Walk Into the Future

Category: Self Awareness

  • 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)

  • Walking in the Future without a return date

    Happy

     Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

     “I want to move and go places and never look back.  Just have fun, forever”.

    (Josephine Marcus from the 1993 movie, Tombstone) 

    I love the quote above for the simple nature of how it signifies life should be fun.

    The quote was a response to a question Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) asked Josephine Marcus (Dana Delaney) in the 1993 movie, Tombstone.  He was trying to understand how Josephine defined the concept of happiness.

    My current Walk into the Future has a bit of resemblance to Josephine’s view with a slight twist.

    I constantly seek out opportunities and adventures that excite me and then find ways to incorporate these things into my current walk.  Had another interesting conversation with a longtime friend prior to heading to Philadelphia for the 2019 Philly Rock n Roll half marathon.

    My travel itinerary was the topic of discussion and I revealed in my typical Walk into the Future fashion the following things were known about my trip:

    • Hotel reservation confirmed
    • Race registration confirmed
    • Arrival flight confirmed

    The list above did not have an official return date from Philadelphia.  To me, this was not a big deal, just part of how I Walk into the Future.

    My friend quickly became worried for me because going somewhere new without a return date was/is a foreign concept to most people.  FYI, for me this is an exciting part of the walk!  Please note, I knew when I planned to come back, I just didn’t book the return flight at the same time as my departure.

    Southwest Airlines tends to reduce flight prices to ensure they have full flights.  I simply gambled on the premise they would lower the price for the return flight from Philly and it happened.  Spent less coming back than I did going up because of my ability to walk without a return date.

    Don’t consider myself as a travel pioneer; I’m sure other people have flexible travel schedules.  This flexibility is an exciting aspect when traveling.  I routinely book travel at the last minute because of the great deals I’ve been able to get in the past.  Please note, it does not always work in my favor and I end up spending the same or more for my travel adventures.  Can’t complain when this happens since I normally come out ahead more times than not.

    I book with a more traditional travel concept when friends and family travel with me.  My wait and see program can cause some level of anxiety so I’m mindful to eliminate this when others are counting on me being in a specific location at a specific time.

    Plan to explore new destinations in 2020 and will not be pressed by a return date.  Will continue Walking into the Future with no return date; been a fun journey so far! 😊

    Where would you travel without a return date?  Would you find this exciting or scary?

    “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better”.

    (Albert Camus)

     Philly downtown2

    (Downtown Philly!)

  • Mentoring and people building daily

    People Builder March 2020

    (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

    “We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark”.

    (Whoopi Goldberg)

    Had an interesting conversation with a good friend today about why I consider myself a People Builder.  My explanation comes down to this is something I was destined for—my purpose if you will.  There it is—I’m a People Builder!

    Got invited to speak with 3 Student Success classes at Tallahassee Community College in December 2019.  The professor and I worked together at FSU years ago and reached out to see if I could energize her students.  I never turn down speaking roles so decided to work on some new material to help students find the why in their studies.

    The invite came the week prior to finals so most students were ready for the semester to end–then I enter the arena.  Always love a challenge and the end of a semester provides plenty of them.  Didn’t let this deter me as I prepared for my full day working on the TCC campus—I’m built for this! 😊

    The main message I wanted the students to take away is they control their destiny.

    Education and life are active endeavors and the more they participate, take charge and act the more empowered they will feel in all aspects of life.  Wanted to ensure the students understood empowerment by having them create a life and educational why statement while I was with them.  Some never heard of this concept but were quick to embrace it since the professor made this an extra credit project prior to finals—it takes all types of motivation. 😊

    Had several students share their why statements with me during the class sessions—came away impressed with what they generated during our time together.  Also introduced the concept of SMART goals (Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to the students to help them with future educational and life pursuits.  Leveraged SMART goals to help the students understand how written goals would impact their why statements.

    The professor conducted a survey to get the students to identify what they took away from my visit.  See a sample below.

    Sample student survey results:

    1. What was your favorite part of the Leadership Presentation? My favorite part of the presentation was what Dr. Williams proved to us. He proved that all of us are leaders of our own lives. He made me believe that I am far more capable of doing great things than I give myself credit.
    2. What did you take away from the perception vs. reality part of the presentation? The perception of a person is how they carry themselves such as how they walk, talk, and dress. For example, Dr. Williams walked in confident, dressed in professional attire, and he was very well spoken. Yet he is a very introverted person.
    3. In your own words, what was Dr. Williams’s why statement? Dr. Williams’ why statement was simply that he wants to leave a positive impact on every person that he meets.
    4. What is your why for your education (including this class)? My why for my education is so that I can grow into a mature and responsible adult and to be able to become an officer in the United States Army. My why for this class is to help make a smooth transition into college which has been interesting.
    5. What is your why for life? My why for life is to recognize that I will not live forever but I want to create something positive that will.
    6. How long did it take Dr. Williams to learn his why? It took him 20 years.
    7. In your own words, describe what happens when everyone in an organization agrees on everything? Everyone stops learning, they all stop growing, and eventually all become complacent.
    8. How was the presentation helpful to you? It helped me realize the many things that I can do right now for my future. It was very eye opening and motivating. Thank you for having Dr. Williams come in.
    9. If you were a tree, what kind would you be? Explain why you would be this tree. I would be a pine tree because I may not be the toughest, but I am flexible and dependable.
    10. Share something you learned that you can put into action this week. I made a game plan of how I can get into ROTC at FSU. After class today (December 2nd) I made an appointment with the recruiter at FSU ROTC for tomorrow.

    Happy to report most of the students I spoke with left with the same energy and got active making positive things happen.  Several reached out to me on LinkedIn to stay connected for mentorship opportunities.  Got invited to coffee recently for additional insight on goal setting—progress was made at TCC!

    People building closely resembles being a superhero—Inspiration Man strikes again!

    How can you become a People Builder?  Who in your circle would benefit from a little construction?

    “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can”.

    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

     

  • Life is short—spend your ENERGY wisely!

    Energy

    (Image by Myriam Zilles from Pixabay)

     “The energy of the mind is the essence of life”.

    (Aristotle)

     Dictionary.com defines energy as the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

    Have you ever examined how much energy you invest in others?  Are your energy investments being deposited in the correct places?

    I ask these questions because I’ve had some interesting conversations with several close tree branches over the past couple weeks.  I view my energy and time invested in others as valuable commodities.  I’m mindful of how and when energy (time, thoughts, actions) will be invested to ensure I have the energy (time, thoughts, actions) for the right people.

    Please note, I still envision myself as a People Builder but also understand energy can’t be expended equally to everyone.  Finding the proper balance can be tricky but is necessary to ensure a proper life flow.  This balance also provides the ability to move your energy focus and prioritize how and when you decide to expend energy.

    I perform a yearly PURGE to ensure I concentrate my energy investments in the correct places.

    So, on December 28, 2019 I went through my phone and LinkedIn contacts to identify contacts without mutual interactions within the past year.  Mutual interactions can be defined as texts, networking requests, phone calls, simple conversations, etc.  I took this action to remove potential clutter and reinforce why I have saved contacts in my phone and LinkedIn.  These are the people who should get the energy investments mentioned earlier.  I’m not on Facebook so no need for a PURGE on that platform.

    Removing the miscellaneous (without a better word) contacts allows me to invest energy on the right people moving forward.  Now, I don’t have to scroll through as many people to send out a text or LinkedIn message.  This may seem like a small thing, but it reminds me of the importance of tree branches and why pruning is needed in life.  It seems I always get a random text from someone in the PURGE a couple days after—it never fails.  I don’t automatically add them back—I give them a test phase to see if they add energy to me—if not, they stay purged.

    “Become more aware of what’s really worth your energy”.

    (Pinterest pin, January 2020)

    My example focuses on contacts in my phone and on LinkedIn.  Don’t overlook the importance of the energy you expend on people in real life.  I’m looking for people who display positive energy and are moving forward in life.  Negative energy people can drain the life out of you and should be addressed or removed from your environment.  Life is too short to continue to drag or tolerate negative energy on your Walk into the Future!  Go ahead and have the tough conversations but make sure your time, thoughts and actions are focused on positive outcomes.

    Get that #2020 vision you deserve!

    How do you ensure your energy is invested in the correct places?  Where can you adjust and ensure your energy is spent wisely?

    “It’s a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that won’t go”.

    (Bertrand Russell)

    Please note:  this post was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my mentors who is 80+.  She was able to apply my energy concept to her daily life and move forward in a specific situation where she was spending unnecessary energy.  Life is funny, I’m providing mentorship to my mentors now. 😊  Irie!

    Wormhole for Energy

    (Image by Genty from Pixabay)

  • No time for TIME—fitness experiment

     Time

    (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

    “To make time fly, throw your watch out the window”.

    (Anonymous)

    The start of a new year allows everyone the opportunity to make changes to enhance their daily Walk into the Future.  Probably not the most astute thing I’ve ever written but there’s a method to my madness.

    I was able to expand my running and fitness programs in 2019 by utilizing multiple training methods.  My fitness levels and race times improved monthly in 2019 and I wanted to make sure I made similar gains in 2020.  I’ve mentioned the daily, weekly and fitness tracking lists I currently use.  I can tell you what day I ran, how far and my exact times going back for a few years now.  This process has helped me get faster and mentally tougher but decided to try something new to start 2020.  No worries, I still have lists just wanted to experiment with a new tracking approach for my runs.

    Wanted my 2020 New Orleans Rock n Roll half marathon preparation to have a fresh feel to it.

    Decided to stop recording my training run times to see how much impact it would have on my overall training.  I still ran my normal distances (6 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles, etc.) I had already mapped out but didn’t record how fast I ran them in January or early February prior to heading to New Orleans.

    Surprised how empowering not checking my pace and time during the training runs turned out to be.  The mental freedom this process gave me was refreshing.  I ran hard and hit all my mileage goals but didn’t have a clock always ticking to dictate if it was a quality session or not.  Was able to determine session quality on my own and still got maximum benefits from my running program.

    There were days I was able to run further than I planned because I didn’t have a constant reminder on my wrist showing me how long I had been running.  This process will not remain a permanent part of my running program but will utilize again to add something different to my training to keep it from getting stale.  Believe the benefits of not keeping time will enhance my long weekend runs (12 miles or more).  The constant reminder of how long I’ve been running generates more negative thoughts than the distance of the long runs.  So, ditching the time portion of the long run may create the positive results I seek to improve my endurance levels.  Inside information, I’m close to signing up for my first full marathon! 😊

    This simple change eliminated the concept of time as an obstacle while running.  Most days out I’m always chasing or trying to beat a specific time based on the distance.  Eliminating the time portion of my run provided a better experience for me to log miles during my training.  Got in 110 miles prior to New Orleans without stressing about run times.

    2020 New Orleans Rock N Roll Half Marathon (2/9/20)

    This new process got me across the finish line at the 2020 New Orleans Rock N Roll Half marathon in great physical and mental spirits.  Believe this was my best tactical race so far based on my fresh training approach.  I didn’t have any mental blocks holding me back and hit all the milestones I wanted during the race.  Technically, I finished over 3 minutes faster than my 2019 New Orleans race with this approach and minimal physical aches.  I felt all 13.1 miles of the race but was able to recover a lot quicker than in the past.  Started training again 3 days after completing my race in New Orleans.

    There’s still a place for TIME in my training program but will not let time determine overall success in 2020.  On to my next Rock N Roll venue—Nashville, TN!

    How does time impact your daily activities?  Are there areas the concept of time hampers outcomes?  Curious, thanks!

     “Time is precious…waste it wisely”.

    (Cherrybam.com)

  • Superheroes are all around us—open your mind to see them!

    Superhero 2020

    (Image by John Hain from Pixabay)

    “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me”.

    (Batman)

    My current Walk into the Future provides multiple opportunities for me to discuss life, travel, interests and potential blog topics with tree branches.

    I’m lucky to identify future blog topics from the great people I interact with daily.  I can’t develop every idea into something useful for the Walk into the Future blog, but I try extremely hard to never miss a topic to help others on their walk.  Thank you to everyone who has sent me topic suggestions so far.  Please note, if you haven’t seen your topic then I’m still working on the development process.

    Superheroes

    I published an article back in October 2019 discussing the challenges superheroes face daily:

    This article led to an interesting phone conversation with a tree branch while driving to Orlando for two networking events.  Normal conversation but we detoured onto the subject of superpowers.  Not the Batman versus Superman hype or who would win a fight type conversation but what superpower would I have.  We laughed a bit and I had to put some real thought into what superpower I display.

    There are a lot of things I bring forth daily.  My main mission has evolved to make a difference daily.  Simple enough but I’ve found the best way to accomplish my mission is to find ways to inspire others to reach or exceed their stated goals.

    So, my superpower is inspiration!  You can still call me Calvin when you see me, but I will answer to Inspiration Man!  Nice little ring to it, huh? 😊

    Seriously, I view my ability to help others achieve things in their personal and professional lives as making a difference daily.  The concept of serving others has been with me for a while now.  It started with my many roles in the Air Force (instructor, mentor, leader) and continues to expand with my consulting work as well as former roles in higher education.  I don’t have a fancy Inspiration Man uniform (yet) but take pride in being able to guide others and provide tough love when necessary.

    My current Walk into the Future provides maximum flexibility to work with diverse people with differing needs for inspiration.  I take pride in my ability to listen and then help generate outcomes to assist people I partner with.  This process can be formal or informal, but my goal is to leave folks inspired to go tackle their day.

    My tree branches get daily and weekly check-ins from me to let them know I’m always here for them.  It may not appear to be a lot of inspiration in this process but I’m sure someone smiles when they hear from me—just guessing! 😊  My #1 client is my niece Jayla who will graduate from UCF in May—she gets the full-blown Inspiration Man act daily—even if she doesn’t want it—so lucky!

    Speaking engagements and presentations provide me with additional ways to inspire others.  I make a point to never turn down a meeting or presentation request because Inspiration Man needs an audience.  I see these as opportunities to generate additional tree branches and continue to make a difference in this world.  Just finished speaking in 3 Student Success classes at Tallahassee Community College—received the topic the night before the presentations but I willingly accepted the challenge and opportunity to inspire students to find their why.  Again, I don’t turn down opportunities if I can help it.

    “Be your own hero.”

    (PictureQuotes.com)

    Tree branches

    Recent conversations highlight superpowers for several of my tree branches:

    Positivity Persuasion Writing
    Relentless Analytic Organization Connecting with others
    Activating Destiny Adaptability / Positivity Writing / Editing
    Unstoppable Energy Caring / Empathy Networking

    You can see I’m associated with a team of superheroes with diverse and impactful powers.  They are making a positive difference in the world and I’m excited to watch them change lives daily—well done team!

    Think we need a cool team name—Avengers, Justice League and X-Men are already taken! ☹😊

    So, what’s your superpower? How do you use it to make a difference in this world?  Can you match the superpower to one of my tree branches? 😊

    Thanks for walking with me!

    “The most important thing is to try and INSPIRE people so they can be great in whatever they want to do”.

    (Kobe Bryant)

  • The long journey home

    Moving Forward Feb 2020

    (Image by Bluehouse Skis from Pixabay.com)

    “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home”.

    (Matthew 13:57)

    There’s an area I’ve had trouble making speaking inroads since I’ve been on my Walk into the Future journey—my hometown.

    Never thought my hometown would be the toughest place for me to engage, mentor and help others but it has proven to be a tough place to get invites.  The passage above is my reminder that I’m not the only one to struggle to get a message to people who know me—better folks have struggled with this same dynamic, so I guess I’m keeping great company!  It would have been easy to just give up and focus my energy into more productive environments but that would have been the simple way for me to proceed.

    Perseverance requires additional tactics to reach life and professional goals—so I decided to persevere and keep moving forward on this pursuit.

    Finally got the invite to speak during the MLK 2020 weekend at the MLK Banquet as the Keynote Speaker!  So, I went from seeking an opportunity in my hometown to having the honor of delivering an important message at the premier event of the weekend—no pressure! 😊

    My goal when speaking is always to move the crowd.  People want to be entertained, laugh a bit and take something tangible away from these events.  The theme of the weekend was:  Progression not Regression.

    Struggled a bit conducting research for the event since it was open to everyone in the community.  Different demographics, backgrounds, and denominations so I couldn’t go into the Keynote with a complete understanding of who would attend.  This freaked me out for a bit and then I decided to trust my process for building presentations—one slide at a time.

    Looked at previous presentations and blog articles to see if I already had something to fit the theme of the weekend.  Nothing matched completely but I recently completed a blog article centered around positive energy in daily interactions.  Decided to use positive energy as the progression and negative energy as regression during my speech.

    Dr. King’s 1963 I Have a Dream speech was future focused and still relevant in 2020.  Leveraged this information to continue to build the foundation of my presentation.  Didn’t get deep into Dr. King’s speech but wanted to use it to engage the audience since it was an MLK event.

    Introduced the concept of self-awareness to help audience members get a more personal appreciation of progression and regression.  Didn’t launch a deep dive on self-awareness but wanted the audience to understand how everyone can control progression and/or regression in their lives.  Self-awareness helps eliminate roadblocks, generates an Irie (positive) mindset and thoughts to create positive outcomes.

    Dr. King’s dream is still alive and believe everyone in attendance was able to discover how they can enhance progression in the community.  Really wanted them to walk out of my Keynote and seek ways to make a difference.  I left them with three questions to help seal the theme, Progression Not Regression:

    • What can you do?
    • Who can you serve?
    • What’s stopping you?

    The audience response was tremendous during my entire time with them.  I feed off audience energy and participation—they brought their ‘A’ game and I didn’t want to disappoint since I’ve been trying to get on the hometown stage for years.  Extremely happy for the opportunity and proud of the effort to Keynote this amazing event.

    Full disclosure had several aunts, cousins, childhood friends, teachers and my mom in the audience.  Nothing like your mom watching you work a room! 😊  Things happen for a reason and I enjoyed my time with the group.  Feedback has been great so far so hoping I’m going to receive requests to come back and move the crowd again.

    Side note:  our high school librarian (retired) was in attendance.  I made a point to acknowledge her during my Keynote because she allowed me to spend most of my free time in the library with her during my high school years.  I was in there so much she let me check out books to other students like I was an employee.  This is where I gained a love for books and reading which eventually led to me pursuing a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology years later.  Small things lead to big results!  She said all my aggravation was well worth it, now! 😊

    How do you ensure positive energy (progression) in your daily interactions?  What techniques do you use to combat potential negative energy (regression)?

    How will you celebrate Black History month?  Thanks!

    Thanks to the Hamilton County MLK committee for putting me on!

    “Home is where one starts from”.

    (T.S. Eliot)

    MLK 2020

     (MLK 2020 Keynote, Jasper, FL.)