Blog - Melanie Young- Fearless Fabulous You!

Move Away from Your Desk! Sit Less. Move More

On July 21, 2021 / Aging Gracefully, Women's Health

This comment made me move away from my desk: “A sedentary lifestyle day can kill you. Move away from your desk!” shared Dr. Vonda Wright, a board-certified orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute in Atlanta. Sit less. Move more. “There are 33 illnesses impacted by a sedentary lifestyle,” noted Dr. Wright, who also serves as board chair for the Atlanta Chapter of the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. (2016 American Heart Association advisory). Yet, people remained tethered to their desks sitting in front

Learning To Exhale

On January 31, 2021 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping

Welcome to 2021. Usually, it’s March that blows in like a lion and out like a lamb. This year it started in January. While taking a restful month off to recalibrate, we were jarred back to reality starting January 6th with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. A nation gripped in a pandemic now watched chaos unfold in Washington DC. We know the coronavirus is highly transmittable. Anger is also infectious, easily passed through social media. It can lead to peaceful protests or dangerous mobs. The rush of wind that swept through the nation on January 20 wasn’t an Alberta Clipper from Canada. It

Don’t Forget To Smile!

On December 21, 2020 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping

An itchy nose and maskne rash notwithstanding, another side effect for many people wearing masks is forgetting to smile. The bottom half of your face is covered, so your eyes become the main form of expression unless you are wearing sunglasses and a hat. Then your face basically disappears. On the creative side, masks have become a new form of expression, a fashion accessory that can match your clothes and offer a message across your face. If wearing a mask is the new normal, give it your personal touch, especially this holiday season. Mask wearing has created funny and not funny outcomes: On the

Let’s Celebrate #GirlPower

On December 11, 2020 / Fearless Fabulous You Radio Show, Inspiring Women

Here are four of this year’s Gloria Barron Prize recipients. A round of applause and a thank you to each of them for reminding all of us the future is in #GIRLPOWER

The State of Transition

On December 11, 2020 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping

The challenge of “what next?’ and “where to?” presents an opportunity unlike any to reshape one’s future. To do this well, you really need to let go of anything in your past life that is holding you down. That is not an easy task, and it takes time. We have met many people living in the same state. Some are trying to figure things out; others are well on their way.

No If or Buts. Thoughts on Grieving

On November 21, 2020 / Coping, Holidays

We’re all grieving for someone or something that we lost this year We’ll all be glad when 2020 is in the rear view mirror. In the meantime, we gave thanks for good health, recovery, friendship, photos of loved ones and happy places. Simple things. No ifs or buts this year.

Heads Up! Speak Out!

On November 14, 2020 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping, Inspiring Women

“Stay quiet, listen and keep your head down. Try not to stand out.” Those were the words of advice I was given when I started out in my career. Many women have been taught to avoid controversy, to fit in and lay low. It can work to your advantage being a team player. But it does not work when you want to shape your identity and shine a light. And laying low does not help when the odds are stacked against you and bosses and colleagues are treating you unfairly. I have been following an ongoing news investigation about sexual harassment at the

Reflections on Ruth

On October 1, 2020 / Careers, Making Things Happen

The recent passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made me reflect on the importance of defying the odds, speaking out for what you believe in and being true to your core values. Justice Ginsburg championed equal rights for women. She worked hard to fight discrimination, gender bias and stereotypes. (NYT obituary). But it was not always easy. She had to prove herself over and over as she started her career rise. Though qualified, she was turned down as a Civil Service GS-5 level claims examiner because she was pregnant and told she could not travel for the

What I Did During My Pandemic Summer

On September 11, 2020 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping, Staying Grounded

Remember your first day back in school in late August or early September when your teacher asked you to write an essay entitled. ‘What I did on my summer vacation?” Well, this September, with a pandemic that still continues at a scary pace, we’ll all have a story to share unlike any other. Here’s mine: How I spend my Pandemic Summer Some people shared that during this pandemic they took up a new language, started a kitchen table business, sewed masks, re-designed their websites, volunteered at the local food pantry, caught up reading books, watched old movies, learned to bake sourdough

Facing MBC: Kelli Davis Says “Not Today”

On July 16, 2020 / Breast Cancer, Fearless Fabulous You Radio Show

Metastatic Breast Cancer, MBC for short, is Stage IV breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to another organ or part of the body and is incurable. Approximately 1 in 3 women with early stage breast cancer will develop Metastatic Breast Cancer, and six percent of patients have MBC at first diagnosis, known as “de novo.” Medical advancements have enabled people diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer to live longer with a better quality of life. I had the honor of interviewing Kelli Davis, an MBC Thriver, for my podcast Fearless Fabulous Tips for Healthy Living (iHeart Radio). Kelli was

A Re-Education

On June 27, 2020 / Life As We Know It

I’ve learned a lot about American history in the last few weeks, or actually how little I know. I was taught Christopher Columbus was a hero who discovered America. President’s Day honored George Washington, one of our nation’s Founding Fathers and first president. President Andrew Jackson, from my home state of Tennessee, was a hero from the War of 1812. President Theodore Roosevelt was a conservationist and an honorable Rough Rider who fought in the Spanish-American War. Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson were leaders of the Confederacy who fought for the South and states’ rights. I studied my lessons, took my

Tone Deaf? I’m Listening and Trying

On June 11, 2020 / Attitude Adjustment, Coping, Staying Grounded

I’ve tried writing this post a half dozen times. Then something happens in the news, and everything feels inappropriate. Every time I try to write something down, I worry about sounding tone-deaf. But a wordsmith also cannot stay silent. I believe in equal rights and offering everyone a fair chance. I don’t want to see anyone mistreated and I detest racism, bigotry, religious intolerance, gender bias, ageism, sexism and any action or words that denigrate an individual, group or nationality. I haven’t marched in a protest because I am uncomfortable in large crowds and worry about getting sick. I refrain from posting many statements on