Kadena Tate – The Girlfriend Takeaway
This week’s podcast guest on Girlfriend, We Need To Talk!, Revenue Strategist Kadena Tate, knows how to inspire self-reflection. In fact, I found myself replaying our conversation repeatedly in my head for days.
Not only does she have a genuine desire to help women, but I was struck by how so much of what she had to say about business translated into everyday life. Take, for example, my biggest takeaway:
“If your name is in every box of your organizational chart, you don’t have a business; you have an exhaustive hobby that’s depleting every ounce of who you are.”
Man, did that hit home. A big old AHA! moment complete with wide-eyed expression and slack jaw. I’ve always been guilty of trying to do it all, organization or otherwise.
The problem, as Kadena sees it, is that we’re running ourselves ragged doing tasks that fall outside of our “zone of genius,” (my new favorite phrase). What we should be doing is leaving those hair pulling, scream-inducing details to people who actually enjoy them. Easier said than done in some cases, but not in all.
Could it be that by wanting complete control over everything, the only thing we’re really controlling is the demise of our own purpose? Hmm.
It’s just this kind of food for thought that Kadena whips up into a smorgasbord, and Lord knows I love to eat.
You can listen to this outstanding woman rock her own zone of genius on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or by clicking here.
Kadena’s goal is “To live in a world where every woman knows how to monetize and productize her wisdom.” Visit her website to see how it’s done and learn more.
Flourish
Through patience and kindness
And enough grace to fail,
By trusting and bending,
Ignoring detail
With the ceasing of stories
We tell in our head,
We make room to foster
Brand new ones instead
Calling for brilliance
The first time we try,
Will end our endeavor
And force hope to die
But all but the tiniest
Glimmer of light,
Fanned with forgiveness
Can sharpen our sight
“Creative I”m not,
And I shan’t be,” you say,
But it’s really our mindset
That keeps us from play
It balances, strengthens
And frames who we’ve been,
When adding expression
To what’s gone unseen
So trust in my saying,
Trust in my song,
It’s outside the box
That we truly belong
By picking up chisel
Or paintbrush or pen,
Our minds can find respite
And flourish again
~ Leana Delle
Sunday, April 21, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number fifteen of fifty-two
Jenelle Marie Pierce – The Girlfriend Takeaway
Her Instagram handle is @tatted_std_warrior, and she’s aptly named. Warrior, indeed! She’s the sword-wielding heroine-type who inspires onlookers and crusades to destroy the enemy. And who is the enemy, you ask? Stigma – and its time is up.
Jennelle Marie Pierce is the Executive Director of The STD Project, founder of The Herpes Activists Network (HANDS), and the spokesperson for Positive Singles. She’s a walking testament to the fact that being diagnosed with an STD/STI does not define a person, nor does it determine their fate. And although her missions are many, the one that stood out for me the most (my girlfriend takeaway) is this:
“Down with shame; Up with empathy.”
Valiant! If anyone reading this has fallen victim to shame, you’ll know the pain of it all too well. We’re prone to lighting the fire ourselves, but society freely hands out matches, while stockpiling fuel to add to our self-destructive flames. And regarding those among us who cast judgment? Enough. Done. Give it up.
Jenelle battles shame and stigma in many ways, but education is her greatest weapon. Knowledge is power, so I strongly encourage you to listen to this week’s interview on my podcast Girlfriend, We Need To Talk! to gain some power of your own.
Regardless of the circumstance, STD related or otherwise, no one among us deserves stigmatization, and all flourish in the face of empathy. Thank God there are people like Jenelle who defend the targeted and refuse to shy away from controversy. I, for one, would follow this warrior into battle any day.
You can listen to Jenelle’s interview on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or by clicking here.
Learn more:
The STD Project
HANDS
Positive Singles
National Coalition for Sexual Health
Rhyme or Reason
From where do waves of sadness come
When all is going well,
That, “Pull the covers overhead
And disappear,” type hell
No rhyme, not even reason,
No logic to be found,
Just wallowing and sinking low
Into non-fertile ground
Shut out the world,
Shut out the lights,
Shut out the constant questions
Why am I this?
Why do I that?
Why paths that lack attention?
Am I to do the bidding
Of this soul that I encase,
When all the while the outer world
Spits squarely in my face?
I do believe, I always have
And will continue to,
But then these waves, these rhythmic fiends
Wash out my will to do
But carry on I will, I will
One short step at a time
And when I’m asked the reason why
I’ll tell them, “It’s to rhyme.”
~ Leana Delle
Sunday, April 14, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number fourteen of fifty-two
Sarah Hepola – The Girlfriend Takeaway
This week’s guest on my podcast, Girlfriend, We Need To Talk!, was Sarah Hepola, NY Times bestselling author of Blackout: Remembering The Things I Drank To Forget. In it, she provides a startlingly honest account of life under the influence and how her own journey to sobriety played out. Our discussion dug deep into the subject matter, while showcasing her sharp wit and command of the English language.
My biggest takeaway from her interview? Phew! Tough call, because I loved so much of it, but this stood out:
“I got very, very tired, and I could feel my soul was really slipping away.”
And herein lies the signal for drastic change. I’ve felt it before, myself. The first time, prior to divorce. The second, and most recent, when alcohol began threatening to destroy all that I’d ever wanted to be. So, I left it behind for two years – along with a crap diet and dating the wrong men – and I didn’t return until all three relationships could be unquestionably deemed healthy and nondependent.
Sarah left it for good. She’s 8.5 years sober. And in a great many cases, permanent sobriety is the only option. We’re both here to tell you that that’s okay. It’s doable. And that the list of personal gains will far outweigh the losses.
If you’re wondering if – or you’re sure that – you’re in a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol, and especially if you feel like your soul is slipping away, this interview (and Sarah’s book) are a must. Equally, if you have a friend or loved one that you’re concerned about. The message is empowering and gives hope to the millions of people in our society who are suffering in silence.
You can listen to the interview on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or by clicking here.
It’s Alcohol Awareness Month. Please don’t not listen to this interview, because the topic makes you uncomfortable. Listen, because it does.
Connect with Sarah:
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Resources:
Help, if you feel you need it.
Help, if you’re worried about a loved one.