Things Can Only Improve If You Keep Persevering (Motivation Headed Into 2018).

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Depending on how well you handle things, as well as how strong of a mindset you may have, one of the harshest facts of life is that life can be very difficult to cope with at times. There is so much unpredictability that comes along with living life, and if you don't consistently stay on top of your mental capacity daily, finding peace and joy within can be an uphill climb. In a perfect world, we would all be able to live, laugh and love without any of the stresses or strife that we all encounter occasionally. Just like how perfection is unattainable, a perfect world doesn't exist, which means that we all have to learn how to live in an imperfect world. For many, negative thoughts and feelings can become the norm when you feel like you're on a roller coaster of bad things continuously happening in your life. Some people may say things like "just pray about it", or "think more positive", etc. While this is all good advice and if we're being honest, these phrases are definitely true. However, for a person that has been dealing with so many negative things without a breakthrough coming in, it can be very difficult to remain positive and upbeat when you feel as if there isn't much hope for the future. I believe that this is a state of mind that can become a breeding ground for negativity and hopelessness. Feeling helpless and hopeless shouldn't be a chronic mindset that we have, so it is mindful be aware that regardless of what you're dealing with in your life, things can only look up if you keep on persevering.

What's going on guys? It is I Brad H. back once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to the end of 2017 installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once again to hopefully dish out some knowledge and inspiration that will hopefully keep us inspired in this wild world that we're living in. Hope all has been good and well for everyone as of late. Well this is the final topic for the year 2017. I mentioned in the last topic that I was probably going to reflect on how challenging this year has personally been for me. Don't get me wrong, there have been some high points for me this year. However, if I'm being honest with myself, the bad has outweighed that good. Instead of reflecting on this year, I wanna talk about something that I mentioned in the last post. I mentioned how so many people usually transition around this time of the year. Well unfortunately, my family has suffered a loss exactly a week before Christmas Day. My grandmother's second youngest brother passed away on the early morning of December 18th. Although he had been very for a long time, his passing was definitely unexpected for most of my family. The last time we saw him as a family was on Thanksgiving. Upon leaving him on Thanksgiving day, I recall my sister mentioning that she didn't really like seeing him in the shape that he was in. She told me a few days after his passing that when she saw him on Thanksgiving that she felt like he didn't have long left here. Mind you, she didn't tell me this until several weeks after Thanksgiving. I say that to say that often time we never know when it will be the last time that we see someone. Life is so unpredictable, so it is essential to try and treasure those close to you. I wanna close by saying that I hope you rest easy uncle Grover. We know how much you have suffered over the years, but you can finally rest peacefully now. Alright, now we can go ahead and talk more about this week's topic of improving through persevering.

As with the usual format I use before getting into the main talking point for the week, I'd like to go ahead and give the regular disclaimer that I use. Every single one of us have different views and ideas when it comes to any topic. The objective here isn't to try to change or alter anyone's beliefs, but rather to hopefully educate and encourage others to view a particular topic in a way in which they may not have before. The basic goal is to provide some insight and inspiration that gets the juices in our brains to flowing. Just like every other part of the body that is working when the blood gets flowing, the brain is similar as well when it comes to thought. I am just one person with an opinion, so I don't expect everyone to share in my views. Regardless if you agree or not, I am happy that you chose to come by and see what I have to say. As for how this topic came to be, I can mainly point to this year in general for the motivation to write this. I've mentioned previously how rough this year has been for me, as well as several other people that I am close to. There have been instances throughout this year where others, as well as myself have thought about giving up on the things we're trying to achieve. I'm sure that some of you can relate to this. These instances that I'm referencing have come and gone, but the fact is that as long as we're alive and breathing, they will likely happen again sometime. Starting right here right now, we have the opportunity to head into 2018 with a more positive and optimistic outlook of how we see our live and goals. The time to give up isn't here, so perseverance is what will be required to keep on going.

Now if you are an individual that is into personal development and motivational speakers, you have probably heard of a very well known speaker named Eric Thomas. He is someone that I admire quite a bit, and I know for sure that I have mentioned him in previous installments. Anyway, there was a video of his that I watched on Youtube where he was talking about perseverance and not giving up. In order to help to get his point across, there was an illustration that was shown within the video. The picture featured two men, both of whom had shovels in their hands. There were diamonds featured in both men's screens, however, one of the men was using his shovel to dig away at the diamonds, while the other was walking away in defeat. Now here comes the important aspect of the illustration. Both men were only a few more digs with their shovel from knocking down the dirt that was directly in front of the diamonds. They were both so close to their goal, but one of them walked away right before the victory was at hand. It was a simple cartoon illustration, but it was one that I think says a lot. Too many of us often give up right before the victory that we're seeking is near. I believe that because we're often not able to see that the victory is right around the corner, we opt to give up and go the other direction like the digger that was featured in the illustration. Just like Eric Thomas referred to in his video, all he had to do was dig just a little more to reach those diamonds. Since he walked away too quickly, he didn't achieve his goal, despite being right at the cusp of it.

So how does this illustration tie-in with this week's topic? Well as I mentioned already, some of you may have dealt with many challenges during 2017. Whatever those challenges may be are totally unique to your situation and circumstances. However, more than likely depending on what those challenges have been, they have likely left you not feeling too optimistic at times throughout this year. There are levels to everything, and from my perspective, optimism or lack thereof is no different. I say this to say that if you've experienced a lack of optimism for your life at sometime throughout this year, you've probably dealt with feeling hopeless also. Now back to the illustration that I referred to in Eric Thomas's video. Although there is no way to prove it beyond the actions that we see, the digger that gave up and chose to walk away likely done this due to feeling hopeless that he would eventually reach those diamonds. Now the illustration deals with diamonds, but those diamonds can represent anything in our lives. They can be something related to academics, business, relationships, etc. Whatever it is that you want to do or achieve requires patience and perseverance, but this state of mind should also apply to life in general. As I mentioned earlier, life can be difficult to cope with at times, and it is okay to get down at times. The point is to rise back up and have belief that whatever is happening in your life can only improve if you believe and persevere.

I often disclaim that I try to promote deep thinking and motivation here. I think that added motivation for this upcoming new year is where I wanted to go with this topic. I know that many of you including myself have faced difficulties this year, but we are still here and kicking because we are fighters that don't give up. Life may bend us at times, but we never break completely. Sure we deal with storms and hardships, and those trials knock us down at times. However, despite those dark moments in our lives, we have a belief that there is a light that is on the other side. I want you all to keep this in mind since we're heading into a new year. If you do no already adopt this philosophy, you don't have to wait till 2018 to do so; you can try and start right now. So for all my people out there that are dealing with things in your life, things can only improve if you keep on keeping on. There is a battle between us and this life that is going on, but remember it is a battle within our minds. The quote that I'm going to leave you all with that deals with this topic comes from one of my heroes; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I'm sure it is one that you've heard before, but it goes; "If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."

Well that is it everyone. That is all I have for you this time, so I'm going to go ahead and wrap up this final edition for 2017 of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I again want to express my gratitude for those of you that take out the time to read these topics. The feedback that I receive on Twitter and other formats truly touches my soul. It is very uplifting and empowering to see that there are people out there that want to become the best versions of themselves possible. If you have any comments or feedback, please leave them below, or you can follow me on Twitter @BradrickH. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Lets try to end this year on a high note, and keep that momentum going for 2018. Thank you all again for the support. See you all in 2018!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Using Your Time To Develop Yourself.

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I can't recall at the moment exactly what show it is, but there is a quote from this particular show that I'm referring to that has stayed in my mind since hearing it. The quote goes; "Time runs us all." We are all given a limited amount of time to live here on this planet. Exactly how much time that we have here is something that we don't know, nor do we always have control over it. However, what we choose to do with our time is something that we have complete control of. It appears to me that in the society that we live in today, many of us don't utilize the time that we're given to its full potential. Not saying that this hasn't been going on for many years, because it most certainly has, however, the world we live in today seems to value a lot of meaningless things when it comes to valuing our time. We spend much of our time gossiping and paying attention to a lot of mindless and zombie style brainwashing via social media and entertainment. Now in saying that, I'm in no way attempting to bash people that participate in these things on a regular basis. Besides the gossiping aspect of entertainment, which is something that I would never endorse doing, we all enjoy and should be able to engage in things that entertain us from time to time. But when it comes to our time and how we spend it, one thing that we often neglect is using our time to work on and develop ourselves. Because our time here is precious and limited along with not always knowing how much time we have left here, I believe it is of utmost importance to use our time to work towards developing ourselves.

Welcome back once again good people! It is ya boy Brad H. back once again to bring you all another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! We're here again to drop some valuable knowledge and inspiration here that will hopefully inspire us all to become a better version of ourselves. I thank everyone once again in advance if you're taking out the time to read this here. We have arrived at the month of December, which means that the year 2017 is winding down to its end real soon. I'll probably reflect more on this year and some of the struggles that I've had to face this year in the final topic that I write on in the next installment. What I want to use my soapbox to address here is something that seems to happen every year before the upcoming year comes in. Most, if not all of us are always happy and excited for the holidays. The holiday season represents many things, but they mainly coincide with appreciating and spending times with our loved ones. Even though the holidays are a great time of the year for many, there are also many people that are and have endured losing loved ones around this time of the year. I myself can identify with this as I lost someone very close to me on the week of Thanksgiving back in 2013. I'm sure that many of you have dealt with the loss of a loved one during the holidays as well. One thing that I always heard my grandmother say is that a certain amount of people have to leave this world before the new year comes in. After seeing and hearing about so many people die around the holidays over the years, some in ways that you wouldn't expect, I totally get what she was saying now. Many people won't make it to see this upcoming new year, and it can be anyone of us. With that said, I hope that we all can remember to value whatever time we have here. Also, use this time of the year to reflect and remember those that are no longer here with us. That's pretty much all I want to say in regards to that, so lets go ahead and transition into this week's topic of using our time to develop ourselves.

Like I normally address before going into the meat of the topic for the week, I'd like to go ahead and give my regular disclaimer. We all have different views and opinions on how we see things. Trying to change other peoples minds isn't the objective here. The mission is to put out positive energy that will help keep us all motivated in this life. Although I'm not aiming to alter anyone's opinions, I do hope that through this process that I am able to help other people to think about topics in a manner in which they may not have before. Basically we're trying to encourage, and provide some insight that will hopefully get us to thinking about certain things. As I mention in all of my topics, I am just one individual that has an opinion, and I do not expect everyone to share in my views. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinions is totally fine. Whatever your beliefs may be, I am still glad to have you here. As for how this topic came to be, there isn't anything that has happened or I saw that I can definitively say that caused me to write about this particular topic. All I can really attribute it to is just sitting around one day thinking about how much we often waste our time, often on meaningless things. As someone that has developed an almost obsessive love with personal development over the past 3 years, I feel that I should address how important it is that we use our time to work on ourselves. If you're someone that is happy and stable in where you are in your life, this topic probably won't matter to you as much. This is a topic that those of us that have maybe looked back and realize that we could have done more to develop ourselves instead of consistently engaging in meaningless things.

As I hinted at earlier in this post, many of us in today's society are over consumed with being entertained. Again, I'm not saying that it is wrong to want to be entertained, but I think most of us can admit that we give too much time and energy towards it. Think about this for just a second; how many times have you opted to watch television instead of reading a self-improvement book? How often have you mindlessly browsed through social media instead of taking a walk or jog around your block? If we're being honest with ourselves, most of us can probably admit that we haven't properly prioritized our time. There is nothing wrong with doing the things that you enjoy that are related to being entertained. However, reaching your own personal potential and taking care of the important things in your life should always come first before entertainment. I always tell others that spending hours upon hours of time on social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook should only be for people that have reached the level of success they're trying to achieve in their life. Yet, most of the time we often see so many people using these platforms to either complain about how bad their life is, or they're way too interested in what is going on in other people's lives. Question; how exactly does being overly consumed with what other people are doing in their lives is helping us? These media personalities and celebrities that we worry about following so much aren't doing anything to help better us, yet we spend hours and hours of time worrying about what is happening in their lives. Doesn't seem quite right when you think about it, does it?

So if you're spending all this time keeping up with what everyone else is doing, what exactly are you doing to improve yourself? There are many of us that talk about various things that we want to do in our lives, whether it be the present, or the future. We talk about these things we hope to do, yet we don't always apply the necessary time that is needed to reach these goals. There in lies the importance of why we need to use our time wisely. From my perspective, much of the time that we waste on things that do absolutely nothing to help better us in any aspect of our lives is one of the main reasons we never fully reach our capabilities. It doesn't make much sense to repeatedly say that I'm going to, or I want to do this and that, yet you don't put any time towards what you're wanting to do. Now understandably so, many of us likely feel as if we have time to become the best versions of ourselves. You could probably be right if you do have that mindset, however, there is really no way to really know is it? As I mentioned earlier, we don't know when time is going to run out for us. You have to think of your life as an hourglass, and with everyday that goes by, the sand in that hourglass decreases bit by bit. Everyday that passes us by that we haven't learned anything to better ourselves is another day that is likely wasted. Some of us say that we're going to change "someday", but there isn't a day of the week named "someday". All we have is the present, and what time better than any to take the necessary steps to better ourselves?

The main goal with this week's post is to let everyone know that time isn't on our side when it comes to accomplishing things. I know that sounds simple and it is something that we've all heard countless time. However, I feel that this is something that can never be addressed too much. Again, if you're a person that is happy and content within your life, you can go ahead and indulge in various forms of entertainment and fun. But if you're someone that wants to better yourself and hope to become the best individual that you can be, lets cut out a lot of the bad habits and behaviors that do little to nothing to help us. You don't want to be that person that ends up with health problems later on in life that could have been prevented if you got up off the couch and walked around the block daily. The time is now folks, so use it wisely. The quote that I'm going to leave you all with comes from The Dalai Lama. I think this is a pretty good one. It reads; "Everyday think as you wake up today that I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to othrs, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can."

We are once again at the end of another topic for the week. Much thanks once again to you all that peeped out another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As usual, I hope that there was some understanding and inspiration that could be gained from this. If you have any comments or feedback, feel free to drop those down below. Also you can ask or follow me on Twitter @BradrickH. Well I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable weekend, and an even greater week ahead. Be sure to keep in your thoughts those that have lost a loved one during the holidays, and lets continue to reflect and remember those that are no longer with us. We still got a few weeks left in this year, so lets try to make them the best weeks of this year. Take care everyone, and I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Allowing Room For Correction And Growth.

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Although it is nearly impossible to become an expert or master at anything that we may attempt in the beginning of whatever we're trying, most people still subscribe to the idea that we should do well at it from the start. There are numerous reasons as to why the majority of the human race may be feel this way. I think that it could mostly be a pride or an ego thing or on a more positive note, it could be that most people set the bar for themselves very high. While setting a high bar towards a goal can be a good thing, it can sometimes be a potential pitfall as well. Most of us are aware that failing at something when you have set such a high standard can lead to abandonment of that goal completely. Quitting on something shouldn't be the end goal right? The goal should be to work on something continuously until you become much better at it. Again, although progression should be the goal, many of us don't practice the habit of sticking with something till we succeed at it. Basically many of us often give up and throw in the towel way too quickly. As with the majority of things in life, there are always various ways to counteract the practice of giving up too fast, and this method that we'll be talking about is one that probably isn't too popular with those that expect to experience success early on in trying something. What I am talking about you may wonder? Simply stated, we have to leave open the door for correction and growth when it comes to anything that we're aiming to become better at.

Hey, hey what's going on my people? It is your boy Brad H. back once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to the post Thanksgiving edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once again to hopefully give out some valuable jewels of information that will hopefully inspire us all to be the best versions of ourselves on a daily basis. I thank you all in advance for stopping by once again to see what is on my mind. Before going more into the topic for the week, I'd like to talk a little bit about some of the things that I'm thankful for. Being that we're a couple of days removed from Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fitting to address this. Now we're all aware that most people forget what Thanksgiving day is all about. I'm not going to go into the meaning or holiday aspect and what it represents. There are people that have various viewpoints when it comes to the meaning behind Thanksgiving, and that is totally fine. But most people see Thanksgiving as a day of food and football, and there isn't anything wrong with that either. In my opinion, Thanksgiving is a day of celebration for the things that we're thankful for in our personal lives. However, this shouldn't only be limited to Thanksgiving day in my opinion. I think it is important to give thanks on a daily basis, which is something that I try to do daily. A few of the things that I'm thankful for include; my eyes to see, my hands to write, my legs to walk and run, my mind to be able to think and overcome, and finally all of my family and friends. I try not to take any of these things for granted as I know that all of them can be gone at anytime. There are many other numerous things that I'm thankful for, but there is no way I could put them all into this post. So with all of that said, I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Alright, now that we've gotten that out of the way, lets talk more about the importance of allowing room for correction and growth.

As with the normal standard that I've set on here, I'd like to go ahead and give my regular disclaimer in this section. Every single one of us have different views and ways of seeing things in this world. The objective with this topic and blog in general isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather to hopefully put positive vibes out there that will encourage us all in our daily lives. Furthermore, I hope that I am able to hopefully encourage others to maybe view something in a light or manner that they may not have before. As I always mention, I am just one individual that has an opinion. I don't expect everyone to share in my views or opinions, but I do hope that there is something that can be gained from this that will be of help to someone else. I'm a firm believer that one of our missions on this planet is to help and inspire our fellow man if we are able to. As for how this topic came to be the one that I wanted to talk about, there is anything in particular that I can point to. The topic of correction and growth is just something that came to mind a few nights ago when I was thinking about what I wanted to build this week's entry upon. We're all aware that we all make mistakes and while I do believe that this is a pretty straightforward topic to address, I do believe that it is something that doesn't get enough attention. It is also something that I feel that I should have applied more when I attempted certain things in earlier stages of my life. Turning back the clock is impossible, so we must learn and apply the knowledge that we have gained to our lives today.

So as I established earlier in this entry, many of us have the idea that we're supposed to be successful the first time we attempt something. Now there is nothing wrong with having or setting goals towards wanting to accomplish something. I believe that setting goals can be a healthy thing depending on what we're setting goals towards. While having goals is both important and positive, it is also vital to have realistic goals as well. What is a realistic goal? That is totally subjective and it all depends on what your reality may be. However, I want you all to think about something. When a baby begins to try and walk, do or do they not fall many times before finally getting it down? Pretty straightforward example right? It isn't realistic to believe that a baby will get up and start walking without ever falling down. Another example; think of someone that is trying to learn how to play basketball. It isn't realistic to believe that someone trying to learn the game of basketball will go out on the court their first time and make every shot they attempt. A more realistic goal would be to make more shots the next day than the day before right? That person can be confident that they are going to make every shot, but the reality is that it likely won't happen when they're first starting out. Now when a person sets high goals for themselves in whatever it is that they're attempting, it become even more easy to become discouraged when they don't see the progress they want early on. This is why it is important to allow room for growth and correction.

From the perspective that I'm coming from, I feel that we have to learn how to treat everything that we're trying to do in life as process. I think that when we treat things as a process, we are more able to learn and fix corrections when they are needed. When we become overly consumed with doing well from the start, the likelihood of wanting to correct things becomes much lower, and the chances of becoming discouraged and wanting to quit becomes higher. Because we're not allowing room for correction and growth, we're much more likely to just give up. How many times in your life have you tried to do well at something and ended up getting rejected? If it was something that meant a lot to you and was important, you probably didn't allow the rejection to discourage you from going on. You probably used the rejection and disappointment that you experienced as fuel and motivation to do better right? The person that wants to succeed quickly without experiencing any of the potential growing pains that comes along with reaching your goals will likely take themselves out of the game after experiencing rejection. This why it is so important to allow room and correction and growth. Allowing room for these things can only help us to become better at whatever it is that we're striving for in the future. The same way we acquire knowledge throughout life as we grow as people, the same applies towards achieving personal success in your life.

So how do we learn how to allow room for correction and growth in our lives? First off, understand that you are a human-being, which means that you are flawed. A flawed person regardless of how good they are at something will always make mistakes. Understanding that we're flawed individuals helps us to know that there will always be instances where we make mistakes. Knowing this helps in allowing room and correction for growth. Secondly, learn to pace yourself in whatever it is that you're trying to do. You can't conquer the world overnight, so doing things in increments helps greatly. Furthermore, doing things in stages helps us to learn as we go, and similar to treating things as a process as I mentioned earlier, stages allows growth through the process. Think of it as on the job training; you're learning as you go. Because so many people want to experience success early and often, leaving room for correction and growth may not be desirable for many. However, as with anything else in life, patience and practice goes a long way. No matter what you're trying to do in life, remember the importance of allowing room for correction and growth. The quote that I'm going to top this topic off with comes courtesy of Myles Munroe. I think it is a good one in correlation with being open to change and growth. It reads; "Being open to correction means making ourselves vulnerable, and many people are not willing to do that."

Well we have arrived at the end of another week's topic. Thank you all once again to those of you that checked out another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As always, I hope that this topic provided some meaning and insight for all of those that came through. If you have any comments to contribute to this topic or any of the others, feel free to do so. The next time we see one another on here will be in December. The year has really flown by pretty fast. Lets try to make the final month of the year the best it can be everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to you all once again, and I hope you all have a great weekend. Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Being A Free And Open Thinker (Questioning Everything You See And Hear).

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From a total general perspective of life and the changes that we go through as we evolve, I believe that most of us become more stubborn and set in our ways as we get older. I know that I'm generalizing a bit in saying this, but I'm certain that most of you have encountered other people that are set in their ways. Probably the biggest example that we've all had when it comes to having interactions with stubborn people is our family. Most of us probably have grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles that you can't really change. They have certain views on life that they're not willing to change or compromise on, and that is just the way that it is. While the example that I have referenced to deals with people that may be a little more older, it is also true that some younger people exhibit great levels of stubbornness. Similar to our older counterparts that have more experience with life than we do, many of us aren't the free and open thinkers that we have the ability to be. We are often so consumed with seeing and listening to what the media and others say that we don't take out the time to really think and question much of what we see and hear. It is almost like we would rather have other people and sources of entertainment do our thinking for us. In a society where the media and masses have control of much of what is being shown and heard, this is something that I see as being a issue. We have to be free and open thinkers in today's world, and in order to be these things, we have to be willing to question everything that we see and hear.

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening wherever you may be or when you see this. How is everyone doing out there this time around? It is Brad H. coming back at you all once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once more to drop my thoughts on another topic that I feel can be of help to others. I appreciate all of you in advance that have stopped by to check out what I have to say. Before going more in depth on this week's topic, man what a World Series that we got treated to didn't we? I'm sure that most of you by now know that the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3. The victory marked the Astros very first MLB championship. In the previous entry that I done on here, I talked about how I was pulling for the Astros, but how I would also be okay with the Dodgers winning. I'm an Astros fan first, but I like a lot of the players that are on the Dodgers team as well. I had a feeling that this World Series would be an epic one, and it did not disappoint. George Springer was absolutely terrific throughout the entire series, which is really great considering how rough of a start he had in game 1 against Clayton Kershaw. Those young guns that Houston have in Springer, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa are the real deal. Congratulations goes to the Houston Astros and the city of Houston as well. As I stated in the last entry, it is nice to see something like this happen for the city of Houston after everything the city has endured this year. With all the young talent on that roster, Houston has a lot to look forward to. Big ups to the Dodgers as well. Really both teams deserve a lot of credit for giving us such a great series to watch. Alright now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of questioning everything you see and hear.

As with the standard formula that I go with on here, before getting into the topic at hand, I'd like to say that we all have different viewpoints and perspectives on the way we view things. The main objective with this topic isn't to focus on right or wrong, but rather to hopefully put some inspiration out there that will encourage us in our daily lives. Beyond that, I also hope that these topics can also help others to see things in a manner in which they may not have thought of before. I'm just one person with an opinion, so I don't expect everyone to agree with me or my views. I just hope that whatever (if anything) is gained from this will be helpful to others. As for how this topic came to be, I would just attribute it to the regular thoughts that I have. There wasn't any conversation or feedback from someone else that inspired me to want to talk about this topic. The idea of keeping an open mind is something that I already think about on a regular basis. It is also something that I've written about on here in the past. I've mentioned it before, but I think it is important to sometimes revisit ideas that you may have addressed before. Since we are constantly changing and evolving as we become older, our thoughts also do the same. It isn't necessarily that you always change your thoughts completely. You may have the same viewpoint on something that you may have always had, but there may be certain aspects of that viewpoint that has changed for you. I think it is all about constantly expanding our minds, which is something that I encourage on here.

I referenced earlier in this post how so many of us are stubborn and set in our ways. Now in saying this, I'm in no way saying that a person shouldn't be stubborn at times. Heck, I think we all have things that we are stubborn about at times. Depending on what it may be, being stubborn can sometimes be a positive thing. The perspective that I'm going to be coming from with this topic deals with stubbornness that is degenerative to our lives. What do I mean by this? Being stubborn is one thing, but being stubborn to the point where it is hurting you is an entirely different monster in my opinion. Imagine having a friend or relative that you've been warning that if they don't change some of their ways soon, something bad will likely end up happening to them. I'm sure that example sounds pretty familiar right? We've all been on both sides of the spectrum where we're the ones being stubborn, as well as having to deal with other people being stubborn. It is just one of those things that is a part of life. However, constantly displaying habits of stubbornness and being so set in our ways can limit us from being free and open thinkers. Because we're so stubborn and headstrong in some of our beliefs, we're unable to allow our minds to be open to new ideas and possibilities. This is where the importance of being a free and open thinker factors into play. If we're not willing to listen and be open to what others are saying, how will we be able to learn and grow? Furthermore, a person that isn't a free thinker will often fall victim to false facts and ideas.

One of the biggest aspects of being a free and open thinker deals with the things that we see and hear. We will often see things on television, online, etc, and we'll often hear things from people that most of us will believe. Someone that doesn't open their mind to the possibility that everything that is shown and heard may not always be the facts will always see things at face value. From my perspective, it is extremely bad to just believe what you see and hear is just what it is. I see this as a bad thing because our society often thrives on people being able to sway and manipulate others. There are so many things that are shown and said that is straight up false and untrue, but the media and people in general do a good job of selling it as being facts. Because of this, a person that isn't a free and open thinker can and will likely be easily manipulated by others. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I'm sure that most of you don't like to feel like someone else has intentionally misled you. Now I'm in one way saying that no one is vulnerable to being misled or manipulated. None of us know everything, so there will always be moments in our lives where people are going to manipulate us. The point of what I'm saying is that we will be less likely to be made a fool out of if we're able to be free and open thinkers when it comes to the things that we see and hear. This is exactly the reason why I feel that being stubborn and set in our ways can be a potential downfall.

So how do we get the point where we're free and open thinkers? I think the main way to become more open is listening more to others. I know this is the obvious answer, but how many of us really do listen to what others are saying? Remember that most people have very short attention spans and more importantly, many of us are quick to want to talk, which means that we don't always listen fully. We gotta change this in my opinion. Also, don't be so willing to dismiss what others are saying. It is important to question and be skeptical of what people are saying, but try not to completely close your mind to what is being said. Keeping an open mind and having a willingness to hear others out even when you may not always agree is key to being a more free and open thinker. Finally, don't believe or take everything that you see or hear at face value. There is often a hidden meaning to whatever we see and hear, and we'll never know what it is if we don't keep our minds open. The quote that I found that I will close this topic out with comes from a man that is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, Leo Tolstoy. It reads; "Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking."

We are once again at the end of another topic my people. Thank you once again to all of you that took out the time to check out another one of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that this topic provided some meaning and insight for all of those that came through. If you have any comments to add to this topic or any of the others, feel free to do so. I don't know about you all, but it is finally beginning to feel like fall here in Texas. The leaves are falling, and the weather has become a bit more chill. This is easily one of my favorite times of the year. I'm just ready to see some full fledged winter weather soon. Plus, we have Thanksgiving around the corner, so the holiday season is near. Well I'm going to go ahead and get up out of here, so I hope you all have a great and happy weekend. Take care of yourselves, and be safe wherever you are. I look forward to seeing you all in the next one. Till then, keep your heads up and keep on pressing forward everyone. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Success Worth Having Doesn't Come Overnight (Microwave Generation).

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One of the more frustrating things that many of us have to go through in life is having patience. We have been told over and over again how important it is to be patient. We hear countless times from others that everything will come to pass, and that our patience will be rewarded. We hear these cliches constantly and yet most of us are still impatient in certain aspect of our lives. This especially applies to those of us that have been working towards something that we're passionate about. We know that we're supposed to be diligent and patient towards reaching our goals, but patience is a word that many of us don't want to hear when we've been working at something for some time. What amplifies the levels of frustration is living in this microwave society that we're all living in. In a society where it seems as if everyone wants things to happen fast, it can be even more frustrating when things are not happening as quick as you'd like. We often find ourselves at a crossroads when thoughts of doubt and uncertainty begins to enter our minds when it comes to reaching our goals. Questions of whether or not we're on the right path towards success can begin to flood our thoughts, and the result is often a word that can lead to a lifetime of regret; quitting. While it is okay to question whether we're moving in the right direction or not is perfectly normal and healthy, having the realization that success worth having doesn't happen overnight is important.

Hey what's up once again my people! How is everyone doing out there this time around? It is me Brad H. coming back at you all once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As with the standard formula here, I am back for another week to drop my perspective on a topic that I feel can be relevant and helpful to others. Thank you in advance for those of you that stopped by to see what I have to say. Before getting into the topic for the week, I'd like to get on my soapbox and talk about the World Series that is taking place right now. Man, what can we say about game two of this series? That was an absolutely epic game there. The Astros looked as if they were on the ropes, and they managed to go nuts in those extra innings. So after last night's game, the Astros are up in the series 2-1. I personally felt like this was going to be a great series, and it has yet to disappoint. I'm a Astros fan already, but being that I am a Texan, I'm hoping for them to pull it off. However, I do like the Dodgers as well. Clayton Kershaw is one of my favorite players, and I personally believe that he is the best pitcher in baseball. I also like Justin Turner, Corey Seager, and Kike Hernandez from the Dodgers. With all of that said, although I want the Astros to win it all, I would be okay if the Dodgers were to win it also. Since I like both of these teams, there really won't be much of a loser in my eyes. I know that I'm probably straddling the fence with this one, but I do want the Astros to take it all. I'm huge fans of George Springer, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa. Besides that, it would be big for the city of Houston if the Astros were to win after everything that happened with Hurricane Harvey back in August. We'll see how it all turns out. Alright, it is time to get into the main topic of the week that deals with success not happening overnight.

Before I move into the topic for the week, I'd like to go ahead and give my normal disclaimer in this section of the topic. Every single one of us have different viewpoints and ideas on how we see things. The objective here isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but to hopefully give some inspiration to that encourages us not only in our daily lives, but also to see things in a manner in which we may not have before. I am just one individual with an opinion, so the way I see certain topics may not align with the way some of you see things. It is totally fine if some of you don't agree with me, and I welcome any and all feedback here. In the case that you find this topic interesting or you receive something from it, feel free to let me know that as well. As for some insight into how this topic came to mind, I've just been thinking a lot lately about how so many of us expect things to happen fast. Because this has been weighing on my mind lately, I thought I'd come on here and discuss why it is necessary to be patient with the things we aspire for. This is something that I have discussed on here already before in previous topics. However, it is sometimes necessary to revisit things that you've maybe done before, but with a better understanding of now. Because life should be all about growing and progressing, the way that we see some of the things in our lives will change throughout the years. It is important to always keep your mind free and open to new ideas and ways of viewing this, which is honestly the philosophy that this entire blog is based around.

Now as I referenced to earlier, it feels as if we are living in a microwave generation right now. What exactly is a microwave generation you may wonder? I see the term "microwave generation" as an analogy to how so many people want everything to happen quick with little effort. We all know that it is much quicker to throw something in the microwave compared to actually taking out the time to cook something. This is the same mentality that so many of us have these days when it comes to life in general. Think about it for a second, most of people want to exert as little effort as possible to get what they want. We want fast money, fast cars, fast relationships, etc. Fast, fast, fast, we all want everything fast. Now from my perspective, the thing with things coming to us fast is that when it is fast, you often don't appreciate it as much. Imagine if someone just gives you something compared to you having to actually having to earn it. In which scenario do you feel like you would appreciate it more? Now some people may not care either way as long as they get what they want right? However, I believe that there is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with actually earning something compared to getting it with little to no effort. This applies to all areas of life, but I feel this especially applies to those of us that are trying to achieve personal success in our lives. Because success is subjective, it totally varies on the individual as to what they define as success. However, in the microwave generation that we're in, most people want success to have fast also.

Something that I've mentioned in several topics on here before was how so many of us compare our lives to our peers. Success is probably the biggest comparison that we draw from our peers. For example, lets say that there are two friends that are both in college right? They both graduate at the same time, and want to get into the same field. Lets say that one of the two breaks into the field they want to get into before the other. Due to the fact that the friend of the two that has gotten their break has cracked into their field, the other that hasn't may view the other as achieving success before them. This person could potentially become somewhat discouraged and find themselves wondering if they will get their break. In a worse case scenario, the individual may become disillusioned and give up on trying to get into that field completely. That is just an example, but if it is something that you are still passionate about, you shouldn't give up. Like the title of this post states, success that is worth having doesn't always happen overnight. We can't be using other peoples' success as a basis for how we define success in our lives and situations. We also can't allow the fact that sometimes, whether you believe it is fair or not, things happen quicker for others than it does for us. It doesn't mean that it isn't meant for you, or that you should throw in the towel and quit. From my perspective, it could mean that it just isn't your time yet and despite how hard it may be, you have to maintain and exercise a little bit of patience.

This week's topic is mainly for those of us that are maybe finding ourselves questioning whether or not we will attain the success that we're hoping for. Yes it is normal to question whether or not you're doing the right thing, but questioning shouldn't rule your life. We have to have the belief and confidence in knowing that we're moving in the right direction towards our goals. Most of us halfway believe that it is possible, but the only way that we can get there is to believe in in fully. If the belief isn't fully there, then maybe that is a sign that maybe you're not as passionate about what you're doing as you think. It all comes down to having faith and belief in my opinion. They always say that patience is a virtue, but in a microwave society, patience appears to be sorely lacking. We don't want to be part of the microwave generation. We want to be part of the believers that are patient and long-suffering. So remember that success doesn't happen overnight. Everything worth having in your life will likely require time, which means that we have to hold us our end of the bargain by being patient. Time for me to leave the motivational quote that I came across that goes with this week's topic. It is from Ralph Marston and it goes; "Success requires both urgency and patience. Be urgent about making the effort, and patient about seeing the results."

Well we have reached the end of another topic my people. Thank you again as always to those of you that spent some of your time reading another edition of 'Brad H's Perspective'! I hope that this topic served as some inspiration for some of you, and hopefully it provided some meaning and understanding. Feel free to leave any comments or concerns. Well we're at another weekend, a cooler one at that. I absolutely love when it starts getting colder. That's the biggest sign for me that the holidays are right around the corner. Also before I go, I want to say Happy Birthday to my mom. Her birthday is a few days away on Halloween, but I want to acknowledge that since it will have passed by the next time. Love you mom! Alright I'm out folks, so you all be safe and enjoy yourselves. Till next time, keep on pressing forward everyone. I'll see all in the next one. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Focusing On What You Can Do For Yourself (Expecting Things From Others).

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Something that I believe that most of us can agree with that more than likely grinds our gears is people not coming through for us when we expect them to. Sound familiar right? Yea, I'm sure that most of you can relate to the feeling of dejection and often anger that comes along with people not being there when you expect them to be. More than just being disappointed in people not coming through when you expect them to is when you feel that you constantly find yourself being there for the same people that you feel that you can't count on to be there for you. This in particular is something that really gets to people, and it often is accompanied with the anger that I referred to earlier. It has been stated time and time again that it is never wise to rely on others, yet it is something that most of us have to do occasionally. Because most of us often experience anger and frustration when it comes to this particular topic, it often becomes more easier to just say that you're done with going out of your way to help people. I mean what is the point of always being there for others, but when you're the one in need, it feels that no one is there to be found? Those who feel this way are totally justified in that way thinking, however, thinking this way doesn't lead to a life of peace in my opinion. For this week's topic, I want to put emphasis on another way of viewing this that can help bring us a little more peace inside when people aren't able to be there. Simply put, rather than expecting things from others, I think it is better to focus on what we can do for ourselves.

People, people, people! How is everyone doing out there? This is your boy Brad H. back at it once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! It is time to rejoice and dance uncontrollably now isn't it? Nah, I'm just kidding with that point, but yes I am here for another week to give my perspective on a topic that has been on my mind as of late. Before getting into the topic at hand, I'd like to give my thoughts to the people of California that are dealing with the wildfires that have been occurring out there. I saw some images on the Weather Channel a few days ago, and I was totally appalled at how scary it looked in some of those areas. I read that that death toll is around 26 now, and that it is expected to rise. There are also hundreds of people there that are still missing. This is truly a disheartening situation that hopefully ends soon. Also since my last writing, there was a mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas on October 1st. Again my thoughts are with everyone that was affected by this tragedy. as well as those that lost their lives. Although we've had these kinds of tragic events happen before, it cannot be said enough how crazy they are. I mean an event that is supposed to be enjoyable and fun turns into an unfortunate incident where 59 people lose their lives, and nearly 500 were injured. I guess there isn't much that can be said besides the fact that these are truly some dangerous and unpredictable times that we are currently living in. I hope that everyone is staying safe out there, and make sure to keep it tight with everyone that you're close to in your life. Sticking together is the best way that we can endure these trying times. That said, lets go ahead and transition into this week's topic of focusing on what we can do for ourselves, rather than what others can do for us.

Before we go forward with this week's topic, I'd like to go ahead and give the usual disclaimer that I mention before putting my thoughts out there. We all have different views and opinions when it comes to various topics. The main idea here is not to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but to hopefully provide inspiration to others that will help in encouraging us all to see topics in a way that we have yet to. I'm just one person with an opinion, so I understand that not everyone will share in my thoughts. That is perfectly okay, and I welcome any feedback and opinions by anyone that wants to share those. We're all here to educate and inspire one another, and the best way to do that is by having a willingness to be open to what others have to say. So for how this topic came to be; there wasn't anything in particular that I can point to in regards to why I chose to talk about this topic. As with a good portion of the topics I talk about, I can attribute general thought to how it came to mind. I will say however that I wanted to write about this particular topic in part of how relevant that I believe it to be. As I stated earlier in this post, we all have times where we feel like we're overextending ourselves to other people without getting anything back in return. Even if you don't feel as if you're getting something in return for being there for others, you probably have occasional bouts of feeling like the people that you're going all out for aren't always willing to do the same for you. If you have those feelings, this post is likely for you.

Picture this scenario for a moment; you have a friend or relative that relies on you quite a bit. This is a person that probably has a hard time dealing with various aspects of their life, and talking to you helps them in easing their burdens. Regardless of how early or late in the day or night it may be, you are there to answer the call whenever they call you. If you're busy or tied up with something and they reach out to you, you stop what you are doing to see what is going on, or you call them right back whenever you get the first chance. You truly love and care for this person and their well being. Now lets just say that you yourself start experiencing some difficulties in life, and the same way that this aforementioned person relies on you in their time of need, you are now needing their support and positive energy. However, this person is too busy and tied up to give you the same time and attention that you're accustomed to giving them. Of course they don't throw you entirely to the wolves, and they do make an effort to help you through your troubles. However, deep down inside of you, you can't help but feel as if they're not as devoted to being there for you in the same manner that you are for them. Now with all of that said, who is in the wrong when it comes to this situation? Are you wrong for overextending yourself, or is the person that you are always there for wrong for not doing the same for you? I personally don't think anyone is particular wrong depending on the understanding the two have, but I'll leave it up to you to determine what you think. Now in painting the picture of this particular scenario, there is something that I want you all to consider, which is the heart of what this week's topic is about. While it is okay to receive help from other people, expectations from others is never wise.

For those that may struggle in dealing with how unfair and frustrating it can be to constantly go out of your way for others, only not to receive the same back, expecting things from other people will often lead you to disappointment. I know that sounds pretty harsh, but it is also a reality. Regardless if it may be a family member or a friend, no matter how close of a relationship you may have with an individual, there will likely be moments where those people won't be able to be there for you. It doesn't necessarily mean they are bad people, or they don't care about you. It simply means that for that particular moment when you needed them, they weren't able to be there. The fact is that often the disappointments that we experience from those we care for is through no fault of their own. I'm not saying that there are cases where this isn't true, because we all know that even the people we love and care for can be shady at times. This is exactly the reason why I want to stress the importance of focusing on what we can do for ourselves, rather than what others can do for us. While it is true that none of us can totally navigate through this life alone and experience all the things we desire, there are times when we have to look within ourselves to solve some of our issues. As I mention in what feels like every topic that I bring up on here, it all starts with empowering and conditioning our minds to adapt. If you're accustomed to expecting other people to always to be there in your time of need, you have to work on training yourself to tone back on this.

Now as I stated earlier, one of the best ways that I feel to obtain peace in your life is to focus on what you can do for yourself. You may wonder; how exactly does this bring peace to your life? Well from my perspective, when you focus on yourself and what you can do for yourself to better yourself, you put everything on yourself. Yes, the key word that was mentioned several times was YOURSELF! When you put thing on yourself and take responsibility for yourself, you no longer have the option of blaming others. This gives us an added sense of peace, because you learn how to become comfortable with yourself and your abilities. Now I'm in no way saying that we needed to be selfish and vain. I'm also not saying that you should never ask others for help, nor am I implying that you should treat others badly when they're not able to come through for you. The mission is to put more emphasis on the things that we're able to do for ourselves and through that process, we hope to gain an added sense of peace and responsibility in our lives. Before I go, I want you all that may struggle with this to do me and favor and tell yourself the following: Instead of focusing on what others can do for me, today I'm going to focus on what I can do for myself. Alright, the quote that I came across that I felt sums up this week's topic comes from Dr. Steve Maraboli. The quote read; Expectation feeds frustration. It is an unhealthy attachment to people, things, and outcomes we wish we could control; but don't.

Well we have arrived at the end of another topic folks. Thank you as always to those of you that came through for another edition of 'Brad H's Perspective'! I hope that some of you were able to identify and relate to this week's topic, and I hope it provided you some meaning in your life. The weekend is here, so I hope you all enjoy. Whether it is time with the family, watching football or whatever it is you got going on, try to have fun in whatever you do. As I mentioned last time, there is definitely a lot of unsettling things happening around the world. However, we can choose make our own peace and happiness in the midst of chaos if we choose to. It's all about the mind baby! Keep on pressing forward everyone, and I look forward to seeing you all in the next one. Till then, I wish you all the best. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Viewing Your Struggles As Experience For Down The Road (Banking Analogy).

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What is one of the biggest assets in this world that most, if not all people want to attain and have a comfortable amount of? If you guessed money, then you are absolutely correct, however, I'm sure that most of you already knew where I was going with that question anyway. Yes it is indeed true that we all need money to sustain ourselves, but one aspect of money that most people strive to do more of is save. People look to save money for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you're looking to save to take a trip, or you're trying to save for a big ticket purchase, etc. There are all kinds of things that people try to save for, but I'm willing to bet that the biggest reason why people aim to save money deals with emergencies. Like is unexpected, so it is always good to have money saved just in case you need it down the road. Now you may wonder why I'm starting off this week's topic talking about money. Well I'm far from a financial expert or guru, but what I do know is that life experiences can be similar to putting money into savings. The experiences that we go through in life can often help us down the road when it comes to future encounters. Every single one of us experience struggles and hardships from time to time, and instead of embracing them for what they are and using them for experience, we often complain about them. It is okay in my opinion to be discouraged by our struggles in life, however, I think it is time that we look to change our mindset a bit. Instead of seeing tough times as a bad thing, why not use them as experience to bank in the future?

Hey, how's it going people? This is Brad H. once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that things have been going well for everyone as of late. I know that the planet has been dealing with some trying times as of late, but hopefully you all are maintaining wherever you are. As some of you may already be aware of, I'm here once again to give my perspective on a particular topic for the week that I've been thinking about as of late. Before getting into the topic for the week, I'd like to quickly give my opinion on something that I'm sure many of you are aware of; the protests that took place in the NFL last Sunday. Again, this is just my opinion, so I don't expect everyone to agree with me in regards to this. Now from what I've seen so far, the response to the protests by the NFL players and owners has been fairly positive. However, there has also been quite a bit of criticism as well. Now I'm not in the heads of the players that protested and spoke out against the president, but just from a solely generalized perspective, I don't personally feel that the players not standing for the American flag and national anthem means they are not patriotic or un-American. Part of being an American in my opinion means holding onto the values and principles that you believe in. Some of the greatest leaders that we've had in the history of our country had views that went against the grain, but still maintained respect for American culture. We have the freedom of speech here, but it feels like we only have freedom of speech for as long as it doesn't go against what the majority wants. It shouldn't like that in my opinion. Even if you disagree with the protesters, or someone that doesn't share the same beliefs as you do, those people have the right to peacefully protest if they choose to do so. That's pretty much what I wanted to say real quick in regards to that topic. Now it's time to move onto the real topic for the week that deals with using our struggles for experience.

Now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, I'd like to go ahead and give my weekly disclaimer before diving into the week's topic. We're all aware of the fact that we all have different views and opinions when it comes to life. The idea here is not to focus on what is deemed to be right or wrong, but rather to give some inspiration and hope to others that will aid in helping encourage us all to view topics in a manner that we not not have before. As always, any feedback or thoughts are welcome. I'm just one individual, and since there are various ways of viewing things, the feedback of others is something that I can learn from as well. Now onto how this week's topic came to be. I recall having a conversation with my sister about a week and a half ago, and I remember telling her something along the lines of how our struggles can help us in the future. Besides the dialogue of the discussion that we were having, I honestly have no idea where I came up with this. Then I got to thinking about how most people try to save money for later on down the road, and then the idea came together of tying the two together. I personally think this is a pretty good analogy to compare these two things to. Although saving money and struggles may be two different things, there is one main similarity they have; the ability to help alleviate the damage that may occur when emergencies strike. I want to stress again that these are just my own personal opinions, so there isn't any right or wrong. Hopefully some of you can identify with where I'm coming from.

One of the ideas that I've mentioned and tried to convey on many occasions in previous posts deals with the idea of we as people not seeing things clearly when we're facing struggles. Often times when we find ourselves in the middle of a stressful situation, we allow our emotions to overtake our ability to rationally see things. There are different degrees to this, and everyone different when it comes to this but from a general perspective, this is often the case. The reason I bring this is up is to show that most people only see the bad and darkness whenever things are going bad, which is totally understandable. But with that said, for everything that happens whether it is for good or for bad, there is always something that can be learned from it. I'm sure many of you have heard the famous quote by Nelson Mandela that goes; "I never lose, I either win or learn." Learning from an experience isn't always guaranteed, but it is something that can happen if you're willing to open your mind up to it. Now when we find ourselves in hardships, we often allow the negative that comes from it to cloud our minds to the point where the negative is the only thing we see. The ability or willingness to try and learn from the situation often gets thrown completely out of the window. In my opinion, this is exactly why we need to try and work on changing our mindsets. Is it easy? Absolutely not, but as with anything else in life, consistency and practice can help get us there.

Now I'm sure that some of you may not equate struggles with anything positive. However, if you work on changing your mindset to see that there is hope even in the darkness, the idea of changing can become a reality. Now in order for us to see our struggles as experience for down the road in life, we have to start looking at our lives as if it were a savings account. The same way that you acquire money and save it is the same mentality when it comes to the experiences we have in life. So in order for us to bank those experiences into our life savings, we have to be willing to not only endure the struggles in our lives, but also willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations that can help us to grow. As I mentioned earlier, it is not easy to see things this way in the midst of uncomfortable times. Now going back to the banking analogy, your money grows as you continue to deposit money into savings right? The same thing can apply when it comes to our struggles as well. From my perspective, when we endure our struggles and come through them, we not only come away with an added sense of confidence and pride from being willing to endure. We also gain knowledge and wisdom that we can use towards other things that may come our way in the future. Just like you put away money for a rainy day, the struggles and experiences that we go through can be deposited for future events as well. Again, it is all changing your mindset. That is something that I'm probably going to say on here till I'm blue in the face. It's all about the mindset folks.

The goal with this topic isn't necessarily to tell anyone that they should change their viewpoints. The main thing that I'm hoping for others to see is that everything that we go through that we see as being bad isn't always the case. Yes it is true that it can be very difficult to see the glass half full when you're going through things. However, you'll find that when you continue to stick with life and not give up on yourself when things are tough, you'll find that you'll be a better person for it in the future. Just like that bank account will grow with investing, your life will grow when you continue to look at those struggles like investments. I'm a firm believer that everything that we have been through already, as well as the things we are going through at this moment is just preparation for the future. Some may not feel that this is the case, but I do believe that our struggles can be seen in a different light when we open up our minds to change. Difficult, yes. Impossible, no. The quote for the week that I came across and I'm going to bring this to a close with comes courtesy of Napoleon Hill. It reads; "Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle". I think this quote reaffirms the idea that there is something positive that can come from the struggles that we have to endure.

Well that is all that I have for this week my people. Thank you all once again to those of you that stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H's Perspective'! As I always mention before signing off for the week, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this topic. I hope again that some of you out there can relate. We have arrived at another weekend, so I hope that everyone enjoys themselves. There is a lot happening across the globe, and things are even more unsettling here in the states as of late. Despite all the negativity happening, we all have to be positive and resolute in becoming the best version of ourselves. Stick to the plan my people, and lets keep on pressing forward. I'll see you all in the next one. Till then, I wish you all the best. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Everything You May Want In This World Isn't For You (Knowing Exactly What You Want).

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We all have things that we want out of this life that we're living right? Whether it's to have the perfect partner or spouse, the white picket fence or a lot of money, we all have things that we want to accomplish while we're here. Some people know exactly what they want out of life, while there are others that somewhat straddle the fence when it comes to wanting things. You know how some people believe that there is something they want, but later realize that what they thought they wanted was really not what they wanted? Hopefully that makes some sense, but in short, we as humans are often indecisive about certain things in life. One day we may feel a certain way about something, and then the next we feel the opposite. One of the things that I've often talked about on here is how so many of us compare our lives to everyone else. Often times, not always, many people use the lives of others as a basis for what they believe they want in life. So we often look at what others have and in turn, we think the things they have will bring us the same kind of happiness that they seem to be experiencing. While that may be the truth in certain cases and scenarios, I generally believe that interpreting what you want in this world through the eyes of others isn't a good thing. As I stated, we all want things out of life, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, something to also keep in mind is that everything that you may think you want in this world may not be for you.

Hello once again to everyone out there. It is me Brad H. back once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that everyone has been doing well and staying up since the last time we met up on here. If that hasn't been the case for any of you, just continue to keep on holding your head up and believe that things can and will get better. That is something that I have to tell myself often as well. So there are quite a few happenings that have been taking place in the world as of late. I talked a lot about Hurricane Harvey and the effect that it had on Texas in the last topic. Since then, we saw another devastating hurricane named Irma hit the state of Florida. Not only Florida, Irma totally destroyed many parts of the islands south of the U.S. mainland. In my personal opinion, this has been one of the craziest hurricane seasons that I've ever seen. The thing that is even more worrisome is that hurricane season is nowhere close to being over with, and there are storms still forming in the Atlantic right now. I guess I just want to use my soapbox this week to piggyback off of last week's topic of being resilient. There isn't anything that any of us can do to prevent these storms from forming, but what we can do is prepare for them as best we can. The biggest thing I would suggest is to try and stay informed on what is happening in the ocean in regards to when storms are beginning to form. The days of relying on the news to tell us exactly what is going on and when to prepare are pretty much nonexistent now, so we have to always be aware of what is going on. My thoughts go out to everyone that was affected by Irma, as well as those still feeling the after effect of Hurricane Harvey. Stay resilient everyone. Alright, now it is time to get into this week's topic of how everything you may want in this world isn't for you.

Now that I've gotten on the weekly soapbox, it's time for the normal disclaimer that I give before going into the topic for the week. We all have different views and opinions when it comes to life. The primary mission here is not to focus or give credence to what is right or wrong, but rather to give inspiration to others that will hopefully encourage people to view a topic in a manner which they may not have thought of before. I'm just one person with an opinion, so I don't expect everyone to see things the same way that I do. Any feedback or thoughts that anyone has is always welcome here. As I've stated plenty of times before, I see this as platform where we're all here to learn from one another. So as to how this topic came to be, I would just attribute it to another one of the many things that I think about on a regular basis. I think that there are so many of us out there that often focus primarily on the pros when it comes to the things we want in life. Since we put so much emphasis on the potential good that comes from things, I think we don't always see that there is also bad that can potentially come from the things we desire. Because I have the belief that everything has pros and cons, I think that everything that we may want or think we want may be good for isn't always. Again, this isn't to discourage anyone from pursuing anything that they're interested in, just something to hopefully give some thought to.

So as we have already established, we all have things that we want and desire in life. Another thing that we should all be aware by now is that life isn't always fair. This is something that can be hard for some to accept, especially when we're younger and don't fully have a grasp on how life works. So with knowing that life isn't fair, the idea or belief that everything we want should be ours isn't always true. However, there are some of us that still hopelessly chase after the things we believe that we want, and some of us continue to do this even when the very things we want continue to elude us. A prime example that most of us, especially guys can relate to deals with women. I'd say that at least 99.9% of us men have had a woman that we really liked, but she continued to not be within our grasp. She may have told you straight up that she wasn't interested, or she may have even played hard to get, but we still felt like there was something we could do to get her to admire her in the same manner that we do her. Some people say that persistence pays off, and I do believe that is true in the majority of cases. However, excessive persistence without ever seeing the results that you desire should be a sign that maybe what you believe that you want isn't for you. So in the example of chasing after a girl, the fact that she didn't share the same sentiments as you probably means that she isn't the one for you. This same ideology goes for anything else in life as well. Everything that you believe is for you isn't.

Now there are several ways I believe of handling being able to accept that some things in life aren't for you. The biggest thing that I want to bring up deals with changing your mindset. Those of you that often read my posts already know that I talk about the mind and how it is important to focus on adapting it to adjust to life changes. I believe that the main reason that many of us struggle with believing that everything that we want is for us comes from the fact that many of us don't know exactly what we want. This is exactly why I've said the words "think we may want" several times throughout this post. The fact is that many of us don't know exactly what we want, which means that we're often chasing after a lot of the wrong things. When you're chasing after the wrong things, you're likely never going to get back the results your hoping for. As I've alluded to, we all have had disappointments and setbacks when it came to something that we wanted. It is normal and okay to feel disappointed when something doesn't go our way, but instead of focusing on the cons that came with that disappointment, focus on the pros that came with it. Again, I believe there are pros and cons to everything, and that applies as well it comes to disappointments and heartache. It is difficult to see that when you're in the midst of that setback, but it something that comes to light in due time.

Besides just informing others that everything that you want in this world isn't for you, I want us as people, including myself to change our mindsets and figure out exactly what you want in this world. No one is perfect, and I do believe that the journey to finding out exactly who you are and what you want is a constant one. However, if you find yourself and learn exactly what you want in this life, you'll do a better job at preventing yourself from experiencing disappointments. Because you know who you are and exactly what you want, you'll know exactly the things and people to go after in your life. Again, I want to reiterate that this doesn't guarantee that you'll never experience disappointment. Life is always unpredictable and changing, so nothing is guaranteed. However, I do believe that we can do much better at avoiding disappointments when you find ourselves and know exactly what we want. The quote that I came across that I think goes well with this topic comes from the telephone man, Alexander Graham Bell. I think it's a pretty good one and goes; "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists...and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want...and are fully determined not to quit until you get it."

Well we have once again arrived at the end of another topic. Thank you all to those of you that stopped by for another installment of 'Brad H's Perspective'! As I always say before signing off, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this topic. Hopefully some of you can relate, and it gives you a bit of inspiration. The weekend is here, so hope everyone does something fun. Also, I know I haven't mentioned anything NFL related, but the hurricanes have kinda overshadowed that. Life is all about priorities, so the safety and recovery of our fellow man are far more important than sports. But for those of you that are football fans, I hope you enjoy the second week of the NFL this weekend. I know that I most certainly will. Alright, I'm out for this week, so I'll see you all in the next one. Till then, I wish you all the best. Peace!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Resiliency Is Our Natural State (We're Here To Rise And Overcome).

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Lets be real here; every single one of us that is breathing at this moment have had obstacles and hurdles to overcome in our lives. There may have been times where we've faced various circumstances that may have tested us, but didn't break us to the point where we didn't feel that we'd overcome them. On the flip side, there have also likely been situations that many of us have faced that have totally left our spirits broken for awhile. You know the kind of traumatic situations and circumstances that seem to have no end, and often leave us questioning whether or not we will ever make it through. I think in saying all of that, many of you can probably relate on some level. Getting our lives back on track after facing difficulties can be an extremely daunting task. This also varies and depends on how mentally strong of an individual that you are. There is a word called "resilient" that most people use when it comes to overcoming tough times and circumstances. Resilient is defined as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Some people tend to have extremely good resilience when it comes to tackling issues, while others level of resiliency may not be at the level where they feel they can overcome those obstacles and hurdles. I've been seeing things as of late that totally confirm to me that every single one of us have a level of resiliency, and as I think about that word even more, I realize that being resilient is our natural state of being.

Hello once again people! It is your guy Brad H. back at you once again with another edition of 'Brad H's Perspective'! I hope that all of you have been maintaining and keeping your heads up since the last topic I discussed. In the last topic that I talked about, I mentioned the unfortunate happenings that have been going on in the United States as of late. I wish that I was talking about something more positive on my soapbox, but that definitely isn't the case for this week either. I'm sure most of you know about the natural disaster that was Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in Texas on three separate occasions. This storm left catastrophic damage to most of the Texas coast. The biggest impact made was in Houston, which we all know is the largest state in Texas. So many residents in Houston and along the Gulf Coast has been impacted negatively by this storm. Some of you may know that I'm a Texas resident myself, and I do live in the Gulf Coast region also. My specific area received a lot of rain and flooding, but nothing major like in Houston and others areas along the gulf. I just want to say to everyone that may not have been affected directly by Harvey to please keep everyone in Texas and along the Gulf Coast in your thoughts and prayers. Even if you weren't affected directly, you probably know someone that was. Keep in mind that Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States, so there are many people that live there and in the surrounding metropolitan areas in Houston. Being that I have family and friends in this region, I know that some people in the areas hit by the storm have been affected personally. So yea, that's pretty much what I wanted to use my soapbox for this week. I wish I could be talking about something less gloomy, however, we all know by now that hardships are part of life. Now it is time to transition into this week's topic of being resilient, and how we're here to rise and overcome.

Now for my normal disclaimer that I give before talking on the topic at hand for the week. We're all aware that we all have different ways of viewing and seeing things. The primary focus on here isn't to focus on what's right or wrong, but rather to offer some inspiration to others that will hopefully inspire them to see a topic in a manner that may not have been thought of before. I don't expect everyone to share in my views or thoughts, and it is totally okay if you happen not to. Whatever feedback and thoughts that anyone may have are always welcome here on this platform. As for how I came to want to talk about resiliency for the week, it's quite simple really. Seeing the devastation that Hurricane Harvey left along Texas is the biggest inspiration for why I want to talk about this topic. After all the stories and videos I've seen and read about how people have come together to help one another through this crises, how can you not believe that we as humans are resilient? Harvey may have been a strong category 4 hurricane when it made landfall, but I know firsthand that the people of Texas are even more stronger. This is an experience that will take time to get over, and it may even be years before certain areas of Texas are back to their normal state. However, I do believe that along with the help and support of everyone in this country, the people of Texas will bounce back and show that resiliency that is being discussed in this week's topic.

So now that we've gotten the definition of resiliency and established what it entails, I want to get more into the kind of qualities I feel people who are resilient exhibit. From my perspective, people who are resilient keep on going until they find a way to conquer the obstacles they're facing. A resilient person in my opinion persevere till the end and doesn't make excuses in my opinion. Seeing things through to their end is what resiliency personifies in my opinion. I know this is fiction, but being that I'm a huge fan of this character, I'm going to use Batman from the film 'The Dark Knight Rises' as an example. After being battered, bruised and broken by the villain in the film, Batman finds a way to come back to Gotham and save his city. People that are resilient throw everything they have at this life, and even when their all isn't enough, they still find a way to get back up and keep on trying. Now do any of these qualities resonate with any of you? I'm almost positive that most of you can identify with these qualities, and there is a reason for that in my opinion. I don't have any scientific proof or evidence of this, but I believe that the reason most if not all you can probably relate is due to my belief that we all have a natural instinct within ourselves to be resilient. I believe that it is our natural state to be resilient, and believe I believe this, I believe that we possess the power to rise and overcome.

So why do I believe that we're naturally resilient and here to rise and overcome? Well, I'm just one of those people that believes in the power of the human spirit and what it can do. When we look back at history, we have seen human-beings that have overcome all kinds of odds and obstacles. There are clearly too many examples to name when it comes to this, but some of you can probably take a look at your own life and think back to something that you may have felt insurmountable, but you still managed to overcome. Think about all the people here in Texas that have been affected by the storm. I'm sure there are many that have lost their homes and livelihoods that feel that they won't be able to get through this right now. It's okay to feel like that for awhile. However, it is in our nature to eventually act and exhibit the resiliency that is necessary to pick ourselves up and keep on moving forward. I may have mentioned this before in a previous entry, but I always like to think about this one particular thing when it comes to getting through the issues that we face in our lives. As I mentioned earlier, just think back to a time when you thought you wouldn't be able to make it through whatever you're facing. If you are here and still going, what does that mean? It means you made it through whatever you were dealing with, and if you can get through whatever it was then, you can also do it now.

Now I want to make sure and say that just because I'm talking about being resilient and the human spirit, that doesn't mean that life can't break us from time to time. There are always going to be times where life is going to throw up for a loop and leave us reeling, and unfortunately, there have been times where some people we broken to the point where they just chose to give it all up. Because we are all different and process things individually, some peoples level of resiliency and belief may vary, and that is okay. The main mission this week is to encourage and inspire everyone to see that we all have something deep within us that makes us want to persevere. So to sum it up for this week, we're all here to rise and overcome the challenges in our lives. We have to have belief that resiliency exists within us at all times. Finally, the people of Texas will rise above the devastation that Hurricane Harvey left us with. As I stated previously, the people of Texas are very strong, and will not allow this incident to keep us down. Now for the quote that I'm going to leave for this week that relates to the topic. The quote comes courtesy of Darwin, and goes; "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most resilient and responsive to change."

Well we have arrived at the end of another entry of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Thank you all to everyone that took out the time to read what I had to say. As I always like to close out with, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this topic. I also hope that it gives some encouragement to your everyday life. We have some difficult and rough roads ahead of us, but we can definitely overcome those times together. Lets not allow these trying times to defeat us, but rather empower us to reach deep within to find the strength to conquer them. Alright, I'm signing off for now, so I hope you all have a great weekend and don't forget to keep Texas in your thoughts. I'll see you all in the next one. Till then, peace and love to everyone.

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.