Jamaican blog focused on entrepernership, education, and community support

January as a youth was a bitter sweet time for me.

The glory of Christmas with the holiday traditions, new toys, and of course the visit of my parents from the states made the season very special.
But before, long we had to make the journey to the airport to see mom or dad off.

The growing diveristy of America

We would go to the lookout section of the airport, watch their baggage being loaded onto the plane and then watch their march across the tarmac, their climb up the ramp and into plane.

Before long the iron bird taxied down the runway and then soared into the heavens setting off an ache in my heart, and two rivers of tears down my cheeks.

My folks were persuaded in the superiority of the Jamaican education system. So my brother and I spent six marvelous years growing up with cousins in the countryside of St. Catherine.

Life with the cousins was great, but the farming chores let us developed tricks of avoidance, and dreams of the golden streets of America as seen through our viewfinders. We eventually got our wish made it to this great land of opportunity.

Access

We came in the golden era of immigration of the 70’s. New opportunities in higher education were opening on the wings of affirmative action, and we leveraged these to propel our careers.

Today, we are clearly in a different immigration era. The global economic meltdown, the game-changing globalization tsunami with Asia becoming the leading wealth producing engine, and immigration skirmishes and door closures are shaping the policies of the traditional Jamaican immigration destinations.

I was thus curious to get a sense of the passion that drives to young Jamaican immigrant today given the changed landscape.

It was my privilege to dialog with Marlon Evans, who has been a new immigrant minted over the past six months.

Click to listen to his insights.

An Enduring Symbol for the Immigrant?

What’s your perspective on the future of immigration to the traditional destinations?

“My fellow Americans, this is an amazing moment for me. To think that a once scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become Governor of California and stand in Madison Square Garden to speak on behalf of the President of the United States that is an immigrant’s dream. It is the American dream.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Share this:

Do not wait to plan for 2011!

I figure is I shared my 2011 planning sheet; I will have a higher level of accountability.  I will ask my accountability partner to return my 2010 goal sheet and start my planning with a review.
STEP # 1 Identify My Three Greatest Accomplishments In 2010?

First I will start positive, with the items, my achievements of pride.

1

2

3

STEP # 2 Analyze What I have Learned from Each Accomplishment?

Now that you have identified your three greatest accomplishments,
go back to each one. This time though identify exactly what you
learned or were reminded of by each of them.

1

2

3

STEP # 3 – Identify My Biggest Disappointments Of 2010?

I need to be brave and face the setbacks also

1

2

3

STEP #  4 Analyze What I Learned from Each Failure or
Disappointment?

Yes, we can learn from setbacks. When we examine what we would do differently, we are on our way!
1

2

3

STEP #  5 Identify How I Limited Yourself and How I can overcome these

Were there certain actions you took or didn’t take that came back
to haunt you?

In order to make sure you don’t limit yourself again – you need to
bring these self-defeating actions to the surface, confront them,
and most importantly determine what you must do differently to make
sure you don’t make the same mistakes all over again.

1

2

3

STEP # 6 Pragmatically Review the Information I Have Gathered?

What are the big takeaways from answering each question?

What do you know about yourself or enterprise that you didn’t
realize or weren’t thinking about?

STEP # 7 How do you use your findings to set your sails for 2011?

This is single smartest thing you can do to position yourself for
success in the New Year. Be deliberate.  Think about your future, yes day dream.  Then, plan to execute your plans! Promise yourself to do at least three (3) each day to move your 2011 goals towards reality.

“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must
plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
— Zig Ziglar:

Share this:

Have you selected a core value to promote in 2011? Take a look at listening as the core value for yourself, your family, your company or anyone of your associations.
Being a good listener is one of the most important skills you can master if you want to advance your career and build meaningful relationships.

When you REALLY listen, you demonstrate your interest in what is being said and you show your respect for the individual saying it. Listening is a magnetic force that draws people to us.

Have you ever talked to someone and noticed he or she wasn’t really listening to you? How did it make you feel? Unimportant? Disrespected? Insulted? Remember those feelings and work diligently to ensure that people never feel the same way when they talk to you.

What a gift to exercise

Here Todd Smith of The Small Things Matter, highlights 10 things that he learned throughout his career in addition to some lessons his dad taught him.

1. Make Eye Contact—The first step in being a good listener is to make eye contact with people while they are talking. Good eye contact demonstrates genuine interest in the person and the conversation.

2. Be Present—I must admit I have been accused at times by my wife of not being present when she is talking even though I am looking into her eyes. These are times when my mind is thinking about something other than what she is talking about. I can only assume others have noticed, but perhaps at the risk of offending me, they have not said anything. The key here is to be aware that people do notice if we are not really listening. And so we must focus on the discussion and not allow our minds to wonder.

3. Give NO Sign You are Ready to Respond—When you are listening, don’t give any clues that you are ready to respond. Don’t point your finger and don’t open your mouth. When I talk to people and I see that they are waiting on pins and needles to respond, I know they are no longer listening because they are more concerned with how they are going to respond than with listening to what I have to say.

Wise people still practice it

4. Wait Two Seconds to Respond—During a conversation, wait two seconds after the person finishes speaking to make sure they have finished their thought. This is especially important when talking on the phone, because you can’t see their facial expression. Often times they are just pausing to gather their thoughts and are not really finished speaking. If you find yourself talking at the same time someone else is talking, then use that opportunity to remind yourself of the “pause two seconds” rule.

5. Let Them Go First—If you start talking at the same time someone else is trying to finish their thought, STOP and say, “I’m sorry, please continue” and let them finish before responding. Even if what you have to say is important or it’s an answer to the question they raised, show them your respect by letting them finish. I certainly notice when people allow me to complete my sentences without “over talking” or interrupting. Do you?

6. Care About What’s Being Said—This is where my dad stands out from most people. When he listens he really cares about what is being said, even if it’s a subject that doesn’t interest him. He tells me that this is his way of showing people that what they say is important and that they are valuable individuals.

7. Listen For The Message Within The Message—Another one of my dad’s skills is to listen for the message within the message. By listening intently, he is able to grasp the topic and move more effectively into the conversation. He says that most people are looking for encouragement, answers or insights to the subjects they discuss. By listening in this manner, he is able to connect more effectively.

Stay focused!

8. Don’t Change The Subject—When you are engaged in a conversation, don’t change the subject unless the discussion is finished. I observe people who do this all the time in small group settings, business meetings and social encounters. If you change the subject of a discussion prematurely, you demonstrate a lack of interest in the discussion and indicate that what you have to say is more important.

9. Respond By Asking Questions—When you ask people questions during a conversation, you show a sincere interest in the topic. My dad says that most people operate at “the feeling level”, rather than “the thinking level”, even if they are good thinkers. I agree! My Dad’s favorite question is to ask how they FEEL about the subject they have raised.

10. Don’t Start a Side Conversation—When part of a group conversation, never start a side conversation, even if the person talking is not making eye contact with you. Yes, they should be including you in the conversation by sharing eye contact equally with each person in the group, but don’t allow their mistake to prevent you from being a good listener.

Being a good listener requires an intentional effort and above all, a sincere interest in other people. It is a skill worthy of mastering.

I am committed to working on being a better listener. Will you commit to showing you care about people by incorporating these ten tips into your daily routine? On a scale of 1-10, what’s your commitment?
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Dale Carnegie

Ms. Marva Shand McIntosh, founder of I love to listen, an international organization

Marva Shand McIntosh, it the founder of Listening First Foundation and “I Love to Listen Day,” May 16th. She lectures and provides workshop to enhance our listening skills.

Marva’s website

May Your heart hear the joy of the season

Share this:

A Caring Community

Well on the 10th. Day of Christmas, the gift being shared is the value of global good neighborliness.

My life goal is to practice in a contemporary fashion the parable of the Good Samaritan. When asked by a lawyer to explain who his neighbor was, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan was a good neighbor because he had compassion and was able to cross culture and religious boundaries to help someone who was obviously hurting and in need of support.

In a world made increasingly smaller by technology and rapid transit, the globe has become just a big neighborhood. I have had the distinct privilege to travel this neighborhood and be a part of a caring community, Maranatha Volunteers International.

During the past year, I have been in many countries. Let me share some pictures to give a slice of life that I enjoy.

Christina Lloyd , videographer. This job can have it's adventure. Hope that trainer has her back.

I survived and was able to share the moment with kids in Zambia

Haiti one of Jamaica’s closest neighbors has suffered immensely in 2010. Last January, the fragile ground of Haiti was violently shaken, and it is still reeling from the enormous devastation. Maranatha has developed some building technology that allows the implementation of solid structures very quickly! Click for more detail on the technology.

Maranatha buildings are functioning in Haiti

Out of fear, many parents will not permit their children to study in classrooms with concrete roofs. The light steel frame and roof of the One-Day School are the perfect answer to Haiti’s need for classrooms. Maranatha is building One-Day Schools in Haiti and currently 5,000 students are learning in classrooms built by Maranatha.

An outside view of the one day school

Inside the one day school learning center

During the holiday season, most kids are primed to get caught up in the hoopla of the commercial world. We however need to develop the habit of giving, giving to a homeless shelter, a children’s center, giving beyond themselves. One of the habit I remember practicing at Christmastime is giving away a toy, and participating in a community support event.

If you have not developed a holiday tradition of giving globally, here is an opportunity right in our backyard. The continued need in Haiti offers a great opportunity to make a life changing gift this Christmas. A wide range of possibilities exist for you to be involved.
 $75- buys a “share” of One-Day School” stock”
 $7,500 builds a completely furnished classroom – for a limited time matching funds have been provided to bring the cost to $5,000.
 $100,000 builds a complete campus

At Christmas time the wise men provide great modeling on widening our thought of the neighborhood and investing in life changing ways. We can follow this model and share our blessings with others. Go to Maranatha online and begin a great Christmas tradition.
Maranatha website

Share this:

Never, never give up!

The press was hounding us for an interview, and George Fitch asked me several times to go speak to them. I said I would but never did. I just did not know how to face the world and talk about one of my biggest failures.

Learn from the turtle!

They frame their performance and anticipated success with the challenges they start out with. Most assuredly, with that attitude they are already defeated. You have to go after your goals as if there are no limitations and it is impossible for you to fail. You have to know that no matter where you find yourself – in the midst of a financial meltdown, health challenge, a relationship crisis – you can always make it through and take yourself to the next level.

This gift is an excerpt from Keep In Pushing: Hot Lessons from Cool Runnings, Devon’s latest book.

Gift Giver - Devon Harris, sharing a key principle from his Olympic preparation

Devon’s website
“Keep on pushing”"!

Born on Christmas Day 1964, the greatest gift Devon ever received was the belief that a positive attitude and a “never−say−die” philosophy would carry him farther than a sense of injustice and a heart filled with anger. Devon also learned at an early age that one can either spill tears of laughter or tears of rage when faced with life’s many obstacles.

When not bringing his captivating message of inspiration and hope to audiences across the globe, Devon serves as an ambassador for Right to Play, an athlete−driven, humanitarian nonprofit organization using sport and play to enhance child development and build community capacity for youth in refugee camps and disadvantaged communities throughout the world.

Share this: