Mrs Laughing Pants Sizzling Hot News Stories

How to be Responsive in Critical Times

Sisters learned how to be responsive rather than reactive when dealing with situations.

In our society today, we tend to be more reactive than responsive when dealing with everyday situations. The idea for this topic came about as a result of a situation I had witnessed. Sisters sometimes tend to be reactive than responsive. The highlight of this meeting was for sisters to model two situations of which one was been reactive and the other was been responsive. As I reflected on this meeting that took place on August 9, 2007, learning took place in the drama and the seriousness of the topic.

Case study 1

A confrontation happened when one sister approached the other and told her that she heard that she stole someone's purse that was in their car. The accused sister jumped into action by dialing the person who said she stole her purse. She huffed, puffed, and became tensed when she learned that someone was spreading a rumor about her. The situation was out of control because everybody got involved in this scene.

Case study 2

I gave the sisters these phrases to use while they contemplated their course of action when responding to rumor. The phrases were the following:

1. I did not think about it that way…

2. Tell me more about it…

3. Correct me if I am wrong, you said…

4. Is there anything else you want to share with me?

5. Thank you

The first situation the sister receiving the news was reactive by giving in to her emotions. In case study 2 when she heard the rumor, she said to the sister "tell me more about it." After she heard the full story, she said, "Correct me if I am wrong, you said…," She paused, and then she asked the other sister in a positive manner "Is there anything else you want to share with me?" She listened for the response from the other sister after she indicated no. She responded, "Thank you!" and walked away with more power. It was empowering to witness sisters taking control of situations in a positive manner. Instead of becoming reactive, the sister showed responsibility by being responsive.

In our society, if we could all be responsive rather than reactive we would master the game of living in unity and peace. For this meeting it was adjourn with a meditation. Stay tuned for the sisterhood meeting meditation.

© Copyrighted 2007 by Mrs. Laughing Pants News Stories

Mrs. Laughing Pants Sisterhood Meeting Agenda

Sisterhood without walls

August 2, 2007 marked the inaugural of the first sisterhood meeting. The meeting took place at 8:00 -10:00 p. m during the night. Twelve sisters, including the facilitator all hustled in a tiny apartment. Dining room chairs, sofas, and the carpet provided seats for the anxious sisters who wanted to learn more about sisterhood. During the recruitment of the sisters, I briefly mentioned that sisterhood is a form of empowerment for women. In sum, it is women empowering women to move forward in their lives.

The sisterhood meeting Agenda

1. Introduction- All the sisters introduced themselves and indicated where they were from. It was a time to learn about each other.

2. Overview of meeting- I gave a brief overview of the topics to discuss.

a) What sisterhood means? –Sisterhood means women empowering women to move forward in accomplishing goals and become leaders. Additionally, sisterhood is a time to do self-reflection on where we are at in our lives and where we want to go as women and leaders of society.

b) What are the expectations? Sisters need to help each other through empowerment of self. Saying something positive can uplift a sister spirit especially if the sister is having some challenging times.

c) How to assess your community- Assessing ones community is important for any leadership role. Assessing means to look at the things that are happening in your community and how you can make a difference. Some sisters pointed out crime as a big issue in their communities. Additionally, other concerns were helping the elderly and finding employment for teenagers who are newly high school graduates.

3. Activities

a) What are your goals? - Goals are things that you want to achieve in life. Specifically group according to the time you want to accomplish them whether it is short term or long term.

b) How do you define yourself? What kind of person are you. Some people had problems in defining themselves. This problem has its root in childhood development.

c) What is your relationship with yourself and with others? Sisters revealed their relationship with themselves and with others. Most of the relationship they revealed were on a positive note but there is room for improvement on how sisters see themselves in relation to others. Old grudges appeared to be a challenge for some sisters to give up which affected their health. Learning to let go of the past was a challenge at the very onset. As the meetings progressed, sisters started to see a shift in their thinking. Holding on to the past was not that difficult to let go of as a result of the different activities that sparked their thinking.

d) How would you like others to remember you? Sisters indicated that they wanted people to remember them for their work in their communities when they passed on.

4. Sharing- There was a consensus that family is important to this group of sisters. Seeing their family excel in life was important to them.

5. Meditation- This was a relaxing moment for the sisters. It was the very first time the group had done this form of relaxation. Meditation helps to calm the spirit and develop a more focused brain consciousness. It is a form of stress release.

5. Blessings- For this activity all the sisters received blessings. Sisters formed a line in pairs and one sister passes through with eyes closed. Sisters then repeated something empowering to that sister who was receiving the blessing. It was an uplifting inaugural meeting. It was touching. Everyone received their blessings.

6. Reflections- Sisters reflected on what they learned during the two hours. They all praised the sharing, blessing and meditation of the session. They indicated on their feedback form that more sisters needed to attend the meeting. This was a consensus from all the sisters.

7. Survey- Feedback form. Sisters indicated that enjoyed the meeting and they would like to see some new faces at the next meeting.

8. Adjourn –

Next meeting took place on August 9, 2007. August 9, 2007 meeting topic was "How to be Responsive in critical times."  Coming up! stay tuned for more insight into sisterhood.

© copyrighted 2007 by Mrs. Laughing Pants News Stories

Mrs. Laughing Pants Cookie Project

Everything begins with a passion when you want to make a difference in the world. Life sometimes takes us through the hoops before we discover the clay that lie beneath our feet. Your passion is like a hobby that consummates you in every essence. Making cookies to benefit the global community is a pleasurable past time that I find exhilarating. The main purpose of the cookie project is to strengthen the self-sufficiency of women on a global scale.

What is the cookie project?

The cookie project is the making and selling of a special gourmet cookie to aid women in the development of micro enterprise venture in their local communities globally. It’s “Bulla Cake” a tasty treat from my homeland Jamaica.

This cookie can help fend off hunger and promote a healthy lifestyle. It has a long history of providing a healthy snack for people on the go.

The recipe consist of flour, ginger, molasses, and a special blend of spices are whipped up and lovingly baked to create this unique version of this venerable delight - "Mrs. Laughing Pants Sizzling Hot Jamaican Gourmet Cookies.” The focus of the cookie project is on empowering women to become leaders in their local communities by providing seed funding for them.

What is unique about this cookie project?

It is one of a kind although there are smilar programs that assist women in developing countries. The US is moving towards promoting a giving culture by encouraging people to invest more in their communities. The September 2007 of the Times Magazine highlighted the significant of building a volunteering community.

The Cookie Project Offerings

The project proposes to offer hands on leadership training to women on a weekly basis in developing their business. The training will focus on how to set goals, write a business and a marketing plan and execute that plan. Participants will get the opportunity to brainstorm their business name and business enterprise they can develop.

Women engaged in the cookie project will have the opportunity to research and study businesses of similar nature they are interested to operate. In essence, the intent of this cookie project is to help boost the fortunes of the needy while developing leadership skills.

© copyrighted 2007 by Mrs. Laughing Pants News Stories

Mrs. Laughing Pants early years in Jamaica West Indies

The early years set the premise to step out into the unknown and let it unfolds its mystery

When I was about seven years old growing up in Jamaica West Indies, my day began  4:00 am in the wee hours of the morning. At the time, I was living with my Grandmother Sitira, my uncles Lee and Ken and my sister Hillary. I had chores to do before I began school in those days. My chores were to wash the dishes and make two trips with the donkey traveling ten miles to fetch water from the dam. Additionally, I had to go and get fresh milk from one of my neighbors who had cows. I traveled by myself with the donkey bearing two hampers with two zinc pan in them. The only light of day during that time was the moon and the stars. I stepped out in the morning to welcome the unknown not knowing what will meet me around the bend.

It was scary with bats, howls, and lightning bugs that lingered in the dark. Occasionally a toad would hop in the road and got ran over by the donkey. My feet were soared as I traveled barefooted on the lonely road. Fetching the water from the dam was not an easy task. I had to wait until daybreak to ask an adult for assistance with the pans. The pans each weighed about 15.88 kg of water. The pans were too heavy for me to lift.

Walking the lonely road every day for four years was challenging. The only company I had was the donkey. I felt sorry for the donkey when she got loaded with the two hampers. The donkey was such a humble animal. She did not fear the dark, which gave me more courage to venture out in the morning. It was as if someone was guiding us as we traveled. I looked forward to seeing the moonlight. The moonlight had a majestically light that shone brightly in the dark.

What have I learned about venturing in the unknown?

Faith and having the tenacity to achieve anything you want the unknown will grant it to you. During that time, it was my chore and I did not have any choice but to go out there and get the job done. It became a part of my life. From that time on, I developed responsibility in completing my job. I also developed the power of persuasion in asking people for help and telling them why I need their help.

This experience helped me to be fearless. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning for four years was an experience. As such, the dark and me became one. Life is venturing in the unknown with faith. There are always things on the road to help us on our journey. It can be fun when you allow things to unfold on their own by stepping out into the unknown. That is my life.

© copyrighted 2007 by Mrs. Laughing Pants News Stories

Mrs. Laughing Pants Evolution

The idea for the character Mrs. Laughing Pants came to me one Wednesday in the afternoon while I was taking a shower. I wanted to create something that was different and humorous. While I was showering the ideas for different characters started pouring in my head. I rushed out of the shower and grabbed a tape recorder to record my thoughts. That was obviously not enough, I had to grab a note pad and write the thoughts down quickly. As a result, http://onlineworkforcetraining.blogspot.com was born.

An evolution happens when we are open to new ideas and go with the flow. Ideas always pop up at sometimes in our lives. Some people make use of them while others disregard them. As a leader, I am on the outlook to seek ways to improve myself as well as helping others through self-empowerment. I try to avoid negativity in the least. The more empowering thoughts I think the more I am able to deal with life's challenges. HoloCreation Sheet by Christopher Westra I find valuable in helping me to focus on what I want to receive in my life. This sheet I utilized on a daily basis. So far, I am able to stay focus and I am able to receive what I am asking for.

Completing my dissertation is foremost in my mind. I am excited to work on Mrs. Laughing Pants Cookie Project. For over ten year plus I have been using the cookie as a fundraiser for my students at school and at church. People always ask me for my recipe because of its unique taste. I decided recently to use this concept to work with women of lowly means to help them create micro-enterprise venture. The cookie is the funding source behind the project.

Recently someone said to me "You got to follow where your heart leads you." It was a touching moment for me hearing this from this individual. Following ones passion can be challenging. It is like a puzzle you have to figure out especially when you cannot get all the parts to fit together. There are so many times you have to start over until finally you get them to fit. Asking for help is one part of the puzzle. We all need people to help us on our journey. Mrs. Laughing Pants Project has a lot of possibilities in helping people realize their dreams. I cannot do it by myself I need the World's HELP in making this happen for improvised women.

Failure is not an option but an opportunity to learn and grow. So many times to receive the gold we come across so many obstacles. We are face with homelessness and lost of material gain. After everything is gone, the only thing that is left is the HUMAN SPIRIT. Not many people have the opportunity to withstand life challenges. Some give up at the end of the road. Just imagine two athletes running a ten-mile race. The race was a challenging one. They had to face hunger, loss of shelter, and the outside element. They continued on their journey despite all the challenges. One could not hold on any longer because of lack of faith. He was so close to winning the gold when he gave up. He was angry with himself when he realized he gave up too soon. His other friend won due to perseverance.

The road to success is perseverance. This is where I am at in helping people persevere regardless of the obstacles.

© 2007 Mrs. Laughing Pants News Story

Mrs. Laughing Pants Makes An Entrance

Who is Mrs. Laughing Pants?

Helping the world’s downtrodden gain the ability to fend for themselves is an all-consuming passion of Mrs. Laughing Pants’ creator and alter ego, Annmarie Edwards, now a resident of  North Carolina.

She grew up in a single-parent family, with a mother and grandmother who were regarded as backbones of their community for their unceasing efforts to help others whenever and however they could.

Their influence caused Edwards to make supporting people who are unable to adequately sustain themselves a key element of her life’s mission.

The Mrs. Laughing Pants character is a lighthearted one she has created for use as a humorous tool in her work as a community activist and her professional endeavors as a training consultant and motivational speaker.

Mrs. Laughing Pants Cookie Project 

It is essentially one community helping another, both here and abroad.

In Jamaica, Bulla Cake is a popular, affordable, nutritious treat people look forward to as lunchtime staple or to snack on with milk, a slice of cheese or avocado, which has a long history of preventing hunger in Jamaica West Indies.

The Project’s goal is to instill, in the disadvantaged, the belief that it is possible to beat the odds while developing their community. This effort is a manifestation of the example set by the compassionate, can-do actions of Edward’s mother and grandmother.

"Finding one's passion is like finding the clay that lies beneath one's feet," Edwards explained. She is looking forward to building support for the “Project” and seeing it rise to the next level.

Stay tuned for more stories about Mrs. Laughing Pants.

Upcoming news...

• How Mrs. Laughing Pants evolved?
• Growing up stories
• More details about the cookie project
• The sisterhood meetings