Standards – Walk Into the Future

Walking into the Future with no backup plan

Make Things Happen

“There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A”.

(Will Smith)

I routinely listen to the Fox Sports 1 (FS1) daily show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd to get caught up on sports commentary and for a few laughs. Dude can be hilarious with some of his takes on sporting events, teams, and individual players. Some people do not like him because he has a dry sense of humor, but he does a good job researching topics before introducing them on his show.

He recently started discussing the concept of successful people not having a plan B which routinely led them to success. He leverages examples of athletes, business people, and sports personalities who took a risk on themselves without having an escape clause (plan B). He asks in his high pitch voice: you think Bill Gates had a plan B? What about Steve Jobs? You think I (Colin Cowherd) had a plan B before I picked up and moved from New York to Los Angeles? No, no and no!

His point being is creating a plan B allows for less than max efforts towards plan A. Never thought of this process in a similar way but believe my Walk into the Future mirrors his words in several ways.

One of my overarching goals on this walk was to never compromise my principles when it comes to work. There were times I could have gone to a plan B and took another role that did not fit where I wanted to be, but I created the Walk into the Future mindset for a reason. Some people could not understand why I would not rush back into the traditional world of work but had to stick to the plan–find things so I could make a difference in life daily.

I kept my focus on areas where I knew I could thrive, make a difference, and enjoy the process daily. Discovered additional talents I had because of the focus on plan A only. Research, writing blog articles, mentoring, and conducting speaking engagements served as my professional development incubator over the past two years.

While some people thought I was hanging out I was working on my craft to find additional ways to make a difference. No limitations were present because I was free to create what Walk into the Future meant to me. I look back at my first blog articles and can see the progression I have made over the past two years. My research and writing process have improved and continue to get better daily

I put unlimited time, effort and thoughts into this plan and refused to get distracted. I understand everyone cannot just walk away from their professional lives but being an Air Force retiree provides me with income to continue to do things like being a running tourist.

Please note I am not comparing myself to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Colin Cowherd—they all have a lot more money than me, but the no plan B mindset is similar.

Saw an opportunity in Fort Pierce, Florida and decided to go all in—no plan B. The excitement and potential for the new role was vetted without an emotional approach and launched me forward. Never looked back or sideways once committed to this new chapter. My plan A continues to work for me!

Moving forward and Walking into the Future! 😊

What is your plan A? How do you ensure your focus remains on plan A?

“There is no plan B for passion”.

(Chris Gardner)

Great article from Jeff Haden: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/why-remarkably-successful-people-dont-make-backup-plans.html

Irie vibes–control the controllable

(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)

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?

Start a voter registration campaign
Sign a petition
- https://colorofchange.org/
- https://www.change.org/
Stay vigilant

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

Daily flowers—send them now!

Purple Rose

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

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

(Reverend Simmons, New Bethel AME Church)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Kobe Bryant)

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

(Bob Marley)

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

The mirror can lie! Blaze your own trail

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

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

(Audre Lorde)

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

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

Leadership

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

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

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

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

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

Personal development

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

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

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

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

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

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

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

Stop limiting your progress—remove personal roadblocks

Road Block image

(Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay)

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

(Carol Dweck)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Unknown)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Henry Ford)

Open Road

(Image by Rohan S from Pixabay)

My favorite thing about me!

Mirror

(Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay)

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

(Michel de Montaigne)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Albert Einstein)

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How long did it take Dr. Williams to learn his why? It took him 20 years.
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.
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.
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.
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)

Where do leaders come from?

Leadership image

(Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay)

“I’m a leader not a follower. Unless it’s a dark place, then you are going first”.

(Unknown)

Got invited back down to Orlando in October for my recurring speaking role on the Intern Whisperer podcast.

Season 2, Episode 92 featured me discussing all things leadership to include earliest memories of venturing into leadership roles.

The quote above makes me laugh because I know people who perform in their leadership role in a similar manner. No worries when things are going well but no support, help or empathy when things get tough. These so-called leaders also seek the spotlight in good times and hide out during the bad.

Back to the podcast and why I’m discussing leadership in this blog post. The students who produce the Intern Whisperer podcast are extremely sharp and asked great questions from start to finish. One question that really stood out to me was, “What was your earliest memory of taking on a leadership role and how did it make you feel”?

Seems like a straightforward question but I had to think about it for a bit. I have always been an athlete and grew up playing multiple sports; football, basketball, baseball and track (high jump). Never considered being active in sports as leadership, just a way to pass the time and hang out with friends. Yes, I know leadership and teamwork are integral in a team environment, but I was just having fun during this time frame. My interviewers seemed to think my sports background would have been where my leadership foundation started.

My earliest memory of taking on an active leadership role and embracing everything involved was when I became a Master Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi (Biloxi).

I served at multiple Air Force installations as a Personnel Systems Manager (HR Data Analyst) and got an opportunity to train analysts Air Force wide based on my work performance and knowledge. So, I went for writing computer code for one Air Force base to training every data analyst in my career field—worldwide. Pretty heady stuff for someone from Jasper, Florida!

This role stands out as my earliest leadership memory because I had to expand my personal and professional goals and understand the importance of ensuring my students got a world class education. Everything they needed to be successful in the career field came directly from me. I couldn’t have a bad day in class because my lack of preparation, patience or knowledge would hinder their abilities to perform; in class and when they returned to their respective organizations around the world.

I went from being responsible for myself to leading a group of 25 students on a six-week educational journey. We routinely graduated 10 classes every fiscal year—I spent 4 years as an Air Force instructor at Keesler Air Force Base before moving back into my career field at Kadena Air Base, Japan (Okinawa).

The Air Force Technical School environment is the incubator that taught me leaders must be able to adjust leadership style, inspirational tactics and provide tough love when needed. The students needed different things to successfully complete our course. My ability to lead was needed daily.

It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done but it laid the foundation for my current leadership and life philosophy: Make a difference daily!

Leadership article

(Instructor of the Year Presentation)

What are your earliest leadership memories? How do these memories impact you today? (Respond in the comments section—thanks!)

Thanks for walking with me!

Listen to the Intern Whisperer podcast, Season 2, episode 92 here: https://www.facebook.com/internpursuit/videos/769036653552348/

“Be a LEADER, not a boss”.

(Calvin Williams)

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