Point of Reason

Point of reason is the place where we can share thoughts and experiences about daily living. There is much we can share and learn from each other as we journey through life.

Life is fast. There is so much that happens in a day. Sometimes it feels like we are running on a treadmill. For each of us the treadmill is set at different speeds throughout the day. At times we are doing a casual and comfortable stroll in the park type pace and there are times when we are in a mad dash where we find ourselves sprinting through life going from task to task. We are so busy going through our days activities that we don't really live in the moment.

Today I was driving home from work in rush hour traffic. If you know me, you will know that I absolutely hate traffic and I try to avoid it at any cost. I will take longer routes to ensure that I'm not stuck in traffic. However, today I decided to take the shortest way home and I just put on some of my favorite music and just sat there and relaxed and funny enough it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I realized that I spend much of my time stressed out in situations that I have absolutely no control over which only makes me agitated and anxious. Instead of living in the moment that I am in, I am preoccupied with the next moment and what lies ahead and what I would rather be doing.

When we live in the moment we are able to appreciate life a whole lot more. Whether the moment is pleasant or not, when we are able to accept it for what it is and give the moment the attention that it deserves then we are able to learn from it, enjoy it, endure it and grow from it . So let's snap out of the trance that we might be in as we go through life and start living in the moments that we have been given in this life as we strife to live life to the fullest.

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Usain Bolt the fastest man on earth has just received his latest toy, its a 2010 Nissan GT-R. Its quite an impressive piece of machine which is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in a breath-taking 3.5 seconds! According to information from the Nissan GT-R official website, this is not just a car, it's a supercar. It's handcrafted with 485-hp twin-turbo V6 engine with dual clutch 6-speed transmission...wow. This is one of the first 2010 Nissan GT-R in the island of Jamaica. With the sweet ride, Bolt continues to set the pace on and off the track.

My only concern is that he drives safely and avoid speeding even though the temptation to speed will be great. We need him healthy and alive so that he can continue to be an inspiration to many as he continues to dominate on the track and field circuit. The honorable Usain Bolt is taking it to the world in fine style. Go Bolt go!

What are your thoughts? Share your comments with me.

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We have heard the saying many times - 'little things make a big difference'. I was given a good reminder of it recently as I traveled overseas.

I wrote this article while I was on an airplane heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During the boarding process I realize that with all the packing I did, somehow I forgot to carry a pen. Yeah, something as basic as a pen can make a huge difference to how smoothly your trip goes. I had to borrow a pen at different points throughout the flight to fill out the necessary forms along the way. Thankfully, there were some very lovely senior citizens that were willing to share their pens with me.

Its easy to remember the big things in life, the things we deem as super important but we sometimes forget the little things that make a big difference. The little things that make the big plans and ideas that we have work.The funny thing about big things is that they are pretty obvious but small things can be easily overlooked. So it make sense to focus more on the small things and not sweat the big stuff because big things will work themselves out.

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We all experience moments in our lives when there is a reason to celebrate. My wife recently celebrated her birthday earlier this month which she thoroughly enjoyed. September seems to be one of the most popular birth months because most of the people I know, celebrate birthdays in September. My son who is four, wish he had a birthday every month so that he could have a birthday party and a cake to cut. He absolutely loves birthday parties. I have to keep reminding him that his birthday only comes once a year and on a very special day.

We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, special events and moments in our lives. We celebrate for different reasons and all celebrations are not the same but it is important that we do celebrate. Symsure Limited, the software company that I am a part of, will be celebrating its third anniversary this weekend which is a really big deal for us. Milestones and achievements should be celebrated because celebration is good therapy to our souls, as it uplifts our spirits and gives us joy and happiness.

So let us remember to celebrate and find reasons to celebrate. Let us not let life's worries get us down. Let us embrace the victories that we have won and the milestones that we have achieved and learn from the challenges we have encountered and the hardship that we have to overcome. Let's not forget to party!

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Recently, it was announced that Usain Bolt will be accorded the Order of Jamaica. With this distinction he will be officially referred to as the Honorable Usain St. Leo Bolt. The court of public opinion seems to be divided on the issue. There are some of the opinion that he is way too young to recognized with this title. Especially, given the fact that he recently celebrated his 23rd birthday. Others believe that he is well deserving of all the praises lauded unto him. Should age be a hindrance to titles and responsibilities bestowed?

It is no secret that Usain Bolt is special. We have seen him grow and develop over the years. I remember him at the Athens Olympics in 2004 competing in the men' s 200m with his necklace in his mouth and doing the ‘willy bounce’ before the start of the race. His entire island nation wanted him to do well but the truth is that he was not ready for this level of competition. Four years later he returned to totally dwarf the competition in both the 100m and 200m, smashing the world records in both events. He later returned to help the Jamaican 4x100m relay team secure victory and set a new world record in the process.

We have also seen the other side of Usain of him being an avid party-goer. By his own admission he loves to go to Quad (one of Jamaica's most popular night clubs). He recently had a near death experience when he overturned his BMW motor vehicle while driving on Highway 2000 - soon to be renamed ironically - Usain Bolt Highway. His displays on the track is always punctuated with playful gestures before and after competing, where he does funny faces and some of latest Jamaican dance moves.

Based on Usain’s unique position in history, giving him a national honor will potentially do more good than harm. When responsibility is thrust upon us we tend to mature to deal with the new challenges set before us. This situation is no different and Usain should be given the opportunity to be mature and represent Jamaica with class, dignity and style. Age is just a number and it shouldn’t stop him or anybody from being an example and being recognized for it.

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Track and field sensation Usain Bolt of Jamaica, the defending Olympic and World Champion and world record holder in the 100m and 200m, is set to receive Jamaica's fourth highest national honor; the Order of Jamaica. Additionally he will be appointed ambassador at large with full diplomatic status and will have the country’s main thoroughfare - Highway 2000, renamed Usain Bolt Highway in his honor. This announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding. These accolades will make Bolt the youngest person ever in the country's history to receive such distinctions. This is quite a feat for the 23 year old Bolt.

Usain has really been stupendous as he continues to make the world reevaluate what’s humanly possible. He has made his country extremely proud as he continually represents Jamaica like a true stalwart. However, does his track and field accomplishments give him the right to be recognized with a national honor? My answer is a resounding YES! Usain has been able to re-energize a sport that has been losing support of fans due to constant scandals about drug use. He has been able to inspire millions of people around the world by his charisma on an off the track. He is truly something special.


 Jamaica has always had a rich history in track and field with the likes of Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley, Donald Quarry, Merlene Ottey and Grace Jackson-Small to name a few. More recently we have seen Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell, Kerron Stewart, Melanie Walker, Shelley-Ann Frazer emerged on to be world leaders and beaters in their particular events (again this is only a few of our great athletes). It is important that we as a nation not allow Usain Bolt's performances to over-shadow the other amazing performers that this great country has produced. We need to make all our athletes great or not, feel like they are a part of the greatest track and field nation on earth. So that whenever they get a chance to represent the country in the black, green and gold, they will wear those colors with pride and strive to produce their best performances.

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Last night I was at home watching the US Open men’s singles 4th round match between Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils. It was a very exhilarating match where both athletes traded breath-taking shots. Nadal currently ranked as No. 3 in men’s tennis and Monfils ranked at 13th. Monfils quickly jumped ahead of Nadal with a lead of 5-2 in the first set and looked very impressive. This could be seen as the perfect start from Monfils point of view. The early signs indicated that Nadal was in danger of being upset by the less accomplished Monfils. However as the match progressed, Monfils struggled to muster the endurance to keep up with Nadal and after putting on a fascinating display early on, was totally exhausted by the end of the second set and Nadal capitalized. The strength and mental toughness of Nadal became more prominent and the match quickly turned in his favor. He recovered after losing the first set 6-7 to winning the match impressively in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Monfils started strong but in the end, Nadal was even stronger.

The start that we have doesn’t dictate the final outcome. This match was a good reminder of that.

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Well, summer is finally over and we all know what that means...back to school again. For some of us this is a happy time when we get the chance to pry the kids away from the television sets and the video games (at least for a portion of the day) that they have devoted all their time to over the summer break. After all, it’s for their good, right? Seriously though, this time of the year is very important, the kids are excited because they get to showcase all their new wears and gears and get to share summer stories with their new and old friends. My son who is four is excited about seeing his former teachers. He told his mom and me that he misses them the most. I'm sure that all teachers would love to know that their students missed them in a similar way.

What I really want to talk about is the importance of preparing our children mentally and emotionally for school and the school year ahead. The initial excitement that they have will quickly fade when all the summer stories have been shared and they get back into the swing of doing school work and other activites. School can be exhausting, especially after a long break filled with fun and relaxation. Now its time to get back to the routine; getting up earlier than usual so that they can get prepared to get to school on time, having several different activities and lessons for the day, doing assignments, having limited play time and having scheduled bedtimes. Keeping this routine can become frustrating to both children and parents and sometimes results in a strained relationship. Plato once said, "Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each."
As hard as it may be, we need to ensure that we spend time with them on a regular basis, helping them with assignments, playing with them and following up on the things that they deem important. There is so much that our kids go through in a day and they feel good knowing that their concerns, problems and adventures are important to us. We must ensure that we do not allow our children to be raised by their friends and their peers but by us; their moms and dads or guardians in some cases. Kids are very smart, they know when something is important to us, they hear it in our voices, they see it on our faces and they see it in our behavior. Let us show them that as they journey through school, we are with them every step of the way providing all the support they want and need.

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Have you realized that the older you get, the harder it gets for you to be motivated to exercise, especially, after you begin to have children? I was once an athlete in high school participating in track and field championships all across the country but that was over a decade ago. The only exercise I got for years was walking back and forth to the car. It wasn't until recently that a few colleagues from the office and I decided to do something about our lack of energy and our desk job physique. We started jogging at a near by park after work on weekdays and we (the guys) play soccer on the weekend. We have been doing this for the past four months and it has really made a significant difference in my endurance and energy levels.

Exercise routines are often seen as boring, painful and tough to stick with, especially when you are doing it alone. Several friends of mine have enrolled in gym classes and after a few months they have given up on it. I've found that it is good when you have a group of people or even one other person who is there to motivate you to continue. One of the interesting things about exercise is that what you put in is what you get out. It is one of the healthiest habits that we can form, that will be rewarding if we don't give up. Charles C. Noble famously said, “First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”

I suggest that when you decide to start an exercise routine that you start off with the basics before you and do anything too fancy. Depending on the kind of physical shape you are in, it's probably best to start walking before you start jogging. When you have gotten comfortable walking then gradually increase the pace until you can start jogging. Remember that the goal of whatever routine you decide to do is to form a life long habit that is healthy, fullfilling and enjoyable.

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Lately, there has been much talk in the media about the recession and how bad things could potentially get. Many people have lost their jobs, homes, cars and for some even their dignity. I have just turned 30 and I have never seen anything remotely close to this in all my many years. However, I do believe that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel and we need to accept the situation for what it is and make plans so that our families can survive. The truth is that everyone of us are affected by what is happening with the global economy in one way or another and it is important for us to be able to pull together to share ideas about things that we have done to weather this financial storm that we are currently in.

I have a family of four (4), my wife and two children ages 4 years and 9 months. I am a software developer and my wife is a teacher. We have to be examining our spending very carefully to find ways in which we can trim some of the fat in our spending so that we meet all our financial obligations. We had to take a good hard look at our spending and make some tough decisions. We accepted the fact that life might be a bit more uncomfortable but we are not going to live above our means. We have decided to eliminate from our shopping list, items that are expensive that are not necessarily needed. We also find that is sometimes best to buy certain items in bulk that will last a longer time before needing to be replaced so as to capitalize on the bulk discount. Consider also that there are certain items that we purchase that have bargain; brands that are of a good quality but are priced significantly less than the named brands. Other things we have done include, conserving on utilities as much as possible. Ensuring that lights and electronic devices that are not in use are turned off, consuming less fast food, doing considerable less driving by planning our driving routes and car pooling with neighbors and friends when possible. Consider also renting movies instead to going to the theaters because rental is much cheaper and can sometimes be more enjoyable because you can watch the movie several times if you so desire.

Ultimately, the most important thing for us is to be able to see where our money is being spent and to see if there are more efficient and cost effective ways that we can continue to enjoy lives. Financial difficulty can be a very stressful thing to deal with but stress can be managed when you have a plan. As the global landscape changes, it also means that we will have to change with it as well in order to survive.

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