA CRIDER!!!


YO! Our next brotha on this page will rock this paper 2 itspulp. His performances fluidly become a mix of Hip-Hop,Rock, and Spoken-word. Profoundly passionate, soundly

insane but flipping the script with a beautiful dedication 2his then newborn son (a real dad, y’all); affectionately and

accurately known as Chicago’s wildest, this is

DRUNKEN MONKEEE!!!

Joseph Hendrix & Hisamazing colorful world.Purple elephants is all we seeA giant orange bird we want to be,yellow, greenish smiley faces on my toes and feet. A pink & purple wind that smells like a bubble gumbreeze,blue like painred like l-o-v-e the world is a crayon box along with a cosmo coloredstream.So innocent,so precious our little brown baby boy dreams.

Remember, it was all so simple then…Give it up again 4 Drunken Monkeee!

This last sis on our list is understatedly the b’nis. She’sa northern Cali native, academically lettered lady andhost of the renown webshow, “Rock the Spoken Word.”A powerful performer, a fearless fem and a roughwriter known NOT 2 pull punches. Ladies and gentle-men, I am not afraid 2 say I love her; put your pages Nthe air 4

CASARAE GIBSON!!

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Black Power, What Can It Be?Black Power, What Can It Be?A Revolutionary Marker that Will Represent MeA Movement that will redirect our vision for the DreamTo inspire Black people to read their historyWe tend to engage in this colorblind schemeThat we are post-race, post-Black, post-identity

But did you ever think that our current remedy Will lead to more death, destruction, and tyranny Oppressing our blackness recognizing our whitenessEmbracing our Latino, our Asian, and white brethren

What does this identity say about our community?That our self-hatred is worth more than our purity

Today I will stand for Black PowerEmbracing its existenceMore importantly embracing my identityExamining my fore-sisters

Their poetry and prose are rhetorical power Igniting the fight in me Reinstating my knowledge Of who I am as a Black and as a Woman Rejecting societal norms, Right now I pay it forward

Our Revolution is here my sisters, don’t’ back downEmbrace the struggleBe ready to fightStand your ground

For Who You Are You know You Exist So embrace the Power that you seize to exempt What lies beneath you is the struggle to break free

Proclaim Your Race You’re Black Acknowledge thee

It’s okay 2 clap from a good read. Or just give that cooool head nod 1 mo’ gin 4 your sista, Casarae Gibson!

Hey, this has been another installment of thePeople’s Vocal Reactionary Liberation Movement©open-page poetry set and, again, I am your hostDiscopoet Khari B. I wanna thank U on behalf ofthe artists and Think Positive Magazine 4 puttingyour eyes on and lending your attention 2 this openpage. Hopefully it has served 2 further open U. Thisis the end 4 now but please join us again and feelfree 2 share it with your friends. If U wanna get Non this blend of word, wisdom and righteousnesstap N2 [email protected] and we’ll get Uon the list.

In between the time that we next meet again U cancheck my own band, The Rockstar Poetry Projecton YouTube by plugging N our name. Please com-ment on the videos and follow me on Twitter@Discopoet 2 get access 2 owning our music 4yourself. 4 more on that music movement dig onwww.Disco-poetry.com orwww.ReverbNation.com/Discopoetry and watchwhat Spoken Word can do!

And finally, PUH-LeesE share your thoughts, impres-sions, and constructive criticisms with us aboutthis feature at [email protected]. Wewanna keep this thing hot 4 U. Look 4 us again nextissue,same perfect time, same perfect page right here inThink Positive Magazine. Good day 2 U.

A prolific writer, Juanita Crider can B found atPurdue Univ. working at the Black Cultural Centerand pursuing her graduate degree in AmericanStudies. In between time she is exploring way 2spoil her new grandbaby rotten!

More on Drunken Monkeee can B found athttp://soundcloud.com/tweakcentralacademyincluding lists of his next performances, upcomingreleases and more.

Keep up with Casarae Gibson via her blog and webshow,www.rockthespokenword.com which airs liveevery 3rd Sunday of the month.


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Here are some tips to make it throughthe week even if you're just sitting onyour favorite couch. An idea takes timeto form in your head and is always atwork while you are busy sitting.

Having a bit of positive thinking canhelp you realize things that are neverthought possible. Thinking big isindeed the American Way and that iswhat made our country prosperous.

1Take passionate action towards liv-ing your life by design. Talk ischeap. Action = deposits in the

bank of a passionately authentic future.Without it, passion is void. This is a per-fect example where dreams are madeof where you start by tinkering with yourmind, then with your hands. And if theidea weakens, you can always go backto it later until you finish it.

2Commit to yourself as well asthose you love to create power-fully a life you can love. Instead

of reacting, commit to creating fromyour heart and soul, out of love ratherthan fear. The American Dream willalways be there, but a dream will stillbe a dream without motion. Beamazed as the transformationbegins.

3Recognize and embrace thethought that each moment is per-fect regardless of its outcome.

Every time you hit on something thatmay appear too extreme, why not giveit a shot and see if it will work. You willbe surprised to see if there are otherways to get the task done in time. If youare not pleased with the outcome,decide to use that moment to learn fromand make the appropriate shift.

Enlightenment

YOUR 7 DAY PROGRAMTO POSITIVE THINKINGI'm sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere inthe back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out.Of course you're not the only one with the bright idea.So what motivates you to churn those creative or eveninspiring juices to its utmost flavor?

It's always best to set upa personal goal where

you can accomplish themost in record time,

maybe like mowing thelawn in an hour beforethe big game on TV. A

correct and positive atti-tude in whatever you dowill make things easier,

and even enjoyable.

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4Dwell completely in a place ofgratitude. Learn to utilize what youhave in your hands and make use

of it in the most constructive way.Slipping into neediness will becomeless of a habit when you repeatedlyshift towards gratitude, away frompoverty consciousness.

5Use a Passion Formula ofRecognize / Reevaluate / Restorein place of the Shoulda / Woulda /

Coulda whirlwind. The former is basedin increased knowledge and abun-dance while the latter focuses onscarcity and lack. As you face peopleor tasks that may seem harder thanscaling the summit of the Himalayas,allow yourself to realize that the task isjust as important as giving out orders toyour subordinates. You would rather berichly passionate!

6Keep humor at the forefront ofthought, laughing at and withyourself when possible. You

may find yourself quite entertainingwhen you loosen up! I am yet to seea comedian ever go hungry eventhough his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has so much to offerto allow you to mope around in selfpity. Humor is very attractive, verypassionate: life-giving.

7Believe that you are the architectof your destiny. No one can takeyour passionate future from you

except for you! Create your lifeauthentically. As long as there's stillbreath in your body, there is no endto how much you can accomplish in alifetime. The concept of thinking bigis all about enjoying your work, whichwould lead to celebrate a discovery

that is born within your hands. Watcheverything flow into place with per-fect, passionate precision.

It's interesting how people get swal-lowed up by something as trivial aslearning to use a computer, whennowadays that top computer compa-nies are manufacturing software thateven the kids can do it. I don't mean tobe condescending, but that's the ideaof not having any positive thinking inyour life-you'll just end up as a dim bulbin a dark corner. So instead of subject-ing yourself to what you will be doomedfor, make your path by taking the firststep with a positive attitude.

Enlightenment


Jonathan O. Sumter, ULGNOYP President

2012 has been a very exciting year forthe New Orleans YP chapter as theywelcomed home the former Mayor,National Urban League President andCEO Marc H. Morial, back to theCrescent City for the 2012 NationalUrban League Conference.

This spring ULGNOYP had the privilege ofMarc H. Morial participating in theirNational Day of Service (NDoS). Thisyear’s program focused on STEM educa-tion (Science, Technology, Engineering, andMathematics). After his participationwith National Day of Service activitiesMr. Morial wrote,

"My faith in the power and potential in ouryoung people was renewed this pastweekend as hundreds of African Americanhigh school students from around thecountry spent their Friday and Saturday

participating in an annual Day of Serviceorganized by the National Urban LeagueYoung Professionals (NULYP). This year,in partnership with the National Society ofBlack Engineers (NSBE), the NULYPlaunched STEMWORKS, an education andmentoring program designed to engagemore African American youth in studyingScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathor the STEM disciplines. www.iamempowered.com/node/24950

Celebrating the spirit of volunteerism,ULGNOYP, led by President Jonathan O.Sumter and the National Society of BlackEngineers assisted the students of SophieB. Wright in building robotic cars powered

by baking soda and vinegar in a competi-tion to move their car the furthest.

President Morial, ULGNO Presidentand CEO Nolan Rollins, and NULYPPresident Brandi Richard provided thestudents with encouragement in a verysuccessfully mentoring project with YPsand the students of New Orleans

The Urban League of Greater NewOrleans and their YP chapter look for-ward to more exciting things to come,particularly as they anticipate the 2012YP summit and continue to empowerthe New Orleans community.ULGNOYP welcomes you!

2012 NULCONFERENCE YP SUMMIT

Urban League ofGreater New OrleansYoung ProfessionalsHOST

ULGNOYP Welcomes You!

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The use of slave labor was a wellknown practice for severaldecades in the world community.

With the discovery of new lands withgreat promise to offer, the world’seconomy was fast flourishing. Thedemands for crop produce in large vol-umes made the slave trade the idealsolution for labor problems. AndAmerica was no exception. In factAfrican American slaves soon outnum-bered the white population because ofthe large import volume.

However, slaves weren’t just madeto work the lands; they were made toforget their lifestyles, disciplines andculture. Slave masters world overestablished slave codes whichrobbed the Africans of their freedomand will power. Although manyslaves did try to resist this treatmentthey were met with strict and cruelforms of punishment for disobeyingtheir masters. Slaves were forbiddenfrom carrying guns, taking food,striking their masters, and runningaway. In fact any and all slavescould be flogged or killed for resist-ing or breaking the established slavecodes.

Freedom was perhaps the mainissue on the minds of those enslaved

African Americans. American histori-cal records have identified severalattempts of rebellion and some ofthe key players who were involved inthe African's quest for freedom onAmerican soil. Perhaps the threemain personalities who pioneeredfreedom for African American slavesinclude: Gabriel Prosser, DenmarkVesey, and Nat Turner.

In August of 1800 Gabriel Prosserdecided to free himself along withabout 1,000 other slaves. His gameplan revolved around killing most ofthe white residents and taking overthe town of Richmond, Virginia.History records show that anuntimely and severe thunderstormcaused the slave revolters to dis-band. Unfortunately, three slavesalso revealed the plot, and soGabriel Prosser and thirty-six of theslaves were identified, tried, andexecuted.

Denmark Vesey was another pio-neer of slave abolition. He hadobtained his freedom in 1800 andwas especially upset by the wholesystem of slavery that he wantedto destroy it entirely. He wanted afull-fledged war using armedslaves to kill white slave owners in

the city of Charleston, SouthCarolina. Unfortunately in 1822,and after several years of plan-ning, his idea to attack and "liber-ate" the city was revealed.Leading to his own and several ofhis co-conspirators' arrest. In thecase of Nat Turner he had a reli-gious zeal and a belief that he wasspecifically chosen to free himselfand his slave brethren.

This 31 year old preacher to theslaves constructed a plan of "terrorand devastation." His organizedrevolt became America's mostfamous and violent act involvingslave resistance. On August 21,1831, Nat Turner and six otherslaves killed Turner's plantationmaster and his family inSouthampton County, Virginia.Turner’s band of slave supportersgrew quickly, as they went aboutkilling a total of 60 white slave own-ers, including their wives and chil-dren. Eventually, Federal andVirginia state troopers encounteredthe roving band of slaves and killedmost of those in rebellion.Unfortunately this resulted in otherslaves not connected to the rebel-lion also being killed.

3LITTLE KNOWN PLAYERS INAFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY



It's always fun finding out who youreally are and the internet is one of thebest tools available to do this. Althoughyou may consider that you alreadyknow about yourself, the internet canbe a very useful tool to let you find outa little bit of history about your family.You have to consider that it's a greatthing to know about your family's pastand know about relatives you didn’teven know existed.

The internet has numerous genealogywebsites that you can use to find outabout your family, who you were relatedwith, and what kind of person you are.Some people use these websites formany reasons. Some say to find outabout themselves and some even findout about their family just for fun.Whatever your reasons are, you have toconsider that finding out about whereyou came from can be quite a thrillingexperience. Just imagine, you may berelated to Martin Luther King Jr. andyou and your family doesn't even knowabout it. Or, it can also be quite a sur-prise if you find out that you are a dis-tant cousin of a famous AfricanAmerican superstar athlete, such asKobe Bryant or Tiger Woods.

You have to consider that traces of yourfamily ancestry can be lost in time.There are a lot of reasons why a family'shistory die out. Some were affected byquarrels inside the family circle andothers were affected by historical

events that separated them from othermembers of the family. This is whysome people retrace their ancestry inorder to find out what happened to theirlong lost relatives.

Although the internet doesn’t contain allthe necessary information about yourfamily and the essential records, youhave to consider that it is a useful toolto use in order to point you to theright direction. This will saveyou a lot of time findingthose different vitalrecords, such as mar-riage, death, and birthrecords.

African Americanshave played a vitalrole in the United Statesof America's history. Theysuffered from slavery, yearsof war and some migrated from Africa.If you are an African American and youwish to know more about your family'shistory, you should try and find it on theinternet. It will point you to where youshould find the essential documentsand guide you in obtaining seeminglyunobtainable documents.

Although it is a fact that the path to yourfamily's history may seem like a roughpath, you have to consider that knowingabout your past will give you that senseof pride on knowing about your proudfamily history.

AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY

Finding Your Roots

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AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY

Finding Your Roots

As you can see, it is always fun to knowabout your family's ancestry. It will notonly give you detailed reports on whathappened to all your lost relatives allthese years but it will also tell you whothey are and what they achieved in life.Who knows, maybe you are a distantrelative of a world famous AfricanAmerican.


SOME PRISONERS DOHAVE THE OPPORTUNITYTO REGAIN THEIR LIVES ANDHAVE SOME NORMALCYAFTER THEY COMPLETE THEIR SENTENCE. FINISHING TIMEINSIDE JAIL IS LIKE JACKPOTFOR THE FORMER PRISONER.

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When a person is convicted of a crime,it is understood that he will be gettingsome serious jail time. No matter whatthe offense is, they will still be definitelytreated much less of a person wheninside the big cage. Prisons are harshand the guards tend to discipline theundisciplined by giving out strict ordersregarding visits, meal times, and dailychores. The guards maintain disciplineand control through constant inspec-tion of the inmates' cells, uniforms, andwork outputs.

It is a known fact that almost all con-victs eventually become so hard-hearted and rough. Many of them havedeveloped attitude problems that usu-ally come as a form of defense mecha-nism against the constant physicalthreat from other inmates. To containthese threats, prison guards are armedwith batons, tazer guns, and even high-powered rifles.

A popular TV show “Prison Break”almost actually describes how it is to beinside the cage. This show gives every-one a glimpse of how prisoners aretreated, how they live every day, andhow they do their daily routine. Beinginside jail can really give the person afeeling of fear and anxiety especially

when it is their first time being inside thedreadful prison. Everyone inside hastheir own groups, and these groups or“gangs” make up most of the prisons'population. The TV show also illustratedthe tension that exists between differentraces. These different races often formtheir own gangs presumably to protectthemselves from other racial gangs.Every prisoner experiences fear andanxiety as they try to stay alive andbecome a member of the prison “com-munity.”

Of course, in real life, living in prisonentails deeper, personal issues beyondbeing part of a gang or surviving thedaily onslaught of rules and orders fromthe guards. The inmates also have tocontend with their past and future, mak-ing the hours spent inside their cellstheir daily meditation on life and theirfate.

At this point, inmates are forced toreckon with what they had done todeserve the sentence and what futurethey have after they are released backto society. Many fall into depression asthey miss the freedom they used toenjoy. The sadness of their fate is mademore unbearable by the seeming lackor partiality of justice. Away from the

presence of their loved ones, they falldeeper into depression as they think onthe many special events they miss athome and how far removed they arefrom the lives of the people they love.

Having hard rules and rough penal-ties can give the person inside jailsome serious mental health issues.Aside from depression, inmateshave to cope with the daily fearand anxiety of walking in the yardwhere rival gangs hang out.

Of course, some prisoners do have theopportunity to regain their lives andhave some normalcy after they com-plete their sentence. Finishing timeinside jail is like jackpot for the formerprisoner. Still, those who have beengiven the opportunity to go back tosociety must undergo post-jail socialtherapy. The therapy is needed to re-orient them on how to blend in againthe outside world. Depression usuallydecreases after these former prisonersgain more chances for social interac-tion and acceptance. Life after prisoncan be fruitful and satisfying but it doestake the commitment and effort of eachand every former prisoner to remain“legit” and stay out of jail.

LifeafterPrison


REAL

TALK

Can you be good friends with an ex-lover? First, the word 'lover' has manyconnotations and the answer may bedifferent for a one-night stand. But whatI believe if it's someone who spent asubstantial portion of his/her life with,someone who have had a good rela-tionship with, based on shared values,ideas and emotions, a healthy friend-ship is definitely possible even afterthey are no longer involved. This is pos-sible because every relationshipevolves. If both people concerned havethe same level of understanding thatthey did when they were lovers, it canbe used to establish a stable friend-ship. Of course, if there's any negativityfrom either side, being friends may notbe possible, and that's sad.

When a man and woman relate, there'salways a part that is sexual, smallthough it may be. In most relationships,you tend to suppress the attraction. But

when you're friends with an ex, it'smuch easier to understand and acceptthis attraction as you've already experi-enced all there was to experience. Insome cases, one person may feel itmore than the other, but either way. Ithink it's much easier to talk such resid-ual attraction through, as you bothshare a certain level of comfort.Communication is the basis of any rela-tionship.

Even when you and your ex have newlove interests in your life, communica-tion is still the key. I believe, for the newrelationship to work, you cannot hideyour past. The attempt should be not todo things that you need to hide. Andyou have to resolve the level of impor-tance you want to give your currentlover and your ex. Your partner may beinsecure, but then we're insecure aboutso many things in our life. For example,people do compromise their careers for

their relationship. So you have to eithertalk things through with your partner orcompromise on your friendship.

As for whether an ex can be a platonicfriend who can casually rib you aboutyour present relationship or relate wellwith your current lover, it's all about thedifferent levels of sensitivity that variouspeople display. The dynamics betweenyour friend, your lover and you will playout according to each person's positionin your respective relationships.

I don't think perspectives changedepending on your gender. It's aboutwhat you believe is right and wrong. Ifthe other person has had a very similarupbringing (although that would berare), he or she is likely to emote, per-ceive situations, react and resolveissues just like you would.

CAN FORMER LOVERS BE JUST GOOD FRIENDS??

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Author Name

e 1. there was a time when the word “faggot” meant a bundle of sticks. but then people started using it in an insulting, offensive way and things changed. so when you say things like “homo,” “dyke” and “that’s so gay” try-ing to be funny, remember, you may actually be hurting someone. 2. so please, knock it off. 3. get more information at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

fag.got (fag t)

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Author Name

We all know that learning to read isimportant, but as parents what dowe do to facilitate this milestone?

Reading to your child has manybenefits one of which is simply hav-ing time to snuggle together.

Here are 10 reasons to read to yourchild.

1 When you read to your child,he/she will learn that reading isimportant to you; therefore readingwill become important to him/her.

2 The more your child hearssounds, the better he/she willprocess these sounds into words.When a child is preschool/kinder-garten age the listening word startsto become the written word.

3 Reading has a calming effect ona restless or fussy baby. Who does-n't want an easy way to calm afussy baby?

4 Reading is a wonderful beforebed routine. Studies have shownthat a child will thrive in an atmos-phere in which routines are present.

5 Reading will help to developyour child's imagination. Have you

ever gotten lost in a good book?Your child can do the same whileyou are reading to him/her.

6 Reading will foster your child'sability to listen and pay attention.With all the problems we here aboutconcerning attention spans this is agreat way to avoid that.

7 Reading to a young child willteach him/her the correct way tohold a book and turn the pages.

8 Reading to your child willdevelop in him/her the desire tobecome a reader.

9 Teachers will thank you10 When a child is read a person-alized story book; he/she will beable to recognize his/her name inprint at an early age.

Isn't it exciting to think that you canhave such an effect on your child'sability to read just by reading tohim/her? You have the power todevelop a lifelong joy of readingand learning in your child. WOW!Just read.

10 Reasons toRead to Your Child

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Aside from the obvious financialrewards that go along with real estateinvesting and flipping houses there area few more abstract benefits that canbe gained when you embark on ahouse flipping adventure if you arelooking for a little more incentive to getgoing in the direction of your dreams ofreal estate riches through flippinghouses.

Most things in life have more than onepro or con to them and the same canbe said when it comes to flippinghouses. Whether you are doing this fora living or this is a one-time deal you willfind that there are all kinds of little les-sons you learn along the way.

Knowledge is rarely a bad thing andthe lessons you learn while flippinghouses are lessons that can be appliedin many aspects of your life.

1) Budgeting. There are few things thatcan give you a crash course in budget-ing quicker than flipping a house. Inorder to successfully flip the house youare working on you will need to learn tobudget quickly or you will wind up liter-ally hemorrhaging money. Learning toset a budget and stick with it are bothnecessary skills for any flipping housesbut when they carry over into other reallife applications you will find that this isa very useful skill that has you lookingat everyday purchases with new eyes.

2) Muscle Definition. Who knew thatflipping houses would be such anexcellent workout? This is especiallytrue for those who traditionally hold jobsthat aren't necessarily dependent uponphysical labor and those that do muchof the work themselves (which is highlyrecommended when you can in orderto save expensive and profit eatinglabor costs). From heavy lifting to ham-mering and several other physical jobsin between you should discover thatyour labors are rewarded in more waysthan simply watching your projectcome together.

3) Attention to Detail. This is a hugebenefit that comes from flipping houses

Benefits of Flipping Houses

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Benefits of Flipping Houses

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and you will get better at this with everysubsequent flip. The money, when flip-ping houses is often made in the smalldetails that others will overlook such asnew electric faceplates, proper stag-ing, and a good eye for color through-out the property. These things makepotential buyers see a home that isloved and cared for rather than justanother house on their list of places tosee. If you take this attention to detailinto your 9 to 5 job after flipping housesor into your tax preparation, event plan-ning, and home organizing you will findthat the lessons you've learned whileflipping houses are well worth the time,effort, and labor that went into learningthem.

4) Positive Thinking. You will hear manytimes, especially in this magazine, thatpositive thinking is a powerful tool. Thereare very few places that this holds truemore than when it comes to flippinghouses. You definitely want to seasonyour positive thinking with a nice heftydose of reality but you should be awarethat thinking positively has many benefitsto you when flipping houses and in almostevery other aspect of your life. You do notwant to spend the time you could beimproving your flip searching for problemsor excuses.

5) Just Do It. The old Nike commercialshad a point and if flipping houses does-n't teach you anything else it should

teach you this lesson. Procrastinationwastes money. Every day that you carrythe house you carry the expenses ofthe house (electric, mortgage, interest,etc.) get in there, get it done, and moveon to the next project. Putting off thedistasteful tasks won't make them goaway so you may as well go ahead andget them over with.

Flipping houses isn't rocket science butit does take a unique combination ofluck, skills, and stubbornness to turn aprofit in this particular business.Learning the lessons above will helpyou not only succeed when it comes toflipping houses but in other aspects ofyour life as well.


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Antioxidants are all the rage today. And,justifiably so. Antioxidants help neutral-ize free radicals which cause cell dam-age, which ultimately can lead to dis-eases of the heart and cancer. It seemseverywhere you go its blueberry this andblueberry that. You have your choice ofwild blueberry juice, blueberry-pome-granate juice, and blueberry-cranberryjuice and so on and so on.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love blue-berries. But, in our rush to embrace thelatest antioxidant food craze (blueber-ries, cranberries, pomegranates) we’reignoring some very high-antioxidantfoods that are probably sitting ignoredin our cabinets.

You ask, “What could possibly behigher in antioxidants than my belovedwild blueberry?” Well, how about the

small red bean? That’s right, I said“bean.” The small red bean actually hasmore antioxidants per serving size thanthe wild blueberry. And the red kidneybean and pinto bean have more antiox-idants per serving size than a serving ofcultivated blueberries.

What other foods are high in antioxi-dants? For starters, there are artichokehearts, blackberries, prunes, pecans,spinach, kale, russet potatoes andplums. And, no, that’s not a mistake.Russet potatoes are on the list of foodshigh in antioxidants.

The truth is, there are many commonfoods high in antioxidants and youshould not just restrict yourself to oneparticular food source. Why? Well, haveyou ever heard the expression, “eat yourcolors?” That refers to the fact that foodsare in different color “families” contain-ing different types of antioxidants whichhave different benefits. For example, theyellow-orange color family of peachesand nectarines help our immune sys-tems. The purple-red color family of

foods (pomegranates, plums, berries)helps reduce inflammation. It’s importantto eat foods from all color groups to reapthe full benefits of antioxidants.

The good news is that you can eathealthy foods high in antioxidants (byeating them raw, cooking them, or juic-ing them yourself) without having to paya high price for the “flavor of the month”antioxidant juices being peddled in thesupermarkets.

So, give your blueberries some com-pany at the dinner table. As we expandour minds let’s start eating a widerrange of healthier foods. Invite somebeans, spinach, potatoes and artichokehearts and enjoy your antioxidants!

ANTIOXIDANTS

Eat All Your Colors!

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