Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, I started my day like so many Americans did. I got up. I got my children ready for school. I prayed. I glanced at the TV on my way out of the house. Stopped and had a conversation with my husband. And headed to work. Before long, it […]
Happy September, beautiful people! I hope August was as good to you as it was to me. I felt blessed to spend time with my mom in the San Francisco Bay Area, hang out with my CASA youth, work on my second book, carry out some important consulting and board responsibilities, engage with the amazing […]
Happy August, beautiful people! I hope you are having an amazing summer. It’s not over yet, although back-to-school activities, preseason football games, and the release of the NBA 2026- 2027 schedule are popping into my Instagram feed. We’re about to experience a change in seasons. While Summer is winding down (hot weather not withstanding) and […]
Hello, beautiful people! July 6, 1981, was a very special day for me. I started my professional career that day – 45 years ago at Pacific Bell, a subsidiary of AT&T. My first job was as a Group Manager in Operator Services. By choice, I primarily worked the afternoon/evening shift when I had the “in-charge” […]
As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s semi quincentennial, I am reflecting on the American Dream. Y’all know this is the week I reread the United States Constitution. What is clear to me is that significant things happened many years ago, before I was born, for me to enjoy the life that I live today. […]
Hello, beautiful people. June is National Cancer Survivors month. I’m blessed to be in the number. For some strange reason, one of the first things I did when I was diagnosed with colon cancer was focus on the first three letters of that dreaded six letter word. Hearing the word “cancer” sent me into an […]
“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) For as long as I can […]
Hello, beautiful people! I am still smiling while trying to catch up from a busy Women’s History Month. It was wilder than usual and so much fun! As I keynoted events, spoke on panels, and moderated conversations, one profound realization kept resurfacing. I often found myself talking about the real joy of a trailblazing journey, […]
Happy International Women’s Day, beautiful people! I hope you are as productive as you want to be during this last month of the first quarter. Having had the honor of working at a Fortune 100 company for 36 years, I am trained to think in quarters, and I’m obsessed with delivering on my quarterly objectives. […]
Happy February, beautiful people! A few weeks ago, during a podcast interview, I was asked to name three things that are on my nightstand. Without hesitation, I responded, “A lamp, a multi-device charger, and my Faith’s Checkbook devotional.” While I have other things on my nightstand, these are the main ones. The lamp is for […]
It was the day before New Year’s Eve. I had been puttering around our house all day, making sure everything was ready for my son Anthony’s college friends, who would arrive later that afternoon for a traditional New Year’s weekend of football games and black-eyed peas. I wanted to make sure these kids felt welcome, […]
Hello, beautiful people! I hope October was good to you. I spent time with lots of people and felt many aspects of my life collide for good reasons. I leaned in on “compassion in action” and want to take it to a new level in November, both in my personal and professional spaces. Grace is […]
September can be summarized by the word “community.” I went through life last month with lots of people, starting with my Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame board and folks involved in this year’s enshrinement activities. As this is a new board for me, I am enjoying the fellowship with a new group of people. […]
April, August, and December are months when I lock down my speaking engagement calendar. I try not to make any contractual obligations to keep my days open for catching up on things. Well, I did LOTS of catching up and making connections in August. I connected with my friend Dylan Rafaty as he launched his […]
In July, many families said goodbye to their loved ones after the horrific floods that ravaged the Texas Hill Country on the 4th of July. I felt compelled to write separately about this heart-wrenching disaster. Like many of you reading this post, I often think of the victims and pray for their families. We’ve offered […]
I started July in my happy place: Nassau, Bahamas. Fifteen of us joined the annual summer vacation for family and friends. It was great to have Kenny back in action, as it was two years ago when he became ill on the same trip. The hotel staff welcomed him back like he was the prodigal […]
Greetings, beautiful people! We are already halfway through the year! I hope you have crossed something off your 2025 to-do list. This post itself is helping me complete one of my items. People have been asking me to resume the writing and delivery of a monthly M2C. I can’t guarantee monthly, but I’m back at […]
Happy New Year, beautiful people! I am so excited to begin the next phase of my “Cyntsational” life. God has been good to me! Acts 1 and 2 have been amazing. Act 3 starts now, at age 65! I am one of four million baby boomers who turned 65 in 2024. I’ve been 65 for […]
Happy New Year, beautiful people. I thought about giving y’all an end of year snapshot of some 2023 magical moments. But honestly, there were too many pics to choose from and I know y’all don’t have time to view hundreds of 2023 special moments. So, know that 2023 was a wonderful year. My word was […]
Free. Intentionally not bogged down by negativity, toxicity, and pessimism. Purposeful, optimistic, and productive. I am naturally a happy person. Although I usually see the glass half full, I’m not naive and I know every day isn’t Sunday. Sometimes, the glass is almost empty and it must be filled. I’m that person who tries to […]
In 2018, I began the year very focused on “reclaiming my time” as I started my first full year of retirement from AT&T. In 2019, I wanted to be “better” and 2020 found me wanting to have “vision” beyond what the natural eye could see. 2020 indeed turned out to be the year of perfect […]
Unforgettable. Unpredictable. Unprecedented. But not unproductive. 2020 was an unforgettable year of loss. My heart goes out to the families that were touched by the coronavirus and senseless violence. They are in my prayers, as are the many essential workers who risk their lives every day to serve us. For me, 2020 was the year […]
As I witnessed the casket of Congressman John Lewis being gracefully carried across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, I couldn’t help but notice the golden yellow “VERTICAL CLEARANCE” sign. The height restriction shown on the sign could not limit this giant of a man who stood tall in his convictions, faith, and actions. Fifty-five years after he […]
Well, my friends, it’s been a little while since I shared “My Two Cynts.” I thought it fitting to take a moment to tell you about my day. My six-month-old angel graced heaven 25 years ago today, August 21, 1994. So, I thought my day would be somewhat consumed with thoughts of our daughter, Special […]
At the end of a week of homegoings and life-celebration services, I’m sitting here reflecting on many things, with one thought in particular that I want to share. It’s the notion of wanting to be better. I want to be better. I’m asking myself about what I can do to make America even better. What can […]
Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day honors the men and women who have died while serving our country as members of the U. S. military. First celebrated in 1868, when 5,000 people came to Arlington National Cemetery to join then-General James Garfield in decorating the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there, it has […]
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a Boy Scouts of America fundraising breakfast.Although the food was good, it was words that really fed my soul. One of the speakers told a story about being on a very important hike years ago when suddenlyone of the climbers couldn’t continue. This meant that no […]
ImpAct (Emphasis on Act) Impact: To have a direct effect, get together, and strike forcefully! Act: something done voluntarily Today, we celebrate the homecoming of evangelist Billy Graham. One week ago, we mourned, and are still mourning, the killings and violence in Parkland, Florida. These incidents have impacted me tremendously and without question have had an impact […]
Many of us throughout the month of January participated in the federal holiday activitiescelebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This day of service provided time to reflect on Dr.King’s teachings about humanity and recommit to achieving his dream about fairness andequality. Last night, I attended a National CARES Mentoring Movement dinner that left meinspired […]
One of the many things I love about the holidays is how we slow down and really connect withpeople. Our family had the pleasure of hosting our neighborhood Christmas party, and mygoodness, it was awesome. I had such a great time both reconnecting with some friends wemade upon our arrival in Texas four and a […]
When I was growing up, we used to sometimes speak judgmentally about people with “an attitude.” You know who I’m talking about. Those girls who dressed cute and had their noses up in the air. Or the boy who wouldn’t speak to you and often rushed past because he was “too good” to visit with the […]
Over the past few months, I have spent quite a bit of time on airplanes. And for some reason I’ve begun to pay very close attention to the words, “You are free to move about the cabin.” I’ve heard this declaration made hundreds of times, but it never struck me the way it did a couple of […]
If you work at AT&T you probably saw the April 20th announcement that spoke to my intention to retire on May 15, 2017. Some of you received an email directly from me alerting you that I am wrapping up phase 1 of my professional life. Others read Facebook and Twitter messages and sent me a […]
Over the past few weeks I’ve had lots of travel experiences. I’m compelled to share one with you right now. Last week the pilot said, “Prepare for ascension.” Now, I’m usually under my headphones working but for some odd reason I was paying close attention. I wondered if I heard the pilot correctly. I’m used to hearing, “Flight attendants, […]
