Who is my neighbor?

Two themes on my spirit are purpose and helping others. What is my purpose? To whom much is given.. Much is required.  As I approach the end of one goal (med school) and approach a new place in life.... I am beginning to question, redevelop and re explore my purpose. I remember starting medical school and professing in every interview how much I want to help people. 4 years later.. What was my impact? Did I live these past years with purpose and lead with an innovative spirit. Will my day to day profession really be an act of kindness, compassion and empathy? Probably not. I have realized that medicine is unfortunately not the altruistic profession that I hoped it would be. 


I guess God is reminding me that I sincerely hope my purpose is to help others with my hands, efforts, spirit and love. 


Today I ask you.. Is loving thy neighbor apart of your true purpose? 


This brought me to read a sermon by Martin Luther King titled "On Being a Good Neighbor. " 


I always enjoy reading MLK. If you've never read a sermon by MLK. I encourage you to do so. In the year of the 25 as we strive to be great people.. we MUST learn from the great leaders and innovative people before us. 

On Being a Good Neighbor.

Habitat 4 Humanity. I love Durham. And I was  no joke with the power tools. 

My questions/thoughts after reading MLK...

Do you take interest in others?

Do you feel compassion for those in tricky life situations?

"Major failure in history has been limiting neighborly concern to tribe, race, class or nation. "

Do you have concern for what happens to people outside of your group?

"Philanthropy is great but do not overlook the economic injustice that makes philanthropy necessary."

The road to help your neighbor is actually dangerous at times?

"In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life."

"True sympathy is the personal concern that demands the giving of one's soul."

Photo Shoot Fresh: Homecoming Part 2

This story begins on a cool Carolina weekend.. with 3 main characters: 

Amanda "I invented swag" Stephens

Candice "you might just meet game" Miles

AND

Briana "Lets Get Faded" Buckner

Last weekend 3 best friends from college set out to have a good time. I'm not sure why some years we get more excited about hc then others.. But this year we were excited. PLUS.. its a yearlong graduation celebration! ;)


It started with resting up on friday... Cause clearly we are getting old and can't go two nights like we used too. We started with the football game and the Black Alumni Tailgate. BAR tailgate was cute. DJ could've been a little louder.. (fresh off Spelhouse "shrug").  


Football game.. We gave it our best effort. It was cold. We made it to half time though! I can barely follow football like I used too. Probably better to go with a dude. oh well. Girls.. we just people watch. 


Later.. Rested up again for #DHOE.. aka "Trying to get chose". Cause we like to partayy


Well apparently we were trying to get chose.. According to the latest hip hop slang. No other comments on that.


All I have to say is.. We were living life! 


I will say.. I think mission was accomplished. We broke some hearts.  Left em hurt.. ;)


I LOVED SEEING ALL MY OLD COLLEGE FRIENDS!! Shout out to Mhandy, Akeisha, Iris, Tavia, Cydney B! Just a few of the many folks I was VERY VERY HAPPY TO SEE. 


SHALONDA, RENAE. BIANCA. Ashley H. We missed you!

Methyl and Ethyl :-)

Too cute! where was i? 

Candice was too cool for this pic. Glad u could throw a hand in Candice. 

Classic Candice face. Someone was misbehaving. 

EMO! We spent half the party in the lobby. This is where breaking hearts started.. 

And i think we spent the other half of the party in the bathroom taking pics... 

I think I remember the wobble.. 

Thank God we made it Tavia! 

My number Danielle! 22. DST. love this pic. She fly!

** All photos courtesy of I invented swag and you might just meet game ;)
MOST of my pics are courtesy of them.. in almost every post. :)

Life Moments

NYC my 25th. Guilty. 

What do you spend most of your time doing?

Exercising. Reading. Volunteering. Spending time with friends.
or is it.. Facebook and Twitter??

I must admit sometimes I have a love hate relationship with social media. This is odd because I have a blog which is definitely the definition of Social Media.
I will argue that I hope we can stay connected without becoming disconnected.

Do you find yourself at dinner with your friends and check your twitter or facebook incessantly? Do you fill awkward moments of silence with a quick facebook check without drifting to a new topic of conversation?

I will say my favorite love language is quality time.. So I do believe in the power of time with others. Building memories, appreciating moments...

I say all of this to say.. Don't forget to actually live the moments. And not just tweet them.  I have no problem with twitter and facebook. I tweet with the best of them.. And OFTEN annoy myself with my own tweets. I do realize though that life is to be lived. I wonder how many books I could have finished with all the time I waste on my computer or would I be able to paint by now if I could go first to my painting book before immediately checking twitter.

I just thought I would pose a few questions today...??   Where do you spend your time? How do you develop your inner self?  I think the mid twenties is a special time.. We feel beautiful, focused, and youth is on our side. But when the beauty fades and the invincible feeling of the mid 20s pass us by.. Will we have developed our inner selves.. or tweeted ourselves into a passive existence.


AS ALWAYS. STAY FLY FREE AND FOREVER 25. 




*I still got love for social media though! lol.. I'm just sayin..

Homecoming Season! Part 1

Briana and Brennen
Love this kid.
My almost a Morehouse Man. May 2012

I LOVE HOMECOMINGS 

I'm pretty sure I know where this love comes from. I grew up going to Tuskegee Homecomings with my family. It was always amazing to see my mom lose her serious demeanor and turn back to her college self with her friends. We would eat great food all day, dance, enjoy the marching band and end the day with watching the Delta Women sing around the Delta tree. My mom would giggle and scream all day every time she saw old friends.

My mom is on the far right. Tuskegee HC. Unknown year. 

I'm not sure but I've always thought black people take an extra pride in Homecomings.. It is this sense of family that is deep in our culture. We at the end of the day take pride in our education.. which was a fight to get in the first place and LOVE to have a good time.   


Well that brings me too SPELHOUSE 2011. My brother and friends definitely showed me a good time. I had a BLAST! The year of the 25 is definitely going to be a highlight when I look back at all my years. First... The party Friday night was epic. Somehow me and the girls were looking fly as ever. I ended up in VIP with the tables on a general ticket.  


Then there was the tailgate. The tailgate of ALL tailgates. DJ at every tent! Streets filled with people. Even my grandma was out there having a good time. Who needs to go to the football game? 

Delta Sigma Theta! We look good! Its a shame anyone in this crew is single. 

Me and Dr. Em!  

Not Ready..

Thanks to the Spelman women who made us outsiders feel welcome!

 

The Doctors. 

My brother's crew. Class of 2012 tent was SO hype. I threw myself right in the mix. ;) 

The Spelman Chapter definitely reminded me why I grew up wanting to be a Delta. PRIDE CONFIDENCE SISTERHOOD

The Spelman Chapter has SO much pride and enthusiasm. I LOVED IT!

DO IT LADIES! Hype! 

The Doctors. :-) I'm honorary Indy Crew

 GOTTA LOVE AN HBCU HOMECOMING. Nothing like it in the world. I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE. Thanks to those ancestors before me who fought for our institutions, educations and dreams. Education is power.  Don't take it for granted.

Lovestruck

Well ladies and gentleman... Its official. I am lovestruck. 

By whom.. ??

Sorry.. no man has showed up yet. 

I'm lovestruck over a new perfume!!! I smelled a lovely fragrance today that I cannot wait to purchase. 

Its called Lovestruck by Vera Wang

This perfume has a wonderful soft floral scent. It smells like love in a bottle. I wanted to instantly purchase it and cuddle up with a cutie. Or atleast walk next to one so he could wish he had someone that smelled as good as me :-0  This seriously might be my new scent. 

Other NEW favorites!!!!!!!!!!! aka my wish list.. 

1) Poppy by Couch. Light, fresh, and new. 

2) Lola by Marc Jacobs. This is real hot! 

Timeless classics: 

1)  Coco Mademoiselle: I have wanted this scent for years.. one day! I will buy it!! 

2) Light Blue:  love this scent. Its fresh and timeless. 

3) Bvalgari Rose Essential: I love this fragrance as well.. And one day will own it! 

*** If you did not know.. I had a little side hustle in perfume sales before med school.

Apparently Justin Beiber has a fragrance called someday.. I SERIOUSLY do not support all these celebrity fragrances.  Jlo and Pdiddy were the originals.. but after that.. you are just jumping on the bandwagon. 

Well hopefully I helped someone find their wife a new fragrance and someone is going to discover their new scent! 

STAY FLY FREE AND 25

Are you hungry?

Hey Friends,

After a weekend full of misbehaving and realizing that deep down I am more anxious about my future then I realized... I decided to pick up a book that has been sitting on my night stand untouched.
Sassy, Single and Satisfied. by McKinney Hammond.

It is amazing how a simple verse can touch something deep.  Proverbs 27:7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.


When you are craving things in your life.. even the wackest things taste good.. i.e.. dudes you have no attraction too, excessive shopping for things, tons of time on social networking. 


I am definitely guilty of going to the grocery store starving. As we live the life of being free fly and 25.. Its always healthy to stop and take a minute. Are you filling your soul with things of substance? Sustaining yourself with God's love and not others.  I'm definitely guilty of filling up on the wrong things. 


But the great thing about life is we just stop.. take a moment. Get back on track. Fill your spirit with some good stuff and do something good for the soul. 






AS ALWAYS... being 25.. will not last forever but I think its an idea as much as it is an age. 


Its the idea of being confident, fearless, loving yourself, living in the moment and enthusiastic about the future. 




STAY FLY FREE AND FOREVER 25

Fall flavor

Hey Friends! 


Fall is in the air. The air is definitely crisp and refreshing.  I am back in Chapel Thrill and it feels SOOOO good to be back in my comfort zone.  I can't say I have anything really interesting to blog about.. So i'll just share some random life updates. 


Shopping. Lately I have noticed that my accessories game is wack. Jewelry can really complete an outfit and bring freshness to an old look.  
A Few websites:    http://piperlime.gap.com/  They have a pretty good clearance section and if you type in LUCK on checkout you get 20% off your purchase.  I also have a friend with a jewelry company. www.stelladot.com/whitneyd  check out her site. 

Fitness: Well.. As always my workout plan is forever changing. Now I am on a spin class + yoga kick. Appears to be a great combo. If you would like to join me for yoga.. I'm serious! It will change your body!   My favorite yoga studio is having a DJ next Tuesday Oct 11th for the 545 class. Fun times!  They are also hosting a Halloween party.  I will DEFINITELY be in attendance. I was thinking I could go as beyonce.... TBD. find a single ladies outfit.. big ring. Put a ring on it! hmmmm this could be a pun of a current life message.  yeah... TBD.   

http://www.franklinstyoga.com/

Reading:   Book of the month! I am reading a really interesting read called JUST KIDS by Patti Smith. She was a rock star in the 70s. This is her memoir. Its about her life in NYC in the 60s and 70s. A bunch of art, drugs, rock and roll. Different but very well written. She has a poetic sound to her writing. 

Dating: Check out my previous post. My New theme: No racial boundaries.  

Spiritually: Finding my way back to the spiritual focus I have been missing during my travels. Praying for all the things I want and hope to be blessed with in life. 

Psalm 20: 4 May He grant you according to your hearts desire, and fulfill all your purpose. 

HMMMM i think this is all i have for now! I love fall. I hope you are taking time to enjoy life.. love.. live.. read.. work out.. spend time with friends. Life is too short! It's the year of the 25 :-) 

STAY FLY FREE AND 25

feeling close to my dr swag.. bribri   or better yet ..

don't let me get in my zone..bribri :-) 

** got my first round of interviews! There is hope! I might finally get a job one day!