Live Fully

Celebrate the presence of life in your body today

Look out on life with amazement, not shock. The variety, the diversity, the manner of every person, the beauty amidst the drudgery, the contrasts, the opportunities, the heroism in the lives of ordinary people, your gifts, your talents, your friends - even just one friend is all awesome. Live in awe, and entertain wonder, and you will be knocking on the door of true love. Don't kill it with cynicism or criticism, don't sabotage your life with moaning and complaining. Open the eyes in your head and the eye in your intellect and choose to see the stunning, awesome, diverse beauty of life happening around you right now. Meet it with your heart and you will enrich and be enriched in one single moment.

-relax7.com

Life Message from me to you

When my thoughts are clear I experience a sense of bliss

I fear nothing life feels like a lover's kiss

my body appears to vanish like a mystic

and I get a glimpse of my eternal spirit.

How to Dress for a successful Interview

There is a lot of information out there about dressing for success and advising people to wear particular clothes to achieve success.  My advice is to wear what is comfortable and tasteful. If your clothes feel tight, it is tight and I have rarely seen a tight fitting outfit that looks flattering on anyone. Wear clothes that fit the body well and show off your best side not your backside.

 

Ten Tips on Dressing for Success at an Interview

 

1)         Dress to suit the culture of the company you are trying to get a job at. If you are going for a hairdressing job, then having a little pizzazz in your hair might be considered a plus, not in a regular office setting.

 

2)         Mind your fragrance. Be sensitive. There are many people who are allergic to scents – much more than before – perhaps the person interviewing is one such person and with the distraction of your scent your outcome may likely be negative;

 

3)         Nose rings, multiple earrings, tongue rings and vulgar arm tattoos should be hidden or taken off all together if necessary.  An employer has the right to dictate the image of his employees to reflect his company’s image. I have seen people get fired as waitresses for refusing to get rid of their tongue and nose rings. This is not a human rights issue.

 

4)     If you wear sunglasses that are not for medical reasons, then take them off in the interview. It’s impolite to wear dark glasses unless you are being interviewed to become a spy of some sort. An interviewer can read information from your eyes. Dark glasses may give the wrong impression about you.

5)     Do not overdress for the occasion.  If you are applying for a job as a desk clerk, do not wear a stiff three piece suit.  A suitable tie will suffice.

 

6)     Dress conservatively to be on the safe side. A short sexy skirt may give the wrong impression as well as a heavily made up face. The employer might think that dressed like that may distract other employees or lessen your productivity.

 

7)     Make sure your clothes are neatly pressed, hair combed and there is no food stuck in your teeth – nothing is more distracting than that.

 

8)     Cigarette smell is one of the scents that might throw off the interviewer especially if that person does not smoke.  Do not ask for a smoke break during an interview and do not take your coffee cup with you into the interview. Drink your coffee and smoke your cigarette and wash out your mouth or gargle with some sort of minty mouthwash to freshen your breath.  You do not want to distract the interviewer from seeing your best side.

 

9)    Finger nails should be clean and well manicured but not painted in some gaudy black or hot red colour. Keep in simple and fresh.

 

10)   There is a saying that the first thing people look at is your shoes. Make sure your shoes are clean, polished and appropriate.  Leave the sling back shoes for after you get the job. Women a nice sleek handbag would be appropriate.

 

The interview is a step in the door and you want to maximize your chances to get the job. My advice to you is keeping everything simple, straightforward and tasteful. Sometimes your personal presentation can have a huge influence on the outcome.  If you look the part it is easier for the interviewer to see you in the job. Each job interview must be analyzed careful to know what will be enhancing and what will be defeating your chances of success. Good luck.

Ethnocentrism raises its ugly head in China

It must appear daunting to people working in the race relations field who are seeking ways and means to end racism, racial discrimination and ethnocentrism including all the other isms. As the old world order crumbles those in power and who have enjoyed unearned privileges historically are finding it hard to share and share alike. They use force to get their ways but time for change is set and nothing will thwart it. The universe is setting the stage to make the world into a more viable, more equitable and more just system. We as human beings are mere cogs in the wheel of the Creator.  In the same way that we cannot stop the tsunamis, the earthquakes and the hurricanes from happening even though we know they are coming, we cannot stop change. Through technologies such as internet and all the social networking sites, the world is getting more and more intertwined. We are connected to the farthest corners of the globe. The light of modernity shines in every corner and there are watchdogs sounding the call and alerting those of like minds that an injustice is happening somewhere. Leaders can no more find protection under the cloak of secrecy, the internet like a worm invades every dark hole. We see in real time the cruelty and injustices meted out against minorities all over the world.  The time has come to end this. We are responsible for each other.

     In

China

the Hans and the Uighers are at war. The Hans wants to maintain its privilege though unearned and the Uighers have found the courage to stand up and be counted. They want to be who they are. They want freedom and justice and fairness. They want their basic human rights and they deserve that much.

  According to the New York Times, a 2009 Amnesty International report on threats to Uighur identity charts the recent history of the erosion of the Uighur language in education, beginning with a policy in the 1990s that eliminated Uighur as a language of instruction at the university level. Today, at

Xinjiang

University

in

Urumqi

, only Uighur poetry classes are taught in Uighur, the report says. In 2006, the government began carrying out policies that make Chinese the main language of preschool instruction.

The Chinese will have to learn that what they do now will affect generations to come and like what is happening in the USA where they are trying to right wrongs of the past, the young generation who expect fairness and equality are confused about the government actions through Affirmative Action and equity policies which they see as unfair and reverse discrimination which in reality is only the government’s attempt to right past wrongs and level the playing field. They want jobs just like blacks, they have to feed their children and they want things to be equal. We are mature as a species and it’s time we do the right thing.

The Native Americans say: When we walk upon the earth, we always place our feet very carefully upon the ground, because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from below, and we never forget them.

The weak has found their strength, the downtrodden of the world are rising up, people everywhere are feeling the winds of change blowing in their direction and they are seizing the day and the opportunity to be heard and right past wrongs. There is no superior race, ethnic group or religion.  All of us who dwell on the earth are here for one reason that is to understand our Source of being and to live in alignment with that Source.  We have to learn to recognize our false selves (the ego) and embrace that which is good within us, that which we came from.  If one person from the Hans ethnic group should stand up and another join him, they can start a movement for positive change. When there is peace, there is harmony there is love and respect and forgiveness. The earth is one country and mankind its citizens. Let us live in peace, please.

Virus of the mind

SamBoakye is a freshman at Ohio University. He is the only black on the floor of the dormitory he shares with a white room mate. Because of historical racism and discrimination Boakye thinks he has something to prove. Through this negative impulse he is prepared to work his hardest to prove to his white room mates that blacks are just as smart.

  Does he really have to represent all Blacks, isn't it enough that there are hundreds or thousands of Blacks in the States who have proved it time and again that they are smart? Isn't having the President of the United States of America, President Obama, a black enough to make Boakye feel satisfied? Isn't Oprah Winfrey's larger than life image in America's pop culture, Dr. Bill Cosby, Maya Angelou,etc. etc. etc. enough no! Tom is suffering from a virus of the mind called meme which was put there by the institutions of the past, the church, his parents, scientists and so on, that tells him he has to try doubly hard, that he does not measure up, that Blacks are inferior. Sam has to find an antidote to that virus of the mind, the meme. (Memes are the DNA of human society, influencing every aspect of mind, behavior, and culture.)

Sam can overcome the meme by letting go and let the Creator in. He has to come to the realization that he is not his past nor his present he is now. Who he is is who he is. He does not have to prove anything he just have to be better than he was before. By believing he has to prove something to be respected, to be loved, to be accepted, he is allowing his ego free reign. If Sam just be himself and open his heart to loving his roommate sincerely, by displaying the virtues of the Creator, he is opening up according to Dr. Wayne Dyer, for the operation of the law of attraction.

Life is about giving, serving, not taking and wanting.  It is about living in the now and being the best you can be. When you work from a God-consciousness the way you look at things change and when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Read the article in the New York Time, it is enlightening:

Interracial Roommates Can Reduce Prejudice, Campus Studies Find - NYTimes.com

Ten Tips to Resolve a Conflict

 1.  Determine what is the problem and what is your role in the problem. A problem always has more than one side.

2.  Don’t try to solve the problem on the fly, schedule a time and a place for the resolution process. 

3.     Be formal, respect the process by setting out ground rules that you will abide by during the process, how you will speak to each other, things you will not do etc.

4.     Focus on the issues/behaviour not the individuals.

5.     Do not make it a fact finding or fault blaming session. There will be no resolution.

6.     Use words that promote peace not words that inflame the situation.  E.g. I hear what you are saying but I do not remember it in that way, here is what I recall…

7.     Rephrase what you hear the other person say so that they know you are listening and that you are constantly on the same page e.g.  Let me see if I understand this correctly….

8.     Avoid words that connotes blame, you are trying to solve a problem not create one.
 E.g. if you did not do so I would not…instead, how can be ensure that this does not happen again, let’s brainstorm

9.      If the relationship is important, if it is your wife, your child, your co-worker, then   you must see the process to the end and find a resolution that will restore the relationship in a good way. Be patient, search within yourself and be honest. The  answer lies within you.

10. When you have discussed the matter thoroughly and admitted to your role in the  conflict write out an agreement that you both agree to that you can live with as  you forward in life.  Agreements are important, they serve as a reminder of what you have been through and what you have discussed and what you have agreed to.  It is a powerful piece of paper to keep you accountable and conscious.

Getting along within a multigenerational workforce

Every generation has its own trademark.  It is a trademark that the previous generation may not be able to identify with readily but to which they can adjust if they are flexible. Flexibility is one of the keys to getting along in a multigenerational workplace. Do not become the dinosaur who cannot adapt to changes in the workplace cultural environment.

 

   The values of younger people are quite different from those of older generation. These values that they have are unconsciously passed down to them from their parents which might be you.  The younger generation is way more pampered, way more team-oriented and way-more multi-tasker than previous generation. They are technological wizards, they write differently.  All their eyes may not be dotted or t’s crossed but that does not make them a poor worker.

 

   In a given workplace you may find people who are traditionalists,(1927-45) those who conform to traditions of the past, the hard working ethics, they follow the rules, respect hierarchy and are less techno savvy, they like the personal touch rather than emails and texting.

Baby boomers (1946-64) think highly of themselves and are very competitive, they want to get ahead and they feel they have something important to say and do, they are people with a mission; they challenge authority and expect to be promoted and be treated fairly; they are the power-hungry generation, they love power and want power. Their lives revolve around their work – they put in the hours and expect to be rewarded with promotion.

 

Generation Xs (1965-80) are the children of baby boomers. They grew up in relative comfort and raised to be high achievers. They were sent to the best schools, engaged in after school activities and were pushed to be the best.  This is a generation of latch key children because their double income parents were busy making money to live the good life; this was the age of the introduction of video games and home computers. Gen X are said to be individualistic and resourceful because they had to fend for themselves at a young age.  Do not micromanage Generation X they may just walk away from the job. Give them space. They are not as committed to employer as previous generation, they work and take vacations, and they need time off.  You treat them right and they will work for you.  Their motto could be work to live rather than live to work.

Generation Y (1981 or later) – those in their mid twenties to early thirties – are your cell phone, black berry, head phone people who wants to be in constant touch with their friends and the world. They engage in text messaging, twitter and all the gadgets desired to connect with others quickly. They are very social and love to have fun.  They loved to receive constant attention and feedback – they are the pampered generation whose parents hovered around them like a hovercraft- They were driven to school, driven to sports and children whose parents’ world revolved around them. They are high achievers.  They are loyal but want to be included in decision making; they like to be involved as a member of the team. These are the children who were most involved in working as a team on projects in school, playing sports and doing things as a group so this is natural to them.

You want to keep a Gen Y happy, ask for their input, do not shut them away by themselves in an office, if you do that they may just be on the phone or texting their friends all the time. Allow them to mingle.

 

Ten ways to work with people outside of your generation.

 

1.  Take time to get to know the person to find out what is important to them and how         their values are shaped.

 

2.   Be open minded to change realizing that nothing remains stagnant only some of us refuse to move

 

3.  Treat each person as an individual, the person may not be a conformist and may not fit the stereotype, though may have some traits of a particular generation

 

4.  Foster and encourage diverse work teams that include factors such as race, gender, sex, age and ability. When people work together they learn about each other and develop a greater tolerance and understanding of each other.

 

5.  Keep the lines of communication open

 

6.  Listen to each other.

 

7.  Respect staff regardless of age, race, gender, religion etc. Have a respectful workplace   policy posted in strategic places within the business establishment.

 

8.   Regardless of what you just read have no assumption about your co-workers and if you are the leader, keep an open mind and you will know what you need to know. This is not the age where the boss will be tolerated with a heavy stick, you have to communication and negotiate and truly become the winning team.

 

9.   Take pleasure in learning about others, develop a passion for it.

 

10.  Give people choices and freedom to do the work in the way they want. It should not matter how they do it but what should matter is the results.  Exercise Flexibility, make workers accountable for their and see the team as a group of individual people.

Multiculturalism Day Celebration In Winnipeg Manitoba - Pictorial

Multiculturalism Day,Saturday June 27th, 2009 attracted hundreds of participants at the Forks Market a natural meeting place for Winnipeg diverse and multicultural community. 

   Organized for the fourth year by a group of community minded people drawn from the three levels of government, government corporations and community organizations, the event was thwarted last year due to rain. This year the Committee was prepared with an alternative venue should the weather not coopeprate again.  Unfortunately it rained all day Saturday but that did not stop Winnipeggers.

    There were cultural dances, henna hand painting, spiritual display tables and lots of freebies. It was a day of fun, enjoyment and learning about cultures.

    There were greetings from the three levels of government including Federal, Provincial and Municipal as well as greetings from the Lt. Governor of Manitoba His Honour John Harvard. 

 

Lt. Governor of Manitoba, Hon. John Harvard (top) Crowd of participants (below)

Nigerians doing the Wedding Dance

 

Filipino community performing one of their intricate bamboo dances - below is an Aboriginal girl performing the difficult hoop  dance.

Storyteller, Bola Olarundare                                                                           School of Dance dancers

  Members of the Nigerian community demonstrating 

how to do the headwrap         

Michael Jackson has left with an angel - Farrah Fawcett

  The world mourns the passing of two iconic figures in the world. At one time Michael Jackson was the most popular man on the planet.  He gave the world many things, he brought happiness of a rare kind to those who followed his career and music.  He was a genius, a child prodigy and one of the most misunderstood entertainers of our time. He gave us the moon walk, thriller and showmanship that no one thought about before he showed it too us.  He was definitely one of a kind.  Musicians now and in the future will pay homage to him and will always strive to be like Michael Jackson because set the standard of entertainment.

There is a price for fame and he paid a high price for it.  For m, though, he will always be the King of Pop and I know whenever I put his CD on it will something that will bring joy to my heart, I will get up and dance or just shake my head to the music. Goodbye Michael. May you find peace wherever you are. I know that where you are is a better place for you. You can rest.

Farrah Fawcett was  one of Charlie's Angels and some people close to her say she was like a real angel. She was well known for her incredible hair and her full wonderful smile and lit up her face. She was a beauty inside and out. What a wonderful soul she was. My heart goes out to her family and especially her son.

Farrah has shared her struggle with the world on her own terms and many thank her for sharing to raise awareness of what the disease cancer does to a person. She fought a good fight in dignity. We all share the grief of her loss.

We all wish Michael and Farrah safe journey to the Abha Kingdom. Please say a prayer for their souls journey to the Creator.

Do you think it is a coincidence that an angel left just before the King of pop.  Farrah is 12 years his junior and she is with him guiding him and together they are ascending to the throne on high.

May they rest in peace.

Eight Myths about diversity workers who are white

 Diversity is everyone’s business. It is business as well as a moral duty to be inclusive in the world but especially in the workplace.  We have a duty to make everyone feel comfortable and to strive to end ethnocentrism, racism, sexism, ableism and hetero-sexism.  To be in the world we must not pass moral judgments on each other – the world is huge enough to incorporate all kinds of people. Judge not lest ye be judged! Seek first to understand before being understood. If someone is different or does things differently, instead of passing ignorant judgment based on assumptions, talk to the person and get an understanding of what is behind their particular behaviour.  Maybe that knowledge may give you a better appreciation of that’s person behaviour.

    Just today I bumped into a temporarily disabled person – she fell and broke her ankle and had to have surgery – she was riding a scooter.  She said she had to get something because she was tired of hearing her husband sigh whenever she needed to go somewhere. She spoke about the difficulties in getting in and out of building and the washrooms.  She attended an event without thinking and when she arrived at the location she discovered stairs and had to ask several people where the ramp was because there were no clear signs.  She said it was a good lesson on how we take things for granted and never really understood the life of a disabled person. Now she has a great appreciation of the difficulties people with varying disabilities face.  We all do not have to break our legs to understand but can e empathetic with people who are different no matter what our beliefs. No one died and made us God on earth.  Let God be the judge of those you so quickly want to judge and discard.

     Promoting diversity can be problematic for some people, especially Caucasian.  Some people of minority backgrounds seem to think that diversity is their corner – that a white person cannot understand or truly promote diversity and if they do it’s only because they are interested in a job. This is an unfair assessment.

      Throughout history there have always been Caucasian people who were passionate about civil liberties who were willing to fight for people’s rights to say and be even if they did not personally agree with it.  Caucasian people can be a great ally in promoting diversity and inclusion.
Here are a few myths about a Caucasian diversity co-worker:

a)    A white person cannot be a diversity officer because they are not ethnic
        We are all ethnic people;

b)    A white person cannot understand what a minority person goes through and 
       therefore not qualified to speak on their behalf
-          Do you have to be poor to speak out against poverty?
 
c)    Diversity issue is a job for a white person and a life and death for a minority

          Many people choose jobs because they believe in what they do –  we  cannot  judge a person’s motive without proof;

d)     Diversity is only a lucrative job for the white person
It is also a job opportunity and business opportunity for many ethnic minority people as well;

e)      White person is inherently racist will gravitate towards his own kind when  it comes to equity and fairness in the workplace.Give the person a fair chance;

f)          How can a person speak of diversity at the office but in his private life all his friends are white, he lives in a white neighborhood and send his children to ivory league schools?
  It is also what minority people do when they climb the ladder but they still reach back and fight for the rights of those they left behind

h)   White people say one thing in front of your face and something elsebehind your backs, they can’t be trusted.

 The same can be said for minority people as well. Most white people are honest and straightforward.  We have to be open-minded about advocacy for inclusion. This is a huge task that minority people alone can never accomplish. There is need for allies, trust and a commitment to work together, learn from mistakes and move forward in harmony. No one is perfect.