How much is too much?

As people do we ever know when too much, is too much?  Just this past weekend the oil companies went to Capitol Hill to speak to congress about losing 3 billion of their 7 billion in subsidies to help our country with its deficit.  You would think it would be unreasonable to the oil companies by looking at that number, but the truth is the big five oil companies received $34 Billion dollars in it's first quarter not counting the subsidies.  Also as we speak we are almost 2 months in to an NFL lockout that is a debate on how to split 9 billion dollars in profits between owners and players.  In this case both parties have legitimate arguments on why their party should receive the bulk of the profits, but in any case no of this would be possible if it was not for the fans who pay for this the most since they pay the money that they are arguing over.  At some point it has to become apparent to both the NFL and the oil companies that a lot of their profits and earnings comes from the pockets of the consumer.  There has got to be a way for people to come to a mutual agreement when so many parties could be effected by the issues that these organizations go through.  One of the best things we can do as people is to give to the less fortunate.  Why is that we have these situations, but yet they're cutting teachers all throughout the country because they can afford to pay teachers salaries?  They say that $1 Billion dollars could pay for the salaries of 18,000 teachers earning $55,000 a year, as well as pay 251,000 pell grants for aspiring college students.  We need to look further than our own greed sometimes to understand the bigger picture.  In these hard financial times we need to be trying to help as many people out as possible and erase the greed.  Is it so hard to help people that need it as opposed to taken more than you need? At what point do you feel like you have more than enough money to take care of the things that's most important?  They say money is the root of all evil, and in these days you can understand why.  Lets work as people to make the world better for everyone to insure that everyone gets a piece.

Most Fathers aren't Happy...Are You?

An article in the New Yorker last year said, "Most people assume that parenting will make them happier. Yet a wide variety of academic research shows this is not true." The article goes on to say that children invariably reduce marital satisfaction, and the more children you have the less happy you are. I was actually a bit shocked to see that overall parents were less happy than there childless adult counterparts. As I looked into the issue further I realized these parents that were less happy weren't looking at happiness from their kids standpoint, rather looking at fulfilling their own desires.
When I became a parent my happiness and my satisfaction was not my main concern anymore. I had a living, breathing human being that I was lucky enough to be put in charge of. I take that job very seriously and I measure my happiness based on how they are feeling. I don't think I could be happy if they are sad, those two things do not go together in my book. As parents we have to do a whole lot of sacrificing to have a happy family. Instead of watching the game, we have to take the kids to practice, or instead of relaxing on the weekend we have to be a kid's birthday party with our children. As much as these things may seem like a burden we should be happy to spend this quality time with our kids. Being there to support them at their events instills confidence and a lasting bond. They will always remember that you are there for them in whatever path they choose.
When I think about it, I couldn't imagine my life without the joy my kids bring to it. There are definitely hardships and it's tough worrying about their safety, but the joy of watching them perform on stage, on a field, in the classroom, or just in your living room is enough to make it all worth it. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Dajs Daily will be observing the holiday on Monday May 30th, and we will have the positivity back for you bright and early on Tuesday May 31st.

Where's the good music?

What's going on with music these days?  It seems like no matter where we turn there's another rapper coming out that doesn't carry any substance.  A majority of the music being released is by men deciding they want to be a rapper because of the women and fast cars.  Shouldn't there be more to making music than just the material things.  Back when I was growing up most rappers had a purpose on why they were making music.  In the 90's we had rappers that were making music to speak for the people that could not.  It's important that we get back to music that promotes wellness and encourages people that don't want to be rappers to be better people and strive for their goals.  I know it can't be done by every artist on every song, but it should be songs that empowers people to do better. A study by the Black Youth Project showed a majority of youth think rap has too many violent images. In a poll of  black Americans by the Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices in 2006, 50% of respondents said hip-hop was a negative force in American Society. How sad to see how quickly rap and hip-hop has turned so negative.
I don’t think all rap/hip-hop music is bad. But there are definitely some cancerous elements within it. One of the rappers I feel that is doing the best at being real and saying something meaningful is Kanye West.  Although all of his music isn't 100% positive, it does paint a picture about issues our communities are going through.  Some of the most prolific artist have become huge due to their ability to keep music good.  Music touches your soul and has the ability to change your whole attitude without it a lot of people would not be the people that they are.  So for any artist you may know or if you are an artist yourself, remember good music will sound good to the ear, but great music will fill the soul.  Try to make music more than just about the money you make, but the people you touch.

Super Dad

Whenever actor George Reeves the actor who played Superman in the 1950's would make a public appearance in his Superman costume, kids would come up and kick him in the shins, punch him in the back and, one time, a child pointed a loaded .45 at him. They figured since he was the "man of steel", he couldn't be hurt.
Dads, do you try to be Superman to your kids? Never showing sensitivity and vulnerability? Do we act like we are ok even when we are going through tough times? True masculinity is letting your children know that, at times, you struggle with sorrow, anxiety, anger and depression. But you work through these things. As men most of us were taught to not show very much emotion, not to cry or be sensitive in front of others. We hide our vulnerabilities and we pretend we aren't scared of anything and nothing bothers us. Its OK to show emotion as a man. Some men are sensitive, others are not, that doesn't make you less of a man in any way we need to know that.
Also, it is ok to show our kids some of that vulnerability. I know as fathers we want to be our child's superman and their hero as well. Part of doing that is showing them that at times everything doesn't go their way and you will be frustrated and it's how you deal with those tough times that show what we are really made of.
Research has demonstrated, time and again, that children especially teens look to their parents for guidance regarding every important aspect of their lives. Drugs, sex, appropriate conduct at school, friends, money you name it they want to hear from us. So in turn we owe it to them to be open and honest with them, not to avoid situations that are unpleasant, cause if we do they will seek advice from somewhere else. Teaching your children by example how to persevere through pain will make them "super" human beings.

False Prophets

Its been stated "If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."  This is such a true statement which was all recognized on May 21st the day after the World was predicted to end.  It's crazy how so many people believed one little old man could predict that it would all come to an end.  So many people spent their life savings since they believed it would be their last opportunity to do anything significant.  One man went as far as spending his life savings, a whopping $140,000 just to pay for billboards saying that it would all come to an end on May 20th 2011.  The man that came up with this theory goes by the name of Harold Camping, an 89 year old self proclaimed Bible Scholar out of Alameda County.  Camping has also predicted that the world would end before back in 1994, which most of you know by now was also wrong.  So that brings us to the topic at hand.  How could someone continue to listen and follow the word of a man that has been so wrong in a matter that is so important?  First it's almost impossible to believe in Science and Faith since they contradict each other.  Harold Camping used a mathematical formula in order to come up with the date for his projected end of the world.  Also it was stated in the bible that God didn't let anyone know when the last day of earth would occur, not even the Angels.  So if you follow the Bible faithfully like most God fearing people do, you would have realized that the end of the world claim was off in so many ways.  He's now saying that he miscalculated and that what he should have said was it will end in October. 


    We as people need to realize that even though we have Pastors, Reverends, Deacons, Monks, and Rabbi’s the word of God is up to you to interpret the way you believe.  We can't live our lives waiting for the World to end; we need to live our lives as if the World has just begun.  It's not wise to follow the lead of someone just because you feel as if they may have the answers.  Did you know that a few of Camping’s followers tuned back in to listen to what the Pastor had to say the following monday, even though he was wrong?  At what point do you say enough is enough and find someone that will not fill your mind with hopeless nonsense.  It makes me wonder what else he has gotten them to listen to and believe.  This situation doesn't promote the word of God, but it gives Atheist all over the world more reasons to negatively view people of faith. 

So in the end let's make sure that we are being responsible adults and are making proper decisions on what we listen to and what we fall for.  Make sure that your kids does not become a follower, because following someone else's practices does not lead to better lives unless you are following a life that lives self righteous.  If our kids do not learn to become their own person, then they will follow the lead of anybody that will show them the way.

Never too Late

On Friday Night I was able to go to a San Francisco Giants game with my dad and one of my very best friends. It was a great time. As the game was going on I was thinking about how great it is to have my father in my life. My dad wasn't around very much while I was growing up but as I became a teenager he began to come around a lot more. I have really enjoyed these years having my father in my life. I am not worried about the time he wasn't there I'm just concerned with him being here now.
As I thought about this I wondered about all the fathers that think it may be too late to establish a connection with their child. Some may think that if they abandon them at one point how can they ever make that up. The truth is you cannot make that time up. The time that was missed is gone and what is important is the future. It is never too late to make an attempt to be a part of your child's life. We have all made mistakes, we have all done things we aren't proud of, but we must learn from our mistakes, change our behavior and try to do better in the future.
I am really grateful my father didn't have the attitude that it was too late for us to establish a father/son relationship. Our bond has become so strong over the years, we have both enjoyed getting to know each other and learning from one another. The most important thing in life is to continue to move forward and learn from the past. Don't beat yourself up about past transgressions, work on being a better person each day and you will continue to progress.

Common Controversy

It's not very often you hear a heated debate over poetry, but Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" did just that. The controversy stems from an invitation given to a rapper by the name of Common  to come to the White House and read poetry. Common was invited by the first lady of the United States Michelle Obama. Upon hearing of his invite to the White House Bill O'Reilly highly criticized the choice of Common based on his belief that Common celebrates violence and cop-killing in his lyrics, and therefore had no place performing at the White House. Jon Stewart mocked Bill O'Reilly's outrage on "The Daily Show" saying "Common was the subject of Fox News Channel's latest exercise in fits of hissy."
The part that we find most intriguing is how the artist Bono from the group U2 did a song called "Native Son" which talks about a man that was convicted of killing 2 FBI agents and he was invited to the White House without any question.  This is not to point any blame or to speak badly about that particular President or artist, but isn't this the same thing.  How could they say that President Obama supports cop killings just because he invites an artist who wrote a song about them to the White House for poetry night.  The only known criticism comes from FOX news and Bill O'Reilly.  This is the same man that went on air and said that Jennifer Aniston was promoting teenage pregnancy because she made a remark about women not always needing a man to raise a child.  I know he has the right to speak his mind, but how does he justify that?  Is this what our country really wants to hear? Certainly not. Its plain to see that this type of thinking is flawed, and baseless.
One thing that I felt is important to mention is the fact that Common is being judged simply because he has an opinion on something. He never said that killing cops is ok, he never condoned that type of behavior, he simply felt that someone that was accused of killing a cop was indeed innocent. Malcolm X said if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything, and I truly believe that and applaud Common for standing up for what he believes in.
 Bill O'Reilly debates Jon Stewart

Using Kind Words

We have all heard the saying as a child sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me. Turns out as we become adults we realize that is not entirely true. Words are very powerful, and can actually cause broken bones. The words that we use when speaking to our kids, our spouses, or our friends even are very important. We want to use words that are good for building up each other. We don't want to be condescending to our spouses, or a tyrant to our kids, we want to use words that encourage rather than words that discourage.
A lot of times its not what you say it's how you say it. I have heard that from different people pretty often. I know we all have had those moments where someone has said something that may not have been all that bad, but the way they said it made you angry. After you take a second and think about it you then realize that the issue is more about the tone rather than what was said. The key is to take that second and not just react so quickly. Take a deep breath answer with mildness and you will see that the issue can be quickly resolved without additional conflict.
As I stated in the first paragraph words can be powerful enough to break bones. Words can also be powerful enough to heal bones as well. Kind words can solve problems, it can also turn away rage. The words we use have a profound impact on those we come in contact with. We want to leave a lasting good impression on our families and friends by using speech that is positive and good for building each other up.

Protection is Key

One of the most important things these days for our youth to learn about and keep in mind is the practice of safe sex.  So many of our youth today are becoming teenage parents, or victims of STD's.  It's a plaguing epidemic that needs to be look into a little more often.  I was asked the other day did I have any classes while growing up for Sex Ed.  When I thought about it, I knew I never had any in High School or Junior High, but I did in Elementary.  With the way life is now you would assume that there is more education out there to help teens with understanding this better.  There should be classes assisting younger women on how to make sure they are protected and how to say No to sexual temptation.  In elementary there is not a overwhelming amount of kids thinking about sex so the class then is a little irrelevant.  We should be focusing on the kids that intrigued by sex more the actual teens and young adults.  There are so many kids out there having sex at a young age, because they feel like they need to in order to help their social status.  The worst part about that is most of them are not aware on how to use protection properly or at all.  That's where the schools as well as parents need to get involved.  Let's promote classes that teach these things throughout the school year not just for 1 hour out of the day.  Sometimes curricular learning isn't just enough for teens and young adults they need life training as well. We need to make sure that our teens realize that there is nothing glamorous about becoming a teen parent.  They need to understand that will change the outcome of their lives drastically.  Teens get so caught up in the act of actually having sex that they forget to think about consequences. 

We have to let them know that teen pregnancy is the least of their worries.  Teens don't realize how easy it is to catch an STD, most of which is transmitted by someone who never know they have one.  1 out of 4 people in the world have an STD and don't know it, and 1 out of 5 people in the U.S has an STD.  With these numbers it's easy to understand how diseases could spread so fast.  It's important that we help our teens understand what they can contract and how it could affect their lives.  Make sure that if they are sexually active, that they are tested regularly.  I think one of the worst things that teens and young adults say is "They looked clean."  What they don't realize is that most STD's are not noticeable unless the person is having a attack or a break out.  Let's try to insure that our younger generations are understanding the importance of practicing safer sex.

Blacks and Unemployment

I recently read an article on "Yahoo" News that says the Employment rate for Black Men is at an all time low. The article states that out of all black men over the age of 20, only 56.9% of them have jobs. Compare this to white men who are employed at a 68.1 percent clip and you can see that something is wrong here. Among blacks it's not just the men that are suffering. Just 51.5% of blacks across the board compared to 59.5% of whites are employed the numbers show. That's the lowest rate for blacks since 1984. These employment rates are calculated differently from the top line unemployment rate, which includes only those actively looking for work. What could be causing this record high of unemployment in the black community?
The first thing to consider is the education level of those looking for employment. The schools in the black community for the most part are having trouble giving the proper education children need to be successful. School programs are constantly being cut, teacher pay is a joke, and the people that suffer are our children. Another reason is the disproportionate amount of blacks in the prison system. One of our highest concerns of ours doing this blog is to get our youth to stay out of prison. A lot of our attention is focused on parents being there to teach their kids right from wrong.
The hiring practices of these companies are being called into question as well. Online job listings have been telling applicants that have been unemployed for six months or more will not be considered for employment. The federal government is probing whether such listings illegally discriminate against blacks that are disproportionately likely to among the jobless.
The social and political impact of continued high black unemployment and underemployment could be measured by homelessness, foreclosures, health issues, among other ways. But the most troublesome lingering problem may be the destruction of the dreams of young people. We cannot allow these disparaging statistics to define us. If you are currently looking for a job, stay positive, do not get discouraged and you will be successful in your search for a satisfying job. Take this time to reconnect with your love ones. Spend the extra time in between looking for a job with your family. Most of all be confident in your abilities and the special qualities that you bring to a potential employer.
We all have hardships and losing a job is not an easy one to deal with. One of the nicest co workers I have just informed me he lost his house and has no place to live. He doesn't even know where he will lay his head this very evening, and he actually has a job, how sad these times are for some.  I encourage us all to do the best we can to encourage others, uplift others, and bring a smile to someone's face, you never know what that person may be enduring.

Lessons from our kids

The lessons we learn throughout our lives are countless.  Is it possible that we learn all of our life lessons while just surviving.  Or do we need to push ourselves to meet new people and try new things in order to receive and understand those lessons?  Since having my son I find myself learning something from him just as much as I would learn from anyone else.  Being a father helps me with patience, which I lacked in so much.  It also helps me become a stronger person dealing with the obstacles of fatherhood.  There has been times when my son has gotten hurt, and dealing with the frustration of not being able to resolve my sons pain was difficult to deal with.  I learned that I will not always be able to make thee pain go away, but how I deal with my son when he is in pain or hurt can be changed.  There are somethings in life we cannot prevent, but what gives us strength is being prepared to deal with issues as they arise.  Its important as people that we learn life lessons as often as possible, and if your not sure if it could be one take time to analyze it.  Try to understand how you could gain something positive out of the slightest things.  If we never take the chance to learn lessons then growing as people will take much longer.  The lessons I have learned in nearly 2 years from being a parent far exceeds anything I thought I would learn.  Now it is up to me to apply these lessons to raising my son.  When learning our life lessons, let's be sure to pass it along to our children and any other youth that we encounter.  Like we always mention here at Dajs Daily the change in our society will only begin to turn when we reach our younger generation.  We all want the World to be a better place, so we have to make sure that the generations of tomorrow learn lessons today. 

New Things

Sometimes when becoming better people we need to be opened to new things.  We need to be willing to change the things that we are not use to changing.  Its important in growth to open yourself up to different things that will expand your mind.  If your someone who doesn't try different foods, than take the time to try something new.  Try opening yourself up to a broader spectrum of music, try to get away from the norm and listen to different genre of music, instead of the same sort of music.  There's a lot of good music out there if we just decide to step out of of boxes. Some of us have a problem with doing different things in general just because we are afraid of change.  Opening ourselves up to new ideas sparks creative imaginations that we can utilize to achieve more.  For some of us we never gotten the opportunity to open our minds to new experiences, but lets make sure that our children doesn't suffer the same fate.  The more we keep them closed off to different experiences, the more we closing them out of a world that has so much to offer.  I try to make it a point to open my son up to new things whenever possible so that he's aware of the different things he can do and see. Sometimes the best motivation is knowing what you can receive if you achieve your goals.  I use to be the type of person that would only subject myself to the things that I was familiar to.  That could be because there were some things that I wasn't pushed to open up to, and it could be that I was unsure of how I would feel about it.  Once I started to open myself up to trying things that I wouldn't have tried before I started to realize the potential that was out there for me to experience.  We should encourage people more to try to take more trips more as a family and not just to amusement parks, but to museums historic locations.  Open your children up to culture and art early, they could then begin to feel like television, isn't the only interesting thing to see.  When I was younger I was taken on vacation and was able to see alot of interesting things and places, that encouraged me all my life to want to see more places.  Had I not experienced these things as a child, who knows how I would feel about it now.  Bottom line is that we need to expand our minds more than we do as people not just to be book smart, but to be aware of the things we can achieve when we do.  If you are not open to change then at least encourage your children or someone you know to be open to different things.  You never know you may find something you like.

Illiteracy Epidemic

The word is not just a sound or a written symbol. The word is a force; it is the power you have to express and communicate, to think, and thereby to create the events in your life.
 - Don Miguel Ruiz

Illiteracy is a very dangerous epidemic in our society. It is a little known fact that approximately 90 million Americans have low or very low literacy skills meaning they cannot read above the 6th grade level. There are 44 million adults who cannot read a simple story to their child. Also, 3 out of 4 people on welfare cannot read, so you can see the affects of literacy on job prospects. This is a very disturbing trend that so many adults in our society cannot read the menu at a restaurant. 

The importance of reading needs to be stressed to our children from birth. The joy of reading and developing your mind is so important. Children learn to use their imagination through reading and listening to stories. Evidence shows that illiteracy does start at home. A National Governors' Association Task Force on Adult Literacy reported that illiteracy is an inter-generational problem, following a parent-child pattern. Poor school achievement and dropping out before completing school are commonplace among children of illiterate parents. 

We as adults have to have a thirst for reading and knowledge to be able to pass this important lesson on to our kids. We must read to them, encourage them to read, and read ourselves to keep our mind as sharp as possible. This trend of illiteracy can stop with this next generation if we can teach our kids the joys of reading.

Be Yourself

One of the things I always told myself is that when I grew up, I would be a better man and father than my father was.  I wanted to set myself apart from the other men in my family since they all were going to prison or living a life that I didn't see myself living.  I had the mentality to realize that if I live the same life that they did then I too would end up in jail, on drugs, or worst.  So I focused on being a better person and not following any body's footsteps but my own.  Doing it my way got me a High School, Diploma, a College degree, and loving family and friends.  It's important especially as men that we realize that being our own person is the best thing you can do.  We need to understand that life is almost designed for you to fail in some ways and without the right mind set there is no way you can achieve greatness.  We need to get out of the mind set that if this person did it so can I.  Although its a good way to look at things, but it could also be a way of holding yourself back from progressing.  This doesn't just apply to men, women suffer from tailoring their life to her mother as well.  It isn't a bad thing to be like her either, but having a baby before 18 because your mother did is.  As well as caring yourself in a non womanly manner, dealing with your men and your relationships the same way because that's what mom did is not a great way to achieve greatness either.  We as people will only prosper if we look at what came before us and tell ourselves "I want to be better than my father, mother, brother or sister.  Let's reach for higher goals and let our kids know or any kids that we deal with know as well.  When my son gets a little older he will probably say he wants to play ball like Lebron James.  I will tell him "No, you want to be better than him."  This is not to discourage him, but to let him know that not everybody is perfect and to remember that being like somebody is nothing compared to being your own person.  Set your own guidelines on what it takes to be a great parent, if you were never shown the way.  Take time to be the best person you can be and not just a mirror image of someone that you thought had it all.  We can have so much more as people if we utilize all our strengths and talents to excel to greater heights.

Irreplaceable

This morning my eight year old daughter asked me if there was a fire and I could only grab three things other than my children what would it be? I thought for a minute and I really could not think of anything other than my kids and my wife that I could not replace. I thought about my prized collection of baseball and football cards that include Emmitt Smith's and Barry Bonds' rookie cards. I thought about the pictures I have of family and friends, and the clothes and shoes that I have and love. All these things I really like, but are they irreplaceable? No.
I gave my daughter the answer that there is nothing other than you, your mom, and your brother that I couldn't replace. Therefore, I would only worry about the safety of my family and wouldn't even attempt to grab anything as long as she was safe. This really made me think about how precious life is and that material things come and go. I began to think about how much my life would be different without seeing her beautiful face every morning, or hearing her laugh when she's amused. The joys of parenthood are really what is irreplaceable. The high and the lows are all part of the job and make it so rewarding. I urge each of us to keep in mind what is truly irreplaceable and not place so much emphasis on things that can be replaced.

Mothers Day

We hear at Dajs Daily debated whether Mothers were more important than Fathers.  We both feel that they are both equally important in raising a child.  However, Mothers can never be replaced by anyone.  Mothers carried you for 9 months, and their is nothing that can break that bond.  When we were kids and fell and hurt ourselves we cried for our Mothers before anybody else.  That was because our Mothers had a particular way of making you feel better. For a lot of us we never had fathers there to raise us so we had to depend on the strength of our mothers.  I sat and watched the NFL draft a couple of weeks ago and noticed all of these young men embracing their family as their names were called.  Some of these young men only had mothers to hug onto and the few that had fathers did not embrace the fathers the same way.  Most of the men would hug their dad and smile, but once they hugged their mother they broke out into tears.  I thought those were special moments since more than likely the father was pushing the son to succeed in football, but the mother was obviously his rock.

So that poses the question, What does it take to be a great mother?  Is it Love, Affection, her nurturing ways, can anybody really explain it?  We spend a lot of time here at Dajs Daily discussing the importance of father and that's because we as men now see the sacrifice that it takes to be a good father. The mothers of our children have shown us what a real mom is all about.  The sacrifices that they have made to be good mothers to the kids, as well as hold down the household, and still have time for the man is her life is remarkable. I have learned the one trait that all good mothers possess is love. Good mothers love their children more than anything else and that is truly special. Over time we have been fortunate enough to have learned things from great mothers and know women that have went ahead and became great mothers. So today on this Friday before Mothers day we want to say thank you to you all, you are truly wonderful individuals and your children will be better people for it.

We want to send a special Mothers day shout out to the most special mothers we know:
Samantha Bolds
Stacey Owens

We love and appreciate the mothers you are.

Don't Settle

Too often in life we settle for less than we should. We think we don't deserve any better and that we are lucky to get anything. We talk ourselves out of expecting to get what we really want and tell ourselves to be satisfied with what there is. But settling for what you don't want does no good at all to you or anybody else.

When we are doing what we love and living with joy in our lives, we give out so much positive energy to all around us. We contribute to the community and the world at large. When we settle for what we don't want, we have so much less to give, sometimes not even enough to nurture ourselves let alone anybody else. 

This is important in all aspects of our life. Weather it be a relationship, job, or parenting, we must not settle for less than what we deserve. Do not be afraid to look for a better job or pursue outside interests. I have found it is a bit scary sometimes to step outside the box and try something different. But the feeling of satisfaction after accomplishing a goal makes it very much worth it.

In conclusion try to never settle for things you don't want, in the big things or even the little things in life. If the decorator paints your walls the wrong color, insist that he repaints it to the color you chose. If you are sticking at a job you hate just to pay the bills, start looking around for a job that you will feel more engaged in. Don't let your soul starve by doing things you don't want. Look at everything in your life, from where you live to the food you eat and see if it is really what you want. If you find an area where you are settling for things you don't want, see if there are ways that you can make a change to bring in the things you do want.

Teacher Appreciation

The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires.  ~William Arthur Ward

Yesterday was considered Teacher appreciation day.  We're a day late but we wanted to thank all of the teachers out there that do their part to make educational impacts on peoples lives.  There are a few teachers we know out there that goes up and beyond the call of duty to show their students how much knowledge is important.  Even though all of us do not work for a school we have all can be teachers, especially us parents.  It's up to us the most to expand our children's minds and to make sure that they have better chances in life.  Some teachers out there could care less on the education that your child receives so its up to you to make sure that your child is put in the best learning situation possible.  Over the years many teachers showed me the attention that I needed in order to succeed , and i appreciate them for that.  It can't be easy to get a group of people young or old to understand and follow what you are trying to explain, but great teachers find a way.  Along with the Military, teachers are also heroes that are often over looked since they work in a classroom.  Teachers should be given more respect and higher pay, since they do things for peoples kids that the parents don't want to do.  Most parents in a way depend on the teacher to raise their children and to provide them with morals.  This is a problem since not all teachers care about all of their students the same way.  It's up to us at home to be the other teachers that our children see everyday, because ultimately their success is put on our shoulders as parents.  So whether you did it yesterday or you are a day late like we are take the time to thank a teacher of some kind for their sacrifice and dedication they put forward everyday to give someone knowledge that they can carry with them for a lifetime.  There are good teachers and there are great teachers.  Good ones gives you knowledge and the great one gives you great knowledge as well as explain how to always obtain knowledge.  Since knowledge is power and most teachers are providing that, we have to consider teachers as the most powerful influences in our lives.  So once again we want to thank all of the teachers out their for being great influences to our younger generations as well as anybody that finds knowledge powerful.

The right one for you...

Sure, we all dream about meeting the right person. . . the one that we are meant to be with forever. Dreaming about it is all fun and easy, but the real question is, where do you find this soul mate of yours? Fate? Well yes, if you believe in fate, then yes, it will have something to do with it, but not without effort on your part. Fate needs you to give it direction so that as a team, you can find the person you have always wanted as a part of your life.
The first thing you have to do before finding a mate is to find yourself. What qualities are important to you? What are your morals and beliefs? How do you show your affection and how do you expect it to be presented to you? These are all important questions to ask before you look for a mate. 
One of the big things to remember also is to have faith. You have to know that there is a person that is perfect for you and you will find that person when the time is right. There is no reason to force the feeling of love, or to rush those feelings if they do start to occur. If you have met someone you like be patient and allow time for chemistry to develop and really garner a deep appreciation for each others strength's and weaknesses.
 In a poll conducted in 2006 and 2007 by eHarmony, out of 10,000 married couples surveyed, 19% met online, 17% met at work, and another 17% met through friends. As you can see from this poll there are many different ways to meet a potential marriage mate. There is no one surefire way to catch a spouse, the right person could be right under your nose.
The most important aspect of finding the right mate is keeping your heart and mind open. Do not close yourself off to new people and experiences. Be open to meeting people of different economic and social backgrounds, and different races and creeds as well. Finding the right mate is also about the journey. Don't rush the process it is all for a purpose. After finding the right mate for you, then you will understand what the journey was all for.

Miseducation of Connecticut

This past month there was a story in the news about a Connecticut woman who was arrested for allegedly stealing education.  This woman is facing up to 20 years in jail for stealing $16,000 in school education.  So I ask myself although larceny is a federal crime to you really put someone in prison for simply wanting to better their children's future?  Would they dare through someone in prison a put a child in foster care where he will not receive the love of his mother, simply because she was homeless and tried to provide the proper education for her child.  As a society how could we live with ourselves by destroying a family like that.  It makes you think if this had anything to do with race.  Norwalk, Connecticut has a 15% African American population and less than 10% of the population is below poverty levels.  Is it possible that this boy and his mother were targeted because of the color of their skins.  Its hard to believe that in Norwalk, Connecticut where the population is 73% Caucasian.  If this is the case there should be some justice taken place.  If a parent is given that type of punishment just for wanting to be the best parent she could be given the circumstances that shouldn't be held against her or the child.  I understand that jurisdictions are used for a reason, but convicting a homeless parent for providing for her child is a bit steep.  We as people have to find better ways to deal with deprived children and education.  So I ask our audience "Would you commit a crime to get your children a better education?"  Everybody that has kids feels that they would do anything to insure that their children are happy and taken care of, but these days we need to cautios on how we do it to avoid issues as this woman.