There's No Single Way to React To Facing Problems. (Weathering the Storms of Life).

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Personally, this is one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King, as I think it personifies the potential obstacles we as people are going to face in life. Hard times, struggles, difficulties, we all have faced them before, and the uncertainty of what the future possibly holds in regards to these words can be enough to create even more worry within us. Welcome to another posting of 'Brad H's. Perspective'.

How many of us are truly able to keep a smile on our face when we're facing rough times? How many of us are able to keep our heads held high through constant difficulties? There are many people that tout the importance of doing these things when we're facing trials and frustrations. However, I think it's fair to question where most of these people are at in their lives when they are saying these things. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe there's anything wrong with wanting to send positive vibes to others when they're down. But, isn't it easy for someone that is completely happy and content with their lives to tell someone else to be positive?

It is indeed true that it's not difficult to all to maintain a level of optimism and happiness when things are going good. Whenever things are going great in someone's life, they more than likely will be an overall happy individual. When someone is truly happy, the degree of happiness they feel is often clear for others to see. Whatever may be going on in someone's life - whether good or bad is often the determining factor in a person's mood and how happy or sad they will be. But what do many of us do whenever something unfortunate happens that causes our world to temporarily spin out of control? Do we always stay positive no matter what happens? Do we fold up and run from problems? Reactions vary from person to person, but the changing tides of life can be one of the dictating factors of how we feel.

A few months back, I posted a blog post about striking a balance in life. That particular post dealt with maintaining a positive mindset, but also being aware of the negative forces that life often brings. So how does the Dr. King quote, along with everything I've mentioned thus far tie in with this post? Well, I'm here to tell anyone who needs to hear it that it's okay for life to beat us down at times. No one should be made to feel that they're weak if life drags them down from time to time. We're not perfect and no matter how tough a person is, life always has a way of humbling every single one of us.

While I do think it's important to smile and keep our heads held high no matter what life brings, I also believe it's okay to allow ourselves to welcome the difficulties that life can bring. Going through tough scenarios that test what we're made of have a way of showing us new things about ourselves. They can also be a stepping stone that allows us to leap and grow to handle circumstances better in the future. That's what life is all about; growing, learning, and becoming better.

So to sum up the theme of this post, I think it's okay to allow the shortfalls of life to affect us. The important factor is that we grow from them, and not allow them to bring and keep us down completely. Always try to keep moving forward no matter what is happening around you, but don't allow others to make you feel bad about how you handle what you go through in life. We're all different, and how I handle a situation may be different from how the next person handles it. Well that's all for this posting of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope you enjoyed, and we'll see you in the next post. Peace!

A Person's Character Should Be What Matters Most.

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Maybe I'm the only one that thinks this way, but I think that the society within our world today puts more emphasis on things of lesser importance, compared to the things that really should matter in life. Many of us judge others from some of the most menial things. The way an individual looks, how much money they make, and the level of popularity someone maintains are all examples of this. Am I in the minority in thinking that there is more to an individual and this life in general than the aforementioned? What about characteristics like love, family, trust, and loyalty? Is there not enough emphasis put on these traits anymore? I'm not entirely sure, but I have a few thoughts on my mind that I want to share. Welcome to another concoction of 'Brad H's. Perspective'. Thanks for taking out the time to check me out again.

There was this show that used to air on ESPN back in the early 2000's titled 'Playmakers'. Although it lasted for only one season, it was and still is one of my favorite shows. I still watch the DVD's from time to time. Anyway, for anyone that isn't familiar with the show, it was a sitcom that followed the lives of players of a fictional football team. There was one episode where the team's coach scolded the team for some questionable and dirty antics that several of the players partook in. Part of his scolding towards the team included words that to this point I've yet to forget about. "Character matters, and you all just showed you don't have any." Those were his words, and even though it wasn't a long drawn out speech, I personally thought he said a mouthful.

So why have I brought up the traits and characteristics, and the speech from the television show that I did in the previous paragraphs? Well, they are part of the bigger topic that I have on my mind tonight. To be honest, I've been thinking about this topic for a few days now. The topic has to do with the kind of character that we as people display. In a society where getting ahead and doing whatever it takes to get ahead seems to matter most, it's easy for people to lose sight of how important a person's character can be. So what exactly is character? Character is defined as; "The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual". Now from that simple definition, what words stick out the most?

For me, all of the words are important, but the words "distinctive", "moral", and "qualities" really stick out most to me. Character is something that many of us are lacking in today. It's something that can't be bought, only earned. Instead of us noticing what kind of character a person may possess, we're more concerned with the superficial things in regards to people. Prime examples; there are people in this world that stick with someone that may have little to no character, only because that person may be bringing something that's superficial to their life. Some people believe that because they maintain a certain status in society, they can treat others any kind of way and think it's cool. If you're that type of person, what does that say about your character? What's the point of having all of the wealth and material items that life can offer if you don't possess character? Do you think people will really want to be around you if you're like this?

You may find some people to stick around you - mainly only to use you, but you most likely won't be able to keep and maintain healthy and loyal relationships with others. You'll most likely be one of those people that others will smile around and try to manipulate to get what they want, but deep down they can't stand your personality. Friendships and relationships shouldn't be solely about how a person looks, or what material things they can bring to you. Real and meaningful friendships and relationships should be about people that help enhance your spirit, and push you to want to be a better person. I say all of that to say this; for those of you who don't believe that your character holds weight, it does. Remember, a person that's maybe homeless and on the streets that has a level of character will probably be a better person than someone who may have everything, but devalues another human-being because they feel they're not on their level. Just my opinion.

One day we're all going to die, and the type of character and integrity we displayed will most likely be the defining factor between whether or not we're forgotten quickly or not. Just my two cents. Well that's it for this weeks edition of 'Brad H's. Perspective'. Thanks again for tuning in, and hopefully there was some meaning and some understanding found through this blog post. All thoughts and feedback are welcomed. I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!