Steven Velásquez - Granting "Sirenity"

by Steven P. Velasquez June 14, 2014 My family, over the recent past, has been encountering (sometimes enduring) what seems to be an unprecedented amount of change, of transitions . From anticipated change like the long-awaited arrival of Spring, to special occasions that no matter how well documented, highlighted or punctuated they are on one's calendar, always feel like a surprise! Nazareth Area H.S. Class of 2014 A few weeks ago, we finally began to encounter temps over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The days are longer and one's warm-weather wardrobe re-emerges from storage boxes beneath their beds. This week, my first born daughter Nicolette , graduated high school (so proud). Next week, she will blow out 18 candles, be eligible to vote, to serve in the military, to make her own decisions (I pray she makes good ones). A month from today, she'll leave her mother's nest, spread her wings and begin attending Liberty University in Virginia , about half-way between...

by Steven P. Velasquez January 25, 2013 Anyone who's been close to me knows I have no capacity for planning when it comes to my private or social life.  Work, I've had to get good at but it hasn't come easy.  People invite me places, want me to celebrate things with them,  want to catch up on old times and I just can't ever seem to get it right.  My pathetic excuse is always; "I'm too busy.  I had to work."  It's one of my biggest weaknesses. Franklin Planner   So as I mature, I've been taking active steps to improve my planning.  I use online calendars, sync them with my laptop, my smart-phone etc...  And, being a little retro, I still maintain a written calendar in a Franklin Planner out of part ritual and devout loyalty to Dr. Steven Covey and the Franklin system which has drastically improved my life since my early twenties.   This weeks plans were intricate, detailed and a complex mix of personal and profession...