The
Diversity Builder Team
Wishes You a
Prosperous and
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
WELCOME
to the January Edition of Diversity
News!
This month's articles include:
Getting in Shape: Successful Resolutions
One Man Who is Making a Difference
"What is the What" Book Review
Formula For Success!
Diversity Spotlight: Training with a
Twist
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| Getting In Shape:
Successful Resolutions
 Here’s my
prediction for the new year: the gyms will be
packed in January, so you better get there
early. I predict a 30 minute wait for the
treadmills, standing room only spin and yoga
classes and sweaty chest fly machines filled
with enthusiastic exercisers. I also predict
everything will be back to normal by Valentine’s
Day.
Losing weight and getting into shape are
rivaled only by giving up reality television and
getting a better job as the most popular
resolutions. Ask anyone you know, “What’s your
New Year’s resolution?” and you’re likely to get
one of these answers. So, what is the difference
between a successful resolution and a
one-thousand-dollar coat rack/exercise bike in
the family room?
Successful change comes in
three stages. The first, the contemplation
stage, is when you feel like you need to change,
but don’t know how to begin or how you will find
the time. The preparation stage, where you plot
your steps to your goal, should come next if you
want to succeed. However, many a lapsed
exerciser has skipped this and gone straight to
the action stage, only to be sabotaged by
injury, frustration over their down dog, or the
dozen donuts on the break room table. Don’t let
this happen to you.
Follow the steps below
and take a step closer to excellent health and
the body you want. By the way, writing your
answers down makes this exercise even more
powerful. So get that pencil and paper because
here you go.
Step One: How important
is exercise to you?
Successful
navigation of the contemplation stage requires
you to look ahead and visualize the health you
desire. Imagine how your clothes will fit when
you’ve lost 20 pounds, see yourself buying the
size 8 dress you’ve had your eye on, or envision
finishing the Music City half marathon. Simply
getting excited about having more energy and
feeling more confident is enough. Then,
visualize what you’ll look and feel like if you
don’t begin to exercise and change your
diet.
Next, add up all the plusses of what
you are contemplating. Whether it is walking 30
minutes a day or working with a trainer three
times a week or eating breakfast everyday, ask
yourself, “How will this positively impact my
life?”
Look at the timing. What would you be
doing instead of exercising? Be honest, American
Idol isn’t all that interesting anymore, so get
off the sofa.
Step Two: Is your plan
realistic?
Now is the time to stop
fantasizing about what could be and start
planning how you are going to become a better
you. Specificity is key in both setting and
attaining your goal. Bearing in mind that a 1-2
pound weight loss each week is reasonable,
choose a specific date by which you want to lose
the first 10 pounds.
After you have chosen a
date, write out your goal in positive language.
An example would be: I will weigh (your goal
weight) by March 1, 2009.
With a specific
goal in mind, you can write out the specific
steps you will take to attain your goal weight.
These may include lifting weights for 30 minutes
three times a week, taking a spin class two
mornings a week, forgoing refined carbohydrates
or anything which will help you reach your
goal.
Finally, share your goal with a
supportive friend or family member. Who knows,
they may have their own fitness goals and you
can start a new habit together.
Step
Three: Make it a way of life.
The
rule of thumb is if you do something for 45
days, it becomes a habit. Beyond habit, if you
do it for six months, it becomes a way of life.
As you embark on a new lifestyle you will want
to recreate your behavior and environment. The
Ritz crackers, mid-afternoon mochas and late
night popcorn must become a thing of the past,
replaced by stoneground, baked crackers, low-fat
yogurt or a yoga session. The “fat” clothes will
be replaced by workout pants and running shoes.
Most importantly, don’t forget to reward
yourself. If you’ve made it this far in the
process, you’ll want to reward yourself each
time you reach a benchmark, whether it is 10
pounds lost, two minutes off your 5K time, or
finding your jeans are too loose to wear
anymore. Good non-food rewards include a
massage, new workout clothes, a movie or
anything you enjoy. After all, you did it!
Remember, you are on a life-long journey of
health and fitness and you deserve to enjoy
it.
(Article submitted by John Holley,
ACE, who can be contacted for personal training
or facilitating a corporate wellness program by
calling 615-260-0459)
Click here for information on
membership/classes at the West Side Athletic
Club in
Nashville |
One Man Who is Making A Difference
Sudanese
Valentino Achak Deng
 Valentino
Achak Deng was born in southern Sudan, in the
village of Marial Bai. He fled Sudan in the late
1980’s during civil war, when his village was
destroyed by murahaleen—the same type of militia
that currently terrorize Darfur. Deng spent nine
years in Ethiopian and Kenyan refugee camps,
where he worked for the UNHCR as a social
advocate and reproductive health educator. In
2001 he resettled to Atlanta. Deng has toured
the country speaking about his life in Sudan,
his experience as a refugee, and his
collaboration with author Dave Eggers on “What
Is the What,” the novelized version of Deng’s
life story. As a leader in the Sudanese
diaspora, Deng advocates for the universal right
to education and the freedom of his people in
Sudan. In 2006, Deng and Eggers established the
Valentino Achak Deng Foundation to help rebuild
Sudanese communities by increasing access to
educational opportunities. The Foundation’s
first major initiative is to create a viable and
community-driven educational center in Marial
Bai.
For more
information on how you can make a difference in
Sudan, click on the link below.
Valentino
Achak Deng Foundation
|
 |
New York Times Best
Seller"What is the
What"
Valentino Achak Deng, real-life hero of this
engrossing epic, was a refugee from the Sudanese
civil war-the bloodbath before the current
Darfur bloodbath-of the 1980s and 90s. In this
fictionalized memoir, Eggers (A Heartbreaking
Work of Staggering Genius) makes him an icon of
globalization. Separated from his family when
Arab militia destroy his village, Valentino
joins thousands of other "Lost Boys," beset by
starvation, thirst and man-eating lions on their
march to squalid refugee camps in Ethiopia and
Kenya, where Valentino pieces together a new
life. He eventually reaches America, but finds
his quest for safety, community and fulfillment
in many ways even more difficult there than in
the camps: he recalls, for instance, being
robbed, beaten and held captive in his Atlanta
apartment. Eggers's limpid prose gives Valentino
an unaffected, compelling voice and makes his
narrative by turns harrowing, funny, bleak and
lyrical. The result is a horrific account of the
Sudanese tragedy, but also an emblematic saga of
modernity-of the search for home and self in a
world of unending upheaval.
All proceeds from the book go to
aiding the Sudanese in America and Sudan.
Click here to
buy this
book |
"Formula for
Success!"
Whether you're
looking to heal a relationship, changes jobs,
get in shape or find inner peace, consider these
attributes which are common to those who
succeed!
Have a Vision
People who get what they want have a clear
vision that keeps them motivated. They see it,
feel it, and experience it in their minds and
hearts.
Make a Strategy Know what
you need to do and when you need to do it. Write
it down and stay on course.
Find a
Passion Are you excited when you get up in
the morning? People with passion are energized
about what they are doing. You need to be
passionately invested in the journey and the
goal.
Live the Truth People who
consistently win have no room in their lives for
denial, fantasy or fiction. They hold themselves
to high but realistic standards and they deal
with the truth.
Be Flexible Even
the best-laid plans may need to be altered. Be
open to input and consider viable alternatives.
Be willing to be wrong and start
over.
Take Risks Be willing to get
out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Leave the safe, unchallenging and familiar
existence behind in order to have
more.
Create a Strong Nucleus
Surround yourself with people who support you in
your goals and want you to succeed. Bond with
people who complement your skills and be willing
to give and receive.
Take Action
Do it! Take meaningful, purposeful action
consistently and persistently. It's a step by
step process.
Set Priorities
Manage your time in such a way that you are not
spending time grinding along on priority two or
three if priority one needs
attention.
Take Care of Yourself
People who consistently win are committed to
self-management. They actively manage their
mental, physical, emotional and spiritual
health.
|
Diversity Spotlight: Training with a
Twist
Diversity in
Motion
Teaching Diversity
through song and storytelling. Building high
performance teams through an engaging diversity
program.
Here is the
response to this exciting diversity program from
a recent client:
"Let me express my
appreciation for Diversity Builder's Diversity
in Motion performance at our Conference in
Atlanta. Your diverse talents provided an
entertaining Message with a wallop. Your
improvisational skits relating to ideas from the
audience showed true genius.
Our
conferencees clearly resonated with your message
of unity and caring among all people."
(Betty Bland, President The Theosophical
Society in America)
Diversity in Motion
is a unique storytelling and song diversity
program for corporate events or school programs,
highlighting the value of diversity in the
world. The program encourages diversity and high
performance teams, by breaking down barriers of
separation.
Diversity in Motion moves its
participants at the level of heart and soul
while facilitating transformation on this deeper
level through the telling of personal songs and
stories. As we break down the barriers of
habitual belief systems- those comprised of
judgment and assumption, we are truly able to
connect with understanding, respect, and
compassion. Let us celebrate the richness that
diversity brings to our world! The fact is- we
can’t survive without it. Vivian Slade,
Marquetta Dupree, and Angela Holley comprise the
3 member group.
Marquetta Dupree
has worked for the International Black Youth
Summit as a facilitator helping to bring into
being their vision for the community and the
world. She has trained for 10 years in African
Dance and has just finished teaching a year of
African Inspired Dance classes. She spends as
much time as she can singing, dancing, and
telling stories while practicing the art of
living in the “present moment”. She describes
the new program as follows, "Diversity in motion
is a space of healing that is created through
the art of story, song, and dance. Having love
and understanding will allow peace to run wild
in this world."
Angela Holley is a
graduate of Interplay’s Leadership program, a
path of spontaneously embodying and creating art
from life through playing with song, story, and
dance in solo, partner and group play. She is
creator of the critically acclaimed “Holley’s
Country Follies” and “Wildwood Flowers: The June
Carter Musical” (www.thejunecartermusical.com).
Holley is an award-winning actress/singer who
has been in show business for over 20 years.
Holley states, "Diversity in Motion moves its
participants toward building high performance
teams, by bringing diverse groups to a
recognition of commonality. It helps us look at
the roots or our prejudices and celebrate the
richness our differences bring to the world
through song and story."
Vivian
Slade began her career as a musician in
1998, touring the southern and eastern US
through 2000. As a solo guitarist/vocalist, she
received excellent reviews and airplay on indie
and college radio. Vivian (who currently lives
in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters
and large dog) teaches private voice lessons as
well as group sessions on how to use the voice
to bring more joy and abundance into one’s life.
Vivian continues to perform in Nashville as a
jazz vocalist, independent rock/pop artist and
children’s theatre enthusiast. She has recently
begun work on her third album and is
particularly excited about this newest project,
Diversity In Motion. Slade states, "I can think
of no better way to create connection and bring
healing to our relationships than through the
use of music, story and dance."
Click here to inquire about Diversity
In
Motion |
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