Cacica Yve's World

I AM LEADERSHAPE

2019-11-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

As many of you may know, I recently completed my Master's degree in Adult and Organizational Development at the College of Education at Temple University. What you might not know, is that while I was an undergrad in the Fox School of Business, I began my leadershape journey with the University's LeaderShape Institute. I began by participating in the Emerging Leaders program, then attending various conferences, lectures, and events at the University all sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs, Leadership Development Office.

This journey, culminated in the 6 day program designed by The LeaderShape Institute whose mission is to teach college students how to lead with integrity and how to cultivate a healthy disregard for the impossible. Their vision is to have a just, caring and thriving world where people step out of their comfort zones and become the catalyst for change in their respective communities. For more information about the LeaderShape and if they have a program at your school, check out their website at http://www.leadershape.org/Home.aspx.

What Do You Know For Sure?

2012-12-16T15:59:00.001-08:00

I was challenged to answer the following questions recently: Given all you've learn over the years, what do you know for sure? I can't help but think... nothing! Everything I thought I knew forty years ago, has changed. Everything I learned even five years ago has evolve and I have evolved... perhaps what I know for sure is that as we evolve on this planet... as we grow, we change.

And anyone who stays stagnant is destined to become obsolete. It is not natural to stay the same... the only constant in this Universe is that we are continually changing.

Still I Rise...

2012-02-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise.

~ Maya Angelou

Soy Boricua Soy...

2012-02-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

Me preguntan quien soy?

Tratando de entender..

Soy Boricua! Soy

Que es Boricua?

Me preguntan confundido..

Soy el Mar y el Sol

Soy Playas y Montañas

Soy Arroz y Habichuelas

Soy Negra como jeiti

Soy Blanca como yu

Soy India como las Cacicas del Pueblo

Soy las manos del conguero

Soy el son del barrio

Soy la brisa del Yunque

Soy la juvia del Cielo

Soy Pecas y Pelo Malo

Soy el Español matao

Soy hija del Hermano de Amor y la Hermana de Afeciones

Soy Boricua Soy

Soy el Alma de la isla del encanto

Nacidad en Filadelfia

Soy Boricua! Soy

Soy la Madre de la Tierra

Soy las lagrimas del Rio

Soy el Rayo de Sol

Lo que soy es mio

Soy Boricua! Soy

Soy Raices Majadas

Un Mofongo de Morena con caldo de Española a la Taina

Soy el timbre de libertad sonado el timbre de esclavidud

Con la esperanza de un mañana mejor

Soy Boricua Soy

Soy hija de Guabancex y Yucajú los poderes creadores

Soy Guaracapita, de lo infinito

Cuando me escoleriza muevo el viento y la agua

destruyo los bohíos y arranco los árboles

Soy alta como la Cieba

Soy picante come el aji guaguao

Soy Ciguapas del Mar

Naneque Boricua

Soy Boricua

Pa Que Tu Lo Sepas!

~ Cacica Yve

Track Your Self Awareness...

2012-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

We run around trying to get so much done in our daily lives that we often don't take time out to be in the present moment. In those moments when we are on auto-pilot we miss opportunities that life presents us.

Develop your self-awareness and track it by spending one minute a day jotting down notes about your current frustrations, your level of motivation, and any new hopes, doubts, or fears.

This exercise forces subconscious feelings to surface, so you can process them.

How Are You Starting Off Your Day?

2012-02-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

How are you starting off your day?

Are you preparing your mind with solid thought, information, and support? Are you allowing the right radio or TV personalities to get you ready (are any of them good... share one)? The right news or material? The right people at the office? Is your outlook positive? Are you looking forward to the best?

Be careful to what you give your attention. It all has an influence on you. (And kicking it is much more fun than mediocrity... or worse.)

Feed your mind well. It's where action starts. Your attitude is like a clothing, you wear for everyone to see... so choose to dress in your best (attitude). Remember, something as simple as a smile (costs nothing) but adds value to your day, because it could start a chain reaction... so go ahead, flash your pearly whites - I guarantee your interactions today will be much more pleasant.

(And life's too short to be mediocre.)

2012-01-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

My Birthday card 2012!

Thinking About Breaking Into A Career In OD and/or Training? Here's Some Advice

2012-01-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Recently I facilitated a workshop on communications for Temple University. Several ladies I used to work with attended my presentation, which was a pleasant surprise to me. After the presentation, two of them walked up to me and asked, "Are you working in Learning & Development now?" My answer was yes and no. Why, because technically I had provided this workshop for the L & D department, but I still work for my regular job within the University.

So the next question was, "how do I break into that field? How did you do it?" I've asked these very same questions in the past and have gotten a variety of answers over the years. This is what I've learned... there are some who want to break into Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Training fields with little or not experience, some want to change directions, and some want to add to their career portfolio. Here's what I know, there are a variety of paths you can take to reach any one of these goals. The most important of this is getting your name out there within the HR community and letting people know what you have to offer, that you are willing and able to provide these services. This may include:

Working with your present employer, offer your services - VOLUNTEER!
Network, network, network then network some more.... you can't get your name out there enough!
Join your local professional HR and allied HR professional associations (SHRM, ASTD, Toastmasters, ISPI, National Speakers Association, I to name a few). Most have both international and local affiliations and local meetings and publications.
Attend group meetings - become a regular and most importantly get involved - volunteer.
Blog about it! Post it to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc. Use social media wisely.
Contribute to the discussions that interest you in your group affiliations and others.
Read about the latest trends, learn the lingo, if there is a concept you don't understand or recognize - Google it. Familiarize yourself with it and how it's used in industry. Read discussions groups, blogs, and industry articles to learn what terms are used, what issues are important, and what kinds of solutions to those are employed, suggested, and which do not work as well. Basically, learn from your peers.
Take a class, learn new software that be utilized in training and development. Question what you've learned in your degree program or on the job with prior or current employers - what you know, theory and philosophies, management methods - balance this with what you observe happening in the "real world" daily operations of Human Resources.
Get a mentor and utilize their expertise wisely.
Just do it! You learn more by doing than by reading or talking about it. It's the best way to develop your own style and to strengthen your expertise.
Never stop learning - there is so much information out there. The more you know, the better you'll be prepared.
Keep your skills current and learn new ones all the time. Don't let your skills go unused.
When you find out about local groups who do annual conferences - answer their "call for proposals" solicitations. Don't know of any, again - Google it.
Check out your connection's and others' reading list - pick a book or two and read them.

This list obviously is not intended to be all inclusive. I'm positive you will have great ideas as well about how to get your name out there or find opportunities to gain experience. You have learn tons to information already and you'll learn tons more overtime. Most of all, just enjoy the journey and have fun in what you choose to do with your degree and employment. Learn something from each experience you have and will have in future. Good luck! Hope to see you out there!

El Poder de Afirmaciónes Positiva

2012-01-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

El principio de las afirmaciones consiste en elegir los propios pensamientos y utilizarlos repetidamente el número de veces que sea necesario para que su fuerza creativa produzca resultados en el mundo real.

Las afirmaciones son cambios de actitud, son datos positivos introducidos en el "ordenador" interior. Son Metas del pensamiento. Son declaraciones fuertes y positivas que atraen prosperidad, curación, fortaleza. Levantan el ánimo.

Es importante encontrar las afirmaciones que te convienen y que necesitas, solo has de buscar dentro de tí mismo. Una manera eficaz de practicarlas, es en primer lugar eligiendo la afirmación que más te convenga para tu estado actual. Cada día se escribe en un cuaderno para tal fin, 20 veces tu afirmación por la mañana y 20 por la noche. Todos los días durante un mes a ser posible. Y a su lado escribir el pensamiento que desaloja. Es decir el pensamiento de rechazo o resistencia contrario que se puede aparecer en la mente. Por ejemplo, si tu afirmación es:

1.- "Yo, mi nombre, ahora tengo lo que necesito"............ (no creo que funcione)
2.- "Yo, mi nombre, ahora, tengo lo que necesito"............(y lo que necesito en mucho)
3.- "Yo, mi nombre, ahora, tengo lo que necesito" ...........(me siento estúpido)
Es necesario que búsques tu propia afirmación, conveniente a tu vida y tu momento actual.

Mi cuerpo es un lugar seguro, comodo y placentero donde estar.
Merezco relaciones divertidas, fáciles y que me apoyen.
Soy bastante, tengo bastante, hago bastante.
Ahora reafirmo todo mi poder personal.
Tengo todo lo que necesito para conseguir todo lo que quiero.
Tengo derecho a sentir lo que siento.
Soy una buena persona sienta lo que sienta.
Merezco ser feliz.
Yo ahora me acepto tal y como soy.
Soy inocente.
Me perdono a mi mismo por pretender ser culpable.
Mi vitalidad es una fuerza curadora del planeta.
Mi placer complace a los demás.
La gente está a salvo en mi presencia y no necesita mi protección.
Tengo buen natural.
Merezco tenerlo todo.
Me quiero en presencia de los demás.
Mi presencia es naturalmente agradable para mi y para los demás.
Ahora soy la persona que siempre quise ser.
Es seguro para mi compartir mis sentimientos.
Es bueno para los demás compartir mis sentimientos.
Estoy dispuesto a tener éxito aunque suponga agradar a mis padres.
Tengo poder para triunfar.
Confío en mi mismo, confío en mi intuición.

El dinero es mi amigo, y siempre llega amí con facilidad.

http://www.amazon.com/Afirmaciones-Positivas-Spanish-Carlos-Gonz%C3%A1lez/dp/1564910237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327415807&sr=8-1

What Can Bob Dylan Teach You About Leadership?

2012-01-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

Bob Dylan's famous line "You better start swimming or sink like a stone, cause the times they are a-changing," provides some solid leadership advice.

http://www.refreshleadership.com/index.php/2012/01/lyrical-wisdom-leadership-lessons-bob-dylan/

Amp Up Your Book Club's Success

2012-01-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's your favorite afternoon of the month (except when the novel selection is boring), here are some tips for running a successful book club.

14. One Animal Memoir Per Year. We all love animals. Surprisingly, there are quite a few memoir about dogs. Many of us cry our eyes out when the dog dies in the end - and these books become instant favorites because of the passion they evoke. But too many animal themed memoirs can ruin it for most people. The discussions become morbid and people loose interest, so limit them to one per year.

13. Once a Year, Select a Book From Childhood. Like the Chronicles of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland. Reliving why we became avid readers in the first place is a great way to get everybody motivated to keep on reading. Also, studies show that reading books for children engage our creative side and leads to possibility thinking.

12. Stay On The Same Page - Literally. This is especially vital if your reading a play, the classics, or foreign translations. It's important everyone borrows or buys the same edition, otherwise you spend a lot of time flipping back and forth trying to locate the passage your discussing.

11. Take December Off. The holidays are jammed packed with so many things to do, it's really difficult to expect anyone to finish a novel in the mist of the holiday rush. So take the holiday's off. If you want, have everyone bring in a poem, or article they'd like to share with the group. One year, our book club members shared book reviews of their favorite books.

10. Set Up An Online Calendar. This will cut down on all the endless "reply all" emails asking when is the next meeting or what are we reading next month. Besides, it's so easy to set up an online calendar which everyone can access.

9. Don't Confuse Your Book Club Meeting with Group Therapy. Reading influences the lives of the reader - and there will be times when we can empathize with the plot. But, book club meetings are a time to focus on the books we read, not on our psyches. It's the leaders responsibility to ensure that the group discussion does not turn into a therapy session - that is not how you want to spend the next two hours.

8. Toast to A Literary-Themed Cocktail. Change things up a bit and meet up at a lounge that serves appetizers and literary-themed cocktails like "Godfathers", "A Kiss Goodnight" or "A Midsummernight's Dream." Check out other fun cocktails at http://www.drinksmixer.com/drinkrq12508.html

7. Beware of the Book Dictator. Just about every book club has at one time or another had that one member who takes the book club way too seriously. She wants to choose the next book, position herself in the room so she's the center of attention, reads not only the book - but every available critique and editorial review that exists so that she can pontificate at nauseum about the merits of the plot. To avoid this, establish a rotation on for discussion leaders so that everyone has a turn and everyone has a chance to suggests texts.

6. Set A 500 Page Limit On Book Selections. Enough said.

5. Keep It Fun. At flair to your menu by having food or drink choices that are connected to the book. Example: Serve orange mint & honey when discussing the book Orange Mint & Honey, Carleen Brice. Atonement, Ian McEwan Serve high tea and transport your book group to pre-WWII England and the large country estate of the Tallis family. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Capture some of the flavor and culture of Afghanistan in the early 1970s with this Middle Eastern menu including traditional hummus and Pomegranate Margaritas.

4. Engage The Whole Group. Share the responsibility of hosting the book club by rotating the host/discussion group leader. Everyone should participate in book selections and developing a reader's guide discussion questions when none are available with the book or online. Your members will feel more invested in the group and no one feels put upon to do all the grunt work.

3. Don't Just Bring A Friend. Once your book club gets started members bond over their love of books and past experiences. Don't disrupt the flow by inviting a friend along who might not fit in with your group members. A policy should be established about when and how to invite guests or new members that way no one's feelings are hurt

2. Establish Your Agenda. From the onset, there should be clear guidelines for running your book club group. If the book doesn't have a book guide, establish whose responsibility it is to create one, who will run the discussion, whose bring the food, the when, where, and time. When you take care of the details in the beginning your club should run smoothly.

1. Think Outside the Book. You don't always have to read a specific genre or even books. Every now and again liven things up by reading plays, essays, poetry, spoken word, articles and even short stories. Don't confine yourself to only female writers, or ethnic books, or series. Sometimes, it starts out like fun, but becomes limiting. Explore your options and above all... have fun.

A New Day is Dawning...

2012-01-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

Rabindranath Tagore

You Can Handle More Than You Think

2012-01-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." ~Mother Teresa

Twelve Ways to Improve Yourself ©

2012-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

The beginning of the new year is a great time to take stock of your life and see if you are growing, stagnating, or digressing. Since people seem to love lists I've decided to put together my own list for personal growth. Perhaps you have suggestions to add to my list and I welcome all suggestions. Please feel free to share so long as you give credit and realize that this is copyrighted material.

Twelve Ways to Self-Improvement©

12. Take time for reflection. Whether its through meditation, keep a journal, or quiet introspection, taking time for reflection helps you to gain perspective, re-frame situations and problem-solve creatively.

11. Mind your manners. It's the small courtesies in life that impact others in a big way, like remembering to say 'good morning', 'please', 'thank you', 'you're welcome', and holding doors open for others (including elevator doors). It's shocking how "common courtesy" is no longer common to everyone, let's try to get back to being courteous and minding our manners.

10. Cross the line. Ever heard the quote, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything?" You've got to know where the line is drawn in the sand, in order to cross it!

Clarify your personal values and beliefs. Be willing to have the courage of your convictions and stand up for what you believe in.
9. Keep it real! Don't try to fake it 'til you make it; or be an imitator, perpetrator, or inauthentic. Being inauthentic eats away at your credibility and besides who wants to have the reputation of being fake?

8. Don't blame, complain, vent, whine or sulk. Don't look for fault in everyone else, re-frame how you view the world. Whining, sulking, complaining, venting and blaming others is just not attractive. No one wants to hear it anyway. Stopping this behavior will make you happier, feel less stress and be a more enjoyable person to be around.

7. Lead with integrity. Your word is your bond and your bond is only as strong and reliable as your word. Therefore, when you give your word you should keep it. Do what you say you will do, the way you said you would do it, and when you said you would do it. And if you can't do it, then don't promise you will. Enough said.

6. Lighten up! Don't take yourself or anyone else too seriously! Learn to let go and really laugh! Often times, the situation is funnier than you think, and if you don't believe me, think back on the things that upset you (petty annoyances) can you laugh about them in hindsight, if so - then I'm right, things are often never what they seem.

5. Volunteer. When you help others, you help yourself - because it makes you feel good, connected and engaged. It's also a great way to develop new skills, network with others and broaden your horizons. Volunteering is a win-win for all involved.

4. Read more. Reading helps us expand our vocabulary, relax, become more creative and gain knowledge. And if you're reading to children or the elderly, you've found a way to share quality time with others.

3. Practice gratitude. Be grateful for what you have and more importantly for what you don't have. Generally giving thanks can lift depression and lead to better physical, mental, and spiritual health.

2. Be present. Don't live in the past or in the future. The only time you live is in the present - NOW! Make the most of it. Being present improves social skills, your creativity, you worry less, it releases stress, and generally helps you make the most of situations.

1. Be a lifelong learner. It keeps your mind sharp, your skills on point, and helps you to continue to grow spiritually and mentally. Lifelong learning opens your mind, creates curiosity, increases wisdom, make you (thereby the world) better, helps you adapt to change, keeps you involved as active contributors to society, leads to personal fulfillment, and if nothing else helps you meet new people and establish new relationships.

Enjoy and be blessed!

Have You Found Your Passion Yet?

2011-11-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

I have heard this saying over and over again, "Have you found your passion?" or "when you find your passion, the money will come" really? It seems to me that being passionate about something is all well and good, but the reality is that I don't hire people because they claim to be passionate about what they do. I hire them because I want them to be amazing at what they do and I want them to work hard the job and on themselves.

Google "finding your passion" and you should get about 8,6000,000 results. Apparently, this seems to be the catch phrase of the decade. Go to Amazon.com and look up books on" finding your passion" you should get about 656 results. So what does this prove? That there are a lot of people out there chasing their tails looking for their passion when what they should invest their time in, is working hard at developing themselves.

Now I know what you must be thinking, if you're passionate about what you do, then you are amazing at it... NOT TRUE! I know a lot of people who are passionate about what they do and their performance is dismal! They are just not good at what they do! I've also heard the saying "I'd rather fail at something I love than succeed at something I hate!" this is total B.S.! Loving what you do has no qualitative or quantitative value in the workplace and neither does passion. I don't know anybody who truly cares if their employees love their jobs! I also don't know of anybody who would prefer to fail at anything! The reality is that your customers don't care if you're passionate about your job - so long as you give them amazing service and go above and beyond to help them.

I am amazing at my job and that's why my employers pay me. I've done some consulting jobs over the years, and no one has ever hired me because of my passion! I recently facilitated a workshop on Leadership and a participant said to me during the lunch break, "I really enjoyed your workshop, your words were so inspiring, I can tell how passionate you are about this subject." I politely thanked her but then told her that what she saw up there was the result of years of research, hard work and practice. I am good at what I do, because I work hard at it. That's how you achieve excellence, that's how you become amazing at what you do. She said, "but you make it seem so effortless" I told that's why I work hard to prepare... so that when I'm up there it appears to be effortless. True excellence is always the result of hard work.

I know many of you who are reading this blog totally disagree with me, and that's fine. If you would prefer to continue to believe that finding your passion will somehow lead you to success then go ahead. I certainly won't stop you, I would imagine it's because passion requires very little effort from us and let's face it, mention the word "work" to most people and they go running for the hills. The truth is, hard work and excellence requires almost everything from us and that's why so few of us are amazing at what we do...

Cacica Yve's World: Discover Your "Younique" Talents In Six Simple Ste...

2011-06-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Cacica Yve's World: Discover Your "Younique" Talents In Six Simple Ste...: "It is truly sad how many women do not understand the process of discovering their unique talents and strengths. A few years ago, I bought t..."

Discover Your "Younique" Talents In Six Simple Steps!

2011-06-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

It is truly sad how many women do not understand the process of discovering their unique talents and strengths. A few years ago, I bought the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath and decided to explore my personal strengths using the code found in the book I logged on to the website and proceeded to take a twenty minute strengthsquest. At the end of my strengthsquest, I was surprised to find out that my top five strengths are: Futuristic, Activator, Ideation, Strategic and Woo.

Well, to tell the truth, the woo didn't really surrpise me,nor did the ideation, because I have always been good at coming up with ideas. What I later learned as I went through this process of self-discovery on how to put my strengths to use is that when you maximize your strengths you are in a better position to begin to fulfill your purpose and become great in your chosen field. Unfortunately, we live in a society that focuses on weaknesses, when we think of improving, we think in terms of remediating weaknesses. This approach is really a waste of energy. What you should focus your time and energy on is in further developing and strengthening your natural talents - your strengths. The reason I favor this approach is that it makes much more sense to spend your time developing strengths so you can be amazing then it would remediating weaknesses so you could, at best, be mediocre. Here are six simple ways you can begin your own self-discovery:

1. Ask. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers what talents, gifts or strengths they perceive you having. Make a list of the feedback you get, include artistic tendencies, are you good at fixing things, counseling others, are your writing skills, etc. List everything that you can do well.

2. Think creatively. Don't limit yourself in the way you think. As a matter of fact, don't even think the same way about your life that you normally would, try to remove all limitations that your family may have taught you, or your upbringing may have embraced. Forget all those limiting thoughts planted in your mind by fear, by teachers, friends, society, family, your mate... Great thinkers do great things! If you believe this statement to be true then begin to think big and you will be motivated to accomplish extraordinary goals. Visit places that inspire creativity, like museums, libraries, a live play or the opera. Make it a point to meet new people and strike up conversations with them.... go to a book signing and talk to the author. Network with the "movers and shakers" in your community and outside your current circle of acquaintences. Take your networking to the next level by connecting with people outside your usual circle of friends. By doing so, you will begin to look at life and your gifts from a whole new perspective. Find a mentor or consult a life coach.

3. Engage in Reflection. What activities were you drawn to do as a child? What were your favorite types of books or movies? What places did you visit or want to visit? What sort of things did you do? Are there some ideas that you've thought of which you have sitting on a back-burning waiting to implement "someday?" What has been your biggest accomplishments? Look through your book collection, be it on your bookshelf or you Kindle/iPad/reading device and see what genres you read most about. Recently I inventoried my own personal library and found that the recurring theme of the books I read have to do with leadership, self-improvement, spiriual growth, life achievement and biograpies. Go back and review these choices because I guarantee that the key to your purpose is hidden within these texts.

4. Involve a Higher Power. The Creator wants you to live a life of abundance, but you must take the steps to grow in the things of God, or your spiritual guide. You should involve a Higher Power in your passions and pursuits, for the Most High has created the passion you have and your desires, seek guidance from your Spiritual guide, that you may be instructed on how to make the best use of your talents.

5. Keep a Journal. Record ideas, quotes, poems, and your reflections in your journal. What inspires you? Are you reading something and a passage strikes a cord? Record the passage, spend time journaling about your dreams and goals. Whatever it is that sparks enthusiasm and motivates you. Your journal is written documentation of where you are, where you'd like to be, where you're going and cand be used as your personal roadmap to get there.

6. Access. Identify those things that limits you, be it in your thinking or actions. Is it financial limitations that keeps you from achieving your life's goals or lack of education? Is it a lack of self-esteem or lack of spiritual growth? Are there things that are going on in your life that maybe limiting your progress? Take stock and access what it is that is limiting you, then devise a plan of action to overcome or eliminate them. This is an area in which a mentor or coach can help you to access what's going on and what can be done to break out of the chains that limit you.

Your "youniqe" talents and strengths are waiting to be tapped and harnassed, you only need to take that first step. Don't continue to lead a life that is smaller than your potential. Take an active role in shaping the life you want.

Many thanks for reading my blog. I appreciate your comments and insights and will be sure to respond to every one.

CCP's 2011 Class Gift Pledge

2011-04-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

http://www.ccp.edu/site/alumni/class_gift2011.html

Professionalism: Are Today's Job Seekers Unprofessional?

2011-04-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

More than 500 human resources professionals and business leaders responding to a survey conducted by York College of Pennsylvania's Center for Professional Excellence (source InsideHigherEd) , defined professionalism roughly as follows:

"as being related to a person rather than the position. The traits or behaviors mentioned most by the respondents as being characteristic of professional employees were personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect; the ability to communicate, which includes listening skills; a work ethic which includes being motivated and working on a task until it is complete; and appearance.”

Given this definition, do you think that you display professionalism to your organization, co-workers, in the community? Now remember, this question will require you to be honest with yourself, however, whether you are aware of it or not, your actions always define you. If you find that you have areas for improvement, and we all do, ask a trusted friend or mentor to help you identify areas in which you can improve and develop an action plan for obtaining professional development.

Once you have identified what you need, and have developed a plan, the only thing left to do is TO DO IT! Often this is the most difficult part of the process, getting started. We look for excuses and call them reasons why we aren't where we want to be, we haven't started or achieved a goal, the bottom line is what are we waiting for? It is not necessary to have the right conditions or to know the outcome before we start this journey in order to start, we cannot wait to be motivated before we start, because motivation comes from doing something successfully. You must first try something, before you will be motivated to continue.

So the next time you wonder why you aren't being chosen for a particular job, or to work on a new project ask yourself or a trusted mentor- am I perceived as a professional individual? If not, work hard on your job, but work harder on yourself.

Teaching Life Skills As Easy As ABC

2011-03-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

I attended a fireside chat yesterday at the Liacouras Center at Temple University with Bill Cosby, Jon Oliver and Dr. Wesley. The chat was geared towards Educators and the challenges we sometimes face with creating an environment which is conducive of learning. The event was really interesting and I was super excited to meet Mr. Cosby in person. Growing up a Cosby fan and getting to meet the man in person was an unforgettable experience for me.

The basis of our topic was the book The ABCs of Life: Lesson One: The Skills We All Need but Were Never Taught. What was most striking to me was the fact that educators sometimes tend to forget that basic life skills aren't always taught at home and that part of our classroom time may have to be spent teaching these much needed skills. This indispensable book gives adults a proven plan to help children develop the life skills and internal discipline necessary to learn and thrive in today's society. I can tell you as a educator of adult learners. In my day job as an Human Resource administrator I often encounter individuals how lack these vital social and life skills which sabotages their chances for success and promotions.
Although the chat yesterday was mainly geared towards best practices and strategies for educators of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, I could easily adapt this training to adults - seeing as how this train-the-trainer session was for adults. I have had to find ways to integrate some of these skills into many of my trainings, sometimes dedicating workshops specifically to Life Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Competence, Time Management, Financial Management and Work Readiness.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it, there is truly something for everyone, whether your a parent, and educator or someone who needs personal development.

Dave Egger's: Once Upon A School

2011-03-20T06:37:00.001-07:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com

2011-03-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds Video on TED.com

Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? | Video on TED.com

2011-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? Video on TED.com

Gladys Knight & The Pips "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Sa...

2011-01-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

Attitude Reflects Leadership

2011-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Attitude Reflects Leadership