Category: Personal Development

2022, Growth, Leadership, New Year's Resolution, Personal Development, Vision

New Year, New You

New Year Message

Hello Everyone, 2022 is here whether we are ready for it or not.  I used the weekend to reflect on 2021, and was reminded that time continues to pass on.  As I thought about time, I thought about the goals and dreams of 2021.  I took out my list, to see what I had accomplished.  I was proud of some of my personal and professional goals.  I also spent time reflecting on the goals I had not achieved, to understand how I missed the mark.   I saw that my successes were attributed to the constant reminder that I kept in from of me.  That reminder was the true purpose and importance of those goals.   

For the goals I did not achieve, I realized that I did not place them high enough on my list.  Somewhere, I had lost touch with how important those goals truly were.  So, now I will refocus, and use 2022, to achieve those goals.  I also gave myself a break about what I did not achieve, because the goals I achieved in 2021, were relevant, specific, timely, measurable, and attainable for 2021.   

Therefore, as you think about your 2022, cast a vision for what you want your year to look like.  Choose a word for the year, create a vision board, create a journal for yourself, and/or find yourself an accountability partner.  Someone, who will be accountable to you, and someone who will hold you accountable, as well.

The one takeaway from this post, that I believe is important, is that you find the best method that keeps your vision for 2022 in front of you.  

For those of you, that would like a deeper dive, I would like to invite you to my webinar on January 20th, entitled: “A New Year, A New You.”  In this webinar, I will provide you with some strategies on how to maximize your 2022.

Let’s start the year off by identifying our strengths, skills & knowledge to create the best year ever!

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

https://reginabankshall.leadingthebest.com/NYWE0001

Register on Eventbrite





2020, Growth, Leadership, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Vision, Women & Leadership

Planting Seeds for Success

person holding a green plant
Photo by Akil Mazumder on Pexels.com

 

The year of 2020 has truly become a year for the history books.   We have experienced massive unemployment, the significant loss of life, business closures, and thousands of zoom meetings.  We are now wearing face masks, using hand sanitizer, and the term social distancing has taken on a whole new meaning.     However, during this crisis, I noticed that people are still finding success.    Hair salons are now selling PPE products. Bar owners have now converted their business to producing hand sanitizer.  Restaurants and stores are now offering curbside service.

Day to day business is now being conducted through virtual conferencing and facetime phone meetings.    Americans are buying sewing machines and producing cloth masks that are now being sold on Etsy and Amazon.  Faith Leaders have discovered how to expand their reach, using Facebook Live, weekly conference calls, and online giving platforms.  Doctors are now conducting virtual meetings with their patients while providing medical care.  They discovered new technology, which provided new opportunities.

Therefore, as we continue to manage the current crisis, I want to encourage anyone who feels overwhelmed, defeated, or just feels like giving up to hold on.   This is not the time to quit.  This is the time to plant your seeds for success.   When you think about the concept of planting seeds, you are planting something that is not expected to grow right away.   Your seed will experience an incubation period where you will have to water it, and nurture it to ensure its future success.   Soon the seed will bloom, and your harvest will manifest.   What you plant now, will determine what will grow up later.

As we continue to work through this crisis, what seeds can you plant, that you will nurture and help grow?   What new business idea can you cultivate now, that will become a Fortune 500 in the future?   What new book project will you nurture now, that will become a best seller next year?  What new business relationship will you water now, that will provide the resources for your next big deal?   You must also question yourself through your interpersonal lens.  Will you plant the seeds of fear or hope?   Will you plant the seeds of confidence, or failure?   And finally, will you plant the seeds of love or hate?  Anything can grow, it just depends on what you plant.   Every day, we all have the opportunity, to plant seeds of success with our actions and our words.

As we head into the final few months of this year, this is a great time to plant good seeds.   They may not grow right away, but with a little patience and a little nurturing, you can create a future harvest that will bless you, your family and those who will be blessed by your renewed spirit and winning attitude.  As I close, I heard it said once, that the only people that are happy when it rains, are those people who have seed in the ground.  So, go out, plant your seeds and grow something great.

Dr.  Regina Banks-Hall

 

2020, Growth, Leadership, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Vision

Twin Power

By Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

Hello Everyone,

Today, I want to talk about motivation and goal achievement. I was watching a video posted by CBS News of two little girls in Savannah, Georgia, who set up a lemonade stand, and called it “Twinmonade.” Soon after, someone questioned whether they had a permit to sell lemonade. This could have been a source of discouragement, yet the young twins soldiered on, secured the needed permit, and marched forward.

After overcoming early head winds, business is now booming, as long lines of people form to support and enjoy a cold cup of their multi-flavored lemonade. Here is a link to their story. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/7-year-old-twins-reopen-successful-lemonade-stand-after-questions-about-permit/

I believe there is a lesson here for all of us. In life we are going to encounter setbacks. The pandemic has been hard to navigate, yet we can still find victory as it relates to our goals, if we hold onto our dreams.

We must take on the attitude of these twins, and press forward. I have been working on a animated character of myself for a educational series I will be creating over the summer. Today I am releasing my first video on motivation in this new format. I did not give up on my goals, but stayed focused to make sure this character was created. Now I am ready to create my educational series, which will cover Leadership, Motivation, Human Resource Management and Small business success. Stay tuned for more ways to subscribe to my training videos and workshops.

I am inspired by these twins, and I know that with faith and hard work, we can achieve our dreams. What lesson can you learn from these twins today?

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

Communication, justice, Leadership, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Social, Vision

Where do we go from here?

This was not the 2020, I believe that most of us envisioned. This was the year of a 2020 vision for success.   But over the last few months, covid-19 and the death of over 100,000 American citizens has changed our lives.  When I reflect to the beginning of the year, I never saw the pandemic or the protests, the loss of life, high unemployment, or the closure of thousands of businesses.  We were sheltering in place, and now we have people all over the world calling for justice.   

As we continue to wrestle with these events, we all must ask ourselves this question.   Where do we go from here?  This may sound like a loaded question, but it is not.   If you are a business owner, what will you do to restart your business?   If you are an advocate for justice what must you do to bring about reform?  If you work in law enforcement, what must you do to gain public trust?  If you are an elected official, what must you do to ensure the safety and well-being of your constituents?  If you are a Faith Leader, what must you do to restore hope and faith?   If you are a parent, what must you do to educate and prepare your children for the current world events?  

The point that I am trying to make, is that we all have a role to play in handling the pandemic, the restart of businesses, rebuilding communities, and addressing injustice.   Therefore, I want you to think about your platform, your reach, your knowledge, your skills, and your ability to help? Today, I am going to share my thoughts on what I think we must do.   

  1.  First, we must remind everyone, that change takes time, and it is not easy to change systems that have operated ineffectively for years.  
  2. We must continue our community conversations regarding poverty, inequality, voting, and all types of discrimination.   As we can see, many of these issues have been pushed to the back, but they continue to hurt ordinary people.     
  3. We must review workplace policies, laws, and demand change.
  4. We must educate citizens about the process, and as citizens we must now pay attention and become involved.

As a leadership expert, professor, and coach, I talk about influence, understanding the needs of people, and leading change, all the time.   Today, I am asking that all of us dig deep and ask ourselves, what can I do to help bring healing, understanding, and acceptance to my community.  Remember, now is the moment, where we must examine our leadership and determine our influence.  We must examine if we are using our platforms effectively, willing to have tough conversations, or do we remain absent from the conversation?

On Saturday, a student reminded me of a poem entitled: The Dash, written by Linda Ellis.  In this poem, the writer shares a story about a person’s birth and death, and how the dash represented their time on earth.   As we think about where we are today, the poem is relevant.   When our time is finished, how will we be remembered.   As I close, I would like to remind you, that to bring about real change, it is going to take all of us to become involved in the process.  When we do, we can affect, our homes, schools, churches, businesses, civic offices, and our communities.  We all can become the change we need.   It is up to each of us to answer the question, “Where do we go from here”?

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

2020, Entrepreneurship, Growth, Leadership, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Small Business Development, Social, Vision, Women & Leadership

Embrace Life

Today, I want to talk about embracing life.  A couple weeks ago, I was meeting with someone who wants to start a business.  They believed that life was over for them, because of their race, gender, knowledge and education.  They spent a lot of time comparing themselves to others.  I began to share with them the importance of identifying their gifts, loving who they were, using all their resources and embracing life.

I realize that as people, we often fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. We suppress our gifts, and allow others to make us feel inferior, because of our gender, race, education, size, etc. When we allow all the negatives to lead our lives, we limit our potential. In celebrating black history month, I was reminded of a quote by one of my favorite motivational speakers, the late Dr. Myles Munroe. He stated that the greatest tragedy in life, was living without a purpose. Dr. Munroe also stated that the wealthiest place on earth was the cemetery, because within the cemetery lies companies never created, inventions never made, books never written, masterpieces never painted, and music never recorded. The cemetery represented untapped potential and gifts unused.

When we embrace life, we must come face to face with our dreams, fears, successes, failures, setbacks, and our challenges. How we handle this confrontation, can open the door to our potential or derail us for life.  Therefore, I have several recommendations I want you to incorporate in 2020 so you can embrace life and unlock your potential.

#1. The first thing you must do is Embrace your dreams. As a future business owner, writer, professor, mayor, minster etc, you must embrace your dreams.  In order to do this, you must believe that dreams come true.  I will always remember my dream of writing a book, becoming a college professor, earning a doctorate degree, becoming a motivational speaker, and starting a family business.  I remember some people telling me that was a lot to accomplish.  I knew they did not believe it was possible.  However, I kept my dreams in front of me, because they were my dreams.  Today, I can say that I have accomplished them all, and now I am rewriting my story, because I discovered that I have more yet to achieve.

#2. You must let go of fear.  When you let go of fear, you allow yourself to receive the blessings that life has to offer.  For me to move forward I had to overcome the fear of failing.  I knew that failure was not final, because I could start over.  This is important,
when changing careers, leaving a terrible job, or starting a business.  It is important for you to let go of doubt and self -judgement.

#3. Step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes you must take small steps towards your dreams. This may require traveling into areas uncharted or new.  I began my journey into publishing by writing my first chapter in an anthology.  I had never done anything like this before.  Today, I have contributed to 6 anthologies, released my own solo project, and I am on track to release two additional books this year.  However, my finest achievement was becoming a professor, and now interim dean.  For me to achieve both, I had to step outside my comfort zone.  I had to push myself into areas unknown and take a chance on myself.

#4. Become resilient.  Sometimes in life, you will get knocked down. In these times, you must pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going.  I remember my layoff from Chrysler, I thought the world was coming to an end.  One day while taking care of my father-in-law, I discovered by coaching and teaching ability.  It was in that layoff that I discovered my purpose.  Sometimes, your setback is nothing more than a setup, that leads you to your destiny.

#5. Find a cause that brings you joy. While discovering my purpose, I found Toastmasters, and learned how to improve my public speaking skills.  I found the joy of passing out beads during Thanksgiving, by marching in the Michigan Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I never knew a strand of beads could bring so many people joy.  Finally, I learned through taking care of my father-in-law the importance of finding services for seniors and those with disabilities.

#6. Evaluate your inner circle.  One of the most important strategies I have used in life is protecting my inner circle.  I shared this in a speech I gave a couple years ago, the impact of starters and bench players.  Starters are those individuals who honor the best in you. They support your gifts, and give you feedback to move you forward.  They know that for you to make a friend you must be a friend, so they introduce you to others who will help you.  No matter where you are in life, they always have your back.

Bench players, on the other hand, want to be there for the ride. They like you, but not for who you are, but for what you have.  They constantly bring negativity to every idea you have.  Yet, when it works, they are the first to want to get on board.  Its so interesting watching them try to convince you that they were always in your corner.  Therefore, as you build your inner circle, be thankful for the people that serve you with their knowledge, support, love and kindness.  Also, never miss the opportunity to pour back into their lives, the love and support that you have received.

#7. Finally, you must live your life, and not the life others are creating for you. As a person of faith, I connect to my source daily, so I can live a joyful and passionate life.  I feed my mind positive quotes and words of motivation from people like Dr. Myles Monroe, Joel Osteen, Beth Moore, John Maxwell, and my husband.  I have realized that my passions and my goals have inspired me to embrace all that life has to offer. Therefore, my 2020 vision is off the charts, and I know those dreams will come true.

Now its up to you. Will you follow your dreams? Will you release the fear, and step outside of your comfort zone? Will you pick yourself up after a fall? Will you embrace life and untap your potential? I believe that you can, and I believe that you will. Most of all, I believe that your 2020 vision will come true. Never settle for anything less.

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

 

Fall Forward Your Purpose Is Waiting for You – Book Promotion

In this book, I share my personal story of overcoming grief, and self-sabatoge. I did not realize I was falling into my purpose.

$10.00

2020, Communication, Entrepreneurship, Growth, Leadership, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Social, Vision, Women & Leadership

Maximize Your Gifts, to Maximize Your Dreams

Martin Luther March on Washington
Leffler, W. K., photographer. (1963) Martin Luther King with leaders at the March on Washington. Washington D.C, 1963. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2013649720/.

Today, we are celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929.  In December of 1955 when he was a young minister, he got involved in the Montgomery, Alabama citywide bus boycott. At the beginning of the 1960s he used his voice and his talent to galvanize individuals to speak out against segregation. In his famous  ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech, he laid out a vision for a better world.  He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee, where he was there supporting striking sanitation workers.

As I thought about Dr. King, I thought about how he maximized his gifts.  He used his voice, and his ability to champion his cause.  He suffered criticism, was beaten, and jailed for believing in his dream.  However, he pushed through despite the challenges. His willingness to utilize his gifts, has become a blessing to us all.

As you celebrate him today, I want you to think about your gifts.  Are you maximizing your potential? Are you using your speaking skills, writing skills, and music ability? Are you being the Change Agent you always knew you could be, or are you letting others define your destiny?  Recognizing your gifts is tough and maximizing them is even harder.  But just like Dr. King, you must maximize your gifts, so you can maximize your dreams.  Remember, when you maximize your dream, it can be the blessing that the world is waiting for.

As I close, I leave you with this challenge.  Let go of negativity and say no to fear.  Start by putting one foot in front of the other, maximize your gifts, and follow your dreams.  I believe that 2020 can be the year, where dreams come true.
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

2020, Growth, Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Small Business Development, Vision, Women & Leadership

Be A Bridge

bridge-1385938_1920
Bridges are structures designed to cross an open space or gap.  When most people think of bridges, they think of crossing a body of water, valley, or road without hindering what’s underneath the bridge.  The bridge is designed for providing a passage over the obstacle, which is often difficult to cross.  Some bridges are unique because a pathway has been provided for you to walk alongside the bridge in order to get to the other side. Finally, bridges serve a particular purpose and are designed by bridge builders for different situations.

The concept of the bridge is very important when you think of people.  As I begin to narrow my 2020 vision, I want to focus on how we can become bridges of society.  As a bridge builder, we can use our knowledge, skills, and abilities to help bring people together.  When we become the bridge builder, we can often become the catalyst that introduces opportunities and learning experiences to others, allowing them to find and use their gifts.  We have all heard the saying, “Be the bridge.” Well, today is a great time to start.

If there were no bridge builders, many people would never know what is on the other side of the river, lake, stream, valley or ocean.  In other words, without bridge builders, so many people would never know what they could have become.  Remember, when we share our experiences, education, testimonies, wisdom, resources, stories, advice, connections, and gifts, we become a bridge of opportunity, possibility, and vision for those who have never seen what is on the other side.

So, I am challenging you for the year 2020.  Don’t be a wall, a border, or a blockade. Instead, be a bridge builder and usher someone over to a bright new future.

Dr.  Regina Banks-Hall

2020, Communication, Entrepreneurship, Growth, Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, New Year's Resolution, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Small Business Development, Social, Vision, Women & Leadership

Look Beyond the Wall

man in blue suit
Photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery on Pexels.com

Hello Everyone

Today is January 6th, and many of us, my self-included, have created goals that we want to accomplish for the year. As you begin to create goals for yourself, and think about how you will impact 2020, one area that I want you to focus on is looking beyond where you are. Often when I conduct vision board or leadership workshops, or do motivational speaking, I share with my audience the importance of looking beyond what is in front of them.

You may be saying to yourself, why is this important? Often as individuals we become accustomed to the status quo. We expect nothing better. We buy into other people’s comments about our abilities. We sometimes overlook the notion that they are afraid of what we might become, so they plant negative seeds. Finally, we hold back our dream, because we are waiting for someone to validate our ideas instead of moving forward with our vision.

In order to grow and truly live out your purpose in 2020, it will be important for you to look beyond what is in front of you. It is important for you to visualize success. There is no limitation to your success, there is only the limitation to your vision.
Today, find the courage to venture out. This venture can lead to a new promotion, a new book, or a business opportunity. For years, I had a dream of becoming an author, professor, life coach, and motivational speaker. Yes, I wanted it all. I knew the odds were stacked against me, because I knew there were people who did not want me to succeed. However, I was willing to look beyond what was in front of me, because what I saw was people standing in my way.

I began to change my attitude and my inner circle. I began to put action behind those goals by writing the book, becoming a motivational speaker, coaching others to success, and my favorite of all, becoming a college professor. I held onto the faith I had, that I could do it. I realized that the purpose of my goals was bigger than me. These goals were associated with helping others see that, if I could do it, so could they. But most importantly, I held onto my faith in God, knowing that he had a plan for my life.

As we begin to move throughout this year, and you begin to formalize your goals, think about how your desire to change your story can affect your community, your family, your church, or your organization. Do not sit back and accept the status quo. Instead, step up and accept the challenge of looking beyond the wall. Realize that today can be the day that changes everything.

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

2020, Communication, Entrepreneurship, Growth, Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, New Year's Resolution, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Small Business Development, Social, Uncategorized, Vision, Women & Leadership

Don’t Bury Your Talents in 2020

street-artist-1279977_1280
Well, today is the final day of this year.  As part of my own goal planning process, I conducted my 2019 year in review.  I checked off my accomplishments and reprioritized my goals for 2020.

Like many people, I worked through some challenges in 2019.  But through it all, I will enter 2020 renewed and ready to use my gifts and talents in this year.  As you evaluate your 2019, reflect, evaluate, and celebrate your story.  Remember that your failures or setbacks do not define you, because you still have a chance to rewrite your own story.

I want to remind everyone of an important biblical story.  In a biblical passage, a Master gives his servants several talents, according to their ability.  He then plans to take a journey but vows to return.  The Master gave one servant five talents, which the servant doubled.  The next servant was given two talents.  He did the same.  The last servant was given one talent and he buried it in the dirt.  This servant, in his mind, played it safe.  He was afraid of the unknown, or possibly lazy, so he buried his talent.  The servant expected his Master to be thankful for protecting the talent.  When the Master returned, he congratulated the first two servants for their diligence.  But with the third servant, he was infuriated and dealt with him harshly.  The key point in this story, is that we have all been given a portion of talent or ability.  However, it is what we do with it that counts.  Do we multiply it, or do we bury it?

As you enter 2020, know that it is okay to step outside your comfort zone.  In order to change the world and leave a lasting impact, it requires that you take a risk on yourself. Do not be like the servant in the passage and bury your talents.  When we bury our talents, we hold back solutions, knowledge, skills, innovation, and creativity.  We literally rob the world from utilizing and benefiting from our giftedness.

As a professor, author, speaker, coach, and leadership expert, my goal for 2020 is to convince you not to bury your gifts.  Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, start the year off in grand fashion by utilizing your God given gifts and talents.

Join “Dr. Regina’s World” by following me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube and let’s start using our gifts together.

From my family to yours, I wish you a healthy, successful, and prosperous New Year.

Dr. Regina Banks-Hall

2019, Growth, Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Uncategorized, Vision

Embrace Life

person standing on hand rails with arms wide open facing the mountains and clouds
Photo by Nina Uhlíková on Pexels.com

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a while since I shared a post.  I took some time, spending the last few months, conducting small business workshops, finishing up two books for a fall release,  and getting ready for my fall teaching season.  As I began to reflect on the first half of this year, I was reminded that no matter how strategic your plans,  life will provide you some unexpected twists that can impact your future.

As an Leadership Expert, Assistant Professor of Business, and Small Business Coach, I am always reminding everyone within my reach that life is a risk.   Today, I was looking at the board game called, The Game of Life.  It is a game I use often, while teaching my economics class.   In this game, a person travels through his or her life, from early age to retirement.  During this journey around the game board, it covers jobs, marriage, career opportunities, pitfalls, and the possibility of children that can be added along the way.  It is a reminder that in real life, these things can happen, and we can also experience a twist or turn, along the way.

As I was looking at this game, and reflecting on the year, I was reminded that we cannot control the events that come our way.  Some of the events I am referring to are, the loss of a job, a bad relationship, or a death in the family.  We certainly can’t control these events, however, we can control how we respond.  We must always keep in mind that pitfalls can also be stepping stones.  For instance, the loss of a job may open the door to a future opportunity that you never noticed.  Getting out of a bad relationship may open the door to you meeting the right person. A death in the family, though painful, can give someone a renewed sense of how important life really is, or how important it is to spend time with those you love.

When you view life as a journey, you open yourself up to embrace the unexpected.    The journey into the unexpected is where you discover who you really are.   It is where your character is tested, yet you make the choice to maintain your integrity.   It is during the journey of the unexpected that you send a message to your critics that you are still standing, in spite of their attempts to bring you down.   It is during the journey of the unexpected that you find yourself on top of the world one day, and down in the valley the next.   The key to success here is to remind yourself that these small setbacks do not define who you are.  When you know who you are, you know you can recover, and you are always looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

History reminds us that some of our most successful people did not succeed because they knew they would.  They succeeded because they would not allow doubt, and the fear of the unknown, to derail their progress.  They understood that the unexpected opened the door to opportunities.

I believe that the thing that hurts people the most is banking on the status quo.  Successful people understand that they can lose it all.  However, they know by pushing through the challenges and setbacks, they will achieve a winning outcome.   The game of life is a reminder of what could happen.   Yet, real life is not a game at all, and should be embraced in a meaningful way.   Success is often determined by the choices you make, and your ability to embrace the unexpected.  These two variables will help you navigate towards a winning outcome.   As we move through the rest of the year,  choose to implement these measures, embrace the unexpected, and prepare to win.

Dr. Banks-Hall