Avoiding People And Things That Can Trigger Bad Habits.

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To be a human-being is to have habits. We may not want to always acknowledge it, but every single one of us have habits on some level or another. Whatever those habits may be will vary from one individual to the next, however, we all possess both good and bad habits that are a part of our makeup as individuals. While our good habits are likely the ones that we'd like to be at the forefront of who we are as people, the bad habits are normally the ones that we're judged upon by most. Whether you believe this to be fact or not is up to you, but the truth of the situation is that many of our bad habits can hinder us from becoming a better version of ourselves. Another truth of the matter is that we all have certain things and people that can trigger some of the bad habits that we engage in. No one is perfect, and getting rid of any habit that is considered to be bad can be a daunting task. However, in order to make some headway into breaking some of our bad habits, we must first learn to identify and avoid the people and things that can trigger those bad habits.

YO! How are you all doing out there this time around? It is me the everyday average guy Brad H. coming at you all once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope that you all have been doing well since the last time I wrote, and I also hope that this reaches everyone in good health and spirits. We're nearing the closing of the month of April, and I don't know if it's been like this where you guys are, but we've definitely been getting our share of April showers this month. Also, the NBA playoffs are underway, and being the basketball fan that I am, that's always marks an exciting time of the year for me. My San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the next round of the playoffs, and will be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder this coming Saturday. I hope they're able to get it done and advance to the Western Conference Finals. We'll see what happens in the coming days and weeks with the other teams also. I hope everyone that likes basketball is enjoying the playoffs so far, and I hope everyone has had a great month of April. Alright, I think I've done enough rambling, so lets go ahead and get into this week's topic dealing with bad habits and the triggers that can cause them.

Like I always mention in my posts, I want to state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. The goal here isn't to focus on what is considered right or wrong, but rather to give the readers something that they can maybe think about and evaluate even further. My sole mission here is to use this platform as a way to express my ideas and opinions. If anyone happens to feel differently or disagree with my views on this or any of the topics I write about, that is totally fine. So this week we'll be talking about the things and people that can set off and trigger us into bad habits. I want to start off by saying that my ears and eyes are closest to me, so any advice that I give out in this post is advice that I will be applying to my own life as well. I also want to state that I realize that not everyone will have the same good or bad habits. Again, the goal isn't to focus on the habits themselves, but rather trying to identify the things that can set off those habits. I'm a firm believer that a problem must first be addressed in order to be solved, so this is one of those instances where we as individuals have to first recognize what bad habits we're engaging in.

Many of us walk through our everyday lives not realizing the things that trigger us to do certain things. Whether they're good or bad, many of the habits we engage in often become like a second nature to us. I believe that it's one of those deals where a person does something continuously again and again for so long, that they slowly begin to believe it is normal. Think of it like a lie that a person continues to believe over and over again until their mind begins to believe it's the truth. Now I realize that may sound a bit extreme in this instance, but the point I'm trying to make here is that I don't feel that our bad habits are always second nature. From my perspective, many of our bad habits are formed through the accumulation of the negative people that we encounter, as well as the negative behaviors we engage in time and time again. In other words, there isn't any habit that we engage in that can't be change or fixed without some effort. Unfortunately for many of us, we've been indulging in our bad habits so long that we often overlook the things that can trigger them. For this reason alone, I'm trying to encourage myself and others to become more aware of the people we interact with, as well as the often subtle things that can set us off.

Now that I've gotten that our habits aren't second nature like many of us believe they are out of the way, we have to address the things that trigger those bad habits. Some of you may ask; "How exactly does a person avoid something that can trigger us into bad habits?" Well, the honest truth is that many of them are unavoidable in some cases. Think about this as an example. Lets say that a person is trying to cut a certain type of food out of their diet to become healthier. You can avoid that particular food all you want, but you'll often at times see others eating this particular food. If not that, you'll likely see it when you're in the store, or you may end up seeing it advertised on television. Unlike a certain group of people or a specific person that can trigger you into bad habits, there are some things that just can't be avoided, because you're always going to be exposed to it in some way, shape or form. Some of you may now be confused since I'm talking about avoiding triggers, but I'm also saying that they're unavoidable in some cases. I apologize if I've confused some of you, but hopefully what I'm saying will make sense soon.

So how are you supposed to avoid something that is always in front of you in some form or another? Now if you're a frequent reader here, you're already aware that I often talk about the power of the mind, and that's exactly what we have to use in order fight off any urges that can trigger us into bad habits. We have to build up and strengthen our minds in order to escape the hold that our bad habits have on us. From my perspective, an individual with a strong mind knows how to resist things that may be bad for them. A person with a strong mind knows how to look their problems and issues right in the face and say "I'm not running from you." Now if there is a certain person or people that can trigger you into bad habits, then do whatever you have to do to physically avoid those people. For everything else out there, you have to learn how to build your mind up to be able to resist those triggers. Of course it's not something that happens overnight, nor will it be easy. Trust and believe that we'll all have failures from time to time. However, with enough practice, discipline and focus, I believe we can make great strides in conquering those bad habits that control us. Keep in mind that the same way habits are built up, they can also be erased as well. Recognize and identify what your personal triggers are, and don't be afraid to look your problems in the face head on. From my perspective, that is the only way we'll be able to truly avoid the things that can trigger bad habits.

Well folks, I hope I was able to get my point across here, so I'm going to go ahead end this one. Much thanks for everyone that stopped by for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this post. In the case that doesn't apply to you, I still appreciate those of you that took out the time to hear me out. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the month of April, and I'll see you all again in the next post in the month of May. I go by the name of Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. Till next time friends!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Reaching A Goal Is Only The Beginning (Recommitting to a Goal).

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For many people in our society, the reaching of a goal that we may have been striving for often signals a finale. After all the time and effort that is exerted towards obtaining a particular goal, we often view the achievement as a curtain call; a way for us to take a bow and bask in the glory that comes along with the success. While some goals that may be reached are maybe a one and done type of scenario, there are others that require a consistent level of effort to maintain. Goals of this nature will probably feel like an ongoing process, and in actuality, that is exactly what they are. This truth isn't meant to discourage anyone, nor is it meant to invalidate any goals that you may achieve. However, many of us get to a goal that we've been working at, and then spend too much time tooting our own horn. Many of us fail to realize that the same effort that goes into reaching a goal takes the same effort required to maintain the fruits of it. Sometimes, reaching a goal is only the beginning.

Hey, what's going on ladies and gentlemen? It's me the everyday average guy Brad H. coming at you all once again, and welcome to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope that this reaches whomever that is reading it in good health and spirits, as well as in a sound and stable state of mind. Not much has been going on with me since the last time I touched base. We're officially at the halfway point of the month of April, which means that depending on wherever you're located, we're in the middle of the spring season. I've been enjoying the weather that we've been getting in my area as of late. It's been warm enough to get outside and be active, but cool enough to not feel like it's smoldering heat where you can't enjoy yourself. I'm going to enjoy the spring as much as possible, because I know that summer is right around the corner unfortunately. Yes I indeed said unfortunately, because I don't care for the summer heat much at all anymore. Anyway, regardless of what the weather is like wherever you are, I hope that you all are having a great month of April so far. Now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic.

Before going any further with this post, I want to be sure and state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My goal here isn't to focus on what may be right or wrong, but rather to give whomever that is reading this something to maybe think about and reevaluate more in depth. The mission is strictly for me to use this platform as a way to express my ideas and opinions. If anyone happens to feel differently or disagree with my views, that is totally fine. So as I mentioned earlier, this week's topic will deal with recommitting to a goal that has maybe already been met. Some of you may wonder what brought me to write about this topic. Well, for those of you that maybe follow this blog a little more closely than others, you may have noticed that the previous post before this one dealt with goals and failures. I realize that the summer months are likely approaching for many of you, and that normally is the time when a lot of people begin to set certain goals for themselves. The last post I wrote was meant to inspire people that faced setbacks while working towards a goal. This week's topic is meant to inspire those people that have maybe reached a goal, but need to be reminded that sometimes the reaching of a goal is only the beginning.

As I stated earlier, it's normal to feel a sense of accomplishment with reaching a goal that you've been working towards. However, many of us develop a certain sense of complacency after hitting that target goal. Ever heard that saying that goes; "Success is a full time job?" Well, that same sentiment applies when it comes to various goals that are reached. See, in order to maintain certain goals that we have reached, a certain degree of recommitting is required. Otherwise, all the work and progress that you put in towards reaching that goal will likely become undone. Some of you may be aware that I often talk about the power of the mind in my posts. Well, once again, the mind plays a powerful role in being able to recommit to a specific goal. The power of having a strong mind is limitless, and it's in our best interest to work on building our minds to combat the complacency that sometimes develops with reaching a goal. Some of you may be wondering what are the kind of goals that may require a level of recommitting to? Well, one of the biggest is one that a lot of us are aware of and unfortunately, it's also one that many people fall back into old habits with.

I think that we can all agree that one of the biggest goals that many people have is to lose weight and get healthier. Well, there are many times when person may begin to reach some of those health related goals, and then find themselves becoming complacent with what they've achieved. If you're not careful with your lifestyle, you may look around and find yourself falling back into some of the same habits that you had once before, which in turn can lead to all the progress you've made towards the goal you've reached being undone. That's not what we should be striving for. See, certain goals in life shouldn't be just for a season. Sometimes, in order to live a better life style and quality of life, the goals that we reach have to be lifestyle changes. A lifestyle change is a change that shouldn't yo-yo up and down to the point where it creates inconsistency in our lives. A lifestyle change is one that requires us to draw a line in the sand and say to ourselves, "No more!" It doesn't just apply to health, but anything in life that requires time and effort to reach. The same dedication that you put in towards reaching a goal is the same dedication that is required to maintain it.

Now I'm in no way saying that we shouldn't be proud of ourselves when we reach our goals. Always continue to be proud of yourself when reaching a goal, and give yourself the proper credit for a job well done. There is a certain amount of discipline that we must hone in order to reach our goals right? Well, after reaching a specific goal, we should be looking for the next stage of discipline to conquer and work towards. From my perspective, I view goals as being stepping stones into better things. Think of life as if were a staircase, and each goal reached is a step on the staircase. In order for us to keep on advancing and moving forward, we have to look for the next stage of discipline that is required to keep on advancing. This can be a very difficult task at times, and I myself have struggled with this. However, despite the degree of difficulty that may come, it's definitely something that can be obtained with a strong mind. So to all my friends out there, remember that reaching a goal is sometimes only the beginning. Learn to use those achievements as a spearhead towards better things, and don't be afraid to recommit to your goals.

Alright folks, I believe that I got the point that I was trying to make across, so I'm going to bring this post to an end. Big thanks and shout outs go to everyone that stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As I always like to say before I end, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this post. Even if that's not the case for you, I still appreciate those of you that stopped by. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week, and I'll see you all in the next post. My name is Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. Till next time my friends!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Failure Can Still Be Progress.

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From a strictly generalized perspective on life, the society that we live in often associates failure as something bad. Whenever an individual fails at something regardless of what it may be, they're inclined to feel they're a failure by society's standards. None of us want to fail at anything that we're passionate about, and failing at something isn't going to make us feel good about ourselves at that moment. However, while no one wants to experience failure, the undeniable truth is that we're all going to fail at multiple things throughout various points of our lives. As I've gotten older in my life, I've come to realize and understand that failure itself is not as important as what can be learned from our failures. With each failure that we may experience in our lives, there is almost always something beneficial that can be taken from it. This fact alone may not ease any disappointment that comes along with failure, however, it can become a motivational force towards succeeding and moving forward in the future. From my perspective, while failure may not be ideal for us, it can still represent progress.

Yo, what up folks? It's the everyday average guy Brad H. back at it once again with another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. How are you guys doing out there? I hope that you all have been staying up and maintaining wherever you may be, as well as whatever situations you may be facing. We're almost at the month of April, which is kinda hard for me to grasp my mind around at this moment. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it feel like the year 2016 is speeding through like a spaceship in hyper drive? (Forgive the Star Wars reference, ha). I once heard someone say that time tends to move a lot faster the older we become. I'm not sure how many of you may agree with that statement, but I can say from my perspective that I find that statement to be very true. Anyway, the month of March was a pretty positive month for myself. I celebrated another birthday, ran in another race, and had an enjoyable Easter spending time with family members. I hope that March was good to you all as well, and here's to the month of April being even better for us all. Alright, now that I've gotten on my weekly soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of how failure can still be progress.

Before we go any further, I want to be sure and state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My personal goal here isn't to try to change peoples minds on how they feel about a certain topic, but rather to leave anyone that reads these posts with something to think about and maybe consider further. It's totally fine with me if you happen to disagree with me on anything I've written here. Again, the mission is to use this platform as a way to express my ideas and opinions. Alright, so this week we'll be talking about why failure can still be progression. This is a topic that I feel needs to be addressed for the aforementioned reasons I stated earlier. However, I also want to use this topic as a way to hopefully motivate and inspire anyone that may be feeling a bit down on themselves for a recent failure that maybe has occurred in their life. Again, society as a whole associates failure as something negative, but here at Brad H.'s Perspective, we're not overly focused on what society as whole does and think. Much of our society thrives off negativity as is, so it's no wonder why we often beat others down whenever they fail. For this week, I'm going to point out how using our minds can help in viewing our failures in a more positive way.

Every single one of us probably has a goal or goals that we're working towards. When you're working towards achieving something important to you, there will always be little hiccups and setbacks that may happen along the way. The degree of these setbacks will vary, as some setbacks are more bigger than others. Despite the variance of any setbacks that may occur towards reaching a goal, there is almost always a moment when we may want to give up and quit on that goal. You may begin to think to yourself that you're facing an uphill battle, or that you're trying to get somewhere while swimming against a strong current. You're facing all these outside problems along with chaotic things going on while trying to reach a goal, and it feels like it's just not meant for you to succeed. Sounds familiar? We may find ourselves believing that it's time to throw in the towel because there's no point in going on with so many factors that are working against you. Quitting may indeed be an option, and it may even be an understandable one when you feel that you're not making any progression towards your dreams. However, this is when the power of the mind becomes so important.

See, because we have been conditioned by society to feel like we're failures whenever we don't achieve something big or important, many of us tend to forget the importance of whatever progress that we've made before we stumbled. The thing many of us forget is that when you've started taking action towards a obtaining a goal, you've already done something very important whether or not you've reached that goal; made progress. If you're working towards something you're passionate about, and you've managed to slip up along the way and made a mistake, it doesn't signify failure because you've already taken positive steps towards progression. Your mind, along with a negative society will try and play tricks on you to convince you that you need to quit completely because of a setback. This is when the important usage of your mind will play into either breaking you, or inspiring you to keep on pressing forward towards your goals. Rather than giving into negativity, we have to use our minds to focus on all the progression that we've already made. Just as an example, how do you think people that run marathons are able to complete them? They tap into the power of their mind whenever their body wants to give out.

I'm a work in progress myself, so I don't know, nor do I have all the answers to reaching goals. However, what I do know is that we'll never get to those goals if we give up on them so quickly. Failure and failures will happen along this journey of life, but the most important thing is whether or not we learn from those failures. If we're learning from our failures and continuing to readjust our strategies towards reaching our goals, then I believe we're making positive progression not only towards a specific goal, but towards life in general. I believe that this game of life is one where for as long as you're alive and breathing, you never stop truly learning. Again, focus your mind and channel as much of your energy into your progressions rather than your failures. I believe that by doing this, we'll find the inspiration to keep on going whenever we feel ready to quit. More importantly, remember that you're never truly a failure unless you completely quit. Like the saying that we're all familiar with goes; if you happen to fall down, dust yourself off, and pick yourself right back up.

Alright my friends, I hope that I was able to get the point I was attempting to make across. I'm going to go ahead and sign off for this time, so big thanks to all of you again for coming through for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. Like always, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this post. Even if there isn't, I still appreciate those of you that stopped by. At the very least, I hope that some of you find this inspiring to you. Well I'm up out of this peace for now, so I'll catch you all on the other side. I go by the name of Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. Till next time!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why Social Media Validation Shouldn't Play A Major Factor In Our Lives.

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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; most if not all of us either have accounts on these platforms, or at the very least, know exactly what these sites are. The popularity of these social media sites along with the various others out there has probably risen above proportions that even these sites initial creators could even imagine. For many people in our society, the spending of hours upon hours on social media sites has often replaced the normal interactions that we once had with our family and friends. Some people would rather trade handshakes and conversations with everyday people for likes and comments on social media sites. With the expanding popularity of social media sites, there has developed a need for validation from others via these sites for many. Most of our society has developed into a world that compares and judges a person's value based on social media interaction and popularity among our peers through these sites. I will admit that the relevance of social media has become very important in our society, but seeking validation from others through social media shouldn't be a major goal. Quite frankly, social media validation shouldn't even play a major factor in our lives in my opinion.

What's going on ladies and gentlemen? It's me the everyday average guy Brad H. coming at you, and I'm back at it once again with another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope everyone has been doing excellent since the last post, and hopefully this reaches everyone in good health, as well as a positive state of mind. As for me personally, I recently celebrated another birthday. So March 11th marked my reaching the age of 35. It's been nearly a week now since then, and even saying that I'm 35 is still somewhat weird for me. Probably the biggest reason for that is that I don't really feel like I'm that age. Then again, age 35 is still brand new for me, so I'm not quite sure how it should feel at this point. All I know is that I physically don't feel much different than I did in my mid 20's as of yet. I suppose age in relevance to how one feels physically is one of those things that will vary with each person. As for my birthday itself, it was pretty uneventful for the most part. The weather prevented me from doing what I initially planned, but on a high note, I was able to receive a few birthday gifts that were pleasant surprises. I also got to catch the movie "10 Cloverfield Lane" during the weekend. That movie was pretty disappointing to me, so I won't talk about it much. Better yet, I won't say anything else about it besides going and seeing it. Overall, while my birthday didn't go as planned, just being able to see another year is the most important thing. Okay I've rambled enough, so lets get into this week's topic of social media validation and why it shouldn't be an important factor in our lives.

Before we delve into this week's topic, I want to be sure and state that a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My personal goal with this topic, as well as with all the others isn't to focus on what is considered right or wrong, but rather using this platform as an outlet to express my opinions. For those of you that maybe read this and do not agree with what I have to say, that's totally fine. However, my hope is to leave anyone that reads these topics with something to think about further, and maybe even find yourself evaluating more in depth. So as I mentioned earlier, this week's topic deals with people seeking validation through social media. Since nearly everyone uses social media, and so many people seek validation from others in everyday life, some of you may wonder why I feel this is a relevant topic to expand upon. Well, I personally think it's important because not only is it something that I see so many others participating in, but it's something that I myself struggled with awhile back. There was once a time where I put too much value into how others viewed me via social media sites, and it took awhile for me to realize what I know today. What someone thinks of you in your everyday life shouldn't matter to you, and the same rule applies when it comes to social media.

I can think back to a period a few years back when a big reason for me posting status messages on Facebook was to impress others. It was a way for me to somewhat feed my ego by hoping that others would give attention to what I posted. Now I'm in no way saying that everyone does this, nor am I saying that it's necessarily wrong. If being a person that constantly strives for attention though social media sites is your thing, then go right ahead on if it makes you happy. However, for me personally, tying my worth to what others think via social media isn't something I'm interested in any longer. See, what I've come to realize over the past few years is that social media is somewhat similar to reality television. When we view reality television shows, they try to give off the impression that everything they're showing us is real when in actuality, there are many layers that go towards a reality show. There are producers, directors, sets, and crew members behind the cameras that are pulling all the strings right? Since there are so many layers that go into a reality show itself, it can't be entirely real right? Also, do you really believe that people on these shows are truly being themselves? I personally do not believe that to be the case. I want you all to consider this for a minute. Imagine you're at home and there was someone filming you. Do you think you would act the same way being filmed that you would act if there was nobody there? More than likely you wouldn't, and while that comparison is not exactly the same, there is a similarity when it comes to social media. Social media allows us to have an audience and in general, even subconsciously, most people act differently when they're given an audience.

Just from my perspective, and I'm sure most of you can agree with me on this, anyone can put on a facade via social media. Often times the people that seek the most validation through social media are the people that have the biggest issues and insecurities in their everyday lives. In today's society, the social media platform has become the reality show outlet for not only being able to receive the attention we may not be getting outside of it, but for also masking the lack of happiness that should already come from within ourselves. Why else would a person need to post multiple pictures of themselves daily, or constantly spend hours upon hours glued to what everyone else is doing on their social media? Again, I'm not saying that engaging in social media is wrong, however, the seeking of validation from others through social media is probably not the best place to go for attention. Lets be honest here; in most cases, most social media friends are not your real friends. A real friend may interact with you via social media, but they will also have interactions with you outside of it as well. I also want you to consider the following. If you were to die today, how many of your thousands of friends and followers via your social media would come to your funeral service?

It may seem like I'm bitter and bashing social media in this post, but that isn't the case at all. My goal is to get people to understand that a phone call from someone is more valuable than a Facebook like. Going out to dinner with a friend or family member should mean more to you than the comments you receive on a status or picture. There are some people out there that actually get upset when people don't like a photo or status they post. It really shouldn't be that serious, and that's something that I had to learn for myself. A genuine compliment from someone outside of a social media site should mean more than posting a picture and getting a truckload of likes and comments from people that may not truly care about you as a person. From my perspective, social media should be viewed as a tool for gaining and sharing information. It should be a catalyst for interacting with others and making new connections with other like minded people that could potentially become true friends beyond just social media. Social media should be a small part of your life, and not the end all be all in your world. In my personal opinion, what social media shouldn't be is a platform for seeking attention and validation from other people. This isn't a virtual middle and high school where everyone wants to be popular. There's a lyric from a rapper I like named Locksmith that goes; "Attract sharks when you fishing for compliments." Keep that in mind whenever you're looking for validation via social media.

Alright, alright; I believe or at the very least hope that I was able to get my point across with this topic. I'm going to go ahead and wrap this one up, so thanks again for those of you that took out the time to check out another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As I always like to state again before I close that the hope here is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this. Even if there was not, I still appreciate those of you that stop by. Well I'm out of this joint, so I hope to see you all in the next one. I go by the name of Brad H., and I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. See you all in the next one!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance of Controlling Your Emotions.

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We're all aware that our emotions play a huge part in our everyday ability to function. Our emotions are normally the driving factor behind the decisions that we make, as well as how we react to certain things that happen in our lives. While we all have emotional moments and experiences that are a part of our make-up, the degree of variance in how our emotions control us will vary from person to person. Some people will just be more emotional than others, and some people will allow their emotions in certain circumstances to control them more than others. It appears that in this day and age that society looks down upon people that are emotional, and while I'm a firm believer that it's okay for we as people to be emotional at times, allowing our emotions to control us can be a very detrimental thing to our lives. It's okay to have emotions, but it's also important to work on having a firm hold over your emotions as well.

What's up ladies and gentlemen? Good day to you all, and welcome to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As I tend to say repetitively because it's the truth, I hope this reaches you all in good health and spirits, as well as in a positive state of mind. The year 2016 is quickly progressing along, and we've already arrived at the month of March. March is always an exciting month for me as it marks my birthday month. I'll be celebrating my 35th year on this planet on the 11th, so I'm pretty excited about that milestone if you will. Also, I wrote in the last post that I would be participating in a 5K in late February. The race took place this past Saturday, and it was an overall fun and successful event. The event titled the Kinsel Ford 5K was the very first race that I ever partook in, and this year marked my fifth time participating in this annual event. Saying that it has somewhat of a nostalgic place in my life would be an understatement. For the past few years, it has become an event that I look forward to. Although it was a challenging ordeal participating with my dealing of a few injuries leading up to the race, I was still able to complete the race in under 30 minutes; the target goal that I normally set for myself. Its been a few days since the event took place, and I'm still pretty satisfied with the aftermath! So the next big thing happening for me will be my upcoming birthday, and I'll be sure to talk about that some in the next post. Alright, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of dealing with our emotions better.

Before getting into this topic, I want to state that a person's viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My goal with all of this isn't to focus on what is considered right or wrong, but rather using this platform as an outlet to express my opinions. If you happen to disagree with me that's perfectly fine, however, through the process of expressing my opinions via this platform, the hope is to leave anyone that reads this with something to think about and maybe evaluate more. Now as I stated earlier in this post, emotions play a big part in how we live our lives. I would even go so far as to say that the way we handle our emotions is probably at the core essence of who we are as people. I believe that emotions are the catalyst for not only how we view the world in general, but for also how we view our relationships and interactions with others. When you really take it in and consider it, the happenings in our individual lives, along with how good or bad our relationships with others are play a large factor in determining how high or low our emotions can get. It's basically a process of what is happening in our lives vs. how we react to and handle what is happening.

Now from my perspective on this topic, being an overly emotional person can be a good or bad thing depending on what is happening in our lives. We're all aware that whenever something good happens for us that it normally sparks happy feelings and emotions, while the opposite happens whenever things tend to go south. Since happy and positive emotions are associated with things going well, for the sake of making my point in this post, I want to focus on the importance of having control of our emotions when things may not be going all the best. My reasoning behind this has to due with that the fact that many of us make irrational choices and decisions whenever we're allowing ourselves to be controlled by our emotions. This is exactly why I stated earlier that this is a habit that can be very detrimental to our lives. Whenever you're an emotional wreck when things aren't going all that well, it's important for you to understand you're not really your true self at that particular moment. At that moment, you've more or less become a slave to your emotions, which in turn puts you more at risk of making bad choices.

Some of you may wonder why is any of this even relevant since we all have emotions. I can't speak for anyone else, but it's important to me because I myself have allowed myself to become a slave to negative emotions at times. It's something that we all battle with at times but more importantly, it's something that I see happening in society way more than I'd like to see. Too many individuals are hurting themselves both in the long and short term by allowing their emotions to control them at certain moments. Think about this example for a second. You have a person that maybe loaned a family member or a friend some money right? Weeks go by and they haven't seen nor heard from the individual that the money was loaned to. Now the emotion of anger is probably beginning to kick in, and at this point it would be totally justifiable. Now lets say for the sake or argument that the person finally catches up with and confronts the individual they loaned the money to, and a heated argument takes place among the two. While being angry is understandable, do you believe it would do more harm or good if the person that loaned the money confronted the other individual in a more aggressive manner compared to a more calmer approach?

The point that I'm trying to make here is that allowing your emotions to control you in bad situations can be counter productive. We've all seen and heard of family members and friends falling out over certain things, which is similar to the example that I used. Normally in these type of situations, it begins with anger, which leads to a negative emotional state of mind that sparks these heated confrontations. In the end, these type of conflicts ultimately do more damage than good. As I've mentioned previously, it's perfectly normal for our emotions to play a role in certain situations. The thing we want to focus on is not allowing ourselves to do or say something we end up regretting because we were emotional at a particular moment. None of us are perfect and we're all flawed individuals, so of course gaining a hold on our emotions is a task that will not come easy. However, the thing we want to work on is becoming more conscious of our decisions whenever those negative emotions start to creep in. From my perspective, a more conscious person is a more aware person, and a more aware person makes better decisions regardless of how good or bad a moment is. One of my favorite examples I like to use in regards to controlling your emotions goes like this: Allowing your emotions to control you is like being in a moving car, and your emotions are in the drivers seat while you're sitting on the passengers side; a crash is bound to occur.

Well folks that's it for this entry of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I believe and hope that I was able to get across the point that I'm trying to make. Like always, the hope is that some meaning and understanding was gained from this. Even if there wasn't, I still appreciate those of you that stop by. Alright I'm out this peace, so thanks again to those of you that stopped by. Have a great week ahead, and stay positive my people. See you all in the next one. Peace!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

You May Not Be Ready Yet For The Things You Want Most.

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Every single one of us have things that we want in this life. Some of the things that we desire the most can be viewed as being superficial, and they're often confused for being needs rather than wants. Then on the flip side, there are things in this life that we want that are essential to maintaining ourselves. This viewpoint varies from each person, and whatever your outlook may be on what things are considered wants and needs in life, we as people will always have a burning desire to chase after the things we want most. While I'm a firm believer in passionately going after the things that we want most in life, I also believe that the right timing and circumstances play an important factor when it comes to getting the things we want. Even if we obtain or achieve some of the things that we want most, it likely won't last or be as effective if the timing isn't right. All of this brings me to the topic that I want to talk about for a bit today. While there may be things that you're pursuing and desiring in this life, you may not always be ready to have those things just yet.

What's going on my people? Happy Friday to you all, and welcome again to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope this reaches everyone in good health and spirits, as well as a positive state of mind. The year 2016 is still young but man, doesn't it feel like the month of February is flying on by? I know we have to keep in mind that February is a short month, however, it doesn't change the fact that this year seems to be speeding forward. At any rate, I hope everyone is doing well. So what's been up since I last wrote? For one, the Super Bowl has come and gone. I know that many people thought it was a boring game, but I myself personally enjoyed it. It was a very defensive game, which didn't make for a lot of excitement. However, I'm one of those people that can appreciate a good smash mouth game where the quarterbacks struggle from time to time. I was off with my pick of the Carolina Panthers winning, but hey that's why they play the game. Any team can rise up on any given Sunday right? I also want to send congrats to the Denver Broncos. Also, if any of you read the last post before this one, I mentioned that I will be doing a 5K race next Saturday (Feb. 27). The race is the Kinsel Ford 5K, which is actually the first race that I ever ran in. This will be my fifth time participating, and I'm definitely pumped! This paragraph is getting a bit too long, so I'll definitely be talking more about the post race in the next upcoming post. Alright then peeps, lets get into this topic of why you may not be ready for the things you want the most.

So we're back again for the fourth blog entry for 2016. Like I always mention in my posts, a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My goal here isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather using this platform as an outlet to express my opinions. Through that process of expressing my opinions, the hope is to leave anyone that reads these entries with something to think about and consider more. Now as I stated earlier, we all have things that we want in our lives, and we often confuse wants for being needs. Since I believe that needs and wants are two different things, I'm going to focus more on the wants compared to the needs in this post. Again, the things that those of you reading this may view as needs and wants may be different from my perspective on it. For me personally when I think of wants, I think of things like winning the lotto, getting that attractive girl (or guy if you're a female) that you desire, or owning a nice house, etc. In my opinion, these are examples of things that we may want, but they're not things that we always necessarily need. What else do these things have in common you may wonder? Besides potentially being costly to have, they all require having a great deal of maturity to properly maintain.

For most of us, especially when we're young adults, we often desire to more or less keep up with the Jones's. In some of those cases, we often look at others such as our peers and what they have or are achieving, and then we use that as a standard for our own lives. Going back to the wants and needs sub topic, I honestly feel that viewing our peers successes and achievements for our own lives is one of the reasons why many of us confuse wants and needs. If you're one of these people, and we all are at times, you're pretty much living vicariously through others. Just because maybe your classmate, family member or friend has achieved certain things, it doesn't always mean that you're mentally ready for those things as well. See, most people desire things that are almost counterproductive to their own lives. When you look at other people obtaining certain things that you may desire and see that these people are apparently enjoying having these things, it can give you the illusion you that need these things as well. Again, a person's level of readiness and maturity varies, so while it may appear to you that you're ready to take on certain things in life, that may not be the case if you're basing your preparedness off of someone else's life. This isn't always the wise way of thinking in my opinion.

Here's something to consider, and this is probably one of the best examples that I can think of at the moment. We all see these people on television winning these gigantic lottery prizes right? I mean lets face it, most people desire to obtain that kind of money right? We're all familiar with someone, or have certain family members that constantly say they want to win the lottery right? You may kinda laugh to yourself when you hear certain people say this because you know deep down that although they may want to have that kind of money, winning that type of money would probably be more damaging to their lives than good. As a matter of fact, I watched a video not to long ago that highlighted several people that had won the lotto and ultimately ended up losing all the money they won. In the worst case scenarios in the video, some of these people ended up losing their lives. It's like I mentioned earlier, it's easy to be on the outside looking in on a situation and believe that should be you right now. The question to consider is would having all the things that you want at this moment end up bringing you more happiness, or more misery if you aren't mentally and emotionally mature enough to deal with it? Something to think about right?

From my perspective, there's nothing wrong with wanting or desiring things, but we have to be aware of what we're truly getting ourselves into. As I stated previously, it all comes down to timing in my opinion. I believe that through effort, patience, persistence and consistency, we can achieve almost anything that we want. Now the key word that I want you to pay attention to is patience. See, I believe that when we're truly ready for all the things we desire the most, they will come to us naturally through the process of life. Think of it like a flowing river of water that goes naturally with its current, or a puzzle that you've been working on where the pieces naturally fall into place. If you're not mentally ready for the things that you desire, it's similar to someone throwing a stone into the river and interrupting its flow. Life can already be challenging enough as it is, so putting added stress and pressure on ourselves is like going into a battle without a strategy. I'm in no way trying to discourage or demotivate anyone from achieving the things you desire most. However, what I am trying to do here is remind you all that timing is important. There's a reason why most of us look back at certain past scenarios in our lives and say; "I wish I knew back then what I know now." Taking on too much when you're not mentally ready can ultimately lead to bad decisions that can affect your life for years to come.

Well I believe I got the point I was attempting to make across, so I'm going to wrap this up. Thank you all once again for checking out another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Like always, the hope is that some meaning and understanding is gained from this. Even if there isn't, I still appreciate those of you that stop by. I hope you all have a great and enjoyable weekend ahead. Stay tempered and stay positive my people. See you all in the next one. Peace!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Our Friends and Family Have Lives Too!

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I believe it's fairly safe to say that we all have to rely on other people every now and then. While I'm sure that some may disagree with this, I feel the need of needing someones help every so often doesn't make you any less of an independent person. Regardless if its family, friends or even a complete stranger, we all are going to require the help of another person during various points of life. Though I do firmly believe in and promote this idea of requiring others for support, I'm also aware that there will be times where those we rely on will not always be able to be there. For some, one of the more detrimental human habits that we fall into is ALWAYS counting on those that we rely on to be at our every beck and call. As I've gotten older, I've come to realize how truly habit forming and crippling this way of thinking can be. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having to rely on others, but its also important to understand that our friends and family have their own lives as well.

Yo, what up ladies and gents? Happy February to you all, and welcome to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' for 2016. I hope everyone's week is going well thus far, and that the still young year of 2016 is treating you all well. As for myself, I'm pretty excited for not only this upcoming weekend, but the entire month of February in general. I'm sure that most of you know that this weekend is Super Bowl weekend for the NFL. The teams that I wanted to see in the Super Bowl didn't make it but of course being the sports fan that I am, I'm going to be tuned into the game like nearly everyone else. As for a prediction on the game, I'd personally wouldn't mind seeing Peyton Manning end his career on a high note with a Super Bowl win. That said, I don't think it's going to happen this year. Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are a great team all around, and I really believe this is their year to take it all. I don't know what the score will be, but I expect a Panthers victory this weekend. I'll also be participating in a 5K race later this month, so I'm pretty excited about that as well. I'll likely be talking more about that in the coming weeks. Alright, that's my sports plug for the week, so lets go ahead and get into this week's topic.

This is the third blog entry for 2016, and as I always like to mention in my posts, a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary from person to person. My aim here isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather using this platform as an outlet to express my opinions. Through that process of expressing myself, the hope is to leave anyone that reads these entries with something to think further about. During our time of growing up as children, most of us are taught the importance of friendship, family and camaraderie. Its kinda funny to me sometimes how so many things that we're taught as children hold relevance for our the duration of our lives. I'll admit that for whatever reasons that may apply, the importance of family and friends has somewhat taken a backseat for many in our society. However, for the most part, our society in general wouldn't be able to maintain without strong friendship and family ties. The question that I want to delve deeper into today is; How much can be too much when it comes to needing our friends and family?

Like I mentioned earlier, we're taught that we should turn to those we can count on when we need them. While I do believe that calling on others for help in times of need is the right way of doing things if it calls for it, I feel that too many people in our society abuse this "lifeline" (Who Wants to Be A Millionaire reference) so to speak. We've developed into a people that often take our family and friends for granted. We often view our family and friends similar to the way that we view a lifeguard on watch at a beach or swimming pool. Whether its a big or small issue that we're facing, we're always expecting for someone to throw us that rescue tube to save us. What's even worse is the idea that many of us feel that we're entitled to the help of others. Yes, believe it or not, some people still feel that they're owed the privilege of having the help of their family and friends. Well, from my personal perspective, just like you have your own life, your friends and family have their own lives too.

From my perspective on this topic, there's absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help from our friends and family. However, too many people are quick to bad mouth and write off people because they're not always there whenever it's convenient for them. Think about this for a second, and I'm going to use this as an example for getting my point across. Imagine that you were going through a breakup, or some other issue that may have left you feeling disappointed. Now imagine that your parents, or one of your close friends that you always rely on for support were enjoying themselves doing something that they seldom get to do. Would you really want to ruin their experience because of something that you were facing that wasn't necessarily a life crisis? A person that cares about others and not only themselves, wouldn't want to burden or take away joy from others because of their own personal issues. Again, regardless of how close you are to someone, no one is entitled to always be there for you. They have lives and responsibilities of their own.

The main point that I'm attempting to make in this entry is that we have become a society that relies too much on others for problems that we often create ourselves, but then we become angry and disillusioned whenever people aren't always able to be there for us. Yes, its important to have friends and family that we can rely on, but we must also allow them to enjoy their lives as well. You don't want to be that person that is always calling on people whenever you're having problems. Everyone, even those that you're close to have their own problems to deal with, and no one wants to constantly deal with other peoples issues while dealing with their own. I think that one of the biggest ways for a person to address this issue is to work on becoming better at solving problems on our own. We have to learn how to solve the small issues on our own, and then rely on others for the bigger issues we face. I know that everyone has problems, but some of us make our issues a lot more bigger than what they really are. Finally, and this is probably the biggest takeaway from this post. If you're one of those people that continuously burden others with your problems, you're literally contributing to your own downfall. Again, the people that you're close to will always love and care about you, but that doesn't mean that they won't get tired of being around you if you're constantly being a burden to them.

Well I think I got my point across, so I'm going to close this out for this week. Like always, thanks to everyone who stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope that there was some meaning and understanding gained from this and even if there wasn't, I still appreciate those of you that took out the time to read this. I hope you all have a great rest of the week ahead, and enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend. See you all in the next one. Peace and love!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.