CBrajkovich Ramblings

http://youtu.be/IYJBm-AcpHk

The kindness of strangers can show up in the most unexpected of places. I’m pretty sure that the bottom of the ocean would not be a common place to encounter a moment quite like this. Reddit shared this tense few minutes as this incredible diver works to undo what another human did to this adorable puffer fish. I have to admit that I was holding my breath until the end of this video. And the happy ending made the tension worth it, as did the “Woooohhh” that came from the victorious diver at the moment the fish was free from its agony. I think all of us can say the we all thought the “Woooohhh” came from the fish, as it looked pretty happy to be free of the hook and the big scary moment.

Saved by kindness. Faith in humanity has been restored, both for me and for that little fish! AWESOME!!!

This Helen Keller quote from Piccsy describes my idea of faith. It’s so much more than a religious doctrine. It’s actually a belief system that you hold inside you to balance the trials and tribulations of life. It’s something powerful that sustains you until you can walk on your own again. It doesn’t go away when it’s not needed. It is a part of who you are, and it’s a reflection of who you want to be. The hardest moments of your life show what your true faith is made of.

So, here’s the thought for the day: Is your faith something that you built yourself, or something that was dictated to you by someone who barely knows who you really are? That’s a critical difference between true “faith” and thoughtless actions.

– Thanks Piccsy and QuotesNSayings

No, this isn’t going to be your first thought when you reach a barrier. Hugging your opponent is not going to feel natural, but maybe it should. After having a long discussion with my hubby (who has different views from me – not a bad thing), I was feeling frustrated that so many people don’t feel like they’re able to move past those barriers erected by our past. Views instilled on us by our family, our schools, and just about every other major influence in your life.

It’s not easy to go against what feels normal. Placing yourself in that other person’s shoes so that you might feel a moment of his or her life and start to understand what motivates them. While everyone is unique, our experiences are fairly standardized simply because normal is limited. It’s high time that we move past normal because it’s just keeping the barriers erected, and those barriers stop progress. Progress shouldn’t be feared, because its potential is so much greater than stagnation. Notice the word nation embedded in that word? I don’t think that’s a coincidence. We need to get past nations and think bigger – much bigger.

Make your world larger by experiencing more of it. Only then will we finally start to create the doorway that opens up to a future when this hug will be returned without hesitation or fear.

– Thanks Piccsy for the warmth

Correction: Rep. Bost is part of the Illinois House of Representatives – same circus, different venue

http://youtu.be/h19FZtDprd0

Know that even people in Congress are getting pretty fed up of the bull***t that is happening in politics. I stumbled on this fiery video from Reddit showing Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois venting after having only 15 minutes to read and vote on a 200-page bill. Needless to say, we honestly need to show these representatives to the voters in this country, so that they know that not all politicians act the same way as other ideologically-motivated career politicians do.

This isn’t about party politics. This is simply about ineffective politics that needs to change. Agendas need to give away to actual plans that fix our mess of a country. And frankly, if you have to write a 200 page document for pension reform, then your pension program has a lot more problems than this irresponsible method of voting.

Here’s a thought: We have so many overpaid lawyers who could be used for real public good by reviewing all of the laws and case studies to develop viable plans that streamline laws to the most simplest form possible. Start building a national process that all states can follow to personalize the programs to the states actual needs. Enforce ethical guidelines for all players to uphold. Use polling to find out the needs of the people. Have all sectors actually work together to innovate fair practices that will promise a future for all. And that’s just for starters.

Looks like even our legislators are fed up of how our government runs. I totally agree!

Just saying…