With the influx of the pandemic worldwide many regular activities have come to a halt. Kids are home from school. Businesses have closed or implemented work-from-home with only a skeletal staff in office. Things are just basically at a standstill. What can you do when the work stops? When maintaining Social Distance confines you to your home? Beauty Bites and Radical Transformation Projects gave a few tips. Here I share my personal favs of 21 things that you can try:
Sleep. Go ahead. You’ve always wanted to do it. Now you’ve got the time. Do it
Listen to an audio-book
Create a vision board of your dream life and hang it where you can see it
Read a book
Start a blog
Watch motivational speeches online
Make a self-care kit for when you feel down
Write poetry
Plan your week, month, year!
Learn a new recipe
Write a list of things you are thankful for
Dance! Dance in your home
Go for a walk.
Enjoy nature
Make a list of things you’re grateful for
Learn a new language
Make a list of the places you would like to visit
Declutter your phone
Plan to do something different every month for the rest of the year
They give headaches. Increase stress…and Simply make your life miserable. Living with one? Whew! Working with one? May God help you! (yep). But whatever your situation…Do something about it!
Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away. ~Arthur Golden
Someday I will do this. Someday I will do that.
How many of us often sit or live at the ‘wishing well’ that someday I’ll do this, or that. Someday I’ll get that perfect body. I’ll have that perfect house, job, spouse, marriage with the perfect kids; go on that dream vacation, and much more! Oh if wishes were horses so many would ride.
Someday is Today
Why not let someday be today? I reflect on the movie Hidden Figures where each of the three women at NASA — Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into space.
The inaugural team at NASA decided to step out and do something that was never done before. From the astronaut, NASA’s president, the…
Developing your writing craft is not easy. As authors we stick to it because it’s our passion. The zeal with which we are connected is likened to a web but one in which we wish not to escape.
Many are the traditional thinking that authors hardly make money, let alone survive while working on their craft. But what do you say to the likes of Stephen King, Poet Maya Angelou, Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling and countless others. You may say that they are successful because they are well known. Banish that thought and delve into the story of Stephen King who was rejected so many times that he actually threw in the trash his best selling novel. Were it not for his wife, the world would not have enjoyed this story’s amazing work.
So here I share excerpts of my presentation on the topic of “From Books to Bucks”, held at the South Florida’s Writers Book Festival.
Books 2 Bucks
Write Quality Work
Books can have babies. Think of workbooks, series, and so much more
Convert your book to Audio
Create an audience through tapping into Podcast listener-ship
Translate your Book into a different language. Oh the new audience it brings
Convert your book to film, movie, documentary
Written non-fiction? Immense business opportunities exists. Think of workshops, how-to events and more
In the arts? Use your book as the stepping stone to fashion and design
Want to develop and grow your passion? Stick with the right people
Become a Conference Speaker. Share your expertise
Don’t sit on it, enter your book for an Award
Want to go from Books to Bucks, Select from the list, focus your craft on the point(s) you believe you will get best win, then promote, promote, promote. Marketing your work is the key to success and it does not have to cost you a ton. Use social media wisely. It can help you grow into something you never thought you could be.
I end with encouraging you to Be Serious about your craft. SHOW UP and promote, promote, promote.
Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives and if things don’t turn out – just take another shot.
That’s how you grow. Be curious. Do something that don’t interest you. Sounds contrary to today’s thinking right? But it’s a valuable lesson. Many are the career paths and relationships that we never thought would interest us.
HBR Writer Joseph Grenny shared in his stance on being creative on the go. Included in it was his stance on doing something that does not interest you. Personally, I never thought of photography but based on my writing interest developed years ago, I realized that I needed photographs to go with my social media posts. Rather than buying, I chose to take them. This has developed an unexpected interest in photography through taking just about anything. My preferred pics include nature, the sand, sea, waves, and just about anything other selfie-takers may miss around them.
So today I encourage you to do something different. Who knows you may find a new delectable pleasure you can’t resist.
Words from a young college grad. I used to hate taking pictures. Photographers would ask you to turn here. Turn there. I found it rather annoying. Then at the passing of a close relative years ago, my niece begged and pleaded with me to take a pic with my siblings. Eventually, I yielded. Unknown to me (to us), that was the last time we would all be together. Within less than a year I lost my mom, brother and later, my younger sister.
So Now
So now I’m an avid neophyte photographer. Thanks to the iPhone, I’m able to take pics in my own novice way. I take pictures at professional association membership meetings, at social gatherings, the sea, nature (where I feel mostly at home), you name it…I take it! Besides, I am an avid blogger and author. I do not wish to pay for every picture I use on my Instagram posts. So I simply take them. Maybe I’ll take WordPress Photography course to build/grow my neophytic taste for pics!
What about you? Have you got a taste for anything that you need to build to achieve your goals? Do share. We would love to hear!
Wow what a decade! Amazing Achievements! Births, marriages, deaths, regrets. But that’s called life…right?
I’m a firm believer in looking back to forge ahead. In business we look back to assess our performance. Often it’s even mandated. Eons ago, I adopted the custom to apply the same principles to my own personal life. For that reason, as we approach the end of 2019, here are a few of my major points gleaned from the past decade.
Writings. Publishings.
Beyond beating the books I experienced a new phenomenon. A dream I never knew I had, but a dream that poof! became real! I published six books including an article in the JAABC Business Journal. My research on leadership and success paved the way to my journey. Success is a Phenomenon that has defied many. As I delved into the opportunity I had to explore a topic for my dissertation, I reflected on what I could research that would satisfy my desire to help others. And oops there it was!
I decided on leadership and success. Whether we like it or not, we all lead…if not others, we lead ourselves. I thought it fitting to use my research to publish books on Personal Development including Motivational Quotes for New Entrepreneurs; Success Strategies which tell how to gain success in your Career, from preparing your own public profiles through acing those nerve-racking interviews, as well as what to do when you land that new job. All are points of focus.
Suffice it to say, it’s not enough to focus only on the tangibles. Our inner prowess is essential to our spiritual well-being. I concretized my thoughts in book GreenLight comprised of inspirational short stories and exhortations to drive your inner self-talk.
Over the years, I also chose to satisfy followers’ passion and post daily motivational Quotes on Instagram. Documentary video created on the campus of Nova Southeastern University is available on Facebook for engagement. It depicts the discussion on immigrant leaders sharing their views on Success and how they achieved it.
Accomplishments
I was almost floored when I learnt from an alumni (who I had never met), about the recognition I had received on Nova Southeastern’s website. The journey became real. A selfless person as I have been told, imagine my surprise when I clicked the link and saw my face. Wow! Satisfaction indeed.
Since then, I have coached many and helped doctoral candidates on their journey. Sharing how to publish their own research has been my joy. It’s also been a delight to have contributed to other authors realizing their own writing dream. Among them two famed figures including Reggae Music’s iconic founder, Pat Chin. Her book The Reggae Music Journey is set to be launched in 2020 memorializing her 40-year sojourn to the industry. Among labels she built are famed artists the likes of Sean Paul, Shaggy, Beres Hammond, and many others.
Recognition was also received from the South Florida Writers of Color for contribution to the community and organization.
Community Service
It’s always a pleasure to lead the panel of judges at the annual 30 Under 30 Millennial leaders who are making distinct impact on leadership ventures across the United States and the Caribbean. Millennials are engaged in initiatives in film, engineering, educational development, farming, and more. The event is held annually by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington DC. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Washington DC, hosts the event.
Serving on the board of the Hospitality and Human Resource Association of Broward County, over the past few years has been meaningful. As I sought to identify talented keynote speakers for developmental offerings to HR industry leaders, it has fostered my own 20+ year growth in the profession.
Giving thanks for partnership with Writers of Color, that paved the way to various community centers and library presentations throughout South Florida. Stay tuned for continued signings and community presentations in 2020, especially through new book “Ditch it. Switch it“, to be launched early 2020. Other signings were held in New York and Washington DC. Listen out for book tour in the coming year.
On A Personal Note
As we all know, life happens. I lost my mom (one of society’s first female automobile mechanics) and my brother, a-day-apart. Then later I lost my sister due to the ravages of cancer. Nonetheless, I use their life’s journey as my motivation to climb to higher heights.
On a brighter note, I’ve experienced the delights of my daughter’s two lil ones during this decade. They’re now pushing me beyond my comfort zone with their quest for me to drive my YouTube presence (eyes rolled). One to never back down, I have accepted the challenge (though not for the reasons they assume ha ha).
As always the decade was filled with travels. My greatest personal memory was that shared with my girls when we visited New Orleans. Just leave it to my oldest who is a travel enthusiast with a thirst for new experiences. Tons of smiles as we went live at Essencefest with Queen Latifah and the cast of ‘Girl’s Trip‘, which made the visit all the more fun. Oh and let me not forget my quick getaway weekend in Paris! Short but amazing time. Thanks girls!
Paris
This proud mom also watched her younger daughter accept double degrees in Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, while the older one continues to climb the corporate ladder. Yes my girls are growing …though I wish they’d stay my lil girls forever (smile).
Finally, looking back on the past decade, the memories made, the difficulties and the goals tackled, I am truly thankful. I now look forward to the future and the Great expectations ahead. Can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Here’s to you and your family as we wish you health, peace, and the hope that all will be well in 2020, and beyond.
Jamaica. Lazy Beaches. No Problem 
Florida. The Sunshine State 
