Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Navigating Life's Roadways: Inspirational Author I...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Navigating Life's Roadways: Inspirational Author I...: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/not-my-reality-live/2012/12/18/moments-of-conversation-guest-debra-parker-author

Navigating Life's Roadways: Inspirational Author Interview

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/not-my-reality-live/2012/12/18/moments-of-conversation-guest-debra-parker-author

{My Story} A Thanksgiving First and Last

{My Story} A Thanksgiving First and Last

First Frost: 3 Key Lessons from My Grandfather's Collard Greens

With my grandfather, Joseph E. Parker Sr. in 1992

http://leadershipquests.blogspot.com/2012/11/first-frost-3-lessons-from-my.html#!/2012/11/first-frost-3-lessons-from-my.html

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Be a Pioneer: Use Your Power to Move Onward

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Be a Pioneer: Use Your Power to Move Onward: Our duty, as men and women, is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist” Unknown Somewhere around the junior high school ...

Be a Pioneer: Use Your Power to Move Onward

Our duty, as men and women,

is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist”

Unknown

Somewhere around the junior high school years, our U.S. history classes cover the compelling stories of trailblazing people venturing west—crossing the plains ISO (In Search Of) new country and treasures. As I remember studying those narratives, I marveled at how these explorers relied on their smarts, determined to know more and go beyond the boundaries.
These settlers faced the fury of the weather and exposure to harsh natural cycles. In addition, there were Indians, bandits or animals to tackle. Nonetheless, a wonderful pioneer spirit kept these groups trekking on to fresh space in their covered wagons.
My fascination with these epic narratives continued. On a business trip to St Louis in late summer of 2010, I visited the famed Gateway Arch. It stands on the Mississippi River as a monument to those who were part of the westward expansion of this great country. Beneath the grounds of the arch is a museum with an interactive exhibit chronicling the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The bronzed printed passages expertly portrayed the “guts and glory” of their pursuit to the Pacific. The end result of their voyage: 50 States claimed and inhabited because of the daring determination of those who chose to move through what was barren to create bounty.
What can we learn from these historic feats?

• Stake your claim!
• Move fearlessly onward.
• Gather your strength.
• Be curious and open to new frontiers.
• Test the limits.
• Have a pioneer mindset.

We can’t wait for someone else to tell us what or where we should be. Forking through current unchartered territories in our life or career, the mission is to inventory and gather what’s needed for our own new ‘deed’ on life. We each have a covered brand of know-how. Whether it’s starting a business or creating new ways to handle a current enterprise, press onward.
Go with your force of belief in all that might be possible. That’s your ultimate power!

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: 7 Career Transitioning Tips for Military: Insights...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: 7 Career Transitioning Tips for Military: Insights...: Promotion to LTC, Army Reservist, 1998 Back in 1993, I conducted numerous career management and coaching workshops through the TAP (...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Diversity: 7 Things to Know About This Dynamic For...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Diversity: 7 Things to Know About This Dynamic For...:   Items from my family history. Religions as cults. Comparisons of the   demographic make-up of the political conventions. Olympian Ga...

Forward March! 7 Lessons the Army Taught Me About Breast Cancer Survival

http://leadershipquests.blogspot.com/2012/10/forward-march-7-lessons-army-taught-me.html#!/2012/10/forward-march-7-lessons-army-taught-me.html

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Reviewing Life's Roundabouts - The Way Forward

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Reviewing Life's Roundabouts - The Way Forward: http://voices.yahoo.com/reviewing-lifes-roundabouts-way-forward-11728652.html?cat=5

Reviewing Life's Roundabouts - The Way Forward

http://voices.yahoo.com/reviewing-lifes-roundabouts-way-forward-11728652.html?cat=5

Depression as a Personal Defining Moment

http://marysmatters.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/depression-as-a-personal-defining-moment/

Diversity: 7 Things to Know About This Dynamic Force for Politics, Present and the Future

 

Items from my family history.

Religions as cults. Comparisons of the  demographic make-up of the political conventions. Olympian Gabby Douglas and the hair and slave remarks. Women and moms’ interests. The middle class. What the wealthy understand. Young rising stars. Boomers passing the baton. Health care for all. A race card. Immigration. Katrina’s lessons learned. The NASCAR vote. GLBT concerns. Hiring Veterans. Disability Awareness. Who has ideas.

Platforms, Rhetoric and Prose.

            Time to talk about diversity again. Another old, old story that needs to be updated and re-read.

Unfortunately many people do not understand what diversity is, and confuse it with various legal and political agendas. So what is it? Let’s start with what it’s not. First of all, it “ain’t just about black folks.” And diversity does not mean affirmative action or EEO. The aforementioned are outgrowths of our historical residue and needed legislative initiatives around diversity.

But defined at its simplest, diversity speaks to difference and variety, in this case among the human population. From the events of these past few months even, one can see how these differences in and outside of various demographic groups play out from age, ethnicity, religion, gender, preferences, race, ‘haves and have nots,” physical or mental ability or lifestyle.

So this political season dictates a diversity moment of discussion. Add in our current economic and global challenges, and yes, it’s time to talk.

Let me do a little disclosure first. My experience in addressing this topic comes from many places. As someone who came of age in the civil rights era, my personal and educational background gave me a front seat in the shift from segregation to integration. In my rural Virginia hometown, a “white only” sign was on an outside toilet at a service station down the street from our house (which also didn’t have indoor plumbing). Schools were segregated until 1969, my ninth grade year, at which time many fights ensued as black and white came together. I attended a college where a professor publicly stated that blacks were not smart enough to be there and a group marched through campus with the confederate flag. Becoming an army officer during the transition to combined gender training, I dealt with sexual harassment incidents.

Experiencing these struggles and progress have yielded an insightful outlook that I now use in my training and consulting work around diversity and workplace harassment. Blending my informal and formal education with my military service supports my practice and achieving results in this important platform. Travels, internationally and nationally have exposed and enlightened.

            These more open concepts of difference have been hard pillars to stand on for some individuals and groups. Fears of losing and gaining power or position clouds the reality of America’s past, present and future. To bring some clarity and understanding to the mystique of diversity, here are 7 points I’ve gleaned from my experiences, business and politics.

 

1.  The Hudson Institute’s Workforce 2000 Study educated us. With this landmark work in 1987, we saw their predictions on the shift in demographics come true. Mainly that 80% of people entering into the workforce would be white women, men and women of various racial and ethnic groups, plus we would have an older working population and changing labor economy. A variety of sociological, economic, technological and global trends drive this dynamic. Workforce 2020 and 2050 reports still track these same demographic, labor and sociological projections.
2. View diversity in the context of your own history, family situation and work life. I’ll pose questions we all should consider in making this point. What boat (or plane) and when did your ancestors arrive here? Did your grandparents have a family friendly workplace and a Buick? Who’s at your class reunion or parties you attend? Is there ever conflict between the people you share blood with over your varying abilities? How do you express your faith? Do you ever share parts of your personal story with pride? BTW, the items in the picture represent part of my family story, a stool my grandfather built, my grandmother's baking pan and my mother's coffee pot. All three of them are on the other side, but very much a part of my mental nexus.
3. Many people were taught to ignore differences when they were growing up or to view those that are most obvious as bad or less than. A fundamental question to emphasize this point is; What would our country, lives, careers, families and relationships be like if we were all the same? Our music, art, food, and resources come out of the blends of diversity. One similarity, we all like chicken! And culturally, it’s prepared many ways. Being aware of and changing the lens in which we view difference can help us make major strides in this area. Inquire for truth. And making sure we teach these principles to the following generations.
4. How do we “all just get along?” Because of the reality of differences, they do bring out the ugly side of human behavior when biases, stereotypes and prejudices appear. Many organizations conduct diversity and inclusion plus harassment training sessions and other programs to bring awareness along with skill building around case studies of incidents that happen in society and their organization. This work can be valuable in addressing appropriate and respectful behaviors with expectations. What can we each do? Be open to others ideas and input. Choose people who don’t look or think like us to be on the team. Don’t be afraid to reach out and touch difference.
5. Exploration of our individual diversity can bring perspective. We are at our core, a makeup of many variables; a combination of our values, experiences, birth order, ethnicities, personalities, strengths and limitations. Our intra-diversity affects our family traditions, memberships in organizations, passions, beliefs, career choices, and interests. This combination of ourselves also serves as a dynamic force for our professional and personal future. If we recognize it fully.
6. Recognizing and tapping into the power of diversity makes good business sense. In this global marketplace, our associate, employee, coworker, consumer, and customer base has changed. With this comes new approaches and mindsets, that when harnessed constructively can lead to more profits and productivity. 
7. In a very unique way, diversity awareness means “Human Beings 101.”  We didn’t fully study the cave man or those in the bush as part of our formative learning process.  History still matters. Using the elements of fairness, respect, truth telling, sharing stories, diversity training and other programs present an opportunity for exploring differences in a new way. Celebrate this fact. This is education, in itself a dynamic force!

 

 

7 Career Transitioning Tips for Military: Insights and GPS for the Journey

Promotion to LTC, Army Reservist, 1998

Back in 1993, I conducted numerous career management and coaching workshops through the TAP (Transition Assistance Program) as an independent contractor. Having gone through the transition process myself (pre TAP), when I left army active duty status in 1984, I gleaned insights which became so useful, that I then used this learning to launch my training business. Subsequently, I went on to do similar work for private sector clients and continue today, along with leadership and diversity programs (also skills and abilities that were enhanced from my army experiences).

            And here we are again, twenty years later, and another drawdown looms as the two combat engagements subside. Unemployment rates are high and more so for veterans, along with other global economic realities. Transition GPS (Goals Planning Success), an overhaul of the former TAP program, will drill down to critical levels of each servicemember’s experiences and goals, to optimize their opportunity to be ‘career ready” beyond the military. A multi-agency effort, with DOD, VA, SBA, DOL and other initialed organizations, Transition GPS will take a more holistic approach for various employment and education options, to include entrepreneurship. Seen also as a ‘reverse boot camp’, this program seeks to reintroduce service members to other aspects of transitioning from a social, financial, and psychological perspective.

            So I found this article I wrote for transitioning military members while working with TAP in 1993, which was published in a couple of local Washington DC area newspapers and circulated to my military organizational affiliations. Much of the advice I offered in this piece is still applicable, with a tweak or two.

Military downsizing has brought on the inevitable for many. Retirement or early separation from a career that has provided a measure of professional growth, steady income, and extraordinary personal experiences is not an easy feat. But, the transition process is survivable and can be successful when approached from the standpoint of being yet another "opportunity to excel."

            As a consultant on career transition issues, I get to see and hear of the many concerns and issues facing a variety of separating service members. My workshops are filled with everyone from E-4 to O-6, specialist to Colonel, representing each of the services, and different occupational specialties, yet all are confronted with the same immediate task, how to find a job in today's tight market.

The following seven "up front" tips are those I find to be the most useful to a successful transitioning job search strategy:

 

I.                   Start preparation as early as possible. Especially for those who are retiring, gearing up for the emotional break is a process that can be started 2 - 3 years out. Get involved in other organizations that provide the opportunity to interact with people who are in other careers and who have varied professional, recreational, and community interests. Make yourself a "demilitarized zone."

II.                Focus on what it is you want to do, where you want to do it, and why you want to do it. Decide what is your prime motivator in this process. Are you seeking a position or career field offering huge financial rewards (mo' money), is stable and secure (not many are these days), offers intrinsic rewards (you enjoy it), utilizes your best skills (you're so good at it), or a combination of two or more.

III. Self-assessment is one of the most crucial yet often left out steps of the transition process. If you haven't done so already, take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (an instrument, not a test, which measures personality attributes and qualities) or some other informal assessment. Some companies use this instrument to determine the types of positions, and at what level, to place prospective employees. This will also be useful tool in handling questions in interviews that relate to your work style preferences (teams, offsite, management). Interviewers will want to know as much about you as a person as possible, not just about your work history. Do take inventory of your skills. Identify those transferable skills that are marketable (leadership, financial management, technology, logistics, environmental) to a civilian employer which could easily match with their organization's needs. Let them be your brand. See a career coach to help in this process.

IV.              Get your net working. Reach out and touch long lost cousins, old friends, classmates, people that you've worked for and with, as well as those that have worked for you. Facebook and Link In them. Seek out and go to meetings of professional associations that match your career interests. Let people know that "you're transitioning from the military and looking for new career opportunities".

V.                 Research. In this social media information age, the more you know better. Find out about the job market, work force issues, different industries, geographical information, various companies, product and economic trends. SEO and the library can be your best friends in this process. Most are well stocked with career transition related publications, computer workstations and may even have seminars. Librarians are knowledgeable about other local resources and may be able to steer you to them.

VI.              Attend career transition workshops, job fairs, and other professional and personal developmental courses. These are valuable sources for new information, reinforcement of things you already know and of course, an opportunity for networking. In the interview, a potential employer will be interested in your level of comfort and techniques in various "soft skills" in addition to your core expertise. Attend job fairs to just practice your “elevator speech” and as a form of researching the market occasionally.

VII.           Lastly, don't underestimate the necessity of a good support system during the career transition process. For many, this is a change of lifestyle, of environment, or mindset. Change brings about a certain amount of stress. Keep those stress levels in check. Take care of the mind: read and surround yourself with encouraging, enthusiastic, and empathetic people. Take care of the body: don't throw away the running shoes or forget the way to the gym. Take care of the spirit; pray, meditate, relax. Take it step by step, one day at a time.

Remember, the competition is stiff and starched too! Your goal is to be as well prepared, as well informed, and as well suited for the next opportunity as possible. That in itself is something that could give you the edge over another candidate.

 

Godspeed and good luck.

 

Deborah

https://twitter.com/dlp2080

https://www.facebook.com/TheDPJTrainingGp

 

 

10 Career Lessons We Can Learn from the Olympics - Online College Search - Your Accredited Online Degree Directory

10 Career Lessons We Can Learn from the Olympics - Online College Search - Your Accredited Online Degree Directory

The DPJ Training Group video

My Animoto Video

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: You the Champion: 7 Ways To Maximize Your Olympic ...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: You the Champion: 7 Ways To Maximize Your Olympic ...: http://leadchangegroup.com/you-the-champion-7-ways-to-maximize-your-olympic-gifts/

You the Champion: 7 Ways To Maximize Your Olympic Gifts

http://leadchangegroup.com/you-the-champion-7-ways-to-maximize-your-olympic-gifts/

Deborah L. Parker Author Interview, Navigating Life's Roadways

Deborah L. Parker
Sylvia Browder's Blog for Women Entrepreneurs

An Interview with Deborah Parker: Author, Speaker & Entrepreneur

Sylvia: Hi Deborah, it is such a pleasure to interview you. Please give our readers a brief introduction of yourself and a little about your book.
Deborah: I made my world entrance in the rural town of Waverly Virginia and have traveled many paths since then that have provided hard yet hearty lessons. In my motivational memoir, Navigating Life’s’ Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, I take readers along as I chronicles the insights from my determined single parent upbringing in the home of my wise grandparents, then on to college, an army reserve officer career to corporate manager, entrepreneur, breast cancer survivor and now published author. I have been interviewed on Destiny Radio, My Spirit DC, on the setbacks and successes of my journey through family, career, health and relationship issues that I share in this well-received book.
Now I manage a motivational speaking, leadership and personal development workshop company, The DPJ Training Group, located in Leesburg, specializing in seminars and coaching on career, diversity, management and communications topics. I hold a B.A. in Sociology from the College of William and Mary and M.A. in Human Resources Development from George Mason University.
A love for writing started early in my life so while in college I often asked my professors if I could write papers for extra grade credit. Taking that passion forward, I have authored articles on life strategies, business and community issues for publications such as the Alexandria Old Town Crier, Washington Afro Newspaper, Metro Herald and Arizona’s Black Executive Magazine.
I am a member of Loudoun County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Metro DC Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Herndon, Virginia.
An area of particular writing interest for me is taking the experiences from growing up and falling down to frame them into valuable lessons. Much of that I’ve found to come from my own mis-steps and the observations of my family to push on in spite of life’s challenges and personal frailties. I have more books to come in this genre that readers will find reflective and motivating!

Sylvia: What inspired you to write your first book?
Deborah: My mother passed in March 2010 and as the old folks say, I experienced more losses. I was then led (by God) to pick up on things I‘d been writing on and off for about 15 years and this book took shape and was published in July 2011. So I also see my mother as my spiritual co-author because she also knew of my goal of writing a book.

Sylvia: Wow that is so special. To be able to share such an accomplishment with your mother; she would be so proud of you. Tell me, what she would say about your book if she was still alive?
Deborah: My mother would say “I knew you could do it.” And she’d be on the phone with her friends telling them, “You know, Debbie wrote a book.” Yeah, she’s always up to something.”

Sylvia: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Deborah: Never count yourself out. As I’ve encountered my own off course collisions from bad decisions and lack of purpose, there were people in my life who thought I’d never recover. But I didn’t give up on myself, knowing that God “didn’t bring me this far to leave me.” His purpose for my life would be revealed in time.

Sylvia: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Deborah: Just write the words will take shape when it’s time to birth it!

Sylvia: What marketing techniques have you used to sell your books and which ones have been most successful?
Deborah: I have tapped into my networks from college, army, and sorority by sending out newsletters and hosting book signings. Also book clubs have been a good venue.

Sylvia: Really? Well, as for tapping into various book clubs, tell me a little more about your experience using this type of marketing?
Deborah: I’ve contacted friends that are in book clubs and asked them to suggest my book as well as my own book clubs (past and present). And I offer to come and speak to the club.

Sylvia: Why should we buy your book?
Deborah: If you’ve ever:

• Found yourself unclear on what to do on your career path;
• Wavered in your faith journey;
• Traveled the road of sickness;
• Made mistakes along the way;
• Lost and grieved hard;
• Been so low you couldn’t figure out up;
• Wondered what your childhood taught you;
• Had family and relationship challenges;
• Or fill in the blanks……

Then you will find a story in this book to relate and renew from! Ultimately be inspired!

Sylvia: Is there a special place that you prefer when you write?
Deborah: My energy is good in my home office or there are times I’m led to move to my kitchen table, a subtle shift in the creativity

Sylvia: What projects are you currently working on?
Deborah: I’m working on a sequel workbook to Navigating Life’s’ Roadways as well as a leadership book based on the lessons I learned from my favorite uncle, a Vietnam vet airborne ranger, who passed away in December.

Sylvia: What is your POWER WORD? Why this word? (A power word is a word that has great effect to the person hearing or reading it. My power word is EMPOWER)
Deborah: MOVE I’ve found that God works with my life by taking me low then telling me when to MOVE up and on. I started my business and wrote a book after coming out of “valley experiences.”

Sylvia: How have you found ways to make sense out of the challenges of your life?
Deborah: I see them all as “ordained.” It was necessary for me to go through these events to get growing in a new season. For example, writing a book while grieving the loss of my mother gave me the opportunity to reflect on the power of her life and how it’s intertwined with mine in ways I wasn’t aware of initially. I was born when she was a high school teenager and she went back to graduate. I’m proud of that, particularly because this was 1955 in a poor black family. It was and still is a big deal and speaks volumes for her grit and my grandparent’s support. And the fact that I went on to college is an outgrowth of her determination to learn and make it!

Sylvia: Deborah, thank you! Please share your contact information:
Deborah: My pleasure Sylvia. My contact information is below:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Navigating-Lifes-Roadways-by-Deborah-L-Parker/167445413327812
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-DPJ-Training-Group
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=77669511&trk=tab_pro
Blog: http://marysmatters.wordpress.com/
Blog: http://leadershipquests.blogspot.com/2011/07/leadership-family-and-roots.html

Press On! 3 Ways to Sync Your IPS (Internal Positioning System) to Destination Success

How do we find the “true north” to achieving our goals?

The reality is that in moving on down the roads of our journeys, we gain and lose ground. All is aligned with great momentum one moment. Then in the next we get misdirected and wonder how we’ll find our way. And most times we eventually do get there, somehow. Leading us to ponder, is there a life GPS to keep us on course?

I’ve surmised that we all have an IPS (Internal Positioning System) to steer us. If we engage it. Just like an automobile’s navigation system— with its GPS, dashboard and features— we too can punch in coordinates for where we want to go in life. We have attributes, strengths and limitations that direct us. Our motivations, habits or wits contribute to how we handle the inevitable bumpy roads. Destinations for our career, family, health, quality of life or relationship goals – we can arrive at these places, based on how we deploy the elements of our IPS’s dashboard.

Yet, I’ve found that this IPS, like GPS technology, has worked for me sometimes and malfunctioned others. In my car, when the quirky voice of the dashboard is silent, I check to see if the GPS is on. Particularly if I’m in unfamiliar territory.  In my life, if I’m not adhering to right messages, I sense a system failure; the signal for me then is that maybe my IPS is not on.  I feel lost, literally, on my life quest. Is this a place I need to explore more, I question. 

OR

Maybe I need to Press!

So what are three parts of the on button for syncing that IPS?

The road I grew up on

1.      Discover Your Unique Routing. Understanding how our life works in terms of its unique cycles and circumstances provides a map for focus. Why so? Knowing the design of our route helps us navigate and heed the messages in the hills and potholes of life.  I have come to realize that an off road collision in a low place is part of my special path before I slowly make my way out to higher ground and another level that God has waiting for me. Also moving through the roadways of our journey we hold different emotions and experiences that bring out our strengths as well as our frailties. At times, I get sidetracked here, but this history accumulates, becoming my cargo as I launch in another direction. Whether it’s good or bad we all carry this load. And it can keep us on a realistic route, as we define success.

 

2. What’s the Force That’s With You? This IPS is part of our drive, an engine that fuels us every day. It takes us through storms and other bad conditions. Our IPS is composed of  ‘gifts and wits’, perspectives, willingness to admit and learn from mistakes, humor, gratitude, wisdom, faith and the list…goes on.  These are the blocks of our being, in varying quantities. A good deal of this force comes from our early life values and grounding. Raised poor, Baptist, in a rural town, but instilled with hope for better times, and family who encourage me to “git my lessin”, equipped me to set out on my sojourns of twists and turns. With accomplishments and failures. There's power in both of these for us, ignited from this combustible combination.

3.      Recognize Your Hardwiring. What’s inbred in our natural circuits? There’s a DNA that makes and shapes us to be. I often share that at my core, I’m the oldest child product of a determined single parent teen mother. With no excuses, she burrowed her way through many adversities on her journey. After she passed in 2010, I reflected on what she’d left me, spiritually.  I share in my motivational memoir, Navigating Life’s Roadways, that she provided an example of sheer will and a strong work ethic for me. And I think of this when I get stuck or waylaid in my life. She taught me to drive, pass some of life’s tests and now has turned the steering wheel over to me— to keep going. The operating hardware and software of her IPS (Internal Positioning System) spiritually resides on my dashboard, with God —my ever present Pilot, the main engaging button.   I've found that there's an automatic syncing coming out of this type of recognition, which will stand the hard inspections of  our many journeys.

Press On Through Storms, Sync your Success and Drive to Your Best!

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: A Personal Mid-Year Review – Whole, Worthy and Wel...

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: A Personal Mid-Year Review – Whole, Worthy and Wel...: I really liked this Whole, Worthy and Well in 2012 slogan I came up with as the New Year gently pushed its way in.   I used it in a busi...

A Personal Mid-Year Review – Whole, Worthy and Well in 2012?

I really liked this Whole, Worthy and Well in 2012 slogan I came up with as the New Year gently pushed its way in.  I used it in a business ministry program at my church, in an Easter weekend speaking engagement for women and I blogged about 5 steps to rise into being whole, worthy and well in 2012.

Like many I had a few items on my New Year’s resolutions list, of the personal and professional kind, determined to get me to this “triple W” state. More business, lose weight, be kind to everyone…, some standard “I’ll do betters and a few different ones. 

Yet as June 30 approached I realized that half of 2012 is gone. And it was time to assess and ask myself a few questions; to do a mid-year review. Here's another list to respond to: Is there anything I can check off as accomplished? How am I doing overall with those 2012 goals? Plus this is a Leap Year, supposedly there’s excess out there to jump into. Do I really want the answer to these becomes another issue to ponder. Then when I’m truthful with myself, I own up to what did go right, even with a struggle. A few different speaking engagements and I published 2 eBooks; not bad. And the themes of these events were about some form of personal reviewing!

Revisiting our actions can be difficult, but often necessary. So in my blog in May, I posted a few inquiries for thought in obtaining “triple W” in 2012.

How do you define wholeness?

What are you worthy of?

Who are you when you are well?

For many of us, a basic sense of feeling in control of our lives, showing up authentic, taking care of our physical, mental and spiritual being with a healthy sense of self-esteem would be filtered into the answers to those questions.

So why aren’t we always there? What gets in the way or things that become DEFLATORS?

Certainly life’s disappointments, our habits, motivations and perspectives can flow out in each of those areas to send us spiraling downward.

I realized that I was caught in a few of those deflators from achieving my best “triple W” being. Letdowns and cookie monsters reigned.

What’s my now?

“You can always begin again” is one of those spiritual sayings that resonates most clearly.

I took a few steps to move forward.  The weight issue was one of my biggest personal challenges, I got way off course. On to the gym yesterday and today. Momentum is always Good! Then while out on a walk from the gym this morning, more clarity came in the way of this statement.

Sometimes we all need a little PUSH. Purpose, Understanding, Support, Healing.

But nothing beats the ultimate PUSH. Pray Until Something Happens!

And “your latter can be greater.”

FYI:

My two eBooks on Kindle are:

Life is a Review: Observations and Collections of My Passages Through the Times, a compilation of essays, blogs, poems from my writings for over 20 years,

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Review-Observations-Collections-ebook/dp/B008D6RJ0M/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340278945&sr=1-7&keywords=life+is+a+review

Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey (my print book is now available as an eBook.)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FQDPYE

Veterans of History and Battle: The Montford Point Marines | The Afro-American Newspapers | Your Community. Your History. Your News.

Veterans of History and Battle: The Montford Point Marines | The Afro-American Newspapers | Your Community. Your History. Your News.

Writing: The # 1 Way to Review and Reconcile Your Life



 

What do we do with the memories of how we've navigated our different life stages? Some pleasantly, others not.  Is there a way to reflect and make peace with it all?

WRITE!  It's Cathartic, Freeing, Healing.

Find a place for your words, describe who you were and are, along with the people and experiences that have shaped you. Create your chronicles. It can be a help to others too.

When my mother passed from leukemia in March 2010, grieving swept me like a tsunami. Like many of us, the loss of a parent is one of those defining moments that changes everything. She was a determined single parent with humor and focus. Not that we didn't have our challenges, particularly as me being her oldest.  How could I come to a place of peace? Then I birthed a book, Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, claiming my mother as its spiritual co-author.  This publishing goal of 15 years came to be out of these intense emotions, and a fellow writer had shared that this was a good time to pen a memoir. The best teacher, life itself, had taught me much as an army veteran, cancer survivor and go-getter in spite of my family's poor, rural beginnings. For more information and to order a copy of this book on Createspace, see Navigating Life's Roadways

Keep it moving.

As I mentioned, writing has been on my radar for a while, so I discovered there were many pieces I'd put to paper over the years, in addition to poems, blogs and speeches.Gleaning lessons from my varied life stages such as watching the careful way in which my grandfather grew collard greens in my youth, to the emotions of seeing a fellow soldier and friend off to war for the first time, gave voice to my varied experiences. So now what to do with those?  Life is A Review, my new eBook is a compilation of those. Check it out!

Life is A Review on Amazon

I've spoken to many people in my work and personal life about the value of journalling, or just carrying a notebook. Which I see as an important first step if you're a writer or non-writer.  My advice, "Just get the words and energy out, it'll take shape when it's supposed to."

Many events in life are ordained, part of our purpose. Share them in your stories. Others have expressed how my triumphs as well as tragedies have given them permission to take a look back at their own lives in a different lens.  With a "me too" reaction, they appreciated in knowing they were not alone in their sufferings or successes.

The review of my journey continues.

Try it for yourself!   Review and Reconcile.

9 Tips for Grads: Things To Remember and Reinforce About Life

My nephew and I in 1993, planting the seeds for college

THINGS TO REMEMBER AND REINFORCE ABOUT LIFE: At College and In the World

I began putting college talk in my nephew’s head early on in his life. His journey started a bit tough, but as a doting and honest aunt, I could see he had potential. So he did eventually graduate high school, taking control of his future. Below are the comments from a letter I wrote to him as he embarked on his first year in college. These words modeled the same advice that had been given me by my mother and other family as I began that sojourn into full adulthood; commencing! As we enter this season of graduation celebrations, hopefully this is timely tested for readers to share with their graduates.

 

1.   Talk to God daily. He “orders your steps.”  You know he has brought you out of many situations and you see the miracles he has done for you.  I can’t say enough of how proud I am of how you turned things around your senior year and are at college.  You should be too. Your potential for doing and being good things is evident.

2.  Life requires work; not many things come about easily.  “If you take one step, God will take two.”   Have a plan for what you want to do while at school, your holiday breaks, and summers.

3.  Things won’t always happen the way you want them to and when you want them to. “God may not come when you want, but he’s always right on time.”  Don’t rush life.  Let things happen for you in their time.  Be your age!!  If you don’t, you wind up being bored because you’ve experienced “too much, too soon.”

4. Make decisions carefully and well thought out ones.  Get good accurate information from a variety of sources to help you determine what you want to do and how you want to be.  I know you’re hearing a lot of different things from other students and friends.  Hear it, but don’t believe everything you hear. Check out the real truth with facts. Be your own person with a solid understanding of your own opinions and perspectives.

5.  Life has its good times and bad times, fun times and boring times for everyone.  No situation or place is ever perfect. I know you think big cities like NY are great and they can be fun, but they’re not all they’re cracked up to be either.  It takes a lot of money to live and do things there and like anywhere else if you don’t have friends or family there big cities can be impersonal.

6.  Flexibility and an open mind important.  And it is ok to change your mind about things. However be aware of any consequences involved about those things you may change your mind about.  Particularly any negative consequences that involve finances, your reputation, or upset your future.

7.  Friendship is one of the greatest gifts of life.  So make friends based on trust, respect, and shared values. Those will last longer.  And I feel your friendships will be so important to you as you get older especially since you’re an only child, your friends may eventually become your family.

8.  Explore new hobbies and interests that have lifelong value as well as variety and can get you through the ups and downs of life whether you’re in good health or not, have money or not, have people to do things with or not.   Things I learned to do as a kid and while in college provide me with entertainment now.  I read when I can’t be outside, I bike when I want to enjoy the outdoors, like to play tennis and splash in the water, learning to play golf, enjoy talking to good friends on the phone, and as you know love to eat and enjoy dining out. 

9. Remember, you are blessed, loved by God, family, and friends!!

My nephew with his late grandmother at his college graduation in 2006


For more information on my book (Navigating Life's Roadways) and family, see navigatinglifesroadways.com or amazon.com

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Dealing With Adversity: Anchor In Sometimes!

Navigating! For Success in Life, Career and Business Pursuits: Dealing With Adversity: Anchor In Sometimes!: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation wor keth patience; And patience, experience; and experienc...

Dealing With Adversity: Anchor In Sometimes!

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:knowing that tribulation worketh patience;And patience, experience; and experience, hope. Romans 5:3-4

I learned a lot about dealing with adversity from my mother. A single parent of four children, she never complained and continued to take on what life sent her. Because of her stance, I was able to graduate from college in spite of our family hardships. I share some of what I learned from her in this radio interview on family issues and adversity.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thestepmomstoolbox/2012/03/07/dealing-with-adversity-with-guest-deborah-parker-1#.T7I6Rm61csI.email

Moving into adulthood I further discovered that life has its hardships as well as battles, of which most of us get assigned to. Or I thought some didn’t and used to envy those people whose lives seemed to go through the right stages at the right time. Whole birth family, graduating school, getting married, securing careers, having kids — all done by age... everything seemed perfect. No ugly surprises restricted their life passages. Now what I know is that even though tribulations tug at our sanity, there are many personal ‘gets’ from seemingly unfavorable situations. Tough times can provide insight into such questions as:

• Am I still roadworthy?
• Did I gain some lessons from this struggle?
• How would I score myself in this life test?
• What does this say about my life’s navigational chart?

Sometimes we need these trying experiences.  My faith has sustained me through many tribulations. There’s an expression reminding us that “A dose of adversity is often as needful as a dose of medicine.” The wisdom and growth that comes from those undesirable moments can put us out to sail on, ‘being all we can be’. Temporarily being cast into hardship can deepen our resolve and strengthen us as go from storm to shore. Drop into it adversity. Don’t drift away.

More can be found on how I've handled adversity in my motivational memoir: Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, available on amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Lifes-Roadways-Stories-Inspiration/dp/1453849858/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top