How to achieve Parallel Progress in your life

I have not always been a fan of exercise. Too much work, too busy, not interested. In my late teens though, I joined the gym with a friend and yes I still disliked exercise.

I later found my niche in walking and then running. I am currently ‘training’ for the Optimist Race against Aids, a 5k walk and run in November. Please join us!

Most books on how to achieve success will tell you that if you find a balance in your relationships (work and home), take care of your physical, mental and emotional health amongst other things….you will experience success in other aspects of your life. This seems fairly reasonable. This is the essence of parallel progress. As my ability to run more laps on the park increases, I feel increasingly motivated. This enthusiasm is reflected in my attitude and my behavior towards other projects in my life.

 Many of us have unstable, querulous lives and attitudes for no discernible reason. A negative disposition and behavior usually has no benefits and will impact the level of success you will be able to achieve and maintain. Instead of progression, regression may be observed.

So today mend a broken relationship, join a gym or a book club...you know what you enjoy doing……you may be amazed at the parallel progress you see in other aspects of your life.

How to choose a path for success

As I exited the bank the other day, some tourists pulled up beside me and asked for directions to a grocery story. I gave them clear directions using words like ‘left’ and ‘right’ which I was positive if followed correctly would take them to their intended destination.

Life, however does not work this way. I recently read a book entitled ‘More than a Dream’ – Prescriptions for Success.’ It was a feel good, simple book with lots of anecdotes and inspiring quotations…so I read it...now what?  Well apply these prescriptions to your life and you will be successful of course….I am not convinced.

We all define success in different ways and success means different things at different stages in our lives. For some of us success is synonymous with having strong familial relationships, for others it means reaching some pinnacle in your career and yet for others it might mean taking that first step when you were told by doctors that you would never walk again.

There are no clear prescriptions for our lives. There are no directions to show us how to get to that place we want to be, how to reach that goal we want to reach. There are of course many books, videos, inspirational speakers who can give advice about how to proceed but for each of us the road to success will be different.

I think that makes life interesting. Don’t you? Today take that first step towards success (you know within you what it is)…left, right, up, down…you choose.

Staying Positive when Dealing with the Unexpected!

Hi everyone

I would like to apologise for the extended period without a post. I was on vacation with limited access to email. On top of that I got stuck in a neighbouring island for a couple of days due to the passage of Hurricane Irene.

Vacations are a wonderful way to regroup and refocus. They don’t have to be expensive either! Earlier this year, I had a staycation (stay at home vacation) and it was fabulous. You should try it!

Vacations like everything in life do not always go smoothly and how we deal with a situation when it doesn’t go as planned says a lot about us. For example, lost luggage, hurricanes, and missed flights – how do we deal with it all?

I have learnt and I am still learning that when things don’t go my way – my best response is to take a couple of deep breaths, stay calm and positive and try to figure out the best way forward. Keep in mind that a negative attitude, disruptive behaviour or abusive language is seldom an ideal or productive response.

So yesterday after being stuck for three days (with some good times and bad ones) our 9-seater plane took off in the middle of the rain, thunder and lightning. In addition to a good pilot,  it took a positive attitude, some deep breaths, a quick prayer and plenty of nervous laughter and thankfully we made it safely back to Anguilla.

I love vacations but it is really good to be home.

Balance or Rebalance

A walk on the beach

I am from a beautiful Caribbean island called Anguilla. I am blessed to have 33 beautiful beaches a few minutes away from my doorstep. I love to take walks on the beach or simply sit on the sand and watch the sea.  It relaxes and balances me. I can meditate, I can pray, I can write.

I have another friend who sings to relax. Fortunately she has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, I do not.

With all the turmoil in the world, or even in your little portion of the world, it is important to have that safe place – that activity, that thing you do which helps you to relax and to unwind.

Even while we strive for success, we have to always remember to enjoy the little and big joys life has to offer.  Reaching some defined pinnacle in your career and owning material items is important for many of us but always be wary of the cost financially, emotionally, spiritually. Those who are most happy lead balanced lives.

I am going to take my walk on the beach today. What are you going to do?

Do You Have What it takes to Lead?

Do you aspire to be a great leader or have you ever been inspired by an amazing leader?I am sure you answered 'yes' to both questions.

I recently attended elections for the National Youth Council. I was disappointed by the number of persons who showed up to vote and by the number of persons who put themselves forward to be elected to the Board of Directors. Most of the positions were uncontested.

Holding leadership roles and general involvement with National Youth Councils, Not for Profit Organizations, professional,  school and church organizations provide tremendous opportunities for personal and professional growth.  Enhanced confidence improved public speaking and listening skills, increased organizational capacity and leadership and team-building competencies are among the benefits of holding leadership positions.

In October, I will hold the position of President of the Optimist Club of Anguilla. I know I will experience challenges but I am excited. I believe in Optimism, I believe in what this organization does and I can’t wait to play my part to improve upon the success the club and organization have achieved.

My advice on leadership is to get involved in leadership roles early in your life. Start small, start big…it is up to you. Just start doing something today and simply observe the positive changes which will naturally occur in your life and your community.

Embrace Your Passion Today!

Passion breeds Purpose!

A fitting tag line for From within Dance (FWD) group – a dance company in Anguilla. The first time I heard it, I fell in love with the concept. Passion truly does breed purpose.

I am passionate about a lot of things…..foremost is my relationship with family and friends. Outside of that, I devour books, I have a strong interest and involvement in youth development and helping others and I love travelling and learning about new cultures.

Passion can wean and it can grow and the object of passion can change. For many of us, our passions lurk beneath the surface. Many times we are too afraid to let it show, too afraid of what others might say, too afraid of failure, too afraid to simply be, too afraid to make a choice.

It is so refreshing when you encounter someone who is passionate about what they do. It shows!!  Their face lights up, they are full of energy, they have purpose.  Your passion shines through everything you do but when you are not passionate about what you do, it shows as well.  Personally, when this happens, I know within me that it is time to make a choice, make a change and move on.

Passion breeds purpose.

Let your passion loose today!

To Be or Not to Be

There are some days when we are tempted to feel lethargic and apathetic. These are the days when sitting in front of our laptop or television and catching up on the latest episodes of Modern Family, Single Ladies or Gossip Girl seems like the best possible plan for our day. Hey - It happens to everyone. The problem occurs when this is our life everyday!

To be or not to be is a question we should ask ourselves every day.  What do I want to be today? What do I want to accomplish today? How can I grow in some way today?

For me these days, this question is easily answered. I want to be an entrepreneur so I am working diligently each and every day towards this goal and for me it means investing in my personal and professional development. That is, doing something big or small which helps me to grow each day.

 It also means observing and learning from my environment and others around me.  I hope to share lessons learned during this process with all of you since I am also interested in seeing you learn and grow.

So I am asking you now - To be or not to be? Make that decision today.