Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT Morning Beautiful people!!! Happy "almost Friday" to all of you.

Maybe you don't like your job, maybe you didn't get enough sleep, well nobody likes their job, nobody got enough sleep.  Maybe you just had the worst day of your life, but you know, there's no escape, there's no excuse, so just suck up and be nice.  ~Ani Difranco

Its "almost Friday" and that means its time to stop making excuses and make the most of whats left of this week. WE are all adults and as such we should be able to handle things we do not like and still strive for excellence. As today's quote suggests, you're not alone in the way you feel. Maybe its raining where you are, maybe traffic was horrible this morning, maybe you were late for work for the first time, maybe you read the wrong chapter for class...the world is filled with maybe. Recognize that making excuses and dwelling on the negative things in your day wont make a difference. What will make a difference? Deriving energy and motivation from the positive things. Instead of complaining about the rain be thankful that you can see, feel and hear it. Instead of complaining about traffic be thankful for a means of transportation. Instead of complaining about being late for work, suck it up, acknowledge your shortcomings and have the most productive day at work ever! Instead of complaining about anything, before you part your lips to voice a complaint stop yourself and voice something positive instead. It will make a huge difference in the way your day turns out. 


Don't think you can do it? I'll give you a jumpstart: "Its soo ugly outside but I'm glad I have my umbrella and that I was prepared for a rainy day!" 


No Excuses. Make it Happen! 


Sidenote: Its an UGLY rainy day in the DMV and as a native Floridian I'm perplexed by people who seem to forget how to drive when the skies open up. Can someone explain this to me before I tell all residents of the DMV to suck it up?? Thanks in advance! 






Love!

In Case You Missed it

Business & Technology News:
News about Google's Naughty Words List: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/09/29/google.instant.blacklist.mashable/index.html?hpt=T2

Introducing the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock!
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/09/29/warriors.of.rock.nerds/index.html?hpt=C2

Weather News:

Tropical Storm Nicole has formed with 40mph winds and shows potential of causing a weekend of heavy rain. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/29/tropical-storm-nicole-forms-will-bring-heavy-rain/?hpt=T2

Entertainment News:

Bolton booted from Dancing with the Stars: http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/29/michael.bolton.dancing.ppl/index.html?hpt=T2

Boris & Nicole Kodjoe blessed us with their beautiful presence at the Women Empowering Women Symposium. Love those two! http://theybf.com/2010/09/29/event-fab-boris-nicole-kodjoe-others-hit-the-women-empowering-women-symposium

Superstar boxer Laila Ali is pregnant again! Congrats Laila!

http://theybf.com/2010/09/29/shes-pregnantagain

Law & Order goes west to LA:http://www.slate.com/id/2269133/

SuperModel and all around fabulous woman Naomi Campbell on cover of GQ Russia:

http://www.gossipcenter.com/naomi-campbell/naomi-campbells-sexy-gq-russia-spread-417774

Check out a clip of Britney Spears' cameo on Glee last night!

*giggles*
Sports News:
Anquan Boldin, Tamba Hali and C.J. Spiller named AFC players of the week. A special congrats to Anquan! Random Fact: he and I grew up in the same area and went to rival high schools! http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ag3BcvWMJWZsTMW2FMeEVo7.uLYF?slug=nfp-20100930_boldin_hali_spiller_named_afc_players_of_the_week 




Love & Relationships:

The Three F's: http://thiswomansworkjd.blogspot.com/2010/09/guest-blogger-fridays.html

5 questions we all need to ask ourselves before we have sex. http://www.verysmartbrothas.com/5-questions-we-all-need-to-ask-ourselves-before-having-sex/

Music News: 
Check out new music from an up and coming "conscious rap artist" named Dee1. His joint is called Jay, 50 and Weezy. Listen below.



I know I'm a day late and a few dollars short on the Bishop Eddie Long debacle but its because I usually stay away from gossip and mainstream media. This time, I'm making an exception.

Here is the video of the Bishop addressing his flock "congregation" and compares his battle to that of David & Goliath.




Also, here is footage of the first accuser to speak out, Jamal Parris check the video where he tells the Bishop "you are a monster!"




...and just for laughs, check out my new favorite commercial!!



"Did the little Piggy cry "we we we" all the way home?" Kudos to Mrs. A for giving Max the Piggy a ride home! Pure comedy!!

Have a great Hump Day folks!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people! I'd first like to apologize for the lack of posts lately, I took a last minute vacay and enjoyed every minute of it. Enough about me, today HUSL Today features a video of quotes instead of the usual single quote. Check it below:



There are days when it is hard to find the motivation to do what you know needs to be done. For me those days happen when I'm in Florida on a beach soaking up the sun and continue for a day or two after I return to work. For you it may be the days you spend in the arms of the one you love or after a long Monday. Regardless of when those days occur, remain conscious of your goals. Post visual reminders in the form of photos, vision boards, quotes and to-do lists to remind you to keep pushing towards greatness. Don't forget to go the extra mile to place a stamp of EXCELLENCE on everything you do!

The teacher wants to become the student, tell me how to you find motivation when you all you want to do is be a couch potato?

Sidenote: I'll be running in the 5K AIDS Walk this Saturday in DC. If you are interested in donating to the cause, click here to donate to my team.

Love!!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people. Happy happy hump day!!

"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability."   -Zig Ziglar


We all have two legs but we dont walk the same walk. We all have two lips but we dont talk the same talk. We all have two eyes but we dont see things the same way. No one can walk like you. No one can talk like you. No one has the same perspective as you. So why do you act like it?? Why do you approach situations like you dont possess abilities unique to you? Why do you look to others for confirmation of your greatness? I have two words for you: STOP IT! Unlike an assignment, your abilities are something you can not delegate to another. Discover your true calling and use your unique abilities to become the best in your field. Grab a mirror and look into it because thats where you will find your only competition.  Dont look to others for your source of confidence, you are your own source! Since you are the only person on earth who can use your ability, bless the world with your gifts!!  

Love!!!

Sharing is Caring: The Recession is OVER?!?

14 months after the fact, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) declared the longest recession since the last World War to be over.


What does the NBER base its decisions on? To make its determination, the NBER looks at figures that make up the nation’s gross domestic product, incomes, employment, and industrial activity.



Consumer Sentiment
It is said that consumer spending makes up about two thirds to three quarters of the economy. What causes consumer spending? Money flow and confidence in future growth are often the catalysts. Judging by the unemployment numbers, money flow is limited. This no doubt has had an effect on consumer confidence. 


During this recession, the economy has lost over 7 million jobs while the major market indexes a la Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI), S&P (SNP: ^GSPC), Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC), and Russell 2000 (Chicago Options: ^RUT) lost well over 50% of their value.
By declaring that the recession ended 14 months ago, NBER takes advantage of the much-coveted privilege of evaluating the economy in hindsight, as it did in December 2008 when it declared that the recession had started 12 month earlier.


After seeing the story on CNN this morning, my initial reaction was "Well it sure feels like we are still in a recession. Well to address this issue, it behooves us to refer to the real definition of a recession. A recession  is the 3rd major studio album by rapper Young Jeezy begins when the economy starts shrinking. It ends when the economy stops shrinking and resumes growing -- nothing more.


To my colleague who asked "how do you feel like we're not in a recession when you're a student?" I say I can still feel the effects. Hiring freezes. Lower starting salaries. Less guaranteed jobs. More competitive and grimey students willing to do anything to secure a job. The recession was felt by everyone.  


I'm going to agree with my fellow blogger Steve Chapman who explained what it really means for the recession to be over: 

We're like a patient whose pneumonia has been cured by antibiotics, but who is still far from regaining his or her strength. Or a village after the tornado has passed through. The danger may be gone, but there's a lot of rebuilding to do.

So the announcement doesn't mean happy days are here again, or that they will be soon. And nobody at the NBER is under the illusion that it does.

What do you all think? How long before people begin to believe the recession is over and it starts to feel like the tough times are in our rearview mirror. The carpet is yours...


Check the entire article here.

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning beautiful people! I hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be. Its time to get your Monday started on the right path so we can beat the Monday Blues!! 

“If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?” -Robert Townsend Today's challenge is to do everything with excellence. Awake with excellence on your mind and freshen up with excellence. Eat your breakfast with excellence. Venture to work with employment...and make like Ricky Bobby and pi$$ excellence well you get the idea. Resist the temptation to only do what is expected of you and go the extra mile. There is a sense of accomplishment & satisfaction you will feel when you decide to push yourself to go farther.  Wondering how you're gonna beat the Monday blues?? In your down time find things to do to keep yourself busy. The less time you have to dwell on this past weekend the more time you will have to conquer the day!!  Sidenote: I'm training to become a marathon runner and eventually compete in a triathlon. I have had it on my "bucket list" for a while and I'm ecstatic to be working towards crossing it off. I challenge you all to compose a list and begin working towards crossing items off.

Love!!!

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

Good morning beautiful people!! 


Just in time for the weekend, HUSL Today is back! I apologize about the long hiatus but hopefully IT has fixed my issue. The worst part about it is that I contemplated giving up my mac for a little while because of the connectivity issues but I can connect now so I hope its a good sign. Without further delay, I give you FIVE inspirational quotes to make up for the week I missed. Read below and see if you can figure out the common theme for today: 

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."  -Buddha 

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."-Mark Twain 

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." -John Burroughs 

"Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive." -Mel Brooks 

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -Albert Camus 

Today's message is all about LIVING YOUR LIFE! It is something I want all of  you to do. I know you're breathing oxygen and eating food but are you LIVING? When I say LIVE I mean I want you all to do what makes you and the people you love happy. Take risks and learn to recognize once in a lifetime opportunities. Obstacles will present themselves. You will get discouraged sometimes. You may sometimes feel like you're alone but the one thing you must never forget is that life will go on. The sun will rise and the days will pass but it is up to you how you spend the time you're awake. Spend it with those that support you. Spend it working towards your dream. Spend it looking fabulous! Take full advantage of all opportunities and truly live without looking back on your days and having regrets. If you ever have to say "I should have" or "I could have" its time to re-evaluate why you are holding yourself back. Take your life to the next level!  Life is too short to spend it miserable, dealing with negative people or doing things that make you unhappy. Take a step back and evaluate every aspect of your life. If there is something you want to change, dont hesitate just CHANGE IT! What are you waiting for? Dont wait for a new year, or a birthday or a catastrophe take charge of your life and live the way you want to live! 


Today's song: Kanye West- Runaway. Warning explicit lyrics. 


Just for laughs check the pic below: 

Love!!! 

"Bear" with me...

I have a few big projects to complete this week. Posting will be slower than normal. I apologize about any inconvenience. 

Love!!! 

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning all!! Happy Happy Friday!

"Try to put well in practice what you already know. In so doing, you will, in good time, discover the hidden things you now inquire about.” -Remy de Gourmont 

(Isnt that the cutest animal picture??)
Today's quote is brought to you by the letter "P." P is for: 
Perfect. 
Professor.
Practice. 
Practical.  
Pontification. 
Ponce de Leon. 


Ok you get the point. I'm sure you have all heard the oh so cliche phrase "practice makes perfect." The ironic thing about cliche's is that they got their "cliche" status by being true! How many times have your abilities improved with practice? How many times have you became a better person just by nurturing your skills? 


There's another cliche: "Knowledge is nothing if you never put it into practice." 


I challenge you to remember the last time you jumped head first into a project only to discover you knew the right answer all along? How many times has a professor called on you and you thought you were stumped but when he/she told you the answer you realize you knew the answer? Both of these things has happened to me more often than I care to admit. I had the knowledge but when it counted most, I didn't trust myself enough to use it.  That was then, I now stay encouraged by taking advantage of every opportunity to build upon things I already know. I trust myself now and I'm not afraid of making mistakes. How can you do this? Start with the knowledge and experiences you have already had and build it up like you're picking players for a football team. If your quarterback is strong but you need better protection to prevent sacks, continue to nurture your quarterback but shift some of your focus to finding a combination of great lineman and great running backs.  


When working with others do not assume they have had the same experience just because the two of you have things in common (gender, race, age, etc.). Instead of assuming what your group-mates already know, ask probing questions to discover and play upon everyone's strengths. Understand your experiences are valuable and share your perspective with the confidence that you can make an impact. Make steady progress by continuing to make effective use of everything you have experienced thus far without disregarding new opportunities to grow. Making progress is not optional, its necessary! 


In celebration of the end of the week, stop what you're doing and do a little happy dance with me. Today's tune: Just Got Paid.

How about those Saints last night?? Who DAT said the Vikings were gonna beat the Saints?

Love!

Sidenote: I found the source of my connectivity issue and its my Mac! *sad face* It turns out that Macs are known to have issues with the internet connection in my building. I'll continue to hold out hope that when the servicemen come next week they will have some tips for me on how to improve the reliability of my connection.

Flashback: Thursday 9.9.10

Hello all,

I'm going to try a new thing called "Flashback" which is a review of the news stories from the day before. It will be similar to the links of the week I do on Fridays but on a daily basis. I tend to do most of my readings late at night and catch up on the different stories of the day so these posts will be published later in the evenings.

Without further adieu I give you Thursday 9.9.10 in REVIEW(hey that rhymes!):

Top News:
Florida pastor Terry Jones calls off Quran burning. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/09/florida.quran.burning/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

Law & Justice
Schwarzenegger signs Chelsea's law. It provides that people convicted of a violent sex offense against a child in California will get life in prison without parole starting TODAY! http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/09/california.chelseas.law/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Business & Technology
Google Search Just Got Smarter. (Is this possible? YES apparently so!)
http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2010/09/08/f_bt_google_instant.fortune/?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin
"Google Music" on its way? http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/09/06/google.music/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Introducing the new Blackberry-Torch.http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2010/08/03/t_tt_blackberry_torch.cnnmoney/index.html

Health & Wellness
3 great travel deals. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/1009/gallery.autumn_travel_deals.moneymag/index.html?cnn=yes&hpt=Sbin

Opinion:
Did the US overreact to 9/11?? http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/09/zakaria.september11.reaction/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Anyone have a bible to burn?
http://www.policydiary.com/2010/09/anyone-have-bible-to-burn.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PolicyDiary+%28Policy+Diary%29

Love & Relationships
Observations about OKCupid's observations VSB style. http://www.verysmartbrothas.com/observations-about-okcupids-observations-vsb-style/

Entertainment
Willow Smith is officially signed to Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella label. http://theybf.com/2010/09/09/its-official-pass-willow-smith-jay-zs-roc-chain. Yay for Willow!

Basketball player Matt Barnes arrested for Domestic Violence. http://bossip.com/283770/good-thing-gloria-govan-got-the-hell-on-matt-barnes-arrested-for-domestic-violence-90210/

Rapper TI was arrested on possession charges. Word has it AXE is "reviewing" his promo deals. (Will he ever learn his lesson?)  http://www.mahalo.com/t-i-arrested

Ronald Reagan biopic in the works. http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/08/ronald-reagan-biopic-in-the-works/?iref=obinsite

What say you people of HUSL Today?? How was your Thursday?

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning everyone! First off I want to thank you all for your patience. Between my computer's connection issues and issues with blogger, its been a whirlwind the past few days but lets hope all of the internet and connectivity issues are behind us. Sheesh! Check today's quote:

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”  -St. Francis de Sales

My patience has been tested time and again over the past few days. It was tough by I remained steadfast and faithful that it would work out. I'm remaining hopeful that these kinds of issues will come few and far between if they must present themselves. I said that to say that I encourage you all to cultivate a patient attitude. Hindsight is always 20/20 but you can improve your outlook in the present by taking your time with the situations that you're in. Rather than rushing to complete a task, approach it with such a meticulous and effective attitude that you surpass all expectations once you complete it. Instead of rushing through your daily activities, allow yourself the time to stop and take it all in. Look around your office, look around your room, look around your car and process everything that you have. Before you complain and before you give in to frustration remember what you are working to achieve. Appreciate your blessings and have patience with yourself because it could have been worse.

Today's song:




Love!

*Frustration*

More internet issues are preventing me from publishing again today. I'm beyond frustrated right now so I'm trying this posting from my phone feature. In the mean time, check out this new song I heard by Willow Smith.




I'll continue working to get connected and you all enjoy your day!!

GREAT morning beautiful people. Its time for your daily dose of inspiration! I'm pulling double duty today with 2 quotes:

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." -Johann von Goethe


"Men who are resolved to find a way for themselves will always find opportunities enough; and if they do not find them, they will make them."
-Samuel Smiles



When I was younger and I got stumped on a problem my grandmother would encourage me to figure out what I already know. She would say "start with what you know and then you will see what you're missing." She justified this approach by saying "knowing what to do is half the battle." I did not begin to understand the other half of problem solving until I realized how important *doing* is. I then realized half of *doing* is the will to do something meaningful.

Acquiring knowledge but failing to apply it to something meaningful is like buying new gym gear but never working out. What is the point of owning a top of the line pair of running shoes if you never lace them up and actually run?
What is the point of knowing how to escape a fire if you dont respond how you know you should when a fire breaks out?
What is the point of knowing investment strategies and never investing?
What is the point of knowing how to take your career to the next level but failing to apply the strategies?
What is the point of knowing how to write a business plan if you never write one?

Make the conscious decision that your knowledge can work for you! Dont take it to the grave with you, put your genius to work and leave your mark on the world. Use your knowledge and experiences to pave your path to success!!

Love!!

Music Monday

In the spirit of giving second chances and allowing people to grow from their mistakes, this week's music Monday pick is R. Kelly When a Woman Loves.



Glad to see him getting back to his R&B roots. Your thoughts?

Out the door...inspirational quote to start your day

GREAT morning everyone! First of all let me thank all of you for your patience the past few days. I appreciate all of your support. I hope your weekend was restful, productive and anything else you wanted it to become. I'm finally getting the hang of my new Mac but I ask you all to please continue to bear with me. Without further adieu, below is today's quote:

If the individual is to be happy in the contemporary order, he must be open-minded with respect to new values and new arrangements. -Thomas Cochrane 

Story time (I see you smiling): I recently began working with a retiree. She is the sweetest woman you will ever want to meet, but her first few days on the job really took a mental toll on me. Because she is an older individual she moves a bit slower and catches on to new processes a bit slower. I must confess that I grew frustrated a few times because I had become accustomed to working with people like me: young, fast moving, fast learning, etc. While I always treated her with respect, it took about 2 days of working with her before I stopped allowing myself to be frustrated and I grew disappointed in myself. I was highly disappointed in myself for allowing outside forces to influence my mood and productivity. I was disappointed in myself for allowing my expectations of others to have a have a negative impact on my ability to build a relationship with someone. I had to stop allowing her inhibitions to influence my opinion of her and I had to start working with her based on who she is NOT based on what kind of worker I thought she should be. Once I understood her, we began to work as a team to make the job work for her. In the spirit of balancing karma I asked for forgiveness from the big Guy and prayed for the opportunity to live to see her age. I know the story was a bit long winded but my hope is that it serves as a reminder to all of us to always be mindful of our thoughts and actions.

As we grow older it is easy to assume a level of comfort. Its easy to become accustomed to our surroundings. Its easy to reject working with difficult people. I encourage you all to reflect when you're in a situation where you are frustrated or upset with someone other than yourself. Instead of being upset with the person, take a moment to reflect on what they are doing that is so upsetting to you. I want you all to be completely honest with yourselves. Instead of wondering what it is that makes them get under your skin contemplate what is it about you that allows someone else to get under your skin. Lets all take the initiative to grow as individuals and prosper!

Happy Labor Day!

Love!


Sidenote: If anyone has any special tips and tricks I should try on my new Mac, remember sharing is caring. I love my new Mac! Send all tips to HUSLToday1@gmail.com. Please & thanks :).

Technical Difficulties (again)

Well my hp finally let me down completely. I've since upgraded to a Mac. Posting will resume shortly. Hopefully this is the last time my computer lets me down :-)