2007...The year of resolution.

In the words of Hector Lavoe..."Todo tiene su final...nada dura para siempre"

It is the last day of the year and I am really looking forward to new beginnings. I have been procrastinating over the last few days on how to shape my resolutions this year. First I wanted to really understand what a resolution really is...my previous understanding of resolution can easily be interpreted as "promises to myself I know I will break". So I searched online for a clear and concise definition that I can shape some resolutions that will really help me achieve some goals I have fo the upcoming year.

Here it is...


res·o·lu·tion (rz-lshn)
n.
1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
2. A resolving to do something.
3. A course of action determined or decided on.

Ok...that helps...I basically have to determine course of action and be determined to see it through in order to get my desired goal...got it!

There were more definitions but these really are relevant to me in this moment.

So in shaping my resolutions I have to create both personal resolutions and professional ones in order to really impact what I percieve to be success in my life. Professional resolutions are dealing with my career, and the website...my personal resolutions, of course because like many people I have things that I personally have taken inventory of that I would like to see change...like my health for example...I am healthy now...but if I do not make certain changes...I may not be healthy down the line. In case you did not know I am a pound or two overweight...ok I am lying I am a little more than that. I have actually had some success with shaving off some pounds this year thanks to just eating differently. The reason I did not keep it all off or even make a bigger impact is because I did not exersize consistently.

So do I say my resolution is to lose weight? or do I resolve to eat healthier as I have been and just increase my amount of physical activity. It is all about having smart goals to work off of.

One of the biggest themes for me this year is letting go of the past...this morning I woke up to hear a man on TV say the following "there is a reason why your windshield is so wide and your rear view mirror is so small...it is because what is in your past is not as nearly as important as what is in your future". This is going to be key as I decide how to shape this year...because I have tried many things in order to get to my goals but I have made the mistake of thinking that what I tried was the right approach...I just did not execute it properly. When in Utah this year, I saw LL Cool Jay speak at a professional development event and two things he said really struck me...the first was "If you do not like change...you will like irrelevance less" and the second thing he said...(which I have heard Tony Robbins say before) "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results".

So...I am off to shape that determination for the new year and take inventory once more as to what is important


Note: Originally the name of this post was the end of '06 but after reflecting on what I wrote it was appropriate that I rename the post looking towards the future.

75th Anniversary of Fuerza, Integridad y Amistad

As some of you may know...I am a member of the Oldest Latino Fraternity in existence...Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc. I pledged at the Theta Chapter in Spring 1997 with Jose "Pensativo" Aviles and Jose " Ambicioso" Ventura at SUNY College at Old Westbury. My pledge name was El Renacido, a name that symbolized the transition I was living at the time...leaving the streets of Brooklyn alone and opting to educate myself at the age of 25 after two kids and a divorce.

Many of my fondest memories and most of my best friends have been blessings that were a result of my pledge to this very distinguished organization. It also provided many of the skills that I would need to do what I do....

So to all the brothers of La Familia Phiota....Feliz Cumpleanos!!!!

Here is some information about Phi Iota Alpha

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Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc. is the Oldest Latino Fraternity in Existence. The history of Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity is the history of all Latino college students and professionals who strive to keep their intellectual heritage alive. Since its inception, when the legendary "Union Hispano Americana" (UHA) was first organized in 1898, the fraternity has upheld its inspirational and unique ideological foundation of Pan-Americanism.The ideology of Pan-Americanism can be summarized as the "unification of all the Latin American nations and all Latin American people." The Fraternity has served as an "Ideological University" through the study and interpretation of Pan-Americanism inspired by the accomplishments of its Five Pillars: Simon Bolivar, Jose de San Martin, Bernardo O’Higgins, Benito Juarez and Jose Marti. Through the years, this prestigious institution has witnessed a number of operational and structural modifications as a form of survival and adaptation to its time. Through it all, Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity continues to fulfill its distinct goals by uniting its members fraternally in a manner in which, individually and collectively, they will contribute towards the fulfillment of the organization's mission and ideology; fomenting "the scientific study of the social, economical, and political problems of Pan-America;" and serving "as a source of personal growth in which in conjunction with academic preparation, each brother will find an appropriate environment to develop." In short, Phi Iota Alpha Latino Fraternity has always been, and will continue to be, a source of empowerment for Latinos everywhere.

Thoughts of Christmas past

Just thinking about how it used to be....