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Agent of Change – Background

Over the course of my career, I’ve been blessed to change City-wide policy; influence corporate guidelines; create departmental operating procedures; establish standards through effective supervising; mentor students; teach best practices to colleagues, and train employees. As each of these opportunities came my way, I didn’t see the big picture of what was happening but I was being used as an agent of change!

I am wise enough now to make that boast in God. Sadly, before I had a meaningful relationship with Christ, I boasted of those things as if they were of my doing. They were not. He has had His hand on my life my entire life; I just didn’t realize it.

As I go about each day, trying my best to live a life fully committed to Christ, I believe He is still using me as an agent of change as I seek to serve Him more. The big difference from my younger days to now is that, I am acutely aware that whatever I accomplish is through Him, because of Him, for His people and His glory. I am simply a willing vessel, ready and wanting to be used.

What God is Showing Me

What He is showing me now is that, it is entirely possible for women to support and encourage one another in the spirit of love, with a genuine heart to see our sisters succeed; without hate, jealousy, envy, or strife. He has placed a burning desire deep down in my soul to be my sisters’ helper. God has called me to be an agent of change to help dispel the reputation we have of being clique-ish, catty, territorial, and the like.

The Challenge

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I challenge every female reader to consider doing the same. Most of us live average lives and will never make it to the front page of a newspaper, grace the cover of a magazine, release a CD, or hold a political office. However, that does not mean we cannot contribute to history!

How often do we turn our heads to avoid making eye contact with one of our sisters? How difficult is it to speak a kind word or a compliment just because? I remember being new on a job and wishing one of the ladies would take me under her wing and help me grow professionally. When we feel the weight of the world bearing down on us, don’t we wish someone was there to help make it a little better? Never underestimate the value of a cup of coffee and a conversation. The cares of the world seem to dissipate as the cup empties and the conversation progresses!

I wish I could tell you how many times a week I text a lady in my circle to give a word of encouragement, or a simple “hello”. Being a true agent of change, however, will require us to look outside of our comfort zone of friends. It may seem strange to compliment a lady you don’t know but I challenge you to do it and watch her reaction. Maybe, you’ve actually had that happen to you. If you have, you can attest to the fact that it was a bright spot in your day. Ladies often look at me, perplexed, when I ask their opinion on a pair of shoes or dress that I’m trying on. It’s very out of the ordinary to offer assistance to people we don’t know, but doing so for one of our sisters is vital.

Summary

We are afraid to talk to one another and that has to stop for the sake of changing our history! I believe that we can make decisions every day to do something for one another that will chip away at the hardness in our hearts that has built up over generations towards other women. Each of us can be someone that another woman will tell her kids about; that person that supported and encouraged her when no one would have expected us to. That’s being an agent of change! Are you up for the challenge?

We all want to be accepted for who we are; for how we feel; for our dreams and aspirations. We want to be accepted for how we look; black, brown, blue, purple, red, white or even yellow.  In the novel, “God Help the Child”, Toni Morrison pens a modern day Cinderella story about a young girl named Lula Ann. From the moment you begin to read, you hear the voice of Sweetness, telling the story of her daughter, Lula Ann. When Lula Ann was born, and placed in her mother’s arms, something was wrong, terribly wrong. Sweetness and her husband Louis, were light skinned with good hair, and Lula Ann, well, she was not. Her skin was the color of a clear night sky, midnight black. This didn’t sit well with her parents. Her father wouldn’t touch her and claimed that she wasn’t his. Her mother couldn’t stand to touch her because of the color of her skin. Can you imagine not being touched by your parents and somehow being blamed for the color of your skin?

Lula Ann, all grown up, reinvents herself and changes her name to Bride, a successful California executive, with dark skin, wearing only white clothes to stand out. Bride is in the midst of launching her signature cosmetic line when she hears that the kindergarten teacher that she accused of sexual abuse 15 years ago is going to be released from prison. This is what she has waited for. Bride comes face-to-face with her past and somehow her future seems to collide with her present. Her life begins to tumble out of control and Bride wants to revert back to Lula Ann.   

In this emotional yet gripping story of rejection, prejudice, and a young girl coming of age, Morrison takes her readers on an unforgettable ride that will make you reexamine the way you look at color.  

If you are a go-getter, one that can wake up in the morning without an alarm or coffee then this article may not be for you. However, if you struggle with meeting goals and need accountability a mentor can be a lifesaver for both you and your business. Not only will the oversight groom you into becoming an organized professional, but it also will give you some upgrades in a few ways that you might not have even thought of. This article will discuss three different ways that mentorship is beneficial and sometimes mutually beneficial. Let me be the first to say that once you have been mentored, you will then always see the value in mentoring. This is also a way to give back so that the cycle of success continues. There’s no way that we can be the “be all and end all” to every business solution so why not share what you did and how you achieved success. This forms one of the many parts of your legacy and so people always know that you did look back and take someone with you along the way. It also helps that person do the same once they reach a certain level of success.

First, a mentor is important because they can offer an honest outside view of your situation. Sometimes it bothers us to have a clear and unbiased opinion about feedback to help us become better in our weak areas. Nobody’s infallible, therefore an unbiased opinion is just what we need to help us find our truth.

Secondly, a mentor can give you a big push towards things that you would not normally push yourself toward. Sometimes we think that we are just fine, do not need any extra help, or we are self-sufficient. The fact is, this is just not true! Whether it’s a manager, mentor, or coach that person is there to assist you to reach a higher level of achievement with each assignment.

Thirdly, there are some intangibles that we cannot put a name or price on when it comes to mentorship. What I speak of is called connections, relationships, or warm leads that you might not have otherwise known about. It is very helpful when a mentor looks out for you and sends you straight to the source for some sort of problem to be solved.

How do we put a price on all of that? There are many other benefits to working with a mentor, the list can go on and on. The mentor receives many things back as well for this “reaching back”. Every great person full of success, will most times always attribute this greatness to a mentor helping along the way. As the adage says, “Each one, teach one”. Who are you serving as a mentor for today? If “no one” is your answer, consider placing it on your to-do list for 2018.

Michelle Rhodes is CEO of Michelle Rhodes Media LLC
She can be reached at www.Michellerhodesonline.com

Everywhere we turn, we hear heartbreaking news about death and destruction. Our culture has begun to immortalize and celebrate the fights, killings, and dysfunction of not only families but our country in a close-up and personal way; Facebook live, Instagram, and YouTube. What is going on in this world? We can only ask the questions, “Where is God?” “Why do things happen?” “Why does evil seem to be hiding behind every tree, rock, or flower?” In The Shack, written by William Paul Young, he grabs and drags his readers down a path descending to the abyss of the unimaginable.

This novel sets the stage to explore many of the questions we have in our society today. It’s a story that centers on a father, Mack, who loses his youngest daughter, Missy, four years earlier and is still having a hard time coping with the loss. Missy was snatched during a family vacation. Although her body was never found, there was evidence in The Shack that she was brutally murdered by a serial killer. Where was God? Did He know? Did He care?

As the story begins, Papa (God) wants to get Mack’s attention so that he can talk to him. Papa sends a message in the form of a note asking Mack to return to the shack so they could spend time together. Although Mack was unclear of the reason Papa wanted to meet him there, he decides to visit the crime scene and this starts Mac on the road to recovery, healing, and forgiveness.

In this thought provoking and tear jerking story, not only does Mack come face-to-face with Papa, a large black woman, he also comes face-to-face with what and who he thought Papa should be. Papa was not at all what Mack thought he should look like. Papa’s actual name was Elousia. Mack couldn’t focus. It seemed as though she was only a dream, yet he felt peaceful.

As he continued to look around, he noticed behind Papa there were two more people there with them on that day. A man walked up to Mack and started a conversation introducing himself as the fixer-upper, the gardener and sometimes, the cook. Mack’s thoughts were everywhere. He couldn’t help but notice that this person looked Middle Eastern or Arab. He continued to tell Mack that he was from the house of Judah, a Hebrew. At this point, Mack’s mouth opened and his head spun. Wait! He thought. It couldn’t be! You are Jesus! “Yes, I am,” he replied. “I am pleased you came today.” By this time, the third person came walking up to Mack and introduced herself as Sarayu (The Holy Spirit) keeper of the gardens among other things. Mack was a bit overwhelmed. He realized that right now he is in the presence of all three: The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit.

On Mack’s journey to recovery and forgiveness, the reader learns that God wanted to meet with Mack in order to help him in his grieving process. Sometimes God has to do the unusual, such as send a note, or even a person to let us know that He is waiting to spend time with us. As the story continues to unfold, Papa turns into a white man with a pony-tail. At the end, Papa became the father figure that Mack desperately needed to continue his journey to healing and be restored.

When bad things happen we often ask the question, “Where is God?” In this story, the reader learns that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

It’s time to start a Healthy life:

your 7 days program

How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don’t feel like exercising?

How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don’t feel like exercising?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn’t mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness — and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and

exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.

In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn, gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.

The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night. Exercise doesn’t have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.

I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a

one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.

Here’s a sample exercise program that may work for you:

* Warm Up — seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.

* Resistance Training — Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.

* Aerobic Exercise — Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the

second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.

* Stretching — Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.

* From one to eight weeks — Feel better and have more energy.

* From two to six months — Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.

* After six months — Start losing weight quite rapidly.

Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don’t stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,’ says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is

impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:

* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day

* Make sure every meal is balanced — incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and

fruits

* Limit your fat intake to only what’s necessary for adequate flavor

* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day                         

* I also recommend that you take a multivitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

I suppose that’s all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.

Enjoy life, we all deserve it.

You’ll find many more useful information and articles at Health & Vitality – to Enhance Your Life.

Health & Vitality for all your life-enhancing and personal development products. – Visit: >>> http://www.health-vitality.com

Tee shirt dresses have made an appearance in this summer’s’ trend following the shirt dress. I love a cute tee shirt, a great way to express your mood, make a statement, and just be casually cute. Tee shirt dresses are coming with an array of options for styles and pairing choices.  The classic tee shirt cut has been expanded to flatter a variety of body types. Cropped sleeve, short, long, and my favorite…the jersey style. There are even some pretty cool DIY tricks that you can use to create your own element of uniqueness. You can go super summer casual with a pair of flip flops, summer casual with wedge or platform heeled sandals. I’m predicting tee shirt dresses to take us into the fall season as they can be accessorized with jackets, scarves, gladiator sandals, and even boots.

Take It From The Top

The right accessory transforms an outfit, and this season’s’ breakout star has been the head band. Not just any old headband, the key to being regal with this absolute accessory is to lead with a nostalgic piece. Flower bands,  the latest trend on Snapchat filters are quickly becoming the accessory to complete the Garden Goddess look. Bring the Egyptian and Greek Goddesses down to life with jewel and layered headbands, paired with a maxi. K.I.S.S (keeping it simple)is just something a Diva can not always do, we love to do the most! We can still do it, we’re just going to start at the top with a beautiful head adornment, this is a perfect compliment to help play up your favorite features, and an opening act for your fashions’ main event.

Summer goddess maxi

Flow, sway, and feel regal with the most perfect summer option…a maxi. Maxi has evolved by making the most loved dress style to a two piece option. Maxi dresses are comfortable, versatile, and can make you feel free and sexy. Tank style if you want to be ready to play, or if you’d like to go prima donna and bring it with side splits and miniskirts. You want to give little thigh, try a layered maxi skirt . Some like it hot, turn it all the way up with a sheer layer, and serve it Caliente!

The Lyfe Magazine is celebrating Women’s History Month in a very special way this year. Each Wednesday of this month we will feature one of our female Board of Directors. Each of these women is making history now that will be recognized for years to come.

We believe you will not only enjoy reading their stories but be inspired as well.

This week, let us introduce you to Lahla-Hadiya Castro.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Castro family in 2016 and have been amazed with their kindness, talent and love for the Lord. Lahla and I co-wrote the songs for the movie version of my book Standing Firm (One Family’s Fight Against Domestic Violence). Recently appoint to the Board of Directors, Lahla has proven to be a valuable asset already.

Lahla is an internationally recognized Neo-Soul/R&B recording artist. She was born to Rev. Carl C. Craighead, Sr. & Leuvenia Hines Craighead.

A native Washingtonian, she experienced some family hardships such as being homeless during her early childhood. However, this didn’t stop her from being an honor student, graduating with two honor diplomas from Parkdale Senior High School.

Lahla’s father was a private contractor by profession and a pastor by spiritual calling. Her mother taught in schools for over 35 years and is a professional singer and a missionary evangelist. Her parent’s teachings led to Lahla setting goals very early in life.

Lahla started singing when she was just four years old. She began her professional singing career at the end of high school, along with modeling and fashion design. She performed at the Howard Theater, Bohemian Caverns, Carter Baren Amphitheatre, Twinz Jazz, Carnegie Hall and Apollo. She also performed with a local police department’s ‘Side-by-Side’ band.

One of the most impressive things about Lahla is how well versed she is in many areas. She competed in the Miss America Pageant during her 2^nd year of college while pursuing her college degree in education at the University of Maryland, College Park. After which she became a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. As a police officer she professionally trained in Taekwondo, close-quarter combat and active shooter. She is also rifle and motorcycle trained. Lahla expanded her police career by joining the department’s Focus Mission Unit, where she was a part of the Narcotics and Prostitution Unit.

Currently, Lahla is a licensed Life, Health, Home and Auto insurance agent; a contract and grant writer; and the Chief Financial Officer for a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. As if that were not enough, Lahla is also the owner and Co-CEO of J-Lah Productions, LLC where she partners with her husband, famed bassist Johnnie Castro. She specializes in artist management/development, vocal coaching and vocal arrangement.

What I enjoy most about Lahla is her transparency in relation to her walk with Christ. She is a “Child of God and attributes her prosperity and success with being a committed tither. She acknowledges God as the Center of her life.

Lahla is a wife and mother of six children ranging in ages 2 to 17 years old. Each of her school-aged children are honor students, and she coached two of her children towards stardom. One of her children has been to Hollywood as a sought-after actress/singer and the other who has appeared in several talent showcases.

During this pandemic season Lahla has not only remained relevant with her own music career as an artist, businesswoman, Internet TV show host and business owner but, she also homeschools her children; one of whom is Autistic.

Lahla continues to uplift and encourage all those she meets. Her favorite scripture: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) keeps her going in her life’s journey.

Be sure to check out Lahla-Hadiya’s music on all streaming platforms.

Neo-Soul Star Lahla-Hadiya

Website:  www.jlahproductions.net

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/QueenLahla

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LahlaHadiya

Instagram:  http://www.instagram.com/lahlahadiya

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“Labor Day – A Day Off”

Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.”

Background

In the month of September, the Nation celebrates Labor Day, and it is known as the “working man’s holiday”. Labor Day originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal times. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and they worked seven days per week in order to make a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as five or six often worked in mills, factories, and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities, and breaks.

The First One

The first Labor Day was organized by the Central Labor Union of New York in 1882; however, in 1894, Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday, and it is observed the first Monday in September. Labor Day marks (what some might say) the last official holiday of the summer. When first observed, the Labor Day Holiday would be filled with parades, followed by festivals, at which time labor union workers would be recognized and shown appreciation for their hard work in the trade and labor organization. The day would end with the display of fireworks. However, today Labor Day honors working men and women from all occupations and professions.

Give Thanks

As we celebrate Labor Day, let us begin by giving thanks to God for jobs and employment of all kinds. Let us enjoy a day of rest from our daily labor (regardless of the profession). Have fun, enjoy food, and fellowship with family and friends! When barbecuing, please be careful and exercise safety. For those that may be enjoying a day at the beach or at the pool, please be observant of your surroundings, as well as be cautious of children near the water. Wherever you are, and however you choose to celebrate, be safe, and thank God for all that He has given. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker. Enjoy your day off and remember to always give thanks!

I hаvе searched thе internet аnd read many articles оn the ѕubjесt оf what thе hоmе interior decor trеndѕ will be in 2017. Thеrе аrе a lоt of idеаѕ оf what will bе trеnding this year. As a mаttеr of fасt, there аrе ѕо mаnу thаt it wоuld bе impossible to liѕt thеm аll in thiѕ аrtiсlе. I hаvе nаrrоwеd down whаt I hаvе fоund tо 5 trеndѕ thаt I like.

Natural wооd саbinеtrу & furniturе

Aftеr уеаrѕ of painted furniturе аnd раintеd cabinets being “the thing”, there’s dеfinitеlу a trеnd in 2017 tоwаrdѕ raw, unfiniѕhеd furniturе and lightlу ѕtаinеd furniturе аnd cabinets with lоtѕ of wооd grain texture.  And it’ѕ nоt juѕt light wood соlоrѕ thаt are inсrеаѕing in рорulаritу – wе’rе аlѕо going tо see mоrе use оf dаrk ѕtаinѕ that ѕtill allow thе nаturаl wооd grаin tо ѕhоw thrоugh.

Desert chic

This iѕ оnе of the intеriоr dеѕign trends thаt will рlеаѕе уоu if you hаvе a bohemian ѕоul. Thiѕ trend iѕ аll in the details, ѕuсh as throw рillоwѕ, rugѕ аnd рlаntѕ. Tо асhiеvе the dеѕѕеrt chic fееl you nееd tо inсludе a vаriеtу оf еthniс fаbriсѕ in the fоrm of rugs and throw рillоwѕ. Stiсk tо warm соlоrѕ оr bright соlоr pallets with pinks, oranges аnd blues. Buу сасti of vаriоuѕ ѕizеѕ аnd place them in thе rооm. A gооd kilim rug makes a gооd fосаl роint аnd brings еvеrуthing tоgеthеr.

Add some clаѕѕ with brass

Sреаking оf mаtеriаlѕ, brаѕѕ iѕ the go-to hardware fоr 2017. Its gоldеn finiѕh givеѕ a luxe, chic fееl tо any hоmе. A рорulаr choice fоr dооr knоbѕ аnd fаuсеtѕ, brass саn also bе uѕеd in tаblеѕ, сhаirѕ, and mirrоrѕ. Satin brass оr bruѕhеd brаѕѕ will bе рорulаr finishes thiѕ year and bоth wоrk well with a vаriеtу оf ѕtуlеѕ аnd соlоrѕ. If уоu wаnt tо incorporate a brass look with thе mixеd materials thеmе, trу mixing diffеrеnt types оf metals tоgеthеr. Think brаѕѕ аnd chrome оr a brass and bronze look. If you’re unсеrtаin whаt lооkѕ best, seek an expert opinion frоm your nеighbоrhооd dеѕign сеntеr.

Pеrѕоnаlizеd Intеriоrѕ

Meaningful ассеѕѕоriеѕ will fеаturе hеаvilу in a numbеr of 2017 dеѕign ѕсhеmеѕ, mоving аwау from thе show-home and staged lооk of рrеviоuѕ уеаrѕ. There is a hugе wаvе in popularity fоr wаrm, wеlсоming ѕрасеѕ thаt аrе оriginаl аnd characterful, уеt still have a tоuсh of glitz about thеm. Onе-оff, authentic pieces of аrt, meaningful accessories, bespoke furniturе and сuѕtоm lighting are аll еlеmеntѕ thаt will аdd personalized luxurу full оf significance аnd individual vаluе intо your hоmе.

Hiѕtоriсаl value аnd classic style

All аrсhitесturаl elements, rооm furniture аnd dесоr ассеѕѕоriеѕ in vintаgе ѕtуlе сеlеbrаtе 2017 interior dеѕign. Exposed briсk wаllѕ and salvaged wооd posts саn tell a story defining thе modern intеriоr dеѕign trеndѕ 2017. Itеmѕ in the retro styles аnd antiques mix with соntеmроrаrу аrtwоrkѕ, hоmе furnishings, and mаtеriаlѕ fоr creating original intеriоr decorating idеаѕ аnd аdd mеаning tо uniԛuе and mоdеrn living ѕрасеѕ.

Pamela Blevins

Overview

Crowned Ms. Louisiana Universal 2018, Havilah Malone’s nurturing spirit, inspirational voice, and magnetizing personality are not only a unique representation of the state she calls home but also the future of our country.

Havilah is a woman with vision who believes self-mastery and success begin on the inside. This millennial powerhouse embraces her mission to inspire and equip female leaders with the strategies and tools to fearlessly and successfully pursue their life’s calling while consistently breaking through the barriers and limiting beliefs that get in the way. Havilah has been featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, the Huffington Post, and more. She was crowned Ms. Louisiana Universal for 2018.

At the age of 19, Havilah graduated from the University of New Orleans with degrees in Dramatic Arts and Communications with a minor in Psychology. By age 21, she was managing a $160-million-dollar technology division for Hewlett-Packard and serving as their television spokesperson on QVC & HSN.

Currently, Havilah is a two-time bestselling author and an International Inspirational Teacher and Speaker. Additionally, she has several professional accreditations including being a Certified Napoleon Hill Leader and Master Certified Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). She also serves as the Education Chair for the Louisiana Diversity Council and was selected as the 2017 SBA InnovateHER Challenge Winner for her youth entrepreneurship project, “Fueling The Future Now.” In 2015, Havilah’s non-profit foundation, “Living Beyond the Box,” was honored by the City of Kenner, Louisiana, which proclaimed June 26 to be Everybody Loves Barbie Day, named after the premier program that inspires women and youth to break the silence of abuse and live more empowered and fulfilled lives.

The road to success was not an easy one for this inspirational thought-leader. After being sexually abused as a child, Havilah was crippled by feelings of low self-worth, shame, and a lack of belonging; which nearly led to suicide. For years, she played small in life and suppressed her voice of individuality while trying to please others and fit in. Severely depressed and at a crossroads in her life in 2012, Havilah embarked on a powerful journey of self-development and discovered the secrets to unleashing her gifts and harnessing the true power that lies within. She now shares this message with audiences around the world. Havilah passionately encourages people to follow their dreams because anything is possible.

Recently, The Lyfe Magazine got an opportunity to meet with this outstanding woman. Here’s our interview with Havilah Malone.
Interview

The Lyfe: How did you get your name?

Havilah: My name comes from the Bible, a land in the Garden of Eden. It is a land of gold. My nanny named me. I love my name because I am a land of gold.

The Lyfe: How do you inspire women to take the leap?

Havilah: My purpose is to be a catalyst for positive change
through my actions. It is important for me to “Be Proof of What is Possible” in life. My life is my ministry. If I can do it, then you can do it too.

The Lyfe: How are you leading the way as an example?

Havilah: It starts with being an overcomer. Everyone has gone through something in their life. For me, I was a victim of child molestation. I had very low self-esteem and self-confidence. I covered my pain with my accomplishments: doing well in school, excelling in the workforce, and receiving accolades and praise. That was just enough to keep my cup with the one last drop in it.

It was a constant struggle to go after the things I really wanted. I didn’t have a sense of worthiness. I thought I was going to take my pain to the grave because it was a close family member [who molested me]. I didn’t want people to know the guilt, the shame, not wanting to break up my family; all of these things. I just accepted that I would struggle with this. Like many of us, I just struggled in silence.

Even though I was extremely successful, I was not happy. My accomplishments went on and on but, again, I was not happy and I was not living my truth. I was not being who I truly was because I was too busy trying to fit into the mold of what everyone else wanted for me. This is what I was doing as opposed to finding my own voice, knowing my own truth and being able to authentically speak no matter what anybody thought. In 2014, I finally came to a place where I finally broke my silence.

The Lyfe: How did that happen?

Havilah: One of the hardest things I had ever done was to verbalize it and let it out because I did not know what was going to transpire afterward. Thank God that I did because the energy that it was taking for me to hold that in and to suppress that within myself was also the energy I could not use to go after my dreams. It was the energy I could not use to be my powerful authentic self in front of people. It was the energy I could not use to show up fully because I was too afraid how people would perceive me.

What finally got me there was taking a risk! I didn’t know what was going to happen on the other side of this step but everything inside of me was guiding me and telling me to do it. I had to walk by faith. I decided to take steps in faith and actually do it. That’s living, that’s gold!

The Lyfe: You said so many powerful things but the one thing that stood out the most was the energy you used to hold it in was the energy you could not use to move forward. What gave you the freedom to break the energy of repression?

Havilah: It all comes in steps. We think that it’s a big explosive moment, but it’s just one courageous step at a time. Because I’m a public figure and I live my life in front of a lot of people, I knew my story was going to come out once I broke my silence. I knew my story wasn’t just for me. I made it through this to help people so I couldn’t stay silent.

With me, it started when I was sitting on my best friend’s bed. I had been working on my own self-development and I felt it inside of me that it was time; this is my next breakthrough moment. If I could just get this out. The one thing I was avoiding was the one thing I needed to address. I needed to allow these words to come out of me while sitting on her bed. I revealed who it was at that point. I already shared what had happened, but I was still protective of my family and the circumstances around it.

The Lyfe: I love how you broke it down, that it takes steps to break the silence. Starting with that one person propelled you into your life. Let’s talk about the Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich book. Tell our readers a little about that.

Havilah: I’m a huge student of Napoleon Hill. When I was introduced to his work, it was through the Napoleon Hill Foundation audio renaissance series called The Richest Man in Babylon. There were two stories on that audio cassette, “The Richest Man in Babylon” and “The Magic Story.” The principles I learned in “The Richest Man in Babylon” helped me start taking control of my money. I started looking into the Napoleon Foundation which led me to Think and Grow Rich. The first time I went through it, I didn’t grasp all of it. I thought I’ll get it one of these days but it planted a very powerful seed.

The Lyfe: What happened after that?

Havilah: I saw an Oprah Winfrey special where she attended a Tony Robbins Unleash Your Power Within event. She walked on fire and experienced huge breakthroughs. I was like one day I’m going to that event and eight months later, I was at that same Tony Robbin’s event. Tony is also a big proponent of Napoleon Hill Principles of Success. I ended up joining Tony Robbins’s platinum partnership program and it took my personal development journey to the next level. I started doing a lot of personal reading and I got back into Napoleon Hill’s work.

The Lyfe: Tell me about Ann McNeill and Don Green.

Havilah: Once you get to your next level, there’s always another next level of growth available to you. I decided I wanted to go to my next level. I really wanted to put the Napoleon Hill principles to work in me. I connected with Ann McNeill who runs the International Mastermind Association. She had been teaching the Think and Grow Rich principles for over 30 years.

My connection with Ann led me to Don Green, who is the Executive Director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Through him, I found out that they had a program to become a Napoleon Hill Certified Leader.

I went through the course. It typically takes people about a year to complete the course. You really go on a deep dive into the principles as well as applying and incorporating them into your life.

During the live leadership portion of the course in French Lick, Indiana, our entire class was given the assignment to write a one-page children’s story based on one of the principles of success assigned to us. I was given a slip of paper with #10 on it and immediately my writing partner and I went to work on the story. Within our hour lunch break, we wrote a powerful rhyming tale called “The Town of Lost & Found” on the principle Enthusiasm. After the class was over, the Director of the Foundation, Judy Williamson, came over to us, extremely impressed with the story and asked us to create short rhymed children’s story for all 17 principles. It took us about three to five months to create these powerful, principle-based tales. I knew this was nothing but God because the original principle we had been assigned in the class, principle #10, was not Enthusiasm. Principle #10 is actually Accurate Thinking. I think God put a blinder on my eyes so that I saw what I needed to see at the time because it took us two weeks to write the story for Accurate Thinking. There was no way we could have come up with that story in an hour. It was God who made me see Enthusiasm and gave us the inspiration to write it in that timeframe.

In December of 2016, those writings were published in a children’s book which was released from the Napoleon Hill Foundation called The Amazing Adventures of Oliver Hill. It teaches the 17 principles of success in 17 short stories that take kids on amazing adventures with Oliver and his friends while expanding their minds and empowering them to lead successful lives.

The Lyfe: Are you named as an author on the book?

Havilah: Yes, I’m the co-author of the book.

The Lyfe: What advice would give to the high school Class of 2018 as they prepare for their journey?

Havilah: I would encourage them to keep an open mind and an open heart, to follow the internal voice that is always trying to guide them. Don’t ignore those hunches or sparks of inspiration because there are much greater forces at play in this universe that are conspiring to give us everything we want. And we are co-creators in our own experience. No matter what your past may have looked like, you can create whatever future you want, you are just that powerful. Ask for help. Be willing to try and fail because all failure is learning. Learn, readjust, and keep going after your goals. YOU GOT THIS!

The Lyfe: What about the Class of 2022?

Havilah: I would tell them the same thing. I think, by 2022, more women will be in positions of power and influence. The balance of feminine and masculine energy will be well on its way. I would encourage people to continue to lead from the heart, to be authentic and transparent, to be inclusive and supportive and keep creating from a place of love. Keep taking risks, pushing the boundaries of their imagination, and delivering to the world the unique gifts they came here to bring. We all have a note to play in this amazing symphony called life, and I can’t wait to hear your music!