Article of the Day 2/27

Truth is...

In one of my honors courses we're currently talking all about race and the effect it has; especially when we treat each other different. The truth affects people of color, they are important human beings and that is the truth it's also true that they get targeted for some pretty nasty stuff.

The documentary, 13th, talks about the unjust prison population and the unfair and unusual number of black males. I see this as a problem we can talk about so we can make it better. However, a lot of people don't see it that way, they choose instead to view the documentary as biased even though all documentaries are like that. Some are so lost in their own privilege they haven't been able to look at the other side.

Privilege isn't a bad thing, we can use it to make a healthy change. If we all stood up for what we believed in, the world would continue to change for the beauty we searched for 200 hundred years ago. People hide the truth when they are afraid of change. I think a lot of people are afraid right now, if you flip the lense though, I know people would find the truth to be a little easier then originally thought. When people are afraid of change it stumps growth which has never been ideal.

Change is always relevant, change will always be hard. It's extremely ironic how so often people are scared of things changing against them. For example: being treated the way others have been treated. They fail to see if everyone treated everyone kindly, they wouldn't have to worry so much.

Sleep and Negativity

Negativity and sleep are connected in more ways then one. I've had a friend that I've known since we were very young; this friend has depression. She has the ability to sleep until three in the afternoon while I never had the ability to sleep past nine in the morning. 

On the same note, I know someone who is negative in everyday life about a lot of different things. It's pretty much expected to hear her say, "I fell asleep at five in the morning." 

Research from Jacob A. Nota and Meredith E. Coles from Duration and Timing of Sleep are Associated with Repetitive Negative Thinking state, “Across these disorders [multiple stated, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and social anxiety disorder], there are topographical differences in repetitive negative thinking content (e.g., worry about the future in GAD, rumination about the past in MDD, compulsive repetitive thoughts in OCD),” There are multiple ways people lose sleep. An internet meme finds it funny to make a point in saying that we all stay up thinking about certain things; I suppose art truly does imitate reality.

Article of the Day 2/20

I like when Marina Gomberg said, "if we forced innocent businesses to pay people for their work instead of for their gender. Can you imagine!?" I like the sinister sarcasm of the sentence. Also, when you think about it in this way, the crazier it seems; why on Earth are women being payed less when they are completely if not more capable for the job.

A lot of people accidentally look through one lens their whole lives; unfortunately those people miss out on understanding a lot. Privilege isn't a bad thing, it's how we use that privilege that deems it 'good' or 'bad'. Privilege relates to this because James C. Green is only looking through his lens and potentially really hurting a lot of people while doing it. If he chose to look past his privilege as a man, he would find and understand things a lot differently.

This weeks topic!

An excerpt from my synthesis paper:

Oprah Winfrey expresses how she used to keep a gratitude journal and her life was flourishing. Of course, she started getting busy and had less time to think about her gratitude journal. Eventually she had achieved everything she had ever wanted and was no longer happy. For this reason she made a habit of writing down a couple things she was happy about, a few of the good things that went on during the day. Oprah soon found herself becoming happier and eager to wake up the next morning and start a new day with her new found energy. The point to this story is that there is power in positive thinking. When you recognize the potential of everyday, life doesn’t seem like this huge mountain that you’re never going to be able to climb. Ignoring the mountain won’t help you, but only focusing on the top won't help either. I believe the key is to think of the goal, but admire the snow falling around you in slow motion, or the cactus blooming.

Article of the Day 2/15/17

I wrote in German because it felt like the best course of action:

Der nie bestehende anhaltende Anruf zum Schweigen gebracht. Der Weg von all dem ist Ärger, und es ist an der Zeit, dass wir einen tiefen Atemzug mit unserem Bauch nehmen und Geduld haben.

Wann wird Güte unsere Priorität sein? Wann wird die Welt etwas für uns alle sein, darauf stolz zu sein. Wann werden wir über all die guten Dinge, die wir geschaffen haben, zusammenstehen und singen können?

The Art of Negativity

You can go on living, nothing other people do truly effects you, right? That's how I thought too until i allowed someone in that I shouldn't have, the second time in my life. Not everyone has a drive, not everyone can find motivation all of the time, but when it's the only thing someone talks about; it weighs you down.

One of the most important things to me on this planet is people. The way their stories create something beautiful and magical if only you spend time willing to see it. As humans, we want to help people, we want to see others make it through the hard times. But when does negativity become too much and is there science behind negativity weighing us down?

Article of the Day 2/8

I'm kind of tempted to leave a simple, 'same' and moving on.

Whenever someone uses the word 'millennial' I get ready to roll my eyes because people like to pretend they know they have my generation figured out. When in reality, more often than not, it's all assumptions made from the outgoing extravert they saw on the television once. 

However, this man seemed to understand some of the things that our generation go through. I got a facebook account when I was in the fifth grade and I posted on it all the time, wanting to share the fun times I had with my cousins and sister. I got an instagram when I was in the seventh grade, sharing with my friends how 'funny' I could be. The point is, we  I got it into my head that life was only worth living if everyone knew how much fun you were having. Yet this world is worth more than that. 

Anyways, Simon Sinek hit the nail on the head when he said we're all just looking for a spot of empathy.

Article of the Day 2/6

Multiple side comments that have much to do with the article in their own way:

If we don't talk about it, does it mean it won't matter anymore or that it'll just get worse? I guess the problem is that one side will talk, so the other has to as well.

The other day my brother stated that feminism was only for women. That bothered me, it bothered me because feminism to me is opening doors for everyone and helping the underdog. To him though, it meant shutting men up so that women could talk; not so two people could have a conversation. I guess it depends on who you ask, it's only a word so it could mean different things to different people.

Sometimes people advice others to be who they are and not care what other people think. Those people must not understand the hardship of not 'fitting in'. You scarcely have friends due to the crowd being afraid of you or being afraid of what will happen if they are seen with you.

The words written by Ms. Zoe Beaty, "break down masculinity and femininity for what they are -- meaningless, disempowering social constructs, which are holding us all back," are rather empowering. How odd it is that things are connected to a specific gender.

"Give me five minutes."

Have no fear, this isn't some sort of, run into the burning building in the promise that they'll be right back; not literally anyways. I'm not talking about the way people tell you they'll be ready in five minutes but in reality they forgot to add the zero to the 50.

It's a coping mechanism that I'm talking about. I am a really good complainer, I can do it all day if I wanted to. I could complain about the water in my glass and the fact the the sky isn't cerulean blue but just blue.

This analogy isn't literal but figurative. As humans we have to complain from time to time. I think allowing yourself at least five or so minutes to complain freely about your day could do wonders, just go off! And when you're done, hopefully you'll feel a little lighter.