Today, Kendrick Lamar is considered a rap genius, but, in a Vice documentary, his former English teacher described him as an "average" student. More proof positive that the markers of giftedness do not look the same in urban students in poverty. One of the key reasons why only 7% of the students identified in Gifted and Talented programs are urban youth of color. Another why my life's mission is #ServingtheUrbanGifted.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Friday, January 6, 2017
My 8 Life Affirmations for a Powerful 40-Day Life Cleanse
I cordially invite you to join me and many of my friends in making these eight daily affirmations a cornerstone of a new year and a new us. We will begin our 40-Day Life Cleanse on midnight January 4, 2017. If you choose to join us, know that you can customize the logistics of the cleanse based on and condition or challenge you may be facing. My only suggestion is that you stick to the original premise of the cleanse: to rid our personal live and spiritual space of negativity, so that, by the end of the cleanse, we have clarity and wisdom about our place in our communities, society and world in 2017. The cleanse is not a diet, resolution or fitness craze; it is the start of great habits on the path to a life change that includes a healthier body, soul and spirit.
I am mindful.
Give your heart, mind and soul the moments they need to be strengthened. Each day, before you leave out of the door, take 10 minutes to meditate—10 minutes when you have dedicated alone time before you encounter anyone else. If you don’t know how to meditate, I suggest the app “Headspace.” You can also visit the website: https://www.headspace.com/. The idea is to train yourself to, at moments of difficulty or stress, take a moment to clear your head. Being mindful is not about channeling spirits or anything spooky; it’s about achieving control over our thoughts and tempers, which in-turn controls are proclivities and impulsions. Being mindful entails taking time each day to train oneself to control negative thoughts and give way to new ideas.
At the end of each day, we will read our chosen material for at least 10 minutes before bedtime. To get a great night’s sleep, we will listen to soothing resting sounds/music at bedtime rather than watching television or being on social media.
I am healthy.
Focus on a healthier you being the primary goal of this cleanse. The cleanse is not about weight loss; it’s about being mindful of how we fuel and energize the body. We will start our cleanse with a commitment to drinking an ounce of water for each pound in our body weight. For some of us, it will be difficult to simply start off with a list of things we will not eat or indulge in, with that in mind, think of the life cleanse as a way to reset your body and mind into a habit of healthier, cleaner eating habits that fuel both body and mind. For starters, let’s commit to replacing all sugary sweets from our diet (sodas, candy, pies, cake, cookies…etc.) from our diet and replace them with fresh fruits, replacing all fried foods with baked ones...etc. Many of us know exactly how we should eat, we just don’t. Instead, we eat based on our emotions. By committing to replacing the negative eating habits with more positive, healthy ones, we are also committing to thinking more clearly and having more energy.
For the most part, whether you would like to explore raw eating, vegetarianism or any diet you prefer, the main concept is that we decide to put into our bodies what is best and most nutritious for us. This part is really up to you and your doctor.
I am bright.
Choose to read a book outside of your comfort zone. Search your mind for a question you’ve always wanted the answer to: Have you ever thought about homeopathic solutions to everyday problems, the difference between the ways darker skinned people process vitamin D from the sun, or what mental health conditions are prevalent in single parents.... etc.? Use that question as a basis for research, then choose your reading material. Write down your goal including what you desire to learn from your research. Be careful not to choose too much because your goal is to complete the reading before the 40 days elapses. When you get back on social media, let the results of your research be the first thing you share with your family and friends.
I am valuable.
Remind yourself daily that, no matter what happens, you are better than good enough. Say it out loud when you wake up in the morning and remind yourself of it when others attempt to devalue you. This too must become one of our daily mantras.
I am beautiful.
Look at yourself every morning in the mirror and remind yourself how uniquely beautiful you are. If you can, make sure you’re completely naked and in a mirror. Confess both you inner and outer beauty until it becomes your mantra!
I am strong.
Each day, carve out 20 minutes for yoga, core strengthening, cycling, hiking or walking. Here’s a sample schedule:
Even if you begin the this 40-Day Life Cleanse and falter at a step somehow, let’s say you forget to meditate one morning, or you eat the wrong thing, simply commit to begin again. In doing this life cleanse, we choose to explore our life force while examining how the positive and negative energy that flows through and permeates our space affects, for either the good or bad, the way we think and see the world. So, know that you are not on this journey alone. If you need encouragement or support, look for updates during my journey on my Phenom Teacher blog: http://ywhitted.wixsite.com/phenomteacher. I look forward to supporting you as we endeavor on this important journey as we endeavor to focus on solutions rather than resolutions for 2017.
The day I had a stroke and didn't even know it: a warning to us all
It started during my business trip to New York.
Before I left for Manhattan, I began experiencing a tingling sensation in my left arm and hand, but because my MacBook Pro is like an appenditure, I thought I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder that was causing poor circulation in my arm, but in the coming days when I was no longer able to sleep because that numbness had migrated to my abdomen, thigh, leg and foot, I knew something was wrong. I called the Aetna Nurse Hotline and explained my concerns. It wasn't until the nurse began asking me questions that I realized the severity of my symptoms...issues I'd been experiencing and taking for granted (unsteady on my feet, blurred vision, and having a difficult time finding the right words....overall forgetting and being unable to remember simple things) .
Since none of these symptoms involved my face, I didn’t make the connection. As I spoke with the nurse, she explained the urgency of going to the emergency room. She suggested, with a nervous undertone to her voice, “You may be having a stroke.” I called an Uber to go to the hospital immediately. The Uber driver was a praying man of God and began pulling down strongholds, speaking in tongues and running red lights.
We made it to the hospital safely and during triage I learned my systolic blood pressure was more than 40 points higher that my normal 110 (110/60) and my heart rate was much lower than usual, less than 50. After running all of the necessary tests: chest x-ray, CT Scan and MRI of my head and neck, it was determined that I may have had a number of Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs), minor warning strokes, that usually lead up to a larger more menacing and debilitating, possibly life-ending stroke.
Here is more information about TIAs: http://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/what-stroke/what-tia
Going to the hospital was my wake up call and I’m glad it happened this way, so I can share this information with others. I hope I can reach one of you if not all of you. Many of us are in survival mode and we don’t think about ourselves as much as we think of others. Often times, we don’t take care of ourselves. Many of us maintain an unhealthy weight, drink alcohol (or do other unhealthy things) when we’re stressed out, and don’t actually sit down and assess our symptoms let alone act on them. We usually take over-the-counter meds, which mask symptoms while we ignore our bodies.
I praise God for my second chance and I want you to have one too. Preserve yourself. You are an originally designed special creation and we will miss out if you're not around. If anything in this article raised your level of concern, get checked out today!
Concerned you may be experiencing a stroke? Check out this website to recognize the subtle signs, get your body the help it needs, and call 911 immediately. You could save your life or the life of a loved one. http://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/recognizing-stroke
18 Things I'd tell my 18-Year Old Self
As I embark on this life cleanse, I'm looking over my life in order to continue a more fulfilling journey moving forward. I often think about my most challenging years in an effort to heal what was missed that spills over into my current behaviors and proclivities. Today, as a part of my mindfulness training I decided to give advice to my 18-year old self. This is significant because, at the time, I didn't believe I would live beyond that age. So, I often lived each day afraid it would be my last. Hopefully reading mine will inspire you to do the same.
Hey Yo,
You've been going through so much and it seems like no one is around. When people come, they often leave you worse than how they found you. I know you're looking for someone to tell you what to do. I know you feel so confused and afraid sometimes so I figured it would be beneficial for me to leave you with some encouraging words of advice today:
- Your future is as bright as the rising sun.
2. You WILL live past age 18 (yep, we're actually 45 now)!
3. You'll travel the world and live in two Muslim countries.
4. All of this pain you're going through will make you even more intuitive, intelligent and wise. It does NOT eventually destroy you; instead, it makes you stronger.
5. The people who leave you aren't supposed to be in your life anyway.
6. It's okay to cry. At your point of true freedom, you will cry a lot; don't be afraid of those tears. They will humanize you and you'll overcome everything you're cry about.
7. It's not your fault.
8. You're going to be an incredible mother of two beautifully well-rounded, talented sons who will adore you (they get to travel the world with you).
9. You are even more beautiful on the inside.
10. They LIED to you; You ARE valuable! You are BETTER than "good enough" even though, given what you've been through, you really shouldn't be. Just know that makes you a miracle (one of the manifold reasons why I love you so much)!
11. There's NOTHING wrong with you!
12. We're still goofy as I don't know what and I'm sure that will never change. We use our comedic genius to help others through their tough times.
13. Believe it or not we're an introverted deep thinker, that's why some people just don't get us (and that's okay).
14. You will live to see a phenomenal Black president and First Lady. They will be the epitome of class, grace and values. They are Harvard educated survivors; seeing yourself in them will give you a new resolve that you can do anything you put your mind to (their stories and examples will cause you to dig deeper and push harder). By the way, his wife, Michelle, is from the south siiiiiiiiiiiiyde--Chiiiiiii (and she don't PLAY)! #OnEverything
15. You will find out later on in your life that many of the people who actually had support growing up (you know, the support you dreamed and wished you had) are far worse off and have less of a moral compass than you do. Some of them will try to sabotage you for sport but don't worry; you vanquish them!
16. Believe it or not, the negative experiences you're going through right now will make you an expert in distinguishing and servicing urban gifted children like you.
17. You make a lot of mistakes; however, you will learn from them and come out better than you were when you went in. So, don't worry about it because, trust me, EVERYBODY is making mistakes. People just be perpetratin' a fraud! #RealTalk
18. I'm always here, I will always love you and I will NEVER (and I mean never, NEVER, EVER) give up on you--no matter what! #iGotYou
Love Always,
Yolanda (Your Biggest and Most Loyal Fan)
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