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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 Difference Between Always Seeking To Improve Yourself And Not Being Satisfied With What You Have

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

Are you satisfied with your lot in life, with your career, income level and all that you have? Or are you currently still in the process of working to improve yourself and your place in life? The question you need to ask yourself is this. “Do I need improvement in my life situation, or am I just not satisfied with what I have?”

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

What Motivates You? steps

In today’s world and society, we have the common problem of people increasingly not being satisfied with what they have and always seeking to improve upon their lot in life. In the process of doing so, I believe that we all confuse our efforts to increase what we have with real efforts of improvement. That is our efforts to always seek to improve ourselves have become mixed in with efforts to increase wealth and the ownership of stuff.

This mixing of always seeking improvement with seeking greater wealth and not ever being satisfied with what one has in life is a huge mistake and at the very root of being part of the problems facing us in today’s world. To always seek to improve one’s place in life and to believe that one’s self always has room for improvement should never be confused and mix. They are two totally different concepts!

The first is seeking at its most basic level only to secure one’s living and living standards while they live in this world. The second is the belief that no matter one’s skill set, knowledge, or “where one is in life” that there is always “room for improvement.” It is also the belief that not only is the always room for improvement in one’s self and life but that we all should seek to improve ourselves and reach our full potential.

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

Dream Job word cloud on blackboard

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

The problem is that the two concepts are repeatedly confused and taken as one. People tend to conflate the need to always improve one’s self with how well they are doing in life as far as their careers/jobs and how much money they make or how much “stuff” they own. This tends to lead to unsatisfied lives because when we combine our seeking to improve our place in life with improving ourselves, we create in ourselves a constant need for “more and more.” We also stop seeking improvement in our selves/lives and instead seek the unattainable perfection.

Chase Blosser | Chasing Thoughts And View Points

Progress, not perfection – white chalk text blackboard – fitness and healthy lifestyle concept

We then in our constant pursuit to try and satisfy ourselves and our need for more become ever busy and on the move with no time to enjoy life and the simple things. However, when the two concepts are separated and in their proper places. When our seeking to improve and secure our place in life is just that and separate from our need always to try to improve upon ourselves which is just that, our lives and society in general moves along a whole lot smoother. It can be argued I believe that the concept and problem of “greed” is largely the result of the combination of the two concepts. When they are separate, we are more able to be satisfied with what we have in life and our place in it. Oh, we will still seek improvement both in ourselves and in our careers and such, but there is no longer “that urgency” to it all.

What are your thoughts and viewpoints on the matter? All opinions are welcomed and wanted. 

 

 

Your Envirmant Does Not Govern Your Life; Your Reponse To It Does

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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As the quote above states, I can #not change the environment around me, but I can change how #it affects me by how I respond #to it. I can despair for what the situation is like, or I can try and do something about it. I can try and fight against the environment around me, or I can adjust myself and my #life to it. Either way, the atmosphere its self is not what governs my life and holds me down or helps with my success, but I how I react/respond to it #does affect my success or failure in life.

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

 

 

Why Hiding From A Problem Does Not Work?

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

For those who have to live with “Autism,” it can be and often is no matter how one deals with it #a difficult road to travel. Even for those who have seemed to have made something of themselves and “have a life” still have to deal with their autism every day of their lives. They did #not get over it or somehow “cure” themselves.

No, instead we have embraced our Autism as a part of who we are!

As I have shared in previous posts, I am currently diagnosed with “high functioning autism” which means, for the most part, I am able to function in the world regularly, but do face some difficulties when it comes socialization. These difficulties for me at least include picking up on social cues and focusing on others in social situations among a few other things.

I am currently at the point where in most situations, my autism #does not limit me as it once did because I recognize #why I have the difficulties that I do and can adjust myself and my life accordingly. Because I know of and acknowledge my autism, I know that it is not a curse, burden, etc.. but a gift.

Yes, because of my autism I have a lot more trouble communication and getting to know others than most people do; yet at the same time, I am more able to spot things in my environment that others may not or at least quicker than most do. I see connections easily. I am able to remember a whole lot of what for most people would be insignificant details #from past conversations and such. And though I have more trouble in recognizing social cues than most do, as a trade-off I believe, I am a little more empathic to other’s emotions than most other men are.

The thing is if I had not embraced my autism and acknowledged it I would most likely not have realized the benefits that I get because of my autism, but would only see the negatives associated with it. Because I would have just “seen” the negatives of my autism, and continued to have viewed it as a burden to do away with instead of working with it.

My autism is starting to really no longer be a “#problem” in my life because I no longer recognize it as such. I still have to deal with it, make no mistake, but it is no burden for me. This I believe is the key for not just an autistic person, but for anyone with a so-called “problem” no matter what it is. We need to stop seeing the “problems” life throws at us as burdens to be rid of, and more as challenges to #work with and around of.

I have embraced my “problem” as a part of who I am and as a blessing, not a curse; have you?

 

What are your thoughts and views on this topic? Please do share them all are welcomed and wanted. 

 

 

Autism Is Not A Hindrance​, It Is Just Plain Awkward

/ Chase Blosser / 4 Comments

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

For those who have to live with “Autism,” #it can be and often is, no matter how one deals with it #just #plain #awkward and strange. As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I have been diagnosed with “High Functioning Autism.” Although, I suspect that when I was growing up (I am 31) it was #not always that spectrum level.

I perhaps had a slightly lower function spectrum of #Autism, for growing up was definitely always socially awkward for me; I was still aware of my differences compared to others (I was never officially diagnosed, only thought to have some form of Autism as a kid). Now that I know that “my difference” was and is because of my autism, it has made going about my life so much better and more comfortable. My autism (my difference) is not nor has ever been a handicap or #hindrance, but is very much a part of me and a good/useful part.

Because of my autism, I see things and think of things differently than most people. That is a gift, to be able to view the world through different lenses than most would; it opens a whole lot of new opportunities. Yet, autism doesn’t come without its challenges, which bottom line can be summed up in just plain awkwardness.

It is awkward to be in social situations and not know how to respond and act (responding one way and everyone looking at you like you have lost your mind). It is awkward to have a deep conversation on a particular subject while your mind keeps going a mile a minute thinking up all the connecting topics and/or ideas related to such.

From what I have come to understand when it comes to social situations and behavior most people do not have to put too much “active thought” into it. That is not so with me. I have to constantly be in “active thought mode” to govern my thoughts and behavior; rarely if ever being on “auto-pilot” (my subconscious). So yes, while having Autism is not a hindrance, it is very much an awkward experience!

What are your thoughts on this subject? Please do share them; they are very much wanted.

Getting Things Done Rapidly Or On Time Is Not Always​ A Good Thing

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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

Let me ask you something, and I want you to really think about it before answering. When you work #on a “project’ #or any kind of “choir/job” how long on average do you spend on completing it? Do you finish it in the #time allotted, a “little less than,” or “a little more than?” When we are working on something that tends to take awhile, we tend to try and do our best to complete it as quickly as possible for many of reasons. But time’#s tricky hands can and often do stop us.

Sometimes it is because we are “lazy” and just want to get it over with. Sometimes it is because we seek to save time by #getting it #done before the “projected” time of completion to move on to other important #things or to impress. And of course sometimes it is none of these, we just spend the minimum amount of time required.

The impressive, shocking #thing that I have found from my own experiences and that of others is that in a lot of cases it can be very beneficial to complete something on time or ahead of schedule; which are the most widely held beliefs on the subject. Yet, it can in some rare cases actually be better #not to “rush” or finish on time, but to take our time even if it means “working overtime.” This is usually the case when the “project” we are working on requires delicacy and permission.

A #good example is writing, which can regularly take more time than first thought. It is in cases like these that in allotting or being allotted time for the project, the amount of work/man hours needed to complete the project can be underestimated. Thus it is left to the person who is actually working on it to make a “judgment call.

So, what are your answers to the questions at the top and does this make you really question if you are usually giving the right amount of time on your project? Are you usually spot on in time spent? Or do you tend to be “lazy” sometimes, be honest it happens to all of us from time to time??

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

 

Only Games Have Restarts; Not Real Life, Or Does It?

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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

For all those who grew up playing video/computer #games (who hasn’t in the United States) #or still plays the occasional game here or there, the “save spot” and “restart” features of those games most likely became an important aspect of use when playing. The ability to save one’s progress and then come back later and pick up where left off. Or the ability to restart the game when you #have made too many mistakes to recover from and wish for a second, third, fourth, fifth chance, etc.. at the game. These features of the video/computer game are nice to have, but I think #it can be hard to remember sometimes that those futures are #only in games and #not #real #life.

I think we tend to sometimes wish we had the “save&restart” feature in real life that we have in our favorite video/computer game/s; (I know I do sometimes).  In fact, what is the appeal to such games at heart other than as a means to escape at least for a little while our real-life issues? Yes, we play them for the adventure, action, mystique, intrigue, and so forth; but only because that is what a lot of us really want out of our mundane lives.

With all the uncertainty in our lives from jobs, future career, the economy, politics, news, and so forth; it is not only easy to be drawn into the fantasy of the “gaming world,” to “lose oneself,” but also to wish what we get in those games we could get from our real lives. In some ways, the very act of playing video/computer games is a “save/pause/restart” on “real life” because when we are playing our games we are not focusing on nor worrying about what is going on in our lives in the real world.

There is some good from this aspect of playing computer games, as a distraction from real life, real-world issues; in that it can help elevate some of the stress and lets us relax and “recharge” ourselves. The danger is in the fact that we can become too “glued” to our computer games and lose face with reality as well as what is more important (life or game life). While there is no actual real “save/restart” in real life like in the games we play; when we lose ourselves in them, the games themselves sure can feel as such for a time.

A good video/computer game is always fun to enjoy and perhaps lose one’s self in for a time, but not at the expense of our “real” lives. We need to make sure that as we enjoy those games that they do not hold us back nor confuse our two worlds.

What are your thoughts and viewpoints on this subject? Please do share them, all are welcome and wanted here.

The Want For And Not Liking The Simple Answers

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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

Why is that throughout all our lives, we always strive to make them better #and easier and to simplify our lives, yet when we are provided with “#simple #answers” to certain problems in our lives, we in a lot of cases have a dislike #for that “simple answer?” I think one of if #not the main reason for this strange contradicting desire is the confusing of simple with easy.

To have or make something simple is not always to have/make it easy, sometimes this is the case but not always.  What making things “simple” does is while not making the actual taking care of the problem/thing/event easier, it does make the understanding of what needs to be done and how a little easier.

This in its self can make all the difference both on our individual problems with the “simple answers” and in our lives in general, because we are more able to solve those problems and get them done, out of the way faster and for good.

What a lot of people don’t like a lot of times with the “simple answers” they get, is that we as humans tend to #want instant gratification and want the actual work of doing/solving our life problems to be easier.  So we sometimes think that the job requires complexed, thought out plans. The problem here is that in the more complexed the answer the more likely to overlook some “little” things, so that while we may be able to get the things/problems done, it still leaves us having to come back to it, or creating other new things/problems for us to deal with. This in no way makes our lives easier.

With “simple answers” for the planning out and deciding what needs to be done, we are when actually working on the issue/s more able to see all the “little” issues involved in the big issue, and thus take them into account in the answer.  “Simple” is while not always the answer, is and can be in a lot of cases if we are willing to do a little more actual work in taking care of them in order for the rest of our lives to be easier. Simplifying sacrifices short-term easy for long-term easy.

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

Be Sincere, ​Not Profuse When Apologizing

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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

#When was the last time you had to apologize to someone for something you did? Did the person forgive/accept the apology? If #not, perhaps it was because your apology was too #profuse and longwinded as well as not sounding too #sincere.

When people apologize, too often they don’t sound sincere in doing so. This could #be due to a variety of reasons, but for simplicity, I will give you two; either they have apologized for the same thing to many times and thus are not believable, or they are so desperate for you to accept their apology that they feel the need to “play it up” and in great detail explain why they are sorry and how they will “do/be better.”

The thing is when apologies are really called for both sides usually already know full well the “reasons why” thus the person being apologized to is not really interested in hearing why. So, they are less inclined to take such apologies seriously, let alone believe them to be sincere.

When you make a mistake or have wronged someone, and you know you are truly regretful and repentant, then all that is truly needed to be done is say so to the wronged person. No explanation and/or “playing up” is necessary nor appropriate.  Whoever you are #apologizing to will know that you are truly sincere if you really are just by you being straight up and “short and sweet” in your apologizing.

What about those who don’t know they were wronged; you ask. Even then no long deep explanations are wanted nor needed, nor is “playing up” the apology. In this case, all one should do is say “I am sorry for______.” That is all; keep it short, simple, honest, and straightforward. When one says “I am sorry” those words need to mean something!

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

Looking at the Problem; not the Symptom

/ Chase Blosser / Leave a comment

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

We as humans a lot of times when trying to solve a #problem tend to put too much attention on the symptoms of the problem and #not the problem its self. Why is that the case; why are we so distracted by just the #symptom, over the actual problem? Is that the right way to solve problems, or is the right way actually focusing on the problems themselves?

The issue is very similar to one being sick with the cold/flu or some other sickness; if you have a cold of the flu you tend to experience upset stomach, congestion, and a fever. We tend to focus on lessening those symptoms, but forget that those symptoms are not the sickness themselves but signs that one is sick; and that the body is #at work fighting off the sickness. Instead of focusing on the symptoms of the flu, we should be focusing on helping our immune system fight off the flu by giving our body what it needs such as vitamins and fluids (water).

The same is the case when dealing with all problems in all cases, focus not on the problem’s symptoms, but on what is needed to naturally” fix/heal the problem and get back to regular operating procedures. When one tries to solve a problem by focusing on the symptoms and not the cause, then one risks either making the problem worse or creating new/more problems to deal with because all that you are doing is further messing up, and changing the system/body that the problem resides in. By doing this you prevent the “immune” system from doing its job correctly and resetting the system to before the problem ever showed up.

The problem of focusing on the symptoms and not the problem its self is no better seen and a problem its self then when dealing with economic troubles, slowdowns, and so forth. Low employment and people losing their jobs while terrible and no one wants, is just like a fever with the flu; that it is just a symptom of the broader economic system that we live and work in trying to correct a mistake that was made that had upset the balance of the whole system. When governments try too much to stop these symptoms it not only distracts them from finding out what went wrong and correcting the issue but it only makes things worse. Things get worse for the economy because it now has more “junk” closing up the wheels of economic growth.  Instead of trying to solve the issues of the symptoms of economic slowdowns such as unemployment, governments should instead just wait it out and help those who lost their jobs all of a sudden to cop and survive until they can get a new job.

So no focusing on the symptom/s of a problem whether hen the problem its self is not a good thing despite the fact that is how most people and society handles their problems. If we can just learn to do the opposite, then we would have a lot less problems in our life times and when we do have them, would be able to recover more easier and faster from them. While it is often tempting to focus on the “pain” that the symptoms cause, and wanting to do anything and everything to get rid of that pain; we need to learn to “chug it out. What are your thoughts on the issue of problems and their symptoms?