Walk Into the Future

Category: Blog

  • Inspiration Man strikes again—Central Florida Economic Council

    CFEC1

    “Surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher”.

    (UK Wired)

    Dictionary.com defines inspiration as a divine influence directly or immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.

    I have multiple Walk into the Future blog posts discussing superpowers and why they are important in our daily walk.  Here is one of my favorites where I introduce my readers to Inspiration Man. 😊

    My move to Fort Pierce has allowed me to make a difference but it is more of an organizational difference so far.  We have adjusted work product and flow in my first 14 months.  It almost feels like a complete overhaul of the organization based on how we revamped our services, products, and delivery methods.  I did not expect this level of adjustment when I arrived, but we have made steady progress on modernizing our services and delivery.

    The concept of Inspiration Man came up to highlight how I make an impact in the daily lives of others.  Inspiration Man has been doormat, but this all changed when I received an email from a colleague in Orlando who works with the Central Florida Economic Council (CFEC) and Christian HELP. 

    Both organizations work to help people in Central Florida get back on their feet—job search, housing, food, etc.  My friend is the Division Director for these organizations and asked me to speak at their May 2021 Job Fair.  I did something similar 10 years ago and she remembered my positive impact on job seekers and wanted me to share my knowledge again.  She does not know about my alter ego, Inspiration Man but she was about to unleash the superhero on the Orlando area. 😊

    I quickly accepted the opportunity to move the crowd and share information with job seekers.  The topic given:  Job Searching in 2021—How to Adapt. 

    This was not a topic I had in my speaking library, but the challenge was to find a way to cover this information and engage with the audience.  They provided an article with a ton of useful information, so this was the foundation of the presentation.

    I never miss an opportunity to help, and this process was exciting; research, building and then presenting information to people who needed to hear from me.

    I made my way to Winter Garden on the day of the event.  Decided to drive over and then change at the venue prior to show time.  My friend greeted me at the door, and we took a little time to catch up on life.  She remembered the book I published in 2010 and thought I had another one ready to present to the group.  FYI—I have been working on producing an eBook on Authentic Leadership, but it is not ready for public consumption.  It should be coming later in 2021—get ready!

    Inspiration Man made a quick dash into the dressing room to change into my superhero outfit for the day.  Trying to be funny with that—it was a grey suit with a power blue tie.

    Headed off to do a quick microphone check and make a quick adjustment to my slide deck.  The event was held at Mosaic Church in Winter Garden, Florida and they have a fantastic audiovisual team.  Sound checks allow me to gauge the acoustic of the venue to understand how loud I need to speak into the microphone.  All systems go!

    https://thisismosaic.org/

    I took the stage after the host took care of some announcements and introduced me as the featured speaker of the day.  It is always weird to me when I hear someone introducing me at an event—I want to look around to see who they are talking about, and it is ME. 

    I like to start my presentations by building rapport with the audience.  One member spoke with me before the presentation and shared she was having a hard time finding employment.  She mentioned a few things she tried but was having troubles.  This quick conversation allowed me to bring a real-world situation into my presentation and highlight I was there to help.  I speak with slides, but this does not drive how I present.  Slides to me provide a foundation but I am not limited to the words on my slide show.

    I am a huge fan of Jocko and introduced this video to set the tone for the day: 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8

    Diving into the presentation I covered:

    • Trends
    • Search parameters
    • Personal messages
    • Competition
    • Presentation (Elevator pitch)

    Each topic came directly from the article they provided, and I leveraged this data to highlight how the current trends favored the job seekers.  We jumped into new job search parameters and ways to gain and keep an employer’s attention.  The personal messages centered on building a WHY statement.  Of course, I shared my WHY with the group to show how it can impact a positive mindset. 

    The competition on the job search is really internal—preparing well enhances the client’s ability to connect with employers.  The presentation centered on creating an elevator pitch to helps a client standout in a positive manner.

    The audience responded well to each topic and had a lot of questions for me during my hour with them on stage.  This was the most fun I have had in a long time.  Working with motivated people who want to learn and get better brings out the best in me.  I was intent on moving the crowd during this event and happy to report mission accomplished.

    Several folks waited to speak with me after and tell me their unique stories.  I listened and shared my contact information so they can reach out to me when ready.  I am happy to help them continue to grow.

    Hoping to get additional invitation to help with CFEC/Christian HELP events again soon.  May be time for Inspiration Man to make another appearance! 😊

    “Do not let yesterday take up too much of today”.

    (Will Rogers)

  • Running into the Future—goal within reach

    Run article

    “Set goals and crush them”.

    (www.tresfleeck.com)

    Goals continue to be a big part of my Walk into the Future.  I sit down in January and write out my goals for the year.  I break these goals up into categories so I can track my completion progress.

    My weekly physical fitness goals include weight training (2 days), run (3 days) and speed work on Wednesdays.  My overarching physical fitness goal is 1,000 training miles in 2021—this includes running and biking miles.

    I set 1,000 training miles as a goal to push my training to a new level.  This mile marker also helps my motivation since there are not as many races to run in this COVID-19 world.  I am always looking for ways to maintain my running edge and adding more miles to my training program appears to be a good thing for me.

    Happy to report I logged 615 miles so far in 2021.  I have not been consistent with my long runs but routinely get in three quality sessions each week. 

    Tuesdays:  3 – 4 miles (after work)

    Thursdays:  4 – 6 miles (after work)

    Saturdays:  6 – 8 miles (morning runs)

    My Tuesday and Thursday runs are done when I get off work, so I am not concerned about my run times during these sessions.  Working 9, 10, 11-hour days creates a mental drain, but I still make time to hit the road since this helps to recharge me physically and mentally.  Some days are a lot slower than others, but I smile because I am out doing something I love.  Never thought I would say that, but I would be lost without my running program—it just took me awhile to come to this conclusion.

    My Saturday runs are not like my long training sessions when I had half marathons to train for.  I routinely crushed 10+ mile runs on Saturdays before my move to Fort Pierce but 8 is the longest distance I hit when running locally.  I have not found a route that allows me to enjoy the run while getting in longer distances.  I have searched multiple locations, but nothing is available like the St. Mark’s Trail or John Brown Park in Tallahassee:

    The trail system in Tallahassee allowed me to push my mileage and extend my long runs up to 16 miles on multiple training sessions.  I plan to get back to the longer versions of my runs since I am looking forward to getting back to being a running tourist. 

    I am scheduled to run the 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September.  I have never run this race or visited the city so looking forward to getting back to a starting line to test my conditioning against some world class athletes.  My goal for this race is to run another Personal Record (PR) and get under 2 hours for the distance.  I was on track to go under 2 hours before COVID-19 hit the world, but I am confident I am going to hit my goal.

    My training for Virginia Beach will increase my speed towards the Orlando OUC Half Marathon in December.  This course is completely flat so it should provide a fast track to help me hit my goals.  This will truly springboard my runs into 2022 as I gear up for a full running season—8 or more half marathons.

    A full marathon (26.2 miles) will make it on my goals list for 2022—there I said it so now it is out in the open.  Let’s see who is going to run it with me! Come on Laurens! 😊

    What goals did you set for 2021?  How is your progress so far?

    “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.

    (Tony Robbins)

  • Reading into the Future

    Books

    “Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and nooks”.

    (Dr. Seuss)

    Who knew Dr. Seuss was so wise?

    My love of reading started when I was young.  This may have come about because my hometown is so small and reading provided unlimited adventures for me.  I cannot remember a time when I did not have a book in my hand reading about things that enlightened my world.

    My love for reading kept me in my junior high school library daily looking for new books.  Books about the old west were some of my favorites back then.  Learning about warriors Sitting Bull, Geronimo and Cochise was my go-to section within the library—I read other stuff, but the wide west was an era that fascinated me.  Mrs. Wiggins, the librarian, gave me unlimited access to books and allowed me to check out as many as I wanted.  I left school on Friday afternoons with a new stack of books and read them over the weekend so I could return on Monday and get more books.  Did I mentioned I love reading! 😊

    High school saw me gravitate to a larger library with even more adventures waiting for me to discover.  I spent so much time in the library, Mrs. Chandler let me check out books to my fellow students.  I did not work there but she made me useful and took breaks while I ran the library for her.  I still see Mrs. Wiggins and Mrs. Chandler when I am back in Jasper—they still bust my chops for always being in their way.

    Fast forward to 2021 and I still have a thing for reading—guess I am a lifelong learner. 

    I write out my yearly goals each January and make sure I list a reading goal for the year.  My 2021 reading goal is to read 2 books each month.  That does not sound daunting, but my reading progress can be impacted by life (work, travel, etc.).  Work has proven to be the biggest obstacle to my reading program since we have so many new things going on at the same time.  Yes, that is an excuse so had to work my way out of my reading funk and get back on-track.

    My saving grace is one of my coworkers.  He is an avid reader, and his yearly goal was a bit more aggressive than mine.  He would come into work on Mondays and tell me about the book(s) he read over the weekend.  I am a bit competitive so knew I had to get myself in gear or he was going to leave me in his dust (reading wise).  Life inspiration is funny—positive peer pressure got me back to reading.

    Proud to say I have been in a groove and have started to crush my reading goals.  I joined Amazon Prime so I could get free shipping and 2-day delivery for my book purchases.  Sounds like a small thing but getting books delivered faster actually keeps me focused.  I routinely have two or three books on standby as I complete my current title.  Amazon provides book recommendations based on previous purchases, so I am always on the lookout for my next buy. 

    I read four books in April and three in May—this put me back on pace to meet my yearly reading goal.  My increased reading volume puts me on pace to read 40+ books this year which would be the most ever for me in a year.  Funny thing is I am still super busy at work but made reading a priority and the pages are turning now. 

    I am not limited to a single topic when selecting my books.  I do not read much fiction but try to find subjects I can learn from and apply in my daily interactions.  Some of my books are just entertainment and enjoy turning pages while sitting on the beach in between naps.

    Here are a few of my latest reads:

    • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK / Mark Manson
    • Ocean Prey / John Sanford
    • The Hero Code / Admiral William H. McRaven
    • Make Your Bed / Admiral William H. McRaven
    • Outliers / Malcolm Gladwell
    • Start with Why / Simon Sinek
    • Think Again / Adam Grant

    Looking to get The Bomber’s Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell soon—the reviews are great and love his writing style.  I am sure there will be other titles added to my reading journey—just need to figure out what I want to read about and put my Amazon Prime membership to work.

    What are your reading goals?  Who is your favorite author and why?

    “There is more treasure in books than all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island”.

    (Walt Disney)

  • Poetic Flow

    Poetry

    GLORY

    Nothing ventured

    Nothing gained

    The glory we need

    Must be maintained

    Seeking the knowledge

    Becomes a daily challenge

    To continue to learn and grow

    To make today better than yesterday

    Seeking the future glory

    The goal remains the same

    Make the world a better place

    And remember to say the names

    (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery)

  • One year in Fort Pierce

    Fort Pierce

    “Your life is a story of transition.  You are always leaving one chapter behind while moving to the next”.

    (Anonymous)

    2020 brought us a year of uncertainty and change.  Not the most prophetic thing I have ever written for the Walk into the Future blog but felt the need to drop that nugget. 

    I celebrated the one-year mark of my move to Fort Pierce on April 13th and decided to look back.  I am sure I was not the ONLY person to move to a new city during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but have not met anyone in my current circle.  Turns out I was the last employee hired by Indian River State College before a hiring freeze was imposed due to COVID-19 uncertainty and the onset of remote work for all college employees.

    I remember when I was preparing to move from Tallahassee to Fort Pierce the thought kept coming up that maybe my opportunity to work at Indian River State College would be pulled due to the pandemic.  I called a few times to make sure I was still hired, and Human Resources kept saying yes.  Packed up the U-Haul, pointed it south and the rest is history—arrived in Fort Pierce without knowing the pandemic was about to get a whole lot worse than we expected.  It did not help the government kept telling people there was nothing to worry about—that dang U.S. government, they have never lied before, right? 😊

    I never had a remote work schedule when I arrived—being new to the area, going into the office was my only interaction with other people. The limited staff in the buildings all wore masks and practiced physical distancing but going to work was a welcomed part of my day.  I could not imagine moving to a new city and then sitting at home all day without seeing anyone. 

    True story—my entire staff was working remotely so I met my 11-person team on my laptop via a Zoom meeting.  Never thought this would be possible but 2020 made us find creative ways to get things done.  My initial staff meetings were all done via a virtual platform (Zoom, Black Board Collaborate or Microsoft Teams).  I love the functionality of Microsoft Teams and continue to conduct staff meetings with this platform. Most of the staff are fully vaccinated but we still have a few stragglers—hope to be able to get everyone together with physical distancing in the fall—fingers crossed.

    I had to find new running routes over the past year.  Discovered Fort Pierce is not as runner friendly as Tallahassee or Oviedo so finding places to run safely continues to be a challenge.  I have two good running areas but would like more routes for a change of scenery.  I love running but still get bored if I do not have variety on my routes. Will keep searching for new places to run because I need to extend my long runs with my focus on becoming a running tourist again.  I have race entries for the following:

    • 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon / September 5, 2021
    • 2021 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) Half Marathon / December 4, 2021
    • 2022 Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon / February 6, 2022

    Would like to add more races but need to build my long runs back up to 12+ miles again. 

    My initial workouts in Fort Pierce were done strictly at home.  Most of the gyms closed due to COVID-19 protocols and I would not have ventured in even if they were open.  I stopped going to the gym before leaving Tallahassee because the gym environment is a prime place for close contact with others.  This close contact led to people spreading the virus so I invested in workout equipment so I could maintain my fitness levels from home.  Surprisingly, I stayed in great physical shape with home workouts.  I have slowly returned to the gym but only go two days a week now when I am in town.  I do body weight workouts (pushups, crunches, squats, etc.) in the mornings before I head to work.  I am happy with my results and will keep this up since it is working and a lot cheaper than having a gym membership. 😊

    The beaches on the Treasure Coast provide me with great places to sit, relax and catch up on my reading.  Funny, I live about 10 minutes from a beach but find I must schedule my beach outings.  I run close to the water and stop to enjoy the views but need to do a better job of just making beach days.  I am heading to Melbourne tomorrow for an air show and will get an early start so I can stake my claim to a prime beach location to relax and enjoy the Blue Angels as they put on their show.  I plan to get to the beach more this year and keep taking beautiful sunset shots.

    Time continues to move forward.  It feels like I just got here yesterday but it has been a year.  Most days seemed to be the same due to COVID-19 protocols but a year it has been.  Looking forward to new adventures in 2021 and you know I am going to highlight a few in the Walk into the Future blog! 😊

    Irie!

    “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly”.

    (Henri Bergson)

  • Why I continue to blog

    Blog

    (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay) 

    “Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn”.

    (Scott Adams)

    I never imagined three years ago I would still be blogging about my life, thoughts, and adventures. 

    The need for me to document things via the Walk into the Future blog continues to grow as my views and voice get stronger daily.  COVID-19 slowed down the adventures, but I still write to share my ideas with my followers and the occasional new reader around the world.  I also write as a form of therapy for me to release energy into the world—sounds poetic, huh?

    It still amazes me when I see a reader from France, India or Spain checking out one of my articles.  Never thought my idea for this blog would travel so well but travel it does. 

    I make a point to write about things that speak directly to me and adventures I have decided to tackle.  Some of my best content comes from friends and family who send me topics they would like to read about.  This process is exciting to me because I get to conduct research to bring the topic to my followers.  It is a bit more complicated than just hearing a topic and then I sit down and write.  There are times when the words just flow for me but other times, I must come back to a potential topics multiple times just to get it production ready.  I do not think I have ever experienced writer’s block but there are days where writing just does not flow for me.  I find I just need to clear my mind and let my fingers do the walking—that is an old telephone book reference! 😊

    I have had a few articles I wrote but never published on the Walk into the Future blog.  Never thought I would have canned articles but not share them on the blog.  This does not happen too often but the articles I hold back do not fit what I want the blog to represent.  Yes, this is my blog, but it is also open access and I owe it to myself and my readers to put my best work forward daily. 

    2020 saw so much turmoil in America and the way black people are treated caused a lot of frustration for me.  My ability to channel these frustrations provided some of my best work (my opinion) but needed to ensure my words match the intended purpose.  I revisit the articles I put on ice to see if I can salvage them, but they remain on ice—I am sure I will share directly with my tree branches but some of these will never be blog worthy (Seinfeld reference).

    I find joy in putting words down to see if I can develop into something others would want to read.  The challenge to keep generating articles is with me daily.  I find inspiration to write in multiple settings but me sitting down on my laptop and just hammering out content is the norm for me now.  COVID-19 took away my coffee shop vibes, so I sit at my dining room table with my laptop, beer, and Bob Marley music as I lay down these tracks.

    Plan to keep writing as long as it is fun to me and people continue to read what I am laying down. 

    My hope is to get back to a certain level of travel again so I can write about my exploits in exotic locales.  Negril, Jamaica is my first stop once it is safe to head back down.

    So, I have listed some reasons why I continue to blog.  Why do YOU continue to read?  I welcome your thoughts! 

    Irie!

    “The currency of blogging is authenticity and trust”.

    (Jason Calacanis)