Ethics In The Workplace

Recently, I was offered an opportunity in my workplace to be apart of a new assignment at work. While this assignment doesn't consist of a monetary increase in pay, it is beneficial for employees involved as it boosts the chances for growth within the company. Initially, I was very skeptical about the position for several reasons. For one, I wasn't as knowledgeable about the subject as some of the other employees who would be apart of the assignment and two I was feeling that I could receive negative feedback from my peers, as I am fairly new with the company. Ultimately, I didn't let my lack of knowledge deviate me from learning more and accepted the offer, although I was still uneasy about the reactions of my peers. But why? Shouldn't I solely be concerned about myself and how I would be impacted and reject any negativity associated with my decision?

Often, we are presented with these various decisions throughout our career, but we should take more than just ourselves into consideration. The feeling or act of "stepping on toes" within the workplace may reap short-term benefits, but won't achieve long-term goals. Although this wasn't necessarily an issue in my situation, within the last couple months this has been a problem for some of my colleagues with more seniority. When I met with my supervisor, to discuss my concerns, I let her know my position and she explained to me why she chose me for the opportunity in comparison to some of our other team members/ I was relieved to know that my hard work had not gone unnoticed and felt appreciated. Moreover, acting ethically, possessing leadership, and having genuine interest in your work place does not go unnoticed , especially when your conducting yourself with morals instead of a crab-bucket mentality.

Trust No One?

Trust is a very important factor in any kind of relationship whether it be intimate, friends, family, or even co-workers. It's evident that we all expect and yearn for trust from our peers as an unwritten, sacred bond. When people break such a bond, we view them in a different way than we once did before. Some people are harder to forgive than others, but ultimately the same level of trust can never be restored to its original state. So what does this mean? Should we really trust no one and live a life of secrecy or never reveal too much?

While trust is hard to both gain and earn, we can't live our lives trust-less. Learning proper techniques and strategies as a person as to who we can trust and who to not is something that most people struggle with. Although there will be individuals who break our trust, this should not be a reflection of everyone, but merely be an eye-opening experience to those who may not mean us any good. Life experience will show you who is trustworthy, though one can never be 100% sure about any one person in general. Just as sure as we think we know someone, they can disappoint us in ways we thought unimaginable. One of the best things to keep in the back of your conscious is to be cautious and even when someone breaks their trust with you, don't reciprocate the behavior. Learn from the experience and try to always make the best and wisest decision possible.

November Isn't Just For Turkey

Most Americans know November to be a time filled with holiday cheer and full bellies. A time when families can come together and take a break from our busy lives. Unfortunately, November isn't just for turkeys and watching football games, November is about more, November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM).

While no one in my immediate family suffer from this disorder, as a child, I had a classmate who was epileptic. At the age of 10, none of us really knew what was going on, but we knew it was serious. Looking back on my 5th grade years, I have so much respect for my classmate, she came to school each day with her head high, knowing  that she my have a seizure at any moment, at any second. She was a beautiful, strong person, and like many individuals with the disorder, she fought relentlessly.

Epilepsy is a disorder which effects countless of Americans and can be described as a neurological disorder which consists of uncontrollable seizures, which is a "disruption of the electrical communication between neurons." According to the Epilepsy Foundation, now more than ever are people suffering from the disorder, around 65 million people cross the world, 3.4 million being Americans. Since November is a time to give thanks, let us bring awareness, attention, and admiration to the those individuals who live with epilepsy each day. Epilepsy is one of the leading disorders in the world along with cardiac disease and cancer, so it is a big deal and deserves the same type of acknowledgment. As you spend time with your families during this upcoming season, remember that there are causes and people who shouldn't be forgotten about.

For more information about epilepsy visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/

America: The Normalization of Mass Shootings

Over the past decade, the occurrences of mass shootings of  in America has significantly sky-rocketed. This year alone, America made history with the largest mass shooting in history in Las Vegas, Nevada at a country musical festival. Just this week, Texas suffered another shooting at a church where a gunman opened fire injuring and killing several of its members. In the last decade there have been 17 mass shootings, with four out of  five deadliest shootings taking place since 2007 according to a recent article posted by CNN.com. With the increase of these devastating acts of cowardice, it appears that Americans have become immune to such occurrences, have we given up faith in humanity?

The normalization of mass shootings seem to be something that has consistently plagued the country, although there seems to be limited effort in trying to reduce such shootings. Several years ago, a mass shooting would have seemed outrageous and  appalling, but now people really don't seem to be effected as heavily. Could it be the media? Is the issue the open access to weaponry (This topic can have a blog dedicated to it specifically)? Either way, innocent people are dying and it's being brushed off as a everyday thing, in comparison to losing your car keys or forgetting to take the dog out for a walk. While no one really knows when shootings such as these will take place, we should not take a simplistic and carefree approach to them. As a country we have to learn not only be sympathetic but empathetic to those who have experienced these unjustifiable and certifiable acts. As a country, we have to de-normalize mass shootings, trying to understand the increase, and develop efforts to reduce them. If nothing is done, we have failed as a society and the youth are doomed.

Check THIS out:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/health/mass-shootings-in-america-in-charts-and-graphs-trnd/index.html

Halloween: Say No to Appropriation

Each year, thousands of adults and children run and gather to participate in Halloween. While this spooky holiday can be a lot of fun, everyone should be conscious of the various costumes they choose, especially in a time frame with such high racial tensions. While many people don't mean harm in the attire they choose, there are others who dress in black face and wear condescending and stereotypical attire that subjects others to cultural appropriation

Traditionally, black face was used by individuals as a form of entertainment to mock black people and their culture. It was used in stage plays and films, usually with the characters performing idiotic and unruly acts that were comedic for the viewers as a part of minstrel shows. Although this was most popular in the early late 1800 to early 1900's,  black face can still be seen today in many popular Halloween costumes. While it is okay to dress as your favorite character, one should be mindful of how to articulate this appropriately and with class.

Some may say, "It's not that big of deal," well unfortunately it is. Black face wasn't okay in the 1800 and 1900's and it's not okay now. Like most things, if the roles were reversed, it would be relevant issue. There shouldn't be any excitement in making a culture look foolish or parading around in a "costume" that cultural appropriates an entire group of people. Ultimately, everyone should consider their costumes this and every Halloween.

Alone: Black Students at PWIs

As a recent college graduate, I often get asked about the college experience, especially as a minority student on a predominately white campus. While my experience was not holistically negative, there were several times where I didn't feel like I was really apart of the institution like the majority of other students.  In the three years that I attended my institution there were more than a few occasions where I was the only or one of a few minority students in a class. Transferring from institution that was diversely rich, this came as a complete culture shock. I felt the cold shoulder and puzzled looks as I walked in to my class, and a sense of loneliness would overwhelm me. Fortunately I managed to survive by not feeding into stereotypes surrounded by my culture and I benefited from having a relatable personality. I felt the "two-ness" and didn't feel as though I could be myself in my truest form in fear of innately being judged.

But what about the students who aren't relatable? What about the students who just happened to fulfill some of the stereotypes associated with their race of culture? Institutions of higher learning should take the initiates to make sure that the student body is unique, without making minority students feel like they were only accepted to meet a quota. Reach out to these students in a variety of ways which include organizations geared toward to diversity and ask for feedback on how to make their experience better and improve it for the next group of students.

Although I do sometimes ponder on what my experience would have been like at a HBCU or diverse campus, I am grateful for this experience as it taught me a lot about people and how to make the most out of an uncomfortable social situation. My horizons have broaden and it also showed me who I AM as a individual and what ideals and values are most important to me. Most importantly, this experience brought me closer to my culture and my people that I was lacking before and I am internally grateful for such an awakening.

Let It Go

As I grow older, I have to learned, to take many things with a grain of salt. That being said, learning to forgive people and situations is an inevitable portion to the growing up process. Although I have always been an emotionally involved person, when I was child, I often let my emotions get the best of me. Oddly enough, I have always been a forgiving person and still willing to lend a hand to those in need, even when we were not on the greatest terms.

As I continue to proceed into my womanhood, I have learned to forgive in a different way, one that privileges me with peace and joy. When I was younger I forgave people because it was the "Christian thing to do" or the "right thing to do." While I still hold these values, I am learning to forgive for myself, so the burden doesn't become a permanent part of my everyday mental and emotional posture. When you can't forgive the perpetuating thought of how someone mistreated you, the thought lingers much like a contagious sickness. And just like any other sickness if you don't treat it, it will only continue to become worst over time. I have found that when someone has done me wrong, it is not them who suffers from remorse, but me who suffers from the constant focus on the issue.
By no means is this an easy thing to do, it takes time, especially when you've been hurt by someone who you've called a friend, family, or even a spouse. This takes will power and strength that is much more delicate than erratic retaliation to hurt the other person/people. You have to rise above your initial reaction, take time to think, and regroup. While there are some things that appear to be the most unforgiveable, in due time you still have to make the choice to overcome it.

Let It Go.