#209: Where Will You Be 10 Years From Now? (Friday, December 31)

We're at the end of another year and what a year it's been. This year, Good Friday introduced you to some of the people I know who embody excellence and have inspired me to do the same.

Whether it's owning their own businesses, using their talents creatively or to the service of others, or simply going with their gut and pressing forward in the face of doubt, Good Friday has been filled with great examples and ideas to harness your inner excellence. Many of these examples are less than 10 years old, which means that they will need your ongoing support--not just in 2010--to continue to thrive.

Fortunately, I know more than 52 excellent people which means that many of them didn't get featured this year during our theme of excellence. But I hope that encourages you to find and recognize the people in your life that are embarking upon new ventures and support them. Maybe one day you can say you knew them back when...just like many of this year's Good Friday entries.

#208: Everything Cleaning (Friday, December 24)

Growing up in Jamaica, you're raised to clean your own house. In fact, Saturday morning was typically the time for chores in most Jamaican households, the day when school uniforms were washed, the floors were cleaned and the furniture dusted. Even though I grew up with a helper, I remember many a Saturday spent on all fours with a coconut brush shining the tile floors until they reflected the ceiling above them. As a woman, you were expected to know how to do these things.

In the US, cleaning services are much more accepted and widely used. There is less shame for a single, professional Caribbean woman to use one. LOL. Even so, I hadn't thought of using a cleaning service until I met Aubrey Bryan, owner of Everything Cleaning. After all, this was someone coming into my personal space. Should I hide my important papers? What if they came back and robbed me once they knew that I was a single woman living alone? Should I do a pre-cleaning so my place wouldn't look so bad? Would I have to provide the cleaning products? Should I pay by the hour or by the job? So many questions...

Thankfully, as the name implies, Everything Cleaning knew the answer to, well, everything. LOL. There is literally a cleaning package for any service you can imagine: preparing for a party, cleaning up after a party, moving out of, or into, an apartment, outdoor cleaning, window cleaning, carpet removal, laundry...the list is endless.

The only unfortunate part? It's only in NYC. So check out Everything Cleaning at www.younameitwecleanit.com and drop 'em a line if you need a good cleaning (the new year is just around the corner).

#207: Born to Write (Friday, December 17)

A few years ago I started to write a book. It was based on characters that I'd had in my mind for years. It wasn't the first book I'd written, but it was the most difficult. I shopped it around to publishers who didn't understand Caribbean culture and got responses that it had "too much emphasis on complexion and color and class" or that "our demographic wouldn't understand it."

I got discouraged. I started thinking that maybe these publishers were right and that this was just a wild dream. I discounted the feedback I got from readers, the people who would buy my book, as them "just being nice because they knew me." I told myself my priorities had changed and the reason I started writing the book had also changed. I put it on the back burner, half-finished even though I had the entire story in my head and I knew exactly how it would end.

But recently, I've had a series of mini epiphanies, which is making me realize that your destiny is no accident. So, I've started my search again for a publisher and I think I'm making headway. Hopefully A Scandal in Sandy Lane will be published soon. :)

Happy Birthday to me!

#206: Personal Photographer (Friday, December 10)

I don't really like taking pictures. I always feel like I look wrong in them. I've featured a few photographers this year in Good Friday, but only one always manages to make me look superb in pictures...that's Ron.

I've known Ron Arrindell for many years; he's a great friend, travel partner and sometimes philosophy partner. And he's also a phenomenal photographer and designer. Two of my pictures that get the most compliments were taken by Ron: a black-and-white portrait where only my eyes are exposed and another portrait, taken in Egypt, where he captured an emotion I haven't felt since I was a teen. Oh, and Ron is also the creative genius behind the Guerilla Good logo on the homepage. A mash-up of me and Che...love it!

So if you ever need graphic design or photography, contact Ron via his website (which is currently under construction) at http://www.r-fp.com/ .

Be excellent!

#205: Beyond Bijoux (Friday, December 3)

I can't believe it; we only have three more Fridays in the year. Only three more opportunities to promote my friends who are being excellent and doing wonderful things in their lives: starting businesses, pursuing their passions and leaving their little imprints on this big world.

Today's Good Friday is courtesy of my friend Amanda. I'm ashamed to say that although she's been pursuing this passion for a long time, I only recently found out about it after admiring something she was wearing. Life's like that sometimes, I suppose.

Amanda is the talent behind Beyond Bijoux, a line of unique, custom-made jewelry. Yup, that means every piece has it's own character and flair...and she puts a lot of love in it too (I know, cos she absolutely LOVES making jewelry and she's not just doing it for the money.) Plus, since she's well-traveled and has lived in a few different countries, she also brings inspiration from those experiences.

Since she's a bit of an overachiever like me (lol), Amanda's hard at work creating her e-commerce site and making the current site bigger and better. But in the meantime, check out her creations at www.beyondbijoux.com (prices are in Canadian dollars) and email her if you see something you like or if you want her to make you something all of your own.

Be excellent!