Attitude

It's not the situation. It's your reaction to the situation.

-Robert Conklin

Reflections on Creating Change

Awesome, reinvigorating, educational, social, enlightening, grounding, connecting and appreciative are just some of the words that come to mind when I think of the 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. This year’s conference in Baltimore was my third Creating Change. It has become one of the two must do conferences each year.

One of the striking things about attending Creating Change is the number of young people who attend. Of the nearly 3000 of us in attendance, 25% or more were youth. These youth ranged from high school students wanting to learn how to make their schools safer and their communities better to college students who are starting a community center in their rural community. These future leaders are an inspiration with their creativity, passion, energy and unbridled enthusiasm.

Creating Change always puts things in perspective by showcasing the sheer size and diversity of our movement.  Prominent roles are always given to people of color, Native Americans, youth and gender diverse individuals.  The talents of our movement are showcased by over 250 volunteer presenters sharing history, lessons learned, strategies, tactics, research, tools, methods and programs to advance progress on equality and improving the quality of LGBTQ lives. It is easy to become isolated in the silos of the niche we work in but these several days in Baltimore quickly remind you that while our approaches may differ we are all working for the same end, better lives for our community.

The Task Force does an excellent job of fostering a culture of sharing. Creating change is about developing leaders who effectively and efficiently collaborate with other leaders to effect positive change in their communities. Creating Change is about creating partnerships, like New Mexico GLBTQ Centers and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE USA) and learning from experts in various segments of the movement so we don’t waste time reinventing the wheel. Creating Change is the largest capacity building opportunity the GLBTQ community has and it saves lives by allowing us to move things forward faster than we might otherwise here at home.

Creating Change is also a lot of fun!  Food Network celebrities baring custom cake from America’s “Ace of Cakes” (Mary Alice, Charm City Cakes) to film screenings to youth and 50+ dances to more receptions than you can keep track of there is no reason to get bored.

Throw in cheer moms going to dinner in the hotel restaurant in their PJs, and it gets even more hilarious.

I’ve been to conferences which were massive wastes of time, money and energy. Creating Change is a massive opportunity. A massive opportunity to be awesome, reinvigorated, educated, enlightened, grounded, connected, appreciative and fired up. It is such a massive opportunity that one person cannot glean all the nuggets of wisdom.  We need a Creating Change Team to go to Atlanta, learn and come back to New Mexico and teach

A closing shot….. of the cake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAVE THE DATE: I hope to see you next year at the 25th Creating Change in Atlanta, January 23–27, 2013. A quarter of a century in the making, we won't want to miss this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing and Inspiring Lady

 

This is the female leader Arizona should be proudest of!

 

Honoring MLK

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice." - Rev. Martin Luther King (16 April 1963, Birmingham, AL)

Emotional Intelligence

"Feelings are really your GPS system for life. When your supposed to do something, or not supposed to do something, your emotional guidance system lets you know" - Oprah Winfrey, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2008 US actress & television talk show host (1954 -)

 

 

 

Good Bye 2011

What I Am Most Proud Of From 2011
Models of Hope Honoree
Founding Member of the Dona Ana County Community Unity Coalition
City funding for Rainbow Youth
Affiliation agreement for Gallup Center
Dear Harvey production
Presenting roundtable at the New Mexico Conference on Aging
Elected to the CenterLink board
The Las Cruces GLBTQ Center at almost 2 years old
Being Dad to two kiddos
Applying for SAGE affiliation
12 years with Richard

What I Am Least Proud Of From 2011
Not achieving any of my 2011 goals
My lackluster leadership
My inconsistent results
Not paying enough attention to family

Lessons Learned
Everyone’s level of commitment is different
Everyone’s sense of urgency is different
Everyone’s timeline is different
Communicate tasks and expectations clearly
Get out of my head, it’s dark in there

2012 Theme
Positive Consistency – living the moment with a positive outlook every time.

2012 Goals
I will be within my recommended weight range of 127 – 159 by the end of the year.
I will read 8 books at least 2 of them fiction by the end of the year.
I will devote at least 7 hours per week to family time.
I will visit my sister by the end of the year.
I will spend two hours a week developing myself personally and professionally.

2011-2012 Review and Planning

 

 

 

 

 

Every year I do a year end process similar to the one outlined here. The goal of this process is to look back and learn from 2011 and set up a fabulous 2012. 

Complete each of the following questions or activities:

• What are you most proud of from 2011 ?


• What are you least proud of from 2011 ?


• Reflect on 2011, what did you learn this year?


• Release and Celebrate 2011 - take the negative from 2011 and burn it or release it in some other meaningful way. Then celebrate the good parts of 2011 in a meaningful way.


• Brainstorm a list of things you would like to accomplish in 2012. Include everything that comes to mind personal, professional, and community. Then prioritize the list to come up with 10 goals for 2012 and list them on a sheet of paper.


• Reflect on where you are personally, work-wise and in the community, what are you happy with, what would you like to change, who are you being, how do others see you?


• Create a short theme for the year (2-3 words).Write the theme and a brief explanation of why you chose it on the same paper from # 5 above.


• Create a personal system to remind yourself of the goals and theme during the year ahead.


• Have a fabulous 2012

 

Time Limited

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

- Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address, 2005
US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 -2011)

Our Deepest Fear

Paradigm of Service

"When you choose the paradigm of service, it turns everything you do from a job into a gift." - Oprah Winfrey, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2008

US actress & television talk show host (1954 - )

Albertsons Community Partners Challenge