Faster! Better! Stronger! Again! By Kamilah Paden

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Every Saturday, I find myself in a cycle class with an instructor in my “earhole” saying one thing, “Faster.” He doesn’t ask me what class I took yesterday or what I’m doing later. “FASTER!” He doesn’t ask me if I’m tired, if I’m depressed, or if I need a hug. “FASSTTEER!” He will leave on only one condition … if I go faster.  And regardless of how I’m feeling, I find a way to do it. You can find a way, also.

If you’re on The BOSS Network, there is something you want.  It may be a whisper deep in the crevices of your soul or a shout from the rooftops. And I want to see you succeed because I believe everyone has the ability to be more than they ever dreamed.

If you haven’t realized your dream, but you know what’s happening on the latest episode of “Love & Hip Hop.” Turn off that television. Get to work.

Wilma Rudolph – Olympic Gold Medal Winning Sprinter survived bouts of polio and scarlet fever. She needed a brace for her twisted leg and orthopedic shoes until she was twelve. If anyone had an excuse to miss gym class, it was Wilma Rudolph. Instead, she worked hard and became FASTER!

Shirley Paden – World renowned knitwear designer, author, and instructor works harder than anyone I have ever seen (except for her brother, my father).  Now I work, but some days I feel like the Wile E. Coyote to her Road Runner. She demands results from herself and those around her and does it with a kindness and grace that is rarely seen. BETTER!

Oprah Winfrey –The television personality, actress, producer, magazine mogul, and one of the wealthiest women in the world didn’t retire. She started her own network. STRONGER!

Hilary Clinton – The former Secretary of State lost her dream job, publicly. The man that won “her” job offered her a different job.  It was a good job, but less prestigious.  She took it, worked it, and waited until it was her time to try for her dream job. AGAIN!

Those of you that are watching your dreams fly past on a daily basis like the 7:45 a.m. commuter train. DO IT! 
I don’t care how you've failed in the past, what your momma said or how much money you lost. DO IT. 
Yes, it may have been you. Yes, life is unfair. Yes, other people may have it easier. No one cares. DO IT!
Maybe your product wasn’t right for the market. Maybe you didn’t know what you needed. Maybe you were too pigheaded to listen. Learn. Change. Excel. Then do it. AGAIN.

If you think you’re at the top of your game like Oprah, guess what? I still don’t care. Are you woman enough to face down the next challenge/opportunity presented you? Are you at the top of your game, but know that your “retirement” translates into taking new direction? If yes, then you may just be ready.

You have a goal to reach. You need the pushers/drill sergeants that don’t want to hear your excuses. You need someone in your “earhole” saying that it’s time for you to be FASTER! BETTER! STRONGER! And when you’re done, do it. AGAIN.


Connect with Kamilah Paden on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kamilahpaden or visit her Web www.vegaunleashed.com.

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