Tag Archives: motivation

Don’t Get Mad … Get Motivated

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We all have talents. We have strengthens. Do not be afraid of your own motivation and success. We know we have accelerated knowledge in our skill-sets, even when others try to emulate our work. The infringing part of impersonation is, it is never as good as the original. The original is just that, one of a kind, not able to be duplicated with slight or extreme differences. The best part about “the original” is there is and will always be, only one – of a kind. You are one of a kind.

What You Do Matters

Photo: Luke Webb

In this uncertain time, it is not the time to get mad. Instead, get motivated. Get motivated to be the very best you, you can be. There is always a way to look at the brighter side of things, even when all seems far off. You can do this. What have you wanted to do that you didn’t have the time to do? Do you want to get healthier? Come up with a plan. You don’t need a gym to work out and feel great. Have you wanted to start a blog about your favorite hobby? Do it, and there are a ton of free resources for you to get started. You don’t need an elaborate fancy website to share your ideas. Is there a new career venture you have been putting off? Why? The only way to know is to go for it and truly put your whole self into it.

We all have the time to think and seriously ponder on what makes us intrinsically happy. I am sure you have chatted with friends and family about all the things you love to do, that you are currently not able to do. The great part is you will have a chance to do those things you love to do – just in different ways. What will emerge from this significant time in our history? Some of the best ideas came from great disasters (natural and human-made). It is time to get motivated and stay focused. We are all important and have greatness to contribute to this beautiful world. Don’t get mad; get motivated.

Be well,
Jenice

Resources:

Self-Motivation Explained 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself. (2020, April 22). Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/self-motivation/

Boosting Motivation Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://thiswayup.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/This-Way-Up-Boosting-motivation-guide.pdf

Step-by-Step = Goal Achieved

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When we think of a goal, we are often in a state of motivation. A conversation sparked an idea, a movie prompted an inspiring thought, or perhaps a song brought forth a vision to embark. No matter the prompt, there are a few things that need to happen before you get to “happy slappy” about how great it is going to be once you accomplish “that” goal. The idea, vision, and thought are the easy part … the hard part is the work put into achieving the goal. I once heard a motto that I will never forget, “The work between an idea and a goal is the arduous steps that are required toward completion.” That statement has driven each and every goal I have set out to accomplish. You have to remember, there will be hard work involved to attain any goal that is worth your while.

It is in the middle, the hard part, the work, the sweat, and tears … that is where the goals start to come to fruition. That is where you discover who you are and what you are made of. Too often, when things get hard, we simply stop. But, it is in the “step-by-step” brainstorming and mulling over the tasks over and over where the motivation kicks us into high gear. Motivation is not something that you get from a PodCast, YouTube Video, or phone call from a supporter. Motivation is the still and small voice that reminds you of why you started on your “Goal Journey” in the first place. You are welcome to use that phrase to remind you of the hard work you will put in.

I have worked in the private, public, and federal sections. It was in the midst of one of the greatest opportunities that I found my passion for education. I recently found an old photo of myself. I was sitting at a Play School desk, and if you are a Gen-Xer you know the one I am talking about, heck you probably had one too. I actually remember the moment when I fell in love with learning … it was that moment. Fast forward a few years, I was in one of the darkest places in my professional career and reconnected with my love of learning. But, I had to allow something new to emerge. It was from a candid conversation with my supervisor that I realized my life purpose was to work in education. I researched and found the perfect Doctoral Business Management program for my needs, and started out on my goal toward earning a terminal degree in business management, with the goal of working in higher education.

Was the goal hard and far off? Yes. Did it take longer than I thought it would? Of course. But the point is I started. Just start. Start now, you cannot worry about the details if you have not made a decision to start. Start where you are and start now. Stop comparing yourself, your situation or your life to others. Truth be told, there are probably others comparing their lives to yours. Instead of all of the reincarnations of iterations of what we think we should be doing, let’s break the cycle and set an example for “Doing It Your Way” … oh … I think I feel a book birthing out of that last statement. Be the best you, you can be … unapologetically.

Patel, Deep. “16 Actions to Take to Achieve Any Goal.” Entrepreneur, 27 Aug. 2018, www.entrepreneur.com/article/318347.

Motivating & Understanding the “Online Student”

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Message from Prof. Jenice Armstead

In my professional opinion, lecturing is a compilation of instructing students to understand a topic or concept and the ability to properly explain a topic with ease to students whom are less familiar with the topic. It takes practice to find what “type” of lecturing which is right for the students to receive the most out of the course. Lectures seem to have been given a “bum rap” because of the student’s perception of what a lecture is. When in fact, all topics have the potential of being exciting for all student-learning experiences. Traditional lecturing has strengths and weakness, which is one of the reasons I am always looking for ways to improve my course interaction and lecturing techniques for my students.

Motivating my students is one of the most important aspects of teaching. Positive learning environments stimulate academic growth of a student. Obtaining new online learning technologies is a way for improving lecturing techniques and developing a well-rounded academic environment for my students. As a professor, I utilized the “Learning Studio” for course interaction, discussion, electronic handouts, academic journals, class chats and assignment submissions. Learning online takes patience, dedication, motivation and constant communication. Without these key elements the success of a student is next to impossible. Professors and instructors have to be engaged and ensure that the lectures are interactive as well as informative. Implementing “interactive” learning methods and other new technology advances provide students with high opportunities for success in all courses.

After implementing the “Learning Studio” for all of my courses, my students are much more involved with the topics and are not afraid to ask questions or give an opinion during class. That was a part of my goal for implementing “interactive” lecture methods. I wanted my students to feel a sense of community and comfort with the topics being discussed. It has showed to be very effective in that student participation and communication has increased tremendously. When stimulating my students I use “blended” teaching methods. My students are heavily involved with the lectures. I make sure to have interactive questions for them to engage in the “Learning Studio.” I also make sure to have power point slides and direct “Live” Internet links to stimulate discussion among my students. The Socratic Methods are useful when teaching human resources and business management. The “Asking Instead of Telling” works especially when I want to have the class discussion on job structures and business ethics.

The four dimensions/factors for successful lecturing are: Attention (A), Relevance (R), Confidence (C), and Satisfaction (S) are attributed to learning comprehension (Guven, 2009). The attention span of a student is directly effective how the student learns. Is the student not attentive in your class? Why not? The lecture may need more “Pizzazz.” The way to give some life to a lecture is to involve you students more with their interests of the topic, or implement more of your real life professional experience into it. This is where the online relevance comes into place. How relevant is the topic to current events? Is there a way to implement current events into the topic? There is always something going on in the news or related to the Saint Leo Core Values one could use to increase the relevance of the topic. While building up the knowledge base of the student, the confidence of the student will increase. Which will increase student satisfaction of the learning experience overall (Guven, 2009). The success of the student in an online program strongly depends on the interaction, creativeness and motivation of the student as does it for the professor/instructor.

References

Guven, M. (2009). The Epistemological Beliefs of Distance Education Students. Turkish
Online Journal Of Distance Education (TOJDE), 10(3), 217-246.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2003). The Virtual Student : A Profile and Guide to Working
with Online Learners. Jossey-Bass.

Garlikov, R. (2012). The Socratic Method. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from
http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html

Prof. Jenice Armstead

Prof. Jenice Armstead

Thoughtful Thursday

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When you believe in something, love, desire, and want it, you can create it more quickly.  One thing you have to do is not allow the emotions of others to drain you.  As you calm your emotions, you will be able to handle other people’s strong emotions.

When you think about it emotions are how you know whether you like or dislike something.  Your emotions are the key to understanding your environment and how you choose to react to it.  When you think about something on a continuum basis you allow it to come into your life faster than it would if you weren’t thinking of it.  It isn’t something that can be controlled, unless you choose to do so. It is true.  I can remember thinking about not wanting to have a bad day and in fact drawing situations to me that actually caused me to have a bad day.  In the moment you are thinking about it, you don’t realize what you’re doing – unless you choose to understand what you’re doing.

You are affected by others and their emotions – whether it is a positive or a negative way.  You choose what to transcend from others emotions.  You are in total control of your emotions and what you absorb.  The key is to calm yourself and not allow others emotions to become your emotions through default.

Jenice

Personal Awareness

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A thought is energy that you can control. Instead of being affected by negative energy, create positive life energy in place of it.

Each of us has the ability to visualize, for I believe that everyone can think of a rose, either to picture it or feel it. This is the process one would use in order to become more aware of the energy in and around them. You can learn to feel the emotional energy in a room of people by picking out which person is emitting energy that is feeling anxiety, upset, or joy. You can learn to change the effect of that energy by closing your eyes, focusing with precision on the energy that is bothering you, and changing its impact with your mind. Just as you can close your eyes and visualize a rose, so can you use the process of visualization to heal people and work on energy that you do not like, or would like to evolve.

Most people tense up when encountering negative energy. That attracts even more negative energy. To avoid being affected by negative energy, relax. Any process of relaxation will work. Then visualize or image a peaceful feeling. By visualizing what feelings you do want, you will not pick up negative energies you don’t want.

Reference: Sanaya Roman, Personal Power through Awareness, Book II of the Earth Life Series.

Get connected to yourself,
Pen Name: Jayla Heart

Personal Awareness Note

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The ability to visualize your self in different situations will assist you in transforming energy from negative to positive instantly.  You can enjoy every single bit of your life, even the difficult times.  You have the authority to keep your joy and have peace in any situation.  The more truth you know, the more you can keep your faith in difficult times.

Jenice

Personal Awareness Note

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It is important to know how much you are capable of receiving, for many of you are not very open to accepting anything, although you love to give to others.  If you feel that others do not appreciate what you give them, it is time to take a look at how open you are to receiving from others.  Start the new year off right and appreciate yourself – first.

Jenice

 

Wisdom Wednesday

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You have the ability to “think yourself into a good mood, or a bad mood.”  In my many professional experiences I have met people that have and express negative thoughts.  Recently, I was contracted to work for a company where I was able to communication with many people.  During this job many people “thought” they were not “good enough” and had terrible self-images.

My realization was that many people think the worst about themselves and have low hopes for their future.  At times, being in sales is like being a people therapist … You get their entire story and they want a miracle from you with promises that a product will cure their hurt … But only GOD can do that.

While working this contracted job, I often found myself giving this advice:

True freedom is being able to self-evaluate without self judgment.  Finding self-value in your individualism is priceless.  We all have individual gifts from GOD, don’t compare your gifts to anyone else’s abilities.   It is only by grace that GOD, who gives gifts can you grow and develop in yourself.  Walk in your special grace.  Allowing for others to determine your worth is like an adult getting mad at a child for being hungry, it is preventable.  Know who you are and yourself value will increase.

All the Best,

Jenice