A moment

When you feel like your life is spinning out of control, take a moment.  Take a breath. Everyone feels this way sometimes.  Everyone.  You are not alone.  In fact, you are in the company of the greatest minds on the planet.  It's okay.

Take a moment.

Breathe.

Clear your mind.

Think of 3 things that you are blessed with.

Think of 3 people that you can talk to.

Now...

Think of you to resolve your problem.

Forgiveness

It's easy to be angry. In fact,it's too easy to be angry for some people. What they don't focus on, though, is that anger usually stems from some other emotion.  Often, people are angry because they are hurt.  They might also be afraid.    That's not what this post is about though....

This post is about those that get angry over everything.  In fact, you're probably angry that I'm bringing it up....and that's okay.  Anger can be a healthy thing, when it's only held on to for a short period of time. It's when you hold on to it for days, weeks, months and years that it starts to poison your body and mind.  Your body actually physically reacts to those feelings.  Your mind becomes a trap and everything that comes in, good or bad, comes through that anger filter.

But you can't help being angry, right?

Well, in theory, you can't change who you are but you can change your reaction.  You can choose forgiveness.  It doesn't mean that you've forgotten what happened. It doesn't mean that you are okay with it or that you're admitting fault.  It just means that you're making a choice to not make it your burden anymore.

Today, try forgiveness.  It may change your life.

Saturday Inspiration Nugget

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be there for someone. You don't have to do anything huge; just be there.  Be there to listen.  Be there to hold their hand.  Be there to hug them. Just be there.

Spread Some Kindness

With Thanksgiving over and the official start of the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Solstice (or any other holiday you celebrate) season beginning, I'd like to challenge you today.... spread a little kindness.  I don't care if it's something as small as complimenting someone you don't know.  It might be as big as donating Christmas presents to a family that can't afford them.  Whatever it is, spread some kindness.

The world is such an angry place sometimes.  Our country is at odds with each other over everything from the results of the Presidential elections to the way we phrase our sentences.  Instead of focusing on how much anger you can have, spread a little kindness.  Take a moment to make someone else's day better...and the worse your day is, the more you should try.

Why?

Because kindness begets kindness.  Because you are better than the day you're having.  Because you are blessed, even if it's hard to see sometimes.

I challenge you every day for the next thirty days to spread some kindness and see how your world changes.

Suicide Prevention

This Thanksgiving, I want to take time to remember that there are those that are thankful in worse situations than anyone reading this.  Always remember that there is always someone that has it worse than you.  Find the blessings in the small things.  Take that moment and breathe.  Remember that you are loved by someone; in fact you are loved by many someones, even if you don't know it.

If you are feeling hopeless today, know that you are loved.  Talk to someone and if you can't find a way to talk to someone around you, talk to someone you don't know.  Make that connection; feel that love within this beautiful world.  If you are feeling suicidal, please seek help.  Here is the information:

1-800-273-8255
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Know that you are loved.  Know that there IS someone to talk to.  You are on this earth for a reason

Melting Pot

In this time of great separation in our country, I'd like to say the following:

Our country was founded on the concept of it being a melting pot.  As everything does, this has evolved over time to mean something so much more.  It doesn't just mean immigrants now; it means different religions, different cultures, different sexual preferences, different appearances, disabilities and so much more.  It means that our country should feel safe to all of its citizens.  You don't have to agree with everyone and I wouldn't want to.  The world is so much more of an interesting place when we can all have beautiful, separate minds to process things different ways, think of new ideas and so on.  Please stop judging those around you.  Love them.  Make this nation a safe place where people feel accepted and loved.  Be the change you want to see.

LGBT Curriculum in California Schools

There is quite an uproar over California adding LGBT curriculum into their school system.  One far side of this declares that it "has no place within the schools."  The other says "it's the only way to teach tolerance."  Here are my thoughts on the topic.  Brace yourself because you may not like them.

1.  Sex ed, in general, needs to be taught age-appropriately.  Second graders, in general, do not have a concept of what sex is and cannot understand it in its full capacity (the emotional ties that come with it, etc).  Is it okay for them to be taught general anatomy, etc at that age? Absolutely.  

2.  I see no problem with teaching little Susie that child 1 may have a mom and a dad while while child 2 has stepparents, child 3 has foster parents, child 4 is from a single parent household, child 5 has grandparents raising him, and child 6 has two moms.  I see no issue with educating kids of any age that every household is different and that who raises a child (whether it's any of these situations or another) doesn't matter as much as how much the child is loved and cared for.

3.  I see no problem with including education on different sexual preferences in sexual education at an age-appropriate level.  In fact, I think it's appropriate to discuss the fact that different people have different preferences.  I absolutely agree that it teaches tolerance and an understanding that different people think differently.

4.  While I can see the point of those that say "sex education should be taught at home," I am also concerned about the kids that wouldn't get that education.  Statistically speaking, sex ed being taught in schools has helped kids be more educated on the topics that their parents might feel uncomfortable discussing.  What I can hope is that the teachers discuss it and then the kids go home and discuss it with their parents and get a balanced view of the educational portion vs the personal views portion.  Most of my reason for hoping this, though, is that the children are developing an open atmosphere with their parents to discuss freely what they're thinking about.

5.  I think the side of the argument that is so concerned, on the whole, is fearful of what they don't understand.  Here's the thing: they're not going to be showing lesbian porn to teach the kids anything any more than they use straight couple porn to teach kids (just to be clear, they don't use any porn...that's my point).  This isn't an issue of purity in our kids.  This is an issue of people that aren't fully educated on the topics and haven't fully sat down with members of the LGBT community to hear their stories.  This is an issue of fear of the unknown.

6.  Finally, let's be frank.  If this is an issue of "purity" or "religious preference" (i.e. I don't want my kids hearing about homosexuality because the Bible forbids it) than you are the worst kind of hypocrite.  Open your eyes to the world.  No matter what your religious preference, homosexuality and transgenderism exist and they are going nowhere.  People that have hidden in the shadows for years out of fear are finally finding their voices and they deserve to be heard because they are beautiful souls.  Choosing not to educate kids on topics that you "don't like" or "don't believe in" is ridiculous.  How will your child feel, then, if they want to tell you that they're gay?  Condemned? Ashamed?  Is that more healthy than what you're against?

I think that people need to stop assuming that education is a bad thing.  Education is education and you can absolutely add to it at home, and should.  If you choose to home school over issues like this, fine.  I hope you still teach your kids that the world is so much bigger than the 1950s perspective of what a family looks like or what courtship looks like. The world has all kinds of people with all kinds of preferences and that's what makes it such a beautiful place.  You don't to agree to love.