Books That Changed The Lives of Writers…

Books have been known to inspire, motivate, encourage and change the lives many individuals. Entrepreneurs Strut their stuff gleaning pages of business books to find success strategies. Careerist search to find the secrets to a better job/life. Children Gingerly fantasize of fairy tales, lovers dream, and some gravitate to the scares of horror, action or adventure.

We dare not forget books that have spiraled into movies that entertain readers and non-readers alike. Well known authors such as Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, John Grisham, and many more, spring to mind.

Curiosity sparked, one publisher asked writers to share the name of a book that has  changed their lives. The responses came in droves. Here I share a few:

  • Outliers
  • Transparency of Evil
  • Alchemist
  • Night
  • You can heal your life
  • The Secret life of the Bees
  • Rich dad Poor Dad
  • Catcher in the Rye
  • The Four Agreements
  • Unlimited Power
  • The Bible
  • Good to Great
  • The Power of the Subconscious Mind
  • I am That Girl
  • Conversations with God
  • Who Moved My Cheese
  • Hummingbird
  • What I know for sure
  • The Grand Design
  • Love Warrior
  • Into the Wild
  • Just Kids
  • The Giver
  • The Mastery of Love
  • When The Enemy Strikes
  • Code of Extraordinary Minds
  • Life is Good
  • Think Like a Man
  • Atlas Shrugged
  • On Writing
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • The Power of Now
  • The Game of Life and How to Play it
  • Excuses Begone

Do you share the sentiments of any of the books named by responding writers? Can you add any?

Cheers!

5 Ways To Boost Your Career in 2018…

Bored with your career and wondering how to make a change in the coming year? You’re not alone. Year-end does that to most of us. It creates that sense of longing to get our goals, dreams and aspirations done, or at the very least start the steps to get there.

That said, here are 5 Things To Do To Boost Your Career and take it to the next level in 2018:

1. Update your Public Profile. That includes social media profiles if you are actively seeking a career change. Remember that ‘s where most recruiters start to zone in on their search. So take a look at your LinkedIn and other profiles to identify areas where update is/are needed.

Oh yes, most important is the need to take the steps to update your Resume . Don’t wait until an opportunity presents itself for you to start updating.  If you have a personal website, you should also take the steps to update. By the way, if you are in the creative industry, having a personal website is absolutely essential. Hiring managers will set aside your application if they are not able to see examples of your work.

2. Speak with your manager. Reach out and chat with your manager/supervisor (and in some cases co-workers who work closely with you). Find out what you’re doing great, and ways you can improve. They are usually more than happy to oblige you with the information. Don’t leave this up to your company’s performance management process to get it done. These days companies at times lag with this process, which in itself is evolving.

3. Upgrade your knowledge and skills. Review industry trends. See what’s changing. Know when to let go and when to hold on. Upgrade your skills as needed.

4. Engage in Deep Reflections…are you doing what you always wanted to do? Or are you Vision bored?

5. Celebrate your Wins! No matter how small, celebrate! Go Dancing, or do whatever brings you fun! It will provide the boost to encourage you to climb higher.

So Faint not. These 5 steps will help you as you look beyond your current circumstances into the future. Be Bold! Take the next move in your career.

Need help? Let’s connect!

Cheers!

Sometimes Let Go. Sometimes Hold On…

With the rapid growth of technology and the ease with which we can obtain goods and services online, one writer asked a Customer Service Rep, “where will the cashiers go?” She replied, “I️ don’t know. I️ hope I’m dead by then”.

I️ began thinking…do we watch trends? And if we do, are we prepared for them? When things change, what do we do? Do we cry, get depressed, or give up?

Definitely not. We need to learn when to let go, and when to hold on.

Know When To Let Go

My followers know that I often refer to the fictional Ms. Havisham from the book Great Expectations. Left at the altar, she determined to remain stuck for the rest of her life. Like an Egg, she was afraid to move on. Decades later, she was still wearing her wedding dress.

Indeed sad. But how many of us are like that? We lose a contract or a job and we remain stuck, whining about the circumstances of the loss. We fall prey to a failed relationship, and we sit back for years…waiting, waiting, waiting. Someone did us wrong and we complain for the rest of our lives. We fail to realize that we are hurting only ourselves as the person has moved on and in some cases, do not even remember the circumstances.

If any of these situations pertains to you, shake it off as Tayor Swift sang. Just Shake it off. Move on. There’s more in life for you, if only you change your perspective.

Know When to Hold On

So how do you discern when to hold on? There’s a fictional cartoon of two men digging to find gold. Suddenly one hits the jackpot! The other hearing his screams of joy in the distance, turned away from his own digging despondent. Onlookers were privy to seeing what was happening, realized that if only he had continued, he would have discovered that his own jackpot was right there. But sadly he turned away, and missed a tremendous opportunity.

How many of us are like that? When the going gets rough, you give up. Acquiring degrees or certifications ain’t no easy feat. When the assignments build; when the work/life balance goes out of whack; when the child rebels, when the bills pile up, when the Panacea of sickness steps in, when an ailing parent moves  in… so many give up. Only to regret it later when things change.

To those who are digging for their “goal“, I encourage you to hold on. Don’t give up. Keep plodding. You will achieve and value it more when you look back and reflect on the path you took.

Discouraged? Need help? Let’s connect. Cheers!

Waiting To Start…

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You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.

Goals

Life is short. Don’t let it Simmer. Don’t let it wait.

Waiting To Start…

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You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.

Goals

Life is short. Don’t let it Simmer. Don’t let it wait.

Vision…Bored

Bored with your vision? It’s not a Mystery. Wake up! Get creative! Create Goals that makes you want to jump out of bed in the mornings. Don’t be like Tenterhooks.

What Bad Things Are You Grateful For In Your Life?

What bad things are you grateful for in your life? This question was asked and I thought it was rather interesting. How many of us can express Gratitude for the bad things that has happened to us? Certainly not an easy feat.

Here I share my response.

I worked long and hard in my job. One day ‘back in the day’, I had a disagreement with my boss when I asked for a raise. At the time though I had several diplomas and certifications, he told me I needed a degree. I was from a family with little means, but I vowed that no one would ever use that as an excuse again.

Today I have a BSc. Management, Masters Health Administration, Masters Human Resource Management, and Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. #noexcuses.

So that’s me.  How about you? What bad things are you grateful for in your life? Come on, encourage someone today. It can’t be that Ghoulish…do share.

Cheers!

What Are You Afraid to Do?

Sometimes you have to step out to do the things you have always wanted to do.

I love watching HGTVs Fixer Upper! Oh the transformations! Now we are sad to hear that come next year this husband and wife team will no longer be on the series. They decided to move on to something new and exciting!

In the same way, artists in the entertainment industry have over time made the decision to step out. To forget the Fluff. To move on. Names such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé and more, come to mind.

Making decisions to change, to do something new is always scary. But if we never step out into the unknown to do what we Prefer, we will never know the level of success we can attain. And oh…if we fail…at least we would have experienced something new, something different. Oh that we’ll be braver next time!

What are you afraid to do? Challenge yourself …even when you’re afraid.

Cheers!

21: Orange Cautions The Right Of Passage…

Growing up in the Caribbean, I was never as exposed to the flair of turning 21. In the United States it’s like a right of passage. On campus students receive bottles of liquor to celebrate as if to say ”I’ve made it! I’m grown! I’m finally 21!”

Years ago, an intern that was working with my organization so happened to have turned 21 while on the job. For him it was amazing! He drank the night away! Then to make sure he was still perceived as “responsible”, he slept the rest of the hours in the parking lot to be able to report on time at 8:00 am!

Caution

But be careful. Orange means caution. How many young adults have reached the age and realized it’s just a number? Oh yes they are now able to go to a night club without being barred from entering. Yes, they are now officially considered an adult! Yes they are able to get that driver’s license that reflects adulthood! Yes they’re able to this, or that.

But be cautious lest these things distract from your goal. Age is just a number. Make sure the things that you do… not distract from what’s important in the long-term.

The same goes for any celebration such as that bachelor/bachelorette party when getting married. It’s as though we’re saying we are giving up the past and essentially ‘freedom’.  Therefore men and women rush out the night, or the week before, for one last brouhaha!

Caution. Pause, reflect. Will it be worth your long-term goals if things go awry? What do you Prefer?

Something to think about.

Cheers!

What Does It Take To Be A Good Writer?

Don’t Waste Time Trying to Please People. -Stephen King.

Wanting to do their best work, new writers are naturally anxious. They ask questions. They probe. They Gorge. They sweat. It’s hoped they sweat while writing and not about how to start. Stephen King in his memoir titled “On Writing” stressed don’t waste time trying to please people. Indeed this is applicable in many situations as individuals attempt to develop their own Identity.

In a public authors forum, the question was asked “What does it take to be a good writer?” Writers chimed in. Here I share a few of their responses.

Writers…On Writing

  • Read a lot. Write, write a lot
  • Patience and Perseverance
  • Finding the connection between your soul and your writing hand. It will require a number of disciplines like grammar, voice, tense and genre. But the key is opening your spirit to the process. Make your writing not a craft, but an empowered purpose in your life.
  • An empathetic love of both stories and storytelling
  • To keep writing
  • Write something. Publish it. Learn from mistakes. Grow
  • A unique voice telling an untold story that everyone wants to hear
  • Passion, and drive, as well as supportive people in your life
  • Persistence, then creativity, then literacy, finally intelligence
  • Vision, creativity, persistence, stubbornness, patience, a thick skin
  • Natural ability
  • Practice, practice, practice, and more practice
  • Honesty, passion, and courage
  • A moment alone. A moment alone is where it starts
  • Willingness to receive critical feedback
  • Time, focus, imagination
  • Personal passion, self-confidence, resilience to get it done, and never give up
  • A good editor
  • Tenacity
  • Life experiences and a love for it. Put your heart and soul in it
  • The ‘write’ attitude
  • Learn, then learn more. Accept first that you always need to grow
  • Finish even when you hate it. Even when you don’t want to. Even when you’re uninspired.

Rather Interesting thoughts from authors. Can you add any? Is there any that you would omit? Do share.

Want to plan your writing goals? Join us as we retreat.

Cheers!

Chances: Try. Don’t Miss ‘em

Identity

How The Mind of an Entrepreneur Differs From That Of A Manager…

There’s a difference between the way in which an entrepreneur thinks and how a Manager thinks. How do they differ? The mind of a manager stays on the job mainly for the duration of his/her time at work…the time they are on the job. Though they may ‘carry home the work’, that’s done mainly out of fear-to please his/her boss… to do the Cacophony of things assigned.

On the other hand, the mind of an entrepreneur remains focused on entrepreneurship. Even while asleep the Entrepreneur is strategizing. They plan, think, strategize the next steps to boost the growth of their business.

As a manager, if you find yourself doing this, go start your own business. You’re an entrepreneur.

Need help? Let’s connect!

Cheers!

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