Creepy Scary Rolling Calf and the Blackheart Man

Happy Halloween!

I grew up in rural Jamaica in the 1970s and at that time I did not know about Halloween. In fact, I only learned about Halloween in the late 1990s or early in the new millennium.

My grandmother was a subsistence farmer and one of her crops was coffee. Once the coffee beans were dried, my grandmother would parch them in two or three enormously large Dutch pots on the wood fire in the kitchen. On these occasions, the aroma of rich coffee scent filled the air. To this day I am still amazed how more than a dozen of my cousins and I fitted into a poorly ventilated, smoked-filled shanty kitchen not suited for more than two or three people. As my cousins and I watched my grandmother, we would listen to my grandmother and uncles stories about the trickster Anancy which I found funny and stories about the creepy scary rolling calf and the blackheart man which terrified the living daylight out of me.

My grandmother had been told the stories by her parents, children of slaves, who received their unrestricted freedom after emancipation on August 1, 1838. The stories came to Jamaica through the Atlantic slave trade from the west coast of Africa and served as part of the therapy for centuries of hideous crimes. During storytelling time it was not uncommon for my grandmother and uncles to breakout singing popular Jamaican folksongs like for “Hill and Gully Rider Oh” and “Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana” or "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," a traditional Jamaican mento folk song, the best-known version of which was sung by Harry Belafonte.

The folklore tale about scary rolling calf and the creepy blackheart man scared the hell out of me as child. As a boy living in the rural countryside, at nights I was terrified of the headless rolling calf, a monstrous calf-like creature with blazing red eyes that gash fire, pulling a carriage with dangling chains making an unnerving clanking noise. From my experience the rolling calf had very wicked intentions and I was a prime candidate to be abducted from the face of the earth by the evil rolling calf especially when I was mischievous. If night times were bad, daytimes were just as scary as the evil wicked blackheart man driving on scary black hearse without a steering wheel would always be lurking around looking for children like me.

As a child the stories I heard were not told every day. They were usually told just around dusk when night is about to fall and there are dark pitch black clouds in sky. Rain drops are pelting the zinc roof and the children can see the shadow of the banana tree leafs moving from side to side because of the gusty wind.

Tonight is Halloween. It is all about Marisa dressing up as Ariel the Princess and Mermaid for ‘trick or treat’. For me I will be on the lookout for the creepy scary rolling calf and the blackheart man that I know will be lurking somewhere outside. Yes, those evil bastards are here in Brampton, Ontario and I know they will be coming out tonight for me.

But you wait and see I have a plan for the rolling calf and the blackheart man. Tonight if I do come across the evil rolling calf or the blackheart man I will definitely try Louise Bennett-Covelly, Jamaican folklorist, playwright and author saying "Jack Mandora, me no chose none" and hope that Jack Mandora, the doorman at Heaven’s door, know that I have no wicked ways.

And tonight if Jack Mandora does not rescue me Usain Bolt would not have enough speed to catch because to as paraphrase the tunes and lyrics of Ernie Smith’s “Duppy or Gunman”:

If it is a rolling calf or blackheart man,

I man not going to wait to find out

I will be so frightened

My feet will not even be hitting the ground

All Marisa’s name I am likely to forget

Happy Halloween!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

The Self-made Man

When was the last time you saw a grown man cried because of the obstacles he was facing in life?

Benjamin Franklin, Ross Perot, John D. Rockefeller, Ralph Lauren, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Edison, Larry Ellison, Celine Dion, Frank Stronach, Michael Lee-Chin, Justin Bieber and the list goes on and on. These are all people who are best known for their rag to riches stories. We all love to read or listen to the stories of the self-made man.

We are inspired by their stories because they prove that success does not matter where you are born or who your parents are or how much education you acquire. Their stories prove that the key difference between those who succeed in achieving their dreams and goals and those who fail is their character and willingness to do whatever it takes to be the best and to succeed.

They demonstrated the courage required to make it despite of several odds and a never surrendering attitude when faced with challenges. Those who make it feel pride of their journey. They are dreamers and achievers. They create history and reach a status of completeness. We salute them because it takes a lot of guts, hard work, persistence, determination, fighting spirit and vision to be a self-made man.

Why am I sharing this with you today? Two Friday nights ago at about 9.30PM I had a visit from a dear friend whom I had not seen or spoken with in months. When my doorbell rang, I was rushing to put Marisa to bed in order to get back to my computer. I wanted finish working on a project proposal. I was also getting ready for a long road trip to NYC.

As is customary I greeted my friend with a firm handshake and welcoming hug (hugging is unusual for Jamaican men). We sat down for the types of chats we usually have when we see or speak with each other. Our conversations are never short and they usually end with a commitment to continue the subject the next time. We have been friends since we were students at the University of the West Indies for more than 20 years ago. We are like brothers. We inspire and motivate each other.

As we spoke he told me about how difficult it has been for him at work. I had known for a very long time that he had stressful job. However, I was not prepared for the tears that started roll down his eyes when he spoke about one of his superiors at work. For all the years I have known him I have never seen him so sad and vulnerable. My friend is a humble guy, good natured and compassionate. We are both optimists. He is more a realist than I am (I will get back this later). Despite all of this I could see he was clearly having a difficult time at work.

As we spoke I reminded him of the success of his marriage of almost twenty years. I reminded him of his beautiful children. My job two Fridays ago was to pick up a friend that was clearly down. I reminded him of his own words to me 3 or 4 years ago when he told me “Mark, you cannot stop being who you are. You cannot stop being compassionate.”

Finances are critical. We both knew that despite the difficult relationship at work he had to keep his job to support his family. I told my friend that as long as he is healthy and he is able to work each day and perform as his firm required he was guaranteed a salary. I pointed to my computer and told him about the proposal I was working on and the tight deadline I had for submission. I told him that even when I am finished and shipped off the proposal by FEDEX to the prospective client in Asia I was not guaranteed anything. As Tessanne Chin, the Jamaican singing sensation that has captivated the American reality television show “The Voice” said in a recent interview “in my business there are seasons of plenty and seasons of little.” In my business is it feast or famine. In the case of my project proposal I was competing against four other firms and absolutely nothing is guaranteed. I do not have a difficult boss but I face fierce competitors on ever proposals I have prepared and submitted since 2006.

As my friend and I spoke I asked him, which would he prefer? Would it be a difficult boss or the stress that I endure not knowing if my next business proposal will be a success? I mentioned above that my friend is more a realist than I am. Well I am what Daniel Kahneman, the Israeli-American psychologist and winner of the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences called delusional optimist. People who are self-made have a degree of delusion. They have to be so passionate about the things they are doing that they have this innate believe that they will not fail. Despite the empirical evidence of business failures entrepreneurs and innovators passionately believe that their business ventures, innovations or inventions will be the one to succeed. They believe in what they are doing and are resoundingly confident in their ability to succeed.

You and I are inspired by the stories of self-made men. Two Friday nights ago I was happy to use my own experience to reinvigorate my friend. I was happy to encourage him not to allow any one person to control him or change him from being the person I have known him to be for more than 20 years. I was happy to encourage him not be deterred by the challenges he faced in the pursuit of his dreams and goals.

I am not Benjamin Franklin or John D. Rockefeller or any of the others mentioned above. I know that there are others who are far more virtuous and saintly than I am. I have flaws and I have made mistakes. I am far from ruthless but I fiercely pursue my dreams and two Fridays ago I was delighted to hold myself up as example for my friend.

Share your stories and experiences. Do you have what it takes to overcome the challenges you are facing? Do you have what it takes to be a self-made man?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Rekindling A Childlike Approach to Success

On Saturday I read an article titled “Should you let your girls play with princess stuff?” by Ian and Sonia Mendes bloggers at http://www.todaysparent.com. I found the article in a Parenting magazine that was among a pile of dated magazines I usually find in my family doctor and dentist’s offices. Like most articles that I read in my doctor or dentist offices my customary response is usually “wow...how on earth did I miss reading such an excellent article?”

For me the answer to the question about girls playing with princess stuff is a resounding yes! As the father of five year old daughter, Marisa, I simply cannot keep track of the different princesses she dresses up as and play with her imaginary friends. I also cannot begin to tell you how many times I have had to rescue different princesses from all kinds of out of this world imaginary catastrophic events. My rescue missions are so demanding and stressful that I was happy that my father visited from Jamaica this summer. Grandpa McKenzie rescue me from my roles as saviour of princess this or princess that and in the process he became Marisa’s idol.

To the point of my blog today…..What can we learn from a childlike approach to development and success? As I read the article I could not help thinking how as adults we should rekindle some our childlike approaches to development and success. My friend Marc Samodee told me a story from one of his visits back to Trinidad. He was about eight years old at the time. He and his brother had water guns as toys and they were always looking for targets to spray. He recalled hatching a plan with his brother to spray a hornet nest in what he called a 1-2 military-styled attack. As we all know spraying a hornet nest with water is an extremely risky business and you can use your imagination to visualize the comical results of two young boys’ hasty retreat from a colony of angry wasps. For Marc and his brother it was risky but they had fun.

Curiosity, creativity and imagination, eagerness to learn and explore new things are attributes for success in children’s early childhood development. I have fond memories of the things I did as a child sometimes oblivious to the lurking danger. Remember we learned more as children when we were playing and having fun. However, as we get older we sometime lose our curiosity, creativity and imagination, and forget about how to have fun. As we get old we lose our appetite for risk and as such our eagerness to learn and explore new things.

Today I would like to encourage you to rekindle some your childlike approaches to success. Think of the things you did as a child and the fun you had learning. Rekindle your curiosity, creativity and imagination from your childhood. Seek out and learn new things and have fun doing it. Take some risks and rekindle a childlike approach to success.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Second Place

The Giller Prize winner, Margaret Atwood, said in an interview recently on The Globe and Mail that “Second place does not leave you with the expectation that you are always going to win.”

I like to think that placing second can help you to focus more and work harder to be in first place. In 2007, I wrote my first proposal as an entrepreneur and a consultant for a project in Ethiopia. When the all the competitors’ bids for the project were opened and the proposals evaluated I was awarded the second highest score for the technical proposals. This meant that I had the second best technical proposal. I was good but not outstanding and memorable.

While I was disappointed with the outcome I learned some important lessons finishing second. In the Olympic Games athletes that finishes second receives a silver medal. In business there is no silver medals for second places but the persons who prepared the second best proposal gain valuable experience.

Being successful all the time can easily morph into being contented and overconfident. However as M. Scott Peck said “The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” Second place can leave us feeling unhappy and uncomfortable but the first lesson about finishing second is that you can never become too comfortable and contented. If your desire is to succeed or to be in first place then you have to continuously look for every opportunity to improve your skills.

The second lesson you learn from finishing second is that you cannot become overly confident. Just as it is important to always search for opportunities to improve yourself, you should also acknowledge that there are others whose performances are much more outstanding and memorable than your performance. When you are in second place you should aim for your next performance to be outstanding and memorable. In 2009, I had an outstanding and memorable performance working on a project in Yerevan, Armenia. The client was extremely satisfied with my willingness to train and transfer knowledge to the local staff.

The most important lesson you learn from finishing second is the importance of setting your goals, hard work and persistence. Since my second place in 2007, I have had other second places. However, I have also had many successful proposals and as such I have had the opportunity to work in more than 20 different countries. Remember when you are in second place you can always improve. Focus on your strengths and work assiduously to improve your weaknesses. Hard work and persistence ultimately pays off.

Tell me about the times you finished second place. What lessons did you learned?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

17 Things I Would Love to Do

Happy Friday!

Here is a list of things I would love to do. What are some of the things you would love to do?

1. I would love to visit Moscow, Russia
2. I would love to attend the at least one game at the FIFA 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
3. I would love to have at least a 30 second conversation with  anyone or all of the following persons Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Mark Zackerberg, Chris Gayle, Malala Yousafzai, Aung San Suu Kyi, PJ Paterson, Edward Seaga, Mark Carney and Justin Bieber
4. I would love to run the 10K in the Mississauga Marathon in 2014
5. I would love to take my wife on a special trip to Zagreb, Croatia, and my family on a tour to Ghana or Nigeria or Ethiopia
6. I would love to teach international development or finance at university in Canada or the USA within the next 5 to 10 years
7. I would love to do the CN Tower Edge Walk and rappel the Marilyn Monroe’ towers in Mississauga
8. I would love to drive a tractor trailer on the 401 in the GTA and ride a motor bike
9. I would love to learn to ski
10. I would love to drive in a police car or fire truck with the siren on
11. I would love to be in a room with all the people I have met who have had a positive influence on my life and tell them once more why they are special
12. I would love to tell all the people whom I am not I aware I have offended that I am deeply sorry face to face
13. I would love to go Treetop Trekking in Horseshoe Valley with my brother Peter and his sons, my son Malcolm, my friend Garfield and his sons, and my friend Marvin
14. I would love to build a palliative care facility in Jamaica
15. I would love to expand my campaign and advocacy against youth violence and human trafficking in GTA
16. I would love to take my wife to the theatre in Toronto in a limousine for my 2oth wedding anniversary
17. I would love to stand on the corner of Front and Bay St and tell as many as I can Good Morning one Monday morning.

What are some of things you would love to do?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Support Someone’s Dream

Yesterday I received this email message from my friend Odecca “You truly are amazing, Mark!:) I adore you for being such a motivator!” In September I participated in a planning committee meeting that was chaired by Odecca. During the meeting Odecca would turned to me occasionally and said “Mark I know you are blogger!” However, the truth is I was not blogging daily at that time. Odecca did not know that I had started blogging about 4 years ago but I did not have the commitment to blog persistently and consistently.

Yesterday after I received her email I had to reflect on the importance of supporting someone’s dream. Here I was being told by a friend I am motivator. I do not know with any degree of certainty what I had done to inspire her. I do not know if it is because I volunteered to be part of the planning committee and fact that I am very supportive of her goals as chair. However, on my part I am absolutely certain that had Odecca not said to me very convincingly that she knew I was a blogger there is a high probability I would not have started blogging daily. I am truly grateful for Odecca’s kind words and the encouragement from you my friends and readers. Your support is deeply appreciated!

Am I motivating Odecca? Or is she is motivating me? Are you supporting someone’s dream?

When we help others around us achieve their goals we share in their celebration of success. We are also inspired by their successes. We support the dreams of others by being positive. We offer them encouragement. We support the dream of others by not being naysayers but rather offering useful feedback or evaluations. At the same time, we have to recognize that it is not our dream and consequently we have to allow others to make their own mistakes. We have to be selfless by thinking about the dreams of others in their eyes and not from our perspectives. You have to be ready to help if help is required.

Support someone’s dream and be inspired.

Have a great day!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

The Magic of Synchronizing Your Actions

Hello friends and readers, how is your week going so far?

I trust that your week in going fantastic. I am happy to be home from a whirlwind trip to the USA. In addition, to the main purpose of my trip I had the wonderful opportunity to see some my relatives and friends in the NY/NJ area and this has rejuvenated and inspired me.

Have you ever watched team time trial (TTT) in road bicycle race? In team time trial teams of cyclists start at equal intervals and race against the clock. I enjoy watching TTT and seeing a team of cyclists in a perfectly straight line pedalling their bikes in precision like synchronized swimmers. The magic of their precision and synchronization is that TTT is a beautiful event. At the same time it is demanding. It requires endurance, flexibility and the trust on each cyclist on the team. Success of the team depends on the abilities of individual members staying close contact with the team from the start to the finish TTT.

Like TTT our success is dependent on the precision and synchronization on our actions to fit our goals. Are your actions synchronized around what is really important for your success? Your actions should demonstrate a unity of purpose to achieving your goals. Without unification of actions that are intended to aid the achievement of our goals it will be difficult to focus and operate with a sense of purpose. Forward movement and progress will be impeded. When your actions are in precision and synchronization with your goals, you will avoid confusion, contradictions and fuzzy expectations.

To achieve my goal of daily blogging I am up between 4.30am and 5.00am each morning or I stay up late in the night. Today I am visiting the library more frequently to borrow books. I am reading much more than two months ago. I am also much more observant of people or things that see on a daily basis. In other words I am in a constant search of ideas of what to blog about. The magic of the synchronizing my actions with my goal to blog daily is obviously…a daily blog!

You too can enjoy the magic of synchronizing your actions with your goals. Are you actions synchronized with your goals?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

6 Things I Believe My Daughter Learned This Year

Hello my friends and readers, I hope your week is off to fantastic start.

For the past year my daughter, Marchelle, has been attending school in Hyde Park, New York. Marchelle is pursuing culinary studies to be a pastry chef. If you know me, my children have come to define for me the true meaning of success. Success for me is not what I do for a living today even though I enjoy what I do. Success is not defined by income or wealth.

I see my success in my children. This is success I could not attain by myself but rather with my wife’s diligence, persistent and perseverance.

Marchelle is a fantastic daughter and today I would like to share with you six things I believe she learned over the past year.

1. She is confident that she is loved by me and my wife. This plays out in different ways. It could be a call home just to chat a bit after a bad day. Marchelle is confident and she has high self-esteem. She is confident in the field she has chosen to pursue. She understands the challenges and what it takes to succeed in stressful kitchen.
2. She has learned not just to be a good leader but be a tremendous team player. In the kitchen, Marchelle understands the importance of good leadership and team work. Earlier this month during Canadian Thanksgiving I was able to observe and work with her in our kitchen at home. I admired how she carefully laid out her plans for dessert, provided clear instructions for me and my wife, her grandma and even 5 y.o. Marisa. Her execution in the kitchen was flawless including washing up if I slacked off with the dirty pots and pans!
3. The benefits of starting her day early. For her summer externship, she worked one shift that started 5.30am every day for about 6 to 8 weeks. This meant she had to be up at 3.30am every day to get ready and get into work. For the other weeks she started working daily at 3pm and finished at 2am.
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5. Practice makes perfect. In order to become who she wants to be she is habitually doing the things that will form her. As a parent, I am impressed by Marchelle’s excellent work ethics.
6. The importance of not succumbing to her fears. Despite her doubts and fears, Marchelle is advancing with sense of purpose and determination. She receives lots of encouragement from people around her but her biggest cheerleader is 5 y.o Marisa!
7. The importance of dreaming big. The summer after Marchelle finished grade 11 she completed her high school co-op internship program with Bonnie Gordon in Toronto. Fast forward to her summer externship this year. Marchelle successfully completed her externship at Eleven Madison Park a Michelin Three Star Restaurant in Manhattan.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

5 Steps to Nurturing A Winning Idea

Greetings from the Garden State, New Jersey! I trust that you had an enjoyable weekend and that your week will be productive and prosperous.

Today I would like to share with you five steps to nurturing a winning idea.

The typical consumer purchasing decision passes through five distinct stages. In the first sage the consumer recognizes that he or she has an unfulfilled need or a problem. It could be the need for transportation which triggers the need for a car. Next the consumer will conduct information search on cars. This will be followed by an evaluation of different brands of cars or alternatives. In the fourth stage, the consumer will decide whether or not to make the purchase. In some cases depending on the complexity of the decision, the consumer may conduct a post purchase evaluation to determine whether not he or she made the right decision.

A good salesperson is trained to lead buyers through a progression of steps based on each stages mentioned above. The objective of the salesperson is to guide the consumer to ultimately making a purchasing decision.

Today I would like you to treat your ideas similar to how a good salesperson treats consumers. I will use the acronym A.D.A.P.T which stands for adopt, determine, activate, proceed and test to explain.

First, adopt your idea as your own by developing passion for it. Own your ideas by speaking with your family and friends about it. However, remember that having passion for something and talking about it does not move an idea forward. Next determine how your idea fit into your goals. The next step is activation. This is where you start to lay the foundation for action. Rather than launching straight in to acting on your idea, you should research information on your idea. Here your goal is to gather enough information that will enable you to act on your idea in an informed manner. Once you have sufficient information relating to your idea you can now make a determination on whether or not want to proceed to act on your idea. Remember a key question that must be answered is how will acting on your idea affect your goals? Finally once you decide that you are going to act, you should test your idea to see how well it works. A good practice is to write down your plan of action.

My idea for a blog came about more than four years ago but I did not have a clear plan of action for blogging. Don’t treat your ideas like how I treated my idea for blogging four years ago! Use the acronym A.D.A.P.T to guide yourself to act on your ideas. Just as a good salesperson guides a consumer to a purchasing decision you too can nurture a winning idea.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Creepy Croaking Lizard

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”  -  Charles Dickens

Most Jamaican women are terrified of lizards. There about twenty-two different lizard species that can be found in Jamaica. The ones that are feared the most are the Jamaican Giant Anole (Anolis garmani) which we call large green lizards, Jamaican Brown Anole (Anolis lineatopus) known as common lizards and the dreaded Croaking Lizard (Aristelliger praesignis) which are geckos.

While I never truly understand the reasons women are terrified of lizards. I can only speculate that it might be related to the Biblical story about Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt. Nevertheless, if you are in Jamaica and you hear a wretched female scream chances are it will be because of a creepy croaking lizard.

Once I received a frantic call from my cousin about a creepy croaking lizard in her house. She wanted to know if I could come over and get rid of the lizard which meant killing the feared reptile. Apparently she was getting ready to relax after arriving home from work when she saw one of the dreaded reptiles on her bedroom window. It would have taken me about an hour to reach her house. Consequently, I told my cousin to find other means of getting rid of the lizard and that was the end of our telephone call.

The next day I called my cousin to find out what happened to the lizard. She told me that after she got off the phone with me the evening before she called the emergency number for the community police station for help. She said the officer that answered the telephone told her to leave the intruder and stealthily retrieve her broom. The officer told her to return to her room with the broom and covertly approach the creepy croaking lizard in military style. He told to clap the “rass” lizard with the broom and that should take care of her small problem. With trepidation but yet with precision she executed the plan as instructed. However, upon closer inspection of the crime scene litter with threaded pieces from her once elegant glass window she realized the creepy croaking lizard was actually on the outside of her bedroom window. The creepy croaking lizard in true Theodore Roosevelt style "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" flew through the smashed windows and laughed at my cousin from the comfort for her bed.

Another time my friend was driving when she saw an unwelcome passenger on the dashboard of her car. She stopped suddenly dead in the middle of the road. She jumped out of her car with the engine and gear still engaged. In state of panic she created a massive traffic jam. She abandoned her car and sprinted faster than Usain Bolt across the opposite side of the street. She frantically held onto the first stranger she could find for help. She explained her plight and begged the young man to rescue her from her predicament. The young man looked into her fearful eyes and told her he was not crossing the street because of a damn lizard in her car. With fear in his own eyes he told her he too was afraid of creepy croaking lizards and with that he turned and ran in the opposite direction. Later the traffic police came. They removed my friend’s car and hand her a ticket.

As Charles Dickens said “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”……… Find something to laugh about today. Have a fun filled weekend!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Maximus: Hold the Line

Hello my dear friends and loyal readers. Thanks for returning for to my blog for yet another day.

Can you truly say you achieved your success without the help of others?

One of my favourite movies is the 2000 film Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe as Maximus. The movie is about an enslaved former military general, Maximus Decimus Meridius who was betrayed when the emperor's ambitious son, Commodus, murders his father and seizes the throne. As a slave, Maximus fought his way through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murder of his family and his emperor. That in a nutshell is the essence of the movie Gladiator.

I believe the story of Maximus has some relevance to our lives. None of us can truly say we attained success by ourselves. Success is attained through perseverance, consistently and laborious work. Success is truly attained with the loyalty support and efforts of others. Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of our time needed Scottie Pippen and the rest of the rest of the Chicago Bulls team to be great. Steve Jobs and Apple had Steve Wozniak. Who do you need around you?

Today I encourage you to surround yourself with people who share your passion and dreams and people who will help you attain your goals. Picture for a moment a scene from the movie Gladiator. In this scene the wolf broke free from its handler and charges after Maximus. Maximus focused on his goal shouted to his band of fighters “Hold the line”!

You too need to shout hold the line to the people around you. In order for you to achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams you too must hold the line with your team. Hold the line with people who share your passion and people who will help you attain your goals.

What is your passion? What is your purpose in life? How will the world speak of you in years to come?

Hold the line. Picture yourself harvesting your success. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so. And As Maximus told his men “Hold the line! Stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in the green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled” as success is your to be attained.
Hold the line!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Finding Your Root

Hello, I trust that you had a wonderful day yesterday and wish you all the very best for today.
I had a wonderful day. I had to opportunity to listen to three humourous speeches as the chair for City Centre Toastmasters Club’s Humourous Speech Contest. Today I will be accompanying my son to the traffic court in Mississauga. I am sure that will be story for another time. On a more exciting note I will also be working on an assignment for a project in Asia.

My blog is all about you, and today I would like to encourage you to find your root. In each of you I see your greatness. You are gifted. I firmly believe that for your gift to manifest itself you have to find your root.
Think of a tree. The roots of a tree are typically out of sight and as the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Your greatness, your gift is very much like the roots of a tree. Your greatness, your gift, your talent has to be unearthed. We all know that one of the primary functions of a root system of a tree is to obtain and store nutrients. However, in this analogy I am thinking more of the importance of tree roots performing the vital function of stabilizing the tree.

What is your root? How do you find your root, which is the source of your greatness? For me your root is what the author Bill George and his coauthor, Peter Sims calls True North. Do you know what your life is about? What is your purpose?

Your root is that internal guiding system that anchors or stabilizes you in a truly chaotic world. It is that point of discovery of your greatness. It is like the lighthouse that guide ships in the black dark ocean of massive waves to the safety of the shores. It is that force that causes people to want to be around you because you are sincere. It is your most cherished values. It is the things that you are most passionate. It is that thing that motivates you. It is your source of satisfaction in life.

What is my purpose? I am inspired by your greatness and your gifts. My passion is to inspire and motivate you to be best you, you can be.

Do you know what your life is about? What is your purpose?

Find your root. The root of a tree contributes to its beauty like the Canadian maple tree in the fall. Like the roots of a tree discover your anchor or stabilizing force. Discover your greatness. Discover your gift. Discover your beauty!
Have a great day!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

5 Tips for Delivering Bad News

Have you ever had to deliver bad news?

Last May I told a potential client that I declined his contract. It was a tough decision but I had no choice but to turn his business away. Delivering and receiving bad news is a necessary evil of business and other relationships. No one likes to deliver bad news or receive bad news
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In May I was that unfortunate soul who had to be bearer of bad news. Today I share five tips to that you can use to deliver bad news that will help to mitigate the drama associated with bad news.

1. Let your own emotions run its course before you have to share the bad news. In my case I was disappointed that the potential client did not turn out to be as I had initially anticipated. My disappointment was based on the fact that the potential client was a firm I had yearned to work with for a very long time. Ultimately in declining the potential client’s business I had to come to terms with my own disappointment. This ensured that I did not bring my negative emotional energy when I communicated with the client. In my email to the client I thank the client for his time during the period of negotiation and immediately stated I had decided not to accept the contract. The purpose of my approach was to avoid any potential backlash or fueling of any negative response from the client.

2. Restrict your build-up and get to the point. Other than thanking the client for his time I went straight to the point that I was declining the contract. I was very specific with the reason I declined the contract. I did not want the client have any doubts in his mind about the reason I declined the contract.

3. Consider the timing carefully. For me it was important to decline the contract at the time I did based on how the negotiations were progressing. I did not want the client to continue negotiating and wasting his time and my time in the process. I wanted the client to have enough time to identify another potential service provider who may best suit his needs.

4. Be honest. I avoided misdirecting the client. I did not attempt to trick the client. Business is about confidence, trust and respect.

5. Remember that nothing is confidential. Shortly after I declined the client’s contract I received an email from another service provider who wanted to know if I was interested in a certain project with a potential client. The project turned out to be same one I declined. It turned out the service provider took on the client’s project. The service provider having taken on the project was encountering the very problem I had anticipated when I declined the contract. The client was not forthcoming with critical information that was necessary to successfully complete the tasks required for the project. The truth is we live in a very small world. We are very well connected and therefore bad news travel very fast and the recipient may know much than you think.

Remember no matter how you spin it or when you say it, your audience will not like the bad news. Delivering bad news is not about you so don’t look for empathy. Let the recipient have his or her moment of sadness without trying to steal some sympathy.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Me and My Jerk Turkey on Thanksgiving

This weekend we are celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada. Thanksgiving corresponds to the English and continental European Harvest festival. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, in 1604 onwards also held huge feasts of thanks. They formed the Order of Good Cheer and gladly shared their food with their First Nations neighbours.

Thanksgiving for me brings back precious memories of my childhood in Jamaica. In the early 1970s I lived with my grandmother in Mount Prospect, Manchester. She was a farmer. She planted yaw, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, corn and turnip. She was also a coffee and tobacco farmer. I remember the days when it was time to harvest the coffee beans—the harvest it was a community affairs. My grandmother and my uncles, along with other adults from the community, would go through the coffee garden picking the coffee berries. They would gather the coffee berries in either small bags or buckets. My cousins and I were responsible for carrying the bags or buckets with the picked coffee berries to the central collection spot on my grandmother’s land. Harvest time was a festive time. We would have curried goat, boiled green bananas, rice and peas and lots more. There was plenty of Red Stripe beers and Jamaican White Rum. I have memories of taking the occasional sip of a beer or rum. There was loud music blasting from vinyl LPs or 45s vinyl records on the turn table.

Thanksgiving is a time for being gracious for life and our success. This weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada, I am giving thanks for my bountifulness. I am thankful for your continued support since I started my challenge of blogging daily. Without your support and encouragement I could not have done.

Thanksgiving also means I get to eat "nuff" of my wife’s delectable jerk turkey. So special is this lovely turkey if has been marinating for the past couple of days.  On Sunday I have a special date with this divine turkey. I will be eating “nuff” …it is that simple... I have a healthy appetite .......and  I can be rapacious too…….so jerk turkey, jerk turkey you shall be devoured!

Here's to a wonderful and glorious Thanksgiving!



Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Top 30 Terrific Things from Thirty Days of Blogging

Today I am sharing thirty terrific things I learned from thirty days of blogging.

1. It is fun and challenging but keep at it as you will get better each day
2. You can blogging about just anything you want. I blogged about a spoon last week!
3. Readers enjoy blogs written about your spouses or children. 
4. Readers enjoy when you sharing personal stories and experiences 
5. Readers also enjoy when say kind things about other people you meet on your journey through life
6. Always say or show your gratitude and appreciation to your readers
7. Your title is your number one hock or calling card e.g My Wife Kicked Me Out
8. Your content should support your title
9. You should have a clear theme or message for your blogs. For me I am a very positive person and y aim is to spread that positive vibes to my readers.
10. The number of views or hits is not the best indicator of how well a blog post is received by readers
11. Likes, reposts, re-tweets are better reflection of readers’ acceptance but comments and emails are even better
12. You will be inspired by readers’ favourable comments, etc. even if just one comment or email
13. The number of views or hits differs on social medias such as Facebook, Linkedin, SlideShare, Google+. The difference may be significant.
14. Don’t be discouraged by low views or hits, it takes time to gain traction. You have to win readers’ trust with your theme or message, reliability and consistency
15. Be prepared for unfavourable comments. Remember you can’t please everyone
16. Once you start blogging you are likely to share and post on multiple social medias
17. There is a lot of contain on the Internet but as a blogger you can create your own audience with your theme or message
18. Blogging increases your presence on social media, e.g. the number of people viewing my profile on Linkedin increased (yes..this is a part of the narcissistic tendency of our time)
19. Blogging is a fantastic way to get you name at the top of Google searches. It provides you with a presence on the Internet and globally (a little more on our narcissistic tendencies!). Try searching for Mark McKenzie and see how easy it is to find Mark McKenzie
20. Once you start blogging you will likely read about people like Arianna Huffington and Seth Godin and their successful strategies.
21. Blogging and journalism is not the same thing
22. Be prepared as a blogger for other media outlets wishing to publish your blog
23. If you can capture current affairs or major news of the day and linked it to your theme or message that is awesome!
24. Blogs with pictures are more likely to be read than plain text. Even though I have not posted audio or video with any of my blogs, I think such blogs are also likely to be more favourable than pure text
25. Keep you blogs short, simple and sweet because there are people reading on their mobile devices
26. If you are in business blogging is an excellent way to stay connected with clients and attract new customers
27. You will enjoy blogging but please blog for your readers
28. Blogging prepare you for career transition. My background is financial services but I am shifting into youth leadership and development, professional speaking, etc.
29. Once you start blogging you will start preparing top lists of different things, lessons learned, etc. 
30. Once you start blogging become more aware of your environment as you will always be on the lookout for what to blog about next.

Have a great day and thanks for your continued support!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Leaders Leave Legacies

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.“  - Shannon L. Alder

My flagship program for high school and college students in the Region of Peel, Ontario is a workshop called Leaders Leave Legacies. A key feature of my workshop is helping the students understand the importance of creating wonderful memories and leaving a legacy.

Let us take Thomas Clement “Tommy” Douglas, a Scottish-born Canadian who became the father of universal health care program. As boy in Winnipeg doctors told his parent his leg had to be amputated because they could not afford the cost of the treatment for the medical condition that affected his leg. Fortunately his leg was saved when his parents agreed to allow medical students to observe his treatment by a well-known orthopedic surgeon who treated him for free. The experience convinced Tommy Douglas that health care should be free to all.

Another story I share with the students is about Sir John Alexander MacDonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada. He was a dominant figure of Canadian Confederation and had to agree to join forces with his political rival, George Brown. This decision resulted in the British North America Act and the birth of Canada as a nation on 1 July 1867.

There are lots of great leaders past and present that I admire such as Nelson Mandela and Michael Manley. Good leaders are an enabling force, helping people and organizations to perform and develop. In large corporation leaders ensure that a sophisticated alignment is achieved between the aims of the organization and customers’ needs. Attitudes and behaviours as it relates to humanity and the concept of serving are fundamental to the leadership role. Leadership is a about serving others that is selflessly putting the needs of others ahead of personal needs.

A year ago I was invited to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to join in the celebration of the 10^th Anniversary of the Tortola Toastmasters Club. Ten years earlier I had arrived on the island and yearning to make friends and integrate into the community I was instrumental in chartering the club and became the first president. On the night of Saturday November 3, 2012 at the 10^th Anniversary Dinner at the Moorings Restaurant I truly humbled by how the simplest things we do leaves the greatest memories. When I spoke that night these were my words “Ten years ago, a group of us planted a seed and that seed was nurtured and flourished to this beautiful moment. I met strangers, but we formed friendships and bonds. We had a dream 10 years ago and that dream led to this moment of glorious celebration.”

Leaders leave legacy, what memories are you creating? What will be your legacy?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

5 Wonderful Benefits of Community Involvement

Last night I had the wonderful privilege as Area Governor of hosting Toastmasters International Area 67 Table Topics and Humourous Speech Contests at the Guelph Community Health Centre. I have been a member of Toastmasters International for more than ten years. The primary benefit of the Toastmasters program is that it allows members to develop and hone their communication and leadership skills. Other than that my involvement in the Toastmasters program allows to truly get involved in my community to share and reap the benefits of sharing.

Today I would like to share five wonderful benefits of sharing based on my community activities. First you get to meet some of the most wonderful people in your community. For example, for my event last night in Guelph I met two beautiful ladies who invested their time and efforts to ensuring that all the members and guests had a memorable experience. If I was not involved in my community I would never have met Isabel and Grace. They are both caring and compassion.

Being involved in my community I learn more about other cultures. For example last night Harry shared his experience growing up with his sisters on a farm in Canada. He shared stories of the funny things they did for entertainment when television pictures were still black and white and there were only three channels. For me I could not help reflecting on how similar his childhood was to mine growing up in rural Jamaica. The truth is we have a lot more in common with each as there are differences between us.

Through my involvement in the community I have made friends who I am confident will last me a life time. For example, I spoke with Neil over the phone last week and I knew then he was a great guy and then I met him in person last night and he is even more awesome as friend.

I also get the opportunity to practice my teaching skills, develop community outreach skills and contribute towards growth of my community and its future.  However, my greatest pleasure from my community involvement is seeing the sense of satisfaction and excitement on the face of those who I have inspired and empowered. For example I first met Tyler in June when he was inducted as the President of Royal City Toastmasters Club. He chaired our Table Topics Contest last night. This was his first time chairing a Toastmasters Area Contest and he performed admirable and professional. At the end of the night when I spoke with Tyler he was elated and was already planning for the next time he had to chair an Area contest.
Yesterday I drove 45 minutes from Brampton, Ontario to Guelph, Ontario and spend about 3 hours with some wonderful people because of the benefits I derived from my community involvement. You too can share these benefits by getting involved.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

My Wife’s 3 Incredible Gut Punches

Today I would like to share with you three lessons I learned from my wife. I call them her incredible gut punches. They are the key to the success of our marriage of 20 years.

In today’s ultra-competitive environment our success and advancement is based on our on individual ability or achievement. The growth of social medias such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkedin plays a significant role in relevance of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in our new world. These are key differences between the haves and the have nots, high income and lower income. It the difference between rich and poor!

There are other important factors that contribute to success. Margarent Wente in her article in The Globe and Mail on Sunday titled “Victorian values for the 21st century” alluded to the fact that in future there will be a lot more work requiring as attention to detail, good interpersonal relationship skills, ability to work in teams, calm and steady temperament. Fareed Zakaria in a commencement speech at Harvard University in 2012 that is posted on Youtube noted that intelligence, hard work, discipline and courage are the virtues that has been honoured and rewarded for thousands of years. The key point is the factors for success have not changed.

After 20 years of marriage I have learned three incredible lessons from my wife which are equally important to success. The first lesson for me is the importance of self-regulation. My wife punches me in the gut every time when it comes to self-regulation. Self-regulation is the processes that enable you to guide your goal-directed activities over time and across changing circumstances. With each challenges my wife faces I cannot help but admire how her process of self-regulation is initiated to make adjustment. She is able to swiftly adopt or even change direction to ensure that our goals are on target. Take for example this morning when we arrived at the Brampton GO Train Terminal for her 7.20AM train to Toronto Union Station and learned of a train derailment. While my initial thoughts were okay let us head back home, she promptly said let us find the next GO Station where the train are still in operations.

The second important lesson for me is the importance of conscientiousness that is the importance of being thorough, careful, or vigilant. My wife kicks me in the butt with her innate desire to doing a task well. As a 21st century working mother she is efficient, organized, neat, and systematic. She has a high level of self-discipline, carefulness and thoroughness and self-organization. My wife is incredibly organised. On the other hand I leave my clothes all over and I can never find my socks. My tendency to think carefully before acting is my wife’s interpretation of procrastination. In my chaotic and disorganised world my wife is like 911 or 1-800-HELP! My wife has an incredible ability to multi-task. She is like the conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra with her grace, elegance and diligence.

Speaking of diligence, my wife cracks my nuts when it comes to diligence that is steady, earnest, energetic application and effort required to achieve specific tasks. Catching five minutes of Toronto Maple Leafs opening game against the Ottawa Senators is like being a sluggard. My wife is diligent when it comes to perform goal oriented tasks. She is attentive, persistent and consistent whatever she set out to do.

The three incredible lessons relevant to success that I have learned from my wife of 20 years are the importance of self-regulation, conscientiousness and diligence. What have you learned from your spouse?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

Special Spoon School Bus Spat

Yesterday Marisa, my 5 year old daughter, had a spat on the school because of her special spoon.  Like the silly and shameful statesmen scrambling over spending in the United Sates, Marisa had a spat over her special spoon.

My blog today is about a spunky special spoon.  It was not a spooky spoon before spat the on school bus. The hot pursuit of the speeding car by the Secret Service agents and security officers that led to the fatal shooting of a woman was spooky.

Marisa stepped off the school bus shedding showers of tears. On the school bus most of the children cheered and sang for her to show the special spoon.  At lunch she was laughed at because of her special spoon. Her spoon was called a baby spoon. Thinking it would have been different she showed her special spoon to the cheering children on the school bus. Sadly it was not cheering but jeering. Why did she take her out special spoon on the school bus?

With showers of tears rolling down her sad face I hugged her and asked her what’s wrong? It was then that another child shouted out that Marisa had slapped someone on the school bus for laughing at her special spoon. Soon there were two other sad faces with tears rolling down their eyes. At that point I asked Marisa and the two other children for a group hug and to apologise to each other.

Why did Marisa want to show her special spoon? Her spoon is special. It is a special spoon because it was a gift from Marchelle, her sweet sister. Marisa has two special spoons plus a spunky knife and a sparkly fork.

The silly shameful statesmen had a showdown that shutdown the US government and Marisa’s special school led to a spat on the shiny school bus and September has just ended. Marisa has declared that she will not take her special spoon to school again. Being laughed at made Marisa sad and her special spoon is now spooky.  Please share your stories about your special spoon or gadget.

It is Friday thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Let us huddle in for a big group hug for the children and the spunky sparkly spooky special spoon on school bus.

Have a joyous weekend.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

My Battle with Mother Nature

I had a serious battle with Mother Nature on Sunday as I raked the lawn. It was slightly windy and that created a bit of healthy competition between leaves falling from the trees and myself. Needless to say in my battle with Mother Nature I came out on the losing end. Even before I was finished there were more leaves on the lawn than I managed to dispose of.

In my healthy encounter with Mother Nature I reflected on the autumn equinox which marks the arrival of the season of fall. It is a signal of changes. It also means the Canadian winter is just around the corner. Winter and I are not friends.  One year I spent the entire Valentine’s Day in the emergency room at Credit Valley Hospital after shoveling snow which I swear came from across the entire country and accumulated only on my driveway. Winter for me is another story for another time!

On Sunday as I raced with the leaves falling to the ground I was in awe with how the process reflects our lives. I saw the falling leaves similar to us letting go off things that prevented us from succeeding in our lives, relationships or careers which we call the burdens of life.

Fall is the season that allows us to reflect on the impermanence of things around us and embrace changes in our lives. Just as the flowers budded in the April and May and radiated with beauty in the summer our lives in about constant changes. When the leaves fall and the branches are bared it is a preparation for the renewal of our spirit. It could the birth of a new idea for business or your career or a new relationship. It is about something exciting. It is about something that will give you joy and happiness.

Like the leaves are falling from the trees let go off the things that are preventing you from succeeding in your lives, relationship and careers. Let the leaves fall and your branches bared of your burdens of life but rejuvenate your spirit for success just as the plants budding of life in April and May. Rekindle your joy and happiness just as the flowerings and abundance of summer.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

My Wife Kicked Me Out

My wife kicked me out of the room this morning.

Every morning I wake up at the crack of dawn before the cock crow that is before the alarm clock goes off. There are no roosters near my home in Brampton, Ontario. I grew up in the 1970s as farm boy and to this day I still accustom to be up and out of bed between 4.30am and 5.00am.

I enjoy the stillness and reverence when I am up and alone either late in the night or very early in the morning. One of my favourite quotes is “Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I use the time alone early in the morning to reflect and connect with that spiritual force that makes me who I am.
This morning I woke up to the tunes and lyrics of Bob Marley’s Lively Up Yourself. The portion of the song I caught as I attempted to turn my alarm clock was:

Hey, you rock so, you rock so, like you never did before
You dip so, you dip so, and you can dip thru my door
You come so, you come so, oh yeah, like I do adore you
You skank so, you skank so, and-a I can assure you

You can lively up yourself and don't be no drag
Hey, you lively up yourself, can you dig it?

Hey (you rock so, you rock so), like you never did before
You dip so, you dip so, can you dig it?

Man, when I heard these lyrics I was on top of the world. You should see me rocking and dipping at 5am. I was dancing and prancing until my wife kicked my butt out of the room as she try to steal five more minutes of sleep. No sooner had she kicked me out she was up and about dancing Beyonce’s “Girls Who Run The World”.

Our positive energy is infectious. My positive energy was of such this morning that even when my wife kicked me out of the room she had no choice but to “rock so, dip so” dancing and prancing.

What song are you listening to this morning? What song makes you feel on top of the world? What song helps you to create positive energy?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

The Pig on Harmony Farm

I trust that you had a wonderful day on Monday.

Embrace the best in yourself and the best in others.

I like the pig on Rebecca Grazulis’ Harmony Farm, a bedtime story I frequently read with my 5 year old daughter. The story is about all animals on Harmony Farm that had grown bored of their daily routines. They desperately yearned to do something different. The cow wanted to lay an egg because it looked exciting. The cat did not find chasing mice challenging anymore. The sheepdog felt bad bossing the sheep all the time.
Harmony Farm is about the courage of the animals except the pig trying something different.  The donkey was tired of plowing and went to herding sheep. The sheepdog went to pull the plow. Cow went to lay an egg and the hen went to produce milk. The horse went to chase mice. They all exchanged jobs.  However, the pig was contented. He jollily kept rolling around in the mud.

After an hour the animals found they were no good at their new chores and they gave up. They were disappointed and unhappy.  As they shared their disappointments and unhappiness, the pig pointed out to each not to focus on what it can’t do but rather to think about what each can do. The pig noted that the donkey was the best plow puller and cat could catch more mice than the pig can count. Harmony Farm is about accepting the best in ourselves and each other.

I remember few years ago when my eldest daughter was in grade nine she decided to enter an art competition. The night before the contest my wife and I stayed up until 2AM the next morning keeping our daughter’s company as she finished her art work. When she was finished we were extremely impressed like any other doting parents. On the day of the competition I drove her to the community centre in Oakville, Ontario to display her art work alongside work of hundreds of other students in the region. Judges reviewed the work of the aspiring young artists.

As impressive as I thought my daughter’s piece was the judges saw it differently. At the end of day as I began our one hour drive back home I looked across at my 13 year old daughter and I saw the tears rolling down her eyes.  She was disappointed and unhappy just like the animals in Harmony Farm but I knew she would be just fine. Like the animals she had demonstrated tremendous courage entering the competition. I knew she had done her best and like the pig in Harmony Farm I told her she was the best. Today she is an aspiring cake designer and pastry chef in world class culinary school.

Today I would like to encourage you to be like the animals on Harmony Farm having the courage to try something different but above all being comfortable in yourselves while seeing the best in others.

I like the pig on Harmony Farm. Have a great Tuesday!

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.