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The Road to Success

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:52:37 +0000

The path to success requires hard work, belief in one self, perseverance, passion, and determination. In rare cases, luck shows up!

“The lottery is great, because it’s easy. Not certain, but easy. If you win, the belief goes, you’re done. Medical school is great because it’s certain. Not easy, but certain. If you graduate, the belief goes, you’re done. Most people are searching for a path to success that is both easy and certain. Most paths are neither.” -Seth Godin

Ever feel like your efforts are not enough to attain success? Ever question yourself why others and not me? Ever feel like you’ve chosen the wrong path?

Nothing in life comes easy. Most roads are often bumpy. The road to success is one of them.

Simply put, success is attaining the goals you have set for yourself, commitment, your family, organization, community, or business. Setting realistic goals and not comparing yourself to others will yield a better measure of success. Success is relative. What you may consider successful, others may not and vice versa. It is impossible to please or woo everyone. Others will always an opinion of why X or Y is not successful enough. If you listen to all the critics, you will never feel satisfied with your own success.

The path to success requires hard work, belief in one self, committment, perseverance, passion, and determination. In rare cases, luck shows up!

“The lottery is great, because it’s easy. Not certain, but easy. If you win, the belief goes, you’re done. Medical school is great because it’s certain. Not easy, but certain. If you graduate, the belief goes, you’re done. Most people are searching for a path to success that is both easy and certain. Most paths are neither.” -Seth Godin

If you are looking for both easy and certain, you may be limiting yourself and your abilities too much. If you are looking for easy, you are being unrealistic, perhaps lazy, or way too comfortable. If you are looking for certain, there are plenty of options. If you are looking to follow your passion(s), you will find plenty of options. If you find the perfect fit that is certain and combines your career choice and passions, you will find plenty of joy in your life and work. And yes, this is possible!

Set yourself on a continuous path of success by setting realistic and attainable goals. Enjoy and celebrate each one of them.

Feliz Día de las Madres: 2011

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 09 May 2011 01:16:44 +0000

El amor de una madre es una gran bendición y necesidad para el desarrollo emocional, espiritual y social de un hijo/a. Yo estoy sumamente agradecido por todo lo que mi madre ha aportado a mi vida. Debe ser un gran privilegio sentir la creación y el desarrollo de un/a hijo/a en el vientre de una madre durante 9 meses. Es un proceso bien complejo y exacto que requiere de miles de factores para un embarazo saludable.

Sin entrar en detalles, aún me sigue convenciendo que Dios es el creador de este milagro de vida. Me encanta como el Salmista describe la concepción de una nueva criatura en Salmo 139:13-16:

Tú creaste las delicadas partes internas de mi cuerpo
y me entretejiste en el vientre de mi madre.
¡Gracias por hacerme tan maravillosamente complejo!
Tu fino trabajo es maravilloso, lo sé muy bien.
Tú me observabas mientras iba cobrando forma en secreto,
mientras se entretejían mis partes en la oscuridad de la matriz.
Me viste antes de que naciera.
Cada día de mi vida estaba registrado en tu libro.
Cada momento fue diseñado
antes de que un solo día pasara.

No importa si eres una madre joven o con muchos años de experiencia. No importa si tus hijos son recién nacidos o ya son abuelos. Lo que si importa y puede hacer toda la diferencia, según mi opinión, es que busques amar a tus hijos/as como Dios te ama a ti– incondicionalmente.

Felicidades a mi madre que es responsable, en gran parte, del hombre que soy hoy.

Felicidades a todas las madres por su compromiso, sacrificio, perseverancia, paciencia, comprensión y amor incondicional. Las admiro, las respeto y las bendigo.

Por último una oración a todas las mujeres, madres y a aquellas mujeres que desean tener hijos/as: que Dios les conceda los deseos de sus corazones (Ps 37:3-4).

Dios, te damos gracias y oramos por todas las madres. Acompáñalas en todo momento. Pon en cada madre el amor y conocimiento de Dios para que se lo enseñen a sus hijos/as, ya que no hay mejor herencia para un hijo o hija que la fe y esperanza en tus promesas. Bendice a las madres cuyos hijos/as están lejos en este día y aquellas que han perdido los suyos. A la hora de retos y desafíos, las madres necesitan de tu ayuda: para atender a la casa y al trabajo, para hacer de padre y madre en muchas ocasiones, para educar y para proveer. Continúa capacitándolas con tu gracia y sabiduría. Bendícelas hoy y siempre. Amén.

Más que una noche de música con Silvio Rodríguez

Happy Holidays Amigos

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 07:56:22 +0000

Dear friends and family!

Better late than never! I want to wish you the happiest of holidays this season. Thanks for being in my life and in my network.

On this note, I also want to thank many friends and readers for the continued support and letters of encouragement to continue writing! I confess this has been an exciting year filled with changes and projects. My apologies for not keeping up with my blog as I would like to. I do promise, you will be hearing (reading) more from me in 2011.

On a side note, I want to encourage all of you to disconnect from the online world (emails, social media, youtube, etc.) this holiday season and connect with the offline world. There are many important people and family in your life who want more of you; more presence, deeper connections, and a warm embrace. May you experience this Holiday Season vicariously in live-human interaction. Avoid “getting distracted” or “semi-engaging” the world events and festivities via the Internet. Forget posting “where you are,” “what your are doing,” or “what your status is.” Don’t post, but live-in the moment.

It is not too late to reflect on the past year and the people and experiences that have shaped you in significant ways.

Cheers to an exciting and blessed 2011!
Jorge

PS: I am still a bit behind on posting what’s been going on lately and all the photos from the Haiti trips and others. Please continue to pray for the Haitian people. Consider supporting the work of Silent Grace in Haiti.

Attention social media fellows: I think you will get a kick out of this great piece. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA

Más que una noche de música con Silvio Rodríguez

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:40:41 +0000

The following article is in Spanish. If you wish to translate it, please hit the “google translate” link above.

Silvio y Jorge

El pasado Domingo, 28 de Mayo del 2010, el cantautor cubano Silvio Rodríguez, visitó La Isla Del Encanto luego de 13 años de ausencia. Silvio nos complació con un concierto magistral de casi dos horas y media. Posteriormente, tuve la oportunidad de conocer a Silvio y su esposa en el camerino, un momento de mucha alegría para un fanático de muchos años.

En los próximos días recibí un email de un primo que, a través de Facebook, supo que fui al Choliseo a ver a Silvio en concierto. En su email me escribe:

Mi primo solo para recordarte que Silvio representa todo por lo nuestra familia y la de miles de cubanos estamos en una tierra extraña, claro que gracias a dios somos libre para ir a donde uno quiera a ver lo que queramos, cosa que no se puede hacer en cuba de donde el viene a no ser que seas un comunista rabioso capaz de perseguir, censurar y chivatear a sus propios hermanos como lo ha hecho Silvio por todos estos años. Espero no te molestes conmigo.”

Pocos de ustedes sabrán que mi abuela y madre son cubanas. Nacieron en Guanabacoa, La Habana, Cuba. Le tengo mucho amor y respeto a mi familia y este artículo no es para exponer a mi primo ni hacerlo sentir mal. Puedo entender y respetar su dolor y frustración con lo que representa Silvio para él y muchos otros cubanos que viven en Cuba u otros países del mundo.

Mi contestación:

Primo,

Gracias por tu mensaje. No me molesto contigo y te agradezco hayas escrito. Entiendo y respeto tus sentimientos, que son muy tristes.

Como mi familia es cubana, siempre me he identificado mucho con la cultura. Esta pasión me ha llevado a estudiar la historia y excavar anécdotas del pasado al igual que relatos cotidianos.

El movimiento socio-político catalogado como “comunista” es controversial debido a las diversas interpretaciones que varían dependiendo de: quien lo define, quien lo promueve, quien se opone y las experiencias de cada cual.

Sin embargo, la música de Silvio trasciende el pasado de Cuba, la revolución de los 50 y 60, Fidel, Camilo, el Che, el comunismo, el marxismo y la historia de las ultimas décadas. No es catalogada como música cubana en Cuba ni en el mundo ni tampoco es música limitada a una audiencia en particular.

Silvio también le canta al amor, la esperanza, la justicia, la mujer, la paz, al ser humano, la Creación, al romanticismo, a la naturaleza, etc

La mayoría de artistas musicales (como seres humanos y en el contenido de sus líricas) representan una serie de valores que chocan conmigo. Si su conducta o mensaje fuese el único criterio, mi colección musical seria muy limitada; una colección homogénea y un poco aburrida.

Por estas razones es que puedo valorar, respetar y celebrar el arte, sin estar cien porciento de acuerdo con el artista.

Feliz Día de las Madres: 2011

Letter to Obama, Sen. Schumer and Gillibrand on Immigration Reform

Jorge Fusaro — Sat, 01 May 2010 23:53:50 +0000

TO:

President Barack Obama
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

As a Christian, I believe my faith calls me to view all people, regardless of citizenship status, as made in the “image of God” and deserving of respect; to show compassion for the stranger and love and mercy for my neighbor; and to balance the rule of law with the call to oppose unjust laws and systems when they violate human dignity.

These biblical principles compel me to support immigration reform legislation that is consistent with humanitarian values, supports families, provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers already in the U.S., expands legal avenues for workers to enter the U.S. with their rights and due process fully protected, and examines solutions to address the root causes of migration.

I believe the current U.S. immigration system is broken and reform is necessary. I call on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with the above elements by the end of this year.

Signed by:
Jorge Fusaro

======

Our current immigration system does not reflect our nation’s best values. It is time to enact humane and practical laws that move beyond the legislative stalemate of the past few years.

I just signed a petition in support of fair and comprehensive immigration reform, and sent a copy to President Obama and Congress.

This letter and campaign is led by Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR). CCIR is a coalition of Christian organizations, churches, and leaders from across the theological and political spectrum, united in support of comprehensive U.S. immigration reform. We are working together to see fair and humane immigration reform enacted in Congress this year because we share a set of common moral and theological principles that compel us to love, care for, and seek justice for the stranger among us.

Will you join us?

Write your own letter and/or tell A friend! Click here.

The day I got robbed

Jorge Fusaro — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:44:26 +0000

I’ve shared this story dozens of time in the past two weeks. The more I repeat the event, the more real it becomes. And the more grateful I am.

A couple of weeks ago, I was robbed at gunpoint. I had recently returned from my second trip to Haiti (where I heard gunshots almost every night) and was swapping stories with a friend. After dinner, we walked to the beachside in Condado (Paseo San Juan) and sat at the ledge of the road overlooking the sea. We were just one block away from major hotels in Condado.

Suddenly, a car with four guys slammed the brakes next to us and two armed men in their 20’s got off and pointed their automatic guns at us. They screamed, “this is a robbery, don’t move or we’ll shoot!” The man in front of me shouted, “Don’t do anything stupid or I’ll blast you” while repeatedly pointing the gun at my face and the ground. After grabbing my friend’s purse (journals from Haiti, books, and gifts from Haitians to both of us) and my wallet, one of the guys cloaked his gun and asked us to jump over the ledge (12’ feet high) to land on a piece of sand between reef and the sea.

Turning your back on two armed guys (nervous and anxious, possibly drugged) who are telling you “Jump and run or I’d start shooting!” was one of the scariest moments of my life.

How do you prepare for an event like this?

I remembered my parent’s voices, “Give them everything!” “Don’t argue, fight, or challenge them!” “Don’t look a their faces.”

Thankfully, we reacted peacefully. My friend told me that I narrated every step of what I was doing: “My hands are up, it’s okay, you are in charge, calm down, and we’ll give you everything we have. I will lower my hand to get my wallet and give it to you.” Apparently, this was my way of coping with this highly stressful and frightening scenario.

I can’t give myself any credit to the way I reacted. I give all credit to God’s peace, love, and the Holy Spirit’s protection that guides me daily. I also thank my parents for always reminding me how to react if this event ever occurred.

Next day, I went to the police station to identify possible suspects from the robbery. The cop hands me a huge 600 page binder with mugshots. My response was, “en serio?,” which translates into “are you serious?”

No wonder the system doesn’t work. It is designed not to. I find it so ironic that they have hundreds of photos of criminals, but have no idea where to find them. If they are so bad, why don’t you “catch them and put them in jail” when you take their picture?

Our flawed system gave a whole new meaning to that game we all played when we were kids. Remember playing cops and robbers? Catch the robbers and then set them free. Play again. Catch. Release. Have fun and be entertained. Pathetic!

Vincent Laforet Visuals

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:20:56 +0000

Vincent’s latest demo reel is visual poetry. Kick back and enjoy 2 1/2 minutes of goodness. All shot with Canon HDDSLR cameras.

04•2010•REEL from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Coming in a couple of days: Recap and photos from my last trip to Haiti.

Haiti #4: Leaving to Port-Au-Prince again today!

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:03:50 +0000

You might be wondering, why so many updates on Haiti? April 12th, will mark 3 months after the earthquake struck on January 12th. Media outlets have many other “news” to broadcast and Haiti has lost center stage. Many people have made generous donations, but the restoration of Haiti, will take a lot more money and a longer time commitment.

The living conditions are terrible. Some areas and tent cities are far worse than they were last month. The rainy season has destroyed communities and tent cities, once again, displacing the displaced. There is a growing concern for sanitation, medical aid, and safety. This issues and hunger are still considered emergency issues in need of emergency assistance.

After returning from my first trip to Haiti in February, my life has become quite busy planning, working, and mobilizing. There are new updates on life (recently became an uncle to twins) and word (more to come soon!). It’s been tough to catch up with friends, supporters, and family. There is much to report and share. Stay tuned…I will try to write more posts on my blog to keep you updated.

Leaving today: April 1, 2010

Early morning, I’m going to join a team of friends from Puerto Rico, including Andrea Perez, Mitzy Rivera, and Pastor Eliacim. I’ll be on the same airplane with a team of 14 Puerto Rican doctors. Andrea and Eliacim have been in Haiti since Monday, setting up the clinic and meeting other members of the team coming via Dominican Republic. Eliacim’s ministry filled a 43 feet container at full capacity!! The container includes tons of food, water, medicines, relief aid, clothing, and 552 tents. As you all know, the rainy season in Haiti is rough and has severely affected the relief work on the ground. You can see a video interview (Anderson Cooper interviews Sean Penn) where Penn talks about a tent city with 45,000+ people.

In my previous visit, it was difficult to witness the horrendous living conditions. The photos and videos on the media do no justice to the realities on the ground. It is FAR WORSE than you think it is. Therefore, the HELP IS FAR MORE important now than it was at thte beginning.

My commitment, along with Andrea Perez (good friend, servant-leader, and missionary) is to keep Haiti on the radar so the people receive the help and the resources necessary to get back on their feet and THRIVE, NOT JUST SURVIVE. We want to fuel sustainable change in Haiti. There are visions, ideas, and plans in motion. You will hear more about it all in due time. For the moment, we covet your prayers and support. If you want to get involved email us.

Below are more photos from the first trip:

Funeral at Carrefour

Local teenagers at La Lycee Petion, now a football field behind the Cathedral in Port-Au-Prince.

When you feel a 4.8 quake at 1:30am followed by a 4.7 just ten minutes later, you want to sleep outdoors. Just in case.

Happy kids in Leogane.

Village life in Leogane.

Downtown Port-Au-Prince.

Nathan “Flutebox” Lee and Beardyman @ Google, London

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:47:45 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3kyNGVK-hI

Fun’artsy Fridays is a new experiment in my blog to showcase creativity and innovation. I don’t know about you, but when Friday comes around--after a good and productive week--I am ready to have fun, play, and rest. Good art and out-of-the-box creativity gets me into this mood and inspires me greatly. Every Friday, Life’s for Sharing will feature a video that showcases human creativity through movement, music, and visual arts.

Email me with ideas and suggestions.

Stuck in a Moment: Good or Not?

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:51:36 +0000

What if “getting stuck” is not such a bad thing? We all get stuck in a moment–sooner or later–and often quite frequently. These moments could be crossroads in life, projects at work or school, or decisions involving other people. Perhaps you get stuck in deciding among the many choices at the supermarket or the video store. Or when tackling a crossword puzzle or trivia question. Or when making a moral or ethical decision.

People get stuck for a number of reasons, some more significant than others.

Unfortunately, getting stuck does not sit well with most people, especially leaders, managers, and over-achievers. It is seen as unproductive, ineffective, and undetermined. Many even choose to remain quietly stuck to avoid criticism from others.

Truth is, everyone gets stuck, quite frequently.

Popular wisdom urges people to get unstuck ASAP and get on with their lives. It cheers people with phrases like, “you can do it!” or “get on it!” However, popular wisdom rarely asks the question: Why am I stuck and what can I learn from this moment?

This question has everything to do with how you live your life and how you face moments when you get stuck. If you have a learning and humble attitude towards life you are more likely to find value and gain wisdom from these moments. If you rush through experiences or cover your least favorite moments with “denial,” “pride,” “stubbornness,” or “temporary distractions,” you will miss out, on all the wise lessons to learn from the moment.

The moment is not your enemy. Sometimes it’s good to be stuck there for a little while. Rushing to get out can rob you of the value of being stuck in that moment. Those are the times that will help you understand yourself better, shine light on your beliefs, and examine your actions and behaviors. I like to look at these moments as pit-stops in the journey of life.

Embrace the moments you get stuck in. Life happens in these moments.

Next time you get stuck, consider the following:

Think and reflect: Explore and learn more about yourself.
Rest: Refuel, refocus, renew your energy, and obtain clarity.
Pray: What is the divine purpose in and of this moment? What does God want to convey to me? “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God (through prayer), who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).”
Ask for help or accept the help of a friend or family member. We are human beings, created to help one another and not do everything on our own.
Journal your way through it. Keeping notes during and after help you translate the experience into wisdom and internalize it.

When I get stuck, I like to pray and ask God to give me the wisdom to know what got me here and what He is trying to teach me. I live my life with the assurance that God is in control of my life and His purpose(s) for my life are the best. I know that my life is “a work in progress” and the moments I get stuck-in are learning moments.

We are refined in the moments of life. Next time you feel stuck ask yourself: Why am I stuck and what can I learn from this moment?

The last verses of the classic U2 song, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” remind us that moments come and go. Embrace the moments, but don’t let the moments rule over you.

“And if the night runs over
And if the day won’t last
And if your way should falter
Along the stony pass
It’s just a moment
This time will pass.”

-Bono U2, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”
January 29, 2001

“It’s just a moment. This time will pass.”

If you are looking for more ideas and “how-to’s” on “getting unstuck,” visit Penelope Trunk’s recent post.