Personal Empowerment | Tyra Garlington

Be together, not the same.

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

When I walk daily I intentionally “unplug”. There is nothing on my body to indicate how many steps I have taken during my four-mile walk. I listen to the birds singing and ducks honking as they make love to spring. I notice new flowers in bloom. I am at peace. Yet sometimes, today, for instance, unwanted thoughts insert themselves. Today it was the concept of “Othering”. I don’t like it and I like even less the fact that it is being intentionally used in this season’s political lexicon. It is not good news. By “Othering”, we mean any action by……
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Things to remember when what you want is out of reach.

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Here are a few borrowed thoughts that, at just the right time, reminded me to say, “YES” to the power within me. Maybe one of you is stuck in a moment where they will also help you. “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. That’s the super-short version of my advice for those moments when nothing seems to be going as planned—when everything you want seems out of reach. Yes, just be right where you are, with an open mind. Let go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and sincerely appreciate it for everything……
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What do you do if you don’t fit?

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“In the last 4 years, I have been let go, promoted and even quit jobs. I found myself to be in a constant search for “my fit,” “my people” and “my place.” I have adapted my cover letter so many times that I am not even sure which skills I am really great at and which ones need work. I have interviewed by phone, email and in person. I have been the perfect chameleon with 1-part charisma, 1- part authenticity and 2- parts baloney. You want me to be more administrative, sure. You want me to be more creative, sure. You want me to be more adaptable, sure.I should have……
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How do you spell B R A V E?

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“Bonnie St. John lost her right leg at five years old to a bone disorder.She jokingly refers to herself as a one -legged African American girl from San Diego with no money and no snow who to took up skiing. As a black woman with one leg, she’s faced more hurdles than most. She’s survived child sexual abuse, family dysfunction, divorce, race and gender discrimination and navigating the world on an artificial limb. Once Bonnie was speaking at a conference in Worcester, Massachusetts. She wore a skirt and as close to heels as she could while wearing a titanium leg.……
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Why should you not be afraid to fail?

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Some people make no room for failure in their lives. They run from it and won’t even entertain the thought of it. To do so would be a sign of weakness. A chink in their armor that opposition could exploit. “Failure is not an option” but how do they react when life doesn’t go to plan? Nobody gets it right 100% of the time. Nobody. Not even the greatest at what they do. Usain Bolt hasn’t won every race that he has run. It took Thomas Edison thousands of attempts to invent the lightbulb. Steve Jobs was fired from the very company he eventually transformed the world with. Winning……
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How we see ourselves is who we become

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“As human beings, the stories we subconsciously tell ourselves about our circumstances, about others, and about life in general drastically changes how we feel. If the stories are positive, we tend to feel good. If the stories are negative, we tend to lose hope. Of course, there’s more to feeling good than just thinking positive. The details of your present reality matter and make a difference, but generally speaking, you’re not going to have a good day today if you’re hell-bent on telling yourself otherwise. The stories we tell ourselves don’t just change how we feel – they actually change……
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What do you have to do?

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Here is some more good “stuff” I discovered during my recovery while all I could do was read. Enjoy! “YOU don’t have to get a job that makes others feel comfortable about what they perceive as your success. You don’t have to explain what you plan to do with your life. You don’t have to justify your education by demonstrating its financial rewards. You don’t have to maintain an impeccable credit score. Anyone who expects you to do any of those things has no sense of history or economics or science or the arts. You have to pay your own……
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What do you do when you can’t do you?

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

During my season of recovery, I am unable to a be fully me. And I am uncomfortable that I need so much help. I’m used to being the “helper”. Nevertheless, without my asking, it’s like all my needs have been anticipated and perfect responses are in place and on time. It’s odd how I am struggling with receiving love from so many; the very thing my soul desires. In the meantime, I am occupied practicing the grace of gratitude. In an effort to fill the time between all the things I need to but can’t do, I am spending time with……
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When necessary, who reminds you who you are?

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

As they rolled me from recovery into my hospital room, I came more awake. The nurse adjusted the tubes and my pillows. She smiled and asked me how I was feeling. I opened my mouth to answer, and nothing came out. I tried again and again, and nothing came out. Each time the pain felt like more. The nurse responded to the terrified look on my face and gently explained that my vocal chords had been impacted during the surgery. They would need time to heal. But here’s the thing. The week prior to my unexpected surgery, I was sitting……
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Want to see what grandmother left behind?

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“When my grandmother, Zelda, passed away a decade ago at the age of 90, she left me with a box of miscellaneous items from her house that she knew I had grown to appreciate over the years. Among these items is an old leather-bound journal that she aptly named her Inspiration Journal. Throughout the second half of her life, she used this journal to jot down ideas, thoughts, quotes, song lyrics, and anything else that moved her. She would read excerpts from her journal to me when I was growing up, and I would listen and ask questions. I honestly……
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