My Mississippi

Today I spent my morning at Petal High School as guest speaker for their “My Mississippi” program.  All I can say is…wow!  This was such an amazing event put on by the gifted studies program for the 5^th and 6^th grade classes at Petal Upper Elementary.  The program was designed to celebrate being from Mississippi and all of the wonderful things our beautiful state has to offer.  As the opening speaker, I shared with the group why I am so proud to be a Mississippian and my 5 keys to success: 

*Respect 

*Character

*Perseverance

* Hard work

*Dare to dream

To top it all off, I got a chance to meet a few hometown heroes who were also there.  Petal’s very own Kris Mangum, former NFL player for the Carolina Panthers, was there to give a few words of wisdom.  Not to mention (drum roll please)…the one and only ELVIS PRESLEY was in the building!  I was “all shook up” when I met him…ok enough with the corny jokes.  In other news, I have officially received 8 entry forms for the “Confidently You Conference” so far this week!  I’m feeling incredibly blessed and I hope to have a great turnout for this event!

This week’s quote was inspired by my visit to Petal Upper Elementary this morning:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston Churchill

Believe in YOU!

In my last blog entry, I talked about the importance of being our own #1 fans and how in order to achieve greatness we must first believe in ourselves!  One of the keys to accomplishing this is to practice the art of self-affirmation.  Marianne Williamson wrote in her famous book "A Return to Love":

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

What a powerful message!  My hope is that today and everyday we will celebrate the unique individuals that we are and try to help others find the power that is within them.  On a lighter note..check out the video below.  Now THIS is what confidence looks like (prepare to laugh out loud!).



Thames, Purvis, & Oak Grove Elementary...what a week!

This week has not been a typical spring break, but it has definitely been worthwhile!  Even though I wasn’t on the beach, I got to travel to four schools and speak to seven groups of girls.  It was such a whirlwind week!  I spent Wednesday afternoon at Purvis Middle School talking to their 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade girls.  They were such a fabulous group!  Thursday was at Thames Elementary with their 5^th and 6^th grade girls.  Last but not least, Friday I visited Purvis Upper Elementary and Oak Grove Upper Elementary.  The one thing I enjoy more than anything about my school visits is answering the girls' questions at the end.  Questions vary from group to group, but the most popular questions include: “Is your crown made of real diamonds?”, “Are you married?”, and “How does that thing stay on your head?”  This week, many of the questions were more like song requests.  Luckily for the girls, I love a good karaoke party!  Here are this week’s top requests:

-Firework, Katy Perry

-Our Song, Taylor Swift

-Temporary Home/Jesus Take the Wheel, Carrie Underwood

-Don’t Stop Believing, Journey

Needless to say, these girls have great taste in music.

One thing I really tried to reinforce with the girls this week is the importance in believing in ourselves and our dreams.  I think we should all be our own #1 FAN!  The world is full of critics; we shouldn’t be too critical of ourselves and lose faith in our own potential.  With that said, here is my quote for the week:

                                                    

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Wise words

A new favorite of mine:
"Not everybody can be famous.  But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." -Martin Luther King

Such inspiring words from one of the most famous change makers in our history.  Too often we are seeking fame and fortune in everything we do, but we can only truly be rich when we give selflessly and want nothing in return.  That is what service is all about!  I'm very excited to have not one...not two...not five...but SEVEN school presentations this week!  It is going to be a successful week as Miss Hattiesburg and I couldn't be more excited!