2013: Lessons from An Amazing Year!

2013 was an amazing year! As I look back over the year there were many highlights.  Here are a few lessons I take with me as I transition into 2014:

• Courage Is Not The Absence of Fear.  When faced with difficult decisions, often we are gripped with fear.  When we came into this year, my husband I had to make some major leadership decisions that took much courage on our part.  We could have allowed our fears of the unknown to paralyze us, leaving us stagnant and unable to move into the future.  In retrospect what seemed to be fearful decisions proved to be some of the best decisions we have made in our ministerial careers. Remember courage is not the absence of fear.  Face your fears and take courage to move forward despite your fears.
• Create Your Own Door and Walk Through It. This year I decided to expand my coaching practice.  I began the year by launching my SOAR Coaching Seminar.  I facilitated the SOAR seminars in several cities, Florida, Ohio, Concord, NC and Chicago. In addition to the SOAR seminars, I launched the TLCC Accelerated Coach Training Course. Because I had the courage to create my own door others have opened new doors for me to walk through in 2014!
• Celebrate You! I came into 2013 excited about turning 50 this year.  On May 16^th I turned 50 and on May 24^th I hosted my Fabulous, Fierce & Fifty Birthday Gala! I celebrated my birthday as a fundraiser for My Sister’s Keeper Foundation for Women with family and friends from far and near.  I took the time to celebrate my accomplishments and the work of empowering women. I also took the time to appreciate the special women in my life in an All White Fabulous & Fierce Brunch. You can't always wait on someone else to throw you a party.  At particular junctures in your life it becomes necessary to pat yourself on the back and appreciate the roads you have traveled.  I have fond memories and pictures from that entire weekend.  It was certainly one of the highlights of my year!
• Celebrate Milestones. Another highlight of 2013 was the 20^th Wedding Anniversary and Vow Renewal celebration with my husband, Johnathan Alvarado! We renewed our wedding vows on the backdrop of a romantic beach sunset in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in the presence of couples that traveled to celebrate with us.  We also exchanged new rings as a symbol of the love and growth we have experienced in our marriage of 20 years.
• Cherish The People Who Mean The Most To You.  Among all the excitement of this year, there have been moments of sadness when people passed on from this life. As a pastor I had to stand with those who lost loved ones both young and old. Some were tragic accidents while others were sudden deaths due to illness that took their loved ones unaware.  Some are left with unanswered questions and feelings of despair.  While others found comfort in just knowing that their loved ones were no longer suffering the pains of their illness. Yet, in each case there seemed to be a wish for more time to share and spend with loved ones.  I’ve decided to live every day like it’s my last and to cherish every moment I have with the people who mean the most to me.
• Change Your Scenery Regularly. This year I reinvigorated my value for recreation, relaxation and rest as a part of my overall value for self-care.  I’m especially proud of the fact that I vacationed several times this year with my husband, our children, my Mom and sisters.  In addition to traveling and vacationing (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Destin, FL, Nairobi and Nakuru, Kenya, New York City, Hilton Head, SC & Charlotte, NC) I also visited several local spas and took the necessary breaks to keep me happy and healthy.

In 2013, like every other year, there were challenges to overcome and demands to meet. Yet, because of God’s grace and a winning attitude I completed this year stronger than ever. I'm thankful for the blessings of 2013 as I look forward to more of God's grace in 2014!

Happy New Year!

Dr. Toni

www.drtonialvarado.com

Paying It Forward

Occasionally a woman will come to me asking to sponsor another woman to the MSK Leadership & Life Coaching Program. Over the years we have received numerous donations to assist us in meeting the academic and extracurricular needs for the children of Single Mothers or women who are returning to school for academic and professional development through our Margaret G. Baker Second Chance Award.

One of the reasons I have dedicated my life to the empowerment of women is because of the women who have shared their resources of insight and wisdom with me through coaching and mentoring relationships.  Not only have I given much of my time but I have dedicated a good portion of my income to ensure that My Sister’s Keeper Foundation for Women can fulfill its’ mission in the advancement of the women who engage our community.

Well this year, I’m so excited that as we are preparing for our 7^th Leadership and Life Coaching Focus Group, three of our graduates have caught on to the spirit of MSK!  Often we receive applications from women who desire to enter our program but for some women finances is an obstacle for their participation in the program. 

Because one of our organizational guiding principles is authentic relationships we desire to build a cadre of women who are not only concerned with themselves, but women who have made a personal commitment to ensuring that another woman can take advantage of an opportunity to discover and fulfill her life mission and purpose.  To this end, I want to personally thank Errin Baugh (Class of 2009), Noreen Raines (Class of 2012) and Tanya Henderson (Class of 2013) for reaching back and sponsoring a woman to our 2013-2014 Leadership and Life Coaching Program!

I’m always amazed at those who are selfless in the way they live who will sacrifice on behalf of others.  It’s because of women and donors like Errin, Noreen and Tanya that MSK continues to “Move Women from Average to Excellence!”

Catch the Spirit of MSK & Pay It Forward!

Dr. Toni G. Alvarado,  CEO/Lead Coach

My Sister's Keeper Foundation for Women

www.mskfoundation.org

www.drtonialvarado.com

When You Work Hard You Ought To Play Hard!

I have had the most amazing summer! The first half of 2013 was marked by many new and exciting accomplishments and challenges. One of the mantras that I live by is "When you work hard you ought to play hard." One of the ways that I reward myself for working hard is planning vacations and times to refresh and renew myself and my relationships with family and friends. In May, I kicked the summer off with my Fabulous, Fierce & Fifty Birthday Gala and Fundraiser for My Sister's Keeper Foundation for Women. On June 26th My husband, Johnathan Alvarado and I celebrated 20 Years of marriage. We vacationed in Punta Cana, DR along with friends who celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary in a beautiful Vow Renewal Ceremony on the beach. My summer was made complete this week as I spent time having fun and enjoying my children (& my husband lol!) as we vacationed in Destin, FL. I'm thankful for a wonderful first half of the year and looking forward the second half of a productive and prosperous year! 

Blessings.....

Dr. Toni Alvarado

www.drtonialvarado.com

The Best Is Yet To Come!

This year has been an amazing year for me!  Last month, I celebrated my 50^th Birthday with a cadre of family and friends who gathered in an elegant evening gala to celebrate with me. There’s something about my 50^th Birthday that is so surreal to me.  In fact I may not get 50 more years to fulfill my purpose and destiny.  Crossing this threshold of life inspires me to go after all of my dreams with the most passion and vigor I can muster up.

Looking back over my life, I’ve crossed major milestones and overcome many hurdles.  I have traveled many miles and gained a considerable amount of accolades.  I’ve been married 20 years to my best friend, Johnathan Alvarado and together we have grown in marriage, ministry and family.  I consider being married to him and being the mother of our three (now teenage) children one of my greatest accomplishments! 

I’ve grown academically and professionally having earned five degrees and three professional certifications.  I’ve had the opportunity to travel, teach and preach both nationally and internationally and develop women through the medium of coaching and mentoring. With all that I have accomplished, I am still growing, learning, and reaching toward a greater purpose. 

Some people ask me, “What’s next?”  “How do you do it all?”  My reply, “I don’t know, but I know that as long as I’m still alive, there is more that God wants to produce out of my life.”  With all that I have accomplished, there’s been struggle, pain, disappointment, moments of sadness, failure, frustration and times where I felt like giving up. 

But, I must say, that for every difficult moment, there’s been a greater or equal amount of joy, laughter, hope, victory, success and the Best Is Yet To Come!

Blessings…..

Dr. Toni

www.drtonialavardo.com

A Reason to Celebrate & Give!

Mere words cannot express the excitement I have about the MSK Foundation and the success we have achieved in empowering women!  We ended our program year celebrating the entire month of May, beginning with our Annual Yolonda & Raven Johnson Mother's Day Dinner at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Egleston Hospital. The joy of putting a smile on the faces of mothers and families whose child is hospitalized on Mother's Day is worth all of the efforts it takes to bring this outreach event to our local community.

On May 19th, MSK graduated it's 6th Leadership and Life Coaching Program Focus Group with a fabulous celebration and awards ceremony.  We were empowered and motivated to reach higher as we laughed, cried and listened to the reflections of our graduates and the inspiring message of our keynote speaker, Mrs. Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, Esq.  

Finally, I am eternally grateful for all the birthdays wishes, greetings and support we received in celebration of my 50th Birthday and Fundraiser Gala for My Sister's Keeper Foundation for Women! I was overwhelmed by the presence of family, friends, colleagues and women in the MSK Community!

I invite you to join my dream of empowering women by becoming a regular supporter of MSK Foundation.  You can do so by visiting our website subscribing to our monthly newsletter and donating a gift to assist us with our life changing programming.  Thank you for celebrating this milestone year of my life with me and giving to empower women through MSK Foundation!

Sincerely,

Dr. Toni G. Alvarado, CEO/Lead Coach

MSK Foundation for Women

"Moving Women from Average to Excellence"

www.mskfoundation.org

MSK 2013 Graduate Brooklyn Goodall & Dr. Toni G. Alvarado
at the 50th Birthday Gala & Fundraiser for MSK Foundation For Women

Overcoming Fear

David Shapiro and David Lieder in the book Repacking Your Bags, suggest that fear is the most common emotion that people are walking around with every day.  It is such a common emotion that many people have learned to function with it and never challenge the basis of their fears.  Fear is such a strong emotion that people would rather stay in situations that are non-production rather than pursue the blessings that lie beyond the borders of their fears.

Fear blinds us to life’s possibilities. Fear limits us and keeps us living within the status quo.  When examined closely we often discover that the things and events we fear will simply never happen.  Yet, because of the fear that we allow to shape our realities we often forfeit our dreams and passions and settle for a nominal existence and non-resistant path.

The Bible gives us a prescription for fear and challenges us to overcome fearful thoughts, behaviors and attitudes.  The fear that the Bible speaks of is a healthy fear and reverence for God and life.  The type of fear that paralyzes us and keeps us from being our best self is simply not the way God intends for us to live our lives.  “The spirit that God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7.

God bless you and have a fearless week!

Dr. Toni

www.drtonialvarado.com

Follow Your Heart

The American Heart Association has named February as “American Heart Month.”  This month will be filled with all sorts of events and initiatives aimed at helping us live healthier lives and avoid behaviors that increase our potential for heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. 

The human heart is viewed as one the most significant organs of the human body and affects the healthy function of every major system in the body.  When the heart is unhealthy is affects other major organs causing them to eventually fail and threaten our lives.

This thought prompted me to question, “How important is it to have a healthy heart in pursuing our dreams?”  Aside from the natural causes and effects, I’m really thinking about the importance of having the right dreams and passions lodged in our heart such that we will be lead down a path toward our purpose and destiny.  Without the proper diet, exercises and the right people checking up on our heart, we will miss the subtle issues that will lodge itself right in the center of our hearts. 

Let’s do a heart check-up right here:  Allow me to ask you some coaching questions that if answered properly can ensure that your heart is healthy enough to follow.  What fears are lodged in your heart that keep you from pursuing your purpose and destiny?”  “What books, materials and programs are you engaging that challenge you and keep your heart muscles growing and strong?”  “Who are the coaches and mentors who challenge you to grow and develop plans for reaching your goals and vision?”

Finally, “When was the last time you checked to see if things in your life are working properly?” 

If you are in a regular pattern of doing “heart checks”, you will ensure that you always have something in your heart worth going after.  If you find that you have big dreams and bodacious passions, you are in good health and your heart is alive and pumping. 

We have entered into the 2^nd month of a new year and if you haven’t done so already, get your heart checked and “Follow Your Heart!”

Blessings.....

Dr. Toni

www.drtonialvarado.com

Seizing New Opportunities in This New Year!

I have been buzzing around with excitement and anticipation for 2013!  It could be because I will be turning 50 this year and I’m looking forward to what the second half of my life will be. 

As I’ve been talking with people, there seems to be a general sense that this year is going to be a year full new opportunities.  Yet, with each opportunity come new threats and obstacles that can diffuse our excitement and deflate our energy for seizing them. Every opportunity we are afforded will come with new responsibilities and will need to be met with adjustments to our attitudes, habits relationships, routines and schedule.

In order to make such adjustments we must first start with a new way thinking.  It has been said that one’s attitude will determine one’s altitude. However, attitudes are the sum total of the way in which one thinks.  If you enter a new opportunity thinking negatively then it is likely that you will only see the challenges and obstacles.  But if you enter into each new opportunity with the expectation that you were built for the challenges then you will create the environment for success and overcome each obstacle.

Seizing opportunities requires creativity and an attitude that can see possibilities with every challenge.  One accomplishes this by a having spirit that is determined to forge ahead amid uncertainties. People who succeed in this way are people who find solutions to every possible problem and enjoy the rewards that come with the newness of each opportunity.

Carpe Diem!

Dr. Toni

www.drtonialvarado.com