Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Happiness Is A Form Of Courage
Holbrook Jackson said, "Happiness is a form of courage."
It can take a lot more effort to be happy than to be sad. This world makes it easy to be sad, discouraged, angry, and unhappy. To rise above that, to find good in the world, to be the good in the world, to be happy takes courage.
Many people are mocked for being happy in an unhappy world- it takes courage. Many news stories are called stupid because they are about happy things- it takes courage. Happy people are called naive, innocent, unlearned, backwards, and looked down on. But if we didn't have happy people, this world would be an angry chaotic mess. Choosing happiness helps others choose happiness.
How do you be courageous and be happy? You make a conscious effort- it can take work to be happy. Smile more, laugh more, search for good, ignore the bad that you can. Let bad feelings and bad people go. Hold on to good feelings and good people.
While this piece of art unnerves me a little, it also has a good message. These people choose happiness instead of staying mired in the muck of this world. They are breaking free. It takes courage to get up and move instead of just laying in the familiar mold.
Take courage and choose happiness!
It can take a lot more effort to be happy than to be sad. This world makes it easy to be sad, discouraged, angry, and unhappy. To rise above that, to find good in the world, to be the good in the world, to be happy takes courage.
Many people are mocked for being happy in an unhappy world- it takes courage. Many news stories are called stupid because they are about happy things- it takes courage. Happy people are called naive, innocent, unlearned, backwards, and looked down on. But if we didn't have happy people, this world would be an angry chaotic mess. Choosing happiness helps others choose happiness.
How do you be courageous and be happy? You make a conscious effort- it can take work to be happy. Smile more, laugh more, search for good, ignore the bad that you can. Let bad feelings and bad people go. Hold on to good feelings and good people.
While this piece of art unnerves me a little, it also has a good message. These people choose happiness instead of staying mired in the muck of this world. They are breaking free. It takes courage to get up and move instead of just laying in the familiar mold.
Take courage and choose happiness!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
National Pregnancy And Infant Loss Awareness Month
"You
may think of Fall as the season to carve pumpkins, drink cider and rake
leaves; however, it is also a significant time of reflection for
bereaved families across the country. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan
declared October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
to recognize the nearly one million families annually who experience
perinatal loss.
In the years since, the number affected by this tragic experience has not significantly declined and little attention is drawn to the issue. Did you know the death of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth is over twenty-five times more common than that of breast cancer and twice as common as heart-disease related deaths? Today, one in four pregnancies ends in loss. Many bereaved parents find the help they need, but thousands remain shattered by the death of their baby."
-Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support, Inc.
It seems like with all the advanced, life saving medical care we have these days, that there should be no little babies lost, no children dying before their parents, no need to have a National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. But people do lose their pregnancies, there are many miscarriages, stillbirths, SIDS, cancer, tumors, accidents, baby deaths, toddler deaths, children's deaths.
It's scary. It makes people hold their children tight and hope they never have to know first hand what it is like. It makes people do crazy things when they do experience it. It makes people scared to get pregnant in the first place.
This October month of awareness isn't about scaring people. It's about raising awareness for an unspeakable topic. Too many people keep it to themselves because it can be awkward to tell their story.
We always have a dilemma when asked how many kids we have. There's a quick fleet of thoughts, "Should I say one or two? Should I tell them two and not mention the first one died? Do they look like they can handle the information? Do I feel comfortable enough with this person to tell them my personal pain? Are they asking in passing or do they really want to know?" It creates a little pause that makes the asker sense something isn't quite right.
If we tell them two kids and all they see is our little girl, they ask where the other one is. If we tell them one, we feel like we're leaving out a big part of our lives, our stillborn son. If we tell them the story, they don't know what to say and feel awkward.
But sometimes, after a quick debate we feel we should tell our story, and it's a good thing. The other person has experienced loss themselves, whether it be their own child or a loved one's child. There's an understanding there that helps heal and support.
My philosophy is to tell people on a need-to-know basis. Do I think they need to know? Some people I'll never see again and they are only asking to be polite, so they don't need to know. Some people are potential friends or strangers that actually seem to care, so they can know, if I feel like telling them.
We are going to tell our daughter that if she is asked, she can say she's the oldest or say she has a brother that died before her. She is the oldest living child and she also has an older brother. We'll tell her that it's up to her to say what she wants to say, what she feels comfortable saying. I'm sure there will be some bad experiences for her because of this, people saying mean or insensitive comments. We'll take each experience as it comes and talk it over together, drawing closer to each other and our little baby boy.
Sometimes I worry that our kids won't care that they had an older brother because they never knew him, never saw him, talked to him, or held his tiny little body. But I do have hope that they will care and love him because I have a good friend who has always held her older twin brothers in her heart though she never knew them. She cares about them and loves them. I know they will love their big brother because we love him and make sure he is important in our lives.
Remember the little ones that are not with us, and the families that are.
In the years since, the number affected by this tragic experience has not significantly declined and little attention is drawn to the issue. Did you know the death of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth is over twenty-five times more common than that of breast cancer and twice as common as heart-disease related deaths? Today, one in four pregnancies ends in loss. Many bereaved parents find the help they need, but thousands remain shattered by the death of their baby."
-Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support, Inc.
It's scary. It makes people hold their children tight and hope they never have to know first hand what it is like. It makes people do crazy things when they do experience it. It makes people scared to get pregnant in the first place.
This October month of awareness isn't about scaring people. It's about raising awareness for an unspeakable topic. Too many people keep it to themselves because it can be awkward to tell their story.
We always have a dilemma when asked how many kids we have. There's a quick fleet of thoughts, "Should I say one or two? Should I tell them two and not mention the first one died? Do they look like they can handle the information? Do I feel comfortable enough with this person to tell them my personal pain? Are they asking in passing or do they really want to know?" It creates a little pause that makes the asker sense something isn't quite right.
If we tell them two kids and all they see is our little girl, they ask where the other one is. If we tell them one, we feel like we're leaving out a big part of our lives, our stillborn son. If we tell them the story, they don't know what to say and feel awkward.
But sometimes, after a quick debate we feel we should tell our story, and it's a good thing. The other person has experienced loss themselves, whether it be their own child or a loved one's child. There's an understanding there that helps heal and support.
My philosophy is to tell people on a need-to-know basis. Do I think they need to know? Some people I'll never see again and they are only asking to be polite, so they don't need to know. Some people are potential friends or strangers that actually seem to care, so they can know, if I feel like telling them.
We are going to tell our daughter that if she is asked, she can say she's the oldest or say she has a brother that died before her. She is the oldest living child and she also has an older brother. We'll tell her that it's up to her to say what she wants to say, what she feels comfortable saying. I'm sure there will be some bad experiences for her because of this, people saying mean or insensitive comments. We'll take each experience as it comes and talk it over together, drawing closer to each other and our little baby boy.
Sometimes I worry that our kids won't care that they had an older brother because they never knew him, never saw him, talked to him, or held his tiny little body. But I do have hope that they will care and love him because I have a good friend who has always held her older twin brothers in her heart though she never knew them. She cares about them and loves them. I know they will love their big brother because we love him and make sure he is important in our lives.
Remember the little ones that are not with us, and the families that are.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Try Something New
"I don’t know what to tell you ... except that when nothing’s working you gotta try something new."
My brother wrote that and it reminded me that if something doesn't work, then it's okay to set it aside and try something new. I've been doing that lately, and it can get frustrating always trying something new, but it's keeping me on top of things, and I'm learning.
Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. How many times do we do something over and over but keep hoping for a new and different result?
Many people in the business industry try and fail, but the successful ones learn to try something new, while the others just give up. A failure is just one way to not do something, so try a new way or a completely new idea.
The best part about sharing your ideas, besides getting praise for good ideas, is getting an outsider's perspective. It helps to try and see something from a new perspective, a way that you can't see it normally. You may realize that things need to be thrown away, tweaked a little, or that they are just plain awesome.
Then he said, "Also, sometimes when everything seems stuck life has a way of giving you a jump start to shake things up.... But you won’t always like what it does.”
You're not always going to like what life throws your way, what people say about what happens to you. Life will jump start its self sometimes, which can give new life, but it's not always easy life. The best you can do is learn to pick yourself up and make the best of it.
Try something new today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Take the best life has to offer everyday.
My brother wrote that and it reminded me that if something doesn't work, then it's okay to set it aside and try something new. I've been doing that lately, and it can get frustrating always trying something new, but it's keeping me on top of things, and I'm learning.
Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. How many times do we do something over and over but keep hoping for a new and different result?
Many people in the business industry try and fail, but the successful ones learn to try something new, while the others just give up. A failure is just one way to not do something, so try a new way or a completely new idea.
The best part about sharing your ideas, besides getting praise for good ideas, is getting an outsider's perspective. It helps to try and see something from a new perspective, a way that you can't see it normally. You may realize that things need to be thrown away, tweaked a little, or that they are just plain awesome.
Then he said, "Also, sometimes when everything seems stuck life has a way of giving you a jump start to shake things up.... But you won’t always like what it does.”
You're not always going to like what life throws your way, what people say about what happens to you. Life will jump start its self sometimes, which can give new life, but it's not always easy life. The best you can do is learn to pick yourself up and make the best of it.
Try something new today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Take the best life has to offer everyday.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Better Prepared Than Just Scared
Some people don't like to think about what would happen if they or someone they loved were attacked, beaten up, kidnapped, raped, or in a bad situation. It scares them, so they don't think about it. These things happen. They may have happened to you or someone you know. They may happen in the future to you or someone you know. I would rather be prepared and scared, rather than just scared out of my wits and defenseless.
Here's a short lesson from Gracie Heart from Miss Congeniality:
Here's a quick reminder:
S-I-N-G: solar plexus, instep, nose, groin.
Some other sensitive areas: eyes- poke them, ears- pull/slap/hit them, elbow- bend backwards, knee- bend backwards, shin- scrape with foot. And a note on the groin- it's the testicles not the penis that really hurts them, so if you're in close range- go for underneath.
Hopefully you never have to get into a physical alteration with someone, but if you do- fight back! Fight back and yell and scream. Try and get someone's attention. It's okay to use bad language too- sometimes it's the only thing they understand. Try to run away too. It's really hard to hit a moving, zig-zagging target with a gun, so run. Keep your jaw closed- if someone hits your face, and open jaw will be dislocated while a closed jaw will stay in place better.
If you're alone and worried, there are some things you can do:
-Look for a nice looking family or person and stand close to them.
-Stay in the well lit areas.
-Keep your head up and your body in a strong and confident stance- no hunched shoulders, head down, or weak arms.
-Be aware. Don't just stare at your phone. Look around, assess the situation.
One last thing that will help deter suspicious looking people from bothering you is to act a little gross. Burp, fart, pick a wedgie, or pick your nose. It may seem embarrassing, but if you're really worried that someone is about to make a bad move on you, it would be better to do one of those things than to be a victim.
Thinking about and talking about these things with others will help give you peace of mind. These tactics are for good for men and women, boys and girls to learn. It will give them an arsenal to pull from if they are attacked. Be prepared so you are less scared.
Here's a short lesson from Gracie Heart from Miss Congeniality:
Here's a quick reminder:
S-I-N-G: solar plexus, instep, nose, groin.
Some other sensitive areas: eyes- poke them, ears- pull/slap/hit them, elbow- bend backwards, knee- bend backwards, shin- scrape with foot. And a note on the groin- it's the testicles not the penis that really hurts them, so if you're in close range- go for underneath.
Hopefully you never have to get into a physical alteration with someone, but if you do- fight back! Fight back and yell and scream. Try and get someone's attention. It's okay to use bad language too- sometimes it's the only thing they understand. Try to run away too. It's really hard to hit a moving, zig-zagging target with a gun, so run. Keep your jaw closed- if someone hits your face, and open jaw will be dislocated while a closed jaw will stay in place better.
If you're alone and worried, there are some things you can do:
-Look for a nice looking family or person and stand close to them.
-Stay in the well lit areas.
-Keep your head up and your body in a strong and confident stance- no hunched shoulders, head down, or weak arms.
-Be aware. Don't just stare at your phone. Look around, assess the situation.
One last thing that will help deter suspicious looking people from bothering you is to act a little gross. Burp, fart, pick a wedgie, or pick your nose. It may seem embarrassing, but if you're really worried that someone is about to make a bad move on you, it would be better to do one of those things than to be a victim.
Thinking about and talking about these things with others will help give you peace of mind. These tactics are for good for men and women, boys and girls to learn. It will give them an arsenal to pull from if they are attacked. Be prepared so you are less scared.
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