Be Great With Your OWN Tools

My mom use to say, “Niki if you got something burning on the inside and you don’t share it, well sweetie you have just lost your voice and privilege to breath and take up space. So I am going to share this in hopes that the air I breathe is not charity but something I rightfully own and dutifully give. A preacher today gave me a word that awoke my spirit and gave fire to the hand of my future. As he spoke about spiritual warfare he proclaimed that we cannot conquer what we cannot confront. As he began to close he looked into the crowd and said “Someone needs to hear this because your greatness depends on it; so let me set you up. You can no longer fight with someone else’s equipment, but you must fight with what you have.”

At that moment, I knew he was putting all my business right out in the church. He had spilled my fears and broken the walls that had been separating me from stepping into my greatness all at the same time. He had given me the encouragement I needed to release my fears of not thinking I had the RIGHT tools or trying to model someone else’s. I begin to realize that the fire and call inside of me was REAL and all along I had the right tools; my OWN Tools!

Sometimes you will be faced with the fear of your own greatness. You will challenge and compare your own tools to someone else’s tools or the way in which they do something in an attempt to model your own efforts? But Sistah girl let me release YOU too; don’t be afraid to use what you have! You have the right stuff, the right tools, and the right destiny. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s fate, but be patient and kind to yourself to know you can accomplish anything with YOUR OWN TOOLKIT! God has given you remarkable equipment, use it! It is like no one else's and trust me he did it on purpose.

Your Service is Not in Vain

Many people were up and out today for another MLK celebration. As many were serving their community, others were watching the parade, while, honestly, the other half were taking a day off to rest. I mean honestly; no judgment sistah girl! As someone who normally is on the ground from sun up to sun down serving on MLK day, I took a different route this year. As my service was not the typical MLK service propaganda, it was making an impact and bringing a new meaning to a couple who had struggled so long and sacrificed so much to stay in business. I was preparing them in making baby steps for creating sound business moves to improve their establishment. As they were on the verge of giving up, they reminded me that because of sistahs like myself they have a chance to stay in business and really do well. Not only did we discuss saving their business, but through our conversations they felt the need to give free pastries to their communities to show their gratitude and understanding of true service

No matter where you were and what you were doing if you were serving someone other than yourself, well sistah your service was NOT IN VAIN. As I have often felt unappreciated in my attempt to serve and sometimes worn out from the NY hustle, I found inspiration in their stride. As I am reminded,we must be SMART THINKERS and STRATEGIC BUSINESS WOMEN in all our endeavors. I wonder how often do we use our gifts to make a DIFFERENT impact. Are we out-of-the-box social thinkers defining our own way to serve? Well I am not saying I am checking a list of what service I have completed this year, but I am trying to keep up the promise that you and I made to SERVE! Now don’t let me down, remember we have an assignment.

A Precious Moment

Her touch, her laugh, her cleaning, her Sunday sermons, her cold hands on my warm face are all the precious moments that are the pure essence of my joy rather than my sadness. For almost six years my grandmother, better known as “granny”, has suffered with Alzheimer's disease and like any grandmother she maintains a spirit of care and love in ever touch we share. During Christmas I was sitting by her bed after everyone had fallen asleep. I turned over to see if she had fallen asleep and like many nights she had not. As I lifted my head to see if she was okay she looked clearly at me and said “I am ready to go Home”, looking puzzled I responded “ You are home” and she looked clear in my eyes and with her small voice she responded, “Niki I am ready to go Home”. Holding her hand I tell her to go ahead, its okay, I am okay.


During my ride home, I reflected on her words and the essence of one moment that will forever be ours. My grandmother and I have shared many precious moments together, but this moment was one that will forever be an imprint into my soul, a moment that would shape me forever. Holding on to the lessons that granny taught me, I know her words are ones of preparation for entry into womanhood of boldness, strength, and unconditional love. As she still lives, each day is a precious moment.

So my question to you is how many precious moments do you have or have you taken advantage of to just thank God for? Or better yet how are you using those precious moments to serve others? If you are, than keep doing it sistah because your work is PRECIOUS. If not, well the time is NOW. No man knows the DAY nor the HOUR. I am going to use every PRECIOUS moment to SERVE in 2010 and well you already know your RESPONSIBILITY!!! So let’s Go!!!

A Decade to Serve A Season to be Heard

So tell me, how many “Top Ten New Years” resolutions have you READ in the last week. Or better yet, how many new resolutions have you made and broken in the last 7 days. So you know as THE Sistah Lady Allen, I got to keep it very sistah-like with you and just come on out and say it; your resolution will probably have a difficult time going beyond the ceiling because they were probably created with self in mine. I am not saying you should never focus on making the YOU better, but have you ever thought that maybe your resolution has no lasting impact because you are too focus on YOU and what YOU need to receive. I know this may come as a surprise and if you can’t say amen as the pastor always says, “Go ahead and say Oh me”. One thing I have learned is that living for self deflates the progress of your own success. Once you believe in serving others the rest will come and will bring about great things more than you could ever imagine and I believe success is awaiting you.

Better yet, I believe this is your time to be heard; a time where you can serve in a capacity that brings fulfillment to not only your life but to the life of others that are looking for someone to step up and be bold. This is not a decade to be quiet, but a time to SERVE and a season to be HEARD. You can do it, you had a responsibility in 2009 and it must continue in 2010. My advice is PRAY, SEEK, BELIEVE, and BE BOLD. You are not alone, I too must practice what I preach and in 2010 my motto is “Is it Serving”. Through everything I do, I become, and I believe if it’s not serving well sweetie pie it’s not worth doing. We have a legacy, a responsibility for greatness and under no circumstances are WE going to give up. During my college graduation a remarkable women told us a story of her life and in her final words she something that would change my life. She told us “for whom you are is God’s gift to you, but what you make of yourself and whom you serve is your GIFT to God”. So go ahead sistah, be free in 2010 and live out what you and I know is your DESTINY!

P.S. Sistah Lady Allen has some big surprises in 2010 so stay on the LOOK OUT!!