The Best Wedding Anniversary Presents Ever

A wedding anniversary is a remembrance of the incredible years that you have spent together, the joys that you have shared with each other and the troubles that you wiped from each other’s lives. This big day is about celebrating the love that exists between you and your partner, and making them realise the importance which they have in your life. And if you surprise them with some incredible wedding anniversary presents to make this day even more special, they will be a lot happier as well.

Here are some great anniversary gifts for men and women.

Flowers

Flowers are a great way to represent your feelings to your significant other. So whether it has been just a year since you were together or whether it has been twenty years, a beautiful smelling bouquet will ignite the same feelings that you had on your first ever date.

Just remember one thing in this; every flower represents an emotion, and if you can utilise this concept into creating a bouquet, you will be able to let your partner know of all the feelings that you have had for them.

Watches

A watch is another great present for your partner that will make them realise just how valuable they are to you. True this does not exactly have anything to do with love but it still can be considered a great gift because your partner can use it everyday.

Vacation

A getaway to a distant place can truly reignite the initial spark and love in your relationship, and when you do it on your wedding anniversary, it is even better. Try to go to the place where you had your honeymoon to refresh all your wonderful memories of the past. And if you are short on budget, you could just go to another great place nearby like an inexpensive beach hotel or the like.

Spa Vouchers

Small issues in everyday life can build up a lot of stress on a person’s mind. So why not invest in a rejuvenating spa hamper and let your partner relax after an extremely tiring day at work? You can even go to a couple’s spa and relax together.

Dinner

A dinner at a restaurant that offers tasty food is one of the best wedding anniversary gifts ever. You can even make it more special by arranging a candlelight meal and asking the band to play soft music in the background.

Black People Past And Present

Over the years there have been many great black leaders News Makers. This fact has caused me to wonder if there was one dominant trait that separated them from others. With that question in mind I decided to find the dominant trait that was present in some of Americas top Black News Makers past and present after which I put those traits into a test so people can see if they posses these same News Maker traits. The test is located at Blacknews4us.com but don’t go yet first read the article.

Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the “Moses of her people.” Over the course of 10 years, and at great personal risk, she led thousands of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, which was a secret network of safe houses where runaway slaves could stay on their journey north to freedom. Her Dominating Leadership trait would have to be Organization. Close your eyes and Imagine for one minute living your whole life and never laying foot off your owner’s plantation. Do you really think you would have been able to get from Virginia to Canada if Harriet Tubman did not create spend much of her time planning and organizing the routes.

Next up we have William Loyd Garison and I know most of you are saying that man is not black but neither is Bill Clinton who like Garrison did so much for Black people that many have called him the first Black President. Garrison was really good friends with Harriet Tubman naw I know what you are thinking it wasn’t like that they were both just friends in the struggle. For more than three decades, from the first issue of his weekly paper The Liberator in 1831, until after the end of the Civil War in 1865 when the last issue was published, Garrison spoke out eloquently and passionately against slavery and for the rights of America’s black inhabitants. In 1832 he helped organize the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and the following year, the American Anti-Slavery Society. These were the first organizations dedicated to promoting immediate emancipation of slaves. Garrisons Dominating Leadership trait was courage.

OK Now Lets go to Frederick Douglas who probably had only one page or maybe just a paragraph devoted to him in your 8th grade history class. Well Frederick Douglas who was mentored by the before mentioned William Loyd Garrison was born into slavery in 1817. Frederick was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, American Indian, or recent immigrant. Sounds kind of like Dr. king hunh? He was also great at raising British money to start his Anti Slavery News Paper The North Star. Douglas wanted full citizenship, including social, civil and political rights for Black people. Douglass conferred with President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 on the treatment of black soldiers, and with President Andrew Johnson on the subject of black suffrage. Despite apprehensions that the information might endanger his freedom as well as his life. Douglass published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written By Himself after, which Douglass published the first issue of the North Star, a four-page weekly, out of Rochester, New York. Fred’s dominating Leadership trait is Honesty imean writing the life of Frederick Douglas an American slave could have got him lynched because he talks about his escape but even with that fact in the back of his mind he decided to tell the honest truth.

Lets go to Booker T Washington He was born into slavery in 1856 on the Burroughs tobacco farm. OK now there was a little drama between Booker T and Frederick Douglas kind of like the one between Malcolm & Martin or Al Sharton and Barack or Pac and Biggie naw just joking about pack and biggie but the drama was that although both wanted the same thing Booker T Washington believed that blacks should not push to attain equal civil and political rights with whites and That it was best to concentrate on improving their economic skills and the quality of their character. The burden of improvement resting squarely on the shoulders of the black man and women. By doing this he believed that blacks would eventually earn the respect and love of the white man, and civil and political rights would be accrued as a matter of course. W.EB Dubois and Frederick Douglas believed that the government should give Blacks their equal rights now not later. The views of Booker T were later popularized by black Muslims, The black Panthers who I cant talk about because if I do they wont play the video. Booker T Washington’s dominating trait Tact which means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid problems. He demonstrated this tact by telling blacks that you do not have to depend on the whites for you success. What this did is inspire blacks to succeed and let whites off the hook by telling them noting is owed to blacks because they are willing and able to do it them selves.

Coming to the stage we have Marcus Garvey who after reading Booker T Washington’s Up from Slavery decided to start the Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) movement, which urged Blacks to be proud of their race and return to Africa their ancestral homeland. He attracted thousands of supporters to facilitate the return to Africa that he advocated. In 1919 Garvey founded the Black Star Line to provide transportation to Africa however after a few voyages the ship sank due to shady business practices. Garvey unsuccessfully tried to persuade the government of Liberia in West Africa to grant land on which black people from America could settle. So the next time somebody tells you to go back to Africa just say we tried but the Government of Liberia would not let us in. This Black News Makers life ended very tragically after suffering a stroke in January 1940, the Black Nationalist read his own obituary in the Chicago Defender, which described him as “broke, alone and unpopular”. Apparently as a result, Garvey suffered a second stroke and died. The premature obituary thus turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Garvey’s Dominating leadership trait was vision. Garvey had a vision for a new nation for American blacks in Africa and even though only a few took the trip the ability to bring this vision to life was a huge achievement.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the first black leaders that really understood that the power was not in the mouth or the sward but it was in the dollar thus the first march he organized which was the bus strike and the last which was the sanitation workers union caused change by taking money out of the oppressors hands. Many of today’s modern day unions have taken this same approach. King organized The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech advocating racial harmony at the Lincoln Memorial during the march. Approximately 250,000 people took part in the march; it is estimated that 200,000 were African American and 50,000 were white. Dr. Kings prevailing leadership trait was Justice which is defined as the practice of being fair and consistent.

The civil rights movement did not only benefit blacks bus it also benefited women and other minorities. Many whites lost jobs and their lively hoods not unlike the abolitionist of the 1800s. So my message to all the black youth that are watching or reading this is to never put all white people in a box many have suffered and died for the rights you enjoy today so just take the time to know all people don’t just rely on what mom and or the media have to say. And my message to white youth is never put blacks in a box I know if you watch cops, listen to jayz and go to Lakers game you think all we know how to do is shoot jumpers slap hoes and kill other blacks but what you may not know is that the elevator you take at the mall, it was invented by a black man Alexander mills. The first Open heart surgery was performed by a black Dr. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and Dr. Charles Drew Invented Blood Banks And Established them all Around The World. I know all of you drove or will be driving somewhere in the next couple of days well in 1940 Garret A. Morgan invented the Automatic Traffic Signal. Look outside yea go ahead you see that grass out there that needs to be cut well that would not be possible with out John Burr who invented the Lawn Mower. So the next time you listen to 50cent or watch cops think lawnmower open heart surgery traffic lights.

Malcolm X who after going on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia shared his thoughts and beliefs with different cultures, and found the response to be overwhelmingly positive. When he returned, Malcolm said he had met “blonde-haired, blued-eyed men I could call my brothers.” He returned to the United States with a new outlook on integration and a new hope for the future. This time when Malcolm spoke, instead of just preaching to African-Americans, he had a message for all races after which he was assassinated. Malcolm Xs prevailing leader ship trait is that of team work which was evident in his wanting to unite with all races for social change.

Thurgood Marshall born on July 2, 1908 in Baltimore, her is a list of his legal accomplishments
1954 – Wins Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, landmark case that demolishes legal basis for segregation in America.

1956 – Wins Browder v. Gayle, ending the practice of segregation on buses and ending the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

1961 – Defends civil rights demonstrators, winning Supreme Court victory in Garner v. Louisiana; nominated to Second Circuit Court of Appeals by President J.F. Kennedy.
1967 – Becomes first African American elevated to U.S. Supreme Court (1967-1991).
This Man did not talk about it he went out and did it. Thurgood Marshall’s Prevailing leadership trait is Knowledge; in order to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court you must have a vast knowledge of the law.

Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (born October 8, 1941) is a civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. In 1983, Jackson traveled to Syria to secure the release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert Goodman who was being held by the Syrian government. Goodman had been shot down over Lebanon while on a mission to bomb Syrian positions in that country. After a dramatic personal appeal that Jackson made to Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Goodman was released. Initially, the Reagan administration was skeptical about Jackson’s trip to Syria. However, after Jackson secured Goodman’s release, United States President Ronald Reagan welcomed both Jackson and Goodman at the White House on January 4, 1984[6]. This helped to boost Jackson’s popularity as an American patriot and served as a springboard for his 1984 presidential run. In June 1984, Jackson negotiated the release of twenty-two Americans being held in Cuba after an invitation by Cuban president Fidel Castro. Jessie Jackson’s Dominate leadership trait is Empathy, which is being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. I really think he cares about the poor people he tries to help.

Negotiating a Great Severance Package

For those of you who are staring a layoff in the face, or if you want to be prepared for a possible separation of employment in your next position, I’d like to add my advice on negotiating a severance package. And yes, this is something you can negotiate. As career strategist and job search coach, and I’ve helped dozens of clients successfully negotiate severance packages.  

 I advise my clients to use many of the same tactics as you would in a salary negotiation.

First of all, you need to have clear in your mind what you want, and what’s important to you. For example, if paid health insurance is a must, make that your priority.

Secondly, throughout the process, you want to be genuine and sincere in discussing severance agreements, not cold and calculating. You will get a lot further that way. I understand you most likely angry – ok, furious – and hurt, but don’t let that get in the way of making the best out of a decidedly awful situation.

Next, use vulnerability to your advantage; it can be very powerful. Describe your financial situation to the employer, and the personal difficulties this separation will cause. You will find that when you use this strategy, it plays to your employer’s desire to make you happy - and dare I say - their guilt over letting you go. For instance, “I do have some impending financial needs… Perhaps the company could approve a slightly higher package. Is there any way we can pursue this together?” Or, “Can you see your way clear to adding 3 more months to the severance agreement? That would easy my family situation immensely.”

Also, in negotiating, it’s a great rule of thumb to use questioning, rather than demanding, in your discussions. You will find the most persuasive negotiators use questions. It will allow you to gain control of the situation by getting valuable information from the employer. For example, you wouldn’t say, “That severance wouldn’t be any good for me.” Instead, you might say, “Robert, could you tell me how you think this can work for me?” Or, “Is there a chance you could extend the length of the severance (or the health benefits) a little longer?”

In both of these examples, see how there are only questions – no demands. By inviting your soon-to-be-former employer to explore the situation, you are giving them the freedom to reach their own conclusions on whether or not their separation offer is unreasonable. With this approach, you come across as sincere, realistic, and slightly vulnerable; never as cold or calculating, or as an employee who is “forcing their hand.”

And there’s one last piece of advice I’d like to offer: When you do find a new job, by all means negotiate your “exit strategy” before signing an employment contract. I advise negotiating for at least 6 month’s severance (and 12 months for six figure professionals), including benefits. It’s much easier to get a fair separation agreement when the employer is excited about hiring you than it is when things go south and they’re put in a position where they have to let you go. And make that separation clause be effective due to any change in your job, and not just a lessening of responsibilities or a lay off. In other words, there might be a company reorganization, and yes, you can still have your same position, but you’ll have to do it in Detroit. If you don’t want to move, you should be able to receive the severance you negotiated at the start of your employment.

 In my experience, I have found my clients have been able to easily negotiate 1 to 3 months more in compensation, or a 10-15% higher increase during the severance term using these techniques. I’ve also found that my higher paid clients and those in higher positions in the company have an easier time negotiating the terms of their severance packages.However, I’ve seen these techniques work successfully at all career levels.

With whatever position you’re leaving, it is always best to gain as much control of your situation as possible. It will not only serve you financially, but emotionally as well. Most people don’t know they have any influence in a severance package once they’re laid off, especially when feeling devastated about the loss of their job. However, you may find a few brief conversations with your employer will pay off great dividends.