Category Archives: Self Improvement

Thankful Thursday

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Being thankful is more than words. Being thankful is a state of mind and being. To be truly thankful is to be a blessing everywhere you go to everyone you know or see. You can be thankful for your trial(s) without having a immediate break thru, but in the knowing that your break through is coming is how where the thankfulness is. Making a mindful method for being thankful can be as simple as finding something to be thankful for in your moment i.e. being thankful for your good health, good wealth and overall goodness in your life. Instead of finding fault or error in the “moment” look for what you are thankful for in the moment. Finding ways to be thankful will improve your outlook on your circumstances and your life overall. Psalm 100 says, “Be thankful and say so!” Thanksgiving is a mindset; choose your thoughts carefully throughout the day.

Have a Thankful Thursday,

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

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An attitude of gratitude is more important to your physical health than you may realize. During this time of year, it is important to show gratitude for what, who and all of the blessings that you have. Gratefulness is contagious, show gratitude and you will be given more. How can you expect anything good to happen if you don’t have gratitude for what you have currently? You can always find something to be grateful for. No matter your situation, you can always be grateful. Make a “Grateful List” and keep it to remind yourself of all that you are grateful for. Here are a list of items I am grateful for each and every day, with this list you can add to it or change it to suit your personal goals in life or things that are most important to you.

My Grateful List
I am grateful for the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
I am grateful for a new day and new beginnings
I am grateful for forgiveness and peace
I am grateful for my good health
I am grateful for my sound mind, body and soul
I am grateful for my beautiful spirit
I am grateful for the beautiful spirits I will meet today
I am grateful for love, peace and joy
I am grateful for my success
I am grateful for my ability to motivate and inspire others
I am grateful for the ability to see, hear, smell and speak

Decide what you want from life, believe you can achieve it, and focus. Believe that you can have it, and know that you deserve it. Close your eyes several times a day and focus on having it. Visualize having it and feel grateful for having it right now. When you take the time to believe, receiving and achieving you will start to be more optimistic about your life.

All the Best,
Jaye

Monday Morning Mindset

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In an economy where you must “find a way or make a way,” it is important to understand your professional value. We all bring different attributes to “the table” when it comes to our field of choice, what we are good at and what we love to do. What are you good at? Take some time to find out. It is important to spend some quality time finding out what you are good at and what you are not so good at. One of the best ways to do this is to simply try.

That simple word, “Try!” Has been used many times in the negative condensation that it is perceived as a “bad word.” How may times have you heard someone or yourself saying “At least I tried!?” That gives the impression that it was all you could do. It is saying of defeat, when that is not the case at all. Succeeding isn’t in the “trying” it is in the “doing.” It is in the “doing” that you find out what you are good at.

Doing is how you find out if you have a natural gift for something, or if you need to practice. People that are good at what they do, either have a gift or have to practice. Either way, it is in the doing that they are truly successful. The key to success is in failing and then finding yourself. Failure is not a bad thing, it allows for you to see how you can improve yourself. Step out and find out, it is time to do more than try. It is time to do!

All the Best,

Jenice

Poem: FREE by Jenice Armstead

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Imagine how happy and free I could be if I took me a little less seriously

If I looked at my failures with shrug and smile

And remember all of my successes with pleasure and pride

If I realized that I was great instead of analyzing all of my mistakes

Then sat with my collected thoughts to give a reasonable intake

Imagine how happy and free I could be, if I did everything in my power to just enjoy be me

Being is me is what I know and have come to understand

It is with great measure that I make that immediate demand

Imagine how happy and free I could be if I did everything in my power to be the best me

Success comes and success goes

What you are left with, nobody knows

It is vital that we understand that we are who we are for a reason

Reasons come with many seasons

But, how happy and free we all would be if we were just happy being free

Then, I imagine how happy and free I would be if I did everything in my soul to be the me I

was meant to be

I dedicate my poem, to the memory of Nelson Mandela

Published in April 2012, in “A Natural Hair Journey” Stories and Memories of a Curly Girl” by Jenice Armstead

Monday Morning Mindset

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Be careful not to complain in your thinking, doing and being. Complaining is a form of being stagnate in yourself. When you complain about something or someone, you are giving into the “lower” part of yourself. Instead of complaining about a situation or person, take some a moment to reflect on the good things about the situation or person. For example, if you are at a job that doesn’t pay enough you can take a few moments to write down all the things you are grateful about within the job. Such as, the knowing you have enough to eat and provide. If you have a complaint about your spouse not doing enough to help around the house you could make a list about all the wonderful qualities that made you fall in love with your spouse in the beginning of your relationship.

You may find that by taking a few moments to reflect on the situation or person that you are the one that causing the “friction.” It could be as simple as changing your attitude in the moment you are complaining. Your attitude has more to do with how you feel and react to a situation or person than you may think. With the “thankful lists” that you make, keep it handing when you start to complain. Sit down and read the list aloud. Take a moment; reflect on the situation and how you can make it better with some “self-realizations.” In all things, “give thanks” because there is always something good you can be thankful for in any and all situations.

All the Best,

Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset

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You Can – Poem by Jenice Armstead

You can
You absolutely can
You can because you believe that you can
You can because you remind yourself that you can
You are
You are because you say that you are
You are because you have no other choice but to be who you are
You will
You will because you have the ability to do so
You will because your spirit guides you
You know
You know because you have the wisdom of the world
You know because you have been there before
You know because you have told yourself that you know
You do
You do because you are able to
You do because you can
With the ability to do
And the wisdom to know
You can

Jenice R. Armstead
Copyright © 2013 By Jenice Renee Armstead

Monday Morning Mindset

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Speaking truth starts with understanding what you feel about yourself and your abilities. There a ways to get your mind set for the weeks’ challenges. When dealing with difficult situations it is helpful to get somewhere quiet and ask yourself a few quick questions:

• Am I being kind to myself in this moment?
• Is this necessary to do?
• Does this situation make me whole?
• Is this true of my core self?

When asking yourself these questions remember that each situation in your life is not about how you act, but rather how you react to it. The best way to not draw offense from any situation is to find clarity from within. Speak aloud some positive affirmations about yourself such as “I am a kind person, I am a person of truth or I have the ability to overcome this situation and come up higher.” The ability to “self talk” in a positive manner can determine your ability to see the challenge as a benefit instead of a hindrance. Being mindful of yourself is the first step toward growing and becoming a better person. You will make mistakes, because you are human. It is okay to take a moment and gain clarity in a world full of challenges.

All the Best,
Jenice

Monday Morning Mindset – Happy Veterans Day

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Veterans Day is more than a holiday celebrated for shopping sales, free meals and discounts.  Veterans Day is the day for all of us to honor those who have served both voluntarily and involuntarily for all to enjoy the freedoms of civil rights, equal rights and rights to come.  Veterans are the backbone of this country, being a veteran of the United States Navy is my honor.  I am honored to have served these United States of America.

Being a veteran has allowed many benefits that I other wise would not enjoy.  The military provided an education that my parents couldn’t afford to give me.  I earned my Associates in Science from Vincennes University, Associates in Art, Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Science, Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Saint Leo University and currently earning my Doctorates in Business Administration.  All this education has been provided by the opportunities of being a veteran of the military.

What most people who know about all my educational path don’t know the challenges that took place while earning my education.  The many nights I was on “watch” while cramming for an English exam.  Military deployments to South Korea; Mombasa, Kenya; Rhoda, Spain; and Iraq where I was sleep derived and living off of Ready Made Meals (MREs) while scheduling exam retake dates to graduate on time.  The training operations in Camp Pendleton for mortar missile training while staying up until the early hours of the morning to ensure I had my math test submitted on time.

Today, as you see people in your coming and goings remember the ones who have given their lives for the rights you freely enjoy.  Don’t merely “thank a veteran” “appreciate a veteran.”  Appreciation is worth more than any thank you could ever say.

All the Best,

Yeoman Second Class (Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist) Armstead aka Jenice

Great Lakes, ILL. aka Great Mistakes

Jenice Armstead Boot Camp Photo

 

Using Veteran Educational Benefits

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Online degrees have come a long way from your basic degree, now there are a variety of different options for degree programs with excellent online universities. Now, with technology you can earn your degree in more than one way.

Online degrees are becoming the new way for people to go to school and still work. Going to school online is a great way to “get ahead” in your career and to make yourself more value and stay competitive. Here are some tips for you to start or continue to earn your degree online. There are tons of online schools. Some schools have special “Military scholarships” for active and veteran military personnel.

The Montgomery GI Bill and Post September 9/11 educational programs allow for all military personnel serving during that time also received 9/11 educational benefits. Another excellent educational program for veteran graduate students is the Yellow Ribbon Program. These benefits are transferable to other military dependents from any active duty or veteran military personnel. Many online schools can offer up to 50% military scholarships to all undergraduate degree programs and a 20% military scholarship to all graduate degree programs. There are time stipulations on utilizing your military educational benefits. Make sure to check the termination of time requires before you begin a program.

Many online schools have regional and national accreditations. It is important to know whom your school is accredited through in case you want to transfer or get a job in a different state than the school you are attending.

For more information check out www.va.gov and www.saintleo.edu

Answering Job Interview Questions on Future Plans

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When you are interviewing you will be asked about your future plans. This is a question that selecting officials use to see where you plan on “being” in a determined amount of time.

You will be asked: What are your long-term goals? What are your long-term career objectives? This is not an opportunity for you to “spill your guts” keep it professional and stay focused. Think about this question before you interview, you shouldn’t take more than 5 – 7 minutes. Talk about your professional goals and what educational aspirations you have. DON’T talk about your personal life or what personal projects you are working on.
Selecting officials want to know: How do you plan to achieve your career goals? They don’t want details, this is a rhetorical question that is meant for them to see if you know how to lay out goals and patterns on how to achieve goals. This is actually a tactic to see how you focus on objects and how you plan to achieve objects. Again, keep it professional not personal – stay focused.

The final future plan questions the selecting official will ask: What do you see yourself doing in five years from now? and What plans do you have for continuing your education? They questions help selecting officials to determine what kind of professional “drive” and motivation you actually have. It is my personal advice to answer all interview questions, keep in mind you can “respectfully” decline to answer any interview questions that you don’t feel comfortable asking. If you don’t plan on continuing your education or haven’t thought about what your goals are for the next five years, it’s okay – use your imagination and stay focused on the professional conversation.

For more information on answering job interview questions check out my Pep Talks Series

Answering Job Interview Questions on Education

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Education comes in all arrays of quality. We all know that education is vital in today’s job market and education is important for many different reasons. The fact is you don’t have to have a degree to be considered educated, but you do have to have proof that you completed the educational program that which you are claiming you acquired the knowledge from.

During interviews selecting officials will want to know: What courses you liked most while attending school? and What courses did you least like? This question is steered toward the selecting official finding out more about you and what types of interests you have. This could be a mode of examining your personality traits or it could mean more. It all depends on what type of job you are interviewing for.

The next question of: Why did you choose your course of study? This question is pretty self explanatory, in the fact that the selecting official wants to know why you choose the course of study that you did. This question is asked with the intentions of understanding the applicant’s passion. Be honest and be short. Don’t give a long answer; the selecting official doesn’t want to know your whole life story. Keep it short and sweet unless they ask additional questions, if more questions are asked in this regard – make is short and sweet.

The selecting official wants to know if you prepared for the interview and what you did to prepare. So they will ask you to discuss your background in terms of how it has prepared you for the job you are applying. This is a question of character and needs to be explained in general detail. For example, if you were applying for a information technician position you would discuss your certifications and repeat your answer of your educational background this would be of great help. Talk about what you desired to be as a young adult and elaborate job history details – even if you have already discussed your job history – repeat yourself. Selecting officials love it when you repeat facts, because it reassures them you are telling the truth.

REMEMBER: BE HONEST. You will be selected over another candidate who wasn’t as truthful. The truth will allow you to shine and become employed faster than not being honest at all.

For more information on answering job interview questions check out my Pep Talk Books