It Is Perfectly Okay To Be Yourself (Not Conforming To Society's Standards).

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There is a trend that I'm sure has been around for ages that I notice happening more and more on a regular basis. I'm sure many of you notice it quite a bit as well. It is something that is discussed and talked about frequently, yet regardless of how many times the downfalls of this practice are mentioned, our society still keeps it relevant. What exactly am I talking about you may wonder? I'm referring to how the world often conveys the illusion that everyone should look and act the same. No matter where you go or what you may read, there are always people putting out information on how we should be. Within our society, it seems that the only kind of male to be is an "alpha male." By society standards, for a woman to be classified as beautiful, she should be a certain size or dress a certain way. These are just a couple of examples, but I think you get where I'm going with this. People everywhere are doing all kinds of extreme things to fit into society's bubble when it comes to what is acceptable. This happens so much so that many people begin to lose themselves in the process of trying to change. Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve ourselves, but should it not be happening to conform to society standards. I feel that is okay to just be yourself.

Hey, how's it going everyone? It is me Brad H. back at it once again, and welcome to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Hope everyone has been doing well, staying up, and continuing to maintain. I also hope that 2017 has been treating you all well so far, and for those of you that make those resolutions for the new year, I hope you're sticking to them. Not a whole lot to talk about this week besides the disappointment that was the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend. Some of you may already know this, but I'm a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Unlike many other Dallas fans that I know, I was actually a bit nervous about them playing Green Bay. Although Dallas beat Green Bay during the regular season and lost to the New York Giants twice, I just felt like it would have been harder for New York to beat the Cowboys three times. Also, we all know how well Aaron Rodgers had been playing leading up to the game. Of course the Cowboys would go on to lose, and although it was a disappointment, they have a lot to look forward towards in the future. I feel that both Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott are the real deal based on how well they both played for being rookies. I'm not a Packers fan at all, but congrats to them for pulling off the victory. It was a great game overall, period. Alright, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of not conforming to society's standards.

As I normally do before getting into the topic for the week, a person's individual viewpoints will always differ. The goal here isn't to focus too much on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather encourage others to think about various topics differently from the norm. Of course I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and that is totally fine. Whatever thoughts and opinions others may have are welcomed here. As for how I arrived at this topic for this week, it's just something that I happen to ponder on quite a bit. I think it's a topic that many of us that probably go against the normal standards of society think about on occasion. Also, I believe regardless of who you may be, I think it is normal for all to us to feel out of place or different from everyone else. We are all indeed and unique in our own ways, but so many of us try to fit in to be accepted. This week's topic's goal is to hopefully serve as inspiration to those that maybe struggle with this to realize that it is perfectly fine to be just how are you. It is okay if you want to change certain aspects of your life in order to better yourself, however, that isn't the same as aiming to impress society.

Now getting into the topic at hand, I feel that there is a distinct difference between an individual wanting to better themselves compared to changing themselves in order to conform to others. When I personally think of a person wanting to better themselves or aiming to become more well versed in certain aspects of their lives, I think of a person that is wanting to improve to feel better about themselves first. This is something that begins from within a person, and starts with something that is emotionally compelling from my perspective. On the other hand, a person that wants to change for the sake of fitting in and impressing others is doing it for all the wrong reasons in my opinion. Now there are certain situations that may require us changing for others. For example, a couple that may have just had a child will likely want to change aspects of their lives for the sake of being the best parents they can for that child. Another example could be a man that maybe lives a reckless lifestyle, but decides he wants to change his ways to accommodate to his family or a woman he may be interested in. It is okay if you want to change for people that inspire you to change, which is something that society won't do for us most of the time.

Something else that we must keep in mind is that regardless of how much a person may want to change certain things about themselves, sometimes it may just not happen, or you may not reach society standards. And you know what? That is perfectly fine. If you are an introverted person that doesn't like to be around a lot of other people, that is a part of your personality that you can probably only change so much. You can go out and pick up books, manuals, hire coaches, etc and no matter how much you work towards becoming more extroverted, you will only improve so much if you're naturally an introvert. It's similar to doing a puzzle and trying to force a piece that doesn't fit. See, our society has created an illusion that there are certain traits and characteristics that we must possess in order to be accepted. I'm sure many of you have have of the term "alpha-male" right? By society's standards, an alpha-male is the only type of man that a man should be. You now see all kinds of guys going to all kinds of extreme measures in order to become one of these kind of men that society talks up so much, and it is honestly ridiculous. Again, if you're not hurting anyone or stepping on anyone else's toes, there is nothing wrong with just being who you are.

So for everyone out there regardless if you're male or female, it's okay to want to improve yourself, but always focus on remaining true to who you really are as a person. Every single one of us for all our flaws and shortcomings are unique in our own way, and the way that you are as a person should already be good enough. You never have to feel pressured into doing anything that you really may not want in order to impress others, nor should you have to. I realize that this is a topic that we hear about all the time, however, it seems to remain relevant despite so many people already knowing the potential pitfalls of conforming to the world. As I stated earlier, the most important thing is staying true to yourself regardless of what others may think. I'm going to end this topic by leaving a great and popular quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I hope that it, along with my message on this topic can serve as inspiration to anyone that battles with this. "Real men don't conform to the beliefs of others, even when society has concluded on what is good and true but maintain the integrity of their own mind."

Alright, we've reached the end of this week's topic, so it is time for me to go ahead and sign off for now. Thank you once again for everyone that tuned in to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. My hope is that it was able to reach someone else out there. As I stated earlier, I hope the new year has been treating everyone good so far, and hopefully you're sticking to those resolutions. It has been extremely warm here in Texas as of late, so if it is warmer in your area, try to get outdoors this weekend. Alright folks that is it for me this week, so have a great weekend everyone. Till next time, I wish you all peace, wellness, and positive thoughts.

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Biggest Battles We Face Often Come From Within (In A Battle With Your Own Mind).

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Everyone has enemies right? Growing up during our youth, we would often hear people categorize people as either friends or enemies. We've been taught to believe that an enemy can come in the form of a friend, family member, or someone else that we may have close ties with. We've also been taught that society in general can be our biggest enemy. Everything from money to the government, food, etc have all been deemed as potential enemies to us. While the list of things I mentioned can all be potentially harmful to our lives, there is often a potentially enemy to our lives that we either overlook, or choose not to face at all; ourselves. Yes I did say ourselves, and it's true that we can often be our own worst enemies. If anyone is surprised to hear me say this, please don't be. If we really think about it for a second, we as a society in general have been our own worst enemies for centuries. However, I don't want to focus too much on society, but rather the internal battles that we all face from within. Yes it is indeed true that we will face many forms of battles throughout our lives, but the biggest battles will likely come from within ourselves.

Happy 2017 party people! It is I Brad H. once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to the first 2017 edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Yes we have arrived at 2017, and I hope that this brand new year has been treating you all great thus far. I'm sure many of you have made resolutions for the new year, and while I personally stopped making them years ago, I don't knock anyone that still does. However, as a reminder, I just want everyone to keep in mind that the changing of a date isn't going to instantly change you as a person. Any changes that you plan on making towards bettering any aspect of your life for this new year won't work unless you commit to it. This means that despite facing any setbacks that may occur in whatever you're hoping to become better towards, you have to remain steadfast and consistent throughout a daily basis. This is something that we all may be aware of, but it never hurts to rehash it again from time to time. Again, I hope 2017 has been going well for you all so far. With that said, lets go ahead and tackle the topic of how the biggest battles that we will face will often come from within.

Normally, I would only use this portion to talk a bit about how this week's topic came to be. However, I want to use it for this moment to address a change that I plan on making to this blog going forward. I still will be updating on an every other week basis, however, I plan to keep the posts a bit shorter going forward. One thing that I've come to realize in the past view years is that many of our attention spans are pretty low, and many people often go the the other direction whenever they encounter something that they see as being too long. I don't feel that my topics were long in general, but I do plan to compact them down a bit more to get straight to the point. I think that would probably work out a little more better for not only potential readers, but also for myself. I feel that I will be able to put out better quality write-ups implementing this tactic going further. Besides that, I plan on keeping the same formula when it comes to any topic that I write on. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I want to say that individual viewpoints will always vary. The mission for me here isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather to encourage more in depth thinking on various subject matters.

Now as I referenced to earlier in the post, a good many of us put a lot of energy into the external battles that we face on a regular basis, but we often fail to give enough energy to the battles we're up against internally. I believe that much of this has to do with so many people being in denial about issues that may be happening in their lives. However, regardless of who you are or where you're at in life, every single one of us are battling something internally. An internal battle can be anything that may be troubling us or hindering us from finding that peace within that we're constantly striving for, and I feel that there is no shame in admitting to having an issue or issues in life. Think about all the celebrities, athletes, and people with a certain degree of status that have struggled with addiction. These are individuals that many people deem as having everything that life has to offer, but they still had internal battles that they tried masking with their addictions. Masking our issues isn't only limited to people of status, but it is something that so many of us choose to do rather than addressing whatever issues we're facing. It's similar to putting a band-aid on a wound; it only hides the bigger issue at hand.

Life in general is probably the toughest test that we will ever face, however from my perspective on this topic, the finding of the necessary motivation and willpower from within to pass on daily basis can be even harder. There is so much temptation and negative forces in the world that are constantly working against us daily. However, from my perspective, the reason many of us struggle with these things is due to not properly training our minds to overcome these things. Too much emphasis on being entertained and engaging in activities that don't really help in bettering us as people often takes precedent over the addressing of our internal issues. Just like anything else in life, it is important to prioritize things, and there are so many of us don't make ourselves a priority when it comes to facing the battles that are happening within. This is something that we have to work on changing right? Nobody is perfect, and it is indeed true that we will all fall short every so often. But, the idea of potentially falling short doesn't mean that we shouldn't address the issues that we may be internally facing.

So with everything being said, I think we as people should address and focus on the battles that we're dealing with internally. I'm not saying that we should ignore the outside factors that may be enemies to us, but what I am saying is that everything starts within you first. Being able to equip our minds first to handle the things that life may throw at us should be the first priority. I was watching a video on Youtube by actor Terry Crews yesterday, and he said something in the video that I wanted to make sure and put in this post. He said; "We don't battle people, we battle mindsets. You battle mindsets that attempt to hold people back, that's what I'm battling. I don't battle people, I battle the way people think." I'm glad that I happened to come across those words, because they speak to the idea that while other people and outside forces may be an enemy, it's not them that you're battling. The real battle comes from the ability to adapt to whatever comes at us. It's all about training and strengthening the mind, and then being able to change that mindset for the better.

Well we've come to the end of this particular topic, so I'd like to once again thank everyone that came through for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. Whether you made any resolutions for the new year or not, lets try to make 2017 a great year everyone. I'm sure some of you out there are sport fans, so like many of you out there, I'm excited for the NFL playoffs that kick off tomorrow. My team (Cowboys) have a first round bye, so they won't be playing tomorrow. However, I will be tuned in anyway because I love watching football, but also to find out who they will be playing. Alright everyone, I'm out so I'll see you all in the next post. Until then, I wish you all a Happy New Year, as well as peace and positive thoughts.

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Setbacks Are A Part Of Life; It's Your Reaction To Them That Matters Most.

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There are many things in this life that are just impossible to avoid experiencing. I believe that one of those things is something that that we've both heard and experienced time and time again. What am I talking about you may wonder? I'm referring to setbacks, which is something that many of us experience more often than we'd probably like. Now what exactly is a setback? We all have our own interpretation of what a personal setback may be, but my personal definition of a setback is when something that may be important to us doesn't go as planned. A setback can come in all shapes and forms, and as I alluded to previously, no one is immune to them taking place. While the occurrence of setbacks may be a constant aspect of life, the various ways in which we choose to react to them is always up in the air. Because we are all different individuals with different ways of processing things, we all have different ways of reacting to setbacks. Just like anything else in life, there can be both positive and negatives that can be taken away from having setbacks. However, I believe it is safe to say that most people focus primarily on the negative aspect of setbacks. Regardless of what the setback may be, we find ourselves questioning ourselves and wondering; why is this happening to me? It's perfect normal to question why something may have happened to cause a setback, however, getting too caught up in the setback itself is counterproductive. We have to learn and understand that no matter who you are or what you've done, setbacks are just a part of life. What matters most is how we choose to react to them.

Hello once again ladies and gentlemen. It is I Brad H. back at it once again to present the end of 2016 edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. The blog itself isn't coming to an end, however, this will likely be the last entry of 2016. As always, I hope all has been good and well with everyone. For anyone that may be first time visitors and not familiar with how things go here, I normally come on here every other week to give my personal perspective on various thoughts and ideas that play a part in my life on a regular basis. I try to take those ideas and put them into words that can hopefully serve as an inspiration to others, as well as motivation for myself. Since we're near the end of the year, I wanna take a few moments and reflect. For me personally, it has been quite a journey with handling this blog series this year. In fact, I believe this is the first year that I've actually stayed consistent with updating regularly throughout an entire calendar year. That was one of the goals that I set headed into 2016, and I'm very glad to have accomplished it. I can only hope that through the process of staying consistent that I was able to reach and hopefully inspire others while being on this quest. Since 2016 isn't officially over yet, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself and say how good or bad this year has been to me. I'll just say that just like everyone else, I've experienced my share of highs and lows, but I'm also aware that anything whether for good or bad can still happen before the year ends. Since Christmas day is only a couple of days away, lets try to focus on enjoying that day itself, as well as the rest of 2016. Again, I thank everyone that has taken out the time to read any of these posts. Now that I've had the chance share a couple of reflections, lets go ahead and talk about this week's topic of setbacks and the importance of our reactions to them.

Before talking more about this week's topic, I always let others know that a person's individual viewpoints will always vary from person to person. The goal with this isn't to focus too much on what is considered right or wrong, but rather to encourage more in depth thinking on various subject matters. If anyone disagrees with or has a perspective different from myself on this or any other topics, that is all fine and well. I welcome all thoughts, and the promotion of learning from one another is something that I'm a firm believer in. Now, for a little insight on how I arrived at ending this year's blog series on this topic. I personally thought it would be both beneficial and therapeutic to write on this topic due to a recent setback that I've had personally. Not going too much into details, but I recently had a setback that has kinda thrown me for a loop a bit. Something that I was really hoping to work out recently just happened not to. Of course I'm disappointed about it, and I'm not going to front as if I'm above reacting negatively to setbacks. My hope this week is that I can show others that while setbacks aren't always an ideal part of our lives, we always have a choice on how we react to them. More importantly, I'm hoping that me writing this will serve as a form of inspiration to myself. Maybe it can help be the extra jolt that inspires to me pick myself back up from this setback that has knocked me down a bit. I'm trying to keep in mind that famous quote that goes; "If you fall down, you can look up, and if you can look up you can get up."

Now as I stated previously, the majority of people view setbacks happening in a negative way. Having negative thoughts towards a setback is totally understandable, and I would even say that depending on how severe of a setback that has occurred in your life may be, a negative outlook is sometimes warranted. I'm in no way saying that everyone handles a setback in this way. As I've stated in previous posts, we all handle and process things differently. Now while it may be both normal and natural to feel down or depressed following a setback happening, many of us allow those negative feelings to marinate within our minds. We often don't move forward fast enough from the setback, and that's when the negative state of mind can creep in and take over full force. Once that happens, it becomes even more difficult to get our lives back on course, and it becomes a vicious cycle of daily bouts of self-pity and doubt. Like I mentioned, we all handle and process things differently, which also means that the time frame of rebounding from a setback varies within us individually. However, the healing process takes a lot longer if we constantly allow a negative mindset to fester within following a setback. The biggest trait of a setback is that we often cannot control them, nor can we stop them from happening. They are guaranteed to happen in life, and they often hurt us deeply whenever they occur. While we often can't change nor stop them, we do have control of how we react to them.

People that are frequent visitors here are likely aware of that fact that I often talk about the power of the mind, as well as the importance of working towards strengthening our minds. In regards to getting through a topic such as this one, as well as many others, the mind is a key factor in determining if and when we bounce back from setbacks. It is easy to sit around and wallow in self-pity whenever a setback occurs. We are aware that participating in those self-defeating habits is equivalent to taking the easy way out. The hard part for us is developing the ability to be able to take positives from a setback, and then being able to learn and grow from them. Although this is can be a hard task to take, it's the one option out of the two that gives us the opportunity to grow as individuals. Embracing the agony and disappointment that comes with having setbacks isn't something that is easy to do, and I feel that it takes a certain amount of fortitude to do this. I know that I myself am working on trying to implement this tactic in my life. Again, much of this hinges on how big of a setback that a person is experiencing. I want to be sure and stress that the degree of impact that a setback can have varies, and if we're being honest with ourselves, there are some setbacks that may not be recoverable. Even if that is the case, we still have control over how we react.

Well I'm going to go ahead and bring this entry to a close. I guess I'll end by saying that we shouldn't focus too much on setbacks happening. Why? Because they are inevitable, as well as a part of life. We may have control in certain circumstances, but we can never control unexpected events happening. Instead of worrying so much about the setbacks, lets try focusing on how we react to them. Getting caught up in the self-pity and wallowing in our issues doesn't help the situation, nor does it add to our ability to fix whatever the situation may be. I want to state again that I definitely don't have it all together when it comes to this topic, and I'm still dealing with some backlash from the recent setback that I referenced to previously in this post. But like I said, this blog is all about me trying to inspire myself along with others. That said, me getting these thoughts out there helps me to learn myself. I can't speak for anyone else, but I will say that for me personally, you'll be surprised at how much you learn about yourself when you put effort into something you're passionate about. Well we're at the end now, so I'll leave you all with a quote that coincides with this week's topic. This one comes courtesy of Dau Voire: "A minor setback is an exquisite setup for a major comeback, remember that."

Well that's all for this edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' for 2016 folks! We made it guys! I hope you all enjoyed this blog entry, and I hope that some meaning and understanding was able to be gained from it. Before ending this, I want to say congratulations again to my younger sister for receiving her bachelor's degree last week. I mentioned her then upcoming graduation ceremony in the previous post, so I wanted to bring it to light once again. The commencement ceremony was truly great, and I'm so proud of you sis. Keep up the great work! Christmas is right around the corner, so Merry Christmas to everyone out there. Enjoy the day with your family, and take some time to reflect on and remember those that are no longer with us this holiday season. Alright, I'll see you all in a couple of weeks in the year 2017. Until then, I wish you all a happy holidays, and I'm sending light, love, peace and positive thoughts to all.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Don't Be Afraid To Let People That Don't Respect You Go. (Having Respect For Yourself).

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Anyone that knows me fairly well are probably aware that just like many others out there, I love listening to motivational videos. One of my favorite motivational speakers that I've referenced to on this blog in the past is the great Les Brown. I was listening to one of his powerful speechless last night, and he mentioned how it's the people that we're the closet to are the ones that we're the most vulnerable to. This is something that many of us are already aware of, and it is something that I've frequently brought up in previous posts. Whether it may be family, friends, a spouse or associates, every single one of us have people in our lives that we have interactions with. Now I don't want to come across as if EVERYONE deals with disrespectful people. However, I think many of you can agree with me when I say that we all generally having dealings with a least one person in our lives that can be disrespectful towards us and others at times. One of the characteristics about disrespect is it isn't limited to just one type of person It could be family member, a girlfriend/boyfriend, a friend, etc that displays a lack of respect towards us. We all are going to experience disrespectful people from time to time, but when it becomes something that is rampantly happening towards us, it's probably time to take a step back and evaluate our relationships with these people. I believe that the biggest form of respect that can be displayed is self respect, and allowing others to constantly disrespect you without any repercussions can be damaging from a mental standpoint. It's okay to let go sometimes, and it's okay to not be afraid to let go of the people that do not respect you.

Hey, how's it going everyone? It is your man Brad H. once again on the mic about to spit a few bars. Nah, I'm just messing around with you all. I'm definitely not an emcee or a rapper, but I'd classify myself as somewhat of a wordsmith when it comes to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Hope everyone has been doing well out there wherever you are in this world. For those of you that may be first time visitors and not know how things go on here, I come on every other week to give my personal perspective on various thoughts and ideas that I think about on a regular basis. I try to take those ideas and put them into words that can hopefully serve as an inspiration to others, as well as motivation for myself. So Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we're now in the very last month of 2016. Wow, it's amazing how fast this year has flown by. It seems just like last month when I was writing the first blog post of the year for 2016, and now we're less than a month away from a brand new year. This December is going to be a pretty exciting month for my family. In exactly a week from today, my younger sister will be graduating from college. This is a huge accomplishment for our family, because she is the first to actually attend a university and finish. I received an associates degree back in 2007, but she will be receiving her bachelors. I, along with the rest of the family is extremely proud of her and this achievement. Way to go sis! Beyond that, I'm just excited for the rest of the football season, as well as the upcoming Christmas holidays. I've been hearing people complain about hearing so much Christmas music already, but I'm personally loving it just like I do every year. Well now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a minute, lets go ahead and talk a little about not being afraid to let go of people that consistently display disrespectful actions towards you.

Before going more into this week's topic, I always let it be known on here that a person's individual viewpoints will always vary from others. The objective I have here isn't to focus too much on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to encourage we as people to think about topics more in depth. If anyone disagree with me on this or any other topics that I've covered, that is totally fine. All thoughts are welcomed here, and the promotion of learning from one another is something that I think should be promoted more. As for how I came to discuss this topic for this week, the only thing I can point to is hearing others mention things about disrespect as of late. I actually wrote a post a little over 3 years ago titled 'Never Tolerate Disrespect From Others(Cutting People Off)'. You can check that out here if you'd like. I believe out of all the topics that I've written about, that one received the most comments from others. That particular post was probably more straightforward in terms of cutting me off. However, I want to piggyback off of that topic with a more less straightforward approach, and instead implement a more cerebral approach that hopefully inspires us to feel more empowered. Any one of us can cut a person out of our lives because of emotions like anger or fear, but letting go off others because we recognize that self love and respect are more important than our relationships with others is something that can leave us feeling more confident and empowered.

So as I stated earlier, we all generally have interactions with people that are disrespectful occasionally. Now in a scenario where we're dealing with someone that may be disrespectful, but it's a scenario that is only temporary or for a moment, it's a little more easy to not be phased by those kind of people. You know the kind of people that you may encounter out in public, but you don't have any previous interactions with them. We typically have no kind of feelings or attachments to those kind of people, so it's much easier to speak your mind and forget about them. The dynamics change completely when it comes to feeling disrespected by someone that is a big part of your life. These are the kind of situations that are often harder to not be phased by, and they can be even harder to just walk away from. Why is this so? Well, most of us have close bonds and attachments to these people, therefore, walking away is often not an option. Think about it for a second. Imagine that you have a spouse that is being disrespectful towards you, but they weren't that way towards you when you met them. Do you really think it would be easy to just let them go if you had years of time invested into them? More than likely, it would not be easy to just walk away from them, in comparison to someone that you don't know. Now I used a spouse as an example, but it can be any kind of relationship with someone that is a big part of your life. The bottom line is that it isn't always easy to let go of someone close to you that is being disrespectful, but here is why you have to at the very least not be afraid to let these people go. You are disrespect yourself.

So how are we being disrespectful to ourselves if we are allowing people to treat us any kind of way? Well from my perspective, when we allow people (regardless of who they may be) to be disrespectful towards or treat us any kind of way, we are basically not viewing ourselves as an individual of value and importance. Allowing this kind of behavior from others is basically a form of devaluing yourself, which can affect your level of confidence and self worth. One thing that I've learned as I've gotten older is that when a person is afraid of potentially losing you, their real feelings and emotions begin to show. In other words, when people see you as someone that is of importance and value to their life, they will often treat you accordingly. This means that they will consistently treat you well, and they likely won't ever disrespect or devalue you because having you in their life gives them fulfillment. Do you really believe that someone that really cares about you would constantly disrespect you if they knew that you would walk away if they never stopped doing it? I highly doubt they would, and if they did, then that's probably a person that doesn't truly care about you. No matter who you are, you are valuable to someone in this world, and the people that see you as being valuable are the ones that will consistently treat you with respect. As I stated earlier, self respect is the most important kind of respect that we can have, and when you respect yourself unconditionally, you won't allow others to constantly disrespect you.

Now with all of that being said, I want to say that I'm not saying that we should just completely cut off people that we're close to. What I'm saying is that if someone doesn't show you the respect that you feel you deserve, then it's okay to reevaluate your relationship with them. From my perspective, there is a bit of difference between letting someone go, and cutting them off completely. I see cutting someone off as an act of retaliation against someone that you feel have wronged you. In other words, it is more than likely done out of spite in order to hopefully hurt that person. In my opinion, letting go means that you're open to trying to work out whatever the problem may be, and then if there isn't a solution to your liking, then you basically remove yourself from the situation. I view letting go as a way of putting yourself before others, which is something we should always do when it comes to having self esteem. So don't ever be afraid to let go of people that don't respect you. Again, there are all kinds of respect, but self respect is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. I'm going to leave you with a quote that I came across that I feel gives some credence to this particular topic. "No relationship is ever worth sacrificing your dignity or self respect for."

Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the end of another topic. As always, I'd like to thank everyone that came through for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. My hope is that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this topic, and hopefully it served a source of inspiration for someone out there. If you feel the need to add or contribute anything else in regards to this topic, feel free to drop it below in the comment box. Well I'm about to go ahead and sign off for now folks. The Christmas holiday will be right upon us by the next time I update, so continue to stay positive and in the holiday spirit. I know this can be difficult to do sometimes, especially around this time of the year. Many people grieve even more during the holidays, and we also lose a lot of people during the holidays. It can be rough, but try to be thankful for everything you have whether big or small. Alright, I'll see you all in a couple of weeks. Until then, I wish you all peace and positive thoughts.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Where You Are Now In Your Life Is Just A Snapshot Of A Bigger Picture.

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I think that most of us have moments in our lives where have questions as to why we're dealing with certain things. Whether those moments may be for better or for worse, there will always be questions and curiosity in regards to why certain things happen to us. Now in my opinion, this logic applies to everyone, and isn't limited to how old or young a person may be. However, I believe that the various questions on why we may be where we at in certain point of us lives is something that younger adults ponder on more than the older generation. Now I'm in no way saying that older people don't question things about their lives. But from what I've noticed in my time on this Earth, the more older and mature people generally know how to handle life issues better than the youth. Today's generation of young people deal with all sorts of temptations and pressures to succeed in life, and this invisible bar of reaching the standard of success that society has set leaves many of the youth feeling mentally and emotionally unsettled. I believe that this is something that many people can probably relate to regardless of what your age may be. Now while I do believe it's perfectly normal to have questions as to why we have have to individually deal with the less than ideal conditions that life may throw at us, I feel that falling into the pit of believing that the way things may currently be in our lives will always be that way is a huge mistake. Some people may already get this, but for those that may not, we have to change our mindsets. We have to realize there's a big picture going on, and that where we are now is only a snapshot of something bigger.

YO! Hey everybody, how's it going? It's your ace Brad H. coming through once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! For those that may not already know how things go on here, I come on every other week to give a personal perspective on the various thoughts and ideas that I think about on a regular basis. I try to take those thoughts and put them into words that can hopefully serve as an inspiration to others, as well as motivation for myself. I normally take this time to get on my soapbox and talk about something outside of this week's topic, but I really don't have much that I wanna speak on. This is Thanksgiving Day, so I'd like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. I know that many of us look forward to this holiday because of the two F's; football and food. However, there are are two more F's that are way more important and valuable; family and friends. I'm not taking anything away from the food and football aspect, because lets face it, most of us love them both. However, just remember to keep things in proper perspective, and know that both food and football are temporary pleasures. The family and friends aspect of Thanksgiving is what gives us a more long term happiness. So go ahead and feed your bellies on this Thanksgiving, but most importantly, feed your soul by interacting and enjoying the people that mean the most to you. We're quickly coming to the end of 2016, but remember that there is still an entire month left after this one. Basically what I'm saying is not to wait until 2017 to work on bettering yourself with things that can be done today. Alright guys, I'm done with my little rant, so lets go ahead and get into this week's topic on current circumstances only being a snapshot of a larger picture.

Now before I get into the heart of this week's topic, I always let it be known on here that a person's individual viewpoints will always vary and differ from others. The idea here isn't to focus too much on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to encourage us as a people to think about topics more in depth. Now if anyone disagrees or feels differently than I do on this topic or anything else posted on here, that is perfectly okay, as well within your right. All thoughts and feedback is welcomed here, and the promotion of learning from one another is something that can have a great impact on our lives. Now for how this topic came about, I have to give a little bit of credit to my younger sister for the inspiration to write this. I had a conversation with her earlier this week where she expressed some concerns about a few things that she is dealing with in her life. During the conversation, I found myself telling her several times that everything is going to be okay, and that where she is at in her life is just a snapshot. That conversation with her inspired me to come on here and talk about the importance of why it is important to see that there's a bigger picture. Furthermore, I know that this is something many of us wrestle with, and I hope that I can bring a perspective that others can relate to. I'm far from perfect myself; I'm not an expert, and I definitely do not have all the answers. However, this is a topic that I've thought about frequently, which makes it important to me. Since it is of importance, sharing my thoughts can't hurt too much right?

One thing that I can definitely say about this week's topic is that it is fairly straightforward. The substance of a topic of this nature is something that most of us is aware of, but despite that awareness, sometimes we need reassurance to keep our minds in the proper state of mind. Now as I stated earlier, we all have moments in our lives where we may ask questions like; "Why is this happening to me?" Another popular question we ask ourselves when things feel like they are falling apart is, "Why me?" These are a couple of the examples as to the questions that we ask ourselves when we're in the midst of the tests that life throw at us every so often. I believe that it is human nature, as well as perfectly normal for us to get down on ourselves whenever things aren't going to our liking. Where the problems enter for us in regards to this topic is when we begin to look at what is going on in our lives at that particular moment, and then developing a false mentality that what is happening now will always be that way. It's like we become way too entrenched within that moment to see that it's temporary. Think about this for a second; whenever things may be going good, we're happy right? We tend to feel good within our minds because for that period of time when things are going great, there isn't much to worry about. Now twist it around and think about how most of us react when things aren't that great. Do you see the similarity? Although being happy and sad are two different things, the thing they have is common is that they are driven by how we as individuals react to things. More importantly, they both are often temporary, which means that no one person will likely always be happy, just as that same person can't always be sad.

Now although this post is primarily focused on the importance of seeing the larger picture from the standpoint of when things may not being going as well for us, I feel it was important to show that the same reasoning also applies when things may be going great also. From my perspective, the thing is that we often allow the negative that may be going on in our lives to overshadow the positive, but that's something that I'll likely discuss more in depth in later blog entries. Now as I pointed to earlier in the post, much of what this entry is about has to do with the younger generation and their desire to achieve greater things. Something that I've talked about in previous posts is how we often compare our situations to others. We're all guilty of this at times, but I think that this really applies to younger people that may be trying to keep up with their peers. From my perspective, there's an obvious reason why so many of us fail to see the bigger picture. See, whenever things aren't going all that well, it's hard for most people to think clearly. The constant negativity often clouds our judgement and reasoning, which in my mind leads to why we can't see that there is often a larger plan for our lives at work. For example, think about a photo album right? Each picture in the photo album is only a snapshot, but each snapshot changes with each turning of the page. As you scroll through and turn the pages of the photo album, the pictures also change, which means that our lives are constantly changing. One particular snapshot doesn't define your entire life, and change is always possible.

So what is the remedy for shifting our focus to the larger picture in regards to our lives? I personally feel it is important for us to have the presence of mind to know that tough times don't always last. This is something that we should be reminding ourselves of on a daily basis. Of course this can be very difficult whenever things aren't going so well, however, it is something that I feel can be done with some added focus. We also need to realize that every emotion that we feel whether it's for good or bad is based on what is happening at the moment, which means it is often temporary. Try not to get caught up too much in the moment if you're in the midst of a storm, but rather focus on what could possibly be at the end of that storm when you weather it. Finally, know and take solace in the fact that there is always something bigger taking place that we may not always be able to see. The only thing we can focus on is doing our part to better ourselves, and I think the rest will take care of itself. I'm going to close out by leaving a quote that I think defines why we should be aware that there's a bigger picture. The quote comes courtesy of Damon Albarn. "No, every album is something like a snapshot. It only shows one moment in time. It shows what we feel and think right at that point in time, nothing more and nothing less." Keep on staying positive my friends, and keep on trying to press forward regardless of where you are in your life.

Well we've come to the end once again. Big thanks to all of you that took out the time to read another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this post, and I hope that it was able to serve as source of inspiration to someone out there. If you'd like to add or contribute anything in regards to this topic, feel free to drop something in the comment box. Well we're nearing the end of the month of November, and 2016 will be out of here real soon. Again, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and remember to be thankful always. We may not always have all the things we want in this life, but most of us have all the things we need. Even if you feel that doesn't apply to you, you have life if you're reading this, so be thankful for that. Alright I'm out guys, so I'll see you all in December. Until then, I wish you all peace and positive thoughts.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Everything Starts With A Solid Foundation (Going Back To The Source).

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Most of us have heard that a strong foundation is essential to building a sturdy house. While a strong foundation may be the key to a house or building, it also applies to the importance of having a strong foundation for life. As with anything in life, the foundation is often the starting point of whatever endeavors and pursuits we chase in life. In general, a more stronger and well put together foundation is often the catalyst for having success. Of course there are exceptions when it comes to this theory, but it is generally thought by many to be true. One thing that I've come to notice over the last few years is how so many people seem to have strayed away from some of the biggest foundations that we grew up with. Simple things like family, love, and kindness seem to have taken a backseat in favor of more worldly things. I realize that everybody's circumstances in which they grew up are different, so I'm speaking mainly to the people that grew up in fairly good households and neighborhoods that provided a decent foundation for you. Some of us hold onto those simple values and maintain them throughout life, while others have totally abandoned them on the path towards progressing in life. I personally believe that this is one of the main reasons why so many people are unhappy and feel a sense of emptiness inside. It's truly unfortunate if this applies to anyone out there, but the good news is there is hope for everyone that may feel this way. Everything starts with a solid foundation, and sometimes going back to the source is necessary for regaining that inner peace.

Hey what's up ladies and gentlemen? It is I Brad H. once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As always, I'm here to give my personal perspective on the various thoughts and ideas that flow throughout my brain on a regular basis. I try to take those thoughts and put them into words that can hopefully serve as inspiration to others, as well as for myself. Before getting into the meat of this week's topic, I want to take a few moments and talk about the 2016 presidential election that took place this week here in the United States. I normally keep political and religious topics off this blog, but I'd like to take a moment and give my opinion on why I feel the election turned out the way that it did. We all know by now that Donald Trump is now the president elect. We're also aware that him being elected is not the outcome that many expected. I'll admit that I was one of those that thought Clinton would narrowly win, but it also doesn't surprise me much that Trump won. I'm not into throwing blame around, but if there were any blame to go around, in my opinion, the Democratic party is probably the biggest reason for Trump being elected. Throughout this election cycle, there was so much corruption that took place within the Democratic party that favored Hillary Clinton. They pretty much forced her as the nominee, and clearly felt like people would just fall in line; not because they liked Clinton, but rather for having a legit fear of what a President Trump would look like. In my opinion, that strategy doesn't work, and it obviously didn't this time. You have to give people a reason to want to support you, and it just can't be because the other guy is so bad. I think that had a lot to do with Clinton's demise in this election. Regardless of who anyone voted for, Donald Trump will be our next president. We can either make things worse by not accepting it, or we can try to work together as a country to move forward. That's all I really have to say about it. Alright, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic.

Before going more depth in this topic, I always let it be known in my writings that a person's individual viewpoint on any topic will vary. The end goal here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully give anyone that reads these topics something to think about further. If anyone disagrees or happens to feel differently than I do about this topic, that is totally okay. All thoughts are welcome here, and the promotion of knowledge from everybody is something that I believe in. So for a little introspective in how this topic came to be. This is actually a topic that I've been talking about recently with a few of my family members. As I mentioned earlier, I've been relating it a lot as to why I believe so many people in today's society seem to feel empty on the inside. I'm not going to talk like I have all the answers, nor do I know everything. In fact, some or maybe all of what I'm going to say on this topic may very well not apply to you. However, I do feel that this is a topic that could maybe give some insight into why and how we can feel more joy inside. As I stated earlier, many of us have gotten away from the simple things in life that brought us real happiness. Whether there is good or bad going on within our lives, there is always a source in which those emotions begin. I believe that tapping into the foundation is not only the best way to figure out what's causing the issues, but it can also serve as a starting point for rebuilding if necessary.

Something that I often talk about with others about is the importance of how the kind of foundation our relationships with others begin with. Normally, the things that we have in common with others are the things that we build our friendships and relationships with. For example, if you have a childhood friend that you and this person had a similar passion for video games when the two of you were younger, that likeness between the two of you will probably last as your friendship goes on. Now lets say that you meet someone, and the biggest thing that you and this person have in common in the desire for have a lot of money. Lets say that you end up borrowing money from this person, and you find yourself in a situation where you're not able to pay them back when you said you would. Since the love for money is what brought you together, this would probably cause a rift in that friendship right? Now many of you may say that this would cause a rift in any friendship regardless if the love of money is the thing that two people have in common. While that may be true, do you think it would make a difference if the desire for money wasn't the sole thing that brought these two friends together? In other words, do you think that it would be easier to understand and forgive if there was something else besides the love of money that was the foundation for the friendship? While I do believe there are some exceptions, I do believe that two people whom friendship started by a genuine like and care for one another would likely be more forgiving.

Now that I've thrown around a few ideas of what I believe entails a strong foundation in relationships, I want to get into the importance of going back to the source. Now as I mentioned before, I view the source as the point where most of our happiness begins. Some may differ with me on what I'm about to say, but I personally don't feel that we were born to constantly feel miserable and unhappy. Remember back to those days of growing up as a kid; the days where you were carefree, and life was much more simpler? The days where you spent the majority of your time doing things with your family and friends? Now as we age and become older, those times tend to slowly drift further and further away, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We meet need people, and priorities, situations and circumstances change. This is all a part of life's progression right? However, what I've come to notice in today's society is that many people seem to totally abandon those simple things that gave us the happiness many of us had during our youth. So many people get so caught up in their own issues and life struggles that they neglect most of the people and things that were the main source of happiness growing up. Now I'm not saying that we should be aiming to become kids again, nor am I suggesting that we need relive our childhoods again. That's impossible right? What I am advising for anyone that any of this may apply to is implement some of the things that were part of the source of happiness you may have had during those times of life you were at your happiest.

So how do we exactly go back to the source? From my perspective, it all depends on whatever you define as being your source of happiness. As I stated previously, we all grew up differently and had different experiences, and everyone's foundation of life will differ. The main goal of this post is to show that just because priorities and situations change in life, we don't have to totally block out the things that made us the happiness. Home is often the biggest foundation of happiness for many, and we've all seen and heard of people going back home every so often to put life back into perspective. Ever notice how some people can call someone in their family or someone that they grew up with, and find themselves feeling happy just by hearing their voice? It's the little things that always tend to cheer us up the most when we're down. Finally, I want to end by reiterating that everything in your life starts with a solid foundation. I believe that this is something that we need to keep in mind on a daily basis. My reasoning for this is that for as long as we may live, we're always going to encounter new experiences and people. Whatever foundation that a relationship or friendship begins on will likely be the determinant of how and if it falls apart. We've come to the end now, so I'm going to leave you all with a quote that I found that I think is relevant to this topic. "Without a solid foundation, you'll have trouble creating anything of value."

Alright my peeps, we've come to the end of this week's installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this post, and I hope that it was able to serve as source of inspiration to someone out there. If you want to add or contribute anything else on this topic, please feel free to do so in the comments. Well I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead. I know that the presidential election has kinda shaken up the country a bit, but we're going to be okay guys. Take the weekend to maybe unplug from the Internet for awhile, or turn off the television from political related topics for a few days. Winter hasn't set in yet, so try to get outside and forget about all of the country's worries for a bit. There is always so much beauty out there to enjoy. Alright I'm out guys, so I'll see you all in the next post. Until then, I wish you all peace and positive thoughts.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

There Is Always Inspiration To Be Found (Stay Inspired).

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I think it's fairly safe to say that most, if not all of us find ourselves in the good ole doldrums every so often. I'd also go so far as to say that even if you're one of those people that rarely sink into the doldrums, you're likely able to somewhat relate to those of us that do. We're all living life, and there will always be a degree of bad that comes with life regardless of how good things may be going at the moment. For many people, whenever those tough times come along, it becomes almost second nature to fall into that pit of negativity that is surrounding you. Our minds start playing on our psyche, thinking it's okay to be negative since things are already going bad. Before we know it, we look around and see that we've fallen into a habitual state of depression and self pity. Whenever moments of this nature come at us, it becomes crucial to remember the importance of seeking inspiration. Inspiration can have a slew of meanings to different people, but I personally see inspiration as a force of motivation that inspires us to keep on pressing forward. All that being said, we all know and understand how difficult it can be to find inspiration with all the bad things happening in the world. I'd be remiss to not state that fact. However, we must remember that just because a lot of bad and negativity exists within our world, it doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't be inspired. Inspiration is a key human element to life, and regardless of what's happening in the world, there is always inspiration to be found.

What's up, what's up, WHAT'S UP! Look at me channeling my inner Martin Lawrence. Nah, I'm just kidding with you all but on the real, how's it going everyone? It is I Brad H. once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As always, I'm here to give my personal perspective on the various thoughts that float throughout my brain regularly. I try to take those thoughts and put them into words that will not only inspire me, but hopefully serve as a catalyst of inspiration for others as well. I hope all has been good and well for you all since the last post. A lot has been going on in our world as of late. It's no accident that I jokingly quoted Martin Lawrence earlier, but jokes aside, I want to take a moment and say rest in peace to Thomas Mikal Ford. Most of you probably remember him as the character Tommy Strawn from the television show 'Martin'. Mr. Ford died back on October 12, and I honestly forgot to give mention to his passing in my previous post. My thoughts go out to his family, and I hope his soul rests in peace. The presidential election here in the United States is also beginning to wind down. I believe there is only 10 or 11 days until election day, so by the time I publish my next post, the United States will have elected a new president. I personally like to keep my political views separate from this blog, so I won't be stating who I am voting for. I will say this however; Like many others out there, I'm not enthused about this election at all compared to past election years. I think these are two of the worst candidates that we've been given to choose from, and if you're one of those people that seek out third party options, I totally understand and get it. In summation, I think many of us will be elated whenever it's over with, but there will be a sense of disappointment regardless of who it is. Alright y'all, now that I'm rambled on my soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and talk a little more about inspiration, and how it can always be found.

Now before I get more in depth with this topic, I always point out in my writings that a person's individual viewpoint on any topic will vary. The aim isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully give anyone that reads on these topics something to think about further. I always point out that if anyone disagrees or feels differently than I do about this particular topic or any other topics that I bring up, that is totally fine. Whatever your thoughts and opinions are will always be welcomed here. We can always learn from one another, and the promotion of knowledge gained from others is something that I can definitely cosign with. As for some added insight into how this topic came to fruition, I can't really point to anything specifically. In regards to the topic at hand, it's just something that crossed my mind earlier this week, and I felt like it would be something relevant to address. I also want to add that this blog in general is a hub that I like to use for inspiration, and that's something that I try to document on a frequent basis. However, I do realize that although many of us may have an added need for inspiration, it can be difficult to seek it out whenever things may not be going so well in our lives. We're all human and fall short, but we must also be mindful that those bad times are when we need inspiration the most.

Now depending on how you think as an individual, as well as the things going on around you in your daily life, there may not be a lot of positive things happening around you. Many people hate to acknowledge this fact, but it is definitely true that various circumstances for some people may not always be ideal. If circumstances aren't the primary cause of this, then it can likely be attributed the people you're around, and sometimes it's a combination of both. If allowed, all of this can be extremely draining and taxing on a person's mind and well being. When you take all of that into consideration, most of us can understand how some can lose the inspiration and desire to live life to the fullest potential. This may not apply to many of you, but I'm also willing to be that a lot you can relate to this feeling. The loss of inspiration doesn't just apply to life in regards to be alive and breathing, but it also entails the various people, projects, and interests that we may be passionate about. Ever wonder why so many of us start things that we often don't end up finishing? From my perspective, a loss or lack of inspiration is probably one of the main reasons for many of us quitting on the things we care about most. I think it is hard for some to build up the drive to do certain things, but if and when it's developed, it's extremely much easier to lose.

As I stated earlier in the post, there is so much negativity happening out here in the world, but for all the negatives that are going on, there is also a lot of positive to match it. The biggest issue with many of us is that when we lose that inspiration for life that we develop through positive habits, we often allow ourselves to stay in a negative mind state whenever those moments of strife hit. There are so many channels and outlets that we can tap into for inspiration; we just have to look for them, and most importantly, we have to be willing to apply them. Now I know everyone isn't religious or spiritual, and that's something that I like to keep away from this blog. But for those of you that believe in a higher power regardless of who or what it may be, that can be one of the strongest sources of inspiration to help get you back into the game of life. There are also various motivational figures out there that we can draw inspiration from to get us back motivated. It doesn't matter who or what it may be as long as you're seeking it from a good place. From my perspective, I think one of the biggest keys to being inspired is to find someone or something that you don't want to let down or fail at, and use that as a source of inspiration for your life. The best part about this method is that it can be anything or anyone to give you inspiration.

We're coming to the end of this week's post, so the message that I've attempted to convey is clear and straightforward; there is always inspiration out there to be found. I know from personal experience that staying positive when things aren't looking so bright can be nearly impossible. From my perspective, it's okay to get down, but it's not to okay to allow ourselves to stay down. Inspiration is a lot like opportunities in a sense. Similar to opportunity, inspiration is out there, we just have to look for it. We're all individuals, so we will always have different things that make us tick and keep us inspired. Whatever those things and people may be to you, keep them important in your life as a form of inspiration. Before ending this post, I want to say that the will to want to quit whenever trying times come will be greater than the will to go on. However, with some discipline and added focus, I believe we can develop the necessary inspiration to overcome. I'll leave you all with a quote that I found that I feel gives credence to this post. Not sure who stated this quote but it goes; "To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible." Keep pressing forward my friends, and continue to stay inspired.

Well we've arrived at the end of the post, so I'd like to go ahead and thank you all once again for tuning into another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this post. I also hope that it serves as a bit of inspiration for anyone out there that may be needing it. If you have anything that you want to add on or contribute to this topic, feel free to drop your thoughts down below. Again, all feedback is welcome here. Well I hope you all have a great weekend ahead, as well as a great Halloween if you're one of those that celebrate it. Halloween is actually my mom's birthday, so despite me not being overly into Halloween as a holiday, I usually enjoy that day because of her. Alright I'm out everybody, so I'll see you all in the next post. Until then, I wish you all peace and positive thoughts.

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.