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Dr. Banks-Hall, shares the butterfly story. This story is a reminder of perserverance.
Category: Social
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Dr. Regina Banks-Hall, shares a message on what we learned in 2020 that we can take with in 2021
I was saddened by the recent passing of Congressman John Lewis. Congressman Lewis was an important figure because he dedicated his life to fighting for justice and equality at a time when this was not a reality for African Americans. Congressman Lewis began his work as a civil rights activist when he was a college student. He was one of the original freedom riders, who organized sit-ins and led the March 7, 1965 civil rights march that was supposed to go from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, the state’s Capitol.
In his fight for justice he was jailed over 30 times and beaten unjustly, however he remained a champion for equal rights and the fight for justice. Congressman Lewis is remembered as one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. He worked hand in hand with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other notable civil rights leaders.
So today, I want to talk about passing the torch. The concept of passing the torch, takes place when someone passes on their job duties, or responsibilities, to someone else. The hope is that the next person will carry on that work with the same passion, dedication and determination. The symbol of the torch is important because the torch is fire, that burns brightly and increases vision for what is ahead.
So today, we must reflect on how we can continue as individuals to use our platforms, to carry the torch and make sure we create a world that is equal and just for everyone. We must never take for granted the opportunities that we enjoy, that were created by the sacrifices of the great men and women of previous generations. We must remind ourselves that we honor them by continuing to advocate for change.
As a professor, motivational speaker, author, and leader, my job in helping Congressman Lewis’s dream stay alive, is to continue to empower and educate others. In order to do this, I must continue to have the difficult conversations, speak out on injustices, and help the underserved and disenfranchised see that they have advocates that will fight for them and give them hope.
We are all blessed by those who fought for equality, and we must not let their work be in vain. Who has passed the torch to you? How can you lead? How can you help someone find their purpose? How can you help to create a world that embraces everyone? Let us not allow the torch that was lit by Congressman Lewis to fade or burn out. But let us proudly carry that torch and pass it on to future generations.
As I close, I would like to share a quote by Congressman John Lewis, that I believe is important. He states that: “Freedom is not a state, it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”
As we reflect and celebrate the life of Congressman John Lewis, let us commit ourselves to a life of service, and a willingness to keep the torch of justice and equality burning.
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall
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.
- First, we must remind everyone, that change takes time, and it is not easy to change systems that have operated ineffectively for years.
- 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.
- We must review workplace policies, laws, and demand change.
- 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
Mother’s Day is a time for honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the impact of mothers in our society. In my previous Mother’s Day Messages, Posts, and Videos, I always include godmothers, aunts, cousins, teachers, grandmothers, and sisters. I wanted to remind individuals that Mother’s Day is not just a day for celebrating Mothers, but for honoring all the women in your life that have loved and supported you.
For some of us this year, due to covid-19, our celebrations will be different . Yet we can still honor our moms and others who matter. This weekend let your mom know just how much she means to you. Send a note to someone who has helped you, or who has played the role of a caring mother and thank them for their maternal bond. Call, or send a text to someone you have not spoken to in a while and brighten their day. In honor of Mother’s Day, I have prepared a video just for you.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall
Today is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is a global day where we celebrate, the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women. It is a day where we are reminded of the importance of equality. Together we can fight bias, stereotypes, broaden our perceptions, and challenge our own thoughts and actions. We must recognize the struggles of women globally and continue to encourage women, to find their voice, understand their value, and demand their worth.
We must encourage the next generation to become Doctors, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs, Professors, CEOs, Artists, Speakers, Authors, Engineers, and Scientists through mentorship, empowerment, support, and education. The theme this year is #eachforequal where the focus is on creating a global embrace of equality, that enables everyone. Therefore, as you celebrate today and continue to celebrate women’s history month, celebrate the achievements of women in the classroom, workplace, churches, businesses, and community centers. Find someone who is struggling with understanding their worth, and place them under your wing. Help them see they have value and purpose. When we continue to support and encourage each other, we embrace the importance of equality. Most importantly, we create a pathway for the next generation.
Women’s History Month is about us, therefore, embrace your history, embrace your journey, embrace who you are.
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall
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
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
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
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
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall, DBA, SHRM-CP 