I AM

I wrote a poem in my freshman English course titled “I am” – I wrote it because I felt lost inside.  I was alone, had few friends and was struggling with being away from home.  The truth is, I felt different. I was the alien in the room.

The first line was, “I am the color of creamed caramel coffee.”  At that time, the visual worked because I struggled with my skin tone, and the ‘creamed caramel coffee’ reference allowed me to identify with self. But, the rest of the poem, was a reflection of all the things that I wasn’t.  Thinking of it now, it was an attempt at empowerment that made me feel more depressed and alone at that particular moment in my life.

I rewrote the poem some years later, and it’s become my personal anthem.  A challenge to self to remain my own cheerleader when everyone else falls away.  It has become a continual affirmation not of what I could have been, or might be.  It is my here, now, and future.

So my words for being wiser, to any person and to my younger self goes something like this:

I AM

I AM the color of creamed caramel coffee.  I AM tall, warm, and beautiful.  I AM not what you expected me to be, I AM one who moves mountains.  I AM a survivor of illness, racism, and hate.  I AM tough!

I AM innovative, passionate, and constantly moving forward.  I AM always thinking of what’s next. 

I AM too busy being successful than to reflect on what I’m not.  I AM seeing all that I AM.

I AM smart, I AM present, I AM ethical but most of all, I AM PHENOMINAL!

At the end of the day, I AM still learning and growing, and guess what…so are YOU.

What you say, you do become. Stay positive and continually affirm all that YOU ARE!  Begin each day with positive “I AM’s”, write it in a journal, on the wall, wherever your eyes can see it.  Become your own best friend and cheerleader!  To change your life, you have to change your attitude and how you see yourself.  Ethically speak to yourself with love and kindness every day. EVERY DAY!

To reach me: 

Lisa Raymond, Ethics2Talk, LLC (ethics@talk.com), (412) 430-3428, or email:  Lisa@LCRay214.com

Business owner of First Choice Temporary Services, Inc.,  Ethics2Talk, LLC, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Adjunct English Professor at Robert Morris University

Finding Time

How big is your to do list?  How about your 'personal' to do list.  You know the one that is all about you?  The very one that you say you'd like to accomplish something but never get around to it?  How important is it for you to reach those small personal goals one task at a time?

We all have things that we would like to do in life, but sometimes in the midst of everyday living, what we want to do actually takes a back seat to satisfy what needs to be done right now.  And more times than not, what needs done now is for someone other than yourself.

This can cause us to lose sight and focus of what we originally wanted and needed to do for self in order to feel complete for that moment.

I suggest to you to find some selfish time.  Think of it as time to regroup, re-energize and refocus yourself so that you can be more for those around you.

Start off by taking 15-30 minutes every day to find peace and clarity through meditation, prayer, or journaling.  Choose a time that you can commit to yourself with no interruptions.  This could be at the start of your day, before bedtime, or anytime in between.  What matters most is that you devote time to yourself and enjoy being good to you during that time.

What you will find is that by taking time to get back to you, you will be more equipped (mentally) to deal with those around you.
Try it!  Email me and let me know what works best for you!

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