Archive of ‘Inspiring Stories’ category

Put down the promises and pick up the payoffs

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By Chanda Temple

I was watching TV late one night and saw an interview with NBC’s Hoda Kotb. Her comments on  The Nate Berkus Show had me reaching for my notepad.

She said: “Someone once said the way you spend your days is the way you spend your life. So if you are dissatisfied with your life, just change Monday. And then you change Tuesday, Wednesday and a week.”

If that’s too tall of an order right now, think of how doing just those simple things will change you.

Still not convinced to change? Think of this: If you continue to drag into work on Monday, for example, that’s how you’ll live your life, she said.

So pick up the broken pieces at your feet and get ready to create another great masterpiece. Your future is waiting on you.

Note: This post is part of my #MakeMovesInMay series, a challenge to do things that will improve myself and others in May.

Chanda Temple is a former reporter now working in public relations. She blogs at  http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.

Make moves in May

 

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By Chanda Temple

It’s 4 a.m. on the first day of May 2015 and I’m up thinking how will I “Make Moves in May.”

I know I’m not alone. Every time the first of the month rolls around, we promise ourselves that “this is the day I’ll do” this or that for improvement. And by the third day, we’ve fallen back into old habits.

Well, today is M-Day and it’s time to get serious. So for the next 31 days, I’m committing to making moves that will not only change my life but I hope will impact others. I’ll occasionally tweet about my journey and use the hashtag #makemovesinmay.

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Motivation Monday: Will you accept the 42 acts of kindness challenge?

 

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. challenges citizens to do 42 acts of kindness in memory of late wife

By Chanda Temple

“Clink! Clink! Clink” go the quarters as Sherman Collins Jr. drops them into an expired parking meter next to a stranger’s car.

“That should help somebody,” he says as he buys $2 worth of time and moves to the next meter in downtown Birmingham.

His actions today come with a special meaning. He’s doing them in honor of his late wife, Katrina Bethune Collins, who was always helping strangers in the smallest of ways.

“She wanted to bless people,” Collins says. “She’d buy people lunch. Feed expired meters. It didn’t have to be someone’s birthday. She would buy flowers and take them to (people’s) grandmothers.”

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. with his wife and their children. Photo credit: Special

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. with his wife and their children. Photo credit: Special

Sherman Collins Jr., a member of the Birmingham Board of Education, challenges citizens to do 42 acts of kindness in memory of late wife

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Be thankful for the little things

Thanksgiving

Thank God for everything, even the small things in life. Photo via Flickr/Creative Commons.

By Chanda Temple

Tonight as I worked on a blog post, I couldn’t figure out how to size a certain photo. I kept trying and nothing worked. Then all of a sudden, something appeared on my computer screen. It was just what I needed to fix the problem.

I then looked up and thanked God. He made it possible.

Right after I did that, I remembered my pastor’s message from this morning: In All Things, Give Thanks. Citing Matthew 14:15-21, my pastor gave us five ways on how to give thanks. With this being Thanksgiving week, I thought it would be a good time to share them.

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Happy Veterans Day: Alabama Veteran Noah Galloway Makes Cover of Men’s Health Magazine

Disabled veteran Noah Galloway of Alabaster, Ala. appears on the cover of the November issue of Men's Health. Image courtesy Men's Health.

Disabled veteran Noah Galloway of Alabaster, Ala. lost his right leg and arm in a 2005 roadside bomb while serving in the Army in Iraq. Image courtesy Men’s Health.

By Chanda Temple

In October, Noah Galloway sat on the Today Show set waiting to see if he had won a national contest to appear on the November cover of Men’s Health magazine.

When it was announced that he was the winner, Galloway smiled. But when Galloway returned to his hotel room, doubt settled in. He thought the other two finalists, also appearing on live television with him, should have won. Then he wondered if he won because he was a disabled veteran. (He lost his right leg and arm in a 2005 roadside bomb while serving in the Army in Iraq. He went through a period of depression and heavy drinking before he used exercise to get a new take on life. He shared his story in his quest to win. More than 400,000 readers cast votes in the contest, which had nearly 1,300 entries. Galloway made it to the Top 3.)

“There was that moment, ‘Oh crap! I don’t deserve this,” Galloway recalled the way he felt after winning. But Men’s Health assured him that he was the right winner and there was no special treatment. “Finny (Akers), one of the other contestants, called me and congratulated me. He was like, ‘You earned this and you have every right to be happy about it.’ ”

Said Galloway:  “Now I’m taking it all in. It’s been an incredible ride.’’

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10 tips to get you blogging

Blog what will interest your audience. Image by Flickr via Creative Content.

Blog what will interest your ideal reader.
Photo by Christian Schnettelker via Flickr/Creative Content.

By Chanda Temple

Birmingham, Ala. blogging expert and See Jane Write Birmingham founder Javacia Harris Bowser recently held a blogging workshop to get bloggers and would-be bloggers blogging. She had a lot to say. Here are her are top 10 tips.

1) Write a mission statement for your blog

What message are you trying to convey with your blog? Have you identified your target audience? Include that in your mission statement. Write it. Live it. Love it.

2) Create a strong “About” page

Besides the look of your website and the content, your “About Me” page sets the tone of your blog. Be sure it clearly explains the topics you cover in your blog and offers background on you. Make the writing interesting and fun. Include images and links to of your favorite posts, too.

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Breast cancer survivor Demarish Ruffin-Smith’s story of hope

Demarish Ruffin-Scott with sons Rich, 13, left, and Reese, 9.

Shelby County’s Demarish Ruffin-Smith today with sons Rich, 13, left, and Reese, 9. They were 8 and 4 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

By Chanda Temple

Break out the pink. Demarish Ruffin-Smith is celebrating a five-year anniversary today.

She found a lump in her right breast on Aug. 6, 2009 and had a double mastectomy 20 days later. She’s been breast cancer free ever since.

“Most of the time, people are estatic to make it to the five-year mark. Depending on what kind of cancer you have, it can come back,” said Demarish, 43 and a married mother of two sons living in Shelby County, Ala. “I just thank God every day for waking me up.”

Though the lump she found in her right breast was cancer that was in the  early stage and the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes, she wanted to reduce any chances of the cancer returning. She opted for a double mastectomy.

For Demarish, the decision for a double mastectomy was easy. At the time of the diagnosis, her sons were 4 and 8. She wanted to be around to see them grow up. It was a decision that worked for her. Each woman, she said, has to do what works best for them.

“I know there are many other life-threateing diseases. Some people, unfortunately, will not have my outcome,” she said. “I caught it early because I know my body and lead a healthy lifestyle. My prayer is that no matter what your diagnosis is and what course of action you choose to take, that you become an educated patient.”

“Know your options,” she said. “Decide what’s right for you and put your boxing gloves on every day.”

She offers six breast cancer survivor tips:

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Why you can’t tell everyone your dreams

By Chanda Temple

As a child, Eunice Elliott always said she'd be on television. Her classmates called her idea "ridiculous.'' She ignored them. Today, she's living her dream as a television traffic reporter for the NBC station in Birmingham, Ala.

As a child, Eunice Elliott always said she’d be on television. Her classmates called her idea “ridiculous.” She ignored them. Today, she’s living her dream as a television traffic reporter for the NBC affiliate station in Birmingham, Ala.

How many times have you told someone an idea and they’ve criticized it or told you you should do something else?

You know these kind of people. They live for the thrill of hunting down a vibrant dream, only to pick apart every detail until there’s nothing left but the bones that once held together everything.

When you encounter these type of negative people, especially in business, know this: Their opinion does not matter. Trust your judgment and know that you and your dream are good enough.

Being good enough is what Birmingham, Ala. motivational speaker, comedienne and television/radio personality Eunice Elliott promotes in her public appearances. Here are her five tips on how she stays focused.

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When faking it is a good thing

By Chanda Temple

Image by Alrunia. Provided by Flickr/Creative Commons.

A trip to get my first pair of fake eyelashes reminded me to appreciate the small things in life:. Image by Alrunia via Flickr/Creative Commons.

When it’s your birthday, you feel like celebrating.

There’s cake, dinner with friends and presents.

But that wasn’t the case for Danyale Pickett, whose love of celebrating birthdays  disappeared in 2009, much like the smoke from blown birthday candles.

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