Category: Articles

What If Money Was No Object?

We go through life with a goal: to make it through. Often times, we get so caught up in this natural instinct that we forget to actually live.

How often do you ask yourself… ‘Is this what I really want?’

…

When you chose your career, did you choose it because it was your dream? Or because it was stable?
When you ended your old flame, was it because it wasn’t working? Or because you were scared that it was working?
When you discovered your true passion, did you pursue the idea? Or put it down because it was ‘unreasonable’?
When you make a decision, do you ask your own self first? Or do you go to someone who you feel would have a rational answer?
If you had an opportunity of the lifetime, would you pull your kids out of school for a memory they will never forget? Or would you stick with the safe option, and dismiss it?
If you only had a month to live, would you continue on as if it wasn’t real? Or would you really start to live?

…

“Its absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like; to teach your children to follow in the same track. We are bringing up children and educating them to live the same lives we are living so that they might find satisfaction in bringing up their children to do the same.”

What would you do if money was no object?

What would you do if you could do anything in the world?

Where would you go if you could go anywhere?

What do you really desire?

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Economics

A little different than the usual…
But this is something I strongly recommend you make yourself aware of and stay informed on these issues.

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”

-Albert Einstein 

This quote just struck me when I came across it because it is such a powerful truth- I completely agree. I believe that this very thing will ruin our world if we don’t start doing something about it. If we as a nation, as individuals, think we can just stand by and let the atrocities of this world happen, then we are already doomed. With things that don’t effect us as individuals, maybe even that we aren’t fully aware of, it can be easy to just say ‘let someone else deal with it’. But, if we continue to just make those excuses, continue to be bystanders, nothing will change- it will only get worse.

International Bill of Rights

  • The right to equality and freedom from discrimination.
  • The right to life, liberty, and personal security.
  • Freedom from torture and degrading treatment.
  • The right to equality before the law.
  • The right to a fair trial.
  • The right to privacy.
  • Freedom of belief and religion.
  • Freedom of opinion.

Yet these horrible things have happened… and are still happening in our world today:

  • Genocide
  • The poverty crisis
  • Conditions in sweat shops
  • Unfair trials
  • Prostitution
  • Torture and abuse
  • Child labor
  • Slavery
  • Rape
  • The denial of education

It is all about the money- What can we gain out of doing this? How will this benefit us? It seems nobody does anything out of the kindness of their hearts anymore; there’s always strings attached!

WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND- THE SMALL ACTIONS MATTER!

We need to be aware of these unjust actions, not turn a blind eye, and not just let these, as well as plenty more atrocities, go unnoticed.

These are a few resources if you would like to look further into this topic:

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/united-states

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/the-lack-of-basic-human-rights-around-the-world-a-harrowing-reality-9913644.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/23/amnesty-ten-global-hotspots-for-major-human-rights-violations-in-2017.html

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Making Our Mark

“I’m going to die one day probably without ever having left my mark on this silly little planet. I’m going to die an anonymous, meaningless speck of dust.”

I feel a lot of us have this fear that we aren’t going to leave our marks. We constantly have this question in our minds about what our purpose is in life. I myself am scared to leave this world without leaving my mark. When you think about it, what is the point in living if you don’t make some kind of difference- if you don’t somehow justify your existence. It is really scary to think about.

…

I wanna do something better with the time I’ve been given

I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life

And leave nothing less than something that says, “I was here”

– “I Was Here,” sung by “Lady Antebellum.”

…

“Maybe we have this mindset because we have always been told things like “you only live once” and deep down we all want that ‘once’ to be just significant enough. Although we do know that our ‘once’ isn’t gonna make any difference to this world with such a vast number of people all living their ‘once’. “Oblivion is inevitable” (John Green). But still who wouldn’t want to leave a trace of their existence knowing that this is all you are gonna get. We all know that one day, we are gonna die. For a while our loved ones will be devastated, they will cry. But eventually, they will move past it because they will get busy with their ‘once’. Years after, your great grand children will not even know your name- even though you are the reason for their mere existence, yet they possibly wouldn’t care about yours.” –a wise soul

But, this is how life works. This is what our existence is for. It isn’t to be remembered for who we were, but for what we did. People don’t have to know our names for something to really count. It is about the nameless gestures that we do, the things we do when nobody is watching, the things we do that we don’t even realize. Making a mark in this world, in our lives, doesn’t have to be big. Something as simple as touching one person by doing on single thing is making a mark. Who knows, that one thing could even change the trajectory of that person’s whole life- and shouldn’t that be enough?

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Why Wait?

“They say we have forever,
but they don’t really know.
They say that we have a future,
but is it really guaranteed?
They say we have time to experience life,
but what if we don’t!
Let us live our lives like we don’t have time.
Let us live wildly.
Let us love freely and passionately.
And don’t assume we do what we do without having reasons.”

– A WISE SOUL

I love this quote/poem because it is so very true! In order to live a fulfilling life, I believe it involves taking risks and not letting opportunities pass you by. It involves chasing your dreams, standing up for what you believe in, and fighting for love. You can’t let the opinion of society hold you back. If you want to do something, you can’t always turn to others to decide for you! Because, putting your happiness in the hands of someone else will never truly satisfy you. You have no idea how much time you have on this earth. Hopefully you’ll get to live a long and fulfilling life- but some don’t. And you can’t just go about life saying ‘well I’m not going to be one of those people who don’t’- well, how do you know? You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so why wait to tell those close to you that you love them? Why wait to plan your future? Why wait to do something good for someone? Why wait to be the person you want to be? So, who’s to dictate the age you start ‘living’. You’re never too young or old to experience life in a greater intensity. You’re never too young or old to experience real love. You’re never too young to begin, neither are you too old to change.

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Simple Life Lessons

As I went to purchase a new mascara, I looked for the exact same brand. I didn’t want to take the risk, even though I could end up with an even better one, because there was a chance that the different brand could be worse. So, I stuck with the safe option, because I wasn’t willing to take the risk.

Things as simple as this can open our eyes to a valuable life truth…

In life we tend to go with the safe options. We don’t like taking risks because we are afraid of the unknown. We are also afraid of change in a way. There’s this thought that is always hovering in the back of our mind saying, ‘well, it could be worse’. We forget that there is an equal chance that it could be better!

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately about taking chances, and how it’s really just about overcoming your fears. Because the truth is, every time you take a big risk in your life, no matter how it ends up, you’re always glad you took it.”

“If you want it, go for it. Take a risk. Don’t always play it safe or you’ll die wondering.”

“Take chances, take a lot of them. Because honestly, no matter where you end up and with whom, it always ends up just the way it should be. Your mistakes make you who you are. You learn and grow with each and every choice you make. Everything is worth it. Say how you feel, always. Be you, and be okay with it.”

“Live your dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.”

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Where Were You?

article by: Gary Haugen, Gregg Hunter

“I grew up with a great love for reading history, and I used to wonder, How would I have fared in the great moral struggles of the past? Would I have been on the right side? Would I have acted with courage? Would I have made my grandchildren proud?

In many respects, such speculation feels idle. Who knows what we would have done? Besides, it feels as if history has passed us by- certainly nothing our grandchildren will ask us about. Right?

Like much of the global ugliness transported by television into my living room, it just didn’t seem real; it seemed true, but not real- the way descriptions of life in ancient Rome seem true but not real. Or reports about how many stars there are in the Milky Way- all true enough, but not real. Not real like my job when I’m falling further behind in my work. Not real like my neighbor when she has been in a car accident.

Sooner or later, I stopped wondering how I might have fared in the great moral struggles of history. It became abundantly clear that such struggles are not matters for idle speculation; such struggles are now. We have the ability to fix these struggles, to get involved, and to act with courage; we have the chance now, to make our grandchildren proud.

And when our grandchildren ask us where we were when the weak and the voiceless and the vulnerable of our era needed a leader of compassion and purpose and hope- I hope we can say that we showed up, and that we showed up on time.”

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Understanding Cultural Differences

“Culture” refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its members understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. Culture is a very important part of people’s lives. Understanding culture and diversity fosters and builds community.

Learning to be sensitive to different cultures is necessary to gain awareness and broaden our views. In-order to build relationships, we need to have some perspective and understanding of other cultures. It helps us find similarities and relate to other people more easily. Everyone views the world differently, but we are all the same. We are all human beings with the same basic needs of living. We crave love and desire to be understood; we share the same fears and feel the same pain. Understanding culture contributes to understanding ourselves and what connects us as a people. Embracing cultural differences can get rid of stigma, intentional and unintentional prejudice, and overcome radical and ethnic divisions. By understanding different cultures and getting different perspectives, we can better find similarities between us.

Culture differences can’t be ignored, but I believe there are more things that connect us rather than separate us.

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Technology- connection or detachment?

Technology and social norms have changed the way people date in the 21st century.

Thoughts??…

While technology has made some aspects of dating more convenient, it has also made things a lot less personal. The idea of commitment has changed, and I think in some cases even our ideas of love have been distorted.

Texting makes dating much more impersonal. I don’t get how people can form ‘full-on’ relationships online. People start ‘dating’ before they even meet each other. Some people will go years ‘dating’ whilst never once even meeting in real life. People don’t understand that some of the fundamental aspects of a real relationship are missing. Dating has never been easy, but now there seem to be many more challenges… despite our ability to be in touch 24/7. Dating no longer means one specific thing. And while one could argue that any time together can be quality time, it can be easy to get complacent and let these kinds of less-than-romantic options become the norm.

Also, knowing too much about a potential partner before you even meet them can lead to you having a preconceived notion of how that person is going to be. If you already think you have them all figured out, you might see them only as you want to, as opposed to how they actually are.

To put it simply, people are a lot less “invested” into making things work, and more about protecting their own feelings. I think we all have this fear of getting hurt, fear of rejection- but you can’t let that hold you back from going for something you want. Because like it or not, your whole life is going to be filled with all different types of rejection- it will never go away. But, if you don’t learn handle it now, it will only get harder as you move through life. Furthermore, you’ll never know if you don’t try. Embrace your fear and take charge. The whole thing about putting yourself out there comes with the reality that you might get hurt, but that’s okay. With the possibility of failure comes the possibility of starting something beautiful. With the possibility of rejection comes the possibility that you’ll get to make some memories.

I believe it all comes down to learning how to be a lot more open with and connected with each other, and being more trusting of our partners; and more trustworthy ourselves.

*compiled from a variety of sources
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Dealing With Depression

Mastering Depression and Living the Life You Were Meant to Live

“It’s a part of who I am. I don’t think of it as mental illness or a disorder or a disease. It’s just part of the way I’m wired.”

-Daniel Jeffries

article excerpts by: Daniel Jeffries

Depression…

“I’m talking about the times where you wake up and can’t get out of bed and you feel like nothing will ever go right again and your whole life is meaningless.

It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope. That very deadened feeling, which is so very different from feeling sad. Sad hurts but it’s a healthy feeling. It’s a necessary thing to feel.

That’s the nature of the demon. It’s the absence of feeling. It’s the end of hope. It’s feeling like nothing will ever be good or bright or wonderful ever again. It’s feeling like you’ll never have anything but failure, you’re not good enough for what you want in life and you’ll never get it no matter what you do.

Dealing with depression starts with understanding.

Know thy enemy.

I don’t hate writers and celebrity teeth whitening pushers, not at all. Sure a number of them are outright, cynical hucksters but many of them are probably sincere. And that’s the real problem.

They’re unwitting agents of delusion.

They don’t know they’re creating delusion. They believe their own lies and think they’re helping people.

But it’s all a lie.

What they’re selling is the easy button and there is no easy button here. This is something you will deal with every day of your life.

The faster you realize this the faster you can start to heal yourself and live an authentic life, the life you imagine for yourself.”

I came across this article and strongly recommend reading it in full! I found that Jeffries’ perspective on depression, having experienced it himself, was a very real, honest, and moving explanation. He provides some amazing advice for dealing with depression and getting back to a good, healthy, and healed place.
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About MEN- true or not?

Men require intimacy and emotional connection, much more than women. They are conditioned to suppress their feelings, and their girlfriends are often the only way they can get in touch with those parts of themselves. While men may fall in love rarely, they fall harder and faster than women. Once a man’s heart is broken, it takes much longer to heal than that of a woman.

A lot of men truly believe they aren’t “worthy” of the women they want. And not only that, it has created unrealistic expectations when it comes to women. They will drop women at the earliest sign of non-interest, and basically put in as little effort as possible, which I think is ridiculous. They would rather not go through a situation at all than to deal with the sadness that comes at the end when many relationships don’t work out.

If you have self-confidence, and you believe you are worthy of someone’s love- you will find someone. Most guys think they aren’t something* enough: not fit enough, not tall enough, not handsome enough, not rich enough, not interesting enough, etc. Guys think that just because they don’t fit the typical image of what a man is supposed to be like, they don’t deserve a good looking/overall good girl.

Guys have feelings/problems just like girls; they have image problems, and self-confidence problems; guys can have eating-disorders and breakdowns. A lot of it stems from a man’s pride and how it is seen as weak if they admit to having these problems- which it shouldn’t be. There of-course is the male ego, which in truth you have to be gentle with. They want to be able to discuss their desires, concerns, and opinions without fearing an emotional reaction of hurricane proportions.

Men are only afraid of their freedom, if you make them the center of the entire universe, and the sole reason for your happiness. They fear finding out that the person they’re with may not be perfect, because it reveals the imperfections in themselves as well. True intimacy is hard work and they’re afraid of the buried things they might discover when digging everything up. Such men may believe they want a real relationship, but only put in five percent of the effort rather than the full 50 or even more, and foolishly expect something fulfilling and satisfying. They’re waiting for the one who is good enough for them, but no one will ever be. 

Guys are not afraid of commitment- they just need to be very sure. They have feelings, it is just more difficult for them to express them. The male ego is very prevalent, and you need to be gentle with it. Men need freedom and independence; a little leeway. They want to feel like they can discuss their feelings without an overdramatic reaction.

Guys want honest communication; self-sufficient, secure, confident women; a manipulation-free relationship; growth, personal responsibility, and ownership; commitment; and women who know how men want to be treated.

*compiled from a variety of sources
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