Rosetta Thurman Archives - The Swirl World

#184| Time Is Power

July 3, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

I’m sure we’ve all heard “time is money,” but did you also know “time is power?”

Time is power because when we use and leverage it properly, we’re able to maximize our efforts and get things done.

Here in the United States many of us will enjoy a 3-4 day 4^th of July holiday weekend.

How do you plan to spend your time?

Of course you want to relax, kick back and enjoy your family and friends.

(I plan to get in some good sleep!)

Even with the increase in leisure time, I fully intend to work on some projects this weekend.

Why?

Because time is power, and I don’t want to carelessly waste mine.

What about you?

Want to learn how to find 20+ hours a week to work on your goals? Rosetta Thurman of the Happy Black Woman website and blog shares some excellent tips.

I tried the tips – and they work!

To view Rosetta’s video and read the post, click here. To join the Happy Black Woman Facebook Community, click here.

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing 365 days of inspiration in 2015. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, clear photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Copyright ©2015 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo property of The Swirl World™.

Chatting With CHONILLA – Part 1

March 4, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Whew . . . !

The upload of Podcast Episode 062 (and the next two upcoming podcast episodes) have been a long time in the making.

Y’all, I’m not even going to tell you when we recorded this podcast with the one, the only, Sherley and Clove aka CHO & NILLA of Montreal, Quebec.

Yep – CHONILLA.

CHONILLA!

Let me just say, Adrienne and I interviewed Shirley and Clove early in our podcast journey (we launched June 9, 2014).

We were such newbies, and thrilled to have these veteran interracial podcasters to come on our show.

Sherley and Clove have been blogging and podcasting from Canada for years, and we were thoroughly geeked out to have them on our show.

We wound up chatting for almost two hours, and it’s taken me with my anal self this long to get their show edited and up.

*Hangs head in shame*

I know they forgive me, though (thanks, Sherley and Clove!), and we’re happy to finally present our conversation with them.

Shucks, it’s almost time to have them back on!

*Grins*

If you don’t see the podcast player, click here to download Part 1. To listen on the podcast site, click here.

To listen on Sound Cloud, click here.

Be sure to go check out Sherley (@Sherasaurus on Twitter) and Clove (@Clovasaurus on Twitter) on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to their podcast.

They’re a riot! Woot! Woot!

PS – Our shout-out for this episode goes to Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman. Be sure to look Rosetta up on Facebook, Twitter and on her website, HappyBlackWoman.com. We <3 you, Rosetta!

Want to be a guest on The Swirl World podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio!

#15 | Life’s A Beach!

January 15, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Yesterday at noon here in the United States, the temperature in Lafayette, LA was 37° Fahrenheit. (The expected high was 46° F; I don’t think we reached it).

Chicago’s noon temperature was 16°, and with the wind chill it felt like 14°. And in Fairbanks, Alaska? A frigid 10°.

And yet, across the world at Cottesloe Beach near Perth, Western Australia, it was a balmy 72° F, and surfing enthusiasts could check the surf forecast.

For them right now, life’s a beach!

Now, close your eyes, and imagine the moon over Cottesloe Beach. Isn’t it time we did some traveling?

The inspiring Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman just posted a feature article entitled, “Four Steps to Creating an Online Travel Vision Board.” I strongly advise you to check it out!

Let’s set up a board so we can get up and get out – I’d love to see the moon rise in another location, wouldn’t you?

—

If you’d like to share your photos, please send them to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. We’d love to feature YOU in one of our Inspiration Daily posts!

Copyright ©2015 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, All rights reserved. Photo of Cottlesloe Beach Copyright ©2015 John Miecovich. Used with permission.

I’m Ph.inisheD! (Among Other Things)

September 7, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 6 Comments

Whew!

If you’re my Facebook friend you’ve already heard the news.

I promised I had an announcement to make, and here it is:

I can now sign my name a:s

Michelle Matthews-Calloway, Ph.D.

Or, Dr. Michelle Matthews-Calloway

Or, Dr. Michelle

Or, Dr. Matthews-Calloway

Or – whelp, you get the picture.

I’m FINISHED!!!!!!

Woot to the Woot, Woot, WOOT!!!!

Thanks to everyone for all the emails, text messages, Facebook posts/in boxes, and phone calls.

Special thanks to my parents and my brothers, Mr. Art, Barbara G., Michelle M. (a.k.a. “Elle Veg“), Mitzie and everyone at Acadiana LifeStyle for the well wishes and encouragement when it was time to leave for my oral defense.

I have Dedication and Acknowledgment pages in the dissertation, and when it’s all filed and published, I’ll be sure to post the pages so you can see the names of the people who were the “wind beneath my wings.”

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire state to help someone who’s journeying to a Ph.D! (in my case, several states)

Whatever your role, large or small, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So, What’s Next?

I’m now contemplating and praying about the next steps. Needless to say, after being in graduate school for the past seven years – since 2006; can you believe it??? – not having textbooks to read, research to conduct or papers to write feels STRANGE.

I need to make some decisions about this blog. I was listening to a vlog entitled “The Guilt of the Black Housewife” from my good cyber buddy, Eugenia Berg of Married Girl in a Weird World. She expressed the sentiment that she was planning to eventually retire her MGIAWW blog and focus on her new blog, Married Girl Takes on the Pacific Northwest, a regional travel blog.

I totally get that, and applaud her for following her interests and passions.

I’m not planning to retire the blog per se, yet I do plan to expand the focus somewhat. Shucks, when I look back on past posts I see that the focus has been expanding for probably the past 6 – 8 months; indicative of my evolving interests.

One thing I’ve decided that I’m not going to fight it; I’m just going to roll with it and see where I land.

The Swirl World on Facebook heavily covers concepts of diversity, interracial dating and interracial marriage (shout out to Adrienne L.L., the best fellow Admin. a Facebook page manager could ask for)! We have an awesome community that is growing by leaps and bounds, so a part of me is wondering if the Facebook page should primarily suffice as the “interracial” outlet.

(Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts. Yes, I know ultimately it’s my decision, yet a little well-intentioned feedback or input never hurt anyone. IJS).

My thoughts also turn to the For Church Girls blog. I’m really passionate about the concept behind FCG and want to make it work – can I build that blog and do the other things I want to do??? The A Swirl Girl blog is in a really good place – should I simply now focus on building the For Church Girls blog?

Not only that: I have two book ideas; one fiction, one non-fiction: Which one to pursue???

And,

Two of my professors want me to publish my dissertation in academic journals, and they want to publish with me (so stoked about that!) They also say that my research and academic publishing journey is just beginning, and I need to conduct more research on my chosen demographic (interracially married women of color).

Decisions, decisions.

~Le sigh.

I must say that Rosetta Thurman of the Happy Black Woman is putting out some stellar posts on decision-making and pursuing your dreams. I plan to review her blog posts and just meditate on them, in addition to engaging in some old-fashioned prayer.

Stay tuned . . . . .

Join in the Fray: What decisions/next steps are you contemplating right now? Any advice?

My BIG, HUGE Announcement: I Have A New Baby-And It’s A Girl!!!!

April 30, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 11 Comments

Remember back on April 1st when I told you that I would have a special announcement to make at the end of the month?

Well, my BIG, HUGE announcement is:

I Have A New Baby-And It’s A Girl!!!!

*Beaming with pride*

Just kidding. Sort of.

(I am shrieking with laughter, because even when I’m totally serious, I play too much).

I don’t have THAT kind of new baby!

No, I have THIS kind:

You’re looking at the brand new face of my upcoming blog and website:

For Church Girls

Traditional . . . .Yet Contemporary Women

That’s right, I’m launching a new blog designed specifically for women of faith. The Proverbs 31 woman in the Old Testament and the businesswoman Lydia of the New Testament serve as the inspirations for the blog. Both were traditional women in that they were women of faith – yet they were contemporary for their time.

The purpose of For Church Girls is to serve as the go-to blog for women of faith. The blog will focus on spiritual things including inspiration, empowerment, and personal enrichment, as well as natural things that are also of interest and concern, including health, wellness, hair, fashion, and beauty. Moving forward, we will also hold monthly empowerment calls featuring guests who will lead discussions on a variety of topics.

This has been a particularly exciting week for me, not just because I’m undertaking this new venture, but because other bloggers like Christelyn Karazin of Beyond Black & White are forming networks and coalitions, and launching new websites.

This is a win-win situation for women seeking quality content.

I recently completed a Blogging School conducted by Rosetta Thurman, Blog Mistress of the Happy Black Woman. The class was filled with women who are starting new blogs and launching websites.

Writer and social commentator Angela Gatlin Keys is working on a new website. Celebrity stylist Kaye Flewellen of Just Ask Kaye is working on a new book and companion website, as is blogger Toni M, Blog Mistress of Petals.

Just this Monday, blogger LC Coleman of Colored Girl Confidential launched a new online networking and accountability group called The Colored Water Fountain.

And as for A Swirl Girl? Well, she’s going to Keep Calm And Swirl On!

No worries; this blog will continue. I’ve got more good stuff coming up, including a special guest post from dating advice specialist and freelance writer Miranda Santiago, who will share some juicy tidbits about interracial dating and Latin men. Look for more profiles of interracial romance writers, and stories and photos from interracial couples.

And, of course, news and updates regarding my Swirling activity.

Back to the matter at hand:

Isn’t it wonderful that bloggers and writers are pursuing and fulfilling their dreams? And that’s the beauty of dreams: Everyone can have a dream, a goal, a vision – and everyone can realize their dreams.

The vision I foresee in For Church Girls is a website that serves as a safe haven for women of faith. Far too often these days, “Church Girls” are portrayed in a negative light, and viewed as thirsty, man hungry, gullible hypocrites who are silly and vapid. Yes, the Bible aptly describes such women; they do exist. Their egregious behavior needs to be challenged! Even though For Church Girls will project a nurturing environment, we won’t coddle anybody: Stinkin’ thinkin’ and behavior will be called out and addressed!

Our launch is set for May 11, 2013.

Till then, head on over and sign up for our updates to ensure you don’t miss a bit of the action!

Join in the Fray: What’s your opinion of modern-day “Church Girls?”

I have blogged every day in the month of April for BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading and do leave a comment!

Hitting the Reset Button . . . . .

July 3, 2012 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 8 Comments

So on July I started the 31-Day Reset Challenge with Rosetta Thurman, creator of The Happy Black Woman. I’m a Woman, I’m Black, and I’m all about the Happy so I’m excited to do this challenge! According to Thurman’s website, the challenge is designed for “Anyone who wants to manifest a change in their life, design a more fulfilling existence, make room for new possibilities or simply gain more clarity about their path to happiness and success. This challenge will especially be of benefit to you if you’ve felt stuck or in a rut during the last year.”

Needless to say, 2011 didn’t rank as one of my Top Ten best years because I was definitely stuck. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, life decides to smack you all upside the head (I believe the politically correct term is “blind side.” Same difference – and definitely the same effect. I’m just saying.).

The event that blindsided me left me stuck, yet I’m happy to say that I’ve recovered and I’m no longer reeling and rocking. Now, instead of being in a rut as a result of being blindsided by Life, I’m agreeing with the assertion that Life Goes On. I’m on a mission to keep it moving and this 31-Day Reset is just the ticket to propel me forward.

Day 1 of the challenge required us to pick a journal to write in, decide on a mantra, and select a personal theme song. Because I’m now navigating some very pivotal areas of my life (more on that in later posts), my mantra for the 31-Day Reset is this:

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this!”

~Joan of Arc

My personal “theme song” is “I’m Every Woman” by the imitable Chaka Kahn. This song has run in the background of my head from the first time I heard it. It’s so much of part of me that when I find myself in difficult situations, I often say to myself, “I’m every woman; it’s all in me” to give myself an extra boost of courage.

This reset could not have come at a better time, because I’m afforded some much-needed down time as I wait for my dissertation proposal to undergo review. Each day I’ll try to post some tidbit from the 31-Day Reset Challenge. If you’re interested in jumping in on the fun, sign up here while there’s still time to take the challenge for free.

Want to do the 31-Day Reset Challenge vicariously through me? Then stay tuned for updates! Follow me on Twitter on @ASwirlGirl or on Facebook at The Swirl World.

Join in the fray: What areas of your life need a “reset?” What practical steps are you taking to “reset” your life?

#184| Time Is Power

Like this:

Chatting With CHONILLA – Part 1

Like this:

#15 | Life’s A Beach!

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I’m Ph.inisheD! (Among Other Things)

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My BIG, HUGE Announcement: I Have A New Baby-And It’s A Girl!!!!

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Hitting the Reset Button . . . . .

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