This One's for You

Buzz of the Day

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. We hear that all the time. But it's tough not to. There are only so many hours in a day. When it comes to doing things for ourselves, many times those things are put on the back burner.

The other day I had a pretty tough day at work. Frustrated by some things that were going on, I left pretty unhappy. Fortunately for me, I was on my way to my networking group (Shout out to Greenmen Group). It is a group that I started close to a year ago. We are there to share resources, use each other as a sounding board for ideas, and be active in community service projects. We have been very careful about not putting the cart before the horse. "Baby steps" is the term I use frequently. The foundation has to be strong, and I feel very good about where it's going.

This group is something that started from an idea. Something that has developed into something that all of the members are excited about. That's a good feeling. If this were not the day I had a meeting, I could have come home and had a terrible evening. Shoot, I could have waken up on the wrong side of the bed the following day (Don't act like I'm the only one who work does that to from time to time). Diversify. You need other projects besides work, because work will take over you life if you let it. As you all know, those people you report to at work will have no problem with your life revolving around them.

I leave work typically around 5 (Usually a little later). Depending on the day, I will go to sleep about 10pm or so. I have 5 hours between when I leave work and when I go to sleep. To go home and complain or pout about work is a waste of time. Pull out that to-do list, find a hobby, or find a group or club. Get some balance in your life.

To finish my story: After our meeting, a friend and I met our significant others at a fashion show (Shout out to Femilia). One of the designers is a girl that we went to school with. It was a regular old weeknight, but we turned it into our night. We did things that we wanted to do and gave ourselves some time.

When I returned to work the next day, I had a better perspective. Although it seems like life and death, most of the time it is not.

Bumper Sticker

"To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to possess a guiding principle."

That is the first line in the Novel "Ordinary People." He goes on to talk about everyone having a bumper sticker for their lives. A reason to get up in the morning. Sometime that gets you jumping out of the bed excited for the day as opposed to crawling out the bed moaning about how you hate your life.

I think that sometimes people forget their vision. Sometimes we get so caught up in the scenery, that we forget our destination. I believe that people lose themselves inside of their life. The routine of life can make us dull. We need to get excited! We need to dream. We need to look forward to things, even if they don't all come to fruition.

If you don't have a bumper sticker, find one! Find one. I beg of you!

Democrats and Republicans

Buzz of the Day



Below, I am going to share words from a Chris Rock comedy show from years ago:



"The whole country's got a f*ked up mentality. We all got a gang mentality. Republicans are f*king idiots. Democrats are f*king idiots. Conservatives are idiots and liberals are idiots.
Anyone who makes up their mind before they hear the issue is a f*king fool.

Everybody, nah, nah, nah, everybody is so busy wanting to be down with a gang! I'm a conservative! I'm a liberal! I'm a conservative! It's bulls*t!

Be a f*king person. Listen. Let it swirl around your head. Then form your opinion.
No normal decent person is one thing. OK!?! I got some s*t I'm conservative about, I got some s*t I'm liberal about. Crime - I'm conservative. Prostitution - I'm liberal."

I think that is an excellent point that Rock makes. People need to open up their eyes and criticize their party when their party deserves it. They also need to give the opposing party credit when it is deserved. What do you think?

R.I.P. Senator Edward Kennedy

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Part 2

Buzz of the Day

When we arrived at the church where Ezra was preaching, it was a strange feeling. We were hanging with the preacher of the day. The man of the hour. I am pretty sure the members who greeted us thought we were ministers also. Umm, not exactly.

We walk into the church and it is totally packed! We went from being in the back of a half filled church to the front of a church that was at capacity. I definitely was not expecting that. I kept hearing the woman's voice, "Get out of your comfort zone." And there I was, totally out of my comfort zone. It felt good. It feels good to be where you need to be.

Ezra's sermon was titled 'Extreme Makeover.' He talked about people knowing they needed changes in their lives, but not taking action. He talked about how we hide in crowds so that we blend in. It is so easy to do things together, and if we do the right things, we may end up by ourselves. And most of us are not strong enough to stand alone.

When you attend church, why do you always feel like the sermon is especially for you? LOL.

I haven't been at peace lately. Things in my life didn't feel right. I knew that spiritually, I wasn't where I needed to be. And now I am responsible for my wife and her spirituality.

I started to feel the weight of the world on me. I couldn't handle it all myself. You can't pick and choose when to let God direct you. God has to always be at the center....Ok, I'm done. He's going to do the driving, and I'll ride shotgun, back seat, wherever I need to be.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Part 1

Buzz of the Day

Church. Religion. There is nothing that divides people more. I do not attend church often, and I plan on changing that. Don't worry, I won't start preaching to you guys...Well, no more than I already do. LOL. It is a dynamic that I want to touch on this week. This will be a perspective that many of you can relate to. Enjoy!

A very good friend of mine is a preacher. He has been filling in for a pastor who has been very ill. He basically runs the church like the pastor would. Two weeks ago he invited me out. I didn't go. But yesterday, I decided that I would show up. My wife and I were planning to go, but she was tired (She'd been cooking meals all day for her granny, that's another blog though).

I ended up seeing another friend of mine who said, "I don't think Ezra is preaching today." Oh well, I need to be in church anyway. My friend and I were sitting in the last row, trying to be as low profile as possible. As I looked around the church that was barely half full, I realized that it was woman's day. This particular service will be altered from the normal service.

There was a woman who was quizzing us between songs from the choir. Asking us about different things in the Bible. Of course, I had no idea. And there were those like me or those who just were not interested in answering. At one point, the woman became frustrated and shouted to the half empty church, "Get out of your comfort zones." She was right!

In the middle of this, I was tapped on the shoulder and was pointed towards the pastor's office. My friend was there, letting us know that he was invited to preach at another church today. "Do you guys wanna come?" Ezra asked us. "Sure." So next thing you know, we're riding to another church. Ezra is a young, up and coming preacher and is invited to"preach out" all the time. He had never preached at this particular church, but it didn't seem to phase him. We had a normal conversation on our way there. Similar to any other conversation we'd have. "I'm really glad you came today. You made my day." He said. "I'm just trying to understand the Bible better and get closer to God." I thought. It has just been long past due.

Milestones

Buzz of the Day

There were a couple of milestones that I failed to mention. First and foremost, I had my 100th post a few posts ago...I am very proud of myself because I was nervous I wouldn't be able to keep it up. But I've managed to get even more consistent the longer I've been posting. Thank you. Thank you.

The other milestone is my one year anniversary here at New Horizons. I was always confident in myself, but when things started to get really tight towards the end of last year (basically as soon as I got here), I didn't know if I would make it.

I've been very consistent with my sales for the past several months, which feels good. But I tell you, every month, you think there's no way you can do it again. Sales is a stressful job that way. Today you're a hero, tomorrow you're at zero. Gotta keep working...

I have a new goal for the remainder of the year and it has nothing to do with my current job: I want to make at least $1 selling something other than what I sell every day. I am trying to put a couple of things together. I will definitely keep you posted. If you have any suggestions, please share. Make sure they're legal!

Quarterly Review

Buzz of the Day

Hello again. Today, I want to talk about my quarterly review today. Not my review, but our entire organization's review. I believe these types of things are healthy for the morale of the organization. Some people think that it's a waste of time. These are the same people who complain when we don't have things to celebrate our successes.

My point is: Some people are just never satisfied. No matter what. I would encourage everyone to celebrate your small victories in addition to your larger ones. There are times when it feels like nobody cares. And if they don't, you need to learn how to be your #1 fan. You don't always have a quarterly review at your job. You may not have a job right now. Make sure to take time to pat yourself on the back.

When It's All Said and Done

Buzz of the Day

What are you doing with your life? Do you think it's important? Will you leave a mark on this world when you are dead and gone? Eryka Badu has a line in one of her songs: They won't name no buildings after me. Will you inspire, encourage, or will you just exist?

I understand that my career won't really change things if I continue to go the route I'm going, but I know there are many ways I can have a positive effect on society with out being a social worker.

If you choose to do nothing for the "greater good", that's your decision. I have some plans and I will definitely keep you guys in the loop with my projects. I understand the power of the people, and I want to use the voices to help change the world. In my little way. I probably won't be leading any marches or rallies, but you never know...

Stay tuned...

Politics As Usual

Buzz of the Day

I was talking with some of my friends this weekend and we started to talk about running for an office (one day).

One of my friends who has some experience in that field, believes it is absolutely impossible to come out of politics "clean". There is so much foul play, even at the local level, that eventually it will corrupt you.

Even if you are trying to do the right thing, you may need the support of someone doing the wrong thing. So then you start to barter. I'll support you in this, if you support me in that...

It's like those medicines: Side effects may include diarrhea, sore throat, extreme anxiety/depression, and last but not least, vomiting. And you're thinking, "All I wanted was allergy relief."

I have thought about politics as well, but I don't agree with laying with dogs. I don't know if I'm up for dealing with the craziness. There's enough of that within my family and at work. I don't know if I can take much more.

I believe that the power is in with the people. The problem is: I don't think the people know it. And if they do, I don't know if they care.

Thank You!

Buzz of the Day

First of all, I'd like to thank those who continue to visit my blog and support. I am hopeful that you are getting some good food for thought, if nothing else.

FYI-I just found out that you can email blogs to others. If there is a particular blog that you'd like to share with someone, please do. Also, feel free to leave a comment. You don't have to leave a name, you can leave an anonymous comment. I will continue to allow that until idiots start taking advantage and leaving inappropriate things...

What Would You Do If I Sang Out Of Tune?

Buzz of the Day

So I've been up and down lately in my mood and I don't like it. I think you feel so much pressure when you're in a sales role. If there is an issue and it involves money, all you have to do is sale more. To be in control of how much money you make is a crazy realization. It seems so simple: Sale more and make more money. Too bad it's not that simple though.

Sometimes you're frustrated and you start doing things differently. I haven't been working out, my approach at work has been a little different, and most importantly, I haven't spent much time with my friends.

This weekend I knew I'd be spending time with my friends. I needed it. I have a handful of close friends and we do a good job of encouraging each other. And getting on each other's case when that approach is needed. I had a chance to see a few of my friends and it was much needed.

Being around people who genuinely care about you is nice. Even if you don't agree with everything they say, you know that their intentions are good. I am very blessed to have the friends that I have. Actually, I consider them family.

I had been so anxious because I want to make sure that I'm working hard, but not so hard that I become a Grinch when I get home. Many of my friends are newlyweds like myself and they can relate to the responsibility that a man feels when they have someone else to take care of.

Sometimes you need to regroup and you need some assistance. Being around others that actually "feel" what you're saying, you are more likely to take heed to their advice.

Reach out to your loved ones if you're feeling a little down. Seek advice of those you trust. Take that advice and couple that with your own opinions (along with prayer)...hopefully those steps will allow you to climb out of any funk that you're in.

Unlucky...

Buzz of the Day



I was looking at magazine that my wife left in the bathroom. I'll pretty much read anything that I get my hands on. And believe it or not, I've gotten some good info from some of the mags that are geared towards woman.



Well, this magazine was Lucky. I don't know why but, I noticed that there were not many black people in there! As a matter of fact, there was one advertisement with a black woman and one article that featured a black woman. That's it. I'm not gonna lie, it bothered me.



The media pushes their vision of beauty on the rest of us. Whether it's a white woman, a skinny woman, or if the woman is black, 9 out of 10 times she's lighter skinned. Hmmmm?



This is definitely not the exception to the rule. The majority of mainstream magazines are similar to the one just described. I don't like it.

I think the people modeling these clothes should look like the majority of the people who are looking to buy them. We should have more "regular" folks in these magazines. And in the ads in these magazines an on t.v.. We as humans have self-image problems. In a lot of cases woman more than men. How can they compete with these skinny minnies in the magazines and on t.v.?

And then guys (because we're jerks, not jerks, just foolish sometimes) compare all the woman we see to these "MTV Ready" chicks on television. It's not fair. We need to love ourselves, and all of our flaws. We also need to love others for their flaws. If someone can't except you, then you should drop them like a sack of potatoes...

Wow...Great Value

Buzz of the Day

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were looking at the sales papers. Places like Target and Meijer had the sales item right next to their version of it...for a lower price than even the sales item. This is something very new for them (trust me, my wife would know). But with the economy the way it is, it makes absolute sense.

My wife buys a newspaper each Sunday and clips coupons and figures out what's on sale. Sometimes there are a bunch of coupons, and sometimes not so much. We do our shopping at a few different places: Wal-Mart, Meijer, Target, Kroger, and the fruit market. Why so many places you ask? Well it depends on whose having the sales. Many times we don't go to all of the stores because...we don't need to. Wal-Mart is the place that we start, and the rest are very close to where we live.

We began to venture off slightly, and starting buying some of the "off brand" things. I started with granola bars from Target. My wife started with the apple juice from Wal-Mart. And some other things here and there. Well yesterday, will forever be known as "Great Value" day at the Hall household.

FYI-Both my wife and I grew up on brand names. Period. So some of you may so it's no big deal. It really is a big deal for us.

We went to Wal-Mart and bought all types of Great Value brands (that's Wal-Mart's name for their brand). That wasn't our plan, but my wife started then trend. And once we started, we couldn't stop. Now, don't get me wrong. There were still many things that we bought as normal, but the percentage of those has dropped tremendously.

I have a magic number for how much I plan on spending at the grocery store. I take that number in my head with the amount we usually spend and average the two. We were well below both numbers and I am excited about it!

When I was younger, I wouldn't be caught dead with anything that was "off" brand. The thing is" We could have afforded the "name" brands, but we wouldn't have had as much money. Duh... The really exciting part is the thought of not noticing a difference in taste, but noticing a difference in our pockets...The only issue I'll have is if my foods don't taste good. I refuse to buy nasty food to save some money. But if the taste is there and I can save money...Rock on.

It Ain't Over Til It's Over...

Buzz of the Day

There was a baby born in Paraguay, who was pronounced dead after he was born 3 months premature at 17.6 ounces. They put the baby in a box and sent him home with the parents. While the father was about to take the baby out and get him dressed for his funeral, the baby started crying like crazy. He was alive!

As delicate as human beings are, with bones being broken and such, we are some very resilient creatures. Whether it is mental stress, physical stress, or a combination of both, all things are possible through God. It is really amazing.

The baby is in an incubator and in stable condition now.

If we all had the fight that little guy had...

It Takes Time

Buzz of the Day

I am feeling a little weird. I have all of these thoughts racing around in my head. As I mentioned recently, one of my best friends, his mom passed away suddenly last week. My thoughts and prayers are with their family.

Death does many things to those who remain. It makes you sad that you've lost someone. It makes you feel guilty if you guys were not on good terms at the time of their death. It makes you appreciative of life. It shows you how delicate life is and how it can all be gone in the blink of an eye. I always say that someone went to bed last night with a plan to do all sorts of things today, but they never made it. It makes me feel kinda guilty that my plan was to do absolutely nothing today.

Death should make you laugh harder, love more, and worry less. Life happens and your life is one occurrence away from being turned upside down. Enjoy what you do daily, try to minimize your regrets, and honor the "golden rule". Don't take yourself too seriously, but don't be a pushover. Don't go to bed mad. Don't put sleep before a friend. Don't let money rule you or change you. Enjoy every day because it could be your last.

Getting Settled In

Buzz of the Day



Well, we are finally moved into our new apartment (which is in the same building as our old one). It was a good feeling writing the check for the new place, knowing how much money we'd be saving per month with our downsize.



There are needs. And there are wants. The trick is separating the two. We have continued to sacrifice wants for needs with the expectation that our sacrifices would pay off. We are cutting costs and slowly but surely, starting to see some benefits. I have a good feeling about the remainder of the summer. I am excited, rejuvenated, and looking forward to what God has in store for us. I am anxious to see what the economy will do for us all.



I have friends who say my wife and I have inspired them with the things we've removed from our expenses. Our plan was to trim costs and put more money towards debt. With the eventual plan of saving (for a house...and other things). It is better to turn services off and downsize than having somebody turn your services off and booting you out of your place. It was a good decision, but looking back, I wish we would have done it sooner. I think this experience will give us a more realistic perspective of what we can do without if need be.

What Does It All Really Mean?

Buzz of the Day



I am sad to say that one of my best friends, his mother died this morning. I've been knowing him since third grade and I consider he and his family, my family. His father married my wife and I.



Every now and then, I am reminded of the things that are truly important to me.

I'm so serious all the time. I take my job seriously. I take my friendships seriously. I am aware of the responsibility that I have when I make certain commitments and I am very serious about fulfilling the obligations that I make. There are people that slack on their job. People who are not serious about life.

I'm not saying I have a problemwith those who are not serious about life. To each his/her own. I just wonder why I'm so serious all the time.



Sometimes I think about my job and how insignificant it is. I sell training, education. I equip people with tools that they need to be more efficient in their job. I'm not selling snake oil. I know people are benefiting from my consultation. But it aint exactly curing cancer or fighter world hunger.

When I think of death, I think of things that people would say and/or do if they knew today would be their last day. There's that balance: Living for today,but making sure you are prepared if you happen to make it to tomorrow. If both ideas are the extreme, I am definitely closer to the "making sure you are prepared for tomorrow" idealogy. I need to get closer to the middle. I need to enjoy being young and brilliant. I need to make sure my wife is enjoying being my wife. I need to set the foundation for our future without sacrificing my present. Hmmm

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Farris Family.

Times a changin

Buzz of the Day



Can you believe it's already August? I heard on the radio that this summer (in Michigan only I think) is on pace to be the coolest summer since...well since they started recording this type of stuff.



The more things change, the more they stay the same. There are some definite patterns in regards to: Success, failure, high blood pressure, obesity, and all types of other things. Understanding the failures of others. Studying the failures and successes of others should put us in a better position to succeed. But many of us act like we know everything already and fail to study or listen to stories of "back in the day".



We then end up repeating history. Many times we're on the wrong side of it.

Sometimes I Don't Know

Buzz of the Day

Sometimes I don't know...It was a very strange day at work. I won't go into detail, I'll just say this. Make sure you know the role you are being asked to play. Don't get too big for your britches. Embrace your role, play it to the best of your ability, and if you decide you'd like to do something else...do it.

Every now and then I'll be talking to one of my friends and he'll be really frustrated about his job. He doesn't think they care about him...They probably don't. He has a job to do and they pay him to do it. Period. He's not there to make friends

There's a guy that I know who has a very unique perspective on work. He told me, "When someone asks me do I like my job, I tell them when I interviewed for the position that wasn't part of the job description. They had expectations and requirements. They asked could I meet them. I replied yes. Nowhere, not one time during the interview did they say I'd like it or I was required to like it. I'm paid to do a job."

There are the "Haves" and the "Have nots" with a few people in the middle. Please understand what is expected of you. Sometimes you may have to put on a happy face although, you are not. A couple of fake laughs here and there.

And once you feel that you've been there long enough to start complaining about things that are going on...Watch your back. Because either you are too old, you make too much money, or you are just too obnoxious to get along with. Maybe all three. Either way, they will justify getting rid of you if need be.

Woman in NYC sues Monroe College

Interesting New of the Day



I read on Yahoo.com, that this Monroe College says that it helps graduates find a job. Apparently, this woman didn't think so. She is suing the school for the $70k in tuition that she's paid. Do I smell a trend coming?

One Man's Trash...

Buzz of the Day





I feel like I've used that title before. Oh well, no big deal right?





I don't have many pictures of me when I was young. Not as many as I'd like anyway. So since I realized that, when I was about 16 or 17, I wanted to always take pictures. Since I've been married and even before that. I started to look at my pictures differently. When you're in Corporate America, you can't give the camera the finger. Next thing you know, somebody will be posting the thing on facebook... Not good. I haven't really gotten rid of those type of pics, I just hide them, and try to keep my finger down (and my beer) when I'm in front of a camera.





The pictures that I have gotten rid of were pictures of women. Not neccesarily girlfriends...Well maybe a couple of them were. Not the point...I always thought I'd keep them to show my kids when they got older. Use them to bring back memories and bring a smile on my face. Well, my wife found them. And although nothing was inappropriate, she wasn't too pleased. We had a small spat and eventually I came to my senses and threw them all away. It's probably better that way.





What's the rule with that type of stuff? Hell, I've only been married for about a year, I don't know.