Timeline of Teachers

I would be severely ungrateful if i allowed the curtains to close on the night and not make a post 

dedicated to my teachers. I have been shaped by many many hands! (No, this 185lbs of 

awesomeness did not develop overnight). 

My educational journey begun at church! Yup, sabbath school. At the age of two (2) 

my mother was asked by Mrs. D. Campbell, to send me to church so she did. 

I learnt several lessons in Sabbath School, shed many tears too. Because i was never 

accepted in the cliques that were there. My Sabbath School teachers still play vital 

roles in my life. They taught me the most important lessons i'd ever need to learn. 

They taught me how to be faithful in what i do, they taught me how to lead; with the 

let task that the gave me over the years, they gave me exposure but most 

importantly, I was taught how to trust God even when the odds are against me. My 

Sabbath school teachers are still important to me; to be honest i share a oving 

relationship with them still. 

 As the years flew by it was time to move on to basic school; you know ABC's and 123's 

are important! I attended the Effortville Basic School, the foundations to my

numeracy and literacy skills were properly laid, I must make special mention of 

Mrs. D . Campbell (Stalwart); she's a influential, respectful woman. She is a dream 

shaper, she was the first person to be me behind a microphone and i've loved it ever 

since. My basic school teachers were awesome! I love them Mrs. J. Garrick, Mrs. A. 

Esberry-Grey, Mrs. Rose, Mrs. Thomas and all the teachers at the Effortville basic school. 

After acquired the basic numeracy and literacy skills it was time to move on and 

expand  my knowledge. (I graduated valedictorian of my basic school class by the 

way). I moved on to the May Pen Primary school, i transitioned very well, i had an 

awesome grade two teacher Mrs. Gayle, and amazing grade four teacher Mrs. 

Thompson. While, at May Pen Primary i was in the G stream (bright class on the red 

tie shift) up until grade six (6). Yes, it look like my grades fell. I was a bit devastated

but i enjoyed the class that i was in, that's where i met my best friend Danielle 

Falconer. Danielle and I passed for the most prestigious high school in Clarendon, 

Denbigh High School. During my Tenure at this noble institution, I encountered some 

phenomenal women; since this post is entitled a timeline of Teachers its best if I 

start at grade 7. Fresh out of primary school, full of energy i met Miss Bent (now Mrs. 

Christian). She stood approximately 5ft 6 inches tall, relatively fair complexion, tall 

hair and bright eyes. Though she was short in stature, her voice was as tall as the 

twin towers. She was stern and meant business! Science was her specialty. Miss Bent w

is a woman of order, discipline and excellence! She instilled this philosophy in us; It is 

not my aptitude, but my attitude which determines my altitude in life. To this 

date, that quote lives with me (thank you miss). With this quote embedded in my 

heart I have approached life positively. 

Miss Bent did something for me i don't even think she remembers.  While we were in 

first form, she had a little artificial flowers on her desk that should be taken to the 

biology lab every evening and taken back to the class every morning. She placed me 

in charge! Man, I took pride in carrying out that duty; I would run for it in the 

mornings and hurry to carry it up after school. Out of this i can safely say it taught

 me the importance of being responsible. Mrs. Bent-Christian I would like to thank 

you; thank you for being awesome, thank you for the punishments that you 

gave to us (who could forget those evenings picking up garbage and writing 

lines lol). You are still prized in my heart as important. Thank you and i wish you 

many more successes in your teaching career. While carrying out my little task with 

the flowers in first form, i met a teacher in the biology lab name Mrs. Battiste. I 

fell instantly in lived with Mrs. B and wanted her to teach me so badly. But lets wait 

hear more about Mrs. B later on. 

I moved on to grades 8, 9, 10,11 and 6th form  man I so rough days, tearful days, 

hungry days but that side of the story is for another blog post. Throughout the

teachers such as Mrs. Gordon-Denton, Miss. Webb, Mr. Annakie, Mr. Sitladdin, Mr.

Johnson, Mr. Elliot, Mr. Dawkins, Miss Clayton, Mrs. Clarke Miss. A. Thomas, Mrs. 

Rose-Campbell, Miss Mennel, Mrs. I Mchayle, Mrs. Palmer. Man! they were all 

awesome. I must make special mention of Mrs. Chambers-Brown and Mrs. Battiste, 

Know When To Leave The Party

The hype!

The Rave! 

The Sense of belonging ! 

The feeling of excitement!

All of the above are reasons we tend to over stay our welcome at  events or in other people's lives. We want to associate with others so much that we cling and tag along with them for extensive periods even when they abuse us emotionally and don't want us around anymore.

I love excitement! I thrive off social interaction (even though I love my space), when in social gatherings I believe it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone enjoys themselves, with laughs and activities - failing to realize that I am draining myself for people who don't even like me! They just tolerate me. I am known for holding on to people and things that are detrimental to my heath - but, I've left the party. 

I encourage you to Know when to leave the party; by this I mean:

- Know when someone is using you.

- Know when people dont want you around.

- Know your limits.

-Know when you've have enough.

- Know when to leave the party.

Remember: 

"When others dont celebrate you; learn to celebrate yourself" 

I have left the party.

- Elvy Soltau (Blogger, Writer, MC, Motivational Speaker).

What if I fly?

It is natural to think about the worse case scenario but when we allow negative thoughts to consume our lives, we begin to live our fears instead of our dreams. You see, our thoughts are very powerful- they slowly become words spewing out our mouths. We hear these thoughts frequently, they become actions; actions practiced forms into unbreakable habits. It is advisable to dwell on the success of your goals rather than the possibility of failure. Who am I to write on this topic?

I have lived my fears far too long, forced myself into thinking I am not talented, I don't have any time, I am not creative enough, they're gonna laugh at me, failure to invest in my art. Failure to invest in personal development and failure to take advice from others. But, in the middle of 2016 I asked myself What if I fly? I kept focusing on the possibility of failure; it sucked all my energy and I finally asked myself - What if i soar like the eagle? Who am I not to  succeed? Why do I fail to develop my talents? 

The year 2016 has inspired me to shift my focus and to challenge myself to fly.

Wouldn't you like to experience the world from above, instead of in it or beneath it? 

I watched as a few young people, my age and younger excel in all areas you can imagine and its my turn now. 

Are you asking yourself, What if I fly? 

2017 has taken off already, I hope you'll soar higher and higher as the days progress.

- Elvy Soltau (Writer, Mc, Motivational speaker) 

I will fly.

The Elegant Slave

It's 8:30 am!!

Honk! Honk!

You're trying to beat the traffic to arrive early for your 9-5. But stop! You don't even like this job!


A century and eight decades ago there was a great demand for workers within the Caribbean to work on the sugar plantations and that my friend was the beginning of slavery within the Caribbean.

  Slavery is referred to as the condition in which individuals are owned by others, who control where they live and where they work. Slavery, was primarily beneficial to the owners and the individuals in bondage were treated like properties instead of humans.

 It was all celebration and joy when the curtains came down on slavery in 1834 in Jamaica. But did it? Yes! The physical shackles came off. Yes! The lashes stopped, but did slavery end? To this I loudly scream NO!! We are free physically but are still enslaved by the system. I will borrow the coined term "Elegant Slave" and use it to describe the phenomena I am about to discuss.

Elegant slaves because instead of ragged cloths and barefoot out in the sun, we are now clothed in three piece suits. We get dressed daily to clock in at a jobs we are dissatisfied with to generate more income for someone else. We sacrifice so much to keep our employers happy and meet their impossible deadlines. We sacrifice quality time with family, we sacrifice our own dreams, we often tend to sacrifice even our health.

We're bond to these jobs by several shackles. Shackles of self doubt. We believe that there's nothing else we can do, we're not good enough and our dreams are not worth while. We're in shackles of debts; student loans, car loans, mortgage, etc. We are in shackles of greed; we are unable to satisfy we desire the latest gadgets and fashion and must be in the 'now' so we slave on these jobs to keep up with trends. We're in shackles of the opinion of others. We're in shackles of promiscuity. We entertain the practice of having more that one partners no t realizing the implications. It cost more to maintain several relationships. It would be more beneficial to settle with one partner and build and plan for your future generations.

We're elegant slaves to a system that keeps getting richer while our financing are hitting ice bergs like the Titanic.

Fight of the Century

Ding !! Ding!! Ding!

Round one!

The most anticipated fight of the year. The undefeated champion, the social stalwart, the energizer bunny is up against the intellectual, the decisive, the spiritual and the critical thinker.

Elvy Soltau vs. Elvy Soltau!!!

Yes! Elvy vs Elvy. How can this be a competition? A competition is between two entities and cannot be between the same person.

Well, in this battle of the Elvy's the two entities are my personality/reputation vs my character. See, I have spent years being fun, energetic, loud and just all out for anything fun. Which is not a bad thing, because at one point in time that was my goal.

But recently, I have had several encounters where it was brought to my attention that  because of my personality; I am not taken seriously or considered for serious roles. I joke often, and will let loose in any social setting. Due to this practice over the years persons have form their own opinion of me and put me in a box . In Hollywood, this is referred to as type casting, example Kevin Hart and Melissa Mccarthy they play the same roles in different movies.

Now, that I have recognized this occurrence I need to get myself out of this box and let the world know my full potential. I can be of no use  while playing small.
I know others have been typecast and placed in a box; so I have drafted a list of how we can over come:
- Read more (so, you'll be well informed and can contribute to meaningful discussions)

- Speak up more

- Know when to listen

-Accept a challenge (could be something that you have been avoiding for years)

- Don't totally rebel against being typecast sometimes it is as result of great work you've done before. Therefore, learn how to strike a balance. Keep track of your own progress by paying keen attention to the work you have done, work you're currently doing and where you want to go from here.

-Let people know you are diverse and flexible.

- Be resilient.

- Have a goal in mind.

Thank you for stopping by. Go out in faith and be the #Champion you are. 

Elvy G. Soltau - Be Yourself For Others

It is a new school year, but same old pressures.

Will I fit in?

Will others like me?

Will my clothes be cool?

I'll try not to act weird.

These are the thoughts running through our heads if we are honest enough to admit. Our desire to fit in robs of us of peace of mind and the gift of individuality. We are so concerned about being in the 'In' crowd that we lose what makes us special.

I write from the comfort of my bed with joy in my heart to encourage you to today to be yourself for the sake of others! Yes! be yourself for others. Embracing your own individuality and style requires an enormous amount of  courage, plus when you are brave enough to be yourself it gives others the permission to do the same.

People feed from the energy of others; so be bold be positive and be yourself!
I have three things to share with you that I realized this morning. They are as follows:

- Others are relying on you to be positive, enthusiastic and passionate so they'll  be inspired.
- People expect great things from you; even those you think don't know your name.
- If you don't have a ticket it you don't have a chance .

While walking home from school i has having a conversation

Dear Future Husband by Danielle Falconer

Dear future husband good morning to you. Have you started working on you yet? Because I am 

working on me! I'm working on myself to be the best wife and mother there is, I am a princess now and 

would very much like to graduate from being one; I wanna be a queen and my dear future hubby, my 

king and no doubt our children will be royalty. My husband, my current king(daddy) has set a high 

standard can u follow? Or better yet prove that u are worthy to take his princess. I ask this because I 

know I can prove that I an worthy to do the same.


‪
Dear future husband, are you out there? If you are, hey its been a while. Hope you're doing okay and

 life is treating you well.....love you until we meet


Hi future hubby!!!!! ! Hope church was wonderful over the weekend! !! Are u kindhearted? What about 

loving? But most importantly are you God fearing and genuine? P.s life is short live good n be kind.......


Dear future husband good morning whoever you are. ....if you're one of those men who still lives in the

 cave man era or back then when men and some women believed that a women's place is in the home

 especially the kitchen! !!!! ! Then sweetie I'm not your Mrs. right, equality or nothing  at all...... but do enjoy your day. ...

‬

Soaring to Greater Heights; Seven things that will propel your flight - by Elvy. G Soltau

“The sky is the limit only for those who aren't afraid to fly!”  Bob Bello.  We’re all on a journey to success; in this case we’re not walking we’re flying; because walking is just too main stream. On the idea of flying one must take into consideration one special bird; the eagle. There are several lessons that we could learn from the eagle but today I would like to draw your attention to its behavior during a storm. Eagles love the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the storm’s wind to lift it higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagles uses the raging storm to lift him above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. It is inevitable that we face storms in our lives, especially the moment we enroll in University. Storms of financial difficulties, spiritual setbacks, low self-esteem, lack of resources but we can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.  

There are several things that are pre-requites to taking off on the flight to success. These things are of vital importance as they fuel the flight. They are as follows:

1.  Need – You must first identify a need and aim to fill it. Ask yourself some questions like why do I need to succeed? Am I happy with the quality of life I am experiencing now? What positive contributions can I make to society. When you’ve discovered the need you will like to fulfill, hold it close to you and don’t ever forget it. When the times get rough remember why you need to succeed. Like the eagle his need is to escape the storm and reach safety to secure his life; so the need in his case is survival, with that in mind he soars like his life depended on it (literally). You should work like your life, your parent’s life and your siblings lives depended on it.

2.       , Vision: - Bearing the need in mind, create images in your mind of you making it to the grand finale.

3.      Passion: Upon identifying a need, creating a vision then being passionate is the next step. Passion is defined as boundless enthusiasm. Be zealous about achieving.  Develop this strong desire to win because you will need it when faced with failures.

4.     .  Determination: Decide from the beginning that comes what may I will press on. When the problems arise, maintain a positive outlook and seek other alternatives when faced with failure. In most case practice, practice, practice. Taking into consideration Thomas Edison, the man who invented light bulbs. Edison, before he was successful he had some major setbacks. When asked in an interview how does it feel to fail ninety-nine (99) times? His response was simply amazing. He said “I didn’t fail ninety-nine times; I found ninety-nine ways it couldn’t work”. We, like Edison should develop a spirit of resilience and persistence. The ability to bounce back and press on after a downfall.

5.        Attitude: It is not my aptitude, but my attitude which determines my altitude in life. Did you know that airplanes have attitude? Yes, they do! When the plane is flying too low the pilot quickly adjusts the attitude of the airplane thus raising its altitude. Like the airplane we must possess positive work attitudes. It attracts others to us, allowing us to work better with a variety of individuals; thus establishing links.

6.      Honesty: In all our doings we must be honest, it enhances your integrity and it also makes you trust worthy. On the Facebook page, Humans of New York the admin went to India where an old man asked, “If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be? His response was, “If you feed your children with food earned from corruption, they will become corrupt. If you feed your children with food earned from honesty, they will become honesty”. Honesty is still the best policy.

7.      . Faith: I deliberately left this one for last. Faith is defined by the bible in Hebrews 11 vs 1 as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is the belief that all things will fall into place. You should have faith in your abilities. Believe in yourself and power that you have to achieve. Believe in the fact that you’re deserving of success, but most importantly believe in the fact that God wants you to prosper and be in good health.

Like the eagle step out in faith; prepared to fly high above the storm of life.

Suit is Woman what Lingerie is to Men

Suits is to women what lingerie is to Men

Women are pressured by society, the media and fashion designers to dress to impress, to keep up with

the fashion changes   and yet they slack of on men.  Men get away with wearing  almost anything; 

Men’s fashion is equally important as women’s.  I strongly believe that individuals should look their 

best whether   they are male, female or child.

I don’t know for anyone else but  I am tired of seeing the under of young men ( some a dem not even 

tan good, dis bag a holey holey sumpn up inna people face). I am tired of seeing them in tights ( you 

know wah me talk dem tight so till dem can hardly walk).  Man must look like man!  Dem must smell good too.

Men enjoy seeing women all dolled up and sexy especially in lingerie, well its full time y’all get dolled

up and sexy for us too. Buy a suit or two!


I LOVE A MAN IN A SUIT!

The Truth About Yourself

Good evening everyone, I must hasten to apologize for my  absence. I have very bad habits of quitting the projects that I attempt. I quit Brownies (girls club) in primary school, Drama club, Science Club, 4-H club and Environmental Club in high school; now i'm enrolled in the College of Education and Leadership at the Northern Caribbean and yes you're correct  all my extra curricular activities have been dropped. Blogging was about to join the trash can too but I decided to give it another shot. So, I'm here on my second attempt at blogging. No promises, but let's see if my second time is worthwhile and not short lived.

The truth about yourself hmmmmm..That's my topic tonight. You maybe wondering the what? The truth about myself? Yes! We are so quick to disclose the deepest darkest secrets of our brothers and sisters that we often forget that we are just as flawed as them. We move as fast as lightening to call people hypocrites, fakes, liars, the enemy, bad mind just to name a few. 

My question though is, if everyone calls everyone  hypocrite, liar, fake, enemy etc , It means we are all at fault. But  in our eyes we're always the victim  and not the assailant. But I believe that we have been assailants a few times in our lives and its full time we face the truth about ourselves.

Let us be honest with ourselves ... Try to be the friends we're looking for. The partner we are searching for. Let us eradicate all negativity before we aim our fingers at others.

There's more i'd like to say but this link says it covered it:  http://tinybuddha.com/blog/4-tips-to-tell-the-truth-about-yourself-and-to-yourself/

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 

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 

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

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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