A Thought on Bullying

Time and time again, I read news articles and see stories about schools who punish not only bullies but their victims and those that are willing to stand up to the bullies. This is the wrong attitude. We need to cultivate a culture where people are empowered to stand up for what is right and speak out against those that do wrong. What happened to the world where we celebrated those who stood up for the good? Instead we now punish them and try and silence them when they speak out. To paraphrase Mr. Edmund Burke, all that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men (and women) to stand by and do nothing to fight against it.

It is time for us to rethink our school policies and our personal way of thinking. The world has changed. It is not enough to simply be a good person anymore. We must actively stand for good. We have to stand up for those that can't or those that won't. Someone has to. And if not us than who? Many of the problems that our society faces today exist, simply because the public at large tolerates them. The problems are allowed to exist and grow. In years past, members of the public would address them, and fight against their growth. Now most believe its' the Police's job. But they are ill equipped to deal with these societal problems. It is still incumbent upon us to stand up in our day to day lives to fight them.

“It is not enough just to be good. We must be good for something. We must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for our presence. And the good that is in us must be spread to others. This is the measure of our civility.” - Gordon B. Hinckley​

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/family/bullied-12-year-old-girl-commits-suicide-after-school-allegedly-tells-students-to-toughen-up/ar-BBjPxSa

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/fort-pierce/student-suspended-after-she-says-she-recorded-video-of-teacher-bullying-student

http://rt.com/usa/texas-suspension-special-needs-923/

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/09/24/father-says-son-suspended-for-standing-up-to-bully/

http://gawker.com/5951998/teen-suspended-for-standing-up-to-longtime-bully-back-in-class-after-dad-spends-days-protesting-outside-school

A Thought on Love

This evening I witnessed an older lady helping an older man out of a truck and into a wheelchair. They were both dressed rather nicely. She got a blanket and wrapped him up and gave him a kiss and they went in to a little coffee shop. I couldn't help but think: "Date night." It was so cute. It was a perfect little reminder that true love not only spans into the eternities, but that it can overcome all the hardships of this life: the maladies and infirmities, the jealousy and hate, the pride and contention and anything else mortality can throw at it. But the lesson to be learned from these two is this: lasting love is always a choice. It may begin with a feeling, but we must consciously choose to love another if there is to be any hope of that feeling growing into something more. And when we choose to love someone, it cannot be conditional. We can't choose to love someone based upon our circumstances, or what happens in the world. We can't choose to love parts or portions of an individual or choose to withhold our love when we think the person is undeserving. To do so is a sign of jealousy, fear, and selfishness. These are the antithesis of love. True love must be selfless.

To truly love someone is the greatest of all sacrifices because when we choose to, we remove our wants, our desires and our needs from the equation and instead choose to put someone else ahead of ourselves. Love can hurt though. It can wound us in such a way as nothing else can. It can come with such a high cost that some wonder if it is worth it.  I can tell you from experience that it is. Even with its cost, love will always be worth it.  Indeed, it is probably the only thing that ever was.

So when you choose to love someone, know what your undertaking. Know the risks, and the costs. Know what love entails. And then do it anyway. After all, as they say, "Love is what makes the world go round."

A Thought on the What Matters Most

Every once in a while, life puts us in circumstances that force us to reflect on our own mortality. We think on those things which mean the most to us. I always find it interesting that more often than not these thoughts almost always focus on the people in our lives. Well, perhaps not necessarily in our lives, but those who have touched our lives, whether they are still with us or not. Sometimes they are good memories; Christmases, birthdays, or other holidays, dinners, parties, and celebrations, quiet moments spent in a warm embrace, or long philosophical talks on the problems or the world. Sometimes they are just memories of singing at the top of your lungs on a long car ride with someone. Other times they are thoughts of regret; missed opportunities or connections, loss, grief, or thoughts of “what could have been.” But even these moments give us insight into ourselves and who we’ve become. They are a testament to the lives that we’ve built. They offer sufficient proof that we cared enough about something or someone to love and miss them. And that is a beautiful thing.

It is in these moments of thorough introspection that we reflect on the times which have had the most impact upon our hearts, our minds, and on who we’ve become as a person. When I reflect on the memories which matter most to me, I realize that in the moment they were created, I almost always failed to appreciate how much they would matter to me down the road. Of all the expensive vacations, the adrenaline filled adventures, the fun filled parties, or the thrilling nights on the town, the moments that stick with me are the quiet times when I truly connected with someone. Sometimes it is these unobtrusive, seemingly ordinary events that have the largest impact upon us, and most of the time we don’t even realize it at the time. I guess what I’m getting at is this: life is not about making the most money, or having the coolest, most expensive things, it isn’t about the dream job, or the house on a hill, most of the time it’s not even about impacting the world. Life is about loving people. It’s about embracing them and connecting with them. It’s about engaging them. It’s about creating memories. Make time for those people in your life. Make time for those tiny, little moments that you may not think matter, because I guarantee you that they will someday, and more often than not, that realization comes too late.  We are all granted a very finite amount of time on this earth and few, if any, of us know just how long that time is. Just recognize that and embrace those people who matter the most, whoever they are. And don’t forget to tell them how you feel about them. We all forget to do that far too often. And it truly matters. Trust me on that one.

What Matters Most

A Thought on When the World Seems Dark

Regret is the mourning of the loss of possibility. But our deepest regrets come when we are forced by time or circumstance to give up on something or perhaps someone we love when every fiber of our being tells us that this is the fight worth fighting. Perhaps these moments are the ones meant to try us. Perhaps they are meant to teach us. Perhaps they are meant to inspire us to grow. Regardless of their purpose they are the times when the world seems so colorless so dark, and so devoid of hope. But I promise you that light still remains. It is constantly emitted from the embers of our souls, and that light, no matter how dark the world becomes, can never go out. Take comfort in knowing that no matter how hard the moment may seem, you are strong enough to bear the burdens that you have been called to bear. You are where you are meant to be. Each life has a purpose and is precious. Every soul will find its worth.  You are loved for who you are, who you were, and who you have yet to become.

A Thought on the Good

What if I told you that everything is going to be ok? What if I told you that in spite of your fears, your doubts, and you worries, everything was going to work out? What if I told you that you will get through the trials you face? Because the truth is, you will. Everything is going to be ok.  That I promise you.

There are no guarantees in this life except this: it goes on. No one makes it through without scrapes and bruises and some of us wind up with some pretty traumatic injuries, but that’s ok. It’s just a part of living, of being alive. That is the price of experiencing what it’s like to live on this earth, to feel all of the joy and the happiness, all of the love and the hope and yes every once in a while, the pain and sorrow. And it’s such a small price to pay!

Whatever trials you facing, I promise you this: they are only temporary. They won’t last forever. In the end, good always wins out. The light will always triumph over the darkness, love will always defeat hate, and freedom will always overcome oppression. A lot of people see the world as a dark and dreary place, filled with poverty, and violence, and hate. But in reality, the world is a place filled with hope. The human race’s propensity for good is so incredibly immense compared to the bad. Even in the darkest, dreariest moments of our history, we find examples of good, honest people doing what’s right simply because it’s the right thing to do, with no though or expectation of reward. Take solace in that fact. Take solace in the fact that we live in a world where absolutely anything is possible. Take solace in the fact that you are a good person. Take solace in the face that tomorrow is a new day, free from the worries and cares of today. I know your weary and downtrodden, and that’s ok. Rest up this night and rise again tomorrow. A new dawn, filled with hope, beckons. Rest easy.

A Thought on Evil

One of the greatest philosophical battles of all time centers on the belief in a good and just God in the context of all the evil that exists in this world. In every day life, this problem manifests itself in questions like "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" or "Why does God hate me?" Thousands of philosophers, theists, believers, atheists and everyday folk have argued over this question for as long as man has doubted the belief in a higher power. Most of the arguments for God center on a belief in free will or that God allows evil to exist because without evil good could not exist. Other arguments deny a belief in true evil or say that perhaps God is not able to create a world where no evil existed. While I tend to support the Free Will defense, I have decided that I believe in an alternative view. Perhaps its not evil that matters so much, but rather our reaction to it.

The power that evil possesses is a product of the fear that we as humans exhibit. When we rise above the fear, evil loses its power. That’s not to discount pain, and suffering, anguish, and grief, agony, and sorrow, because surely these things exist. We have all experienced them in one way or another. But rather the point is to recognize that these feelings are simply emotions and tactile reactions to a hostile world. When we remember that, they can be endured, overcome. We can rise above the pain. We are strengthened, lifted up. We can fly free, even in captivity. When we reach the point that we can exhibit selfless, celestial grace unfeigned, when we can forgive without thought to retribution, revenge or compensation, when we can let go of our hatred and our selfish, misguided sense of justice, when we can exhibit the tender mercy of God through our every thought and action, then evil ceases to matter and the battle is won. I think that’s the point that most people in this debate miss. Evil is not an end in itself, but rather a challenge to be overcome.