The other morning, I stepped into a shower of lukewarm shower water.
I turned the dial hotter, trying to get the hot water to come back. In
that moment, I couldn’t imagine anything more precious than hot water.
Soon the water  got warmer until I was luxuriating in a perfect
temperature shower. That fixed, I could go on worrying about my day.
But then, it hit me! How come I don’t praise hot water when everyday I
get in the shower and there is lots of it? It was a shame how quick I
was willing to brush over that experience of praying for something and
getting it. It was a good day indeed to start with a hot shower but I
get that everyday. So should I praise every day? I figured that all
too often we only truly appreciate something, I mean really get how
important something is to us, when it’s gone!

I started to wonder, how many times have I missed out on how precious
something is to me because I have TOO MUCH of it! I never appreciated
hot water for what it was until it was in short supply. I wonder if we
can flip that and start to think about all the things that we do have
in abundance and stop looking over them. We don’t appreciate love
until the love is lost. We covet a fancier car until our own car
breaks down. We complain about our job until we loose it. There’s got
to be a better way.

In the book Tears to Triumph: Women Learn to Live Love and Thrive, Dr.
Sharon Herron witnessed the loss of her infant daughter. She mourns
her loss everyday but appreciates every moment that she had with her
child when she was here on earth.  Her story has inspired me to think
about what I might miss if I focus too much on what I don’t have. What
blessings or special revelations am I missing by fretting over my
shortfalls and not my windfalls? This summer I ran a youth employment
program for over 200 kids.  Ironically, my workers shared with me that
some of the people that really got the true value for the summer
experience were not the ones who were employed but the ones who never
got a job at all.

Today I encourage all of us to think of what we actually do have in
abundance and celebrate it. For you it might be a job, the love of
someone special, a roof over your head or it might be something as
simple but as precious as a little ole’ thing like hot running water.

Please feel free to comment on what you will celebrate today!

We’re coming from a lot of different places today. We’re in school, we work, and we’re mothers. No matter what we are doing, there’s a common thread that weaves its way through all of our lives. We don’t feel in control. There is a greeting card that depicts an African woman holding Earth in the palm of her hand. What an empowering image! The things we could do, the strides we could make if we really believed that we do indeed hold the world in the palm of our hands. It’s there to shape and mold as we choose. Imagine your body as a clay figure standing right there in your open hand. The clay is soft and pliable, perfect for molding into your ideal shape. Our world – our situations, our bodies – are there to mold as we choose. We have much more power than we ever imagined.

Affirm: I’m molding my life the way I want it to be!

From Sister Feelgood: A Year of Health and Fitness for Our Bodies and Our Souls. ©1996 by Donna Marie Williams. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.

Why is it that some women seem to sail through life successfully while others struggle just to get up in the morning? We’ll be exploring this important topic in future posts, but here are some of our initial thoughts.

1. Triumphant women make the most of their gifts. You don’t have to be the smartest or most beautiful woman in the world, but you do have to work with what you’ve got. And you can’t be afraid to let your light shine. Whether it’s physical beauty, intelligence, creativity, emotional or spiritual genius, everyone has a unique gift. It’s what you do with your gift that matters. Some women reading these words have yet to realize the power of their gift, but there’s no time like the present to begin developing and leveraging your gift.

2. Success is a state of mind, and triumphant women define success on their own terms. What’s your definition of success? Make your definition work for you!

3. The spirit of the overcomer is strong in triumphant women. They simply refuse to let obstacles get in the way of their dreams.

4. The self-esteem of triumphant women is really about confidence. Too often self-esteem is a catch-all for “feeling good about yourself,” but confidence is built on discipline, accomplishment, and learning from past failures.

Are you a triumphant woman? Please share your secrets with your sisters. Drop us a note at soulsofmysisters@gmail.com, and your secret may be included in a future blog post!

We couldn’t let 2008 pass without wishing our wonderful members and visitors the best for the season and New Year. This year has been tough for both Candace and I, but, as Bishop Paul Morton sings, we’re still standing. We give all thanks and glory to God for all that He has brought us through, and we look forward to all He has to offer us in the New Year.

We’re happy to serve you, our sisters, your families and friends. Visit us often at www.soulsofmysisters.com for newly posted articles written with you in mind, and by all means, spread the word and send the link to all those in your address book! Our mission is to inspire, motivate, and encourage women of color and friends of goodwill. Drop us a note at soulsofmysisters@gmail.com if you have an article idea that would help a sister or put a smile on the faces of our members.

Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year!

Dawn and Candace

SOMS members need your wisdom! Share your thoughts and experiences about any heartfelt topic in the forum. Our goal is to build the forum into the leading source of information and encouragement for women of color on the web. Sisters helping sisters is what we’re all about!

By the way, we have a new survey feature in the forum. Check it out, and please answer the question for this week. Your opinion is important to us as we plan articles and books for the future. It’s also a great way to find out what your sisters are thinking!

Do you have a story that speaks to a trial or situation that took you to the brink of despair but you eventually triumphed? We are looking for first person stories for our new book due out September 2009 called Tears to Triumph: Women Learn to Live, Love and Thrive. Stories should be no longer than 1,000 words and be inspirational in nature.

Please email your story by January 5th to us at soulsofmysisters@gmail.com.

For some of us it’s feast, and for others it’s famine. Either you love that time of the year, or you can’t wait until it’s all over. Stress and depression are common. Others love the partying and all the hoopla. Regardless, don’t forget that moments alone can help regenerate your spirit and remind you of the true purpose of the season. The best gift you can give yourself is daily peace and quiet. Take time out for yourself. Peace time is absolutely essential for your sanity.

Affirm: I’m giving myself the gift of peace during this holiday season.

From Sister Feelgood: A Year of Health and Fitness for Our Bodies and Our Souls. ©1996 by Donna Marie Williams. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.

Tis the season for colds and the flu if you don’t take good care of yourself. You’ve heard it a million times, but you must take care of yourself or else you won’t be able to take care of anyone else. (And you know how everyone depends on you.)

Prevent cold and flu symptoms by staying hydrated and increasing vitamin C intake. Herbs such as Echinacea work well for some, too. (As always, consult your doctor first, especially if you’re on medication.)

At the first onset of cold and flu symptoms, take one of those potent, pre-packaged vitamin-mineral cocktails. Catch the symptoms early enough and you can truly head a cold off at the pass.

If you’re already feeling stuffy, achy, and feverish, try the following tried and true remedies.

– Soul food not only satisfies the soul via the appetite, certain dishes can boost the immune system. Load up on chicken or vegetable soup (it’s the broth that soothes) and greens (collards, mustards, kale). Add plenty of garlic, which is great for the immune system.

– Drink plenty of water and natural fruit and vegetable juices. Try green tea with honey, lemon, and believe it or not, a little cayenne pepper to break up the mucus. And by all means, treat yourself to freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s such a treat!

– When the weather turns cold, the air in our homes becomes dry. The result is dry mouth, sore throats, and hoarseness. Turning on the humidifier is one solution, but potted, leafy plants will also put moisture back into the air. The more leaves on the plant, the more moisture. Plus they’re pretty to look at. (Source: Health and Weight-Loss Breakthroughs 2009, Rodale, Inc.)

– Rest. If you don’t get enough sleep, you put your immune system further at risk. When your immune system is compromised by fatigue and stress, it cannot protect you. It’s true, you have a lot to do, but your health comes first. Get some rest!

Many of us could stand to lose a few pounds, but the variety of approaches can be overwhelming. How to get started? What’s the most effective, healthiest plan? Here are a few to consider…

Strategy #1: Grazing. Right, like a cow. This diet strategy replaces our three squares a day with five, even six, small snack-like meals throughout the day. The idea is that constant eating will keep your metabolism up and appetite down.

Strategy #2: Eat a ton, weigh less. This diet strategy relies on low-fat, high-energy, carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta, vegetables, and fruit for its success.

Strategy #3: Programmed eating. Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig advocate three strict calorie-controlled meals and two snacks a day. Behavior modification is stressed.

Strategy #4: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad prescribed one vegetarian meal a day, with periods of ritual fasting.

Clearly, there is no shortage of plans. The question is, which one is best for you? The secret to success is balance, consistency, and an understanding of yourself – your style of eating, your biorhythms, your moods.

Affirm: I will choose the eating program that’s right and healthy for me. Better yet, I will create my own program.

From Sister Feelgood: A Year of Health and Fitness for Our Bodies and Our Souls. © 1996 by Donna Marie Williams. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.

Sisters, let’s dedicate this time to feeling good. No more moaning and groaning and crying and whining about fat and aches and pains. It’s time to take action. Our success in creating a healthy, fit lifestyle absolutely depends on a powerful belief in our ability to manifest. Don’t let past failures undermine your belief in your own power. Some of us have been playing at the diet game for so long that it’s easy to remember the failures while forgetting the sheer tenacity it has taken to keep on trying. Think about all the roadblocks you’ve experienced over the years: illness, pregnancy, stress on the job, stress in relationships, grief, the fact that you’re a woman and your body has been designed to retain fat. Hey, how about plain and simple hunger? That you have not succeeded says nothing about your worth as a human being – the fact that you keep trying does. The ability to lose weight is within you, so you must never lose the faith. If “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” then you are already slim, fit, and healthy. Keep the faith!

Affirm: Doubts have no place in my thinking and feeling. I believe in my power to manifest a healthy, fit body!

From Sister Feelgood: A Year of Health and Fitness for Our Bodies and Our Souls. © 1996 by Donna Marie Williams. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.