Author: Dr. Gail Ali

What comes to mind when you think of the month of February? Is it the month of romance/love because of Valentine’s Day? Or is it the month of recognizing and honoring the contributions of our African American ancestors through Black History month? Or is the anticipation of when Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, peeps his head out to predict how long a winter it will be?

Whatever your association with the month of February, I’m sure you will agree it is a unique month. It is the only month with the shortest number of days, even when there is a leap year! That thought could bring anxiety to those whose plate is brimming over knowing that time appears to be shortened. So let me challenge you to change your perspective from scarcity to abundance. A positive outlook can make a huge difference in approaching unpleasantness in a more productive way by focusing on the best happening rather than the worst.

Mayo Clinic cites health benefits of positivity such as: increased life span, lower rates of depression, greater resistance to illness, better cardiovascular health, reduced death from cancer, respiratory conditions and infections, and better coping skills during hardships or times of stress. How do we acquire positivity if we are not naturally wired to have such an outlook? It begins with switching our self-talk; these are the unspoken thoughts running through your head which can be positive or negative deriving from logic or reasoning or misconceptions or preconceived ideas. To train yourself to have positive self-talk, daily positive affirmations are an important habit to form. Here are some tips when formulating your affirmations:

1. Use present tense
2. Include positive words
3. Speak your positive affirmation confidently
4. Say it daily or multiple times a day

Some examples of positive affirmations are:

• I further my career with every action I take.
• I’m worthy and value myself.
• Life is full of love, and I find it everywhere I go.
• I see the beauty in everything.

And since February is also associated with heart and love, practice self-love with the ultimate positive affirmation – I AM ENOUGH!

Dr. Gail Ali, CEO

Dr. Gail Ali holds a Ph.D. in Management and a M.S. in Computer Information Systems. She is a consummate higher education professional specializing in academic affairs with over 25 years teaching adult students. She has worked in many industries in both non-profit and private organizations. She is passionate about others attaining their dreams and has founded The Doctoral Mentor which supports and guides doctoral students in this tenuous academic journey.  

Plato wrote that “our need will be our creator” and that was the seed of how SBGT got planted. Dr. Lillian and I were having a casual breakfast on a weekend morning, just enjoying some girl time. The conversation drifted into us sharing our frustrations with our work situations and reflecting on how despite intelligence, credentials, and beauty we still felt stuck. We had climbed the rungs of our occupational ladders; well accomplished but now what?  We knew we were not alone in this situation.  Then we had a bright idea – instead of complaining, let’s do something about it. YAY – we were onto something. Whenever Dr. Lillian and I met empowered women, we shared this idea with them. During my first supervisor-employee meeting, I spoke to Dr. Sue about our idea; and she was like “how do I join? Having lunch with Dr. Simone I mentioned that Dr. Lillian and I had “this” idea and she lit up like a Christmas tree with enthusiasm. I had been speaking to my sister, Marsha, about the idea but she thought the business was related to my doctoral mentoring. It was a while before she grasped what “this” was all about. But despite not fully wrapping her head around “this”, she was going to support her baby sister; that’s what sisters do!

Four months passed from the initial idea spark, and we had nothing to show for it but the excitement of five powerful women. Were we going to be all talk with no action and moan through 2022?  No, it was time to put the seed in the ground. How would we start? Ah, a non-profit! What would we call the organization?  “united women warriors”?  Nah, that sounded too militant. That was not the vibe we were going for.  We wanted a sisterhood and one that could support each other in breaking through the infamous “glass ceiling”.  Ding!  Ding!  Let’s be “Sisters Breaking Glass Together”.  We now had a name!  Next steps were to incorporate and build our network. Lesson learned: Take Action!

For this thanksgiving season, let us take action in being the best of ourselves – the commanders of our own lives. And I share these words from Mary Davis for November:

Be present.

Let the day flow with grace.

Expect joy. Be positive.

Speak only kindness.

Impart only love.

Never forget you’re not alone.

Give thanks for everything.

See goodness in others.

Dr. Gail Ali, CEO

Dr. Gail Ali holds a Ph.D. in Management and a M.S. in Computer Information Systems. She is a consummate higher education professional specializing in academic affairs with over 25 years teaching adult students. She has worked in many industries in both non-profit and private organizations. She is passionate about others attaining their dreams and has founded The Doctoral Mentor which supports and guides doctoral students in this tenuous academic journey.