Unhappy with the progress and/or direction of your life?

Know what you want to change, but don’t have the courage to do so?

Welcome to the club!

You are among the great majority of people who would love to enjoy a better life, but just won’t take that first step.

What are you afraid of? Fear of failure?

Let me promise you one thing:

At the end of your life, you will regret not trying to do what you really wanted to do.

And the people, who might have been critical of your dream, will have died and their opinion didn’t matter anyway.

So, now that you’re still young, strike while the iron is hot!

If not today, when?

You’re always a parent, but the relationship between parent and child must necessarily evolve as the child becomes an adult.

The one who must make the greater adjustment is the parent.

Of necessity, the child must be granted more freedom when making choices.

Of course, the parent won’t always agree with the decision the adult-child makes.

Even if the decision is not a good one, sometimes young adults must have enough freedom to learn and grow from their mistakes.

Every parent wants their children to be happy and content with their life.

If the parent questions the adult-child’s lifestyle, the parent must be supportive even if the lifestyle is not one the parent would choose.

Above all, the parent must be approachable so that fears or concerns can be communicated freely between both parties.

Remember, you’re always a parent.

I was never a dog lover.

Oh, we had various ones that came and went, but, to me, they were a nuisance.

After the kids were raised and on their own, I began thinking about getting a dog because my wife loved them.

My thought process reasoned that, although I didn’t want a dog, I didn’t want to deprive my wonderful wife joy in her later years.

When I suggested that we get a dog, we were off to the shelters that day!

It didn’t take her long to find the one she wanted.

She named the dog “HAPPY!”

And, as the name implies, “HAPPY” makes her happy.

To be honest, I have learned a lot from “HAPPY.”

She exhibits loyalty, forgiveness, patience and other fine virtues we would like to see practiced by humans more often.

GET A DOG!

If not today, when?

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those with power. (BIG)

Those without. (SMALL)

The vast majority of the earth’s inhabitants fall into the latter category.

But, the BIG people have influence on the future.

The SMALL people don’t

I have spent much of my life with the SMALL people.

I enjoy their company and am in awe of their daily struggles for survival.

Most BIG people, who have the power to help, don’t.

The daily amount of suffering of the SMALL people is unimaginable.

Yet, the lives of the BIG and SMALL continue on as they always have.

The BIG will always be BIG!

The SMALL will always be SMALL.

In India, The SMALL people are called UNTOUCHABLES.

What are the SMALL people called in our Country?

Poor? Uneducated? Homeless?

…OF THE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ.

(Today’s blog written by my grand daughter, Hannah)

“The cruelty inflicted on an entire race because of their beliefs.

Still, unfortunately, very relevant today,

whether it be race, Asian people, black people, brown people,

or gender, or sexual orientation, etc.

I hope my generation paves a path of kindness, empathy, understanding, and patience for the world to come.

We can’t continue to survive as humans if we continue to hurt each other for our differences!”

I couldn’t have said it better.

A few weeks before Christmas, I dropped off some items at a company that raises money reselling them.

The man collecting the items was a terrific representative of his company.

He was respectful, friendly and seemed to enjoy his job.

I told him that I was very impressed with him and would call his boss to put in a good `word for him.

I eventually made that call on January 3rd of this year.

About January 10th, I returned to the store with more items.

He didn’t seem to be a cheerful as when we first met.

He told me his teenage son had died of an overdose on January 3rd, the very day I told his boss how wonderful he was as a representative of her company.

In telling me about his son, he said, “You have no idea how much your kind words meant to me at that tragic moment in my life.”

So, you never know how much of an impact your words make in the life of others.

When you read the title of today’s blog, you’re saying to yourself,

“What planet has he been living on?”

And you would be justified.

Of course, I realize we live in a chaotic, uncertain world.

Nevertheless, the simpler our lives can be, the happier we can be.

A simple life begins with solid relationships with loved ones, beginning with your spouse.

Next in order of priority is financial security.

Have you prepared yourself to earn a sufficient income?

You may have to develop a trade or go to community college or get another job.

Just as important as other priorities is your physical health.

Decisions on food, drink and exercise must make sense.

Too many people are asking drugs and alcohol to take their problems away.

You know they just add to your troubles.

Going to bed at night with peace is the goal for all of us.

We make decisions based upon facts, opinions or intuition.

FACTS

Fact-based decisions require you to do your homework. “Be sure of your facts” as they say.

Some things that seem to be facts are merely perceptions.

OPINIONS

Its not a bad idea to rely on another’s opinions so long as they know their subject and tell the truth.

Their experience in the subject should also be considered.

INTUITION

Your intuition is also a powerful resource when making a decision.

It combines facts, opinions and your own personal experiences to lead to the best possible outcome.

Begin making better decisions.

If not today, when?

These Ukrainian soldiers are reluctantly standing by as the politicians fiddle-faddle.

If and when war comes, some of the soldiers seen in this truck will not survive the man-made horrors yet to come.

The great irony is that a peace agreement finally comes after enough young patriots lie dead on the battlefield.

Did you know that that a Vietnamese auto manufacturer is building an assembly plant in California?

So, former enemies decide it’s in their mutual best interest to do business with one another.

Why, then, were all the young boys killed and maimed?

Will we ever learn?

If not today, when?