LaKesha Womack

Archive for the tag “Integrity”

21 Jun 2010

The measure of a man

I spent most of Father’s Day trying to think of something clever to write in honor of fathers throughout the world.  Wow, that task sounds daunting to even think about.  I then tried to think of something profound to say about my own father and our relationship.  I realized that I am a little to private to reveal such details.  My next thought was to write about my relationship with my son’s father and I quickly decided that wasn’t a good idea, at all.  Needless to say, I didn’t post anything about Father’s Day and instead took my son to the beach.

The day reserved for fathers was filled with many emotions and I can blame Twitter for many of them.  One of the great joys of active tweeting is being a part of so many conversations with a multitude of different people.  This year was the first time that I was able to really observe some of the other Father’s Day experiences that have always been happening around the world.  The experiences ranged from young women commending their fathers for setting the bar so high in their future relationships to young men who never knew their fathers but thanking them anyway for their sperm donations to those who celebrated single mom’s for doing double duty as mother and father.

As I continued my reflections and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on Gulf Breeze (AL) beach, a thought stuck in my head… what is the measure of man?

The Measure of a Man

The measure of a man is not in what he buys or supplies but his value of those things unseen, unsaid and untouched

The measure of a man is not in what he drives or wears but his character, pride and ability to respect those around him

The measure of a man is not in his ability to fertilize a garden but his desire to tend the land and cherish it’s fruits

The measure of a man is not determined by society’s worth on his life but his own self-confidence, self-esteem and self-respect

The measure of a man is not in his street cred but the life he lives in the streets and behind closed doors

The measure of a man does not begin once he becomes a father or husband but will be tallied as a culmination of all his life’s experiences

There are many fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, etc who are helping each of us to become the people that we are today.  Don’t place them on mortal pedastals nor condemn their actions when not meeting your standards because we are all in this world doing the best that we can…

A saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up.

Posted in Tales for the (mommy) hood and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
11 May 2010
1 Comment

Take your political campaign from good to great

Problem:

We’ve discussed how to run a good political campaign, but how do you take your campaign from good to great?

Common Sense Solution:

  1. Teamwork.  You are not the smartest person in the room and should not aspire to be.  You should, however, create a team of knowledgable professionals to advise you and provide you with information.  These should be people that you trust and that you know are leaders in their field. 
  2. Shake hands and kiss babies.  The public wants some face time with you.  You can not expect people to want to vote for you because of name recognition, because of past successes or because you are the most qualified.  People want to know that you care about them and their issues.  If you want until they begin seeking you out, you have waited too long.
  3. Stand on more than a slogan.  It really irritates me when politicians have these clever slogans crafted but can not speak intelligently about the real issues facing their constituents.  I would prefer that you lose the slogan and develop some substance.
  4. Create a base speech.  There should be three or four points that you consistently touch on when giving speeches.  You can change the wording depending on the audience but the overall message should always be the same.  Don’t pander and change your message to fit your audience. 
  5. Embrace your public self.  I get so sick of hearing people say that it should not matter what politicians do in their spare time.  I agree.  I could honestly care less as long as you are representing your voters.  However, the rest of society doesn’t feel that way and I don’t think they are going to change anytime soon.  Embrace the fact that you are ASKING to become a public figure.  If you have skeletons in your closets or wayward tendencies, bow out gracefully NOW.  We don’t need you to become another scandal.  American politics has had enough to last a couple of future generations.
  6. Check your gut.  Stop and ask yourself if you are really doing this for the right reason.  If you are running for a political office for any other reason than to represent the people (such as financial gain, seeking influence or power, etc), then you need to resign, right now.
Posted in Common Sense Policies and tagged , , , , , , ,
06 Apr 2010
4 Comments

How to run a good political campaign

Problem:

During campaign season, it pains my heart to see all of the short cuts that candidates take to try and get elected.  I often get calls for assistance but no one really sees the value in paying a Political Consultant to help with a local campaign.  So… this is my public service for all local candidates.

Common Sense Solution:

  1. Invest in professional products.  Yes, it may be cheaper to do it yourself but remember image is everything.
  2. Make sure you are qualified.  Just because you can and you want to, doesn’t mean you should. 
  3. Remember the little people.  They are ones who will be voting for you and who you will be accountable to.  Don’t get so caught up in the campaigning hoop-la and forget what really matters.
  4. Understand the issues.  Don’t just focus on the job, think about issues that you will need to find solutions for.
  5. Don’t chase your tail or the poll numbers.  It’s one thing to change your position because you attained new information that enlightened you but it is unacceptable to change just because the polls show that your position isn’t popular.
  6. Committment-phobia isn’t always a bad thing.  As an outsider, you don’t have access to all of the information, therefore don’t overly criticize or support a position because once you become more informed, it may be necessary to change your position.
  7. Don’t live on credit.  This isn’t about financial credit but the exchange of support now for favors later.  You don’t want to go into office indebted to anyone.
  8. Value honesty.  Don’t get mad at people that don’t want to support you or that don’t agree with your position.  Listen to their reasons and reflect on whether they are justified and/or if there is some room for improvement.  On the flip side, don’t patronize people and try to make them feel more important to you than you know they are.  That is even worse.
Posted in Common Sense Policies and tagged , , , , ,
20 Mar 2010

Book Review: The Four Agreements

The Four Agreements by Miguel Angel Ruiz

Book:  The Four Agreements

Author: Miguel Ángel Ruiz

Buy it on Amazon for about $10

Why I Like It:

This book was recommended to me by a friend in 2002.  She told me that it would change my life and I must admit that I didn’t really believe her.  However, she was right.  The book lists four agreements that will promote personal freedom from the wants and desires that other people put on our lives.  It also deals with living a life of integrity and finding peace.  I did not realize how much the book had impacted me until I began to reflect on many of my blog posts which deal with these same topics.  Unfortunately, I loaned my copy to a friend and haven’t seen it since 2004 :( I hope he is enjoying it…

  1. Be impeccable with your word
  2. Don’t take anything personally
  3. Don’t make assumptions
  4. Always do your best
Posted in Reviews of Books, Movies & Music and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
13 Mar 2010
2 Comments

7 Habits of Fabulous People

A habit is defined as a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.  In order to live a fabulous life, there are certain behaviors that you should repeat until they become habits and just as natural as breathing air.

  1. Live with integrity.  So many people get caught up trying to impress other people but they fail to realize that you will never be successful or fabulous worrying about what those around you think.  In a previous post, Reputation = Pass… Integrity = Fail, I used the Tiger Woods example of how dangerous that can be.
  2. Develop a style.  Having style isn’t about buying the most expensive clothes or sporting designer labels from head to toe but taking the time to find out what looks good on you and what you feel comfortable in.  I have seen some people wear some combinations that would look horrible on me but they looked great on the person not because the clothes were so cool but because the person felt good in them and wore them with little to no effort.  Once I get dressed in the morning, that’s it.  I’m going to rock my outfit like its the baddest outfit in the world until the end of the day.  I’ve had some wardrobe mishaps (like the one time I wore some pants with a green pinstripe and a blue shirt thinking the pinstripe was blue – day started waayyy too early) but I rolled with it and I doubt anyone noticed.
  3. Be a blessing.  The happiest and most fabulous people that I know dedicate some percentage of their time to helping others.  When you stop dwelling in your own mess and look around for ways to help others, your problems don’t seem so bad and you are usually more grateful for what you have and can stop focusing on what you don’t have.
  4. Manage your money.  I think one of the main stressers that people have is a result of their financial insecurity.  When your money ain’t right, it’s hard to imagine anything else in life going well.  Even if your financial situation isn’t ideal, you have to confront it head on.  Not opening your bills or avoiding your bill collectors is not going to improve the situation.  Create a budget and stick with it.  Make sure you are saving for a rainy day because, trust me, it is going to rain.
  5. Have humilty.   A lot of people think that if they are living the fabulous life, they have to let everyone know.  You don’t.  Your life will speak for itself through your actions.  Simply wearing a smile on your face and extending a helping hand when needed is all of the evidence that others need to know that you have something really special happening in your life.  It makes me wince when people start bragging about how great their life is.  To me, it feels like they are trying to compensate for soemthing that is missing.
  6. Plan for success.  There is nothing like taking a trip and having a roadmap to guide you.  Some of us spend more time planning a vacation than we spend trying to figure where we are headed in life.  Your life will be filled with detours and distractions but how can you live a fabulous life if you have no idea where you are trying to go?  Don’t get discouraged when your plan has to change, make the necessary adjustments and continue moving forward.
  7. Create balance.  Finding balance in your life involves some introspection, looking within.  We have been led to believe that we can have it all.  We can!  The key is figuring out what “all” means to you.  List your top three to five priorities and live each day in accordance with those priorities.

I love to think that I have a fabulous life.  Not because of my material possessions or financial status but because I try to live each day a little bit better than the day before.

Posted in Living Young and Fabulous and tagged , , , , , ,

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