January 30, 2022
Good morning my friends. I hope you are all doing well. It’s already the last Sunday of January. The first month of 2022 flew by, as it concludes tomorrow. It’s been nearly two years since the “virus” began controlling our world. Life, death and change continues on this planet every day. That’s been a constant since living creatures came into existence on this rock millions of years ago. Let’s face it, life can be a struggle. It doesn’t always go smoothly, fit with our plan and it’s never (or is only) as “perfect” as we perceive it to be. We know humans or life will never be perfect. Life can be messy; whether you sequester yourself or you’re an active participant. If you’re fearful to “live,” if you restrict your movements or hesitate to reach for your dreams; in my definition, that’s not living. For me, living involves being an active member in the journey of life. Making decisions, seeking adventure, enjoying experiences, feeling emotions, creating memories and living in gratitude make living life fabulous. Yes, there are difficult times and issues to deal with along the path. Using your strength and power to move beyond those issues, or the sadness they may create, make the good times so much better. Sitting on the sidelines or shadowing yourself in fear (for whatever reason), isn’t living. There will be tough days to work through. Life happens. Sitting in a space of constant sadness or anxiety only compounds these issues, creating more negativity and fear. Breaking free from the confines of your minds control can be challenging. When you take that first step to loosen the grip, a better world and happier life will appear before you. Success requires action. You can talk about your dreams, or getting off your rear to accomplish something, as much as you want. Until you actually turn your words, thoughts or desires into action, nothing will ever happen or change. It takes work to achieve the positive mental or physical outcomes you desire. Stand up for yourself and put in the effort for productive results. Your power, strength and resilience are buried within your being. It’s there whether you realize it or not. Now’s the time to tap into these incredible resources of energy and make them work in your favor.
A friend recently commented, that it would be great if I explained how I move past the pain and trauma I experienced in my career or in other issues I’ve discussed in my posts. Before I began publishing my blog over two years ago, the opening of my heart and soul continued to be a work in progress. Sharing my stories and journey with you becomes easier each day. I’ll continue to do my best to offer my insight and experiences to help you along the way. Reaching out to the people who care for me, has always been an amazing platform for comfort. It’s pretty wonderful when someone recognizes when I need a word of encouragement or reassurance. There are times when a simple hug can convey a powerful message without any spoken words. I’d love to have someone walk up to me one day, give me a hug and say, “It’s going to be okay.” It’s a powerful gesture when someone tells me they understand my pain or can relate to what I’m feeling. In today’s world, the virus has made personal contact difficult or even taboo for some. Shaking the hand of an individual is a gesture of respect; while hugs are typically for intimate greetings with friends or loved ones. Many people have become indoctrinated, over the last two years, fearful they may contract an invisible illness if they come into close contact with anyone. Sickness has been spread by human contact for thousands of years, yet here we are, still living. Many people remain hesitant to be near others, yet alone touch someone else. Is it the fear of death or fear of the unknown that scares these individuals? I know my existence on this planet is for a limited time. I take the necessary precautions to be safe, but I also realize I don’t have control over life or death. My choice is to live my life without fear. I place my life in the hands of God and the universe. I’m not here to tell you what to do or how to live your life. What I will tell you, if you don’t rid your life of fear, you will never truly enjoy living.
I’ve witnessed far too much sadness, tragedy and death over the course of my career and life. This past week continued to reveal the madness of our world. The attacks and murder of police officers break my heart. These crimes are senseless and brutal. It’s time to wake up America. We need to unite to protect all lives. The mental anguish takes a toll on our physical well-being. Some people may think I should be able to cope with anything; since I chose my profession. There are those who believe simply because I’m a guy, nothing should bother me. The truth is, men and women (law enforcement or not), aren’t exempt from feeling sadness or experiencing the same trauma felt by all humans. Who you are, what you do as a profession, your gender, nationality, color, religious beliefs or monetary status have nothing to do with emotions. People may assume men, or police officers (of any gender), can handle and deal with trauma without experiencing any emotional response. The biases created by society disgust me, especially when so many individuals buy into this nonsense. If a woman cries, society say, “she’s having a bad day”, or she’s emotional because of the time of month. Men can show emotions, without being considered weak. Do we ever ask ourselves what the root cause of these issues really are? Are we so conditioned to the “rules” or “social norms” of what society expects, that we forgot or don’t care about humanity? I hope and pray that isn’t the case, or our world is doomed for sure. It’s time we realize we are all just humans doing our best to exist. For me, a career in law enforcement (like the military) reflects the courage required by all officers (Male and Female) to go out every day, to risk their own life in order to offer protection for All people! During my nearly 34 years of service, I, along with the officers I worked with and knew, provided the same high level of service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year after year. Dedication and the drive to assist the community are our common thread.
Don’t allow foolish social norms of a misguided society, or peer pressure from media outlets, dictate what is needed for you to feel happy, or satisfied with who you are. These institutions coerce us (from a young age) into believing various “rules” or “gender roles” for how we’re supposed to act, look, treat each other, show emotion or basically just live. We continue to see this fabricated junk on social media, television, movies or in product advertisements. Businesses do their best to convince you their products will transform your life, cosmetics will make you look younger, pills or supplements to give you more vitality or testosterone. Women should be beautiful, sexy, fit and glamorous. Men should be strong, good looking and confident. Male displays of emotions should be limited, because it means you’re weak or inadequate. You may laugh and say these stereotypes don’t really apply to you, but take a closer look. We don’t need certain cosmetics, medications, clothes, cars, possessions or things to be better or happier humans. We need respect, humility, kindness and gratitude to appreciate what we already have, so we can be thankful for life. You don’t need to act or look a certain way to fit into society or our planet. Self-confidence begins with knowledge. The more you know and learn, the more confidence builds within each of us. I’m a prime example of this transformation, as I’ve grown nicely into my own skin. I have evolved with age and wisdom. I have faith in knowing we can all reach our goals for better lives. Life begins with understanding and kindness. Start each day with gratitude. Work to achieve your dreams, or to improve our own situation, instead of expecting everything to be handed to you for free. People aren’t entitled to more free stuff. A free democracy means everyone works together to ensure a better life for all. When you put in the time and effort, living your dreams becomes a sweet satisfaction of accomplishment. Toss aside the fear and anxiety. Be happy with you and you’ll soon see, it’s all going to be okay. Follow your dreams. They know the way.
ps…Groundhog Day is coming up Wednesday, February 2nd. Will Phil see his shadow or will it be an early Spring?
Please tune in and join me again next Sunday for more! The puzzle of life is always changing. Change can lead to amazing opportunities. Together let’s be healthy and strong mentally, physically and spiritually!
Thanks for your love and support! Embrace Life! Be sure to get outside and enjoy nature!
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