You Say You Want a Revolution

The following was originally posted on December 11, 2013 on Kristina's blog.

CHICKS ROCK! is happy to have Kristina back as a guest blogger this week. Kristina Leonardi is the founder of The Women’s Mosaic. She is a coach and speaker in the areas of career development, work/life wellness and personal growth.  

You can follow her @clearlykristina and like her Personal Growth Gab (PGG) page on Facebook to get more thought-provoking, inspirational and motivational tidbits like this!

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In memory of Grace Lee Boggs June 27, 1915 - October 5, 2015

One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others .~ Nelson Mandela

Revolution is the evolution of humans into a higher humanity . ~ Grace Lee Boggs
                 

Those of you who know me or have been reading PGG for a while are aware that my passion and mission in life has always been to contribute to world peace, mostly through my work best expressed in my mantra that personal transformation is the key to social transformation.

So it should come as no surprise that I profoundly relate to and revere the lives of these two nonagenarians, Nelson Mandela who died last week at age 95, and the 98-year-old activist and author Grace Lee Boggs.  They literally embody this philosophy in every cell of their beings; they have demonstrated it externally with their activism and sacrifice for racial equality and social justice, and internally by the wisdom they have gained and generously share from nearly a century of experience, observation, and, most importantly, reflection.
  

Both started out as 'radicals', and were branded as terrorists with the requisite FBI/CIA files (Mandela was even on the US terrorism watch list until 2008!) because they initially saw the only way to overthrow the entrenched power structure was by employing the more literal and sometimes violent tactics of revolution through organized movements and a spirit of rebellion. But through trial and error, incarceration, and maturity, they eventually evolved; they gave themselves permission to change their minds, learn and grow in light of new information, experimentation and once again, reflection - ultimately coming to the conclusion that in order to change the world, they would have to change themselves.

They came to understand that indeed humanity is made up of humans and that humans were going to have to deal with other humans in order to get anything done. So we'd better be the best we can be as individuals and try to get along and get past our differences and disagreements, because the reality is that we must co-exist harmoniously - whether in a racially divided African country, a rundown bankrupt American city, or in your very own household.

We are living in extraordinary times, and it is no accident that you are who you are at this moment in history.

What does your humanity mean to you?  As our world continues to go through turbulent changes and upheavals, it will be up to us individually and collectively to do our part to 'tear down' where necessary and rebuild a more enlightened society that reflects our evolved humanity.  But we have to start with ourselves and do what we can in our immediate environments to demonstrate our own revolution - which, by the way, does not happen overnight or with a magic pill, silver bullet, or special app.

Only through keen observation, deep reflection, and inner and outer sweating effort and energy over a long period of time directed towards improving ourselves and serving others that true transformation can take place. Then, if we're lucky, by the time we reach our 90's we can look back and see how our journey has positively and productively unfolded in both a personal and political way, and be proud of what we accomplished and the legacy we will leave behind.

Wondering how it will all go down if you take up the cause? Give me a buzz and I will incite a riot in your heart to make the most of what you got, so at the end of the day you know it's gonna be alright!

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I am so grateful to have learned about and met Grace Lee Boggs just two years ago. 
She passed away yesterday at the age of 100. 

 Everyone should experience her wisdom and humanity so be sure 

check out the documentary or watch the many videos 

of her that can be found online. She is a national treasure who will be greatly missed, but whose legacy will live on in all the lives she touched.

Starting the New Year with a New Dream

What is your dream for the world in 2014 and your part in it? Wisdom from the incredible 98 year old activist, author, philosopher and national treasure Grace Lee Boggs.

We are shaking the world with a new dream from Sacred Resonance on Vimeo.

Check out Personal Growth Gab on Facebook!

 Looking for a little inspiration and motivation in 2014 and beyond?

Personal Growth Gab (PGG) is a weekly dose of thought-provoking, inspirational and entertaining helpful tidbits to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called life hosted by TWM founder, career/life coach and speaker Kristina Leonardi and can now be found on Facebook!

 

Since launching Personal Growth Gab (PGG) in January 2010, Kristina has formed an avid and faithful following ("they're the only emails I read" "they really help me" "they help me start my week" "I save them until I get home and can read them with a cup of tea" "you're such a good writer!" ) of over 1500 who look forward to a 'weekly dose of thought-provoking, inspirational and unique entertaining helpful tidbits to keep you connected with yourself and make sense of this journey called life.

The Facebook page is brand new but all past PGG posts can be found on the home page at www.kristinaleonardi.com

Kristina Leonardi is a career/life coach who has a proven record of getting "stuck" clients empowered to make changes aligned with their true passions and talents in a short time. She provides a practical framework for each individual to make the most of their personal and professional lives, allowing them to recognize, connect to, and fulfill their role in the world at large and live a life with clarity, balance and direction.  Click here for more information and contact her today for a session.

For more information and get added to her mailing list visit www.kristinaleonardi.com

For a recent eNewsletter click here.
Follow her on Twitter www.twitter.com/clearlykristina
 

Daily Thanks

What I try to do every day is to give thanks for what I have and what I have been given. Every morning when I wake up, I am thankful for another day of life. Before praying and wishing for things I want, I always start off saying how grateful I am for what I already have. I do this because I know that being needy and unsatisfied constantly is a selfish way to live. As any other creature on the planet, I am also aware that my days on this planet are limited; none of us know how long we have in this life. Being thankful humbles me and makes me appreciate even the smallest details that make my life what is.

At the same time, I also look forward to whatever future I will have, and hopefully more success and personal fulfillment. I may not be the most ambitious person in the world, but I have goals that I have for myself. Being thankful for what I do have does not make me complacent and unwilling to change; after all change is an unalterable fact of life.

This may seem unrealistic to many people who feel that if they stay still for a moment to be thankful for what they have and have had is not possible. I see this restlessness in strangers and the people closest to me who are unsatisfied and unhappy for a variety of reasons. It is so easy to see the glass half empty, but to see it half full is a challenge. I do the latter because when I see those who have had more to suffer in life than I have, yet still forge through life with positivity and grace, I feel grounded. When I hear about those who go through unimaginable tragedies, it reminds me that I am no different than them; anything can happen at any time.

Being thankful is an essential component of my daily life. It gives me strength to face challenges of all kinds, even when I am less grateful on some days rather than others.

Fortune Cookie Wisdom

I was recently gifted with a large (and I mean LARGE) bag of fortune cookies. At first I laughed, thinking, "What am I going to do with sack of a hundred fortune cookies?" But these little snackaroos have become quite popular around my apartment these days. With me, that is.

Get your mind set... confidence will lead you on.

Maybe it's the tiny smiley face that precedes and follows each morsel. Maybe it's the fact that I stand a decent chance of being able to put a sentence together in Chinese after reading the back of each slip. Maybe it's that I'm finding real meaning in these tiny proverbs. Or maybe there's an X factor that just keeps me wanting to nibble and read. (MSG, anyone?)

Be tactful; overlook not your own opportunity.

I've found myself looking forward to the little pick-me-up that comes from reading one of these tidbits of wisdom and humor, truth and philosophy. I've started trying to take them a little more seriously.

If your desires are not extravagant they will be granted.

These tiny meditations are leading me to look on the bright side (luckily they are nearly all positive messages), and to think deeper about the things I really do want. I feel a bit ridiculous even saying that with a straight face, but it's quite true.

You are the master of every situation.

In the end, I know that fortune cookies are like most things in life--what you get out of them depends on what you put into them. For me, it comes down to this: In a time when I feel I'm constantly struggling to understand what I need to do to keep building the life that I want, any scrap of encouragement is worthy. Especially if it comes with snacks!