Zero to Breakthrough

Today on The View author Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour was interviewed about her new book, Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter.

In the book Vernice details how she went from being a beat cop, to being America’s first African-American female combat pilot. In the book she uses her own life experiences to show how anyone's life can change for the better by using her 7-step program.

On The View she mentioned that many people want to accomplish goals, but when they feel like they do not know how it will happen, they often give up.  Vernice’s advice: Don’t worry about the how. Pick what you want and the resources will show up.

Have you been feeling stuck? Have you been holding yourself back? Do you know what you want, but struggle when going after it?  Perhaps Zero to Breakthrough is just the book for you.

Test Preparation

Whether you need to take your GED, GRE, GMAT or any other exam you will need to practice. There are books in the bookstore or library that you can check out which will take you through the exams. There are often free or low cost community programs that will help people study for the GED exam. Usually for graduate exams, however, the courses offered to help you study are rather pricey.

On Test Prep Review you can find FREE practice tests and advice for every test from the GED and SAT to the GMAT and Praxis. This website makes it easy to prepare for your exams without having to spend an arm and a leg on expensive books, or courses. The website is interactive. You take the practice tests online and receive your scores right away. This will give you a sense of what you need to work on. Then there are study guides to help you  improve your scores.

This is definitely a great alternative to expensive courses, and long waiting lists at the library.

Impossible Things

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” -Nelson Mandela

When trying to reach a goal or to dig up a dream that was long ago hidden , success may seem almost impossible.

 I have some days where I feel like I can do anything! I know that all of my dreams are just a few short steps away, and nothing can keep me from them. Then there are other days when I feel like achieving even a short term goal is absolutely impossible. I wonder what I was thinking when I even decided to dream of something so outlandish in the first place.

When I go to those low places, I try to think of other things that at first seemed impossible, but people have accomplished in order to encourage myself. Here are just a few:

President  Barack Obama- First African-American President.

Neil Armstrong- First person to set foot on the Moon.

Amelia Earhart- First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and set many aviation records.

Helen Keller- The first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree.

George Dawson- At age 98 learned to read, at 101 years old he co-authored his autobiography.

What are some other seemingly impossible things that people have accomplished?  Who has helped you to believe that anything is possible?

Fuel Your Dreams Scholarship

24Seven Energy is offering a "Fuel Your Dreams" scholarship in the amount of $1,000. All you have to do is write in 250 words or less, how $1,000 will help you to accomplish your dream. That's it!

Also, just by entering you become eligible to win an iPad 2. You must act fast. The deadline is May 31, 2011.

Apply Now

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Susan Jeffers Ph.D
Random House, 2006, 240pp
$13.95

When I graduated from high school the supervisor of my internship with Time Warner gave me a tote bag full of graduation gifts. One of those gifts was the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

In the book Susan writes: Any time you attempt to do something new, fear will show up to try and deter you from taking that next step. She goes on to say the only way to get rid of fear is to do the very thing you are afraid of.

Since graduating high school, I have had more times when I was afraid to do something than I can count. I have let fear stop me from pursuing many things. Then there were those things that I wanted so badly that I could no longer allow fear to hold me back, like relocating, completing my degrees, and starting my writing career.  I have found that what Dr. Jeffers says in her book is absolutely true.
I used to be deathly afraid of submitting my writing to magazines, and being rejected...until I started to submit my work to magazines and got rejected. Suddenly the fear was gone. I received a rejection letter and I was still okay. Not only that, I looked around and saw that all writers receive rejection letters, it just comes with the territory. Now I see a rejection letter as proof that I am doing something, reaching for something, and conquering my fears. I'm no longer cowering in a corner with my writing hidden in a notebook.

What have you allowed fear to stop you from doing? Do you dream of moving to a new city, traveling the world, teaching, going back to school, changing careers, or starting your own business? Whatever it may be, do like Dr. Jeffers says, "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway." KP.

From Failure to Promise Scholarship

Dr. C Moorer has gone from a college drop-out, to a tenure track university professor. In his new book, "From Failure to Promise" he wants to show how you can do the same.

In an effort to inspire people of any age to finish their education, Moorer created the "From Failure to Promise Essay Scholarship".  All you have to do is read the book. Then write an essay of up to 1000 words that explains how the book has impacted you and what you will do to inspire others.

The winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship, second place $1,000, third place $500.  The deadline is June 30, 2011.

Visit "From Failure to Promise Essay Scholarship" for more information.    KP.

Harriet and Me

I love the movie Harriet the Spy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Based on the children's novel of the same name by Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy has been a source of inspiration for me for many years.

If you are not familiar with the story, Harriet is a self-proclaimed spy. She travels around her neighborhood spying on her neighbors, classmates, and friends. She writes down everything she sees in her notebook.

 There are so many parallels between Harriet and me. Growing up I always had a composition notebook-like the kind that Harriet writes in- with me. My journaling was seen by some as obsessive. I wrote down my every thought, every dream, every observation in my notebook, much like Harriet.  In the movie Harriet's parents demand that she stops writing as a punishment and it is obvious that she is lost without her notebook. When sent to see a therapist she lights up when he allows her to write again. He tells her parents in the end that Harriet will make a great writer one day.

I found out today that my favorite professor Deesha Philyaw signed a book deal! I was so excited and inspired as a writer to work harder. I immediately wanted to watch Harriet the Spy to get in touch with that side of myself that absolutely loves writing and doesn't worry about anything else.

What books or movies inspire you career wise? Are there any characters you see yourself, your dreams or aspirations in? Please share them.

Free Education

Most students in America know a lot about student loans. Sometimes the amount borrowed to complete a college degree far outweighs the earning potential of a student fresh out of college. Many people would like to take a class here or there to learn new skills, but avoid taking classes simply because the price is too high.

MIT has provided a solution to this problem by offering classes online for FREE. On their website they provide a list of over  1,000 courses that the general public can view and take at no charge. The subjects range from architecture to women's studies. The learner who uses this website gets to view the professors' lecture notes, the exams with the answer key, homework assignments for the class, and the reading list. If a learner chooses to buy their books from Amazon they will receive a 10% discount. Or to keep things completely free, you can borrow the books from your local library.

 Grades are not given for the classes, and there are no deadlines. It is an amazing way to learn at your own pace.  I have tried out a few of these classes and it is a pleasure to be able to work through a course offered by a top notch university at no cost. KP