Walk Into the Future

Category: Mentoring

  • Walking into the Future and making money moves!

    Money moves

    (Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay)

    “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”.

    (Benjamin Franklin)

    Urban Dictionary defines money moves as:  a term used to describe a bad individual on the grind.  This person works hard to make moves to elevate their financial success, fame, or status.  Simple enough, huh?

    It is normally associated with financial success but does not have to be limited to obtaining a financial payout to be considered a money move.

    I have referred to several opportunities associated with my Walk into the Future as money moves.  Never attempted to associate them with a financial outlook but always saw them as leading to future goals and outcomes.  Money moves came up again in a conversation with a friend and we agreed I should detail how I am making money moves.

    Mentoring and people building daily is the money move with the most impact for me.  Enjoy sharing wisdom and helping my tree branches grow in their daily endeavors.  Making a difference daily remains a goal for me and I look for additional ways to make this happen.  Turns out helping others allows me to stretch my skills and continue to grow right along with them.  I get to increase my knowledge while researching topics to leverage during my mentoring sessions.  The money move centers around limitless growth for me and the tree branch and keeps us both moving forward.

    Blogging weekly is the money move that provides me with a creative outlet.  Never shared my thoughts or aspirations in a public platform before but turns out writing my ideas for others to read forces me to act.  Sounds simple but there is not a way for me to back out of a process once I have written it down and shared on the Walk into the Future blog.  My tree branches hold me accountable for the things I write, and I want to make positive things happen.  A lot of things I have accomplished over the past two years are related to me generating content for the blog.  Amazing how the written word bounds you to commit to the things you write.  Turns out I had a lot to say but never really said anything—now you cannot get me to be quiet! 😊

    Participating as a guest on multiple podcasts has been an unexpected money move but enjoy the process now.  I am not a huge follower of podcasts but know the format continues to grow and is extremely popular.  View my time on podcasts as another way to inspire people and grow new tree branches.  People reach out to me on LinkedIn to let me know they enjoyed my work on the Mastering College to Career and Intern Whisperer podcasts.  I have done multiple episodes with both podcast partners and look forward to shooting more soon.  My friend, Daniel Botero keeps pushing me to start my own podcast.  Never say never but I have not committed to this as a new money move project yet.  It may be something I seriously consider for a 2021 project—we will see.

    Being a running tourist is the money move with the most transformational impact for me.  Never set out to lose a specific amount of weight but running more and longer distances has allowed me to shed pounds and keep them off.  I sleep better and have a ton of energy to tackle my daily activities.  Running also provides me with a platform to clear my mind and generate content for the Walk into the Future blog.  A lot of blog topic ideas are generated during one of my weekly runs—I should take a voice recorder with me but luckily, I am able to remember most of the ideas that pop into my head while out running.  Running also provides me a mechanism to remain competitive as I compete with myself to beat a previous race or training time.  I also compete with my tree branches as we share personal best race times.  I am chasing one of you (Kume) right now to improve my 10k time—getting closer! 😊

    My speaking platform is the final money move for me to highlight.  I find this to be an effective way for me to reach new tree branches.  Always looking for additional speaking opportunities (pre COVID-19) to share my knowledge with others.  I have been able to adjust speaking topics into blog articles and vice versa.  The spoken and written word remains a powerful combination and will continue to leverage them moving forward.  Plan to get back into the lab and generate new speaking topics because I anticipate being back on the speaking circuit once the COVID-19 outlook gets better.  May look for ways to leverage the virtual platforms like Zoom to engage people with technology.  Got a lot of new ideas to try out just need to remain patient and then unleash on the world.

    So, as you can see, money moves can be anything you want them to be.  You do not have to receive a financial windfall to get fulfillment and make a difference.  Think Biggie says it well!  (see below).

    “Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream”.

    (Biggie Smalls)

    What money moves are you making right now?

  • Pivot into the Future

    Pivot butterfly

    (Image by GLady from Pixabay)

     “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”.

    (Maya Angelou)

    The Walk into the Future blog and my parallel journey began on May 21, 2018.

    Did not know how much my mindset and writing style had changed over the past two years until I started looking back at the archive articles.  Happy to see improvement in my article design, verbiage, visual appearance, and storytelling abilities.  Never want to think I am in the same place when I started especially with Walk into the Future as the blog title.  Still got more things to learn to ensure my content grabs a reader’s attention and attracts new readers to the blog.  Will leverage new techniques, visual presentations, guest bloggers and concepts to stay fresh in the blog world.

    Five examples I highlighted for a Walk into the Future were:

    • Take that vacation you have been putting off
    • Decide to create your own blog to document your walk into the future
    • Make time for family and friends (again)
    • Discover new talents you may have or wanted to explore
    • Live life the way you want to

    Did not keep a running tab of how well I was doing in these areas but happy to report I have repeatedly checked off each item listed above, multiple times.  My initial vision for my Walk into the Future was basic but I have been able to grow through personal development and gravitating to things I enjoy.

    Sounds simple enough but the concept of generating content for the blog has been a life course on:  continuous learning, networking, research, leadership development, mentoring, storytelling, public speaking, traveling, training, running, marketing, cold calling, selling, patience, blogging, blog design, Word Press, podcasts and the art of pivoting.

    I identified everyone should be prepared to pivot as needed in a previous post about overcoming fears.  There are times a fundamental change in approach is needed to get what you want (quoting myself here).

    Throwback article:

    2020 Pivot

    The Walk into the Future blog has been a fantastic incubator for my time, thoughts, and actions.

    I was presented with multiple opportunities to join forces with others based on the growth mindset I have gained from Walking into the Future.  I have been extremely selective on who I work with and what projects I decide to add to my portfolio.  No more Big Gulps for me!

    Happy to report my Walk into the Future has relocated to Fort Pierce, Florida.  I will create new tree branches as the Director of Career and Transfer Services at Indian River State College.  I was able to leverage my past work experiences AND my Walk into the Future topics, adventures, and growth during the interview process.  The ability to relay real-world examples on how I interact with others, my mission to make a positive impact and desire to be a People Builder were leveraged to show impact I will have at Indian River State College.

    This pivot creates a larger audience for Inspiration Man and allows me to keep my Walk into the Future moving forward.  Excited for the new adventures, location, beaches, tree branches, thoughts, actions, energy, and blog articles.

    The Walk into the Future journey continues, just from a new location.  I am sure I will write most of my future articles from the beach with an ice-cold drink close by. 😊

    The Walk into the Future production process has generated a roadmap for two new projects I am working on in 2020.  The first project will be to develop several Walk into the Future leadership articles into a concise eBook titled, The Voice of a Leader.

    The second project will be to develop an on-line Authentic Leadership course to help learners understand the leadership model and the variables needed to become an authentic leader (self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, and balanced processing).

    These projects are exciting to me since I will get to learn how to create an eBook and build/design an on-line course people would be interested in.  More to come as I get smart on both platforms.  The eBook will come first since I have got the content at my fingertips, just need to organize, and reformat—sounds easy enough, huh?

    Interesting fact (to me)

    I view life as a daily adventure and continue to seek ways to make a difference in this world.

    One area I explored was teaching psychology courses since I do have a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  Seemed simple enough but a funny thing happened on my Walk into the Future.  I applied to the local community college to teach General Psychology as an adjunct professor.  Repeat, an adjunct professor! Never heard back from them even after reaching out to people in the department via LinkedIn and direct email.  Ironically, if they had leveraged my talents in the classroom, I may have missed this amazing pivot opportunity.  Things happen for a reason—Irie!

    Tree branches will still receive text messages, emails, and LinkedIn articles from me. You have all been a major part of my journey and look forward to expanding our reach—just from another location.  Walking, smiling and inspiring into the future!

     “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity”.

    (Amelia Earhart)

    irsc project wall

    (Summer 2020 project wall)

  • Walking and being black in America!

    Candles

    (Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

    “To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage”.

    (James Baldwin)

    “I’m a black man in America so I always feel there’s a target on me”.

    (Wale)

    The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with a creative outlet where I can share my thoughts, leadership philosophy and life adventures.  It puts a smile on my face when I look back at this journey and see the quality of my writing and content improve daily.  Never thought an electronic journal would become such a huge part of my daily life.  I smile every time someone follows the blog or sends me a comment.

    Well, I did not smile so much today!

    The battle we fight daily as black men in America has been playing out on every major TV network first with Ahmaud Arbery (killed jogging), then Breonna Taylor (killed sleeping) and now George Floyd (killed while handcuffed).  Think about that last sentence for a minute!

    I know there are others out there who have faced the wrath of America but there was not video evidence of what happened to them.  Black America has been hoping and praying these incidents would stop and we can fully engage in the American dream—good thing I am not holding my breath—this never seems to end!  Why not?  I know this is not a simple question to answer but it needs to get answered soon.

    Got several text messages from my friends to check on me to see how I am doing with all of this.  Thank you for thinking of me and reaching out!

    Think it hits closer to home with my friends because they know how much I am out and about with my running program.  Seeing a black man get killed while out for a run highlighted our plight to my friends—yes, that could have been me.  I have had to reassure my mom, brothers, and friends that I am doing everything I can to stay safe when I am out for a run.  Sad to say I must think about being able to make it home safely when I go out for a run.  How many who read my blog have these thoughts when you go for a run?  Life is weird, huh?

    My running outfits are selected to provide me with the most visibility as possible.  The extreme bright, loud, and sometimes fluorescent colors are used so everyone will know I am not hiding anything or trying to blend in.  I want to be visible and remembered by everyone who sees me running through their neighborhood.  I also make a point to speak, wave, and smile at everyone I encounter because I do not want them to feel threatened.  Surprisingly, most do not wave back but that is not the point of my actions.  I smile and wave whenever I see a police car drive by too.  Cannot be seen as a threat while exercising!

    (Do I look like a runner?)

    I also make a point to carry my retired Air Force identification card when I am on my runs in case I encounter police.  I have found police are less threatened when they realize they are talking with someone who has served the country.

    When driving I always show my military identification if I get pulled over for any reason first, then I provide whatever identification is requested.  Please know both hands remain on the steering wheel and then I explain in a clear, distinct voice what I am doing if ordered to produce anything else.  I am sure most black people follow this same process to avoid misunderstandings that leads to…you know!

    Being a black man in America is exhausting!  I have a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling/Human Relations, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Air Force retiree identification and recognized nationally for authentic leadership development.

    Now, imagine what black men without my credentials must do to survive in America.  The insanity must stop!

    NOTE:  I will get back to my normal tone next week—thanks for allowing me to vent.

     

    “I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color”.

    (Malcolm X.)

    “Usually, when people are sad, they don’t do anything.  They just cry over their condition.  But when they are angry, they bring about change”.

    (Malcolm X.)

    Time for change—let’s get out and vote, remain vigilant and demand change—we must do better!

    How can you help?

    Great article:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/29/george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery-killings-make-hard-blacks-breathe-column/5278108002/

  • Walking with a month of inspiration!

    Mattie inspiration project

    (Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay)

    “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”.

    (John Wooden)

    My Walk into the Future has provided me with a new perspective on how I see and live life.  This process has created transformations (mental and physical) which allow me to walk daily with a mission to make a difference daily.

    A great aspect to my Walk into the Future has been the great connections I make and reconnecting with friends and family.  I have mentioned one of my mentors, Mrs. Mattie Fouraker who I met in the 10th grade.  She was my Typing 1 teacher and the skills I learned from her have led to many successful outcomes for me over the years.

    I started sharing Walk into the Future blog articles with Mrs. Fouraker to show her some of the things I have been doing and a way to say thank you.  Decided to print a few articles and mailed them to her so she can have them readily available.  Got an email from her to let me know she received them and a huge surprise.

    My mission to make a difference daily and sharing blog articles inspired her to create an Inspiration Project.

    She decided to get busy and find ways to inspire others in her life daily!  My mentor put a smile on my face by emulating something I do—truly humbled when she told me what she was doing.

    She cut out my mission:  to make a difference daily and put this on her refrigerator with a monthly calendar underneath.

    Her goal is to do something to inspire someone every day of the month and record the deed on the calendar.  Thought this was a very purposeful way to inspire others and make a difference daily.  In fact, the ability to look back on a month’s worth of difference making must feel great.  I love this idea and grateful she shared her project with me.

    I will follow her lead and record my daily difference making initiatives to get a better understanding of impact AND to keep me focused.  I am sure there are days I may fall short but having a visual tool will keep me on-track.  The monthly good deeds may also lead to future blog articles—we will see!

    Challenge accepted

    So, now I challenge everyone who may read this post to join Mrs. Fouraker and me on this Inspiration Project journey to make a difference daily.  Create a calendar, excel spreadsheet, or Google doc to record who and how you made a difference today.  Do this for a day, a week, or a month to see the impact you have on the people in your daily walk.  Track your inspirations for as long as you want but thought this was a great way to highlight the importance of helping others.  Who is with me? 😊  This could also be the beginning of you establishing your own tree branches.

    Who can you inspire today?  What will you do to make it happen?  Thanks!

    “Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does”.

    (William James)

    Note:  Mrs. Fouraker is a regular reader of the blog now. She follows along weekly on her iPad —hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for the inspiration! Hope to see you soon!😊

     

    Time to Inspire

    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

     

  • The Wolf of Networking

    Wolf of Networking

    (Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay)

    “Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program”.

    (Susan RoAne)

    My Walk into the Future continues to provide me with opportunities to make a difference daily.  It helps that I have opened my eyes and mind to all possibilities and the opportunities keep presenting themselves to me.  The journey moves forward!

    The title of this blog article references the Wolf of Networking.  I have identified myself as a People Builder, running tourist and Inspiration Man in multiple posts.  Well, say hello to my next moniker, Wolf of Networking! 😊

    I selected this new moniker to have fun with a project that has been years in the making.  My past roles in university career services allowed me to build and maintain a network with recruiters who primarily hire recent college graduates.  I was responsible to find, network and recruit these recruiters to come on-campus to hire students.  My unit put on career fairs, networking events, professional development workshops and scheduled on-campus interviews to connect students and recruiters.  So, this put me in a prime position to learn inside information on how different organizations created their on-campus recruiting programs.

    The Wolf of Networking had to compete with other schools for recruiters’ attention and resources to ensure our students got opportunities.  Happy to say we won more battles than we lost and maintained a robust on-campus recruiting program at multiple schools (UCF and FSU).  Shared tricks of the trade with other wolf packs (UF, USF, FAU, FIU) to help them become more successful getting employers on their campuses.  Found it was easier to keep employers in Florida if other schools were viewed as attractive options—I am competitive but also practical.

    I leveraged the Wolf of Networking status to build my handpicked wolf pack and I am happy to see the great things they are doing around the country at prestigious institutions.  We stay in contact to ensure the pack continues to grow.

    Went back to my wolf pack mentality recently to help a tree branch network with recruiters for future employment.  This tree branch had heard about my contacts but did not fully understand how connected I still am in the college recruiting world.  Happy to say they get it now! 😊

    I was presented with a list of 9 organizations of interest for future employment.  I had professional contacts with 8 of the 9 organizations on the list.  Some of these contacts are also personal friends so it was a bit easier to get them to respond to my requests.  My tree branch now had people inside the organizations they wanted to work for looking out for them.  Nothing was promised but my network was looking out for my tree branch just as I would.

    I tell people I work with you are always networking even when you do not know it.  Look for ways to benefit others and then when you need a helping hand people will respond to you.  Think my tree branch will look at the Wolf of Networking from a different perspective now.  The wolf makes positive things happen! 😊

    Who can you help reach their goals?  What action steps are needed for a successful outcome?

     “Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives”.

    (Michelle Obama)

     Network Tree

    (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

    2020 Wolf pack:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-apgar-m-s-38ab4035/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkume/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mforges/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrhanikuhaynes/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-a-collins/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadevite/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/pagetisdale/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaylabriwilliams/

  • Daily flowers—send them now!

    Purple Rose

    (Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay)

    “Don’t wait for people to die to send them flowers”.

    (Reverend Simmons, New Bethel AME Church)

    It is amazing the things we retain from our childhood.  I attended weekly Sunday school and church services at New Bethel AME church while growing up in Jasper, FL.  I am sure Reverend Simmons said some other amazing things but the quote above always stuck with me.  Never understood it as a kid so maybe that is why it stuck with me all these years.

    Thought it was a weird saying until I fully understood his meaning.  It can be interpreted multiple ways, but he was reminding us to cherish/celebrate the people in our lives while we have them.  Waiting for a tragic incident is a bit late to let people know what you think about them.

    I decided to write this post 3 days after Kobe Bryant, his daughter and friends died in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles.  I am not much of an NBA fan but watched Kobe during his Hall of Fame NBA career and more intently after he retired.  He ventured into business, screen writing, venture capital investments and his sports academy as part of his life after basketball.  He became successful in these endeavors because he displayed a thirst for knowledge and sought out mentors to learn new things.  He continued to look for ways to get better and make a difference in the world.  Believe he was on the verge of expanding his portfolio in the entertainment world but never got a chance to complete this portion of his legacy.

    I will not dive much further into Kobe’s life, but his unexpected passing brought me back to what Reverend Simmons reminded us EVERY Sunday—Do not wait for people to die to send them flowers. 

    I use a lot of quotes in my daily Walk into the Future, but I am sure my tree branches have never heard me use this quote with them.  May seem weird to share so much with them but not this one aspect of my background.  Allow me to provide a bit of clarity and how I leverage the quote in all my interactions.

    I take my role as a tree seriously and believe I should model positive things for my tree branches.  I also want to continue to make a difference daily.  So, I provide theoretical flowers every day to my people!

    I make a point to text, call, email, LinkedIn, visit or carrier pigeon (LOL) someone daily to provide them their flowers.  May look like:

    • Happy Monday!
    • Happy Friday!
    • Go (insert name)!
    • How are you?
    • How are your students doing?
    • How’s the family?

    I could add more to the list but believe you get the message.  It may be small things but once I understood what Reverend Simmons was telling us I discovered a ton of ways to provide flowers daily.  Some of you may prefer real flowers but I cannot afford the daily costs so guess you will have to be happy with my texts, calls, emails, LinkedIn, visits and hopefully those dang pigeons arrive soon! 😊

    So, do me a favor, look around and identify who you need to send flowers to and get busy!  Thank you!

    “It’s the one thing you can control.  You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t.  So, don’t take it lightly”.

    (Kobe Bryant)

    “Live for yourself and you live in vain; live for others and you will live again”.

    (Bob Marley)

     Happy Mother’s Day!!!

     

  • The mirror can lie! Blaze your own trail

    round leaning mirror with white frame
    Photo by Emre Can on Pexels.com

    “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

    (Audre Lorde)

    Really love the words presented by Audre Lorde.  The concept of creating your own definition of self is vitality important to truly progress in life.  There are people who look in the mirror and automatically see bad examples staring back at them.  Please know, the mirror can lie and the bad examples from the past do not have to hinder the present and/or future.

    Bad examples can manifest in multiple locations.  I will focus on two specific areas to help highlight how bad examples can and should be used to fuel a positive Walk into the Future.  The two areas I focus on are leadership and personal development. I’m sure everyone has a story on bad examples in these areas as well.  My attempt will be to show how these bad experiences can be leveraged for a positive tomorrow.

    Leadership

    Would like to say everyone I’ve worked for has been an outstanding leader but that would not be true.  It may not even be realistic to expect EVERY leader to possess the capability to be outstanding.  Turns out the leaders who were not the best provided me with enough tough lessons to sharpen my leadership skills.  Please note, I’ve had some great leaders/mentors in my life who I lean on even today.  Their lessons are with me daily, but the few bad leaders impact my leadership style and methods as well.

    I gravitated towards the Authentic Leadership style because I’ve seen organizations destroyed because the so-called leader wasn’t authentic.  They profess being a genuine and transparent leader but then their true self comes out and it is the opposite of authentic.  Seeing these type leaders in action reinforces why the concepts of authenticity, self-awareness, having a moral compass and relational transparency are so important in my leadership style.

    I’ve seen leaders who walk by their direct reports’ multiple times in a day and never say hello.  Seems like a small thing but how can you say you care about your people and can’t acknowledge them?  Not saying a leader must stop and talk every time they see someone but it’s a lot easier leading people when you are relatable and engaged. Also, only talking with direct reports when something is needed or due signals the leader only cares about the bottom line.  Staff will do more within a positive and nurturing work environment.

    These are two leadership examples I leverage to help build my authentic leadership platform.  I proactively do the opposite of these leadership examples because I’ve seen them in action and how they deflate staff and organizational morale.

    That’s my approach, things I don’t like or disagree with from a bad leader, I simply don’t repeat—not rocket science but it works.  No need to subject others to these habits—create positive energy and blaze your leadership trail to enhance the work environment.

    Personal development

    There are instances where environment can hinder personal development but many more where great outcomes occur almost against all odds.  Life is impacted by choices (good or bad) and we have the capability to choose not to mirror bad examples but learn from them.

    I love working with college students from South Florida.  They routinely tell me they’re the first person in their family to attend college and they want a different outcome for themselves.  They don’t want to forget the struggles from home but use them to continue to grow.  They also strive not to repeat some of the bad neighborhood examples others succumbed to.

    They tell me of proactive actions they took to avoid running with the wrong neighborhood friends.  These people may have been well intentioned but set bad examples of how to truly progress in life.  They experienced family and community situations that potentially could hinder growth, but they didn’t let these things stop them.  These things were used as inspiration to overcome obstacles.

    Environment is an important element in personal development but can be overcome—I’ve seen it done.  Mentors and positive examples can help with personal development.  Self-awareness and learning from bad examples can increase the ability to blaze a personal development trail.

    “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be”.

    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

    How do you define yourself for you?  What does your personal or professional mirror reflect? How can you leverage bad examples to enhance your Walk into the Future?

  • Stop limiting your progress—remove personal roadblocks

    Road Block image

    (Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay)

    “Love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort and keep on learning”.

    (Carol Dweck)

    What is holding you back from accomplishing what you want out of life?

    This question and subsequent answers can be applied to your personal and professional life.  I’m a huge advocate for positive energy helping us meet or exceed our life goals so, begin the process to remove anything that would limit your progress today!

    Dictionary.com defines progress as forward or onward movement toward a destination.

    Let your daily thoughts, actions and words lead you toward the progress your desire in all areas of your life.

    I’m a firm believer we can talk ourselves into or out of anything in life.  I’ve started answering the question how’s your day? with the response fantastic.  I use this response to trigger the destination I’m seeking and ensure my thoughts match the destination.  I know this is a simple explanation but how many people have you heard say the following:

    • I’m not a morning person…
    • I want to work out but don’t have time…
    • Working on this project is going to suck…

    They have just created a negative thought pattern for the highlighted activities.  Not saying simply putting a positive spin would make everything work better BUT it can’t hurt.  Why create these roadblocks for yourself?  Positive self-talk can be used here to get better outcomes.  It takes time to adjust your mindset but should be worth the attempt.

    “There is no elevator to success.  You must take the stairs”.

    (Unknown)

    Next, put the necessary actions in place to match your positive thoughts.  Identify the things needed to reverse the identified roadblocks.  Using the same thoughts listed above can help highlight how actions can help with your thoughts:

    • I’m not a morning person…
      • (Action: establish an earlier and consistent bedtime)
    • I want to work out but don’t have time…
      • (Action: start small, walk during lunch or after dinner; work out at home)
    • Working on this project is going to suck…
      • (Action: research the project, look for ways to influence positive outcomes)

    Finally, put the appropriate words in place to ensure your thoughts and actions move you towards the progress you seek.  I leverage reggae and specifically Bob Marley songs to get me in an Irie state of mind prior to speaking engagements.  This may seem like a small factor, but I’ve found sustained success when I do this.  Playing reggae also enhances the mood and mindset of my audience.

    I routinely write the following words in my notes prior to speaking:  eye contact, speak clearly, move the crowd and have fun.

    These words are consistent with the outcomes I want from every presentation.  I mentioned in an earlier post I still get nervous prior to speaking even with my experience level.  Writing these words prior to an engagement give me the focus needed to ensure a successful presentation.  My words in this example influence my thoughts and lead to positive actions.  Simple, huh?

    This is not an overnight process!  It takes time and self-awareness to fully understand how your thoughts, words and actions impact your daily interactions.

    What roadblocks have you created that limit your progress?  What thoughts, actions and words can you leverage to remove these roadblocks? Thanks!

    “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right”.

    (Henry Ford)

    Open Road

    (Image by Rohan S from Pixabay)

  • My favorite thing about me!

    Mirror

    (Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay)

    “On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom”.

    (Michel de Montaigne)

    My efforts to create content for the Walk into the Future blog finds me conducting research in multiple locations.  I’m an avid reader so of course books, online articles and other blogs catch my attention daily.  The goal is to generate fresh content others would be willing to read and share with their network.  Always seeking additional content ideas as I Walk into the Future.

    Came across an interesting guide during my research phase called 365 Days of Writing Prompts which was created by the Word Press editors to prompt bloggers with inspiration to write every day.  Some of the prompts are an attempt to give bloggers a vault of topics which hopefully leads to finished articles.

    I incorporate daily thoughts, conversations and events into Walk into the Future blog posts so most of the Word Press prompts are just things for me to view—not looking to write without a real purpose since this would not help promote my why on the blog.

    Found a few of the Word Press prompts interesting enough to put aside to see if I could develop a future blog post.  The following prompt is my first post using the Word Press guide:

    • Toot your horn: Most of us are excellent at being self-deprecating and are not so good at the opposite. Tell us your favorite thing about yourself.

    Perseverance is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success (Dictionary.com).

    I’ve talked about superpowers and leveraging my why to make a positive difference in the world.  My favorite thing about myself at this point in my Walk into the Future is my perseverance.

    My goal is to tackle each day with positive energy as I continue to move forward in the world.  Would like to say things always go my way but that’s not true or a realistic outcome.  I continue to persevere even when things don’t follow the plan; my positive energy mantra allows me to quickly regroup, make new plans (pivot) and then move forward.

    The Walk into the Future title was selected for the blog because it gives me purpose and enhances how I interact with others daily.

    Perseverance in my daily Walk into the Future allows me to continue to focus on how my words, thoughts, actions and why lead to small wins daily.  The win could simply be a comment from one of my tree branches, family or blog followers, but it provides the positive energy to strive to do more in this world.

    So, there it is, perseverance is my favorite thing about myself!  Will continue to work on projects and topics to incorporate my why to see where this journey leads.  Always striving for positive energy and outcomes in everything I touch—Irie mindset daily!

    What is your favorite thing about yourself?  How do you display your favorite thing to others?  Thanks for walking with me!

    “A true genius admits he/she knows nothing”.

    (Albert Einstein)

  • Walking with the new normal

    person in spiderman costume
    Photo by Life of Wu on Pexels.com

    “Time is an illusion that passes way too fast”.

    (Ana Claudia Antunes)

    Lexico.com defines a new normal as a previously unfamiliar or atypical situation that has become standard, usual or expected.

    Urban Dictionary identifies a new normal as the current state of being after some drastic change has transpired.

    The COVID-19 pandemic fits regardless which of the two definitions you associate with the term new normal.  Forgive me for using Urban Dictionary for such a serious problem but the definition used is spot on to what most of us are experiencing right now.  I won’t get into politics, medicine or debate treatments but will use this platform to discuss things I view as the new normal for me with this crisis.

    Home gym

    I have always maintained a small home gym regardless of where I live.  The concept of working out and staying active at home has always been a part of my workout routine.  The home gym is an easy place to get a workout in when I don’t feel like driving to the gym or the weather is bad.  My most elaborate piece of equipment was the heavy bag I had to practice throwing punches.  It was a great way to burn calories and release workday stress at the same time.

    Got rid of the heavy bag prior to moving to Tallahassee but have maintained kettle bells, dumbbells, resistance bands, BOSU and 75cm exercise balls.  Happy to say I’m getting a lot of use out of these tools since I decided to stop going to the gym.  The gym staff did a tremendous job wiping things down at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the states but decided to stop going prior to gyms being closed by government order.  Couldn’t justify being there knowing EVERY piece of equipment is touched by so many people.  This was not a revelation, but the point is magnified by how the COVID-19 gets transmitted.

    My home gym gives me the capability to maintain my fitness levels and get creative with my workouts.  Still finding additional exercises to utilize on the BOSU ball and with my resistance bands.  Hope to add a few more pieces to my home gym to help stay fit during this time period.

    Yoga

    Dusted off a few of my yoga DVDs so I can continue to stretch to maintain good posture.  Try to get in weekly yoga sessions but increased to three times weekly.  Yoga emphasizes proper breathing techniques, and this helps maintain a calm mind and body while practicing physical distancing.  I realize everyone is using the term social distancing but to me social distancing is what I do when I PURGE a contact in my phone.  Trying to rotate my yoga DVD instructors to ensure I stay balanced during this time.

    Runs

    My normal routine got me out for runs three times each week with a long run on the weekends.  I’ve increased my running program to get me out for runs five times weekly—some of these are shorter just to get me out and active.  Can’t do gym cardio for the time being, need to ensure I’m burning calories so I can continue to eat like I want.  😊

    My neighborhood has a pedestrian bridge I utilize to run up stairs and then sprint down the ramp.  This is a new version of cardio I can get done to keep my outdoor exercise program fresh.  Increased this routine to incorporate 27 sets (steps and sprints) to burn calories without a gym.

    Conner Bridge

    Added more walks to my routine as well.  This keeps me moving without as much wear and tear on my joints the running program adds.  My walking goal is to just enjoy being outside and take in nature.

    The Rock n Roll marathon series 2020 Nashville half marathon has been postponed until further notice.  Hoping they will reschedule the Nashville races for the fall if it’s safe enough for people to be that close again.  If not, the registration will roll over to 2021 and will get up there then.  I still plan to run the half marathon distance on 4/25/2020 but won’t have a crowd to cheer me on.  No worries, running is the perfect sport to practice physical distancing.  😊

    No coffee shops

    So far, my biggest adjustment has been working/writing from home instead of my favorite spot at Lucky Goat.  Didn’t realize how many distractions I had at home until I was forced to stay in more.  The remote control and ability to search for TV programs was almost my downfall.

    Finally had to discipline myself to set-up just like I was at Lucky Goat (laptop, headphones only) for the time period I wanted to research, write and network. Things went a lot better once I got my disciplined approach again.  Miss Lucky Goat but this is a small sacrifice right now.

    Extra cleaning

    Believe we all are doing more cleaning, wiping and disinfecting with this new normal.  Seems to be the best way combined with physical distancing to control the spread of the virus.  I’m super conscience of everything I touch or may touch now and ensure to keep my hands to myself.  Not as quick to touch doorknobs or handles when/if I’m out and about now.  Better to be safe in these times.

    Keynotes and Consulting

    My new normal in this category is nonexistent.  Organizations are protecting their staff members by implementing work from home protocols.  I’m still networking with organizations and decision makers but don’t see the keynote/consulting opportunities coming back for a few months.  No worries, more time for research, writing and running.

    Moving forward

    These are things I think of when talking about a new normal.  Hopefully, this period will pass soon, and we can get back to the old normal and not have to avoid each other.  Until then, stay safe and continue to practice physical distancing!

    What are your new norms?  How has the transition impacted you?

     

    “Transitions in life can offer opportunities for discovery”.

    (Robbie Shell)