JimH

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

Recently I got a chance to lead a meeting, and to be honest, it did not turn out the way I expected it to. I did my best, and I continued on even though it was an uncomfortable situation for me. After the meeting was over, I was hard on myself because the meeting didn’t go as I hoped. But when I really thought about it, I came to the conclusion that this was a learning experience, and the next time, I will be better prepared if the situation occurred again. The most important aspect I believe is not the mistake itself, it is letting that mistake impede me from leading a meeting again. I am totally confident if given another opportunity I will be that much better. Success is all about falling and getting up YP’s, let’s not our failures deter us from reaching our Successville! We all live and learn!  

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     The recent events surrounding the Trayvon Martin case has again brought to light the topics of racism and stereotypes in America. In the case of Trayvon Martin, at first glance, it seems as if this teen was unfairly stereotyped as a hoodlum who was “up to no good” in the neighborhood. It may have been viewed this way because because he had his hoodie up and looked  suspicious. At a closer glance, he was merely an unarmed teen leaving the corner store with a pack of skittles and iced tea in hand who was headed to father’s girlfriend’s home. The gunman who was a neighborhood watch captain at the time, followed him “strangely” as described by Trayvon. Words were then exchanged and all of a sudden he is shot to death?? Did I miss something? Why does it seem that such harmless, senseless events lead to these types of tragedies?

     As a Asian America male growing up, I have been unfairly stereotyped, and have been on the receiving end of racist remarks at various points in my life. On the other hand, I also have made stereotypes as well when I didn’t know any better; I can’t lie.  I do believe racism and stereotypes is alive and well, but it is more of a taboo of topics that is swept under the rug. It seems as if America pretends that all is well, because it is a sensitive topic that no one wants to discuss or confront. Even as recently on my trip to South Carolina, I was unfairly followed back to my room by a hotel security guard that felt like I did not belong in the hotel. I truly felt I was stereotyped because of the way I was dressed. In Georgia, in a town outside of Atlanta, while waiting for a table at a restaurant with friends, I felt like a group wanted to start trouble with us solely because of our race, and because we were perceived as different.  [click to continue…]

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“You can never go somewhere you’ve never been without doing something you’ve never done”

YP’s, if we want to change our lives for the better, we can not expect to do the same things and expect different results. We have to be able to get out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. Even though it can be uncomfortable, chances must be taken in order for us to accomplish our goals, whatever it may be. We have to be the painters in our lives if we want to create a masterpiece! 

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           YP’s, when do you feel is a good time to start to look for a new job? Is it when you do not feel you are not challenging yourself, dreading to go to work the next day, or not making enough money to save for the future? Whatever the case may be, it is necessary to examine your current situation from time to time, to make sure you are where you want to be in your life. If you realize that there are more cons than pros, then you might want to think about the next steps for yourself. Below is a list that you may find helpful if you have been contemplating this subject. If you agree with most of the list, then you may want to start the process of updating those resumes and search for a new job. We all want to be happy, and a major component of that is having a job where we feel competent and worthwhile.  

by RYAN GUINA

1. Do you continually learn and improve? If you are not improving your skill set or learning something valuable, you are be selling yourself short. Do you have opportunity for personal and professional growth? Six months from now will you still be in your current role? How about 2 years from now? Does your next promotion rely on the person higher than you on the totem pole retiring or transferring? The answer to these questions should play a large factor in your decision to remain where you are or move on. [click to continue…]

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A Talk With Dr. Cooper…

March 1, 2012

          I recently had a sit down with one of my favorite professors from my graduate program, Dr. Richard Cooper. Dr. Cooper graduated from Howard University with a Master in Social Work, and then attended Temple University and received his Ph.D. in Inter-Disciplinary Urban Education. I always enjoyed his class, and the enthusiasm [...]

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#Lincredible and 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us…

February 15, 2012

          In all my years of being an avid sports fan, I have never felt as connected to any other athlete, than I do to Jeremy Lin today. Yes, he is Asian American. Yes, he is an underdog; but I believe the story goes much more deeper than that. It starts with him not being recruited by [...]

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Happy New Year from YPBlogSpot!

January 3, 2012

Happy New Year from YPBlogSpot! It is a new year full of opportunities, and promise. Let’s make this year a defining year in our lives YP’s and not settle for anything less!  #SuccessvilleBound 

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“Six tips from your future self”

December 27, 2011

I came across a very interesting article that I wanted to share. It talks about what advice the elder generation would give to the younger generation if they could do it all over again. The elderly share some very good insight on what is really important, which can help any young professional today. Enjoy.   [...]

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Resiliency

December 23, 2011

Resilience            The topic that I would like to blog about is that of resiliency! Webster’s definition of resilience is an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. I have really come to admire this term because of what it stands for and represents. I think that I have [...]

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Tired Of…

August 1, 2011

Life can be as hard as you make it at times. YP CGT shares a poem about some of the trials and tribulations that he goes through in life. Even though the stacks are against him, he is ready for a change, and his own personal ‘revolution’. Tired Of… Doing nothing… Overlooking things.. Not speaking up… Being half [...]

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Maya Angelou Poem: “Still I Rise”

June 23, 2011

This is a great poem by Maya Angelou. Whatever you are going through in life, you have to have the fight of a champion. We all go through good and bad times, but like this poem says, we have to rise. It is not about falling, because we will more than once our lives. It is [...]

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Being Humble… (Replay)

May 20, 2011

One of the greatest qualities a person can have in this world is to be humble. I was having an interesting conversation with a friend of mine one day last week. We were talking sports and coaching youth. He then asked me if I could teach the youth today one thing about sports what it [...]

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Contentment… (Replay)

May 19, 2011

          I was reading an article recently about contentment in one’s life. It brought about many interesting points, that made me contemplate my own situation, and think about what really brings me contentment. Contentment defined by the dictionary is “a source of satisfaction.” We all have different ways of finding satisfaction in our lives. What [...]

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Denzel Washington, Commencment Speech at UPenn, Urges Failure…

May 17, 2011

Denzel Washington has always been one of my favorite actors. Recently, he gave a commencement speech at his son’s school, the University of Pennsylvania. While speaking to the graduates he talked about taking risks in life, and not fearing failure, but embracing and becoming better because of them, which I believe is an inspiring message [...]

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Our Youth, Our Responsibility!

May 4, 2011

Through my years of working with youth, I have noticed certain factors that give youth a better chance to succeed. This year in particular while working with youth in the inner city, I have learned more than ever that the youth of today, are very much a byproduct of the environment that surrounds them. When [...]

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