Author: Ara

Creator and consumer who researches the link between public health and personal happiness. Educated in public health and human behavior. Masters of Public Health from the UT College of Medicine.

Haters gonna hate.

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I demand euphoria

Haters gonna hate. The rest of us will love. Haters will take and accumulate. We will share and participate. Haters will divide. We will unite and empower others, because we know that our environment is vital in determining how we behave. Haters get courage from others by using them or controlling them. We get courage from ourselves. Haters resent others who accomplish. We are happy for others who succeed and are inspired by their productivity.

Haters search for security, but we search for the knowledge of our passion and the skills to execute on it. More importantly, we realize that wealth goes beyond money. We know that a job isn’t given to us to pay bills. It’s claimed by us because we’ve found something we love to do.

And at the end of the day, after all of this, we know the haters are no different than us. Because we know they just want to be happy. So we welcome them, because we know that we cannot get as far alone as we can by learning and collaborating with others.

Haters gonna hate, yes. Until they realize it’s so much better on the other side.

Recess like a child

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recess revolution 3

I started my run, and it was like any other day. But when I made my way around the school parking lot this time, I heard screams. I continued jogging down the driveway, the screams mixed with a screeching sound. I kept going, and as I rounded the corner of the building, I finally caught sight of a playground full of children. The swing sets were swinging. Kids were scattered in small groups, playing made up games, while others clambered over jungle gyms. They looked like they were having fun. More fun than me. Then I thought, what happened to my recess?

I want recess back

Who took our recess anyway? Was it the high school administrators who just don’t have enough hours in the day to spare us? Or was it the colleges who don’t need you to have recess? No, it was me. High school offers arts and music. College offers the opportunity to make your own schedule and club network. But, intent on being productive, after high school and college, I forgot that the movement and unstructured socializing of recess is what keeps a person loose.

I made my way around the playground and noticed 4 or 5 kids lining up at the top of a small hill. There was some direction from the more authoritative members of the group, and then they all dropped to their knees and then their sides and rolled giggling down the hill. They were creating their own fun, maybe tired of the jungle gym and swing sets.

Recess keeps us thinking creatively. During my work day, even if I just take a walk to the coffee station and have a short conversation, I come back to my desk with more energy. More focused. Rested, and in fact more productive. Studies have shown this. The breaks during intense periods of study and work are important in resting the brain. It’s almost like the recuperation of muscle after you’re broken it down after exercise. And productivity decreases if we don’t take a recess.

The judge bangs down his gavel, “We will recess.”

We need a judge in our head, observing our actions. He is silent, patient, resolute. So when we lose our focus, when we blink our eyes and stare away from the screen to refocus them. When we raise our head and realize we’ve been in the same position for an hour. That’s when the gavel comes down.

BANG

“Time for a short recess.”
“But I just need to finish this part up, it’ll just take.-“
“I said, Recess.”
“Look, if I just bust through this, I will-“
“You will finish it, yes, but will it be right? Will you do it the same way, instead of thinking of a better way to do it?”
“I guess not.”
He points sternly out the window, “Now go play. It looks like your friends need a fourth for four square.”

How to be a superhero

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captain-america

I just saw the movie, The Avengers. It was a disappointment to me, but this scene was so different from the rest of the movie. Really, I felt it to be the best part. It delved into defining humanity…a quest that men have faced since men became men. Do we lead, or do we follow?

In the video, Loki tells everyone to kneel and follow, because he believes himself better than the rest. Only one man stands up against Loki.

As in most movies, only a few are willing to stand up, leave the safety of numbers, and face the fear, the danger of changing things, making a difference, and doing what’s right.

Life is not the movies. But if we want to be in a movie, let’s act like we are the hero in our own movie. Maturing is not only about accepting the way things are, but accepting your responsibility over them. Each of us lives in his own world, and makes his own decisions, but those decisions contribute to the sum of worlds from all the humans around him.

Loki is everywhere: The criticism without encouragement. The norm that keeps you safe and distracted from improving anything. The fear of the unknown. The culture that keeps us investing in irresponsible corporations and choosing leaders who encourage their existence.

There is no select few who can be superheroes.

Superheroes are just people who show up and do the right thing, for themselves and for the world they live in.

And it’s time we all stand up to the Lokis in the world.

Today’s soldiers fighting our war become tomorrow’s veterans

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The United States, the country, the citizens, you and me, our President, the Congress… we are at war. Our govt has made the judgment that it is worth putting our citizens, our soldiers, in harm’s way, spending billions of dollars, accidentally blowing up or shooting the civilians of other countries, to prevent terrorists from targeting the US.

If there was a draft, would you be making the sacrifices these soldiers are making? Not only putting their life on the line, but realizing they are going to be killing civilians accidentally?

War is a last resort.

How big a threat is terrorism to justify this perpetual war? That is the question.

What do you think?

Are we in the times of last resort? Does it feel like we are at war? If it doesn’t, then shouldn’t we feel like it is? Otherwise, what is war? And are we more willing to have one, to send troops to fight, to have civilians die, if we aren’t facing its consequences?

Thank our veterans. Then ask yourself when they should be put into the terrible conditions of war for us.

What did you learn from this election?

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This election season has taught me a lot. It has made me see the ideology that can take over reason. It has shown me the emotion that can drive us to our beliefs, or help drive us apart, and give ourselves meaning.

And my emotions sit inside me, the sadness that realities exist unknown by many. That people suffer, and costs mount, youths remain uneducated, and bets are being made by our bankers (albeit less recklessly than before). But then I see the researchers that continue their work, driven by human curiosity. The development of science and technology that is exploding to a future I can’t even imagine. The businessmen and engineers who rebuild, making things better, more efficient, faster, and cheaper. The resiliency in those who are just working to pay bills. And those overseas who are going through the dirty work of murder in order to be free of dictators. I see all of this. And I smile.

Although hope can be blind, it is also our greatest asset, because whatever happens, we will persevere through the changes that this country and the world is going through. And it’s not anyone’s fault that things happen this way, because this is the way that it should happen.

As much we try to control things, the only thing we have control over, the most valuable thing, is our own work, and our own happiness. If I don’t like where I’m at, that is on me. And if you don’t like where you are, that is on you. And no one can change that… no partner, no friends, no parents, no government program… no matter what they do… because we have a choice, we still have freedoms… especially in the United State of America.

Who are you voting for?

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When someone speaks reasonably about unreasonable things, they are either a genius, or a madman. Cast your vote carefully. If a person talks about spending money they don’t have, putting value in something that has no inherent value, taking away your liberties to fight an unseen enemy to protect your liberties, find another person to vote for. Gridlock ends when we elect people, from president to state rep, who will do the right thing, not follow what was done before because that’s the way things were always done.

Remember: There are many who are thinking just as you are.

Will this offensive cartoon determine how you vote?

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Is this an offensive cartoon?

Thinking this way about Democrats is just as wrong as thinking that Republicans are selfish, judgmental moralists.

There are plenty of those people in both Parties.

This is funny because it is a cartoon, but it’s a lot less funny because it’s dividing us based on ideology…an ideology that I don’t see being put into practice by either party. Meanwhile, bigger issues are neglected as both parties are supporting deficit spending, market manipulation (see the last one’s disastrous result in 2008), and protecting us from unseen enemy by waging perpetual war and taking our right to trial (NDAA 2012)

What do you think is important in this year’s election?

Are you voting based on ideology or action?

How to get the job you love

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Decide what you like, get good at it -if you’re not already- and then find the job.

The one way that is highly questionable to get you a job is having the government raise or lower people’s tax rates. Romney plans to create 12 million new jobs and Obama has given nearly trillion dollars to businesses to create more jobs. But you are a much bigger factor to getting a good job than what these guys are going to do. Much bigger.

Why?

Because seeking a top-down solution assumes the people on top know what’s good for everyone and they can anticipate what business and individual needs are, which sometimes change month to month…even day to day!

Quite an assumption to make.

It’s better not to assume and just do it yourself. And if you’re already doing it? Then help a brother or sister out. As a friend to them, you’re better at providing that empowerment to get them in a job than someone in an office somewhere who has no idea who your friend is.

Of course, the government spending could create jobs. How? The devil is in the details. The question is, who do you trust more: The government after their good intended actions brought down the housing market? Or yourself?

Let’s use our common sense to stop our leaders from driving our economic Mack truck into the ground. How much more do we need out of its engine? And how much more do we need out of ourselves?