Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ask Alex a Question
In 300 words or less, what you are passionate about in your life?
My passion is life. I recently graduated from college and have spent the entire last year traveling, living and studying abroad in New York City, Spain, Dominican Republic and Hong Kong. In traveling the world, I have been blessed with the gift of forging international friendships; I think it is the most important thing in life. In addition, I was able to broaden my passions of writing and video production and hope to one day call them careers.
Working abroad for an internship placement company has allowed me to engage with students from various avenues throughout the world. Although many students and I are very close in age, I love to act as a dream enabler for those who need an extra kick. During my engagements with students, I have executed several things from holding ‘Let’s Talk about Your Dreams’ seminars to sending letters full of inspirational words.
At the end of my life, I not only want to be satisfied with everything I have personally accomplished and attained, but also, how much I helped others.
Living life is my passion, everyday is merely another opportunity to expand it.
My passion is life. I recently graduated from college and have spent the entire last year traveling, living and studying abroad in New York City, Spain, Dominican Republic and Hong Kong. In traveling the world, I have been blessed with the gift of forging international friendships; I think it is the most important thing in life. In addition, I was able to broaden my passions of writing and video production and hope to one day call them careers.
Working abroad for an internship placement company has allowed me to engage with students from various avenues throughout the world. Although many students and I are very close in age, I love to act as a dream enabler for those who need an extra kick. During my engagements with students, I have executed several things from holding ‘Let’s Talk about Your Dreams’ seminars to sending letters full of inspirational words.
At the end of my life, I not only want to be satisfied with everything I have personally accomplished and attained, but also, how much I helped others.
Living life is my passion, everyday is merely another opportunity to expand it.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Peaks and Valleys, VU Magazine
Below is a story that touched me, definitely worth the read.
By Michelle Eckland
A few years ago, ohana—for me—basically meant my mom, my dad and my brother. Since losing my mother to a rare form of cancer, ohana has come to mean much more.
As a child I was constantly afraid that one day I would wake up and my mom would be dead. I remember in seventh grade waking up to my brother telling me that my mom was in the hospital yet again. She had multiple diseases that led to hospital visits, surgeries, and numerous visits to doctors.
During my junior year of high school, my fear of losing my mom was intensified. In April 2006, Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma—a rare cancer of the bile ducts. The doctors told her that her cancer had a very poor prognosis and that she would probably live for about a year. They told her she could try chemotherapy, but that it probably wouldn’t shrink the size of her tumors. My mom started chemotherapy on Sept. 11, 2006—just two weeks into my senior year of high school.
Throughout the next six months, as my mom received chemotherapy, I watched her independence slowly diminish. First she could no longer drive. After that the cancer took away her balance, her memory, and everything that made my mom who she was. With each new development, my fear would increase.
Click Here to Continue
By Michelle Eckland
A few years ago, ohana—for me—basically meant my mom, my dad and my brother. Since losing my mother to a rare form of cancer, ohana has come to mean much more.
As a child I was constantly afraid that one day I would wake up and my mom would be dead. I remember in seventh grade waking up to my brother telling me that my mom was in the hospital yet again. She had multiple diseases that led to hospital visits, surgeries, and numerous visits to doctors.
During my junior year of high school, my fear of losing my mom was intensified. In April 2006, Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma—a rare cancer of the bile ducts. The doctors told her that her cancer had a very poor prognosis and that she would probably live for about a year. They told her she could try chemotherapy, but that it probably wouldn’t shrink the size of her tumors. My mom started chemotherapy on Sept. 11, 2006—just two weeks into my senior year of high school.
Throughout the next six months, as my mom received chemotherapy, I watched her independence slowly diminish. First she could no longer drive. After that the cancer took away her balance, her memory, and everything that made my mom who she was. With each new development, my fear would increase.
Click Here to Continue
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Quest
Choosing between NYC and LA is like having to choose between two beautiful women that you like, but the question you have to ask yourself is, "do I go with the one that has played with my emotions this last year or do I go with the one I have always loved?" I now know the answer.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Labor Day Lessons Pt. 2
Stop Thinking You're the Busiest Person in the World and Start Maximizing Your Life
How many minutes or hours do you waste in an average day? It is all too often that I hear individuals (and myself) talk about being too tired or too busy to do something. Why is procrastination and the idea of putting things off until tomorrow so prevalent in our lives? Especially within my generation, although it is spreading to others as well, we are burdened with so many daily distractions such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter that do indeed make our days go faster, but ultimately do the same for our lives. How many times have you overheard your best friend talking to new people about how incredibly busy she or he is, knowing that it was not completely accurate? How many times have you questioned your yourself and asked, "Am I really as busy or as tired as I make it seem?"
A few years ago, I started dreaming of the idea of fictional writing and thought it would be amazing to write a book, "A Son's Faith." A few years later and today, I hold nothing but that same dream and exactly one page of brainstorming notes. For the last 650 days or so of my life, I have been telling myself, "it will come when it comes." For months I have been struggling with this idea. I began to question myself, 'what exactly will make 'it' come? A day of great experiences? An extra writing course? A miracle? Perhaps these are all very credible and interesting ideas, but the fact is, 'it' is already here; 'it' is already within me. By telling myself that I am too busy at the moment, I am doing nothing but giving myself an excuse to work with and build upon. Instead, I should be affirming myself and my goals. I should be maximizing my everyday life. Everyday, I spend countless minutes that usually turn into hours online, refreshing pages that have not been updated in hours. With every hour that I utilize casually online, I lose one offline. I am losing hours to build my brands, I am losing hours to read and take my mind to places that I dream of one day going. I am losing hours to strengthen my relationships with friends and family members. I am losing hours of my life, but why?
I guarantee that with the money Zuckerberg is making, Facebook will be there at the end of the day, week and year. I guarantee that if you (and I) stop procrastinating some days that you (and I) will not feel like 'the busiest woman and man in the world' other days. I guarantee that if you take an hour out of your day to study a new language, one year later you will be pretty amazing with a foreign tongue (get Rosetta Stone, it's amazing). I guarantee that if you focus on your relationships with others, that days of loneliness and solitude will start to dwindle. I guarantee that if you start maximizing your day TODAY, you will begin smiling a lot more.
Let's be honest, at the end of your life, do you want to be one of those individuals that says I used everything I was given in life or do you want to be one of the half-assers that looks back on life wishing you had done more - that you had asked that girl out on a date, that you would have picked up that new hobby, that you decided to start living.
What do you want your epitaph to read? Go forth and enjoy life.
live well my friends,
be you, be incredible™
How many minutes or hours do you waste in an average day? It is all too often that I hear individuals (and myself) talk about being too tired or too busy to do something. Why is procrastination and the idea of putting things off until tomorrow so prevalent in our lives? Especially within my generation, although it is spreading to others as well, we are burdened with so many daily distractions such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter that do indeed make our days go faster, but ultimately do the same for our lives. How many times have you overheard your best friend talking to new people about how incredibly busy she or he is, knowing that it was not completely accurate? How many times have you questioned your yourself and asked, "Am I really as busy or as tired as I make it seem?"
A few years ago, I started dreaming of the idea of fictional writing and thought it would be amazing to write a book, "A Son's Faith." A few years later and today, I hold nothing but that same dream and exactly one page of brainstorming notes. For the last 650 days or so of my life, I have been telling myself, "it will come when it comes." For months I have been struggling with this idea. I began to question myself, 'what exactly will make 'it' come? A day of great experiences? An extra writing course? A miracle? Perhaps these are all very credible and interesting ideas, but the fact is, 'it' is already here; 'it' is already within me. By telling myself that I am too busy at the moment, I am doing nothing but giving myself an excuse to work with and build upon. Instead, I should be affirming myself and my goals. I should be maximizing my everyday life. Everyday, I spend countless minutes that usually turn into hours online, refreshing pages that have not been updated in hours. With every hour that I utilize casually online, I lose one offline. I am losing hours to build my brands, I am losing hours to read and take my mind to places that I dream of one day going. I am losing hours to strengthen my relationships with friends and family members. I am losing hours of my life, but why?
I guarantee that with the money Zuckerberg is making, Facebook will be there at the end of the day, week and year. I guarantee that if you (and I) stop procrastinating some days that you (and I) will not feel like 'the busiest woman and man in the world' other days. I guarantee that if you take an hour out of your day to study a new language, one year later you will be pretty amazing with a foreign tongue (get Rosetta Stone, it's amazing). I guarantee that if you focus on your relationships with others, that days of loneliness and solitude will start to dwindle. I guarantee that if you start maximizing your day TODAY, you will begin smiling a lot more.
Let's be honest, at the end of your life, do you want to be one of those individuals that says I used everything I was given in life or do you want to be one of the half-assers that looks back on life wishing you had done more - that you had asked that girl out on a date, that you would have picked up that new hobby, that you decided to start living.
What do you want your epitaph to read? Go forth and enjoy life.
live well my friends,
be you, be incredible™
What's Your Dream Career
All Rights Reserved to Alex Echols(AFG Creative Group) and University Dreams except Music.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
What I Learned this Weekend & How it May Help You
This past weekend in New York City, I had the pleasure of seeing old friends and forging new relationships. Additionally, I attended a spectacular gala for a company that I have worked with on and off, for the last few years. Besides the long hours of partying my nights away and eating slices of New York Pizza, I was blessed to be so renewed.
The Power of Networking and Friendships
We all are very familiar with the age old saying, "it's not what you know, but who you know." After this weekend, I think it should be updated to: "it's not what you know, but who you know and how well you stay in touch with them." At a very young age, I was not only taught to network, but to strive for very strong and genuine relationships. It was also instilled in me to cut the ties of connections that hinder and affect me in ways that do not produce growth (literally and metaphorically). If we surround ourselves with individuals who see life through dirty, cracked lenses, then over time, we may begin to view life just as pessimistically.
Surround yourself not only with those who are just as dedicated and passionate as you, but also with those who are more dedicated and more passionate. In the end, growth will be the prize, I guarantee it. As you continue to forge new relationships and strengthen older ones, always remember where you come from, who originally helped you and how you felt before you were helped (and from there, begin to help others). We all have times in our lives when peaceful solitude is what we need, but with a great network, we should never see days of dissatisfied solitude. Be a friend and business partner not only in times of need, but also in times of giving. Network to your net does not work anymore, and if that one happens to wear, tear and break, get a new one.
Being un(Realistic) and Following Your Dreams
If you are a dreamer, then make a promise to yourself right now to always remain one. If it was not for individuals who 'see the world and ask, "why not," then half of the things we utilize and see everyday probably would not exist. Over the last few weeks, I have been told by several individuals to start being realistic about my life and future. Two words are coming to mind right now: Fuck That! I am very aware that there is very, very thin line between realism and idealism, but be honest with yourself right now, would you be here today if you never had some sort of dream? Would you have fought so hard to graduate from college if you did not believe in yourself? Would you have raised beautiful children to always follow their hearts and do what they love in life if you personally did not believe what you were saying? Would you have practiced so hard on the baseball diamond or in the piano room if you did not believe growth was possible? All these instances take some sort of dreaming whether it is minuscule or very large. To be honest, I think those who dream the biggest are the most courageous.
Do not take this the wrong way, I do not support dreaming while sitting on your ass. If you want something or dream of something great, then you are going to have to work for it (and work even harder as your dreams become more elaborate). Be passionate about your days and begin to look at your life and your future with a smile. Smile for the simple fact that you alone have the power to make the choice to live life as you imagine it. Nothing that is earned should come easy in life and hardships will make the acquisition of dreams that much sweeter.
Ask yourself one last question: If there was nothing I dreamed, wanted, desired, craved, ached, fancied, longed, preferred, needed, thirsted, wished, yearned, aspired or wished for before I went to sleep yesterday, would I be reading this today?
live well my friends,
One Life, You Decide™
"There is a fine line between dreams and reality, it's up to you to draw it."
-B. Quilliam
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