GERALD GARTH

“Son—how come you talk so much ‘bout money?” “Because it is life, Mama!” “So now it’s life? Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now it’s money. I guess the world really do change…” A favorite exchange from A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Lena and Walter contend what’s more, as Walter is grappling with his dream versus his reality. While the piece was written over 50 years ago, the story still rings strong-- the struggle over money, recognition, and self-wort

In my hometown there was a man who was at every beauty salon, every barber shop, every in-town football game. He had a great attitude, always very cordial, and was always stocked up with the latest of his wares: teacakes. And because of this, he was simply known as “The Teacake Man.” Teacakes, where I’m from, are a simple old-fashioned cookie made with vanilla and sugar. Because the recipe is as simple as it is, there’s lots of room for error. Yet the Teacake Man got it

All it takes is one. One person to get you. To see your talent. To take a risk on you. To believe in you. And we’ve all seen it; it can all change in a heartbeat. The business is all about perception. Nobody knows who you are or what you’re about or how extraordinary your talent might be—and then one day it changes. Or it changes once you show them. And then all of a sudden, everyone’s interested. But to get to that “one” you have to create opportunities to be seen. And it ta

I learned very early on the importance of getting up and getting around. Catches in your back and Charlie horses are not the way. We’re not designed to stay in one position all day long. Taking regular breaks to stretch not only reduces stiffness, but reduces stress. Tension and tightness is not cute and we all know stress is a killer. Try to take a relaxation break for a moment or two every so often throughout the day. We often get so tied up in our daily schedules that we

How many of us have tried things and regretted it? How many of us have not tried things and regretted it? Fear is a monster. Fear will debilitate you and then regret will sweep in. Funny, huh? No. I thought not. Sometimes in life we just have to go for it. You’ve always wanted to dance? Start dancing! Always wanted to get fluent in German? Glückwünsche! Now is the time. Sometimes, like the old folks would say, “Ain’t nothing to it, but to do it.” What are we afrai

What I’ve learned in 30 years is that everybody is different and just like everyone is different, everyone’s dreams are different. Some people dream in black and white, some people dream in straight lines, and some people dream vividly and colorfully-- outside of the lines and even off the page. Now, this isn’t to say black and white and straight lines are a bad thing. Structure is necessary for life, but so is fulfillment. Many of us aspire to more than just what society or

Take a look at my latest article from Message in the Meantime-- The Renewed Church of Los Angeles touts its motto as “come be renewed and live the life you so deserve.” Pastor Curt D. Thomas believes that wholeheartedly. “Renewed is for everyone—a place to belong.” Reaching out to all communities, but especially the LGBT community, Renewed finds its purpose in reaching all with the message of love and acceptance while tackling social injustices and the issues that surround th

On finding joy and purpose… Happiness isn’t one-size-fits-all proposition. You must define what it looks like for you and then make a conscious effort to access whatever gets you to your unique definition of joy. If there isn’t something in your life that makes you wake up curious and excited to start the day, you will never be a powerful person. Passion is what fuels the jet engine propelling you toward a meaningful existence. You are going to live either the life chosen or

Balance is important. From the time we can remember, we are taught to strive for balance: eat balanced meals, get enough sleep, “just say no.” But somewhere along the way, we shift; things aren’t so simple. We go into work on the weekends, our bedtime slides back a half hour every couple months, we eat without thinking or we think about it and haven’t eaten. I‘m sure we could all fill in the blanks of what we have too little of and too much of-- we have become imbalanced. Now

I’m sitting at work and a random playlist of songs sound off throughout the office when Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right, but it’s Okay” comes on. Now, most people who know me know I am a big Whitney Houston fan—like, big, but this classic lyric and title inspired me a bit more than usual. Sometimes it is really important just to say, “It’s not right, but it’s okay.” By acknowledging that sometimes you may have been given the short end of the stick or the bum end of the deal