Carpe Diem

Seize the Day! Everyone says it, but it's much easier said than done. I think in order to seize the day, you have to live in the present, and on a surface level, everyone lives in the present but most people are concerned about preparing for whats to come; or reveling in what happened. There's a song called "I hope tomorrow is like today." In order to say that you are living in the moment, placing emphasis on enjoying the "Now" is essential.  I believe it is important to embrace the things we have and by appreciating them in this way, not taking them for granted. We by our nature must plan and remember, but these thoughts of tomorrow and yesterday are thoughts we are having in the now.

Everyone is concerned about what the future holds and what the past has presented, myself included. By living in the present and not stressing constantly about the future outcomes of events or things that have already occurred which I could not effect I have become a happier and more enlightened person. Just by thinking positively and being outwardly happy, people have been nicer to me and picked up on it on a subconscious level. Its weird what a smile and hug can do for a person's day.

Meeting new people is always a good thing, but what's more interesting is meeting a new person that you have once known. There are certain constants that hold steady and this is the part of the person that is in your memory, but growing up and out and upside down, sideways and rightways, and all the complexities people come to develop are fascinating and exciting. Imagine meeting someone you used to know as playing Jenga backwards but with all new pieces and the old version of them is the tower that falls over, but the new schema of knowledge, information, and personality is the new tower, but since people always continue to grow you're always adding new pieces. I'm not sure if that makes sense to everyone or anyone; I am getting sleepy.... I hope I get to play reverse Jenga soon then I'll be better able to say what its like instead of juxtaposing imagination with anticipation.

70 year old Zen master from Cleveland

(Holmes' have done a lot of work on the building on the right through three generations)

As I left off I was going to discuss the East-meets-West Zen Philosophy I've been exposed to while spending time with my Dad. He's been fighting cancer for about seven years now, and has had multiple surgeries including the removal of his lung and his left shoulder ball and socket. The latter was a painful limb salvage surgery which gives the appearance of a fully functional limb, without function. The problem is that there is severe nerve damage causing extreme pain. 
He uses meditation as a method of dealing with severe and acute pain attacks. Through his study of meditation he has stumbled upon Zen, and has done a suprisingly stunning job of passing his reading and philosophical reflection on to me during our time together.
My Dad has always been a religious person, but has recently become more spiritual. Not to say that he has turned off to being Catholic, its just that he looks at things from a more spiritual perspective. We have been learning about how to define Zen in a traditional western mindset. The simplest way to do this is to think of a Full moon, and its reflection in the ocean. The Moon does not wait for the water to cast its reflection just as the water does not actively prepare to cast it. They do it simultaneously, naturally, and without deliberate action. I've been trying to live my life more in this fashion, and because of that everything seems to be falling into place without having to be forced.

I have 3 scheduled meetings with very important people this week. One is with a professor whom I've never had the pleasure of having a class with but none the less has gone out of his way to provide his knowledge and time as a Mentor, Dr. Junkunc, a man I admire very much and hold in very high regard. The second meeting is with Dr. Ullmann, he has been my mentor in marrying my entrepreneurial skill set with the health sector. He has shown me paths that I previously did not know existed as far as education and experience was concerned, and I believe he will continue to do this. My most influential entrepreneurship mentor sent me a lead on a position in a large Health Informatics company. All of these men have been recognized very recently for their dedication to helping and mentoring students such as myself. The third meeting is with the Director of the Collier County Health Department. Although I only met her briefly, I can tell she is a sincere and kind individual and I look forward to what will come of it. After this week I should have a clearer picture of what the road of my career will look like in the near future.

T-2 Days for The University of Miami Business Plan Competition

Last year at exactly this time I was working my cramped typing fingers guided by war wearied eyes. The war of of that thin red line underneath misspelled words, putting the final touches on what was to become The business plan that was deemed best written by the judges of the University of Miami Business Competition. These judges were a panel of venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs, and professors who have spent their life studying the genesis of ideas and their transformation into economic progress.

It is the highest achievement I have achieved. I feel it is more of an achievement than Bachelors of Science in Entrepreneurship & Biology Minor or When I was honored to become a Heffner fellow. It says that of all the plans submitted, of the greatest and most competitive minds throughout the entire university, I constructed the best blueprint explaining abstract concepts as well as logistics of an entire business, revenue streams, and a plethora of detail and projections. The judges were intimidating due to their high levels of success, basically what I would hope to achieve in my life, grilling me. I was not used to this and was not my normal charismatic self.

Can't win em all, but I did get best written; and after meeting a CEO of a company I will decline to mention, but lives in the greater Cleveland area as well as SoBe who is a new family addition. Well, it was a very interesting time we spent together and Power, even the kind of power he had, does not intimidate because when it comes down to it, a man is just a man- no more. no less.

Reflecting on the past, I learned so much from the school of business and in particular, one man. THE MAN.
Ken Colwell, the Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at University of Miami.
He teaches in a unique way, very eastern thought, with zen principles. Where the student/teacher interaction is the focus of the class, and the lessons are ones that cannot be learned through an online interface, but through moments of directed epiphany.

Long story longer, the UM business competition is coming up and another will be chosen. I look forward to finding out who my successor will be.

Preview of Next Post:
I have been studying zen, and different meditation styles. My father who has cancer is very into meditation and I am spending time learning from him. It is a very good experience because we bond in a way that will continue to grow throughout my life. Next post will be my Eastern Philosophical view mixed with a previous Mid-Western raised mind.

Public Health Internship: It's Grrrrrrreeaat!

Health Care makes me happy, second day on the job better than first, and it just keeps getting better...

I am currently learning about targeting prenatal emergency preparedness through childbirth education. I am producing material to educate my foundation's target demographic on how to keep themselves and baby-to-be safe.

I am the only male in the entire place excepting the President. It is the Women's Health Foundation, so this is not a shocker. It makes for a great workplace environment. Everyone is super nice, its calm and laid back, and it's a position in which I am gaining valuable experience in public health.

The experience is two-fold, yes I am learning, but on top of that I'm helping people who otherwise would not get it. It's a team effort and more than that, its a caring family of people that work together. I have not seen a work environment quite like it anywhere else.

This next section is not for the faint of heart, it details the pros and cons of my previous position

Tarpon Bend Analysis: Good/Bad/Ugly
Good: I learned how to make very good drinks
I increased hand speed and balancing as well as the quickness and efficiency of my cleaning
I ate good food when I came in on my days off

Bad:
No tips.
being loathed due to the fact that I started college, and actually finished,
Catching flack for using polysyllabic words.
Paying my dues in an industry that I never wanted to spend the rest of my life in.

Ugly:
Cleaning the bathroom on a Friday night during rush time: when someone puked all over and pissed themselves. I think he may have had too much. 
In Exchange for this I was offered a Make it Great card, this is equivalent to a sticker in kindergarten.
Use of words like "mines" instead of mine.
i.e. "That drink shaka is mines dog. It's MINES!"
The word is mine, just humor me and say mine. Please. 

Conclusion: I need to be intellectually challenged to be happy. I like jobs/industries that help people and utilize emerging technology. I like management styles that are educated, wise, and friendly so that I can learn from them instead of learning what not to do.

Winning, but no Tiger's blood

Cha ching, Got an intern position at the Collier County Health Department .

 First day is tomorrow at 8:30. Will keep you readers out there posted. Tomorrow should be an introduction day, touring around the complex and meeting all the friendly staff.
I'm quite stoked. Finally, I'm in my desired field. I'm happier than a hamburger at a vegan commune.

......AND ITS GOOD!

Bartender gets a break

I have been looking to get into public health. Finally lightning struck, and I was ready. I am going to apply for a position in a non-profit.

I spoke to the president of the organization today and he seemed optimistic that there would be a position available for me.
Optimism tends to spread like wildfire.

I have a tremendous opportunity to help the indigent population in Immokalee.
The world is unpredictable and works in mysterious fashion. I've gone from bartender to potential General Contractor to Non-Profit Sector Employee within a matter of weeks. Being an entrepreneur and life in general is like riding a roller coaster, ups and downs, turns and loops.

It seems the fun part is back again, and I'm on the right track for a career I want.

Good things come in 3's

3-2 was a glorious day in birthday history. My father and Older sisters all share the same birthday, I'd imagine had we gone out together today the restaurant staff would be utterly confused as to who to sing to.

As a kid I remember solving the problem by going up to our waitress and surprising my sisters with a birthday. Cracker Barrel Surprise Singing was by far the most awkward and she was put on the spot but continued with the ruse and Dad got a hell of a kick out of it.

Family bonds are special and should be cherished. I am blessed to have such a great family.

I recently heard straight from the source that Two of my best friends, Brian Beers and Chrissy Ellinger, are getting hitched Oct. 2nd 2011. I could not be happier for those rascals. Having the pleasure of knowing them since my freshman year at Miami, I watched them grow together. Its easy to see that they are soul mates and they compliment each other perfectly.

I'll be flying up to Philly for sure!.... I hope Brian has a couch to crash on....

Choosing a career path raises the likely-hood of workplace performance and satisfaction due to the synergy of intrinsic and exterior motivators. The odds of ending up exactly where I planned from the beginning are not likely for me as I am finding out.
At First Grade I wanted to be a Lion Tamer,

Grade 2, a Fire-Fighter,

Grade 5, a Theoretical Physicist.

Radically jumping to, Grade 9 a Singer in a Rock n' Roll band,

Grade 10 a House Husband,

Grade 12 an M.D.,

Sophmore Year- Health Care Industry Professional

Junior Year- Medical focus (MPH; Public Health)

Senior year- Start-Up Business Employee

I am starting to realize that these are not all mutually exclusive, in some cases I just have to figure out a path of succession in others the "Oprah-tunity" just has to present herself. Back off Stedman and Dave Chappelle, she's mine!

Like I said, Good things come in three, in this case, Family, Friends and the Future.