When you begin to doubt your brilliance, or your beauty, write a letter to yourself. It should begin something like this:

Dear you:

You are so beautiful. You have something in you that the world needs to see. Your brilliance is evident in your walk. Your love for life shows in your smile. I can hear it in your voice that you want to be free.

Life is a field of flowers. So pick yours wisely chile
Some die quickly, others hang around for awhile
The essence of a mans beauty is not determined by the perfume he wears
The essence of a mans beauty is measured by what he shares

Life is like a field of flowers. So pick yours wisely chile
Some die quickly, others hang around for awhile
You say you’ve got a dream and I can see it in you.
When the Maker when into that field of flowers, He picked you.


Life is a field of flowers. So pick yours wisely chile. Some die quickly, but once you release your brilliance, your dream will hang around for awhile.

Written by you, .........to you.


Simon T. Bailey has a new book out called Releasing Your Brilliance. I asked him a few questions about what we were in store for with this book. This is part of what he said:

Felicia: What does releasing your brilliance mean?

Simon: I wrote the book to engage, enlighten and encourage those who have hit the wall professionally, personally, physically & emotionally. It's for those who feel they have greater potential but have no clue as to what that could be. It's for those who feel like the least, the last and the lost.

Felicia: Tell us about your journey and what did it take for you to see the brilliance in yourself. That doesn't happen overnight.

Simon: I was presenting in Paris and I realized that night that I had a moment where I touched on something that had died in me. So I went back to my room and asked myself three questions. Those questions were 1. What would you do if you couldn't fail? 2. What would you do even if you never got paid? 3. What makes you come alive?

Felicia: Was it easy for you to answer those questions or did you have to ponder for a while?

Simon: I had to ponder. And I had to dig and I realized that it wasn't about money. When you understand that you are a brilliant diamond, you don't chase money. Money chases you.

Felicia: After you realized that you had a higher purpose, were there any moments that you questioned your decision. Once you were on that journey, how did you feel? Did you ever think you chose the wrong thing?

Simon: Yes, I had bills to pay. What do you do when your bills are screaming louder than your dreams? So I started getting up earlier and putting one foot in front of the other. I became so engulfed in this that I gained the internal confidence that I could do this. It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're NOT that holds you back.

Felicia: How long was this process for you?

Simon: This process to "Releasing Your Brilliance" took about 7 years.

Felicia: At your level of success, do you get scared?

Simon: Yes, of course, you wouldn't even believe the feelings. But in those moments I get an email or see someone who has been touched by my work. And that makes it all worth it.

Don't miss out on the rest of Simon's story on how he went from being a lump of coal to becoming a diamond. Click below to hear the rest of the interview and become inspired. It's certainly more than LipService!

Contact Simon T. Bailey at http://www.releaseyourbrilliance.com/

It's A "Dunn" Deal!!!!

I need to run on a little further Lord. I'm not done. I want to move a little further towards my ultimate goal. I'm not done. Whenever I think I have topped anything that I have done previously, you push me further. So, I guess, I'm not done. I don't worry about where the energy will come from or the resources or the man-power. All I know is that I AM NOT DONE!!! As I sit on the subway train of my life moving from station to station at record speed I see those who never recognize their stop. The train just keeps moving and they never even look up to see where they are. For them it's a done deal. They are already as far as they are going to go and unless someone pushes them off the train they will never move. So as I sit here on this train I know that I have a few more stops to make. I need to get off here or there. There is work for me to do in those places. I may never be done.

Lucinda Dunn is a phenomenal woman I got the chance to interview is on that same train. Making stops, kicking butt and taking names. She is a mother, a sister and friend. She is an author and publisher of a nationally distributed news paper. She has a lot going on, so when you see her wearing one of her many hats, just know that it is anything but a "Dunn" Deal!

Here is a little of our interview:

Felicia: Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you have accomplished.

Lucinda: I am an author of a new ebook series called "Fueling Up". I started Dunn Deal Publishing a few years ago and I have a children's book coming out. I am also helping a lady here in the Carolinas write about her life as a slave interpreter. It's do out in April. I am also affiliated with a studio, SongEnergy studios. And of course the newspaper......

Felicia: It seems like you are living your purpose. So what exactly is that purpose for you?

Lucinda: I have found my purpose. Of all the titles, I am a mother. I want to leave a legacy for my son. I want him to see me doing what I am called to do. I am extremely satisfied with my life because my son sees his mother "going for it".

Felicia: You are building a life that he can see you building as he grows up and hopefully he will pass that on to his children.

Lucinda: Yes, I want him to see me doing it so that he can do what is fulfilling for him.

Felicia: What determined this is what you needed to do?

Lucinda: Just recently, I remembered how I used to badger my dad about being big. He used to tell me that one day I would want to be little again. His point was that if I lived life the way I was supposed to then I would live a life of no regrets and I would not want to turn back the hands of time. So that is why I started my publishing company. I didn't want to regret not doing it.

Felicia: Name two of the biggest challenges that you faced in fulfilling your destiny?

Lucinda: One was fear of failure and the other one was a fear of success. I knew I wasn't the type to go the way everyone else was going, but I am still human. I was afraid of people seeing me fail. ............I was also afraid of the demands that come along with success. When you are successful you are held accountable for everything that you do.

Felicia: How did you succeed in spite of those challenges? What did you put in place to counter act that?

Lucinda: It's a mindset. The main thing for me is that I tried. I want my son to be able to say "my mom tried".

Listen to the rest of my interview with Lucinda, because this is definitely not a "Dunn Deal". Lucinda gives advice to others who want to live their dreams. She wants people to get started today! She is giving more than LipService!

Contact Lucinda at: info@therockhillrunway.com or 803-329-2945

Purpose Revealed......

Hello Destiny! I wasn't sure if I would recognize you when I finally met you. But now that we are here face to face I realize that you have always been with me. You were there all the time. I recognize the whisper of your breath on my neck. You were there all the time. I felt you following me but I didn't know who it was. You never revealed yourself.......until now. All those times when I woke up in the middle of the night sensing that someone else was in the room, it was you. At times I would veer to the left and you would steer me to the right. That nagging thing in my gut that told me to keep moving forward just a few more steps. It was you! Thank you for being with me all this time. Thank you for being mine. You and I are one. We walk in unison. I am you and you are me. Purpose revealed.


Erika McKay is someone who had to become one with her destiny. She iS now an international motivational speaker and corporate trainer. She met her destiny in an emergency room. Here is a little of our interview:


Felicia: Who is Erika McKay? Who is the woman behind the voice?


Erika: .....I really care about who people are and where they want to be and to help them reach their destiny.


Felicia: Have you identified your true purpose?


Erika: For many years I struggled with that. For a long time I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't feel fulfilled. I didn't feel like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I had to do a lot of soul searching. I finally realized that I was born to speak and encourage others.


Felicia: Were your struggles external or internal? Walk us through that process.


Erika: It was primarily internal but a little external as well. Because I did not have a dream, I latched on to my parent's dream. They wanted me to become a doctor so I had to make a decision. The decision I made was to become a motivational speaker.


Felicia: What was the turning point for you that said "this is it!"


Erika: I was ignoring the signs and going through the process of becoming a doctor. Even after I almost blew up the lab. But I was still determined to become a doctor. And then I attended an internship that was life changing. One night I ended up in the emergency room.......


Click below to hear the rest of Erika's interview as she talks about witnessing life and death situations and how she was in awe of how lives were being saved. Erika met her destiny in the emergency room and now she is saving lives as well. Just in a different way. She is definitely doing more than giving LipService!

Contact Erika at http://www.erikamckay.com/

Say Yes!!!

Just as a child does when they pucker their lips after requesting something from their parents, we anticipate a yes from our maker when we wish upon a star. We look into the far distance and ask can we go there? Can I become that person? Am I worthy of being that person? We ask our peers questions that usually start with "What do you think about this..............? or "Do you think I should do that...........?" We put forth the effort to be concerned with either answer when in actuality we just want them to say yes. Things that we have the ability to do or that are engraved in our very souls sometimes never manifest because we are waiting to hear that little word with a huge impact. YES. We set our inner alarm clocks to wake up earlier than usual so that we don't miss some sort of undeniable sign that means.......YES. In essence we cage OURSELVES only to ask SOMEONE ELSE to free us because we have deemed ourselves powerless. How do we get that power back? Simply by saying yes!!!

I met a dynamic woman packing a powerful punch. Saying YES at every turn, offering freedom to everyone she meets and wearing her own like flag, Cheri Najor says YES!!!! I had an opportunity to interview her. I listened not as an interviewer, but as a student. This is part of what she says:

Cheri: I was completely lost at 17, suffering from depression. I got a book that I devoured and it ignited my life. I believe that I am here on a divine assignment.

Felicia: So many people go through life without love, living a loveless existence.......we have to first love ourselves. Can you elaborate on some of those things for us.

Cheri: We are born knowing exactly how to get our needs met. As babies we don't beat ourselves up for falling. We stumble, we fall, people laugh, we get up. But then we become adults. I grew up in an environment where people did not support me. I developed very low self-esteem. I began to believe what others thought of me.

Felicia: When I met you I would have never thought that. You are a fireball! What was the turning point that allowed you to become this vibrant person that you are today? Knowing you today, no one would know that you suffered from low self-esteem.

Cheri: There were a number of things for me. The first turning point for me was when my boss fired me from a job that I hated. I remember crying as I packed out my office. I had black mascara running down my face. As people would come to comfort me I asked them to please not comfort me. I was so happy I could not contain myself! .............

As we continued this interview Cheir talked about another turning point for her. It was when she heard a story on the radio about a couple that had beat a child to death. She knew then that she wanted to help people. And she has been helping people every since. She is doing more than giving LipService!

Cheri Najor is a speaker, trainer, and coach. Visit Cheri at: http://www.kreativnrg.com/

Click here to listen to the entire enlightening interview.

Live Full & Die Empty

A few years ago I emailed Les Brown, I told him how much I admired him and I had read his books and listened to his motivational messages. I also let him know that I was on my way to living my dreams and one day we would share a stage together. Fastforward to last weekend as I watched my mentor and now friend (yes, not only did I get a chance to meet him but also, be mentored and befriended by such a dynamic person). I watched as he entered the Grand Ballroom at Emerald Pointe Resort on Lake Lanier Islands. He commanded the stage like a gladiator, yet had the poise of a dancer. The crowd was mesmerized as he recounted childhood moments of love and loss, triumph and sadness. Everyone laughed as he told jokes that I had heard often during this journey with my mentor, but I also laughed loudly because for some reason what I heard sounded brand new. Three and a half days of intense training and presenting my mentor and friend entered the ring again and again, always ending victoriously. Everyday he conquered the room starting with light anecdotes as sweet as a waltz under a full moon and ending with powerful points as punctuated as the tango at dusk. And just when I thought he had given all he had to the audience, he wowed me even more. With energy to spare, he assembled our small group nightly and poured into us what he had left. Instructing us on how to be the best we can be as speakers, coaches, and future mentors. His goal was take our best and add his best. And the end result can get no better than that. As we ended on the last night and he walked away into the foggy Atlanta evening, I had a feeling that I often have in the presence of greatness. I was so greatful for the opportunity to become better everyday and help others to do the same. Choking back tears, I thought to myself, I know what he means now when he says "Live Full & Die Empty"...............From this day forward that is exactly what I will do.........................Live Full & Die Empty!

What If?

Last night I called God on His private line. Normally I wouldn't use the private line. Afterall, it's reserved for emergencies right? But I needed some clarity. I needed an immediate uninterrupted conversation with my maker. "God", I said, "Why did you give me such a burden?" He replied with a question. "What do you mean? Explain yourself child." I said "Well, couldn't I have just been an ordinary person, living an ordinary existence? My dreams are so big! My thoughts keep me up at night! My creativity keeps my mind moving 100 miles per hour. I try to blend in with everyone else but it is to no avail. I am restless there. I would rather climb mountains in my dreams and build skyscrapers with my words. Some of my goals are larger than the oceans you created with your hands. Who do you think I am!? For Pete's sake, give me something normal to do!" Then it was as if the sky opened up for me. A light beamed into my room.......even though it was the middle of the night I could hear birds singing. Before I heard the words I knew the answer. I was selected to dream big! I was selected to build monuments and turn metal into gold! I was selected to do more and be more and see more! I am so grateful that I was selected! My dreams are more than just a notion. And what I once thought was a burden, I know now that it is a blessing. You see there would not be a Donald Trump or an Oprah Winfrey or a Maya Angelou if they had asked to be released from their blessings. I would not be able to express myself on this blog if Bill Gates had asked to be released from his blessings. What if the people I mentioned never did any of the things they said they were going to do. What if.........all they contributed to the world was.........LipService? What if?...................................