Triumph 103: Zipporah's Angels Turns 4

August 14, 2015, Zipporah's Angels, Inc. turned 4 years old. While the journey has been challenging, it has also been one of the most rewarding experiences ever. To commemorate our 4th birthday, the angels had a photo session.


As all activities provide lessons, the photo session was done to give the girls a 'behind the scenes' view of what models endure to showcase the latest fashions. When the session began the girls were very energetic, however, towards the end they were exhausted.


Check out a few of the photos below:

 

Triumph 102: Keeping Kids Engaged

With so many distractions in today's society, it's imperative to find activities that will keep your 'angel' engaged. Whether it be signing up for a ballet class, cooking class, or an afterschool program, a child should be involved in activities that will help keep them engaged.




For instance, if your child expresses interest in the arts, finding an art studio that offers children's classes can be beneficial to your child exploring the arts.



Since this school year has just begun for most children be sure to sign your child up for some extra-curricular activities.  It's also important to help your child stay engaged while in class. The more your child participates in class, the better they're able to retain the information.


Extra-curricular activities include: band, choir, international clubs, sports, etc.

Growning Pains......

First comes adversity and then comes growing pains.......As I sing this to the tune of the youthful "Sitting in a Tree" playground song, I'm reminded that some of life's greatest accomplishments are achieved after experiencing a growing pain or 2.



I'm guilty of questioning why things are happening to me especially since "I've done everything I was supposed to do" but I try to remind myself that my steps are already ordained by God so that whatever I'm going through is just a testament of things to come. Easier said than done, right?





Seriously, it's hard to be positive and remember whose you are when you're going thru an uncomfortable period in your life. So here's a little insight to my personal life:




I quit my job April 18, 2014, with the sole purpose of seeking more. More fulfillment, more responsibilities, more MONEY (run around the church, folks), More stability, more professional growth, more accountability, just MORE. Now, here's the catch: When I quit my job I KNEW that I had everything all sorted out and for a while I did UNTIL the bills continued to roll in and the money  stopped. So I fell into a state of depression.



YEA, I said it. I, LaRia A., the outgoing, energetic, wise soul, fell into a state of depression. And guess what? I made it out. With  the help of my support team, I made it. But guess what's funny about it, now? I reflect back to what drove me to my decision to quit my job of 3.5 years without a new one lined up, my former manager telling me I wasn't just going to go out and earn double my then current salary, a few colleagues suggesting I not quit, and I know I still made the BEST decision to ME.




Me quitting my job ( I did give a 3 week notice  ) was the absolute BEST thing I've done in the past 5 years with the exception of starting Zipporah's Angels. Now, I'm in a very good place: still have amazing friends (realized just who my real friends were during my bout of depression), great family, and in case you're wondering, I'm making almost double what my salary was when I quit in 2014.


I mentioned all of that just so that you can understand that it's best to:
1. Follow your intuition when making decisions that relate to your personal well being.
2. Regardless of what others say, you're steps have already been ordained. Success will be yours, should you wish to attain it.




For help dealing with depression, click here

Triumph 101: Identifying Joy in the Midst of Adversity

One of the biggest challenges one faces is adversity. It's sometimes difficult to find the positive when things aren't looking so good. For instance, the $100K grant that you applied for was declined, BUT you received confirmation that the $25K grant was approved. While some may choose to see the bad ($100K not being approved), I choose to rejoice that the $25K was approved.

Ultimately both grants could have been rejected by the reviewing committee for both grants. In this instance, re align your budget and program, accept that it just may have not been time for that particular program to take place, or find alternative sources of income. Perseverance is key.


In the 4 (well almost 4 years) that I've had the pleasure of working for Zipporah's Angels, I've had to identify ways to manage my disappointment when things didn't pan out as I was hoping. Check out this article for some additional encouragement.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, some of the greatest successes are reached after one has managed through a difficult period in their life. If you don't believe me, just check out our website. It's proof of what can happen when one decides to tackle challenge.

See ya next week & remember "Never let the doubts others have of you govern your everyday life"- LaRia

Balance

Hello All!!


It's quite interesting that after 3 years I find a draft of a post titled "Balance". When I initially started this blog my goal was to document the challenges and triumphs of owning a non-profit. I have not done a great job of 'balancing' my role of Founder, Sr. Financial Analyst, and daughter etc. in the past 3 years.


So, today, I turn a new page and begin a new chapter! Hello to new beginnings!


My goal is to post articles, critiques, and suggestions on how to keep the special "angel" in your life connected.


Looking forward to seeing you all on the next post.