Latin Fusion TV BLOG

Recently, I read something about Dreams and Goals: “When you have Dreams and you have a Journey to reach – stay focused and remember you are who you are. God would not have given you what He gave you if he didn’t think you were the right person for it.”

This is Gods way of telling me that I have the ability to continue my race and pursue my goals and it won’t be long before I reach the stars. I must have faith, however, to believe in my dreams.

God gives each of us gifts and blesses us with the ability to fulfill our Journey in life – but if we fall asleep at the wheel, we will never be able to foresee what could have been.  We may never know how valuable our ability is and how it can make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.  We may never know our Dream-Ability!

If you feel that you have lost your (continue reading…)

Dear Mom,

I write to you today, a letter, to tell you how much you mean to me and to say: I Love You!

I often sit in thankfulness and blessing realizing how special you really are.  You are kind and compassionate, caring and patient, prayerful and spiritual. You are thoughtful, mindful, playful, and even listen to me and my stories without commenting – until I am finished.  Then you encourage me, support my crazy ideas and always wish the best for m.

You pray for me, you have loved me even when I couldn’t and didn’t love myself.  For that I am grateful!

You have taught compassion and caring with your actions, not just your words.  More importantly, you have taught these attributes to many people, not just your family.

They say Latinos share a different type of love than many other cultures – I do not know if this is true, but the carinoso, cultura and familia that you have shared with us is a blessing.  And again, as a teacher, you taught many about our culture.

You have taught me how to live my life in a loving manner, how to be patient, and even saintly – whether I have done so has always been my choice.  But this letter is about you, not me.

As a mother, you have had to carry, feed, nurture, educate and protect us.  You have done this in a loving manner and without complaint.

You made us feel loved and special, each of us in our own special way.  You support us and our endeavors without question, but instead with love.

Mom, words cannot express what you mean to me and I cannot give you anything that equals the love you have given me.

So I say the following: You are beautiful, cool, hip loving, a great mom, a good sister and a loving daughter.  Our family holds you in high regard making you an excellent role model.

Your actions are worth emulating, your love is worth sharing and your accomplishments are worth noting.  I wish I spent more time with you, learning more about you sharing how much you mean to me.

So, I offer you my sobriety, my love and this letter for the world to see.

I love you Mom – Thanks for being you – I could not have been blessed with a better Mother.

Your Loving Son

P.S.

For all of the mothers out there – you deserve more than one day and love in more than one way – So I say this to you all:  May you find the peace and Blessings of God’s Love this and every day that you live.

For those that no longer have their mother – I sincerely hope and pray that you are peace, get to see Her again and have at least one more chance a the loving hugs only a mother can give.

And just so you know – OUR MOTHER MARY WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!

Take Care, God Bless and Cool Runnings Mon – Michael

And I bet you asked: “Now why don’t he write?”

We apologize for not writing more as we have been busy – but that is no excuse; especially since so many of you take the time to read our humble little post and even take the time to comment. Thanks for that!

But now, I will get straight to the point – In my quest to be a more effective communicator or just to be more healthy in my dealings with others – I need to talk about R & R.

Or, as I like to call it: Rehearsals and Rehashing!

R& R affects yours and my ability to communicate effectively.

When we do a little R & R, we waste time in our head, period…

But first a little back story:    The mall we had partnered with (so we thought),  has terminated our arrangement. The place is San Antonio, TX and the the Mall is Wonderland of the Americas.  Management and staff refer the mall in the following: “There is always something going on!”

Much to our chagrin and surprise – they were not kidding.  It was just not as positive as we had hoped.

They say it was nothing that we did as a group and cite incompatibility as a reason to part ways.  I think and say different, but I will not draft my opinion here.  What I will do is share the unnecessary need and desire for R & R.

R & R, if not Rest and Relaxation, is a waste of time and energy. Let me explain:

Rehearsing is what you do when you carry on a conversation (in your head) with someone before it happens or with someone that is not even present.  You practice telling them this or that, or should I say: you are going to tell them this and that and usually is a rather assertive tone going on in your head.  Problem is, when the conversation actually takes place – it does not always go as it was rehearsed and they do not respond the way you acted it out in your head – then you are stuck! And it almost always plays out different than what you initially planned or rehearsed.

Rehashing is when you go through a conversation, after it is done, over and over wishing you would have said this or that.  Goes something like this: I should have told them this, I should have said that!

Some say that hindsight is 20/20; others second guess the end result – problem is it still requires wasted energy.  Problem is, again, the conversation is over and it does not reflect on what was actually said, just what should have been said.

Never is it healthy because the conversation is over and resentments build between the non-existent parties.  Basically, you had your chance at the meeting – do not waste energy constantly trying to change an outcome that has been decided.

Do you Understand?

I will cite an example: Recently, we had a meeting with the operations and marketing managers of the mall.  This was our “Exit” meeting.  They were there to tell us that we would have absolutely no more dealings with the mall.

Such is life in relationships – some work, some don’t and some need a bit of working together to make it healthy.

I had planned not to say much because I did not have much to say.  This was our exit.  What use would it do to gripe or share how unhealthy our relationship was – IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME!

During the meeting, I was constantly being asked if about my demeanor in the meeting – I was stoic and distant. Not angry, upset, nor immature – just aloof.  I had nothing to say – anything I would have added to the meeting would have been fruitless. Nothing would have come from it – I repeat – IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME!.

Usually, I would have thought about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it many times over.  But because I knew where we stood with the mall and I knew how I felt about the principles – I made a conscious effort to stop thinking about what I was going to say, or wanted to say in the meeting…

Trust me – I have some reservations and thoughts about how it all went down, even from the beginning.  We have all encountered something like this, haven’t we?

Anyway, below is a list to save yourself from Rehearsals and Rehashes:

1. Remember the message not what you want to tell them or how you want to say it;
2. Create an agenda;
3. Remove the emotion from your agenda;
4. Make a conscious effort to catch yourself when you are playing it out in your head;
5. Prepare yourself for any deviations – that way, you won’t get caught off guard;
6. When the meeting is over – let it stay that way – it is over;
7. Try to stay healthy in your mind and in your dealings, regardless of the outcome;
8. Do not go over it again and again – otherwise, you are just allowing them to rent space in your head;
9. Stay away from resentment – this is the most unhealthy aspect of rehashing; and
10. Make a conscious effort to catch yourself when you are rehashing in your head.

Look, this is easier said than done, especially if you are not a strong meeting person.  In a nutshell:

Save rehearsals for the plays and skits – the real world requires knowing what idea/strategy/plan or message you want to convey.  This takes tough planning and execution where agendas will help you be a better meeting person and less apt to get sideswiped with any change in direction.

When it is all said and done, remember that there is very little you can do or say – so accomplish as much as you can during the meeting.  This way you don’t feel slighted or feel like you have been cheated.

With that said, I hope this helps….

Take care, God Bless and Cool Runnings, Mon! – Michael

It’s hard to believe that we are already in February.  We all know what this month means to us?  That’s right – Valentines Day!

Do we actually know how St Valentine came about? How did it become one of the most major holidays in the U.S.

Some may think that it started with the Cupid?  I don’t think so.  To my surprise  St. Valentine has been around since 269 A.D. There is great history in all this, but I’ll just get to the point.

Valentine’s Day, as we see it today, is about Romance, Love, Sweethearts, and perhaps even going to the Chapel of Love and saying those two words that become one and that show the love between two people – “I DO”

I see  Valentine’s as little similar to Christmas when the shopping and planning begin all over again.  This time, it has a special meaning for couples.

Which brings me to this little story that I thought was so sweet, I was visiting this jewelry store and in walks this older man with a shopping bag, and tells the sales man that he has already done his shopping for his Valentine Sweetheart, and can you believe we were still in January!

My eyes became watery, and all I could think of was – what a lucky lady to have someone who was excited to have done his shopping for the one he Loves.  He did it  early, on time and did not wait to the last minute.  I found that to be a Blessing.

Valentines is when we should reach out and tell that special someone in our life how much they really mean to us, and how blessed we are to have one another and to appreciate each other.

Sure, we women love Roses, Romantic Dinners, Lingerie, Chocolate covered strawberry’s, and just to be pampered on that One Special night, but this is all materialistic.

To me, and I hope to you, it is the  words that people share, words full of pure love – this is what we should treasure and hold close to our heart. The rest, and I repeat, is materialistic.

But don’t get me wrong I won’t turn down the gifts.  I am not that crazy!

Thought I’d add a little Humor.  But seriously Ladies, just like we wonder what kind of special evening our significant other has planned for us, they wonder the same.

You would be surprise how men expect a romantic evening, and please don’t forget their gift.  Trust me I know!

I find Valentine’s Day to be very exciting, I enjoy watching everyone at the store looking for that special card with those perfect words.

We know that every  Flower shop is busy trying to make those deliveries on time, and the restaurants are preparing for the right setting to add that special romantic touch for every couple.

So with all this said and done I want to say to all you Love Birds: “The way you embrace each other today and especially tonight there is one thing you may want to remember – that Valentines Day does not have to end at midnight.”

Keep that flame burning and Cupid’s arrows flying; continue to embrace each other and tell each other everyday those three special words: “I Love You!”

Have a Blessed Day and Happy Valentines To each and every one of You!

Till next time, support each other and most of all, Respect each other.

From My Heart filled with LOVE:

Brandy Lopez – “I Walk By Faith and Not by Sight!”

OK, OK, – I have been accused of boring you with some of my most recent posts – so I am turning it over to my buddy Sid and he will be “Dishing it Out” – as it relates to Super Bowl Sunday and Super Bowl XLV (Super Bowl Forty-Five).

Wassup Everybody – I am Sid and I will be dishing it out – Super Bowl style.  Keep up if you dare.

A little history: My pops sat me on his lap one Sunday afternoon and told me we were going to watch this game on tv and my life was changed forever.  This Sunday – I plan to do the same with my daughter.

The game: Super Bowl V (Five), the teams: Dallas Cowboys (the Boys, da Boys, America’s Team) vs Baltimore Colts; the coaches: Don McCaffety and Tom Landry; the result: Cowboys lose in the last 5 seconds; the score: 16 – 13, in favor of the Colts; Most turnovers in a game by winning team (7); thus the aptly named “Blunder Bowl”; only time the game MVP was won by the losing team (Chuck Howley); 1st Superbowl on artificial turf and much more.

Each team had a quarterback controversy with each team having the greatest names in team and football history, the Colts had Johnny Unitas (he and my pops have/had a flat-top haircut) and Earl Morrall and the Cowboys had Craig Morton and Roger Staubach. Unitas started for the Colts and Morton started for the Boys. But Unitas and Staubach “Roger the Dodger” were great!

Today, the Colts have since moved to Indianapolis and have one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history (Payton Manning) and Dallas has of the few Hispanics to ever play quarterback (Tony Romo) and is the home of Cowboy Stadium, which according to many – is the greatest stadium ever built.

OK, OK – enough already….what does that have to do with the Super Bowl or Supper Bowl???

Super Bowl: Because the NFL Championship game is the biggest game and biggest event of the year and will probably surpass viewership of the last world cup. More than 100 million people are expected to watch this game – expecting the largest viewing audience ever.  Crazy numbers – crazy game – crazy fun!

This years Super Bowl pits the Green Bay Packers vs the Pittsburgh Steelers; the Packer Backers vs Steeler Nation; Cheese-heads against the Terrible Towels; the baddest vs the baddest; the oldest vs the oldest; the best vs the best on the biggest stage on earth!

I love football – it is the American game version of James K. Polk’s, “Manifest Destiny” where you conquer one bit of territory at a time.  It is a brutal game with high impact collisions, it is beautiful with the magnificent catches and fast as F@#$ runners and the amazing accuracy of high profile kickers and quarterbacks. Bad-ass Athletes!  The best the world has to offer! Screw the Olympics – this is where it’s at – the Super Bowl!

It has so many real world applications and I will share them here as they relate to the Super Bowl – The world and football can be:

1. tough, unforgiving and sometimes punishing;
2. Mistakes can cost you the game and a mistake in life can cost you your freedom or life;
3. Final – You may or may not get second chances;
4. A game of inches – ever come close to crashing your car?
5. Hard but fun – try it out;
6. Unpredictable – one turnover can change the game, in life – do you know what tomorrow will bring?;
7. Determined by someone else – bad calls by the officials, poor judgment on someone else’s part;
8. A Bad-ass Party – There will be parties every where, in Dallas and in your hometown, and how do you think the winner feels;
9. Disciplined – taking lots of hard work to be successful;
10. Tough – life can be tough;
11. Majestic – ever see the grand canyon or a forest full of evergreens;
12. A time to bond – I have bonded with many athletes and people in life;
13. Filled with exciting moments;
14. Depressing – lots of those in life and watch your team lose the big one; and
15. A whole bunch of other things – Football has real world applications and I could go on for days!!

But for many of us, it is a game – much like life but this is the biggest game of all.  Football rocks, the Super Bowl Rocks and the Super Bowl, to me, is a chance to hold my own Super Bowl Party at my house! Just me – not cuz I’m selfish but because I am a Fan! I’m a frikkin football fan!

I don’t invite no-one but the most ardent of football fans.  So usually I watch it alone.  Not even with my pops – even though he turned me on to the game.

Supper Bowl: I call it my very own “Supper Bowl” Party!  That’s right – I said Supper Bowl! And the fact that I watch the game alone is because I am a football fan! Big time! And I don’t want no distractions or interruptions, period.  I call it the supper bowl cuz I make food enough for a week just to watch one damn game.

I get to prepare, cook, watch guys analyze,  wait for my food, turn up the tv, take a break, drink non-alcoholic beer (I don’t get drunk anymore); I can do what I want how I want when it comes to the super bowl.  I haven’t missed a game in 40 years.

And I do it in the comfort of my own home, because:

1. If I gotta pee – I go pee;
2. If I wanna stop the game – I stop the game (thank God for digital video recording or DVR;
3. If I wanna see a play over and over – I watch it over and over (see previous);
4. If I get bored – I change the channel (thank God for cable);
5. If I wanna be entertained – I watch the commercials – they pay a million bucks for one half minute ad;
6. I love the e-trade babies;
7. If I wanna eat – I eat; and
8. If I wanna drink – I drink!

And I always record the game for later viewing…

The game itself has gay connotations: Packers; tight-end; men in tights; men who slap other men on the butt; one guy that gets right up on another guy who is in a bent over position and then puts both hands right up under his butt; to handle a ball; they squeeze through; they need protection; and there even used to be a team called the Oilers. Funny, huh?

It is masculine, except for the kickers – they usually tackle like sissies; it is brutal; it is hard hitting and it requires lots of hard work.  It is zoological: Seahawks, Eagles, Bears, Ravens, Colts, Falcons.  It is war: Cowboys v Redskins, Titans v Giants; Raiders v Buccaneers (A joke: a boy is dressed as a pirate for Halloween – a man asks: who are you supposed to be?  the boy answers: A pirate – the man asks:  Where are your buccaneers?  the boy replies: On my buckin head!)  Get it!  — Anyway!

I can go on and on but I will stop here… The game is in two days – I have already gone shopping – and I plan on doing something I have not ever done. I am going to watch the game with my daughter.  She is just now getting to know the game.  She is a doll and I love her.  She has never seen a Super Bowl, but she does like football and this will be a chance to bond with her like never before.

I will cook all kinds of food and we will eat; I will laugh with her and we will yell together at great plays and we will do something together for the very first time!  I love these moments in our life – it will never be forgotten!

So with many million others – I anticipate one of the biggest days of the year, in athletics.  Christmas and Easter are the two biggest days of the year. But I wait for those too. But back to football – I can hardly wait.  I doubt we will be disappointed – I even bet on this game – $15 bucks total, yep that is all!

I will be responsible, I will be home and I will be doing what I like to do more than anything else in the world – hang out with my daughter and watch football. Sharing Life, Love, Faith and God!

I only ask that you do the same – be safe, be responsible and enjoy the game – remember – it is just a game because: Life is more important, love is more important, faith is necessary to go on in this world and God is the greatest gift of all. God gave us the talent, the ability and the opportunity to be better people. He gave us the minds to create the greatest game of all and the biggest stage to enjoy it.

Make this game an opportunity to make new friends, forge stronger relationships and to have fun.  And if you miss it or don’t care for it – cool! This is our blog – write your own and tell me how Futball is the greatest sport – but until then – Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Oh and I have one final Question – Who the hell is Mary?

I am Sid and I am just “Dishing it Out!”

Laters – Sid

Ever heard of the Harlem Globetrotters? Ever seen them? Ever met them? Do you know what they stand for?  If  you answer yes to any of these questions, you are blessed.

Why do I ask?  Because, and I’m being honest, before today – I had no idea what they really stood for.  Don’t get me wrong, I know who they are, i have seen them and I have even met them – twice.  But before this week, I did not truly understand what they stood for.

To me, They are a family and fun-filled basketball team that entertains audiences worldwide.  I have seen them perform live twice and have met some of the greatest names in Globetrotter History – Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon, Gator Rivers, Robert “BabyFace” Page among others.

But these were the only Globetrotters I had met or knew the names of and I did not know what they really stood for.  But I recently had the pleasure of meeting the newest generation of Globetrotters!  I never expected to meet them 35 years later and ask the questions I always wanted to ask.

Moreover,  I did not expect to learn what I learned.

How does it relate to Latin Fusion TV? First of all, Brandy interviewed them and I get to write about them.

If you read our Blog, you know that it is not about us – It is about making the world a better place.  We might write about what we do, but we apply it to spiritual Principles and how we can make the world a better place to live and love – one Blog at a time.

And as I always ask:  What does that have to do with the Harlem Globetrotters. Because they are the “Ambassadors of  Good Will” around the world. And in a small way – so are we.  If you recall, we wrote about influencing others in our last post.  That no matter how you act or what you do – you will influence others (either positively or negatively).  And that we have all been influenced in one way or another by someone.

Well, these guys make an impact globally.  Allow me introduce to you the people we met: Ant, Rocket, Sarge, Squirrel, Slingshot, Hi-Lite, FlightTime, Airport, Turbo, Bones and Coach Clyde along with Director of Player Personnel and Coach “Sweet” Lou Dunbar!

These are great guys – all Basketball players, all “Ambassodors of Good Will,” and all are top notch entertainers.  And, in talking with them – I found the following that I will share:

1. God gives talent – but to develop them takes work;
2. You never know when you will be discovered – some of these guys never expected to be Globetrotters, but;
3. God works in mysterious ways;
4. It is important to have fun;
5. It is important to give back;
6. You must be be willing to learn;
7. It is imperative to be open to new ideas;
8. The world is a great big place;
9. There is no substitute for hard work; and
10. God will reward your efforts in ways you never expected!

There are many more things I can add, but that will be in the next post.  But I will say this – when we were told about the Globetrotters being in San Antonio and offered a chance to meet them – we asked the sponsors (Howard Johnson) if we could interview them.

They did not know us and we were not given an answer – but our host did try to help us out.  We didn’t gripe because as I said – Howard Johnson Corporate did not know who we are.  But they encouraged us to show up. We did, and they were so hospitable and congenial.  The corporate folks at Howard Johnson (HoJo) were very nice, the location at Balcones Heights is very clean and it was all set up for the guests.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the HoJo folks were similar to the Globetrotters – willing to give back to the community.  Hey, we know this is a business, but they do good business and with a smile on their face.  We we met some good people, Dee, Greg, Megan, Daniel, Mr. Ghael and the others from HoJo.

But more important, we were granted an interview, we were given the opportunity to mingle with the crowd, take photos and speak with everyone there.  Their philosophy is the same as ours – treat people right and be good to the community.  Just like the Globetrotters! It was an awesome day – we even went to the game later that night.  But it was an experience – I even found out that some kids had never even heard of the Globetrotters – and that was a  shock to me…We grew up on them.

The gist of all of this is: It is important to Trust in God, work hard, utilize His gifts and your talent and give back to the community in some way or another!  You will Reap what you Sow – it is proven! And it is a beautiful thing!

Stay tuned for our next post where I will share the importance of having fun and enjoying life (even while you are working) – because for two hours during the day and two hours at night and taking time out of our busy schedule to have fun, we did just that! We were entertained – but boy, did we have fun!

And the Globetrotters reminded me to smile!

We have photos posted in the gallery and a video on www.LatinFusionTV.com.  Check em both out.

Take care, God Bless and Cool Runnings – Michael