Inspire U Magazine

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5 From the Desk of the Publisher

The Team Tina Bryant Publisher

Lloyd Bryant

6 Divorce Proof Your Marriage Protect one of your greatest investments.

8 Don’t Let Motherhood Hold You Back

Fulfill your dreams while raising your little ones to fulfill theirs.

Business Manager/ Graphic Designer

9 The Power to Create Wealth

Baruch Design & Company, Inc.

10 Establishing Business Credit

Graphic Consultant

Lolita Greene

Advertising Specialist

Ruth Kyle

Accounting Specialist

Aleen Bates

Public Relations A publication of PCS, Inc.

Use your imagination to make the money you want.

Starting your own business without using all of your personal financial resources.

12 Books to Read this Fall 13 New in Entertainment 14 Organize Your Life

Seven simple ways to make life better for yourself.


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From the Desk of the Publisher

MAKE YOUR

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meet people every day who have awesome ideas when it comes to business. They know they want to be in business for themselves for one reason or another. My number one reason for stepping into the publishing arena is my children. I want to be able to provide for them while spending more time at home raising them. This may be the goal of most working mothers. There are numerous reasons that can motivate you to “be your own boss.” No matter the reason, if you do not make it happen it never will. Each of us has goals, desires, hopes, and dreams. This is a part of the human experience. At some time or another you will have or have had a dream that you wish to accomplish. For every person I come into contact with who has a dream they also have a reason that they cannot possibly pursue it. There are many obstacles to accomplishing a dream these can include a lack of enthusiasm or support from family and friends, lack of money, and a lack of time. This can present some difficulty but it does not have to stop you from accomplishing your dreams.

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Divorce Proof Your

Marriage

W

ith the economic decline there has been more stress placed on marriages. It was already tough being married with so many other pressures of life hitting you. Adding financial stress intensifies it. Couples are finding them selves calling it quits and attempting to make a better life for themselves apart.

divorce is not an option

Divorce can be avoided. My husband and I made a pact that our number one rule is: Divorce is not an option. We are determined to stay in this and make it work. When you go into a contract with one another with that being said then both parties know that is not up for consideration.

communication

Both you and your husband must establish some guidelines for communication. You may even want to use code words that alert the other of the level of urgency. While he is watching a game may not be the best time to discuss

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picking new curtains for the living room. It may be a good time to discuss disciplining the kids if it is time sensitive. Learn each other’s communication styles. Each of you may communicate differently. Both people can be saying the exact same thing a different way and find themselves arguing about it. Then it takes a full blown argument and a couple of hours to determine that you were arguing for no good reason.

fight fair

As his wife you know exactly what buttons to push. There are boundaries even in marriage that you do not cross. When fighting your objective is not to see how much you can hurt the other person. Conflict is not always a bad thing. You both may have differing views and it can be about finding which view or solution is correct. Or it can be about coming to a compromise. Many people think that it is not good to argue in front of the children but I disagree. It depends upon what you


are arguing about. I think you should not argue about the kids or sex in front of them. It is good for them to see what conflict looks like. However, do not show them the conflict if they do not get to see the resolution. Allow them to see you say sorry, come to a compromise, or admit that you are wrong. Doing this will give them confidence in the home stability and model for them a healthy way to resolve conflict.

have great sex

If you are not communicating in the bedroom odds are you are not communicating in any other room. Intimacy is a must for a great marriage. Men often have a higher sex drive than the women they married. Understanding this will lead to less arguments and more happiness. Keeping him happy inspires him to keep you happy. Be creative when it comes to love making. Do not make it a routine or a chore. Be spontaneous. Dress up for him. Incorporate massages. Role play. Find out what he likes and what he does not. Show him what you like. The way to a man’s heart is not always through his stomach.

Be adventurous when it comes to the bedroom.


Don’t Let

!

Motherhood

T

Hold You Back

here are mothers who allow their dreams to be put on hold when they have kids. They say to themselves that when the kids are older I will pick up where I left off. They plan to pursue their educational or career goals when the children go to school. Some do manage to get back on track with their hopes and dreams but most do not. Cities are full of women who are working at jobs that they are unhappy with. The jobs they are holding may be due to a lack of education and training due to having children earlier in life. Not fulfilling your dreams and goals does not have to be a byproduct of having children. Children should enhance your life. Finding out I was pregnant with my daughter was the moment that changed my life. Immediately I began to make decisions that would benefit the both of us. As she became older I knew that I had to find a way to provide for her. Searching job postings I realized if I ever had a chance of making enough money to give her a nice level of living, I had to pursue an education and pick a career. Then I began to discover my passion for reading and writing. Now I have begun my own publishing company, started a magazine, dabbled in web design, and have several other projects in the works. I am doing all of this while raising three children. Having kids should push you to succeed because you have to break barriers in order for your children to walk through them.

Put in the extra time needed and make necessary sacrifices. It is a fine line to walk in balancing your time with your kids and embarking on a new endeavor. Your children deserve your time and attention. We still have the responsibility of achieving our dreams and goals so that we can teach our children how to attain theirs. You cannot lead someone where you have never gone before. Take the journey

Creative Discipline

by Michelle Williams The times have changed with regards to child rearing. Spanking as a means to punish a child has drastically become a social taboo. Parents have an obligation to bring up their children in the best manner to teach them right from wrong and to show them what family and society expects from them. New parents, must find new and creative methods to teach and discipline their children, or at least come up with valid methods for teaching and disciplining. One such method is creative discipline. More and more parents are opting to try new fresh and up

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to date strategies that have positive results. The success of these strategies all boil down to consistency on the parents’ part. Most experts on children will agree that parents should be consistent. Constantly changing the rules and expectations will only confuse the child. “It’s much easier to preach consistency than it is to be consistent in disciplining your kids. I’d say this is the one thing that I have failed to do. I let so much slip by and then the straw that breaks my back causes me to yell and fuss and stomp my feet and act like a two year old”, explains Jasmine Fryer mother of two teenagers. One discipline strategy Jasmine uses is called the “Back Talk” jar. Here is how it works. Each child has a jar. Next to the jar is a little plate of pennies. Whenever there is something that warrants a discipline, a penny goes into the jar. Each penny is worth some type of hard labor chore, this may include scrubbing the bathroom floor with a scrub brush. Each penny needs to be worked off before the next day. So if a child backtalks, a penny goes in the jar. It shows accountability for both parties. The child learns that there are consequences for their actions. The parent has earned shiny floors in every room.


The Power to Create Wealth Use Your Ideas to Finance Your Future

L

et’s face it there are not a lot of us who have a rich uncle or were born into wealthy families. More of us are on the bottom looking up, hoping to make it to the next check. This does not have the case. There are ways to change your situation. Each generation has a responsibility to make life better for the next generation. Our children are going to inherit any success or failure that we have. It is up to us to make sure they know what success looks like. You can only lead them where you have been. The power to create wealth is in the mind. There is a new television show titled “How Did You Get So Rich?” hosted by Joan Rivers. In the show Rivers goes to some of the wealthiest cities in the United States and stops random people asking them that question. A few choose not to respond, some say they married into it, but every now and then a few actually have an interesting story to

Get Past the Road Blocks

tell. She ran into a 50 something year old woman who was left by her husband for a nineteen year old. She found herself without a job and no education to back her up so she went to cosmetology school. Doing this she got into the make-up business and ended up landing a government contract for making face paint for the soldiers. You will not find her on the shelves at Macy’s but she has found her niche. The show is not completely random. They also feature wealthy people not found on the street by Rivers. One of the most eye opening stories was of a man that manufactures the Billy Bob Teeth. He thought he was going to be a professional football player but an injury changed his plans. He did something amazing, he literally went to stay in the mountains for a few days to reflect on what he should do with his life. Then he decided he would produce a novelty product but still had no clue as to what he would produce.

1. Ignore the Haters When you decide to chase after your dreams you may not have the support you expect. Even friends and family are likely to tell you why you can not accomplish what you are setting out to do. 2. Learn to Set Goals Once you know what you want to do then you must develop your goal setting skills. Writing them down and giving dates to them will guide you through achieving them. 3. Make a Plan Plan how you will achieve each goal. The thing about a plan is you cannot just write it but you must do it. A plan on paper is nothing if you do not work it.

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Establishing Business Credit

Student Loan Forgiveness With the college tuition increasing each year students are taking out loans. A student loan is easy to get and depending upon the interest can be difficult to pay off. It can affect your credit in a negative way when it comes to purchasing a home. You must find creative ways to pay it off and a bake sale is not going to do it. Not many people know about Student Loan Forgiveness. There are a few ways to apply for student loan forgiveness. You can perform volunteer work, perform military service, or teach in a low income neighborhood. Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) can locate nonprofit groups that are helping to get rid of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and illiteracy. If you perform 1700 hours of service you can receive a removal of $4725 from your loan. Call 1-800-942-2677. Students who enroll in the National Guard can have up to $10,000 to repay a student loan. There are other programs available but require further investigation. Teachers can have a portion of their Perkins loan forgiven if they teach in low income neighborhoods under The National Defense Education Act. The American Federation of Teachers has a list of other programs available to teachers. There are a number of other programs available. For more information please visit www.finaid. org/loans/forgiveness.phtml

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E

veryone does not qualify for a business loan to start up a new venture. So many entrepreneurs begin by financing their businesses out of their own pockets. Savings and credit cards have provided some businesses with the financial equity needed to start up. One underused resource is Dunn and Bradstreet which is a business credit reporting agency. They provide everything from credit management to Sales and Marketing support. The cost of working with them can be high but the return is well worth it. The first thing to do is to get your D&B D-U-N-S number. This is like a social security number for your

business. This number becomes more beneficial if your company is a corporation. The goal is keeping your personal credit separate from your business credit. This is just in case things do not go quite as planned. Once you have done this, begin building your credit with small suppliers for your business. Most people start with office supply stores, hardware, and shipping companies. If you build strong credit references in the business name and can prove a profitable venture then getting a business credit card or loan will be a little easier. For more information please visit www.dnb.com

T


“We’ll leave you gasping for more!”

Event planning has just gotten a fresh breath of air. Breathtakers is taking event planning into another dimension with dynamic designs and excellent attention to detail. Each event is customized to the actual event and around the hosts style. Breathtakers began by selling gift baskets and balloons. One day the owner of Breathtaker received a call requesting tablewear and center pieces and she stepped up to the challenge. Just like that, Breathtakers was in the event planning business. Trained in balloon design at the Balloon Room in Vadillia, Ohio and floral decor by Teresa Cook, owner and certified florist at Classic Floral and Gift Design. Breathtakers will soon have certification in Bridal Consultation. What can you expect from Breathtakers? They offer full service event planning, specializing in cutting edge room decor. From social to corporate, venue to vendor and everything in between. Theme parties, weddings, birthdays, fundraisers, or whatever your occasion may be they are there to help you plan down to the most intrecate details. At Breathtaker you will have a one of a kind event, because they believe that no two clients are the same and likewise with the affair that you host. They have a great staff this is ready to assit you so that you will be able to enjoy your day stress free.

The Power to Create Wealth continued from page 9 Then one day at a football game he noticed a guy with some weird fake teeth and he asked him about them. Turns out the man was in school studying to become a dentist and had made them in class. This guy took the idea and ran with it. The future dentist could not afford the finances or time to partner in the business. This guy is now worth millions of dollars on top of millions. He gives the dentist a nice check once a year. In each of the cases above, the people had to use their creativity to make money. Making money does not always involve college and on-the-job promotions. Sometimes life does not give you that time to do everything in order. Sometimes the kids come first and then school. You could find yourself out of a job because technology has stepped in. Whatever the case may be, you need to always have a back up plan. If you lost your job tomorrow what would you do to survive. Ideas can be as crazy as you want them to be. Who would have thought there would be so much money to be made by selling messed up teeth? I am sure that man’s family laughed in his face and told him that he was crazy. Who would want a messed

up mouth but it made him rich? Overcoming adversity to your dreams and ideas may be hard to do. Friends and family will tire of hearing about your dream. If you are blessed enough to have support than your road to travel may be easier. It has been said that the average person has at least two or three “million dollar” ideas. If followed through with, these ideas lead to non touch toothpaste dispensers, personal computers, video games, Snuggies, iPods, and many of the other things that we cannot live without. So, what good idea have you had lately?

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Fall Reads

Fiction Reads

God Ain’t Blind

Mary Monroe Kensington Publishers

$12.99

Sinners Never Sleep

Yancey Harrington Braxton is back and she is in for the fight of her life. Determined to have her own reality TV series, she has found someone rich and known enough to make it happen. However, two people stand in her way. Ava, who has been to jail for attempted murder and Madison B., who is coming into her own as a music artist. Ava is set on using Madison B. to take Yancey down. The two will stop at nothing. Will Yancey make her big comeback or fall victim to the dangerous circumstances that surround her? Many of you knw that e. lynn harris passed away this summer while on tour. As a writer it has been difficult to describe him. He was a gay, African American novelist who brought attention to men being on the “down low” before J.L. King even hit the scene. He inroduced us to the real dangers of dealing with men who play for both teams. Harris provided an insight into the minds of these men. Right or wrong, he led us on an educational journey and provided us with entertainment on the way. His passing has impacted the industry in a major way. Mama Dearest is the last book to be released bearing e. lynn harris’ name.

Leigh McKnight Kensington Publishers

$6.99

Motivational Never Make the Same Mistake Twice A Deep Dark Secret

Kimberla Lawson Roby Harper Collins Publishers

Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way Nene Leakes, Denene Millner ISBN 9781439167304 $24.99

$19.99

10-10-10

A Life-Transforming Idea Suzy Welch ISBN 9781416591825 $24.00

Note to Self The Devil is a Lie

ReShonda Tate Billingsley Simon & Schuster

$14.00 12 inspireumag.com | Sept/Oct 2009

30 Women on Hardship, Humiliation, Heartbreak, and Overcoming it All Andrea Buchanan ISBN 9781416948766 $24.95


Is it the end for The Game? It has been rumored that The Game has been cancelled. Nothing confirmed as of yet but AOL has reported it so it may be true. BET is doing everything they can to aquire the rights to the show. If they can pick it up then odds are we can see more from the entire cast and keep watching the entertaining story lines they present before us. We watched as the wedding we thought would never be was insinuated to have occurred. We watched as the birth of a baby by the wrong woman took place. In agony and heart break we felt the pain of Derwin and Melanie, the drama between Jason and Kelly, and even Tosha reuniting with Rick Fox. Malik reunited with his father and had to deal with having a gay teammate. These were real issues that our community was able to watch these characters deal with. If it is in deed cancelled then we have lost one show that provided us with good entertainment for years.

Movie Releases I Can Do Bad All By Myself September 11, 2009 Taraji P. Henson, Tyler Perry

A woman must make a choice between her old ways and a new life of faith and family.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt September 11 2009 Michael Douglas, Amber Tamblyn

A wealthy couple is murdered. An innocent man is convicted on circumstantial evidence.

Love Happens

September 18, 2009 Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart

Two people who have given up on love find it when they had sworn off looking for it.

Fame

September 25, 2009 Kristy Flores, Asher Book

Good Hair One subject that has always given us laughs is the discussion of black women and their weaves. Comedians have dedicated entire routines to a black woman’s hair. Now Chris Rock has dedicated an entire film to it. Not only does he visit beauty salons, scientific laboratories, and Indian Temples but he gives us insight on how hair affects our lives. This comedy/ documentary features celebrities such as Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Maya Angelou, Raven Symone, and more. This entire project was prompted by a question Rock was asked by his daughter, “How come I don’t have good hair?” This film is an answer for her. Good Hair hits theaters October 9, 2009.

Based on the hit television series about a group of students attending the New York School of Arts.

The Other Man

September 25, 2009 Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas

The roles are reversed when a scorned husband has to deal with the man his wife is having a relationship with.

Good Hair

October 9, 2009 Chris Rock

Exploring the African American Hair community.

Motherhood

October 16, 2009 Uma Thurman

A typical day in the life of a working mother can provide insight into the trials and tribulations.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee October 23, 2009 Julianne Moore, Keanu Reeves

Based on the novel “The Ballad of Jack & Rose’ about a woman who begins a second life after her husband leaves her for a younger woman.

inspireumag.com | Sept/ Oct 2009 13


by Michelle Williams It is easy to lose ourselves in the midst of completing obligations to people and things. The hustle and bustle of life can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed, overworked and underappreciated. The idea of taking time for yourself to focus on what you want can seem like another daunting and unattainable task. Follow our 7 steps to making your life one that is organized, enriching and purpose driven.

1

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF Attach your own safety mask before trying to assist others. It is great to want to help others. However, when we don’t take time for ourselves it can feel like your world is sucking all the energy out of you. Make sure you include some personal time for you. Try to schedule time in your agenda just for you, even if it’s only enjoying a bubble bath or your favorite glass of wine.

2

GET RID OF PEOPLE AND THINGS It’s more important to have a few nice things that you truly enjoy. It is even more important to surround yourself with people who are loving and supportive. If you can’t justify why you continue to hang on to old baggage, then say goodbye to people and things that do not fit with your new lifestyle.

3

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF Don’t allow trivial matters to aggravate you. If the rain begins to fall on your parade, grab an umbrella and dance on to more important things. In the grand scheme of things if it is not important, let go of it.

4

GET HELP Don’t try to do everything yourself. Split up household responsibilities among family members. Delegate duties to others whether at work or at home.

5

DON’T OVER SCHEDULE Too many activities can cause a strain on your mind and body.

6

TAKE A VACATION There will always be paperwork, but you won’t always be able to kick back and relax at your leisure. Plan an exotic vacation or a relaxing week at home, just remember to leave business at the office.

7

NEVER BE AFRAID TO CHANGE THE PLAN Spend 10 minutes each night, planning for tomorrow. You’ll be focused and ready to take on the world each morning! But don’t stress if the plan changes that’s the great thing about life it is a constant moving vehicle so enjoy the ride!


Diana Ellington Reid Beverly Redfield

Glenville Towne Center 10533 St. Clair Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44108 Ph: 216.458.1430 Fax: 216.458.1431 E-mail: blessingscbs@aol.com

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