Red and White Hat Thinking

    

  The activity we had for this concept requires decision on what kind of thinking we are going to apply. In this particular activity, I chose red hat thinking because I’m doing a decision based on my gut reaction, intuition, and emotion. 

     For me, it’s really important to use my intuition and feelings in making any kind of decision especially in choosing my food. If I use white hat thinking, although the entire nutrition facts label declares all the positive side of the food I’m going to take, it’s not a guarantee that I am going to like it. Sometimes, we eat the food we want according to our emotions or gut reaction, so it’s really important for me to use red hat thinking. 

      Additionally, there are decisions where we can use white hat thinking especially if it concerns our safety or health. Distinguishing between what you want or what you need is also an exception. If you want to discern what you need, you have to apply white hat thinking. 

      On the other hand, red hat thinking is for your personal "want", since your full mind,  perception, attention and body decide what you really want. Because food choices are involved in this activity, red hat thinking is applicable and very appropriate for me to apply.

       The situation I want to share happened couple of years back. I was in a dilemma and  personal crossroad. The decision I want to make was whether to continue my schooling or grab the opportunity to work in a multi-national company. That situation left me indecisive, stagnant and depressed. I really want to do both but I need to decide which one I’m going to prioritize. The first thing I did was consult my parents and relative. They gave opinions on what to do and what to prioritize that really entangled my mind totally. I was totally lost but I find my way to decide. 

        I chose to study. That time I think that if I finished my nursing school. I knew there will be more opportunities await for me, even multi-national companies will open their door and windows. My studies will also guard my future by giving me enough knowledge and fruitful skills that I can use in the real world situations, I really thought that way. I applied white hat thinking to decide what I need to choose. On the other hand, I also used red hat thinking to assess my emotion. 

       Since I decided to be objective and realistic, without resorting to my emotions. I chose white hot thinking. I’m satisfied with my decision and that time, I’m learning and enjoying at the same time. Moreover, I also had an opportunity to work while studying. I just think I made the right decision. :-)

    For more learning about this concept, the following questions were very useful for me specifically in assessing the situations I experienced.

White hat:

1. Do I have enough knowledge to fulfil the task of working for this company?

         2. Is the offer rally good and practical?

         3. Do I have enough information regarding the job description?

         4. Is there enough skills and information available for me?

 Red hat:

        1. How do I feel about the situation and what I want to do about it?

        2. Is this an important decision to satisfy my emotions?

        3. Do I feel relieved if I chose one of these?

        Both thinking is helpful but carry out different result. Since I want to be realistic and don’t want to base my decisions on my emotions, I prefer white hat.

       

There are also different kinds of thinking hat we may use to effectively decide on things:     

       White Hat focuses on the available information and analyzing past trends, and try to delve from historical data.

     Red Hat uses intuition, emotion and gut reaction and reacting to the situation emotionally, through intuitive responses to find out the best reasoning.

     Black Hat uses pessimistic approach, cautious and defensive reactions. It makes your plans and decisions tougher and more resilient.

     Yellow Hat use positive thinking with a viewpoint that facilitates the appearance of helpful benefits and lighter side of the situation.

      Green Hat is for creativity in solving you problems. It is used in generating creative and useful ideas to solve the problem or to make decisions.

The Power of Saving

Living below your means is something that is very uncommon nowadays. This is the reason why the United States is in the economic shape that it is in. Keeping up with the Jones' is an old expression that is still in effect today.

"Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established: By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches."

-Proverbs 24:3,4

People buy things that they know they can't afford. For instance, you go buy a new car because your neighbor, colleague, friend, etc., bought a new car. You drive the car for a month and everything is great, until the car payment is due. Now you are mad, because you went from a car that was paid for, to a car payment.

The real reality is, you don't own the car, you are simply renting to own. The bank owns the car, and if you don't make the payments, they are going to take the car. Just look at the housing crisis, it's the same concept.

"If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting."

-Benjamin Franklin

We hear a lot of people say that if they could only make more money their life would be better. This is simply not true, because you know damn well if you made more money, you are going to spend it even faster. What needs to happen is that people need to start saving more money.

Start saving 10% and giving 10% of all of your increases. Now you are thinking to yourself how can that be done I'm broke. I don't care how much the increase is give 10% and save 10%. If the increase is $1.00 save 10% and give 10%. If the increase is $100,000, save 10% and give 10%. If you follow this principle I promise you two things: You will have money saved, and money will start coming in from out of thin air. Try it, prove The Great Rabbit Hole wrong. Save 10%, give 10%, and watch what happens.

"I don't think you ever stop giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being able to touch somebody's life."

-Oprah Winfrey

JOSE RIZAL

“They gradually lost their ancient traditions, their recollections - they forgot their writings, their songs, their poetry, their laws, in order to learn by heart other doctrines, which they did not understand; other ethics, other tastes different from those inspired in their race by their climate and their way of thinking… They became ashamed of what was distinctively their own that they may admire and praise what was foreign and incomprehensible.”

—	Jose P. Rizal

December 30, 2011 is Jose Rizal's 115 Death Anniversary (Rizal Day). A man, who wrote great literary pieces and became inspiration for the revolution. But for me, there are more people deserving to be the national hero; I’ll not name them.

Ang mga bagay na nagawa at nakamit ni Rizal ay talagang nagpabilib sa akin. Lalo na sa nagawa niyang impluwensya sa sangkatauhan. Ang kanyang mga pangaral, pamana at mga obra na siya nganamingmaituturing na kayamanan ng ating bansa. Ito ang tumayong simbolo o hudyat nagumising sa mga kababayan natin na maghimagsik at makibaka para sa ating kalayaan na ating tinatamasa ngayon. Si Rizal ay nagsilbing inspirasyon para sa lahat at lalo na sa mga kabataang Pilipino.

To build a new narrative for the nation requires us not to focus on the glorious past we have but on the immerse work we still have to achieve. These heroes, as we call them, are already in their graves, at peace and reduced to bones and ashes. They’ll not even know we are remembering them. Dates just function as markers in the calendar anyway; what matters is how we learn the lessons these people taught us and how we use them in building a nation fit for ourselves. (http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jose+rizal)

“One only dies once, and if one does not die well, a good opportunity is lost and will not present itself again.” 

― José Rizal”

What I will tell my Children about Santa Claus

Like the average 22 year old, I had never considered what I would tell my kids about Santa. I suppose my subconscious assumed I would just tell them he brought presents for them until they figured out on their own that he wasn’t real.

For some reason this year I began to think about the idea. I’m not going to tell you what you should tell your kids, but I want to try and show you why you shouldn’t tell your kids that Santa brought them presents.

It’s lying. Try and justify it however you will, you’re still lying to your kids. It’s easy to say “Well, it’s just a little lie that isn’t going to hurt them”, but I want you to think about something. Let’s say you tell your kids for years that Santa brought them presents, and then they find out that you were lying about that. It’s not a far reach in a child’s mind to wonder what else you lied about. What is they start to assume you made Jesus up as well, simply to get them to behave?

You may laugh at that logic, but I saw an Atheist’s post on facebook that read “Kids, when you find out that Santa isn’t real, remember what your parents always told you about Jesus as well.” Maybe my mind is more child-like than most, but I can completely see how a kid could make that jump from Santa to Jesus.

What I will tell my kids: You can’t just not talk about Santa, he is ingrained into our culture. I will tell my kids that he was a real person who lived centuries ago who gave gifts to the less fortunate. People like to dress up like him for fun and pretend. He doesn’t fly around on a sleigh, and Rudolph is a made up character, like in cartoons.

I will also be sure to tell my children the real meaning of Christmas, which is honoring Jesus. I will also make sure I show this to them by involving the entire family in giving to organizations such as Operation Christmas Child.

While it may seem trivial, I would advocate that you exercise caution when thinking about what you will tell your kids. Try and justify it how you will, telling your kids that Santa flies around the entire world and gives presents to others is still lying, and I don’t want my children to ever have to wonder if I am being truthful. (Reblog from Tumblr.com)

7 Negative Effects of Porn

This is a rather frank post on porn, so proceed, or not, with that in mind.

         Porn is a problem. It's a personal problem for many and a cultural problem for all. You may think you have not been affected by porn, but you have because it's embedded in the surrounding culture. The staggering size of the pornography industry, its influence upon the media and the acceleration of technology, paired with the accessibility, anonymity, and affordability of porn all contribute to its increasing impact upon the culture.

          Pornography affects you whether you’ve ever viewed it or not, and it is helpful to understand some of its negative effects, whether you are a man or woman, struggling with watching it, or simply a mom or dad with a son or daughter. There is a plethora of research on the detrimental effects of pornography (and I do not think that what follows are necessarily the worst of them), but here are seven negative effects of porn upon men and women:

1. Porn Contributes to Social and Psychological Problems Within Men

Anti-pornography activist, Gail Dines, notes that young men who become addicted to porn “neglect their schoolwork, spend huge amounts of money they don’t have, become isolated from others, and often suffer depression.” (Pornland, 93). Dr. William Struthers, who has a PhD in biopsychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, confirms some of these and adds more, finding that men who use porn become controlling, highly introverted, have high anxiety, narcissistic, curious, have low self-esteem, depressed, dissociative, distractible (Wired for Intimacy, 64-65). Ironically, while viewing porn creates momentary intensely pleasurable experiences, it ends up leading to several negative lingering psychological experiences.

2. Porn Rewires the Male Brain

Struthers elaborates,

As men fall deeper into the mental habit of fixating on [pornographic images], the exposure to them creates neural pathways. Like a path is created in the woods with each successive hiker, so do the neural paths set the course for the next time an erotic image is viewed. Over time these neural paths become wider as they are repeatedly travelled with each exposure to pornography. They become the automatic pathway through which interactions with woman are routed….They have unknowingly created a neurological circuit that imprisons their ability to see women rightly as created in God’s image (Wired For Intimacy, 85).

In a similar vein regarding porn’s effect upon the brain, Naomi Wolf writes in her article, "The Porn Myth,"

After all, pornography works in the most basic of ways on the brain: It is Pavlovian. An orgasm is one of the biggest reinforcers imaginable. If you associate orgasm with your wife, a kiss, a scent, a body, that is what, over time, will turn you on; if you open your focus to an endless stream of ever-more-transgressive images of cybersex slaves that is what it will take to turn you on. The ubiquity of sexual images does not free eros but dilutes it.

3. Porn Turns Sex into Masturbation

Sex becomes self-serving. It becomes about your pleasure and not the self-giving, mutually reciprocating intimacy that it was designed for.

4. Porn Demeans and Objectifies Women

This occurs from hard-core to soft-core pornography. Pamela Paul, in her book Pornified, quoting the research of one psychologist who has researched pornography at Texas a&M, writes,

‘Softcore pornography has a very negative effect on men as well. The problem with softcore pornography is that it’s voyeurism teaches men to view women as objects rather than to be in relationships with women as human beings.’ According to Brooks, pornography gives men the false impression that sex and pleasure are entirely divorced from relationships. In other words, pornography is inherently self-centered–something a man does by himself, for himself–by using another women as the means to pleasure, as yet another product to consume (80).

Paul references one experiment that revealed a rather shocking further effect of porn: “men and women who were exposed to large amounts of pornography were significantly less likely to want daughters than those who had none. Who would want their own little girl to be treated that way?” (80).

“It becomes about your pleasure and not the self-giving, mutually reciprocating intimacy that it was designed for.”

Again, it needs to be emphasized, that this is not an effect that only rests upon those who have viewed porn. The massive consumption of porn and the size of the porn industry has hypersexualized the entire culture. Men and women are born into a pornified culture, and women are the biggest losers. Dines continues,

       By inundating girls and women with the message that their most worthy attribute is their sexual hotness and crowding out other messages, pop culture is grooming them just like an individual perpetrator would. It is slowly chipping away at their self-esteem, stripping them of a sense of themselves as whole human beings, and providing them with an identity that emphasizes sex and de-emphasizes every other human attribute (Pornland, 118).

5. Porn Squashes the Beauty of a Real Naked Woman

Wolf, in her blunt way, confirms this,

For most of human history, the erotic images have been reflections of, or celebrations of, or substitutes for, real naked women. For the first time in history, the images’ power and allure have supplanted that of real naked women. Today, real naked women are just bad porn (Quoted in Wired for Intimacy, 38).

6. Porn Has a Numbing Effect upon Reality

It makes real sex and even the real world boring in comparison. It particularly anesthetizes the emotional life of a man. Paul comments,

Pornography leaves men desensitized to both outrage and to excitement, leading to an overall diminishment of feeling and eventually to dissatisfaction with the emotional tugs of everyday life…Eventually they are left with a confusing mix of supersized expectations about sex and numbed emotions about women…When a man gets bored with pornography, both his fantasy and real worlds become imbued with indifference. The real world often gets really boring…” (Pornified, 90, 91).

7. Porn lies about what it Means to be Male and Female

Dines records how porn tells a false story about men and women. In the story of porn, women are “one-dimensional”–they never say no, never get pregnant, and can’t wait to have sex with any man and please them in whatever way imaginable (or even unimaginable). On the other hand, the story porn tells about men is that they are “soulless, unfeeling, amoral life-support systems for erect penises who are entitled to use women in any way they want. These men demonstrated zero empathy, respect, or love for the women they have sex with…(Pornland, xxiv).”

Credit: BJ Stockman, theresurgence.com

How To Quit Nursing in One Day

(Originally Posted at http://narsako.wordpress.com/)

No one can deny that the progress of the nursing profession here in the Philippines is on a downward trend. I’ve known this phenomenon ever since I have opened my eyes to the realities that surround our profession and I’m sick of it already. And when I say “I’m sick of it”, you better keep your mouth shut and don’t ask me why. Just look around and you will know the answer right away. I saw it coming back then but I still took the risk anyway. To this day, I can’t count how many times people have asked me this same 7-syllable question over and over again:

“Bakit ka ba nag-Nursing?”

It was asked by a co worker when I decided to file my resignation in a BPO company two months ago. It was asked by my sister who also just graduated this year and earned a bachelor’s degree in Radiologic Technology, which she boasts to be more financially rewarding  than Nursing abroad. It was asked by my high school classmates, friends, relatives, and virtually every people who knows I’m a registered nurse. Kung puwede lang irecord ang sagot ko para di na ko mapagod kakaexplain sa kanila, ginawa ko na noon pa. But I have no choice but to tell them honestly that I took the nursing course because it was in demand back then and that no one had forced me to do so. It is a typical answer that doesn’t make any sense as far as the present state of nursing employment is concerned. I remember when I shifted  from Biology to Nursing way back in 2006, I was bombarded with ideas  like “Hindi ka yayaman sa pagdodoktor”  , “Mag-nursing ka na lang” , and all that kind of ‘practical suggestions’, so to speak. I eventually took up Nursing, survived the gruelling studies coupled with rigorous clinical duties, and graduated early this year. I have discovered two things almost 5 years after I decided to take up nursing: One, I’m glad that I didn’t  take up Medicine because I fell in love with Nursing in the process and lastly, the idea that Nursing would lead to greener pasture was a trap and an eye-opener at the same time. It’s as if a reversal of nature is happening and the same people who gave me the aforementioned ‘practical suggestions’ are now telling me that  “Hindi ka yayaman kung magnunursing ka lang”, “Magdoktor ka na lang”  and all that kind of crappy stuff. Sometimes, I feel bad for earning the nursing degree at the wrong place and at the wrong time. I envy those nurses from the early generations  who got a lot of opportunities for them and I wonder if they are even aware that the words “volunteer” and “contractual” now represent the current batch of Filipino nurses.

 ”Bakit nga ba ako nag-Nursing?”

I can’t even think of a single best answer to satisfy this question but ironically, I can think of a lot of reasons (can even reach thousands!!haha) why I should quit NOW and pursue other rewarding career. How to quit Nursing in one day? Very simple: Always be pessimistic and know the following reasons by heart:

1. It’s tough to be a USRN. We all want to work in the US if given the chance. American nurses, they say, are one of the most financially blessed nurses nowadays but how the heck can someone like me become a USRN if the US is closing its doors for foreign applicants and even struggling to provide jobs for its own American nurses. I heard that they are now processing Visa applications from way back 2005 but this is more of a discouraging news for someone like me who doesn’t even have a financial capability to take NCLEX and pay for all the requirements not just for US and for other countries as well. Kung puwede lang na mag-asawa ako ng Kano..kahit girl, boy, bakla, or tomboy man  yan, papatusin ko na maging US citizen lang ako….

2. It’s tough to be a USRN but its even tougher to be accepted as a nurse in the Philippines. They always say every nurse should start from scratch and struggle to move upward. But how on earth can I start my career if I’m competing with thousands of nursing graduates for a hospital position that doesn’t even guarantee of a long-term employment? Ma-hire ka man,utang na loob mo pa sa hospital na may experience ka pero wala namang bayad. In addition to that, there will always be these so-called “backer system” and expensive training requirements to stand in my way. It’s quite frustrating that the government wasn’t able to regulate nursing schools during those times when nurses spread out like  gremlins, increasing it’s numbers over the years. And what do I do now? Taking endless search and endless trainings that will just lead me to an endless waiting time.  Kung meron lang sanang magic potion na puwede kong ilagay sa resume ko para iprioritize agad ng mga hospitals application ko….

3. It’s tough to be accepted as a nurse in our country but its tougher to stay working in the hospital. Nurses have a lot of issues why they quit working in the hospital. They are burned out, unpaid or underpaid, exploited, neglected, abused , and degraded by the hospital management. The dismal condition of nursing employment and the unfair nurse-patient ratio are  pests that will keep on recurring unless properly addressed. Nursing is a tough job so we can’t stay doing charity works for the rest of our lives. I’m tired of hearing cliche like “I want to be a nurse because I want to save lives” because there a lot of jobs out there that will allow you to save lives without even becoming a nurse. Admit it, we all want to be a nurse because we want better lives for our families one way or the other. And nurses didn’t spend thousands of pesos for their nursing studies para lang magtrabaho dito at kumita ng halagang mas malaki pa sweldo ng katulong.  Kung puwede lang na mabuhay uli si Florence Nightingale at maging presidente ng Pilipinas…..

4. It’s tough to be a nurse, period. I remember during the last day of my IVT Training at a Marikina hospital, the Director of Nursing shared how, at one point in her 20 years of professional life, she almost gave up and think of quitting Nursing for good. I was taken aback by her story and felt the hardships and trials she has faced during the span of her career. “Napakahirap maging nurse..tandaan nyo yan!” was her rant that has kept me thinking hard if my decision of quitting a high-paying job to go back to Nursing is the best decision for me. But look at her now and how her life turned out. She has climbed her way to the top and have realized that she has survived those tormenting days at the Pediatric Ward not because she had no choice but because her love for her profession is insurmountable. Kung puwede lang na lakas ng loob, sipag at diskarte na lang ang labanan sa Nursing, eh di sana marami na ring umasenso tulad ko…..

Again, one can quit nursing and decide to leave it for good in just one day. How? By just allowing oneself to get discouraged easily by those reasons above. I, at one point in my life, hated Nursing and almost quit. But in the long run, I have realized that not every one can be a nurse and I couldn’t see myself doing other jobs in the future. I love caring people and I want to grow professionally even if the promise of working abroad is bleak for now. Are these reasons enough to make me a genuine nurse? I don’t have any idea. I just love what I’m doing and I know that Nursing is not all about money and benefits in the first place. It’s about being human and following what your heart wants you to do. I have a lot of what if’s and doubts about the future. Can a weakling like me have the courage and skills to withstand the rocky road of the nursing profession? I can’t answer it myself. The future might be gloomy for now but at the end of the day, it’s not who I was in the past but who I choose to be for the rest of my life that will matter significantly. I have the choice to quit Nursing in one day but I choose to love Nursing and it’s one decision that will stay unbreakable for the rest of my life. -Nars A. Ko

(Credit to Nars. A. Ko - http://narsako.wordpress.com/)

What Are Your Standards Of Success?

Different people have different standards for success. For one person it might be the amount of salary he gets and for another it might be the satisfaction he receives from the kind of work he does. Success is being happy. If material thing brings you happiness, then you're successful. Awards by the company; the level of authority a person has etc. They say that the standards of success will be achieved by maintaining an HMT Formula; H-Health Management, M-Money Management and T-Time management. Some other factors could be the comfortable relationship one has with his/her peers/seniors, the high amount of recognition and good performance.

For me, the standard of success in life isn’t the things. It isn’t the money or the stuff — it is absolutely the amount of happiness and joy you feel while doing your job. It's you who has to decide what is more important to you to be able to evaluate your level of success at your job. 

I would say success is having a job that you enjoy doing enough that you don't mind going to work every day. If you want a personal example then I can safely say that the company I worked for previously didn't pay me much but it gave me a lot of opportunities to grow in my field and I was recognized for all the good work I did. I always remember the word from Colossians 3:17, that whatever I do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, most likely to do my duty well because I go to it with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God for his mercies, and likely to perform my duties with the most cheerful fidelity. For me that was my standard of how successful I am.

Find a job that matches your morals and goals in life. Good Luck with finding out your standard! :)

Dream BIG

Dreams. Dreams come a size too big so that we may grow into them. They’re more powerful than we’d like to believe. God has a big dream for you. What you have to do is to see that dream.  Those dreams are more powerful than we could ever imagine. They guide us through life, they help us set goals and ultimately achieve them. They are often the reason for heart break, but also the reason for soaring hearts.

Everyone has dreams, whether they are big or small. Everyone wants their dreams to come true and dreamers take small steps, to achieve the greater goal. They never give up, They NEVER fail. They do everything they must do to achieve. Someday, if you try hard, dreams would become reality. But you have to realize that God hasn't give up on those dreams and you don't have to either. You've got to dream it, then believe it, before you can live it.

“My dream is big and I will reach it just to prove everyone I can. It’s never too late."

 DREAM BIG ☮

The Girl who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes

(Video of Severn's Speech)

Very inspiring, but has anything changed? We are destroying more than what we are saving.This is exactly what the world needs, to stop fighting wars and to build schools, hospitals and stop pollution, this girl is right, we must act together now, before it's too late! We are one world, one people and we must all live together on one planet.

Here is the full text of Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s speech before the UN Earth Summit in Rio, Brazil in 1992, made when she was 12 years old. Too bad the world listened, applauded, and shed an emotional tear, but did not do anything substantial for her, as the likes of George W. Bush decided it would be too restrictive on their accustomed way of life, and would cost their industrial cronies too much. (ssjothiratnam)

              Hello, I’m Severn Suzuki speaking for E.C.O. – The Environmental Children’s Organisation.

We are a group of twelve and thirteen-year-olds from Canada trying to make a difference:
 Vanessa Suttie, Morgan Geisler, Michelle Quigg and me. We raised all the money ourselves to come six thousand miles to tell you adults you must change your ways. Coming here today, I have no hidden agenda. I am fighting for my future.

         Losing my future is not like losing an election or a few points on the stock market. I am here to speak for all generations to come.

        I am here to speak on behalf of the starving children around the world whose cries go unheard.

       I am here to speak for the countless animals dying across this planet because they have nowhere left to go. We cannot afford to be not heard.

       I am afraid to go out in the sun now because of the holes in the ozone. I am afraid to breathe the air because I don’t know what chemicals are in it.

       I used to go fishing in Vancouver with my dad until just a few years ago we found the fish full of cancers. And now we hear about animals and plants going extinct every day — vanishing forever.

In my life, I have dreamt of seeing the great herds of wild animals, jungles and rainforests full of birds and butterflies, but now I wonder if they will even exist for my children to see.

        Did you have to worry about these little things when you were my age?

All this is happening before our eyes and yet we act as if we have all the time we want and all the solutions. I’m only a child and I don’t have all the solutions, but I want you to realise, neither do you!

•   You don’t know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer.

•   You don’t know how to bring salmon back up a dead stream.

•   You don’t know how to bring back an animal now extinct.

•   And you can’t bring back forests that once grew where there is now desert.

If you don’t know how to fix it, please stop breaking it!

         Here, you may be delegates of your governments, business people, organisers, reporters or politicians – but really you are mothers and fathers, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles – and all of you are somebody’s child.

         I’m only a child yet I know we are all part of a family, five billion strong, in fact, 30 million species strong and we all share the same air, water and soil — borders and governments will never change that

        I’m only a child yet I know we are all in this together and should act as one single world towards one single goal.

           In my anger, I am not blind, and in my fear, I am not afraid to tell the world how I feel.

         In my country, we make so much waste, we buy and throw away, buy and throw away, and yet northern countries will not share with the needy. Even when we have more than enough, we are afraid to lose some of our wealth, afraid to share.

        In Canada, we live the privileged life, with plenty of food, water and shelter — we have watches, bicycles, computers and television sets.

        Two days ago here in Brazil, we were shocked when we spent some time with some children living on the streets. And this is what one child told us: “I wish I was rich and if I were, I would give all the street children food, clothes, medicine, shelter and love and affection.”

         If a child on the street who has nothing, is willing to share, why are we who have everything still so greedy?

        I can’t stop thinking that these children are my age, that it makes a tremendous difference where you are born, that I could be one of those children living in the Favellas of Rio; I could be a child starving in Somalia; a victim of war in the Middle East or a beggar in India.

       I’m only a child yet I know if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty and finding environmental answers, what a wonderful place this earth would be!

At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us to behave in the world. You teach us:

•             not to fight with others,

•             to work things out,

•             to respect others,

•             to clean up our mess,

•             not to hurt other creatures

•             to share – not be greedy.

        Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?

Do not forget why you’re attending these conferences, who you’re doing this for — we are your own children. You are deciding what kind of world we will grow up in. Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying “everything’s going to be alright” , “we’re doing the best we can” and “it’s not the end of the world”.

         But I don’t think you can say that to us anymore. Are we even on your list of priorities? My father always says “You are what you do, not what you say.”

Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown ups say you love us. I challenge you, please make your actions reflect your words. Thank you for listening




Severn Cullis-Suzuki has been active in environmental and social justice work ever since kindergarten. She was twelve years old when she gave this speech, and she received a standing ovation. Now 23, Cullis-Suzuki spearheads The SkyFish Project and continues to speak to schools and corporations, and at many conferences and international meetings. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.  (ssjothiratnam)

Dear Me,

            Another step closer to your goal. Push forward. You’re almost there. This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it.  Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people; we are united in our differences. Remember there are people that care, those that love you and those that accept you, Be the person you are, don't ever change. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.

        Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring stories with them. Do something to make yourself proud. Seek your own approval! Just remember that you’re too awesome. Your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Your awesome rays would probably inspire them all at once anyway. Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you. Oh who am I kidding? But hey, you get the gist. :)

          Stop over analyzing, life is simple. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder.Your potential is limitless. Go be what you wanna be, don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. You aren't perfect, but nobody is.
Sometimes God takes away what we think is good; to make room for what he knows is great. Keep your head up and be yourself. When life knocks you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray. Pray for people.

        Stand for God and something you believe in. God is greater than anybody. You'll make a brighter day but today's your chance to be there. Read your bible. Have the courage of your convictions to do well but not for judging others. Remember, the heart of your faith should be love. God will always be there to help you through it, one step at a time.

         Love GOD, live your dream, and pursue your passion. Some opportunities only come once; seize them. Life is short,  GO ahead take a chance … one day at a time … :)

Love, your past-tense naive self,

Me.

The Difference a Teacher can Make - A True Story

One of my favorite teachers during my Primary years in education, Ma'am Zeny

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.

In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.

One day, Miss White's impatient voice broke into his daydreams.

"Steve!!" Startled, he turned to look at her.

"Pay attention!"

Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

"You all did pretty well," she told the class, "except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but..." She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.

"...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!"

She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn't do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.

"Just try it! ONE WEEK!" He was unmoved.

"You're smart enough! You'll see a change!" Nothing fazed him.

"Give yourself a chance! Don't give up on your life!" Nothing.

"Steve! Please! I care about you!"

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!"

Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering! He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.

The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.

Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand inhis paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn't resist another look at the lovely woman.

Miss White's face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it! He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel! And he continued this course throughout his school life.

After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct professor in a nearby college

Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.

You see, it's simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.

My Elementary School teachers with my beloved mother (center)

© Jaye Lewis, 2003 - Used with permission from author (inspire21)

If God is for Us, Who can be Against Us?

You will know there is a God in heaven and when you see what He does, you will know it. Do not fear the terrors of the night nor the dangers of the day nor the prestigious that stalks in the darkness nor the disaster that strikes at midday. I remember the song “Our God” by Chris Tomlin and it’s not just a famous song lyric, it’s the Scripture in the bible found in Romans 8: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” What a great hope. It's also comforting to know that God's Spirit is within us. It is good to have those times to get away together in the midst of the craziness of life! Therefore we will not fear " Listen once more to His wondrous words in Isaiah 41:10: "Fear not; for I am with you: do not be dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." In the midst of all that can come at you in life and the struggles, we can be reminded that God is for us. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.  So today, if you are feeling like everyone and everything is coming against you… hold your head up high and stand up tall, proud, and firm on your feet, God is on our side! and "if God is for us, who can be against us?"