I had been in real estate for several years before becoming a classroom teacher. It was while watching the Space Shuttle Challenger launch with some of the other agents in my office in front of a tiny, black and white television set on January 28th, 1986 that I made the decision to return to school to earn a teaching credential. So it makes sense that these two careers would forever be intertwined. When Emi Yamamoto came to me at recess and closed the classroom door facing the play yard … [Read more...]
On Bullies and Bullying
The first time someone held a gun to my head while demanding money, it was not the work of a master plan carried out by a brilliant man and his accomplices. It came in 1973 while I was working at my very first "real" job, a Little General convenience store in South Miami, Florida. There were two children in the store at the time. A pre-teen brother and sister who frequented our store as a refuge from home, they had brought in their pet Florida King snake in a pillowcase to show to me and my … [Read more...]
Shifting My Thinking and Mindset
Shifting My Thinking and Mindset in 17 Seconds a Day Life is a journey. For decades I insisted on focusing on the destination I had in mind instead of embracing the experiences I would have along the way. At age 50 I realized my life was not anything like I had envisioned it would be by this time and I set about to learn what I had missed and to make up for some of what I had lost. I'm still enjoying this journey and I now understand that it was the destination that was important all … [Read more...]
Believing in the Possibilities
Over a weekend decades ago I came to believe in magic. It happened when I fell in love with a book, and with reading and the experience would shape my thinking and turn me into the person I am today. Every time I decide to gift a copy of this book to someone special in my life, I spend the weekend before rereading it from cover to cover. The title is Carbonel and it was written the year I was born by Barbara Sleigh. She was a British author and when the children's librarian recommended it to … [Read more...]
On Eagle’s Wings
The sounds were unmistakable; full size pickup trucks roaring through the streets, slightly off balance as they gunned the engines and burned rubber. Mostly Ford and Chevy and Dodge, with a few GMC models here and there. Not a single Toyota or other foreign made vehicle in the bunch, and this was a part of their message. Americans love their cars. Your car is a part of your identity in most parts of our country. As a little girl I strove to compete with the boys in being able to recognize and … [Read more...]
Hoping for a Positive Outcome
Hope. It means different things to different people, and at different times in their lives. But this moment is the most important to you, so let's spend some time focusing on how hope can boost your resiliency and keep you moving forward. I believe in the concept of hope as a state of mind. Not in the "wishful thinking" kind of way, but instead in the knowing that our futures are bright if we decide to make it so. Do you remember this phrase from decades ago when it was a part of our culture? … [Read more...]
My Pandemic “Gap” Year
Do you ever have the feeling that this year, 2020 will be a "lost" year of your life? You're going through the motions of living. You know what needs to be done each day. You have enough - enough food, clothing, money - but something just isn't right. No, nothing is right. If you're feeling lost right now, know that you are not alone. With a deep sigh, you scroll through Facebook in search of a post you can connect with. Something that will make you laugh, or at least smile. Yes, there's one, … [Read more...]
We Promised Them a Future
We promised them a future, bright and shiny. It was to be one filled with more joy, more prosperity, and more of everything we didn't have growing up. We did everything we could to keep our promise to them every single day. We promised them the sun, the moon, and the planets and then the world exploded and shifted off its axis and it seems like nothing will ever be the same. So what happens now? There's a popular Chinese proverb that says: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. … [Read more...]
Taking the Next Logical Step
I continue to believe that everything we do in our lives is in preparation for something that will come in the future. There are dozens of examples of how this has manifested in my own life and in the lives of people around me and I will share a few with you here. But first let's examine what it means to always be taking the next logical step in your life experience. This concept was first introduced to me by an early mentor named Armand Morin. He is a logical thinker and attempted to turn … [Read more...]
Baby Nicky is Coming Home
It was a Saturday morning in June and I was riding my bike down the sidewalk on Biscayne Boulevard. The humidity had already made me sweat so much it felt like I had just got out of a swimming pool. Summers in Miami are known for being hot and humid, with rain showers popping up with no notice. As the drops got bigger and more frequent I heard the gently honking from a vehicle on the street beside me. I pulled over and looked up right away. "Beep beep." It was Nick, an older friend whom I had … [Read more...]