Embracing your Fabulosity

The pageant is fast approaching (18 days to be exact). I'm feeling good about it. Everyday, I'm preparing to win and be the next Miss Black USA. There are obstacles that are trying to get in my way but I know that when I push past them I will be one step closer to my goal. This morning I worked out with Gillian Michaels, my core ball and the elliptical. Although during the workout, I was so tired and I wanted to give up, I pushed my way through. Now I feel GREAT! So whether you need to workout, take a test, whatever it is just push your way through and at the end when you reach your goal - you will feel great knowing that you accomplished what you set your mind to.

The other day I was thinking about my journey as Miss Black District of Columbia. My journey has taught me to not be ashamed to be confident or fearful that others will not be able to take my confidence, intelligence, beauty, strength, positive energy. I am who I am and that is an amazing thing. God created me fabulous as He did everyone else. We all have to embrace our greatness and as we do that we allow others to do the same.

Keep being the your fabulous self and pushing through!

Royally yours,
Breyuna

Never Give Up

I just finished working out. It was an intense workout. Cardio and Strength Training... aggghhh:) There were so many times during my workout that I wanted to call it quits. I kept telling myself that this was what was needed to get to the place that I wanted to be. Today marks 75 days to the competition. Training for Miss Black USA 2009 is very challenging. It's not about being pretty but you must be mentally, spiritually and physically prepared. I finished the workout and was rejuvenated and ready to face my other daily tasks. So back to the grind but before I leave I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes by Les Brown. It reminds me that hard work, perserverance, sacrifice and God's mercy always leads to success. I hope you enjoy it.

If You Want a Thing Bad Enough

"If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your time, your peace, and your sleep for it... if all that you dream and scheme is about it, and life seems useless and worthless without it... if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it and lose all your terror of the opposition for it... if you simply go after that thing that you want with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity... if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout, sickness nor pain, of body and brain, can keep you away from the thing that you want... if dogged and grim you beseech and beset, with the help of God, you WILL get it" ~ Les Brown

Have a FABULOUS day!

Bre

Love doesn't hurt

I've been saying I have to blog for the longest but things have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to log on and share what's been going on. I'll get better. I promise. The Miss Black USA pageant is 3.5 months away and I'm learning so much and meeting so many amazing people. I want to share it with you. I'm getting anxious but I know if I do my best I'll walk away a winner. So time to get it started:)

In the meantime, I wrote the following on February 20th about the whole Rihanna & Chris Brown situation and I wanted to share it...

Standing in line at the grocery store, I stopped when I saw a picture of Rihanna on the cover of some E news magazine. This experience was followed by having seen an alleged leaked picture on TMZ earlier that morning and sitting in the nail shop and hearing that this must've been her fault for the million time, I knew I had to sit down and put my thoughts to paper. I had the opportunity to voice my opinion at an event at Union Temple Baptist Church in SE Washington, DC but I didn't get into it like I wanted - I left with some things fresh in my mind. So here goes my two cents - listen up.

In the magazinge, Rihanna allegedly expresses how much she misses him and she wants him back. My heart took me back to when I was in a relationship that was very abusive. Although it was extemely volatile and toxic, I still wanted to be with him. I kept saying, "I love him, love stays and works things out." We would fight every week like clockwork and I say we because I threw my share of blows but in NO WAY was this love - not from me and not from him.

Listen up boo boo - LOVE DOESN'T HURT! And violence from a man or a woman is wrong. I wasn't right for resorting to violence and neither was he. The truth of the matter is I was starving for love. I wanted him to love me so much that I was willing to do whatever to keep him. That was not healthy. A healthy relationship does not need the other person in order to feel validated. True love starts within. The question becomes do you love myself more than you love this other person. If the answer is not yes, then you've got work to do. At the panel discussion earlier this week, one of the panelist said that domestic violence was where two people are in an intimate relationship where the one person tries to control the other person to do what they want to be done. Domestic violence is not just physical. It can be emotional, verbal, mental and financial.

I just hope whoever is reading this understands that true love is patient and kind, not boastful, not easily angered, endures forever. Don't love someone (male or female) so much that you lose you. If he/she is beating you down -physically, mentally, emotionally or financially and making you feel like you're nothing don't believe him/her cuz you don't need him/her. You're amazing and will be okay without that person. Trust. Love yourself 1st. And remember, love doesn't hurt. love lifts you up.

To my ladies and gents under 18, you don't need to date right now anyway. Period. You have your whole life ahead of you. Trust me. Wait a little bit.

To my singles 18 and up, be easy, date for information and not for marriage. Learn who the person is before you decide he/she is your soul mate after 2 months:) Watch and observe. Similar to if your were choosing a candidate for a job. Ask hella questions, get references, do your homework. For real!


I'm not trying to preach but seek healthy relationships with yourself first. If you don't love you, how can you expect someone else to...

How do I Prepare for the Unexpected?

Last week I witnessed a co-worker having a seizure. This person was right in front of me when it happen. I have to be honest it scared the mess out of me. I've never experienced anything like it. One minute we were working and the next I hear these wierd noises, see her start to convulse, see her eyes roll back... For the rest of the day, I could hear the noises in my head. I could see her on the floor. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I woke up the next day and still could hear and see the event as if it had just happened. Almost one week later, I can still hear it and see it. I can still feel the fear that I felt at that moment. To be honest with you, that fear is still with me. For example, lately if I call a family member and they don't pick up, my mind starts to wonder whether something happened to them. I grow anzious until I hear from them. It feels as if I'm paralyzed with fear that something bad will happen to me or those I love.

The seizure freaked me out because this lady has never experienced this before. She's fit, young and seemingly healthy. How does she go one minute talking and smiling and joking to the next minute on the floor, then waking up and not remembering what happened. I keep asking myself how does this happen, what causes it, what can I do to prevent it from happening to me, what... what... what? Have you ever felt this way before?

The truth is you never know what the future holds. The only thing we can do is live our life to the fullest. Live in the moment and embrace all the lessons for growth it offers. Tell the people we love that we love them, don't hold grudges or take anything too personal and stop procrastinating because tomorrow is not promised. Don't give into fear because God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.

During this Holiday season, I encourage you to love on your family and friends as much as you can. Even if you're not with them physically, call them or send them a letter and let them know you love them. If there is something you've been putting off, get up and do it. Don't live in fear for what might happen. Live everyday like it's your last.

Happy Holidays from me to you!

Bre

YES WE CAN!!!!

(last night at the Obama Rally in Manassas, VA)....

I'm in Manassas, VA with over 80,000 other people who support change... who support Barack Obama! It's so exciting and amazing. On the eve of the most important election of my lifetime, I'm honored and humbled to witness this in person again (my 1st Obama rally was during the primary season at Georgia Tech). To hear my grandmothers and other elders who experienced the civil rights movement... who know 1st hand the time when there were "Whites Only" and "Colored Only" signs at restaurants, restrooms, drinking faucets, etc.... talk about the time when they couldn't vote in the South because of Jim Crow laws. 40 years really is not a long time. They fought, dealt with injustice just so I could witness this - it's simply amazing. Ok one moment Barack just got here so I'll have to continue in a few...

(this morning, election day)....

After standing with 80,000 people, we waited almost 3.5 hours to leave the parking lot. It was 1:00 am when the police came to direct traffic but I was so surprised at how patient everyone was and how their spirit was not broken because of the wait. In this election, people refuse to be denied. No matter how long the wait. I've heard and read countless stories of elderly and disabled persons standing and waiting. One story in particular really moved me... a lady who was well over 70 and could barely walk waited in line patiently for her chance to vote. She had to have help to bring her to the polls and walk her through the line but she did not complain. Every hour or so she would take a pill to help her with her arthiritis, headache and other ailments but she would not go home. Her helper urged her to leave but she refused. She said, "I'd rather die with a headache having had the opportunity to vote for Obama." It is stories like this one that makes this election so special for me. So as I stand in line at 6:45 am (btw, the line is wrapped around the building), I'm inspired. I'm inspired to cast my ballot no matter what. I'm voting for Barack Obama because he inspires me to believe in my power to change my community and my world. Three little words, "Yes We Can," transform the way we dream, the way we see our future. I know that anything is truly possible in America. I know that when we set our mind to it, we definitely can do it and when we vote, we will do it. Regardless of your candidate - president, state senators/House Representatives, city council, etc, GO OUT AND VOTE! Exercise your rights. Believe in your power. We can't afford to complain about the "system" if we don't do our part to change. Voting is that integral part. YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN! YES WE WILL!

VOTE TODAY!!!

Ignorance is never bliss

Last Saturday I attended a community health fair in the Trinidad community. It was a lot of fun and well planned (Great job, Ms. Juanita:))!!! There was a play reading about HIV/AIDS that I participated in. During the final week of practice, I shared with a good friend that I was doing this play. The person asked what part I was playing. I shared that I was playing the part of the 19 year old girl who struggles to tell her family that she is HIV positive. Now you would've thought I said I played a person who was going around shooting everyone and killing them because of this person's reaction. I was completely thrown for a loop. The person said, "you're playing the girl with HIV? Why? For real? Eeww!!! I would never play that role." I tried to remain calm but as they continued to tell me how bad it was to play a girl who is HIV positive, I could feel my blood pressure rising. Never mind the fact that art imitates life or plays/movies/tv are excellent ways to educate on issues that plague our community. I couldn't believe that this person compared having HIV to playing a role where I kill people. Don't get me wrong, HIV can lead to AIDS and a person can die from AIDS. But it is in no means a "nasty person's" disease. It is something that you can get when make some bad decisions. The same decisions that lead to unplanned pregnancies, STDS, and countless other things that are not considered a death sentence are the same decisions that can lead to someone being infected with HIV/AIDS: not abstaining from sex, sleeping with multiple partners without protection (remember condoms are only 98% effective, so there still is a chance), sleeping with one partner without protection who does not know his/her status, sharing needles, not getting tested and not knowing you have it and passing it on to others... I could go on and on but hopefully you get my point. This disease, when you engage in the risky behaviors I just mentioned, is something you can prevent by making wiser choices. Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent being infected. Protecting yourself with condoms is safer alternative. Educating yourself - Knowing what HIV/AIDS is, Knowing your status and the status of those you're involved in...

Knowledge is POWER! Know your status. Get tested!!!

For more info on HIV/AIDS, check out this websites....

www.metroteenaids.org

www.wwc.org

www.thebody.com

www.nmac.org

Why I Walk... AIDS Walk 2008

On October 4th, I walked in the Whitman-Walker Clinic's Annual AIDS Walk. It was so amazing. There were thousands of people who came out to walk and raise money to end HIV/AIDS. Congratulations to Whitman-Walker Clinic. They raised over $700,000 for HIV/AIDS Awareness Programs. My team, Team Miss Black DC, is still raising money through the end of the year to support. I've been working to raise awareness and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS for several years now but never walked in an AIDS Walk before this year. During the Walk, I begin to reflect on why it's so important to me... I mean, no one I know personally has ever died from AIDS, none of my friends have HIV or AIDS, or do they???

In D.C., HIV/AIDS is at an all-time high. 1 in 20 D.C. residents are infected with HIV. 8 out of 10 D.C. residents who are infected with the virus are African-American. 9 out of 10 women in D.C. who are infected are African-American. Crazy, huh? Especially when this is something that you can prevent. For most of us, we have the choice whether we get infected. We choose whether to have sex or not. We choose whether to use protection or not. We choose whether to get tested and know our status or not. The choice is ours. Choose to protect yourself. Choose to get educated. Choose to put an end to HIV/AIDS!!!

I was so moved by the people that walked in the AIDS Walk and wondered what their stories were and why it mattered to them... To me, it matters because too many people like me are getting infected and dying. Too many people are perishing for a lack of knowledge. I walked for my friends, my sister, my 10 year old niece. I walked for youth in DC who are don't know how deadly this disease is. And I will keep walking and talking to people about HIV/AIDS until we put an end to this epidemic.


If you're interested in helping Team Miss Black DC raise money for HIV/AIDS in conjunction with Whitman-Walker Clinic, e-mail missblackdc@hotmail.com.


For statistics and other information of HIV/AIDS, see the following websites:

http://www.wwc.org/

www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats.htm

http://www.stophivaids.org/
http://www.thebody.com/