SMART TALK: CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
I woke up early this morning, as I typically do on Sunday mornings. But today, I wanted to start early with coffee on the back patio and my morning meditation. Later, I'll head into the mountains to attend the Central City Opera's matinee performance of Street Scene. I plan to go a bit early to explore the mountain town.
As I headed towards the patio with my constant companion, my Golden Retriever Auggie at my side, I thought about how blessed my life has been. And I thought about the two letters in the middle of the word life.
As I put my feet up and leaned back, I thought about all the "ifs" of my life.
What if I hadn't attended the HBCU, Tennessee State University in Nashville? I wouldn't have marched against apartheid and learned to use my voice to change the lives of others.
What if I hadn't taken a summer job at the retail giant, The Limited? I would have never learned that fashion, beauty, and retail were something I loved.
What if I hadn't chosen to pursue modeling, I wouldn't have acquired skills in fashion photography and makeup artistry, nor would I have successfully launched a beauty brand.
Life is filled with uncertainties, where the positives and negatives shape the possibilities of if. And these uncertainties can cause stress.
But we can learn to love life by understanding the differences between what-if and even-if, helping to reduce our stress.
Life can be filled with "what-ifs” if you haven’t learned to be self-reflective and learned to be mindful, owning your behavior in this life.
Life is in the "if," and we can learn from "if," and make the necessary adjustments so that what comes next in life becomes better than what has passed
Life is in the "if," and there is no way to rid life of "if." But we can change "what-if" to "even-if."
Starting today, why not embrace the "if" of life?
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today.
Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow.
In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
You give us life and help us understand that the splendor and beauty we have is because we are made in your image. Awaken in our heart reverence for this life and the work of your hands. Renew among us a readiness to nurture and sustain this gift of life.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"Smart Talk: Conversations That Matter... is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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