Those 4 years inside the 4 walls of your child’s high school will determine the future course of his or her life.

If they graduate:

They might be accepted by a university.

They might be accepted into a trade school.

They may get a job right out of high school.

If they don’t graduate:

No university will accept them.

They won’t be able to get into the military. Today’s weaponry is sophisticated and is difficult to learn. The entrance exam is very challenging.

It will be practically impossible to get a good job. Kids with H.S. diplomas are competing for the same unskilled jobs.

One of my previous football players at an inner city H.S. did not graduate. He has 3 kids and is a janitor in an apartment building. He has regretted not graduating ever since.

The 4 years inside their H.S’s 4 walls will determine their future.

Get on your kids to wake up and get good grades so they can be in control of their lives!

If not today, when?

Today, two powerful forces exist; LOVE & HATE

Here are some examples of each:

LOVE:

Many thousands of homeowners throughout Europe inviting Ukrainian refugees into their homes.

Long-lasting marriages of two people who have learned to accept the shortcomings of one another.

All the medical doctors, nurses, ambulance personnel who have lost their lives to Covid 19 while attempting to save the lives of strangers.

HATE:

Extreme right and left members of our two political parties.

Those who practice racial and ethnic prejudice on a daily basis.

Bullying in the school yard and also by large countries bullying small countries.

Ex-marital partners who treat each other unkindly.

Those who help keep the downtrodden people down.

JESUS said “Love one another as I have loved you.”

It is in the expression of love that we find peace.

Practice love!

If not today, when?

In the photo above, his body lies in state, still dressed in his Ukrainian soldier camouflage uniform.

He is one of 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers killed so far in the murderous assault by the Russian Army.

Dmytro died as a patriot who was willing to defend his homeland and loved ones at all costs.

He and thousands of men and women are on the front lines prepared to die for their country.

A recently downed and captured Russian pilot has told his Ukrainian captors that he was ordered to bomb civilian targets only.

We are witnessing EVIL on full display.

May Dmytro Kabakov, a patriot who gave his all, rest in peace.

Mary O’Shea McLean (M.O.M.) Age 89 years

Mary gave birth to seven children, six boys and a girl.

One of the boys (Tim) was killed in an auto accident.

Mary was a great mom because she practiced what all great moms practice:

LOVE & LEADERSHIP

She loved her kids no matter what they did or didn’t do.

She always had their backs.

But she took no nonsense or misbehavior.

No, you didn’t get off lightly with some transgression.

That’s when her love became tough love so she could teach her kids the right way to live.

She is already missed by a society that so badly needs leaders of her high caliber!

Sadly, it’s time to say “Goodbye” to M.O.M.

If the answer is, “yes”, why is the answer, “yes?”

If the answer is, “no’, why is the answer, “no?”

And what is your basis of measurement?

Financial?

Appearance?

Relationships?

Career path?

Personal Health?

Lack of Courage?

Social Life?

Regrets?

Any or all of the above?

Which ones, if remedied would impact your happiness the most?

Is the solution in your hands or do you need help from someone else?

If you need help from someone else, do you know who that someone is?

If so, how and when should you approach that someone for assistance?

If the solution is totally within your grasp, why haven’t you solved it yet?

Get to it!

You deserve to be more satisfied with your life!

If not today, when?

Do you get involved or do you walk away?

It is often a difficult decision.

I guess you have to judge the benefit to the other person versus the liability to you.

One of the factors that make the decision even more difficult is that we live in a litigious society.

Sometimes the Good Samaritan gets sued.

Nevertheless, there are always people in need and if we can make their load a little lighter, we should.

Many members of our society prefer to look away.

That will not bring us closer and we must grow closer because there are too many issues that separate us.

{Albert Einstein in photo)

Yes, an intelligent person has a greater chance at becoming successful.

Emotional Intelligence (EI), however, is even more important.

It is defined as the ability to identify and regulate one’s emotions and understand the emotions of others.

Here are the benefits of possessing high Emotional Intelligence (EI):

High EI helps you build relationships with others.

High EI helps you reduce team stress.

High EI helps you defuse conflict.

High EI helps you improve job satisfaction.

People with high intelligence can create great ideas, but they will need high EI to sell the idea to others.

In other words, you must be accepted by others before your ideas will be accepted.

Think about ways to improve your EI!

If not today, when?

As growing up has many stages, so does parenting.

There comes a time when the child’s decisions have more dire consequences.

When the child makes an obviously harmful move in the wrong direction, what does the parent do or not do?

All parents face this dilemma as the child becomes more independent.

Sometimes, the parent tries to caution the child that the move will have harmful consequences.

Other times, the parent must not intervene while watching the suffering that will hopefully teach a much needed lesson of life.

The irony, of course, is that the parent suffers while watching the son or daughter suffer.

And so it goes, the perennial emotional ups and downs of both parent and child as adulthood comes along in one form or another.

No one said it would be easy.

Calling upon GOD is not a bad idea in such instances.

If not today, when?

There has always been bullying at school.

And it continues today.

From what I surmise, bullying has become more vicious.

There are also incidences of kids committing suicide as a result of excessive bullying.

This issue of bullying is a serious one.

Some kids can stand up to it better than others.

One of the unfortunate aspects of bullying is that the one being bullied will often not admit it to his or her parents.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think it is imperative that you find out if your child is being bullied.

Perhaps, periodic chats with teachers can help keep you informed.

Find time to listen to your child. After school and bedtime seem to be times when private and quiet conversations are possible. Listening cannot happen when it is competing with the sound of games or TV. Privacy is essential.

Be willing to listen often. Once is not enough. It must become a regular time in your and your child’s life.

If not today, when?

Do you give daily thanks?

If not, why not?

Is it because you have nothing to be thankful for?

WOW!

It’s obvious that you’re not paying attention.

The mere fact that you’re able to read this blog indicates that you have the gift of sight and have been taught how to read.

There are millions of blind people throughout the world who don’t and never will have your gift of sight.

Watch the Paralympics being conducted in China right now.

See people ski down mountains with no legs!

Do you have even one person who loves you?

Wake up!

Daily gratitude should be pouring out of you in thanks for all your blessings you take for granted.

If not today, When?