D-WORDSLAYER

 This year has been filled with changes. The end is coming and so to the beginning. The one certainty is change, and adapting is a given if we must survive and thrive. This quote is taken from Change, time and relationships  (2018) and gives us something to consider as we move forward. What do you think will be different next year? Do you think you will welcome the new, or will you cling to the old? Going back is not an option, so why not make each change count?  Keep safe. Dwordslayer

Give yourself the power of more through learning!  The last six months of this pandemic has given me some great opportunities to explore LinkedIn Learning as well as a number of courses online via Coursera. I love learning, and as I try to focus on completing my major studies, it is good to work on my weak areas. Understanding the many things I can do with Microsoft  Excel has been the biggest reward from LinkedIn Learning to date - and worth the subscription. It is not a walk in the park, as its self-learning and best to practice each skill. A course which is 4 hours can become 4 or 14 days based on attention and effort. Credentials are only as good as the work you are able to do after certification, thus I’m suggesting you spend the time to get it done right. Also, the videos are amazingly well done in bite sizes, and easy to follow. Adding the link here for you to check out the Excel Lessons selected. Master Microsoft Excel  on LinkedIn  Another great learn...

  What to do when you don't know what to do. If you ever feel boxed into a corner to do something which you know is wrong, and your core is twisted on what to do - do what you know is the right thing - then stand aside and let God take over. During our youth we compromise before that painful hurting experience. As we get older decision-making gets easier or harder based on adjusted values and beliefs. You see life lessons can take us into that 'informed zone of understanding' and we can choose to modify behavior based on compromise and comfort level. As we grow even older, it seems that the cost of compromise can be a too high a cost because wisdom can kick in - and that's a good thing. The twilight of day comes after we live through a day, and reflect on outcomes. You can grimace or smile in that moment! Growing up I looked to my elders to teach me about life through their lessons, as an elder (hahaha) it has come full circle, now the student has become the teacher. T...

You are entitled to Your happiness! Yes, that's right, you actually own the rights to your happiness. You have a choice every day, to wake up and smile. You can be happy at the beginning of the day, and during the day, and yes, before you go to sleep, it’s okay to be happy. During this year 2020, the world has fallen to its knees. Everyone, in all countries of the world are focused on something we have no control over. The Coronavirus Covid_19 has become a common denominator in conversations. It’s the one thing we can agree matters to most of us, and our families. It has become of source of fear, a sense of dread, and even a mood of hope. In the darkest moments we can find hope. The Fear is based on what we don’t know, and because there seems to be a lot of certainty surrounding a cure. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has given general and basic guidelines for global management, it’s the managing or lack thereof which triggers fear. The sense of dread is rea...

Giving the r eviews... What do you do when you want to leave a realistic honest review but know the other side won't take it well?  In the past I would never be afraid about sharing a review which is negative, however we live in a society where less than positive reviews are frowned upon. Everyone's opinion is just that... an opinion. If the experience one had is negative, should that review not be shared?  There is a saying I've developed over the years, "If himself tells himself he is good, then he is good in his vision and his reality is himself!". From political, social, religious, and even personal perceptions, growth can only be exponential if the views and others are considered. It does not mean we must change to suit others, but simply means everyone is not receiving what we think we are giving. There is also the perspective that coming out of differences we can learn and improve. I recall at an office party for an outgoing manager ...

I recently shared on change and relationships on facebook, and wish to add to it here. Change we have learnt is constant. It is ongoing and never static. Yet somehow understanding how change impacts on our lives is mainly focused from a business perspective, in the form of change management and changing culture or changing business dialogue. It's interesting to listen to people talk about their impression of change, because it appears to be automatically accepted - yet it is not automatically understood. Many books are written on emotional intellgence, change management, and changing times. Everything affects people, and relationships, and its important to spend some time focused on how change affects us and the relationships we invest in. People should matter to us because as a person you should matter to you.  Change and time go hand in hand, one does not exist without the other, thus time, change and people are intertwined with newness which is ongoing. We should see...

Just bring it on! The journey of this life is amazing. Maybe if I were in the army I would be a decorated officer. It feels like I’ve been out to battle – and won! Thank you, sweet Jesus. Victory is overcoming an enemy according to the online dictionary, and I sure feel like Mohammed Ali, and Serena Williams or maybe I'm feeling like the best me ever! So what comes after victory? Before winning we prepare and implement then execute. The euphoria of winning will last for a while but then it fades, and victory is in the past. It was something we accomplished, something we worked at but now its time to move on. Moving on from accomplishments can be hard, as it means something new must be done to make us relevant at work. You did a great job is in the past and you are doing a great job is the present, but I’m looking forward to you improving on your great work is the future. Sitting on winnings can diminish value. When you do well it is expected you will increase, so ...

Disruption & Praise When I go before God and pray I seek comfort or am expressing my gratitude for his faithfulness and the grace he gives me daily. Worship delivers a message. It heals and removes the barriers between me and God. He gets his time and I get mine.   There are times though when our praise to God should move beyond the norm. In fact, our praise to God should never be so comfortable that movement does not take place. Yes, I’m always feeling moved, but… Disruptive praise shakes you the worshipper. It shakes the people around you. It moves the belly, gut, the pit of your stomach, and it hurts. It hurts because something is happening. Something is moving deep within the soul, and tears may fall, voices rise, and disruption happens. We all have things to confess daily before God and he wants to hear it. He wants to relieve us of our burdens of guilt and shame, anger and fears, hurts and momentary despair, but when its locked deep inside it must come...

No one prepares us for life . From our development in the womb of a woman, whom we will be birthed from, nothing prepares us for life. Moving from the comfort or discomfort of a small space within a human body we are formed. In love or otherwise our destiny and lives begin with the one we call mother. She is our provider, and nurturer. Life is good. Even when its bad its good. The ability to feel and love is good. To breathe is good. To feel means we are alive. I did not always appreciate this. There have been bad times. Tough times are real and come in varying degrees. There have been times when fear would lead to despair and anxiety. However, from the beginning of my life I had my eldest sister. I always had my family of sisters and my mother. Every family has challenges. Some challenges are visible, and others are hidden. Eventually, perceptions are formed based on external influences, judgements are made and as a child you create your normal space. Just like in the ...

When challenges abound be grateful for their existence. The presence of adversity, can move us into opportunity or despair. Choose wisely how you wish to proceed. The next step always presents learnings which can be overlooked because of the smokescreen which appears before understanding and then clear vision. I sometimes wonder about the never-ending life changes, and their disruptive influence over my life. There was always resistance to the newness and sometimes resentment. When I looked at what appeared to be a smooth sailing life for others, my burdens and load seemed heavier than they were. As I compared my life and found it lacking, feelings of wariness and uncertainty would creep in. Then doubt, and the self-seeking for all the ‘wrong things’ and decisions. However, when I shifted my mindset, and started seeing the fullness of my life and the overflowing contents of ‘my glass’, everything changed. Suddenly, the smoke cleared, and I could see. As I embraced and welc...