Preparing for Women's History Month in March ~ Special edition LifelineExtensions.blog article

The following speech was delivered by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen, at a college graduation ceremony where she was awarded an Honorary PhD...

                                              

                                                                                                        Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

"I'm a novelist.  My work is human nature.  Real life is all I know.  Don't ever confuse the two; your life and your work.  You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has.  There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living.  But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life.  Your particular life.  Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk or your life on a bus or in a car or at the computer.  Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart.  Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.

People don't talk about the soul very much anymore.  It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit.  But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.  Here is my resume:

I am a good mother to three children.  I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent.  I no longer consider myself the center of the universe.  I show up.  I listen.  I try to laugh.  I am a good friend to my husband.  I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say.  I am a good friend to my friends and them to me.  Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out.  But I call them on the phone and I meet them for lunch.  I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are.  So here's what I wanted to tell you today:

Get a life.  A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay check, the larger house.  Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water; or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone.  Find people you love, and who love you.  And remember that love is not leisure, it is work.  Pick up the phone.  Send an email.  Write a letter.  Get a life in which you are generous.  And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around.  Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity.  Work in a soup kitchen.  Be a big brother or sister.  All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes.  It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again.  It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago.  I learned to love the journey, not the destination.  I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.  I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly.  And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.  By telling them this:

Consider the lilies of the field.  Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear.  Read in the back yard with the sun on your face.

Learn to be happy.  And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived"

Celebrating Women's History Month...living & learning to love the people, places, and positions that are part of our personal journeys...

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog.  View Sharon's other published works at www.examiner.com, and contact her directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org.

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Personal determination defines true character

According to Merriam Webster, character is defined as:


• Attributes and features that make up or distinguish an individual
• Main or essential nature
• Moral excellence and firmness
• Position, capacity, reputation

Personal success and personal failure may easily define true friendship for each of us. By the same token, personal determination can readily define true character.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

When we are determined and relentless in our responses and actions throughout challenging and disabling times, or during victorious and triumphant situations; we may find that our individual character is strengthened and significantly and recognizably lifted, and can help propel us to continue moving onward and upward.

Likewise, if we cower or simply quit and give up; our character, position, capacity, and reputation can undoubtedly be hard hit and suffer lasting trauma that can only be triaged by a tremendous “character boost” of some kind.

External character boosts from outside sources might provide us with temporary salve to help heal emotional, professional, academic, or relational scars.

Yet, sometimes the impact of the wounds underneath those scars can be too intense, deeply embedded, and disabling to allow us to overcome or work around them.

We may then find that we can’t move forward without some type of internal “system” of personal determination kicking into gear.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Educators like Mary Catherine Swanson of California applied this notion in 1980 when she created and developed the now internationally recognized and implemented AVID (“Advancement Via Individual Determination”) college-readiness curriculum for high school students having difficulty moving beyond mid-range academic hurdles.

The curriculum is driven by the thought that individuals will become determined and self-motivated enough to chart and monitor their own levels of excellence and success when the right external and internal systems are in place to get them where they want and need to be. These achieved levels of excellence and success help define our character.

When we reach the point where we are determined to internally pivot our character to high levels; it’s more likely we’ll be able to maintain the self-determination and momentum needed to embrace a strong and distinguishable character and personal sense of self.

 

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.

Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Determined to make a change for good

Title: Professional SAHM & SAHD

Key Accomplishments:   Provide senior leadership in the collaborative and coordinated logistics; public relations; activities; security; medical treatment;  meal preparation; facility improvements, upgrades, and maintenance; budget development and administration; scheduling; goal-setting; daily instruction, and other varied functions as the need arises for the husband/wife and children I am happily responsible for.

Stay-At-Home-Moms & Dads (SAHMs & SAHDs) have no gaps in their work experience…

We sometimes find ourselves wishing things were different.

Wishing all towns would be more responsive to having carefully paved sidewalks so kids can walk safely around our neighborhoods. 

Wishing policy makers would grant more financial aid to our schools so they could better reach goals they set for student achievement and teacher performance. 

Wishing our schools would provide even greater opportunities for our children. 

Wishing we had more hours in the day to accomplish everything in our busy schedules.  

                                                                                                                             Photo: Copyright http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html

But, sometimes instead of using all of our resources to contact people who can help start making changes; we sit around wishing and thinking about how great things would be "if only..."

Then we read about the life of determined individuals like Frederick Douglass, and we feel somewhat convicted about sitting around wishing other people would make our lives easier…our already relatively easy lives compared to the life Mr. Douglass lived.

Born in a slave cabin in February 1818, Frederick Douglass was separated from his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents.  He was abandoned at the age of six, and at the age of eight he was sent away to live as a houseboy with the relatives of his slave master.

But, little Frederick developed a love of reading and writing, and his slave mistress began teaching him the alphabet.  When the slave master found out his wife was teaching Frederick to read, he forced her to stop.

That didn’t hinder Frederick because he was determined to learn on his own.  He would give away his food to the neighborhood boys in exchange for reading and writing lessons.

With a determined will to succeed in life, Mr. Douglass was guided by three key principles that allowed him to enjoy many significant accomplishments; among which was the role he played as one of President Abraham Lincoln’s most trusted advisors. 

We can all make a change for good by following Frederick Douglass’s three keys for success in life: 

1.       Believe in yourself.

2.       Seize every opportunity.

3.       Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and for society.

Stephanie Evans
Professional SAHM

Stephanie Evans and her husband, Bill, live in New Jersey with their three daughters who are ages five, three, and one.  Stephanie has a B.S. degree in Music Education and taught Music for 11 years in the public school system.  She loves children and enjoyed being a teacher, but she loves being a SAHM even more!  Stephanie is a regular Contributing Writer for LifelineExtensions.blog.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog.  View Sharon's other published works at www.examiner.com.

Contact Sharon directly for more information:  sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Be determined to succeed in life, regardless of where you start out ~ A Teen Girl’s Perspective

Photo: Copyright http://www.madamcjwalker.com/

During slavery, African-American women had a difficult time managing their hair because they were forced to work hard in the blazing sun; and there was no time left for them to focus on maintaining healthy hair styles.

The majority of women of color bunched their hair under rags because they had to work on plantations for long hours, and they couldn’t focus on fussing over or styling their hair.

Sarah Breedlove, an African-American woman and the free daughter of two former slaves, discovered a new formula for black hair care after researching for an entire year. “The Wonderful Hair Grower” was the first product she marketed and sold.

In 1906 Sarah Breedlove changed her name to Madam C.J. Walker, and began promoting healthy ways for women of color to grow and style their hair.

The Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company was founded, and provided work opportunities for thousands of women of color. The company paid its workers higher wages than other major companies of its time.

By 1917, Madam C.J. Walker owned the largest African-American business in America, and she quickly became the first African-American female millionaire; which was noted in the Guinness Book of Records.

From the moment Madam C.J. Walker noticed the hair loss and breakage of her own hair and that of other women of color, to the creation of her mega-company and ultimately to her death in 1919; she devoted her life to helping women of color grow and beautify their hair.

Madam C.J. Walker was determined to educate and empower women of color by teaching them simple ways to care for their otherwise neglected hair.  She was also determined to achieve personal success, and to help many others achieve success; regardless of where they all started out. 

“There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it for if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard.” – Madam C.J. Walker

Danielle M. Biggs
High School Student
Trustee & Administrative Assistant ~ Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at www.examiner.com.

Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org


"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."  (Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)

Determination leads to decision making that spans across decades

Photo: Copyright http://www.asalh.org/woodsonbiosketch.html

What might drive a 20 year old son of two former slaves to begin studying formally; and then go on to earn a high school diploma, undergraduate degree, graduate degree, and doctoral degree by the age of 37?

Sheer determination and an unwavering ability to "stick with it" and not give up despite the odds.

It was that same determination which led Carter G. Woodson to become only the second African-American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University, followed by the application and sharing of his knowledge with the world about the accomplishments of blacks.

Dr. Woodson, also known as “The Father of Black History,” in 1926 led Black America and all of America in the significant adoption of Negro History Week; later to be called Black History Month, which is an annual February celebration of the lineage and societal contributions made by people of African descent.

Being a radical and out-of-the-box thinker, mover, and shaker meant that Dr. Woodson had both supporters and opponents of his views and actions.

The supporters provided encouragement to Dr. Woodson in the continuation of his efforts; and the opposition did not derail his determination to make long-term, data-driven decisions that have spanned across decades and cultures throughout the world.

As current day change agents influence transformations in varying realms and environments, being reminded of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s “legacy of determination” can serve to fuel dreams, thoughts, ideas, and decisions which may also encounter degrees of opposition; but if carried out will span across decades during the 21st Century.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.

Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)