Twas The Early Morning Before Christmas

Twas the early morning before Christmas and all through the bushes all the creatures were stirring even the mice. The sound of a 100 footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer. Their socks pulled up to their knees hoping not to get stung by bees.

Out on the trail there was a commotion. The regulars were blazing the trail but the newbie’s were struggling for sure. Some had enough water others had not a drop but though some lagged in the back, none were left behind.

Some brought their children while others left them home to snore. Dreams of play stations and blackberries were floating around for sure. Mamma in her leggings and Daddy in his cargos were up and ready to blaze the trail for sure.
The moon was still a shining as the sun had yet to rise, but in the darkness we were hiking even those with yampee in their eyes.

So there we were with such a clatter that the villagers wondering what’s the matter.
Some smiling some crying while Jimmy shouting to the rear “what’s the matter, I’ve never done this trail before but neither has the Mad Hatter”.

Up and down and all around, through the water and under the trees some had a ball while others held on to their knees. We slip and slide but take it all in stride not envying those who stayed inside.

Monks Hill, Boggy Peak, you name it we’ve probably been to the top. Sugar loaf was too sweet but Rendezvous was just around the rock. We never stopped to listen the mundane sounds of the clock only to the wind and the trees as the beauty leaves you in shock.
So in case you wake from sleeping and find mom and dad missing don’t be alarmed they only went Hiking.


Original by Clement Clarke Moore
Remake by Shawn N Maile

The Weekend Road Warrior

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking part in my first ever 15 mile walk/run marathon. Needless to say that although I think myself to be in relatively good shape I was no match for the 15 mile walk from the Sandals Hotel to the Pineapple Hotel. Originally my friends and I (Bappy and Kerri) signed up for the 10k walk but upon completing that distance we decided to trek on till the end of the course. The race was scheduled to start at 6am but due to inclement weather we rolled out of the hotel at 6:30am. In attendance was the reigning Queen of Carnival as well as scores of girls from the Antigua Girls High School along with their parents, teachers and well wishers. The stars of the show though were Rick Ball and Jamol Pilgrim, single leg amputees who have risen above their challenges and keep pressing toward the mark of greatness. . Both men being single leg amputees was indeed sheer motivation for those in attendance. I saw nothing of them once they left the starting line as a light drizzle welcomed the runner and walkers to the open road. The showers continued at intervals throughout the race acting as a relief from the otherwise blazing sun and kept the participants hydrated.

This by far is the most strenuous activity that I have embarked upon in my life time. There were points where I thought that I was going to lose my sanity for seeing nothing but asphalt for miles and miles in front of me. I asked myself “self, who wakes up at the crack of dawn and decides to walk 15 miles in pouring rain without the prospect of cash prize or any other winnings?” the self said, “people who see life as a challenge that’s who. The muscle aches, hunger and fatigue would take days to describe but I soldiered on, not out of peer pressure or the thought of not finishing but the thought that if guys who have only one leg can run the entire thing, why can’t I walk it with my two legs. And so I trekked on mile after mile after mile with water stops, Gatorade stops and multiple bathroom stops to complete a 4 hr journey. I think it safely to say that I have achieved something great for 2011. If all goes well in the year to come this will not be my last such event. It’s an exhilarating feeling to know that you can do something that some people can only dream of.

About a mile away from the finish line I passed a woman on her porch sitting in a wheel chair with both legs amputated. When her neighbor inquired of her what she was doing in the rain she replied “I’m watching young people run”. I can only imagine that she too was once young and able to run. What confined her to a wheelchair I am not sure but I am sure she longs for the days of having legs.

All in all it was a great experience, if nothing else I am sure that I have an interesting conversational piece for years to come.

Life: JUST DO IT

My Business

Through the coercing of a very good friend (Kerri Gore) I was gently persuaded to join her in attending a small business workshop for the sole purpose of her having someone in the class that she is familiar with. My apprehensions were not many so I decided to go along. Luckily enough the coordinators had room for one more member. And as such I was now a participant in the Community First Cooperative Credit Union Second Empowerment Session. I had no idea what to expect other than being lead through the procedure of registering a business in Antigua of which I was already aware. However the information and knowledge I walked away with was anything short of remarkable. Luckily there was a consultant on island from South Africa who spoke to us about “Developing a culture of Entrepreneurship”. Mr. Lourens’ presentation was inspiring to say the least. Two things that stood out were his notion that as entrepreneurs we should not be “trying” to start our own business but rather “starting” our own businesses. His six degrees of separation also hit home as I had a college professor who migrated to South Africa some years ago but returned to lecture in Trinidad while his family remained. I automatically began thinking that if I desperately needed to get a package to Mr. Lourens using only six persons that I could accomplish such a feat rather easily.

Listening to the presentations from the Credit Unions General Manager and President gave me the impression that they are genuinely concerned not only about the future of their Credit Union but also the future of its members and by extension the country. It was a humbling yet stimulating experience that has caused me to ponder not only about my finances but life in general.



Stopping short of writing a small booklet on my experience, I decided to simply make two lists of things I learnt from the sessions.

Ten myths about Entrepreneurs.

1. They are born and not cultivated.

2. They are gamblers.

3. They desire to always be the only person in charge.

4. They work longer and harder than managers in large corporations.

5. Should be young and energetic.

6. Money is their only motivator.

7. Success will follow in a year or two if they are talented.

8. They are lone wolves who operate better outside the pack.

9. Endure a great deal of stress.

10. Most Entrepreneurs are millionaires.

Ten things I learnt from the seminar.

1. Anyone can have a good idea for a business.

2. Getting your business from the idea stage to the operating stage is no easier than trying to walk to the
moon.

3. You will never have too much information about the field of business you plan to get into.

4. Sharing your ideas can be beneficial- even with your competitors.

5. Money is not always your major motivator.

6. Proper planning is equally important as proper execution.

7. Hiring an accountant to manage your finances is tantamount to hiring an astronaut to take you to the moon.

8. Quitting your day job before your idea has started to generate revenue may not be a wise idea.

9. Catching a humming bird may be easier than acquiring a business loan.

10. Trying to reinvent the wheel is not a good idea.


Those pursuing the goal of owning their own business may find this website useful; http://www.bransoncentre.org/Caribbean/home.html.

Resolutions?

As we near the end of 2011 many of us are forced to accept the reality that we haven't lived up to all of our new years resolutions.

I for one have come close in some aspects but in others have fallen by the way side. In this world of calamity planning and good ideas will only get you so far. Execution and determination are bound to bring results but procrastination and constipation are bound to cause problems.

So maybe I don't have a six pack as yet( 10 years and counting)and maybe I have't saved as much money as I planned to and although I am not publishing Psychology related articles I still had a fairly good year.

I somehow managed to become the Public Relations Officer of the best hiking club in Antigua and have had two pieces published on two websites. I have made new friends and have continued learning.I will board a plane before the year ends and i have read a book or two (second nearing completion) for the year as well. I have blogged sporadically although somewhat regularly. All in all my journey to self fulfillment continues. So as we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and the start of a new year, lets not forget to look out for the little things that makes Monday feel like Friday.

Jobs : the man, the legend, the ideas

So I came across this article via a family member. Needless to say that it hits home in more ways than I can imagine thus I am reposting it for those who may have missed it.

12 lessons for us all from the life of Steve Jobs Commentary: What Apple co-founder’s achievements tell the rest of us

The death of the Apple AAPL -0.25% co-founder has dominated the news from Cupertino, Calif., to Kuala Lumpur. Many are focusing on the way his products and services changed our world. Others are talking about Jobs, the man. But this was the most successful business leader of his era, and one of the greats. Few have achieved so much, so quickly, and so publicly.

It got me thinking: What are the lessons we can all take away? What do his extraordinary achievements tell the rest of us? Here are 12 lessons from the life of Jobs:

1. Yes, you can make a difference Anyone trying to achieve real change — in life, in a company or in any organization — probably feels the urge to give up half a dozen times a day. The naysayers and seat polishers will do everything to slow you down. No one is suggesting that what Apple achieved was the result of Jobs alone, but his career is proof of just how much one individual can change things.

2. You need a vision It’s not enough to conduct opinion polls and customer surveys, and rely on consultants’ projections. Those are all based on the conventional wisdom and the world as it is today. Jobs imagined things — most obviously the iPod, and the iTunes services — that didn’t yet exist and for which the market was uncertain. While his competitors were still building the products of yesterday, he was imagining, and building, those of tomorrow.

3. It’s not about you It’s horrifying how many business decisions are still made on the assumption that “well, we have to do something with the XYZ division, so let’s give them this project” or “Buggins has seniority, so he’s in charge.” Do you think the customer cares about Buggins or XYZ? Jobs built Apple into a streamlined operation, focused on the output, nothing else.

4. Focus, focus, focus Hard to believe, but mediocre managers everywhere like to keep their staff “busy” because they think that’s “productive.” It isn’t. (Ask them what their top priority is, and they’ll name two things. Or four. Or 16.) Apple sure was “busy, busy, busy” when Jobs arrived. And it was going bust. One of the first things he did was ax about 90% of the company’s activities and focus — first on the iMac, then on the iPod.

5. ‘OK’ is not OK Look at the way Apple’s competitors keep putting out mediocre or unfinished products and thinking they’ll get away with it. Are they for real? The days when you could get by with second best are so over. Jobs was famous for a fanatical perfectionism. It was a core element of Apple’s success.

6. It’s not about the money Steve Jobs’s life was a thumping rebuttal to all those who are obsessed with cash. The guy had billions: far more than he could ever spend, even if he had lived to 100. Yet he kept working, and striving to achieve greater things. Money? Bah. Something to think about the next time a CEO demands another $20 million a year as an incentive to show up.

7. It ain’t over till it’s over Fifteen years ago Steve Jobs appeared to be a has-been in Silicon Valley. And Apple was circling the drain: plagued with losses, executive turnover, reorganizations, desperate asset sales and research cuts. Apple’s stock hit a low of $3.23 in 1996, and hardly anyone wanted it even at that price.

8. Give people what they really want Sounds obvious, right? But most companies don’t do it. They simply produce what they’ve always produced, or what’s comfortable, or what Buggins thinks people want. For years the computer industry churned out ugly, clunky beige products with complicated operating systems. They all did it, and they all assumed that’s what people wanted. Turns out it wasn’t at all. 9.

Destroy your own products — before someone else does Jobs made sure that Apple kept innovating, and rendering its own products obsolete. Creative destruction came from within! That’s why Apple is a $354 billion company, and, say, Palm has vanished from Earth, even though a 2004 iPod is just as out of date as a 2004 Treo. How rare is this? Jobs knew full well that his $500 iPad threatens to cannibalize sales of $1,000 laptops. But he moved forward nonetheless. Most companies wouldn’t.

10. We are all spin doctors now Critics point out that a lot of what Jobs achieved at Apple was put down to hype and hustle. But that was the point. And Jobs was a master at it — the product teasers, the showmanship on stage, even the black turtlenecks. Truth be told, we live in a superficial age of infinite media. We are all in the spin business. Deal with it.

11. Most people don’t know what they’re doing It takes nothing away from Steve Jobs to point out that he couldn’t have done it without his competitors. Microsoft, Palm, Nokia, Dell, H-P — the list goes on. They missed opportunities, stayed complacent, failed to innovate and generally mishandled the ways their industries changed. It’s normal to assume that the people around us — and in power — know what they are doing. As Jobs proved, they often don’t.

12. Your time is precious — don’t waste it Steve Jobs was just 56 when he died — a comparatively young man — and yet during his short spell on Earth he revolutionized the way we live, several times over. What are we doing with our time? It is the resource we waste the most — and it’s the one we cannot buy. Make the most of your short spell on this planet.

Make each day and hour count.

Driven: Caged Lion

Driven: Caged Lion

Caged Lion

For some people they’re 401k might keep them up at night or the prospect of retirement might scare them into cold sweat and panic attacks but for me it’s the opposite. The here and now scares me to the extent where I feel like the neck tie I wear to work every day is choking the creativity out of me. Maybe it’s my innate nature trying to tell me something. Maybe it’s the lack of intuition to turn my ideas into creative unique realities that I can immerse myself into for hours on end before coming back to reality. Or maybe it’s a lack of infrastructure in the island where I presently reside. Whatever the issue may be I sometimes feel like my purpose is not being fulfilled. Wanting to learn more and ensuring a better quality of life in the long run lead me to university to pursue a tertiary education. Hands down it was a great escape from reality for me and I would do it again on any given day. But now I find myself feening for a change of environment, scenery, and overall experience. I now know how those lions in the zoo in Port of Spain feel behind that 16inch think glass. The saying goes “it’s a jungle out there” but have we ever stopped to think that some people are born to be wild (no pun intended). For some the open plains are their fountain of youth. It is what keeps them up at night with the wheels of creativity going a hundred miles down the high way of dreams heading to the promise land where dreams become realities and passions become pay checks. To add perspective to my wandering thoughts I’ll relay a story from “What the dog saw” by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell wrote about an executive who had a position of notable mention in a company of high esteem who quit in order to pursue a career as a writer. Equipped with only the experienced garnered from a few creative writing classes in college, he sets off on a whirl win adventure to pursue an ideal that was far removed from his area of expertise. If one were to only see the beginning of this story and the successful end it would seem like a walk in the park. However Gladwell goes deeper into the processes that lead to a best seller and reveals writing routine that was rigid and involved numerous trips to Haiti to explore plot points for a work of art that seemed to change ever so often. What may have seemed like an instant hit was a labor of love, time and experience but it was a decision that some may have thought two, three or four times about. Mention was also made of two famous artists, one who peaked early in life and the other was a late bloomer. Both have their names etched in the walls of history despite the fact that their journeys were as different as could be. Needless to say for some its an instant hit, while for others it’s a painful process but doing what we loving and loving what we do is the main goal. At the end of the day I have to ask myself, “Self, are you a caged lion or a wandering elephant?”

Time to Fight

Tuning into a popular radio show on my way to work this morning I came across my blog post for the week. As the history books will reflect in years to come, famous West Indian fast bowler Curtley Ambrose has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. His name and legacy will continue to be mentioned among the greats of his era and also for those to come after. It was not until I heard Mr. Ambrose on the radio that I recalled seeing the story in the papers a day or two ago. A question that was asked of him that inspired the writing of this piece. The host asked “What is it that drove you and motivated you throughout the various games” to which Mr. Ambrose replied “It wasn’t until our backs were against the wall that I decided within myself that we weren’t going to lose". Simply as it seems this is the reality of what many of us are faced with not only where our jobs are concerned but also where family life is concerned as well. We might have been looked over for that promotion time and time again and facing the unemployment line when we finally decide to buckle down and decide that come what may we are not going to lose. For some this may be our normal mode of operation but for others our killer instincts may only present itself after we have failed time and time again. Rest assured that the day will present itself that you decide that you have had enough of being second best and you muster all the courage you have to fight your way out of the corner that you’ve been backed into for years. For Curtley Ambrose his crowning moment may have been being inducted into the hall of fame, what will yours be?

Back to School

Remember Remember the 1st of September. I’m not 100% sure that’s how the saying goes but it has a nice ring to it none the less. I was watching the local morning news show this morning when I remembered that its back to school day for the nation’s youth. This undoubtedly means, new shoes, new uniforms, new backpacks, new books, stationery of all sorts and all manner of other necessities that makes the first day of the new school year an event rivaled only by Christmas and Birthdays. After thinking about how much more traffic is going to be on the roads, I began summing up the amount of years I spent as a student. Not surprisingly though it amounted to twenty years i.e. (2-preschool, 7-primary, 5-secondary, 2- college, 4-university). Needless to say that at 25 that’s more than half my life. What do I have to show for it? Well in a literal sense 3 school leaving certificates, 6 CXC’s, a Diploma, and a Bachelors degree. Sounds like a good collection huh. I guess so. But it was a long time coming and allot of hours spent reading, writing, editing, and also not forgetting procrastination (the number one reason people fail in school). I have had more graduations than I have parking tickets (none actually) and have done more group presentations and speeches than eulogies (none of those either). I guess it’s safe to say that I am an experienced schooler (not an actual word but could be defined as someone who has attended school for most of their life). However no amount of schooling (actual word) can prepare you for what is to come after you graduate from school as there is no graduation from life as long as you’re still living it.

Each day is a new experience with more opportunities than there are days in a week (7 if you’re following) the onus is on us to find them, exploit them, and embrace them. Knowing what I know now, I would go back to secondary/primary school, simply because I know I would be that much more in tuned with what was going on. I can safely say now that all the teachers who said “take your school work seriously because you never know where you’ll end up in life” definitely knew what they were speaking about. In hindsight, the values they tried to instill in us are the same ones the world of work now demands (hard work, dedication, team work, and doing your homework). Needless to say that homework seems that much more attractive when it is tied into your yearend bonus but not when it means you can’t watch endless hours of Cartoon Network/BET. I guess we just needed some perspective and motivation to get us going.

Some might want to insert here that there are hundreds of not thousands or millions of persons who made it without setting foot in a classroom and to them I say well done. But for those who have to pass through the hallowed walls of the institutions of learning I say congratulations to you as well. For it is in these hollowed walls that you will be challenged, berated, idolized, and “educated”. You will make lifelong friends and or enemies but rest assured you may one day look back on these days and say beyond the shadow of a doubt “best days ever”.

Believe it or not we live in a world that values people for what they know. Notwithstanding that you can know allot without being formally educated but it’s always good to be able to trace your roots and be able to say, I am a product of School X,Y, or even Z. At the end of the day you can put a price on education (just ask your parents) but the value of a sound education reaches way beyond the classroom, your cubicle, or even your corner office with the view.

So for those who are heading back to school or for those of you already in the world of work I say enjoy it and make the best of it each and every day.

Just do it

Most days I strive to find something prolific and mind blowing to blog about but most days its not there. Don't get me wrong, I'm always thinking about ways to better myself and enhance my experiences as an individual and things I would like to do and see done and plans I plan on making. But some days it just seems like a pipe dream. You may or may not know what I'm speaking of but we all have those days when you desperately want to be somewhere else other than where you are now. Seems a bit dreary but such is life. In the movies things seem to always work themselves out in an expeditious manner (other than where the subtitle says "ten years later")before you leave the movies. You never have to go back the next day to see what happened between Justin Timberlake and that girl in "Friends With Benefits" because everything gets resolved in 90 minutes but in reality 90 minutes is 90 minutes. For some of you that may just be the time it takes you to get to work in the mornings or home at nights. Or it may very well be the amount of time between when you get to work and your first coffee break. I guess at the end of the day Time is relative to the individual. The line that go me in Friends With Benefits was when Woody Harrelson said (loosely quoted) if you want to lose weight, stop eating so much, if you want to be a millionaire, work your ass off. The simplicity of his statement is similar to Nike's slogan..... Just do it.

Being lazy is a hell of a thing, being motivated is something far superior.

week3/4- Insanity

As I sit behind my PC eating my breakfast (whole wheat slices, boiled egg and hot dog sausages) I can’t help but think that Shaun T is indeed Insane. For months I’ve been hearing people swear by the Insanity work out tapes and how challenging they are. I figured if I could go an hour and a half in the gym and hike for 3 hours on any given day, what’s a flimsy 35 minute workout tape. Little did I know that you had to be insane to try it out in the first place! So last Sunday while brooding over the fact that the gym wasn’t open and I was in need of a good sweat I popped in the DVD and decided to do the abs circuit. It started out gingerly enough until I realized I began missing a few seconds of my life. The positions and intensity were grueling to say the least.

After the “warm up” my shirt was drenched. I had to grab a towel to prevent me from drowning in my own sweat. By the time I was finished you would have sworn there was a water main leak in my living room. I was not only impressed but out of breath and minutes away from calling my mother and crying. I know they say “no pain no gain” but what ever happened to “slow and steady”. Fortunately for me I have friends in the struggle who share my pain (Meka, Khels, Michelle, and Dwight) and are equally as insane as I am. The road to a better body and optimum fitness is not an easy one but hey I got the rest of my life to get there and I will take it one day at a time, hopefully with my sanity intact.

My 30 day no cake challenge caught a snag in my 3 week but insanity and the gym are sure to sweat out any alcohol/pastry that is left in my system after last Sunday.

Summer has another month and a half to go and we all want to hit the beach looking fly as kite so get out there and get active. Go for a jog/walk, go swimming, running join a gym and if your really brave go out and get the insanity work out DVD and commit yourself to the fitness asylum.

P.S. I hear P90x is Insanity’s big brother…… (walks away slowly)….

Week Two- Momentum

Week three started off last Monday with me in the gym feeling like my internal combustible engine could not burn out no matter how hard I tried but alas I pressed on. Tuesday bum rushed me with two cakes and wines to celebrate my aunts birthday but I dodged the bullet with a few glasses of water and a staring contest with two cakes that both contained rum. How does a cake be made from rum and butter and still taste good? I wonder if I can make a butter rum drink to complement the cake? Wednesday sideswiped me with mental and physical fatigue but I drop kicked Thursday by starting the day in the gym breaking a sweat and watching the sunrise.
With 15 more days to go for my challenge I feel like I am doing my body a favor from being over indulgent in the past where my sweet tooth is concerned. I might have encountered a technicality of the weekend with some banana bread but if you ask me its bread and not cake after all the name says it all.

For those of you out there hoping to get in shape for the summer, I say good luck and Godspeed. Start small and build momentum and you’ll be on your way before you know it.

P.S. for those of you who have tried the ab wheel and fell on your face/stomach don't feel bad, i too have suffered the same fate on a few occasions.

Week One - Diary of a Fat Kid

Life is a funny thing, end of quote. For some strange un-explainable reason there is a phenomenon that takes place every time you make a decision to refrain from a certain behavior. It is as if the world was waiting for you to say your quitting to open the flood gates and pour out more than you can handle. Such was the case last week after I decided to lay off cake and alcohol for a month in aid of defining my mid section. First off my aunt made home grown sugar cakes with peanuts. This was just my first day and already the odds were stacking up against me. Adding insult to injury was finding bread pudding in the fridge on day three. Then the flood gates really opened on the weekend with the father’s day celebrations. First it was my niece baking a cake for no other reason than she could. Then it was my brothers butter rum cake that he got as a Father’s day present. My will power was further tested with three cakes that happened to be in my aunt’s fridge as well as two others that were at my father’s house as well. After all it was Father’s Day so I should have expected such grand expressions of love and sweetness. Avoiding the booze was easier than expected although I consumed one soda too many but alas the struggle continues.

Week two started off with a night a leg routine in the gym that left me with sea legs and an abs circuit that left me afraid to laugh and unable to stretch too far. With three more weeks to go I can see some sort of shape taking place and will continue to push the envelope.

Live Healthy, Live Long.

The 30 day challenge. Beating the inner fat kid.

A friendly conversation with a good friend of mine turned inito what is now a 30 day challenge with the hoped for result of being a more defined mid section (i.e. "abs"). My friend Kheli mentioned in passing that I should lay off cake and alcohol in order to increase my chances of getting some much needed definition in the mid section area. To the normal person this appears to be quite easy but for me it is a challenge for two reasons. Firstly i am a cake feind. I will eat cake at any time of day for any occasion and in any quantity. Just writing about it is making me feel queasy about not being able to eat cake,the withdrawal symptoms are already beginning to kick in. But alas the wheels of progress have begun to turn. The second reason is simply embodied by two words "its summer".

The Back Story

I was born into a family that embraces the culinary arts and appreciates the bliss that is a home cooked meal. With a mother who was a cook and a father who had an appetite that rivals that of a Lion in the jungle I was predisposed to a gigantic appetite and a waist line to suit. By age 12 I was wearing size 40 and had two of the rosiest cheeks you could find in my village. To add food to the plate I lived near to a Grandmother and a Great-grandmother who were never bashful at offering a second dinner plate or other snacks. A trip to town by mother or grand or great grand mother would most often result in KFC or patties and meatballs or bun and cheese or a Roti or some other treat. Needless to say that even if I was under punishment for not completing a chore these delicacies would be consumed at a later time.

Being the fat kid meant that you were the last to be picked for any sport being played in the village and at times I lacked the enthusiasm to even try. But alas at age 15 I discovered a magical place called "the gym". I went hard for about six months before the rigors of trying to finish secondary school set in and I had to quit. But my journey did not end there. I took to jogging, biking, and even assembled a home gym with weights with all manner of household items. I joined an aerobic class where I was the lone male who was remarkably more flexible than some of my female counterparts. Throughout University I was on and off of the gym depending on course load and finances. Now add in weekend hikes than range from an hour to two to sometimes three. Couple that with a renewed gym membership and now my thirty day challenge to build a better body.

Whoever said progress was a slow process was probably talking about me. For a fat kid who has been trying to get a six pack for almost 10 years now, the time has come. Its do or die and no turning back. The timing is perfect as summer is just about to begin and every one is going to be hitting the beach for a BBQ, party or just to lime. Tis the season to be shirtless.


The Challenge

Between now and July 15th I will refrain from alcohol and cake/pastries in an effort to boost my chances at the all illusive "pack". Add a morning routine that includes crunches and stretches and a 4/5 day gym week and I'll hopefully have a winning combination.

The challenge will not be an easy one as the summer parties have begun and the sporadic beach outings have begun to take place with much fanfare and excitement.

M expectations however are realistic. I do not expect to have a wash board stomach but simply more definition. I hope with the cutting back on sweets and booze that this will reduce the amount of empty calories that I will be consuming and boost my chances considerably. My weekend hikes should add the cardio to move that extra stubborn inch or two while my ab routines at the gym should do the trick with sculpting.

So cheers to a healthier happier me. Do I want to be the guy who walks in the room in his 10 year old nephews shirt, no I simply want to be the guy who is comfortable with taking his shirt off at any given time of day in front of a crowd.

Look out for a biweekly/weekly update to see how much progress I've made and feel free to add your two cents as you see fit.

What I've learned from the NBA Playoffs.

We all enjoy cheering for our team. Whether it be be football, basketball, cricket, baseball, american football or even dominoes, there's nothing we love more than shouting from the stands or coaching our players from the living room or bed room. Some of us may never making to the locker room of our favorite teams but that doesn't stop us from being glued to the tele while they're on and calling out plays or substitutions as we see fit. We know the players more than they appear to know themselves. We recall with much ease the score from the last ten games they would have won/lost and the unfair calls the referee called against us. Despite our unbridled passion there are a few things we can learn from our teams. For instance the NBA Playoffs started off with great fanfare and excitement. Everyone had their teams lined up to collect the Championship trophy. But we all know how that famous scientific law goes "whatsoever can go wrong, will go wrong" and that appears to be the case for some teams that have "gone fishing".

Ten things I learned:

1. The better team does not always win.
2. The underdog does not always lose.
3. The true strength of a team is in its weakest player.
4. The person who calls the shots is not the one who makes the shots.
5. 48 minutes of play can equal to two hours in real time
6. The team with the most points always win.
7. Results come via preparation, perseverance, luck and chance.
8. No one likes to lose but those who have appreciate winning that much more when they finally
do.
9. No matter how hard I shout at my television, they will never hear me.
10. Losing brings a certain perspective and reflection that gets lost in the excitement of winning.

All in all we would like to always be the winers in everything we do but as the old adage says : you win some and you lose some".

P.S. I'm backing Miami Heat.

The Youth

Over the last week I had the privilege of attending a workshop geared towards equipping youth workers with the skills of becoming reflective youth workers. It was a workshop focused on the building of skills for youth workers. I had my hesitations at first and figured that it would be a four day lecture with ample amounts of note taking but I was in for a total surprise. The sessions were not only interactive but also informative, engaging and refreshing. Having the group arranged in a circular fashion allowed everyone to see their associates quite easily and took away the “back seat” mentality that prevails in our culture. The presenter was by no means short of energy, insight, tact, zeal and down right brilliant. Having been an ardent political activist and a dedicated HIV/AIDS awareness worker Bonita Harris had what it took to make a room and our group come alive. Those present represented a diverse cross section of individuals involved in youth work in Antigua & Barbuda. The presence of such personal and professional experience made for a very enlightening and informative session.
From day one our presenter made it clear that dialogue was one of the most important aspects of youth work. Engaging the youth and allowing them the opportunity to express themselves without fear of judging or bias. Creating an enabling environment was also a major component under which working with individuals on a whole was recommended. Effective planning on the part of the youth worker was not only necessary but crucial. Planning therefore had to allow individuals to review the past, be fully present in the present and able to anticipate the future. As such we proceeded as planned.

During the course of the four days participants were asked to confront their values, priorities, and interests, which allowed me to evaluate the things that I supposedly value. It was an opportunity to shed light on the things that we don’t confront on a daily basis and to question our real motives behind our actions and the things we hold dare. By day three we were expressing feelings and emotions that had been stored up on the inside for decades. The fact that the workshop was geared towards youth made it easy to see the connection between unaddressed issues from my past and the affect it has had on my life presently. It gave a sense of understanding of the host of issues that could be facing not only youth on a national scale but those in our homes and in our very own backyard.

The daily reflections allowed us to express our thoughts and feelings on the previous day’s sessions as well as to report feedback from conversations participants would have had with spouses, family, friends etc. Exploring the Johari window and J Samuel Bois’ seven shaper model of the self revealed further that we are complex individuals. For example Bois’ model takes into consideration biology, feelings, thought patterns, self-moving forces all within the framework of the environment and influenced by the past and future. May sound like a mouthful but if you ever tried exposing yourself to someone (in an emotional way) you may begin to see how complex it is to show/tell people who we really are. The Johari window on the other hand points to four selves; the open self, the hidden self, the blind self, and the unknown self. Needless to say that these models are just the tip of the iceberg in self revelation and allowed for much discussion.

At the end of it all the experience was nothing short of bringing greater focus to the work needed to be done with the youth of our country. The fact that individuals are not only born into a society but nurtured and influenced by the various institutions within our communities. The family may be the point of origin but it is not the only point of contact to the outside world. Personally I have blamed the various institutions and individuals for the short comings of the youth but doing such does not negate my responsibilities as an individual.

It is all well and good to cast the blame on the politicians, principals, teachers, pastors, churches etc. But what about me, what about you? What are we doing to raise the bar for our youth. One point that stuck with me is that learning is not just learning things but learning the meaning of things. Learning should lead to changes. If there is no change, there has been no learning ( Dewey).

We Are Driven - Episode 3 - Dentercia Blanchette

Maya Angelou and Tony Morrison are two of the first names that come to my mind when thinking of this week’s inductee into the Driven Hall of Fame. Her writing style is unique, eclectic and simply refreshing. Her sense of purpose in the world is remarkably astute to say the least. Her passion for writing and self expression is limited only by the words she chooses to use. Her knack for all things literary and beautiful is simply marvellous. The last time one person had this much energy they invented electricity (shameless attempt at humour, please laugh).

As we proceed, we catch up with the active twenty one year old native of St. Kitts and peel back a layer or two to find an individual driven to excellence and beyond. Coming from a nuclear family Dentrecia had a great platform from which to develop into a well rounded, articulate and confident woman. Add four cats to the mix and you have an animal lover with motherly instincts. Educationally she has run the gauntlet of secondary school and university with flying colours a BA in English and a Marketing certificate with plans in the pipeline for a Masters Degree.

Presently she is ably employed in the field of Media and Communication as a Public Relations and Marketing Officer where she is the senior, junior, PR and Marketing Officer all rolled into one. With such an amazing workload it appears as though she’ll be CEO in a matter of years.

The first thing she does every morning without being prompted is to have private devotions “I always have women devotionals close to me and I go to the bible app on my BB and cover myself in scripture. My morning prayers are my longest, I tell god of my fears and tasks for the day and of my dreams. It’s pretty cool.”

Our driven inductee has a major crush on recording artist B.O.B. and was quoted saying “I feel like his lyrics are his conversations with me just for me about his life”. She also favours Israel Nu Breed and Mali Music (gospel). In terms of books she’s currently reading the name Jodi Picolt sprang to life claiming that she knows how to work a plot with her electrifying page turners. Lorene Cary brings her inspiration as she had a chance to meet her in person and has fallen in love with her electrifying personality.

Her favourite place to be is undoubtedly the park where she can become engrossed in her thoughts for hours on end with a serene feeling of contemptment and solitude. Away from home she finds calm in the beautiful shores of Martinique.

I posed the question “Something that made you see things in a different light?” to which she answered; Sigma Tau Delta Convention 2011 in Pittsburgh. “It reminded me of my purpose to write beautiful words that have the power to heal. Upon coming back home, I had plans to do this and that and then I got a job and soon found out that some things had to be sacrificed. I sacrificed my writings. Everyone would say when last have you written. I would lie and say a date but I couldn’t find anytime to write. At the convention I was so inspired to write that one night in my hotel room I cried my pretty eyes out just out of anger with myself for not treating my art with as much dedication as I should have. Ever since I’ve been back home I’ve been putting stuff in place to write and promote literacy and I dedicate an hour to just writing. I’m finding the time! “Sometimes we need a wake up call to recommit ourselves to our art”. “It is so easy to lose your focus when you are not in an environment that promotes it!” I’m glad I got a wake up call before the age of 30 when I’d be old.”

Our poet/writer/Public Relations Officer/ cat lover/ sister/ daughter/friend finds motivation in the words of the song "hold your dreams" by Naturi Noughton from the movie Fame. I listen to that song and feel POWERFUL! Secretly she has three reasons why she does what she does which reminds her of her goals and despite the difficulty she pushes through to make sure that she remains true to her reasons for doing what she does (we’d sure like to hear what these are).
Getting to the crux of the matter and eager to find out what drives this young woman to live purpose driven life we stumbled upon this:

“If you could put your finger on the one thing that keeps driving you toward being the best person you can be what would you say it is?
“Reaching heaven. That is the ultimate of all ultimate’s. Every day I realize just how far I am from the mark of being a true Christian but that goal ‘to reach to heaven’ is engrained in my head and it motivates me to be a better person each day. So each day I work at being a better Dentrecia, for I know that He that is within me will someday bring me to that better Dentrecia”.

I inquired as to what her take was on the state of affairs in the Caribbean in relation to the way we embrace the arts and mediums of expression and Dentrecia held no punches by saying
“Art is life”. This concept she claims is being slowly embraced by our Caribbean communities. Long before, there was a chasm between art and the other activities of life it was considered a hobby, not something that was to be taken seriously. However she believes that these days that notion is changing. “We are now seeing various communities cultivating the artistic talents of its people to transform lives, unite people and enrich the community”. She highlighted that in St. Kitts, there is an amazing group of young writers and spoken word artists transforming the nation by force as well as young people in Trinidad where they are using art to heal societies. “I think the thriving of these different organisms showcase the power that art is having on our people. Expressing ourselves in whatever way appropriate is the core of art forms and for that reason, we will have more Olive Senior’s, Marshal Montano’s, and Romeo Downer’s--- our people will never give up voicing our experiences and struggles.”

So there you have it folks an artist not afraid to get lost in music, words, thoughts, and everything that brings inspiration from on high and here on earth. Not a wandering soul but one destined for the heavens. A creator of stories untold, and a moulder of passions felt. A gardener of thoughts and dreams and a reaper of happiness and joy. It is with her own words we end this week’s segment:

“I get the greatest joy out of life when I eat Planters trail mix, nuts and chocolate and see my pieces quoted or published!”

“When I become president the first thing I’m going to do is make college education free! Why price education when it’s priceless!”

“Five years from now I will be a published author with a publishing house and a regional literary society!”

P.S. her cat currently named Samantha gets her name changes every week, depending on her mood....

We Are Driven

So in fantastic Friday fashion the We Are Driven series continues this week with the spotlight on a young entrepreneur who has his sights set on the stars. Born and raised in Bois D’Orange, Gros Islet in St. Lucia Myron Yarde is proud to call the Helen of the West “Home Sweet Home”. However like many of us our dreams lead us away from home in the pursuit of life, love and liberty. We run into our twenty something year old business pro on his way to greatness and gain an insight into what keeps driving him forward.

Q:Graduating year and area of degree:

A:B.S. Business; Education 2009 Andrews University

Q:What was it like as a child growing up in St. Lucia?

A:Fun. A lot of good times; Saint Lucian people love to have fun so there was always something happening. The beach, liming with friends or just being out…….. But also it wasn’t always 100%, so if you didn’t learn to work with what was available or make more available you wouldn’t be happy.

Q:At what age did you realize that you had the innate desire to do great things and what have you done to feed this ambition?

A:It was not a specific age; I always loved to read…. as long as I can remember… I would read whatever I put my hands on. The books I read made me see things from other perspectives; I was then able to create my own reality in my head and work towards it.Eventually I developed this audacity where I believed that anyone can help me achieve my goals if I asked the right way at the right time. I feed it by reading and setting impossible goals.

Q:People you look to for advice and guidance:

A:I don’t usually ask for advice but I would pitch ideas to my close friends and let them find holes or weaknesses in them. I use their criticism to build up my ideas; my parents usually give me advice whether I ask or not but I never listen.

Q:The idea/concept behind Caribonix?

A:(Smiles) It’s quite a story. It started with an application that I was working on with my business partner Conlan King while in university. We were trying to create a platform to help Caribbean companies make regional and international business easier. It was just an idea that we had big plans for to connect the Caribbean to the rest of the world. My roommate and a mutual friend of ours Oudin Samuel at the same time had this idea to start his web design business Caribonix because of his love for design and ICT. We figured that working together would allow us to do more with our talent and love for what we do. Conlan is the Innovation King and Oudin is the Smart Guy who knows how to run the projects well, I just fit right in with my love for marketing, ideas and people. We used the Caribonix name because it fit perfect; since then, we have been using our business to create innovative on and offline business solutions with websites, internet programs/applications and internet and b2b marketing (business to business marketing). The synergy is amazing and the rewards are great.. our vision is to create a new Caribbean by introducing to our clients, employees and community to a standard of excellence..

Q:Future hopes/aspirations/goals/business ventures?

A:In the future I hope to be more involved in education in the Caribbean possibly partnering with schools for research; a change agent. I believe that if we can conduct more research for application rather than information we can have a new Caribbean in this generation.
The present goal is and will continue to be: to grow Caribonix to be a leader for innovation and a model to follow for startups and existing businesses.

Q:If you had to outline a diet for “greatness” what elements/character traits would it comprise
of and why?

A:The diet that I use;
- be a slave: for every hour you spend sleeping or hanging out… spend two or more
working
towards your goal and learning. Why? You will become consistent by habit
- be fearless, Why? being fearless allows you to worry less so you live with less
stress.
- Give people more than they expect. Why? You will stand out among thousands; that helps
- Always expose yourself to varied perspectives. Why? It gives you a better view of life and
helps you to relate to people better.

Q: A few great things about being an entrepreneur:

A:It is a great feeling that you wake up every morning to slave to build something that you will
always be a part of. It’s rewarding; if we work hard enough we will sometimes reach our limit;
an employee has an option to quit at that point or keep going…. An entrepreneur just keeps
going.. no need to think.

Q:Your views on the state of affairs in relation to small businesses in the Caribbean.
There are many small businesses with great potential; some of us are not operating at 50% of
our true potential. Entrepreneurs have the capability to revive the economy and establish the
Caribbean in a greater way if we can come together

Q:One thing all entrepreneurs should know from the start:

A:Keep your goal in mind especially when having a hard time.

Q:One word that has motivated you from day one:
A:FREEDOM

Q:The best part of having dreams and working to achieve them:

A:I don’t know….The harder you work the better you become at what you do?

Q:A few years from now I hope to be........

A: The best at what I do.

Beyond the shadow of any doubtful minds Myron has his sights on being something rather than nothing. His commitment to being a slave to his dreams may sound hash but in reality that is the only way to guarantee greatness. I can recall in Michael Gladwell’s book Outlier mentions the concept of 10,000 hours saying that it is a bench mark to measure how knowledgeable and successful an individual is in his/her particular field. It’s safe to say that Myron has started his journey of a thousand hours and will make the world a better place once he does.

As we head out to the weekend I leave you with the words of Colin Powell “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”.

Be inspired, be great.

Be sure to check out the Caribonix facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Caribonix

Driven, motivating women to be their best selves in relationships.

They say good writing good ideas take time to develop but having good friends with great minds means that you’ll get there that much quicker with help and inspiration. A typical Tuesday conversation with my good friend Kae-Toya turned into a terrific idea for a blog post. It seems as if she had been cultivating the idea of men in relationships for a while. Her main premise “men need love too”. My initial reaction was uncertain as I wanted to keep the blog focused about being driven towards educational, financial, and vocational fulfilment. Little did I realize that sometimes the driving force behind these desires may be a spouse/lover/girlfriend/boyfriend etc.

We then decided to collaborate on this spicy topic of love interests from a masculine and a feminine perspective.

So here goes: Driven, motivating women to be their best selves in relationships.

Kae-Toya started off by mentioning that men need love too. As a man I embrace this statement and wish that more women would see us men on the other side of the coin trying desperately to be all things to our better halves. Needless to say that we are at times not catered to as we cater to women’s. As my co-writer so aptly added “women should send a man flowers, rub his feet, cook his favourite meal and buy him boxers just because its Tuesday”. The look of “oh yeah” was plastered helplessly across my face as I though that should any women would do these things for me I would run off the auction block so fast that the ground would shake uncontrollably. She out did herself by adding the special occasion sex for no other reason than its Wednesday and got me to thinking.

Men are by nature predators/hunters we size women up weigh the pros and cons and after all is said and done we charge in head first. Some might be overzealous at the sight of some “chrome skin” while others might be intrigued by the mystery that is her character (raises hand in guilt). Others still might just enjoy the thrill of the chase and the conquest but let’s not dwell on that.

Our focus is on women and how they can be driven to be their best selves in relationships. Allot is expected of men being the patriarchal figure in society. We hunt (work) and gather (get paid) all to our benefit and also to the women in our lives. All we (I) ask in return is for some consideration (and by this I mean pampering) on our behalves. What self respecting man would not enjoy his wife sending him flowers, chocolate and a teddy bear at work for his birthday or valentines or just because. It might appear a bit fruity to the other guys but bet your bottom dollar they will all go home and tell their women what Shawn’s woman/wife did for him and how they too should step up to the plate. In speaking of holidays despite the fact that men only get fathers day and birthdays to feel special everything else is commercialised around getting gifts for women. A fact that they never let us forget. Try coming home empty handed on valentines and see what happens (dog house). Yet very few men receive gifts on this day. If it is indeed a day of love lets share it both ways. And when you do, don’t get him socks or a tie or a watch. Get him some handcuffs, leather jacket, something exciting, maybe motor bike lessons perhaps but make him know that you care about him as much as he cares to buy you another tennis bracelet or diamond earrings.

Now its not a given that women should cook all the time but if you do majority of the cooking it would be nice to see you in the kitchen in heels and a nice dress preparing something sexy like pasta primavera or a chocolate soufflé with a table set for one cause you plan to sit on his lap and feed him dinner/desert wearing nothing but the said heels. Think its too much, ok fine. See how much it is when he loses interests in extra curricular activities because he is all tapped out of ideas and suggestions and you’re on the living room floor with your girlfriends, drinking his wine, questioning his fidelity. Mind you that if he leaves it would be because the other women would have gone the extra mile to entice said man because she knows that he is a good catch and she would have caught you falling asleep at the wheel. Thus the cycle would continue. So why not break the cycle, be motivated towards your mate. Make him/her feel like the first lady/commander in chief. Don’t treat him like the gardener and expect presidential suite service.

It was refreshing to hear this coming from a woman’s perspective but I had to ask myself as to how many women out there have done something spontaneous for their man whether in the bedroom or not (please no hand raising necessary). It might be the masses or it might be a few. Is society to blame by showing images of women always receiving grandiose gifts and exotic treatment while a man gets another tie? Maybe so but buying into television reality is not prescribed. Truth be told most men (I) are willing to jump through hoops of fire in a lions den with a Chinese assassin hurling 8 point stars at us to get the women they want (unintellectuals need not apply) all we ask is that when the rubber hits the road that women make it worth our while. Truth be told as responsible men we expect to put out for dates, movies, late night runs to honey cutter, hitch hiking to come and see you, meeting the family etc. It is our duty to say the least. We need some encouragement though besides the obvious. We need back as much as we put out. There is no use being an alpha male without a she male that is willing not only to fend off all other she males but one who grooms your coat and chips in with the hunting and gathering from time to time.

I would pay to see the man who doesn’t want to have a woman he can not only count on to be there come what may but one who knows he is worthy of her love and effort regardless of time of day or occasion.

The critics will say “what of the men who don’t man up and meet even the basic of expectations”? They are out there. Separating the men from the boys is as hard as separating the women from the girls but it can be done.

Settling for less than what you deserve is deserving what you settle for.

P.S. a little compromise goes a long way.

Written by Kae-Toya Lee-Bramble and Shawn Maile.

We are Driven

So there is just something climactic about Fridays but at the same time it brings a certain air of freshness to it as well. When the idea of Driven struck me one of my thoughts was to feature individuals like myself who are motivated beyond words to accomplish their inner most desires. Individuals who have that fire burning deep within and who will not rest until that flame is shining for the entire world to see.

As such today and for more days to follow, I will be featuring individuals who are on the road to greatness.

Lauricia Henry is currently in Taxco Guerrero, Mexico pursuing a first degree in Special Education with the hopes of further attaining a Masters in Educational Psychology and finally a PHD in Education.

Her desire isn't to be rich, but to live comfortably. To possess the things she wants and not having to worry about money is her ambition. A primary and secondary education at the Antigua SDA School has placed this talented spirited young woman in the position that she is in today. Being a fan of English, poetry, science, history, and at times biology has allowed her to see the bigger picture of life and created within her the desire to live outside the status quo. Her passions for self expression lead her to amass a plethora of poems that she hopes to one day share with the world around her. Her inspiration at one point came from the “drama” that is our teenage years. The soul searching, gut wrenching days that lead many of us to the brink of insanity, conformity, rebelliousness and reckless abandonment caused this butterfly in flight to create original pieces that she hopes one day will inspire other youths on that road to freedom..

When asked about the driving force in her life Lauricia had no reservations about crediting this remarkable source as her grandmother. In Lauricia’s own words “In the times I feel like giving up I remember all the things that she's given up and I'm determined to make her proud. Her sacrifices have allowed her children and grandchildren to have the kind of lives we do now. She inspires greatness and so I will be nothing less than GREAT”.

The one word that would describe her life experiences thus far would be extraordinary. “Extraordinary because in my 21 years, I've seen good go to bad and back, felt like giving up and fought through difficulties all in one go. But hey I survived and I wouldn't trade it in for anything”.

When asked if she could give one word to a primary/secondary school student to motivate him or her to reach for the stars, her answer came back as a resounding “YOU”. “I remember going through high school especially and trying to live my life to please every other person. It was like a war and the sad part is I never really won. Don't live your life to please anybody else, live so that YOU are proud of YOU. If you are second guessing something it's probably because it's not really who you are. Sure it's nice to want to make other people proud, but set boundaries. Don't overburden yourself with making others happy, you often lose yourself in the process. Don't be afraid to let others see your talents, you're awesome and you know it, just try to let others see your awesomeness. If somebody didn't like what you had to offer it's ok. There's nothing wrong with you, just do YOU whole heartedly. Try to accept criticism and grow from it, think of it as a way to make you even better than you already are. Just stay true to you!!!!!!!!!”


Lauricia sees school as a stepping stone. She believes that a lot of what you do in school, especially secondary school shapes the person you become in the real world. Like many others, she knows that reaching for the stars is always a sure bet to success. “If you happen to fall short you land on a cloud. A cloud is a good place to land. Always have a back up plan, make choices that will ultimately lead to your bigger goals in life and be sure to make them realistic and work towards them with all you have. Never lose sight of the big picture and have fun along the way. Live your life responsibly making wise decisions, if there are hiccups get up learn from the mistake and move on wisely”.

Like many individuals Lauricia too has a few things she wish she would have done like sharing her poetry with others, writing more, and taking up singing and also dancing. Being concerned with what other people think of her was her main concern but with age comes insight and now she knows to live her life for herself and herself only.

“I've said lots so far and I'd probably like to end by saying read. Read as much as you can, as often as you can. Explore the world through books”. Her favourite and most inspirational book is "Think Big" by Dr. Benjamin Carson. “You might hear the title and think hear we go again one of those speeches, but all I'm going to say is use your imagination, let it run wild. Don't prohibit your thinking capacity by preventing yourself from dreaming. Every good thing starts as a dream. When you dream write them down keep track of them. Think outside the box you've been given, let your creative and intelligent side lead to some greatness. Who's to say that you won't be the next Einstein or George Washington Carver or maybe even the next Dr. Benjamin Carson”."Think Big" "Be Happy"

"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you
develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an
exception; it is a prevailing attitude.."

Prison Break

Sad to say but my university career forced me to side track my full time job of being a TV show analyst (I don’t earn an income from this as yet as my full time job is cutting into it as well) and as such I missed the entire second season of Prison Break. However I have recently acquired this award winning television show and need I say that it is just amazing. Seasons three and four were the icing on my college life and got me through weekends that not even ice cream and cake could cure. What I find intriguing and refreshing is not the cliff hangers or characters or main plot points but rather Michael’s unrelenting optimism, attention to detail, and his ability to see the biggest picture possible. Here is a man that not only studied every detail of the blue prints of a prison but had it tattooed to his body in order to save his brothers life. The blue print here symbolizes to me your way not only to get out of your dead end job (just in case such is the case) or your plan to get a new job or to pursue a degree, love interest, or hobby etc. But that my friend is just the beginning. After the plan is being executed then come the real test. The test being your ability to adjust on the move, to make decisions at the drop of a dime and still seeing the end result despite of the obstacles.

For some reason though Michael meets many roadblocks and bridges along the way he never gives up hope of his final freedom. The plans might change but the destination remains the same regardless of what happens. Needless to say that once you start running your going to have a tough time getting to your final destination. New jobs mean new people, new responsibilities, new work load, new atmosphere. Might be more money at the expense of less family time. Might be new office romance at the expense of old relationships. If your going to school it might be a new country, culture, food, people and language all rolled into one experience. A move away from home may bring a level of freedom that is scarily exciting. The new shoes and new jeans will still excite you despite their minute nature but the larger rewards that you reap from breaking free will forever change your life.

Impossible is a word that was probably invented by someone not physically blind but maybe mentally so. To see the possibility in a thing is wonderful but to attain it, well I’d like to think that it is indescribable to say the least.

What I am getting at is this. We all have our prisons. For some it may be our jobs while for others it may be our relationships, bodies, or minds but to these I say there’s always a way out. The plan may not come together all at once but you might have to give it time to come together. Some times things have a way of just coming together when you least expecting them too or when you didn’t want them too but it’s up to you to see the good in every situation and make it work for you. So by all means do not quit your job today and hope to start a new one by next Monday (unless it’s a sure bet). And unless your business plan is complete and you’ve tested your business on a sample market don’t quit your day job unless you’re very much convinced that it is going to work. If such is the case then by all means carry on.

When it is all said and done we all need to be like the proverbial Michael Scofield and break out of our Fox River’s with the hopes of retiring in Mexico. It is all about the end game, so plan well dig deep and go hard. There is always room at the top.

Fantastic Friday

There is just something euphoric about Fridays that creates this feeling of invincibility that makes me feel on top of the world. Had it been the end of the month coupled with a pay check, a hot date and a new pair of shoes…..I would be sailing past the folks on cloud nine and smiling all the way to twelve. All that being said, Happy Friday!!!!!

I can just imagine if I was in Trinidad today and how amazing it would be in down town Port of Spain on this Fantastic Friday. The streets are probably lined with music vendors (legal or other wise) blazing the hottest tracks for carnival 2k11. From Michel to Blaxx, Super Jigga, Shall, Destra Fay-Ann, Bunji and of course the Wotless man Kess. The aroma of the honey roasted nuts as you begin your journey up Frederick Street. The watch vendors, shoe sellers, snow cone makers, and taxi men saying “savannah by by two”. The magnificence that is trini girls are lining the streets with their radiating beauty and vivacious curves that tantalize your eyesight and titillate your tastebuds. Their smiles and looks of innocence beauty and seduction all rolled into one are more than enough to elicit looks of pleasure, lust, and excitement from any man. Their sing song voices and sweet words quickens the pace of the alpha males heart who wants nothing more than to engage her in conversation with the hope of finding a way to embrace this goddess divine and get lost in time and ask for one more wineeeeeee……sigh
Everyone is someone this weekend it is not just carnival weekend but it is Trinidad’s carnival weekend. This is the event that put Trinidad on the map, yes they have Lara and Thompson, and oil and a pitch lake but this is the embodiment of the trini spirit. This is their moment in time. This is their golden child. This is their 8th wonder of the world. This is trini carnival. The place where normel men and women become stars amongst stars; this is where inhibition meets reckless abandonment. This is where soca meets the people and transforms them in to beings of pleasure. This is their spot in the solar verse (big up Kae-Toya for that word same way). This is where guys like Jeremey Davis and Ranan Emanuel throw caution to the wind and embrace the alternate realities of life. Where boys become men and men act like boys. Where women get to reveal the results of months on months of early morning jogging and gruelling gym routines and diets or where others just let it all hang out.

None the less the day’s progress and Friday turns to Saturday to Sunday Monday & Tuesday and by time Ash Wednesday rolls around the towns would have been turned upside down. The merriment would have been had, some happy some sad, others wishing nine months from now that the weekend hasn’t produced a lad. But when it’s all said and done and the last song has been sung its back to reality, the mundane commonality.

So to all who will take part in this greatest fete on earth I say be safe and have fun. To all those who won't I can only assume that like me your work has once again found a way to interrupt the amazing event that many of us refer to as life.

P.S. this post was supposed to be work related but after I started writing and realised today is carnival weekend in Trinidad, my fingers just took over.

Top ten things I learned over the weekend.

1. The sunrise is always a beautiful thing to watch.

2. Days seem longer when you’re up before the crack of dawn.

3. You still might not be able to afford something even after it was given to you for free.

4. Maintaining your sanity in an insane world is insane.

5. Opportunity always presents itself despite your lack of aggressiveness.

6. Without the correct key or any key as a matter of fact, a locked door is simply a locked

door.

7. No one wants to lose at anything.

8. Losing to a child is embarrassing.

9. People over thirty wish they weren’t.

10. You can really break a sweat from playing a wii.

11. Not being able to count is a terrible thing.

Extinction

In speaking to a friend today the topic of Lions came up. So I pondered the process of going from a cub to a Lion and lions in general. I tried to find some sort of amazing fact about lions to link to something motivational but instead I settled on extinction. Nothing profound, but rather simple. Animals go into extinction all the time. As a matter of fact one probably went into extinction since the year started. But I’ll mention the extinction not of animals but of people.

Where have all our stalwarts gone, our inventors, innovators, leaders, pioneers? Yes we all have heroes but what’s keeping us from being heroes and the like. Is it that we are making ourselves extinct by being normal and blending in. or is it that we are all superb so none of us stand out? I doubt the latter is true. It may be that we are on the road to being heroes and heroines alike and I assume time will tell. I may be jumping the gun as we may have yet to arrive but it is a concern none the less.

So even if you think you are a dying breed, don’t be afraid to shine for fear of being poached upon by those who would have your head on their walls but stand up and stand out. Be a lion.

The Flight

So I was driving past the airport this morning and saw a plane taking flight. Not too far behind were two other airplanes taxiing down the runway to do the same. It then dawned on me that I missed being in a plane. the thought of being on one island at 10 am and being on another by 12pm was very much appealing. My second thought was "if planes can take flight, why can't we". And if we can how do we?

I would believe that like the plane we have to go through a number of checks before we are on the runway too success. Like planes too we come in different sizes and models and able to take various amounts of people with us on our road to success (this latter part just came to me while typing:-). So someone with a Jumbo Jet mentality may take a while to get his 100 plus ambitions and dreams off the ground as opposed to someone like me with a Cessna ambition who just wants to cruise the open skies and see the sights.

Despite of the dreams and goals we have we all want to reach for the clouds and look out on to the sunset from 30,000 feet above sea level and see the ocean glistening in the moonlight being that much closer to the sky.

So whatever your dreams are made of, taxi on down the runway and prepare to take flight.

Be motivated, be inspired, be you.

I love Monday's

I know allot of people hate mondays and take them for granted but lets try to look on the bright side of Monday. Granted you ran head first for the door Friday afternoon and turned the weekend on its head with all the partying and merrymaking and now its back to work at the helm of the S.S. Mundane and Boring. It may not seem like it but Monday offers allot of opportunities for new starts. One of my college professors once said that as people we have the upper hand at taking advantage of our human interactions when we plan ahead. So here is your opportunity to confront those conversations you've been dreading with your boss, coworkers, clients etc. Everyone already knows Mondays are not good for most people so take advantage of it. I am not saying to break the news of your clients past due bill at 8 o clock on a Monday morning. I am rather in-sighting that it may be a good time to raise issues that have been gnawing away at you for a while.

By all means attempt to be happy before starting the conversation as people usually respond well to happy faces. Start the convo off with the general greetings and be sure to have something fun to mention like Blake Griffin jumping over a car during the NBA all star weekend or the new Starbucks around the corner or Victoria's secret new line of invisible line panties (women only) or Carmello Anthony's possible trade. Whatever your forte or that of the person to whom your relating make it something that lighten the mood. When all is said and done you can let the cat out the bag. Whatever the issue being discussed be sure to highlight the point that its the start of a new week and as such it can be seen as a new start to resolve on an old issue or a new page on which to generate new ideas. Setting deadlines in the days to follow and arranging follow up calls would be a sure fire way to keep the momentum going as well. However, be sure to follow up on your follow ups so as to not to have this conversation two or three Mondays from now cause after all not everyone likes Mondays.

Its also a good day to start that fitness program you always wanted to start or approaching your boss about that raise of yours (pitching ideas about increasing revenue and cutting cost might show your level of seriousness and dedication to the company). Proposing, or making a move on a long time "girl friend" can also be a task for this Magical Monday.

So from here on out, while your living up the weekend be sure to plan ahead to get the most out of your monday. It make take you a while but so will getting old, so take it one Monday at a time.

Split Second Living

For most of us, making a decision takes a while. We have to weigh the pros and the cons, the hi's and the low's the ins and the outs and etc. etc. Sometimes we go from that gut feeling and things work out wonderfully as opposed to deep thought and heavy introspection. Not to say that informed decision making is bad, oh no, it has its place but some days you have to just blink and make that all important decision. (This inspiration comes from the novel Blink by M. Gladwell based on the premise of thinking without thinking.)

As it is a new year, we all have made resolutions and resolved to change. At the end of the year though most of us still have the same resolutions as the previous year and maybe those from the year before as well. Why is that? Are we living too much in the future and not enough in the present. Are we planning too much for tomorrow and not living enough for today. What really is the problem? Being too hasty and irrational might not be the best way forward but split second living has its place. In a society where moves are being made everyday from the top down and the bottom up we somehow tend to get stuck in the middle of our own dilemas.

Making a decision on the go can bring a flurry of ideas and insights. Working on the move might give you greater perspective and oversight.It may at times seem irrational and irresponsible but it has its place. By all means plan ahead but by any means don't fight that gut feeling to make a move that you can't explain but you know is right.

I refer not to life and death situations as running a red light or unprotected sex but matters that may arrive in everyday conversation with the boss. The decision to be bold to be outspoken, to take charge of that meeting and put your best foot forward.

Don't let 12 days later be 12 days too late.