I decided to try laser hair removal – on my face. I only go once a month as it is a 45-minute drive.  I attempted to find a laser center close to my house, but it didn’t work out. I called the local laser center and went through my list of questions, my last one being: Have you ever done laser on black skin? She responded by saying that her specific machine would be damaging on black skin – and that comment started my 45-minute laser treatment commute!

My first treatment was painless. On the way back home, however, I was two miles from the highway, when I noticed the cops blocking the entire entrance. I was irritated as my GPS rerouted me to a longer drive. But as I was driving down this long, curvy road, I came across a stunning forest preserve. On my left, there was a glistening lake basking in beautiful sunlight. Among hundreds of dense trees, I noticed bike and walking trails, and another forest preserve. This 5-mile detour instilled a sense of peace in me that only nature has the power to inspire. I believe it would have been more magical if I had a better attitude in the beginning. The lesson for that day was - chill out - there might be something good to see. And next time I go to my laser appointment, I am taking the scenic route home!

Good Quote

How quickly I judge, and therefore diminish their humanity.
Elizabeth Lesser

Life Hack

Working moms - Have you been working hard towards a particular goal only to feel stagnated and stuck? I got you! Listen to this clip from The Knowledge Project podcast where Adam Robinson shares a great perspective on how to make progress on goals.  (2-minute audio clip).

Corporate Ecology

"How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, ‘Sure thing.’ Three days later, you're overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list. We become frustrated by our obligations even though we were the ones who said yes to them in the first place."  - James Clear
 
Welcome to my former life – especially in the corporate world! I had a habit for taking anything that was thrown over the wall because I wanted to appear like a team player and not let my boss and coworkers down. Fortunately, I was able to get some professional coaching and I learned that saying yes to everything isn’t beneficial to anyone. For me, I ended up becoming resentful because I felt like I had too much on my plate. I was bogged down with tedious items that pulled away from the important ones. At one point, I looked up and saw my entire year was gone. All I had to show for it was a bunch of “yes” items and no solid results.

I have started to evaluate my time more carefully and started asking myself questions about the work I was being recruited for:
Am I an important participant for the meeting or is the topic critical to my role? Is this long email with 10 people on it something I have to reply and engage in? Am I being asked because I am the only one who can do this?  Or is there someone else that would enjoy the experience more?

Once I started asking myself these questions, work became a better experience. I didn't react to everything with an automatic “yes.”  There was more pause and self-reflection, which enabled me to have more time for the work items that actually made a bigger and better impact on my career.

Try it out for yourself! And if you still need more motivation, check out this article by James Clear on "saying no":

On Family

Here is a great article on raising confident children. I have 3 kids of my own and sometimes I wish I focused more on confidence. I have heard of parents that take their kids to a mirror each morning while they say affirmations like, “I am beautiful,” “I am smart,” “I am worthy.” If I tried that with my 15-year-old, she would probably tell me I’m lame, LOL!
 
The first tip in this article is the most important by far: You have to model the behavior. Your children will watch you 10 times more than they will ever listen to you, trust me. Developing and cultivating your own sense of confidence will do wonders as an example for them.

Can I Leave You With the best Happy Date Night Song?

Most of you might be familiar with Eric Benet's song: “Spend My Life with You.”  But have you heard the duet version with Tamia? Oh my goodness, it is simply amazing!!