Losing Focus

A lot can happen when you lose focus. 10 years ago I was focused, I was gonna go to university get a degree come home get a job pay it back in 5 years and then move to Canada. I did move back home, I did get a job, I did move to Canada but I didn't pay back my student loans. Why? Because I lost focus. My first year was quiet. I went to church I joined the master guides, I went camping, youth retreats, blitz, I did all of it. But in my second year I lost focus. I figured that since I was getting good grades and had money to spend (banks money) that I could afford to drink, party, and just have a good time. By God's grace I graduated with honors and came home. At first I was working at the bank again but I knew that wasn't my final destination. I became a probation officer and learnt the ins and outs of the justice system. I was making ten times the amount I was making at my first job as a tour guide and I was on cloud 10. I thought the world was at my feet. My master plan was to as I said before was to pay off my debt and move to Canada but I never wrote I down, I never made an action plan I never truly committed to my plan and there in laid my demise. Once girls entered the equation that was it. One girl in particular who was my main inspiration for moving to Canada came into my life but the timing wasn't right. What should've been a moment in time turned out to be a season of hurt. Mainly because I was still hurting. So as much as the pipe dream was alive, I lacked the fortitude to realize that long term I had nothing to offer simply because I hadn't planned what was gonna really take place after I go there. The lesson I'm learning now is that planning and execution are more important than having dreams. Anyone can have dreams but not everyone can achieve them. For me I have achieved some while failing at others. At age 30 I have a bachelors degree in psychology and a post graduate diploma in Human Resources Management as well as a certified human resources professional. But with all that I have moments where I feel like a failure for racking up credit card debt and student loans that could've been repaid by now. Now at age 30 I'm starting over again. The next 10 years of my life will definitely be interesting as I try to figure out where to go from here. My advice to anyone trying to accomplish anything is to stay focused. Distractions are gonna come and they're going to be lots of them but remain focus. Write your goals down and plan to execute them one phase at a time. You might be the odd one out not going out on a Saturday night with your friends but trust me when I say it'll be worth it. Your long term pay off will be much greater than anything short lived, trust me I've been there. A lot can happen when you lose focus but great things can happen once you achieve it.

Thank God Its Sunday

Dr. Eric Thomas has a feature video on his website every Monday entitled Thank God Its Monday. I'm guessing its because most people dread Mondays and need that extra push to get them through the day in a positive way. After listening to a few of his videos and listening a few interviews he has done, I can identify with what he's been saying about passion and trusting the process. This morning I woke up bursting with energy, my heart was going 1,000 miles an hour and my mind going 10,000 miles an hour. I just want to live, but I want to do it in the best way possible, surrounded by the best people possible for as long as possible. So today I am thanking God that it is Sunday. The day before Monday where I can get my thoughts together and plan for the week ahead. So to everyone who needs that push, that extra bit of encouragement that extra drop of greatness, I advise you to look within. To dig deep down inside and find what it is that you're really searching for and who it is that you really are. It won't be easy but like E.T. said, you have to "trust the process". If you need more inspiration/insight/information check out ET's website http://etinspires.com/ I'm sure you'll find something there to help you get out of whatever situation you may currently be in.

Now that I'm 30

Two years ago I wrote a blog post about entitled "before i turn 30". Reading it now I realized that I had no clue what was going to happen but knew that it was gonna happen whether or not I was prepared. And oh was I not prepared. Although I achieved what I hoped to have achieved academically by age 30, I was still lacking in some very important areas, namely finances, relationships and goal setting. Sadly all 3 are intertwined and failing at one meant failing at all. Now 4 months into 30 and I can honestly say that I miss my 20s. I miss the days of reckless spending, frivolous living and all around bad choices. But do I really? Do I really miss the nights I can hardly remember and the mornings I hope to forget? That's gonna be a NO. Now that I;m 30 I can honestly say that life has come full circle. I have come face to face with the issues that I have been running from for the past 10 years. Though I have accomplished a lot academically in the last decade of my life, I have failed where proper planning and execution are concerned. Turning 30 made me realize that my wing it days are not sufficient when it comes to life and preparing to take on a life partner, start a family and own a home. I just am not ready. Sad as it may sound I masterminded my own demise but not being more pragmatic about my future. And now at ground zero, I have nowhere to go but up. No one to fall back on but myself and no one to be accountable to but myself. So what am I going to do? Turn it around of course. The way I see it I have 3 years to get it together. Three years to pay off my debts, 3 years to get in better shape; mentally,physically,and emotionally. Can it be done? Yes! Will it be done? Yes! How will I get it done? Metrics. What are metrics, a method of measuring something, or the results obtained from this. Simply put I need to measure my output as it relates to my finances, my health, my thoughts and set SMART goals. So here goes

Financial Goals
1. Pay off credit card by June 30th 2016
2. Save $5,000 by December 2016 to pay towards student loan/ invest in a small business.

Health Goals
1. Work out for 15 minutes every morning.
2. Run 10 miles a month for May 2016

Personal Goals
1. Write and Schedule 3 blog posts per week for the remainder of 2016
2. Write and schedule 3 weekly Facebook posts for the 3 social media accounts that I manage.

By writing these down, I will hold myself accountable and will ask anyone who reads this to hold me accountable as well. The time for change has come and gone, its now the time for action.

P.S. Scroll through my previous posts for the blog post entitled "Before I'm 30".

Seven people you always want to tip

1. Your gardener: there's no doubting that it's back breaking work trying to get your hedges in tip top shape so why not show a little more gratitude for a job well done.

2. Your mechanic: Though you may have developed a good relationship over the years it's always good to keep your car guy happy, you never know when you'll be stranded on the road after midnight.

3. Your babysitter: Let's be honest kids are a handful, whether its a toddler or a teenager the struggle to keep up and keep in line are very real. Let your sitter know he/she is truly appreciated. You might just need them in a pinch when you have a hot date.

4. Your waiter/waitress: If you're a regular at your favourite eatery there's nothing wrong with letting your favorite server know that you appreciate the service they render. You never know when you'll need to skip the long lines at dinner/lunch or when they'll score you an extra side or two on the house.

5. Your barber/hairdresser: Let's admit it we all like to look, smell and feel good and there's nothing that boosts your confidence like a fresh cut or a new do. Walking out the barbershop/hairdresser felling like a million bucks is tantamount to winning the lottery so show the love where its due.

6. Your tailor: unless you have a typical body frame you'll need some help to get that dress/jeans/suit to fit like a glove. These people can work wonders with a scissors and a sewing kit so don't be afraid to make these material magicians feel appreciated.

7. Your tire repair guy: if you live on an island like I do getting a flat on your way to work is just as easy as getting one on your way home from work. Either way it's the last thing you want to deal with at the time. Hopefully you have a spare and can make it to the tire repair shop. Luckily with the increase of imported cars in Antigua the tire repair industry here in Antigua is booming. If there's a regular spot that you patronize no harm in slipping him an extra five to show your appreciation.

At the end of the day good service is good service and when you come across someone who embraces that mantra feel free to show your appreciation.

Written by Shawn N. Maile

Before I'm 30

Life seemed so much easier during childhood. I saw my parents coming and going to and from work with what I thought was little effort on their part.I paid no attention to the gravity of the situation that was my life as at the time ignorance was most definitely bliss. I had no inclination as to what it took to survive in the real world as my duties were eat,sleep, school repeat.

Now my childhood is gone and I realize that the mother and father I once idolized were mere mortals. Born with a flaw that my childish eyes could never have detected. But alas I have come to know life for what it is, "the sum of my choices". I thank them for some they've made and wonder about those they didn't.

At 28 I find myself on a constant soul searching mission, desperately trying to figure it all out. Some days the answer seems all to clear:get an education, get a job and get married THE END. Other days it's just not that simple. On the days I seem to have it all figured out, all is at peace but on the days when nothing goes according to plan all hell breaketh loose. If I'm honest though I've made some mistakes along the way. Some laughable some not. Some that will take a life time to repay, others that will be forgotten in a day.

Now at 28 my journey into adulthood continues. The choices I've made and failed to make have brought me to this junction. There is no clear path forward but before I turn 30 I sure would like to figure some of it out.

OFF THE GRID

Every now and then we all need some time alone. Some time with just you and your thoughts. No cell phone, no tablet, no internet, just you and nature. Anyone who works in the social services sector knows that in any given day your day can go from 0-160 and stay there till the end of the day. All that being said, I had to unplug from the matrix. So I packed my hiking bag (Western Pack) laced up my Puma’s and took off on my off the grid adventure.

Instead of taking the usual path to the top of Monks Hill I decided to take a path we used to take as children growing up in Falmouth. What I didn’t know was that this area was now over grown and literally a jungle to get through, but determined as I was I pressed forward. I left home at 5:05 and by 5:15 I had scaled a fence and pushed through more stinny nectle^ than I ever had in my life. By 5:25 I had climbed a huge boulder and made my way through the rest of the bushes. As I started my climb up the hill I realized that my chest was heaving and hoeing like I was running from the police. Looking back and seeing the sun setting off to the west caused me to take a moment to take in the sights and snap a few pics. I picked up the trail to the plateau but again decided to go in a direction that I hadn’t taken in a long time. I ducked under a few fallen trees and was making progress. A turtle dove caught my eye off to the right of the path and I paused for a few to enjoy nature at its best. I’ve never really been one for bird watching but just standing there watching this creature in its element was calming.

I made a path up the side of a cliff and stumbled upon a few tombstones. I figured this must have been the burial ground I had heard so much about as a child but couldn’t recall if I had seen it before or not. I snapped a few pictures of these soldiers as they slept and kept on moving. It was a bit ironic coming across some “jumby”* beads after passing through a graveyard not moments earlier.

Ten minutes later and I had arrived at my destination. Monks Hill. From this spot I could see all of Falmouth, Cobbs Cross, and parts of English Harbour and Picadilly. Falmouth Harbor lay before me with its entire splendor. A few boats were docked in the harbor while some sailed around no doubt to the enjoyment of those aboard.

My sunlight was fading so I struck my tent. It took me all of five minutes. I laid out the contents of my bag; sleeping bag, two bottles water, two cups yogurt, a cheese sandwich, sweat pants, hoodie, video camera, pen, paper and David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

Now that I had “unpacked”, I proceeded to watch the sunset. As I sat there thinking of nothing and everything at the same time, two thoughts came to mind; this is probably how the scene from the Bible looked when Jesus was tempted by the devil having him look down on the city below him and offering it to him. My next thought was “I must be out my mind”. I sat enjoying the ambiance until the sun was way behind the hills. I brought no flashlight so had to resort to my camera light as my reading light.
I dozed in and out of sleep for the next four hours, waking up every four to eight minutes to check the time. Guess your body needs time to adjust when you’re sleeping in the middle of nowhere. By 1 am I was up and about. Took a bathroom break and stayed outside for a bit enjoying the midnight breeze and embracing my solitude. I lay with my head outside the tent staring up at the moon hiding behind the cloud filled skies. Wondering how the universe was conspiring for and against me in its grand scheme of things. After a bit of light reading to set me back to sleep, I began to feel like I was right where I should be.

I was surprised that the sun wasn’t out in its entire splendor by 5:00AM. If the sun wasn’t up then why should I be? After all it was Sunday on an island, so I took another forty winks until 6:30. I sat on the cliff facing east and watched a herd of goats making their way down the hillside. I was so caught up in their movements that I didn’t realize the sun was rising. I caught it as it left the horizon in all its golden yellow majesty. The warmth I felt on the outside did not compare to that on the inside. I had been thinking of this adventure for quite a while now. It was good to finally have it as something I did rather than something I wanted to do.

^stinny nectle is the island equivalent to poison iv.
*jumby is the island equivalent of zombies.

Change A Millennial Perspective

The one thing that excites me about being a millennial is the same thing that scares me. That is…change. The concept in itself is not a new one but has been around from creation or evolution depending on your outlook on life (I believe in the former) but the speed at which it occurs or seems to be occurring is both frightening and exciting. Though still a child while my parents were coming to age (obviously) the world seemed to have taken a slower pace in the way things were orchestrated. Presently though before you can construct a proper tweet or instagram upload, the stoplight is changing (#firstworldtechnology problems). It all appears to be happening so quickly that before you have grasped the concept of the tipping point Malcolm Gladwell is coming up with something new …Elite Institution Cognitive Disorder…..) At the same time before you can finish your coffee in the morning Dr. Oz is telling you why coffee is bad for you and why the pants you’re wearing will reduce your chance of having children, or why ginger is the new super fruit but two weeks ago it was garlic and the week before that kale… all before walking out your front door.

What intrigues me though is how all this ties into our jobs and how we make a living. As fast as you land a job after graduating (fast here being relative as for some persons 9 months may be pretty quick while 9 days seems like eternity for others), you see the headlines flashing “10 ways to increase your productivity at work”. Before you have a name plate or have established your place in the proverbial food chain, you’re already being bombarded with ways to improve before having even set a standard. For those (self included) who have started the journey and making the “almighty dollar” (could be mightier if you ask me) you begin asking yourself; what am I doing? How can I do it better? Should I do it better? How long before I’m promoted? And most importantly why do we do things the same way just because that’s the way we met them being done and no one ever asked the question why?

For my generation, being stuck between a younger generation that is changing at the speed of light and behind a generation just waiting to retire is by all means intellectual and motivational purgatory. I speak not of the developing world as I imagine their plight to be much different than ours in the Caribbean. I do speak of being raised in an era where pen and pencil were the way of life and human interaction took place without middlemen (i.e. laptops, tablets, smart phones etc.). Here I had the distinct impression that this was going to be the way of life until the end of life. But all this changed so suddenly it’s as if you woke up using ios6 not realizing ios7 has been launched and already running for 24 hrs while you took a 1 hr nap. Now you’re plugged into the matrix trying to learn the basics. But we do what we must cause ours is a generation of thrust. We will and must go forward at any cost. Though we have come to enjoy the peace and tranquility of our forefather’s way of life, the current demand for change keeps us motivated. As your boss will accept nothing short of blood for not seeing that BBM was vastly becoming antiquated, so will they accept nothing less than constant innovation. Whether it’s in the way algebra is taught or mosquitoes are caught (those handheld zappers pack a mean punch) what they thrive on is what we must provide, and today that thing is change.

Hopefully by then pigs will actually be able to fly and we will have a chance to say like generations before us, we did it! Not for us, but for you.