N.A.I. MAGAZINE OCTOBER - DECEMBER
2021
Stress PAGE 18
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
~JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE, 1749-1832, GERMAN POET, NOVELIST AND PHILOSOPHER~
Two Years of Success and Counting
Thank you for your support! N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 3
Declarations of Faith According to Psalm 91 Greetings! We are still in the midst of a pandemic. How are you holding up? I know for some it has been a challenge having to stay at home and even having to wear masks and gloves when having to go out. How we go through tough times is based on our perspective. With that being said, let me give you the perspective that although things are not the way we would want them to be at the moment, we are still around to experience the moment. Let's stay encouraged and connected as we go through these turbulent times. PSALM 91: I DECLARE I will dwell in the shelter of the Most High God. I DECLARE I will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I DECLARE that God is my Refuge and my Fortress. I DECLARE that you are my God (Hallelujah) in whom I trust and with great confidence and whom I will rely. I DECLARE that God will rescue me from every trap and protect me from every disease. I DECLARE I am covered and protected by His outstretched arms. I DECLARE that God's faithful promises are my armor and my protection. I DECLARE I will not be afraid of the terrors of the night nor of the arrows that fly in the day. I DECLARE I will not dread any disease that stalks in the darkness nor any disaster that strikes at midday. I DECLARE that because God is my Refuge and the Almighty the God of my home no evil can befall me and no plague can come near my dwelling. I DECLARE that God has ordered His angels to guard, defend and protect me and my house. I DECLARE that God's armies of Heaven will keep me from falling. I will walk unharmed and kick anything that's evil from my path. I DECLARE that because of God's love for me, I'll call on Him. He'll set me above all my troubles. He will deliver me from all my fears and He will honor me with His presence and power. I DECLARE He will reward me with long life and He will show me His Salvation. **The above declarations are an excerpt of the message, 'Confessions and Bringing Order to Your Life', from Dr. Creflo Dollar, Jr., Founder and Senior Pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI) in College Park, Georgia** N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 4
THE REAL SUPER HEROES
TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS & OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 5
Keep Our Workplace Safe! Practice good hygiene Stop hand shakes and use non-contact greeting methods Clean hands at the door and schedule regular hand washing reminders Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, and desks regularly Avoid touching your face and cover your coughs and sneezes Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning
Stay home if... You are feeling sick You have a sick family member at home
SOURCE: CDC.GOV
N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 6
Limit meetings and nonessential travels Use video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings When video calls are not possible, hold your meetings in well-ventilated rooms and spaces Suspend all non-essential travels and trips
Take care of your emotional and mental well-being Outbreaks are a stressful and anxious time for everyone. We're here to support you! Reach out to hr@reallygreatsite.com anytime.
FOUNDER & PUBLISHER, EDITOR, CREATIVE OFFICER Danielle N. Pope
About N.A.I. Magazine Greetings Readers!! Welcome to New & Inspiring (N.A.I.) Magazine. N.A.I. was created to introduce newcomers to the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area and to their new neighbors and new community. Please allow N.A.I. to be one of your 'go-to' resources as you navigate your new surroundings. Relax, put your feet up, have your favorite food and beverage and enjoy as you peruse this issue of N.A.I. Magazine.
STAY CONNECTED https://www.facebook.com/naimagazine/ https://twitter.com/n_inspiring E-mail: naimagazine19@gmail.com
Contributing Writers:
Wanda “Sistah Soldier” Petty SHE VET™ MEDIA
Danielle N. Pope Pope Consulting, LLC
N.A.I. (New & Inspiring) Magazine is published four times per year. Reproduction, whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed by writers for articles published by N.A.I. are not necessarily those of the magazine publisher. For information in advertising in N.A.I., please click here to access the N.A.I. Magazine Media Guide.
Photo Credits Cover: Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash Page-19: Photo by Aaron Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash Page-22: Photo by Debbie Ducic on Unsplash N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 7
october - december 2021
N.A.I. Magazine
TABLE OF
TALK Happy OF Thanksgiving TOWN Community News Page 10
Happy Thanksgiving Page 12
TrailBlazer Wanda “Sistah Soldier” Petty SHE VET™ MEDIA
Page 13-16
N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 8
october - december 2021
N.A.I. Magazine
CONTENTS Stress THE
READING
ROOM
The Reading Room Page 17
Article: Stress Page 18
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N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 9
TALK OF TOWN COMMUNITY NEWS
October: HISTORICAL FACTS 1924 - US President Calvin Coolidge declares Statue of Liberty a national monument 1991 Clarence Thomas is confirmed as a US Supreme Court Justice (5248)
DEC. 2021
NOV. 2021
1993 Nelson Mandela and South African President F. W. de Klerk awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
November 20-31, 2021
Nov. 12, 2021-Feb. 1, 2022 Busch Gardens Christmas Town Williamsburg, VA 23185 CLICK HERE for more information.
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December 2021
December 15-19, 2021
Washington DC Ghost Tours Check Calendar of Evets
Cirque Dreams Holidaze Oxon Hill, MD 20745
CLICK HERE for more information.
CLICK HERE for more information.
N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 10
WinterFest at Kings Dominion Doswell, Virginia 23047
N.A.I. MAGAZINE SALUTES ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND CONTINUE TO SERVE.
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YOUR BRAVERY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
Happy Thanksgiving Philippians 4: 4-7 Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 11
“S i So sta ldi h er "
R E Z A y L t t B L Pe I A a R T and
W
SHE VET™ MEDIA My Story My exit from the military didn’t necessarily happen as planned. I was injured on active duty and landed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) as a wounded warrior. Disturbed during the journey, I eventually realized God wanted me to trust Him through the process. I was uncertain of where to begin, living in yesterday’s experience, questioning my ability to fulfill dreams held inside of my being for a long time. I tried everything I knew, and it wasn’t working the way I’d plan. I finally yielded and said, “yes.” My yes has led me through many dark tunnels while not knowing where I would end up. Somehow, there was always light at the end of the tunnel that continued to inspire me. I knew I needed to Believe and have Great Faith. It led me to serve women veterans in transition for five years, and author N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 14
“A Spirit Warrior’s Mindset: An Overcomer’s Guide to Transformation, Transition, and New Identity”. I sensed a need to help them at a greater capacity by providing a platform for visibility, inspiration, and narrating HerStories™ through creative arts. At the time, there was an enormous challenge for women veterans to get appropriate assistance from the Department of Veteran Affairs to
understand the unique and different set of concerns we needed to address around our transition. I felt compelled to assist women in presenting possibilities and demonstrating the reflection of our resilience. Media became the path for me to make that happen. I ended up transforming my career. Every day, I’m inspired knowing I have the opportunity to connect with real people while on set, television, or radio and use my influence to cause an iMPACT. As a woman veteran, it’s my duty and honor to help other women veterans and their families narrate their stories and inspire our peers to transfer their military skills into creative artistry. There have been times when women contact me to share how I’ve helped them through tough times, the loss of family members, homelessness, and business growth. I get excited because there’s nothing more fulfilling than being a vessel for God in human form.
"I don’t want to get so engaged with the lifestyle I’m creating that I forget to enjoy those I love."
Today, my most fulfilling achievement stems from following my intuition and seeking to fulfill the desire to get into the media and entertainment industry. It’s my childhood vision to create film and television shows in Hollywood and operate a corporate office in Beverly Hills.
The Oscars and Grammy Awards have always fascinated me. Now I understand why. My mission is to bring inspiration and provide a platform using the most extraordinary means possible to reach broken souls who feel unheard and help others expand their reach. I’m walking it out with access to tangible ways of changing lives. I’m not afraid to go into the trenches and corners of the earth to meet the forgotten, share the gospel, uplift their Spirit, build their faith, and connect them to an infinite source of Love using the pillars of media. I’m still learning to keep the main thing, the main thing. Although, spending time with family is the reason I play as hard as I do. I always refer to my big N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 15
“Why?” I’m out to create a legacy, but it becomes mute if I lose focus on why I’m building a legacy. I don’t want to get so engaged with the lifestyle I’m creating that I forget to enjoy those I love. So, I’ve put practices in place to have quality time with my husband, family, and friends. Balance is essential, and having boundaries and structures allows me to manage my time more efficiently. In five years, SHE VET™ Media will be a globally recognized digital media marketing firm and production studio producing Oscar Award-winning television programs, films, and documentaries filmed by women veterans and their families in creative arts.
Biography: Sistah Soldier is an intuitive influencer who provides multimedia platforms for women veterans to narrate untold stories, step into God’s call for their lives using their creative skills and inspire others. She’s the CEO, Host, and Executive Producer of SHE VET™ iNSPIRES Television Show and the Executive Recruiter for SHE MediaTech™. She’s an Amazon bestselling author, and her most recent book title “A Spirit Warrior’s Mindset” is scheduled to release in the fall of 2021.
Click Here to Pre-order Your Copy Today
Website:www.sistahsoldier.com https://www.instagram.com/therealsistahsoldier/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SistahSoldier3 N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 16
THE
READING
ROOM
For Such A Time As This
Paulette Harper with contributing Author Kimberly Lewis Release Date: November 2021
Kwame's Day With Dad
Gabrielle Hawkins
London's Bridge
Toni Wilkerson
To Buy: Click Book Cover N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 17
Stress
Political unrest, Civil unrest, over 500,000 Covid-19 deaths, to wear a mask or not to wear a mask, to be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated, unemployment, financial woes, family separation
IS IT OVER YET!!!! Stress enters our lives and effects us in different ways. Sometimes it's noticeable, but often times it's subtle. It sneaks up on you. However, I can't say that for the past almost two years. The pandemic, political unrest and civil unrest hit us like a ton of bricks. As a country, we have gone on a roller coaster ride that looks like it will never end. Is recovery on the horizon? We can only hope. Without knowing it, these stressors have taken a toll on us physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and psychologically. Many of us have suffered anxiety, nausea, insomnia, back pain, abuse of various degrees, tremors, neck aches, teeth grinding, depression, hostility, mental anguish, nightmares, fainting, nervousness, irritability, overeating, loneliness, and the list goes on. Chronic stressors like those listed above can take a toll on the human body, leaving lasting effects. Recovery is possible and can take a long time and have lasting effects.*
The Effects of Stress As demonstrated in the above list, stress can have wide ranging effects on emotions, mood and behavior. Equally important but often less appreciated are effects on various systems, organs and tissues all over the body, as illustrated by the following diagram on the next page.** N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 19
Source: The Effects of Stress on the Body - The American Institute of Stress - www.stress.org N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 20
Stress Management Just as stress is different for each of us there is no stress reduction strategy that is a panacea. Jogging and other aerobic exercises, different types of meditation, prayer, yoga, and tai chi are great for many people but when arbitrarily imposed on others, they prove dull, boring and stressful. There is certainly no shortage of stress relievers and in addition to the above, various progressive muscular relaxation exercises, autogenic training, deep breathing, massage therapies, visual imagery, and selfhypnosis practices are popular. There are also acupuncture, acupressure, biofeedback, Alexander, Reiki, Feldenkrais and other bodywork and postural techniques. Some people find that listening to music, hobbies, volunteer work, keeping a daily journal of events and how they feel, laughter, playing with pets, taking short breaks or shopping helps them to relax. Others find relief for their stress-related symptoms from aromatherapy, nutritional supplements like chamomile, spearmint, kava kava, adaptogens, and St. John’s wort or even sitting under a pyramid. There are also prescription tranquilizers, sedatives, hypnotics, antidepressants and beta-blockers for specific complaints. N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 14
In addition, a variety of cranioelectromagnetic stimulation devices have been found to be effective and safe for anxiety, insomnia, and drug-resistant depression. Strong emotional support from group therapy, family or friends is a powerful stress buster. Most of the above are designed to reduce the annoying somatic and emotional effects of stress. The focus in recent years has been on preventing such problems, which makes more sense. This involves identifying the sources of stress in your life and finding ways to avoid them or reduce their impact. We sometimes create our own stress because of habits and traits that can have harmful effects that can be reduced using cognitive restructuring techniques such as behavioral modification, assertiveness training, time management, and stress inoculation. Others turn to smoking, alcohol or drugs to relieve their stress but these short-term solutions eventually cause even more stress. Long-term use of prescription medications can result in dependency or adverse side effects and some supplements can have similar problems or interact with other drugs.
N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 21
St. John’s wort has been shown to interfere with numerous medications and kava kava is banned in the UK because of liver damage. As indicated, the key to reducing stress is to prevent it. Getting enough sleep, a proper diet, avoiding excess caffeine and other stimulants and taking time out to relax may be helpful in this regard. Many stress relievers work because of the power of the placebo effect that comes from having faith in the procedure or the therapist. Other very different approaches can achieve the same results because they reduce feelings of helplessness and provide a sense of control over the problem. Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. There are some stresses like the loss of a loved one that you can’t hope to avoid and others that you can prevent or influence. The trick is in learning how to distinguish between the two so that you’re not constantly frustrated like Don Quixote tilting at the windmill and devote your time and talent to areas where you can make a difference. Try to follow the advice in Reinhold Niebuhr’s, serenity prayer, “Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, and the wisdom to know the difference.” ***
Citations: *Some listed signs of stress in this article came from The American Institute of Stress. 50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress. www.stress.org. https://www.stress.org/stress-effects#effects
**This section of the article comes directly from The American Institute of Stress. The Effects of Stress. www.stress.org. https://www.stress.org/stresseffects ***This section of the article comes directly from The American Institute of Stress. Stress Management. www.stress.org. https://www.stress.org/military/combat-stress/management N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 22
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AWARENESS
PHOTO BY GABRIEL AGUIRRE ON UNSPLASH
PHOTO BY GUILLAUME DE GERMAIN ON UNSPLASH
OCTOBER Breast Cancer Awareness Month
NOVEMBER National Adoption Awareness Month
VIDEO: It's Time to RISE Together We RISE
N.A.I. MAGAZINE - PAGE 24
U.S. Adoption Myths and Facts
PHOTO BY NICK RICKER ON UNSPLASH
DECEMBER Nat'l Impaired Driving Prevention Month
A mother’s pain and grief lead to her passion to keep fighting to end drunk driving.
Merry Christmas!
