Success Strategies

JWOF Conference Nuggets…

JWOF Conference Nuggets gleaned from its stellar Panel of diverse leaders, all movers and shakers

✅Create a conscious culture
✅Move with purpose and intention
✅Believe in yourself
✅Think about the vision of founders
✅Embrace power and maturity
✅Trust God and have confidence in ourselves
✅Know When it’s okay to step away and when to Fall in line to go forward
✅Limitations are set through fear … it’s a hurdle to get over …
✅Think of an asset mindset as opposed to a deficit mindset

It was great to hear the challenges overcome by these successful women. The path is always clear if only we keep our eyes open to his will and leading. The Journey of the Speaker Monique and Panelists is a testament of resilience and obedience. Keep going. Keep growing.

2023 South Florida Writers Of Color Online Literary Magazine

A collection of poems, writings and gleanings from South Florida Writers of Color.

south-florida-writers-of-color-magazine-2023 Download

By Dr. Ralph Hogges

We Are The Others

By Dr. Ralph Hogges

Not only are the Powerful controlling and dictating the

Denials and Rejections of our quest for Freedom and Justice,

But are also adamantly opposed to Diversity, Unity, Inclusion and Equality.

Now is the Time.

This is our Moment,

For us, United, Organized, Energized and Mobilized,

To Confront and Defeat

Those who use their Power to Control and Dictate our Lives.

Let us remember the Biblical moment in the Bible wherein David stepped up and challenged the seemingly all powerful and invincible Philistine giant Goliath. There were those present who teased David and underestimated his courage and ability to defeat this giant that they all feared.

David was not a soldier.

He had no training in military weaponry.

He was not a boxer or wrestler.

He had neither a gun nor a sword.

He had only a sling and 5 stones.

Goliath had his armor and javelin.

As the battle of David and Goliath began,

David stepped up with Faith in the Power of God, and with a stone in his sling, he hurled it mightily to the center of Goliath’s head. Goliath fell to the ground, dead.

The Last Time I Cried

By Dr. Susan Lycett Davis

The last time I cried

It wasn’t this painful at all

The last time I cried

I sure wasn’t left folded in a ball!

But… Today I cried and it penetrated my soul

As the knee infiltrated the throat in the Fol’

… cause I mustered the courage to watch the tape

All sense of wonder and disbelief left me agape.

The thoughts that went through my head, where not Christian at all

So I feel for the masses who have no hope on which to fall.

Vengeance is mine says the Lord

But Father… I question real hard!

What about humanity, liberty and justice for all

Why are my black brothers taking he fall

People are people, good, bad or indifferent indeed

All genders, all colors, we are all from one ‘seed.’

Today I cried… no, I bawled for George Floyd,

And the ‘81 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police’, Lord!

For Trayvon, Ahmaud and others killed by racists beasts

For mother’s whose heart strings are torn in disbelief!

Black lives matter, All Lives matter

The pain is making me tatter.

Lord I know you are here… so hear my shout!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH… WE’RE ALL CRIED OUT!!

The last time I cried

It wasn’t this painful at all

I’m trusting you Lord to bring vengeance fi true

‘Cause Comeuppance is well overdue!

21 Solo Travel Learnings …

Never hesitate to go far away, beyond all seas, all frontiers, all countries, all beliefs.
Amin Maalouf

With just a carry-on, I felt led to travel solo to a faraway land. Was it nerve racking? Kinda. I travelled without fear, more intrigued by curiosity while discovering the unknown. Most of all my learnings forced me into a new realm bursting forth with a new sense of unhurried flair.

Here I share a few of learnings:

Learned self-confidence. To be confident in who I am and who I want to be.
I learned to accept differences in cultures
I learned to accept the uniqueness of different lifestyles
I learned to say YES to myself, to what I want and to say No to the desires that others want for me.
I learned to hold firmly to my belief to never give up.
I learned to grow up and out to spread my wings.
I learned to try things that force me out of my comfort zone.
I learned to take rests.
I learned to take risks and not be afraid or most importantly, to take the risk even when I am afraid, despite my fear
I learned that education is critical to success but also to have a life.
I learned to be me.
I learned to not be of afraid to be me – to speak the way I want to speak.
I learned to write to help others through coaching.
I learned to express myself in writing to help others develop and maximize their potential.
I learned to laugh.
I learned to accept life’s simple things.
I learned to love dogs and animals.
I learned to accept help from others despite my independence.
I learned to accept love from others
I learned to accept what success means to me and not what others expectations are for me.
I learned to challenge myself to step out into the unknown.

I am still learning, but I am okay.

What’s Stopping You?

Success Strategies

What’s stopping you?

That was the question asked. It’s fitting for those who are stuck. Those who have dreams, goals, and aspirations yet like a Nested Sludge, do nothing to progress towards achieving them.

Why do we hesitate? Why don’t we step out and do what needs to be done? What holds us back?

Here I share some of the responses from individuals to the question posed.

Fear …period
Confidence
Not believing in myself
Laziness
Fear of Failure
Fear of the What if’s
Judgment of others
Not knowing where to start and not having the means
Lack of money
Fear of failure and having possible regrets
Selecting career
People
Being disappointed
Possible rejection
Procrastination
Platform
Capital
Double faced people
Lack of confidence and confused
Discipline
Pain and fear
Losing people who I love
Interacting with people
Daily conflicts with people but they are not stopping me just standing…

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3 Ways To Network With A Purpose…

It’s the people we hardly know, and not our closest friends, who will improve our lives most dramactically.
Meg Jay

Stimulating interview with Executive Coach, Founder and CEO of Soft Skills Services, Maxine Barnett. In it she shares successive nuggets on effective networking for new entrepreneurs and professional desiring to build their personal growth.

Strategies For Effective Networking

Here are three strategies:

Be prepared to meet 2-3 persons while attending the event.
Make a connection. Introduce yourself using your elevator speech and be present during your conversation.
Follow-up within 2-3 after the event to remain top of mind with your new strategic connection.

Networking is a soft skill–a people skill needed for business and people purposes. It is useful for purposeful growth. Be intentional about it. View the full conversation here.

What are your thoughts on networking? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

7 Things To Do When Stuck…

Success Strategies

You know those things you have always wanted to do, you should go do them.

What is it that thing you have always wanted to do? Change job? Start a family? Enroll on that degree? Learn a new skill? Take that vacation?

Life gets hard at times. Chances are with everything happening around us at work, home, school, it can knock us off our feet. The result often is being stuck. Not moving. As in a state of shock, standing still. Below are 7 Things you can do when you are stuck.

Do something! Step out! Complete that application! Try something new!
Plan an escape rather than daydream about different scenarios. Go on a trip to relax and reboot your thoughts.
Switch up your daily activities.
Don’t envy and compare yourself to others.
Do one positive thing for yourself today.
If you want to change your life, Pray. Change your…

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George Washington University Globe Trotting Study Abroad Student Compares Experiences In China & Greece…

Engage in this stimulating conversation with George Washington University Student, Brianna Bougouneau as she shares her cross-cultural study abroad

Blessed are curious for they shall have adventures.
Lovelle Drachman

Engage in this stimulating conversation with George Washington University Student, Brianna Bougouneau as she shares her cross-cultural study abroad experiences in China, Taiwan, Greece and Europe. In her words, sometimes you have to be bold, patient, and manage your expectations in order to be successful.

Listen in as she explores her challenges and resilience. This video is another in the interview series where I explore Success as emerging leaders define it.

Studied abroad? What did you experience? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

Writers Abandoned Manuscripts: Suzanne Bennett’s 7 Ideas For What To Do With Them…

Writers always produce more than they share with readers. Even bestseller authors have abandoned manuscripts. This article will give you some ideas on what to do with them.
Writers Write

Loved these Writers Write tips for those who write and have manuscripts that just can’t get done. Suzzanne Bennett shares 7 Ideas of what to do with abandoned writings. Here I share my favorite 3.

Create a space. Call it ‘graveyard,’ ‘slush pile,’ or ‘bits n bobs
Salvage the Wreck. The ‘To Salvage’ file contains revamped manuscripts that you still consider terrible, but where you hope to find a few nuggets of gold.
Revisit your Graveyard in times of need. Whenever you need inspiration, go to your pile of manuscripts, and start reading. You might just find a darling that once was ‘killed’

These were my favorites. Do you have abandoned writers? What can you do with them? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Everything Everywhere All At Once?

Reflecting on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once?

I was in San Francisco with my girls celebrating my sister’s birthday when the movie everything everywhere all at once came out. We went to see it. The theater was filled mainly with college students and those in their late teens or early twenties. My own young adult college student loved it. The movie had a few walking out early. With it’s multiverse focus, it was long and seemed to end about three times with the theater dwindling as the movie progressed. We stayed to the very end. It’s emotional theme was filled with laughter, some crazies, and a few tears especially at the end. To this day my youngest still adored that movie.

Life’s Application

But as I reflect on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once? Really hard, even tiring and strenuous. Sure grounds for emotional imbalance and high stress.

Business coaches will tell you to focus on one thing at a time. Being everywhere all at once depicts lack of focus and going nowhere. Apply this concept to your goals. Sometimes you may have to reflect on all your life experiences to get to where you want to go. If it’s studies, you have to choose a major. If it’s career, you have to choose one or one will choose you (if you’re to survive) and chances are you may end up miserable. Not to mention relationships. You have to choose. You have to decide who your friends will be. Who will you be with long term to start a family and build a life?

Our society today seems all over the place. Values have gone awol. Anything goes. You can do anything provided it makes you happy. But at the end of the day, are you really happy?

Something to think about.

Cheers!

The ‘Very’Alternative For Those Who Write …

Success Strategies

Style means the right word. The rest matters little.”
—Jules Renard

Remarkable resource shared in an Authors’ forum. Great ‘very‘ alternative for those who write.

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My Favorite Getaway Space…

Success Strategies

The sun, sand and sea is my favorite place to be.

I was asked to write about my favorite space to share with a visiting friend. I must confess that my love of nature transcends everything. It provides inspiration and a peace that boosts my writing prowess. That said, as my friend Chrissie comes for a 5-Day-visit, I will steal away to the island that captivates. None other than Captiva Island in Sunny Florida. It is a place I getaway to whenever I need to relax and unwind. When you get to Captiva Island, it feels like you are away from all the worries and cares of the world. Indeed the perfect distraction. The rooms overlook the bay or garden, your choice dependent on your budget.

Once I hosted a group business session at the end of the year to this ideal place. The goal was to reflect about plans…

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I Hope you Dance…

Success Strategies

Beach birds Dance means different things to different people. Enjoy the peace, quiet, and solitude at sunrise with birds dancing in sync. That’s my dance. What’s yours?