A Powerful Interview of a Woman who Empower Others!

This is the last day of our celebration week and we welcome my new co-laborer friend and lovely lady Michelle V. Green. Michelle and I connected on Facebook and I am very thankful to have her here today to tell us about her organization, and a little bit about herself! Please meet Michelle!

CP: Thank you so much Michelle for joining us today! Give us a brief bio of who you are?


MVG: Thank you Cynthia. I am a native of New Orleans, LA and have always been in the business of encouraging and helping family & friends reach and SURPASS their goals. My parents have always praised all that I have done all that I say I will do, so I’ve always had the Confidence to “Just Do It!” The word “can’t” was not allowed in our household. I think that alone shaped a big part of who I am today.

I attended Louisiana State University where I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2003. Upon graduating I moved to Houston, TX to work at NASA as a Systems Engineer and obtained a Master’s of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2006.

Since moving to Houston I have used that same childhood confidence and started to check off one by one the items on my “Life Goals” list that I created as a little girl. Just a few of those things included having a successful career in the Aerospace industry, obtaining a Master’s Degree, becoming a licensed Real Estate Broker, becoming a certified Personal Fitness Trainer, becoming a professional model, starting my own fitness company, 1st Choice Fitness and a few more that I am still working toward to be a 100% entrepreneur!

To much surprise I was a natural born introvert! It was through many life experiences that my extrovert tendencies started to pour out and now my well is over-flowing! I have discovered many of my life passions which include health & fitness and empowering others to be as great as they are called to be. I have too many hobbies to name but some of my favorites are traveling, star-gazing, boxing, kickboxing, rock-climbing, horseback riding, roller skating and spinning. In addition, on my journey of achieving my “Life Goals” I have met some AMAZING people and have had some very fulfilling experiences. To name a few I have met and trained several NASA astronauts; conducted health & wellness seminars during Johnson Space Center’s Safety & Total Health Day and held free workshops in my community; I have traveled the world gaining knowledge, networking and meeting fellow entrepreneurs; I’ve trained with ex-heavyweight boxer Lee Canalito for several years; and I have walked the stage with fellow models and been featured in Mirror Mirror episodes on ABC. Of course one of my most fulfilling experiences to date came with the establishment of Women Empowered (WE). It gets better every time!

Since I also am the owner of 1st Choice Fitness, several people also know me as the “Boot Camp Instructor”. My training specialties include healthy weight loss strategies; cardiovascular fitness for overall heart health, strength/balance training, new client coaching & motivation, and most importantly health & fitness education. You can check out my website www.1st-choice-fitness.com and be sure to “Like Me” on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/1stchoicefitness#!/.

CP: Wow, you are a busy lady! Can you give us a brief overview of your organization?

MVG: Women Empowered (WE) was established in July 2010. Since then, quarterly seminars are held at various venues in the Houston area to discuss a plethora of Women's Topics. These topics include, but are not limited to, Women's Social Skills, Finding Inner peace, Forgiveness, Life Transformation, Self-Improvement, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Effective Leadership skills for Women, Assertiveness skills, Increasing self-esteem, Finding the Entrepreneur in YOU, and of course Self Empowerment & Exploration.

Women’s empowerment is one of my passions. “I love seeing women who have been “sitting on the sidelines” finally give themselves permission to express their Magnificence!”

I hope you will join Women Empowered (WE) on your journey as well! https://www.facebook.com/groups/208468662525311/.

CP: Who do you imagine is your ideal client/participant?

MVG: The ideal 1st Choice Fitness client would be anyone with the willingness to want to live a healthy & fit lifestyle. As a personal trainer I provide the knowledge and the tools for anyone to be half successful but it takes the consistency and determination of the client to bring the other half.

The ideal WE participant is a woman (all ages) who is looking to either empowered or be empowered! So that would be all of us! I have had several WE participants come to a seminar “just to see” and have left more empowered than ever! WE has made many connections and formed long-lasting relationships. WE has encouraged women to start their own businesses, apply to law school, and to start their own “Sister Circles”.

CP: If given the opportunity to speak with one of the most influential women past or present, who would it be and what would you ask her?

MVG: It would definitely be Ernestine Shepherd! At the age 74 she holds the Guinness World Record for the Oldest Female Body Builder and is in better shape than most people, decades her junior. Like me she is a certified personal trainer and spends her days running, lifting weights and working out. She is a role model not just for senior women everywhere, but for every one of us. As a fan of hers I know her story of what motivated her journey. If I met her I would ask her if she still does it for her sister (her original motivation) or if her sister is now all of the other women that she encourages and inspires on a daily basis. I’m pretty sure I know that answer but from one female personal trainer to another that would be a great conversation to have!

CP: What one book, written by a woman, do you wish you'd written yourself? Why?

MVG:
Truthfully, I do plenty of reading. However, I have not actually had much time to actually read an entire book these days. I’m still waiting on my next 9 hour flight to get the time to read a book written by a friend of mine, “Running from Solace” by Nakia Laushaul. I can’t wait! You can also check her out at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nakia-R-Laushaul-presents-The-Truth-As-I-See-It-In-Poetry-Prose/346645442878?ref=ts

CP: What was your journey to get where you are today? Any advice you can give to a younger woman?

MVG: My journey to where I am today all really began with my ministry of health and fitness in being a personal trainer. I meet all types of women/men who are often seeking to be fit but not necessarily healthy. Of course, it’s my job to provide you with the tools and knowledge to understand that you need both! So as I taught these lessons I began to take it a step further. To be able to complete the walk the Lord has outlined for you much is required – a healthy mind, body, and spirit! We also consider health as a basic and dynamic force in our daily lives, influenced by our circumstances, beliefs, culture and social, economic and physical environments. In order for me to be able to encourage others I must encourage myself and constantly seek the tools and knowledge to walk the talk! Hosting WE Seminars allow me to do just that by bringing other like-minded women together to empower each other on topics that aid in having a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

Advice I always give to younger women is to find a mentor. It can be your mom, grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin, or someone that just exudes the qualities you’d like to have! You can have a mentor for every aspect of your life (school, work, fitness, personal matters, etc.) and know that you can have a mentor at 10 and still have one at 90. A good piece of advice I once received was to encourage someone else because it may come back around to you just when you need it!

CP: Michelle, you are a busy woman. Do you find it difficult to manage your time, speaking engagements, shifting focus between marketing your ministry, as well as any day-to-day responsibilities?

MVG: Yes and no. Although I work full-time, train part-time, and host quarterly WE seminars I am very good at planning and being Ms. Organized! Therefore, my planner stays full with clients, networking and marketing events but if I write it down I must check it off. The good thing is that I have a great support system. My husband supports all of my endeavors (as I do his) and is always willing to lend a hand or help. As women we have a natural tendency to “do it all” and not ask for help or say “yes” when help is offered. Through some of the lessons learned and great mentors I have had in recent years I have learned to let go once in awhile. That being said I usually know when I’m at that tipping point and need a break. If not, my husband is definitely aware of when we “need a vacation”.

In addition, I have a great network of women that always help me pull off the WE Seminars. They do a number of things from speaking at some of the seminars to helping me arrange locations, speakers, donating door prizes, snacks and of course spread the WE word! Special thanks to Nakia Laushaul, Sophia Flot-Warner, Alexa Jones, Reba Charleston, Ingrid Walker, Angel’a Jones, Andrea Cojoe, Adria Carter, Lillian Johnson, Cheryl D. Jones & Nina James.

CP: Michelle tell us, what's next for you? Any upcoming events for your ministry?

MVG: The next thing up for WE is to continue to get bigger and better while reaching more women to become involved in the journey of empowerment.

The next WE Seminar will be held on November 5, 2011. Join the Women Empowered (WE) Group on Facebook to keep up with all of the latest and for more information.

Thank you so much for stopping by today Michelle! I’m sure everyone has enjoyed meeting you and hearing about you and your endeavors as much as I have. God bless you my dear!

WE Rock Book Giveaway!

Welcome to my very first book giveaway and I am so excited about it. I am calling it WE Rock Book Giveway! WE Rock means Women Empowered to Rock and all month we will celebrate the victory of August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution became law, and women could vote.

I have two giveaways of my book It Had to Happen. Here are the giveaway contest details:
1. Subscribe and join as a Follower here on my blog
2. Enter the contest in Goodreads

Goodreads Book Giveaway

It Had to Happen

by Cynthia A. Patterson

Giveaway ends August 31, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

My Review - Powerful!

I Had Every Excuse To Fail, But I Chose None by Sebastian K. Young

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Author does an excellent job of inviting the reader into deeply personal and moving life experiences; while offering words of wisdom and hope. Every reader will be encouraged and inspired to examine your life make no more excuses why you can't move forward and choose to be all you can be.



View all my reviews

Create a Plan Providentially

For most of us organization is very important. We plan everything. We plan where we will go to school, what we will study, and our future occupation. We must understand, however planning is not merely a matter of following the principles in some book, but recognizing our God has something to say about our plans. When you plan, you must biblically think about what you are doing. Will what I am doing bring Glory to God? Will my endeavors make me a better follower of Christ? When you can answer yes to these questions, only then can you plan with an attitude that God is pleased with. Your hardest work and best plans won’t please Him or garner success unless they are sanctified by Him. Proverbs 16:3-4, 9, is the perfect guide for ANY planning session, whether spiritual or otherwise: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends, even the wicked for a day of disaster. In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

I would like to encourage you to know the decision to change must be accompanied by changed behavior. Just as you cannot be a reformed burglar if you are still stealing, likewise you cannot be a child of the King unless you are living as though you are one of His chosen. The way you live, whether you are upholding God’s precepts or not, have serious implications for the success of any of your endeavors. If you are not living right, you should not be asking why you are not experiencing success in your endeavors. Proverbs 12:5 says, “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.” No matter how you twist and change this verse, we all have to admit one honest to God truth: If you are not living righteously, DO NOT expect God to bless your efforts. Our God is a loving God, not blind or foolish.

Jay E. Adams says “Your life is short, your life is unpredictable, your life is feeble, and your life is entirely in God’s hand.” I truly believe this to be the case. We must come into the realization we are no longer going to live in the same state of despair anymore and put a plan together to make something happen. Viktor Frankl put it best: “Those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how.” How we plan deliverance is the answer to becoming whole again.

Cynthia A. Patterson is the author of the forthcoming book, It Had to Happen – Understanding that everything you go through in life is for God’s Purpose. A sought-after conference speaker, teacher, and powerful prayer warrior who has a passion to inspire and encourage women. She is dedicated and sold out for the cause of teaching young adult women their significant purpose and worth is found in Christ alone. Her message of faith and wholeness is raising the awareness of God’s purpose and exposing each woman to the reality of His never-ending, love, mercy, and grace. Cynthia lives in Houston, Texas with son Michael who she calls her “mighty man of valor” as he is her first ministry

No Is Not An Option!

For the past few weeks I have noticed on the local and national news, story after story and number after number shocking disparities in women lives. These messages have been clear and consistent that some women have become discouraged and frustrated. They are giving up on looking for jobs. They are giving up on their marriages. They are giving up on church. They have even given up on life.

What I’ve discovered so far is that there are a lot of broken women. Women who are broken physically, mentally and financially. They can’t see past where they are and have lost hope on what’s ahead. They have lost the zeal of experiencing what we’ve heard so often called “The American” dream. I mean from the best neighborhoods to worst across America, everyone is experiencing the turbulence of troubled times causing us to say no I just give up. I quit.


I believe positioning yourself for purpose is predicated on your next decision. In the book of Ruth, we can see an example of this type of determination through two devoted friends Ruth and Naomi. I am encouraged through Ruth because here we have a young woman who was a princess. She is the great grand-daughter of King Eglon of Moab. She was married to Mahlon who later died and now she is a young widow. She is faced with a situation that is hopeless. She has no husband, no money and no means to take care of herself.

I don’t know if you are aware of this. But in those days widows had no standing in the community and were totally dependent upon the good will of their families and friends for survival. It was the duty of the Priests to look after widows and orphans, but there was no such provision in Moab; because there was famine in the land.

But something happens to change her destiny through the wisdom of her mother-in-law Naomi. In chapter 1 verses 6-7 says, One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah. (Message Bible)


Sisters, feeling sorry for ourselves or continuing to wallow in our pity parties is not going to help us. Naomi’s action is what I call Decisive Faith – Faith that says, “I have to make the decision and get myself together”. She received a word God was blessing the people and decided it is time to take a step of faith towards her destiny.

This is the problem we face as women, when we have things that block our perspective on what is going on. We can be so close to God, but yet so far away. We can avoid the consequences of poor decisions by taking God’s word seriously. You may think you have been rejected, excluded, cutoff, and shutout, but, I want to encourage you that God wants to put a word down in your spirit that will enable you to get up and make a decision to begin moving toward your deliverance.

After examining her situation, Ruth refuses to take “no” as her final answer decides to leave her current state and go. She decided to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth did not allow herself to be paralyzed by her lack of a husband. She understood God’s promised provision and was willing to position herself for purpose. She understood it would take act of obedience, diligence and was able to receive the blessings of God.

Ruth was able to discern when her season was up. In chapter 1 verse 16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”. She realized she was in a difficult place because there was a famine. Sisters, shift your focus. Quit looking at your situation and start anticipating your blessings. Don’t be so preoccupied with your current situation that you don’t see beyond it. For example, if you’re having problems with your job, look beyond it. If you are having difficulties in a relationship, get past it.



Or are you like Orpah? Who was so preoccupied with her situation she could not discern the blessings ahead. Orpah made a decision to turn and go back. Orpah was a woman full of unbelief and empty of wisdom. She made a mistake on making a now decision on a then experience. She was limiting her future to her past. She had more faith in her lack than she had in the promise. Sisters when you do that, you are limiting on what you could be based upon what you have been. Just like our sister Orpah, you become preoccupied with problems and situations, when you should be looking at opportunities.


Instead of focusing on negative, develop an attitude of expectancy. To say you were born this way and you will never change -- negative. To say this is how I am and it is what it is -- negative. To say, I don’t have enough education – negative. To say I am too fat – negative. To say I will never get married – negative. Your current situation isn’t the destination, but a chance to alter the course to get there. You have to take a stand and be bold enough to say like Ruth, “no is not an option”, I’m going all the way. I am moving forward!

Peace and blessings to you,
Cynthia A. Patterson
www.dove-ministries.org
"Author of the forthcoming book, It Had to Happen - Understanding that everything you go through in life is for God's Purpose."