“Strength, Courage & Wisdom” by India Arie

Step out on faith

It’s time to show my face

Procrastination had me down

Look what I have found, I’ve found

Strength, courage and wisdom

It’s been inside of me all along

Strength, courage and wisdom

Inside of me

(Chorus)

by India Arie

          YPs its the beginning of another week that some of us are blessed to begin regardless of what’s going on in our lives.  I wanted to provide some motivation/inspiration for you guys to get your week off to a great start.  This is a song by India Arie regarding “Strength, courage and wisdom” hence the title.  YPs throughout our lives we have and will encounter so many obstacles and hurdles but just about anything can be overcome.  Whether it’s dealing with overwhelming challenges/tasks/obstacles (seeking employment, relationship issues, illness, etc.,) or dealing with losing a loved one (death), we are strong enough to endure.  We have the courage to confront any challenge/task/obstacle that we encounter.  And we have the wisdom or can retrieve the wisdom necessary to equip us with the knowledge to overcome any challenge/task/obstacle.  Tap into your inner “Strength, Courage and Wisdom” YPs and be successful.  Take a good listen to the lyrics of this song by India Arie as well and enjoy.

YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer

Strength, Courage & Wisdom Lyrics

                                 “I’M NERVOUS, BUT I’M NOT TERRIFIED”

          YPs, I’m sure if you look back into your lives, you can find a time where you were going into a new situation that you weren’t too sure about.  You probably felt nervous, anxious or even scared.  I heard a man say once, when about to make a phone call to a prestigious person, “I’m Nervous, But I’m Not Terrified.”  A lot of times it’s just the fear of the unknown, whether the unknown is good or bad.  It’s okay to be nervous BUT YOU CANNOT BE SCARED!!! 

Read more »

“You are the CEO of your life”!

- Unknown Author

Morning YP’s! Very simple quote, but very powerful in the same breathe. I like this quote because it says that YOU are the only person who is in charge of your life. Granted, there are factors that are out of our control, but at the same time we can control what we think, what we choose to do with our time, our attitude,  and the amount of effort we choose to put in. Whatever your goal may be, you can either choose to make it happen, or not. There are no excuses and no one to blame. You are the CEO of your life, let’s all take the necessary steps to make sure our life is a success!

YPJimH, Young Professionals Writer

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fail Read more »

J. Cole: Just To Get By (Freestyle)

“Now where’s the ladder|Cause either you gone whine or you climb| I choose the latter (ladder).”

          Enough with the whining and complaining YPs!  You’re wasting energy and quite frankly nobody wants to hear about your misfortune over and over and over again.  We all have to deal with some form of misfortune, obstacles and/or setbacks so use your energy overcoming them.  It’s okay to vent about something that has happened to you but after you vent about it please let it go.  If you’re at rock bottom I suggest you choose the ladder and start climbing your way to a place that makes you happy.  I’m going to choose the ladder and climb my way to ‘Successville’ regardless of how many times I fall or get knocked down.  Roll with the punches life throws at you and keep it moving YPs! Special thanks to a special friend to YPBlogSpot, Lolade! 

YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer

          Ever think about your net worth ladies and gents?  I have and I can tell you when you sit down and calculate your net worth it can be depressing if you realize your net worth is negative as far as dollars and cents.  When you calculate your net worth, it’s simple accounting consisting of your assets and liabilities which will give you a positive or negative number.  I bet most people have a negative net worth especially with all of the debt that the average American has from credit cards, car loans, student loans, mortgages and so on.  With that said, YPs I would like you guys to dwell in possibility and potential when regarding one’s net worth.  And with potential and possibilities their is an opportunity to increase your net worth. 

          Therefore, I believe I have a positive net worth with my potential and seizing opportunity after opportunity I have some lofty goals and aspirations that I believe are very much feasible in attaining.  I have a goal of having at least Read more »

“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”

          Who doesn’t want to make their mark on the world?  The problem is who has the resolve to endure and overcome any and all challenges making your mark on the world requires.  It may be ironic that this quote is by President Barack Obama who as of yesterday fulfilled a campaign promise of overhauling the U.S. health care system by getting his Health Care Reform Bill passed.  This is an example of President Obama having the perseverance to stick to his game plan despite the naysayers and doubters that opposed his health care bill.  It took him almost a year to get this bill passed but persistence and perseverance can overcome just about any obstacles.  YPs whether you’re for or against President Obama’s Health Care Bill, you have to admit that he had a goal and he accomplished his goal in spite of all the negativity, scrutiny and all of the above.  Take notes from President Obama when you’re attempting to accomplish your goals and live your dreams because his patience, commitment and understanding the role of failure has paid and will pay dividends of accomplishing his goal(s).  YPs be successful!

YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer

“Dwell in possibility.”

          YPs we always seem to dwell on things from our pasts that are already done and over with but for some reason we dwell on those decisions, events, or whatever that impedes our progression and/or growth.  The notion of dwelling in possibility/possibilities sounds pretty appealing if you ask me.  To dwell in possibility means dwelling in something that you can actually do something about whether you pursue one possibility or decide to pursue another possibility. Possibility/Possibilities can change in contrast to dwelling in the past which will not and can not change the past.  BIG DIFFERENCE!!!  Possibilities are endless, it’s just up to you to decide what possibility is yours for the taking.  Dwelling in possibility promotes productivity and activity to making possibilities realities.  YPDSing, YPRichB, YPJimH and I are currently dwelling in the possibilities of YPBlogSpot.  The possibility of expansion and we wonder how big YPBlogSpot actually become if we play our cards right.  We have been doing our research and due diligence to ensure that YPBlogSpot’s possibilities become reality.  In conclusion, dwell in possibilities YPs, exhaust all your resources to convert your possibilities into your realities and YPBlogSpot’s very own will meet you in ‘Successville’. 

YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer

          I was watching Lincoln Heights on TVOne last night which is by the way one of my new favorite shows and be quiet I know I’m tardy for the party but I really dig the show.  Last night’s episode had a scene with the youngest daughter of the main family and the babysitter who happened to be a Iraq War veteran and he told the young lady, “It’s not what if but what is…” and that line really stuck with me and inspired this blog. 

          YPs I know we all have thought about “what if” this would have happened or “what if” that would have Read more »

YPs one of YPBlogSpot’s long time twitter supporters and little sister to YPs has decided to bless us with a blog regarding young women’s confidence issues.  Confidence comes easy to some and not so easy to some but confidence can make or break a person.  Men and women struggle with confidence/self-esteem issues for various different reasons but being a Young Professional woman coming into her own YPShaH decided to share her thoughts and views on confidence and I’m sure many women concur with her assessment.  Check it out for yourself and share your thoughts and comments under this great read/guest blog by Miss Hanford.

          I believe a lot of young women have a confidence issue. Although I don’t have low self-esteem, its definitely not where it should be. This is a topic that a lot of females I know don’t really like to touch. If they don’t have the self esteem they should they sometimes take the wrong approach in order to develop that esteem. For example, trying to get as much attention from guys as they possibly can (posting half naked pics on the web, going to the club half naked, & just Read more »

          There is a meeting and the topic of discussion is “Budget Cuts” and who the budget cuts will affect then you realize they’re probably going to affect and include you.  The you is me and during the meeting my smile transformed into a serious look of concern.  Now I am just assuming that I will be apart of the budget cuts but with good reason.  Fact is, I do not have seniority and the budget cut will require people to be laid off thus I think I’m on the chopping block.  This is the second time in my short working career in which I thought I may be laid off.  If you’ve ever been through being laid off or thought you were going to be laid off then you know the feeling and series of thoughts that run across your mind.

          I’m thinking about all the bills, wedding expenses, YPBlogSpot expenses/ventures, and other obligations that require me to have a job to satisfy.  In addition, the fact that I have never been fired and/or out of work since I started working at the age of 16.  I’m the type that stays employed and when I leave one job I go directly into the next Read more »

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

          Have you ever noticed that most successful people exude a certain level of confidence which can sometimes be seen as arrogance to those that have no sense of a great work ethic and preparation?  I use to share this sentiment towards my now favorite basketball player Kobe Bryant, until I heard and read about his work ethic and preparation which allowed me to understand where his confidence was derived from which I had previously mistaken for arrogance.  YPs Kobe Bryant exudes confidence because of his second to none preparation in perfecting his craft.  Think about it for a second, when you study/prepare for a test you are a lot more confident (not arrogant) about taking and passing that test and not surprised when you pass the test.  YPs, preparation is the key element that provides/creates the confidence in people to become successful people. 

Be Prepared.  Be Confident.  Be Successful.

YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer

 YPs we all probably struggle or have struggled with hope vs reality in different aspects of our lives at one time or another.  Most of us hope for the best end result regardless of what we are doing but reality can be a desired end result or an undesired end result but reality is tangible.  YPBlogSpot would like to introduce a guest blogger YPBlakeS as he shares his battle/fight with hope vs reality.  Enjoy YPs and keep hope alive!  

          When hope met reality, it was like a heavyweight title fight.  It seamed as though it was a battle of David and Goliath, Ali versus Foreman, and everyone from across the world was tuned in to partake in this epic battle.  The only thing was… That this was my world and reality was heavily favored to demolish this hope of mine.  Now I was always one to root for the underdog, but I was hesitant to place my bet on hope because reality was SO STRONG!  And it had a proven record of being the victor in this situation… So let’s read this confession like an introduction to a Pay per view, Read more »

          What does being a YP mean to me? To me, being YP means a number of things.  It means knowing I haven’t yet reached all of my goals, not making all of the right decisions in life thus far, or not always being content with my reflection in the mirror. Read more »

“The person who you’re with most in life is yourself, and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like.”

- Marc S. Lewis (Professor of Clinical Psychology)

YPJimH says: Happy Fridays YP’s. The quote for today does not get any simpler than this one. Love yourself! If you don’t love yourself, then no one else will. I am not saying walk around, with your chest out, believing that you are better than everyone else. I am saying that in order to be successful, you have be confident in yourself, and what you bring to the table. We are all born different shape, sizes, and abilities,  but love yourself and you will find out, that the world will love you right back!