2009 Is Halfway Gone!

2009 is almost gone! It's time for lights, camera, reaction on your dreams. Get your dream life going! June 3oth was a rude awakening for me but I had to get over it quickly and plunge full speed ahead to accomplish the things I set out to do this year. Though, I'm not where I would like to be in terms of my accomplishments I know I'm doing the best I can.

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it at the Otakon conference at the Baltimore Convention center. Though it was my first time, I loved it. I am fascinated with anime so getting up close and personal with the creators was very exciting. Being a creative type myself, I really appreciate the dedication these artists put into their craft. I hope to collaborate with some people I met there in the near future.

I won't ramble on but just to encourage you, remember that you never make a shot you don't take and life is just too short to not take chances. If you have some goal to accomplish this year, start making plans to begin, keep going or finish it up.

Goodluck!

YOU!

“It has happened again.” “The same thing keeps happening to me.” Are these sentences you find yourself saying often?

“Why me?” “How did I get into this mess again?” “When will I ever learn?” Are these questions you ask yourself again and again?

Do the same negative things keep happening to you and around you? Do you keep blaming everything and everyone else for your problems?

I suggest you look no further. Just take a good look in the mirror. There’s your problem right there, staring you in the face, looking right back at you. YOU!

In the equation of your life, the people around you and the environment you’re in are variables. They change. You are the constant. You take yourself where ever you go. That’s why the same negative things keep happening to you and around you.

More often than not, you are usually the architect of our own misfortune, so turning things around for you, begins with you. Have a mental out of body experience. Mentally come out of yourself and evaluate your life carefully. Is your life heading down the path you intended? Are you being led down a road you don’t want by someone else? Is the destination you’re heading for your dream destination?

If the answer to these questions are no, it’s time to stop and take a good honest look at your life. Wake up and smell the coffee. Once you’ve taken accurate stock of your situation, you are ready to go from where you are to where you want to be, and you’ll clearly see the steps required to get to your destination.

Though nothing good comes easy, and anything that’s desirable requires hard work, remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, which in life often takes time to cover.

A word is enough for the wise…

A Word Of Encouragement On Desires

God doesn’t give you a desire without the needed ability to go accomplish it. With God, there are no handicaps in your life, and God can use you to accomplish great things, if you submit yourself to him as a willing vessel to accomplish his will.

Jeremiah 1:5 states, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

This means every flaw, every quirk you have is part of your special design. However, you can only enjoy your life if you live in line with your divine design, and only God can show you what you are designed to do. When you live in line with your design, you feel fulfilled. You are not envious of others making more money, getting awards or being celebrated. You are happy with yourself, so you don't hate others. You perform at optimum levels in your field. People request your services, wait till you are available for their project and ask you to name your price for your services.

"What you think is your handicap; God can use to get you into your divine destiny, if you yield yourself to him. God made you on purpose to fit perfectly into a divine plan. If you are in the right environment, you will be celebrated, but if you are in the wrong environment you will hate yourself and be despised. What you think is your flaw sets you apart. For example, Cindy Crawford was told her mole would be a distraction, but in the right environment, that's what set her apart.

Don’t change to become something you're not, if you feel you are not up to par in your current environment. You may just need to change your environment. You have everything you need to succeed in you. You were designed with assets not liabilities. What you think is pulling you down, is what God will use to propel you.
With God there are no handicaps, insurmountable challenges or disabilities so when you have a setback don’t be bitter. A set back is a set up for a comeback.

Regardless of your perceived disadvantage or disability, tell God, "I’m ready to be who you want me to be. Be prayed up and show up. Be ready for God to show up and show out on your behalf. Work hard, be honest and kind to everyone in your environment, and sit back and watch the goodness of God on display on your behalf. Recite, Psalm 23 below:

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Repeat the Psalm above till you believe the words in your inner core. You have nothing to fear or worry about. What you thought was a liability, will become an advantage to lead you into your divine destiny.

Have a no excuses mentality; keep pressing forward towards your God given goal. Happily take the hand life has dealt you, and make the most of it.
Be the best you, you can be. Use what is available to you, where you are. Shake off self pity, get rid of regrets, and extinguish excuses.

It will be a journey, but God’s GPS will take you from where you are now to where he wants you to be because the gifts of God are without repentance. There are no limitations or expiration dates to God given dreams, because God can change each and every perceived disability to assets.

So fear not. Be brave and encouraged. All is well with you.

God bless you.

Wanna Be A Model?

Syreeta Smith, Owner of Nova Agency is looking for models. Her website is www.novaagency.com & her email address is newfaces@novaagency.com Her office is located in Baltimore city. Open call is every other Sunday. Jobs with her company is mainly for the New York market. You must have the following to be considered: Ladies: Height 5:9 to 5:10 Size 0-4 If you are a size 6 you must be 5”10 or taller.
Men must be 6ft and in shape.

Good luck

Becoming A Professional

In any field, what separates an amateur from a professional is experience. The difference between a college athlete and professional athlete is experience.

Professionals have taken the needed time to study and gain experience in their chosen field. They’ve made their mistakes, learnt from them and moved past them.

They've done a lot in the field many times over. Now they know the environment so well. They can accurately predict what will happen before it does, and if there’s an unexpected crisis, they know how to contain it. They can practically function efficiently in the terrain with their eyes closed.

They bring a plethora of resources, a can do attitude and get the job done quickly and excellently. They‘ve been there and done that, and they have the T-shirt and the key chain to prove it. They’ve paid the price and earned the battle scars that have made them the professional they are.

They are assets in their fields. They are people any company would love to have on their team. They name their price for their services because the employer or client knows the job will be done well.

They bring their years of experience, problem troubleshooting and resolution skills, the knowledge of what works and doesn’t, and the patience to see projects through, from start to finish.

To be an asset in any environment is everyone’s goal. For many of us who don’t have experience, planning, patience and preparation can be substituted for experience.
If you invest enough time in these tools, it may be assumed that you are a professional even when you're really not.

Even though we may be amateurs, let’s strive to be professionals in everything we do using planning, patience and preparation as our trade tools.

Remember the P Rule which states, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

A word is enough to the wise…

Before You Leave Your Country Of Origin........

The US is clearly a melting pot. People from different countries come to partake of the American dream. However, blending into the society can be easy or hard for people depending on what they come equipped with. I put together a list that I hope will benefit people if they are wise enough to take heed. A word is enough for the wise.

Learn to use a computer efficiently
Learn to take care of yourself. Be able to cook, clean, do your own hair and better yet minor repairs on your car and around your house.
Be organized, persistent and personable.
Know that the media images in the US of many countries are negative and people will use that to judge you and you will have to work to overcome that.
Be ready to take direction or work under people much younger than you or of a different gender.
Be ready to encounter people who were raised very differently from you
Be an expert at something. This will make you very valuable.
Learn to read or search the internet to get information instead of asking people.
Be as physically and emotionally independent as possible. You will miss home and your friends are family but that is the trade of being in the US.
Be ready to act as a "house maid" or "butler" for who you have to live with initially. That’s a very small price to pay for free rent living.
Know many things people tell you they will do for you when you get here will not happen. Yes, that brother or cousin won’t do many things promised so be ready to deal with whatever situation comes up.
Learn to drive.
Be ready to be somewhat isolated and lonely especially when you have to attend school to gain knowledge in your chosen field.
Realize that you have to be flexible with your dreams. Some dreams you have will have to adjusted or abandoned.
Finish as much of your education program in your home country as possible so you can go to the next level here.
In your home country do your best to get into a reputable institution that is recognized around the world including the US.
Be ready to work jobs you think are beneath you
Be ready to work very hard. If you are lazy, don’t bother coming.
Be ready to go to school and be trained.
Be ready to miss home terribly. You think your country is terrible but you have lived there for long and it is home. There will be winters in the US where all you want to do is go home.
Be ready to start with nothing. No money, friends or family. It may happen.
Be ready to have to break up with whoever you are in a relationship with.
Be ready to modify or totally change your life's plans. You come to America wanting to be an attorney or Doctor and you end up being a nurse or lab tech. It happens.
Ladies be ready to interact with men who only want sex, may get you pregnant and disappear.
Your social stratification may dramatically be reduced. For example if you come from a middle class family you may become a very low class person in the western world.
Even if you have financial support be ready to work to augment it.