The Picture of Success

Yesterday, in response to the posting, Jungle Fever, Antoinette made the comment,

The second statement--made indirectly to our black girls--is that you are not present in the "picture" of success! Not only does society make it tough for you (Black females) to get there on your own, but when you look at what success looks like, there are very few black female faces.

That phrase, the PICTURE OF SUCCESS, caught my attention. Here's why...

Vision is so important. There's a verse in the Bible that states, "where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint." In other words, if I don't see life better for myself in the future, then it really doesn't matter what I do now. I don't need to make investments in my future because, no matter what I do, life isn't going to get any better for me.

In my opinion, there are three primary groups that help us create our vision: our faith community, our family and friends, and the media.

Unfortunately, much of what we embrace as the picture of success is shaped by the media. And when that is the case, Antoinette is right--there aren't a lot of Black female faces in those pictures.

Nevertheless, I am still on strong believer that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for what you accept as true. As adults, we can't continue to blame anyone else for the "realities" that we embrace.

In fact, you have the ability to create your own picture of success, and ensure that YOU are securely positioned in that picture.