REWIND: Notes from Nathan: This is it!

Welcome to the first weekly installment of Notes from Nathan. The Future has some things in the works that will take us to another level. We were advised to make our website look clean, graphically appealing and professional. We took heed and now what you see before you is hard work brought to you by a team of individuals aiming to make a difference in the world and in their communities. Our goal is to have something different available for you each day of the week.

Our collective forces will bring you Dishin' It with Dwight, Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones, Jr., Lil Mogul by Richard E, Pelzer II and Notes from Nathan. We decided that we wanted to play a game just to see if we could pull it off and we are off to committed start.

My notes will be stories, with elements of life coaching infused with my clever sense of humor. You know I'm a genius right? I haven't told you? Yes, I, Nathan Seven Scott am a genius? The proof is right before you, especially if you are reading this. Smile, remember it's all a game.

Thank you for visiting our site and we hope that you find something that keeps you coming back. Remember to tell a friend!

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If you had to create a game for your very own life, what game would it be?

What would be the rules? Is it a board game or would it be played on Wii? Is your game exciting enough that everyone would want to play? Is it fast paced or more like chess? What are you playing for? Why would others want to play?

Leave a comment.

Charlene Davis says Pay Attention to the Red Flags!

Meet Charlene Davis, author of the hot new motivational book for women entitled: "Pay Attention to the Red Flags"


This interview is very personal and close to my heart as Ms. Davis is one of the very women in my life who changed my diapers.  I recently spoke with Charlene about her new book and here is what she had to say:


1.  Let's talk about your process.  When did you first know that you wanted to write a book?  I have known that I wanted to write a book since I was a young girl. The desire has been in my heart for years. Writing has always been a great way for me to express myself to others.

2.  How long did it take for you to release the final draft of your manuscript?  It took me 5 years and 8 months to submit my first manuscript.


3.  Where did you write most of you book?  Did you have little private place to escape to when the world made too much noise?  I wrote most of my book in the privacy of my home. When I wanted to get outside of the home, I use to drive to the park,  sat in my van, and I wrote for hours.


4.  The book is hilarious.  There were moments when I actually laughed out loud.  What inspired some of the anecdotes and stories?  For years, I have listened to people with relationship issues. Plus, I have had my own personal experiences. I use to tell myself. "Charlene, you need to write a book about some of these experiences." Although some of the information is fiction, a lot of it is based on facts.


5.  How much of your book is true top life for you?  A small portion is true to life for me.   If I wrote all about myself, the book would have been 300 pages.


6.  Did you ever imagine in your lifetime that you would become a published author?  Yes, I always knew that I would be a published author. I believe in setting goals, finding a way to make it happen, and dream big or don't dream at all.


7.  You are telling women to pay attention to the red flags.  What was your most memorable red flag in your own life?  The most memorable red flag was when I called my ex-husband's job, and I was told that he was off for the day. However, he told me that he was going to work.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

How to Identify a Healthy Relationship

Healthy relationships are fun and make you feel good about yourself. We can have a healthy relationship with anyone in our life, including your family, friends, and dating partners. Relationships take time, energy, and care to make them healthy. The relationships that you make in your teen years will be a special part of your life and will teach you some of the most important lessons about who you actually are.

This guide will help you understand different kinds of relationships, what makes each relationship special, and how to communicate in a positive way. Communication and sharing are the most important parts of any healthy relationship between two people. By talking and listening to one another, you and the other person can figure out what your common interest are.

Respect and Trust: In healthy relationships, you learn to respect and trust important people in your life. You work through disagreements, and no one leaves the conversation mad and upset. You should feel safe around the other person and feel that you can trust each other with your secrets.

Tips:

Get to know a person by talking on the phone or at work before you go out with him for the first time.  Go out with friends to a public place or a restaurant the first few times.

Plan an activity, like going to the movies or picnic.

Be clear with the other person about what you feel comfortable doing.

Tell at least one family member where you are going, and who you will be with, and how to reach you.


You can purchase your own copy at www.amazon.com

Notes from Nathan: Am I Ready To Die Alone?

I generally like to keep my notes uplifting, but it's been a challenging week for me and life isn't always sunshine and roses.  A dear friend of mine had been out of contact with me for over two months.  I generally like to send out random text messages to people in my phone just to let them know that while they may not be thinking about me, I am thinking about them.  After getting no response from him via text and then trying to contact him on the phone to no avail, I decided to go by his house.  I went to his house on Tuesday around 11am and there was no answer.  I knew that his landlord was home because his car was in the driveway so I rang his bell.  Off to the side of the house came a disheveled elderly black man wearing a t-shirt, sweatpants and unmatched socks.  I inquired about my friend and was told that he had passed away three weeks ago.  I was saddened.  My friend was HIV+ and I knew that he had complications during the latter part of 2009, but I didn't tend to him like I should have.  It made me think about my HIV+ brothers and sisters out there who will most likely die alone unless we learn to better embrace one another.

Black gay men (& some women) have a tough time in communities outside of their own.  I have discovered that in our very own communities, we aren't as loving and caring as we should be.  Could it be because many of us were never taught how to love?  It's a long standing conversation that I have with myself and my friends around the fact that black men are not taught how to love?  If we were, we surely would not be making babies and abandoning their mothers.  We surely would not knowingly pass along viruses and STDs to our fellow brothers and sisters.  This conversation haunts me a few times a week.  I question my own leadership and whether or not I can do something about it and I keep coming up short.

I don't have a large family.  I don't have any children of my own.  My friendship circle seems to shrink with each new year and I'm not getting any younger.  So, I ask myself, am I ready to die alone?  I came into this world alone, so it would be no surprise to leave it alone, but I wonder.

When you think about that special friend who may be going through an illness, take time to comfort that person.  Enjoy that person while they are here in the flesh.  Tell them you love them.  Don't let them die alone.

Enjoy your Thursday!

Notes from Nathan: Give Yourself Credit

hat's up Future?  It's been a few weeks since I've posted.  As much as I love utilizing this interface as a sounding board to express myself and share it with the world, I've just been too darn busy.  By the grace of God, I landed a job where I can not only generate money, but I am also able to use my leadership skills and creativity.

On the train ride to work last Friday, I got into a conversation with this woman.  Articulate, attractive and touchy.  Every other sentence, she placed her hand on my forearm.  Initially, I was like "girl, you don't know me, back up!"  However, I allowed her to be herself on this short train ride.  She asked me to tell her about myself.  I was stumped because rarely does a total stranger to ask you about YOU.  Initially, I was going to paint this picture like I was just an average guy, but instead, I told her who I was.  I focused on my accomplishments during my lifetime because again, it's not very often that many of us toot our own horns, well, there are a select few and they know who they are.  At any rate, before I get long winded as many of you know I can do, it was just refreshing to hear myself talk about where I came from.  And I am proud of myself.  I get those moments where I'm like "God why me?", but then I ask, why not me.  I know I have a purpose for being here.  I just need to acknowledge it every now and then.  You should do the same for yourself.

Give yourself credit today.  Share with someone who you are.

Until next week...