Exceed is my 2011 Word of the Year

Exceed is my 2011 word of the year because I will exceed everyone's expectations even my own. There is no way that I will be here December 31, 2011 at the break even point. By that date I will receive my promotion, MA in Economics degree, Certified Associate Program Manager (CAPM) and Professional Management Professional (PMP) certifications, payoff my Cleveland State Perkins and Great Lakes student loans even though I am enrolled part-time and they are deferred because I will eliminate all debt, employ my organizational knowledge to advise an interest chapter to full-fledged status, become healthier physically, emotionally by taking time for myself and realigning my hip, travel more professional and personally by using all of my vacation days, and getting my company off of the ground with sales of $100,000.

Exceed is my 2011 Word

Exceed is my 2011 word of the year because I will exceed everyone's expectations. I will earn my MA in Economics degree, receive my promotion, have my book published, travel and have more fun.

Ode to Elizabeth Edwards

Learning that Elizabeth Edwards has decided to stop her cancer treatment hits a nerve with me because I am an epileptic. We understand that it is essential to live life to the fullest taking advantage of every available opportunity. Unlike the other 99.9% of the population who don't have diseases, we both understand the life's frailty. They float through life taking the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years for granted. Elizabeth Edwards hasn't wasted any of her years on this Earth. She has earned a law degree, birthed four children, ran alongside her husband for the failed 2004 Vice-Presidency. When cancer has reared its ugly head, Elizabeth has managed to turn affliction into advocacy speaking at events to bring awareness. Whether the disease is in remission or not, Elizabeth never has this 'Woe is Me' mentality. Though realizing its potency, she continues going about her life raising her children and money to combat cancer. Finally, when the cancer spreads throughout her entire body and the doctors tell her that she only has weeks to live, Elizabeth has turned disease into dignity. Though her physical being will wither away, her spiritual being will always be present.

Reclaiming my Internal Hustle

Attaining a 94% on my consulting practice final has helped me reclaim my internal hustle. With finals and papers right around the corner, I truly need this injection because I am working overtime. Starting now I am working on creating my own communications company. Thanks to the National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) competition, I have amassed over 35,000 words. Though this is short of the 50,000 words mandated to win, this is the farthest I have gone in my four years competing. This abundance of material enables me to produce short stories under my new company's name. Make no mistake: With my newly found hustle, I am closing 2010 on a big note and 2011 will be legendary!

I Love All of You!

I know that I have been off of my blog for over two months but it has been an extremely productive period for me. I thank everyone for his and her well wishes! Love!

Week One in Econometrics

The instructor overdid it by lecturing the entire three hours straight! We had to beg him for a break. Also it was totally unnecessary to start the course with calculus II-III and linear algebra overview. That made me glad that I took all of those requisite math classes and AU graduate school courses else I would had dropped econometrics immediately! Actually, while others scrambled I was thankful for the opportunity to refresh my math and statistical knowledge because this semester I am studying advanced statistics and next semester I will return take another econometrics course. If I could survive the math review certainly I can thrive next week's simple regression lesson!

In Relationships Everyone Makes Deposits

I responded to a blogger's love versus security question. Knowing that I would piss her off because I take love, I answer love is secure. She snaps Love is not secure-wtf. Oh well, I am not the only one because she then replies that many of her respondents would pick love over security, too. There are too many people especially women in relationships for money. These become abusive because they cannot leave once they sour. Having your own money enables women to exit. When someone loves you, you always feel secure. Finally, good relationships occur when every one makes deposits. Bringing something into this relationship ensures its longevity.

Resilience

The word resilience has been stuck into my brain ever since returning from the funeral. I do not really know why but I do think that this has something to do with my mother's comments about my travel planning on such short notice. After telling her that by flying out of another airport, I am able to afford both flight and hotel, she says that I am very knowledgeable of travel sites. I have applied this to my life and realize the importance rebounding and shifting gears. These traits have been very helpful in my life.

Four-Month Milestone

Today marks four-month milestone of my starting project management. Since April 16, 2010 I have taken project management applications, MS Project 2007, project management fundamentals and am currently enrolled in Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification 1 course which I will finish by the end of August. I am so happy at the progress that I have made.

Proactivity Blog Entry #12: Making Headway

This morning I score 92% on my project management applications final. Completing my third class gives me a project management citation increasing my promotional potential. Furthermore, I have just learned that I have received another interview to display my newly acquired knowledge. Having this kind of good fortune makes me happy that I have enrolled in supervision II because now I can use all of this knowledge to ace my upcoming interview.

Proactivity Blog #11: My Actions are Receiving positive feedback!

After the interviewer mentions my project management coursework, I start realizing that I am going in the right direction. This is a good feeling especially since I have been enrolled in project management courses since April. Currently, I am wrapping up my third class this week giving me a citation! In addition, I will enroll in my second supervision class. The interviewer's feedback is a huge motivator for me since I am seeking a promotion! Hopefully, it will materialize soon!

The NBA Hall of Famers are Right to Call Out LeBron!

Michael Jordan and Ervin 'Magic' Johnson are absolutely right for calling out LeBron James as a follower who does not have the heart to compete against his other NBA rivals! One, LeBron will not win a ring in Miami for three reasons: 1) he is no longer the leader who cannot make 100% of the decisions, 2) in between him, D. Wade and Chris Bosh there are too many egos on this team and 3) friends and business do not mix. Unlike Yahoo! Sports blogger Trey Kerby who has neither won a literary award nor won a championship, Jordan and Magic are not complaining. These two men have 10 championship rings to LeBron's 0 rings! Furthermore, when MJ arrived in Chicago, the Bulls were not contenders. He made them one by winning 6 titles! Moreover, both MJ and Magic are astute businessmen. This commonality directly derives from them not quitting when things go bad! Magic Johnson has amassed a $500 million dollar business empire. Michael Jordan's staying in Chicago has taught him to stick it out in the hypercompetitive business world. This is the reason why Jordan now owns his own NBA franchise the Charlotte Bobcats! This translates into money or in James' case the loss of money. This week it has been reported that James is no longer a top-3 endorser slipping to #4. This is crucial because companies will not pay as much for him as a follower versus LeBron as a leader. Dwayne will get all of the money! I doubt that LeBron will ever make it to this MJ's and Magic's sports and business levels because he has bailed out of a tough situation. This character trait reappears in business. Finally, what MJ and Magic think about LeBron matters because it leads to my third point: NBA Hall of Fame entry. Current Hall of Famers determine future Hall of Famers. If MJ and Magic words are any indication, LeBron James will not receive enough votes for entry. In between, the loss of respect, money and Hall of Fame status, there is no way LeBron will ever win a championship or recapture the credibility everyone once had in him!

LeBron's Cowardice Will Never Win a Championship in Miami

LeBron has made a very, very bad career decision by going to the Miami Heat that will have career implications for four reasons. First, is the Shaq factor. Dwayne Wade has not won a championship without Shaquille O'Neal; whereas, Kobe has won two NBA championships. Wade is the catalyst for the Miami Heat so if he cannot get over the hump, how will LeBron James and Chris Bosh? Second, LeBron James will never be considered a first-round NBA Hall of Famer because he jumped shipped. Look at Kobe Bryant. Even when things were bad, he stayed in LA helping the Lakers win two more championships. The same with Tim Duncan staying with San Antonio winning 4 championships. From a historical point, look at Michael Jordan staying with Chicago winning 6 championships; Larry Bird staying with Boston winning 4 championships; and. Magic Johnson staying with the Los Angeles Lakers staying winning 4 championships. There is no way that the voters would send LeBron to the Hall of Fame after pulling this stunt. Third, I knew that when Chris Bosh was interviewing for ESPN instead of Wade, that there would be problems in paradise because now he thought that he was at the level as Dwayne and LeBron. Chris was never an All-Star starter. Now he thinks that he is at their level and going to get plays drawn up for them? That's three directionless prima donnas in Miami versus a cohesive Los Angeles Lakers team? I reside in Washington, DC and have seen how Gilbert Areans, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison have fizzled going up against Cleveland. I am taking Kobe over Dwayne, LeBron and Chris. Finally, LeBron cannot function well in a subordinate position. He is used to being the 'King' for seven years and celebrated as this generation's Michael Jordan. Now he has relegated himself to the Scottie Pippen role. This is not going to work. It is a train wreck waiting to happen!

Career Management: Passing the Supervision Fundamentals Exam

Yippee! I have just scored 86% on my supervision fundamentals final exam. This is the first step towards becoming a manager. Becoming a Senior Executive Series (SES) is my career objectives, and, this course has opened my eyes towards evolving into one. Now I will update my resume and enroll in the second supervision applications course this July 14th.

DC's Sad Social Commentary

It says something about Delegate Eleanor Norton and Mayor Adrian Fenty when they can promote medicinal marijuana but not statehood. I am glad that this is an election year because they have a lot of explaining to do!

Letting Go and Letting God

This morning Mary J. Blige has tweeted two very good messages on being your own person. The first is "Try not to run the race that every one else does because there is no leadership or peace in that race." I truly identify with this sentiment because with everything from the right to die to assisted suicide debates to the Tea Party rants becoming overtly political here in DC, I am officially done with it. Once you close the door, it is over and now you must start reclaiming your inner peace. There is a bitterness here when people try to call you stupid and assassinate your character when you disagree. Look no further than Keith Olbermann who rips people's character whenever someone disagrees with him. Though I am a Democrat, this is not the way to respond to someone. Civil discourse has gone the way of the dinosaur. In my own way, I have reached back to get it for myself.

The second is " Things always turn out better when we follow our own intuition not what some me else thinks or believes." Running at my own pace has helps me deal with a lot things here. Actually, intuition is my internal compass guiding me through life. I listened to it when I decided to intern in Washington, DC during my junior year; traveled to London, England during my Cleveland State University Accelerated MBA Program; and relocated here to Washington, DC to work in my major. I can always count on myself so there is no problem with listening to my inner voice.

Positivity=Productivity

This is the fifth week of my project management classes and in two weeks I will be on the cusp of completing the first leg of my two-step of the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification journey. After June 4th, I will enroll in project management applications and in six more weeks I will qualify to sit for the organizational tips that will help me personally and professionally. I can prioritize my tasks in order of importance. This enables me to increase productivity. Furthermore, I learn that the Department has two project management programs. Completing the certification positions me for headquarters promotions. I will reap a lot of benefits. Combining my PMP certification with my Aspiring Leaders Development Program experience, I am thinking of hanging out my own shingle by starting my own business. Possessing the adequate background and experience, I will be a success!

Proactivity Blog Entry #10: Living My Life on My Own Terms

Today is the first day of daylight savings time, I am awake all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Also I realize that I do not owe anyone any explanation for anything. I will simply start living my life uninterrupted. Channeling all of my energy into receiving my promotion and being a better person every day enables me to be further along this year than last. Each day I want to accomplish something significant and by focusing on myself, I will be more beneficial to everyone around me. This newfound feeling of serenity comes from some developments that force me to reexamine everything. I realize that I will be not just okay but better afterwards. So hit me with your best shot! I can take it!

Proactivity Blog Entry #9: Premonitions of Good Fortune

Sometime a while ago, I had this premonition that I should put my black sweater and Ann Taylor slacks in the dry cleaners because something good will happen to me; and, that Friday I received a phone call scheduling me for an interview. It was amazing because I did not know where it came. I aced the economist interview and sometime later that week, I received another email for the second statistician position. It just seemed that everything was coming together two weeks after four feet of snow froze everything. However, this good fortune was not mere happenstance but a whole season of hard work. In 2009, I enrolled in summer school to complete the six statistics credits to qualify for the statistician position. I realize that combining my mathematics credits, I also qualify for the mathematical statistician occupation. I was happy that now I was eligible for three mission-critical occupations; thus, giving me three avenues towards becoming a Senior Executive Series worker. Receiving this promotion was the first step towards achieving one of my career objectives, and, something told me when the time was right another premonition would come my way.

Proactivity Blog Entry #8: Being a Blessing

This week while doing my taxes I realize that I will receive the largest refund of my entire working life. This directly derives from my Dress from Success donations. When I was donating my ill-fitting shoes, I wanted them to go to women wearing a size 12AA. It was rough finding shoes for 12 narrow. The organization would give them to poor women wanting to work, earn a livable wage and feed their families. I did not think that putting them on EBay was appropriate because this recession ravaged the poorest people who could not afford decent shoes yet needed them the most to keep their jobs. The District's 12% unemployment rate proved this. Throughout 2009 I donated over thousands of dollars in shoes.

This year I will expand my charitable giving beyond Dress for Success to include Suited for Change, Goodwill and the Salvation Army. I already have my stuff mapped out. This week I will donate two evening dresses to the DC Public Schools' Annual Prom Donation Drop-Off. Originally I think I would only give the black evening gown I would had worn to the Southern Inaugural Ball; but, after learning that I am a size 8 in strapless gowns, I will give my size 10 silver sequined cocktail dress, too. In addition, I will give my White House Black Market dress and three Forever 21 dresses to either the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Finally, within two weeks I will donate some more shoes to Dress for Success.

Giving to others makes me feel better because I am contributing to my community. This is not a single isolated event. For instance, the old National Coalition of 100 Black Women chapter has sent me the DC Public Schools email. Social change is the cornerstone of all of my social memberships. I refuse to join any group that does not serve the community.