The Formidable James “Ghost” St. Patrick And Lessons Learned From Power

That recent episode of Power was something, wasn’t it?

Things definitely didn’t play out the way I thought they would, but I have to say, it was nice to finally see things coming together for James “Ghost” St. Patrick.

James is handsome, charming, intelligent and street-smart, and I admire his ability to move through controversies and conflict, and still rise to the top, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles. While he has had some questionable business practices and compromising ethical choices when it’s come to running a business, finding love, taking care of his family, and doing his best to protect everyone he loves, as a major decision maker he teaches three important lessons I believe many of us can benefit from.

1. Know How To Be Strategic. On Power, James is a businessman who also happens to be an impressive criminal. Whenever he had a business deal go bad or crossed paths with anyone who threatened his family or way of life, he was usually able to outsmart them. And it was because he thought and moved strategically. He knew how to make business deals with the wealthy and elite and he knew how to move on the streets. He covered his tracks whenever there was a mess that needed to be cleaned up and at different times was able to turn certain enemies into allies. Strategic thinking is a great skill to have because if you have a good strategy in place? You can handle almost anything that comes your way.

2. You Will Always Have Enemies. James was successful, therefore, he had enemies. On each season of Power, there was always someone coming for James, his business, his influence, or someone he loved. The more successful you become? The more enemies that will follow. James remained a target because he was always working towards bettering himself. And this inevitably caused his old world and new world to clash. If you’re going to succeed at anything in this life or are aiming to be successful at whatever it is you’re working towards, you too should be ready for the enemies that will be waiting. Acknowledging that they will be there can at least help you prepare with how you’re going to deal with the conflicts and challenges that will come.

3. Don’t Let Love Blind You. A major stronghold for James throughout Power has been being blinded by love. It blinded him to some harsh realities about his son Tariq, his longtime friend Tommy, his wife Tasha, and his mistress Angela. All of whom were either hurt, harmed, and negatively impacted by being connected to James. Sometimes love can blind us to the truth about different people in our lives that we may need to distance ourselves from or let go of. To continue relationships with some of those people would just be painful and cause more harm than good. It’s okay to know when to let go.

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far

Making Waves