Tuesday Thoughts by YoTrip for June 28, 2011-Success vs. Significance (Vol.3, Iss.4)

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Success vs. Significance

Recently I was asked how do I define SUCCESS.  I had to admit to the person that I do not prescribe to the notion of SUCCESS but I was seeking SIGNIFICANCE.

suc·cess
n.1. The achievement of something desired, planned, or
attempted: attributed their success in business to hard
work.

2. a. The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success.

b. The extent of such gain.

3. One that is successful: The plan was a success.

4. Obsolete A result or an outcome.

sig·nif·i·cant
// adj.

1. Having or expressing a meaning; meaningful.

2. Having or expressing a covert meaning; suggestive:
a significant glance. See Synonyms at expressive.

3. Having or likely to have a major effect; important: a significant change in the tax laws.

4. Fairly large in amount or quantity: significant casualties; no significant
opposition.

5. Statistics Of or relating to observations or
occurrences that are too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and
therefore indicate a systematic relationship.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

As I see it SUCCESS, is fleeting it comes and it goes in the eyes, the hearts and minds of people. Society sees SUCCESS as how much money did a person make. The more you make the more people expect you to make and they equate your SUCCESS with monetary prosperity. SUCCESS is always made to be seen as something larger or growing. The larger than life view of SUCCESS puts people on pedestals and builds them up. Just as people are elevated up in the notion of SUCCESS, they can tumble and fall in a matter of moments or minutes. The moment people, places, and possessions feel like you have not made enough or the spotlight on you is fading then your SUCCESS light fades.

I seek to be SIGNIFICANT vs. SUCCESS. For me SIGNIFICANCE is lasting and makes an impression. SIGNIFICANCE is solid, it will not come and go, it has staying power. SIGNIFICANCE for me is built on making a difference by being different, by doing different, by seeing different. To be SIGNIFICANT you can do a big or a small thing and have an impact. When you make an impact on people, places or possessions, the SIGNIFICANCE in you is at work. SIGNIFICANCE can be attained by all who seek to have it in their lives by recognizing the importance and meaning you are wanting to convey.

SUCCESS will always be something that society pushes as a marker for having “made it” or “making it” in the world. SIGNIFICANCE is ordered by what you make it, not by what you make. To be viewed as the image of SUCCESS or SIGNIFICANCE is based on what a person wants in life and living. SUCCESS is based on what you gained and obtain, and SIGNIFICANCE is built on what you can maintain and sustain in this journey called life.

Are you seeking SUCCESS or are you seeking SIGNIFICANCE?

“Some people seek to successful in life, but I seek to be significant in life everyday, in every way making a difference.” ~~YoTrip

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Tuesday Thoughts for June 21, 2011- It is Officially Summertime! (Vol.3, Iss.3)

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It is Officially Summertime!

June 21st is the official first day of the season known as Summer. Anyone who lives in the “Sunshine State“, Florida  finds it laughable that we have finally arrived at Summer, especially since we have experienced unseasonably warm weather since February. Summer is here and it appears that the sun is shining brightly and feeling like it is at a boiling point. It is just plain HOT!

Please do not take this my observations as a complaint on the season of summer. I am grateful for the warm weather when I can look at the path of destruction that swept through the northern, western and southern parts of country with tornadoes, wind storms, lighting, and flooding. The images of ripped up crops, communities, and culture is a sad sight and that lends itself to the need for us to count our blessings and keep those millions of people in our continual thoughts and prayers.

 As we handle the heat and the late-day rain showers, that come like clock work, we can say it is officially summertime. For the next 100 hundred days people will find places and spaces to visit and enjoy the summer season. Living in the Sunshine state it is a magnet for people to come and have a ball in the sunny weather. From Mickey Mouse and Disney, to  Harry Potter, Sea World and Shamu and all things this magical region can provide, people will come in droves to get a piece of the summertime fun and sun in Florida!

 These summertime days will come and go quickly, so make sure you do not let them pass you by without finding a way to enjoy them! Welcome Summer and all it has to offer as a season of the year! What took you so long to finally show up down here? Have a great summer season doing whatever you call fun.

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Thurdsday Thinking by YoTrip for June 16, 2011-Father’s Deserve A Special Day (Vol.6, Iss.3)

Cover of Father's Day

Dad’s Deserve A Special Day

The third Sunday in June has been designated as Father’s Day in the United States. Credit for originating the holiday is generally given to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth. She is said to have had the idea in 1909 while listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day, which at the time was becoming established as a holiday. Local religious leaders supported the idea, and the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, the month of the birthday of Dodd’s father. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge gave his support to the observance, and in 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson officially proclaimed it a national holiday. Observance on the third Sunday of June was decreed by law in 1972.

Although it was originally largely a religious holiday, Father’s Day has been commercialized with the sending of greeting cards and the giving of gifts.http://www.history.com/topics/fathers-day

Father’s deserve a special day for being who they are: the giver of life, the leader of the family, the protector, the provider, the professor in the lives of those are their children. Father’s day lives in the shadow of Mother’s Day, as it recognizes Dad’s for who they are and what they do for their families.

I am thankful and honored to know and have known some great father’s. My grandfather the late Joe L. Anderson, was the father of my Mother and her six siblings. He was big in statute and every bigger in heart and spirit. My granddaddy, was a driving force and a history maker, as the first black deputy sheriff in Richmond County/Augusta, Georgia. The presence of granddaddy in his deputy uniform is fresh in my mind like I was staring up at him, through my six year old eyes. I learned so many things from him and I am glad I had him in my life.

My father, the late William Henry Clay, Sr. was a father of father’s. Dad’s infectious personality drew people to him, he could always make a friend. People enjoyed how he lived life open, giving, hard-working, and always pushing for being better by doing better. A business man, he was “the Black Colonel” as he managed the neighborhood Kentucky Fried Chicken. A servant, as he worked with the Volunteer Grandparents program. A surrogate, he became a “Dad” to so many who were “fatherless” in the community. I am proud to have been apart of his life, living and his legacy for twenty-one years.

Father’s deserve to have this Sunday as their special day. Everyone should do their part to honor your own father or some father who has been a father to you during your life. Father’s I wish you all the best on Sunday as we pause to celebrate the strength and greatness of fatherhood.

~~YoTrip

 

 

 

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Tuesday Thinking by YoTrip for June 14, 2011-From Castaways to Champions (Vol.3, Iss.2)

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From Castaways to Champions

The Dallas Mavericks became the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2011 Champions after defeating the Miami Heat. The newly crowned champions were not favored to win or even be a contender for the coveted hardware. This Dallas Mavericks team lead by the German power forward, Dirk  Nowitzki  with the masterful shooting range, poise, and patience had to work hard to win. Instead of counting the Dallas Mavericks in, sports analyst and the naysayers were confident this team did not stand a chance against the three-pong threat of Miami’s Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosch.  Beyond the loyalty of their fans , the Dallas Mavericks had few who believed they could or would rise to the occassion and go from castaways to champions.

The Dallas Mavericks team has only been in the league 30 years and has come up short when it comes to winning a title. The legacy of the Los Angeles Lakers for the last several years as the team to beat out of the Western conference has found the Mavericks and other teams standing on the sidelines instead of in the spotlight. This year would prove to be different for Dallas as they found the heart and the will to raise their level of play pass being castaways and onto being champions. The 2011 NBA Finals was the place and the time for the Mavericks to show the world that this team was a team ready to move into the spotlight and take home the crown.

Castaways is a term that was befitting of this Dallas Maverick‘s team who surrounds the All-Star Dirk Nowitzki. The supporting cast of the Dallas Mavericks is  not full of soaring superstars, but of a group of talented players who showed drive, determination and diligence. Seven of the Mavericks fifteen players have ten or more years in the league. Guards Jason Terry and JJ Barea put on three-point clinics as they found the hot spots all over the hardwood in this championship series.Veteran guard Jason Kidd,  has played sixteen years in the league and winning a championship appeared to allude this future hall of fame recipient, but his leadership and experience proved to help make the difference for this team. Shawn Marion used his scrappy defensive play and funky free-throw shooting to be a presence on this  team. Center Tyson Chandler, was solid and protected the basket and provided power dunks when the team needed him to step  up his game. The rest of the Mavericks all gave their all as they chased a chance at becoming the best team in the NBA.

Coach Rick Carlisle, knows what it means to be a champion, as a member of the 1986 Boston Celtics. Carlisle believed in this Maverick team of castaways and kept pushing them to give a little more and play a little harder. The players could respect that coach Carlisle had been where they were and did not disappoint by coming up with wins. No one was prouder of the team than the outspoken and charismatic owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban. At every game Cuban could be seen court side in his signature tee shirts cheering the team on to victory. After eleven years of being the owner of a good Dallas Mavericks team, now Cuban was the owner of a championship team.

The Dallas Mavericks are champions and the play of Dirk Nowitzki was pivotal to making this happen. Dirk was consistent, played through the sickness of an 103 degree fever, and stayed the course making clutch shots to keep his team in the running for the championship. Dirk’s play is not flashy, but his talent and understanding of the game shows why he and his Dallas Mavericks have gone from castaways to champions. Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks, they  have the true spirit and heart of a champion.

 

 

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Thursday Thinking by YoTrip for June 9, 2011-FOCUS (Vol.6, Iss.2)

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FOCUS

 FOCUS is a concept that at some point in life everyone is asked to exercise their ability and capacity to perform. In order to FOCUS one must be aware of what it means to FOCUS.

Focus is defined as a center of activity, attraction, or attention.  A point of concentration.  A state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding.  directed attention : emphasis

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/focus

The definition of FOCUS speaks to centering, attention, a point of concentration, clear perception, understanding, and emphasis. The definition of  FOCUS presents actions that are required to take place in order for FOCUS to be achieved. In order to FOCUS you must think centrally, pay attention, have a point of concentration, be clear in your perception, and have an understanding and emphasis on your attention.

Here are a few questions for you to ponder and consider: Are you able to FOCUS? Can you FOCUS? What makes you FOCUS? Who makes you FOCUS? How do you FOCUS? Where is your FOCUS? When do you FOCUS?

As I wrote the questions above, I have to say that this post begin to scream so loudly as a whisper in my ear. I have come to learn that sometimes we have to realize when we have lost FOCUS. At the same time we  have to embrace that what we are saying or writing is not just for the masses.The who, the what, the where, the how and the when of FOCUS is staring….at me!

Now that I have identified MY need to FOCUS, I have two options to consider: I can sit here and continue in a state of scattering (pulled in to many directions) and lacking FOCUS or I can slow down and gain a renewed sense of FOCUS. The state of scattering and lacking FOCUS is not yielding me the positive results. Slowing  down and renewing my sense of FOCUS is going to require me to remove the people, places and possessions that can or are blocking my FOCUS.

Gaining or renewing FOCUS like anything you seek to do is a process. There is no magic light that will flip on my FOCUS back in line. FOCUS can only be achieved when the work is put in to make FOCUS central, clear, direct, a point of concentration,understood and  it is given a place of emphasis. In other words FOCUS has to become  my FOCUS in order for FOCUS to be effective. To help in my effort I view FOCUS in this way.

Facilitate and seek

Opportunities as a means to

Concentrate on

Utilizing my talents to

Significantly renew my direction….FOCUS

Thanks to Faith and Alema for helping me recognize I can be empowered when I learn to FOCUS

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Tuesday Thoughts by YoTrip for June 7, 2011-Terrific Tuesday

 Terrific TUESDAY!

 

Everyday has the ability to be a great day and this day is no different. I see this day as Teriffic TUESDAY and here is why?

 

TERIFFIC undeniably  is a state of mind, you have to start thinking the day is Terffic before it can become teriffic!

UTILIZE every talent and ability you have to make the day as great as you want it to be.

EMPOWERMENT season is here, so you possess the power to have a great day.

SUCCEED defeat by overcoming your failures and have a great day

DETERMINE assets that you you can contribute to make this a great day

ACQUIRE yearnings for making the day great

YOU can do this, because you are born to produce greatness, not one day but everyday!

Great Tuesday to you!
 -YoTrip

June is Health Awareness Month for more information go to: http://www.menshealthmonth.org**/

June is also the start of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season are you prepared for the storms?

Please keep the people of Haiti, Chile, the Gulf region, Japan, the Middle East, Alabama, and Joplin, MS in your thoughts and prayers. Give to http://www.newmissions.org/

Write your Story. Join the Orlando Renaissance Writers Guild. http://www.orwriters.org/ Purchase a copy of the collaborative book an “ANTHOLOGY” at the listed website.

“Soaring Towards Heaven in 2011”
The Sky Is Limitless…

Yolanda Clay-Triplett “
YoTrip”
The Orlando Renaissance Writer’s Guild, Inc.
~2011 Writer of the Year~

http://www.yotrip.wordpress.com
http://www.yotrip-wordsandthoughts.blogspot.com

Follow me on Twitter:@yotrip729
Find me on Facebook: facebook.com/yolanda.c.triplett

“Words the joyful noise of my mouth,
sweet sounds to my ears.
The results of a love affair between pen and paper, words”

“Soaring Towards Heaven in 2011”
The Sky is Limitless…
Orlando Renaissance Writer’s Guild, Inc.
2011 *”Writer of The Year”*
Posted from WordPress for Android

Thursday Thinking by YoTrip for June 2, 2011-After 19 Years Two Giants (Endeavor and Shaq) Retire

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After 19 Years Two Giants (Endeavor and Shaq) Retire

NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavor and NBA Boston Celtic veteran center Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal have both brought their massive careers to a close. The Endeavor is the youngest in the fleet of space shuttles for NASA and “Shaq” is one of the oldest active players in the NBA. These twin towers have had extensive careers built upon their activities and travels.  As much as the Endeavor has been a force in outer space, Shaq has been a dominating force all over the planet earth.

 

The Endeavor and Shaq both know how to make an entrance and exit, as the replacement for the destroyed in mid-air Challenger, the space shuttle Endeavor was a breath of fresh air and had a wonderful run. Shaq was drafted into the NBA, by the Orlando Magic taking the young and budding team to new levels with his towering stature and dominance in the paint. The Endeavor, took off  and landed with a earth-shattering sonic boom, over the years Shaq’s running the floor and catching the pass for the powerful slam dunks, often lead to what felt like a sonic boom in stadiums all over the world. 

 

On its final mission, the Endeavor was being piloted by Captain Mark Kelly and his team of six astronauts. Close to a million people converged on Cape Canaveral, Florida to watch the Endeavor. Those onlookers included Captain Kelly’s wife, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, who is recovering from a life-threatening gunshot to her head.  The Endeavor, at the end of its mission, after being partly dismantled, will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

 

Shaq’s retirement is due to his being  hampered with  a torn Achilles that is only going to get worse if he continues  to play in the league, even in a limited capacity. After capturing numerous individual awards and 4 championship rings (3 with the Los Angeles Lakers and 1 with Miami Heat) on Wednesday,  Shaq shared his  decision to leave the game with his over 4 million followers on the social media  giant, Twitter. In classic Shaq form (he has acquired a new nickname each of six times he has changed teams in his 19 seasons with the NBA), he asked his followers to give him a new nickname to embrace his new status of “retired”. The new name for Shaq is “401K”, an indicator of all of the money he would be living off of in his new state of retirement. On Friday, Shaq will hold a press conference at his (Orlando)/Isleworth mansion to formally announce that after 19 years he is hanging up his size 23’s to start his  new life. In addition to being the owner of several businesses, Shaq is looking forward to completing his doctoral studies in Human Resources Development from Miami’s Barry University and being called “Dr. Shaq”.

 

The Endeavor made its mark by becoming a space shuttle that was built to commemorate the lost lives of the Challenger and to restore people’s believe in continued space exploration after a tragedy. Shaquille, the self-proclaimed “Superman” of the NBA  brought back the excitement and presence of the “big man” with a likeable spirit, and bigger smile leading teams to victory at a new level. Both the Endeavor and Shaq came and made their impact on the world. The legacy of the space shuttle Endeavor and future Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal will long be felt by those who watched them over the last 19 years. 

 

Two giants who have earned their  places in history, the space shuttle  Endeavor and Shaq have racked up some impressive stats: 

 

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at Endeavour’s lasting legacy in space:

$1,800,000,000: The cost of space shuttle Endeavour in 1987 dollars when it was built to replace the space shuttle Challenger after the tragic 1986 launch failure that killed seven astronauts. While $1.8 billion may seem like a lot for a NASA shuttle, at the time it was roughly half the cost of earlier shuttles since NASA was able to use some spares to construct Endeavour.

116,372,930: The total miles Endeavour has traveled before launching on its last voyage. [Video: Endeavour’s Final Mission]

750,000: The number of spectators who turned out in Florida to watch Endeavour’s first launch attempt on April 29, 2011.

500,000: The number of spectators expected to turn out to Florida’s Space Coast to watch Endeavour’s final launch (the second attempt at liftoff) on May 16, 2011.

6,154: The number of entries in a national student contest to name the space shuttle Endeavour when it was built. The name Endeavour honors the 17th century sailing ship HMB Endeavour, which was captained by British seaman James Cook on a famous voyage of exploration in the South Pacific.

17,400: The speed at which Endeavour traveled (in miles per hour) to remain in orbit. It’s about Mach 25, or five times the speed of a bullet.

4,423: The number of orbits Endeavour made of Earth before launching on its last mission.

1992: The year Endeavour lifted off on its first flight. The orbiter carried seven astronauts to space on the STS-49 mission to rescue and repair a broken communications satellite.

283: The total number of days Endeavour has spent in space, not counting the 16 days it will add during STS-134.

167: The number of crew members Endeavour has carried to orbit, not including the six astronauts slated to ride the shuttle on the STS-134 mission.

25: The number of missions Endeavour will have flown by the time it is retired.

12: The number of times Endeavour will have visited the International Space Station by the time it is retired. The shuttle’s trips to the orbiting laboratory include the very first U.S. space station mission, the STS-88 flight in December 1998 that launched the first American space station module, Unity.

4: The number of space shuttles that NASA built before Endeavour. Its predecessors include Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. [The Most Memorable Space Shuttle Missions]

3.5: The number of years it took NASA to build Endeavour. Construction on the orbiter began in September 1987, and completed in April 1991.

1: The number of times Endeavour has visited the Hubble Telescope in orbit. The shuttle was used to launch the first Hubble servicing mission, STS-61 in December 1993, which famously corrected the observatory’s faulty optics.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43038641/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/shuttle-endeavour-numbers/

 

Shaq by the numbers:

 

Orlando Magic (1992–1996)

Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004)

Miami Heat (2004–2008)

Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)

Cleveland Cavaliers (2009–2010)

Boston Celtics (2010–2011)

 

O’Neal’s individual accolades include the

1999–00 MVP award,

the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award,

15 All-Star game selections,

three All-Star Game MVP awards,

three Finals MVP awards,

two scoring titles,

14 All-NBA team selections,

and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections.

He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP,

All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000);

the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998.

He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 5th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O’Neal

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