Forward, march!

Sadly enough, I'm terribly late with this post. This isn't the best trend to be continuing for this year and I'm trying my best to turn things around, which is now my goal for this year.

The quote goes, "To the world, you might be one person but to one person you might be the world." Now, I'm not meaning to take this literally in that I mean to make myself so super important to a single person. I'm meaning to focus on my own interactions on a day to day basis, trying to make the most positive outcomes for myself and those around me. I want to better myself and others around me through more direct acts. I will continue to do what is right instead of what is easy.

First off, I'm going to work on myself. I can't help others if I can't take care of myself. I've started counting my calories again. I need to eat healthier and counting calories helps me with that. It forces me to drink more water and snack on junk food less but not totally deprive myself of the foods I enjoy. I've already lost about 5 lbs. Next, I need to exercise more. Luckily, I have a fairly active job and that gives me strength training on day to day basis. I need to add a daily stretch routine, which I'm hoping to start soon, maybe even today. I also want to add a little more cardio to my daily routine such as a walk or something. I will work up to it, going one step at a time. I want these habits to last.

I will continue on my ever lasting list of things to do around the house and try not to let things fall to the way side due to sheer laziness. I can't work in a messy environment and I have to remember that maintenance is a lot easier in the general run of things. I've been doing a good job of picking up the general work schedule again this past week and now I just have to keep it up.

Most important on my self, I need to remember to give myself time to relax, time to have fun and time to rest. It's my worst point. I'm always last on my own list. I have to remember that it's important to recharge my own batteries so that I have the energy and right frame of mind to keep going forward.

Second of all, I'm going to work on personal relationships. I need to be less judgmental and less likely to jump to conclusions. No matter how right I feel that I am, I need to approach situations with a cool head. I have to remember that ignorance can only be beaten by teaching a person to think for themselves and that arguing usually only causes a person to dig their own heels further into the issue. Each person has their own unique situation and I need to remember that I need to share in their experiences sometimes.

I was recently in a situation in which a person said something that came across as ignorant and completely hypocritical. I tried to confront this person in a less public fashion but this person instead decided to avoid confrontation without any explanation. The situation was a reminder that not everyone is as ready to deal with issues as I am and I have to remember that I have no control over that and to move on.

I am my world and there are others in their worlds. My goal is to let those worlds meet and be better off for it.

2016 . . .is it over yet?

This is my piece on the election this year, its results and any future events because of these recent events. I'm going to state this now that I don't vote for a very personal reason. I don't vote because I cannot handle the idea that my vote could be responsible for putting someone into office who might send off people I know and care about to die for something that I don't believe in. You're free to stop readin my post if you feel that I"m not allowed to have an onion on any election every because of this choice.

I'm not surprised at the results because right now we live in a nation being run on fear and willful ignorance. We live in a nation where athletes are paid millions of dollars and people like teachers make just enough to get by. Actors and people like Kardashians are held up as heroes while doctors and nurses are overworked. Money is more important in cases of rising college tuition costs than making sure our kids are getting the best education possible. Topics such as equal pay are somehow still issues that need to be discussed. We live in a nation where its a question of who, either the government or the guy who just decided to grab her, has control over a woman's own body. We live in a nation in which people believe they have the right to tell other people who they're allowed to fall in love with, whether it affects anyone else or not.

All of these things hurt my soul, so here is what I think and feel. I'm going to keep doing what I always do--I'm going to do what's right, which isn't always what is easy. I'm going to keep recycling every bit I can so that it's one less item in the landfill. I'm going to treat everyone I meet with respect, dignity and an open mind no matter their color, religion or who they voted for or not voted for. I'm going to help whoever I can. I will be there for my fellow man and woman. I'm going to hope that we learn to do better in the future. I'm going to hope that the lessons due to the repercussions of right now will not have too heavy of a cost. I will have hope for myself and for you.

That is all. Let's get back to life now.

Social Holocaust

Thanksgiving 2014 is over, and although I did get my holiday shopping done early, there was no rush in our family for Christmas to get here any earlier. Thanksgiving was given its due course with turkey, stuffing and all the dressings. Time was spent with loved ones and bread was broken together while memories of the past were shared and futures were hoped for.

However, it's the present that I believe needs more thought. Lately in the news all I've hearing and seeing has been social unrest--the city of Ferguson riots, another shooting in a public area, insane child abuse cases, discrimination against racism or gender preference and so on and so on. It hurts my heart and soul to hear of these things and it reaffirms my vow to help others as much as I can.

After these events, there are prayer circles and Facebook picture shares of candles posted around. I feel the need to restate the fact that I have nothing against prayer circles and each share of a Facebook pic is a way to bring about awareness of social and political upheavals but it bothers me when people say how heinous such an act and derail against the justice of it all but then do nothing about it. People feel better about themselves and congratulate themselves on the back for having said their piece and then move on with their lives as if nothing happened.

Words do not do enough. Actions add weight and meaning to words whether said in whimsy or not. Don't just pray for a child to get better. If you see a child hurt, help heal the child. If you see a person who looks lonely, spend a few minutes with that person. If you see an unfair deal going on, play evenly, even if it means giving up something of your own to make it fair. If you see something wrong happening, go right it. Mostly importantly of all, use your common sense to make sure your actions are deemed necessary and not as something that will ultimately do harm to another person or simply boost your own ego. Do good for the simple sake of doing good.

And now, I'll leave you with a message I posted to my friends and family yesterday:
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family. Eat, drink, be merry and remember that there are those who are not as fortunate as we may be.

Be grateful for the times with our loved ones-don't focus on the negativity. Be thankful for the things you do have-because those things might not be there next time. Help others-so that the next time you need help, others may be able to help you. Most important of all, actions are more powerful than words-don't just say it, do something about it and mean it!

I give my thanks for the freedom to say all this, for the family and friends who support me and for the ability to prove myself worthy of those things. Much love to all!

and there are more cries heard

I don't understand why asking for help or offering help seems to be the hardest thing a person in modern society can do.  By everyone’s use of common words of 4 letter length, whether the words is appropriate or not, help is a 4 letter word and shouldn't be difficult for people to use it.  Yet, asking for help or giving help without prompting seems like a monumental task of epic proportions, and somehow the act of grabbing a gun, walking into a crowded area and shooting people until they are out of bullets or dead is an easier task.  I wish I could say that I was being witty or any other reason at all by making such an unfortunate comment but I can’t, and you may have no idea how much I wish this is indeed a sarcastic observation. 

It seems to be a common thing these days to turn on the news or open a news website to see a journalism piece of another person who has decided that life is so horrible that they feel the need to take it out on others.  What do they feel they accomplish when they carry out these atrocities?  Do they feel better inflicting their pain onto another person?  Are they trying to get people to notice them or feeling something with them?  Do they really see such a choice as the only choice left?  What has driven them do this? 

Nothing is accomplished from such actions.  There is only an instant gratification of pride when inflicting pain onto another person but it doesn't last, it doesn't fix things and it doesn't make the bad things go away but makes things worse later.  People notice such things being done, when they are involved, but there are a million different ways to make a person take notice of another person in a much more positive way and with that, there are many other options to take that don’t involve inflicting pain on people who have done nothing to harm them.  I imagine pain and suffering has driven them but from such things people can learn compassion and caring.  They just need a little help to be pointed in the right direction. 

Asking for help is not a weakness.  It takes strength to realize that a person cannot always stand by his or her self.  It takes courage for a person to reach out for the help he or she needs.  It takes empathy to remember that everyone needs help and that each person has a time when it needs to be asked for.  Giving help is not a flaw either.  It is bravery when a person puts his or her self out there to be able to give something whether big or small to another person.  It takes understanding to know that everyone needs help and that each person must give help when they can. 

I don’t always succeed but I hope I have helped enough people in big and small ways to put some good out in the world.  My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been affected by such evil doings, past, present, future and with the most recent deaths in the Navy Yard shootings.  

Again . . .

We're back here again. Bombs in Boston. . .why? I can only say that I have no words for this tragedy. My grief that this keeps happening is bottomless. My faith in humanity is shaken once again but it is never broken.

For that one person or group of people who caused this heinous act, there are more people who rushed in the destruction to help others who were caught in it. It is those people who reminds that there is indeed evil in this world but good will always endure. It is with those people that I stand with.

My thoughts and prayers are always with those who have been touched by the bad in the world but continue to be kind to all.

God bless you, Boston.

Senseless

It's happened again.  A person decided to shoot up a public place but this time it was at an elementary school.  Again, too many lives were lost, too soon.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those families.  It makes me sad; it makes me angry.  I can only imagine what those people are going through.  I wish them the ability to heal but to never forget the ones they love.

Of course, everything on the news is who did this, why did he do it, what about gun control and so on.  I can understand these questions, but I can't help but think the more pressing matter is how can we prevent this.  This sort of thing happens all too often.  I can’t even count how many times this has happened in the past year or so, but I know it would at least use up all the fingers on one hand & that fact alone is more than enough tragedy. 

I could go on more about tragic events but it’s not necessary.  I’m done talking; I’m going to do.  I donate what I can to the Red Cross, as I usually do.  On a more personal level, when I see someone who needs help, I’m going to help.  When I see someone who’s having a bad day, I’m going to offer a word of support.  Sometimes, just an offer of kindness makes all the difference.