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.

We're All At Different Stages In This Life (Comparing Your Situation To Others).

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I think it's a fairly normal habit for us as humans to draw much of our self worth and value from our peers. We often draw comparisons to where we may be at in various stages of life to those that we grew up around, as well as maybe the people we attended school with. It feels like the mindset for the majority of people is that you're only doing as good as your peers, and if we're not at or above that standard at the moment, then you're obviously a failure. Although it's a totally subjective thing from my personal stance, for most people, there is somewhat of an invisible bar that is used for the standard that people use to determine their self worth. Now although I feel this way about the subject, I will attest that drawing comparisons from our peers can be beneficial from a motivational standpoint. We all need inspiration to aspire for greater things occasionally, and using those that are maybe doing better than us in certain aspects of life can become a positive motivational force for us to do better. Now with all of that said, I also think that too many of us depreciate our own value at times. We put so much pressure on ourselves to live up to others, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy if we're not at the same level that our peers may be. Life has various stages that we all go through, and no one journey for one person will be exactly like someone else's. We're all at different stages in this life, so we shouldn't compare our situations to else's.

Hey, what's up ladies and gentlemen? It is me Brad H. coming right back at you like an arrow shot out of a bow with another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I want to start off by saying thanks and welcome to you all. Some of you may already know the drill, but for those of you that maybe do not, I'm here to give my perspective on the various topics that I think about in my daily life. I try to take those thoughts and put them into words that I hope to not only benefit myself, but hopefully anyone else that needs a little bit of motivation as well. I hope everything has been going pretty good for you all out there as of late. I know many of you are excited about the NFL season starting less than a week from now. Trust me when I say that I'm definitely right there with anyone that feels that way, although an injury that occurred to a key player on my favorite team has somewhat tempered my already low expectations for this upcoming season. Some of you may already know that I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, which means that the injured player that I'm obviously talking about is the quarterback, Tony Romo. I was actually watching the preseason game that he went down in, and I was thinking to myself that a lot of Cowboys fans probably stopped breathing for a sec. He was able to get back up and walk away on his, but of course we know now that he has a broken bone in his back. The ironic thing about all this is that despite me being a Cowboys fan, I already had a feeling that Romo would get injured at some point this season; I just didn't expect it during the preseason. At any rate, the rookie Dak Prescott has looked fairly good in the preseason, so we'll see what happens going forward. Of course we know the regular is different, so temper your expectations Cowboy fans. Alright, I'm rambled enough, so lets get into this week's topic of being at different stages in life.

Like I always point out in my writing, a person's individual viewpoint on a topic will always vary. My focus here isn't to put a lot of credence into what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to give those that read something to think about further. As I stated previously, the main goal with this entry and this blog in general is to hopefully inspire others, as well as myself through the process. Of course if there is anyone that disagrees with the things I discuss or the method in which I use to discuss them, that is totally fine. Your visit is still very much appreciated regardless if our views differ. So how did we arrive at this particular topic for this week? Well, like most of the other topics I've written about, it is something that I already think about pretty frequently. Furthermore, it's a topic that I've had several in depth discussions with people that I'm close with about, but I've yet to come on here and give my thoughts on it. Finally, due to how relevant it is to so many of us out here in this world, I think it's a topic that I need to address more deeply in a post. For far too long, we as a people have based our worth on things that really shouldn't define who we are as people. I realize that this will continue to go on, but I feel that I have to do my part in showing others why they shouldn't be comparing where they are in this life to anyone else.

Now as I stated earlier in this post, we all are in different stages throughout this life. Although many people are aware of this fact, many of us still feel the pressures to keep up with the "Jones's" as people would say. There are several examples of life where this state of mind has relevance. Some examples may include things like getting married, having children, and finding the right career. Now I'm not saying that none of those things aren't important; they most definitely are. I believe, however, that the problem stems from the fact that many of us lose sight of the fact that no two individuals circumstances will be exactly the same, which means that some people will achieve certain aspects of life quicker than others. The society that we live in has painted this image where life is similar to a race, and everyone is expected to reach the finish line at exactly the same time. Of course life doesn't work that way, nor should it be viewed in this manner. From my perspective on this topic, the biggest comparison to life and goals is like people running a marathon. You have one person that gets to the finish line first, and then other competitors finish the race behind them. Some people finish the race a little slower, and some may not finish at all. That is what makes life interesting, and also makes us all unique as individuals.

So getting back to the mental aspect of this topic, there are too many of us attach our self worth to how we view others. Much of the mental part of this deals with we as people allowing others to make us feel this way. Like I stated earlier, in a generalized society, if a person hasn't gotten married or obtained a certain level of success by a specified time period, many people will paint your life as a failure. From my perspective, there are two key elements that we must keep in mind. First, try not to live your life based on a time schedule set by society. I believe a lot of people make some of the biggest mistakes by trying to live up to society's expectations. Instead of participating in this habit, try to remove those barriers from your mind, and live at your own pace. Secondly, do no compare your situation to your friends, your classmates, or your family. Whatever path you're on in life is yours and yours alone. It's not for anyone else to understand, which means that much of what we do will already be under scrutiny from other people. People may not always like your lifestyle or your choices, but most people will always respect a person that stands firms in their convictions.

Now touching once again on the self worth aspect of this topic, and this is the portion of the post that is the most important from my perspective. No matter who you are, where you are in life or what you've done, you are a person of value. No matter what anyone else may say about this, I believe that every person in this world has some kind of value. Some may wonder where is the proof in this? The proof is that we're here and breathing, so even if you don't feel you have much to contribute to this world, you still have the opportunity to do so because you're alive. I realize and understand that we live in a superficial society that places value on people by how much they've accomplished. While we should always strive to do better for ourselves, not obtaining the same level of success as our peers doesn't make you any less valuable. You may not have all the fancy or material items in this world, but your value to this world is priceless if you're the kind of person that gives yourself to others for a cause bigger than you are. So with all of that said, just remember that we're all at different stages in this life, so try not to compare your life to other people. Just keep focusing on being the better individual you can be, and I believe that the universe will reward you in kind.

Well we've made it through another week folks, so it's time for us to part ways for now. Now don't go crying on me now. I'm just kidding of course. Anyway, thank you all to everyone that came through for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' once again! I hope that this post was of inspiration to someone out there, and even in the event that it wasn't, your visit here is always welcomed and appreciated. Feel free to drop any comments or feedback like always. I hope you all have a great weekend ahead. Football is right upon us, so enjoy. I'm out people, so until next time, I wish you all peace and positive thoughts. See you all in the next one!

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Our Friends and Family Have Lives Too!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

©2016 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Avoid The "Dream Killers" As Much As Possible.

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Doubters, naysayers, skeptics; all terms used to describe people that have little to no belief in something or someone. We've all encountered people that have expressed doubts in us or our beliefs, and we've also been on the other side of the fence where we've expressed doubts in others. There will always be reasons for expressing doubt about various things in life and for a good portion of those reasons, those doubts will be justifiable. There is also another term used by many these days to describe the naysayers and nonbelievers. Many people nowadays refer to them as being "dream killers". While we can't control what others say or think, we can definitely control how much we're around them, as well as how much we reveal to them. From my perspective, dream killers should be avoided as much as possible.

Hello folks, and welcome to another one of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! If you're giving this post a look at this moment, I want you to know that I really appreciate it. So for the topic this time around, we're talking about the importance of avoiding those people that have been coined as being "dream killers" out there. So what is the exact definition of a dream killer? Well to be quite honest, I'm not sure if there is a true definition for this term. However, what I do know is that a dream killer and a doubter are pretty much one in the same. They're almost like snakes; they come in different shapes, sizes and colors but at the end of the day, they're still the same scaly creatures that most of us dislike. Now with that said, there is also what I would consider to be a slight difference between your average skeptic and a dream killer.

Now in my personal opinion, a dream killer is a bit different from the standard doubter in that a dream killer is likely a person that we're extremely close to. A dream killer can come in the disguise of a friend, but they're often the people that we're the closet to and know us the best; our family. It's somewhat odd when you really think about it right? Sometimes (not always), the very people that we believe should be our biggest supporters, be the main ones that can hinder us from seeing our own dreams. It can indeed be an odd conundrum to process, but it is something that we see happening everyday in our society. So what is the biggest trait that a dream killer exhibits? From my perspective, a dream killer is someone that shoots down a vision that you may have for yourself, mainly because they cannot see it for themselves.

When I think of things that a dream killer may say, I think of something saying; "I don't think you should do that, it'll never work." How many times have we heard someone say something along these lines; "You're too old to accomplish that?" Again, these are the people that don't believe in your vision, because they're not willing to be open minded enough. Now I'm not implying that anyone that is close to us that may be dubbed a dream killer doesn't mean us well. I think we can all agree that most of our family and loved ones want to see us happy. However, in some cases, the people closet to us often put their own happiness ahead of ours. This is a price that comes at our own personal expense, and we're the ones that end up footing a bill called unhappiness.

One example that sticks out to me involves a boxing match that took place over 20 years ago. Back in late 1994, a then 45 year old George Foreman decided to seek a chance at the world heavyweight championship in the sport of boxing. Most of George's advisers, family and friends, along with the media thought he was going through a midlife crisis for wanting to fight a young champion in Michael Moorer. Michael Moorer was 19 years younger than Foreman at the time. As we know from history, Foreman went on to defeat Moorer by knockout, and thus became the oldest athlete to win a major title in any sport. That mark has since been passed, but the main point that I'm trying to get across is that although everyone else couldn't see Foreman's vision, he was able to see it for himself. Just imagine how George would feel now if he hadn't followed his dream, and ended up listening to those that thought he was making a mistake. He probably would be living the rest of his life with a lot of "what ifs?"

Whether you want to refer to them as dream killers, naysayers, skeptics or all of the above, try to limit your time around these people as much as possible. Just because a person doesn't see nor share in your vision, doesn't mean its not the right thing for YOU to do. If you can see it for yourself, then that's all that ultimately matters. Never expect everyone to share your dreams and aspirations, but also be conscience and open minded enough to consider what those closet to you think. Finally, if you're one of these dream killers out here in the world, try not to hinder or limit someone else. Even if you don't agree with their dreams or something they want to do, try to support them and their goals as much as possible. They'll appreciate it in the end, and your support just may be what they need to fulfill their dream.

Alright, I think I've rambled on for enough time, so I'm going to end this edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. As always, I hope there is some meaning and understanding gained from this. I thank those of you that have stopped by, and I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2015 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Learn How to Be Good On Your Own First.

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I feel that the social constraints and stereotypes that society has placed upon us has mentally messed up a lot of people. For many of us, Instead of trying to live our own lives on our own terms, we attempt to mold our lives in the form of how the general public will judge us based on those standards. For whatever reasons there may be, society has blindly given us the impression that something must be wrong with a person that doesn't have a ton of friends, or maybe isn't in a relationship with someone by a certain time frame. As I've gotten older in this life, I've come to realize that this way of thinking is truly a mistake from my perspective. In my opinion, we have to learn how to be good on our own first.

What's up to all my people out there? Welcome to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. It has definitely been a grip since I've written anything on here. In fact, this is my first official blog post for 2015. Despite the long layoff, I'm back at it once again with a topic that I think most of us can relate to. Before I get into my thoughts in this post, I wanna start off by saying Happy Late New Years to everyone out there. I know it looks pretty sad and pathetic saying that halfway through the month of February, but like the saying goes; "Better late than never right?" On a serious note though, I hope 2015 has started out positive for everyone.

So getting back to the topic at hand, we're talking about why we should learn how to be good and happy on our own first. Now before I say anything else on this matter, I want to say that by writing on this topic, I'm in no way saying that no one shouldn't need nor ask for help from time to time. I'm well aware that regardless how much we may think we don't need others, everyone needs someone else's help every now and again. The gist of what I want to get across is how so many of us tend to rely on others being there for us in order to be happy and content. This way of thinking primarily applies to many of those that are maybe seeking out a relationship or potential life partner. I mean lets face it, something must be wrong with you if you're a certain age and you're single right? That is what society and the stereotypes that we've created want us to believe.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally think this way of thinking is all jacked up. Now if you would have asked me if I maybe bought into that particular way of thinking 10 or 15 years ago, I probably would have agreed with the masses. My views on various topics and subjects have undoubtedly changed. I view these changing beliefs I've developed as the process of becoming older and wiser. We all seek out the love and companionship that comes along with having that special someone. If it's not a special someone, it's likely a group of friends that we care about. These are the people that we want around us more often than not. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting someone in our lives, or wanting to be around others. However, I feel that we put way too much of our personal value into other people. We tend to only be happy when these people are around and we're feeling good in their presence, but we're sad and depressed when they're gone, or if they've said or done something to anger us. It's like our emotions have become a direct chain reaction to others, which is not a good thing in my opinion.

Yes there are going to be instances where our feelings are linked to what those we care about say and do. However, it's something that shouldn't be happening all the time. Your happiness shouldn't be directly tied to other people. Instead, your happiness should begin and end inside of you. When it comes down to relationships and love especially, I have a belief that it shouldn't take a person finding someone to make them feel happy or whole. I believe that if a person is already happy with themselves, then the people that we choose to surround ourselves with will bring out even more of what should already be there. I see it as taking it to the next level. You're already good and happy on your own, and then you seek out those that have that extra gear to take your happiness even further. However, even if that gear happens to shift back into neutral, we will still find a way to be happy. Control your happiness; don't allow others to control it for you. That is just my two cents.

I believe I got the main ideas that I wanted to convey out there, so I'm going to go ahead and sign off on this one. I know that I tend to go on frequent hiatuses but trust and believe that no matter how long I tend to stay away, I'm still brainstorming and thinking of ways to get my thoughts out there for others to see. As always, I hope that there's some meaning and understanding that can be gained through these posts. Well that's it for this edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. Again, I hope 2015 is treating everyone well so far, and I'll see you all in the next post. Peace!

©2015 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Nobody Should Be Above Criticism.

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In life, there is always going to be a person or group of people that we pledge our loyalties to. Often times, loyalty is normally attributed to our family members, however, there are also friends and people that we meet throughout our lives that we deem worthy of being loyal to. In essence, the true meaning of loyalty can be viewed as something universal; not only limited to family and friends, but it can also be given to nearly anything regardless if it's a brand, entertainer, or city. The concept of having loyalty or loyal individuals in our lives is a crucial aspect of life, as we always desire to have those people that will be in your corner no matter what life brings. With all of that said, I think there are too many of us allowing people to get away with certain behaviors that could be considered as wrong, but because of our loyalty to these people, we tend let them off the hook so to speak. This is another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'.

What's good people? Hope all is well with everyone. It's me Bradrick coming back at you again after another long hiatus. I know my being on these hiatuses seems to becoming a common theme, and I apologize for that. It's just that sometimes in life, there are other priorities that must be taken care of ahead of others. At any rate, I'm back again with another topic that has been on my mind as of late. For some of you, this particular topic may not make a lot of sense, or you may view my thoughts on it as being wrong. There are some people that believe there's no in between when it comes to being loyal to something or someone, and if that's your belief, that's totally fine with me. While I believe that there is some truth to that, I also believe that no one single person should be above criticism, or being called out for certain things they do.

Picture this scenario; you've been friends with someone for many years, and you both are extremely loyal to one another. Whenever you need each other to be there, it's not even a question. You both have a tight-knit, close relationship with each other. Now lets say that your friend does or says something that you disagree with. I'm not going to go in-depth and come up with something that the person could have done, but lets just say it's something bad and deep down you disagree with what they done. Maybe something this friend said doesn't necessarily align with your personal beliefs. As a friend you want to have their back and give them support, but on the other hand, you want them to know how disappointed you are with them. What's worse is that you know if you reveal to them how you really feel about their actions, you know that they'll lash out at you and say that you're not being a real friend to them. Get where I'm going with this?

This is a dilemma that we all find ourselves in from time to time. The situation of having the choice to do what we feel is right in our eyes vs. supporting something or someone that we feel loyal to. Well from my perspective, and this is a perspective that I've developed in the last few years or so, nobody; regardless of who it is, should be above criticism. See in most people's eyes, being loyal to someone means supporting them no matter what they do, even if it's something that we don't agree with. No matter how close you are to someone, disagreements are bound to happen eventually. I believe it's very important to be loyal to those we feel are worthy of having our loyalty, however, being a truly loyal person also means having the ability to call out those we care about on the things we feel they're doing wrong, even if they don't necessarily like it. We've gotten to a point where we allow others to use the word "loyalty" as a handicap to make people feel bad for saying what they truly feel.

This is a trend that we're seeing a lot of in politics, sports, and many other areas of life. Now in my opinion, lets use a good example of what loyalty truly means. One situation that I can think of is while we were growing up as children, didn't our parents get on us whenever we done something wrong? It didn't mean that they didn't love us or care, it just meant that they were trying to teach us right from wrong. Even as adults, the learning process will always continue, and sometimes it takes a close friend or relative's perspective to call us out on certain things. It doesn't always mean that they're not a real friend, nor that they're not being loyal to us. Criticism can sting sometimes, and I'm in no way saying that anyone should be constantly criticized. All I'm saying is that regardless of how close we are to someone, nobody should be above criticism if it's necessary. Loyalty has nothing to do with, nor should it be limited to not criticizing the actions of someone if they're wrong. You can be loyal to anything, but that doesn't mean you have to agree or co-sign all the time. Again, regardless of who it is, in the end, right is right and wrong is wrong.

Alright, I'm going to go ahead and sign off for this edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. Like always, I appreciate those of you who stop by and read these posts. As with all of my posts, everything that I mentioned applies only to myself and how I strive to live. I'm in no way saying that my perspective or way of thinking is how anyone else should think. If any meaning and understanding is gained from this, that's always an added bonus. Well I hope everyone has a great rest of the week, and I'll see you in the next post. Peace!

Negatvity: Do Whatever You Must to Avoid Negative People, and Negative Factors.

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Many of use are familiar with the term; "You're a product of you the company you keep." I believe this not only applies to our friends and associates, but family members as well. Avoiding the people that we're close to isn't an ideal scenario to be in. However, when people, even the ones that we're close to are putting out negative vibes, then it's time to start considering whether or not we need to be around them. What's up people? It's Brad H with another edition of 'Brad H's Perspective'. Hope everyone is doing well, and thanks for reading.

As you can undoubtedly tell from the title and the first paragraph, this post deals with staying away from negative people. If you're a person that naturally thinks positive, then alienating negativity probably isn't much of a concern for you. But what do you do when someone that is maybe a close friend or family member is constantly bringing negativity your way? Maybe it's someone that you see on an everyday basis. Maybe a colleague, a classmate, or someone that you live with. Basically, I'm talking about people that you most likely have to be around for some reason or another.

The truth is that as long as we're alive, there is no way to avoid negativity. It's everywhere around us; happening in the world everyday, and with every passing moment. However, just because negative things are going to happen, doesn't mean we have to participate in it. Remember my post from last week that dealt with how our minds control a lot of the factors we deal with in life? Our minds can defeat negativity as well. Negative people are toxic. Their bad energy will rub off on us if we allow it. We have to do whatever we must to avoid negative people. Not only does this mean physically, but emotionally as well.

It's important to learn to tune people out. When people come around you with negative talk etc, you can always go for a walk, or just leave period. If you're around people gossiping etc, you don't have to participate. If someone says something that hurts your feelings, it's okay for it to affect you for a bit. Let it simmer and die down. Remember and know that how you view yourself is much more powerful than what anyone else can say to or about you.

It's impossible to completely defeat the negative forces that come with life, but there is always a way. It can be a daily battle to overcome, but the war is never over. Lets focus on avoiding and tuning out negative people and negative forces. Remember that positive thinking is powerful magic. Lets use that magic to change our minds and our lives for the better. Well that's it for this time folks. Thanks again for tuning into my blog. I really appreciate all of the feedback that I've received over the months, and it's good to know that people are reading. I'll see you all in the next one. Thanks again, and peace to everyone!

It's All About You.

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What's up once again people? It's your main man Brad H. coming back at you again with another edition of "Brad H's Perspective". As always, I want to thank everyone who takes out the time to check out these posts and have left positive feedback. It's always great to know that there are people out there who embrace and appreciate positive thinking. Before I get into this week's discussion, I want to give a shout out to a friend of mine in the Philippines named Marie. She has a blog titled "Lets Inspire", and a few weeks back, she invited me to contribute a post to her blog. You can find her blog here at this web address http://www.lets-inspire.com/. I felt honored that she asked for my input, and I'm even more honored that she invited me to contribute regularly based on the first blog post I had written. Gotta love how the Internet connects like-minded people from all walks of life. Anyway, check out her blog if you're able to. Alright this week's post is "All About You".

What do I mean when I say "It's All About You"? I mean that your life is all about you; literally. I was having a discussion with some friend's of mine last week, and we were talking about how people are always going to have something to say about you. It doesn't matter how good or bad of a person you may be, people will always have an opinion regarding you. Whether you're doing too much, or not doing enough, people will always find something to say about what you're doing, or what you're not doing. You can be the most popular person in the world, or you can keep yourself isolated from others, people are going to find something to say about it. The bottom line is that there is no way around it, people are going to talk about you. Guess what though; It doesn't even matter! All that matters is how you view your own life. It's all about you.

A lot of us get caught up in that frame of mind of worrying about what others think of us. Some people allow it to consume them to the point where they try living up to what others think. Now it's natural and quite normal to worry about what others think to an extent. Just because people talk and have an opinion, doesn't mean that it's always bad. When someone compliments or says something nice to us, it definitely has a way of changing our perceptions for the better. However, no matter whether opinions of others are positive or negative, they shouldn't determine nor play the final factor in deciding how you view yourself. You are the only person who has to be happy and content with who you are, so how you view yourself all depends upon you. Think about it like this. There are 24 hours in a day right? No matter who is around you or for how long, you're going to spend all of those hours with yourself regardless. In a way you can say that you're stuck with yourself, so you might as well focus on what you think rather than others.

So to sum it all up, just remember that it's your life, and it is all about you. Let people say whatever they want about you. You can't stop them from talking, but you have complete control over how you choose to react. A good portion of the people who say negative things about you aren't going to confront you about it, so try not to sweat it too much. Well that's all for this edition of "Brad H's Perspective". Thanks again to everyone for the continued love and support. I definitely got more ideas churning in my head, and more content coming. Be sure to stay tuned. Remember that none of us are perfect, and that many of us are a work in progress. The idea with this blog is not to judge or criticize, but to motivate myself and others as well. Till next time, Brad H out!

All kinds of family.

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Yo, yo, yo! It's me Brad H. once again. Hope everyone is doing well. This time I'm writing about something that has been on my mind recently. For anyone who reads or follows me often, you probably recall a post last year I wrote about how your family can sometimes be your biggest enemies. The key board in that statement is the word "sometimes". I don't feel that our relatives are always our biggest enemies, but I do feel that in some cases they are. Some even hold us back from reaching our full potential. Some of us fail to realize that there are all kinds of family around us. What do I mean when I say all kinds of family? A person doesn't have to be a blood relative in order to be classified as family. Think about it, people adopt and take in kids all the time and raise them as their own. You may a childhood friend who is like a brother or sister to you. Another example can be a mentor who you look up to as a father or mother figure. People so many times associate the word "family" with blood relatives. Now me personally, I have friends that are like family to me. I find that these friends are easier for me to talk to than some of my own blood family members. There are all kinds of family in this world. We just have to find people who understand us, and accept us for who we really are. That is the true definition of a family member. Don't always let your blood relatives hold you back, and give you the impression that you should stick by them even when they are using you. Well that's it for this time. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys, and feel free to leave thoughts or feedback. Till next time peace, love, and respect to all.