DECISIONS

This or that, here or there, now or later, decisions need to be made.  Our goals will guide our actions.  A commonly heard advice is "Live your best life." You need to consider others who may be affected by your decisions, but each of us needs to realize our own goals and move forward.  Decide what is best for you.  

First, we consider our options, allow time to evaluate the possibilities, and plan our actions.  Talking to others may help our decision making.  Then, we need to see the steps toward our goals.  Others may not understand, may believe we are moving too fast, or that our decisions are wrong.  Some may misunderstand or feel our decisions are partially based on something they have done.  We can try to explain our thinking and hope they will agree with our decisions.

After we have accomplished our goal, we may be satisfied with our decision.  We may also realize the goal needs updating.  Our decision making continues.

HOME

For some of you, home is where you were born, raised, married, had children, and lived your whole life.  All around you is the familiar: landmarks, roadways, life-long friends.  Memories are attached to the same town and state.  You are aware of the many families that share your area.

Others may have moved away after marriage but remain close enough to easily go back home to see friends and family.  Still others may have moved far away, seldom seeing home again, perhaps returning for holidays and reunions.  Many married couples make new homes and sometimes move many times, and as long as they are together, home is where their heart is.

As times moves on, our spouse may die; our heart is broken; the idea of home almost vanishes.  We may then move to a new place to be close to our adult child or children.  That is their home, not ours.  Trying to make a new home alone is vey difficult, even though our adult children help as much as possible.  The new locale offers many challenges.  Nothing is familiar.  We yearn for home.

 

Diversity

Human beings have many similarities.  Our bodies are mostly the same as we breathe, eat, drink, see, hear, talk, and move.  We have brains that can think, learn, remember, feel emotions, and form opinions.  Our basic needs are the same.  Our race is often evident by skin color, our age is usually assumed, and our behavior gives away our value systems.  Many people notice how others are different than themselves before they think about the similarities.  Comfort sometimes comes when we socialize with our own "kind."

As we associate with more diverse individuals, we can learn more about others and about ourselves.  Our world and our comfort zone will expand.  We then can realize the advantages of getting to know all sorts of people.  Our schools should welcome diversity so children and young adults can be truly educated.  Learning about people different than ourselves, making friends, and appreciating similarities and differences will make us less prejudiced and more empathic.

If you have only been in the majority group, you may not understand what it is like to be in the minority.  As your associations become more diverse, you will be on your way to understanding the world. 

   

 

INFLUENCERS

 

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube are ways to influence people who may click "like" on what is being promoted.  Social media comes through our computers and phones and we pay attention.  Even artificial intelligence can get our attention. Some of us may may be savvy enough to use technology to influence, but we all are influencers in our own ways.

No matter what our age or generation, we can have positive or negative influence over family members, friends, and groups of people.  We need to use strategies that work or our efforts may not produce our intended outcomes.  Persuasion is an art.  

We also need to be careful how we are influenced by others, even manipulated to do something not in our best interests.  Be alert to biased info and outright lies.   

No matter what you do, you influence others even when you don't realize it.  They are watching your behavior and listening to and reading your words.     

SPRING

Between winter and summer, spring arrives.  On the first day of spring, day and night are of equal length and temperatures gradually rise in the Northern Hemisphere from March to May.  Plants begin growth anew after the dormancy of winter.  Birds migrate poleward.  Animals begin nesting and reproductive activities. 

Spring also means to come up out of something into existence.  Also to jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward.  As flowers spring up out of the ground, a new idea can spring to mind, then we can spring into action.

Spring symbolizes new beginnings and transformations, starting fresh and staring over.  Spring has sprung.  As nature begins anew, we can too.      

The First Amendment

 No law should be based on religion nor should government be based on religion.  Don't expect your religion or any religion to influence the law.  Public spaces and public places are for everyone.  Even if your religion is in the majority, the Ten Commandments, manger scenes, or other religious displays should not be on public property.  Prayer does not belong in public schools except when an individual wants to silently pray.    

No law should prohibit  the free exercise of religion.  Citizens can practice any religion or have no religion.  

Citizens have freedom of speech and freedom of the press.  We can freely speak our ideas and opinions and publish them on paper or in other media as long as we don't incite violence or other criminal activity.  However, the misuse of this freedom is vey difficult to control.  Public school librarians should be in charge of books made available to students regardless of pressures to ban certain books.

Citizens have the right to assemble peacefully.  We may peacefully gather together to be in favor or against ideas and opinions.  We may protest unfair treatment and laws.  When the powers that be don't listen and continue to treat citizens unfairly, people have to get their attention in other ways as long as they remain peaceful.  Some protestors become too angry, turn violent, and lose their effectiveness.  We need to try and understand why they are angry. 

Citizens have the right to petition government for redress of grievances.  We can contact our legislators and other officials and go to court to present our case.  We can also present grievances to employers.

The First Amendment exists for the benefit of everyone.

JUST SAY NO

 Many situations exist that make it difficult to say no.  Our own personality may make us want to please or to not rock the boat.  It may be much easier to stay quiet or agree than disagree.  Our society, our families, our friends and neighbors, those we live with and hold most dear, may influence us to believe as they do, behave as they do.

There comes a point, however, when our own inner voice must be brave enough to reveal our true feelings and opinions.  There may be a cost when we do.  Society tries to manipulate us to celebrate the many calendar holidays, to think and do certain things at specific times of year, often suggesting gift giving as a way to express love.  Families may expect us to repeat their traditions in order to be part of the group.  We often do what friends and neighbors do so we don't appear weird or different.  When we show our true colors, we may seem like a dangerous influence as if we are going against the status quo. 

Good reasons help form our ideas, and we need the courage to stand up for ourselves even if others don't understand or agree.  When others are open to hear what we believe, we can try to give our reasons.  This takes courage and fortitude to withstand the possible pushback.  Just say no to what goes against your feelings and opinions.   Better yet just say yes to your inner voice.