Fall Forward

September has arrived, so autumn is nearby. The kids are back in school, and the college students have settled on campus. Cooler temperatures are on the way as mother nature begins transforming various aspects of our environment. So on September 23, the official start of the fall season, I say to you, “Fall Forward.” Certainly, life is going to deliver its ups and downs. When life throws you a curveball; remember, failure is temporary. Find the hidden treasure in a setback and use it to fall forward. Amidst adversity, dig deep and do whatever is required to get through it. In doing so, always operate with a sense of purpose combined with an unwavering positive mental attitude. When I am dealing with a challenging circumstance, and I need to counterpunch a negative thought quickly to shift back into a positive mindset, I draw encouragement from a quote by Les Brown, “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” Always believe in yourself, and when you fall…fall forward! Happy Labor Day! hashtag#motivation hashtag#passion

Chase Your Dream

It’s 4:30 am, and suddenly, I feel a vibration from the universe that awakens me. What is it? It’s my inner alarm clock telling me that it’s time to get going. So, with enthusiasm and purpose, I pop out of bed as I am ready to chase my dream. Let’s do it!

It’s now 5 am, and I’ve made my way near the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson River to take a jog. I take a few minutes to admire the view of New York City. Then, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize my dream becoming a reality. Before I open my eyes, I allow myself to feel the cool breeze from the Hudson and embrace the positive energy radiating from the city. Let’s go!hashtag

Chase Your Dream

When chasing your dream, clarity is a vital ingredient. Also, make sure that it’s your dream and not the dream of someone else. I’ve seen too many people waste valuable years chasing something that wasn’t their true calling. Admittedly, I used to be in this bucket; that’s why clarity is important. If you don’t have clarity in this context, get a mentor or coach to help you find it. Lastly, as you move forward in the pursuit of your destiny, enjoy the process wholeheartedly…the good as well as the challenging times. So when you get there, it will be more fulfilling. Go get it!

Steph Curry Pays it Forward at Howard University

Steph Curry sponsors golf program at Howard University, pledges support for 6 years

I want to commend Steph Curry for his amazing gesture and commitment to supporting the Howard University men’s and women’s golf teams for the next six years. In reading this article, I was struck by how Steph was inspired by Howard University’s senior golfer Otis Ferguson IV during his time on campus earlier this year. Furthermore, I applaud the students for exuding their passion when interacting with Steph. This interaction left an indelible impression on Steph, which compelled him to pay it forward with his commitment. Go Bison! Worth a read! hashtag#nba hashtag#howarduniversity

Find Your Gift

I’ve had many surreal conversations lately with new connections that triggered a thought that later became a post. This post falls into that bucket as recent talks with Brynne Tillman and Al Herrera compelled me to write on the topic of “Finding Your Gift.” Unbeknownst, something each said caused my subconscious mind to recall a quote by Les Brown - “Many a flower has bloomed unceasingly and wasted its sweetness upon the bold desert air.”

I take this to mean that a lot of people have departed this earth without sharing their special gift because those individuals were not motivated enough to find and nurture their unique talent. When I think about that on a deep level, that’s a loss for humanity as we will never know what kind of impact that gift could have had on society. If you haven’t found your gift, keep searching until you find it. It’s that special thing inside of you; that thing that fuels your passion; those times when you’re operating in your natural brilliance; and best of all, you do it effortlessly. So, I challenge you as well as myself to find your gift if you haven’t. Once you find it, nurture it and then share it with the world as we’re all duty-bound.

I wish you peace, joy, and fulfillment on your journey. hashtag#passion hashtag#clarity

Commitment & Consistency

I want to share my thoughts on "Commitment and Consistency" resulting from a 10-minute video I watched by Denzel Washington. "Without commitment, you'll never start; and more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish" (Denzel). When I heard Denzel utter these words at the start of his speech, I felt a chill throughout my body. As you can imagine, I am now committed to watching his speech in its entirety. Instinctively, I jumped out of bed and landed in my office so that I could take notes! At the end of the video, I asked myself, what am I committed to? What am I passionate about? Granted, I've done this exercise on many occasions throughout my journey; however, this time was different because passion and something that comes naturally to me collided…eureka! Henceforth, I am committed to delivering my authentic thoughts on a social media channel twice a week. I draw a tremendous amount of positive energy engaging with you as well as reading your unique content on LinkedIn. Also, the ability to meet people from all over the world is appealing and is allowing me to grow more broadly. Lastly, I want to acknowledge a few new connections, Miriam Tejada, Janine Ting Jansen, and Gregory Smith. Let's grow together! hashtag#nyc hashtag

#motivation

NBCUniversal Networking Event

I had a remarkable time this evening attending an NBCUniversal networking event at the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza building in New York City. This event brought together the National Black MBA Association (NJ & NY Chapters), Unidos, Prospancia, BEN as well as the NBCUniversal Diversity & Inclusion team. Allow me to begin this paragraph by publicly thanking the NBCUniversal team for hosting this event. I enjoyed listening to the diverse group of speakers share parts of their respective journeys in an authentic fashion which left me motivated to intensify my efforts to give back to the community. Thank you Sonya Ruffin, MBA, PHR, Andrew Hamilton, Gregory Smith, Maria Rodriguez Caraballo, Pilar Mera, and Janine Ting Jansen for your messages…you inspire us all! As a side note, Greg…the zoom reel you played was spectacular and set the right tone for a tremendous evening of networking. Unquestionably, you and your team made me feel welcomed, and I appreciate that. On a final note, as I get off the NJ Path Train, I look forward to building on the positive energy that was generated at 30 Rock, and I am committed to cultivating meaningful relationships with the diverse and talented group of professionals I had the privilege to interact with this evening. hashtag#nbcuniversal hashtag

#nbc

Key Takeaways from 12 Inspiring Days

It’s Saturday, August 3, and I find myself reflecting on an extraordinary 12-day stretch along my journey. Consequently, I feel duty-bound to share some key takeaways that I’ve found impactful. To begin, I learned a lot and made several valuable connections with individuals such as Phyllis Houston, MSOL, and Nicole Wagner, to name a few. Next, I saw a phenomenal keynote speech by Shawn Achor at ThoughtSpot. Wow! Shawn’s talk had the audience spellbound as he delivered a positive, uplifting (with a twist of humor), and a call to action centered around joy, gratitude, and acts of kindness. Never in a million years did I think lightning bugs and success could have so much in common. By that, I mean, “The more you help people find their light…the brighter you both will shine.” -Shawn Achor. Also, make it a daily habit to text two people that made a difference in your life how much you appreciate them. Not surprisingly, I purchased Shawn’s most recent book, "Big Potential." I am halfway through, and it’s a nice read. If you’ve read this book, feel free to DM me, and let’s have a discussion. To end on a lighter note, I think I may visit Harvard University to witness the next “The Primal Scream.” LOL! hashtag#harvard hashtag#motivation