Inspirational Corner

"Bruised But Not Broken" ~ Joss Stone

Been a lot that I've been through
I cried a tear a time or two
Baby, you know I cried some over you, yeah
Had my heart kicked to the ground
Love ripped me up and tore me down, baby

But that ain't enough to break me
Cause I'll rise above it
And I'll pick myself up
And I'll dust the pain off my heart

[CHORUS]
And I'll be alright
And I'll love again
And the wounds will mend
I'm bruised but not broken
And the pain will fade
I'll get back on my feet
It's not the end of me
My heart is still open
I'm bruised but not broken

Been a lot of tears stained nights
I thought the tears were here for life, baby
The hurt came on and held on tight, yeah
Took a chance, I took a fall
Love broke my heart and shattered all my dreams
But I won't be down on my knees
Cause I'll rise above it
And I'll pick myself up
And I'll shake the rain out of my heart

Gonna pick my heart up
Take my life back
Shake the hurt away
Pull myself together, put the pieces back in place
I learned love's so hard
Love left my soul scarred
I was shattered inside

Restoration

Stepping out on faith

Sometimes you have to believe in things that you
cannot see and people that you do not know. Some
things aren't going to make sense at first, but if
you follow your spirit and are guided by faith you
cannot go wrong.

No matter who you are or what
you are doing, you HAVE to take
time to restore your spirit and
rejuvenate your soul. Take
today to do exactly what you
WANT to do and not what you
HAVE to do. Pamper yourself
with a nice bubble bath, take a
little longer in the shower, read
the first couple of chapters of
that book, or start writing the
book you've been thinking about
writing. Take time today to
remind yourself how fabulous
you are; that alone can began
some restoration.

I remember when I was a little
girl and I would sit for hours
getting my hair braided for the
week. It was so unpleasant and
left me with not so great
memories. That's why I try to
make "hair combing time" a time
to bond with my daughter. We
talk about everything from
school to her favorite t.v. show.
It takes me a really long time to
do her hair, but she looks
forward to it and so do I.

Real sisters are doctors. Real sisters are lawyers.
Real sisters are CEO's. You can be all of these
things and still be a Diva. You can be whatever
you want. No matter how old or young you are.
Figure out what you want to do and start TODAY.

Dr. Diva

“If we want to be compassionate we must be
conscious of the words we use. We must both
speak and listen from the heart.”
~Marshall B. Rosenberg

unconscious, we both speak to and react to
perceive as someone’s judgment and criticism,
others out of habit. And in the face of what we
perceive as someone’s judgment and criticism,
withdraw or attack.
we automatically (and unconsciously) defend,
withdraw or attack.

To communicate consciously requires attention
to two areas:

I need to speak from awareness of what I am
perceiving, feeling and needing, and

Through watching and listening, I need to be
aware of those same needs in others.

“When we focus on clarifying what is being
observed, felt, and needed rather than on
diagnosing and judging, we discover the depth
of our own compassion.”
~Marshall B. Rosenberg
Thanks Katrina M

I KNOW...

Don't let your heart be heavy
Cause troubles wont last long
Those trials will just prepare thee
Give you wisdom, make you strong
I know that you're alone, and I know that times are
rough
You have to have the courage, to say this is enough
Don't worry 'bout the load
Though its heavy on your mind
Theres curves in every road
Learn to leave the past behind
I know you try your best, but every door will not be
shut
You have to be encouraged, your contentment is a
must
Don't dwell on your mistakes
Try to overcome defeat
Hold on to your faith
and raise back to your feet
I know you feel neglected, the wrong that some have
done
grow from your misfortunes, and you will overcome
Don't shed another tear
It's time to dry your eyes
Your help is drawing near
Keep your head up to the sky
I know sometimes it hurts, this life will bring it to you
Just know that you are blessed, and it will shine right
through you
~Thanks Candi

Retirement of Superwoman

I've had it up to here with yall mess,
"Can someone PLEAEEESE get this "S"
Up off my Chest!!!
I DO cry
I DO scream
I DO needs..well...
U know what I mean
I'm tired of flying to the ends of the earth
I'm drivin' myself to a nap in the dirt
I don't know what they told u but they told u wrong,
Ain't u never heard that Karyn White song?
But y'all still say "Honey just do your best"
Can someone PLEAEEESE
get this damned " S"
Up off my Chest!!!
I'm retiring,
this job ain't it
My mommy did this
And what the hell did she get?!
So take back ya sob stories and those "please can u
help?
Dammit I'm doin' me, Do it yo'self!
I gave u a inch and u took a mile
Now u in central bookin'...DUI?...ni***a smile
If I tell u I'm sick, you say u dyin'
If I tell u I'm broke, u think I'm lyin'!
Hey, I'm tryin to make it like everybody else,
Didn't I just tell you, do the damn thing yourself!!
The world's got plenty more ,now they got one less,
Can someone PLEAEEESE get this damned " S"
Up off my Chest !!!

I Quit!!!
Thanks
~Mo' of Ms. Melanin's Memoirs'

The Mirror

The mirror
only possesses the power
to reflect the image
that stands before it.
A guiltless refraction
of the world's opinion
Capable of creating
a beautiful facade
of deception
that weaves a tangled web
of destruction.
Source of identity
for the vain and desolate.
Its revelation addictive
to those who choose to become
subject to its scrutiny.
Possesses the potential
to reveal truth
and provide restoration
to those who are willing
to discern
reality from illusion.

Shontae Alston
(Girl I just LOVE this)

Agape

Beautiful exuberance

Cascading ever so gently over me

Awakening my senses

Rejuvenating my spirit.

No longer a slave of this world

But a bride preparing for her bridegroom.

Mustard seed faith redeeming me in my time of
distress.

His grace is sufficient for me.

Blessed in knowing that I serve a holy and just God.

A love that is ethereal and gives my life meaning.

A love that can only be experienced through God's
abounding grace.
Shontae Alston

The Most Intriguing Quotes With
Ten Words or Less

It's impossible to learn what you think
you already know.

It only takes one person to change
your life - YOU
~Ruth Casey

Winning isn't everything, but wanting
to win is
~Vince Lombardi

All know the way; few actually walk it.
~Bodhidharma

You miss 100% of the shots you never
take.
~Wayne Gretzky

Patience is the best remedy for every
trouble
~Titus Maccius Plautus

You always pass failure on the way to
success
~Mickey Rooney

A wise man will make more
opportunities than he finds.
~Francis Bacon

To become, you have to overcome

What losers call adversity, winndes
call opportunity.

When there is great love, there are
always miracles.
~Willa Cather

The difference between ordinary and
extraordinary is that little "extra".

There are no shortcuts to any place
worth going.
~Beberly Sills

Act as if it were impossible to fail.
~Dorothea Brande

Nobody notices what i do until I don't
do it.

If there is no struggle, there is no
progress
~Fredrick Douglas

If you can dream it, you can do it.
~Walt Disney

To belittle is to Be Little.

Never, Never, Never quit!
~Winston Churchill

It ain't over 'til it's over
~Yogi Berra

The Most Intriguing Quotes
With Ten Words or Less.

Don't curse the darkness-light a
candle
~Chines Proverb

Two little words that make the
difference ~ Start Now

All glory comes from daring to
begin.

Success doesn't come to you.
You got get it
~Marva Collins

Minds are like parachutes-they
only function when open.
~Thomas Dewar.

The time is always right to do
what is right
~Martin Luther Kind, Jr.

Triumph is just "umph" added
to "try!

Enthusiasm is contagious. Start
an epidemic

Your children need your
presence more than your
presents.
~Jesse Jackson

No on can make you feel inferior
without your consent.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Every problem is an opportunity.

Hang on until you catch on.

Do not fear mistakes. There are
non.
~Miles Davis

Make the mistakes of yesterday
your lesson for today.

Don't count the days-make the
days count.
~Ed Agresta

The harder you work, the luckier
you get.
~Gary Player

There is no traffic jam on the
extra mile.
~Michael Nolan

The biggest human temptation is
to settle for too little.
~Thomas Merton

Don't go through life grow
through life.
~Eric Butterworth

A journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step.
~Lao-tzu

The darkest hour is on 60
minutes

Nobody who ever gave his best
regretted it

Personal Bill of Rights
I have the right to ask for what I want
I have the right to say "no" to request or demands I cannot meet
or do not want to meet.
I have right to express all of my feelings, positive or negative.
I have the right to change my mind.
I have the right to make mistakes and not to have to be perfect.
I have the right to say "no" to anything when I feel I am not ready,
it is unsafe, or it violates my values.
I have the right to determine my own priorities.
I have the right not to be responsible for others' behavior, actions,
feeling, or problems.
I have the right to expect honesty from others.
I have the right to be angry at someone I love.
I have the right to be uniquely myself.
I have the right to feel scared and say "I'm afraid."
I have the right to say, "I don't know".
I have the right not to give excuses or reasons for my behavior.
I have a right to make decisions based on my feelings.
I have the right to my own needs for personal space and time.
I have the right to be playful and frivolous.
I have the right to be h healthier than those around me.
I have the right to be in a non abusive environment.
I have the right to make friends and be comfortable around people.
I have the right to change and grow.
I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others.
I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
I have the right to be happy

Power of Love
When it's real love, there's
nothing that is unconquerable.
Once you've experienced it,
it's impossible to ever be the
same without it

Every time I look into Khyli's eyes, I
see me. She is so much like me, I
sometimes feel as if we are one, yet I
celebrate her individuality. I finally
understand a man's pride in having a
son. I could not be more proud!

If you're not constantly becoming
the person you want to be, you're
constantly becoming the person
you don't wan to be.

You'll never have all the
information you need to make
a decision. If you did, it would
be a foregone conclusion, not
a decision.

Plans are nothing...
Planning is everything.

we allow ourselves to recognize
how good things really are.'
Marianne Williamson
Thanks Katrina

The best way to
escape a problem
is to solve it.

Don't wait for your ship to
come in. Swim out to it

Celebrate our daughters, let
them know they are fabulous

Henry Battle

The Most Intriguing Quotes With
Ten Words or Less
Many receive advice, on the wise
profit from it.
~Publilius Syrus

Every great achievement was once
impossible.

Anything your mind can conceive
and believe-you can achieve
~Napoleon Hill

Only the mediocre are at their best
at all times.

The road to success is usually off
the beaten path.

Lost time is never found again
~Thelonious Monk

Be yourself-who else is better
qualified?
~Frank Giblin II

Great minds have purposes, others
have wishes
~Washington Irving

Don't limit your challenges,
challenge your limits.

When love and skill work together;
expect a masterpiece.
~John Ruskin

Passion persuades.
~Anita Roddick

When you are through
changing...you ARE through
~Bruce Barton

One of these days is none of these
days

Most people find fault like there's a
reward for it.
~Zig Ziglar

The future depends on what we do
in the present
~Mohandas Gandhi

~Nothing great was ever achieved
without enthusiasm
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The secret to getting ahead is
getting started.

If you are going to doubt
something...doube your limits.
~Don Howard

The purpose of life is a life of
purpose

Commit the Golden Rule to life, not
just memory.

A setback is a setup for a comeback
~Willie Jolley

Progress results from presistence
with purpose
~Frank Tyger

Imagination is even more important
than knowledge.
~Albert Einstein

Plan your work, then work your plan.

If you risk nothing, then you risk
everthing.
~Geena Davis

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER
by Maya Angelou

A woman 's heart should be so
hidden in Christ

that a man should have to seek Him
first to find her.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm
not shouting 'I'm clean living''

I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm
found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I
don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and
need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm
not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and
need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm
not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need
God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm
not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible, but God
believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still
feel the sting of pain..

I have my share of heartaches, so I
call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm
not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who
received God's good grace,
somehow!'

Pretty is as Pretty does... but
beautiful is just plain beautiful!

Being unwanted, unloved,
uncared for, forgotten by
everybody, I think that is a
much greater hunger, a much
greater poverty than the
eat...We must find each other.
Mother Teresa

The fastest way to change
society is to mobilize the
women of the world.
Charles Malik

Nobody can make you
feel inferior without
your permission.
Eleanor Roosevelt