It's Time to.....Step It Up!

It’s time to…STEP IT UP!

                                                                                                                       John A. Morris   

                                     

THE 10,000 STEPS PROGRAM

The 10,000 Steps-A-Day program was developed in Japan in 1965 by Dr. Yoshiro Hantano as a way to get people moving and involved in an active lifestyle.  Why 10,000?  For years, the Surgeon General has recommended that people get at least 30 minutes of exercise, equivalent to brisk walking per day.  The Cooper Institute calculated that brisk walking (3-4 miles per hour – mph), 7,000 steps per day (minimum) to 10,000 steps per day (optimum) would be the goal of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity.  The 10,000 Steps Program can be used as a supplement or an alternative to your normal, daily exercise routine.

In order for one to “Step It Up,” with the use of a Pedometer (an electronic, portable device that counts the number of steps taken), one should establish a “baseline” by counting your daily step activity for one week.  After establishing your baseline, begin setting simple, achievable goals, by gradually increasing your number of daily steps.  To assist you, a 12 week wellness program can be found at AccuSTEP10000.org that will guide you through the process of reaching your 10,000 step goal by the end of the 12 week period.  Listed below are simple activities you can incorporate into your daily routine to help you achieve the 10,000 Steps-A-Day lifestyle:

·         Park farther from store entrances

·         Take the stair whenever possible

·         Leave your desk and take a 5 minute walk every hour

·         Hand deliver messages to your co-worker instead of email

·         Walk while you talk using your cell phone

·         Do upper and lower body exercises while watching television

·         Have “walking meetings” at work

·         Play music and dance around the house

·         Go for a walk in your neighborhood with your children, neighbors or pets

·         Vacuum/Mop your home more often

·         March in place when you brush your teeth, wash dishes or your hands

·         Do yard work

·         Walk down each aisle at the supermarket

How many steps are in a…

1 mile = 2,000-2,500 steps

The average step length for an adult is 2.5 feet

Most adults walk 2-4 miles per hour

Most adults walk about 750-1,500 steps in 10 minutes

One city block is about 200 steps

10,000 steps = 4-5 miles

One flight of stairs averages 10 steps

The width of walking 10 extra parking spaces is 50 steps

Most school tracks are 500-625 steps

As a general guideline, depending on fitness level, weight and age, a person will burn approximately 100 per mile.

Information obtained from Accustep10000.org

National Suicide Prevention Month: A Leading Cause of Death

National Suicide Prevention Month: A Leading Cause of Death

Staff Writer: Letese` Clark

With a stomach full of over a dozen different over the counter pills, 16 year old Alexa Bernard stood outside in the midst of a snowstorm and waited for the moment her body would get weak and her life would be over.  Tired of the constant arguments with her mother and the haunting memories of repeated molestation and rape, Bernard just wanted everything to end. “I was tired and I told myself I was going solve everyone’s problems and die,” she said. But her body didn’t react to her attempt to overdose. “I stood outside and waited but nothing happened. So I figured I have a purpose I just don’t know what it is yet,” she said. Four years later, at the age of 20, Bernard is an English major at Howard University telling her story to help someone else.

But she isn’t alone. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, every 15 minutes someone dies from suicide. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of all deaths in the United States and the third leading cause among young people 15 to 24 years of age.

President of the National Organization For People of Color Against Suicide, Donna Barnes, Ph.D., is focused on bringing awareness to the African American community.  “The issue of suicide is often not addressed or many don’t pay attention because of the other issues, such as AIDS/HIV addressing the community,” she said. 

“One of the main causes of suicide within the African American community is untreated depression,” she went on to say.

In addition, to frustration of arguing with her mother, Bernard suffered from depression. The scares being abused multiples times took a toll on her and she couldn’t cope. “Stop saying people who commit selfish.  There are a lot of people who are depressed. You don’t know what someone’s been through. There are people walking around campus who want to commit suicide,” she said.

Junior, psychology major at Howard University and member of the Suicide Prevention Action Group Zalika Cobb said students are paying more attention but only for a short moment. “Over the summer one male student threatened to end his life via Facebook and there were people who didn’t even know him reaching out to make sure he didn’t go through with it, but afterwards the interested waivered and no one is addressing the issue now,” she said.

Dr. Donna Barnes suggests those who are suicide survivors to sign a pledge committing to: taking care of themselves, support others, and reach out in times of need.

Trend Alert

TREND ALERT:

THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

DKNY; Fall/Winter 2012 Runway

When skies are grey and weather goes a-blah, one surefire way to shake those winter blues is to infuse your winter wardrobe of typical black, navy, grey and brown with bold, audacious moments of COLOUR BLOCKING. A trend typically associated with the lively energy of summer has tippy toed its way right into the winter season; providing some much needed relief from the dark and dreary silhouette that has dominated the winter scene for so long. This time around however, colors are much softer toned down shades of teal, burgundy, berry, olive green and mustard; versus the brighter more vibrant colors that ruled the summer.

 

     

Use COLOUR BLOCKING to look sophisticated and fashion forward by combining several rich colors in one ensemble. Whether you choose to block with separates or want to find a dress, top or fashion accessory that embodies the technique; colour blocking is definitely a trend to partake in. Just be sure to follow these few simple rules:

1.Keep it simple. Avoid veering into circus territory by sticking to one colour blocked garment or accessory at a time, and by combining no more than a total of four colors per ensemble.

2.Stick to the same color saturation. Doing so keeps your look intentional instead of just mismatched.

3.Avoid incorporating other prints. For a true colour block look, stick to blocks of solid color. Incorporating leopard prints, strips, pock-a-dots or other prints is a huge mistake.  

4.Look for quality. When dealing with bright colors, choosing quality garments is especially important in keeping your outfit from entering into cheap and cheesy land. Choosing quality pieces will add to the character of the look.     

Is COLOUR BLOCKING too daring for you? Tone down the trend by incorporating small doses of basic, neutralizing blacks and khakis. The simplistic lines soften the trend, and create the illusion of a slimmer, more elongated silhouette.

H&M; Winter 2012

H&M; Winter 2012

Another great way to stay on trend without too much effort is to colour block with jackets, coats, tights and cardigans. Colour blocking can also be achieved through the use of accessories; shoes, handbags and jewelry can all feature a colour block design or can be used to make up different blocks of color on their own.

So, who says winter has to be such a drab? Gloomy weather is no reason to let your fashion guard down.  

Stay stylish.

How to Embrace the Raw Beauty of Your Woman

How to Embrace the Raw Beauty of Your Woman

By Joshua Rivers

Go back to the first time you were attracted to your woman. What was it? Was it that sparkle in her eyes? Was it the comfort in her smile, or the warmth of her presence? Could it have been that the picturesque figure of hers that drove the mind of your eyes insane? Whatever it was, you must admit; it was such an effortless beauty in what you saw that drove you to an urging attraction to her. It was something in the rawness of her external nature that made you pay attention; it captivated your mind and heart, and you just had to have her. And once you had her, the experience of being with her was one of fresh air. You valued every word that graced her lips. Her concerns became your priorities, and her lap became the place in which you rested from the battles of the world.

However, as time goes on, the sparkle becomes more of a flash. The comfort seems to become a more familiar, and the warmth seems to be replaced by cold shoulders and hot tempers. Suddenly, you find yourself questioning what you saw. You begin asking yourself about that raw beauty; that effortless attractiveness and eye splendor you’ve experienced in the beginning. And let’s be raw; you don’t know when or if it will ever come back. Where has it gone?

You ever heard the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” Well, that’s the answer to your question. It isn’t so much what happened to your mate; it’s more of what happened to you. What happened during the course of your relationship that now distorts your perception of your woman?

 Get this; when you see particular paintings, you notice their beauty, for specific and unique reasons. But over time, that same painting isn’t as beautiful to you. Now, is it the painting’s fault that what you see isn’t as appealing to you as it was before? No; something changed within your perception that caused you to depreciate that painting’s beauty!

Our relationships are so very similar. Many times, we as men are looking at the same raw beauty of our women but it’s through the lens of time and circumstance. And we unfairly compare how they used to be against how they are now, forgetting that circumstances played a part in how she got to her current state. Most importantly, we minimize the role we’ve played or lack thereof. Her figure isn’t the same after having YOUR baby. Her attitude may be off because of something you aren’t doing. And instead of asking or communicating with our mates, we arrogantly exclaim, ‘Man, she ain’t the same no more’ when it should be, ‘What is it in my perception that I can change to help see my woman like I used to?’ That last question is hard because it deals with owning responsibility, but it is necessary. It helps us to embrace our women for who they truly are, and recapture that raw beauty that ever so captivated us in the beginning.

I want to give you four keys to embracing the raw beauty of your woman. They are as follows:

• Listen. Listen. LISTEN. Communicate to your woman your concerns, and allow her to do most of the talking. Only then will you understand her reasoning for your concerns.
• Openness. There may be some things she says that hurt like hell. Take them. Allow her to get them out, because it may not be easy for her.
• Victory. Always keep this in the back of your mind. The key is victory in your relationship. NOT your feelings. Be willing to take a broken pride for a healthy relationship.
• Expectations. At the end of your discussion, ask her what she would like to see from you, and discuss with her what would make you perceive her better.

These principles are built upon a foundation of love. As God loves you, you love her. Communicate with Him your concerns, and allow Him to use these guidelines to steer you toward a new perspective in your love and appreciation for your mate. It is only when the Master Painter is consulted about his painting, that we can rediscover the beauty of the painting we initially noticed. Well, the painter is God, and the painting is your woman. And she’s worth rediscovering.

The Audacity of Creating Wealth

The Audacity of Creating Wealth

By Tracee Thomas

One of the core elements of our legacy as Black women is making something out of nothing. Due to circumstance and historical injustice, particularly slavery, we have become famous for our ability to take leftover scraps and turn it into delicacies (just ask about the history chit’lins!). With an impressive level of resilience, we have developed a beautiful cultural legacy that we are known for around the world, but there is a tragic downside that has been overlooked. We have developed a tolerance for having just enough, for being ok with “making ends meet” and “making do” with whatever we are given. Our ability to adapt and make a “dolla out of fit’teen cent” is a beautiful legacy but one born out of necessity, not choice. It is time we have the audacity to choose a new legacy, based on what we need and what we desire for our future generations. This new legacy says we are no longer satisfied with making due with the remains, or taking a job just to pay the bills, or living in places where we do not feel safe or protected. It is time for us to build a financial legacy that gives us the power of choice and the ability to finance our dreams!

As young women, we often think its too early to start thinking about saving money, or put off saving until we have children, finish college, or find a “better job”. The illusion of time is what keeps many of our mothers and grandmothers still living paycheck to paycheck, wondering why they didn’t start saving before they had us and other responsibilities. Many of us come from homes where saving doesn’t seem like a real possibility, where money is tight and paying the bills is priority before saving for “the future”.  If we are taught to save, we are told to do so “for a rainy day”: some imagined emergency that never seems to happen, making it even more difficult to have money sitting in savings when there are so many things we can think of spending it on right now! Many of us get our first jobs and use our whole paychecks to buy whatever the latest celebs are wearing, keep our hair and nails fresh, or just to eat out everyday: all habits that we often carry over into our adult lives. We can argue that slavery is over, but because of these shortsighted decisions about money, we enter into another kind of slavery, one that keeps us working just to fund our habits.  While there is a certain immediate satisfaction that comes from looking good and enjoying the finer things in life, those choices take money out of our pocket, and do nothing to increase our cash flow in the long run.

If we continue to only think of our money in the moment, we miss out on the great opportunity to build a bigger dream for ourselves and the people we love. As women, we are the keepers of the legacy and the creators of the future. If we continue on as we have been, we will have nothing to leave for our children or communities except the pictures of how fabulous we used to be before we went broke!

According to a 2010 report entitled "Lifting as We Climb: Women of Color, Wealth and America's Future," black women in prime working age between 36 – 49yrs held an average net worth of $5. To compare, white women of the same age held a net worth of $42,000.  To put this in simple terms, that means if the average black working woman was to lose her job, she would only have $5 to her name after she paid off all of her bills. How do we expect to build a legacy living above our means like this?  Because of our lifestyle built on credit cards and expensive taste, we are projected to be the first generation in history that is financially worse off than our parents: living paycheck to paycheck and under-prepared for any financial challenges life throws at us.

But this does not have to be the case. For us to redefine our legacy, to turn a page, it really takes as little as $20. If you saved $20 every week, starting at 18, you could have more than $10,000 saved. What could you do with $10,000 in the bank? What decisions could you make differently regarding where you went to school, where you worked, and where you lived, if you had a financial cushion of $10,000? Now imagine if on top of that $10,000, you included birthday money, graduation gifts, and increased that $20 to $30 when you start working. That $10,000 can very quickly become  $50,000 or more, depending on how committed you are to building your financial legacy.

We must never think that we are too young, broke or comfortable to start thinking about building wealth or think that because our parents didn’t have it, we do not deserve to change our own circumstance. In fact, we owe it to the legacy of our mothers and grandmothers to do more with the little we have. The sooner we recognize the importance of building wealth for our families and the freedom that real wealth allows, the closer we will be to continuing the legacy our ancestors built for us. The earlier we start making smarter decisions about how we handle money, the sooner we change the decisions we can make about all of the other things that money controls.

So now that you know better, you must do better! Start by saving %10 of every dollar you get, whether it’s from a paycheck or a child support check. Open a savings account or a mutual fund that you don’t touch, no matter what. Spend 5 minutes less on Facebook and search the web for websites about investments and wealth building strategies. Most of all have the audacity to believe that you control your financial freedom. The decisions you make now will determine whether you will make your own rules and pay your own way, or if you will spend your days miserable, working according to someone else’s rules and pay schedule. The choice is yours.  I pray you have the audacity to choose freedom.

Tracee Thomas is a 20-something Caribbean-American educator and entrepreneur from New Jersey. She recently made freedom her choice and spends her days writing on the beaches of Dominica. She is passionate about seeing young African Americans reach their potential. She is the founder and creative director of Empress Movements International, a marketing company that works to celebrate the contribution of people of the African Diaspora. She can be reached at traceethomas@gmail.com.

Survivor Story

Survivor Story

By. S. Rudd

I don’t think you are a survivor just because you eat roaches in the dessert while 50 cameras are following and recording your  experience. Survival to me, is enduring the test, trials, and even ordained pain that allows you to believe that death would be better than life, yet by the Grace of God you survive. Tanisha Carter is a qualiefied survivor ( No labels, just truth). Her determination and perserverence after surviving a fatal fire, yet having the evidience of it’s wrath following her daily makes her the not only the epidemy of Raw Beauty, but the makings of a true LEGEND. Join LEGENDARY MAGAZINE as we highlight the journey of a women who has only just begun.

LM: Who are you?

At the age of 29, I am just beginning to truly find the answers. I am a survivor, which is true, but I prefer not to live with being labeled. We all have survived and are surviving something; it is a part of the human experience to struggle and to suffer. Surviving is something that you do, not necessarily what you are. When we attach prefixes to someone, it therefore creates subliminal instructions for the ways in which we are to treat that person, interact with that person. I am someone who has been burned, and abused; however, my tragedies are not the backdrop of my life, they are the blessings that have enabled me to understand and how to navigate the path in search of true self.  They are what have built my character; if it were not for my sufferings, I would not have had the courage to truly know all that God has bestowed in me. The traumas that I faced are unique armors that God chose me to wear, he saw fit for me to wear such heavy attire because only a chosen few are blessed to fight his battles and bring victory to him. Who am I?  I am more than a conqueror.   

LM: Tell us about your journey of understanding Raw Beauty?

Beauty is supposedly skin deep, however the way a person is valued and judged usually never passes the surface.

I survived at the age of 6 months, a horrific inferno that claimed the life of my then, three year old sister, but spared my older brother’s and mine.  As an infant it was God’s grace that saved me, with the extent of my injuries, no infant should have survived what I had. It was at this pivotal time of my early existence, that the enemy vehemently tried to take my life twice. As doctors tried frantically to resuscitate my scorched, lifeless body, they soon lost all hope, this was evident as they tried to convince my mother to sign consent forms to terminate my life. It was then that my mother said she heard the voice of God speak to her, telling her that he would lend her the strength that she needed to carry me. I sustained third, fourth and fifth degree burns over 89% percent of my body, resulting in the disfigurement of my face and the amputation of all five fingers on my left hand. During the convalescent years, which spanned over most of my childhood, I underwent over 50 plastic, reconstructive and skin graphing surgeries. I remember vividly the surgeon who gave me the face that I so proudly wear today, a gift before leaving this earth shortly thereafter. God favored me. 

As a young adolescent, I struggled with the same insincerities as any young girl does; fitting in, boys, I hated who I was and what I looked like. A defining moment in my life was over hearing a boy tell my best friend at the time, that she would always get by in life because she was so beautiful. I mentally internalized what he said and developed a huge inferiority complex while in the presence of any attractive female. I became obsessed with looking at every girl who passed my way, critically judging myself against them, destroying myself in the process. I hated the image that stared back at me in the mirror, I began ducking and dodging them. I would hold my head down while in public, never looking anyone directly in the eye; I was hyper vigilant, and defensive at the slightest glances, or the most innocent comment. I felt so alone, and fearful of disclosing my pain to my mother because I knew that she carried so much guilt and shame. Instead I projected the guilt and shame onto myself, verbally abusing myself, putting myself down, and criticizing everything about myself.

Eventually, through the isolation and silence in my life, I developed an intimate relationship with God. When people made fun of me, I cried to Him, when no one would talk to me, He was my friend, when people constantly rejected me, I always knew that God accepted me. When I was frustrated, angry and felt self-pity, God understood, and allowed me my time. I cried quietly within myself night and day, asking God why me? It was through the pain that I had to confront myself, my fears, and my insecurities. I felt so alone in my life, I felt every woman who wasn’t burned was better than me because they had their looks, and they could get ahead in life without worries and would never have to worry about being alone.

It was important for me to know how loved and admired I am by God, because no other person could ever instill that self-confidence in me. Aside from my family, no one knows what I had to endure and how far I have come. What helped me to maintain confidence,  and embrace what I call my beautiful tragedy is how I made it out from the intensive care burn unit, clinking to life, to becoming a successful graduate of college,  a mother, motivational speaker, and example of God’s mercy. I can say today that I love what I see when I look in the mirror; I stop to admire the tapestry of scars that cover my body.  I have always seen myself as an extraordinary person and have learned to live my life according to the invaluableness that is in agreement with God’s perception of me. I am who God says I am! I shamelessly show my scars, because they are a part of who I am! To be ashamed of who I am and what I have been through is to be ashamed of God and His purpose for sparing my life. All that matters is what I know to be true about who I am.

I am currently completing a Master’s Degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at Chestnut Hill College. My purpose is to help others learn to become resilient over any circumstance, and to find the essence of who they are. My dream would be that the idealism of beauty includes the depictions of real woman who have experienced real issues, and whose scars confidently show the real meaning of strength, inspiration, esteem, and courage.   

LM: ANY FINAL WORDS FOR OUR READERS?

Choose now to become the extraordinary woman that God has intended you to be, have the courage to find the path to happiness, fulfillment, peace, and understanding within yourself. In order for anyone to show you true love, you must first show it to yourself. The people we attract say so much about what we think of ourselves; therefore someone can only do unto you what you allow them to. You are a woman perfectly made in God’s Image, today is the time to embrace and get to know the true you!