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A little Act of Kindness Goes A long way!: The Little Things That Show The World Is Not Heading To Hell In A HandBasket!

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

For some years now when one looks around the world, one does not see a pretty picture. From the war on Terror since the September 11th, 2001 attacks and having to fear other such terror attacks, the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. And of course, this year alone we have Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ever-increasing violence and crime in major U.S. cities. We also have the ever-increasing divide in our body politic that makes it near impossible to get things done at the governmental level, which has been happening for a number of years now. Then there is the worsening economic situation with inflation running amuck. All of these things and more paint a very bleak picture for not only the present time but the future as well. It gets to the point that one may think we as a society, people, and perhaps the whole world “is going to hell in a handbasket.” We see so much negative in the world around us, but very little positive.

Well it turns out there is still good in this world, there is still plenty of positive things happening all around. Yesterday afternoon after I left my church’s Sunday service, I went to the local Kroger grocery store to get a few items that I still needed for making my dinner later. As I was leaving the store and after loading my groceries into the car I went to return the cart when a couple came up to me with as it turns out my wallet that I obviously did not put back into my pocket securely enough and had thus fallen out as I walked across the parking lot. They saw it and saw me obviously not too far away and went to inquire if it was mine and return it.

Which, was supper great for me for I had no idea I had dropped my wallet and could have possibly driven off before I even realized it. So, because of this nice couple, I had my wallet returned before I even realized it was missing with everything still in it. It is small acts of kindness like what the couple did that really give one hope and shines a light in a world full of darkness. Because of the couple helping me out before I even realized I was in a predicament, I was instantly reminded that things are not all bad in the world today. Now even before this incident I already knew that things could not be as bad as they seem that the world was not going “to hell in a handbasket” but it is always good when you have that confirmation, which is what I experienced in the parking lot of Kroger one Sunday after church.

What sort of little things or small acts of kindness have you witnessed or experienced lately that confirm for you that the world is not going “to hell in a handbasket?” All thoughts and opinions are welcomed and wanted!

The Existence of Fraud In the Admittance Into Elite Universities Eludes Another Problem In Our Society: The Problem With The Perceived Need For Higher Education In Order To Get Ahead

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

The News media and blogosphere filled with talk of the fallout of a college admission cheating scandal breaking last week in which wealthy parents are accused of paying bribes to make sure their kids get into an elite college such as Georgetown, Yale, Stanford, University of Texas, University of Southern California, and UCLA. This alludes to a bigger problem other than the fact that it is becoming an increasing belief that the only way to ensure the success of one’s kids it to not just get them into a college but one of the so-called elite colleges.

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

Architecture of the student city of Cambridge, beautiful view of England, September 3, 2017

The belief that nothing less will do and if one’s kids do not get in then they are doomed to failure. While there are several things wrong with this view other than the fact that it is false, the scandal as I said alludes to something else.

That something else is the too much importance we as a society place on the going to and attaining a college degree in the first place to achieve financial and career success in life. For decades now our society from top to bottom has put a considerable emphasis on the importance of attaining a college degree to get a good paying job and have a successful career and life.

There is just one little problem with placing so much importance on achieving a college degree to meet any real success in life. The truth is that college is not for everyone nor does everyone need to get a college degree to find success in their life. Yes, a college education is important it is not the be all end all that we as a society have put it up as for so long.

Skills are also important, besides the option of “higher education” to get ahead in life there is also the option of trade schools or even on the job training for some professions. A lot of businesses will indeed higher promising candidates that don’t then have the required skills or knowledge necessary for the job required and will train them for the job.

If we as a society did not put so much importance on the “need” to have “higher education” in the first place to get ahead in life, then the chances of there being a cheating scandal where parents feel the need to cheat and bribe to make sure their kids end up in a good college in the first place. There is only a perceived need to have one’s kids attend an elite college because of the perceived certainty that college is the only way to success and a good, well-paying career in life.  Going to college is a great experience to have along with the education that doing so represents but it is not always what is best for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Reach For The Stars; Do The Possible Not The Impossible!: In Life Don’t Belive In Impossible: Believe In The Possible!

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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Nothing #in #life is out of reach if you push and work hard enough for it. If something seems #impossible, that is only #the case until it is not. If you go about your life with the mindset; instead of encountering a “seemingly impossible” obstacle and getting discouraged in your current goal, but instead charge on seeking to turn that “impossible into a #possible, there is potentially no limit to how far you can/may go and succeed in life. Only the limits you give yourself!

The only limit to my potential is that which I put on my self. If I don’t have the right skill set for something, I can learn it or choose not to. If I don’t know enough about something, I can decide to research it, or not. In the end, my success in life for better or worse rests with me and what I do and how I behave and act in life. So, is your life, a life of the possible or impossible; what limits have you set for yourself?

Please share your thoughts; all thoughts & viewpoints are welcomed and wanted!

Politics In The United States Has Become So De visive Because We Have Become “Infected” With Too Much “Passion” For Our Beliefs​!​

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

This is a response to #the one-word prompt “Infect” by “The Daily Post.”

America is very divided these days when it comes to “#politics,” but that is no surprise to anybody now (unless you #have been under a rock). The political divide #has been going on #for years, and only increasing as it continues. There have been and are many explanations for this, but I won’t mention those here, except for “a Lack of dialog” (straight talking & listening). Some are right and some wrong, and some offer part of the explanation, but it is “a lack of dialog” that makes the most sense.

A lot of the more heard and discussed possible explanations, all offer only a part of how #we as a nation have gotten #so divided as we are now, including “a lack of dialog.” But underlining any and all possible explanations is that deep down we have “#too #much” #passion for #our political #beliefs. For yes, one of the main problems causing our political divide is a “real honest lack” of dialog, there is a little more to it than that.

Businesswoman hands holding white card sign with we care text message

Real dialog or conversation consists of two parts, talking and listening where everyone involved #in the conversation is able to contribute and the other/s being “active listeners.” The problem being is that even when there is an honest attempt at dialog, there is an “interference” preventing the active listening part of the conversation.

The listener/s are paying attention to the one doing the talking, but they are not indeed taking it in to “think/contemplate it. Which that is what talking is all about, sharing and presentation ideas and thoughts to others and everyone involved observing them as well as getting to know each other.

The interference is our passion for our beliefs getting in the way. This would mean we tend to have to much passion for our opinions if they are holding us back from having any consideration or just clear thought over anything that may seem counter to said beliefs. Having passion can be and often is an excellent thing to have, especially when it comes to a firmly held belief about something. It helps to motivate us and advocate for that belief and/or to act on it/them.

What Motivates You?

Yet, at the same time if our passions in anything, not just our beliefs start to hold us back from doing something or they cripple ourselves and society, then any good we get from them will be wade out. Passion like a lot of other things in life requires moderation; a little being good and too much not so good.

If we are going to stand a chance of bringing down the political divide amongst ourselves, then we need more dialog, getting to know each other, and understanding each other’s political views. But in order to have that we need to be aware of just how much passion we each are having for our political views and learn how to moderate that passion, just as we do for our other passions in life.

So what are your thoughts and viewpoints on this subject? Please do share them; all are welcomed and wanted. 

Be A Friend To The “Cranks” In Your Life

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

This is #a response #to #the one-word prompt “Crank” by “The Daily Post.”

Is there someone #in #your #life that you come into regular if brief contact with that are just never in the “mood”  and really have anything nice to say to anybody. I think we all at least once in our lives have come across one of these “#cranks” and we are never quite sure how to deal with the person.

Usually, when we look a little deeper we tend to find that the “cranks” in our lives do not behave as they do “just because” but that there are actual reasons behind the behavior. Any number of reasons that prevent them trying to connect with others. The best thing to do is whenever you see the person is just as a starting point give them a friendly greeting and move on, but keep doing this every time you see the person.

Eventually, hopefully, this will “break the ice” at some point and those greetings will turn into small conversations which may then turn into a friendship of shorts and before you know it, you are no longer dealing with a “crank” but a normal person. Which they have always been, the “crankness” was always just a cry of help; the person needed a #friend. So why not #be that friend whenever you encounter a so-called “crank.” You will begin to make the world a much better off place as a result. It also does not take much if any effort on your part but the impact pays “big dividends.”

So what are your thoughts and viewpoints on this subject? Please do share them, all are welcomed and wanted. 

Is Social Media Toxic In Large Amounts?

/ Chase Blosser / 2 Comments

This #is a response to the one-word prompt “Toxic” by “The Daily Post.”

#In light of the controversy around FaceBook right now, it seems a good time as any to discuss the effect that #social #media as a whole has on society. There is no doubt that social media in the likes of FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIN, and so-forth have been a major boon for society in terms of better and faster connectivity for individuals and groups, but at what costs?

While we as a society may be more connected then ever; are we really getting anything out of that connectivity or is it just giving us a false sense of connectivity? In other words are we actually connected and/or spending time with each other, our family, friends, etc. The consensus and research says no we are not; we are actually as a society feeling more lonelier than ever. This despite the fact of how much time people are spending on social media. We humans are social animals who need social contact with others, but as it turns out that social contact actually needs to be physical or in other words “real.”

Social media platforms like FaceBook or LinkedIn can be useful in helping us to maintain contact but only if they remain just that, a ‘magnifier” or addition not a replacement for “traditional” face to face in real life meetings. To put it another way social media in small docidges are extremely helpful, but in #large #amounts are actuallly #toxic to what they are meant to help, that being social contact.

What Are Your Thoughts and ViewPoints on this subject? Please do share them, all are welcomed and wanted.

Getting Discipline In My Life

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

I want to be successful #in #my business. I want/need to lose weight. I need to manage my time better. These wants/needs I am sure sound pretty familiar to you. You probably have very similar if not the same ones right now or have had them in the past. The most important thing I have found in pursuing these wants/needs or any others is that they all require #discipline on my part. Lots of and constant discipline.

Discipline to recognize what needs to be done, and discipline to come up with a strategy to achieve my wants and needs. But most importantly of all discipline to stick with it. No plan no matter how good can help you to succeed at anything in #life if you don’t have some very good discipline. It is as simple and complicated as that; no discipline, no success.

How do I get my discipline? I get it by how much I actually want whatever it is I am working for. If I really want something and am willing and able to do what needs to be done to get/achieve it, then I will be able to better develop my discipline as in move forward in my goal/s. This here is important to remember, discipline comes not all at once but in stages; as I work for what I want/need I get a little more disciplined in doing so.

Discipline is a lot like a muscle, the more you work for it the more and stronger it gets. Yet, the less you work at it, like a muscle it will atrophy. In the end, in order to develop and have good discipline to achieve your wants/needs requires you to change your habits and/or get new ones.  Discipline never just happens, it comes a little bit at a time because you work for it and change how you go about your life in response to your wants/needs.

What do you think about this subject? What are your thoughts and viewpoints? Please do share them, all are welcomed and wanted.

More Political Division or Perhaps Unity In 2018?

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

The year of 2017 was an ugly, crazy year when it came to just how divided we as a nation and people became #in the United States. Most will not dispute that, although they will dispute the reasons for it. That right there is the deeper problem, as long as we keep blaming each other and not understanding each other, the divide will only get worse and grow until it destroys us.

Ok, so we all know and agree on what the problem is (extream #political divisiveness) if that is the case there is no need to blame the problem on anyone #or thing. Doing so will only aggravate the problem not solve it. The key to solving any problem is to first recognize that there is one and what it is; as said, that we have done.

So if the problem is that we as a nation just can’t agree on politics and governing, then the answer is not to create #more areas of disagreement and argument, but to create more areas of agreement and understanding. Despite just how divided we are, this is a whole lot easier then it may sound. It is not “brain science” (although we make it that with our stubbornness).

All that needs to be done is that we start to talk to each other, to understand each other. We need to connect and empathize with each other; to know that we all each have our own concerns, fears, and hopes for our lives, our communities, and our nation. By doing so we will then be able to find and see just all the many small ways we #perhaps do agree rather than just where we disagree. We will then be able to move forward in those areas that we agree on, and that in time will allow us to even tackle the issues we are in disagreement on.

Be forewarned that going this route will require a lot of patience, restraint, understanding, and it needs to be done at all levels of our society. It needs to be done in the family, the neighborhood, our churches/houses of worship and the broader community as well as in our political/governing institutions. It needs to be a truly grassroots movement from the very bottom to the very top.

This restoring understanding and seeing areas of agreements instead of areas of disagreement and not knowing each other is and can be achieved, but only if we all work towards this goal and do so every day both in our everyday lives and in our “political discourse.” But it can be done and must if our nation is to survive and thrive! So stop arguing and start understanding!

What are your thoughts and viewpoints on this subject? Please do share them. All are welcomed and wanted.