I have thought about the type of person who may want to venture overseas for employment, even if it’s only for a year or so. It’s not just enough to be unemployed to meet “my” qualifications as that would constitute a great number of people so in order to reduce the number of potential applicants these are my suggestions:

1. Non Supporting, Dead Beat Parents……If your excuse is that you don’t have the money then go overseas. Also, it will be much easier for the custodial parent to get support if you are working for the government or government contracted company.

2. Individuals Who Have Lived at Home With Their Parents for More Than Two Years and The Excuse Is Lack of Finances…………….What a great way to get out and see the world and no longer at the expense of your parents.

3. Repeat Convicts……If you seem to get arrested every year and have not found a way to be rehabilitated or realized that crime doesn’t pay then being paid to work in a war-torn country would be the idea type of employment for you.

4. Mean, Rude, or Prejudice Individuals…….For those remaining people who seem to hate the world and everyone in it, then a change of scenery may be just what you need. Go and join the fight and maybe when you return you will be a happier person, don’t forget you are still getting compensation, that should be something to smile about.

5. Domestic Terrorists……If you just don’t like to live in the United States of America with all of our wonderful rights and freedoms then working in a country where people are dying daily to have some of those same rights and freedoms just may give you a different perspective.

These are just some of the individuals who make great candidates for the numerous overseas civilian jobs that are available. Depending on your background and qualifications you can be employed soon.

On a serious note, if you are one of the many people who are constantly looking for work in your backyard and would like a temporary change of pace then you should really look into these careers. They are very, very plentiful AND the compensation is very good and with some jobs, great!!!

Employment Web Sites:

dangerzonejobs.com                                                                                   armycivilianservice.com                                                                                          cpol.army.mil

Remember To Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!

While I am sitting here at the computer, Mary J. Blige’s ”My Life” is playing and it reminds me of motivation and how we all need people, places, or things or a combination to motivate us. For me at this stage in my life my motivation is my son and myself, I choose to grind the way I do for us, praying that hard work WILL pay off.  The types of motivation are numerous but the point is you need to locate your motivation and keep it close to your head and heart, never to lose sight of it or them. Webster defines motivation as a motivating force, stimulus, or influence : incentive or drive. The same way you need energy to move your body or gas to move your car, you need some stimulus to move your soul, the driving force of your life. What is it that makes you get up each morning and do whatever it is that you do?

If you go to a job everyday and give all that you have for the betterment of another I hope it’s not simply just to get a paycheck because if that’s true then you are not looking deep enough. Why that job, that company, that manager??? If you don’t like your job then you need to find motivation to discover where it is that you would like to be. Motivation will force you to wake up early, go to bed late, miss a meal or two, maybe even a shower but it’s for the betterment of YOU!!

MOTIVATION will force you to take a long hard look at your life and the people around you and cause movement. Where will you be motivated to today, I hope to the TOP. Find your propelling force and utilize it to the max and never cease in using it, MOTIVATION!!!!

Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

I started to ponder, does my son think I’m “abnormal” because he doesn’t (see) me dating!! And I guess since he doesn’t see me then it really isn’t dating but rather simply having a few friends. I hear a lot of women in my age group say that their children, especially their boys, are not thrilled with the idea of them dating yet my son is anxiously awaiting to be introduced to my suitor!!

Unbeknownst to my son, I have tried several online dating sites in the past. If I can successfully navigate the waters of an online education then surely I can date online, NOT!!! That online dating thing is worse than traditional dating, for me that is. I am not criticizing online dating as I have a dear friend who met her fiancée online and they are soon to be married however I just don’t have the patience to sit and sift. Sit at the computer and sift through thousands of potential mates and pray that the person pictured is actually the person massaging the keys of the keyboard. It’s a task to sit there, sit and sift, check your emails, chat online, talk on the phone, Skype and the rest in the competitive world of online dating. I don’t think I could have said all of this to my son with him being able to fully grasp and comprehend the message I was sending so my simple response was, “dating is not as easy as it seems” and it surely is not at this age. 

When I was in my 20′s I was hell on wheels, at one point I had 5 dates for 5 different days of the week and this could only last a few months as it got somewhat confusing. Then of course I had my boyfriends and live-ins, I’ve helped raised other women’s children back when I had no desire to have a child, helped start and run businesses, and many other things I care not to divulge in such a public forum:)!!! This was long before my son, the information he will learn one day as he gets older over dinner or a cup of tea. Eventually he will learn that his mother was not always the “non-dater” that she appears to be now!

I do however desire to get back into the game of dating, not online though, just traditional being out, meeting someone, exchange phone numbers, talk not text, and be treated to a nice date which can lead to more dates which could possibly lead up to my son being aware of me dating. The thing is most of the “unseen” dates are not ready to be seen and my desire to fully be back in the game is still that, a desire!! It’s going to take work on my part though and that begins with me going out so I decided to go somewhere at least twice a month so that I can start the process the rest is up to the wonderful, eligible men out in date land!!!

Remember to Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

Over the years I have definitely heard of the Congressional Black Caucus but never did any real research about the history of the organization or the many things this organization has accomplished solely or in partnership with others. The one great thing I noticed is that in 1971 there was one woman, Rep. Shirley Chisholm treading a path for women to follow, one woman standing her ground along side 12 men. Many of the founding members are now deceased, seven to be exact. Currently there are 43 members and we need them now more than ever before.

I don’t know anyone personally who attended any of the job fairs/town hall meetings that the CBC has sponsored but it appears they are making an effort and this is more than I can say for many other political organizations. My hope is that these job fairs are not like some of the ones I have attended in the past where there are numberous employers there but all of them are “accepting applications/resumes”. That’s simply a waste of time for the attendees, if an employer is not coming to a job fair to hire on site then simply skip the job fair. Individuals can submit their resumes online or via fax without having to put on business attire and stand in a long line. However, If one person walked away as an “employee” than these job fairs are a success.

We as minorities, blacks, Hispanics, women, we need to keep our eyes open and remain vigilant about the political arena we are in. So many people say they don’t vote because their vote doesn’t make a difference but the CBC is proof that it does. 40 years ago, we had 13 members of the CBC and today the number is 43, believe me they did not get elected solely by the majority, it took others to do that. Another fact that should not be ignored is that while the Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965, Section 5(more info on this section below) of this law remains in effect until 2031 and when it was voted on in 2006 there were 33 members who did not vote for the passing of the this extension!! Some may think that 33 is not a number we have to worry about it but I would have to think that many in the majority didn’t think the number of minorities in Congress would have grown so much over the past 40 years. What I am saying is that in the blink of an eye we minorities can be living in an environment equal to those our ancestors lived in pre-1960 before the Civil Rights Act was passed. We should not get so complacent to think that everything is “okay”, we must remain steadfast and dedicated to pursuing the dream of equality, not just for us currently, but for many generations to come.

With all that said be sure to remain active in the political arena and VOTE!!!

Remember to Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!!!

Coverage Under the Special Provisions of the Voting Rights Act

Section 5 freezes election practices or procedures in certain states until the new procedures have been subjected to review, either after an administrative review by the United States Attorney General, or after a lawsuit before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. This means that voting changes in covered jurisdictions may not be used until that review has been obtained. – Info Retrieved from the Dept of Justice website at http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/sec_5/about.php

The disconnect was noticed after I drove my son to the school, I retrieved my cell phone from cup holder #2 only to realize that there was a small amount of water in the holder that had been the resting place for my cell phone. You all can imagine what happened next, you guessed it, technical difficulties!! I didn’t panic but remembered a bit of advice I received about this exact situation a while ago…….rice and a bowl!! As of now the rice is not repairing this problem but do you see how something so small can reach such havoc!!

My cell phone is about 4 inches long and weighs nearly nothing but it holds most of my connections. Personal, business, education, these connections are all in this small contraption which serves as a help and hinderance in my life!! What did we do before the invention of the cell phone, were we still able to connect? Were we able to think, to listen, to decide, to move, to live???? When you are no longer connected to everyone and everything else you have an opportunity to connect to the one person you can never disconnect from and that’s yourself!! When the issues of life come at you unexpectedly and cause you to disconnect from others don’t fret but take this time to reconnect with yourself, even if it’s only 30 minutes or so. Disconnections can be the source of contempt or content, the choice is yours. Oftentimes is not the disconnection that is a source of pain but the reaction to the disconnect. This was realized this past Sunday when I came home to a darkened house because the power was off on my side of the street. Instead of getting upset I simply went across the street to a friend’s house and PATIENTLY WAITED until the power was reconnected, which happened in less than an hour!  Disconnections will come but when they do stand firm and know that a re-connect will happen. Even if it’s a permanent disconnect you will just find a connection with a new source but during the time of the disconnect be mindful to utilize that time to remain connected to self!!

I hope that the rice in the bowl repairs my problem but if not then I will spend the day connecting with myself and if it does work I will have enjoyed the time of  being “no longer connected”!!!

Remember to Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

Oftentimes we have to simply run the course and be patient with ourselves and others.  Finding the right person at the right time is not easy and for individuals like me who tarry in single land, seeing and knowing people who have found that love gives me continuous inspiration. Because I was unable to attend the wedding I was privileged to hear my friend’s vows prior to the nuptials and I was brought to tears. We are not always privy to other’s private thoughts and intimate feelings and when we are it opens another door to allow their love to radiate upon us.

Witnessing the love of a strong black man for his elegant black queen is refreshing and exceptional. It’s something our young men and young ladies need to soak in like they were laying out on the beach being kissed by the sun. What kind of future will they have if they don’t see the real, undeniable, substantive, and true love like that shared between my friend and his new bride! It will be bleak, filled with anguish and despair if they can not know the impact of true love.

I have other men in my life who are dynamic husbands showing love, dedication, and support for their wives. Hard workers who are providers regardless of circumstances or varying economic climates. Those who are great fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and godfathers demonstrating that love is more than just four letters but a constant demonstration of acts and feelings.

LL Cool J said it best, “See what I mean I’ve changed I’m no longer a play boy on the run I need something that’s stronger. Friendship, trust, honor, respect, admiration this whole experience has been such a revelation. It’s taught me love and how to be a real man to always be considerate and do all I can”!!!

Remember to Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

We all are running the race game, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, everyone. While some are winning others are loosing and the impact on our lives is immense. It appears that many minorities had awaken and decided to pay some attention to the political arena since we have a bi-racial president. In case you all were not aware President Barack Obama is bi-racial meaning his mother was white and his father black, more specifically African!! Anyway, since he appeared on the scene we(minorities) have been more diligent to the effects that politicians and all of their games have on our lives. Currently we have taken our eyes off the ball but it would be to our detriment if we continue on that path.

Many would like to say that we don’t have to deal with race too much anymore since we have a darker skin president, we can not say he’s black because his mother was white, however the total disrespect that many show towards him highlights the fact that we are soooo very far from not having to deal with race.  I think that if we all accept the fact that race will always be an issue and not attempt to be oblivious to this then it really wouldn’t be such a major factor. Can we all admit that biologically we tend to gravitate to those similar to us and generally that first starts with race. If we accept that fact then we can stop making it a major issue and accept it as one of the many things we can not change yet give respect to all simply because we are all of the human race.

Now many racists, bigots, idiots, and other political pundants will continue to spew hate and run the race game especially as it relates to politics. They will continue to feel like they are in the lead simply because they are white and realistically they oftentimes are. However I have decided to run this game by my own rules. I’m not going to sit around and twiddle my fingers on the sideline. I am going to stay active in the political arena by placing my vote and encouraging others to do the same and most importantly by raising an intelligent, loving, respectful, compassionate, articulate, strong black young man! The next generation has to be equipped to run this “race game” and that means providing them information about its history and insight about it players!!

Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

This past weekend I celebrated a milestone in life, I received my MHS degree and while it was a joyous occasion, I found myself asking, what’s next!!! If you have ever read any of my blogs you know that I believe in self-employment, entrepreneurship to the fullest, so my question of what’s next is sincere. I did my masters program online so I travelled to Minneapolis to participate in the commencement and found myself pondering this question on the plane returning home.  I just read an article about young entrepreneurs and how they are impacting the economy which fueled my passion even more.

My next step must stay in line with me being true to self and pursuing my dream of being my own boss. Not just my own boss but someone who creates jobs and opportunities for others. I have a few things brewing in my mind, the mind that sometimes seems to never rest, always thinking of the next step however I can not divulge them at this time because some things one must keep to self or just a selected few!!!

The point of this blog is to remind everyone to keep thinking about and pursuing your “next step”! Never become complacent with the mundane or the familiar but always have a spirit of expectancy to being open to accept the “next step”!!! The next step is not always some grandiose, turn of the century event either, it can be deciding to take up tennis(something I will be doing soon) or forgiving that person who hurt you in the past, or maybe it’s simply deciding to slow down and enjoy all the pleasures you rarely have time to appreciate. If your “next step” is world-changing, that’s great we always need people who are ready to shake things up a bit and maybe your “next step” will lead you to do that.

I know that what’s next for me will be continuing to love me and pursue my dreams and passions, whatever they may currently be!! I am one who is constantly evolving so my pursuits change as well but the one constant is I believe in living care-free!!! After writing this blog I have decided that my “next step” is to continue working on bettering myself in all areas, financially, educationally, socially, spiritually, emotionally, so that when that big opportunity that I am waiting on presents itself I will be ready! So make sure you not only continue to think about what’s your next step but prepare yourself for it as well!! You never know your “next step” could lead you to all those opportunities, events, and places your never thought you could go!!!

Keep Your Head Up and Love One Another!!!

In the wee hours of the night I found myself watching the trapped miners in Chile being rescued after being underground for 69 days!!! OMG, can you imagine being underground for 69 days!! There was an article about the rescue on Yahoo today and it talked about the long ordeal for the miners and their families.  For nearly 2 weeks no one was sure if the miners were alive or dead.  The miners knew thy were alive and well but no one else did, they had to continue to accept that at face value and prepare themselves for the long wait.  They evidently didn’t give up because if they did they would not have survived those 17 days let alone 69. The miners emerged looking healthier than many had expected and even clean-shaven is what the article stated. When you get to the light you will see that things were truly better than you thought but you just have to stay the course and get to the light!!

69 days ago you may have thought that shit was bad and somewhere in the world were 33 men trapped in a mine not sure if they would get out however they survived and are out!! The article said, ” After 69 days underground, including two weeks during which they were feared dead, the men emerged to the cheers of exuberant Chileans and before the eyes of a transfixed globe.” After 69 days of darkness they emerged to light!

Live “care-free” by living joyous and happy. Live “care-free” by realizing that where you are now is where you are suppose to be.  Live “care-free” by learning how to live better each day. Live “care-free” by being you and knowing that while things can be better they can definitely be worse but when you keep your focus on the “better” you seem to move away from the “worse”!!! Live “care-free” by always looking for the light and constantly moving away from the darkness. But be reminded that darkness can be person, place, or thing! Live “care-free” by knowing that things are ALWAYS better than what they may seem. Remember those miners were underground for 17 days when others were preparing for the worse but they continued to keep their focus on seeing the light again and they did!!

Keep you head up and love one another!!!