I’m a very lucky girl. I don’t know how it happened, but over the years I’ve met some pretty remarkable people who are very passionate and goal oriented. They had desires and dreams then found the means to make them come true. I will profile them in a new feature called Passion Meets Purpose. It is my hope that their stories encourage and empower the rest of us to do the same.

This week we speak with Jimmeka Anderson of I AM not the Media. I was introduced to Jimmeka in 2005 when she became a member of The Nu Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa AlphaSorority Incorporated (Skee Wee!)

No Fear: My Oprahversary

Today’s my Oprah-versary! If you don’t get down with Lady O you might want to tap out right now because this post is all about my experience on Lifeclass one year ago.

Remember how I wrote an entry about going to see Oprah’sLifeclass then I fell off the blogosphere? It is because I couldn’t find the words to express what the experience was like.

Keep Breathing

Still Breathing by Brianna Martray

To say the last month has been a difficult one would be a gross understatement. I’ve had to deal with some pretty hardcore issues over the last few weeks. Good, bad, ugly and downright debilitating issues that have kept me from posting as often as I want to.

Professionally, things couldn’t be better. I’m lying, having a show syndicated in major markets would be better, but that’s a discussion for another time. What I know for sure is day after day we have fantastic shows. I know better than to wear mascara in the morning because most likely I will stain my face from crying and laughing. The energy is there, the chemistry is on point, and I am so proud of the work we’ve been producing on air.

Socially, I’m like the Energizer Bunny. My calendar and datebook are filled and I’m pursing new interests, enjoying the people I’m meeting, the company I keep, and the laughter and joy they bring me. 

The one thing I haven’t been so vocal about is my physical alignments and the way they changed me. A few posts ago I wrote a light hearted entry on being sick and staying at home resting. I down played my sickness because I didn’t want to come off as whiny and exaggerated. Truth be told I was at the most vulnerable and frightened place I’d ever been. I was literally breathless. Air struggled to get in and it was excruciating to breathe out. Our most basic human function, the thing we do in our sleep and without thought was the one thing I wasn’t able to do without experiencing severe pain and discomfort. 

This really did a number on me. I didn’t know why I was ill, I didn’t know how to get better. Doctors poked and prodded me for days and still weren’t able to give me the answers I needed. They took my blood, x-rayed my chest, medicated me, and still I wasn’t able to breathe normally. I don’t know if I will ever be able to fully express how helpless it made me feel. 

Then the paranoia set in. I couldn’t sleep from fear of not being able to breathe. I was scared that everything around me was making me sick. My house, my clothes, my friends, I suspected everything. My medications had side effects that altered my mood, personality and energy level. I felt trapped, no paralyzed from the neck down. My brain was functioning but my lungs and body were not.

I am much better now and although I’m active again, I diligently take time each day to rest and allow my lungs to heal. I’m back to doing the things that brought me joy until the sickness took them away. Things like singing, working out, even laughing. Can you believe I couldn’t laugh without enduring pain? 

I’m ashamed to admit that I let the sickness get the best of me. It was only for a short time, but it happened. For a brief moment I gave up and even thought about how much easier it would be to just let go and disappear. No more pain, no infection, no sickness. The battle was too much for me, or so I thought. 

I’m officially closing that chapter of my life. I’m not going to dwell on that pain, that fear, and that feeling of helplessness. I am better. I won. I’m breathing. 

Some of you have shared that you are going through your own “sickness” right now. Something is blocking you from being your authentic self, something is paralyzing you or taking your breath away, zapping your energy and will to move forward. Push past it, move on, you deserve better, you are better, you will get better and you’ll come out of it so much stronger. I promise the sickness will leave. And if it won’t go, breathe, gather and fight like hell to find your way to your own healing. 

Now excuse me while I go outside, give thanks, and  breathe in some fresh air. I so deserve it.

Until next time, 
Deidre 

Dee Sick!!!

We got a situation here in Greensboro. I don't know if it is the ever changing weather, pollen, pollution, or what but my allergies attacked me like I tried to steal something!  Coughing, sneezy, itchy eyes, sore throat, I was a pure-t mess! I feel like I need to apologize to my listeners for sounding like a cross between Bea Arthur and Timbaland this morning on the air (five hour show y'all). I won't put you guys through that tomorrow, I promise.

So, I'm kinda stuck in the house tonight, sipping on tea and resting my voice. I was about to go out to Panera for chicken soup but my good friend Kerry prevented the neighbors from seeing me in my jammies, by going to get it for me, she also got the latest copy of O magazine. So tonight, it's just me, tea, soup and my O magazine. What up Oprah?








I have been trying to find reasons to smile because when I'm sick I tend to get grumpy but I am happy to say we got great news at work today. We got our ratings in radio world and our show was #1! That's great news for me and my crew and it definitely helped me grind through today's show. Other things that made me smile today included this hilarious photo spread NC native  Zach Galifanakis did for  Vanity Fair.

And Willow Smith finally released the video for her single "Whip My Hair." It's really different, but I gotta tell you, I love this video.  Check it out below:

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair (Official Video)
Uploaded by Jeffhardy143. - Explore more music videos.

And if that wasn't enough Whip action for you, check out 12 yr old Chang-Chang on The Ellen Show dancing to Willow's jam. 

This is a warning to all the adult performers out there. It is time to step it up, these kids are killing it! And I will drop my $1.29 on i Tunes for Willow's girl anthem before I throw it away on that foolish mess Katy Perry is signing about these days. Peacocks and skin tight jeans? Yea, I'm off that, grow up or at least be different!  Ooh I better get going, it's time for my next dose of Mucinex! Good times right?

 

Faith vs. Fear

Source

I found this just when I needed it....pass it on if you or someone you know needs a little motivation to stop doubting themselves and their ability to be brave.

Have a FEARLESS day my loves!''

-Deidre

Bacon, Berry, and Bad Dreams

You ever have one of those nights where no matter what you do, your mind just won't allow you to get any rest? Your dreams are so realistic and unpleasant that even after you wake up it takes a while before the ugly thoughts are completely out of your system? I went through that last night. I woke up terrified and distraught, but I refuse to let it define my day, so I jumped out of bed, said a prayer for peace and began to re-build my day.

For me, music is the best medicine, it is the one thing I can count on to get me out of my funk and to get on with my day. Apolpgies to my neighbors if you were bothered by my mini concert this morning which started with a little Kid Cudi's Up Up & Away.


 


My mom always says, if you have a bad dream don't speak of it until you've had some food. Now I have no idea where she got that idea  but as long as I stay black (which is forever) I will trust my mom and do what she says. So after I jammed to Cudi, I took the kitchen to whip up some breakfast.

I don't usually get a chance to enjoy a nice sit down meal in the morning because we go on the air at the butt crack of dawn. I'm lucky if I get a granola bar and banana in the morning, so today I made some pancakes and bacon with a side of yummy fruit. 

To continue my feel-good morning, I sat down with the latest issue of Vogue and  drooled over the beautiful clothes and read the article on Halle Berry (FIMH).

I've always been a fan of  Halle Berry's. She has been through so much (most of it publicly) and is a testament to the fact that  fame, fortune, and beauty doesn't = happiness. Living your life in the media isn't always easy especially when your heartbreaks are so frequent and devastating. This is what she had to say about giving her first interview in three years.

"I was burned-out with having other people tell the story about me that they wanted to tell. I told my publicist, 'I'm not going to talk anymore. I'm just going to live my life and be who I am.'"


I can't blame her, but I am so excited to see she's opening up again. I needed my Berry fix!


So now that I've gotten that horrible dream out of my system, bacon in my belly, and Berry on my brain, I'm looking forward to a beautiful day living in light and directing my love and energy to all things good. 

Until next time!
Deidre

Sludge

I woke up this morning feeling like I had been drinking all night long. Not a good start to the day and now I'm feeling really icky. This sucks because I know I need to get off my butt and work out, but how do you push through when you feel bad?

I'm a little nervous because I feel like I'm slipping back into my old habits. Laziness, late night snacking, and watching too much television. Is it the heat?

What do you do when you're having an off day? I'd love to hear your suggestions. Seriously, you guys encourage me to get out there and make better choices. This isn't a weight loss thing, this is a lifestlye thing. How do you get out of your rut?

Can You Hear Me Now?

Hi! I'm Deidre and welcome to my blog! I've been wanting to do this for so long and I finally got the courage to share my thoughts via the web. I have so much to talk about, so many things I want to share, I don't even know where to begin. Basically I want to be heard and I want to listen and learn from you guys. I'd love for this to be a place for me to share my world and get some things off my chest. That has been a running theme in my life.

I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated in the fall of 2001. I earned the line name “Ace VENTura” because throughout my process I’d often start conversations by saying “Umm I need to vent..” Working in such a large group with my sisters and trying to get things accomplished was difficult because everyone wanted to be heard. So I’d bite my tongue for as long as I could, my head would begin to throb, my chest got tight, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I’d stand up and say those words “Umm I need to vent” and everyone knew it was going to be a very long night. Everything I’d held onto was about to be unloaded. But hey we all want to be heard right?

I guess I still felt the need to be heard because since 2003, I’ve been the co-host of a morning radio show geared towards men. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job but I’m the only woman on a show with 4 guys. It’s like The View with man meat and I’m the odd-chick out,the Elizabeth Hasselbeck of my show. You know how Whoopi, Joy, Sherri, and Barbra Walters lean to the left politically and Lizzy is the Lone Republican Ranger? Well on my show I’m very vocal about my support of President Obama, gay marriage, and most liberal topics. Our audience leans toward the right and is male oriented so yeah sometimes I struggle to get my point across. I enjoy and encourage the healthy dialogue on our program with my co-hosts and listeners but sometimes even after talking to thousands of people for 5 hours each day,I still need to vent. That is why I started this blog.

I’m also going through a major physical transformation. I packed on a ton of pounds (I stopped counting around 100,) as a result of poor choices, health issues, and some wicked steroids and hormones I took to “get better.” Let me tell you it SUCKED ass and I wanted it gone. That rapid and massive weight gain did a number on my body and health so I had weight loss surgery (lap-band,) because my doctors agreed carrying all that weight on a small frame was doing even more damage than my prior health issues. See:


Since I try to avoid cameras at all times, I don't really have a full body "after" shot but I took this photo 3 months ago:


So all is good right? Dee got a quick fix and the weight is just gonna melt off in no time and she will finally get her sexy back? Hell to the no. Anyone who tells you surgery is an easy out is grossly uninformed and needs to shut the hell up. It is more like a tool to kick start your lifestyle change. It worked for me I knocked off about 30lbs in no time. After that initial drop the hard work begins. You have to worry about portion control, working out, making sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need, and blah blah blah. This shit requires commitment. But I don’t want to get into all of that during our first encounter. If you stick around you’ll hear all about my process, and the ups and downs of my weight loss. For now I can tell you I’ve lost 80lbs in 8 months and I would love to lose about 50 more.

I’m also an HGTV ho’. Seriously, I’d sell body to get on Design on a Dime, real talk. I have a love jones for Vern Yip. I’ve been stalking him since his Trading Spaces days. He completes me. I even got to meet him once see!



Don’t we look good together? I was crushed when I learned we could never be. He kissed a boy and he liked it. Liked it so much they adopted a kid together. If he’d called me I would have been honored to carry his little Yip in my womb in exchange for a bathroom makeover. Ok that sounds creepy, of course I wouldn’t do that. I’m lying I’d totally get knocked up by Vern to get a whirlpool tub!

See here I go just yammering and going on, getting off track! Let me wrap up this intro. So yea my name is Deidre, I’m a dj, trying to lose weight, get my house together, find love and happiness, and while I’m at it, I’d like to end world hunger. Welcome to my blog! I hope you come back soon! *Insert pageant wave*