Happy New Year!! 2016 is over. 2017 is your new frontier. One is the rear view mirror. The other is your life moving forward. Balancing the two will determine your outcome over the next 12 months. Here's your BONUS Tip #2 in our Ten Tip Holiday Video Series. Watch and learn!
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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ======================================= January is a favorite month of mine. At my church, Bethel AME in Boston, the theme in January is always Vision Month. Not just from a religious perspective, but from a pragmatic personal one as well. And for more than 20 years January has provided the anchor for setting my course of action…not just for the current year but for future years to come. Creating a vision statement provides a real time mapping strategy for future aspirations. These statements are created in corporate board rooms, in educational institutions and with military and governmental stakeholders. Now we are going to help YOU…an individual citizen of the world to determine the BEST vision statement for your life. Trust me. I live by my personal vision statement. And it has served me with NO changes for over 18 years! Bring your mind, your hopes and your aspirations to this program and let’s get started creating YOUR personal vision statement. ================== Excerpt From 21 Ways To Bring Multiculturalism To Your Job Your Home And Your Community Tip #7 Create A Vision: The Path To Following Your Dreams For Diversity & Multiculturalism What is vision? It’s defined as an unusual discernment or foresight. Vision can also be characterized as the power to see what is NOT evident to the average mind. When you embrace multiculturalism, empowerment and diversity you’re allowed to reach beyond yourself while setting a new direction that requires you to stretch. How far can you stretch on your job, at home, or in your community? Can you put aside your past troubles and look forward to a brand new horizon of opportunities? Can you see yourself in a leadership role or accumulating wealth? Can you see the doors of protection and prosperity opening wide for your children or grandchildren? Can you see yourself be- coming the vehicle of change for those who can learn from your misfortunes? A personal vision will take you places never before imagined. See it, believe it, and know that your abilities and your vision will help your dreams come true. Create Your Own Vision Statement I belong to a wonderful congregation that sets aside the month of January each year to concentrate on creating a vision for the New Year. During this month our pastors, Rev. Drs. Ray and Gloria White Hammond deliver a series of electrifying sermons that articu- lates the vision each member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church should con- sider. We are an ethnically diverse congregation, yet our shared values bind us together in a unified fashion. I look forward to our annual “Vision Month,” and take it upon myself to carry that concept into my personal life. In January 1998 I created my own vision statement that applies to my life today. It states, “Carole Copeland Thomas will capture the essence of the human spirit by delivering messages of hope, interconnection purpose, courage, and faith to people throughout the world.” Each year from this one vision statement, I create a multipage document of targeted goals that is broken down into financial, marketing, product development, personal, educa- tional, family, and spiritual subcategories. Every goal in each subcategory links back to my vision statement. Here are some tips on creating a vision statement for yourself: 1. Use broad, expandable language in your statement. 2. Don’t use the present tense. Use verbs that will connect to your future. (Rebecca will capture, Douglas will embrace, Michael will unfold, etc.). 3. Mentally stretch when creating your statement. Don’t lock yourself into thinking too small. 4. Find a quiet, peaceful location when you’re creating your statement. 5. Write your vision on a large poster board and display it in your home or office as a constant reminder of where you are headed in life. Creating a personal vision statement and companion goals will take some time to develop. Think about establishing a multi-year system for yourself so that you merely have to update your goals and vision statement instead of recreating them year after year. Empowerment begins when you take charge of your life by creating these necessary tools that will keep you centered, balanced, and focused on your path to success. Empower Yourself To Dream Establishing a vision is only the beginning of your empowerment process. You are also given permission to dream. Through your visualization you create dreams that ultimately turn into tangible goals and objectives. What is a dream? The dictionary definition states it clearly: “A dream is a train of thoughts or images passing through the mind in sleep.” It further describes a dream as, “A visionary idea, anticipation or fancy... or anything having a dreamlike quality.” Our goals, aspirations, achievements, and accomplishments in life so often start off as dreams, images passing through our minds while we sleep. Each one of us has the capac- ity to dream and the ability to create dreams the size of Mt. Everest. Our visions transform those dreams into journeys that can take us from our present state of existence to the un- believable destinations in our future. The key to all of this is believing in your ability to make those dreams come true! Hold fast to your dreams and believe in your ability to reach the impossible. Our Ancestors Were Dreamers It’s amazing how Black people of the past dreamed dreams and reached goals with practi- cally nothing. For years my father’s mother eked out a living as a Bel Air, Maryland do- mestic making five dollars a week. As a single parent, Carrie Copeland Brown (or Nanny Carrie as I knew her) raised two sons, saw my father, Wilson Copeland, graduate from col- lege in 1941, remarried, and took her life savings to purchase a home. All as a five dollars a week maid. So many African Americans can share that same story of transforming humble beginnings into a lifetime of sacrificial achievement. Look at the nickels, dimes and pennies raised to start most of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Janitors, street sweepers, cooks, and maids dared to dream the impossible and paved the way for their children to someday capture the American dream. So the next time you complain about not having a second pair of designer jeans, stop, count your blessings, and be thankful for the five dollars a week cooks, maids and janitors of your own cultural heritage whose sacrifices made it possible for you to achieve success. Starting A Dream Box Before you finish this book, I want you to start a “Dream Box.” Use any box around your home, or buy a new one. This will be a special storage place for pictures, articles, words, wish lists, or miniature items that resemble a future purchase or goal. What will you put in your DREAM BOX? Will you load it with lofty unattainable items, or will you pack it with possibilities, plans, and future dates that will plant the seeds of your future? When I started my new home dream box in 1995, I didn’t censor my imagination. I loaded that box with pictures of 7000 square foot luxury homes to cozy bungalows nestled be- tween the trees of familiar city streets. Your dream box should capture the breadth of your possibilities including all the opportunities that you can possibly achieve. Want to buy a new home? Want to send your kids to college? Want to have the financial freedom to care for your aging parents? Want to easily give money to that new community center that must be built? Start with your dream box. It’s all up to you and it all starts with you. Your dream box is waiting to be filled with your creativity, your possibilities, and the plans of your future. From Dream to Reality In 1995 I started my dream box and filled it with magazines, books, pictures, and articles on building a new home. I set a goal to become a homeowner in five years or less. I vis- ited new construction sites, and trekked through Sunday open houses just to see what was on the real estate market. Achieving that gigantic goal of building a house was about as far-fetched as you can possibly image. I was recently divorced with three teenagers to feed. As a struggling small business owner my cash flow was in constant flux. My “new house” savings account totaled less than $100. And the college tuition bills for my oldest child were always right around the corner. As impossible as my dream of home ownership seemed, I never stopped dreaming about building a new home. What seems unimaginable can turn into reality when your faith, your commitment to your career or business, and your determination to turn the corner in your life empowers you to achieve the impossible. With the help of loving family members, countless prayers, focusing on my business, and that dream box, I built my new home in 2001. I was only one year off from my original goal deadline. It was a tremendous victory for me, a divorcee who had overcome obsta- cles in my path. The thrill of my life came when I watched my house being built. Those six months of construction magic were some of the most joyous I’ve had. You too can start a dream box that can be filled with the aspirations and ambitions of your future. Fill that dream box to the brim and cash in on the possibilities that are waiting for you. Empowerment does begin when you believe in yourself. Your Dream Box May Open Pandora’s Box When you start a dream box don’t expect your friends and family members to immediately understand what you are doing. In fact expect them to sometimes become your chief crit- ics. They mean no harm; they love you, and want to do whatever they can to protect you. But sometimes those closest to you don’t have a clue about all of the possibilities just bursting inside of your spirit. Sometimes when you’re planning for your future or dreaming about what tomorrow will bring your way, you need to carefully share your plans with the right people. During the early stages of creating your dreams, you should only share your thoughts with the most supportive friends, colleagues, and family members. They may not understand why you are planning certain things, but will remain encouraging and supportive of your aspirations. So step out of faith, carefully pick and choose your supporters, and dream about the excitement of your future. Click Here For More Information About The Book 21 Ways: How To Bring Multiculturalism To Your Job Your Home And Your Community 1/21/2016 How To Create A Mission Statement That Makes Sense And Moves Your Message ForwardRead Now
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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ======================== There’s big difference between a mission statement and a vision statement, and today’s show will clarify how they differ. We’ll give you a step by step plan to establish your own personal mission statement that will enhance your business, your service organization or even your family unit. Creating a mission statement can be simple and easy. Now is a good time to determine the most effective way to position yourself in a clear and concise manner that will deliver the right type of message to help you grow and expand your base. Get out your pen, paper and your thinking cap and let’s get busy creating a mission statement that will work for you! =========================== Carole's Mission Statement: Carole Copeland Thomas and C. Thomas and Associates are content providers delivering presentation programs, consulting initiatives and live events to audiences large and small throughout the world. The focus on their services highlight positive change to global diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion, leadership, empowerment and women's issues. C. Thomas and Associates is a full service training and consulting practice founded by Carole Copeland Thomas in 1987. Black Eyed Peas,
Watch Night, and The Power Of Prayer Dear Family, Valuable Friends, Clients, and Colleagues: From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predates the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. However, it is particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. Wishing You The Best in 2016 ! Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA CDMP, CITM --------------------------- The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church by Carole Copeland Thomas With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. A Look Back...153 Years Ago Tonight... It was on January 1, 1863 amidst the cannon fire, gun shots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree: Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom. "That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." CAROLE' S TRANSLATION: Effective January 1, 1863 all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free. Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US. So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and the other four million slaves prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture. May you and your family enjoy a spirit filled New Year throughout 2016. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2015. -Carole
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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ======================== No matter how hard you try, you can’t hold on to 2015. It’s nearly over and you must move on to the New Year. Very much like driving a car, the rear view mirror helps us to anchor those things behind us. But you can’t drive a care totally looking through that mirror. It’s a reference point….that helps you measure the distances of events now gone. Much like that rear view mirror, you must learn from your mistakes, celebrate your victories and move on to your future. 2015 is almost gone and 2016 is a brand New Year! On today’s show we’ll look at ways where we can celebrate your great achievements of 2015. We’ll also look at New Year’s Eve practices of old, including the tradition of Watch Night still very important in the Black Community. We’ll trace the history of the New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne… And we’ll determine how to put your best foot forward in 2016 so that you can better predict how to succeed, achieve AND cope with the realities of the new frontier. Happy New Year To You And Your Family From Carole Copeland Thomas ============================ History of Auld Lang Syne Source: Wikipedia "Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions. The song's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times". The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language. Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man." Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem, and is almost certainly derived from the same "old song". Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon; The flames of Love extinguished, and fully past and gone: Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold, that loving Breast of thine; That thou canst never once reflect On old long syne. CHORUS: On old long syne my Jo, On old long syne, That thou canst never once reflect, On old long syne.It is a fair supposition to attribute the rest of the poem to Burns himself. MODERN TRANSLATION Source: www.english-zone.com Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And days o’ lang syne! Chorus: For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne, We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet For auld lang syne! We twa hae run about the braes, And pu’d the gowans fine, But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot Sin’ auld lang syne. We twa hae paidl’t in the burn Frae morning sun till dine, But seas between us braid hae roar’d Sin’ auld lang syne. And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere, And gie’s a hand o’ thine, And we’ll tak a right guid willie-waught For auld lang syne! And surely ye’ll be your pint’ stoup, And surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet For auld lang syne!
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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime At This Blog Post. Each broadcast can be replayed immediately following the show. ======================== Let’s face it. The outcome of your future can’t completely be left to luck and “seat of the pants” actions. And even with the realities of life that you cannot control, you still need to develop a discipline of planning for your future. Today’s show is designed to help you do just that: plan for a successful 2016 regardless of where you have been or where you currently find yourself in life. The New Year provides a blank slate for your career path, your business prospects, your health, your finances and your personal walk in life. Let’s determine how you can develop a 5 step plan of action that will give you the confidence and the courage to move forward in 2016 with enthusiasm mixed with a healthy dose of pragmatism. Get out your pen and paper and let’s get to work! 5 Step Process 1. Learn from your past mistakes, DON”T let them lead YOU. 2. Look at 2016 as 12 separate UNITS …. Then Build Each One Linked To The Other 3. Front load the first quarter/half of 2016 4. Fortify Your Relationships 5. Develop a ROUTINE or REPEATED Pattern of Fortifying Your 2016 GamePlan
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Focus On Empowerment can be heard every Thursday at 1pm Eastern.
Log Onto: www.blogtalkradio.com/globalcarole Listen LIVE or Download Anytime ======================== Now is the PERFECT time to slow down and take stock of where you are headed in 2016. Today’s show is your opportunity to pause and fully assess what the past year has meant in your life. Yes we’re solidly in the holiday shopping season and the sales pitches and countdowns to Christmas can really make you crazy. This is the time to step away from the madness for a few moments to determine if you’re headed in the right direction for the New Year. Get your pen, paper, smartphone or laptop and let’s prepare you for positive pathways to your future. -Carole Copeland Thomas |
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The Multicultural Symposium Series Webinar Series features current topics designed to enhance personal development both on and off the job. All you need is a computer and a phone to join each webinar. Open to Members of the Multicultural Symposium Series.
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Click On The Book Cover Below... AuthorCarole Copeland Thomas is a 27 year speaker, trainer and consultant specializing in global diversity, empowerment, multiculturalism and leadership issues. Archives
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