Proud to Be a Memphian #MLK50

Today is a huge day for the city of Memphis. I am with my 96-year-old grandmother in Jackson, but she was living in Memphis on this day 50 years ago. She recalls being at the laundromat the moment Dr. King was shot and killed. She talks about…

Maybe You’re Broken to Heal

When I quit my job at ServiceMaster, I had about two months before I started my new job at FedEx. I opted out of the COBRA insurance which would have provided me with coverage in between jobs because it was so expensive. So I told my son who…
Unlucky or Just Making Bad Choices
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Unlucky or Just Making Bad Choices?

Minimizing our place in life to be about luck simply relieves us from responsibility for our circumstances. It says we think we have no control over our situations, and that we don't feel accountable to or powerful enough to change what we don't like.
The most important person to love
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The Most Important Person to Love

I can remember being in high school seeing girls getting flowers and stuffed animals at school on Valentine's Day. In college, more of the same. My friends often got gifts and went on dates, but I didn't. Sometimes it bothered me, but most…
Don't Rush the Ring
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Don’t Rush the Ring

A ring is just a symbol of what can be a very beautiful union when it's done right. But when it's done wrong, or done in a rush or under pressure, it can be a very ugly and painful situation with long-lasting consequences.
20 Years Later
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20 Years Later. So much more than I ever expected.

When I entered my senior year of high school in 1996, I couldn't wait for it to be over. Not because I didn't like school or people there because my school, Jackson Central-Merry, was amazing. We were award-winners and record-setters both…
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What Happened When I Told It

When I started writing my first book, Life After Birth: A Memoir of Survival and Success as a Teenage Mother, I just wanted to tell my story. Mainly, I wanted to encourage every teen mother not to give up herself, not to quit high school, and…
How My Life Became a College Course
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How My Life Became a College Course

When I walked onto the campus of the University of Memphis as a freshman and mother of a two-year-old in 1997. The last thing I ever imagined was that I would one day be a professor on that same campus. When I chose business as my degree the…
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Me in Joplin was No Accident and No Coincidence

As with every invitation I receive to speak, I am honored and excited. I love sharing my story because I have been so blessed to see audiences light up when I share it. And it feels amazing to see people line up to talk to me afterwards. My…