Celebrate Life: Vast and Deep

 

Life is in the clouds: great life, broad life, deep life, elevated life.

Hawaiian Proverb

           

            There’s a song I love by the jazz vocalist Dianne Reeve, entitled, “Better Days”.  The words that resonate with me are, “…you can’t get to no better days until you make it through the night.” Dark and frightening deepness of the dusk have brought forth bright and shining opportunities. Keep looking up even when you’re down!

            How do we maintain this joy on the journey— regardless of trials and tests?

            Three things come to mind: Find ways to proclaim good news. Do mark the milestones in life. Write them down. 

            So make your list of joys as vast and wide as you choose.  Then shout it out!

 

Here’s my list of Journey’s Joys:

·         My mother and family loved and love me

·         Getting to know and learn from my grandparents          

·         My graduations from high school and college

·         All of my birthdays

·         Getting my commission as an Army officer

·         The births of my nephew and 2 nieces

·         Getting my first paid training/consulting contract

·         Seeing my mother retire from her job at the factory

·         Paying off my first car and getting the title

·         My Mom’s 70^th birthday party we gave her in 2007

·         Paying for my Master’s Degree with my Mastercard – then settling that debt

·         Ten years as a cancer survivor

·         Buying my first home in Phoenix

 

            Remember LG (Life is Good). ISO – in spite of.

Excerpted from my motivational autobiography, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey in print and Kindle eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FQDPYE

 

Introducing VA Native-Author and Motivational Speaker Deborah L Parker!!! 05/09 by LXIXF Talk with Cherie | Motivation Podcasts

Introducing VA Native-Author and Motivational Speaker Deborah L Parker!!! 05/09 by LXIXF Talk with Cherie | Motivation Podcasts

Making It With a Vision: Eyes to The Sky

 

 

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

~ Harriet Tubman, Conductor of the Underground Railroad

 

            Imagine freedom. Done.

            Vision: A plain message to prevent personal perish.

            From Kunta Kinte to Harriet to Martin to you, we harbor plenty of iconic images of what it has taken and takes today to achieve the right to be. Shackles to shacks and now suburbs, this new life shape is unfolding. From you to me, can we model their grit and, yes, sacrifice? Whatever it looks like in time, energy, money, effort, or even loss, make the picture of your envisioned reality as plain as it needs to be. Imagine your career, your family, and your everything else.

            The dream triggers this new thing that you want. Measureable and to the point is how to capture this goal. Ask yourself: How badly do I want this? What am I willing to go through to get it?  Only you have the answer!

            As Earth, Wind, and Fire sing, “Keep your head to the sky.”

            Dream, imagine, and take a risk!

 

 

Excerpted from my book,For People of Strength, Soul, and Spirit:

Seven Guidelines for Life & Career Success  http://www.amazon.com/For-People-Strength-Soul-Spirit/dp/1479237019
 

 

 

 

Spock Factor: Seven Lessons To Live Long, Navigate Strong, and Prosper Well

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” (or “the one”).

Mr. Spock, from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The passing of Leonard Nimoy last month, known for his TV/movie character Mr. Spock on the Star Trek series, brought special memories of this logical Vulcan and key member of the USS Enterprise star ship from fans everywhere.

And as many celebrities whose on screen performance expertise gives life to unforgettable icons, important lessons also ensue that can be helpful as navigate our own journeys.

Mr. Spock’s actions represented elements of the daily realities of people, how to get along and use your talents for a purpose.  Drilling a bit further down on these lessons, seven of these insights are:

1. Being Different is fine and needed. Recognize the gift of your uniqueness and use it for the good of others.
2. Take risks and adapt to new situations as you ‘boldly go where no man has gone before.’ Claim your enterprise.
3. There are times to sacrifice for the needs of others in the various roles we have in life, from parent, family member, citizen, leader, neighbor or colleague.
4. It’s good to have a BFF who accepts you as Mr. Spock did in the persona of Captain James T. Kirk
5. Explore and engage life. Leonard Nimoy’s intellect and interests beyond his Mr. Spock portrayal were evident in his passions for other art forms.
6. Keep head and heart connected but logic yields the answer at times… And so do feelings.
7. Understand all the different parts and origins of yourself – Mr. Spock was very much aware of his Vulcan and Earth inclinations and managed them as best he could.

 

Make your voyage a strong one, navigate it to the fullest, and prosper in all you do!

 

Finding Your Internal Positioning System (IPS): What’s Ingrained In You? | Great Black Speakers

Finding Your Internal Positioning System (IPS): What’s Ingrained In You? | Great Black Speakers

Your 2015: Purposeful & Resilient

The New Job Market: Take A Look Around

“Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

            If you’ve been in the same job or career for over five years, chances are the employment market process is quite different from when you last sought a new opportunity. Rapid and complex might be the best words to describe it. Wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of doing our work, it’s easy to forget to look outside of our area to see what’s happening around us—the shifts, subtle and seismic.

            Some of this information is probably not new to many of you, but keeping up with these career evolutions can be overwhelming. It certainly ain’t what it used to be! So much more is expected of us as citizens and employees. Employers are looking for employees who can contribute to an organization to keep it competitive, along with well-informed people who exhibit potential.

            But just how do we follow these shifting chronicles in the job market?

            As you read books and listen to a variety of recommendations on career topics, be aware of a couple of things. Each decade has brought its progress and predicaments. First, if the person making recommendations is telling you to just go to the employment office and apply or look in the newspaper classifieds, chances are they’re a bit out of touch. While such advice may be well intended, times have warped forward. Yes, there used to be a time when longevity in a position, qualifications, and hard work would earn you a promotion. Or maybe you could have tried pounding the pavement, visiting several companies and putting in an application or submitting a résumé, hoping for an interview and a subsequent job offer. These days, this is rare.

 

          Technology prevails. Now, an online presence is not only helpful, but also essential. CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, and log-ins to company websites are required and consume time in a job search. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets can provide job leads.

 

         Whether it’s the old way or the new way, a well-planned strategy will land you interviews, jobs, positions, opportunities, and career promotions.