Inspiration

In loving memory

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It’s with sadness that I write that Nichelle Nichols has passed away.

The Star Trek character of Officer Lt. Uhura was one that shaped my view of the world as a child in the 1960s. For me black women belonged as people of responsibility who made things work, all because of her. She was not only part of, but important . She was there in front of me every week in a show I idolized. I had no idea that women of color weren’t actually equal in any way at the time as I was too young. Therefore her character shaped this young white boy’s view of the world toward equality and acceptance. For that I am grateful.

For many people, especially those of color, she was an inspiration at a time of oppression and segregation.

I had the honor of meeting her in person at Comic Con in 2018.

Nichelle Nichols and Fearsome at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) July 21, 2018

In my hand is a toy called a Pop. It was of her as Uhura and she signed it. I treasure it and this photo today. As you can see we shared a moment of joy together. Her support staff was so taken with her obsession with Fearsome they even took photos with their phones for themselves. We were all laughing as she tugged on him. Her presence uplifted me that day and I’ll never forget the moment. She was truly a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.

Nichelle, thank you for shaping a generation toward betterment. You’ve left behind a legacy that will not be forgotten as you have given inspiration to millions.

Godspeed.

Uhura Pop

 

Leaders

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We here at Fearsome Beard the blog thingy believe in recognizing and even promoting those who we feel are working not only to improve themselves but the world around them.

Yesterday we had the honor of witnessing a break out moment for a rising star of our future. We were so moved by Amanda Gordon that the moment we could find a clip of her poetry reading on YouTube we posted it. Today we learned more about her from Anderson Cooper. We hope to learn lots more about her in the future as we watch her rise into a leader. A leader worth listening to.

She gives us hope.

 

Inaugural Poet

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Amanda Gordon / Youth Poet Laureate 2017 – The Hill We Climb – Presidential Inaugural Reading January 20, 2021

Spellbindingly beautiful.
“For there is always light if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it.”

Leaders

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Well it’s 2021. We are still here.
There is a light at the end of this here tunnel and on this here blog thingy we hope to inspire in the coming year. It is time we got back to our roots, took stock of what we have and commenced to grow into what we wish to become.

Fearsome is still growing, I desire to follow his lead.

John Lennon has always been a leader who inspires me, so I’m handing it to him to kick us off on this very New Year’s Day 2021.

John Lennon / The Plastic Ono Band – Instant Karma! ( We All Shine On ) – 1970

Don’t aim for the finish line

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Aim past it!

Keeping with our friends Stephen & Rab, The Kilted Coaches, Fearsome and I have some attitude adjustment to do in order to keep us on track. Today we are reminded that in order to achieve our goals, we need to aim beyond them.

Now that Fearsome is at belly button, his next goal is belt buckle. Therefore he’s aiming for mid fly.

My next fitness goal is to regain the strength and muscle I’ve lost in the isolation and closed gym of the pandemic, so I am in my garage setting up my new home gym and am going to aim for 10lbs beyond my last lifting best, but will safely start lifting far below that and aim to gain slowly to 10 lbs beyond. My next financial goal is to pay 70% of the cost of my new Cybertruck in cash January of 2022, so I’m going to aim for paying 100% cash!

Let’s get this party started!

The Viking Mindset

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Fearsome has recently been reminding me that I’ve been lacking in motivational posts.

Personally I need to feed my mind motivational video, books, podcasts and affirmations in order to stay positive, grow and move forward. I find it helps me stay on track and avoid stagnation. I agree with Fearsome that I’ve dropped that ball along the way and, of recent, have become stagnant.

Since we have a new year upon us therefore, not to be cliché but maybe to be cliché, I’m going to follow Fearsome’s suggestion and seek out motivational things to occasionally share on a more frequent basis. You have been forewarned. 😉

To start our little self motivational endeavor we turn to our old friends Stephen & Rab who are better known as The Kilted Coaches.

“A Viking never seeks hardship, but is always ready for it. The thing is…in order to be ready for it,  he must seek it out. This is the Viking mindset.”
…The Kilted Coaches

“Growing is never easy. If we don’t seek growth, there will not be growth.”
…Fearsome Beard

 

I Still Believe

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Dolly has been a guiding light throughout my life.

I still vividly remember the very first time I heard her sing Jolene through the speaker of the AM radio of my mother’s white 1967 Buick Electra 225 as we drove through the back county of Tennessee late at night on the way to my uncle’s house in Missouri. I also remember being at my friend Melissa’s house when she played Dolly’s new 45 of Two Doors Down as we danced to it in the living room of her mother’s small apartment, as well as hearing Dolly and Kenny Rogers sing Islands In The Stream while running the cash register at my very first “real” job at the corner convenience mart gas station.

I consider her a blessing to not only my life, but to our society as a whole. She’s a kind and giving soul. May her message of hope light up your holidays as it is lighting up mine.

Dolly Parton – I Still Believe – 2020

I still believe in Dolly Parton.
Peace.

A humble reprise

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Today as I walked Ft. Lauderdale Beach Boulevard I listened to the breeze. The breeze through the palms and the cypress trees sounded as if the trees were whispering to me. Other than an occasional car or person along the way the only audible sound was that of the waves in the distance.

FT. Lauderdale Beach 10/27/2020

In my solitude I couldn’t help but to continue my reflections of yesterday. I couldn’t help but to feel a bit of shame for some of the superficialities easily associated with some of the dreams. From that feeling I must take it to the next level. For me that next level must be to find some humility. I find humility through gratitude and learning.

First I must forgive myself for being human. Being human I have ego. Having ego I can look for security, or assurance, through attention. Needing attention I can gravitate toward the shallow and superficial.

For the most part my dreams have been realized and are still being realized, but I have never gotten them on my own. I’ve had help, direction, inspiration, support, love and generosity along my path. My gratitude for these gifts is deep and genuine.

I’ve been blessed to learn that the truly meaningful and fulfilling realized dreams are most often the simplest of all. The kiss of a newly rescued dog, the smile from a newborn niece, a reassuring glance from my husband, a hug from a friend, a tear wiped away by a co-worker over a seemingly devastating mistake, a smile from a stranger let into traffic and the laughter of a group of friends enjoying the simple telling of a humorous story.

You, yes you dear reader, are a blessing to me. My hope is that one person is touched in some positive way by this post and my dream for today will have been fulfilled.