2006-08-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

Spike Lee's documentary on New Orleans incurring Hurricane Katrina's wrath is an eye-opener. If you missed it this week, plan to watch it on HBO August 29. When The Levees Broke details the unthinkable horror of poor planning, lack of leadership, greed, ego and power struggles -- and that's just the politicians. What remains are people who are committed to their city, family and friends and are struggling to understand how this tragedy happened and why it is not being remedied. The destruction is devasting, and one year later, there are still piles of trash waiting on curbs, bodies in wreckage and major turmoil.

One of the interviewees summed up the situation most eloquently: "The United States is one of the richest countries in the world -- we have the resources and talent to make just about anything happen that we want to happen. What happened to New Orleans? Where is the government? Where is our help? How can Americans let this happen to their fellow Americans?"

You may be like me -- I donated generously to major charities and opened my home to friends evacuating the storm. Other friends organized trips to volunteer, rebuild and feed these devasted families. Over the course of a few months, I assumed that our monies and efforts were making a difference...you know what happens when you assume. When the Levees Broke profiles that the levees weren't the only broken element in this catastrophe -- faith, hope, leadership and trust broke, too. Unfortunately, they are still broken.

This documentary touches you on a very personal, soul-stirring level. It also highlights two dangerous attitudes that we all encounter and possess at times: apathy and assumptions. There is no faster way to fail than to become complacent. Perhaps that is what we tell our New Orleans and Gulf coast brothers and sisters -- we thought you were okay. We thought the government finally got itself together. We thought you were rebuilding your lives. We thought it was okay to go on with ours.

There is a time when thinking isn't enough -- action must follow. That time has arrived for New Orleans and the Gulfcoast. Apathy and assumptions rob of our focus and purpose. Mr. Lee's visual message also made me think of my own life -- areas where it is time to take action, stop making excuses, forgive and move forward. It's a lesson we can all take to heart, and take action.

2006-08-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, I saw an ad for a "Laundry and Refridgeration Spectacular"...Wow! Since when did laundry and leftovers became a cause for celebration?

My first recation was, "just who are they tryin' to fool?!" Call it whatever you want but loads of dirty clothes are just never going to stack up to a good day at the mall or Ebay. That's what my granny used to call putting lipstick on a pig -- no matter how much you dress it up, it's still a pig.

The ad made me think of a conversation over the weekend with a wonderful childhood friend, Evelyn. We don't actually see each other that often as she lives on the west coast and I'm on the east, so I'm surprised to find that our lives dovetail so often.

Evelyn is a physician who works part-time in order to be with her 15 and 11-year-olds. My kids just left the nest and my job requires travel 2-3 weeks a month, so you wouldn't think that our lives have much in common. Our souls do, however. We are both struggling with feeling isolated and sometimes lonely for other women friends.

Evelyn shared how hard she finds it to connect with other women --either their children's schedules conflict or work or family...or laundry! I've found that people are so busy trying to keep up with life that they just don't have the energy to make new friends and stay with a small circle. Eventually, people move away, die or drop off. Then what do you have? A laundry and refridgeration spectacular!

That's why www.LifeDivas.com was created -- as a support alliance for women to connect and pursue their passions -- to renew, be you or reinvent your life. To celebrate the soul of friendship over the piles of laundry. To rekindle dreams lost long ago and put life in proper perspective.

If this sounds like your life too, please join me on September 7 for a very special event -- Leadership and Life Excellence for Women with the Life Divas (TM). Just go to www.womensradio.com and click on Life Divas -- you've got three new friends and some wonderful ideas on getting back to what really matters.