Yadda, Yadda

What if you got laryngitis and could no longer talk? How would you communicate with your family, friends, and everyone else around you?
You would have to choose what was really important, what you really needed to articulate. How much of what you say defines who you are? How do you define yourself when you can’t speak? What are actions without words to back them up?

If you couldn’t speak, would you “choose your words” more carefully?

Everywhere are Signs

Have you ever felt like something was a sign for you to do something? Did you do what it was the sign was pointing you toward?
Should you do something simply because you have experienced a sign urging you to? It might just be a coincidence but on the other hand, it could be the reason you take a risk and try something new.

What on Earth are you thinking?

There is no way for you to know what someone else is thinking. You can only guess what they might think about a particular situation. You can never actual know what exactly their thoughts on a subject are unless you ask them.
I find that I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what someone else might be thinking. I would save myself so much time if I just asked them, rather than attempting to speculate.

All it takes is a simple question, “What do you think?”

Realization

You cannot predict the future.

Not Dead Yet

This picture really makes me think. Is chivalry really dead? Are men really not going out of their way to be kind to women? And if so, why has this happened?
As far as I can tell chivalry is not dead. For the most part, men still do open doors for women, allow them to go before them in a line, and on a rare occasions walk on the street-side of the sidewalk (although this might just be a coincidence).
I think the biggest thing that killed chivalry was the women’s lib movement. All of the sudden women decided that they were the same as men, there should be no differences between men and women. Although I do think that all people should be paid the same salary for the same job, regardless of gender or race, this does not mean that it should translate into all aspects of life.
WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT FROM MEN!!!
I don’t know if you have noticed, but it is pretty hard not to. Besides just the physical differences, there are differences emotionally, psychologically, and personality-wise.

I don’t have a solution to this situation and really don’t have an opinion as to if men should or should not be chivalrous. But to my male readers: women do notice!

English Class

Have you ever read a poem that spoke to you? The words seemed to describe your inner feelings and personal thoughts?
I read an Emily Dickinson poem for an English class that brought me back to a very specific time in my life. It was as if she could read my mind and felt the same way I did in that situation.
As my professor described the theme, symbolism, rhyme scheme, and rhythm, the poem started to lose some of its initial meaning to me.
Who’s to say which interpretation is correct? There is no way to know what Emily Dickinson was thinking when she wrote it, so who are we to analysis it?


After great pain a formal feeling comes--
The nerves sit ceremonious like tombs;
The stiff Heart questions--was it He that bore?
And yesterday--or centuries before?

The feet, mechanical, go round
A wooden way
Of ground, or air, or ought,
Regardless grown,
A quartz contentment, like a stone.

This is the hour of lead
Remembered if outlived,
As freezing persons recollect the snow
--First chill, then stupor, then the letting go.

Glass Half-Full

Are you a positive or negative person? Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Do you see the glass half-full or half-empty? Do you try to look for the good in a situation or do you only see the bad?

When you change your attitude to be more positive, your whole outlook on life changes. It’s fairly easy to always look on the bright side of things. When you are faced with a situation in which you think the outcome might be negative, just think what’s the worst that can happen? Most likely it’s not that bad. Your whole life will not fall apart because of this one thing.;

New Beginnings

I love new beginnings: the start of a school year, the first day at a new job, the beginning of a relationship. It is a change to begin fresh and establish a new routine and better habits. It can be a great time to reinvent yourself.

Can you recognize a new beginning in your life? What changes are you going to make? What goals are you going to set and accomplish?

Killing me Softly

There are always going to be people in your life that you don’t get along with, someone with whom you just aren’t compatible. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t nice to them, you just are never going to be close. This person may be someone with whom you are constantly disagreeing or picking fights. It sometimes seems as if this person is your enemy.
I have come up with a new strategy for dealing with this type of person. Kill them with kindness. Instead of being mean back to them, go out of your way to do something nice for them. This will do two things. It will first confuse them. “Why are they being nice to me after I was so unpleasant toward them?” The second thing it will do is frustrate them and make them feel guilty.

Killing me Softly

There are always going to be people in your life that you don’t get along with, someone with whom you just aren’t compatible. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t nice to them, you just are never going to be close. This person may be someone with whom you are constantly disagreeing or picking fights. It sometimes seems as if this person is your enemy.
I have come up with a new strategy for dealing with this type of person. Kill them with kindness. Instead of being mean back to them, go out of your way to do something nice for them. This will do two things. It will first confuse them. “Why are they being nice to me after I was so unpleasant toward them?” The second thing it will do is frustrate them and make them feel guilty.

Read Between the Lines

How much should you read into what others say?
There are times I think that there is more to what someone is trying to tell me than what they are actually saying. The problem with this is that you have to try to figure out what the subliminal message is. This can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, frustration, and confusion.

Why can’t people just say what they mean and mean what they say? Why do we think we have to be secretive and mysterious?

Don’t You Want Somebody to Love

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it was all you could think about? Not something small, but a major, life-changing thing? Something so huge it requires another person to fulfill?
What do you do if the only person who can give you what you really want, doesn’t want to, or worse, doesn’t even know that they are the one? Should you try to convince them or move on?

High Hopes

Have you ever hoped for something? Had high expectations? When you did get what you hoped for, were you were sorely disappointed because it did not meet your expectations?

If you don’t expect anything, you can’t be let down, and if you always set your expectations low, they will almost always be exceeded.

Dear Diary

Have you ever written something that you wanted a particular person to read? Something that expressed feelings you could never say aloud? Something so deep and personal that you feel you could never show it to the person to whom it was written?
When will you know it is the right time to give it to them, or should just hold on to it forever?

Timing

Sometimes the only difference between a want and a need is timing.

An object you want right now is not something you need right now and an object you need right now is not always going to be something you want right now.

Political Activism

If you are a citizen of the country you live in, you should be interested in what is going on it. Don’t let excuses like “it’s too complicated” or “my opinions won’t make a difference.”
Remember back to the 1960s? There was a political revolution when the young people of the country realized their citizenry. They become conscious of what was going on in their country and disagreed with it.

To me, it doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you are on as long as you care about what is happening and can explain why you think what you do.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure? What’s stopping you?
Just grab a few friends and a camera, pack a lunch, pick a place on the map, and go. See where the day takes you. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Act like a tourist. Take pictures of anything interesting you see.
Having fun doesn’t have to be expensive or well-planned. All you need to begin our very own adventure is an optimistic, exploratory attitude.

Speak Up

You are given one voice when you enter this world.
You can use it to speak your mind or you can keep your opinions to yourself. What you have to say is important. There are going to be people who will not want to listen to what you have to say, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
Your voice might be your most valuable tool since it allows you to communicate with the world.

What are you using your voice to say?
Are you using it to help others or hinder them?
Are you encouraging or condescending with what you say?
Are you quicker to offer criticism or praise?

How could you be putting the one voice you are given to better use?

Never, never, never give up!

In a speech to Harrow College, Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never, give up!”
However, I believe that there are times when giving up or at least just stopping is the best thing.

If you are in a dead-end job that you hate, give up.
If you are holding on to anger against a person, give up.
When your heart is not in something, give up.

It’s Too Late to Apologize

Someone close to me apologized for something and then when I didn’t forgive him, he questioned me as to why. The reason is because I do not think that he is truly sorry for what he did. I came to this conclusion as a direct result of how he apologized.
I am a firm believer in forgiveness. When you forgive someone, you are not telling them that what they did was right or letting them “off-the-hook” but rather a choice that you must make to let go of any resentment or anger you hold toward that person. When you forgive someone you are making four promises to them. You promise you will not dwell on what he did wrong. You promise you will not bring up this situation and use it against him. You promise you will not talk to others about what he did. You promise you will be friends with him again.

I’d prefer not to go in the details of my personal situation so I make up a similar story instead. Say he had punched me. He made a conscience choice to do something he knew would hurt me. When he apologized he said, “I am sorry you are hurt.” I don’t understand how this is an apology. He is not taking any responsibility for his actions. A better apology in this situation would be, “I am sorry I punched you and you got hurt.” Stated this way I can respond by saying, “I forgive you for punching me.” How am I supposed to forgive with the previous apology, he isn’t apologizing for anything he did merely empathizing with me. I can’t forgive empathy. It may in fact be true that he is sorry that I am hurt, but how I’m a supposed to know if he is sorry that he is the one who hurt me?

When you are apologizing you need to admit what you did was wrong, apologize for how your choice affected the other person, accept the consequences for your wrongdoing without argument or excuses, ask for forgiveness, and alter your choices in the future.

I have since forgiven this person and the whole situation has been resolved.

Change, Can You Believe It?

Guest Post by a Young Conservative

This country is changing. It is becoming something that I, personally, didn’t vote for. In fact, I don’t believe that a majority of those who voted for President Obama wished to see their country “change” this much. It angers me to see how the media fawns over President Obama, so much so that ABC devoted 48 straight hours of programming to broadcast his plan for health care. Forty-eight hours straight without a single dissenting opinion. That is clearly not America. As a Conservative, I believe in the power of the American citizen that is granted to the government in order to run the country, not given in order to rule and change it. President Obama was voted into office as a steward to oversee and uphold the Constitution according to its laws, not as a king to make changes as he sees fit.

Many people are confused by what or whom a Conservative is. Our beliefs are not widely known. I will draw upon the words of another Conservative, one that is much more prominent (and controversial) than I. In his “First National Address” at CPAC 2009, Mr. Rush Limbaugh defined who we are as Conservatives.

“Let me tell you who we Conservatives are: We love people. When we look out over the United States of America, when we are anywhere, when we see a group of people…we see Americans. We see human beings. We don't see groups. We don't see victims. We don't see people we want to exploit. What we see is potential. We do not look out across the country and see the average American, the person that makes this country work. We do not see that person with contempt. We don't think that person doesn't have what it takes. We believe that person can be the best he or she wants to be if certain things are just removed from their path like onerous taxes, regulations and too much government. We want every American to be the best he or she chooses to be. We recognize that we are all individuals. We love and revere our founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among them Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We Conservatives think all three are under assault.”

In a conversation I had with a good friend who is extremely liberal, she expressed her desire for America to be more like Europe. She was blinded by Europe’s “social care” for all members of society. She pined over how universal heath care is the solution to the “crisis” in the United States. I was shocked. While I firmly believe that she is entitled to her opinion, I couldn’t fathom the fact that she wanted America to change. What would our motivation to change be? Europe sends their best and their brightest to the United States to be educated. Europe sends their sick and injured to the United States to be healed. Europe collects 60% of an individual’s wealth and distributes it to those who makes less than they do. Why would we want to be like Europe when Europe clearly wishes they could be more like us?

Coincidentally, on Rush Limbaugh’s weekly radio program, he provided an astute review of why America is different from Europe and other societies as well as the reason we shouldn’t change. From his program aired Friday July 24, 2009:

“Go throughout history, look at the world today, and count up the nations that are truly free. We aren't as free as we used to be, but all over the world, totalitarian regimes rule. In China, in South America, Latin America and even in the industrialized western socialist democracies you still have socialism. You still have people who have sacrificed their own freedom and liberty for what they think is a little security when they actually have none without us defending them. The history of human beings on this planet is murder, tyranny, dictatorship, dungeons, and prisons. That's not the history of this country, but there have been people throughout this nation's existence who have wanted to turn this country into a typical country in the world. Just because they're born here, and just because they're Americans, doesn't mean that they're any different from tyrants and dictators who have lived and ruled in other countries because that mind-set is as universal in human beings, regardless of nation boundaries, as it is for other people that demand and want freedom.”

America was created as a land for the people that demand freedom. So much so that it was embedded into our founding documents. These documents clearly outline exactly what each part of government is in charge of. It instructs how the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches should balance each other out. It clearly separates the power that the Federal government has and defers all other power to the states. Much of this new legislation bends and breaks the ideals and rules that this country was built upon. Soon we may be told what doctor we can see and how we can be treated. Soon we could be told what car we can drive and what color it can be. This treads on the very Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness that granted to every American citizen! This country is changing, and I don’t like it.

Adulthood

I turned 20 years old a few months ago. I am no longer a "teenager" but at the same time I don't feel as though I am an adult. When do you become an adult?
Is it when you reach a certian age, like 16, 18, or 20?
Is it when you get a job and can support yourself financially?
Is it when you move out of your parents' house and begin living on your own?
Is it when you get married or have your own family?

Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that I am not 14 years old anymore. I am an adult even though I may not feel like I am.

To me being an adult means more then not being a child anymore, I just can't figure out what exactly it is that it means.

The Power of a Moment

Everyday there are decisions to be made. Most are small and can be made in a matter of moments. But a few are big and require more thought. Don't spend days agonizing over the affect if will have on the rest of your life. Just take a risk and grab an opportunity while you have the chance. More likely then not, the future will work itself out.

Once a moment passes, there is no going back. You can't change you mind after the fact. A moment is a very powerful thing.

Second Chances Don’t Come Easy

Have you ever been given a second chance at something? After doing something wrong, you were given the opportunity to try again. Did you do the right thing this time? Why not? Did you think you will be given a third go around? You were lucky to get one.
Does it go both ways? Do you give the people in your life second chances? One of the best gifts you can give to someone is a second opportunity and it’s absolutely free.

Dream a Little Dream

What do dreams mean?
I’ve had some really weird dreams. Dreams in which I am pregnant (which is impossible because I don’t have a “special someone” in my life), dreams where I am smoking cigarettes (something I find repulsive), and dreams where I am in strange situations with the people in my life. What do these dreams mean?
Are dreams predictions of the future?
Do dreams show us what our subconscious is trying to tell us?
Or do we dream to exercise the synapses between brain cells?

Can dreams teach us things about ourselves that we are unaware of?

Rewind

“The only way to judge your growth as a human being is by making sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over.” ~Dr. Cox, [Scrubs]

Everybody makes mistakes. As a human being it is a basic requirement to make mistakes. It is virtually impossible to be perfect and be human.
There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Often what may seem like a mistake at the time will turn into something positive in the future.

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake unless it is the same one twice.

However, there may be one mistake in your life that you wish you could take back. Words your wish hadn’t pashed your lips. Actions you wish you hadn’t done. What is the one thing you wish you could retract? If you could go back in time, what would you redo?

Living in the Future

“We are so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” ~Calvin & Hobbes

People spend a lot of time planning out their future. They think about what they are going to do, what job they are going to have, where they are going to live, what car they are going to drive, whether or not they are going to get married and have a family, and how to save money for retirement.
I’m not saying that planning ahead and being prepared is a bad thing because it not. But there comes a point when you need to stop planning your life and start living it.
How much of the present are we wasting by thinking about the future?

If I Were King of the Forest

Courage is the ability to do something that frightens you. It’s a choice and it requires action.
Courage is disregarding logic. It’s ignoring the questions “Are you sure?” and “Isn’t this crazy?” Courage is throwing concerns such as “The timing isn’t right,” You don’t have adequate experience,” and “You aren’t educated enough” to the way side.
Courage is not letting anything hold you back from making your wildest dreams come true.
Courage is doing something that’s never been done before.
Courage means having no fear of failure.

What is that you’ve always wanted to do? What is stopping you?

You Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone.

There are certain things in life we take for granted. We don’t realize how much we really want or need them until they are no longer at our disposal. We might not even be conscious we have something until it’s gone.
Once we lose something, how do we get it back? More importantly, how can we learn to live without it if there is no chance of it returning?
We need to appreciate what we do have and focus less on what we don’t have.

The End of the World as We Know It

Yesterday I went to see the new movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. While watching the previews before the movie started, I noticed a trend. Three of the five trailers were for movies in which the world ended.
What is the meaning of this? Is Hollywood trying to convince people that the world is near its end? Why are people so interested in the destruction of their planet?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my planet to be destroyed.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

Everyone is searching for something. What is it that people are looking for? What is it that people really need in life? Besides food, clothing, and shelter, what other necessities are there to survival? Some are searching for their purpose in life. But I think that most would say love is all you need. It is necessary to have human contact, some type of deep connection with another person. But how do you find it? How do you find something that you can’t buy in a store, that doesn’t grow on trees, that you can’t even see? And if you do find it, how can you be sure?

You Can't Always Get What You Want

When you want something really badly, you spend time obessessing over it. You wonder how to get the object of your desire. You dream about what you are going to do once you obtain it. You think about how happy you will be once you have it in your possession.
But once you get what you want have always wanted, will you still want it? Or did you spend so much time and effort wanting it and idealizing it and scheming about how to get it that when you finally do get it, it doesn't live up to your expectations?
And did you ever really want it in the first place? Was the act of wanting it enough?

Are we obsessed with what we want or are we obessessed with wanting?

I Was Born Ready.

Occasionally something happens to you that you aren’t ready for. It might have been something you wanted and hoped for and thought about but when the moment came and you were given what you wanted, you aren’t ready for it.
Then when you are ready for it, really longing for it, it’s too late.
Why weren’t you ready when it was being given to you, when you held it in your hands, before you gave it back perhaps forever?
When does it become too late to change your mind and go back?

"Only Human" Jon McLaughlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxPQeujHjIE

"Can you tell me how we got in this situation,
I can’t seem to get you off my mind,
all these ups and downs,
they trip up our good intentions,
nobody said this was an easy ride.
After all we’re only human,
always fighting what we’re feeling,
hurt instead of healing."

Two Sides

I just finished reading the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West.” For those of you not familiar with it, it is the life story of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz.” The theme of the novel is the nature of evil.
The story has always been told from Dorothy’s perspective. She views Glinda as the “good witch” and the Wicked Witch of the West as evil. However, when the story is told from the Wicked Witch’s perspective, we see the story completely differently. The Wicked Witch is not actually wicked at all and Glinda isn’t actually good. When you hear more than one person’s perspective on a situation, you can get closer to knowing what really happened. From now on whenever someone tells you something that happened to them, just remember, there are two sides to every story and then there’s the truth.

Cry Me a River

I went to see the movie UP! on the night it came out. Without spoiling the ending for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, there was a moment at the end of the film which caused me to tear up.
As a result of this I began thinking about the topic of crying. I wondered why guys don't like to cry or why they don't think it is okay to cry.
I talked to one of my guy friends about this and he said,” I think guys don't think its okay to cry, we believe it shows weakness to others. It might depend on each person. Maybe they don't get easily emotionally moved. Maybe they have built up a strong armor to protect themselves. Maybe it’s because they need to put on a show for others.”
I still have to wonder why? Is it because society tells us that it’s not manly to cry? In my opinion, a guy who is confident enough in their manhood to tear up and cry on occasion is more “manly” then a guy who refuses to cry because he is afraid of what others will think of him or thinks that it will show that he is somehow weak. To me, crying shows that you can feel, not that you are weak.

My {Summer} Resolutions

The beginning of summer feels full of possibility. We are relaxed and happier. The days are brighter and the light extends well into the evening. These three months can act as a blank canvas to do something pleasurable for ourselves. Summer is the perfect time to make a resolution to do a fun, lighthearted thing you’ve been thinking about. It’s time to turn a dream into a reality. For me I have a stack of books I have been collecting during the school year that I have been waiting to read. I resolve to read all six books by the time classes begin in the fall. I have about 12 weeks, so I have to finish one book every two weeks. Another resolution is to rearrange my bedroom to make it easier to do my homework and study. I’ve made a list of everything I need to go through and organize and try to finish one area of my room in two days. My friend is helping me come up with a floor plan and I will go shopping for a new desk in a few weeks time.
When making your resolutions pick something fun that won’t be a chore to complete or that has an end result that you can enjoy. Remember if you fulfill your summer resolution, you’re rewarded. But if you don’t, you won’t face any real penalty or be dragged down by a sense of failure.

5 Resolution Ideas
1. Take a dance lesson or anything you’ve been interested in learning.
2. Make a book of family recipes or family stories. Try to get one from each family member or write down one of your own each week.
3. Go for a walk with a friend once a week.
4. Sample ice cream. Treat yourself to a different flavor each week.
5. Get out once a week to a farmer’s market, outdoor concert, or movie.

Underwear: The Unseen Story

Why do guys wear boxers with a pattern on them? Why do girls wear fancy underwear? No one is going to see them (Unless you are one of those guys who happen to wear their pants so low that their underwear is exposed, which is whole other post).
Many of my friends say they like “knowing” what underwear they have on. What does just the knowledge of the underwear you have on give you a sense of?

Governor's Island

While vacationing on Lake Winnipesauke this week, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the lake and landscape that I was surrounded by.
Most days we traveled around the lake by boat. I passed by this one island with homes all in the multi-millions on it. All the houses and boats and cars on just this one island could be valued at over 1 billion dollars. It got me thinking. What if all that money had been spent on something else? What problems in the world could that money have been used to fix? World hunger? Cancer? Poverty?

Finals...Finally

Why do we have finals, other then to test what we remember from the beginning of the year? Why is one test more important than all the other tests we have taken throughout the year? This one test requires us to recall all the information we have learned throughout the year. It is often times weighted more heavily into our grade then the tests and assignments we have done throughout the year. In real life there are no tests. We will never be required to stay up late studying and memorizing facts for a test. Either you know something or you don’t. Every moment of real life is test of who you are and what you know.

…tion

Why do we procrastinate? Why do we put off to tomorrow what we can do today? Some people get a thrill out of working under pressure. Others procrastinate because they would rather be doing something else.
I am definitely one of these people, but I try desperately not to be. I just find so many other things to do prior to doing me work. I first need to make a list of all the things I need to accomplish. Then I need to organize my work area. I, then, need to get a snack and a drink. But why not get your work done now and do what you’d like once you’re finished? How can we stop the cycle of procrastination and increase our productivity?

Procrastinat...

A Date for the Prom

Why is it that girls "need" to have a date for the prom? Is it because it's what's expected of them? Is it due to peer pressure?
Girls spend weeks and weeks stressing over thier date for prom in a time my friend affectionately dubbed "Prom Date Hunting Season." They have this picture in their mind of a perfect night in a beautiful dress with a charming young man.
At my high school's walk-in today I witnessed two exceptions to the "prom date" rule. First I saw two best friends who were either unable to get dates or didn't want them in the first place, walk together, looking as those they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and having no pressure of entertaining a date for the night. In addtion, I saw one boy walk with twice, once with his actual date and the second time with another female friend who was unable to get a date.
Why do we worry and stress over one night? We should care less about what others think about our choice in prom date or lack of prom date and more about what will make us happy.

Self-analysis

Have you ever looked at yourself and your life and wondered, “How did I get here?” or “How did I become the way I am?”
After a life changing event, we tend to reevaluate our lives and make changes. Good can come from bad situations. Growth and development help us to become better versions of ourselves.

Sentimental Value

Although Americans have a disposable attitude, there are some objects that we hold on to because they hold sentimental value. But is it okay to love an object less for what it actually is and more for the memories associated with it? What inanimate objects do you cling to and why?
At this point in my life, I don’t have anything that holds any extreme sentimental value. However if I had to pick an object that holds a lot of memories for me, it would be my backpack. I got this backpack at the beginning of seventh grade after going through five backpacks in sixth grade. This backpack has gotten me through junior high, high school, and two years of college, in addition to traveling with me to Bulgaria and South Africa. This backpack has been with me through at lot. It’s not something I immediately think of when I look back on my life, but when I consider it, it has always been there for me carry my stuff.

Discarded Futons

I traveled to SUNY Oneonta today to pick up some my cousin’s furniture from her dorm room. While there I saw not one, not two, but five discarded futons. I was surprised to see such waste. We have grown up in a generation with a “throw-away” mentality. If I don’t need it anymore, I’ll just throw it out. If it’s broken rather then fixing it, I’ll just throw it out. It is circular problem. As a result of the disposable attitude of consumers, modern products have decreased in quality. As a result of the decrease in quality, items break and lose value more quickly causing them to be thrown away without second thought. This attitude is rapidly filling our landfills and destroying our earth. When we are so quick to trash, we lose the value of our treasure.

In response to Mother’s Day Everyday

The ideal man...this seems the talk of childhood fairytales, but in reality it is easily achieved. I am in no way trying to suggest that there exists an ideal man, but rather that men can work toward being the best husbands for their wives. And this in no way implies that wives do not have an equal responsibility to their husbands. Each person has specific, individual ways in which they feel loved by their spouse. If you knew the ways that made your spouse feel loved by you, then why wouldn’t you go out of your way to do those things? In doing so, you would become the ideal spouse.
The key to this is you don’t have to be the ideal man for all women; you just need to be your woman’s ideal man.
Although the definition of ideal is “existing only in the imagination; not real or actual” so maybe I am just crazy for thinking that someone would ever want to make another person happy out of nothing more then mutual love.

Mother’s Day Everyday

At church this morning, my pastor told us the story of the first mother’s day with his firstborn child. As the day went on his wife grew sadder. When he inquired as to why she was upset, she informed him that he had forgotten that it was mother’s day. To which he replied, “You’re not my mother.” Needless to say that was the last mother’s day in which he did not get his wife a gift.
This has gotten me thinking about how certain men treat their wives and the mothers of their children.
On mother’s day, the women in our lives deserve extra special treatment. But how much different should that be then every other day?
I believe that husbands should go out of their way to make everyday special for their wives. If you know your wife is having a particularly hard week, buy her a small bouquet of flowers. If you know that she has been stressed out, treat her to a manicure. If she is harried after running after the kids, give her a break by taking them out for a couple hours while she relaxes. Maybe rent her favorite movie and have a “movie date” after the kids are in bed. Help her out with the chores around the house without being asked. And most important, complement them. Women are meant to be loved and adored.
Maybe I’m just a romantic or maybe I just think that the most important women in our lives deserve more.

Parental Control

This week I went to the elementary concert at my alma mater. It was being held in the new activity center, which is really just a gym, rather then at a local church as it has been in the past, which was a not an ideal location. First the acoustics of the gym made everything sound awful because it is so echo-y in there. Second, there aren’t seats in the gym, only bleachers, which are not made to be sat on comfortably for long periods of time, not to mention you are way too close to the people you are sitting near. Third, there were a ton of little children there. Now don’t get me wrong, I love children, but some of these kids were awful. For instance the three-year old sitting directly behind me was talking the entire time. Even worse then that, his parents were not doing anything to stop him. He was going on and on about everything under the sun, and his parents were ignoring him as if this was perfectly acceptable behavior at a concert. He’s only three and I don’t expect perfection, but the incessant talking without being told more then twice to stop was a bit ridiculous. Then there were the kids who thought, “I’m in a gym, I must run around.” There were kids running back and forth in front of the band and chorus, behind the band and chorus, and one brave little fellow who ran right up to someone in the chorus, who I am assuming to be his sister, right in the middle of a song. I do not blame the children for this behavior. It is the parents that should be able to control their children. I was sitting with two four -year-olds that were perfectly behaved the entire hour and a half performance. They were quiet and, to the best of their ability in those uncomfortable seats, sitting still. I was amazed at these two young girls’ ability to act appropriately. This I can only attribute to great parenting. I am very impressed. I would like to complement their parents on an excellent job well done and can only hope that I can do as good as they have done when I have children.

What's Your Confidence Theory?

Confidence is the best accessory. It is the one thing that makes every person not only feel great, but look great. When you have confidence you have a smile on your face that lights up a room, you hold your head up, you stand a little taller, and you have this radiance that comes from within. Other people can’t quite put their finger on in it, but they can see that there is some special about you. The ironic thing about confidence is that it attracts people toward you like a magnet, giving you more confidence. It’s easy to talk about having confidence, but it’s hard to actually be confident.
Confidence is knowing who you are and being happy about it.
Confidence is not working toward perfection; it is working toward being the best possible version of yourself.
Confidence is knowing that no matter what another person may say or do to you, it won’t effect who you are. Even if someone hurts you in the worst possible way, confidence is knowing that you can forgive. It doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your feelings, just that you can still continue to live your life despite what you’ve been through.
Confidence is knowing that whatever life throws your way, you can handle it.Confidence is knowing that only person whose opinion truly matters is your own.
Confidence is trying something new and different.
Confidence isn’t taking the easy way out of a situation; it’s taking the best way.
Confidence isn’t thinking that you are better then everyone else but rather knowing that every single person has value.
Confidence is knowing that you have worth and that you deserve the best that life has to offer. Most of all confidence is knowing that you are free to be you!

Inspired by an article on Soulpancake.com by Chris Hardwick.
http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/270434/whats-your-confidence-theory.html/