Category: Appreciate

  • A week of Thanksgiving…

    We have now entered into the busiest times of the year and as October made us scary, November promises that our cups will overflow! December will be the gift that keeps on giving and we can start all over on New Year’s Day.

    I thought it makes sense to take at least one month of the year to celebrate what and who you are thankful for. It seems we complain the entire year mostly about things we can’t control or things that make no sense to us or the direction the country is headed or the healthcare scares. With all that negativity we need to focus on some positives.

    So literally I would like to encourage you to do this exercise with people close to you via text or in-person. Share with a special friend or group what you are most thankful for. It will be interesting to she what things matter most to you and your friends. And with all that positive energy going around, this could be the start of something big. So since this Thursday is Thanksgiving it would a decent conversation to add to the list of subjects you deal with during your big feast!

    So here is my list! Enjoy!

    Family, church, work, friends, God given ability, good health, my doctors, my readers, old TV shows, sports, Honey Combs cereal, eggs, Stacy Adams, innovation, opportunity, freedom, Iced coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables and Samsung.

  • Happy appreciation day!

    Only part of the United States participates in this annual ritual known as Sweetest Day and I have been doing it wrong. Whereas Valentines Day is to celebrate romantic love, Sweetest Day is to appreciate all the folks in your life for who they are. Male or female doesn’t matter — it’s just a day of appreciation.

    Granted Hallmark gets excited when in comes around probably more than anyone else but in these tough times it’s good to take a day and evaluate relationships and appreciate them.

    I was reading an article about a woman who dropped her boyfriend off at Kroger and she stayed in the car. While she waited on him she took the opportunity to go through his phone only to discover he may have been having an inappropriate relationship with her sister.

    She was so enraged that she waited for him to come out of the store and she ran him over with the van — seriously injuring him and killing an innocent person walking out behind him. She then, stops the van, gets out and begins to attack her boyfriend while he is lying on the ground wounded.

    It appears as though she snapped and could not bear the information she discovered while invading his privacy. It is unclear if the sister was a minor or not but whatever she found, she was in that moment willing to give up or greatly alter her own life because of it. She, of course, is now facing a ton of charges and if convicted she will get life in prison.

    There are so many things wrong with this scenario. It is for this reason why we need to really evaluate the relationships we have to see if they are for better or for worse. To truly celebrate Sweetest Day we should first purge the toxic relationships and covet the really good ones. So here’s to all of you who are making this life better for others! The world would be nothing without you!

  • A network of togetherness

    There is something to be said for being together. Our closeness or unity or connection to another person or group of folks quenches the thirsty we have for belonging. As humans we need to be a part of something — good or bad we need to belong. We yearn for inclusion and to be entangled with other people.

    Togetherness is defined as a state or feeling of closeness and happiness among people who are together as friends, family members, etc. Some have several groups they associate with. In these groups you should find all you need to balance your life such as encouragement, support, wisdom, intimacy, family, networking and entertainment.

    Togetherness is so important that we should have a societal rule that everyone must be a part of a crew. You choose your own crew but your Togetherness will also be charged for trouble you get in. That alone would make us choose our friends more closely and truly be our brothers keeper!

    Togetherness greatly helps with mental health issues and it single handedly lowers suicide rates. In fact, overall crime goes down in areas where people cluster together in unity. Many foreigners to this country take their togetherness to a foreign land and excel! They live in close quarters together for a time to save money and get ahead. So two families may move together and live together here. All able-bodied individuals work and the money made is shared with the cluster. Each family helps the other get ahead and they slowly bring in more families as others advance.

    This just proves that we are better together. We were created to be a part of a pair that would have the ability to increase it’s nunber and the. They would all work together and look out for each other. We also call this a family!

    I remember the crew I had in junior high, high school and college. Then I had a different group of professionals when I entered the workforce. As far back as I can recall, I have never existed without a crew. And all of my groups were successful. How about you my friends? Do you have a crew? Do you support your crew? Is your group successful? Can you rely on them? These are very important questions if you plan to get by with a little help from your friends!

  • You have real meaning with me

    Every now and then we should recognize those in our lives who help make things work. I’m taking about friends, family and co-workers that seem to be living part of their lives for you. They make sure you’re ok. They think of the small things you need and handle them. They are ready to throw hands for you and they always have an encouraging word.

    When it comes to you these people always see the glass half full. They are your built-in cheering team. In the world we live in everybody needs a supporting entourage. The point of this blog is that the people who are that for you need to be celebrated — more than once. It would be hard to imagine not having these unsung heroes in your life. There are many who are not blessed to have the right support network and they fall under the weight and pressures of the world.

    I owe the majority of my success in life to people who thought enough of me to make sure my “T’s” were crossed and my “I’s” were dotted. I could bounce ideas off these folks, they did the majority of my research and they helped me to be who I was meant to be. For me it’s the little things as these do-gooders made sure I ate healthy, had plenty of sleep, had plenty of relaxation and although I solved all the problems, I never did it alone.

    It’s important for people not to feel taken advantage of or feel that their work is in vain. These people aren’t looking for credit or any fame … they just believe in you. How do you let them know that they have real meaning in your life? If you take these people for granted you will find yourself by yourself!

    The great guru Bruce Lee said that words are energy and are like casting spells (this is why it’s called spelling) and you will become who you say you are. All positive people with have lots of positivity in their lives. The converse is also true. So express yourself in the most humble way you know how and let those in your corner know that you see their work and acknowledge their efforts!