I am an early riser this morning as I prepare to head into the weekend. I hadn’t planned on being this early, but I guess my mind and body said it was time to wake up. I have already accomplished quite a bit this morning as I have prepared some Diversity & Inclusion articles for work to be shared during Black History Month.
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems as if the first month of the year went by pretty fast. Already this year, I have experienced a lot: entered a new decade, celebrated my 32nd birthday, and celebrated my 10 year anniversary at work. All I can say is time does fly when we are having fun.
As I reflect on these monumental things that I have experienced thus far this year, I can’t help but think about the effects of mentoring in my life to bring me where I am today. I recently had the opportunity to hear some alarming statistics on the dropout rates around the country. I am so very thankful for everyone that served as a mentor to me growing up and still continues to mentor me as an adult.
January was National Mentoring Month and I was compelled to share some thoughts with you as we close out the month. Every January our nation spotlights the importance of mentors and the need for every child to have a caring adult in his or her life. If you don’t know already, your life can be enriched just as much as the life of a child when you serve as a mentor. We all have something to offer and we should really consider taking the time out to become a mentor. Pay it forward and become a mentor today.
Although National Mentoring Month will be over Sunday, I still feel as though there are some things that you can do to make a difference long after January is over.
Make it a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!
7 THINGS TO DO
1. Become a mentor in your community.
2. Learn more about mentoring.
3. Partner with a mentoring organization.
4. Think about the mentors in your life and post a tribute to them online.
5. Watch videos of celebrities such as Quincy Jones, Sting, Cal Ripken, Jr., talk about the mentors in their lives.
6. Read the latest research and find resources on mentoring.
7. 10. Make a donation to a mentoring organization in your community
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MLK Holiday After Thoughts 01/19/10
Another relaxing weekend gone by and I enjoyed every moment of it. So far the year has been off to a good start as all my friends and family continue to be blessed to still be here with me. In 2010, I am all about the little things and it really isn’t taking much for me to be happy these days.
Monday served as the federal observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King and I began to have a few thoughts. You see it every year around this time as Dr. King’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech is re-enacted or people are giving reflections on his life and what his actions meant to them.
Over the years, I have recited more than my fair share of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on occasion. It’s kind of amazing to me that every year the holiday passes and I find myself with a different perspective on his speech and what helped our country do.
After all the reflections and reading about things that happened in his life, I believe that it was his focus that put him in the position to help our country. His Dream still lives on and we need to remain focused on remembering what he stood for not just one day in January, but every day that we live in this world. It’s ironic that the Martin Luther King holiday is seen as a National Day of Service, but where is that spirit the rest of the year. Collectively, we can make a difference and on days such as this we see what can be accomplished.
Focus is an integral part of our daily lives and can determine your success or failure in anything you pursue in life. What are you focused on? Are you focusing your time and energy in the right way? What makes you lose focus?
Since I was yet again inspired, I remain focused on THE DREAM sharing my thoughts with you and trying to make a difference the best way I know how.
“It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.”
-Anthony Robbins
“Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy.”
-Denis Waitley
“Focus on your potential instead of your limitations”
-Alan Loy McGinnis
“Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so.”
-Marcia Wieder
Monday served as the federal observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King and I began to have a few thoughts. You see it every year around this time as Dr. King’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech is re-enacted or people are giving reflections on his life and what his actions meant to them.
Over the years, I have recited more than my fair share of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on occasion. It’s kind of amazing to me that every year the holiday passes and I find myself with a different perspective on his speech and what helped our country do.
After all the reflections and reading about things that happened in his life, I believe that it was his focus that put him in the position to help our country. His Dream still lives on and we need to remain focused on remembering what he stood for not just one day in January, but every day that we live in this world. It’s ironic that the Martin Luther King holiday is seen as a National Day of Service, but where is that spirit the rest of the year. Collectively, we can make a difference and on days such as this we see what can be accomplished.
Focus is an integral part of our daily lives and can determine your success or failure in anything you pursue in life. What are you focused on? Are you focusing your time and energy in the right way? What makes you lose focus?
Since I was yet again inspired, I remain focused on THE DREAM sharing my thoughts with you and trying to make a difference the best way I know how.
“It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.”
-Anthony Robbins
“Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy.”
-Denis Waitley
“Focus on your potential instead of your limitations”
-Alan Loy McGinnis
“Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so.”
-Marcia Wieder
Monday, January 11, 2010
Morning Thoughts on Incentives 01/11/10
A little over a week into the new year and I must say that I have enjoyed myself thus far. I celebrated my 32nd birthday on this past Tuesday. I am very thankful for all of the many birthday wishes and in addition to my wonderful friends and family. I am also thankful for two amazing birthday gifts: a National Championship by the Alabama Crimson Tide and a big win by my Arizona Cardinals this weekend in the playoffs.
What a blessing it is to not only see another day in the land of the living but to celebrate another year in it as well. Over the last couple of days, I have been thinking about my plans for not only the year, but my life as well. Its amazing how the simplest of conversations can get me started on a tangent and I end up sharing my thoughts with others.
This weekend I managed to have a conversation with a friend of mine that started off as a joke and then I began to have some serious thoughts about what she said. I jokingly made the comment, "WOW I MET THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS UNTIL SHE ASKED ME WHAT MY NAME WAS AGAIN 10 MINUTES INTO THE CONVERSATION!" This was really a joke, but did spur some additional conversation as my friend made the comment, "WELL MAYBE IT WASN'T THERE AT FIRST, BUT SHE BEGAN TO SEE SOME INCENTIVE IN ACTUALLY KNOWING YOUR NAME!" I laughed for a second and then really started to think!
It is an amazing thing to realize how much of our lives and daily interactions are based on incentives. You see it in commercials as the auto makers try to get you into the dealership to buy a new ride.
My thoughts began to circulate around our lives and how much incentives play into the decision making process. Whether or not you say it out loud or just say it in your head you might just ask yourself, "What's in it for me?" No where is that more true than in our relationships with people.
While I say that its really not all that bad as I have built some relationships over the years where the what's in it for me has been more selfless than selfish!
Whether it was the fact that I chose you or you chose me I know that there is a tremendous amount of incentive for this relationship. I am a better man because of you and hope that is incentive enough for you continue the journey with me.
“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow”
-Orison Swett Marden
“Doubt is the incentive to truth and inquiry leads the way.”
-Hosea Ballou
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”
-William Pollard
What a blessing it is to not only see another day in the land of the living but to celebrate another year in it as well. Over the last couple of days, I have been thinking about my plans for not only the year, but my life as well. Its amazing how the simplest of conversations can get me started on a tangent and I end up sharing my thoughts with others.
This weekend I managed to have a conversation with a friend of mine that started off as a joke and then I began to have some serious thoughts about what she said. I jokingly made the comment, "WOW I MET THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS UNTIL SHE ASKED ME WHAT MY NAME WAS AGAIN 10 MINUTES INTO THE CONVERSATION!" This was really a joke, but did spur some additional conversation as my friend made the comment, "WELL MAYBE IT WASN'T THERE AT FIRST, BUT SHE BEGAN TO SEE SOME INCENTIVE IN ACTUALLY KNOWING YOUR NAME!" I laughed for a second and then really started to think!
It is an amazing thing to realize how much of our lives and daily interactions are based on incentives. You see it in commercials as the auto makers try to get you into the dealership to buy a new ride.
My thoughts began to circulate around our lives and how much incentives play into the decision making process. Whether or not you say it out loud or just say it in your head you might just ask yourself, "What's in it for me?" No where is that more true than in our relationships with people.
While I say that its really not all that bad as I have built some relationships over the years where the what's in it for me has been more selfless than selfish!
Whether it was the fact that I chose you or you chose me I know that there is a tremendous amount of incentive for this relationship. I am a better man because of you and hope that is incentive enough for you continue the journey with me.
“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow”
-Orison Swett Marden
“Doubt is the incentive to truth and inquiry leads the way.”
-Hosea Ballou
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”
-William Pollard
Monday, January 4, 2010
First Thoughts on the New Year 01/04/10
I sit here the day after enjoying the 1st Sunday of the New Year feeling refreshed and ready to welcome all this year has to bring. I was planning on sharing some of my thoughts on the 1st day of the New Year but I struggled a bit and could not focus. I wasn’t sure of the direction that I wanted to go in and my thoughts were going in several directions.
I am not surprised that while at church yesterday I heard our church’s theme for 2010 is ‘The Year of Maximum Impact.’ I became energized as I thought about my life and where I am currently overlaid with what the New Year brings.
Wonder why is it that we as a culture get so excited about the ending of a year and the beginning of another? Often times it takes us 364 days of not living up to our expectations of ourselves to set a resolution to be better in the New Year. What if we applied that concept to our days?
If we are setting resolutions/goals there must be something we are not satisfied with it. So as we move farther into the New Year, we are presented with another opportunity to set out to accomplish some of our goals/tasks. Whatever it is we are striving to accomplish its going to take the Three F’s: faith, follow, and finish. There isn’t a thing that we can’t accomplish as long as we start by being honest with ourselves. At the beginning its important that you truly understand who you are and what you are willing to do to get different results. Often times we are looking for maximum returns with minimal effort and that is not a good way to start of the New Year.
This is ‘The Year of Maximum Impact’ and I know that you will be successful in anything that you provided you putting forth the effort to get where you want to be in every aspect of your life.
The quotes below are related to New Years and I hope there is something here that may inspire you.
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas”
“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”
“Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.”
I am not surprised that while at church yesterday I heard our church’s theme for 2010 is ‘The Year of Maximum Impact.’ I became energized as I thought about my life and where I am currently overlaid with what the New Year brings.
Wonder why is it that we as a culture get so excited about the ending of a year and the beginning of another? Often times it takes us 364 days of not living up to our expectations of ourselves to set a resolution to be better in the New Year. What if we applied that concept to our days?
If we are setting resolutions/goals there must be something we are not satisfied with it. So as we move farther into the New Year, we are presented with another opportunity to set out to accomplish some of our goals/tasks. Whatever it is we are striving to accomplish its going to take the Three F’s: faith, follow, and finish. There isn’t a thing that we can’t accomplish as long as we start by being honest with ourselves. At the beginning its important that you truly understand who you are and what you are willing to do to get different results. Often times we are looking for maximum returns with minimal effort and that is not a good way to start of the New Year.
This is ‘The Year of Maximum Impact’ and I know that you will be successful in anything that you provided you putting forth the effort to get where you want to be in every aspect of your life.
The quotes below are related to New Years and I hope there is something here that may inspire you.
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas”
“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”
“Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.”
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thoughts on a New Decade 12/31/09
I look out the window and see that its still dark as most things have not quite gotten started yet. I am wide awake and reflecting a little about what the tomorrow days means. Normally, this time of year most of us are focused on firming up our New Years Resolutions as we say good-bye to another year.
For the last several days, I am sure you haven’t been able to turn on the television or read a newspaper without a mention of what has happened during the last decade. Yes, this isn’t just the end of a year, this marks the end of a decade.
For me personally, I know that a lot has happened over the course of this decade. I believe that I have grown considerably over the last ten years as I have graduated from college, started a career, relocated several times, and become a wonderful uncle.
I am sure we can all take a peek back at the last ten years to see the many changes in the world and our personal lives.
How have you grown over the last decade? What have you learned over the last 10 years? How has the last decade prepared you for the future?
It’s a great time to reflect not just on the passing of another year, but on the last ten years to appreciate where you have come from. Many blessings to you as we prepare to close out ‘09 and usher in 2010.
“When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.”
-Chinese Proverb
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
-Anthony Robbins
“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.”
-Greg Anderson
For the last several days, I am sure you haven’t been able to turn on the television or read a newspaper without a mention of what has happened during the last decade. Yes, this isn’t just the end of a year, this marks the end of a decade.
For me personally, I know that a lot has happened over the course of this decade. I believe that I have grown considerably over the last ten years as I have graduated from college, started a career, relocated several times, and become a wonderful uncle.
I am sure we can all take a peek back at the last ten years to see the many changes in the world and our personal lives.
How have you grown over the last decade? What have you learned over the last 10 years? How has the last decade prepared you for the future?
It’s a great time to reflect not just on the passing of another year, but on the last ten years to appreciate where you have come from. Many blessings to you as we prepare to close out ‘09 and usher in 2010.
“When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.”
-Chinese Proverb
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
-Anthony Robbins
“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.”
-Greg Anderson
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday Thoughts after Christmas 12/27/09
We have already arrived at the 2nd day after Christmas and I can say that this was one of the best Christmas’s I have experienced in awhile. While I wasn’t with my immediate family this holiday season, I did thoroughly enjoy myself. I did have the opportunity of sharing this special time with my adopted families and talk with many friends.
Christmas is one of those times of the year when we are really minded about family and tradition. No matter where you are in life there are some things that you will always carry with you no matter what.
Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we could live in if we practiced some of our Christmas traditions the entire year and not just during the month of December. How often did you hear or say, “Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.” Or how about my all time favorite, “Its better to give than to receive.” All during this holiday season, many of us stressed the importance of the holiday in addition to enjoying our friends and families.
So it seems as if a lot of my thoughts revolved around traditions today. I know people that have to watch A Christmas Story, drink eggnog, or even enjoy Christmas brunch. So it seems like we do a good job of keeping traditions that we have grown up with over the years. Lets start a new tradition today and keep the Christmas spirit going year round. We all have a lot to share with others and we must make a habit out of giving to others that would never be able to repay you.
Most of us probably gave great gifts during the holiday season and celebrated the birth of Jesus. The world was given the most precious gift of all with the birth of Jesus. Everyday we wake up to see another day we have been given another gift, but ask yourself what are you doing with it?
I challenge you to start a new tradition in your life today. Its not always about you and me, but the others that we share the world with. Lets start an infectious movement and begin to make a difference.
“Tradition is an explanation for acting without thinking”
-Grace McGarvie
“Tradition simply means that we need to end what began well and continue what is worth continuing”
-Jose Bergamin
“What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it”
-Thomas Carlyle
Christmas is one of those times of the year when we are really minded about family and tradition. No matter where you are in life there are some things that you will always carry with you no matter what.
Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we could live in if we practiced some of our Christmas traditions the entire year and not just during the month of December. How often did you hear or say, “Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.” Or how about my all time favorite, “Its better to give than to receive.” All during this holiday season, many of us stressed the importance of the holiday in addition to enjoying our friends and families.
So it seems as if a lot of my thoughts revolved around traditions today. I know people that have to watch A Christmas Story, drink eggnog, or even enjoy Christmas brunch. So it seems like we do a good job of keeping traditions that we have grown up with over the years. Lets start a new tradition today and keep the Christmas spirit going year round. We all have a lot to share with others and we must make a habit out of giving to others that would never be able to repay you.
Most of us probably gave great gifts during the holiday season and celebrated the birth of Jesus. The world was given the most precious gift of all with the birth of Jesus. Everyday we wake up to see another day we have been given another gift, but ask yourself what are you doing with it?
I challenge you to start a new tradition in your life today. Its not always about you and me, but the others that we share the world with. Lets start an infectious movement and begin to make a difference.
“Tradition is an explanation for acting without thinking”
-Grace McGarvie
“Tradition simply means that we need to end what began well and continue what is worth continuing”
-Jose Bergamin
“What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it”
-Thomas Carlyle
Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday Thoughts on Success 12/12/09
This was quite the relaxing Saturday as I was finally able to settle in at home after being away for a couple of weeks. Today was a great day as I talked to a few close friends and my mom just to catch up on some things.
Most people know that I watch quite of bit of sports on TV and these days there still are other things going on outside of the latest Tiger Woods updates. My thoughts today brought me to discussing success and what it takes to be successful.
I found myself at this place after having a discussion with a friend of mine over the course of the last year about the football program at Prairie View A&M University. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this school or their storied history, let me give you a peek into how I arrived here. From 1989 to 1998 Prairie View’s football team lost a record 80 straight games. This became the NCAA’s longest losing streak that may stand forever. On this Saturday Prairie View played in their 1st SWAC Championship Game and were victorious over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.
I shared this example as we all have encountered temporary setbacks and failures on the road to success. This particular school could have folded their football program and accepted the fact they weren’t good, but the remained steadfast and turned things around over a period of time. Through coaching changes, new players, and continued support from their fans they have achieved success again.
Sometimes it’s easy to give up and not continue working toward a goal that you may have. You have to keep your mind strong and keep the right people around you to stay motivated. I can tell you that nothing worth having was attained easily. Believe in yourself and anything is possible. There is nothing in life that you can’t be successful at as long as you remember where it all starts.
Congratulations to Prairie View A&M University and their fans on this historic day!
“The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.”
-Nelson Boswell
“The important thing to recognize is that it takes a team, and the team ought to get credit for the wins and the losses. Successes have many fathers, failures have none.”
-Philip Caldwell
“Successful people breed success.”
-Philip Crosby
“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.”
-Woody Allen
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
-William Feather
Most people know that I watch quite of bit of sports on TV and these days there still are other things going on outside of the latest Tiger Woods updates. My thoughts today brought me to discussing success and what it takes to be successful.
I found myself at this place after having a discussion with a friend of mine over the course of the last year about the football program at Prairie View A&M University. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this school or their storied history, let me give you a peek into how I arrived here. From 1989 to 1998 Prairie View’s football team lost a record 80 straight games. This became the NCAA’s longest losing streak that may stand forever. On this Saturday Prairie View played in their 1st SWAC Championship Game and were victorious over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.
I shared this example as we all have encountered temporary setbacks and failures on the road to success. This particular school could have folded their football program and accepted the fact they weren’t good, but the remained steadfast and turned things around over a period of time. Through coaching changes, new players, and continued support from their fans they have achieved success again.
Sometimes it’s easy to give up and not continue working toward a goal that you may have. You have to keep your mind strong and keep the right people around you to stay motivated. I can tell you that nothing worth having was attained easily. Believe in yourself and anything is possible. There is nothing in life that you can’t be successful at as long as you remember where it all starts.
Congratulations to Prairie View A&M University and their fans on this historic day!
“The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.”
-Nelson Boswell
“The important thing to recognize is that it takes a team, and the team ought to get credit for the wins and the losses. Successes have many fathers, failures have none.”
-Philip Caldwell
“Successful people breed success.”
-Philip Crosby
“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.”
-Woody Allen
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
-William Feather
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