The Educated Emotion

When the remake of the movie,  Sparkle , arrived to theaters, I had to watch the 1976 version just one more time. This has been a favorite since I first watched it as a teen almost 20 years after it was released. Every time I watch the movie something different stands out. This time that I watched it, I noticed how sweaty Stix, the character played by Philip Michael Thomas, was when he hugged the girls mom. It was at the point that I experienced an epiphany as to why this movie impacted me so much. Here are three sweaty business lessons that I learned from the movie: 1. Sweating is Natural  In Sparkle, when Stix came to Sparkle's debut and hugged her mom he was sweaty. She didn't turn him away. In fact, she gave him a full embrace while in her finest threads. He had made a mistake and she knew it, but he had survived it and she was encouraged.  As a entrepreneur, I have to put in my sweat equity to get my business off the ground. There aren't ...

A picture of the beautiful Kettunen Center, home of the Peninsula Writers Winter Retreat, taken by Ms. Yma Johnson. 2013 I know it isn't officially winter yet, but as a Michigander I have to be prepared for whatever in November. If I have to think of winter, this picture (shown above) is where I would like my mind to wander. It was taken by a friend while we were on a writing retreat. Those three days jump started a creative writing process that had died and gone sour inside of me for months. Removing myself from my normal agenda was just enough to rev my pen into action. During February's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said "no single event makes a trend." There is no better description to the dynamics of restoring an economy...or even personal credit. As a budding entrepreneur, I excel, I coast, then I get bap-slapped on a regular basis. I have shared how I had to scale back my business. This Spring and Summer, I slowly began adding back ...

Most often described as a coping technique for stress or anxiety or a form of perfectionism, Procrastination is separate from time management because you know what you are supposed to be doing.  Everyone carries the title at some point. But, per usual, abnormal/need for intervention is gauged by intensity and duration. INCIDENTAL COMICS: Sketchbooks of the Pros :   Here's some tips to deal with procrastination personally, professionally, or to motivate your team: Learn the lesson; quit focusing on each mistake. In fact, quit calling them mistakes! For a perfectionist, the mere thought of being wrong or making a mistake can lead to emails left unresponded to, empty pages, and lost opportunities.    Sometimes, the lesson is learned in the process. Habits are hard to break; h abits are hard to create. It takes consistency and practice before you notice improvement in personal and professional development. Don't take it personally. If you...