Walk Into the Future

Tag: Inspiration

  • Irie vibes–control the controllable

    Control

    (Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)

    “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them”.

    (Maya Angelou)

    Control the controllable is one of my favorite sayings.  Do not remember where I heard it first, but it has been a way of thinking for many years.  Try to leverage this saying when things appear difficult and I need to remind myself to trust the process.

    I shared the saying in a LinkedIn post back in April and was pleasantly surprised with the number of views (900+), reactions (20+) and comments the post garnered.  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we view normal and it can be easy to get overwhelmed with everything happening around us.

    Dictionary.com defines control as the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events.

    Control the controllable can serve as a positive mantra to help tackle difficult times and situations.

    Take care of yourself

    Taking care of yourself can be done in many ways.  For some this may mean ensuring you make time to exercise.  For others this can be done by eating a healthier diet.  This combination is a critical aspect of controlling how you function daily.  A key component some of us may have forgotten until now is the mental and emotional elements in your life.  COVID-19 has made us view life differently and reveals the importance of mental health.  The ability to seek and find clarity should be at the forefront of taking care of yourself.

    Take care of others

    Who are YOUR tree branches?  Make sure you reach out to them to help them navigate this new way of life.  Most people will tell you they are doing okay but keep checking on them.  They will appreciate the effort and it helps you keep your tree growing.  You can also reach out to people who are not tree branches; make someone’s day and become a mentor to help move them forward and provide some guidance.

    Continue to practice physical distancing

    The government and news agencies penned the term social distancing.  Believe this connotation has been a problem from day 1.  Most people had never heard of this term prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and it may have confused some.  I like the term physical distancing because it says right in the title to stay away from others.  We have got enamored with social media and everything that comes with it—think a lot of people could not understand what was really being asked of them when told to practice social distancing.  Regardless how you address the term, physical distancing is something we have some level of control.

    Create personal outlets

    Look for personal and creative outlets to leverage the things you can control.  The Walk into the Future blog has become a major way for me to express a creative side I really did not know existed.  I get excited researching topics and then challenging myself to create an article someone else may want to read.  Have no idea if anyone is really reading this stuff but I keep plugging away because it is something I control.

    Running and weightlifting are other outlets I utilized to control the controllable for myself.  Journaling outside of my work on the Walk into the Future blog has a calming effect for me.  Most times when writing in my journal I can generate work and life ideas to implement later.  Handwriting content in the journal also makes me slow done a bit and really think through what I want to write down.  Always recommend journaling to anyone who will listen to me because it is an excellent outlet to express thoughts—try it! 😊

    Reggae and the beach are other outlets I have available to me daily.

    Open your eyes and your mind to see your outlets!

    “The control center of your life is your attitude”.

    (Anonymous)

    Live, love and laugh

    Life can be a compilation of good and bad. Let’s focus on the good and leverage the positive energy this mindset brings.  Live daily, love often and laugh always!  (I just made that up). 😊

    What daily things are within your control?  How do you maintain this control? Thanks!

    “The moment you give up, is the moment you let someone else win.”

    (Kobe Bryant)

     

  • Poetic Fridays

    Poetry

    (Image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay)

     Decided to share a few verses from my poetry collection!  Yes, I write poetry! 😊

    The Poetry of Life

     The poetry of life moves me forward

    Towards the things that bring

    The happiness I need

    To fulfill these huge dreams that I dream

    Reaching out to help the next man

    Create and work towards a plan

    That makes the world a better place

    And one that stands to improve your stake in the race

    Let the poetry of life flow

    And discover the glow

    Of the poetic peace of living the life designed for you

    The Joint

    The poet knows

    The time and place to let the words flow

    To get the point across

    To those who read the words composed

    Waxing a poetic and majestic flow

    Is the goal the wordsmith is looking for

    How we get there is not the important point

    Putting the words together

    That makes you think, smile and act

    Now, that’s the joint!

  • The true anniversary date

    anniversary image

    (Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay) 

    “A year from now, you will wish you had started today”.

    (Karen Lamb)

    Dictionary.com defines an anniversary as the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event and the celebration or commemoration of such a date.

    The first Walk into the Future article was posted on this site on 6/18/2018.  The true anniversary date for me is 4/14/2018—let me explain why I say this.

    I sat on the beach at St. George Island (SGI) on 4/14/2018 with the idea of deciding which direction I wanted to pursue moving forward.  The Walk into the Future concept was not on my radar but needed the beach atmosphere to help with a huge decision.

    So, I sat on the beach on this prophetic day with my beach towel, cooler of beer, reggae, pen, and paper to figure this thing called life out (Prince reference).

    I have used the concept of a pros/cons list in the past to help with major decisions and my goal on this day was to identify pro/con items to inform the decision I needed to make.  Dr. Henry Cloud identifies successful people do not hang on to bad stuff for long in his book 9 Things you Simply Must do in Love and Life.  The only way to label something as bad is to take a true look at it without emotion, hence the pros/cons list for me.

    I finally admitted I spent too much time determining if I should stay in my old role.  The interactions I had with students, employers, faculty, staff, and community members still appealed to me but there was always something daily to eliminate my joy.  Turns out it was too much negative workplace energy.  This is not a complaint just a stated fact from my perspective—negative energy can and will wear you down over time.

    Fast forward to the list and the decision was obvious!  There were  5 pros and 15 cons.  I tried to manufacture some additional pros just to see if I could even this process out a bit, but this was the final tally.  The 15 cons were present EVERY day and only 3 pros were daily items.  I was amused when I saw the disparity of my two lists.  I subconsciously knew this to be true but never wrote it out to examine more in-depth.  Sadly, none of the cons listed were fixable—not one.

    I laughed when I was able to view the list for the insight in front of me.  So, on 4/14/2018 the Walk into the Future journey began after I made the decision it was time to move on from what I was doing.  The work and making a difference daily were not the problem it was the negative energy—the opposite of the Irie mindset I seek in life.  Dr. Cloud has another principle he calls Pull the Tooth.  I decided to pull the tooth and Walk into the Future after I finished my beer and listened to a few more Bob Marley songs.

    I decided to write this post after looking in my journal and coming across the page with my pros/cons list.  Just happened to be 2 years to the date I wrote the items and wanted to share with my readers I just had an anniversary.

    So, happy anniversary to the Walk into the Future blog. Here is to a few more years of writing, sharing adventures and making a difference in the world.  Thanks for walking with me!

    What tooth do YOU need to pull?  How could the pros/cons list help with your decision?

     

    “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”.

    (Walt Disney)

  • Zoom into the Future

    zoom

    (Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay)

    “When in doubt, zoom out”.

    (Reggie Watts)

    I like starting Walk into the Future articles with a quote to inspire my thought process and get me going.  Well, the quote above is the best I could find with zoom in it but has nothing really to do with this article.  Forgive me but thought it was funny and had the appropriate word (zoom) I needed to move forward.

    The last several months have been productive, exciting, and frustrating (COVID-19) but progress has been made daily.  The Zoom application has become a popular way for the workforce to keep making positive things happen considering the COVID-19 pandemic.  More people are using this platform to ensure daily operations and tasks are completed in this new way to go to work.

    Zoom interview

    My first foray using the Zoom application came back in February when I was introduced to it for a first-round interview.  I have used Skype to interview for past positions and to interview candidates for openings on my team.  Did not know much about Zoom but found the process a lot more seamless than the Skype application.  Simply receive an email with a link, click on the link at the appropriate time and you are meeting with the folks on the distant end.  Zoom provides the capability to host multiple people in multiple locations so this appears to make getting a team together to interview candidates a bit easier than Skype.  I am sure there are still uses for the Skype platform but thought Zoom took pressure off me as the candidates since I did not have to test my computer/software as in the past.

    Zoom team meeting

    Leveraged my newfound appreciation for Zoom by hosting my first team meeting with my new team at Indian River State College prior to starting work.  Again, COVID-19 has most organizations working remotely to avoid large meetings and practicing physical distancing.  I wanted to get a head start on teambuilding prior to moving to Fort Pierce and Zoom was the perfect application.  We were able to host 10 people in 5 different locations (physical distancing) and build a team foundation to help us find ways to ensure students, faculty/staff and employers continue to receive world class customer service.  I have talked with tree branches who are using Zoom but found it to be an even better platform than described.

    Zoom work process (onboarding, team meetings, teambuilding)

    Realize there are several who will read this article who have been using Zoom for a while.  I am just getting my feet wet and see so many useful ways to use this platform even after we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Staff on satellite campuses can continue to participate in meetings, workshops, and teambuilding activities without having to drive to the main campus.  There will be times when they need/want to be present, but Zoom can save time and driving to and from the main campus.  Also, see the benefits of conducting one-on-one sessions with distant students, employers, and staff.  Just getting my thoughts together but I am sure I will leverage Zoom to find ways to ensure our students have the best employment opportunities available.  Zoom appears to be setting the pace for a new world order!  Stay tuned as I will continue to share how I am zooming into the future. 😊

     How does your organization use the Zoom platform?  Do you have tricks of the trade you can share?  Thanks!

    NOTE:  Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Blackboard Collaborate are three platforms I am actively using at work.  The three platforms are easy to navigate and provides similar functionality.

  • Running tourist—the Treasure Coast edition

    “Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out what you put into it”.

    (Oprah Winfrey)

    Shared my running tourist Tallahassee adventures in an earlier post.

    Decided to tackle the subject from my new home, Fort Pierce, Florida earlier than I did from Tallahassee.  The Tallahassee post was written when I knew I was leaving the city and realized I never took the time to write about things available there.

    Wanted to get an early jump on writing about the Treasure Coast.  I am sure I will come back to this topic and provide an updated view when the COVID-19 pandemic is gone.  Most things in this area are still closed or I am not confident enough to visit yet.  There are a ton of fresh seafood markets and restaurants in the local area but do not see me going in for a meal right now even with proper physical distancing.

    A good spot for takeout is 12A Buoy:  http://12abuoy.com/.  Do not know where the name came from, but they have good shrimp!

    Running routes

    My first two attempts to find a place to run in Fort Pierce did not go well.  I got my runs in but did not enjoy them very much.  There are not many multipurpose trails here so got out for a sidewalk run to stretch my legs.  Turns out the sidewalk I was on ended after about a quarter mile and I was relegated to running on the side of the road.  Not a huge fan of this process but did discover a nice hill and made the most of it to maintain endurance.  Never went back to this route since it had me too close to traffic.

    My second attempt at finding a place to run was at my complex.  We have a large circular route (.59 miles) and I thought maybe this would get me going.  Never been thrilled going in circles but gave it a shot. My initial goal was 5 miles total, but I only got in 3.5 miles before boredom tapped me on the shoulders and I stopped.  Not a huge fan of seeing the same things when I run, and this route did not have the feel of being on an adventure—which I need for distance training.

    Decided to use Google to find better spots to run.  Google identified the George LeStrange Preserve as a place with trails and it was only a 10-minute drive away.  Decided to scout the preserve and it provides multiple options with the best route going around the lake.  Again, this was a circular route but longer and there’s wildlife, shade, the lake, and people to see while in the preserve.   Enjoyed this location so much I make sure to get over there for one of my weekly runs.  Completed my Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon dedication run there in April to get 13.2 miles in since the actual race was postponed.  Posted a decent time considering I had no on-course support, crowds cheering or beer at the finish line.

     

    A work colleague provided his favorite running spot which goes over the large, picturesque Sea Way Drive bridge and leads to Jetty Park.  I initially viewed this route as an extremely tough run since the bridge is so big, but it appears my hill training in Tallahassee prepared me well to get up and over the bridge.  Enjoy this route because there is so much to see while running and there is always a nice breeze coming off the water to help minimize the heat.  I have leveraged this route multiple times for my Tuesday and Thursday runs—leave work and head east to get my 6-mile run in.  Used an over and back approach recently to get in a double digit run—nice views each time on the bridge. 😊

     

    Beaches

    The beaches in the local area opened again the last week in April.  The county mandate was people could be on the beach just for exercise.  This lasted for 4 days before the governor lifted the stay at home order and the beaches opened fully with a mandate for people to maintain physical distancing.  I have gone by the beaches to get a look and feel for them but will explore fully when it is safe to be out again.  I have visited Jetty Park multiple times and sat in my vehicle to enjoy the views of the water.  It is a good place to watch people and the boats floating by.

     Beach

    The Treasure Coast is comprised of Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach and Stuart, FL.  These cities are all modest size but when viewed together comprise a large area.  My goal is to fully explore them all and then come back and write about the unique features of each.  Stay tuned for Part 2!

    What areas are you looking forward to exploring when it is safe again?  Thanks!

    “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore”.

    (Andre Gide)

    FYI—the beaches are closing again for the 4th of July holiday weekend!  COVID-19 is not going away.

  • Congrats to the Class of 2020—Go Jayla!

    Grad 2020

    (Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay)

    “Follow your fear”.

    (Tina Fey)

    We are halfway through 2020 and the ebb and flows of the year have been tremendous.  Most people I know came into 2020 with major goals, plans, and the right mindset to make positive things happen.  We continue to move forward but the COVID-19 pandemic has adjusted how we Walk into the Future daily.

    Looking forward to getting back to things that resemble normal life but do not know if/when that will be possible.  The term new normal is being thrown around and means we must redefine what is considered normal in the future.

    One thing that does not require a new normal is how proud I am of my niece, Jayla Williams!  We have been on a special journey for the past 24 years and I am excited to see her next money moves in the future.

    The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped a large portion of planned activities for everyone but one area we had to put on hold was celebrating Jayla’s graduation from the University of Central Florida.  Family and friends have reached out to congratulate her for this phenomenal feat, but we have not been able to gather the crew and throw the blowout party this accomplishment deserves.  No worries Jayla, we will get it in when safe! 😊

    My joy for Jayla’s graduation is because we first talked about going to college when she was 5 years old.  Some may think this is a bit young, but my goal was to create a mindset where we knew the direction of the journey.  Please note, all the work, time and effort were put in by Jayla and it was a joy for me to watch her tick off objectives towards this goal.  My role simply was support, reinforcement, someone to bounce ideas off, and a silly uncle joke when needed.

    It is amazing to look back on this journey and see the adult she has become.  I am sure this progression is nothing new for parents to view but for the cool uncle this has been an awesome ride!

    The University of Central Florida conducted virtual graduation ceremonies for each college.  The College of Business hosted the largest number of graduates which ensured we would be glued to our computers until they got to the great Williams last name. Did not realize how excited I would be sitting on my laptop waiting to officially hear Jayla Williams being declared an Integrated Business graduate from the University of Central Florida College of Business.  Luckily, I had the foresight to get my phone ready for the quick photo opportunity provided while hearing Jayla’s name.  This put a huge smile on my face, and I texted the photo to family so they could share in my joy!

    Looking forward to when we can get back together to throw the big blowout party she was expecting and deserves.  That day is coming, and we will celebrate the 24 years and counting for the journey we are on.  Cannot wait to see what the future holds for my class of 2020 graduate—big things I am sure!

    Congratulations and Go Jayla! 😊

    Uncle Calvin

     “Fall forward.  Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.  You have got to take risks”.

    (Denzel Washington)

     

  • 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