My Time 4 Talk by Madona Cole-Lacy

While it is common for us to list a host of reasons we cannot see our way out of the fog of life’s challenges, it behooves us to consider the power we possess to prevent such narratives from becoming the norm. If we choose to work our way out of this trap, the progress we make along the way of what might be a hard-fought journey deserves to be unapologetically acknowledged and celebrated. It is with this in mind that I invite you to celebrate with me as I reflect on some aspects of my recent compassion-oriented journey towards personal development.

Upon confirmation from Dr. Neva Alexander that her 2024 Nevalliance International Women’s Conference would be a good fit for my psyche, I prepared for what I needed to give and hoped to gain from my participation. That included countless modifications to shrink my 2-minute introduction speech which I will address later.

Thanks to the cheerleading support from special people in my life at home and abroad, there was no room for self-doubt! With the help of three on-the-scene Good Villagers, I arrived at Hofstra University way ahead of the suggested time on the day of the event! In the nick of time, we set up a display that represented the dot-connecting affirmation of my mission in life!

I commend these angels for successfully navigating the complex process of loading and unloading the contents of two cars, for getting them to the building, and for helping me set up my display.

With the carefully selected representation of each dot strategically placed, I took a moment to absorb what I perceived as the blending of a positive mindset with the gift of humanity from genuine human connections. It was a joy to behold the manifestation of an intentional ‘one-day-at-a-time’ mindset, coupled with the careful choice of people willing to interact with a delicate but determined heart!

The well-attended conference had something for everyone in search of inspiration. It was refreshing to interact with people who stopped by my display, particularly a few familiar faces I was seeing for the first time since my ‘grief-oriented tsunami’! In the absence of visuals to show my interactions with all of them, I will make do with my recollection of the meaningful pay-it-forward moments they shared with me.

The inspiration I received from the speakers and panelists, the enthusiastic response to my products and services, and the conversations around collaboration reinforced my decision to take that memorable leap of faith.

I will now keep my promise to delve deeper into my 2-minute introduction experience. This is important to me because it was another scenario at the event that created a moment of gratitude, which underscores the importance of offering the gift of compassion … even to strangers.

Despite my attempt to keep that well-rehearsed delivery to the requested time limit, there was obvious indication that I needed a bit more time for my brief call to action after 2.1 minutes.

Upon hearing me express my disappointment for going over the time limit, Dr. Cathy Duffy of Baystate Finance, whose setup was on the right of my display, quickly reassured me it was okay. She told me not to worry because all I did was simply make use of the remaining time from her own brief introduction. What a relief that was! An act of kindness from one person literally got me thinking of the possibility that I was in a safe environment where less criticism and more understanding prevailed. This kind sentiment expressed by someone I had only just met placed me back on track to celebrating the results of the brave move that I made after my hiatus. Yet another “pay-it- forward” moment which keeps the flame of humanity burning!

As I resume my journey to make a difference in this world, albeit from the reality of a new normal standpoint without the physical presence of my other-half, I will continue to receive and share the benefits of healthy business and professional dealings with humility. This is my way of challenging the misconception that compassion has little or no place in the culture of doing business … aka, making money and maintaining social status with disregard for humanity.

My hope is that the following will serve as an inspiration for more people to make this insensitive practice a thing of the past.

“Imagine a world in which the devastating effects of adversity are minimized by easily accessible kind gestures from professionals, business owners and everyone in our circle!

The self-assured certainly understand that reaching out to the affected will in no way lessen their status or slow down their ability to make money. For compassion does not take away from success, it instead enriches life and legacy.” – A MadonaRism by Madona Cole-Lacy –

Thank you for celebrating the powerful, yet gentle, gift of humanity in the area of personal development with me.

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