"More problems: more problems"

A word (or a few) for the wise (or the general media).

Promote opportunities instead of instilling fear and catalyzing problems.  When you focus only on the problems, you ARE the problem.  Look for solutions.  Look for the good in people and in situations.  I am not saying that we should ignore problems - ignoring them does not make them disappear - but it is possible and necessary to SEE the problem but to FOCUS on the solution.

What will your opportunity be?  

Look for the solution.  Solve the problem.

When push comes to shove...

When push comes to shove we all want the same thing out of life. To love and be loved. That has become a scary word in a time of text messages, social media, and hipocracy. It is a scary word because it means something different to each and everyone of us. Who are we to not approach every person we meet with love? We can learn so much from each other and we all have so much love to give. Take the time to talk to someone you wouldn't normally. Everyone means the world to someone even if they may not think so of themselves. Share the love! It will make the world a better place. We cannot expect respect and love if we do not give it ourselves!

Thanks for sharing A.T.

The Little Things: Pass it On

Start your own domino effect today...even if you don't think anyone's watching.  You don't need a reason to do something nice, but you'll never know the impact of those "little things" and how you might inspire someone else to "pay it forward."  Who knew that from a 2010 Liberty Mutual Commercial we could find so much depth.  Pretty awesome.

102 year old dancer reacts to herself on screen

Alice Barker danced in countless shows in her younger years.  She's bedridden now at the ripe old age of 102 years and she still has a smile that can light up a room and a memory for every scene that she is shown.  What a beautiful short that catches the silver screen memory, the reaction, and Alice's own recollection of those days!

Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life!

Alice's Magic

To quote John Lennon:  "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

Step 1: Believe in magic!  

Step 2: Go out and make it happen!

Step 3:  Make others believe by being an example of the magic that is possible in the world!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: People Create Culture

Well worth your time, this video touches on so many things, while its main focus is gender and "happy" feminism.  I think it will be generally easier for women to be engaged by this discussion as it is more relateable from personal experiences but men will find it entertaining and will gain perspective and connection through her anecdotes.  Have a watch and see if you are not moved.  She makes points and calls out cultural differences between how genders are treated that you may never have taken the time to notice because they are so ingrained.

As she says, culture doesn't make people...people make culture.  Let's create the culture we want to live in and to be known for.

Interact!! Dance Partyyyyy!

Open up!  Be you!  What better way than dance?  I love how these people let loose.  

Great idea, Brooklyn team!

Albert Einstein: Crisis

“Let’s not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things.

A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation.
For all crises bring progress.

Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night.

It’s in crisis that inventiveness is born, as well as discoveries made and big strategies.

He who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome.

He who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent and is more interested in
problems than in solutions.

Incompetence is the true crisis.

The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they
attempt to find the solutions to their problems.

There’s no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a
slow agony.

There’s no merit without crisis. It’s in the crisis where we can show the very best in us.

Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch.

To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism.

Let us work hard instead.

Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.”

-Albert Einstein, 1955

What does a Pre-school Teacher Teach/Do?

Here's an answer from someone who knows best:

"People often ask me- what do you even teach at preschool? 

Where do I begin? 

Teaching them how to be little independent people 
eager to do things on their own, 

how to love each other, 
love themselves, 

how to try, 
how to be ok with failing, 
how to manage emotions, 

how to be resilient 
(physically 
mentally 
emotionally), 

how to practice healthy habits, 
how to stay positive, 

empathy, 

to embrace their interests, 
how to be appreciative, 
and overall 
teaching them to love to learn. 

I could go on forever. 

A neat friend of mine once corrected me when I said that I 'had to work today', he said 'no, you get to work today.' I am just reflecting on how grateful I am to have a job I love and feel passionate about (even if the pay is not what I wish it could be). I get to teach ( and learn from) awesome children everyday! 

It's also pretty cool I get to be a part of them learning to write their own names!"

-Thanks to M.C. for sharing her experience

Beyond technology: Better relationships

When I read the title, I wondered first:  will this be what it actually says?  Or is it a warm and fuzzy that makes you think it's going to be negative but then gets all happy on you?  Is it going to be a true story or will it be some angry person who doesn't have any real experience with it?  Well, the title 5 reasons we can't handle marriage anymore  ended up being exactly what it says...except it wasn't altogether negative or altogether positive and warm-fuzzies.  I think, instead, it was a commentary on life and relationships in general (despite relegation to solely marriage relationships).  The major thing I got out of it was the repetition of a lesson:

Own your technology and your life.  

Don't let technology own you or your life.

It's easier said than done, as the author describes, but it's so true that it hurts to read it...as you try to put down your cell phone or computer while simultaneously continuing to read the article off of the bright-lit screen.

Do yourself a favor:

Take a break.  Do it for yourself and do it for the people you interact with.  Put your phone down.  Don't tweet.  Don't selfie.  Don't listen to music on your iPod.  Exist.  Breathe.  Say hello to someone.  Say hello to your family and friends and coworkers.  Ask about their day.  Tell them about the day you spent NOT hooked up via IV to your technological device.  Tell someone you love them.  Tell them you miss them.  Do something silly.  Make someone laugh.  DON'T post it all online.  And then?  Do it all over again.  How much will your life change?  What will be better?  What will be worse?  Anything?


Is it possible?

I went for over a month without my smartphone when it was left behind in a taxi.  A new friend (that I had met while waiting to board a plane drove 45 minutes while on her vacation to pick up my cell phone from the good taxi driver who returned it to my point of departure and brought it back from overseas to me.  Now if that isn't a whole lot of awesome...there's more.  For a month, I didn't do anything on the train or the bus or while walking except be there.  I talked to people.  I listened to people talk.  I didn't take pictures of everything that I saw that was cool...I made memories of them, instead.

Was it sometimes difficult to navigate without my gps? Sure.  But I grew up before GPS existed...so I found my way, or used mapquest before I left, or I ASKED people.  Real people.  In real-time.  Was it a little more difficult because my weather app didn't tell me everything that might come my way?  Sure...but my morning walk with the dog did, so it worked out!  Was it hard not to be accessible all the time?  Yeah, of course, especially when I had a lot of people trying to contact me about issues with my apartment but you know what?  Not being accessible meant I wasn't constantly distracted by messages and people and events pulling me away from what I was doing.  It's a teeter totter.  A balance.  You can't let technology (and all that it brings and offers) be in control of you.  You can't let the feaux-reality of the internet distract you from the reality that is your own life (nor the fact that the "reality" you are seeing is not "the whole truth and nothing but the truth").

When I got my phone back?  I still kept it on me but I use it less.  I text less.  I've been more prone to calling.  I've never been one to selfie, but I'm exceedingly aware of the standards that we are all comparing ourselves to of beauty and of lifestyle and it's stressful and hurtful.  I wonder why we do that?  I read recently "imagine what would happen to beauty care products if women all woke up tomorrow and realized they are already beautiful?"  Holy cow.  Chills.  It's true of men AND women.  We're all competitive and most of the time I think we don't even notice it.  Technology emphasizes it because we pick and choose good shots and good stories and best angles.  We comment and like posts anonymously and we are liked and commented on anonymously in return.  It's nice...but it's also not real.

Those days without a cell phone?  I found out it's easier to make eye contact with someone and compliment them on their cool shoes or nice jacket.  It's easier to tell the old man that there's a garbage can two feet away to the delight of other passengers who also noticed him throwing his trash on the ground around him.  It's easier to interact, period.  So go interact.  Don't lose your ability to interact and to read gestures and facial reactions and body language because you're too busy communicating through a dead device.  Live.  Love.  Show people.  Be physical.  Be real.  Be alive.

Maybe if you do, that article won't have to be so shockingly close to home forever.

Because laughing & music are both good for you!

If you grew up in the 90s, you'll know.  If you were born in the 90s...maybe not so much?

Either way...it's funny.

Enjoy!

The Storm Will Pass.

You can't calm the storm, so stop trying.

What you can do is calm yourself.

The storm will pass.

-Timber Hawkeye

I know sometimes it feels like the storm lasts forever.  I can definitely relate especially recently.  That's why this is not only a great but a timely reminder.  Don't run around in the storm...you might be chasing it and not even realize it.  Instead, sit still.  Let the storm pass.  Continue onward.