The THRIVE! Journal

Writing about living an inspired, thriving life.

[linda462009]

How To Create The Best Of Times At Work

How To Create The Best Of Times At Work

Today, I am pleased to share this guest blog post by author and leadership expert, Susan Fowler. This article was originally published in SmartBrief on 8/23/17.

What is the best working experience you have ever had? What words or phrases would you use to describe it? I felt… (enthusiastic, valued, trusted). I had… (expertise, support, sense of meaning). I was… (effective, learning and growing,…

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[linda462009]

Coming Apart Coming Together

Coming Apart Coming Together

I have lived in South Florida with my family for the last 18 years. We have experienced numerous tropical storms and some hurricanes. Hurricane Irma was different. I remember hearing about it on the radio before Labor Day weekend. Based on the reports, Michele Lozano and I decided we should anchor our beehive boxes to the concrete blocks we had placed them on.

As the days wore on, the news about…

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[linda462009]

Shape-Shifting Organizations

My family, friends, and co-workers are thankfully safe after Hurricane Irma, busy navigating through the aftermath.  Meanwhile, I am pleased to share this guest blog post from futurist and leadership expert, Bob Johansen. I hope this excerpt encourages you to read his newest book.

Shape-Shifting Organizations will be Diverse Organizations

by Bob Johansen

When I first began my career in the…

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[linda462009]

Creating Dreams

Our GENERATION2050 Alumni and mentor team spent the day at the beautiful, new “Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science”in Miami, on Saturday. This trip is the first of many activities we will embark on this school year to build upon the knowledge and skills the students began to unlock during the summer. This Fall, we will be focusing on environmental stewardship. The Frost Museum was the…

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[linda462009]

Vision Forward

Yesterday was the last day of summer camp for GENERATION2050. It was a specially emotional day. We set aside time in the morning for a vision board workshop. Although we had initially planned to create vision boards earlier in the summer, the last day turned out to be the better choice. After seven weeks, the students were filled with ideas and reflections based on what they had learned.

They had…

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[linda462009]

Nurturing the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Nurturing the Entrepreneurial Mindset

In their article, “Defining and Assessing Entrepreneurial Mindset”,”Dr. Gary Litchstein, PhD. and Dr. Sarah Zapp, PhD. identified the five most commonly mentioned attributes of an entrepreneur. These attributes are:

*risk taking, *innovation, *sales/marketing, *perseverance, and *independence/limited structure.

How can we nurture middle and high school students to develop these five attributes…

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[linda462009]

Exploring STEM in the Garden

Exploring STEM in the Garden

Typically when someone mentions STEM education, computer coding and robotics are the core of the conversation. However, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education encompasses a vast array of topics.  I have learned, this summer, how little young adults know about the wonders of STEM.

On the first day of GENERATION2050 summer camp, many of the students were skeptical about…

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[linda462009]

Raising Socially Responsible Leaders

Raising Socially Responsible Leaders

“Social responsibility is an ethical theory, in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their civic duty; the actions of an individual must benefit the whole of society. In this way, there must be a balance between economic growth and the welfare of society and the environment.” ~ Pachamama Alliance

On the first day of the GENERATION2050 Summer Youth Enrichment Program, one of the…

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[linda462009]

Bringing a Big Idea to Life

Bringing a Big Idea to Life

Six months ago, I had a big idea to start a summer program for underresourced, underprivileged, urban middle and high school students focused on entrepreneurship, environmental conservation, personal leadership, and community service. I titled it GENERATION2050. Some people were skeptical when I described the program concept to them. Some even wondered out loud if the program was too ambitious and…

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[linda462009]

Passage through Grief with Hope

Passage through Grief with Hope

Passage: the act or process of moving through, under, over, or past something on the way from one place to another.

A few weeks ago, my mother died. Although she had been chronically ill for a number of years, I was not ready. I was not ready for the void she would leave behind. During this same period of time, my daughter Vanessa was preparing to graduate from medical school and move to Maryland…

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[linda462009]

Start Locally, Reach the World!

Start Locally, Reach the World!

“I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Since 2015, Trinity Church has partnered with MAP International, providing medications to underserved people in Cambodia through our medical missions outreaches supporting Cambodian Care Ministries.

For the first time, Trinity Church will partner with…

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[linda462009]

Getting Future Ready

In January 2017, I submitted a proposal to The Children’s Trustin response to their request for proposal for summer youth enrichment summer camp programs for under-resourced youth. I was thrilled a few weeks ago to be notified that the proposal was funded. GENERATION2050 is an innovative program that immerses middle and high school youth in an multi-disciplinary learning environment with the goal…

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[linda462009]

Clothed with Compassion

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Last year, I had the privilege of becoming a Board Member of Map International. If you aren’t familiar with MAP International’s work around the world, you should be.

In 2016, MAP distributed $500 Million of medicines to 100…

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[linda462009]

The Art and Science of Cheesemaking

The Art and Science of Cheesemaking

After a very busy weekend at Trinity Church’s Girlfriends Conference 2017, I got on an airplane and flew out to Walla Walla, Washington with my friends, professional chefs, Donna Caudill and Grace Low to visit Monteillet Fromagerie.  Founded by Pierre-Louis and Joan Monteillet 20 years ago, Monteillet Fromagerie was the first farmstead artisanal cheese facility in the Walla Walla Valley of…

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[linda462009]

Touching Eden

Trinity Church’s Girlfriends 2017 Conference begins on January 13, 2017. The theme this year is “Eden.” During this conference, I hope to inspire women to embrace the natural world around them.

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”~ ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived on the Earth God created as God…

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[linda462009]

Bee-ing Hopeful in 2017

Bee-ing Hopeful in 2017

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” ~ Psalm‬ ‭39:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

2016 has been an amazing year filled with new ideas, opportunity, adventure, and victory, as well as unexpected challenges and disappointments. Yet, throughout the year, God continued to provide a clear thread of hope, goodness, and powerful collaboration with both old and new partners.

Some of the highlights of this…

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[linda462009]

Bee Ready For Change

Bee Ready For Change

“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” ~ William Pollard

As 2016 draws to a close, I am busy studying for the final exam in the certified beekeeper class I am taking. When I enrolled in the class, I had no idea I would be immersed in honeybee biology,…

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