Monday, November 17, 2014

Evolution Of Elvy

I am annoying! Trust me, I know!
But this excitement for my birthday and yes i went over board with the count down (like always) lol. I am extremely happy for another. To me it means another chance to set things straight. I have been through a variety of emotions over the pass twenty-one  (21) years. I had to find ways to dealing the comments of the naysayers.
Over the pass twenty-one years I have developed an attitude of resilience, even thou at times I still listen to the critics! yup! I have to acknowledge them so i can examine myself to see if what they are saying is possibly true. I am open for suggestion; but does not necessarily mean that i will use them.

I have always had some fears; which i've kept mainly to myself. But I pray as the years progress I will over come them one by one. 

I am not the girl the guys desire; I am the girl they befriend to get to the one they desire. That has been my life ever since primary school. I use to think something was wrong with me, until I realize it was them who have not met my standard. lol (their loss) 

I grew out the name granny; for that  I am grateful. People still refer to me like that but I'm more comfortable in my skin now I take it as compliment. I am look in  the mirror and my stellar smile each day gives me courage. Hair comb or not  I AM STILL A BEAUTY QUEEN. One that was born and not artificially created. One that models anything and still look stunning. A queen who is charismatic, cheerful, crazy and loud. 




My friends and those who have my back; thank you.


This is just the beginning; wait until I have a job. 


Leadership will always be an interest of mine! Even if i'm the odd one out! 

I will always be ready to capture every moment! 



My beauty is second to none! =D 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Admit, Accept, Forgive, Move On: Elvy G. Soltau



Admit, Accept, Forgive, Move On 

I have one of the most beautiful smiles in the world; i know that for a fact. When I  take pictures I look at in awe for the first few seconds, then I begin to think How is it that  I smile so bright while my heart is troubled? My mind is enslaved with fears? My bones are weak and my courage is fading? But my smile stand strong! And trust me that gives me energy to move on. 

Like everyone else, I'm still under construction I am not even quarter of a mile through to perfection. I still struggle with majority of things. Some of which include: procrastination, doubtfulness, selfishness and I have this invisible defense line around my heart and mind which prevents me from become emotionally attached to anyone; this my friends has caused many of the problems in my life. I know I am not the only one out there struggling and recovery seem so far-fetched at times. 

I have established four simple steps to recovery I am at step 2. They include: 



1. Admit

State your flaws openly. In order for you to admit your flaws you must first do some introspection. Yes, self examination is key! Look deep within and identify the problems. Ask questions like: Am I kind enough? Do I love enough? Am I patient enough? How could I have done things differently? Did I overreact? Did i hurt their feelings? Am I fair in my judgement? For this stage to be successful you must be extremely honest with yourself. 



2. Accept:

After you have admitted your flaws, please do not deny them.  It will worsen the situation; acceptance is key! Accept your flaws. Accept the fact that you're not perfect and there's also room for improvement. If you'll fail to accept them you will not move on to the next stage which in turn will affect your holistic development. Acceptance make the burden a little lighter and makes the next step easier.



3. Forgive:

"Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it
. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness"- Marrianne Williamson. Marrianne is right! There's indeed no peace without forgiveness. Forgiving one's self is on of the hardest task out there... Will it is hard for me. I always blame myself! Always. But I encourage myself to let it go ... Learn a lesson, make peace with your past and look for the future .. with brings me to the next stage. 

4. Move on: This is stage will be simple if you have successfully completed stages 1-3. If it moving on will be the hardest thing you've ever done! Hoping that you will complete stages 1-3... MOVE ON.

Go write a book! Go play so ball! Go open up your heart to someone! Go learn to dance! Go love again! Go and be free!  

And if history happens to repeat itself, remember: 

ADMIT ...... ACCEPT ......... FORGIVE ....... MOVE ON! =D 




Saturday, September 20, 2014

There's No Self Made Man - Elvy G. Soltau

There's No Self Made Man 

Yes, I must apologize for the long abrupt break in my blog, but due to several factors, I was forced to take a break from blogging.  I hope everyone is in the best of health.  With the new mosquito borne disease on the rise, please ensure to exploit the necessary preventative measures.

I had a tremendous summer; though it was far from what I had in mind, I made sure to enjoy every moment. From volunteering at Effortville Primary School to hosting harvest, birthday parties and graduation, along with being the guest speaker at two events. Bless the name of the Lord for the wealth of experience that I have accumulated over the summer. I must hasten to tell you that I also lost 7lbs (Yay me).

I have learnt several lessons of over the summer holiday, but the one I would like to bring to you now is: THERE'S NO SELF MADE MAN.  Many of us are so egoistic and feel as though we were self-made. Let me hasten to dismiss that idea and quickly reinforce that each one needs one. We are interdependent; we rely on others for abstract and concrete things such as acceptance, affection, financial assistance, counseling, direction and companionship. 

No, I’m not implying that we should sit down and wait for people to hand stuff to us.  What I’m saying is, let us not walk with our tails in the air and our pride in our faces, and refuse the assistance of others. I learnt in the summer that there's no crime in asking for help. I am the kind of person who would be hungry right beside you and you wouldn’t know, because I told myself that everyone has their own struggles to face and I didn’t want to burden them with mine.... Until I realized that I can’t make it on my own. I need my friends to push me when I get lazy; I need them to cheer me on when I enter a competition.  I need them to force me to exercise when I feel like slacking off.  I need my friends to remind me of my strengths when I'm enslaved by my weaknesses.  I need the moral support from church family, and the financial support and positive reinforcement from my family.  I need the critics to keep me on the right track ... I need the trials to keep me humble, but most importantly, I need God to keep me sane....

I must remind you that it still takes a village to raise a child..... There's no self-made man.



Shawn Wilson- Guest Writer: 6 Cheap Ways To Be Broke And Happy

Six (6) Cheap Ways To Be Broke And Happy

"Happiness is a state of mind; not a state of possession" -Unknown
I'm broke as hell. There's no money in my bank account, and the assets I have value a couple thousand. Other than that I have nothing on a church mouse.
My poverty, however, hasn't got the best of me. I'm not stressed out ..., and I’m fairly happy. Well ... sort of.
Reason being, I've learnt the Buddhist art of "no attachment", and how to live within my means. (Hard lessons I learnt while I was in college.)
Here are some other things I’ve learnt.
#1. That money doesn't buy (much) happiness...
...And the "little" that it buys doesn't last.
Studies show that after earning a certain amount of money per year, the rush one feels about money disappears.
Remember how you were excited when you got your first bicycle/...? And remember how quickly the excitement went? It's the same with money.
Along with "stuffs" here's what money can buy.
#2. Big experiences
But you don't need money to have quality experiences.
Watching a beautiful sunset is a quality experience. Going to the river with your friends is a quality experience. Getting a good night's sleep is a quality experience. Having a good laugh is a quality experience.... And the list could go on and on.
I know you’d rather go to Dubai and Paris, and I would too..., but, umm, unless you can buy such an experience, forget it. (You probably wouldn’t buy it if you could, anyway.)
#3. If you can't afford “it”, don’t buy “it”
You can't afford it if you can’t buy more than one of it. At least, that’s my principle.
I can afford something only when I can buy two or three of that thing, and still have enough money left over.
#4. Don't try to keep up with the “Joneses”...
...Because you can't. You're broke. The “Joneses” are wealthy. That's why the grass is so green on their lawn. But don’t forget that that's why their water bill is so high. And you can't afford their water bill, much less their light bill.
Do this instead. Work on your lawn. Now.
Meaning work on yourself: Be healthy. Stay healthy. Get smarter; and smarter. Think big –and different –and hard.

Read More Here: 
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140913065641-335942314-6-cheap-ways-to-be-broke-and-happy
Written by: Shawn Wilson 

Research Assistant at Biblical Manuscript Research Center


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Guest Writer: Sherene McDonald, I will wait for you

Patience 


I knew I should have but I didn’t and that’s the truthI should have prayed and fasted
And patiently wait for youI guess I was too curious and I wanted to exploreBut when I started I just wanted more.I should have seen the destruction and the pain it would causeBut I thought he was the right one for me, and that I could see beyond his flaws.I know I should have prayed and fasted and patiently wait for youI asked for wisdom and understanding but I keep on playing the fool.Abraham waited for Sarah, and she waited for you.Why couldn’t I follow in her foot steps and patiently wait too.I kept thinking it was harmless, you know, me keeping you at arm’s length
I thought I was strong, but when I turned my back on you I lost my strength.I should have prayed and fasted and wait patiently for you, I say I should have prayed and fasted and wait patiently for you.Now, the days go by and I live regretting, it’s so depressing, I try regressingI’m guessing it’s too late, I better learn from this lesson.People judge by what they see and that’s me, messed up, dressed up in the shame I caused myselfThey don’t see the peers with the pressure that’s not bottled and placed on the shelf.I made these mistakes alone, now I must face themI got Jesus and to that I say Amen.
Praying and fasting and patiently waitingI can’t erase the past or determine my future, but I’ll live today
And I’ll wait patiently, and pray, so you could show me the way.


By Sherene McDonald

Guest Writer: Micheal Thomas, Study in a different country.


This piece was written on the request of a very good friend. She wanted me to relate my experiences in studying abroad. I am currently a student at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan in the USA. One of the first questions you may ask is how I got to that school or possibly why I chose it. The answer is that this is just a classic case of making the best of our opportunities.
In the spring of 2011 I applied for a pre-college program at said school and was successful throughout the program. I was awarded a partial scholarship to attend and having faith in God I placed all my chips and made the bet and now I am here. I am currently studying Biochemistry and I have had a wide range of experiences, many of which I hope to someday bring back to Jamaica. Probably the most extensive and beneficial experience I have had and will continue to have, is working at a hospital. In this setting I get to see firsthand what it is I aspire to be and I am able to gather a vast amount of experience with doctors who have been trained to the highest level and to also experience the technological innovations that have yet to reach Jamaican shores.
Studying abroad has the unfortunate reality of homesickness which I often have to battle with. Fortunately there is a network of other Jamaicans who attend and have graduated from the school who still keep our culture very much alive. This system helps in some way to mitigate the homesickness until when I get a chance to visit home again. The major struggles I have experienced in my time here would be transportation and living arrangements. I currently live on my own, by my choice and it is providing that experience of learning how to budget and how to be resourceful. While it could be regarded as a struggle I see it as an opportunity to gain some real world experience and like all the Jamaicans who have attended before me, an avenue by which we become stronger and more motivated individuals.
The school I attend is a bit unconventional in that unlike schools in the USA and in Jamaica, a term for me last only three months and in that time we cover the regular materials the other schools cover in 4-5 months. With that said you have to be on top of time management as missing a single lecture would be like missing a week of lecture at a normal university. Being in the situation I’m in I have been able to adapt (as many persons have to do when studying abroad) and so my academics are doing quite well and as long as I am focused I should continue on the same path.
While the academic schedule is hectic there are many opportunities to be social and so many clubs and organizations are available as well as sporting opportunities and so from those you meet a lot of new people from which you can learn about other cultures. I've met people from China, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Germany, and Azerbijan just to name a few and from each of them you have the opportunity to learn about a new culture.

Without being in both environments I cannot say studying abroad is better or worse than domestic study. However, I can say that personally I have learned a lot from my time here and have grown to be more independent and even developed a deeper love for my country, out of the fact that Jamaica is one of the brand names you can associate with while studying abroad. So overall the experience has been great and despite all the struggles along the way it is an opportunity worth taking.

By Micheal Thomas 

Guest Writer: Jason Thomas, The Elements To Success: Need, Passion and Determination

The Elements To Success: Need, Passion and Determination

The elements to success in what? That is the first hurdle we must clear, in this glorious race called life as we perceive it. In your race, you must choose: when to race, how to train, where to rest, why to push, who to beat and what to blame. In your race, in success, you’ll find there is not really a difference between the ‘what’ and the ‘who’. Success lives and dies with you, not what or who. ONLY YOU CAN WIN YOUR RACE! What race? Your race. Who’s race? Your race.ON YOUR MARKS!GET SET!Stand up.Okay, the race Marshall has given you time. Time to focus. How strongly does your survival hinge on this victory? Is this the best of you? Will you give your all to the very end? You must.You must, from the heart of your passions. You must be like a passion fruit: pleasantly sweet and tart, and rich in health benefiting plant nutrients.
To be successful you must have passion, you must stand for and be about something. You must be pleasant, to everyone feels your presence and to yourself/ves. You must leave a sensual imprint; maybe unforgettably sweet, tart, both, or simply unforgettable.
You must be rich in health. Your health is your wealth.
 
You must go in with the very best of you, fully dedicated, unwaveringly determined. You’ll get nowhere if you ride a half assed donkey. So too your success will be but dreams in the centre of an unbaked pie no one will ever enjoy. It is not enough to think, sketch, write or scheme. One must go and live, learn, love; you must be hundred percent 100 committed.

You must, more than anything else, with passion, and determination, NEED it. It: Success. Success lives and dies with you; how much life will you feed her. Her survival depends on it. Will you clothe her with the finest? Will you shelter her from the destructive elements?
...imagine being on both sides of tears,they say a man is trapped by his fears,yet the brave few still rise... ...they say a man carries his hurt forever,everything he touches feels this fever,yet his love is only to burn... ...yet the brave few still rise.


                                                                        By Jason Ricardo Thomas

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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Guest Writer: Daine O. King, The Whispering Thunder




Listen closely, with eyes closed and lips sealed
For a moment to what must be uttered when all other voices have fallen dead
Listen to the steady beat of the drum within my chest
Shut the world away and find serenity where only this rhythmic voice resides


Your presence gives me hope, your kisses bring me life
In a world marred in shadow your light radiates eminently
And chases all despair away
What man could resist such beauty which rivals to which there can be found no equal?


Words fall to deep slumber when the gateways of two souls merge
Nothing in this world is perfect, yet there is perfection in what I have seen.
A walk which carries an orchestra with each stride
And honey that seeps from the window of resonance



To have and to hold seems almost impossible
To behold is something inescapable
The steady beat of the unseen drum is ever intensified in your presence
Yes this is a secret to you.


Listen, if only for a moment to what can only be said
When all other voices have been hushed.
Listen when wind lies still in the dead of night
Listen, just listen…if only for a moment.  



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Guest Writer: Daine O. King, Dormant I stand

Dormant I stand, in the face of others
But they do not understand when I tell them
I choose to suffer
I suffer much because of my choosing
Suffer to be fearless, to be heard to be seen
It is a choice I make and though I suffer I
Smile with each breath that I take because I know, yes I know
I chose it, not you, no not you, I chose it.
The rain beats down in thunders that make my cries
Seem like a distant whisper in a forested zone
But still amidst all this I stiff choose to suffer
For within this zone there is more than meets the eye
There is pain yes, but there is also joy
Joy in the endless strains that tug and cut
At my very soul to the point that the life within my veins begin to pour like falling rain
Intangible storms, storms that swirl and
Threaten the very existence of that which makes life worth living.
Still I choose to suffer
Because choosing otherwise would be like feeding ice cream
To a lactose-intolerant kid, or training a dog to sing
My suffering is pivotal to my existence and if you
Take it away and I’m made to suffer no more
Then life would cease and sanity would decrease
Yes decrease to the point of trivialities
Boundless desires with sweetest deaths
Yes I choose to suffer because this is the way it is supposed to be

By Daine O. King 


Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The Greatest Room: By, Elvy Soltau

"The Greatest Room is the Room for Improvement “. I stumbled upon this quote while attending Denbigh High, I forgot the author’s name but Mrs. Palmer use to write quotes on the notice board at school and I’d read all of them. I grew fond of this one because of the truth that it spoke clearly!
 Growth is a continuous process, there’s always something new we want to try, something new we want to learn or something we didn't get to do in our lifetime that we're still desirous of participating in. This blog post develops from a commentary that one of my best friends made on the previous one entitled “Self Doubt”. He didn't like the idea that I was letting the world know I was a chronic procrastinator/underachiever.  The idea of that blog post wasn't to celebrate my flaws but rather identify them and connect with my audience to show that they’re not alone with these struggles. Never did I imply that I wasn't successful, if I did such thing I would be what Jamaicans call “ungrateful wretch”. What I stated though is that there’s more that can be done, especially in my academic pursuits; but, because of ‘self-doubt’ development is stunted.
I have come a far way where achievements are concerned; I graduated as valedictory in 1999 from the Effortville Basic School also collecting the award for best attendance. In grade nine, I was awarded by Mrs. J. Richards the Most enthusiastic student moving on to the tenth grade I ended up with four awards at the prize giving ceremony: Top performance in Food and Nutrition, outstanding achievement in Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Social studies and the follow year outstanding achievement is Mathematics, Social Studies, Food and Nutrition and Home Economics. During that same year in graduation I was award Joan L. Wint award for most disciplined student and outstanding performances in home economics and Information Technology. I am currently studying at Northern Caribbean University where I was awarded most outstanding sophomore. My greatest achievement though, is making it out of my teen years enrolled in a University and not with a child. I've served in leadership capacities and on several committees; I have achieved, but what I was saying is that there’s so much more to be done or that can be done. In other words there’s room for improvement, but because of emotional constrains such as self- doubt it has been a slow and monotonous process. 
We all can achieve more if we stop doubting ourselves. Do you think you’re at your optimum? Are you satisfied with who are, where you are? What’s stopping you? Lemme answer that YOURSELF, MYSELF/OURSELVES. I know for a fact that it’s not limited resources or support why we aren’t at our optimum; it’s the fact that we highly doubt ourselves.
I am not happy with where I am. Why am I telling you this? I wanna move forward, I wanna be better and I wanna see you climb this ladder of success with me!
Remember the greatest room; is the room for improvement. We can’t improve while doubting, bear in mind the following:
Believing in yourself is the first secret to success.


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Guest Writer: Demalley T. Edwards, Life as a Working Mom



LIFE AS A WORKING MOM


Being a mother and working is indeed a challenging task. It can even become overbearing and time consuming 
at times. To be honest at first I wish I did not get pregnant at the time I did but I'm grateful and thankful for my 
son he's indeed a blessing.   Having to balance work and ensuring he's well cared for, was mind rocking at first but with time I learnt to cope and became good at doing so. Being a mom is neither a part time or full time job, it is a LIFE TIME job. 
Whatever you teach that child or whatever that child sees you doing that's what he/she will grow to do. I'm 
careful with whatever I do or say around him because that's what   will reflect through him. So i"m doing my 
best to teach him right from wrong, because like my mother would say "Yuh can bend a tree when it old, yuh 
affi do it when it young" that simply means I can't and will not wait until he's an adult to teach him right from 
wrong.  Motherhood has its up and downs but when those little arms reach out to hug you the down times doesn't 
matter any more its like it never happened. I don't regret having my son at first I use to say the timing was 
wrong, but guess what!? The timing was too perfect. I love my son with all my heart he's the centre of my 
universe and MY #1 PRIORITY. Once he's happy I'm happy.


Demalley T. Edwards 




Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Guest Writer: Oyeton Clarke, GENDER EQUALITY: THE IMPOSSIBLE IDEAL


PUBLIC DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF ELVY SOLTAU 

Gender Equality: The Impossible ideal 
Quite frequently we hear phrases like “Gender equality” and “Equal rights” being thrown around, especially in relation to roles in society and the work force. The term sexual or gender equality has very often been linked with a horde of shameless man-hating feminists who comb the streets in masses advocating “equality” for both sexes. These ugly images are often turned into public jokes as men comment that the female species has already been given more rights than it really deserves. What then? Does gender equality prevail in every society in this new millennium? Will there be a constant, one sided battle between the women who feel they must “Take back” what the evil race known as “men” withheld from them centuries ago, and the real men who just want to co-exist with their female counterparts and companions?
The statement I am about to make will incur the wrath of all feminists and band-wagonists that are seemingly ignorant of the basic nuances of the English Language, but I will make it anyway:
GENDER EQUALITY IS NOT ONLY IMPOSSIBLE, IT IS UNDERSIRABLE.
Now that you have finished spluttering over the fact that I just made that apparently misogynistic statement ask yourself this question: What IS equality? You see, the problem is that we have managed to use two totally different words interchangeably. Equality is NOT the same as EQUITY. Equality is giving everyone (ie, both male and female individuals) the same levels of responsibilities right across the board. Equity on the other hand is dispensing the appropriate amount of resources and responsibilities according to their unique abilities and needs. I am 5’6 and I have a friend who is 5’10, both of us need to get over a wall that is 6’ high. If we have eight 1”blocks, it would make more sense to share them EQUITBABLY (6 for me and 2 for him) than equally (4 each). That is the principle of justice. Justice is the EQUITABLE (not equal) distribution of resources/responsibilities.
Gender equality is impossible because of this simple reality: men and women cannot be equal because they are not the SAME. 2+2, 8-4, 16/4 and 2x2 have one thing in common: all of them are equal to or the same as 4. But Man does NOT equal woman. No matter how advanced philosophy is, it still does not contradict the fact that women are physically weaker than men. This allows leeway for rape, molest and domestic abuse which once again support the fact that men are dominant over women and that women are constantly at their mercy. The psychological and emotional make-up of a woman is also, whether stereotyped or proven, more towards the maternal and nurturing side. As the popular saying goes, “men think with their minds, women think with their hearts.” This would make women less rational, a quality which is not respected in an economic society where rational decisions are of topmost importance.
Earlier I made reference to the fact that the terms are often used by feminists, and it is my firm belief that what these individuals mean is female supremacy, because the vast majority of their arguments tear down and seek to destroy the roles of men in society. Case in point: The Feminists Mantra: “Anything a man can do, I can do it too, and do it BETTER”. Really now? Place the average female on a construction site to mix cement and carry blocks at the same rate as the average workman and I guarantee she won’t last till lunchtime. Even better: walk around shirtless for a whole day… if you dare.
Finally, let me show you why this concept is undesirable. Situation: A man and his wife are in bed at 3am when suspicious sounds are heard coming from outside or downstairs. Does the man the curl up into a ball and say to his wife: “Honey, take the flashlight and go check that out”? GOD FORBID! After all, is he not the MAN in the relationship? But hold on… Doesn’t gender equality make both sexes EQUAL? So why can’t SHE check it out too? See the hypocrisy in society’s foolish ideals?
Do not misunderstand my position on this matter or my motive for writing this 

post. I am not a misogynist, I do not support or believe in either sex dominating 


as providers and protectors in society. I am just trying to put things in perspective 

so that we can THINK more logically and individually instead of swallowing 

one more of society’s illogical ideals hook line and sinker without a second 

thought.