“As we celebrate Black History Month we should be grateful for the achievements they made and inspired by their legacies to continue their work.” Marty Meehan
“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.”Carter G. Woodson
As we wrap up Black History Month and Heart Health Month, I thought it would be helpful to revisit some very important and helpful information that we could all use. In 2013, Eunique Jones started shooting a series of photos of kids dressed as black icons and she added quotes to the photos. Her message was one of empowerment and remembrance and it caught on like a wildfire. I had the opportunity to feature her work on this blog and for this month of celebrating all things great and historical about black folks in America, I revisited her work. Since 2013, it has grown into a movement. She has published calendars and a coffee table book, and all can be purchased with other items in her store. When I think of Black History and the journey of our people over the years, it makes me proud to know that the legacy of overcoming and rising above the barriers is a hard-worn quality. There is an African saying that goes something like this: He who knows not where he is going must at least know where he is coming from. History Matters. Family legacy and documentation Matter. Come back later for more.
READ: Black History Month: Eunique Jones Divine Transformations – Kids As Historic Icons
“Too many U.S. adults have a heart age years older than their real age, increasing their risk of heart disease and stroke. Everybody deserves to be young – or at least not old – at heart.” Tom Frieden
Join the NHLBI and itsThe Heart Truth® program this year in encouraging Americans to move more and Move with Heart. You should strive for at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) each week of physical activity that gets your heart pumping and leaves you a little breathless. There are flexible ways to break it into amounts of daily activity, and even small amounts add up and can have lasting heart health benefits.
According to the American Heart Association, there are many reasons why getting fit and maintaining a healthy level of activity is imperative. Why is physical activity so important for health and well-being? It can lift our mood, Keep us physically fit and keep the doctor at bay with reduced incidences of ill health. What does being active do for us? AHA gave us 5 solid reason to be active:
lower your blood pressure
boost your levels of good cholesterol
improve blood flow (circulation)
keep your weight under control
prevent bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis
It doesn’t take much to figure out why, this year, the theme for Heart Health month is staying fit.
01/01 – 01/01 New Year’s Day, 01/04 World Braille Day, 01/07 Orthodox Christmas, Golden Globes Award
01/08 – 01/11 Human Trafficking Awareness, 01/14 Orthodox New Year, 01/15 – 01/15 Martin Luther King Day, 01/21 World Religion Day,
01/22 – 01/26 International Customs Day, 01/27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
01/28 – 01/28 Grammy Awards,
02/04 – 02, National Wear Red Day, Groundhog Day,
02/11 – 13, Mardi Gras, 14, Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, 16, Chinese New Year
02/18 – 19, Presidents Day
02/25 – Wrapping Up February – Black History Month, American Heart Month, National African American History
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
Below are links to healthful and helpful articles you could benefit from. Read some and share many. Come back for more on this week’s motivational topic…
Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note. Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below) Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays Twitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnM Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up Facebook Page:MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others. Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.
Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page) Tag: – Motivation Mondays Hashtag: – #MotvnM
Thank you for this great reminder. It is really important to remember and think of the things that really matter. Because of this post, I want to learn more about Black History.
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well E, I do hope you’re looking after yourself. We need you to challenge our thought processes and I really look forward to Motivation Mondays. I’d be keen to hear more about Black History when you’re feeling a bit better and I have to admit I was quite shocked about the heart disease stats for woman. That’s really scary. For some strange reason I assumed it was a “man thing”.
My father had a mild heart attack last year because he wasn’t taking care of his body by eating well and exercising. Since then, he’s learned to eat healthier alternatives and walk more. It’s so important to inspire and push others to do the same!
Beautifully written. May we learn from our past, process and transform it, so we can move forward to building a worthy world for our children. <3 xo Evelyn, PathofPresence.com
I learn something – the black history. Great to have such event to create awareness. This is great to help children and engage these young people to transform from students to professional.
Fantastic post as always, its important we all look after our hearts as best as possible, I like how you mention that keeping fit benefits us more than just what we see on the outside.Thank you for showing us history in your posts too, I always feel like I have learnt something when I visit your blog.
I think it’s very important to take good care of our bodies in general, since our bodies influence the way how we feel and how vital we are. I love your post! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this. We were so busy this month that we almost forgot that it was Black History month. We didn’t even know it was Hearth Health Month- thanks for telling us that.
Black history month is SO important for celebrating the great minds and personalities that people of color have brought to the table for years. I need to learn more though!
I’m always inspired by the many stories and people who’ve made such an impact on our history. It’s nice that we’re introduced to so many amazing people each year during Black History month and being in conjunction with Heart Health is an important reminder to take care of our bodies as well.
I love this post … few months back I had visited the African American History Museum and it was quite an experience. Learned so much about Black History.
Heart and history matter, indeed. Heart gives life, while history gives richness to life. Both are needed to live a lovable and fulfilled life and leave a legacy behind.
Great reminder to take care of one of your most vital organs!! My husband’s dad died of a heart attack and yet he still eats so many hamburgers…I’m really trying to get him to cut back! Black History Month is always so fascinating…I learn something new every year!
Great post with wonderful information. It is so important to remember and reflect on history, good and/or bad. It is how we grow and continue to change.
This is such an interesting post. I like reading history for there’s so much to learn and understand from it. I really like the quote by Robert Frost, that’s so true!
Beautiful post! The images and the content – along with the tips –
Especially enjoyed the Eunique Jones Divine Transformations – Kids As Historic Icons article – thank you
The power and depth of this message, this movement that it creates, is limitless. Giving the next generation the opportunities our ancestors didn’t have is beautiful and humbling. Because of Them We Can is a great campaign for the future.
I really want to know about the history, each and every. I really enjoy your posts like this one, not making me think but also making me more educated.
Very well written. History is the mold that directs a nation to where it should go. Allow me to mention the words of Dr. Jose Rizal, my country’s National Hero – “To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open a book that tells of her past.”
You’re right – it’s so important to remember all aspects of history. If you just look at the positives or the negatives, you don’t get a proper view and things become blurred.
History and heart health both are excellent subjects on which we need to raise awareness. I always say that History is a people’s memory, if you loose your history, you loose your memory! In my home country, several subsequent dictatorships in the past, aimed to harm the Naiton’s memory, by erasing the history and narrating new (false) versions. With the return of democracy, it was build “The MEMORY Museum” you see, not the history museum as in many other countries, but the MEMORY museum. To remind us that history is what we are today.
Concerning health, I have a very sedentary lifestyle because of my job and studies (and hobbies!) but since January I’ve taken the resolution of incorporating more physical activity in my life throughout the day. So far I’m only seeing benefits in this decision!
I wish I could find the post, but there are videos out that are of black people telling black history. I think it is wonderful because it give a larger value and puts a relatable image to that history. it brings it to life. In a country that has so many different histories it is important to learn form them all.
Wow, tons of information in this post! Lots of lovely articles to read later too – thank you! I love the idea of promoting health, its such a lovely thing to promote. Lovely post! 💚
Black History Month is such an important event to support, no matter which race, religion or region you are from. It’s learning about history that shapes the future x
Great post –– I love the images you’ve chosen to accompany it. I’ve certainly learned so much this month from what people have put out there for Black History Month and think it’s very important to remember history.
I love that you share your posts on our group board. There’s such a mish mash of stuff on those boards, and it is always nice to see the posts with substance – like yours. Not only that, you often call social issues to attention which I think is great.
Two important topics, history and health! Heart disease runs in my family, so from a very early age my parents made a point to encourage exercise and good nutrition. I am so glad they did. Now, it’s such a habit! Thank you for the wonderful reminders.
I hope you also have a peaceful week ahead. I really need to get busy on my heart-health. My blood pressure is high and I’ve been feeling out of sorts. On the black history – I would love to get a copy of that coffee table book. Sounds like a moving set of photos.
Black history month is very important and it is great to learn, educate and inspire others – thank you for this. I will be sharing this like with friends x
There are so many ways to honor and remember Black History Month and I think it’s nice that there are more people who are doing that over the past years. I also love the fact that you reminded us of how important taking good care of your heart is.
History is the essence of our existence! We should never forget our roots and embrace our ethnicity. I liked all your Black History Month posts and gathered so much knowledge through it!
This is such a great post with so much thing to learn. I’m also being reminded by this. There’s more to life and prioritizing about what really matters in life should be counted in. Thank you so much for sharing such an insightful and inspiring post.
It’s always interesting to learn about history. The story of the black community in America and the celebration of the African heritage are something everyone should know about.
It’s always good reminder to know the history that to easily forget. It’s important for us all to know each other’s history and the impact that it has on all of us.
Good to know that 2 very important observing months are overlapping. Can’t help but think they had much better food habits and healthy lifestyle in history than the fast-food us!
Such an amazing post. If history and tradition of a race or culture is lost, that whole race is lost. It is always so important to not forget what we were and what we are now.
It’s so so important to take care of our hearts, especially before anything happens. I love how our kids’ schools now really zone in on heart health month as well.
Thank for this wonderful post. We all should take time to learn about subjects that matter like Black History Month. And, we all should take care of our hearts!
This post made me remember about my plan to watch the latest movie about Martin Luther King. The trailer made me so interested about it, it will be a rich and compelling experience, that I’m sure.
Black history and heart health are important to many. It is good to be aware and cognizant of our heart health. Especially those before us. Great post.
I hope one day we get to the point where we don’t need a month for this – but that it is included in the EVERY day history of each country as equally important as all history. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great post. Black history and heart health are key to bettering our society, and they are connected in many ways as well. Discussing them in connect is very insightful.
Black history and heart health are both important subjects. We learn so little black history in school. And heart health is something that can be so easily taken for granted, but can become a big problem as we age. Thanks for bringing light to both these topics.
Celebration of every lives do matter. It is our obligation to never forget our history and teach the new generation about it, and continue the culture.
sometimes even if you know where you are headed it’s important to know where you came from, history is part of us and the remembrance of the people who pave the way for what we might take for granted now is very important
Having been diagnosed with hypertension around this time last year, I started to become even more conscious about my health. I try to eat right, exercise regularly, and sleep more than six hours a day. 🙂
Heart is the most important organ that works non stop 24/7 for us. Unlike other organ of our body where there is certain time for it to rest, our heart did not stop working for us! I love how to video educate people should take good care of heart and do exercise and remind people to have frequent break while working on the laptop. It is something we would take granted of and forget about taking good care of it.
I have a few family members who have suffered from heart disease and other history of that has always been an amazing reminder to me as to why I need to take care of my own health. Just as history for black history month, it’s important that we embrace the history as reminders of where we have been as a world. Great post with great info!
I, too, wrote a post for heart health month. Although, I do not write lavishly like you or in good grammar I wanted to make sure other had the chance to learn through my example. If they chose not to accept isn’t on me however, I hope some did learn what lack of discipline and lack of self control, self worth can do to a body only 54 years young. I cannot go back but I can try to spare others.
This year heart month had new meaning to me… my dr was concerned so sent me to cardiologist and after numerous testing found out that I am lucky found early but I do have the start of heart disease. I am working closely with my doctors to hopefully not have it worsen and have gotten a Fitbit to help me focus on moving more throughout day….
I really am endeavoring to get back to my fitness routine I used to have, because I know I felt better when I was exercising regularly. For heart health and overall health, I know I want to be more diligent so I can be around longer for my loved ones, including my grandchildren. I’d like to watch them grow up!
Thank you for this great reminder. It is really important to remember and think of the things that really matter. Because of this post, I want to learn more about Black History.
Thank you for your feedback. I’m battling the flu so my head isn’t clear enough to finish the post. Do come back for updates. Thank you!
Really great post. We always have to remember history even if it is bad or good. It is our story and we learn from our story or history.
We certainly do and we learn from how we take care of our heart health too…
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well E, I do hope you’re looking after yourself. We need you to challenge our thought processes and I really look forward to Motivation Mondays. I’d be keen to hear more about Black History when you’re feeling a bit better and I have to admit I was quite shocked about the heart disease stats for woman. That’s really scary. For some strange reason I assumed it was a “man thing”.
Thank dear Michelle!
Such a great post. This is realy graet that we can still remember the History whether it’s gppd or bad.
My father had a mild heart attack last year because he wasn’t taking care of his body by eating well and exercising. Since then, he’s learned to eat healthier alternatives and walk more. It’s so important to inspire and push others to do the same!
Hope he continues to do and feel better
Beautifully written. May we learn from our past, process and transform it, so we can move forward to building a worthy world for our children. <3 xo Evelyn, PathofPresence.com
Heart health is something that hits close to home for me, so thank you for the added awareness!
I learn something – the black history. Great to have such event to create awareness. This is great to help children and engage these young people to transform from students to professional.
Fantastic post as always, its important we all look after our hearts as best as possible, I like how you mention that keeping fit benefits us more than just what we see on the outside.Thank you for showing us history in your posts too, I always feel like I have learnt something when I visit your blog.
I think it’s very important to take good care of our bodies in general, since our bodies influence the way how we feel and how vital we are. I love your post! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this. We were so busy this month that we almost forgot that it was Black History month. We didn’t even know it was Hearth Health Month- thanks for telling us that.
Black history month is SO important for celebrating the great minds and personalities that people of color have brought to the table for years. I need to learn more though!
I’m always inspired by the many stories and people who’ve made such an impact on our history. It’s nice that we’re introduced to so many amazing people each year during Black History month and being in conjunction with Heart Health is an important reminder to take care of our bodies as well.
Thank you for bringing attention back to this all important topic! Combining these two topics is a fantastic idea.
What a great reminder. It is so important to remember history and keep it alive.
I love this post … few months back I had visited the African American History Museum and it was quite an experience. Learned so much about Black History.
I love your motivation Mondays! Until I read this I honestly didn’t pay much attention to what this month was, so thank you for the reminder.
Heart and history matter, indeed. Heart gives life, while history gives richness to life. Both are needed to live a lovable and fulfilled life and leave a legacy behind.
Great reminder to take care of one of your most vital organs!! My husband’s dad died of a heart attack and yet he still eats so many hamburgers…I’m really trying to get him to cut back! Black History Month is always so fascinating…I learn something new every year!
I didn’t realize their was so much going on in February. A lot of important information.
I learn something new every time I pop by your blog.I like that you always have a variety of ways to inspire our bodies, hearts and minds. Thank you!
Great post with wonderful information. It is so important to remember and reflect on history, good and/or bad. It is how we grow and continue to change.
Getting fit is so important! This is something we’re working on together as a family right now. Thanks for the reminders!
Great reminder to think about the things that really matter in life.
This is such an interesting post. I like reading history for there’s so much to learn and understand from it. I really like the quote by Robert Frost, that’s so true!
Thank you for the motivation! It’s really great that you are able to inspire all of us through Black History month!
This is such an important message! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful post! The images and the content – along with the tips –
Especially enjoyed the Eunique Jones Divine Transformations – Kids As Historic Icons article – thank you
I very much enjoyed your pictures and words, as always. A very good reminder to take care of our health. Something a lot of us take for granted.
The power and depth of this message, this movement that it creates, is limitless. Giving the next generation the opportunities our ancestors didn’t have is beautiful and humbling. Because of Them We Can is a great campaign for the future.
Another great motivational post! You can never be educated enough on black history.
I really want to know about the history, each and every. I really enjoy your posts like this one, not making me think but also making me more educated.
beautiful! great reminder!
Wow, Liz…if there’s something that has stuck with me, it’s that “everybody deserves to be young….at heart, at least”! This has really stung me deeply.
Thank you for this very important reminder to always take care of that muscle.
Very well written. History is the mold that directs a nation to where it should go. Allow me to mention the words of Dr. Jose Rizal, my country’s National Hero – “To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open a book that tells of her past.”
It’s so important to remember our history and learn about the history of others. Heart health is also extremely important.
Wow, what a great post! I totally enjoyed it!
You’re right – it’s so important to remember all aspects of history. If you just look at the positives or the negatives, you don’t get a proper view and things become blurred.
It is so great to know and remember the history. This would be a great reminder.
History and heart health both are excellent subjects on which we need to raise awareness. I always say that History is a people’s memory, if you loose your history, you loose your memory! In my home country, several subsequent dictatorships in the past, aimed to harm the Naiton’s memory, by erasing the history and narrating new (false) versions. With the return of democracy, it was build “The MEMORY Museum” you see, not the history museum as in many other countries, but the MEMORY museum. To remind us that history is what we are today.
Concerning health, I have a very sedentary lifestyle because of my job and studies (and hobbies!) but since January I’ve taken the resolution of incorporating more physical activity in my life throughout the day. So far I’m only seeing benefits in this decision!
this is such a great reminder. and great way to celebrate a black history month. i really enjoyed reading this post.
I wish I could find the post, but there are videos out that are of black people telling black history. I think it is wonderful because it give a larger value and puts a relatable image to that history. it brings it to life. In a country that has so many different histories it is important to learn form them all.
For me, it’s all about heart and soul. What matters the most is how we were able to live our life to the fullest.
the theme year round from the AHA is staying active. heart month is about raising greater awareness!
Wow, tons of information in this post! Lots of lovely articles to read later too – thank you! I love the idea of promoting health, its such a lovely thing to promote. Lovely post! 💚
Black History Month is such an important event to support, no matter which race, religion or region you are from. It’s learning about history that shapes the future x
The things we wprry about everyday mean very little against the things we really need to focus or worry about. Lovely post 🙂
I love this post! We have to always keep conscious of staying healthy!
I think our histories are important to cherish and share with others. They can’t be replaced.
We definitely need to take cues from history and learn from the successes and failures. Such a good thought!
Great post –– I love the images you’ve chosen to accompany it. I’ve certainly learned so much this month from what people have put out there for Black History Month and think it’s very important to remember history.
I love that you share your posts on our group board. There’s such a mish mash of stuff on those boards, and it is always nice to see the posts with substance – like yours. Not only that, you often call social issues to attention which I think is great.
Two important topics, history and health! Heart disease runs in my family, so from a very early age my parents made a point to encourage exercise and good nutrition. I am so glad they did. Now, it’s such a habit! Thank you for the wonderful reminders.
I hope you also have a peaceful week ahead. I really need to get busy on my heart-health. My blood pressure is high and I’ve been feeling out of sorts. On the black history – I would love to get a copy of that coffee table book. Sounds like a moving set of photos.
Black history month is very important and it is great to learn, educate and inspire others – thank you for this. I will be sharing this like with friends x
Thank you for including the part about it also being American Heart Month – and healthy tips that anyone can apply no matter what color you are!
There are so many ways to honor and remember Black History Month and I think it’s nice that there are more people who are doing that over the past years. I also love the fact that you reminded us of how important taking good care of your heart is.
Yes another reminder of such an historical month. I also like how you tied this to self care/health. Great post
History is the essence of our existence! We should never forget our roots and embrace our ethnicity. I liked all your Black History Month posts and gathered so much knowledge through it!
Thanks for sharing the message of heart health! With just a few changes, we can all be a little more healthy!
This is such a great post with so much thing to learn. I’m also being reminded by this. There’s more to life and prioritizing about what really matters in life should be counted in. Thank you so much for sharing such an insightful and inspiring post.
It’s always interesting to learn about history. The story of the black community in America and the celebration of the African heritage are something everyone should know about.
It’s always good reminder to know the history that to easily forget. It’s important for us all to know each other’s history and the impact that it has on all of us.
Good to know that 2 very important observing months are overlapping. Can’t help but think they had much better food habits and healthy lifestyle in history than the fast-food us!
Such an amazing post. If history and tradition of a race or culture is lost, that whole race is lost. It is always so important to not forget what we were and what we are now.
It’s so so important to take care of our hearts, especially before anything happens. I love how our kids’ schools now really zone in on heart health month as well.
Your post feels like a real bowl of fresh air! Full of positivity and healthy tips!
Always enjoy reading your post as its so full of information. Love it how you celebrate black history month and heart health month in a post.
We should celebrate all people and races achievements and accomplishments. So much to learn from each other and other cultures.
Thank for this wonderful post. We all should take time to learn about subjects that matter like Black History Month. And, we all should take care of our hearts!
Everybody deserves to feel young at heart- love that! Thanks for sharing on the history because many of us don’t ever learn this.
I love your posts, especially for the motivational mondays ones. This is one is major, because I agree that history is so important.
This post made me remember about my plan to watch the latest movie about Martin Luther King. The trailer made me so interested about it, it will be a rich and compelling experience, that I’m sure.
Black history and heart health are important to many. It is good to be aware and cognizant of our heart health. Especially those before us. Great post.
I hope one day we get to the point where we don’t need a month for this – but that it is included in the EVERY day history of each country as equally important as all history. Thanks for sharing!
deb
A wonderful post – it’s so incredibly important to remember and recount our history so that future generations know the pitfalls to avoid.
We tend to forget about our hearts until there is a problem. Thank you for the reminder that what we put into our bodies is important.
Black History Month is really a crucial date for the world. It’s our reminder of pursuing equality for all.
I’ve been trying to have a healthier lifestyle. Too many blogger friends have died of cardiac arrest in the past few months and it’s so alarming.
This is a great post. Black history and heart health are key to bettering our society, and they are connected in many ways as well. Discussing them in connect is very insightful.
Black history and heart health are both important subjects. We learn so little black history in school. And heart health is something that can be so easily taken for granted, but can become a big problem as we age. Thanks for bringing light to both these topics.
Celebration of every lives do matter. It is our obligation to never forget our history and teach the new generation about it, and continue the culture.
Cheers to black and heart month!! More power to them cause they deserve everything!!
A very well written article. Very important to learn from history
sometimes even if you know where you are headed it’s important to know where you came from, history is part of us and the remembrance of the people who pave the way for what we might take for granted now is very important
Having been diagnosed with hypertension around this time last year, I started to become even more conscious about my health. I try to eat right, exercise regularly, and sleep more than six hours a day. 🙂
Heart is the most important organ that works non stop 24/7 for us. Unlike other organ of our body where there is certain time for it to rest, our heart did not stop working for us! I love how to video educate people should take good care of heart and do exercise and remind people to have frequent break while working on the laptop. It is something we would take granted of and forget about taking good care of it.
Such a wonderful reminder to stay on that treadmill no matter what . Our history is beautiful.
I have a few family members who have suffered from heart disease and other history of that has always been an amazing reminder to me as to why I need to take care of my own health. Just as history for black history month, it’s important that we embrace the history as reminders of where we have been as a world. Great post with great info!
I, too, wrote a post for heart health month. Although, I do not write lavishly like you or in good grammar I wanted to make sure other had the chance to learn through my example. If they chose not to accept isn’t on me however, I hope some did learn what lack of discipline and lack of self control, self worth can do to a body only 54 years young. I cannot go back but I can try to spare others.
This year heart month had new meaning to me… my dr was concerned so sent me to cardiologist and after numerous testing found out that I am lucky found early but I do have the start of heart disease. I am working closely with my doctors to hopefully not have it worsen and have gotten a Fitbit to help me focus on moving more throughout day….
Lovely, definitely needed some motivation today.
Good to learn about history to not repeat the mistakes from past
I really am endeavoring to get back to my fitness routine I used to have, because I know I felt better when I was exercising regularly. For heart health and overall health, I know I want to be more diligent so I can be around longer for my loved ones, including my grandchildren. I’d like to watch them grow up!