Looking for a reason to smile this Holiday?
Here’s 11 moments guaranteed to bring joy, even if you’re the Grinch himself…
- A loved one’s face when you give a thoughtful gift.
- Hearing a name you forgot existed until it made you smile.
- Witnessing (or experiencing) the effects a little extra Egg Nog will have on a seasonal drinker.
- Listening to the same damn New Years Resolutions you heard last year and contemplating whether the person is truly aware of it or not.
- Observing the ‘Holiday Spirit’ shown by parking-space seekers at the Mall.
- Seeing someone frighteningly joyful in a Santa outfit, or likewise ridiculous Christmas get-up.
- The smell of fresh-baked holiday sweets.
- Re-experiencing the unbridled joy of the holidays vicariously through a child.
By Peter James on December 24, 2008
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Also posted in Balanced Life, Inspirational Fuel
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and tagged Christmas, funny holiday moments, holiday cheer, holiday moments, holiday spirit, holiday sweets, new years, new years resolutions, things that make you smile
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For the past few months, my partner Chris and I have battled countless times about the election. He is an adamant Obama supporter and I am an adamant arguer, which means I like to get his blood boiling by playing devil’s advocate. However, I definitely can say I am a huge fan of John McCain. I love his life story, his class, his hunger to do the right thing, and his never say die attitude. It’s why he got my vote.
I also was a fan of Sarah Palin. I know many people did not like her, especially for VP, but I did. I thought she handled what was thrown on her lap with great dignity, even if she was a bit conservative for my taste. I also come from a Republican household, so I consistently heard how good of a candidate and an American John McCain was. I’m sure that played a big role in my preference.
By Peter James on November 6, 2008
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Also posted in Balanced Life
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and tagged 106 year old woman from Atlanta, 2008 in Chicago, American election, chicago obama speech, how to become successful, how to succeed at my dreams, John McCain, McCain supporter, Nov. 4th, Obama, Obama supporter, obama wins speech, President Elect Barack Obama, Presidential elect speech, Sarah Palin, the power of believing in yourself
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This economy sucks, plain and simple.
It’s probably the first time in my adult life I can actually say that. I was born in 1979, so I grew up with Reaganomics while watching Fraggle Rock. I was in High School during the first televised war in Iraq, and barely surviving the University of Maryland when Bill Clinton was explaining why Monica saved her dress without washing it. This was the same time the Mortgage Industry began their now notorious, greed filled run.
However, until last year, I had never experienced such a bad economy as an adult. To top it off, I opened a Mortgage Branch the year before specializing in A-paper loans, so I was smack dab in the middle of the windstorm. As the industry got what was coming to it, I learned incredibly valuable lessons I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
This is a preview of
3 Old School Lessons To Make The Best of Today’s Economy.
Read the full post (1575 words, 6 images, estimated 6:18 mins reading time)
I recently was asked to join a group of worldwide bloggers in a fight against poverty by participating in Blog Action Day 2008. The idea is that today, October 15th, across the globe, millions of bloggers will be raising awareness about the worldwide poverty problem.
Now, I live in a pretty upscale part of the country. However, I come from Brooklyn, NY, and I have seen my share of poverty. Besides all the local Projects, my Father taught for over 15 years at the Jim Thorpe school in Brooklyn. This school was the last line of schools before they kicked you out permanently. It was filled with poverty stricken families who had turned to crime mostly to survive.
This is a preview of
Blog Action Day 2008 - Help Take Action Against Poverty.
Read the full post (911 words, 1 image, estimated 3:39 mins reading time)
I can not say I have been paying close, close attention, but I have been intrigued by this year’s Olympics. Obviously, the Michael Phelps story and the entire Men’s swimming team was very inspirational, as were many of the celebrated winners. However, something about the 2008 Olympics continues to bother me. As records continue to be broken, and athletes surpass their predecessors in physical feats, it seems something is being left behind:
Sportsmanship.
What happened to honesty? Sportsmanship? Grace? Class? I am appalled at what the Olympics has become. No longer is it a celebration of competition. It is more a conspiracy breeding ground, where even when someone wins a gold medal, you have to wonder if they cheated. Not only that, but you have numerous frustrated athletes, and their bitter supporters, defiantly disputing losses and the integrity of the games. I have no problem with competitors naturally being upset or disappointed after a loss, but even if the result was questionable, isn’t it better to let the public speak rather than disrespect the entire competition?
By Peter James on August 21, 2008
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Also posted in Balanced Life
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and tagged 2008 Olypic medal winners, athletes, gold medal winners, Michael Phelps, olympians, olympic gold, olympic scandals, olympics 2008, self improvement, sportsmanship
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