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Deborah Hinote is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. She has more connections than many can hope to attain, and makes the world a better place for everyone she knows.
Continue reading From the Inside Out with Deborah Hinote: Season 1 Episode 7
Birthday parties are fun in our family.
First, every party includes guns somehow. My friends always laughed at me because I invited them to my house to blow things up.
At my sweet 16, we scared everybody by shooting several pounds of tannerite. It’s harmless, but it makes a Big Bang. Continue reading Musings: Birthdays
Enjoy the journey.
You hear it so much, it’s easy to become desensitized to the statement.
But there is so much truth in that one sentence. Many times I find myself striving hard for a goal ahead of me. That’s not wrong, but it can quickly keep me from living in the moment.
So here’s my quick word of advice: don’t let the big things steal your joy in this moment. If you need to remember one thing, remember to live to the hilt every day you pass on earth.
With that, good night. I’m at a rodeo and enjoying the moment.
College can cost anywhere from $25,000-$50,000 per year, according to collegedata.com.
Praxis currently costs $11,000.
The average time it takes students to pay off college debt is 20 years, according to this article by U.S. News.
Praxis alumni make $14,400 while they are still enrolled in the program, which comes out to a net cost of $0.
Time posted an article in 2016 stating that the average salary of grads was $50,566 annually.
Praxis grads make an average of $50,000 annually. (But Praxis doesn’t cost as much money as college. Besides, Praxis participants start their career several years ahead of their peers. And finally, they aren’t stuck with years of debt to pay off as they advance their careers.)
It takes 4 years to get a bachelor’s degree in many fields.
Praxis is 1 year long.
College curriculum is a set medium that students complete.
Praxis curriculum is meant to be customized to a participant’s individual goals.
College offers roommates and class buddies.
Praxis offers the opportunity to connect with highly-motivated people with similar goals. Participants leave the program with good friends and strong social capital among some of the best startups in America today.
Colleges have professors. They teach their expertise and otherwise remain absent from students’ lives.
Praxis advisors are available as long as participants need them. The advisors offer one-on-one coaching sessions about any professional issues participants may have.
How can I be sure Praxis will pay off for me?
4 MORE Reasons to Rethink College
What do Praxis Participants do After They Complete the Program?
Praxis has been the fastest-paced learning experience of my life. I highly recommend the program for any young person who wants to catapult into his or her career.
Check out discoverpraxis.com to learn more. Otherwise, feel free to email me with questions: lolitaallgyer@gmail.com
Today I visited the beautiful Coldwater Creek farm. Miles away from the city, I explored the world of aquaponics and glamping.
The best part of the day was a decision I made.
As my family left, I made the decision not to do anything on my phone for the entire trip.
I had a lot on my mind. I could have tried to fix everything from my iPhone, but I knew that wouldn’t help me.
Spending 5 hours without the stress of technology was wonderfully freeing. I was faced with the reality that many times, I stunt my creativity by simply having a phone nearby. I found joy in not worrying about anything, simply enjoying the moment. (There’s stress involved in taking pictures to document each moment as well.)
This evening I attended a wonderful group call with Praxis advisor Amanda Kingsmith as the speaker. She stressed the importance of taking breaks in the day.
It’s true. Your brain function is hindered when you don’t give yourself some breathing time.
In fact, many people don’t give themselves any breathing time whatsoever. This can be extremely detrimental to motivation and productivity.
Truly want a break? Unplug, if only for a couple minutes or hours. It gives your brain time to process ideas and get a clear picture of your next step.
Have you tried unplugging? Let me know your best tips for de-stressing!
Homeschoolers, out of any group of people, seem to be the most focused on getting in to college.
Incidentally, the logic that leads people to opt out of the traditional education experience is the same reason they should avoid college.
If the goal is to create an individual experience, then why would a young person go off to learn in the same institution everyone else pursues?
This is the reason homeschoolers should take a step back and think about the college experience. What does the degree really signal? If it puts you on the level of every other college student that holds the degree, does it really set you apart?
Homeschooled young people are supposed to be ahead of the game. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to learn at home instead of in a school environment.
They’re ahead because they’re different. They’re different because they haven’t gone through the exact same schooling process that everyone else has finished.
But…
At the very least, it gives each person the same blueprint.
This is the antithesis of homeschooling.
To be fair, there was an advantage to college several decades ago. But technology has advanced to the point where information can be accessed much more cheaply than before.
Technology has also made it possible for individuals to signal value without a degree. They can learn while creating content, using their skills to reach others.
Besides, college textbooks can hardly keep up with the advances in technology. It makes much more sense to involve yourself in the advancing world than to hide away for several years while you “learn how to think.”
Homeschoolers, don’t break the mold just to put yourself into it again.
I prefer to call myself a childcare worker. (It creates a more professional word picture.)
But in all seriousness, the job of a nanny is overlooked. This post is for all those persons who make money spending time with kids.
Who else has the patience to handle 11 humans under 4 years old?
Who can hold 3 babies at once but a nanny?
A nanny spoils like Grandma, loves like mom, and teaches like dad.
It’s hard work. There are the days when every 2-year-old decides to unleash the terrible. All the diapers need to be changed at once, and everyone cries. That’s when a nanny’s superpowers shine.
It takes the toughest kind of patience to stay steady in moments like those. But it’s worth it.
You’re the last one to look into their eyes as they fall asleep.
You’re the one they run to when they are crying.
Those little voices call your name in play, and those little arms reach for you when they need love.
Yes, it’s worth every minute. And you gain a good set of skills working with little ones.
Goes to show that the most menial jobs birth the strongest qualities. Fellow nannies, we support and love you!
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Solomon Hanes is a creative learner who has chosen not to take the traditional route of college for his education. In addition to an apprenticeship in Delaware, he hosts the Elder Tree Podcast. He runs a creative Facebook group called the Creative Condition.
Solomon is also building his brand as a photographer. His Instagram page documents his life artistically. Here’s a link to his website, where he features more of his photography and his writing: http://solomonhanes.com/
“If I had to choose never to use the word “education” again, I probably wouldn’t use it, because in today’s society it is so associated with the schooling system.”
However, learning is not limited to school. Solomon uses the example of our interview on the podcast as a way he is passively learning communication skills.
Once you realize the things you are learning passively, you can use this knowledge to analyze
One main facet of education, according to Solomon, is self-examination. Realizing how you learn helps you develop processes that help you learn more effectively.
“Learning about yourself and how you think is so valuable,” Solomon summarizes.
We cover Solomon’s story, from homeschool to high school to Praxis. He read finance and marketing books during class, and poured himself into the lawn care business he built at the same time.
He’s full of ideas for the future.
(22:00)
This is the 6-month apprenticeship side of the program. Solomon gives a bird’s-eye view of what the work experience is like.
After the boot camp. Praxis places each participant with a business partner that best fits their needs and interests. The participants spend half a year in a paid apprenticeship position with their business partner. The coolest part? By the time you finish the apprenticeship, you pay off your Praxis tuition!
What words describe the apprenticeship experience?
“Get out there and learn. Or, learn in the classroom… as long as you’re learning things that you deem valuable… Whether you think school is boring or not, think, ‘What will help me in the future the most?’ “
Here’s what I love most about being a teenager: it’s expected that you’ll make mistakes often. Many people give you room to grow.
However, the more open you are about your goals and dreams, the more pressure is put on you to get everything perfect.
Additionally, as you learn and succeed, people start to expect you to get everything right the first time. It’s an unspoken rule that when you master one thing, you have to master the next.
On one hand, this is extremely motivating to me. I love the pressure, and I strive to make progress every day, to reach my goals, and to succeed at what I put my mind to.
On the other hand, this makes me somewhat frustrated. It seems like a young adult can look at failure in a positive light all he wants, but it never changes other people’s opinions of his failure. They smile and wag their heads, saying “I knew it all along,” and forget about him.
As a young person who is excited about life, I plead for every teenager who is trying out new ideas:
Don’t try to stop me because you think my dreams are too big. Don’t stand in my way because I might hurt myself. And if I make a mistake, urge me to fix it and become a better person because of my failure.
Failure is an integral part of the learning process. To the people surrounding the young, passionate learners among you: Stop modeling failure as bad. Recognize that experience is one of the best teachers anyone can learn under.
Let me fail.
