Awards Season

The first couple of months of each year are brought in by a host of Award Shows and Ceremonies. We've had the Emmy's, the Grammy's, the BET Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, and the Oscar's among others. People go through a lot of changes to prepare for "awards season" with the hope of either getting exposure, making money, or just being in the right place at the right time. In the midst of all of this, life waits for no one and keeps on moving. I felt like every week I would turn around and there was another show that gave honor to someone regarding the entertainment industry. Recently we also just had the Basketball All Stars Weekend, so of course we can't forget sports.

Achieving awards can be a good thing, it helps us to measure if we are doing a good job in our chosen profession or field. The dictionary defines an award as a prize or granting a merit due. However, if we do our life's work with an "award" being the only goal, then we need to take a look at our motives and what really stimulates us to get up each day. We should be motivated to be involved with a life's work that is bigger than us. We are all actually pieces of a puzzle and when we find our place, do our work, the award will be the finished product and a legacy that will live long after all of us are gone.

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against awards (giving or receiving). Coming from a background of event planning, many of our jobs were centered around community events giving awards to deserving individuals and companies. Also with my nonprofit, Forgiving For Living, Inc., we also have an annual PLUS Awards (that will be held on April 21st at the Beverly Hills Hotel), but I just wanted to give a little encouragement to many of the workers that are out in the vineyard that may never receive an actual "trophy or plaque" in their hand, don't give up.

I want to close with a saying I often heard growing up in the Baptist Church, "if I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody, how they are travelling wrong, then my living will not have been in vain." I recently found out that saying came from a song by the one and only, Ms. Mahalia Jackson. Believe in yourself and make it a point to help someone along the journey, they may be your reward and award!

Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyGladney.com & www.forgivingforliving.org. You can email her at wendy.gladney@gmail.com. Also follow her blog: Wendygladney.blogspot.com. Wendy is featured on Radio Free 102.3 KJLH on Dominique DiPrima's Front Page Friday Mornings @ 5am