*Update* 25 Before 25

LoveFran.com has suffered tremendously due to my first three months of teaching. Yep, I’ve been teaching since August. Wow!! That’s still surreal to me. I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences so far and I’m happy to declare something that most people are not able to: I absolutely, positively love my job. Anywho, here’s an update to the infamous list. I’ll be 23 in January, so I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next couple of years. Sidenote: I’ve made four changes to the list, but only because my interest have changed and it’s my list. Lol.

Here’s to continuing this fabulous thing we like to call life and enjoying every bit of mommyhood, traveling, creating (without an ounce of creativity in my body), loving, and learning along the way.

THE LIST

1. Graduate from college AND enroll in graduate school AND start my teaching career.

2. Touch at least one of my student’s lives AND indulge in random acts of kindness–at least one per week. (Ongoing)

3. Become financially self-sufficient AND get Dallas involved in the sport of his choice (anything besides football).

4. Visit a castle OR visit an African country.

5. Start a stock portfolio. (Ongoing)

6. Attend a music festival.

7. Attend a Los Angeles Lakers game.

8. Learn to speak Spanish, fluently.

9. Finish a book every two months including a reread of some of my favorites like The Bible and The Giver AND read at least 10 banned books AND read The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogies. (Ongoing)

10. Expand my cooking skill set. (Ongoing)

11. Visit London, Paris, and Italy (take gondola ride in Venice, preferably a romantic one).

12. Start a business or nonprofit. *Changed*

13. Teach Dallas to read fluently. *Changed* (Ongoing)

14. Develop and follow a workout plan. (Ongoing)

15. Take Dallas to Disney World in California and Florida AND visit New York and Vegas. (I have been to Vegas, but not as an adult.)

16. Maintain The Guide to Scholarships, my personal blog, AND launch Within Reach. (Ongoing)

17. Grow hair back fully and continue natural journey, meaning do NOT cut, color, or perm under any circumstances. (Ongoing)

18. Obtain my master’s degree. *Changed*

19. Write a short story OR write a collection of short stories OR write a picture book OR write a novel.

20. Buy a home. *Changed*

21. Try an exotic food I cannot pronounce.

22. See a Broadway musical AND visit an opera performance.

23. Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square of New York City.

24. Drink out of a coconut in Hawaii.

25. Buy a piece of jewelry to later use as a meaningful family heirloom.

 

Be blessed and happy Sunday all!!

*MAJOR UPDATE: 25 Before 25*

Bonjour!! Buongiorno!! Ciao!!

Wait. I mean hello there. Excusez-moi. Mi scuci. See, there it goes again. My native language and time clock are off tremendously since I’ve returned from Europe. Once again, it has been a while since my last post and I do apologize for the major delay. I was busy graduating from college and traveling the world, but now I’m back in the states and so ready to start the next chapter of my life. I am so grateful to God for everything I have accomplished so far (which isn’t much yet). Each day that goes by I am realizing just how great and amazing my God is; I am extremely blessed. So here is an update on THE LIST:

THE LIST

1. Graduate from college AND enroll in graduate school AND start my teaching career.

2. Change at least one of my student’s lives AND indulge in random acts of kindness–at least one per week. (ONGOING)

3. Become financially self-sufficient AND get Dallas involved in the sport of his choice (anything besides football).

4. Visit a castle OR visit an African country.

5. Start a stock portfolio. (ONGOING)

6. Attend a music festival.

7. Attend a Los Angeles Lakers game.

8. Learn to speak Spanish, fluently.

9. Finish a book every two months including a reread of some of my favorites like The Bible and The Giver AND read at least 10 banned books AND read The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogies. (ONGOING)

10. Expand my cooking skill set. (ONGOING)

11. Visit London, Paris, and Italy.

12. Start a business. **Changed**

13. Run a marathon.

14. Develop and follow a workout plan. (ONGOING)

15. Take Dallas to Disney World in California and Florida AND visit New York and Vegas. (I’ve been to Vegas, but not as an adult.)

16. Maintain The Guide to Scholarships AND my personal blog.

17. Grow hair back fully and continue natural journey. (ONGOING)

18. Start a nonprofit OR be invited to join a nonprofit board.

19. Write a short story OR write a collection of short stories OR write a picture book OR write a novel.

20. Figure out what type of wine I actually like.

21. Try an exotic food I cannot pronounce.

22. See a Broadway musical AND visit an opera performance OR play.

23. Obtain my master’s degree. **Changed**

24. Drink out of a coconut in Hawaii.

25. Buy a piece of jewelry to later use as a meaningful family heirloom.

Progress has indeed been made since I started this journey FOUR months ago. Geez!! I think it may be time to either start a new list or make some additions to this one. Okay, just kidding. One list at a time. Notice that I did change two of the items on my list to reflect things that I actually want to accomplish before 25: #’s 12 and 23.

Lastly, I hope I’ve inspired a few of you to actually start a list of some sort or at least just jot down some goals. Wouldn’t be right if I didn’t thank my original inspiration: Tatiana Richards Hanebutte. She’s pretty amazing, so follow her blog at www.tatianainflux.com and follow her on twitter at @tatianarichards.

Be blessed and have a great day all.

Growing Pains

As I prepare to move into a new chapter of my life, I realize that I have grown tremendously since the beginning of the year and even more since just April. I have experienced everything from graduating from college and traveling the world to heartbreak and having to say goodbye to my first group of students. I have learned that growth and movement are the hardest things in the world to actually go through, but it’s a necessary evil. I did not imagine leaving college and transitioning into the real world to be as emotionally hard as it has been for me.

I have seen many things in the places that I visited since graduation (New York, London, Paris, Rome, Vatican City); some of which made me appreciate life like the love and beauty exhibited in Paris and the different people around the globe, and other things that caused my heart to be extremely heavy like the city beggars in Rome and the attitudes of some towards Americans. All of my experiences have contributed to this reflection. I’ve asked myself three questions: 1) Who am I? 2) Where am I going? 3) How am I planning to get there? Here goes!

1) Who am I? – I am an African-American, twenty-two year old, college graduate. I am the mother of an incredibly brilliant six year old who recently graduated from kindergarten. Yayy!! I am a teacher, or at least that’s what my Bachelor’s of Science in Education qualifies me to be. It means I am certified to teach six through twelfth grade English, journalism, communications, and theater. I have a huge family and an even larger heart. I value life and appreciate personal growth, change when necessary, and the acquisition of knowledge. Everything that I’ve seen and experienced in my twenty-two years has molded and shaped me into this person.

2) Where am I going? – The next chapter consist of raising my son to be the best that he can be, showing my family just how much they mean to me everyday, getting my master’s degree and later my doctorate, involving myself in the lives of my future students via Teach For America in Alabama, maintaining positive friendships, and continuing to grow and learn as much as I can to be better than I am now.

3) How am I planning to get there? – Road map: My map or plan to get to the “finish line” of my next chapter consist of first and foremost, keeping God first in everything that I do. My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 and it reads “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I believe God has a cake plate cover over me because in every situation where I normally think something strange or bad is going to happen to me, it never does. God is covering me and protecting me and I can honestly feel it. Next, I’m putting all my time and energy into my son, my family, and my classroom. I cannot exhaust energy in places and circles that do not add value to my life. Lastly, I’m planning to stay focused and strong in my pursuit of all that God has for me and my son. I know for a fact that He is doing His part, and I’m definitely planning to put in the work to do mine.

Need a better perspective on your life and where it’s headed? Ask yourself those three questions: 1) Who am I? 2) Where am I going? 3) How am I planning to get there? It will definitely add a much more focused perspective.

Have a great day!

Congrats Beyonce!

Beyonce was named 2012′s “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” by PEOPLE Magazine.

I encourage everyone to take a look at the behind the scenes footage from her shoot.

http://www.people.com/people/package/video/0,,20360857_20590002,00.html

The photo above did not come from the shoot, but I really liked it, so I decided to use it. I admire Beyonce for more reasons than just her physical beauty. Watching the video will give you a small glimpse into the personality behind the music. She’s a mogul in every sense of the word. She’s a mommy, a wife, a business woman, an artist, a philanthropist…a boss. I like that she recognizes motherhood as being her greatest accomplishment. Not many people understands that connectedness and sense of purpose that comes with motherhood that she talks about in the video, but it is truly amazing. I admire her tremendously. Congrats to Beyonce!!

 

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

—Reinhold Niebuhr

29 Ways to Stay Creative

February Photo A Day Challenge | Day 2 and 3

February Photo A Day | Day 2: Words

February Photo A Day | Day 3: Hands

February Photo A Day Challenge

01: your view today
02: words
03: hands
04: a stranger
05: 10am
06: dinner
07: button
08: sun
09: front door
10: self portrait
11: makes you happy
12: inside your closet
13: blue
14: heart
15: phone
16: something new
17: time
18: drink
19: something you hate to do
20: handwriting
21: a fave photo of you
22: where you work
23: your shoes
24: inside your bathroom cabinet
25: green
26: night
27: something you ate
28: money
29: something you’re listening to

Accepting Who You Are

Daily Inspiration for Saturday – 01.14.2011

As a pragmatist, someone who assesses the truth of meaning of theories or beliefs in terms of success of their practical application, I would say that this is definitely one of the keys to having a great life or at least having a more fulfilling one. Through experiences I’ve had and conversations with friends, families, and students, I have learned that some of the problems we face in life come from not being able to accept who we are as individuals. But as I tell most of my students, that’s the thing: you are an individual. Why suffer through trying to mold your life around becoming someone else? You are a person who has been well endowed with the gift to be you. There is no one else like you anywhere else on the planet. I promise!! So take advantage of what makes you different whether it’s your talents like singing, dancing, or playing sports, your life experiences, your successes, your failures, your looks, or your hair. Love it all, pragmatically recognize it, and watch your life become more fulfilling and stress free.

An Educated Woman: Michelle Obama

I was reading an article this morning about New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor's new book "The Obamas," which portrays First Lady Obama as an angry black woman. I have not read the book yet, but I do plan to soon. As far as First Lady Obama is concerned, I have never looked at her that way nor do I like to condone that stereotype for other black women. I have always looked at her as a strong-minded, strong-willed, educated, and caring woman. To be honest, I think she is brilliant. She's the epitome of a great woman displaying confidence, class, and grace in her every move. She is very passionate about the things that mean the most to her and I admire her even more after watching these two clips from the CBS interview. There is a lot that we can take from them and apply to our own lives. Check them out.

2011 – A Simple Reflection

Temani Short Hair

With the new year quickly approaching, I took some time out this week to evaluate my life and the things and people in it. I have never really been into making resolutions or anything like that partly because I am so progressively minded. I am always making changes and trying to doing things better. Similar to every previous year, I like to see how things have changed, look at the things I have had the opportunity to accomplish, and make changes to things that either frustrate me or just do not seem to work in my favor.

Throughout the year, I have been working to better my spiritual walk and as a result I can see some of the changes that God has made in my life. I’ve learned the power of prayer. I’ve learn to focus more on laying my treasures in heaven as opposed to indulging in the earthly and worldly pleasures around me. God has truly smiled on me and blessed me with certain opportunities that I will forever be grateful for. Everything that I have accomplished this year is a reminder of God’s grace and mercy towards me. Overall, I am happier than I have ever been.

So let’s take a look at how the year unfolded:

*The year started in Orlando, Florida with some amazing friends.
*Then I threw myself a 21st birthday celebration which was wonderful. Thanks again to the 200+ people who showed love.
*My son, who is healthy, brilliant, and more vibrant than ever, graduated from preschool started kindergarten and turned six.
*My youngest brother graduated from high school.
*My friendships and relationships all began to flourish in every aspect.
*I bonded with my line sisters like never before.
*I worked with a group of incredibly talented individuals with a project called Boomtown, Inc.
*I got the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, California for the first time.
*I planned my last NPHC Homecoming Step Show.
*I cut my hair off.
*I fell in love with my first group of students: 5th period from Duncanville Middle School.
*I can honestly say that I have become much more organized in my life too, which is an absolutely wonderful thing. My organization was the only thing that kept me alive and kicking during methods this past Fall semester.
*I’m proud that I have been able to keep my grades above average through focusing and prioritizing. I was initiated into the Alpha Sigma Chapter of the Kappa Delta Epsilon National Education Honorary. I also made the Dean’s List twice. Lastly, I was accepted as a 2012 Teach For America Corp Member for the Alabama Region also known as the BamaCorps. Word cannot express my excitement when it comes to this opportunity.

As far as things that I want to improve:

*First and foremost, I need to spend more time reading my bible. I do best with schedules so I plan to make myself a schedule to follow. If anyone wants me to shoot them a copy of the schedule, please let me know and I will do so.

*Secondly, I need to do a better job communicating with my close family and friends. The relationships flourished this past year, but of course, there is always room for improvement. I am horrible at calling people and even worse at going out, but I plan to make a positive effort at improving all of my family relations and friendships.

*Next, I need to improve my eating habits because they are quite horrible. I rarely ever eat three meals a day and I love to snack. This just cannot be healthy.

*Finally, I want to gain a little weight. Nothing major, nothing big, I’d just like to look like an adult. Lol

What’s next you ask?

*I am looking forward to the Lord using me in a more dynamic way to accomplish His will.
*Internship in the Secondary Education English/ Language Arts Program.
*Napa Valley for the B I G 22!!
*On May 5, 2012, I will graduate from college with my bachelors degree in Secondary Education and English/Language Arts. It will definitely be one happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! :-)
*Of course, there is Teach For America in Alabama, prayerfully in Birmingham, so Dal won’t have to move anywhere except into our new apartment.
*I’m planning to get my master’s degree in either Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University or in Curriculum and Instruction or School Counseling from University of West Alabama.
*And lastly,  most of the things on my 25 Before 25 list are ongoing, but I’m definitely planning to knock out a few of the things that at least need initiating like:

Graduate from college AND enroll in graduate school AND start my teaching career.
Become financially self-sufficient AND get Dallas involved in the sport of his choice (anything besides football).
Start a stock portfolio.
Learn to speak Spanish, fluently.
Develop and follow a workout plan
Start a nonprofit OR be invited to join a nonprofit board.

Anywho, I’m very excited about the new year. I’m high off life right now and I feel like God has some great things in store for me.

My advice to everyone is to pray a little more than you do now and set some goals. As far as prayer, a simple morning prayer can start your day off the right way and a simple night prayer can ease your mind and all of the day’s frustrations. When it comes to making goals, I think they are essential to everyday living. Even if it’s not a 25 Before 25 list or a 30 Before 30 list, you can still make every effort to live with purpose. Everyday that I wake up I set a short list of things I want to accomplish for the day, partly because I just like making lists and crossing things off of it. It gives me some sense of accomplishment. But making a list can really pay off because you have better control over how you use your time on a day-to-day basis. People say all the time that life is short, so I would say enjoy it and do things that are meaningful and worthwhile while you can.

Be blessed everyone. Happy New Year to all!

Signed,