A Dream...

For days now, I've I have been brainstorming some powerful piece to tie into Martin Luther King Day about how we should rediscover our dreams, when this came across my email inbox. It was written by my friend Malonda Richard, and there is no way I could ever put it better. Thank you for sharing this with me and the world, Malonda. I wish you much peace and respect, my friend~

Today is a very special day. Today is the day that we celebrate the
life and the legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - a man who
dared to dream during a time when he was told that he didn't have a
right to dream just because of the color of his skin. Sometimes I worry
that all that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. achieved during his short
life has been in vain because so many of us still refuse to dream.
Oftentimes so many of us refuse to believe that we have a right to not
only dream but to have our dreams realized.

My father, the late Eddie Myers Johnson, dreamed of becoming a
published author but unfortunately he was not able to have his dream
come true because he never found a publisher that believed in his book.
Every since I was a child, I have dreamed of becoming a published
author and fortunately I was able to find a publisher that believed in
me and my book. In less than 6 months my dream of becoming a published
author will come true and my father's dream will be realized through
me.

It is now that I clearly understand that the work that Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr did has not been in vain because the "Dream" lives on
in all of us and when we leave this earth it will live on in our
children and our children's children.

Get my book published is a dream come true and once I get my first
copies I will be able to scream out loud: "Free at last, Free at last,
Thank God almighty I am Free at last."

May God Bless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who dare to dream.

Peace and Respect,

Malonda Richard
Author - My Life Isn't Perfect But Thank God My Baby Is
Book Due Date: June 7, 2007

An Imperfectly Inspired 2007

Good morning, 2007!

I can’t tell you how excited I am for the New Year. Each year I am filled with enthusiasm for the upcoming 12 months, but this year is different. I wasn’t filled with as much fear. Rather, I turned that fear into faith by truly believe in my enthusiasm. Okay, the delta is slight, but it is there. (And, no, I didn’t have too many toasts last night). The past 14+ months have been filled with a tremendous amount of change for me and my family – loss of life, a major move, job/business changes, monumental childhood milestones and more. My rating on the “major stress factors scale” is over-the-top. It would have been so easy to become bitter and disillusioned, and, at time, I was. But I harnessed this uncertainty into downtime to evaluate my life, my dreams, and my goals. The result of this downtime was phenomenal. Tuning my thoughts to what mattered most in spirit and self rekindled my belief in the power of a life that excels in the chaos of life – an imperfectly inspired life.

We all can achieve an imperfect life – one that is enriched and inspired by our imaginations. Take time in 2007 to rekindle your belief – belief in your family, yourself, your dreams and your goals. Cultivate your imagination and inspiration to excel in the chaos of life and be the imperfectly inspired person you know you can be!

With inspiration and imagination,

Julie Watson Smith