I really can't complain, everything is kosher
Two thumbs up, Ebert and Roeper.
-Drake, “Over”
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Thanksgiving is the time when we gather with loved ones and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my family and friends who are my foundation, I’m thankful for life, health and prosperity. There are so many other places I could be right now, so many other things I could be doing right but because of God’s blessings I’m here “Living the Good Life.”
As I sat down and reflected on my life and my blessings I was thinking just how crazy my family is. I love them to death, but these people I share DNA with don’t have them all. I often wonder if we’re really related, if I’m adopted, is this really the family God put me in. Then I look at the pictures and I see the resemblance, I hear them talk and I hear my words, I hear them laugh and I hear my laugh, I look at them and I see we’re a family. Thinking about that made me realize how much Thanksgiving would suck without them. Yeah, we bring grief to each other from time to time but I wouldn’t trade them in for ANYTHING in the world and I’m sure they feel the same way about me (I hope).
Certainly there are a lot of things to gripe and complain about from the economy, the lost of loved ones, to the current political scene. Yet with all that’s wrong in the world be thankful for what’s right in it. In a perfect world, we’d all have a house, a nice car, have our bills paid and money in our pockets. In a perfect world, our kids would be well behaved, that relative that’s always in jail would be home for the holidays for once and the Heat, Dolphins and Hurricanes wouldn’t hurt me so much. But this world isn’t perfect and never will be. As a result, we are forced to deal with the imperfections of life the best we can and find a way to smile and laugh as much as humanly possible. If we focus too much on what’s wrong we’ll miss what’s right and life will pass us by as we sit and wallow in our state of despair.
I challenge you to count your blessings and if after counting you still feel like your number is coming up short, go take a look at any homeless shelter, any orphanage, or the downtown area of any major city and see if your number of blessings doesn’t grow. I’d like to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Stay Up and Stay Blessed!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Fear of Flying
Well it was just a dream, just a moment ago
I was up sp high, looking down from the sky
Don’t let me fall.
I was shooting for stars on a Saturday night
They say what goes up, must come down
But don’t let me fall.
-B.O.B. “Don’t Let Me Fall”
I used to wonder how did people who had so much were able to fix their mouths and complain. How can you who have been blessed with prosperity, a career, good health even think about complaining? How do you not see and realize how blessed you are? I know how they can do it because I’m guilty of it.
The last year or so have been trying times to say the least; the break-up, the move, the job, my grandmother’s illness, the move again, the high expectations and at times the fear of not meeting them. I got so consumed in my circumstances that I threw myself a pity party, only invited myself and got mad when no one showed up. Yes, even The Diplomat goes through things.
However, in a moment of clarity I had yesterday I realized just how blessed I am. I was talking to a friend about something I was going through and while talking to her I began to realize all the great things that have happened which I had overlooked in my dark times. She interrupted me while I rambled, told me to pause and made me realize just how good I had it. Despite her observation it still didn’t hit me at that moment.
This morning I got up to run and I prayed before I walked out the door, as I always do. I put my iPod on my Hot List press shuffled and the first song was B.O.B.’s “Don’t Let Me Fall.” I smiled a little as I stretched, hit repeat when it was done so it would be the first song I ran to. As I ran, with the music as background noise, I thought how truly blessed I am to have a career, good health, a house, a family, as crazy as they may be, who loves me, friends who’ve always been there for me, and doors that are opening up every day. It seems like every other day I meet someone who wants to pay me to do something, or help me realize my dreams, or help me with my program; and here I was complaining.
I think my fear has been of falling. I have these big dreams and lofty expectations of myself and everything that I do and for the most part, people who know me have their expectations just as high if not higher. To be honest, I’ve never had a fear of failure. I’ve always felt like I can do anything I want to do, I just have to want to do it. But lately with the large number of obligations I have, my stance started to weaken. While I and others put me up on this pedestal, for the first time I can remember I had a fear of falling.
Falling sucks! Ask any baby as they attempt to take their first step and you observe their hesitancy to take it. It’s not that they don’t want to take that step it’s that they don’t want to fall. However, it isn’t until we’ve gotten up and made the attempt to walk that walking is even a possibility. So long as we sit on the floor and crawl around, our motion is severely limited. You can’t crawl to the moon, and you can only walk so far before you hit an ocean. However, if we can suppress our fear of falling, than we’re empowered to take that first step and walk. Then once we’re comfortable walking, than we take the next step and run towards the bus, the car, the plane, the ship, or spacecraft that will take us to our dreams.
We all go through things; always have and always will. From the biggest Christian to the biggest heathen, no matter your circumstances, faith, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation; we all will encounter trials and tribulations. It’s what we do when encountered with these obstacles that make the difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, adversity builds character. No one who has encountered success has done so without overcoming adversity (see Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah, President Barack Obama, and Donald Trump).
At times it is difficult to work through our situations given the intensity and size of the task at hand. Never doubt your ability to overcome because just believing that you can and that you will is the first step in actually overcoming. It is difficult to walk through the tunnel when you can’t see the light at the end, but if you never walk out on faith and take those steps you never will. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Have faith to take that first step, the second and the third and that while yes you will fall at some point in the journey, know that it’s a part of the process. We can never get up if we have never fallen. How can you say you know what it’s like to be on the ground if you’ve never been there? Our trials and tribulations aren’t just about us, they happen to us so that we may grow and be a blessing to others. Have faith that if He lets you fall, you won’t fall far and that it won’t kill you.
Even in the midst of my circumstances and as I sit here writing this post, I’ve found a reason to smile, “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5. I don’t know when daylight is going to hit, but I can see the sun peeking over the horizon and it looks like it’s going to be a great day. Hopefully this helped you nearly as much as it has helped me writing it. Stay Up, Stay Blessed and Don’t Be Afraid to Fall.
I was up sp high, looking down from the sky
Don’t let me fall.
I was shooting for stars on a Saturday night
They say what goes up, must come down
But don’t let me fall.
-B.O.B. “Don’t Let Me Fall”
I used to wonder how did people who had so much were able to fix their mouths and complain. How can you who have been blessed with prosperity, a career, good health even think about complaining? How do you not see and realize how blessed you are? I know how they can do it because I’m guilty of it.
The last year or so have been trying times to say the least; the break-up, the move, the job, my grandmother’s illness, the move again, the high expectations and at times the fear of not meeting them. I got so consumed in my circumstances that I threw myself a pity party, only invited myself and got mad when no one showed up. Yes, even The Diplomat goes through things.
However, in a moment of clarity I had yesterday I realized just how blessed I am. I was talking to a friend about something I was going through and while talking to her I began to realize all the great things that have happened which I had overlooked in my dark times. She interrupted me while I rambled, told me to pause and made me realize just how good I had it. Despite her observation it still didn’t hit me at that moment.
This morning I got up to run and I prayed before I walked out the door, as I always do. I put my iPod on my Hot List press shuffled and the first song was B.O.B.’s “Don’t Let Me Fall.” I smiled a little as I stretched, hit repeat when it was done so it would be the first song I ran to. As I ran, with the music as background noise, I thought how truly blessed I am to have a career, good health, a house, a family, as crazy as they may be, who loves me, friends who’ve always been there for me, and doors that are opening up every day. It seems like every other day I meet someone who wants to pay me to do something, or help me realize my dreams, or help me with my program; and here I was complaining.
I think my fear has been of falling. I have these big dreams and lofty expectations of myself and everything that I do and for the most part, people who know me have their expectations just as high if not higher. To be honest, I’ve never had a fear of failure. I’ve always felt like I can do anything I want to do, I just have to want to do it. But lately with the large number of obligations I have, my stance started to weaken. While I and others put me up on this pedestal, for the first time I can remember I had a fear of falling.
Falling sucks! Ask any baby as they attempt to take their first step and you observe their hesitancy to take it. It’s not that they don’t want to take that step it’s that they don’t want to fall. However, it isn’t until we’ve gotten up and made the attempt to walk that walking is even a possibility. So long as we sit on the floor and crawl around, our motion is severely limited. You can’t crawl to the moon, and you can only walk so far before you hit an ocean. However, if we can suppress our fear of falling, than we’re empowered to take that first step and walk. Then once we’re comfortable walking, than we take the next step and run towards the bus, the car, the plane, the ship, or spacecraft that will take us to our dreams.
We all go through things; always have and always will. From the biggest Christian to the biggest heathen, no matter your circumstances, faith, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation; we all will encounter trials and tribulations. It’s what we do when encountered with these obstacles that make the difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, adversity builds character. No one who has encountered success has done so without overcoming adversity (see Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah, President Barack Obama, and Donald Trump).
At times it is difficult to work through our situations given the intensity and size of the task at hand. Never doubt your ability to overcome because just believing that you can and that you will is the first step in actually overcoming. It is difficult to walk through the tunnel when you can’t see the light at the end, but if you never walk out on faith and take those steps you never will. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Have faith to take that first step, the second and the third and that while yes you will fall at some point in the journey, know that it’s a part of the process. We can never get up if we have never fallen. How can you say you know what it’s like to be on the ground if you’ve never been there? Our trials and tribulations aren’t just about us, they happen to us so that we may grow and be a blessing to others. Have faith that if He lets you fall, you won’t fall far and that it won’t kill you.
Even in the midst of my circumstances and as I sit here writing this post, I’ve found a reason to smile, “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5. I don’t know when daylight is going to hit, but I can see the sun peeking over the horizon and it looks like it’s going to be a great day. Hopefully this helped you nearly as much as it has helped me writing it. Stay Up, Stay Blessed and Don’t Be Afraid to Fall.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Vote or Die!
“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
-George Bernard Shaw
Tomorrow is election day and much has been said about tomorrow’s election: who you should vote for or whether to vote yea or nay on that important referendum, but the most important message has been to get out and vote.
The U.S. Constitution has 4 amendments that address voting rights; the fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-fourth, and twenty-sixth amendments. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits the federal government and the states from using a citizens’ race, color or previous status as a slave as a qualification for voting. The Nineteenth Amendment extends the right to vote to women. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment prohibits the federal government and the states for requiring the payment of a tax (poll-tax) as a qualification for voting in federal elections. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment essentially sets the minimum voting age in federal elections to 18.
What’s important to note is that voting is the only topic which has four amendments that address it; that in itself is enough to suggest that the Framers, Congress and the American people believe that voting is “kind of a big deal.” Many people gave their blood, sweat and tears for a right many of us take for granted. Many of us cry and complain about the Democrats doing this, or the way Republicans do that, or the scandal this elected official was just accused of, but yet don’t take measures to prevent or change this by voting.
By law, employers are required to allow you time to vote. Now that doesn’t mean they have to give you a two hour lunch break to go to your local polling site. What it means is, if your work hours fall during a time when the polls are open, but they do not allow you time to actually vote, your employer should allow you to come late or leave early to vote.
Voting is a right but we should view it as a duty. We should feel obligated to go vote for the officials representing our interests in Congress. We should feel obligated to go vote on the proposed amendments to our state’s constitution. We should feel obligated to exercise a right as precious as voting. No other right is mentioned as often or protected as heavily in the Constitution as voting; not freedom of speech, not freedom of religion, not even freedom from slavery.
I’m not going to get on my soapbox and preach to you about who you should vote for, what party truly represents your best interests and what numbers to punch tomorrow in the voting booth if you haven’t done so already. What I will say is, if you haven’t voted already please get up a little early, make time in the middle of your day, or at the end of your day and let your voice be heard by voting. We speak up by voting, and the more of us that vote, the louder are voices are. So tomorrow go SCREAM and Rock the Vote! Stay Up and Be Blessed!
-George Bernard Shaw
Tomorrow is election day and much has been said about tomorrow’s election: who you should vote for or whether to vote yea or nay on that important referendum, but the most important message has been to get out and vote.
The U.S. Constitution has 4 amendments that address voting rights; the fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-fourth, and twenty-sixth amendments. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits the federal government and the states from using a citizens’ race, color or previous status as a slave as a qualification for voting. The Nineteenth Amendment extends the right to vote to women. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment prohibits the federal government and the states for requiring the payment of a tax (poll-tax) as a qualification for voting in federal elections. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment essentially sets the minimum voting age in federal elections to 18.
What’s important to note is that voting is the only topic which has four amendments that address it; that in itself is enough to suggest that the Framers, Congress and the American people believe that voting is “kind of a big deal.” Many people gave their blood, sweat and tears for a right many of us take for granted. Many of us cry and complain about the Democrats doing this, or the way Republicans do that, or the scandal this elected official was just accused of, but yet don’t take measures to prevent or change this by voting.
By law, employers are required to allow you time to vote. Now that doesn’t mean they have to give you a two hour lunch break to go to your local polling site. What it means is, if your work hours fall during a time when the polls are open, but they do not allow you time to actually vote, your employer should allow you to come late or leave early to vote.
Voting is a right but we should view it as a duty. We should feel obligated to go vote for the officials representing our interests in Congress. We should feel obligated to go vote on the proposed amendments to our state’s constitution. We should feel obligated to exercise a right as precious as voting. No other right is mentioned as often or protected as heavily in the Constitution as voting; not freedom of speech, not freedom of religion, not even freedom from slavery.
I’m not going to get on my soapbox and preach to you about who you should vote for, what party truly represents your best interests and what numbers to punch tomorrow in the voting booth if you haven’t done so already. What I will say is, if you haven’t voted already please get up a little early, make time in the middle of your day, or at the end of your day and let your voice be heard by voting. We speak up by voting, and the more of us that vote, the louder are voices are. So tomorrow go SCREAM and Rock the Vote! Stay Up and Be Blessed!
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