Get Fit or Cry Trying

The title of this post is so fitting for what I have experienced over the past two months.  I have been training, well sort of training, for a 5K obstacle course:  Rugged Maniac.  It's 3.1 miles of mud, water, fire, walls, hills, planks, wire, etc., etc.!!  I was very excited until last week when I looked at the calendar and realized that it was only two weeks away (now less than a week)...YIKES!!  So, needless to say, I have been cramming.  I just hope the results are as good as when I used to cram for exams in college.  The good thing about it is that I won't have to do this alone.  I'm on a team of "Wonder Women!"  Yes, we plan to dress the part, but I'm not so sure that the performance will be up to par.  As Wonder Women, we will give it our all!!  So bring on the mud, the fire, the walls, etc., etc.!!  But first, let me say a little prayer...

Video courtesy of YouTube

Guess Who's Bizack!!

To quote the International superstar rapper, Jay-Z, "Guess who's bizack?"  It's meee!! (in my Whitley Gilbert voice)  I have completely neglected my blog.  Smh...what an awful way to start!  When life requires you to put all of your attention into something, you have two choices:  1) you can figure out a way to do it all or 2) you drop something until you're able to give it equal attention.  Unfortunately for my blog, I chose option #2.  I was so focused on other things that I didn't really have time to write, however, the desire to document my experiences was forever prevalent.  Now, I'm choosing option #1.  That's what my blog is supposed to be about anyway, right?  Being strong and bold enough to do all the things that make me happy, while sharing my life in the process.  I have the ability to do everything that my heart desires and be successful at them all.  It will take a strong dose of metabolism and a lot of prayer, but I can handle it.  I'm sure.

Dr. King, an Influential Leader

On this day, we celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He selflessly gave his life fighting for social justice, equality for all mankind and ultimately, what he believed was right.  Of all the things that Dr. King did for this world and the eloquent words that he spoke, I most admire his determination to do the seemingly impossible.  He had a strong desire to change the way people think, which is what it all comes down to anyway.  His dream meant more than blacks and whites sitting beside each other on a bus or providing equal educational opportunities to all races.  Dr. King was blessed with the gift of influence, and he used it to alter the status quo thinking amongst so many people.  If citizens in that era had not changed their way of thinking, then they would not have started to do things differently. 

So on this day, I celebrate and honor the life and legacy of an influential leader, who even after his death, is still evoking change in our lives.  While our society has improved since the "King era," we still have a long way to go.  We should charge ourselves with the responsibility of not only altering the way other people think, but also the way we think.

May his dream live on.

Hello World!!

For some time now, I have been wanting to start a blog but was having difficulty deciding on a theme/topic.  I had so many ideas, but none of them seemed to be good enough.  They didn't really reflect the real ChiquanaMichelle.  For instance, I thought about blogging my experience as a dog owner, but I was getting bored just thinking about it.  Then, I had the bright idea to attempt to write about love and relationships because that's just what this world needs, another "relationship expert."  Luckily for you, I quickly changed my mind on the subject.  Besides, I'm not quite ready to expose that much of myself to the world.

After months of pondering and procrastinating, I finally saw the light!  I was encouraged by a friend to start a 30 before 30 list, but I only had a few months left.  So, I decided to generate a 35 before 35 list.  It consists of some very ambitious goals and some things that I just want to try before I reach a new "age box".  The most important thing about this list, however, is that I am forcing myself to actually "DO."  It is an opportunity for me to embark on a journey that I may not have taken otherwise.  My hope is to take you, my readers, along with me.  

While I don't plan to blog about my list and my accomplishments, I will share how these and other experiences impact my life.  In 2011, I realized that I was pretending to be strong in certain areas that actually broke me down.  I wasn't taking as many risks that I know I'm very capable of conquering (i.e. exposing parts of my life in a blog).  And equally important, something tampered with my happiness.  Well, one of my strengths is that I do not hesitate to correct anything that I see wrong in my life.  I'm not one to wallow in my own misery...that's so 90's. 

This blog is my way of holding myself accountable for building physical and emotional strength, following through with the risks that I plan to take, and as my mom said to me on the first day of 2012, just being happy!!  

So, buckle your seat belts friends and get ready to ride!!