Walk Into the Future

Tag: Inspiration

  • 2025 Negril, Jamaica (in pictures)

    “Wah gwaan”?

     

    My Walk into the Future ventured back down to Negril, Jamaica for spring break this year.  This is not a huge revelation since I make this trek yearly.  I’ve written about my adventures in Negril to include great food, reggae, snorkeling and enjoying irie vibes.

    This year was a little different since the water was choppy and there were days we were instructed to stay out of the water.  I still found ways to entertain myself and enjoy my time in my adopted hometown. 😊

    So, instead of writing about similar adventures I have each year, I’m sharing my Negril trip with pictures—enjoy! 😊

    Samsara views (Day 1)

    Negril sunsets

    Negril cliffs

    Samsara

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • 2025 Winter Park 10k

    “Every pizza is a personal pizza when you are marathon training”.

    (Unknown)

    My Walk into the Future continues to be centered around being a running tourist.  I love to sign up for races and explore locations and enjoy the sights and sounds of each city. 

    Winter Park, Florida is in my regular running rotation with multiple distances: 5ks and 10ks each year in my running schedule.  The Track Shack headquarters is right down the street and returning to Winter Park for races allows me to visit with my friends at Track Shack and Orlando.  I met the owners on a running trail in Tallahassee, Florida while they were visiting their daughter and grandchildren years ago.  It’s always great to return to check out new merchandise and talk with local runners before the races.

    I ran my first Winter Park 10k back in 2019 and have not missed a race since.  I ran my 10k personal record (PR) of 55:57 (9:00 minutes per mile) back in 2021.  Fun fact—my three fastest 10ks have all been run during the Winter Park 10k.  The course is mostly flat and allows runners to stretch out and go fast.  I think that’s the part I love about this race—I know I will be fast because of the course familiarity and understanding when to push the pace to hit the finish line with a good race time.

    The 2025 Winter Park 10k was the last long race before heading to Nashville for the 2025 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  The Winter Park race provides me with a fitness test to determine how much work I still need to accomplish before NashVegas.

    I made my way over to Track Shack the day before the race to pick up my race packet and get settled in my hotel.  I am a creature of habit so try to hit Track Shack before the large crowd arrives.  I like to get some shopping done while I’m in the store and it is better before the crowd arrives. 😊 They didn’t have any new gear in my size, so I just walked around a bit and then headed out to carb load.

    I made my way to the UCF Buffalo Wild Wings to get my fill of wings, potato wedges and beers.  I didn’t need to go overboard with the carbs since this was a 10k—still needed carbs but decided to forego the pasta and use the potato wedges and beer to carb up a bit.

    Headed across the street to my favorite hotel in Oviedo to get off my feet and get prepared for a big race day.  My bedtime comes early when I have a race coming up and I need extra rest to feel fresh—mission accomplished.

    I headed over to Park Avenue in Winter Park with plenty of time to warm up and stretch before the race.  The race village was teeming with runners when I arrived, so I found a spot to stretch without getting run over by folks trying to get to the 2-mile race start line.  I’ve never completed the double race (2-miler and 10k) but a lot of folks like the challenge so they can double up on race medals. 

    I toed the 10k line feeling fresh and wanted to run a good time.  The weather was warmer than last year but there was no humidity in the air.  This normally means a fast time for me regardless of the distance.  Let’s fast forward a bit and I was off my 10k PR by a little over 2 minutes.  This was my fastest 10k since 2021 and I felt good from start to finish.  I was able to cross the finish line with a smile and passed quite a few runners at the end.  I normally zone out the finish line crowds but decided to enjoy hearing total strangers cheer for me.  It was a great day to race!

    I made my way back into the race village to take some pictures and get my ice-cold beer.  Track Shack partners with local nurseries and everyone got a nice plant to take home as a prize.  I collected my potted plant and made my way back to my vehicle.  I dropped off some of my running gear and headed to Croissant Gourmet Bakery for breakfast.  I’ve been to this spot before and decided to treat myself to a great breakfast and do some people watching before heading back to Oviedo.  I highly recommend this spot if you are ever on Park Avenue.

    https://www.croissantgourmet.com/

    Spring break for Indian River State College starts tomorrow and I’m heading back down to Negril, Jamaica for rum, sun and reggae! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “You know you are a runner when you plan vacations around races”.

    (Unknown)

  • Samsara!

    “Home away from home in Jamaica”.

    (#IslandGetaway)

    Once you go, you know!

    That was the old tag line to promote Jamaica as a tourist destination.  I never got the tag line when I was young but fully get it now.  Jamaica is an island getaway destination full of energy and adventure.  Yes, that last sentence sounds like a Jamaica travel endorsement.  Hopefully, I can get to work soon as a travel blogger.  Fingers crossed! 😊

    I started coming down to Jamaica back in 2005 to explore and experience the culture.  I was hooked on that first trip and have only missed a few years since.  My goal is to make it down yearly to enjoy my second home—yes, I adopted Jamaica.

    I picked Negril back in 2005 because I wanted to try something different.  Most folks that come down hit the major tourist spots (Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, etc.) but I never heard anyone mention Negril.  I wanted to give it a run because it is smaller and less tourist type activities.  It’s a fishing village and has a slower way of life than the better-known areas.

    Truth be told, I got lucky when I picked Samsara as my resort.  It was listed as a 3-star resort, but I loved the pictures of the resort and how close it was to other things in Negril.  Centrally located on the cliffs and I can walk to other points of interest with no problems.  The cliffs provide another level of adventure for cliff divers, snorkeling and scuba spots. All this can be done without leaving the property. 

    The chefs at Samsara are just as amazing as the views.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner have a unique Jamaican flavor and allows visitors to explore multiple food options.  I used to get the all-inclusive package but now I like to hit other locations for food when I’m in Negril.  I still eat breakfast and other meals at Samsara but love the freedom to explore and hit other food spots:

    • 3 Dives / Jerk chicken
    • Push Cart / Ox tails
    • Rock House / Grilled snapper with callaloo
    • Xtabi / Pan fried snapper
    • Chances / Best pizza in the world 😊
    • Samsara / Breakfast buffet with blue mountain coffee

    Samsara continues to provide a level of comfort and enjoyment.  Most of the staff have been there since I’ve been coming to Jamaica.  They remember me like I never left and this makes me smile.

    I recommend Samsara if you’re looking for an Irie feel for your vacation.  No big production or resort type feel.  I love this location because it allows me to explore as a Jamaican instead of being stuck in a large resort with tourists.

    Give Samsara a run if you’re looking for a Jamaican getaway.  Tell them that Williams sent you! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Chasing sunsets in Jamaica”.

    (#SunsetLovers)

  • WPBF Interview

    “You’re not famous until your mother has heard of you”.

    (Jay Leno)

    Love this quote from Jay Leno and it fits my life quite a bit. 😊

    My mom is the only person who introduces me as Dr. Williams.  She gets a lot of joy introducing me that way and I think it’s a cool dynamic.  She does not think of or view me as famous, but she has heard of me and the work I’m doing on my Walk into the Future.

    I was asked to come down to WPBF in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss some of the work we do with our military and veteran populations.  We have a large number of enrolled students with military affiliation and conduct a lot of outreach in the community.  This outreach caught the attention of the WPBF news director, and they requested we come down and do a live TV spot to promote the event.

    I was a regular on the local news scene when I worked in the Florida State University’s Career Center.  This was my first opportunity to get back on the air at my current institution.

    You can view the interview here:  https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-indian-river-state-college-supporting-local-veterans-hobbies-helping-hands/64185475

    I’m not sure I’m famous now but it was a fun experience.  Hope you enjoyed the interview.

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it”.

    (Henry David Thoreau)

  • Five Minute Thursday: Favorite TV Show

    “I can’t be with someone like me.  I hate myself”

    (Jerry Seinfeld)

    We are back for another run at the Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt. I’m always looking for new ways to share content with readers of my blog and this writing prompt allows me to explore and take a few chances.

    It may come as a surprise but I’m still a huge Seinfeld fan.  I started watching the original series and continue to watch reruns like I have never seen before.

    This Five-Minute Thursday prompt is: My Favorite TV Show.

    Seinfeld is still my show!  Jerry identified it as a show about nothing but there is a ton of substance to the show and the way they developed the characters.  The main characters Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer were must see TV when the show was still in active rotation.  It remains a great show in rerun format, and I still stop to watch full episodes.

    The show covered daily activities but provided a clever and funny angle to each of these activities.  A lot of content was centered around Jerry and took place in his NYC apartment.  The other characters would flock to Jerry to share daily interactions and wait for Jerry to provide commentary.  Jerry’s take was always shallow and brought a new level of fun to whatever his friends complained about.  Each character had unique hangups and this was enjoyable to watch during each episode.

    A few of my favorite episodes are:

    • Yada, yada, yada
    • Shrinkage
    • The Close Talker
    • Not that there’s anything wrong with that
    • The Soup Nazi
    • Sponge worthy

    I’m not sure if you can YouTube Seinfeld episodes by these titles but they will make you laugh if you can find them. There’s a ton of Seinfeld episodes available on TV daily and I’m sure you can watch them like it’s the 1990’s all over again.  This classic comedy never gets old to me, and I watch episodes like they are brand new to me. 

    My one issue with the Seinfeld series is how it ended.  The last episode was one of the most watched shows of all time.  My problem with the ending is it wasn’t funny!  I thought they spent more time rehashing previous encounters and forget to leverage the last episode to complete a comedy masterpiece.  It left me wondering WHY and wanting more from such a successful run.  Oh well, this doesn’t stop me from watching the Seinfeld reruns daily when I get home from work.

    What’s your favorite TV show and why?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Serinity now”.

    (Frank Costanza)

  • Back to the Future

    (Image by Tumisu from Pixabay)

    “Opportunities don’t happen; you create them”.

    (Chris Grosser)

    What did you want to be growing up?

    This was an icebreaker question in a recent meeting we had at work.

    It seemed like a simple question, but it made me pause for a second.  Why do you ask?  Great question as always Maria! 😊

    Well, I had my mind set on being a forest ranger when I entered high school.  I didn’t know anyone who was a ranger, but I always saw them around growing up in rural northern Florida.  My hometown is Jasper, Florida which is right on the Florida / Georgia line.  It’s known for farming and fishing, so I spent a lot of time outdoors and wandering in the woods.

    I thought being a ranger would allow me to enjoy this aspect of growing up and help make a difference in the world.  I researched everything about becoming a ranger and joined 4H to develop additional skills.  I thought being in the woods and protecting the environment was going to be my career.

    Well, that all changed when I took a TV Productions class in my senior year. We got a chance to host live TV segments that aired in our school.  I never thought I would enjoy that aspect of the class but found a new joy going to school.  We got a chance to produce segments and conduct interviews with different topics ranging from sports, education and life after high school.

    I changed my mind about becoming a forest ranger due to our TV Productions course.  I started watching nightly news shows looking for pointers I could leverage in our class.  Journalism was going to be my new career, and I was excited about this.   I put a lot of extra effort into this course and a few of us were requested to video football and basketball games and provide the tape to coaches. This was an exciting time and showed another aspect to the course.  I was hooked!  Journalism was my thing.

    Fast forward a bit and I received a partial Journalism scholarship to Lake City Community College.  Turns out school was not my thing at that point in my life.  I flunked out of community college and joined the Air Force.  I had an outstanding Air Force career but never forgot about journalism.

    I started the Walk into the Future blog to share adventures and stories.  It’s not a traditional journalism role but I have people around the world reading my blog and sharing experiences with me.

    I’m not writing for a large newspaper or covering stories from New York as a photojournalist, but I am chronicling adventures and stories to share with folks around the world.  This may have been an unconventional route to get where I wanted to be back in high school but I’m here pounding out articles weekly.

    Hooray for that TV Productions class back in Jasper, Florida!  It opened opportunities and doors for me in life.  Well done, Mrs. Klepper!

    What did YOU want to be when you grew up?  Let’s make it happen.

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”.

    (Confucius)

  • Make Every Second Count

    (Photo by Jordan Benton)

    “You may delay, but time will not”.

    (Benjamin Franklin)

    The Walk into the Future blog continues to look for new topics to develop.  Most of the content comes directly from my travels, life adventures and items of interest.  I have reached out to tree branches for thoughts on new blog content and then try to develop their concepts into something I can share with my readers. 

    I had an outstanding conversation with Melissa Forges on my drive over for the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon.  We got a chance to catch up on life and have a few laughs in the process.  Melissa shared three topics of interest and gifted them to me to see if I could develop them into a blog article. Well, here’s my run at her first topic: Make Every Second Count.

    We all understand the concept of time and how our days on earth are numbered.  There’s a finite amount of time we get to live this life, and this is our way to inspire YOU to live more.

    I decided to do a little research to put your time in perspective.  What does time look like?

    • 12 months in a year
    • 365 days in that same year
    • 7 days a week
    • 1,440 minutes in a day
    • 86,400 seconds in a day

    The first three time markers are the most common and talked about in our daily interactions.  Days turn into weeks, months and then years at a faster pace as we get older.  This may be a perception thing, but it feels real to me.  I left home to join the Air Force in 1986 and just celebrated 39 years on this life journey post Jasper, Florida.  We hear time flies, and it seems to become a reality as I get older in this life.

    Let’s dive into the minutes and seconds we each have in a day.  How many of the 1,440 minutes in a day are you doing something to make the world a better place?  What about the 86,400 seconds in a day? 

    I take my role as a tree (mentor) seriously and look to enhance my interactions with my tree branches daily.  I’m not sure I maximize every second of every day, but I put a sincere effort into this process daily.  It’s easy to say I will get something done tomorrow but I don’t want to waste time or effort and ignore today.  Yes, it’s easy for me to write this from the comfort of my keyboard but I will begin to leverage the time concept into my writing as well.  I have new responsibilities at work and there are days when I don’t sit down to work on my writing craft.  I assume I have time to develop topics into blog articles but need to leverage every second available to ensure I have a large library of blog articles to select from.  I normally have seven to eight articles drafted before I publish weekly.  Maximizing every minute and second in the day will get me back to a place where I have a large library to select from again. 

    Making every second count can be leveraged in all aspects of life.  I plan to use this mindset when I start my full marathon training program in June.  The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon is scheduled for October of this year, but I must use my training time smartly.  Lauren, how will you make every second count before we toe the line in Atlantic City? 😊

    How can blog readers who are parents maximize your time with your kids?  Yes, they have busy lives but are you making every second count with them?  Just a question Melissa but remember, this was your topic! LOL

    Have you booked the vacation you have been talking about for the past few years?  Again, time stops for no one—are you making every second count?

    I can add more scenarios but believe you get my point on time. 😊

    One final point.  My grandmother passed away in 2012 and the pastor that delivered her eulogy used the concept of time to inspire the family to live life.  He gave us the 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds per day to highlight how my grandmother lived life to the fullest.  His exact words were: She Lived!  He challenged the family to follow in her footsteps and live life.

    I’m still a work in progress but I maximize my time daily.

    So, I challenge my Walk into the Future blog readers to make every second count!

    Melissa, how did I do on your first topic? 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Time moves slowly but passes quickly”.

    (Alice Walker)

  • 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon

    “When your legs get tired, run with your heart”.

    (Unknown)

    The Walk into the Future blog made a return trip to Celebration, Florida to give the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon a run.  This race has become one of my favorite races on my calendar.  I love the town of Celebration, and the people there put on a great race and after party.  Yes, I call it an after party because the entire town comes out to celebrate (pun intended) with race participants. 😊

    I doubled up on my races in January with the Vero Beach half marathon on the weekend prior to the Town of Celebration race.  The weather is milder in January, and I don’t have to worry about heat and humidity early in the race year. The Vero Beach half marathon has two bridge crossings within the first 5 miles of the race, and this can hamper runners for the rest of the race.  This will be my last year running the Vero race.  I want to explore additional race options in January and may give the 2026 Houston Marathon a run next year instead of the local race.

    The Town of Celebration racecourse is completely flat, and I love this aspect. This is a great component of the race regardless of the temperature.  We had cool weather this year and I had to decide if I was running with layers on or go with my traditional running tank top.  It was 47 degrees at the start of the race, so I decided to dress warmly with multiple layers.  This was a great choice since the temperatures never got much higher than 51 degrees.  Great for running but not for standing around waiting to start the race.

    I lined up at the start line with the intent to leverage the cool weather and improve my time from last year.  My goal was to hit the 2:08 mark for the half marathon with the cool weather and wanted to see how fast I could go.  My fastest time for this race was 2:09:16 back in 2023 and I wanted to see if I could go this fast again.  Well, the short answer for this year is no. I ran 2:14:27 which was a full four minutes faster than my 2024 time.  I’m always happy to go faster in a race than the previous time out and I will take the results from this year.  I struggled a bit in the middle of the race with my legs and had to stretch them out around the 8-mile marker.  This helped me continue to push forward and I got a bit faster in the final 3 miles of the race.  I’m happy with my final kick and completed mile 13 at 10:08 and a huge smile on my face.  The crowd at the finish line was very inspiring and helped me enjoy the final stages of the race.  I grabbed my race medal and took a few finish line photos to document my time in Celebration, Florida.

    The after party was relocated closer to the finish line this year and I headed over to take my eating and drinking tour of the town.  The race participants receive a food card that highlights each of the restaurants present for the event.  You take your food card to each vendor, and they provide a food sample from their restaurant and mark your food card to signify you have been served.  My first stop was at the Michelob Ultra table to get my two beers to get things started.  I ventured to the Mimosa table next to get a sample before hitting the food tables.  Fast forward and I made my way to every table available this year.  The samples were a bit smaller than last year, but the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was outstanding.  I hung around the after party a bit longer this year to soak up the atmosphere and chat with Orlando runners.  I’m thinking I will spend an additional night in Celebration next year so I can just chill after the race and socialize a bit longer.

    My next big race is the 2025 Nashville Half Marathon in April.  I am looking forward to getting back to Nashville and enjoying great live music.  Who’s going to join me in Nash Vegas?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race”.

    (Spectator sign)

  • Authentic Leadership (IRSC series)

    “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”.

    (Warren Bennis)

    The Walk into the Future blog has a consistent focus on Authentic Leadership and the impact in the workplace.  My leadership consulting work is founded on Authentic Leadership principles and drives my daily interactions in the workplace.  My Walk into the Future readers should know I love a good quote by now.  Ok, here’s another one!

    “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives, and in his own land” (Mark 6:4).

    I have leveraged Authentic Leadership with my consulting organizations to help them develop their staff and engage them to seek positive work outcomes.  I continue to seek out additional consulting opportunities with local government agencies and will work with the Seminole Tribe of Florida again in early May.  Fun fact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida was my first Authentic Leadership client back in 2018.  I maintain an active vendor credential with the Tribe, but COVID-19 stopped our training momentum.  That changes in May! 😊

    So, why is the prophet quote above?  Great question, Lynn!

    I work with multiple organizations to help THEM improve the work environment, but I never introduced my Authentic Leadership program to my current organization, Indian River State College.

    Leadership training is normally a product of the Human Resources (HR) department at most educational institutions.  The University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida State University (FSU) have robust leadership programs within the Organizational Development unit under HR.  I experienced firsthand how these consistent leadership programs enhanced the overall operational effectiveness on both campuses. 

    Fast forward and I decided to introduce my Authentic Leadership training program on my current campus.  I’m not saying I’m taking over the training program for my organization, but I have training materials that can and will help the organization grow. 

    I decided to schedule an Authentic Leadership series and invite campus partners and my staff to attend.  This was not an official consulting role (not paid) but I wanted to start making a difference in ‘my own land’.  No one called on me to do this, but I saw a need and had a platform to move us forward.

    The following workshops were scheduled with in-person and virtual options:

    • Authentic Leadership (2 times)
    • The Self-Aware Leader (2 times)
    • Empowered Leadership (1 time)

    I didn’t know how these workshops would be received in ‘my land’ but I was pleasantly surprised by the attendance and the level of participation.  There were several attendees who attended ALL the workshops even though I repeated two of the workshops—same material but the folks wanted to get more in-depth with the content.

    The biggest take away for me was the amount of interest and excitement for the attendees to create their personal WHY statement as part of their homework from the Empowered Leadership workshop.  The WHY statements were well conceived and addressed areas each attendee wanted to improve in their daily lives.  I felt like a proud papa reading the statements and saw my volunteer work making a difference in my work environment.  Not a surprising outcome considering I do this for outside organizations on a regular basis.

    Looks like you can be a prophet in your own land after all! 😊

    What areas can you impact in your own land?  Thanks!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership”.

    (James Humes)

  • 2025 Goals

    “A goal is a dream with a deadline”.

    (Napoleon Hill)

    The Walk into the Future blog leverages goal setting to keep moving forward in this world. 

    I make a point to set my yearly goals in early January every year.  These are not random New Year’s resolutions but actual goals that help determine my path daily.  This process has been in place for over twenty years, and I don’t see myself stopping this anytime soon.

    I categorize my goals into areas of my life that I want to focus on.  My exercise program is hugely important to me and gets a lot of attention when I sit down to write out my goals.  I look to create measurable goals, and this area allows me to track my progress daily.  I haven’t written about my gym workouts, but my goal is to lift weights three times per week.  I found success by running four times per week, so this goal carries over from 2024.  (Goal = lift 3 days a week and run 4 days a week).

    Travel is a major part of my Walk into the Future, and I wanted to set a goal that would allow me to travel to places I have never been.  Yes, I’m still heading down to Negril, Jamaica for spring break—this is an automatic trip for me yearly.  I have been to 38 states so far and want to hit all 50 states soon.  My travel goal for this year is to travel to the Dakotas, West Virginia, Arkansas and Wisconsin.  I’m looking at upcoming races in each of these states and will become a running tourist to ensure I make it to these states.  Nebraska, Indiana, Wyoming, Montana, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont will be all that’s left.  Contemplating another New England trip to knock out those remaining states.  I just signed up for the 2025 Fargo Half Marathon on 5/31/2025 so I will be able to visit both Dakotas on this running tourist adventure.

    My reading program is something that I’m proud of.  I strive to continue to be a lifelong learner and love reading books.  I still like the feel of a book in my hand, so I order most of my books from Amazon.  My reading goal is to read 2 books a month and I’m off to a great start so far.  I focus on leadership books and share them with my friend, John Crowe.  He’s my official book club member. 😊

    I am actively looking for new consulting and speaking roles in 2025.  I have not added any new clients in the past 6 months, and I want to get back to my leadership consulting this year.  The Seminole Tribe of Florida reached out before Christmas so I may have a few sessions with them coming up before summer.  I will leverage local government contacts to extend my Authentic Leadership reach on the Treasure Coast.  I have started reaching out to other colleges and universities to gauge their interest in leadership training for faculty and staff.

    My last goal is to continue to serve as a People Builder.  This includes daily affirmations to my tree branches to help them move forward in their daily activities.  A simple text to say hello may be all that’s needed to ensure it’s a great day for one of my tree branches.  It makes me feel good knowing they like hearing from me. 😊

    Well, my 2025 goals are set and I’m making great progress so far.  Let’s see what the rest of 2025 brings us.

    What goals did you set this year?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Believe you can and you’re halfway there”.

    (Theodore Roosevelt)