Plotting A Plan

There is no easy way to achieve a goal. Work your ass off. Being in the right place at the right time helps. Planning things to a "T". Even the best laid plans may potentially fail. That being said, I would absolutely prefer to plan versus not planning.
My ultimate dream in life is to make an indelible mark on the world around me. I think that being an Urban Planner would be the best vehicle for me. For the most part, it is interdisciplinary which means that I will be able to bring all of my other knowledge and feelings to the table. Anywho, there is not way to know when you have become an Urban Planner so I guess that my goal is just to get a degree and move from there.

EDUCATION:
Bachelor's Degree
Just about done.
Master's Degree

• Need to apply for grad school
• Need to take standardized test (GMAT)
• *not required for MUPP but required for the degree that I am seeking which is a Masters in Real Estate. This is offered through LIATAUD (business)
• Get accepted to grad school
• Ph.D (not really recommended unless your desire is to teach...not my desire!!!) Don't see it...but it could very well happen. Dr. Jackson hmmm....has a nice ring to it LOL

WORK:

• Resumes (send to potential empolyers
• Applications (apply to potential employers)
• Interviews (hopefully said potential employer hires you)
• Work!! In the field or at job of your choice (uh...I mean being an urban planner!)

MY CONTACTS:
I could have lied and put down 5 email addresses from the web of urban planners who don't have the slightest clue who I am. But not going to do that. I was not able to reach anyone. When I do, I will update this blog with that info.

I Still Love H.E.R

I swear...since I saw the movie YES MAN with Jim Carrey (I HATE GOING TO THE MOVIES!!!), I have stopped being such a F*n hermit. People aren't that bad after all. Interesting what happens when you get over the grieving process, past hurts and other foolishness. I am almost a happy camper these days.

I love music. It is a soothing agent in the world that I live. On the in-class activity, I stated that I like listening to music. I decided to follow through on this and go see a play/musical about the history of hip-hop, I Still Love H.E.R. Actually, this was supposed to happen a couple of weeks ago. Since I am of an age to remember when it was good, I was really interested in seeing what the director had to say about the subject. I was not disappointed. Clearly the director, a young guy in his late 20's, had done his homework about the origins of hip-hop. He also correctly stated that not all of it was misogynistic and woman unfriendly. Blah, blah, blah...I had a great time. the show was interactive. I was singing and dancing and the whole nine. It was cool knowing all the words to the songs they played (I grew up on most of it). The thing that bothered me was the play was set in Chicago, the title resembled closely a song that tells the story of hip-hop (written by a Chicago MC), and the song WAS NOT played. I have gone through the trouble of posting the youtube video for those who read this blog and don't know the song that I am talking about.

Assignment Four#4: Discovering Your Pesronality and Touchstone

Exercise#1: What is your Touchstone?

Dream: To be an Urban Planner
Touchstone: To make a visible and permanent mark on the world around me
Role Model: I have read about many urban planners but the only one that sticks out right now is Jane Jacobs.
Target: Have a building named after me. I know this seems pretty silly but unless you are John Stroger, you have to be a big deal or have a lot of money to get a building named after you.

Exercise#2

My personality type is ENFJ, also known as "The Givers" and "The Idealists/Teachers".
Strength of preference:
Extroverted=11%
iNtuitive= 88%
Feeling= 25%
Judging= 67%
Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Usually dislike being alone. They see everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at managing people issues, and leading group discussions. Interested in serving others, and probably place the needs of others over their own needs.

According to www.keirsey.com, ENFJ's are idealists. They are best suited to be teachers. For a partial description of Keirsey's explanation of the ENFJ (idealist), click here.
The portrait of an ENFJ can be found here.
The personal growth section for ENFJ's can be found here.
For a listing of ideal careers for the ENFJ, click here.
What Joe But had to say about ENFJ's, click here.

I have found that the description of the ENFJ seems to be dead on for me. I just find it troubling that one of those personality tests has nailed me. Didn't think that it would be that easy to put me in a box. I was raised by a giver so I always knew that I was that. I really don't like when people remind me about the things that I have done for them. That is annoying because I don't give to get things in return. However, I believed I was more realistic than idealistic. According to the description, that was not true. Don't know how to process that information. This road to self-discovery will undoubtedly uncover more falsehoods that I have fed to myself.

Chocolat

This movie is something that I never would have watched had it not been for class. I was so moved by it, I went and bought it. There are many themes in this movie that you can not glean from one time through.
A few of the elements that stood out in my eyes.
The Outcast: Not only was she not liked by the mayor but the townspeople also. It seems that for a while the only people that would speak to her in more than passing were sort of outcasts themselves. One was a woman who refused to accept that she was dying. She decided that she would do what she damn well pleased until it was her time to go. The other was a woman who willingly broke the vows of her marriage after she was broken several times, physically and mentally.
Through all of this, she was the agent of change that brought the town joy and broke them out of the boredom of routine.

The Iron-Fisted Leader: This man would stop at nothing to exert his authority. He was even writing the sermons for the minister. It is a shame that he couldn't use his powers for good. Clearly he was a disciplined, man on a mission. If you give a missile direction, it is deadly.

The Old Faithful: These are the towns people that bought into the myth preached by the mayor. They were strictly business as usual. They were not into things that disrupted the fabric of the existence that they had created for themselves. Surely, the mayor wasn't the only person that was fully on board with the way that the town was run or there would have been revolts.

The Damsel in Distress: She clearly needs to be freed from a prison from which she thought there was no escape. She followed all of the rules and hated it with every ounce of her being. She did it because she didn't have confidence enough in herself to know that she had options. Along comes a free-spirited stranger selling chocolates that would empower her to break free from the jail that was her marriage.

Assignment 3: Understaning Yourself

Pick A Color

I am heather gray. It is the color of the T-Shirt that I am wearing. I go with everything. No one notices me, I fade to the background, everyone needs me, I am a smart choice.

The Private Eye Game


As I look around the room, I see many things. I see organization and clutter. I see several Bibles, a camera, and a pile of clothes sitting in the corner in a bag. They probably need to go to the cleaners, what is the hold-up. I see many textbooks and works of fiction. There are many CD's (of many different genres) in a bin and some laying around. This person obviously loves music and the Lord. There are vitamins and car magazines. Many old notebooks full of class notes. This person has either been in school for a long time or just loves to learn. The kitchen reveals the life of a bachelor. This closet reveals a bunch of shoes and classic clothes: polo shirts, dark denim blue jeans, button-down shirts without flashy colors, and dress clothes hidden between all of this. This person has a outfit for all occasions. The furniture looks bland and probably came with the apartment. Although there is a place for all of the things, there was some clutter to be seen. A tool set seems severely out of place but maybe this person likes to fix things. This person definitely seems to be on the practical side.

Seeing Yourself as Others See You

It felt really weird to do this one. I really feel like I put my cheering section in the ground 7/6/2007. I know that there are other people that cheer for me, I don't always feel it. For the purpose of this assignment, I picked the only two people that I could think of.

Mother: Claire Huxtable (of Cosby Show fame. Couldn't think of anyone on television that made me think of my mother.). As she observes me walk into a room these are a list of things that I think that she notices about me. In no particular order: makes people feel comfortable, gentle spirit, compassionate, wants to meet new people, picky about who he invites into his inner circle, sharp mind, quick wit, thinks fast on his feet, goes with the flow, laid back, boisterous laugh, wide knowledge base makes it easy for him to talk to many people.

Father: Furious Styles (of Boyz In Da Hood Fame, also one of my favorite movies). As he observes me walk into a room these are a list of things that I think that he notices about me. In no particular order: has good posture, looks people in the eye, firm handshake, picks his words carefully, knows how to stay out of trouble, likes to talk, good judge of character, shy until comfortable.

Twenty Things that I Like To Do:
1. Talking to people
2. Reading
3. Writing
4. Walking
5. Listening to music
6. Being with people
7. Watching baseball (in person or on TV)
8. Gaining new information
9. Exploring new cities
10. Giving when possible
11. Making people laugh
12. Buying CD's
13. Sharing information that I have gained with others
14. Fixing things
15. Eating (especially new things)
16. Shopping (especially for electronics)
17. People watch
18. Going on lunch dates
19. Cooking
20. Relaxing

From this exercise, I have learned that many of the things that I like to do involve other people. I see that I like hanging with them, helping them, and taking in new experiences with other people. But there are definitely things that I like to do by myself.

Your Ideal Environment

My ideal environment first and foremost contains people that support my dreams and actually believe that I can achieve them. It contains people that value me and my ideas. It definitely has someone cooking for me. Its not that I can't but... People that care about my well-being are definitely present in my utopia. Also in my utopia is a wife, house with a pool table and "ME TIME" space. Friends that don't gossip and tear me down with a smile plastered on their monkeyball faces. They hold me down when I am slipping. There is a place for all things because there can be NO clutter in my fantasy land.

In this environment, I believe that I would be more productive, selfless, and creative.

Your Ideal Day

In my ideal day, I wake up to the most excellent wife. I say a prayer and thank GOD for all the things that he has done for me and saved me from. I look onto the backyard from my patio annexed to my bedroom window. Lake Michigan looks very serene and calming this time of morning. I run on the treadmill for about a half an hour. Then I take a hot shower. While putting on my clothes, I am listening to music. After that I go and have breakfast with my wife: eggs, pancakes, and turkey sausage. We compare schedules and talk about things that will transpire in the evening. After that, I am out the door to the office. I jump in my Porsche 911 turbo to get to work. Once I arrive at work, I have thousands of emails and phone calls waiting on me because I am kind of a big deal urban planner. After responding to the most urgent calls and emails, I am whisked away for meetings that last until lunch. I lunch with friends. When lunch is over, I am out of the office and in the field. Truly making a difference and touching people's lives.
When I am at home from work. There is a red-meat free dinner waiting for me. We discuss current events with friends over jazz and drinks. When our friends leave, I finish up a album review that I didn't want to write because the artist sucks. I end my nite the same way that the day started, in bed with my wife, talking about having children.

FANTASY ANALYSIS

1. Indispensable: employment, wife, music (jazz), prayer, conversation,exercise, a place in the house for me time that includes a pool table, friends (close and near)

2. Optional but desirable: ironing my clothes, writing

3. Frills: backyard of Lake Michigan, Porsche 911 turbo

4. If I only get the indispensable items of my fantasy, I am living the life that I have asked for. Don't know how much more I could want except for frills. I really wouldn't need anything else.

5. Elements that I have now: music, employment (although what I do now is FAR FROM MY CAREER CHOICE), prayer, exercise (somewhat).

6. Parts of my adjusted fantasy that are missing from my real life are: wife, career choice job, conversation that I enjoy, friends (this one is a bit sketchy cause I need a NEW SET), house, and pool table.

7. Things stopping me from having my ideal life tomorrow: Finishing school, marriage, time management, and money.