L.V. Jones's Blog: "Strength Under Fire- The Needy & The Greedy"- part 3, page 2

"A Woman Purposely Misunderstood"part 1-Disdain of My Truth

I have always been a bit different from what many would call ‘normal’ especially for an African American female. My love for books & music are just a couple of things that set me apart throughout my life. Being a Navy veteran, a college graduate and having worked in Corporate America have all had its challenges, most of which were rooted in being purposely misunderstood.Now when I use the term ‘purposely misunderstood’, I’m referring to those people that have spent some time with you or have...

"Missing Pieces" part 4-Strength Under Fire

In my final installment, I want to address those missing pieces in our lives. You know those missed opportunities, mistakes or failures that we mentally torment ourselves with that’s followed by an “if only” statement. If only I had more time; if only I hadn’t been so naïve; if only I had made a better decision.  When we allow our past to dictate our entire lives, we take up much of our time trying to ‘fix’ or compensate for what’s already a done deal. One of the primary methods used to ‘fix’...

"The Needy & The Greedy" part 3-Strength Under Fire

In continuing with my topic on strength, I realize that we enable the needy and the greedy. Weaning them off of our strength (when we finally decide to) meets with bitterness, disappointment & feelings of abandonment. Our children, marriages, friends, family members, etc., have relied on us heavily to hold everything together. At first we don’t mind because good intentions, the idea of coming to the rescue, & being relied upon to set everything straight and see loved ones happy does something...

"Pressure to Perform" part 2: Strength Under Fire

If you have read part 1 of this blog then you have concluded that this topic on strength is an impressionable means to unify us in understanding that being a woman in every sense of the word (i.e. taking off the mask/cape, resting, taking time for yourself) does not make you weak. It is perfectly permissible (and highly recommended) that you rely on God as well as those He has put in your path to help you on life’s journey.  It disheartening to see so many of us cracking under the pressure of...

Strength Under Fire-Part 2: Pressure to Perform

If you have read part 1 of this blog then you have concluded that this topic on strength is an impressionable means to unify us in understanding that being a woman in every sense of the word (i.e. taking off the mask/cape, resting, taking time for yourself) does not make you weak. It is perfectly permissible (and highly recommended) that you rely on God as well as those He has put in your path to help you on life’s journey.  It disheartening to see so many of us cracking under the pressure of...

Strength Under Fire-part 1

"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."~Eleanor Roosevelt How often have we heard this quote, flipped back our capes  (along with our hair) and tilted our chins skyward while raising our fists with a resounding “Yes, that’s me!”? We proudly own the right to be superhuman. We amaze those around us at how we seemingly hold it all together even if it means sacrificing & denying who we truly are in the process. We are wives, mothers, business own...