The Importance Of Having A Strong Cabinet Around You (Solid People You Can Consult With).

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Though cabinets are something that exist within the kitchen and bathrooms of the homes that we live in, they are an item that most people probably rarely think of or pay much attention to. That is unless you're in a profession where you install or paint them, or maybe you're in the field of interior decorating. For most that don't think of or pay close attention to cabinets, you may not care much how they look, but you do count on them to be strong and sturdy right? You know what? Let me stop bluffing here. I'm certain that most of you can deduce that this topic has absolutely nothing to do with the cabinets that exist within homes. While I do hope that you all have strong cabinets within your homes, I'm referring more to another form of cabinet. By now, most of us understand how the government works in regards to positions of leadership. Take a president for example, and this can be a president in any form whether it be government, private sector, etc. Most presidents have a group of advisers that are often referred to as a cabinet. The cabinet is a small group of people that the president often consults with before making important decisions. These are people whom decision making abilities that the president trusts. He also puts trust his cabinet to have his best interests in mind when it comes to the moves and decisions that he plans to execute. If you ask me, being part of a president's cabinet comes with a lot of responsibility. So what does this have to do with us when it comes to our lives you may wonder? Well if you think about it for a second, we are our own president when it comes to our individual lives right? We have to make decisions sometimes, and some of these decisions aren't always easy to make. Often times when we're faced with trying times and decisions that are of importance, we defer to our cabinet. That being said, not all members of your cabinet will have your best interest in mind, which means you have to be able to discern who and who doesn't belong in your cabinet.

Hey, what's going on everyone. This is Brad H. back once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am here once again to present you all with another topic that I think could serve as some inspiration to us all. This is just all about me giving my own personal perspective on the things that I think of and encounter on a frequent basis. For all of you that are frequent visitors, thank you for joining me once again. For those that may be visiting here for the first time, I'm glad to have you stop through, and I hope that this won't be your last visit here. Christmas is only a couple of days away, so this will officially be the last post on this site for the year. I'd like to go ahead and wish everyone a Merry Christmas in advance. So for my soapbox this week, I'm not going to talk about anything sports related or anything in the news. Since this will be the last topic that I cover for 2018, I'd like to reflect a bit on this year. I think a lot of people like to reflect on the year before we head into a new one. For me personally, 2018 was a year that was filled with highs and lows. I'm sure most of you can relate to that. It started out really well the first few months. I got to experience a few things that I had been wanting to for awhile, and my birthday back in March was one of the best birthdays that I've had in my life. As the year progressed, things got a bit more challenging. There were some health related issues going on with a family member that I'm close with, and there were some other circumstances surrounding family that somewhat turned my world upside down. Adjusting to change isn't always easy for some people, and I will admit that I'm one that struggles with this. That being said, I think about this post that I came across a couple of months back titled "The 7 Rules of Life." Number 3 on the list was, "Time heals all wounds, give it time." Now I do agree with this, but in saying that, we never know how much time will need to pass in order for us to move on from something. What I can say however is that everyday that we show up and make it through is another day where we've built strength towards moving forward. I know that many of us are in phases of our lives where we're trying to heal or adjust from changes. It can be difficult at times, but we have to keep on showing up. So I just want to encourage anyone that faced any type of adversity this year to know that things can and will improve, but you have to keep showing up. I hope this encourages someone out there. Alright, now lets go ahead and talk about this week's topic of building a solid cabinet.

Now it is time for me to give the standard disclaimer that I give before going more in depth into what we're going to be discussing for this installment. We're all aware by that we're all different and unique individuals in our own right. Our physical features are different, as well as the way that we all think and see the world. Since we're all unique in how we view this world, it isn't feasible to believe that we're always going to agree or see eye-to-eye. The main mission that I have with these topics isn't to focus on right or wrong, but rather to encourage others (and myself) to open our minds up to the possibilities that being open minded can bring. I believe that we all have the capability to inspire others, but I also believe that we all have the knowledge within us to open up the minds of others. As I've stated before, the topics that I write on aren't intended just to one thing only. I just hope that whatever anyone can take from what I discuss is something that is deemed positive and inspirational. So how did I arrive at this particular topic of having a strong cabinet? By now I'm sure that most of you that frequently read my topics are aware that I draw a lot of inspiration from what others say. I was on Youtube last week, and I was listening to a video where a guy was talking about relationships. One of the points that he referenced to was consulting with your cabinet before getting into a relationship with someone. The idea that he was conveying was that if you want to know if someone is right for you, you have to consult with people that you're close to for their advice. Now whether you believe that to be true or not is up to you. My site and the topics of interest that I bring up aren't about relationships, but rather offering inspiration for life in general. Being that this man brought up the importance of having a cabinet in a way that I never considered before, I thought I would attempt to relate it to our lives when it comes having solid people around us. I'm going to try and show why I feel it is important to have a strong cabinet, and how your cabinet says a lot about who we are. So with all of that being said, lets go ahead and get into it.

Now I believe it is safe to say that most of us do indeed have a cabinet around us. I believe that our family members are people that can be a part of our cabinet. Of course we have friends and colleagues that we can consider as a part of our inner circle. The idea of this topic isn't to put emphasis on how to build a cabinet. I believe that by now that most of us already have a cabinet in our corner. The main question is what kind of cabinet that we have in our lives? What kind of people are we associating with? What type of people are we consulting whenever we're in need of assistance? These are the questions that I'm focusing on here, because if we're being totally truthful about the matter, not everyone has a solid cabinet to assist them whenever their in need. Most of us have had people tell us that they're here for us and all of that, but when the time comes when you need them to be there for you, they weren't there. Think of the crisis and decisions in your life as if they are meetings with your cabinet. Now I get that things happen, and there are some circumstances where an individual can't always be there. We can't always hold it against someone when they're not able to be around sometimes. However, I do feel we have the right to hold it against people when they're not being consistent when it comes to being a part of your cabinet. In other words, it's okay if a cabinet member of yours misses a few meetings because they have matters in their own life that they need to prioritize. But if you find yourself in a situation where the lack of times where they're not showing begin to outweigh the meetings they attend, then it is safe to say that the particular member of your cabinet doing this likely needs to be removed or demoted. The thing to remember with a cabinet in any capacity is that it is constantly changing. Some members of your cabinet will stay on for longer periods than others, which means that it is okay if you have to sometimes make changes to your cabinet.

Now that I've established what a cabinet is in regards to dealing with people in our lives, I want to get into why it is important to have a strong cabinet around you. Now as I mentioned earlier, we all have some sort of cabinet around us. Though having a cabinet is important, it is also important to have a cabinet that will shoot straight with you. I mention this because though many of us have a group of people that we may sometimes consult with when it comes to making decisions, some of these people may not always know the best decision that is right for us. Picture the following as an example. We all know that celebrities have their own inner circle that is similar to a cabinet right? Imagine that most of the people in an individual celebrity's cabinet are people that are benefiting from being in this person's cabinet. They probably have access to all the parties, fame, and other things that come along with being around someone famous. Now lets imagine that a person in this celebrity's inner may not necessarily agree with something their celebrity friend is doing, but they also know that saying something to them will likely anger them to the point where they're willing to cut that person out of their inner circle. If the friend to the celebrity only cares about their own life and how they wouldn't want to lose the perks that come along with being around someone famous, they probably aren't going to say anything. However, if they genuinely care about their friend, they will tell them how they really feel, even if it angers them. Now I know none of us are celebs, but the fact of the matter is that some of us have these type of people in our cabinets. One of the nicknames they are often likened to is a "yes man". These are people that are benefiting in some kind of way from being close to you, but care more about how they're able to benefit rather than caring about what is best for you. These are the kind of people that don't need to be in your cabinet. Being a part of someone's cabinet doesn't always mean you're going to see eye-to-eye. What it does mean is that you have people that care about you enough to tell you when something you're doing isn't right.

Continuing on with the importance of having a strong cabinet deals with the fact that we aren't always experienced enough to make certain decisions. What do I mean by this? Simply put, there is a reason why nearly every single one of us have people in our lives that have more experience on certain matters than we do. I believe that one of the reasons why these people are placed in our lives for that purpose. Sometimes another person can see something that you don't get initially, and this is why it is crucial to take into considering what these people think. It doesn't always need to be limited to just one person either. Sometimes it behooves us to get the thoughts and ideas of several people to form a decision. This is why I feel that we all need to have a solid cabinet in our lives. Too many of us have shaky and unreliable people that are a part of our inner circle, and then we wonder why these people aren't never around when we need them. Just like the old saying goes; you are a product of the company that you keep. Even if it may not always be something you may want to hear from others, try and put people in your cabinet that will care about you, but will always keep it real with you when you're wrong or messing up. The only way to learn and grow from our mistakes is to first be aware of them. Sometimes it takes other people to make us aware that the way we're doing things may not always be right. A new year is quickly approaching us, so for everyone that has a shaky group of cabinet members, I want you to rethink and make adjustments to your cabinet if you deem it is necessary. Lets go into the new year with a strong and stable cabinet of individuals that have our best interest at heart, and make an attempt to cut out those that are missing in action when those meetings of life take place. We have to choose our decisions wisely, but we also have to choose wisely the people we put in position to help aid us in those decisions.

Well I think I'll go ahead and end this topic on that note. This has been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' once again brought to you by Brad H. Before closing like always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that was able to be taken away from this. I also hope that if anyone has any feedback or comments to add on that you will leave those as well. You can also follow or hit me up on Twitter at the handle @BradrickH. I'd like to once again thank every single person that has read, commenting, and visited my site. I cannot say that enough. I hope that each and every one of you has a very Merry Christmas, and an even happier 2019 ahead. I look forward to interacting with you all next year. Till that time comes, I wish you all the best. See you in 2019! Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Dilemma That Is Caring About What Other People Think Of You.

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I believe the idea of caring about what other people may think of us is one that can be a tough nut to crack. It's something that is constantly talked about among people. As with nearly every other aspect of life, it is one of those things in life that has a degree of variance. You have some people that claim not to care what other people think of them under any circumstances, and you have those people that care only when it comes to the opinions of certain individuals. Adding to that, you also have people that claim to not care what people think of them, yet it is all for show because they know deep down within themselves that they actually do care. Again, this is one of those things that has so many different ways of being viewed. It is for that reason that I consider it to be a dilemma for so many people in this world. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the thoughts and opinions of other people always have a degree of influence in this life. When a politician decides to run for a position in government, their ideas are shaped by the opinions of the voters. When a person goes for a certain position in a company, making a good impression on whomever is interviewing that person matters. It matters because the impression that person makes will often determine whether or not the interviewer will hire that person, which is a form of having to care what someone else thinks. People are always going to be judging others at some level or another, which is why the thoughts and opinions of others is something that we will never be able to completely escape. I indeed believe that it is important to care about the opinions of others. However, I do believe that it all comes down to perspective and prioritization. Since I have deemed this topic of caring about what others think as being a dilemma, I believe I should give my own personal perspective on when I feel it okay to care or not care about what other people may think of us.

What's up once again everyone in internet land? It is I, Brad H. back once again to bring you all another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! For those that may not be a first time reader on here, this is an hub that I use to give my perspective on various topics that I think about and encounter in my life. Through the process of me giving my perspective, I try to paint a canvas of words that will hopefully serve as motivation and inspiration to others. Whether you are a first time visitor or a long time reader, I appreciate everybody that is tuning in. Wow, we are officially in the month of December! I can't speak for anyone else, but it is hard for me to believe that this year has flown by this fast. For me personally, it feels as if only 5 or 6 months have passed since January was here. I'd like to know something for those of you that would care to chime in. Am I the only one that feels like life tends to speed up the older that you get? I think that I may have asked that question before on here in the past, but I really would like for some of you that are 30 plus to respond if you'd like. I know that December is a special month for so many people that celebrate the Christmas holidays. This is the time of the year where we hang up Christmas trees, and exchange gifts with one another. However, and I've said this before several times, be mindful of those that are grieving during this season. I'm sure by now that most of you already know that quite a few deaths happen around this time of the year. This time of the years is supposed to be happy and joyous, but that just isn't the case for everyone. So I just want to challenge everyone to spend time with or call people you know that have lost a loved one around this time of year. It's coming up on a year when one of my great uncles passed away, and I can say without a doubt that going forward Christmases likely won't be the same for me. I just wanted to get that out there, but I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season so far. Alright, it is not time to get into this week's topic on the dilemma of caring about what other people think of you.

So before I go more into this week's topic, I'm going to go ahead and give the regular disclaimer that I normally give on these installments. We all have different viewpoints and outlooks on how we see life. Besides the obvious of physically looking different from one another, these viewpoints and outlooks are the things that make us all unique in our own way. Since we're all different in our way of thinking, I don't expect everyone to agree with what I'm going to be covering. The idea here isn't to focus on what may be considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully use this content as a way to help inspire thought that can be used in bettering ourselves. Whatever information that I give isn't meant to only do one thing. I just hope that whatever takeaway people are able to come away from with this is something positive and inspirational. As for how I arrived at wanting to address the dilemma of caring about what others think of you as a topic of interest, I can solely attribute this to a discussion that I recently had this weekend with a few of my family members. The discussion itself wasn't about this specific topic, but rather about something somewhat related. A couple of days after thinking about what was being discussed, I walked away thinking about how difficult of the issue of caring what other people may think of us can be. Now again as I alluded to earlier, this topic is probably one that won't apply to many of you. Some of you genuinely may not care at all about what other people think, and that is totally fine. However, the biggest reason why I see this topic as a dilemma stems from the fact that depending on what type of situation that you're in, there are certain situations and circumstances where you may or may not have to care about what others may think. I think what I'm going to try and do with this one is point out some of those circumstances where it does and doesn't benefit us to care what others think. Again, what I'm going to be covering is my own personal perspective. I hope that I'm able to express this in a manner in which most of you will be able to understand. With all of that being said, lets go ahead and get into this.

I believe that when it comes to what other people think of you us, we have to be able to put it into the proper context. Generally speaking, giving thought to what someone else thinks of you stems from the desire to be accepted. It is in our nature as humans to want to be loved and accepted for being the individuals that we truly are. Because of this way of thinking, it is normal to care about what other people think of you in some capacity. For example, most of us care what our family thinks of us in some capacity. You may not care what they may think when it comes to some of your actions, but you likely care what they think when it comes to them accepting you for who you are. We've all seen or personally have been involved in situations where someone was at odds with a family member due to a choice of how a person decides to live their life. If you think about it for a sec, there wouldn't be any need for two people to be at odds if people didn't care to an extent what other people thought. Again, the majority of this comes down to wanting to be accepted, and I personally think there isn't nothing wrong with wanting to be accepted by the people that should matter the most in our lives. Who are the people that should matter? Of course your family and close friends, but also the people that have helped you in some capacity throughout your life. The opinions of these people matter because they have in some form or another taken an interest in wanting to see you become a healthy functioning person in society. Think of a person or people that invest their money into starting a business. These individuals hire people to carry out their plans right? Because they have an investment in the business, their opinions on how it should run matters. I know that is a different comparison, but I think that most of you get where I'm coming from with that. Now I'm in no way saying that you should ever bend to the people that you care about will. I'm just saying that due to them having invested in you, you should be willing to value what they think of you.

One of the many things that I've noticed as I've gotten older when it relates to what people think is that we as people often care more about what the wrong people think of us. When I say this, I'm referring to the way that so many of us care about what people that have never contributed anything to our lives think. So who are the people that we're talking about in saying this? Basically, any and everyone that has never been a part of your life in some way or another, which means that it refers to a large portion of this world. If we're being pretty honest here, most of us go out of our way to impress people because we care about how we will be perceived. I mentioned in the previous paragraph that this comes down to wanting to be accepted, and this also applies to when it comes to people in general. It is like most people have a desire to want to be accepted by everyone, when everyone isn't going to be accepting of your regardless of what kind of person you are. For example, think about how prevalent social media is in today's society. This is something that I've already discussed on here before, but most people that spend mindless amount of time posting on social media are likely seeking acceptance from others. Now I'm not trying to say that social media is a bad thing, but just like with anything else in this world, it can be overdone. I'm also not trying to imply that the person on your social media don't matter. I do realize that many of the people on our social media accounts are family and friends. However, we also know that we have people that are "acquaintances" on there as well. If you take a moment and ask yourself what has anyone on social media done for you, you will probably not be able to say much beside liking a few photos and posts. Likes don't do anything for us but feed our egos, so why should we care about what people on these platforms think? I used social media as an example, but this applies to the outside world also.

So what is the main point that I'm aiming to get across in this installment? Simply said, we should always be mindful of what people think of us, but this should only apply to the people that matter in your life. Any person that has fed you, clothed you, and helped you in some capacity in your life thoughts should matter more than someone that you don't know or barely know. This world we live in has become overly consumed with people seeking acceptance from all the wrong people. This epidemic that I would call it is driving so many people mad to the point where they're sad and depressed whenever someone doesn't like or accept them. From my perspective, this is not a healthy way to live. I always say that you don't have to be liked or loved by all people, you just have to be loved by the RIGHT people. The right people are those that will be there for you through thick and thin. They will motivate and inspire you to be the best person that you can be. Those are the people whom you should be mindful of what their opinion of you is. When it comes to everyone else, you have to evaluate and discern how what they may think or you or not benefits your life. I'm not saying that you should go through this life with a chip on your shoulder not caring what people think. That is the way much of our society thinks now, which is why I believe so many people have inflated and over-sized egos. There is always an opportunity to encounter people that will genuinely care about you in this life. We just have to be able to know the difference. So with all of that being said, I believe that you should care what people think of you in regards to the people that you care about. You should always be mindful of what others think of you as well, however, if and when what the outside world thinks of you comes to your detriment, then it is likely time that you stop caring about what those people think. It is okay to care what people think, it just needs to be in the proper context.

Alright everyone, I think that about sums up what I wanted to talk about in this installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! A big thank you once again to those of you that came by. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this. If anyone has anything they'd like to contribute in regards to this or any of the other topics that I cover, please feel free to do so in the comment section. If you'd like to connect with or follow me on Twitter, you can do so at the Twitter handle of @BradrickH. It is time for me to depart for now. There's a boxing match coming on in a bit that I'm going to watch, so I'll check back in with you all on the next go round. Till then, take care everyone, and have a safe and happy weekend. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Having Self Awareness.

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We all have various biases when it comes to life. Regardless of how we may try to deny the fact that we as individuals are partial to certain things and people in our lives, biases and nepotism is just something that exists within our world. Often times, the biggest portions of impartiality and biases come from within ourselves. Quite frankly, saying often times in regards to this thought is totally wrong. Now that I think about it, the biases and opinions that we have towards ourselves outweigh any other opinions that we may have. But when you take a second to think about the attitudes that we have towards ourselves, it really isn't that hard to believe that this is the case. We are the ones living our own lives, and being that no one else can live your life for you, the thought of being biased towards yourself really isn't anything out of the norm. I believe that we all should have a certain attitude towards how we view our lives. Of course since we're all different in our own unique ways, the attitudes and biased views that we take towards how we see ourselves will vary. However, I also believe that we all should have some degree of a positive outlook when it comes towards seeing ourselves. We're all aware how so many people these days are quick to put themselves down for whatever reasons they may feel are necessary. Though this is something that I don't advocate that we should be participating in, the fact remains that it is something that happens, probably more than it should be. While I totally endorse the idea of we as people viewing ourselves through a more positive lens, I also believe that many of us fail to look at ourselves with honest eyes. Basically, we allow our biases towards ourselves to cloud our ability to honestly access the shortcomings we may have. Self awareness is probably the biggest form of awareness that we as a people can have, and it is also one of various types of awareness that many of us are lacking.

Hey, what's going on party people? This is another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' coming right back you all once again. Of course I go by the name of Brad H., and I'd like to welcome everyone once again to another posting where I give my perspective on a topic that I feel could be helpful and relevant in all of our lives. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day. Now that we are a few days removed from Thanksgiving, I want to briefly talk about that Monday Night Football game that took place this week between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. Now it is rare where I will DVR a sporting event to watch a second time. If I do happen to DVR something sports related, it is because I know I won't be able to watch it live. This was a game that I had to DVR to watch a second time. For those of you that saw the game, you know exactly how exciting of a game it was. The Rams ended up winning the game 54-51. The fact that there was well over 100 points scored in this game is insane in its own right. We all know both of these teams are juggernauts offensively, but it was the turnovers that ultimately decided this game. Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs turned the ball over five times and still threw for 6 touchdowns and nearly 500 yards. All I can say is wow. At this point of the season, I think it is safe to say who the cream of the crop is in the NFL. There are several legit teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and of course the New England Patriots. However, I think most of us can agree that the Chiefs, Rams, and New Orleans Saints are probably at the top when it comes to be favorites. As much as I don't want to say it (don't like the Saints), I believe the Saints are the top team in the league at the moment. Speaking of which, they'll be playing my Dallas Cowboys next Thursday. We'll have to see what happens there, but I'm not expecting Dallas to win that game. The good thing about sports is that anything can happen, and upsets are always possible. We're gonna have to see how the rest of the few weeks left in the regular season play out, but big props to the Chiefs and Rams for an amazing game.

So now that I've addressed something besides the topic that will be covered in this week's edition, it is time for me to now give the usual disclaimer that I give before putting my thoughts out here for you all to read. This regular disclaimer is just something I do to let it be known that my viewpoint isn't the only way to view things. Some of this may not even apply to many of you, but hopefully there are various nuggets of wisdom that can be taken from this. This is just an outlet to express thoughts and ideas, so I hope they're able to help someone else out there. So as I have already addressed, we all have different ways of viewing things in this life. The objective with this isn't to focus on what is right or wrong, but rather to inspire some thought and wisdom that we can use to be applied to our lives. Some of you may not agree with some of my views, and that it totally your right to do so if that is the case. However, I also hope that most of what I say will be helpful in some of your lives as well. Whatever you may think or feel on this or any of the other subjects that I have discussed on here, I'm grateful for every single person that chooses to spend a few moments of their lives reading what I think. Also don't forget that if anyone has anything that they would like to add in addition to what I have brought up, please feel free to do that in the comment section at the end. I can't say it enough, but we're all here to learn from one another. So how did I come up to wanting to address this topic for this installment? Similar to the most recent topic that I covered on being a forward thinker, this edition's topic was inspired by something I listened to on Youtube earlier this week. I heard a guy bring up the idea of self awareness in a specific context, and the words "self awareness" stayed with me throughout the week. I pondered on it for a few days, and I thought to myself that the idea of self awareness is definitely something that our society is lacking in these days. I figured I could try and use it in a context that show why it is important to be self aware. So basically I'm going to provide a few examples of what I think self awareness is, and then try and show why it is important that we keep this in our minds. I hope you all can relate.

As I brought up earlier in this topic, the ability to have self awareness stems from looking at yourself with honest eyes. Ever notice how easy it is for so many people to criticize the lives of others, yet people are rarely able to apply that to their own lives? Picture someone that constantly talk down on other people, but this person doesn't ever say anything bad about themselves. I'm sure this is something that most of us have done before, and if we're being honest with ourselves, it is something that many of us probably do on a regular basis. It is definitely not something to be proud of in my opinion, but again we're trying to look at things from an honest point of view here. I personally believe that much of this way of thinking comes down to self preservation. We're all guilty at times of diverting attention from ourselves in order to serve our own self interests. Another negative trait that this stems from is jealously as well. When a person is jealous of another person for whatever reason(s) that may be, it is much easier for the jealous person at hand to direct negative energy towards someone else. There are various things that can cause us to direct negativity towards others, and I could probably go on and on about the traits and habits that cause people to do this. Now what do negative habits such as pride and jealously have in common? I'm sure we can come up with a few things they share, but the thing that really stands out to me is that they come from internal issues within us. These negative traits don't have anything to do with what others may do to us. They are internal traits within us that we project unto other people, and that is where the issues lie in my opinion. I believe that much of the reason why we lack self awareness comes from not properly addressing the internal issues that we face within. If a person isn't happy within their own life, or course it is easier for them to try and point out the flaws in others. I believe gaining or having a sense of self awareness can help us combat against some of these negative habits. I say this because instead of always putting the onus on others, you look for ways to address the issues in your life that come from within.

From my perspective on this subject matter, I believe that someone that has the proper amount of awareness of themselves are able to sustain themselves longer in all aspects of life. Those of you that are frequent readers here know that I often use sports to make examples of the topics that I discuss. I'm going to use another sports related example here also, however, I think the example that I'm going to use can also be applied when it comes to getting older in general. Imagine an aging athlete that is still participating in whatever sport they're a part of. Now we know that with age comes decline in abilities right? Besides the obvious reasons such as potential injury and future health related problems, a decline in skills is another major reason why athletes are encouraged to retire. Most athletes that still participate at an advanced age just can't contribute in the manner they did when they were younger. Now being that most athletes have huge egos and outspoken personalities, many of them have a difficult time acknowledging when it is time to let go. Having the right amount of self awareness would be beneficial to those athletes that still believe that they're able to do the same things they done when they were much younger. A self aware athlete would likely know where their level of skill is at, and they would have the ability to adjust their game to fit their strengths at whatever stage of their career they're in. A veteran linebacker in the NFL may not be able to move sideline to sideline like he once did, but he may be able to plug up the middle keep running backs from getting shorter yardage. An advanced age linebacker may not be able to tackle like he once did, but he may have the knowledge and veteran leadership to understand all of the defensive schemes. He may not have the physical skills anymore, but his knowledge may allow him to properly lead a defense. I know that not everyone can relate to this example, but I think you can get the gist of what I mean. Again, it is all about being able to look at yourself with honest eyes.

The main reason for my bringing up the topic of the importance of self awareness comes from knowing first hand how hard it can be to view yourself with honest eyes. I know this is something that many of us either struggle with, or have struggled with in the past. Being honest with yourself when it comes to issues that you may be facing in your life isn't an easy thing do. We all have aspects of ourselves that we may not be happy with. The insecurities that we keep within ourselves are much of the reason why we focus on the flaws of other individuals. Diverting the attention from ourselves towards other people isn't going to help us out in the long run. Also, it is hard for me to imagine that people that engage in downing other people because of your own insecurities are truly happy within themselves. Having self awareness will allow you to not only look at yourself with those honest eyes that I've brought up several times already. It also gives you the tools and knowledge that you will need to work on fixing those aspects of yourself that you may not be happy with. It's okay if you're not the best person in this world, but it's not okay if you know that you're not being a good person and you don't even try to change it. It is okay if you can't run as fast as you did when you are younger. It's not okay if you think you can do things the same way you once did to the point where you're putting your own health in danger. This is all about being aware of where you are in your life, and being able to properly access yourself honestly. Again, this isn't an easy thing to do and if you are interested in going down this rabbit hole of self awareness, you will have to come face to face with things about yourself that you honestly won't like. You may find a lot of hurt and pain on the journey of self awareness, but you can also learn how to become a better version of yourself if you maintain an open mind.

I think that pretty much sums up what I wanted to discuss for this go round, so I'm going to go ahead and leave it there. Thank you all for those of you that tuned into another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Of course if anyone has any feedback or opinions, feel free to do so in the comment section. You can also hit me up on Twitter @BradrickH. It is so hard to believe that the next time I discuss something on here will be in December. It just amazes me how life seems to speed up so fast the older you get. At least it feels that way for me, but I know people that have told me the exact same thing also. This year is quickly coming to an end, so lets try and make this last month or so the best that we can. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, and I will see you all on the next go round. Till then, take care everyone! Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why Being A Forward Thinker Can Benefit You In Your Life.

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There's a pretty famous quote that goes; "You know where you've been, but you don't know where you are going." This is one of those sayings that many of us have heard since we were knee high. This particular quote is derived from the idea that we can only know what has already happened in the past, and that the future is full of unknowns. Though it can be scary at times, one of the most honest facts of life is the unknown that comes along with the thought of what will happen in the future for us. Where do we see ourselves in five years from now is a question that we're often tasked to answer from others. Some of us may ponder on how long our lives are going to last, and the manner in which our lives will come to an end. These are a couple of examples of questions that we as people ask ourselves in regards to the future. We all know of both the past and the future, but we're also aware of what comes in between those two; the present. The importance of living in the present is something that I've addressed via this platform on many occasions. I believe that being in the present as much as we possibly can is the best tactic we can use to get the most out of this life. When you really consider the sum of the past, present and future, all we really have is the moment that we're in. Now in saying that, I'm also a huge advocate of the importance of being a forward thinker as well. What exactly is forward thinking some of you may wonder? There are various meanings and definitions that can define what forward thinking is. My personal perspective on it means looking forward to what is possibly ahead. Basically, I see it as the same thing as planning for the future. Now if the future is unknown and worrying about what is to come in the future can detract us from the present moment, why would I have such a belief in being a forward thinker? Though the future may be unknown, planning for it can have benefits. The best way to plan for the future is by being a forward thinker.

Hey, what's going on people? This is Brad H. back at it once again to present you all with another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! For those of you that may be new here, this is a hub that I use to curate my thoughts and ideas on topics that I feel will help inspire us all in our daily lives. For those of you that have visited already or may be frequent visitors, you already know how the drill works. Regardless of whether you're a long time reader or a first time viewer, I appreciate every single one of you that take a few minutes out of your day to spend a few moments here. Before going into the topic that I'm addressing for this week, I want to talk about the recent midterm elections that were held here in the United States a few days ago. I know there are a few races that are still going on, and there are some that are likely going to have some recounts take place. I know I've mentioned this before on here, but after a lot of the things I saw and read on social media the night of the elections and the days after, all I could do was shake my head to myself. There was so much anger and bitterness being expressed by people that didn't like the outcome(s) of the election. Now don't get me wrong, it is understandable when someone you voted for loses, etc. However, we live in a country where the majority wins out, so regardless whether the candidates you voted for win or not, we have to respect the decisions and the process. Being angry and bitter towards others doesn't do any good, and instead of making a case for why the person you voted for should have won, you do more damage to them in the long run. You help your cause more by giving more positive reasons why you voted for someone rather than being so negative because the person you voted for lost. Most of you already know that I don't like talking about politics on here, and much of the reason for that comes from exactly what I saw a few days ago. That's pretty much all I'm going to say about that. I think I may have another election related topic that I want to address via my soapbox, but I'll probably wait until the next topic to do that.

Now that I've talked about something that doesn't have anything to do with this week's topic, it is time for me to give the regular disclaimer that I give before giving my perspective on the topic that I'll be covering. I give this disclaimer as a way to show that I'm not perfect, and that just because I see something in the manner in which I do doesn't mean that it is the right or wrong way. I just present my viewpoint on the subject, and hopefully my perspective can serve as inspiration for someone else. Each of us have different outlooks and ways of viewing life. The objective here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to hopefully be a spark that inspires others to see a topic in a manner in which they may not have before. We're all free to think and believer whatever we want, but for those of us that try and be open minded to the ideas of others, we also know how life changing it can be when someone else convey ideas that we may not have considered before. The ideas that I plan on presenting may not be anything new to some of you out there, and that is totally fine as well. Again, whatever you believe or think in regards to this topic or any of the others that I've went into, I'm glad to have everyone that is here. So how did I arrive at this topic? Well as I often do regularly, I was watching some videos on Youtube last week, and I happened to come across a video that mentioned the idea of being a forward thinker. The actual video itself wasn't about forward thinking. The forward thinking aspect was just something that was mentioned within the content of the video. A few days passed, and the thought of forward thinking continued to weigh on my mind. Whenever something is heavy on my mind, that signifies to me that it has some sort of relevance to me. When it came time for me to construct this content for this blog, I thought about the idea of forward thinking, and I figured I would give my own personal perspective on it. The main thing that I want to do with this installment is give a few examples of how some of us lack forward thinking. Next, I'm going to attempt to explain why being a forward thinker can be beneficial to our lives. Again, this is all my own personal perspective, so lets go ahead and get into it.

We've already established that forward thinking can have various definitions and ways to be described. When it comes to the business world for example, a forward thinking individual likely has a mindset of innovation. They're always thinking of ways to come up with innovative products and services that can make a mark in the business world. When it comes to a subject like politics, a politician that is forward thinking probably has a progressive state of mind. This individual is likely trying coming up with policies and bills that push a country's agenda forward. Those are a couple of examples that are specific to various realms that could define what forward thinking is. But what exactly does it mean to be a forward thinker when it comes to life as a whole? I already stated earlier that my own personal definition of forward thinking when it comes to life is being aware of what is possibly coming in your life. However, if the future is unknown like many of us believe it to be, how exactly can you be a forward thinking individual? Unlike the examples that I gave previously where those areas can have a certain level of control and regulation to them, life itself doesn't quite operate in that manner. We all know that life is a similar to a roller coaster ride that has a slew of twists and turns that can send you for a whirlwind. Beyond that, it doesn't always matter how prepared you may be for these twists and turns that life can throw at you. In some cases, even the most prepared people can be taken down by the hardships of life. However, what type of individual do you think is more equipped for what life may throw at them? I'd argue that someone that is more forward thinking would be. My reasoning for this come down to one word; adaptation. A person with a more forward thinking mind will likely have the ability to adapt more to what life throws at them than someone that isn't more of a forward thinker.

So how does being a forward thinker benefit us in our lives? Going back to the adaptation aspect of forward thinking that I mentioned in the last paragraph, an individual that knows how to properly adapt to life will usually put themselves in a position to extend their lives. From my perspective, people that have the ability to adapt their lives and thinking to the changes that occur are the ones that last longer. This mindset not only applies to life in general, but also to sub areas of life like the business and political examples I gave earlier. Y'all know that I bring up sports related example often, so I'm going to go ahead and do it again. Besides enjoying sports so much, I do this because I believe that much of what happens in sports mirrors life in general. Think of an athlete that plays a sport for example. Imagine that the sport that this athlete participates in is beginning to change from how it was when they first started participating in this sport. Lets say that the sport has become more uptempo and fast, whereas it was a slower paced sport when the athlete first started. If the athlete doesn't adjust their game to keep up with how the game is played now, they likely won't be able to extend their careers. When you look at any athletes that participated in their respective sport into their late 30's and early 40's, they likely were forward thinking individuals. They were able to adapt their craft to be able to extend their careers. When it comes to forward thinking and adaptation, we have to have the same approach in our own lives. We have to be willing to look ahead and realize that the way is now isn't always going to be this way. Every single year that goes by brings a change in how this world operates, and those that find a way to change with this world are the ones that increase their chances of survival. Now I'm going to get into how I believe a person can become more forward thinking.

So how do we become more forward thinking individuals? This is one of those questions that won't apply to everyone. Simply put, some people are naturally forward thinkers that can see the bigger picture. For those of us that this may not apply to, we have to learn how to be willing to be open to listening to others. From my perspective, much of the reason why so many of us struggle with planning ahead comes from the fact that we feel that nobody can tell us anything. We have this mentality that we know it all, and that no one else can tell us anything. This is a false mindset, and much of the learning that we receive in life will come from others. We have to be willing to listen and apply what we hear in a constructive way. Going back to the sports example that I gave, the athletes that tend to thrive the most are the ones that are teachable. They listen to what their coaches and mentors say, and they apply what they learn. Being willing to listen and learn is the best way to become more forward thinking in my opinion. I do realize that being more forward thinking isn't something that is talked about much in today's society. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that most of us try to live in the moment as much as possible. Again, there isn't nothing wrong with that, and I do believe it is good to appreciate the moment. However, though living in the moment is important, we also have a future to think about. There is a very profound quote by Malcolm X that goes; "The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." I believe that in order to reap the benefits that could potentially come in the future, we have to be willing to plant those seeds today. Hopefully this gave you all out there something to think about and consider. I know that many of us can be stubborn at times, but it never hurts to at least be open to what others have to say. So I'll just wrap this up by saying lets try to be more forward thinking.

Well I've pretty much said all that I wanted to say in regards to this topic. This has been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by Brad H. As always, I hope that there was some understanding and inspiration that could be gained from this. Any questions, comments or feedback is welcomed. You can also hit me up or follow me on Twitter @BradrickH. Well that time of the year where we set clocks back and experience more chilly weather is here. I know that there is some colder weather happening here in the states the next couple of days, so I hope you all stay warm out there. Before I go, I also want to encourage everyone out there to call or visit with someone that you know have a hard time with loss during the holiday season. I know this is the time of the year that many of us enjoy, but it is also a season of memories and loss for those that may have lost a loved one. Well I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I will see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Your Presence Often Outweighs Everything Else In Your Life.

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Many of us are familiar with the famous saying; "Out of sight, out of mind." This saying comes from the idea that if you're not present in someone's presence at the moment or often enough, then you likely won't be a priority on that person's mind. By now we all know that while this particular saying is popular and likely has some truth to it depending on the individuals involved, it is also one that shouldn't be taken so literally. We all have people in our lives that while we may not be around all the time, we definitely think about them on a frequent basis. Though the out of sight and mind statement is one that so many people tend to use, the idea of maintaining being present in life is probably more in line with how most of us think and feel. If we're being honest with ourselves, we both value and need to have people around us in this life. Human interaction and the relationships that we have with other humans are what this life that we live in thrive on. Truth be told, many of us probably wouldn't be able to maintain our sanity if we didn't have the presence of people that we care for around us. Beyond that, there are already so many people in this world that are lacking in this area of life, and I think we can all agree that it shows with the number of people that deal with depression, etc. I'm not implying that all forms of depression deal with people not having other people in their lives. However, I do feel that it is probably one of the biggest reasons why people deal with this. Not speaking for everyone, just for myself, but I think many of us underestimate the importance of being present. This not only applies to the people that we love and close for, but also towards all aspects of our lives. Many of us weigh the pros and cons of whether it is beneficial to be present, and that is a valid act in my opinion. However, from my perspective, your presence will often outweigh everything else in your life.

Yo, yo, yo! What is going on everybody out there in the land of the internet? We are here once again for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I am Brad H. of course, and I'd like to welcome you all to another week of wisdom, inspiration, and positive vibes and energy. I hope that all has been good and well in the lives of every single person that is reading this. In the unfortunate circumstances where that has not been the case for anyone out there, keep on holding your head up and continue to strive towards changing the things that you're able to. Before getting into the topic that I'll be delving into for the week, I'd like to use this portion of the post to address something that doesn't have anything to do with this week's topic. I haven't talked much baseball on here this year, so I'm going to go ahead and give my thoughts on The World Series taking place right now. Boy, was that a crazy game last night or what? It honestly felt like that one wasn't going to end. The Dodger were able to keep themselves alive for another game after a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Now I recall writing something about The World Series last season that took place between the Dodgers and the Houston Astros. I mentioned in that post that I was an Astros fan, but I also like the Dodgers as well. Of course my Astros didn't make it back this year, so I'm pulling for the Dodgers to win it all this time around. Though it was a tense game last night that featured a bit of luck happening for the Dodgers, I am glad they were able to come away with the W. Now it all shifts to tonight's game. Since it is a bit late to be making predictions, I'm not going to do that. I'll just say that I hope the Dodgers can come up with a way to extend this thing to another game. Am I surprised that the Red Sox are up on the Dodgers in this series? Absolutely not! That pitching rotation Boston has is really good, and you can't go wrong with that offense they got. We'll just have to see what happens, but hopefully we can be in for another treat like we had last night. Well I'm going to go ahead and leave baseball alone for now, so lets transition into the heart of this week's topic, which deals with why I believe our presence often outweighs everything else in our lives.

So now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, it is time for me to give the regular disclaimer that I give before addressing the main focus of this week's topic. Every single one of us have different outlooks on how we see this world that we're living in. We all have differences in the ways we think and move throughout our daily lives. I say that to say that it is unrealistic for us to believe that we're always going to see eye-to-eye when it comes to giving our opinions and perspectives. The primary goal that I have with this topic, as with the rest that I cover is to hopefully provide some inspiration that can hopefully serve as motivation to help us to keep moving forward in our lives. My other hope with all of this is to hopefully ignite a spark in someone else that serves as a way for another person to see a topic in a manner they may not have before. I personally believe that it is a wonderful feeling when you already have formed an opinion on something, and then you receive a perspective from another person that allows you to expand upon the opinion that you've already formed. It is honestly one of my favorite things in life to be like; "Hmm, I never thought of it that way." I don't expect this to be the case for everyone, but I have a feeling that many of you feel the same way. So how did I arrive at the topic of why our presence is so important to our lives and the lives of other? Recently, I've been giving a lot of thought about this particular topic and how so many of us forget how important that our presence plays in our lives. In some ways, I have equated this topic to some situations that people that I know are currently dealing with in their lives. Upon relating this to the lives of others, I thought of several different ways where being present matters greatly in our lives. So for this week, I'm going to be giving a few examples of why being present is important, and I'm going to hopefully provide some explanations for why I believe our presence often outweighs many aspects of our lives. So with that being said, lets go ahead and tackle this.

Most of us have likely heard about the importance of being in the present moment, and how difficult it is to be in the present moment when you're focused on the past or the future. I feel this same state of mind applies when it comes to the idea of having a state of presence in our lives. What do I mean by this? From my perspective, the state of presence is not only being in the present moment, but it also deals with the idea of showing up and having a presence. Be mindful that there is more than one way to having a presence. Your presence can be anything from showing up at one of your classes to take a test, to having an online presence where people are aware of you despite not being in your physical presence. There are many ways to view a topic such as this, but for the focal point of this topic, I want to more so stress how your physical presence can have an influence on other people. I want to break how I feel about this down into two aspects. The first aspect I want to address is the aspect of the importance of having a presence in the lives of others. I want to get into this first, because I personally believe that this is the most important aspect of having a presence. I say this because regardless of who you are, if you have any kind of responsibilities in your life, you also likely have people that rely on you. As I mentioned earlier, I believe much of the reason why people suffer from depression comes from feeling alone. Now I know that we all have our own individual lives to live, but if you also have people that rely on you, then they rely on your presence as well. This means that is is important that you have a physical presence in their lives. Think of a child when they are little, and how most of them only go to the people they're around the most. Children cling to the people they see the most, which means that for that to be able to happen, their parents and whomever else they are close to have a presence in their lives. They may not yet understand the ins and outs of life, but they do know who is present in their lives.

The second aspect of how our presence plays an important part in our lives is the personal aspect. Beyond just having the state of presence for others in our lives, we also have to see it from a personal side of things as well. From my perspective, we often times in life focus more on the outcome of things rather than what our presence in itself can do to benefit us. In order for us to achieve the things that we're seeking in this life, we have to have a steady and consistent presence in whatever it is we're trying to do. Take the following as an example. Imagine a guy that loves playing basketball, and is wanting to try out for a basketball team. It would be natural for this guy to think about the outcome of wondering whether or not he makes the team, but putting so much emphasis on this can also cause distractions. Now the more wise thing for the player to do is not worry about the outcome of whether he makes the team not, but rather focus on trying to have a steady presence at the tryouts. This is why I say that your presence can outweigh the other aspects of your life. If you are present in what you're trying to accomplish, the results will often take care for themselves. When you put this into that perspective, you come to realize that it isn't always about achieving the outcome you desire, but rather being able to appreciate and enjoy the journey that leads to whatever the outcome is. Now I know I used basketball as an example, but this can apply to anything in life from relationships, career, etc. Furthermore, a steady presence can also yield positive results even when you may not have initially achieved the result you desired. Going back to the basketball example I provided, lets imagine that the player didn't make the team after the tryouts. However, despite not making the team, he showed up and gave a lot of effort. Though he may not have had the same level of talent as the other players, lets say the coach saw how determined he was. Now lets say that one of the players that did make the team has to quit for whatever reason, and the coach has to replace him with one of the players he decided to cut. Now imagine the coach going back and choosing the player that we're talking about because he showed up and gave the effort. Though he may not have made the cut initially, his presence was enough to get him to what he desired.

It is time to head into the home stretch of this topic. Now that I've given a few examples of what it means to be present and have a presence state of mind, I want to get into why I feel it outweighs nearly everything else in our lives. From my perspective, your presence outweighs most of the results and outcome in your life comes from the idea of time. See, when you are present and have a presence towards something, you are making the conscious effort to give your time to whatever requires your presence. In my opinion, this is important due to the fact that we all have a limited amount of time. I've written in the past about how important time is and how it drives us, so I'm not going to get too much into that. However, because time does indeed run our lives, we can often never have too much of it. There are all kinds of material things and items in this life that we can probably never have too much of, but you can never have too much time. This is why it is pertinent to be able to discern what is and isn't worthy of your time. When you have a in the present state of mind, you are willingly giving your time to the things you like. If you're present in something that you enjoy, the other aspects of life do not matter as much. Going back to the basketball example I gave earlier; if you love and enjoy playing basketball, the idea of getting cut and not making the team won't matter as much. Of course that would disappoint you, but you had the presence of mind to go after something you enjoy, which means that it won't be a waste of your time. When you have a state of presence, you can look back at those things and enjoy them regardless of the outcome. It all comes down to time and learning to engulf yourself fully in the things you enjoy. And if you ask me, from my perspective, that just isn't something that you can put a price tag on. Upon reading this, I hope this encourages others to appreciate what you give your presence to. You don't have to always physically do things. Sometimes your presence towards something is all that is needed.

Well we've arrived at the end of another topic for the blog. I hope that I was able to express myself in a manner that those of you that have made it this far could understand. I appreciate everyone that stopped by, and although I may not be physically able to see you all, just knowing your presence towards what I have to say is inspiring. This has been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by Brad H. If anyone has anything they'd like to contribute as far as feedback, please feel free to do so in the comments. You can also find me on Twitter @BradrickH. Well I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far, and I hope you have an even better week ahead. The weather has been wonderful here in southeast Texas the last couple of days. Always gotta get out and enjoy it when that happens. Well I'll see you all in the next one. Till then, peace and love to everyone!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

How Bad Habits During Troubling Times Can Make Our Lives Even Harder.

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If you've been alive long enough, I think we can all agree that life can be hard to deal with at times. This is something that we are all aware of, and we also know by now that there isn't much that can be done to stop those hard times that life can bring. There are many different events that can happen in life that could be classified as troubling. The death of a family member or close friend is an example of one of those events. Finding out that you or someone that you care for has been diagnosed with a health condition can be troubling as well. Again, there are so many different things that could be troubling, and what could be troubling for one person may not apply to someone else. Like I always mention on here, much of this all comes down to perspective. However, I think it is safe to say that we all look for ways to ease those troubling life moments when they occur. Because we naturally want to feel comfortable and at peace within our lives, we all want to make troubling moments disappear as soon as possible. In the last topic that I covered via this blog, I talked at length about how positive daily habits are the key to handling negativity. While I am a firm believer in this being the most constructive way to deal with negative forces, I also know that not everyone practice daily positive habits. Furthermore, even for those of us that do make positive habits a daily ritual in our lives, bad habits are also a critical aspect of our lives as well. As I touched on in the last topic, we would all be lying to ourselves and others if any of us said that we don't have any bad habits. Having habits that could be considered bad are just a part of life that we have to constantly work towards changing for the better. Now with all of that being said, how often do many of us on occasion turn to bad habits whenever troubles come into our lives? Those bad habits are often the habits that make us feel good in the moment, but do they really make our lives better after the storms pass? I personally don't believe they do, and I'll go so far as to say that practicing bad habits during troubling times can make our lives even more harder.

Hello once again to all you good people out here in the land of the internet! This is Brad H. back at it once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone that showed up to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As with the usual standard that I've been using on here, we're back once again to address topics that will hopefully serve as some inspiration for all of us. My hope is that the topic that I've chosen for this installment will give us some added motivation to keep on moving forward in our daily lives. Before getting on my soapbox for a bit, I'd like to thank everyone that is joining me on here. Whether this is your first time visiting here, or you've been reading me for sometime, I sincerely appreciate everyone that spends a few minutes of their day reading these topics. I know I give thanks quite a bit on here, but I feel that it is something that cannot be said enough. In the last installment I talked about the importance of heeding warnings from your local officials if you stay in areas where hurricanes could potentially make landfall. I made those moments in response to Hurricane Florence that hit the Carolinas a few weeks ago. Well earlier this week the gulf coast was hit by Hurricane Michael. Michael made land around the Florida panhandle as a category 4 storm. The latest death toll from this storm is 17. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone that have been affected by this terrible storm. Instead of spending my soapbox talking in depth about the storm, I want to talk about something I've been thinking about and that is control. I think that we as people always want to feel like we're in control of everything. People that are bosses and ceos want to feel in control of their employees. Parents want to feel in control of their kids. There are so many things that we want to feel in control over. However, how much control do we really have in this world? Can any of us stop a hurricane or volcano? Can we prevent tornadoes from touching down? We as humans want to feel in control, but when you think of the grand scheme of things, we don't have as much control as we think we do. This is why I think it is importance for us to always stay humble in this life. Not a single one of us are immune to anything in this life, so we have to temper our expectations when it comes to having control. Just something to think about ya know? Alright, we're going to go ahead and transition into this week's topic of how bad habits during troubling times can make our lives even harder.

Now that I've brought up a topic besides the topic that we're going to be talking about in this edition, it's time to go ahead and give the usual disclaimer that is given before going in depth on the main topic. We all come from different backgrounds, which also means that we all have different outlooks on life and the way we see the world. The primary objective with this topic, as well as the rest is to hopefully give some inspiration that will help us to keep on pressing forward in this life. Through the words that I'm aiming to express here, I'm also hoping that this will inspire others to see things in a way that they may not have before. I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone else, but if this helps become a spark that will gets the critical thinking juices going for others, then I consider that to be a good thing. I believe the opportunities to learn from one another is an endless endeavor, and I think it is something that we would exploit as often as we can. So how did I come to discussing how bad habits during troubling times can make our lives even harder? Well I briefly touched earlier on how last week's topic dealt with positive habits being an aid during difficult times. We all know that when there is good happening life, there is also bad going on as well. Life is a balance of the two, so if I'm going to to talk about the good that comes with positive habits, I also have to be willing to get the bad out there as well. Now in making an attempt to convey all of this, I'm not saying that the bad should be our primary focus. That absolutely is not the case. However, I also recognize that life doesn't always bring only good moments. Yes there are many good moments that will come our way in this life, but there will always be sprinklings of bad moments to go along as well. For this week's topic, I'm going to attempt to show why it is important to be able to rely on your good habits whenever those bad times come along. I don't want this to be seen as a fear tactic, but rather something that we can hopefully be able to take something positive away from.

Ever heard the saying "that when it rains it pours?" I'm sure that most, if not all of you have heard this being mentioned before. This is one of those popular phrases that many people use to describe when things in life maybe aren't going so well, it can often last for sometime without there being much good on the horizon. Think of it like receiving some bad news one day, and then also receiving some more bad news only a day or a few days later. I think that most of us have had times in our lives that describe this, but we also know that while we will face times of adversity in our lives, those times won't always last. Brighter days are always on the horizon if we keep a positive outlook and an open mind. That said, many of us often self sabotage ourselves when it comes to facing troubling moments in our lives. Now in saying that, I hope that I'm not giving the impression that this is something we intentionally do to ourselves. In some aspects and circumstances that may be the case, however, I don't believe that this is something that we as people do just to intentionally make things even harder. Now going back to sabotaging ourselves that I mentioned, how exactly do we do this you may wonder? Well from my perspective, and believe me I feel that this applies to myself at times, we often resort to bad habits when we're facing challenging in our lives. This is something that I have mentioned so many times on here, but I think we'd be lying to ourselves if we said that this is something none of us ever do. Now the reason why I say we resort to bad habits comes from the fact that we often turn to things that make us feel good in the moment. We as people don't like feeling uncomfortable and uneasy, so it is in our nature to gravitate towards the things that make us forget about our issues. I don't feel this is something that we should be judged for doing. As I stated before, I believe this is something that is just a part of our human nature. But just because something is part of our nature as humans doesn't mean that it is always the right option. The last topic that I covered goes more into that.

Now that I've talked about how we often self sabotage ourselves during difficult moments in our lives, I want to give some examples of how we do this. I want you to think of some of the things that you all engage in when you are feeling stressed out in your life. Now if you're someone that always faces your problems head on without the aid of anything negative, none of this will apply to you, and I personally commend you for being able to do that. However, for those of us that maybe don't always take the forthright approach towards tackling our problems, some of the ways we choose to aid in our stressful moments may be good for us initially (so we think), but they often can exacerbate our problems. Lets just say that whenever you're feeling stressed out that you choose to binge eat a certain type of food that tastes good, but has a lot of sugar in it. Of course eating it is going to taste good and help you forget about those troubling times you're dealing with, but also eating too much of it can have ill effects on your health also. This is an example of how a bad habit can potentially make our lives even more harder. You are already dealing with something hard, but you are also potentially putting yourself at risk for having even more issues down the road. Now I know that food is just one example, but this can apply to nearly anything. There is another statement that goes "too much of anything is bad for you." Something as simple as watching television or playing video games can turn into something toxic if you're not able to limit how much of it that you intake into your life. This is the exact reason why we're always told to try and find more constructive ways to handle our problems. Allowing the potential for problems to stack on top of problems can create a spiral effect of issues that you may never find a solution to. Again, I don't believe this is something most of us do intentionally, but it is something that we can only change if we're aware of it.

So how do we keep bad habits from making our lives even worse? Well I could say what I've been saying about replacing bad habits with better ones. At this point that kinda goes without saying. However, I want to touch again on what I said earlier about not always be aware of how the things we do affect us during stress moments in our lives. We all know by now that in order to remedy a problem, we must first able to identify the problem. For this week's topic, instead of identifying what the problems are, we want to be more aware of the things we're engaging in and how they affect us. From my perspective, often times the bad habits that we engage in have become so normalized to us that we don't even see them as bad habits. When we pick up those cakes, pies, etc to eat when we're feeling stressed, we're often not aware of how they can affect us in the long term due to the fact that doing this has become normal to us. This is exactly why it is a habit. Sure the goal that we should focus on is replacing those bad habits with better ones like I talked at length about in the last installment. However, making ourselves aware of the effects of what we do when we're stressed can help greatly in keeping bad habits from making our lives even more harder. This all comes down to rewiring ourselves to create better habits, and the only way to do this is to break those negative patterns we engage in. So my challenge for everyone that has read this and find themselves struggling with partaking in bad habits when troubling times come around, just pause and take a second to gauge how you are feeling. Really think and ponder on what you're facing. Often times the things we're dealing with may be troubling, but they often aren't as bad as we make them out to be. I also want you to think about why you are choosing to do something when you feel stressed. Think about why you are choosing to binge eat, drink, etc. Finally, try and focus on how this is going to affect you in the long run. Always remember that every action has a consequence, and some of those consequences have more costly effects than others. I understand that it isn't easy breaking bad habits. Believe me I know this first hand. But we also shouldn't go along being comfortable with the potential of making something that is already bad even more worse.

Well I think I have said all I wanted to say for this go round, so I'm going to go ahead and close this installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' out. I hope that I was able to express myself in a manner that made some sense. I also hope that someone out there was able to find some kind of inspiration from this. If you have any comments or anything else to contribute to this, please feel free to do so in the comments. I can also be found on Twitter @BradrickH. Well I hope everyone enjoyed this, and I hope you all have an even more enjoyable weekend. Be sure to keep everyone that was affected by Hurricane Michael in your thoughts. From what I've seen on the news in regards to that storm, some of the areas that were affected where it made landfall are going to be uninhabitable for weeks, maybe months. The power that these storms can pack is truly devastating. Well I hope you all have a great and positive week ahead. Till next time, I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

How Positive Daily Habits Throughout Your Life Can Aid You In Handling Negative Factors.

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The majority of us all know by now that habits are a part of our daily lives. For the most part, we are all creatures of habit. Some of these habits that we employ are done on a conscious level, and some of them are subconsciously driven. For example, when you put on your shoes, you probably subconsciously put the first shoe on a specific foot before the other. You may subconsciously tie your left shoe before your right shoe every single time, etc. This is an example of how we all practice habits on a subconscious level. Then there are the habits that we partake in that we consciously engage in. When you make the choice to go for a walk everyday, that is a conscious choice that you make to improve your health. If you make the choice to just sit around and never exercise or move your body, you are also making a conscious choice to not improve your health. Whether for good or for bad, habits are a driving force in our lives. Now we all know that there are good and bad habits, but for the topic that I'm going to covering for this installment, I want to focus more on the habits that are deemed to be more positive. I just gave an example of what I consider to be a positive habit when I talked about improving your health. However, I will also acknowledge that what is considered to be a positive or negative habit is something that is subjective to what an individual thinks. It also comes down to what an individual considers to be right for their own life. Now when we think of positive habits, we also think of activities that we engage in that produce some kind of positive results in our lives. Now regardless of how positive your habits are or how positive of a person you may be, we all know that there will occasionally be factors that are going to affect us negatively. There is no way around avoiding negative factors happening in our lives. However, depending on the severity of those negative factors, there are various ways that we can combat against those them. The practice of positive daily habits throughout our lives that can help greatly in handling those potentially negative factors.

Hello once again ladies and gentlemen! This is your main man Brad H. back once again to bring you another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Thank you once again to all of you that are joining me on this journey of inspiration and self-awareness. I'm back for another week to give my personal perspective on a topic that has been on my mind recently. By addressing the topic that I'm going to discuss, I'm hoping that it will serve as inspiration that can hopefully help us all to keep on moving forward in our lives. So for this week's section where I discuss something that isn't related to the topic for the week, I'm going to address something in regards to the recent hurricane that hit the U.S. mainland. By now, most of you know about Hurricane Florence that made landfall as a category 2 storm two weeks ago in North Carolina. The storm affected several other states as well, including South Carolina. Last I heard the death toll from the storm was at 36. Now what I want to address is the idea of evacuating from areas where storms are approaching. One of the things that was in the news prior to Florence's landfall was the number of people that chose not to evacuate despite there being mandatory evacuation warnings from local officials. Now I'm not sure what the count is, but I'm sure there have had to be hundreds of rescues taking place due to people being trapped by flood waters. So where I am I going with this you may wonder? I just want to say to everyone that are in areas where hurricanes have the potential to affect you, listen to your local officials when they call for mandatory evacuations. This is something that I've been affected by myself, so I'm not just saying this as someone that can't relate. I've had to evacuate for two hurricanes in my life (Rita and Ike), and I can say without a doubt that listening to your local officials when something like this happens is of utmost importance. I know that some people weren't able to leave, but if you are one of those that are able to evacuate, please don't put your life and first responders lives at risk. I realize that hurricane season is coming to a close, but there is still potential for the United States to be affected in the coming weeks. Just be smart and have a plan if you're in one of those areas. Alright, now that I've gotten that out of the way, lets go ahead and transition into the topic of the week that deals with positive habits and how they can aid us in handling negative factors in our lives.

Now is the part of the topic for the week where I give the usual disclaimer before tackling the topic that will be covered. I do this as a way to let everyone know that I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone. I'm just simply using this as a way to give my own perspective. We're all different in all areas of life, especially when it comes to how we think and see the world. The main goal here is to hopefully provide some inspiration for us all, and through that potential inspiration, I'm hoping to also encourage others to see certain topics in a manner in which they may not have before. I know that for me personally, I find myself feeling more enlightened whenever someone is able to express something in a way that I never considered before. I believe that the potential to learn from one another is limitless, and I hope that I'm able to do that for some of you. By now, I'm sure that some of you are wondering how did I arrive at wanting to discuss this topic? Since the last installment of the blog series, I've been thinking about how I handle negativity now compared to how I handled it in past years. As with most of us on an occasional basis, I've recently had to deal with brief bouts of negativity being directed towards me. No need to get into what it was specifically about, but I know that some of you also deal with this on some level of capacity at times. From my personal perspective, I considered how I handle certain negative forces these days. In years of past within my life, I often used to find myself being completely thrown off balance whenever I encountered negativity from certain people. My entire day would often be ruined, and I found that I was often more on edge during those times. Now I will acknowledge that a lot of my not allowing these kinds of things to throw me for a loop like they once did can be attributed to me being older and wiser. However, I also know for a fact that implementing more positive habits on a daily and consistent basis has helped leaps and bounds. For this week's topic, I'm going to give some examples of daily habits that can help with handling negativity. I'm also going to try and establish reasons why I personally feel this can be beneficial to our lives. Again, these are just my own personal thoughts, and I hope some of you can relate to what I say.

Now I mentioned earlier that there are various habits we have that dominate our lives, and that what can be considered positive or negative when it comes to habit is totally subjective. What you consider to be a positive or negative habit is up to you, but a good example of a positive habit that I think most of us can relate to is gratitude. I think it is fairly safe to say that most of us express some level of gratitude daily. You may express gratitude for being able to wake up and see another new day. Your depth of gratitude could also be showing gratitude to someone else for doing something for you, etc. I believe if you develop a habit of expressing gratitude, whether openly or internally, you likely focus more on the things that you're grateful for rather than focusing on the things you're lacking in your life. Another example of what I think we all can consider a positive daily habit is what I mentioned at length earlier, fitness and exercise. A person that exercises in some shape or form on a daily basis is probably going to have a much better quality of life than someone who doesn't. We all know the benefits of moving our bodies are innumerable, so there isn't much need to go more depth into that. These are just a couple of positive habits that we have the capacity to exhibit on a daily basis. Again, the idea of positive daily habits is subjective. They are also limitless in the sense that there are always new habits can be acquired that can add to our lives. Again, there are all kinds of habits, but I want everyone that reads this to consider the positive habits that you exude daily. I realize that conquering habits that may be negative is important as well, but that's not what we're going to focus on for this installment. Again, lets ponder on the positive habits in our lives, because I believe the positive habits are the ones that are the most important when it comes to conquering negativity. Just like you can't put a fire out using fire, you can't defeat negativity with negativity.

So why do I feel that practicing positive habits on a daily basis can aid in us handling negativity? Well from my perspective, the positive habits that we practice on a routine basis helps in giving us added confidence to tackle various aspects of life. I personally believe that this gives us an added tool to have in our arsenal when it comes to combating against negativity. I have a belief that a person that is willing to put themselves through something challenging has a leg up on someone that doesn't. One of the things that separates elite athletes from us is that they put their bodies through things that most of us either can't, or not willing to do. When you watch a boxing match and see a boxer that is able to fight for 12 rounds, that comes from hard training before getting into the ring. I believe that the constant running and training in the gym that they put themselves through gives them the confidence they need to face the challenge of going into the boxing ring. If you were to take someone that has never trained for a sport and put them in that situation, they probably wouldn't fare to well since they're not conditioned to do so. Now think of us that aren't elite athletes in regards to this week's topic. You may not be any kind of athlete, but practicing daily habits is similar to training, and the upcoming negative events that will be approaching are similar to the upcoming event. The negative events are going to be coming after you, but the training that you do in the form of those positive daily habits will help you during the battle if you apply them correctly. I hope I'm not confusing anyone with the comparison to sports, but I think most of you get where I'm coming from with this. If you are a long time reader here, then you likely know that I'm a big sports fan. Sometimes it is easier to incorporate these kind of comparisons to be able to get a point across.

Now that I've tried to convey why I feel the practicing of positive daily habits can aid in handling negative factors, I want to close by mentioning that this doesn't always guarantee you will come out on top. Going back to the sports analogy, training hard for an event doesn't mean that a team or athlete will always be victorious. The same applies when it comes to this week's topic. You can practice positive habits daily, yet there are going to be some negative factors that come at us that are going to be too hard to handle initially. Much of this deals with an individual's threshold to handle life, but there are always going to be instances that seem to be a little too big for us. Of course being victorious is something that we all want to experience, but the most important takeaway that I hope people can take from this comes with being confident enough tackle those negative factors whenever they creep into our lives. When a person works on a specific muscle, that muscle naturally becomes stronger through the constant training of it. The daily habits that we partake in are us flexing our life muscles in order to be strong enough to cope when negativity comes around. So I want everyone to think of at least one positive habit that you practice daily or on a frequent basis. Whatever that may be, I want you to rely on that whenever you find negativity thrown your direction. I want you to remember that you are bigger and better than any negativity that is in front of you because you put yourself through challenges on a daily basis. You are a disciplined vessel that is in control of your emotions and how you react to others. For those of you that can't think or any daily habits in your life, I challenge you to look within and find some that you can engage in. Again, this is be anything. It all boils down to what works for you in your life. So lets focus on being and staying positive, and lets slay those negative dragons that are lurking in our lives. \

Well I think that about wraps it up for this one folks. Again, I hope that I was able to express this in a way that people out there can relate to. This has been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by Brad H. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this. Furthermore, I hope that it served as some kind of inspiration to at least one person out there. If you have any comments on this or any of the other topics that I cover, please feel free to drop some comments. If you are on Twitter and you want to connect with me, you can find me on there with the handle @BradrickH. Hopefully the weekend has been treating you all well so far. Mines has been pretty good so far. I attended one of my cousin's football game earlier. They lost the game, but it was still a good experience. Well I hope you all have a great week ahead, and remember that negativity is going to come into our lives, but keep on going! I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2018 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.