Rights are earned. Not owed.
I am an American, a minority, and a veteran.
One of the many lessons I’ve learned is that you don’t get rights and freedoms by demanding them and saying that you are owed them. You get them by earning them. You get them by being a responsible citizen and contributing to the betterment of the people around you. You get them by being tolerant of people that look different, pray different, and think differently than you.
I love the flag as much as anybody. But it comes with a ton of responsibility.
America is not defined by the flag, who is in office, or who represents us. It’s defined by how we treat each other. On this day we call it being American. Call it whatever you will. Let’s be more nice and more understanding of each other.
You don’t have to like me. All I ask is that you respect me. You do that for me. I’ll do it for you. And we’ll get along just fine.
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The Next 60 Seconds
You want to know who is great at making excuses? ME. As much as I kick other people in the butt I’ve got my own demons riding on my back. Every day I have a war in my head of fighting what is practical and not fun with what is fun but harder to accomplish. I take the easy, less-than-happy way out more often that I’d like to admit. I deal with the remorse and then hope I get the chance to make the happier choice tomm. But the happier choices are also happening more frequently.
I am sure you have this riding on your back. There is that “thing” out there that you want to do. It’s fun. It’s exciting. And you know you can build an income and a lifestyle around it. But there is also that doubt in the back of your head. Or maybe there is no doubt. Maybe everything else just gets higher priority. Family, jobs, parents, the yard, the dog, the bills. Everything else takes up all of your damn time and there is nothing left to pursue the dream.
I’ve been there. And I’m still there several times a week.
It all comes down to decisions. Every minute you have to decide what is more important. If you decide to take the easy less than happy way out, then you’ve lost that minute. Try again the next minute. And the next and the the next after that.
But remember that your minutes are running out. Those minutes are going to turn into hours. And then days, weeks and months. Time doesn’t disappear all at once. It happens in the seconds and minutes that we waste on the less-than-happy bullshit that comes our way.
OK. You’ve consumes the past 60 seconds with this. Now what are you going to do with the next 60 seconds. And the next. And then the next.
You get that choice.
StopDoingNothing. Love – Patrick
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The False Comfort of Hate
What do you hate? Who do you hate? Pause and think about that. Most people hate something. We hate a certain kind of food. Maybe a person, and idea or a political party. There is at least one thing in this world that makes our blood boil. When we see it or think about it we squint our eye and prepare ourselves for battle. Most people internalize it and bite their tongues. At the other extreme some people bring the hate out into the real world in the form of physical aggression against others. Sometimes it feels good to hate and to associate with other people that hate the same things you do.
Take a minute and think about what you hate.
Where does that get you? When has hate ever benefitted you? It may seem like a good driver at the time. But it is exhausting on the soul. It makes you start arguments where they weren’t needed. It shuts you down from viewpoints that make you better person. And it takes up the limited time you have on this planet. If you hate too much it starts to feel comfortable and natural. The danger is that hate is unhealthy for you mentally and physically. It will trickle from one area of your life into others. Left unchecked it will turn you into a person that hates most things. And nobody likes that person.
Why not direct the energy from hate into something would help another group or person? Rather than spend time and energy demeaning and dragging down someone you found a way to lift someone else up. It’s OK to not want to associate with things you dislike. But pick a group that YOU do like and put your energy into making that group better. Now of course I’m not talking about hate groups, violence or anything remotely breaking the law. But find a person or group of people who needs to know what you know to make themselves better. Create a legacy from making someone better vs creating a legacy based on what you hate.
You have a finite amount of time and energy every day. Rather than break down something, use that energy to build up someone else. Your influence can shape the future of this world if you use it correctly.
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How to Avoid the Jackasses in Life
Have you ever had to deal with a toxic coworker, annoying family member or community member? You know the kind: The glass is not only always 1/2 empty but it is broken into tiny shards. They always complain about it being Monday, cannot wait until Friday. But on Friday they are complaining about the horrible past week they just had and the forthcoming Monday. They never want to be where they are; the grass is always greener at home, or at a better job, or outside. They blame management and everybody else for their woes. They think every creative idea for getting ahead is a scam. They can’t find the time or money to invest in their self-improvement yes they have no problem pissing away their money on alcohol.
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Thirteen Jacked Up Things That Are Pissing Away Your Life
This morning I was thinking about my constant effort to improve my productivity and energy management. The world is fighting against people that want to be productive, smart, efficient and ambitious. You have to always be on your toes and proactively plan your life so life doesn’t take control of you. This post (like so many others) was written partially as a reminder to myself about the bad habits of the past that have killed my goals in life. I hope it opens your eyes and helps guide you towards the light of happiness.
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The Two Simple Rules of a Great Life Most People Get Wrong
Linda Buquet has made a very elegant and timely post over at 5 Star Affiliate Marketing Forums about learning to Focus in your affiliate marketing efforts. This is something that is amazingly hard to do in life – whether we are talking about affiliate marketing or about driving a car down the street. But it is also absolutely AMAZING what someone can accomplish when they do focus.
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