Q: queen Kim...over and out

AlphabetChallenge

It was a dream of mine to be a princess....and since I know Disney princesses were all already taken and the royal family was a bit far.....I knew a pageant princess and queen would suit me just perfectly.
May 2011 marked the beginning of the journey, and as such, May 2012 means it's been a year since I was crowned Miss Jamaica Global International 2011..and it is time to pass on the crown.

The journey has been a unique one...at least it was unique to me because I had various expectations, and of course because the journey could only have been as good as I made it. Obviously there were ups-and-downs as I worked to finish my degree and balance the meetings and preparations I had for internationals.

Following that there was the amazing week I had entertaining beautiful ladies from around the world here in my island home. We've been sure to keep up with each other regardless of the differences in time, and I honestly do hope that in time I'll be able to travel to them to enjoy even just a week in each country.

Also in the mix of it all, I worked alongside my adopted charity - Danny Williams Primary School for the Deaf and I enjoyed every minute of it. This actually was what I spent most of my reign doing, and I enjoyed it so much that I continue to work with them and have a number of projects lined up all with the goal of helping the school overcome some of their challenges.

I've had the opportunity to meet persons who otherwise I would not, and gone to places and events that without my title I may have never even considered. I enjoyed it.....all the frantic worries, the confusions and the smiles.

I guess I can honestly say that although a part of me is excited to pass on the crown on May 5th....another part of me wouldn't mind keeping it all for myself! But I have my title, photos, sashes, dresses and the many one in a million memories to hold dear....and for that reason...I'm happy.

I thank each and every person who has supported me on this journey, and for those who have asked....this may or may not be my last competition...who knows what the future holds.... =]

100th post

I was about to post my AlphabetChallenge post for this week then I noticed that it would be my 100th post.

So instead, I decided to do my 100th post separately and to do something special for you all. I know 100 posts isn't the greatest feat of them all, but my I've been told that with life being so unpredictable, you should celebrate when you can =]

I'm going to take you on highlight for you my lovely readers, 12 of  the posts I've liked most:

1. Woes of a college student was my first post and it really did just take me back to the beginning of my final year in university. By that time I had learned a lot, started balancing even more things, and in my opinion I began accepting more things as 'the realities of adult life' and all that jazz.

2. Does our education system need a change? was a big deal for me because after going into a number of schools and sharing my experiences with other educators and caregivers....this was really the question on my mind. Of course I thought about the fact that this change may be a long time coming, but will may take a longer time to get done. Who knows just how far the ideas have spread and how many people I've got thinking about it since...hopefully I've gotten enough persons thinking so that we can start seeing some changes....even if it's just at the early childhood level.

3. Do it anyway was another favourite of mine. At the time that I heard those Paradoxical Commandments, I was at an odd place, somewhat in between reality and trying to figure out the 'what next' in my life. Interestingly enough it was after really taking in those words that I fully dived into my non-profit organisation - Bloom Foundation for Education; and I love every bit of it!

4. Japan? got me excited to be honest.....but then I guess when I considered living so far away for a year and possibly not getting the chance to launch Bloom, work on grad school stuff and see my family.......I chickened out. Not too surprised at this though because I think at that point I wanted to go mostly for the chance to travel and not necessarily for the opportunity to teach English to others. My feelings will change though eventually, and maybe some other time I'll do this Japan teaching exchange program.

5. Of birthday cakes and bars was of course a favourite of mine because that was the party I planned for my hunni...with his super surprise cake that he totally loved! I still smile knowing that I actually successfully surprised him with it because I was quite worried that he would have found out some way or another (particularly through his younger brothers or my little sister). Happy I made his 21st birthday special...especially since we aren't big fans of our own birthdays but instead, or each others. =]

6. worldAIDSday - Know your status! was my way of spreading the word about some of the events happening in Kingston Jamaica for World AIDS day in 2011. I've always been told that prevention is better than cure, so I think it's important to remind persons to be proactive in protecting themselves, and to go out and get tested for not only AIDS but for other sexually transmitted diseases. On that note....you should go get tested!

7. Childhood memories was a mental throwback for me....I will admit that I had fun jumping on my bed, and I engage in the ever so fun-loving activity every now and again (when Mom is obviously not home). It was nice to recount the various things that helped to make my childhood so darn amazing!

8. Alphabet Challenge marked the beginning of my first blog challenge. The idea is that I post about a different letter each week starting of course at A. After about a month I noticed that 'posting on Mondays' wasn't going to work at all and now I pretty much just post one day during the week.....sadly it has gotten to the point where sometimes I end up posting two letter posts back to back because I'm too busy to make it happen in good time. But I'm working on it....and I've actually got another challenge when this one is finished so look out for it.

9. Blooming excited publicly marked the official beginning of my Bloom Foundation for Education journey. I'm extremely excited to help make a difference in the lives of these kids especially as it relates to their education. Of course the team and I haven't gone all out with the promotion and fundraising just yet, but listen out for us because it's all gonna be happening pretty fast. For those of you who want to know about the foundation, you can get some info on the Facebook page (click here) or you can email us at bloomfoundation4edu@gmail.com for info. Look out for our blog and website coming soon!

10. Surf's up was a post that came from an adventure! I'm a decent swimmer but surfing was never something I considered doing...especially not here in Jamaica. But when my boyfriend and I got the opportunity, we were pretty excited to do it even just for the sake of saying 'I've surfed before.' Life is unpredictable and I guess my advice is to enjoy it!

11. #TeamTal so proud .....this was one pageant journey I enjoyed from the sidelines. From the day Talia told me she was thinking of entering the competition, to even the day after the final coronation. I was glad to see that someone was able to learn from me and my previous pageant journeys. I guess it gave me that additional reminder of the purpose I have: sharing my knowledge and experiences with others so that they too can benefit. I honestly do appreciate that she came to me for help, and from it all I've not only built a friendship...but I also get to work with someone who's equally as passionate about making a difference! =]


12. L: Living by the rules of the Dalai Lama was of course an AlphabetChallenge post (note the format of the headline) but it was also a list of some things we could take into consideration to help make our lives a bit more successful, peaceful and maybe even more purpose-driven. The positivity of it really made me smile and of course got me thinking about my life and how I deal with situations. I've been told that self-improvement is one of the best ways to get closer to your full potential....so it's full speed ahead!


So there's that

Yes I know....12 is a bit of an odd number but when I scanned through the list of posts these were literally the ones that stood out for me. Maybe if I check the list tomorrow some would change but this is it now and I'm pretty happy with the selections.

Hope you all have enjoyed the first 100....there's lots more to come!

P: party party party

AlphabetChallenge

This past Sunday (April 15th) was my birthday *cue excitement and all that jazz* and although most years my birthday is all sad and blah for me, this one was great!

There was no amazing eye-catching birthday cake, nor was there a specially invited list of guests....instead my amazing team of birthday revelers - my sisters, 3 friends and my hunni; took to the streets with the Bacchanal Jamaica 2012 crew for Road March.


I'll admit that with so much stuff on my mind, I was worried about how much fun I would actually have. Though there were some hiccups with the moments of grumpy little me; the road march rain, the soca music and the hint of rum had me thoroughly enjoying the time with my team who ensured that there was never a dull moment from start to finish.

On Monday, the remains of my great day included leg pains, sunburn, a raspy voice and fatigue....all of which will be 'cured' hopefully by the end of the week. Sadly I haven't gotten all the lovely photos from the day that I wanted to post, but when I do I will post them so you all can see how I thoroughly enjoyed the start of my 22nd year!

O: opportunities abound

AlphabetChallenge

 oh lookie here...my post is early this week (thanks to a long weekend) =] 

Instead of looking at the stress, complications and possible hiccups...focus on the opportunities that will come during and after the experience. -Kim 

It's been a rough couple of weeks!

I've been just about swamped with work as I try to get everything together for my foundation to launch at the end of April; plus I've got work and work and freelancing and my life (including sleeping, blogging and spending time with my bebe) to balance.

I think it's fair to say though that I am surviving and doing a decent job at it. Of course with all this work there must be some benefit to be derived and I'll just look at it as 'opening the doors for more opportunities.'

My various hats and the experiences that come from each one, have allowed me to meet new and interesting people who open doors and make other experiences possible.

I'll admit that my biggest fear is failing, but I guess that just makes me a normal human being. I don't necessarily worry that things won't work out, but I honestly worry that things won't work out the way I want them to. Again I guess that makes me normal.....but this fear becomes more forward in my mind as I plan events, meetings, campaigns and complete sponsorship contracts.


Even now, as I put everything together for a campaign with D'Events, I am a bit concerned that my over the top ideas will be a bit too much for a first try; but I've been lucky enough to already see the opportunity for new connections to be made and new doors to open. It's a whole lot of work especially since I'm balancing it and the other things I need to get done.

 You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. -Eleanor Roosevelt 

I guess in order for me to keep surviving...besides having faith that it'll all work out, I'll be keeping the thought in mind as I work on my Bloom Foundation for Education, get my work done with HYPE Tv and TEENage Observer, as I continue my graduate school hunt and in between my freelance work!

Consider it a tip from Kim!

N: next on the list!

AlphabetChallenge

Another late post I know....I'm getting from bad to worse sigh

Anywho...I think by now most people know that my things to do lists are my all and everything lists that keep me sane and remind me of course of what I need to get done.

Each week I make a list for each hat I wear and I note the deadlines for those things that actually have deadlines. I use arrows or some kind of symbol to note the ones that have to be done so something else can get done and I highlight the 'places to go' ones like the meetings I need to be at.

More or less these little things to do lists have helped me to get organised for as long as I can remember. Although sometimes I focus on one list and kinda ignore others (for example now my main list is the one for my Bloom Foundation for Education and everything else is secondary).

But on a serious note, persons who have trouble with procrastination, memory and organising, the easiest thing to do is to make a list of all the things you need to get done. Here's some tips to making a good things to do list and making it work!

1. On one sheet of paper, write it all down regardless of which area of your life the 'thing to do' belongs to
2. Then think about all the areas of your life that you have things to do for (eg: school, work, home) and write each heading on a sheet of paper
3. Separate the list of things you wrote down and put then under their respective headings
4. On each sheet, highlight the places you need to go, things you need to purchase and people you need to call in different colours or using different symbols. 
5. By this time you should be able to see what needs to get done and you should be able to see a full idea of the things you can try and tackle together (eg getting all the things you need to buy at one time).
6. Tick things off as you get them done!

Feel free to jot down on the lists some things that you've already done so you can tick them off and feel a bit motivated to get other things done. It's important too to put the list somewhere you can see it easily or have easy access to it, so that you can add and tick off things easily. Also remember to make your lists probably on a Sunday afternoon when you can really sit and think through all the things you need to get done in the coming week.

Try to remember that one of the main things that cause a lack of progress is the lack of organisation....so get to it!

M: making a difference

AlphabetChallenge

It's amazing to see how one person can make a difference, and how in the same breath so many people think that lending a hand means very little and changes nothing.  -Anonymous

The statement above is quite true in my opinion (considering that this blog expresses my opinions)....and ever too often I think persons ignore a situation within their local community (or seemingly push it to the side) because they don't think there is any way they can help or they believe it is the responsibility of someone else.

My belief is that every individual no matter what, should think it is important to give to those in need....whether in cash or kind...large or small. I think it is extremely important for persons to make 'making a difference' a part of their life goals.

Yes there are those who can do more and should do more but what help is it to someone in need if you complain about what others should do instead of doing something yourself? Why try to convince the world that we are humanitarians and love mankind, if we prefer to point a finger and wait for a revolution nobody wants to start? Why is it that so often we turn a blind eye to an issue until it reaches a point of severity?

So here's my solution.....

Since we often sing on the statement 'to each his own' it is (in my opinion) the responsibility of each citizen to become a part of a foundation that helps others. Whether you join as a donor, member or volunteer; once you are helping to make a positive difference in the life of someone else I believe you feel better about yourself and you can from there help to spread philanthropy like a good virus.

I've already decided how I will make a difference, and if you want you can feel free to join me as a member or donor of my Bloom Foundation for Education, where the aim is to improve the educational services and opportunities available to special needs students in Jamaica. But, if you have a passion for something else or you want to work closer to home, then start the search for the non-profit organisation or association that suits your preferences.

And you don't have to have loads of money! That's a myth and just totally ridiculous. Even if you decide to have a coin drive, or donate in small amounts...that's you making a difference. If you put away all the coins you have at the end of a day, by the end of the month or even the year most persons have a good amount of money in coins and that can be donated....now imagine if you, your family and two or three other friends did the same?

You don't have to sell your soul or to go as far as to put yourself at a disadvantage...just do the little you can to make a difference.