The Importance Of Being Able To Adapt To The Unpredictability Of Life.

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A common theme that I've brought up over the years via these topics that I've addressed is the idea of change, and how it is enviable in our lives. There is absolutely nothing in this world that stays the same forever. I believe that the majority of people are willing to acknowledge this. In some ways, the idea of change can be viewed as a comparison to how we evolve as people. We all start our journey of life as babies, and as life carries on we develop into adults. Throughout the process of developing into adults are constant changes happening to our minds and bodies. One of the interesting things about change and how it unfolds in our lives is that is that it has many forms and layers. It can be something that is hard for some people to accept, while others may welcome it. Furthermore, and similar to the constant changes that we go through physically and mentally, there are going to be instances where change will have both pros and cons. There will spots of change that will be welcoming in our lives. These types of change are generally considered good and the type that serves us in a positive way. On the opposite side of the spectrum when dealing with change, some forms of change may not be so appealing to us. These particular characteristics of change are the type that many of us have a hard time accepting, and could be considered as negative depending on the how the individual handles it. There is a famous quote by legendary martial artist Bruce Lee that is often quoted by many. The by Lee states; “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” When I hear this quote, I think of how important it is to be able to adapt to the unpredictability of life.

Yo, what up peeps? This is ya man Brad H. back on the scene once again, and I would like to welcome you all back to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once again to give my perspective on a topic that I feel would be beneficial to address. Thank you in advance to all of you that have read this far, and I hope that this topic will touch someone out there. Before getting into this week's topic, I want to give my opinion on a topic other than the focal point of this installment. I want to briefly give my take on the NBA since the playoffs will be starting pretty soon. I believe the defending champion Golden State Warriors are still the favorite to win it all once again this year. However, like others have brought up also, I'm beginning to see signs that this Warriors dynasty is beginning to crumble. A prime example is last night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that they lost. I would have to say that the final six seconds of that game was a total meltdown by the Warriors. Then I see them lose to the lowly Phoenix Suns a couple of weeks ago, a game that I would never expect a healthy Warriors team to lose. Now in the Warriors defense, I will say that they could just holding off playing their best ball until the playoffs get here. I mean it is the later part of the season where most of the terrible teams are tanking, and the teams that are solidly in the playoffs are probably milking it a bit. I still feel the Warriors should be considered the favorite to win it all once again. However, I see several teams that I could potentially see knocking them off the throne. As for my San Antonio Spurs, I can't really see them moving past the seven seed. It is possible, but not likely with only six games remaining. It would be nice to see them advance out of the first round this year, but I'm not so sure if they end up facing the Denver Nuggets or Houston Rockets. We shall know in due time, but I think it is pretty cool that although there are only a handful of games left, there are still teams jockeying for position in both conferences. I'll be talking more NBA related things in upcoming topics, but for now I'm going to end it and transition into this week's topic of being able to adapt to the changes of life.

Before diving more into this week's topic, I want to start off by saying that a topic such as this one requires us to understand that there is a great deal of subjectivity to it. We all react and handle situations in different ways, so this isn't something that should be viewed in a vacuum. Just wanted to be sure and state that. Now going back to the quote by Bruce Lee that I brought up earlier, he states how water is formless and becomes whatever it is put into. Now though the human body is primarily made up of water, we as people aren't physically able to become whatever situation that we're put into. I can't just jump into a tub and become the tub, nor can I get into a car and become the car. What I believe Lee was trying to convey in his message is the importance of being able to mentally adapt to the situations that life puts us in. I talked earlier about how change is something that is guaranteed to happen in life and how many people struggle with certain types of change. Naturally, if you have been accustomed to anything whether a person or object constantly being in your life, losing that person or object will have an effect on you. If you've been used to living your life a certain type of way and find that you've been thrown off of that way of living, it is going to play a huge role in how you live your life going forward. Situations such as these require for us to adapt to the circumstances at hand to keep ourselves going. It is not much different than how an animal in the wild adapts to its environment to survive. Now when it comes to animals and their ability to adapt, what happens to the animals that are unable to adapt? I won't say what happens, but I'm certain that all of you already knows what happens to them. To a certain degree, this is similar to what we as humans are fighting against when it comes to change.

Before I get the obvious reason of why it is important to be able to adapt to how unpredictable life can be, I want to give an example of a situation that may require a person to adapt to change. I'm bringing up this particular example because, though it may be one that most of us that may not be wealthy can really relate to, it is one that has affected many people that have had to get accustomed to a lifestyle that they may not be used to. Now we all know that around the time period of 2008-09 that the United States was hit by a massive recession. There were a lot of banks and businesses that shutdown, and there was an epidemic of people losing their jobs. Now there were many people that experienced losses during that period that put them in a situation where they had to adjust their lifestyle. If a person goes from making 120,000 dollars per year to 40,000, that is a pretty significant income change. Now an individual that has the ability to adapt to a change of this nature will make the necessary adjustments to keep themselves moving forward. Unfortunately, there were some people that were not able to adapt to a lesser way of living, and it ultimately ended up becoming detrimental to them and their families. There were stories of people that were turning to bad habits such as drugs and alcohol to cope, and in some drastic cases, people had committed suicide. This is just one example of many that I could bring up, but I wanted to point this out because of how drastic things can get when a person can't adapt to the changes of it. We all know that life can be tough at times, and it isn't always easy to adapt to change.

So why is it important to be able to adapt to change and the unpredictability of life? Well in some instances, in order to survive, you have to adapt. In other words, there are some situations in life where if we're not willing to adapt to changes, we run the risk of not surviving the changes. There are going to be times when your life is on the line, and if you're not able to adapt to whatever situation that life throws at you, you run the risk of losing it all. I know it sucks to hear these kinds of things, but we have to picture life as if someone has pushed us into the deeper part of the water without us being aware of it initially. In those kinds of scenarios, you will either sink or swim right? If you want to give yourself a fighting chance of surviving, you're going to swim to the best of your ability aren't you? The positive note that I want to leave this topic on is the fact that though it may be tough adapting to change at times, I believe that we as a people rise to the occasion in most instances. When I think of how great people of the past survived and endured hard times in their lives, I feel encouraged that the human spirit can rise above almost anything that life can throw at us. As I mentioned earlier, adapting to what life throws at us isn't always an easy thing to do. We as people just have to be willing to accept the fact that change is going to happen in life. From my perspective, the willing to accept change is the first step of the process of being able to adapt to the unpredictability that is life.

Well that is pretty much all I have to say for this go round people. I hope that I was able to express myself in a manner that could be understood. This has once again been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by Brad H. Thanks goes to all of you that stopped by. I'm so grateful and appreciative of you that did. If any of you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to do so in the comment section. If you're on Twitter and you'd like to connect with me, you can do so at the handle @BradrickH. I hope that the weekend is treating you all well so far, and I hope you all have a great upcoming week. I'll see you all soon! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why Losing Your Way Doesn't Mean You Are Totally Lost.

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I think that we can all admit that staying on the right path in this world that we're living in can be quite a daunting challenge. The majority of us are taking in so much information via social media and television that our minds are often all over the place. It is difficult for a person nowadays to just sit down and concentrate on a single thing without being distracted by a slew of other things. Why do I bring all of this up you may wonder? Well I believe that when we're consuming so many different kinds of things and information that it becomes that much easier to be thrown off of our balance. I feel this is important because having a healthy and stable balance in life is the key to overcoming, as well as avoiding bad habits. I believe the key thing that makes having bad habits such a crutch in our lives is that once we engage in them, often develops into a downward spiral for a period of time. When it comes to the topic of losing your way, I believe that most of it stems from bad habits and things that may trigger us into bad habits. Now in saying that, I'm not implying that social media and television are the sole reasons why these type of things happen. I do however they can play a huge role in leading us down the wrong path. In all honesty, it really isn't that hard to believe since the majority of the things that we're being shown via television and social media aren't good. The bottom line with all of this is that too much consumption of bad habits, social media, and television can be hindrance in keeping us on the straight and narrow. Now regardless of how much balance an individual may have in their life, it is eventual that we're going to be taken away from our center and lose our way. Though losing our way isn't a good thing in this life, losing our way doesn't mean that we're totally lost.

Mic check, one, two; one two! Can y'all hear me loud and clear? Of course I'm just kidding with the mic thing, but I'm Brad H. back on the blog mic once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I am here once more to hopefully bring some information that will serve as inspiration to us all. Thank you to everyone that is joining me once again. So for those of you that read the last post, I pointed out that I would be celebrating another birthday on March 11. In the last post I talked about how much I appreciate birthdays now. This time I'm going to briefly touch on what happened on my birthday this year. I had the opportunity to attend the Houston Rockets vs. Charlotte Hornets game in Houston. This was my second time going to an NBA game, but besides this one being on my birthday, what made it even more interesting was the seats me and my family had this time around. We were a lot closer to the action, and they actually cost a lot less than the ones we had last year. Many of you probably know that I'm a die hard San Antonio Spurs fan first, but I do like the Rockets as well. I favor the "Clutch City" Rockets from the 90's more, you know the teams that had Hakeem Olajuwon, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith, etc. I could go on naming them, but I think you all get what I mean. The game itself wasn't that competitive, as the Rockets controlled the game for the most part. The big treat for me was seeing Kemba Walker from the Hornets play. Since I follow the NBA so closely, I can probably point out a player or players from nearly every team that I like. For the Hornets that would be Kemba. Though the Hornets lost the game (I'm glad they did), it was nice seeing Kemba play one of this better games of this year. He had 40 points, but I can't remember the exactly total number of assists and rebounds he had. Anyway, the guy was cooking, and it seems like he didn't miss. As I mentioned the game wasn't that competitive, but still a fun time. There were several other things I done for my birthday, but due to time constraints I will leave those details out. I want to thank everyone on Twitter that wished me a Happy Birthday. As I said in the last post, I appreciate these things so much more now that I'm older, and I can say without a doubt that the last two birthdays I have had were extremely special. I have my family to thank for that. Hopefully I will get to see another one next year. Alright, I've rambled enough, so lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of why losing your way doesn't mean you're entirely lost.

The topic of dealing with a person losing their way can be a tough one to tackle. For one, there are so many different ways that a person can lose themselves. It is for that reason that I am going to deal with generalities while discussing this topic. Secondly, a topic like this one often requires us to look at ourselves in a light that we may prefer not to. Often times when we lose our way in this journey life, it involves us falling back into a habit that isn't good for us. The even scarier thing in saying that is the idea that it often times isn't just a single habit that is affects us. I'm a firm believer that poor habits breed even poorer habits. As I pointed our earlier, habits can quickly turn into a downward spiral. Now one of the things that I've frequently brought up on this platform is the fact that we're imperfect individuals. This coincides with us losing our way due the fact that because we are imperfect people, there are going to be times when we will lose our way. Everyone's situations are going to be different, but there is no way to truly escape something that inescapable. Beating something that hinders us in life is often only the beginning; it is the war that rages on afterwards that matters the most. Now the reason why I have established all of this is show that it isn't all that difficult for us to lose our way. Also, if you do happen to lose your way at some point in life, though not a good thing, it isn't something that you should beat yourself up over. Again we're not perfect individuals, so none of us are immune to these things happening. Furthermore, and the main theme of this discussion is that if you do indeed happen to lose your way at some point in this life, all isn't totally lost.

I pointed out previously that beating something is often only the beginning. From my perspective, the struggles that we face in our lives are similar to a war. As much as many of us may hate to admit it, and that includes myself, wars in general are often never ending. The smaller battles that take place throughout a war can often lead us to think that the war is over. However, this is often far from the case, and the greater war will continue rage on. For example, lets say that an individual has an addiction to food right? This person loves food to the point where it has become a detriment to their life and health. Lets say that this person eventually beats and escapes this addiction to the point where they feel that have a grip on being able to control their addiction to food. Now similar to an an wound that someone has, if you pick at that wound enough, it can open up once again. Now the thing like something like food addiction, and most addictions in general, though you may have conquered them at a certain point in your life, they are still ever present. In the example that I'm giving with someone dealing with food addiction, escaping food is impossible because it is something that we need to survive. It is something that is always going to be around right? Therefore, it is something that you can necessary win a war against. The same person that has beat their food addiction can easy be triggered into falling back into their addiction to food if they're not able to consistently win the daily and individual battles that go along with being at war with yourself. I used food addiction as an example, but remember that this logic can apply to anything that hinders us from reaching our full potential. However, as I have stated several times already, all is not lost.

If you are someone that is maybe feeling like you've lost your way in this path in life as of late, be mindful that you can always get back on the right path again. This is the reasoning for why I say that losing your way doesn't mean that you are totally lost. This society that we live in that seems to harp more on the bad and negative can have you thinking that losing your way means that you are lost forever. We have to be able to see ourselves as if we're driving down an unknown highway. There are going to be times during your drive where the ride will be smooth and pain free. There are going to be times when there will be bumps and potholes that send a jolt of shock to us. Then there are going to be in the worse case scenarios where something causes us to veer of the road completely. Going off of the road completely is definitely a bad thing, but the thing about going off of the highway is that as long as you're able to survive the bumps and veering, you can always get back on the road. Remember that for as long as you're able to be on the road moving forward, then you are never truly lost. I use this analogy because I can distinctly remember using it years ago when I was talking to a friend of mine from high school. Also, I want you all that are reading this to keep in mind what I brought up earlier when I said that everyone has different things that may cause us to lose our way. I brought up the whole social media and television thing in the first paragraph because I know that much of what goes and it being shown through these outlets are much of the catalyst that causes people to lose their way. It often doesn't take much to plant a seed of negativity in our minds, and we know that seeds can always grow into something more. So this is just some inspiration for anyone that is feeling like they've lost their way recently. You are never lost, you may just have to battle whatever it is in your life that you're at war with. Time to stand up and fight back!

Well I believe that I have pretty much covered everything that I wanted for this topic, so it is time for me to depart for this go round. This is one that could be elaborated on more, and I'll leave the door open for that in the future. But for now, I'll leave it at this. This has once again been another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I am Brad H., and I'd like to once again thank those of you that stopped by. If anyone has any comments or feedback to give, feel free to do so in the comment section. If you're on Twitter, you can also hit me up at the handle @BradrickH. I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far, and I hope that you all have an even greater week ahead. Till the next time that we meet, I wish you all the best. See you all in the next installment! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why You Shouldn't Allow Others To Gauge Your Effort.

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Opinions; you have them, I have them, we all have them. People are always going to have opinions in this life. Having an encounter without someone voicing their opinion about something is totally unrealistic. Opinions are pretty much limitless when it comes to when, who, and where to have them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and nothing or no one in this life is safe against having them formed against you. Having opinions formed against us can be something that can work in our favor. They can also work against us depending on what we're being judged upon. Of course people will have a positive reaction whenever someone forms a positive opinion of them. Positive and helpful opinions of us are the qualities that we all enjoy hearing from time to time. On the opposite side of the coin, negative opinions also play a factor in what other people may think of us as well. No matter what kind of person that you may be in this life, there are always going to be certain individuals are going to have negative perceptions of you. You can't please or make everyone happy, so it is highly unrealistic to believe that others will always have a good word for you. There are also some instances where the opinions of others will matter to you in an aspect of life that matters to you. This can be anything from a relationship, to a career, or a passion. These are those moments when we're being critiqued by people or a person that is in a position to judge us. One of the things that we will often be judged on during these moments is the amount of effort that we put towards something. The amount of effort that an individual puts forth can be another example of how the opinions of others can have either a positive or negative effect on us. In regards to effort, the opinions of others may matter when it comes to what they think of you, but your effort is something that only you can truly gauge.

Hey, what's going on good people? This is Brad H. back once again to bring you all another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back in the mix once again to bring a topic that will hopefully serve as inspiration to us all. Before I get into this week's topic, I wanted to address why my opinion on birthdays have changed over the years. Today is March 2nd, and my birthday will be in 9 more days on March 11th. I would say that since I turning 21 nearly seventeen years ago, I somewhat stopped getting excited about birthdays. I always enjoyed them when I was younger, but my opinion on them changed as I got older. Most people dread getting older because getting older often means that you have more years behind you than ahead in most cases. In the past few years I have changed my stance on birthdays once again. They align more now with how I viewed them when I was younger. Birthdays are special because turning another year older these days is truly something to be appreciative of. I think that most of us can admit that people are dying more younger these days than in past years. There was a time where you didn't really see people in their 30's and 40's with a lot of health issues, etc. Times have changed though, and people are checking out younger and younger. So with all of that being said, I appreciate and look forward to my birthday more now than I have in past years. Instead of seeing getting older as a bad thing, I see it as something that should be thought of very highly. Living a long life is something that many people are denied, so I feel that we all should celebrate the idea of making through another year. Another thing making my birthday even more exciting this year is that I'm going to the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets game. I'm definitely looking forward to that. That pretty much sums up why my views on birthdays have changed. I hope that everyone that may have an upcoming birthday has a great one. Welcome to March baby! Alright y'all, now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and talk more about effort, and why we shouldn't allow others to gauge it.

Now when it comes to talking about a topic such as "effort", there are various ways to look at it. The reason for this is due to there being so many ways for effort to be interpreted. For example, the effort that is required to run in a marathon isn't the same as the effort that would be required to write a paper for a college course. However, though a marathon and writing may be two totally different activities in regards to the effort that may be required for them, what they have in common is they require you to make an attempt at something. You cannot run a marathon if you don't make an attempt to run, and you can't write a paper if you don't attempt to pick up a pen. The degrees of effort may vary, but they all require us to at least make an attempt. The act of making an attempt pretty much goes without saying when it comes to effort. However, the degrees of how effort is judged what I want to mainly focus on in this topic. We've all at some point or another have maybe heard someone either tell us or say to someone else that we're not trying hard enough. Maybe it was your parents, a teacher or a coach that said those words to you, but I'm pretty sure that anyone that is reading this has heard those words being spoken at some point in your life. Now the question that I want to bring forth is this. How exactly can another person truly gauge another person's effort if they're not able to see through the same lens as one another? In other words, if we're all different in how we see and experience things in this world, how can someone else truly gauge your effort? Now of course I'm not talking about the more obvious ways to see that a person may not be trying. Going back to the writing example that I brought up, of course a person that just scribbles on some paper and turns it in didn't really try. But what if someone writes the paper and it just isn't good because they're not good at writing? If the paper is bad because they're not that good of a writer, can their effort truly be questioned by another person?

As people, we are all both good and bad at doing various things. A person that is very savvy at writing could probably write a paper without having to put forth an insane amount of effort. Someone that may not be as good at writing would likely have to work harder and put more effort towards it to become successful at it. Going back to the marathon example I brought up, a person that has the genetics for running will likely be able to complete a marathon easier than someone that may not. That being said, just because a person may not necessarily be as good at something as others doesn't always reflect the level of effort that they put into whatever it is. You can have a person that wants to run a mile in under 6 minutes, but it just may not be genetically possible for them to do so despite their efforts. The honest truth is that there are going to be some things that people just aren't going to be as good at doing despite how hard they may try. However, that doesn't mean that the person making the attempt isn't putting forth the proper level of effort. This is why I feel that we shouldn't allow other people to gauge our effort when it comes to things. As I stated earlier, there are always exceptions when it comes to effort and people trying. Some people make it obvious that they're not putting forth effort when it comes to trying certain things. However, I think it is wrong to question someone that is clearly trying effort. From my perspective on this topic, effort and success don't always go hand in hand. Making an attempt towards something doesn't always guarantee that you will be successful at it. However, and this is the main point that I want to pound away at this week, as long as you feel within yourself that you've tried your best at whatever it is you may be attempting, that is all that should matter. Another person and their opinions when it comes to this are totally null and void from my perspective.

Expanding more on this topic, I have frequently brought up in the past that the truth is that no one else can live your life for you. We all have different ways of living, so there is going to be varying opinions when it comes to questioning another person's effort. Why you shouldn't allow others to gauge your effort I ask? Simply stated, your opinion of yourself matters way more than what someone else may think. Rather than focusing on what other people think of your effort when it comes to anything, I believe that it is more important to focus on doing your very best at whatever it may be. I believe that when we try our best and give our maximum effort within ourselves, it will show through towards other people. Even then, it is still more important that you feel within yourself that you tried your very best, and if you feel within that you have, then that is all that matters. No one else will know or understand you more than you know and understand yourself. Therefore, other people aren't entirely qualified to gauge your effort. One of the reasons why I bring all of this up is due to the fact that some of us as people allow the opinions of others to define us. In some instances, we find ourselves questioning ourselves solely based on what someone else thinks. You may feel that you are putting forth the full effort, yet someone else may not see it and find yourself questioning yourself. If you know within that you aren't really putting forth the effort, then yea you should take their criticism for what it is. But in the case where you know you've done your best in whatever it is that you're trying, don't let other people question and gauge your effort. I'm going to close out this topic by saying something that I've been saying for many years now, and it is something that I frequently tell others. Your best is good enough.

I have pretty much mentioned everything that I wanted to bring up, so it is time for me to go ahead and sign off for now. This has been another topic of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' brought to you by me, Brad H. A big thank you as always to everyone that stopped by for another week. I'm truly grateful to everyone that has done so. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to do so in the comments. You can also find me on Twitter at the handle @BradrickH. I hope that this topic was able to help someone out, and hopefully there was some valuable information that could be taken from it. I also hope that all of you enjoy the rest of the weekend, and I hope that everyone has a great week ahead. I'll be a year older the next time you all hear from me. What an exciting time to be alive! Till next go round, stay strong and be positive. I'll see you all in the next one! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Why It Is Perfectly Okay To Outgrow Some People In Your Life.

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One of the most important things that we will all experience within this life is change. Change can take on many different forms, and those forms can vary from person to person. One of the forms of change that affects us all in some way or another is the word growth. Similar to the word change, growth also has various iterations of being interpreted. However, for this week's topic, the type of growth that I will be referring to is growing mentally and spiritually within yourself. We've all heard at sometime or another in our lives that nothing in this life stays the same. This world that we live in is constantly changing and adapting, which means that the same is happening to us as well. I believe that when we as people are growing as an individuals within our lives, there are certain things become somewhat beneath us. If you're a person that is on a pretty good streak of eating healthy and losing weight, certain foods that are bad and unhealthy for you probably no longer serve a purpose in your life. You have risen above those things, which means that they are beneath you now. Though it may be something that many of us may not like to acknowledge, this same logic also applies to the people in our lives. We all have maybe had friends that we've become more distant with just through time and space. In some instances of life, there can be quite a bit of guilt that can come with potential outgrowing certain individuals in our lives. We may have a strong sense of loyalty to them that puts us at odds with our personal growth. Now I'm one that believes that it is very important for us to be loyal to the people that reciprocate it back to us. However, what do we do when our loyalties put us at odds with our own growth? Furthermore, is it okay to leave behind the people that may be stunting us from growing? These are a few of the things that I will be talking about for this week's topic, but I believe that in certain situations and circumstances, it is perfectly okay when we've outgrown certain people in our lives.

Yo, what is going on people? This is Brad H. touching down once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once again for another topic that will hopefully serve as inspiration to others. Welcome to those of you that may be a first time reader, and thank you once again for those that are back once again. So for my soapbox section this week, I wanted to bring up something that I've mentioned before on here, but I also rarely like to discuss. That would be politics. Now most of you know that we had a government shutdown happening this year, and that another government shutdown has recently been averted. Now, a national emergency has been declared by the president, and of course people have their viewpoints on all of it. Now I recently listened to a video on Youtube where a blogger said something that I absolutely agree with and endorse. It is also something that I've been saying for quite sometime now. I hope that most people realize this by now, but stop believing in and trusting these politicians. Many of us look at these politicians as if they are saviors that have our best interests at heart, but we should all know by now that the good majority of them do not. They are mainly in the business of politics for their own interests, and the interests of those that put the most money behind them. I've seen too many people get into arguments over these politicians and their viewpoints, and it honestly isn't worth it in my opinion. Again, I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, but I hope that most of you know by now that politics is all a game. The majority of them rarely carry out the agendas that they run on to get votes, and we all know that it is hard to hold them accountable once they get in office. I just wanted to bring that up because right now the political climate in the United States is pretty volatile. The biggest takeaway I hope people have is to invest in yourself and carve out your own thinking. Don't be fooled by these politicians and the shenanigans many of them bring. Alright, now that I've gotten on my soapbox, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of why it is perfectly okay to grow some people in your life.

Probably the biggest aspect of this week's topic that I want to address that plays a huge part of this discussion is the theme of loyalty. Loyalty is one of those unwritten aspects of life that many of us will have to bring into question at some point or another. It is something that works twofold in the sense that it can both beneficial and detrimental to us depending on the circumstances in which it is being questioned. Now we all have loyalties to various individuals and things. Some loyalties are stronger than others, and some situations can be either over or under when it comes to loyalty. I believe that the good majority of people want to be loyal always, however as I mentioned earlier, what does a person do when being loyal hinders their growth? I've already mentioned about the type of growth that I'm bringing reference to. Now if you're around people that could be deemed as being a hindrance towards you moving forward, are these people that really need a top spot in your life? I believe that many of us at times somewhat self-sabotage our own growth due to remaining loyal. Like I alluded to earlier, sometimes we just outgrow people as we develop more self-awareness. Now when I think of loyalty, another word that comes to my mind is guilt. Some may wonder how does loyalty and guilt coincide with one another. Well, in some cases (not all), and depending on the individual and your relationship with them, some people will pull the guilt card on you in circumstances where you find yourself moving forward. They may use tactics that question your loyalty to them, and may even try and make you feel bad about yourself for making positive changes in your life. Now that we've discussed how loyalty and guilt can play a role in our personal growth and how it relates to others, lets talk about why I feel it is perfectly fine to outgrow people.

As I mentioned earlier in regards to this topic, change is constantly evolving and taking place in our lives. I believe that is is highly unrealistic to believe otherwise. Think of other aspects of life that involves anything that has some form of life to it. A flower has to begin as a seed before it can grow into its final state. Like I've already mentioned, all living things have periods of growth and change. Think of how at one point in this life we were all small babies that couldn't do anything for ourselves. Now, because we have grown into adults, we're able to various things on our own. The way all of this relates to this week's topic is that growth and change is a natural aspect of life, and because growth is something that is inevitable, it is perfectly normal if you've come to a point where you've outgrown certain people in your life. I know that this is something that many people wrestle with because we want to stay loyal to the people we've outgrown. There is nothing wrong with being loyal to other people, but you also have a responsibility to be loyal to yourself first and foremost. Personal growth doesn't necessarily mean that you are better than anyone else, nor does it imply that you shouldn't be loyal to people. From my perspective, it means being able to recognize and prioritize yourself first. Think about all the clothes that you've owned throughout your life. At some point you likely outgrew those clothes and had to upgrade to clothes that you could properly fit. Now I'm in no way saying that people are like clothes, but what I am saying that since growth is natural, it makes sense if you have come to outgrow people. Also be mindful that growth doesn't just apply to people. It can apply to anything that you do or participate in that no longer serves a greater purpose in your life.

Now I'm not here to tell anyone else what to do, nor am I an authority on how people should live their own lives. I can only be responsible for myself and my actions. The main point that I want to get across with this topic is that we as people shouldn't have to feel bad for outgrowing things and people. Like I mentioned earlier, there are some people that you may be close with that don't want to see you growing as an individual. And to be quite honest, it may not necessarily be that they don't want what is best for you. It could be that they realize that your growth may mean that you may have to leave them behind. Another point that I want to get across with this is that growing as a person doesn't mean that you should just completely cut people out of your life spitefully. From my perspective, that is what arrogant people and people that feel like they're better than others do. You can still remain close to people that you've outgrown. As with most changes that come in life, relationships with others change as well. I'm sure that many of you have people that you've probably been friends with for years, yet you don't talk to them everyday. You may even not talk to them every month or week, but you know that you and that person are still tight with one another, and that it is an unsaid rule that you both will always be there in times of need. Life may have brought about time and space between the two of you, but the relationship remains. This is a perfect meaning of what I mean by why it is okay to outgrow some people in your life. Now of course if you have people that are trying to make you feel bad for growing as a person, then it goes without saying that you may need to reconsider your relationship with them. However, despite growth and change, you can still have those close to you in your life. So just remember that it is perfectly normal and natural to outgrow others. Don't ever feel bad for bettering yourself, stay loyal to others, but be loyal to yourself first.

Well I think I'm going to go ahead and end on that note. Thank you once again for those of you that came through for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I can't say enough how grateful I am to have received some of the feedback that I have from some of you. It is truly humbling, and I thank you all. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be taken away from this topic. If you found some inspiration through reading this, please let me know in the comment section. You can also hit me up on Twitter if you have any comments or feedback at the handle of @BradrickH. I hope you all are having a great weekend so far, and I hope an even greater week ahead lies in the wings for us all. Till next time, stay strong and stay positive. I'll see you all in the next one! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Danger Of Projecting Your Fears Onto Others.

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Being fearful of someone, something, or even a combination of the two is something that most of us don't like to acknowledge. Why is this the case I wonder? I believe that the world that we live in seems to associate the word "fear" along with something that is negative. There appears to be a stigma that we as people should never show or display fear, and if you happen to do so, you are labeled as a weak individual. Now this isn't my personal thought when it comes to be fearful. I'm just giving my own interpretation on what I believe this world thinks of fear. Now if we're going to be totally honest here, I think most of us can admit to being fearful at times. We're not robots, we're human-beings, so it is highly unrealistic to believe that no human never experiences fear. Like many other people that may have an opinion on the subject of fear, I believe that being fearful at times is both a normal and a good thing. I personally believe that most people will admit that they often rise the occasion most whenever they face something that they're afraid of head on. This is something that I can personally admit to based on previous experiences. However, I think we can also admit that there are some people in this world that have fears that they're afraid to face. Though I may personally see the thought of a person not being willing to face their fears, I can't knock anyone that may not be willing to do so. As I have stated many, many times on this blog, we all have various outlooks and ways we live our lives. If a person isn't willing to face their own fears and attempt to have change in their life, that is all on them. However, something that I do see as a potential danger when it comes to people not facing their fears is the idea of projecting those fears onto other people.

Yo, what is up people? This is Brad H. back at it once again, and I'd like to welcome you all to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! A big welcome goes to anyone that is a first time visitor, and a big thanks goes to those that are frequent readers here. I'm going to go right ahead and jump into the soapbox by talking about something that many people from all over the world will be tuning into this week. Yep, that's right you guessed it, the Super Bowl. Like most people, I will be watching the game this weekend, but I probably won't be as engaged as I normally would. My reason for this comes from the fact that I don't care for either of the two teams that are playing. Anyone that knows me well is aware that I have never liked the New England Patriots. As for the Los Angeles Rams, I never had anything against them, but I didn't like how some of their players have been mouthing off during the playoffs. Also, though it was through no fault of their own, I don't feel like their victory over the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago was a legitimate one. I'm not a Saints fan either, but any and everyone watching that game knows that the refs blew the blatant pass interference called against the Rams that could have likely sent the Saints to the Super Bowl. I never thought I'd be saying this, but I actually felt bad for fan of the Saints. Hopefully the NFL does something in the off season that can remedy these kind of things. Now for who I believe is going to win the big game this weekend, I'm predicting that New England will win the game. It is extremely difficult for me to imagine New England losing two straight Super Bowls. I believe that their coach Bill Belichick is going to have a game plan that neutralizes the Rams offense. I could be wrong in saying that. I mean I didn't think that the Philadelphia Eagles would beat them last year, but that is exactly what happened. I still believe New England wins, but we all know how unpredictable sports, particularly football can be. The Rams and Saints game is a prime example of that. Anyway, I hope those of you that are looking forward to the game enjoys. Alright, now that I've gotten on my soapbox, lets go ahead and move onto this week's topic of projecting your fears onto others.

Now when thinking of a subject such as projecting your fears onto other people, what exactly is meant by this? I'm sure that everyone will have their own spill on what they believe this to be. I've already mentioned on multiples occasions on there that there is no one single way to view anything. Speaking for myself and my own personal experiences, I view this topic as when a person that is afraid of something themselves intentionally or unintentionally cast doubts and suspicions in the mind of another person. Now if you noticed, I mentioned that this can happen both intentionally and unintentionally. Some people may not even be aware that they're projecting their own fears onto other people. For the sake of the point that I'm attempting to make, I want to focus more on the people that do it intentionally. I have to tread lightly with what I'm going to say next, because I believe most people that may do this intentionally often mean well, they just may not know how damaging what they're saying can be. Many people that project their own fears onto others often do it out of care and love for other people. Now some of you may be wondering how exactly can you care for someone, yet you're projecting your fears onto them? I mean making another person fearful doesn't quite equate to caring for them right? Well in the context that we're dealing with, it depends on how the people that are in this situation are able to handle what is being said. For example, not everyone gets scared in the same manner, nor are we afraid of the same things. What may scare or make me fearful may not apply to another person. Projecting your fears on other people go a lot deeper than just scaring someone else. This is something that is psychological in the sense that it plays more to the mind than anything else.

Now I know that I've probably said a lot already, but hopefully you all will be able to see where I am going with this with the example that I'm going to bring up. I know this is something that I have touched on previously on here. How many of you know or are close with someone that don't like seeing other people that they're close with attempt something that they never have themselves? So lets hypothetically say that you want to attempt to go skydiving, and you have a friend that says you shouldn't do that because it is dangerous. Now I've never been skydiving, but I think we can all admit that regardless of whether you've ever done it or not that there is some risk to it. Now the friend that doesn't want you to attempt skydiving has concerns because they care about you; an admirable thing. However, are they really allowing you to live your life if they're discouraging you from doing something that you want? Is it possible that their concerns can create doubt within your mind to the point where you become fearful of even attempting what you want? See what I mean now by the danger of projecting your fears onto others? We have a situation where two people have never attempted something, yet one of them whether intentionally or unintentionally discourages the other from even attempting. This is something that happens all too much in my opinion, and it causes many people to potentially miss out on new things and experiences. Again, much of the potential fear that stems from this is out of care and concern, but it can still be damaging to the other person life. This is why I personally believe that you should always encourage other people whenever they present you with something they want to do.

Now in saying all of this, I'm not saying that you shouldn't never voice concern or care whenever someone you love wants to attempt something. From my perspective, I believe it is important to find a healthy balance of giving them their freedom, and knowing when to interject. Now if you're in a situation where you have previous hands on experience with something that someone wants to attempt, voicing your opinion will likely carry more weight because you have that experience. The crowd that I'm primarily referring to is the crowd that are afraid of trying something themselves, so they don't want to see you do it either. If you are a person that has these traits, I admire you for being concerned about others. However, if you look deep within yourself, can you honestly say that you have another person's best interest at heart if you're discouraging them from experiencing things? When you really think about it, you are likely looking out more for your own self-interests, and you never want to project that onto someone that you love. Be as supportive as you possibly can in these type of situations. Try not to create doubts and fears in the minds of others if they want to do something for their own life. I'm sure that there are many people in this world that live with regret because they listened to what other people said instead of following their own mind. I'm also certain that many of these people probably harbor negative feelings towards some of the people that tried to attempt them from spreading their wings a bit. The main thing that I hope the readers can take from this is to always show concern and care, but also allow other people to live.

Well I think that about sums up this topic. I think I pretty much got everything that I planned on discussing out there, so I'm going to go ahead and sign off for now. Thank you for those of you that stopped by for another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I sincerely appreciate all of you and your encouragement to keep on bringing up these topics. As always, I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this. If you found this inspirational or helpful, please feel free to leave any feedback below. You can also follow me or hit me up on Twitter at the handle @BradrickH. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, as well as the big game tomorrow if you're looking forward to it. I also hope that those of you up north and on the east coast, as well as the Midwest stay warm. I know it has been brutal up there, so I hope you all stay safe. I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Things Take Off At Different Times For Us All.

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The idea of people comparing themselves to other people is something that has existed since maybe the beginning of time. There is no way for me to truly know how long this has been a normal practice, but what I do know is that it is something that has existed since I've been living in this world. I'm certain that there are a slew of reasons why so many of us as people compare ourselves to others. Probably one of the biggest reasons that I can think of off the top of my head comes from the social constructs that have been established in this world. For example, there is are beliefs that exist within our world that a person needs to be married by a certain age, have children by a certain age, and retire by a certain age. These are just a couple of examples out of many that stem from the social constructs that so many people follow. Now I'm in no way saying that everyone believes this, but these social norms that have been placed upon us say that you need to have done various things by a specific time period, and in the event that you have not achieved some of these things by that specific time period, then something must be wrong with you. As I have gotten older and gained a greater understanding of this world and how people think, it has become increasingly difficult for me to even imagine why so many of us conform ourselves to these social norms. My reasoning for this is due to the idea that most of us realize by now that we're all unique individuals that have different upbringings and outlooks on life. If this is the case, why exactly do so many of us allow these social norms to dictate how we live our lives? Though it may be difficult to not compare ourselves to other people, the comparing of yourself to anyone in general is never a wise thing once you reach a certain age. We have to realize that everyone faces different obstacles in life, so naturally things will take off for us at different times.

Hey, what is going on peeps? This is your main man Brad H. back once again to bring you all another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! How is everyone doing out there? We are still anew in the year 2019, so I hope that those resolutions that those of you that still do make them are going well. So for my soapbox section of this week, I'm going to briefly discuss more football. We all know by now that my Dallas Cowboys took an L to the Los Angeles Rams last week. I was also wrong about the Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts game that I brought up two week ago in the last post. We got the AFC and NFC championship games taking place tomorrow, so I'm going to quickly give my prediction on what I see happening. So we have the New England Patriots taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, and the New Orleans Saints going up against the Los Angeles Rams. Out of these two games, the only one that I feel fairly confident about is the Chiefs and Patriots. I'll be rooting for the Chiefs cause I don't like the Patriots, but I believe that New England is going to win. They already played during the regular season in what was an awesome game that the Patriots nudged out in a 43-40 victory. I just feel like their experience will propel them into another Super Bowl appearance. As for the Saints and Rams, I really don't know who is going to win this game. They also played one another in the regular season, and the Saints were victorious at that time. The Rams have such an advanced offense in my opinion, so it is going to take a big defensive effort by anyone to beat them. Their offense totally had my Cowboys defense gassed out. I don't care for either of these teams, so it doesn't matter to me who wins. If I had a gun to my head however, I would probably pick the Saints to win. We will see what happens tomorrow, but it should be exciting to watch. Man it is so hard to believe that football season is almost over with. Seems like it goes by faster and faster each year. With all that being said, lets go ahead and get into this week's discussion of things taking off at different times for us all.

Now I've already brought up the idea of people comparing themselves to other people, and how the society that we live in has established these social constructs that the majority of people follow when it comes to living their lives. There is another word that is a key element when it comes to comparing ourselves to others. That word is "patience". I personally believe that patience or the lack thereof is one of the main reasons why people feel the need to compare themselves to others. I'm going to touch more on patience later on in this topic. Now I'm not going to be a hypocrite and act as if I don't ever compare myself to other people. I believe that it is totally unrealistic for anyone to say that they've never compared themselves to another person. That being said, there are different contexts that comparing ourselves to others can be put into. Simply put, I believe that a person can compare themselves to other in either a constructive way, or a nonconstructive way. Now these two comparisons within themselves can be totally subjective when it comes to what is considered constructive and nonconstructive. As I see it, constructive comparison is when a person compares themselves to another person in a manner in which it inspires the person doing the comparing to strive to be better. As an example, think of people in your life that you admire and look up to. These are people that may have a skill or personality trait that you admire. The manner in which they live their lives may be inspiration for you to want better for your own life. Athletes compare themselves to other athletes in their particular sports all the time. I believe many of them use this form comparison as a way to work harder to reach the top of their sport. Again, constructive criticism isn't only limited to sports. Like I mentioned earlier, it can be related to anything or anyone that inspires you in a positive manner.

Now onto what I deem as the downside of comparing ourselves to others, and the heart of what I want to get across in this week's topic. From my perspective, comparing ourselves to other in a nonconstructive way is what I brought up earlier in regards to the social constructs of life. I believe it is both nonconstructive and unwise to compare your life situation to others when it comes to meeting the expectations of society. Let me paint a picture for you all of what I'm referring to when I say this. Think of two people that are friends and have been friends for a long time. Lets say that one of these people is in a relationship and decides to get married. Now the other friend that isn't yet married could very well be supportive and happy for their friend. However, the society that we live in probably would beg the question to the unmarried friend; now when are you going to get married? If this person begins to hear this enough, they may begin to question and wonder when they're time to get married is coming. Furthermore, if they're not strong enough to ignore these type of questions, they may easily find themselves comparing themselves to their married friend, which could ultimately lead to jealousy and resentment. Keep in mind that this is just an example that I'm setting up, so hopefully you all don't think that I'm saying everyone thinks this way. The point of this example is to establish what I believe is a form of nonconstructive comparison. From my perspective, this is the type of comparison towards others that we need to try and cut out of our lives. I'm going to give my opinion on why next.

Now remember when I brought up the word patience earlier, and how so many of us lack having it? In my opinion, the lack of patience and comparing ourselves to others go hand in hand. For those of us that struggle in the arena of comparing our lives to that of others, we have to exercise some patience and understand that things takes off for us at different times. It's not meant for all of us to accomplish things at the same time, otherwise there would be no need for the individual struggles that we have to endure. We have to learn how to view our lives as if we're skydiving. I've never went skydiving before, but I do know that unless some type of malfunction happens during the jump, the parachute will open up. Everybody's parachutes don't always open at the same time, which means that none of us will always accomplish our goals at the same time. Always try and be happy for others when you see their parachutes opening, and know that as long as you are moving towards better things in your life, your chute will open up eventually. We have to have patience though when it comes to these kinds of things. I understand that the world we live in today doesn't push the idea of having patience. It shows in how so many people today want everything so fast. That's another topic for another day. So in closing, lets try and exercise more patience. Have the belief that things will work out for us in due time. Be happy for others when good things happen for them. Finally, if you have the opportunity to be a positive part of someone else's journey, do no hesitate to do so. I believe that playing a role in helping others gives us a kind of satisfaction that not much else in this world could. Whenever you may feel as if things aren't going your way in this life, and the opposite is happening for others, remember that things take off at different times for us all.

Well that is all that I got for you good people this go round. Like I always mention before signing off, I'd like to thank all of you that once again stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that there was some meaning and understanding that was able to be taken away from this. Also, if this post inspired you, or if you gained anything valuable from it, please let me know down below in the comment section. You can also connect with me on Twitter @BradrickH if you'd like. I hope you all have an enjoyable rest of your weekend. I know there is a lot of cold weather and snow out there, so be safe in whatever you're doing this weekend. I'll see you all in the next topic, so until then, take care everyone!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

Are You The Driver Or Passenger Of Your Life?

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Control; a pretty powerful word if you ask me. What exactly is control, and how does it affect our lives? The official definition that I came across in regards to control is "the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events." We all have moments and individual aspects in and of our lives where we want to have control over various things. However, I think that most of us know by now that there are some situations in this life that we're not going to be able to control, period. For example, we're all aware that when it comes to handling a vehicle, you're either the driver or the passenger of that vehicle. A passenger of a vehicle has very little say over what can happen while they're riding in that vehicle. Then we have the driver of a vehicle. Of course the driver is the person at the wheel and operating the vehicle. They are the individual that decides how fast to drive, when to turn, etc. Now while a driver may have the most control when it comes to operating a vehicle in comparison to a passenger, a wise driver also realizes that there are certain elements of being behind the wheel that they have no control over. A single driver for example has no control over what the other drivers around them are doing, which ultimately means that regardless of how well a driver is performing at driving, an accident is always only an unwise driver away from happening. Now with that being said, regardless the level of control a driver may have on other drivers, a driver still will have more control than a passenger does. From my perspective, this same comparison can be applied when it comes to our lives. Some of us are majority passengers when it comes our lives, while some are the drivers. Though the two may intermix at times depending on whatever a situation calls for, by in large, most of us are either one or another in general. We are officially in 2019, which means that a new year is upon us. For 2019, are you going to be the driver or the the passenger of your life?

Happy New Year everyone! This is Brad H. back on deck once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to the first installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective' for the year 2019. We are officially in a new year, so this is the time of the year where many of us try and reset and use the new year as a clean slate. I'm certain that I've mentioned what I'm about to say on here before, but in recent years, I have gotten away from the whole new years resolutions thing. I'm not against making them, and I think making them gives people something to strive for. I just now believe more in making daily affirmations that can empower us. That said, whatever method or outlook that anyone may have towards the new year is totally fine with me. I just hope that we all do our best to make 2019 one of the best years of our lives. I know that sounds pretty cliche, but we also have to keep in mind that the more of these new years that we're able to see means that the chances of there being more years behind us than ahead of us increases. Just something to keep in mind. So before getting into this week's topic, I want to talk briefly about the NFL playoff games happening today. We have the Indianapolis Colts facing off against the Houston Texans, and the Seattle Seahawks coming to Texas to take on my Dallas Cowboys. I think that these are two quality games to kick off opening weekend of the NFL playoff run. With the Colts and Texans, we have two teams from the same division, which means that this will be their third time meeting this season. The season series was split between the two with the margin of victory being three points in both games. I really don't know who is going to win this game, but I give the edge to Houston with the game being on their home turf. It also wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Colts pulled it off. That defense is much improved by Indy, and Andrew Luck has gotten better as the season progressed. Now with Dallas and Seattle, I see another potentially good game. These two teams met in the regular season also, with Seattle winning 24-13. That game took place in Seattle, so with the game being on Dallas's home turf this time around, I expect the Cowboys to be more competitive. Being that I'm a Cowboys fan, I am definitely rooting for them to win. However, I do believe Seattle will likely win this game. They are the more experienced team, and Russell Wilson is more trustworthy than Dak Prescott in these situations. It's the playoffs though, so anything can happen. Lets enjoy this playoff run, and see how it all unfolds. Alright, now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, it is time to move forward with the topic for the week.

Now this is the section where I normally give a disclaimer and address how I came to the topic before addressing it. However, I'm using it this time to announce that I will no longer be giving a disclaimer or addressing why or how I arrived at the topic for the week. I planned on doing this two years ago, and if you go back in my entries and view the first post from January of 2017, you'll see that I mentioned this. I ultimately didn't follow through with it, and much of that was due to the fact that I felt I would be cheating the readers if I didn't give them insight into why I think the way that I do in regards to these topics. I also wanted to try and give out quality information, and at the time I felt the only way to do that would be to keep the posts at a certain length. After pondering on it for a bit the last few days, I decided that it is more important for me to try and get my point across rather than focusing on how I arrived at a topic. I also feel that there is no need to give a disclaimer before discussing the topics I come up with. Every single person that reads these posts are smart and intelligent people that don't need me repeating the same thing in every post. So with that being said, the standard seven paragraphs that I normally use to cover my topics will be reduced to six. In the event where I feel a certain topic needs more detail and depth beyond what I may have already mentioned, I'll use seven paragraphs. As of right now, that is only change that I plan on making to this site in 2019. The format will be the same, the length will just hopefully be shorter. I hope this is a welcome change for those of you that have been with me for awhile. Besides, I'm one of those people that believes it is often better to make things a little more convenient and easier when possible. A lot of you out there are likely busy people, and the probability of you staying and reading something shorter is a lot more higher than something that is long and drawn on. So now that I've gotten that announcement out of the way, lets talk more about the topic of whether you're a driver or passenger of your life.

We already understand the setup of how a driver and passenger works in regards to operating a vehicle. But how exactly does this equate to our lives? What are the qualities and attributes that define whether you're being the driver or passenger of your life? I believe that isn't a single answer to define this, and this is something that I think is totally subjective to individual thinking. I also believe as I mentioned earlier that this is one of those topics where there are times when these things will overlap with one another. This makes this one of those tricky topics, however, with that being said, I will give my own personal perspective on what I think of this. Simply put, I believe that a driver is more of a leader, and a passenger is more of the follower type. Again, I'm not implying that being a follower is a bad thing, but I do feel that we all should have a degree of leadership when it comes to our own lives. When I think of an individual that has more of a driver mentality when it comes to their life, I think of someone that isn't easily swayed by what other people think. The individual with the driver mentality is likely to maintain a level of control despite certain circumstances being out of their control. When I think of a passenger, I think of the word passive. I liken a person with the passenger attribute as someone that probably listens a lot to the opinions of others. Not saying that it is bad to listen to what others have to say, but there is a difference between listening objectively to what others say and being easily influenced by others. A person with more of a passenger mentality also probably allows others to run their lives in the sense that they constantly do things that they may not necessarily want in order please others. Now again, I want to stress that I'm in no way saying that being a driver is good, and being a passenger is bad. All of this is totally subjective, so everyone is free to form their own interpretation of this.

Now that I've given some examples on what I define as being attributes that a driver and passenger are equivalent to, I want to explain why I think it is more important to be a driver. Like I have mentioned several times already, there are going to be times when you are going to have to be a passenger. There is no way around that. However, I think that most of us should aim to have more driver qualities. From my perspective, we already live in a world that is filled with passengers in the sense that so many people don't really think for themselves. People nowadays are influenced by the media more than ever due to the constant consumption of information that we're being fed. From my perspective, this creates a world where we have more followers than leaders, that isn't a good thing when you really think about it. I touched on it earlier, but there are some circumstances that will always be out of your hands. However, we as people always have the ability to control what we think and do. You don't have to always follow what the masses think and do, you can seek out information on your own and form your own conclusion. You never have to be subjected to the thoughts and opinions of others. You have the ability to view yourself in your own light and know that the light in which you view yourself is the most important because you're the one that in your own skin. These are a few reasons why I feel it is more important to be a driver rather than a passenger. You always want to have the feeling that despite the various situations and circumstances that happen that are out of your control, you always are in control of your own life. I want to state again before I close out that having passenger qualities doesn't mean you're a bad person. We all have passenger qualities from time to time. However, with us being in a new year, lets try and focus on being becoming drivers that are in control of our lives.

Well I'm going to go ahead and close out this opening post for 2019. As always, a big thanks goes out to everyone that joined me for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! That is something that I'm always going to say. I also hope that there was some meaning and understanding that was able to be gained from this. Feel free to leave any comments or feedback in the comment section, and you can also connect with me on Twitter if you'd like at the handle @BradrickH. I hope that 2019 has started off right for you all so far, and Happy New Year to you all again. The Texans and Colts game is starting in a few, so I'm going to go ahead and sign off. I'll see you all in the next one. Peace!

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