Related Reading
Summer Reflection
Summer Reflection II

     Do you have the audacity to give up God, when God picked you up in your hours of struggles? On the paths of life when something good arrives, embrace these gifts with God's blessing. Think of them as arrivals from God for you. Don't loose the blessed connections with God even when something good happens to you as we walk the paths of life. 

These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 29th, 2018.
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The beauty of gaining the tools of any skill or profession is that you learn the foundations, build knowledge / skill from simple levels, to higher levels, and eventually are able to manipulate those tools for gain, or essentially; purposefully. When I use the word manipulate, I do not intend to evoke the evil genius - but rather the idea to pursue the ability to infuse yourself, your personality, or what ideas, new skills that you can also add to what you have gained. We can take the example of a crafts person, such as a jeweller, who learns the skills of the trade / business, then later is able to build upon these, to create something that is unique. We can also take the example of the writer. They say that in order to write effectively we must first learn the mechanics of writing, and when we finally reach a certain level, or become a writer we are able to express the self, manipulate the mechanics of writing, to reveal our expressions in our writing. 

     Writing is not just about the letters and the words that we write. It also involves the grammar, punctuation, stylistic elements, literary skill that we choose to apply or not. These thoughts surfaced again when I thought about the: colon(:), comma (,) and the semi-colon (;). I wondered why the semi-colon went out of fashion, and why the colon gained all the fame; or did it? But then I realized who teaches you about the mechanics of writing matters. What is important to the person who teaches you, will also be transferred to you. While you may or may not gain the opportunity, to be able to learn the same topic from a variety of people, or sources expands our knowledge, gaining more tools. 

    Something minute as the semi-colon, or the comma reveals a persons attention to detail, the importance of knowledge transference, application that arrives from understanding, and also what is important to an institution as a whole. It may not be evident from the example of the semi-colon, or punctuation, but the very teachings that we are exposed to, are also put in place to align with a particular political philosophy, and ideologies that align institutions together at the national and International level. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

These thoughts were originally hand-written on June 28th, 2018.
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     What is success? What is happiness? What is kindness? What is love? What is Peace? As I take the time to think about these questions, we can deliberate, doubt, reduce, think we have the right answer, but really we don't. There is no right or wrong answer. The answers that we give to these questions are going to be based upon how we define the subjects, such as; love, peace, happiness, kindness or any other topic that we think about. Most of the time we think about the topics based on our experience, and how we wish to choose to view the subject. For example: A persons who has never received an inch of kindness, how is that person supposed to even know what kindness is? Therefore, the person imagines what kindness is, and chooses to view this in a that way. 

     The same can be said of a persons actions. Is anything ever good or bad? This is where human judgement comes to play. We tend to judge others based on what we think is right or wrong. While of course human beings can develop habits that cause harm to the self, hinder the path of life development, or reaching goals; in order to truly love each other we must refrain from the dichotomy of good / bad. What one views as "bad" cannot be fixed with a "bad" view. Lets imagine a simple electric circuit. There must be a positive (+) and a negative (-) charge for that circuit to function, however; the same circuit won't function if there is (-) (-). Please see diagram below:

     The same can be said about how we view others. If we know that there are / were unhealthy actions, these can't be fixed with another negative action. In other words something positive, such as the view / giving of love must happen. This is why I think that bond's between families have been broken. or relationships are on the brink of ruin. We judge each other by what we see - actions. Here the view of right or wrong will automatically activate. But to truly love each other for who they are becoming, or are as a human being, we have to move past right / wrong. It is how natural bonds, or bonds built through relationships / friendships / connections will ever survive. Please see diagram below: 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 27th, 2018.
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that the other day we heard of the unfortunate news with regards to Demi Lovato. She was rushed to hospital with an overdose. While we ourselves do not know the circumstances surrounding this, we do know that celebrities / fans rushed to offer their get well wishes, thoughts of love and support. I thought about this reaction, where we normally think of reactions that would be associated with stigma of why, and questions surrounding her mental health, but we saw an outpour of love. This response was actually incredible. The love and support is exactly what is needed for anyone who is battling with mental health or addiction. They need to be reminded that they are loved, valued, their existence matters. They are worthy of receiving love without any judgment, or any sense of expectation that they have to give back to anyone in the vulnerable state, One must feel that unconditional love. While Lovato is a celebrity, and the pouring of love was from other celebrities / fans, I also thought about how this response could vary from culture to culture, and also how fame affects response. 

     How about if someone was not famous, and was in a state of overdose, would the compensatory responses be different? Or how would different cultures influence a persons response? Culture -Eastern or Western does have stigmatory ideas about mental health, and how one perceives the health of the mind / brain. But it is important to know that brain health is complex. There are many factors that influence this. What makes mental health more mysterious is that the state of a persons mental health is invisible. Unseen to the eye, until the inward state manifests itself outwardly, where the brains response is seen to the another.  We can go back to the example of Lavato - where we see a beautiful, successful woman, who looks fine and perfectly healthy. But within is dealing with serious health issues surrounding addiction, that she has opened up, and talked about previously. One's suffering and even the healing from suffering is dependant on many factors, but again: showing love to that human being is sometimes the only thing that they need to get them through. 

     Being there for someone, holding their hand, or a bodily presence can impact a persons healing tremendously. But how willing are others who are not professionals, not celebrities, just ordinary human beings willing to pour love to others without the stigma? This is also complex. Individuals most of the time are only able to respond from their level of experience and knowledge. This is what we can also call the limits of knowledge and experience. 

     To further evolve as human beings we must also expand the self. Be open to the unknown, new experiences, and building knowledge bases. Enlarging these bases contributes to human evolution and the spiritual being. Human beings are prone to judgements, but we cannot blame them, these are derived from level of experience, awareness, and knowledge. The macro response such as Lavato's, can also act to influence individuals, communities, societies about how they view, and respond to mental health. While stigma levels do vary from culture to culture, I think progress has been made from the days of the asylums. 

​These thoughts are dedicated to Demi Lovato - Get Well Soon, you are loved and can / will get through this. And to all who have suffered from mental health injury, you are loved and you are strong! My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 26th, 2018.
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Related Reading:
​Summer Reflection

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that the other day I asked some questions, with a personal reflection. Sometimes it is important to do a self-check, focusing upon where you are at in life, and if this the life that you imagined for yourself. This task is important, because we tend to forget about the self. Even when we are striving to reach a goal, we have to think: what is it all for, why, and what was the goal intended for in the first place? With this type of reflection, we also begin to reflect on our paths, are they the ones we desired or not? This is the thing about life, we plan, think, desire, choose. Sometimes things work out as we have planned, and sometimes they do not. If they do then great. If they don't, then this should never mean to give up or not to try. If what you sought is important, it will continue to remain important, and will manifest itself in one shape, form, how it was imagined or intended. If one's path has been delayed, twisted, turned into another route, then let it be. What is mean't for you will arrive, the important factor is to continue to try. Sometimes newness, hault's, set-backs will try our patience, determination, and strength, but it is better than not trying.  

     They say that the greatest teacher is life itself. I agree with this thought. One thing that I have learned through the lessons of life, is that if you ever leave yourself out of your hopes / dreams / goals / desires, you think you might be ok, but the truth is you won't. Weather you are a mother, father, or any being, if you leave yourself out, you won't be happy. This may sound selfish, but it is not. Truly the only way we can give back to those we love, care about, family, friends, relatives, communities, or even just one other person, is if we ourselves feel nourished in body, mind, spirit, soul, for the earthly desires we seek, and what one has hoped for the self, including those we love. 

     In simple words what am I saying? Self-developement does not cease at a certain age or life stage. It continues in varied amounts, evolving from the day we are born, to our very least breath. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on June 25th, 2018.
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Who were you before you know about the ways of the world, the workings of the world? Whatever happened to the wonder of the world, imagination, who you wanted to be, your dreams, hopes, joys? What did you dream for yourself, what did you hope for yourself? Remind yourself to create that space for personal reflection, remind yourself that you do matter. Remind yourself that your dreams matter. 

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     Sending thoughts of love, prayer,  and thoughts of support to all the communities affected with the high heat in Houston and Texas. I am grateful for all the cooling centres that are operating to protect those who cannot withstand the high temperatures in their own homes, the elderly, children and the homeless. It is important to make sure that you eat your meals as well stay hydrated. High heat is the cause of serious infections, heat stroke, and many more illnesses. As much as I do love the warm weather, any extremity is a source of creating an imbalance within the body and environment, especially for those who do not have the means to withstand the heat. Also remember that going from place to place where there is high heat, and then cooler spaces that have air conditioning can also cause health damages. The temperature change is the same as altitude change, which can also affect breathing. My thoughts are with you all. 

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     Yesterday, I had the honor of watching a thought provoking discussion that was live-streamed from The John W. Kluge Centre at the Library of Congress. I was happy to listen in, and also write and respond to something other than the news. The discussion focused on the American Dream, and where the dream is at today. From the mentions of the great poetry of Langston Hughes, to the economic conditions, and current administration, there were points of agreement, and disagreement. 

     With regards to the American Dream itself, we have to think - what is the American Dream. The American Dream is an opportunity for each and every person to pursue their own idea of happiness. The Declaration of Independence further protects this pursuit with the following words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." While this definition provides us a foundation to think about the American Dream, we have to remember that the idea / ideals of the American Dream will vary from generation to generation. Each generation arrives with different hopes, dreams, ideas. Every generation has the right to dream, and dream to differently. The question is, is the American Dream alive? The dream is alive, it has to be alive other wise it wouldn't be talked about. We could ask to what extent is it alive.

     The ideals of a nation have to continuously be re-inventing themselves. This means that we have a foundation of ideals and values, but this formation is built upon with arrival of each generation. The fact that millennials and future generations are being born, does not negate the seniors, elders, middle aged, and older generations that are still living. Everyone has a valuable contribution to make. Tiny, small, medium, or large. Contribution continues. Even in the state of death, one is remembered for the contribution they made, achievements, for who they were, and familial links. If you were famous, the public legacy. We can think about individuals such as Dr. Martin Luther King, or ordinary individuals who fought in the war for the sake of a nations freedom. The contributions of prominent figures should be remembered and valued. Needless to say, also the contributions and sacrifices of veterans, service workers, and also past administrations. The millennial voice is of importance, rather that to think of this as a voice that needs to be understood, why not listen to what their voices are saying? 

     What I have found is that with the arrival of the new administration - The Trump Administration arrived the formal end of the Obama Administration, and the formal ending of the Clinton / Bush dynasty. The "end" was probably unsettling, a source of anxiety and tension for many. But the fact that America has pushed forth in to a new era with Republican leadership, also reveals the need to shift thought. While I myself have found some of President Trump's policies such as the building of the border wall, immigration cruelty, DACA, DREAMers, the Muslim Ban, to be harsh, cruel and a source of top down racism - Part of the problem is that powerful thinkers, politicians, some Republicans, and Democrats purposely do not want to give this administration a chance, let alone be successful. You can't say, lets wait until this trump thing is over so that everything is back to normal and then we will contribute. This is where the irony arrives. Part of making the American Dream work is putting aside cry-baby politics, because someone lost or won. It is time to accept and as what was said: "make congress great again." Make the spaces for democratic exchanges rich, flourishing with thoughts, ideas, and get things done. Topics including the following need to be acted upon: 

*DACA
*DREAMERS
*Immigration Reform
*Higher Education Equity
*Healthcare
*Travel Bans 
.....

And the list goes on. There have been no resolutions / solutions. From the Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi who once stood for a record breaking 8 hours to advocate for DACA / DREAMers to utter silence. You see sometimes it's not about who's on your side or not. Sometimes, if  not all the time, politics / policy formation should be about what is in the best interests for the nation of America. This thought can also be related to President  Trump's attitude of, whats in it for me? 

     So what am I saying?  The way I see it is that no one is really thinking about the public good anymore, or what's in the best interests for America. It's more so about what's in it for me, or I didn't vote for him. When you are in a position to influence change, or can make change happen for the betterment of a nation, then you have to put away your personal bias - and in simple terms get the job at hand done. The American Dream can be related to any persons individual dream. It has to be kept alive. What steps will you take towards that dream in order to keep it alive. The divisions in Washington, parties, or political discontent should never be so much that we forget the essence of what America stands for. In fact thought leaders who are in positions to sway the public / political decisions and influence are purposely creating harm with in-action. For example: You all know that the Hispanic / Latino minority is the largest growing ethnic minority in the United States. While the population numbers are high, this population segment is still the most marginalized in the USA. Non-inclusion only jeopardizes the economic prosperity of America. So again what am I saying? In simple terms, scholars who are upset with the current administration are also at fault. You can't talk about the American Dream, and still be quiet about issues that you know need to be discussed and acted upon. This is actually what I would call a crime against humanity. Part of being an intellectual / thinker is to share what you know for the sake of public good. For preserving, protecting, enriching, and advancing the American Dream. 

Jobs / Millennials
With regards to the point about jobs. Yes, we can say that American workers / working class population swayed on the Trump administration side. While we can bring in the factory style industry and create economic booms, it's not so simple. In between theres been outsourcing, the experiment which robbed a nation of its own jobs, for the greed of saving some dollars. But we could argue that outsourcing endeavours have helped to create good partnerships with other nations, but have they? Or have other nations used American industry and resources? Outsourcing does have its benefits, but once any country which exploits another, is no longer a benefitting relationship.

     The presence of technology, internet, and even globalization has shaped and created change. We can never go back to how things were. We can even question if how things were, were even positive / negative. The hand-held device, or access to technology is neither good or bad, it is about how it is used once put in human hands. Opportunities have arrived with technology - where one is able to build global connections, learn at the global / international level. And for me, I really can't complain, from sending out my first tweet , and being able to share my thoughts via my website. Sharing my thoughts has really allowed me to contribute my learning through higher education as well. Also Connectedness also eventually allows for the face-to-face interactions. We've really moved on from a point of asking is technology good or bad. Its more about hey, we have all these resources, what are we going to do with them? 

Concluding Thoughts
I hope that the discussion of the American Dream never ends. The American Dream, ideals, values, have to continuously be thought about, acted upon, to keep the dream of how one imagines the dream alive. It requires re-invention, that is derived from the birthing of new generations, and generational maturity. The American Dream is intrinsically linked to politics and what politicians are doing. I end these thoughts for now with what was said during the discussion, sometimes you have to put friendship before politics to build human bridges, and alliances for peace. Economic conditions, family, civic life, equality of opportunity, and social equity have to continuously and constantly evolve. 

A Note of Thanks!!! 
These thoughts are neither to say what was offered at this discussion was either right or wrong, they are a response to what was offered to also act to provoke thoughts. They are written as a thank you for discussing the important topic of The American Dream. Thank you! 

Further Reading-What Is the American Dream? The History That Made It Possible

​My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 20th, 2018.
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     I wanted to take the time to thank all the sports celebrities / personalities for using their voices / platforms for talking about important issues, from gun violence to sexual harassment, we are left to think and reflect. Whilst award ceremonies are to celebrate accomplishments, I thought about some of the issues that were discussed, which have occurred through gun violence and sexual harassment. Whilst we honor those lives lost, injured,  and sacrificed, individuals are now receiving awards because of these tragic incidents. Imagine if tragedies such as school shootings or sexual violence ceased to exist? Award ceremonies could go back to celebrating achievements / accomplishments. The fact that ESPYS platform was used as a portal to convey these issues, shows that there is a need for gun reform, and preventing sexual violence. As I mentioned in one of my earlier writings, at the heart of gun violence is the cry for social justice, and equality. I also stand with the voices who once again raised our awareness about school shootings, which have de-stabalized public education, caused psychological trauma, instilled fear, and a cause for teachers to leave the profession. I have always believed that one can achieve peace, strength, and harmony between the races. It should and can be achieved. Shootings are not different to war. If we want to put an end to wars, and if wars are viewed as barbaric, then so too are school / mass shootings. If we want social progress, innovation, and harmony, we have to raise the bar as to how societal justice, equality, and harmony can be achieved. Attacking the very precious future leaders, creators, and contributors of a nation is not the answer. 

     With regards to the women who took a stand to confront Larry Nasser. You are all a testimony of courage. You have also revealed that the wounds from any abuse never really diminish. So much work and effort has to take place to re-build lives, but triggers can derail and act as disruptors. A key to moving forward is also to find a way of how to manage the self when triggers take place. While many might remain skeptical about the issue of sexual violence, we have to think that this was not an isolated incident, it was a response to the claims of many women. It does take guts and courage to speak out about something so sensitive, especially when your dream, life efforts depend upon what you are speaking out about. 

     With that said we have to remember that sexuality is a part of being human. Sex is also a part of being human. Repression of sex / sexuality can also be harmful. Repercussions manifest themselves through impacting health and thought life, which also encompasses the idea of learning to manage this part of being human. If we want to see change, I think that at the heart of the matter is consent. How can we teach healthy consent, and how can these women use their voices to put an end to sexual violence, but at the same time continue to promote healthy sexual relations? Learning how to manage intimate relations is also something that we as human beings have to learn how to do, but the fact that it is a sensitive topic (even a taboo in some cultures), also makes us think about how silence, and not talking about healthy sexual relations impacts predatory behaviour. 

     With regards to the culprit himself, he must learn from what he did. Maybe isolation is the right answer, but I am a believer in human reform. Where if anyone truly believes in changing the self for betterment, they should also be given this opportunity. This might mean serving time for the accusation for the purposes of public justice, but also with the inclusion of human reform. We are not God, God is the ultimate decider, and God is a forgiver. Ultimately the male population is as significant as any other gender. Maybe promoting healthy relations sexual / non-sexual should also include male voices. When all is said and done, the vibrant society is that which includes all genders. We have to weary that Larry Nasser's example is not used to define sex, healthy sexual relations, and also a mechanism to bash men themselves. 

Further Reading:
*ABC13 - ESPYs honor Larry Nassar survivors, coaches killed in Parkland shooting
*The Washington Post - Larry Nassar, former USA Gymnastics doctor, sentenced to 40-175 years for sex crimes

Congratulations to all the award winners!!! :)
My thoughts to share with live & Kindness! 

These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 19th, 2018.
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     I remember watching my first baseball game, the Houston Astros vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. I was among the very few Astros fans here in Toronto. I certainly felt the dedication of the fans from both teams. Houston did win, which was a great feeling, but also compensated with the feelings of being alone, and even as an outsider. From this game, I was inspired to watch a live game given the chance. I enjoyed the New York Mets, New York, and also the Buffalo Bisons, Buffalo, NY. The feeling of cheering with a home crowd, makes the experience much more different. What I enjoy about watching this sport, is that it really is a family sport, its a family outing. It's pace, and even the competitive spirt allows us to enjoy the sights, sounds, and relax.

    Yesterday's win for the American League also revealed the competitive spirit within the nation of America, and there is nothing wrong to compete at this level either. As long as it is healthy, and demonstrates sportsmanship. The game revealed this, and showed how players from different teams, can come together, put aside rivalry to formulate teams. It was great to watch this game that took place in Washington, which also reminded me of my visits to Washington. Congratulations to the American League team!!! You are winners, but you are all winners because we all play for the same nation, nationally and internationally. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

FACT-American League - Is a major baseball league in Canada and the USA.

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on July 18th, 2018.
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