Writing Retreat. Alone Or With A Group?

As a writer you have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.

Nora Roberts

An author at a Writers forum asked the question whether to attend a writing retreat alone or with a group. Intrigued I dived in. Here are top responses as authors chimed in with their preferences.

  1. A combination. Alone at first to get some writing done, then others can join after to chill
  2. Always with at least one person, Would never travel anywhere alone
  3. Either. Done it
  4. Alone
  5. I like both. But prefer to have a couple of other writers. That way there is someone to talk over plot points and such with.
  6. Would probably accomplish more alone, but a group is nice too
  7. I have done both. You can also go to the location (Tennessee Williams Writers Festival in New Orleans) with non writer friends who will go off sightseeing and leave you blissfully on your own to attend master classes, panel discussions and book signings. But bring your new writer friends with you to dinner so you have something satisfying and intelligent to talk about.
  8. Both could be fun
  9. Alone but towards the end I want to meet up with a friend for dinner
  10. Writing retreats are so fun with a friend, but the point as in writing is not to have fun, but to be productive. Learn, write, make a few new friends after hours but you are there to write.

I think point 10 sums it all up. Writing is indeed fun but the point of writing is to be productive. Personally, I believe writers write alone but after compile the pieces and celebrate together.

As a writer, what’s your preference? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Bird Attack!

A lil bird! Yep a lil tiny bird. A simple walk to get the cardio steps in, turned into a run for our lives! Sounds funny but it’s true. A little bird perched atop a light-pole swooned in above our heads. It attacked Zeus the dog first as if attempting to pick him up for a quick getaway. When my youngest countered, it went after her. She ran. Then it went after me! What in the world? We galloped running for our lives from a tiny bird! I can hardly believe it.

Life’s Little Things

Has that ever happened to you? A seemingly little thing attacks? We have all been through it when a little flu-like feeling turned the world upside down. We thought it was too little a thing to cause harm. A tiny sound taken for granted causes serious accidents to many on a highway. A newborn changes the lives of many relationships causing you to wonder who’s in charge? A simple mistake on the job has devastating consequences leaving many unemployed.

Yes life’s little things can have a great impact. For the positives we scream with joy! But when the negatives happen, we are thrown off. When fear of life’s little things happen, be confident and know that it will pass. Don’t give up on your goals. Build your resilience and look back at your learnings. Later, you’re sure to bask in your success.

Confused about a life change in your career or new business? Learn how to overcome in the book Ditch It Switch It.

Cheers!

We Are The Caribbean

As we commemorate National Caribbean American Heritage Month, the tribute written by talented Poet Charmaine Allwood-Hanson sums up the history and cultural perspective. Be intrigued as you read.

Charmaine A.'s avatarI Speak. You Read.

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
COUNTRIES AND ISLANDS
CONNECTED BY THIS VAST BLUE SEA
PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES
RELIGIONS AND CREEDS

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
A GREAT MELTING POT
BRED FROM SLAVES, COLONIZERS
MERCHANTS, INDENTURED LABORERS
AND INDIGENOUS TRIBES
CULTURALLY WE ARE SO DIVERSIFIED

WE SPEAK ENGLISH, FRENCH
SPANISH AND DUTCH
PATOIS AND CREOLE
OUR LANGUAGES EMBODY
THE NEW AND THE OLD

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
OVER 26 NATIONS STRONG
LET ME NAME A FEW
AS THE LIST IS LONG

WE ARE GUYANESE, BARBADIAN
BELIZEANS AND JAMAICANS
PANAMANIANS, HAITIANS AND GRENADIANS
CUBANS, DOMINICANS, AND ANGUILLANS
WE ARE THE NATIONS OF ST. VINCENT
MONTSERRAT AND MARTINIQUE
WE ARE COUNTRIES, SMALL AND LARGE ISLANDS
WHICH MAKES OUR REGION UNIQUE

WE HAVE MOUNTAINS, VOLCANOES AND TOURIST RESORTS
WATERFALLS, HEALING AND HEALTH SPAS
TOP NOTCH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR DIVERSITIES

WE HAVE MANY HISTORICAL SITES
WE TRADE TOBACCO, SUGAR AND BANANAS…

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Caution: Success and Stress

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies


We often dream of success…however, we define it. But to place a twist on attaining success, one wonders whether the good life is always good. Are the very things that so many individuals strive for, such as a high-paying and powerful job, a beautiful house, a wardrobe of nice clothes in desirable sizes, and a fancy education for children to prepare them for carrying on this way of life: Do these very things turn out to be more trouble than they are worth? In fact, it is believed that the psychological burdens associated with being a low-status individual (i.e., poor) grow lighter as people move up the social ladder, but that is true only to a certain extent. Once individuals achieve more success, the mental and physical health benefits associated with greater affluence fade away. As individuals near the top, life stress increases dramatically, and its toxic effects essentially cancel…

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Dear Intern, It’s All Good…

Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new

Albert einstein

Twitter’s Tales Of Mistakes And Blunders

So many inventions have been made from the blunders and mistakes that we make. The post-it notes was a mistake on the part of 3M setting it aside because it didn’t work for their purpose. Then kudos to Fry who thought it a cool tool to mark his page hymns. It’s now a tool that writers, readers, researchers, teachers, corporate and a gazillion more can’t live without. Keep trying people. If you never made a mistake you really haven’t tried anything new.

Here are a few responses to the tweet. Stay encouraged.

Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com

Fatherhood On Father’s Day…

How Do Dads Do Things Differently?

CNN Headline news posed the question to fathers. Tune into my Conversation with Senior IT Expert Daveyton Blake who is a Father, Coach and Community young adult Mentor. Dads of all kinds will be intrigued by the intense truths explored in this interview.

Listen in now and share with a dad this Father’s Day.

Cheers!

Fear of the Virtual interview? 13 Tips To Combat The Jitters…

A new graduate student decided to go after her dream job and contacted me for some tips. She had the jitters as is the norm for us all when we attend interviews. But virtual is the now driving phenomenon which many take for granted. No doubt they must be taken just as serious as in the common traditional in-person interviews. In a nutshell here are 13 brief tips shared:

Combat the Jitters!

  1. First combat the jitters. Face the fears. You do that by being prepared
  2. Review the job requirements. See how your experience and qualifications line up
  3. Dig deep into the company. What’s their mission? How does it align with your own goals? Or does it?
  4. The beauty about virtual interviews is that you can have a cheat sheet hidden close by. Capture your top strengths and more from your disguised cheat sheet on the desk near by but away from the camera’s eyes.
  5. Dress properly. Don’t wear a busy top or anything that detracts from you including earrings. The simpler, the better
  6. Confident dress and preparation boosts your confidence
  7. Prep yourself for the camera’s direct face visibility. Hair on point? No lipstick on teeth etc
  8. Prepare up to two Questions to ask the interviewer. This shows your interest in the company
  9. Sip a little water before the interview. Breathe. It helps you relax
  10. Find a quiet place to do the interview, free of noise or where a noise-reduction headset
  11. Make sure your background isn’t busy. Use an appropriate background or blank wall or arranged space. Clutter is distracting
  12. Wear that Smile
  13. Deep calm breaths and ace that interview!

Do the above help? Are you able to add more? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels

It’s Not A Secret. Tell. Tell. Tell. Help Americans Get Back To Work…

It was not a Secret. We asked you to tell, tell, tell! As the American workforce get back to work, we had to get the word out. The economy needs a boost and it will happen as things get back to the ‘new normal’.

The Job Fair was held on June 10th but still opportunities exist through tons of vacancies everywhere but most of all the hospitality industry which suffered the most devastating hit. Participating hotels HiltonWestin Hotels & ResortsDoubleTree by HiltonPelican Grand Beach ResortFort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & SpaCareerSource Broward DOD/ESGR and many more.

Lest we forget, Career coaching was available through yours truly with nuggets to go through the book Ditch It. Switch It.

So go tell a job-seeker. An HHRABC corporate initiative 

Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders in the United States…

Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders in the United States is a product of my research on Success Strategies designed to help emerging leaders rise to new heights.

The Book was birthed after in-person interviews with with top industry leaders in healthcare, politics, education, media, aviation and more. Leaders were either first or second generation immigrants from the English and non-English Speaking countries.

Intrigued but don’t have a copy? Snatch yours here and learn the challenges they had to overcome to be successful.

Intrigued? Let’s connect.

9 Steps To Writing Your First Book

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

It’s such an exciting time to think about publishing your very own book! It certainly was for me when I did my research and got it published in the Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge (JAABC), as well as my books on success strategies and leadership. I am now busy writing a new inspirational book. Tons of Lush near Edible excitement especially when you receive the first printed copy! Woo-hoo!

I have been getting requests from interested first time writers and decided to share my personal thoughts on how to get the writing done in order to get published. To be honest I understand the Seriousness of this goal. So here are my own 9 steps to get you going.

9 Steps to Getting Your Book Done

1.Develop that mindset.
Goal achievement begins in the mind. Think of the saying “if you can imagine it you can achieve…

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Goals. The Power Of The List…

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

Henry Ford

Goals, write them down. Then work them. In a recent post Yendi shared her 10 Goals.
Years ago when I was expecting, I went to Lamaze class where my only child at the time would play with the instructor’s teen, Yendi.

Big Goals

Recently Yendi reflected how she wrote down her 10-year goals. Many reveal that they cannot even think that far. In Yendi’s case her dream was to enter and win the Miss Jamaica World contest. She worked it and yep, she did it! From the entry to the steps to win it … and that she did.

So make sure that your goals are BIG so you can’t miss them when they come through!

How old are you now? What dreams are you carrying. Take the time to write them down. Then once you do, work them and there’s no doubt that you will achieve them. Don’t know where to start? Let’s connect or dive into the book Ditch it Switch It and it will show you how.

An expert? Still write the goals for your next chapter since we’re always growing.

Cheers!

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