The Lynx star speaks about the power of changing lives.
I couldn’t be more excited to have Charde Houston as a guest blogger. I interviewed Char a few months ago and was overtaken with her positive energy and passion for giving back. In addition to being a WNBA All-Star, Char runs her non-profit organization called Project Y.O.U. which focuses on motivating youth to become the best they can be.
In her first guest post on SLAMonline, you’ll notice that Char doesn’t talk much about basketball. Instead, she focuses on a greater passion of hers – empowering youth. It’s a simple, but profound message and it comes from a truly genuine place. For example, Char recently heard of a story where two children lost their mother in a domestic violence dispute. Char, without any personal ties to these kids, started a campaign to raise money to help ease their financial burden with their mothers passing.
Char has been through a lot in her life, and can certainly relate to many of the youth she and her organization seeks to help. Through it all, Char came out a better person and strives to be an inspiration for at-risk youth to achieve their dreams.
Be sure to leave Char a comment, and follow her on Twitter.
by Charde Houston
“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hi everyone! I must say that I am extremely happy to be SLAMonline’s guest blogger. Ben is a great person and an amazing writer. Hopefully I will make you proud Ben; which I will!
My first post arises from my willingness to want to make a change in this world.
Although basketball has blessed me with so many opportunities, I am proud to say I’m a member of many teams. These teams have absolutely nothing to do with the game of basketball, but the game called life. There are so many people who are capable of changing the world, but would rather not invest the time to do so.
As you read this blog, ask yourself this question — whose team are you on?
When you wake up in the morning, do you think about how blessed you are to see another day? Why spend countless amounts of energy having a bad day? Even though most know that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, we don’t always practice wearing a smile. You’ve probably heard the quote, “anything worth having does n
ot come easy,” but I would tend to disagree. It is indeed easier to smile and it costs nothing. You can be broke and wear a smile worth a million dollars. This beats a miserable millionaire any day! Granted, we are human and it is possible to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. However, just because you wake up that way, does not mean you should carry out the rest of your day in that fashion.
What if you spent that time channeling more positive energy? What if you are able to change a life? Changing a life doesn’t always consist of developing a brilliant idea, or donating millions of dollars to charity. Although both are great, changing a life could simply mean “being there” and allowing someone to have a shoulder to lean on. Instead of spending your extra hours at the bar, how about donating that time to a homeless shelter or a youth group?
I have answers for all of the above questions, and it starts with being on Team Community. Essentially, this is doing whatever needs to be done to uplift our youth who are our future. Your passion may be different from mine and that’s fine. As long as you are going the extra mile to be on a “team” in this game called life, you will indeed make a difference in someone’s world.
Think about that today, tomorrow and many years to come.
Charde “Char” Houston
@CharHouston
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