Come Out, Play and Win

Play dates are a time for kids to get together and have interaction with other little ones. Play dates are arranged between parents. It’s a network of who the parents have chosen that's best for their kids to learn socialization. They learn conflict resolution, sharing, creativity and who's the leader.

As a child my play dates were riding bikes, tag football or wandering through the woods to build a fort . Yes, I was a tomboy.  Our parents didn’t arrange anything except us arriving home by the time the streetlights were on. I enjoyed every minute of playing in the dirt, with all the kids in the neighborhood. 

Play dates today have a new meaning and arrangement. Now a days play dates help children of the millennium to dig a little deeper by choosing their “Life” skills and path. A couple of months ago, I volunteered at a Junior Achievement of South Florida event.  This play date allowed for the children to prepare for their day of fun at JA BizTown.

JA BizTown is an opportunity to run a city for a day! Fifth graders in Broward and South Palm Beach area get first hand experience on adulthood. Prior to their visit, students have classroom lessons on the reality of “How you make that money” . The lessons get them acclimated with applying for jobs, voting, banking, politics and much more. The students choose a career and learn the ins and outs of what it takes to run that business.

There are 18 business simulation setups that the students work and run for the day.  They handle a budget , pay employees, assist customers and interacting with other businesses for partnership.  It's a busy day of wheels churning of everything they have learned put to test as they make decisions on how to run their business or the city.

It was quite enjoyable to see these students work throughout the day. They were so excited as they prepared the books, paid employees and ran their business. I worked with students at the Local 10 News TV station. They ran the camera, interviewed other business owners and coordinated their broadcast feed with radio station across the walkway. To see some of the most important life  skills in action like following directives,creativity, cooperation and teamwork was inspiring.

Volunteering always allows me to view life through those I am helping and this was such a wonderful inspiring event. It's so important for youth today to get a better picture of what it takes to run a household, work daily and prepare for their future. It's definitely a play date for winning.

Photos by

NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

Janko Ferlic from Pexels

Help! How Did I Get Stuck! Part 2

Continued……

The impetuousness of Mr. Augustine not only affected him but the new surroundings. Everyone was out of their normal habitat. Firemen were fighting waves. City workers were not working there normal positions. Police Officers were kicking sand.

As the fireman and city workers continued to try to pull the jeep out, one could only ponder, how this was affecting the ocean, beach and sea life. Was the gas, oil and antifreeze seeping in and contaminating the beach?  How much longer would it take?

The word contaminate is defined to make (something) dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it. This is exactly what took place. We’ve already established that Mr. Augustine believed he could act/move the same way in an unfamiliar area.

Having this ideology has two effects:

1. Contamination

2. Cycles

It’s inevitable that we take all the contaminants right along with us when we haven’t dealt with our issues. We pollute the relationships that we intended for a new beginning.  We may never find out to what degree of impurity affected the ocean with the immersed jeep but we do know it was out of place. It didn’t belong there.

While the bulldozer looking machine attempted to pull the vehicle out, the wheels just spun, turned and circled. There was no progression. Not changing our behavior causes immobility. The effect is being stuck in an unproductive cycle.

The consequence for Mr. Augustine wasn’t jail however he received a NTA (notice to appear). The Officers advised that he would be fined for this debacle. The damage to his vehicle will cost as well. Oh, what price we pay for not growing personally.  We lose relationships, opportunities, jobs, trust, etc, only to start over.  If we continue to avoid Assessing, Adjusting and Adapting, we will stay stagnant and repeat the same mistakes.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to see how they finally removed the jeep. Days later, I returned and the jeep was gone. Hopefully, Mr. Augustine will pay attention the next time he wants to take a more scenic route. One thing we know for sure never leave home without Triple A-Assess, Adjust and Adapt to reap the benefits of new beginnings.

Help! How Did I Get Stuck? Part 2

Continued……

The impetuousness of Mr. Augustine not only affected him but the new surroundings. Everyone was out of their normal habitat. Firemen were fighting waves. City workers were not working there normal positions. Police Officers were kicking sand.

As the fireman and city workers continued to try to pull the jeep out, one could only ponder, how this was affecting the ocean, beach and sea life. Was the gas, oil and antifreeze seeping in and contaminating the beach?  How much longer would it take?

The word contaminate is defined to make (something) dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it. This is exactly what took place. We’ve already established that Mr. Augustine believed he could act/move the same way in an unfamiliar area.

Having this ideology has two effects:

1. Contamination

2.Cycles

It’s inevitable that we take all the contaminants right along with us when we haven’t dealt with our issues. We pollute the relationships that we intended for a new beginning.  We may never find out to what degree of impurity affected the ocean with the immersed jeep but we do know it was out of place. It didn’t belong there.

While the bulldozer looking machine attempted to pull the vehicle out, the wheels just spun, turned and circled. There was no progression. Not changing our behavior causes immobility. The effect is being stuck in an unproductive cycle.

The consequence for Mr. Augustine wasn’t jail however he received a NTA (notice to appear). The Officers advised that he would be fined for this debacle. The damage to his vehicle will cost as well. Oh, what price we pay for not growing personally.  We lose relationships, opportunities, jobs, trust, etc, only to start over.  If we continue to avoid Assessing, Adjusting and Adapting, we will stay stagnant and repeat the same mistakes.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to see how they finally removed the jeep. Days later, I returned and the jeep was gone. Hopefully, Mr. Augustine will pay attention the next time he wants to take a more scenic route. One thing we know for sure never leave home without Triple A-Assess, Adjust and Adapt to reap the benefits of new beginnings.

Help! How Did I Get Stuck?

This past Sunday, I ran on the beach and came across a new rendition of a Beach Boys song:

And he'll have fun, fun, fun
till the waves take his Jeep away

That’s right; a St Augustine resident thought he would take a more scenic route on Ft Lauderdale beach.  As he plowed onto the sand with his Jeep Wrangler, the inevitable happened, he got stuck. The ocean just snatched his jeep.  I was one of the many spectators watching as the fire department, FT Lauderdale Police and city workers tried to remove his Jeep from the ocean.

The voices from the crowd were asking “How did this happen”?

 In turn the Officer asked” Mr. Augustine”:

“Didn’t you notice the sea wall?  Didn’t you see you were jumping the curb to get on the beach”? It appears that he thought he could drive on the beach because he can do it in St Augustine.

As we all stood there, I had a thought. “To be or not to be—that is the question.”  Will they remove this jeep or will it stay in the throes of the ocean?   How many times do we get stuck in life? All the signs are there that we shouldn’t go that route don’t say this or do that, but we go over the checks and press on.  

Most people are seeking change; however moving impulsively like Mr. Augustine is the craze that gets us trapped. His belief that what he’s always done would be ok , proved to be wrong in a different city, different beach and different environment.

Having new opportunities require you to have” Triple A” like Mr. Augustine needed. Assess, Adjust and Adapt. Our old behavior taken into a new opportunity can halt our progress.  Its’ all relative whether you have a new job, love interest or simply want to enjoy the beach.   

Hold on guys there’s more coming .Stay tuned for part Two-Next Wednesday.

Just Be You

“Just Be You” is the mantra that Tatyana Mack uses to describe her most valuable take away from the ARTreprenuer program with Artserve. This program allows local teenagers who have a love for the arts to take their passion and launch an arts-based theater business. Not only are they given the tools to start a business but work with theater professionals to develop the skills to write, direct and produce their own plays. With performing in her blood passed down from her grandmother, Tatyana took to the task of writing and directing her first play –Beauty Within.

Tatyana’s muse was her experiences of being teased about her appearance when she was younger.  As a child her mother’s words always rang loudest.  “You are beautiful not only on the outside, but also inside ”. Tatyana embraces her uniqueness; it’s her mission to show the path to triumph over hecklers. “I wanted to put all this in the story to share with people and make it understandable “.

 Beauty Within is about a young girl –Sasha Smith who has vitiligo. As she struggles with digging skin deep to discover her value; she is simultaneously losing her best friend to teenage fame-popularity. The taunting and feelings of awkwardness about her skin causes her to sit in the shadows. Through the encouragement from a teacher Sasha realizes her gift in writing. As she develops her writing skills, she begins to see her value and the courage to stand up to her taunter, her best friend.

Just as Sasha found her voice, so has Tatyana.  She has moved past sitting to the side.   

Tatyana said, “Within in the program, I was just trying to put on a mask to blend in with everything.  I noticed the moment I said, that I am not going to do that;  this is what is good, this is what I think is creative ; let’s work together and try to blend our creative minds and make this great . That’s when things began to happen. When I spoke out and was being myself things started to work.”
 

This upcoming senior says she knows that she is meant to perform and be on stage. She is a writer who desires to write books and inspirational poetry as well.  She has clarity of purpose, “I want to inspire people to be themselves, be original, know your worth, love who you are and don’t compare yourself to others”. Just Be You!

Happy Independence Day

 

Be Independent in Mind

Be Independent in Thought

      Know Yourself +Love Yourself=FREEDOM

                 

    Be Independent EveryDay

photo by Shana Duffy

Living The Life

You’ve had a long week and need resuscitation to bring some oomph back. What do you do?  Take to the bed?  Not in Ft. Lauderdale.  Grab a friend, family member or both because Friday night is a day to hit the beach for rejuvenation.

 You have your choice of sitting on the beach and allowing the echoes of the ocean to wash away the week.  Another option is to march to the harmony of live performances on the A1A.  Of course there’s always the breaking of bread at the many restaurants in the area. Sound Easy?   It is the simple things in life that bring the most enjoyable pleasures.   Unearth your treasure, wherever you’re located.  Every moment with friends, family and the unexpected delights are “Living the Life”. 

Take a look and Share in the fun.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1dMFj-QU1ZVOFd1UHNhbVZETGc/view?usp=sharing

Performances by :

1. The Resolvers
2. Alex Fox-Guitar
3. Dancers-People -"Living The Life"

#LESSisNOTbest

You get what you pay for! A lesson learned well for me two weekends ago.  Now I am one that loves a bargain. I love a sale. With a trip to New Orleans coming up, someone advised that Spirit had tickets on sale $43 for one way. No need to tell me twice. 43 bucks, I was on it.  My ears rang Cha-Ching!  

Spirit's logo  "Less Is More" is true. As I made my reservation and reading the rules there were additional purchases required if:

• Luggage-weight over 40lbs
•  Carry-on over 22 x 18 x10 inches
•  Seat selection early
•  Snacks
•  Boarding pass(leave home w/o it & it will cost ya)
•  Checked bags(pay at reservation or its more @ the airport)

It's air- a-lot- carte. You end up paying for everything. By the time that I completed my reservation with my checked bags my price was $73. I arrived at the airport there were long lines at check in. It took an hour to check my bag. Once we finally boarded, we sat on the plan at the gate for one hour. We were advised there were mechanical issues.  On the flight back, again late for mechanical issues. Long waits and a mechanical issues are alarming.

Less is more on Spirit; more cost, more inconvenience and more bad customer service. While waiting on the flight home, I saw something disturbing. There were three people that needed wheelchairs but there was only one wheelchair available.  So what does Spirit employees do?  They played musical chairs with the passengers.

They brought one passenger down to the waiting area and seated her. Where did they even get this passenger? She wasn't on my flight. Then they took that wheelchair, went down to the airplane that just landed at the gate and retrieved a passenger. They sat that passenger in the waiting area. Again, with the same wheelchair they took another passenger to board the flight I was on.  It's confusing ,right ? I was baffled. Why weren't there three available wheelchairs for these three passengers?  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Bare fares equal the bare minimum.

I arrived home 1 hr 20 mins. late.  This is the price I had to pay. There are definitely no perks on Spirit. At the inconvenience of being late on both flights they didn't even offer passengers free pretzels and water.  You get what you pay for. For me its not worth it for the inconveniences.  Spirit says, Just Bare Fares and that's all you get! The bare minimum.
 

Is It Truly A Loss?

It’s been a week since the Super Bowl and everyone has weighed in on their theories. For me it had been a while since I watched football.  This year my interest was piqued due to the controversy about Cam Newton.  I hit “Goggle”   and Wikipedia for my research. After reading some articles and watching videos, I didn’t understand.

What could be so bad about a player that:

1. Was predicted to be MVP of the year

2.  Gives touchdown game balls to kid

3.   Created a victory dance

4.  Has inspired and fostered his team to victory

5.  Led Carolina to 15 wins and 1 loss (Is that correct?)

This was inspiring to me.  I was going to watch the Super Bowl and root for the Panthers.  A few plays into the game, it looked like this was going to be a rough game for both teams.  Interceptions, fumbled balls, and quarterback sacks.  After the last fumble by Carolina; it was clear with a little over 4 minutes left in the game that the Broncos had won.  I couldn’t watch anymore.  

Though one team had to lose the game, is it truly a loss?  Are they losers? Carolina had such a wonderful season does this one game negate all the accomplishments for the year?  If you don’t win according to plan does this mean you aren’t being the best?  Do you still have value?  

 It’s a hard question to roll around in your head because of the indicators that are equivalent to success in our society are tangible. Trophies, awards, certificates, and medals are all “valida-tors “that signify our value.  These honors are objects to show for our hard work.

  Of course, we’ve heard the clichés for hard work:

1. “You were born to win, but to be a winner; you must plan to win, prepare to win and expect to win.”  

2. Life rewards those who work hard at it.”

3. “Nothing will work unless you do.”

 In actuality these clichés do have truth at the core.  So, what do we do when we get to that place in life where our work isn’t equivalent to the reward we predicted? It’s easy, keep pushing and don’t give up.  Know your worth regardless if you receive the trinkets or not.  Validate your own accomplishments. Carolina might not have won the Super Bowl however they are still winners. Losing that game doesn’t negate the amazing season they had on and off the field.

New Mercies

Hopefully you had a good weekend and now it's back to the hustle and bustle. Regardless of how this past weekend, last week or even last month has been; we have new mercies every morning.

Lets have a new beginning today. Its the first of the month and we can start a fresh, renewed. Know that however the day ends you have a new beginning every morning.

Have a Great Month