The Motlow Buzz: 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

Self Confidence...

By Natalie Pike

If I told you to be more self-confident, would you? No, probably not. But if I showed you its benefits and how to achieve it then, would you? That’s up to you. I know that being self-confident is hard, but lack of self-confidence is not an incurable disease. There are things that you can do to help make confidence more attainable. That is what this article is about: making self-confidence or the appearance of self-confidence more attainable.

If we can learn to hone our self-confidence, we can rule the world. Self-confidence is an amazing thing if used properly. Those who have self-confidence accomplish worlds, and they also feel better. If you believe in your abilities then others will believe in you too. Let’s start with a story that my grandma told me. She was in Louisiana at a high profile charity banquet. All the stately people were sitting at their individual tables. In walks one of the most famous hookers in the state. When this, happened all of the people instantly started mixing with other tables to talk

about the hooker. That is what self confidence does it gives you the power to make everybody stop and think about you, if only for a moment. for one second of time you are on everyone’s mind. You can be that self-confident too all you have it do is believe in yourself.

Here are some words of wisdom from people like you:

“If the world doesn’t accept you, then it does not deserve you.” – Natalie Pike

You are a beautiful person with something to offer the world. We aren’t called individuals because we are all the same. Own that specialness that makes you, you.

“ I don’t give a damn if your mother is a whore and your father’s a drunk, you are responsible for what you make of your self’ – Ivan D.

Who you become should not be dependent on who others are. Its up to you and only you. Just because people try to drag you down doesn’t mean you have to go down with them. If you want to be confident, then be confident. You can be successful.

“If you want something bad enough, you will do whatever it takes to achieve it. If you fail in achieving it, then someone else wanted it more than you did.” –Jeff Pike

If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want. Reach for the stars.

Easier said than done, right? It doesn’t have to be. All you have to do is try. Start out small. Try talking to a cashier at the checkout and go from there. Being with people you really like is a great confidence boost, so when you’re around those people, seize the opportunities. Have a pre-show time “amp yourself up session. In your session, do things that make you happy, listen to your favorite songs, watch your favorite videos, think about you strong points, and compliment yourself. Feeling good is one step closer to being more confident. If you have a hard time going up to people, then try getting them to come to you. To get them to come to me, I dress for social success. By saying that, I mean I dress nicely. Also, another thing that I do is wear a statement piece of clothing. For example, I wear a pair of Converse that I custom painted. When people compliment me on my shoes, the fact that I painted them is a great conversation starter.

If you take one thing away from this article, make it that you’re beautiful, special, and have something to offer this world that no one else can.

Sources: Tyler Oakley, Entrepreneur.com

Creative Arts and Graphic Design Through the Centuries

By Robert Ellis

Art has been around for millions of years. People use art for different things. Some use it as a way to express themselves; others use it to tell a story.

Art was popular with the Greeks and Romans around c. 700 BC-476 A.D. Rome has one of the most popular art creations in the world. Next up around the 14^th Century came the Renaissance art. Some of the great artists around this time period were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Paolo Veronese to name a few. One of Leonardo’s most famous pieces of artwork was the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s was David and Veronese the wedding at Cana.

In the mid to late 1800’s, photography and photocopying became famous and art took on a new face. Now let’s fast forward to the 20^th Century, Art has evolved in many ways. The one that captures my attention is Graphic Art.

I learned at an early age that art could be used as a form of expression. Art has been a passion of mind since I was in the 5^th grade. Some of the things that I used to like to draw were power rangers, landscapes, buildings, and theme parks. My sophomore year of high school is when I became interested in Graphic Design.

When I went to the Art Institute website, I looked up graphic design and I read this paragraph. I thought about that whoever wrote this paragraph has made a good point. ‘’ The video game is regularly evolving with new technologies and concepts, creating a need for professionals armed with the latest knowledge and skills. Whenever you’re passionate about game design, 3D modeling or character animation are programs in the area of game and programing can prepare you to peruse a career in this fast paced industry.’’ (The Art Institute of Pittsburgh). Reading this gave me new inspiration.

My dad started teaching me how to use graphic software on the computer. Some of the software we use was Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Sketch Book Pro, Maya Autodesk, and Adobe Illustrator.

This is when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in Graphic Design. I'm looking forward to starting my own business one day. I feel like God has put a desire in my heart to become a creative designer.

Characteristics of a server worth tipping: Written by a server

By: Chelsea Keeton

It is well past 2 a.m. and I sit in my car just staring at my apartment complex in the dead silence. My dry eyes contemplate the four flights of stairs that stand between me and a deadline for school. The smell of old beer, ranch dressing, and fried macaroni and cheese have settled in my clothes, skin and hair. I can only hope that it doesn’t take up permanent residence in the car’s upholstery. With the last little bit of energy, I reach in my back pocket and count how much money I made for the night. As I haul myself up the stairs, my attention is taken away from my struggles by the young couple who decided to tip me 40 percent of their check amount, the man who sits in the same bar stool every single day, and the family that always requests my section each time they come. Why me, I wonder?

After being a restaurant server for six years, I face the characteristics of being a good server on a daily basis. My managers and co-workers at my current restaurant, The Boulevard Bar and Grille, have their opinions of what makes a good server. The owner of my restaurant says that a good server is one who does not cry, complain and works fast. But what are the customers’ opinions? No one is going to walk up wearing a sign. It is up to me to read them, and to respond accordingly. It’s a dicey game, and one that could make the difference in my ability to fill my gas tank on the way home.

In an article in Psychology Today, Jack Schafer writes that “personal introduction accompanied by a smile makes servers appear friendlier and more personable.” This in itself explains that customers appreciate service that is friendly and personable.

In Tyler Tervooren’s article (list the name here) a girl tells a story of how she used to strongly believe that appearance did not matter. One day she was on a bus and was confused as to which stop to get off. As she started to pay closer attention to who offered advice of which to choose, she noticed one was wearing sweatpants and smelled and the other was wearing a clean and ironed suit. She took the advice of the man in the suit because his appearance suggested that she could trust him with her decision.

When I was 18 years old, I started working at a fine dining restaurant. I had two adult couples sit down at my booth. I asked them for their drink orders then put them on a tray. When I got to the table, I tumbled over my feet a little and lost balance of the tray and spilt the drinks all over the man in his button down shirt and khakis. I felt terrible! I was embarrassed, and he was nothing less of angry. I had no idea how to handle the problem but to apologize every second I could.

Learning from the spilling catastrophe, I had another instance where a customers’ experience could have gone bad. There were five men sitting at my table celebrating their friends’ birthday. They were explaining to me how they have had just gotten off work and are ready to celebrate! The man who was celebrating his birthday had a rough week, and they wanted to make it better for him! They ordered two of their favorite pizzas. After taking their order, they wanted to make sure that I had two pizzas ordered for them instead of one. I confirmed that I had two pizzas being baked from them with the upmost certainty. When their food came out, I noticed there was only one pizza. The kitchen forgot to make the other pizza before moving on to other orders. I genuinely went up to the table and explained what happened. I said I was sorry and offered to give their 2nd pizza for free. Because I was honest and sincere with them, they told me they were fine without the 2^nd pizza and not to worry about it. I stayed on top of all of their needs from then until the end of their visit. When I gave one of the men the check for the entire table, he handed me a 100 dollars and his credit card. When I came back with change for his 100$ and his credit card, he told me that the 100$ was for me. I could not believe he tipped me that much with the visit he had. From my experience with the man and the drinks that fell in his lap, I learned to be honest with them and not annoy them for telling them I’m sorry every second I have, and just smile and do what I can to make the rest of their experience better. Later during their visit, the man who paid for the bill came up to me and told me what an awesome job I had done and how I handled the situation very well. It made me feel a thousand times better. He handed me my tip and when I looked at how much it was, it was one hundred dollars.

I have come to learn the “secret sauce” is empathy. Can you identify with your customers? If so, even if the chef forgets an order or burns the dish, the way you handle the problem will define the customer’s experience. If you combine empathy with GRIT (the ability to problem-solve amidst adversity), you are a GREAT server.

Monday, November 23, 2015

It Works Supports Your Healthy Lifestyle Needs

By: MJ White

It Works is an independent business that is distributed through a huge company that is now run out of Florida. It Works started in 1995 with Mark and Cindy Pentecost. They were struggling living from paycheck to paycheck when Mark started a home-based business opportunity in the telecommunications industry. Mark and Cindy had no idea the seed had been planted for It Works! Global.

Mark Pentecost knew that he had something special to share with the world when he found the Ultimate Body Applicator. To this day in 2015, the Ultimate Body Applicator Wrap is still It Works Global’s highest selling product. Pam Sowder, ( It Works! Chief Networking Officer), contacted Mark about the product, and he brought more home to his wife. His wife loved the product so much she told everyone she knew about it, from family to friends to anyone who would listen. She knew that they had an amazing product on her hands, and she felt that everyone should try it.

In 2001, Mark and Luis Mijares, a friend and business partner, launched their new products. Luis Mijares is the formulator behind the It Works! body contouring and skin care products. Luis was the CEO for a top pharmaceutical company, and he had a passion for researching skin care, nutritional, natural remedies, and fun for biotechnology industries began when he was a child. It started with his grandmother from Mexico. Due to his personal interest and his natural solutions, he became an ideal candidate for the It Works! Product Development Specialist.

In 2005, the It Works Supplement Line came out. Its Vital, Fat Fighter, Greens, and plenty of more natural vitamins that reduce stress levels, help you lose weight, get better nutrition, regulate your digestive system, etc. In 2009, It Works became debt free, and sales began to reach record breaking heights. In 2010, they began to reach out internationally with businesses in Australia and even parts of Europe. In 2011, the It Works family moved from Grand Rapids, MI to their new found home in Bradenton, FL. If you’re interested in learning more about our global history visit www.myitworks.com/history.

I chose to sell It Works and become my own boss because I’m ready to be a part of something big. I am tired of struggling and living paycheck to pay check. I mean, sometimes there is no paycheck to live towards. I enjoy the people that I meet while being a part of the It Works family. The new clients and also the ambassadors give us so much support, and I love seeing the small twinkle in one’s eyes after they realize you really do care about them and their health. Although I’m not making much right now, I’m not giving up because my team and my clients depend on it. Think about it. Everyone needs a little push now a days, and I’m here to give it.

To learn more about It Works Global visit www.itworksglobal.com or any distributer page @itworks.com.

What's Up With The Titans?

By Myka Honeycutt

Being a huge Titans fan, it is hard to see them fall and not get back up. They were on a five-game losing streak with a whopping losing record of 2-7. My question to you is, will they make it? Is there any possible way the Titans can come back this season with a winning record? This might seem impossible with the way they finish games and with Marcus Mariota possibly not coming back into the game on week 7 because of the knee injury he suffered playing against the Dolphins in week 5.

The Titans have made a tremendous come up since last year with a very big pick-up in this year’s draft, the star rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota is a great player/leader for our team and an amazing athlete. He is having a great season with the Titans so far. His first game against his other new rookie rival Jameis Winston coming out of Florida State was spectacular. They had a huge game, winning 42-14, with Mariota having four TD’s and over 200 yards. Since that game he has had a rough ride, losing five games that were too close to call. A sad division loss to the Colts only losing by two points with the final score being 33-35 came down to a missed two point conversion at the end of the game. They played great, but just made a few critical errors that caused the loss. Another hard game to lose was against the bills in week 4. They let their guard down towards the end of the game, allowing Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, to a 24 yard run for a first down on a game winning stop for the Titans on third and 23. They were holding the win in their hands being up by 10 points but just could not hold it.

As the season went on, the Titans played two rough games without Mariota against the Falcons and the Texans. Playing against the Falcons at home was a huge chance for us to gain some confidence and come back for a winning record. Our backup quarterback Zack Mettenberger threw for 22 of 35 pass attempts for 187 yards. That seems pretty good until you look at the two critical picks he threw at the end of each half. Also, they were one for nine on third down conversions, which is inexcusable. You have to make plays and get the ball down the field. They simply just did not play well and did not play as a team. In order to play as a team, you have to execute and most importantly be prepared. Games like this get very hard to lose with our defense playing outstanding with some of the best stats in the league, but only losing by a few points. Now that’s a true loss. Poor judgment by Mettenberger on very critical plays cost the game. The next game against the Texans, Mettenberger played a little better with his QB rating being a 70.8. He threw 22 completed passes out of 31 with only one pick this game. The stats might seem a little better, but the score sure didn’t. They lost by two touchdowns with the final score being 20-6. We just did not make the big plays we needed to make to beat a team like the Texans. Our defense did not have any interceptions, which is upsetting, showing how well the defense has played and how many turnovers we have forced.

Moving on with the season, Mariota is finally back in the game playing against the saints in week 8. In the middle of the week, the Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt praying for a change. With a new way of looking at things, Mike Mularkey was named the interim head coach on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. The Titans came in and played amazing against the Saints. The game was close and brought into overtime. It ended with Mariota driving the ball down the field not even giving the Saints a chance to score with a walk off victory of 34-28. This could be a huge turn around for The Titans. They have a very hard game coming up next playing the undefeated Carolina Panthers. Cam newton is trying to lead them to victory. It is going to be tough, but anything is possible. The rest of our schedule seems pretty easy playing against the Jags twice, the Raiders and the Jets. All of those games can be won as we look forward to getting some division game wins over the rest of the season. I do think that the Titans can come out to a winning season if we just keep our heads up and keep moving. They cannot drown themselves in the losses they have had in the past. They can overcome those and come out first in their division. My answer to you is they can make it! For more information and statistics on the Tennessee Titans you can go to http://espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400791582.

Tigers in a Crisis

                                                            By Alicia Staten

     For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an admiration for animals. Whether it was domesticated animals such as cats and dogs, or fierce predators like lions or sharks, it didn’t matter. I loved them all the same. However, there has always been on animal in particular that I have always been drawn to: the tiger.

Tigers have been described by many as being one of the most admired, beautiful and often times frightening animals in the world. In fact, they’re so admired that throughout history, they have played a huge role in different religions, cultures, and folklore in places like India, China, and Japan, just to name a few.

There are nine different types of tigers. They include the Bengal tiger, Indochinese tiger, Malayan tiger, Siberian or Amur tiger, South China tiger, Sumatran tiger, Bali tiger, Caspian tiger, and the Javan tiger. Unfortunately, out of those nine, the Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers have all gone extinct within the last 80 years.

The nine existing tiger species

The main threats that tigers face are habitat loss, poaching, and human invasion. Because of these factors, the tiger population all over the world has decreased dramatically. In the 1900s, there were about 100,000 tigers in the wild. By the 1970s there were less than 4,000 and today it is estimated to be only about 3,000.

Probably the biggest reason why the tiger population is in the state that it is in is because of habitat loss. When tigers lose basic necessities that they need to survive, such as food, water, and vegetation to conceal themselves, their chance of survival diminishes. As the human population grows, areas of jungle and forests are destroyed to create cities, towns, roads, and farmland. When this happens, it creates what I can only describe as a domino effect. The humans come in, the tiger’s prey leaves, so the tigers resort to hunting humans instead. Other direct effects of this habitat loss is less territory as well as inbreeding. Because they are forced to breed with members of their immediate family, the tigers are less able to produce offspring that are able to fight off disease and illness.

The impact the human presence has on tigers

The result of tiger inbreeding

You can also do something in your community to help and get involved with not only tiger conservation, but the conservation of animals all over the world. For example, research local conservations and zoos to see what they’re doing to help. Here in Tennessee, there is a Tiger Sanctuary in East Tennessee call “Tiger Haven” that is a no kill big cat reserve. They have over 200 lions and tigers, as well as other big cat species.

While the tiger population is now extremely low and has been put in the “critically endangered” category, there are many things being done to save and increase the tiger population Some examples are monitoring tigers and their prey, enacting wildlife conservations and reserves in various countries, and working to stop the tiger trade.

“ Saving tigers is simple. ”said Dr. Barney Long. ”All they need is enough prey, space and protection. The difficult part is securing unswerving long-term commitment from the world to save the species.”

For more information visit:
www.Worldwildlife.org

     www.tigersincrisis.org
     www.tigers.org
     www.tigerhaven.com

Invasive Species in Stones River National Battlefield

By Smyrna Motlow Student

Stones River National Battlefield is part of the National Park service and is currently being taken over by invasive plant species. The main purpose of this park is to preserve the historical value of this important conflict of the Battle of Stones River for future generations, as a marker so that we do not forget how this country came to be. As well as having the goal of cultural preservation, the park is concerned with biological preservation as well. The main focus of the Natural Resource department, the branch of the park I work under, is being able to eradicate the invasive species that have taken over the landscape of the battlefield. I am lucky enough myself to work weekly on this battlefield, spending most of my Saturdays restoring the landscape to its native state and recreating the accurate background of the site so visitors can see how the land actually looked during 1862. Invasive species are a continuous problem for an undertaking such as this and, in turn, require a considerable amount of funds to keep in check. According to the NPS website, “Besides being one of the main components of the numerous communities in the park, plants are one of the key features of the cultural landscapes at Stones River National Battlefield.”

Due to immigration and urbanization, Murfreesboro, along with the rest of the middle Tennessee area, has a problem with invasive species, mainly from Asia. Our climate in the southeast is very similar to that of regions of China, making it easier for invasive plants from that region of the world to colonize and dominate Tennessee. Since these plants do not have any native predators, they thrive here and inadvertently make it extremely difficult for native species to grow, thus killing the natural biodiversity. On top of this, these species were not in the landscape during the civil war, only having made their way here during the early 1900s. Because they are present, the landscape of the battlefield is not an accurate representation of what the soldiers would have seen during the time of the fighting.

Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle, and bush honeysuckle are the main issues in the park, although smaller, less troublesome species have established themselves as well. Every week, rangers and volunteers both go out to different sections of the property and use various methods in an attempt to kill off these plants. Most of the progress is slow, but noticeable over the span of several years. Since some of these plants have seeds that can be dormant for several seasons, and then germinate when the time is right, it will take several rounds of treatment- sometimes spanning years- before a single area is free of its colossal thickets of privet.

One popular method of treatment that we often use is the “cut-n-stump”. This involves going out into the grove of interest and cutting down the plants one by one, while spraying the stump with herbicides to prevent anything from sprouting again. Though it is time-consuming and tedious, it makes an effective dent in the work that still needs to be completed. After a season, we will go back into the area with backpacks full of the same type of herbicide and spray any plants that have popped up during the year. Sometimes this treatment will need to be repeated a couple of times for the full effect. Once the undesirable species are eradicated, then volunteers working within the park service will come back and replant native species into the area, since they now have a chance to grow and thrive. All of these efforts come together to bring back the natural biodiversity of the Murfreesboro area and the battlefield itself.

The park service is always looking for more volunteers to help with this problem, and every hour helps. To get involved with the Stones River Battlefield, or any of the national parks, you can visit http://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm for more information.