Christian “Cece” Worley. A woman who faced discrimination by her employer. Ms. Worley requested time off from her employer when she experienced pain, due to a medical condition called endometriosis. It is a condition affecting women that causes severe pain.
Denied accommodations is what led her to file a lawsuit. She was told that her condition does not meet the requirements for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
What
Ms. Worley won a case, the first of its kind that now qualifies for accommodations for endometriosis under the ADA. To her surprise, she won the case, against the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, by representing herself. Perseverance and knowing that so many other women experience the same condition is what motivated the filing.
Although, Ms. Worley initially lost her suit, she did not let that stop her. Advice from various legal counsel told her that this was not a case that was likely to win in court. Ultimately, successfully winning a ruling has proved otherwise.
In this video is an interview with me about the blog, Inspire By O’Nika. Why it was started and when. Connect the Dots host, Louis asks questions about the content of the blog and the motivation behind it. We talk about other ventures like the IBO Podcast and the You Tube channel, by the same name which I also started. The interview gives a little insight into the person behind the blog.
Connect the Dots interview with O’Nika-founder of Inspire By O’Nika
Inspiring and lifting other’s up is what I love. Check out a throwback post, Re-create; Dare to be You.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to watch🙏🏽 Thank you for the interview, Louis! Don’t forget to check out Connect the Dots podcast on You Tube.
How to Break Out of Self-Limiting Beliefs and into Your Greatness
We all have the potential of greatness. Yes, even you. Some of us doubt ourselves and I understand at times when this can happen. It is the constant belief that we cannot achieve something that gets in the way. The negative self-talk and the constant questioning of our abilities.
I’ll give you an example. If you ever came up with an idea about a new product that you wanted to patent or an idea on a project that you wanted to start. The more you think about it, you start letting that doubt creep in. Saying things like, I can’t do this, I don’t have the capital. Or, I don’t know where to begin. Who am I kidding, this will never work because I don’t have the people skills, etc, etc.
The more days that pass the less you are excited about the idea. You started out all gung-ho but each day that this repeated cycle of negativity plays in your head, the idea is killed. Maybe it gets postponed to; someday. We all know that infamous someday.
In this video I will provide practical tips about ways we can begin breaking the cycle of self-limitations and start tapping into our greatness.
Thank you for stopping by! If you know someone who may benefit or enjoy the information, do not hesitate to share. You never know who might need to hear this message today.
A video message about how we can examine our lives and see where we can make changes for personal growth. It is easy to get stuck in the same ole ritual and routines. Before you know it, you look up and discover that 2 years have gone by and things are just as they were this whole time.
In this video, I will share some ideas to get started on a path of growth and challenging ourselves. If you find yourself feeling stuck or stagnant; don’t fret, we can always change things. The rewards are great when we do. We feel a sense of achievement, we make ourselves more open to trying new things and we also get a boost in confidence.
Get out your pen and paper and take notes. It may feel like a homework assignment, but it will be one of the the best investments of time that we can pour into ourselves!
“Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”-James Baldwin
The first thing we are going to do is compile a list. Review that list and ask yourself the following questions:
Am I learning anything from this activity?
Am I growing mentally, emotionally or physically?
Does this activity challenge me?
Secondly, seek out new activities
Do some research, talk to people you know who may make a suggestion
Try to pick something that is not your usual go-to or something that you may not have been interested in before, try it now
Lastly, challenge yourself by overcoming a fear
Ex: if you are afraid of heights, if you feel socially awkward or are afraid to speak in public.
I hope you find the information in this video useful. As always, thank you for watching.
Thank you for stopping by! Stay well and be blessed! 💖
Do you like to walk, jog, use the treadmill or elliptical? Lifting weights, pilates and aerobics are other forms of physical fitness. There are many ways to exercise. Try the form of exercise that is fun, pick something you enjoy. Don’t forget about jumping rope, hula hoops, and dancing.
Exercise is one of those things that people either love or hate. The most important thing to remember is that exercise helps us in other areas of life. If you get stuck or miss a day or 2, just continue. Don’t give up! Keep pushing! You got this!
Procrastination is something that we have all done at some point in our lives. It is that putting off of something that we need to do. But why? The cause can be many.
Don’t procrastinate. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
What does procrastination mean?
The act of delaying or postponing something.
Why do we do it?
Fear– we put off doing things because we are afraid that we might get it wrong. We might fear being made fun of if we do something and we make a mistake. Making a mistake is not the end of the world. No one is perfect so we cannot expect to never make a mistake in life.
Not knowing what to do– If we are faced with something that we need to do, we might not know what to do or how to do it. Therefore, we hesitate or stall. Being unsure of the necessary steps can hold us back. At this point, we might consider gathering information and then making a move.
Unimportant– When the task is not important to us, we figure why the rush. No need to act on it immediately. It can wait until later. We might view it as unimportant because we do not want to do it.
Lack of managing time– We know we have to be somewhere on a certain day and we need to prepare. We wait until the night before. This puts us in the mode of damage control. Because we did not give ourselves enough time to prepare, we are now trying to compensate for the work we did not do beforehand.
How can we get over the procrastination hurdle?
Complete tasks in stages– If we know we have 6 days to prepare for a meeting or presentation. Break the project down into increments each day, so that it is manageable and less overwhelming.
Rethink the way we prioritize– Look at the tasks at hand in a different way. If you usually wait until the 25th hour, rethink it. Start on tasks a few days earlier. Tell yourself that this is something that must be done, so get an early jump on it. Start right away when you realize that this is something that is unavoidable.
Schedule specific time– Set aside an hour or two each day or once a week so that you can work on the specific task. This way, you already know that on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am, is set aside specifically for the task. Put it on your calendar or white board so that it is in sight. This is your reminder so there is no excuse to miss a deadline.
Get rid of distractions– Distractions like playing video games, watching TV or “doom scrolling” on the internet can be major distractions. These things get in the way and cause us to waste time when we could be working on our task. Maybe we can do the task first and then if we want to do those other things, we can put those “distractions” off until after we have done the work.
Can you think of a time when you let procrastination take over? It can get in the way of real progress at times. Making us feel like we cannot accomplish things when we constantly put things off. It is not too late though. If we recognize the signs and rethink it, we can certainly do it!
The attached article, The Game of Life; Are You Playing Offense or Defense? is also about how we manage things in life. It might provide some insight and give information about how we can do things differently. Check it out.
Life is a series of learning experiences, events and emotions. In this video message, I talk about choosing to have a good day when you may not be in the best of moods. If you have absolutely no reason to be ill, ask yourself why. This might be a good time to talk to yourself and talk yourself into a better disposition.
(Previously recorded on June 20, 2025) Video Message- Why Have a Bad Day
Tears of Understanding- A poem about judgments and cultivating relationships. Building relationships with people can sometimes be hindered by unfair judgments. We can avoid assumptions about each other by taking the time to have a conversation or simply asking a question.
Tears of Understanding- A Poem video message
Please don't misunderstand what's that you hear yeah, smothered tears tears tears
Please don't misunderstand not being heard, but seen instead seeing me me me
Please don't misunderstand seeing me is not my clothes not my hair and definitely not my face nah nah nah
Please understand my brotha, my sista Black woman I am Boricua I am
My complexion mine your complexion yours my inflection mine mine mine your perplexion yours yours yours
Please understand you will never understand the whys, I give benefit of doubt because it was not given to me
Underestimated Misjudged Misunderstood Even hated
Please understand my silence, my strength to the underlying slick tongue the slick tongue that takes jabs at my person
Please understand, no overstand my shoes you cannot walk in they were not made for you your shoes not made for me
Even still, you hold your truth I hold mine, the same but different tears tears tears, of not sadness
Tears for you you you Judgments you hold for me are really for you you you Understand?!
The affirmation for this morning is choose happiness and have a good day.
Yesterday is gone and today is here. Whatever happened yesterday, don’t let it weigh you down today. It was in the past and is now behind you. Now is the time to look up and look at today and ahead. We can choose to be happy. We can choose to have a good day. You decide on the fate of the day you want to have.
Take a moment to think about where you are in your health journey.
🏥 Medical- Has it been over a year since your check up? Need to schedule a physical? Take time out to schedule that appointment. Remind men in your family and your friends to get a check up as well.
🍲 Diet- this is a good time to think about the foods you eat. Are there things that you can remove from your diet and substitute for a healthier choice?
⛹🏾 Exercise- are you getting enough? Small steps can be the start of making better choices for longevity and a better quality of life.
❤️🩹 Mental Health- Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? If so, try to remove those stressful things or delegate those overwhelming tasks.
Don’t forget to do something that you like and makes you smile.
As always, thank you for reading. 🙏🏼 Stay well and be blessed! 💕
Trying new things does wonders for the brain. It helps us to grow and challenges us to break out of the comfort zone. Adding new skills helps to keep our brain sharp. Also, it can be scary to try something new.
All kinds of thoughts go through your mind. You question, can I really do this? Why do I even think I can do this? Am I crazy, I can’t do this. Be careful not to talk yourself out of it. If you are thinking about changing your mind about trying something new. Just ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen?
If you succeed, great! If you fail, at least you know and can say that you at least tried. The failure is only when we do not try. Discovering whether or not we can do something is valuable information.
What happens when you learn something new
A feeling of accomplishment that you were able to do something you thought that you could not
You gain knowledge that you can use for the future
It opens new opportunities and sparks new interests
You can overcome fear and release that doubt in yourself
It helps our mental health by boosting your brainpower
Improves self-esteem
Things to try to give your brain that work
Drive a new way to and/or from work. Change your route so that you don’t have the same route home. If you know where all the potholes are and it is second nature, it numbs the brain right?! It requires no brainpower, where is the fun in that. A new route will require the brain to be more alert, and it will require you to think about where you are going
Learn a new language. This is fun and your brain will thank you. You get to have new conversations and make new connections. Even if you do not become fluent in a new language you have learned a new skill
Like to dance? Try to learn a new dance. It makes you smile, it is exercise and improves mood. Join a dance class if there are any in your area. Also, check out the many videos on the internet and try these at home too.
Try crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles as well. These give the brain practice too. Playing cards is another way to help boost memory.
Conclusion
As you can see, you don’t have to try something that is outrageous or outlandish. Start with something on a small scale then expand it to as big as you want. The important thing is to enjoy yourself and expand your brainpower.
The video message is about showing humility when blessings come our way. Be humble and grateful for all your blessings. Boasting and bragging is not the way. Just as quickly as God blesses us, he can taketh away. Celebrate and be happy for others the same as you would want them to be happy for you in return.
If this message resonates with you, please share with someone who you think may like the message as well. If it is on your heart, please leave a comment on how this message has changed you in some way or given a new perspective.
Video Message- He Can Take It Away
Thank you for watching! Stay well and be blessed! 🙏💖
The way we think about money determines how we move in life. If you feel that you should spend every dollar you make maybe it is time to change your attitude. Prices are skyrocketing on just about everything and this trend does not seem to be slowing down. Spending for housing, food, education and definitely commerce with the tariffs being assessed, puts a strain on finances.
With that in mind, it never hurts to have some kind of financial cushion. Do you save every time you get paid? If so, then you are heading in the right direction. What about investing? This one is a little tricky. It depends on whether or not you are willing to risk financial loses, along with returns.
Are you a chronic spender? Purchasing things that you don’t really need but want, just because you have money. Spending this way leaves you vulnerable in times of an emergency. If you spend, spend, spend and have no savings, try to work on putting something aside. Some people feel that they worked for their money, so why save it.
Ways to Save
Start small- save a reasonable portion every paycheck. It doesn’t have to be the same amount each time or a significant amount. Something that is comfortable enough for you to set aside. Whatever your starting amount is, work your way up each time in increments.
Open an interest-bearing account – this method ensures that your money will grow over time.
Direct deposit- if your employer offers direct deposit, have the amount you want to save come out of your check automatically and into a savings account. This way, you don’t have that money in your hand, but it will go directly into the account where you can monitor the growth.
Pay yourself- do not forget to pay yourself. You work for your money, so don’t forget to keep some for yourself too.
Investing- consult with a financial advisor about your level of risk before making any investments in stocks, bond, annuities, etc.
401-K, Roth IRA- these are more long-term investments. The earlier you start on this the more you will have at retirement for those golden years.
The best way to ease financial stress is to first create a safety net. If you know that you have money set aside, you will not be so overwhelmed and stressed when those emergencies arise.
Living paycheck to paycheck is a reality for some people. A shift in attitude can turn that around. Start to budget your money and eliminate things that you don’t need. Before making a purchase, stop to ask yourself if this is a necessary expense.
The tax return refund is often a missed opportunity. Use the refund for saving and put it towards your safety net/emergency fund. Instead of spending it before you get it, put the money aside. At least, most of it. You would be surprised how this can jump start your savings journey.
Look for other ways to cut back on your spending. Little things add up and quickly. Start to keep track of your daily spending for two weeks. Review it and see where you can cut unnecessary spending. The economy is so uncertain in today’s time. If banks are unfavorable to you, do what works best for you to find alternative means of saving.
Yes, it takes work to change our financial situation. Attitude is the ingredient to making the change we want to see. No one else can do this for us. Start small and build from today. You can do it!
