Cra-Z Dreamer of the Month: Tuari Claiborne As someone in the business of helping others identify their purpose and gifts, plan their goals, and achieve their dreams, it is always encouraging to meet someone young who already has a plan and a purpose. In speaking with Tuari Claiborne, it is evident he has a clear … Continue reading Cra-Z-Dreams Student of the Month: Tuari Claiborne
Much of my life has been spent playing it safe. However, right before I met my wife, I made a decision to step outside my comfort zone and live my life free of regrets. Things that I normally would not have done in a million years, I did. Had it not been for that change, my wife and I would not be together today. In order to get myself in a state where I actually had the desire to step outside my norm, I imagined what it would be like to reach the end of my days and reflect back on my life if I kept playing it safe. This exercise gave me the perspective and motivation to make a change. Regrets are typically the result of living life based on fears and the expectations of others as opposed to the results we truly want. Fortunately, even though we cannot change the past, we have the chance to change the present and future based on what we have learned. However, we must remember that eventually our time here will be up, so we shouldn't take tomorrow for granted. I wrote the poem Coulda Woulda Shoulda to express what it would be like to live a life of fear and eventually run out of time.
Cra-Z Dreamer of the Month: Ryanne Foster Sometimes you meet a person who has a light… an aura that glows softly with goodness and compassion. It’s not forced or calculated but sewn into the fabric of who they are… as much a part of them as their eyes, mouth, hands, and feet. The first time I met Ryanne was at a career fair at the local high school. We were promoting our Cra-Z-Dreams life skills programs and she asked for some information. She later attended one of our Love Yourself First workshops for girls. Her warm spirit was undeniable and immediately stood out to our instructors. We absolutely loved having her in class because she affected the energy and helped put the other girls at ease as we talked about self-esteem, self-love, and empowerment. We later decided that she would be an excellent choice as our May feature student of the month.
Regret Sometimes in my reflection I think, "Where did my promise go?" I'm miles and miles from measuring up To visions from long ago.
Do you have a lot of people depending on you? Do you feel pulled in so many different directions that you might explode? Are your own needs typically an afterthought, and do you often find yourself addressing your needs later than you should, or not at all? I realize the world isn’t going to save itself, and that everyone in your life needs you desperately (and RIGHT NOW), but hear me out on this one because I speak from experience...
On-the-job ADD (Active Dreaming Disorder) Have you ever had difficulty concentrating or staying emotionally invested in your day job after you’ve ignited that fire inside to pursue your dream? The flames start to rage inside, and you can hardly contain your energy and desire to make it happen. The mental dam that once withheld your creativity breaks, and a gushing torrent of ideas starts to flood your brain with no regard for timing or convenience. Whether you’re in the middle of a project that’s approaching deadline, or in a monthly team meeting, thoughts of how you can bring your dream to reality continue to occupy your brain at all hours of the day. They sometimes even keep you up at night to the point...
Do you ever feel guilty for taking time off? I could be the only one, but I doubt it . Vacation guilt is only one of many symptoms of being a workaholic. Other signs you need to chill out include: Not taking time off in the first place Thinking something will go wrong with the business/team if you are not working Constantly checking work emails on your days off
Our Cra-Z-Dreams feature poem for March was written by a student in our Word Warriors Creative Expressions youth group and workshop. The class teaches youth how to use their inner creativity to inspire others, express themselves, and sort through their thoughts and emotions for better understanding and decision making. Great job Shaylen! Keep writing because you truly have a gift!
The Real “Mr. Big Stuff” How we define things and people in life can often be so relative. One Saturday I took my wife and kids out to dinner. We had placed our orders and were waiting quite impatiently for our food to arrive. We had not eaten since breakfast, so everyone was more than ready to chow down. When you’re hungry, waiting on your food at a restaurant seems to take forever. We found ourselves...
Full of adrenaline, I paced the room with a nervous energy that wouldn’t go away. I tried sitting down, but then instead of pacing I began wringing my hands and rubbing my arms and legs. My body seemed confused… searching for a movement, any type of movement, that would release the energy I was carrying. My mind was spinning, and I’m sure at some point my lips actually moved, mumbling in an attempt to process the flood of thoughts swirling through my brain. It started with one thing I was worried about, then snowballed forward into a torrent of unpleasant thoughts that consumed me with fear and worry. The restlessness extended into the night and I could hardly sleep. For some reason I just couldn’t relax. This might sound quite familiar to anyone who has battled anxiety.
Cra-Z-Dreams Inspired 