Just Do IT
Just do it! The famous slogan from an athletic shoe, apparel, and equipment company we all know. Who would have thought, that this would also be a daily devotional to achieving my goals? We all have dreams, ideas, and aspirations, but only some, step up, to make them happen. Why is that? What stops you from reaching your goals, or even taking the first steps? We tend to place blame on not living out our wildest dreams, on money, people, and circumstances, but at the end of the day, it is still up to you! I know this, from my own experiences, and once I learned to master this ideology,…
I Would Not Have U Without The NICU
You hear me mention the acronym, “NICU,” almost daily, if you are around me, but do you know what it refers to? The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit specializes in the care of ill or premature infants/newborns. Just reading the definition, still gives me chills, because you know there must be some serious issue, for a baby who has to spend time there. I most certainly never thought in a million years, my baby would need to be in the NICU. The first time I was able to tour a facility, was within two days of me being admitted as a patient, due to my high-risk pregnancy. It seemed so sad…
Make a Difference In Life By Not Being Like Everyone Else
“Your hair is too big and ethnic. That gold gown, was a bad choice of wardrobe. The back of your legs hurt you, they are too fat. You are not articulate. You need to dumb down your achievements; there are too many, and it is confusing for the judges. Why are you really volunteering so much; I mean, you can just post a few times and not do anything? You need to make your hair bone straight. Your skin needs to be lightened. Your features need to be more European. Your gown isn’t the right color. Wrong choice of swimsuit. You are not facially beautiful. Your body isn’t tone enough. …
“Focus on What You Can CONTROL”
Just when you have everything planned, tasks delegated, and feel more than ready, human nature stops by, and something goes wrong. I had everything done in advance, under control, and felt my best ever. Then pow, it happened, as it always does, because you cannot control everything, especially people. In one of my first major career roles, I held the position of the Continuous Improvement Manager of a worldwide manufacturing company. I created an idea program, where employees would submit a problem, along with a detailed solution, and we would then meet with engineers to implement. The ideas could be about anything from product, to process improvements, as long as…
Carecuts and Homelessness in Our Community
It all started for me last year; falling in love at first sight, with a place, organization, and those forgotten. A friend of mine, invited me to come volunteer at CareCuts of Knoxville. At the time, I didn’t quite know all of the details, but I knew I wanted to be a part of something truly hands on, changing lives of those in need. I pulled up to the parking lot, at the address I was given, and was astounded at what I saw. There were so many people, in the hundreds, needing help. They were all either sitting down, waiting, or up and about, mingling with others. I did…
How to Get Sponsorship?
It’s the number one question that I asked two years ago; and now the number one question I get asked. “How do I get a sponsor?” Sometimes, I feel like I need to pinch myself, whenever I get asked this advice, because it actually started as a fear of mine. I think, sometimes, when we are on the end of “needing a sponsor,” we forget what a sponsor really is. Sponsorship is an investment, be it monetary, an item, use of branding, or opportunity from an entity, who in return will receive business potential via you or the event in mind. Investment; let’s just think on that word alone. When…
Childhelp, USA
Take the tour of the facility with Shonjrell Ladner, Mrs. Tennessee International 2018, prior to reading the Blog! Child abuse and neglect tends to lead from drug and alcohol abuse, here in Tennessee and throughout the US. I hear the word "abuse," so often, intermingled with the circumstances of our Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies (born dependent on drugs). Honestly, during and even prior to my start of speaking out to save our babies, I did strongly feel that these newborns, detoxing from drugs, had to come from the most harsh and abusive environments. Later, I learned that this is a generalization; depending on the terms. Sadly, while volunteering in the…
What is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome?
When I hold a baby, suffering from NAS, though they can’t speak to me, when I look into their eyes, I hear the same words. “Help me, please. I am hurting. I shouldn’t have to go through recovery at birth. Many outside, can’t hear my cries, or see my pain, but you do. Where are my parents and why are you holding me? Is someone helping them so we can be back together? Where will I go, if she doesn’t get well in time? Please make this stop, I am born to kuddle, just like all babies. Do not forget about me, because I could be your baby, even you.”…
A Platform is A Road to Dreams
Platforms. This may not be the first word that comes to one’s mind, when they think of pageantry, but it is what began my journey. We needed a platform to help those battling Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and to warn as many people as we could, to prevent more cases. Keyword is “WE,” not just myself. A platform is the opportunity to voice your views and to initiate actions. Though having a platform seems to be visually represented by us wearing a crown and a sash attracting attention, to be fully effective, you must get physical. You learn that by combining drive, passion, and really being involved, you become an unstoppable…
Fit For School to Battle Childhood Obesity
Body image is a subject almost every human being faces, at some point of life. Maybe you were tall and skinny, like myself in school, or had a few extra pounds as a child. No matter what, when you are a kid, you live in your moment of bliss, and feel completely okay with your appearance until someone points that out to you! Yeah, that is me, little Shonjrell. As a child, we are in the hands of our parents, or caretakers, when it comes to nutrition, and exercise. We don’t even think about what we are eating, because we know, we are getting fed, and if it taste good,…
