The Chilean Earthquake IMPACT

Most, if not all of us, are well aware of the devastating earthquake that hit the country of Chile over this past weekend. I have watched the progression of news articles that have increased the death toll from "dozens" to now over 700 and many of us have seen the images of the terrible destruction and devastation that has come as a result of this earthquake.

One thing that caught my attention, too, was the extended impact of this earthquake with the tsunami warnings that were posted for so many different countries. Here is a small clip from an on-line report I found that emphasizes this fact:

"The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancels its widespread alert after smaller-than-expected waves hit Japan and Russia. Earlier, experts had issued a warning for 53 countries and regions in the area."

Wow! Fifty-three countries impacted by this one earthquake! I discuss on today's podcast how this brought a few thoughts to mind on how we are connected in this world in so many ways. Let's look at this thought first and then I'll discuss another train of thought that came to mind with this terrible tragedy.

First of all, this world is connected in many more ways than just the physical impact that this earthquake had on some many areas and countries. Because of the expansiveness of our modern media, we have almost IMMEDIATE news and images brought to us from all over the world when such a tragedy strikes.

Yes, there IS also a positive side to the same media that I "ranted" about in last weeks program and it is how it CAN make us all aware of the need for help in situations like this. It also can help us have empathy for those suffering from such a tragedy and, hopefully, move us to ACTION to help in whatever way that we can.

CAUTION: However, we still must be very careful with the AMOUNT of coverage of this tragedy that we allow ourselves to "consume". We can become overwhelmed with emotion to the point of depression if we sit and watch the non-stop coverage of these terrible happenings in our world. So, just be aware of that and be careful in the AMOUNT of coverage that you take in.

Technology also allows us to be connected to people all over the world and to be impacted by these events because of that connection. I have a friend, Carola, that is from Chile and, although rattled and pretty much having everything in her house destroyed, she is alive and well! I have never met Carola but have "connected" with her through several different avenues available on the Internet including Facebook.

You have similar instances in your life, I'm sure. We have the ability to be in contact with people that we have never even met - WOW!

But, here's the question: What are you doing with that?

Here's what I mean - you may have 10,000 followers on Twitter and 10,000 friends on Facebook, but what are you doing with that? Is it just a "let's see who can get the most numbers" thing or is it an OPPORTUNITY for YOU to do good and impact lives?

I really want to encourage you to consider the latter and take advantage of the "tools" available to each of us today to impact people's lives all around this wonderful world of ours! Sure, chat with your friends and laugh and have fun, but also take the time to encourage and share positive thoughts and ideas.

Finally, the Chilean earthquake, along with the recent earthquake in Haiti brought to mind some thoughts that are a little more sobering. There are NO GUARANTEES in life! Put even more plainly, LIFE IS NOT GUARANTEED!

You've heard me say (or read) many times that TODAY is all we have and that "tomorrow" is an illusion. Recently in our discussion of 12 Things to Do For a Positive Life we ended with something along the lines of, "Make the most of each day and evening because, once gone, they are gone forever!"

Think of the countless numbers of people in Chile and Haiti that, either the day before or even earlier in the same day, spoke to friends and family for the last time without realizing it. I'm not trying to be morbid, I promise. I'm simply trying to bring into focus the need for us to make the most of the time we have NOW!

Make the most of each day. Do today what needs to be done. Don't put it off. Don't wait for a better opportunity to share you life and love with those around you. Do it TODAY.

Keep those that have been impacted by these terrible tragedies in your thoughts and prayers and take the lessons mentioned here to heart and let it IMPACT your life for the better!

And, as always...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

My Thoughts on ROLE MODELS

role model - a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, esp. by younger people. (from dictionary.com)

There has been a LOT of discussion over the years concerning this term and exactly WHO and WHO IS NOT to be considered a role model. On the podcast I shared the controversy that surrounded Charles Barkley when he said that he was not, and should not be considered, a role model. This actually happened in 1993 and not in the late 70's or early 80's as I mentioned. (Wow, time DOES fly by!)

I agree with Mr. Barkley when he says that parents should raise their kids and not him, but, like it or not, he was still a role model. Tiger Woods - like it or not - is/was a role model. LeBron James (and the list can go on and on) is a role model whether he wants to be or not.

Some of these athletes, musicians and actors DO realize the huge impact that they have on our young people and they do try to conduct themselves in a way that shows this - but even they make mistakes!

We, as parents, have been a part of this problem. If you haven't done so, go back and listen to yesterday's podcast and read the blog for my discussion of our "Misguided Hero Worship". WE - as parents - must help our children, as they grow, to truly understand and realize who the real heroes are and who the people are that they should actually look to emulate.

People WILL disappoint! People WILL make mistakes! That's just a fact of life and we can use situations like this (the discussions for this week) to help our children and teens understand this. Hey, they will be disappointed in us sooner or later as they begin to get to the age that mom and dad aren't perfect!

Now, if I am going to rant about something on this topic, here it is: The people that claim that they aren't a role model and that they don't want to be a role model yet market themselves to be attractive to young people in order to sell their products. Many of these people will tell you that, yes, they are trying to influence the thinking of our young people - but they don't want to be role models?

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

Here's the thing - we are ALL role models to someone or to a lot of people. Scary, huh? But it's true. Yes, if you have children, you are their role model whether they tell you that or not and whether you want to be or not. It just comes with the territory!

Even when you think your kids/teens aren't listening to you - THEY ARE! Even when you think that your kids/teens aren't watching you - THEY ARE! You can be sure of that.

So, what should we take away from this week's discussions?

1. All of us, famous or not, need to take responsibility for our mistakes and stop making excuses. Remember, for every night there is a morning after! Know that and be prepared to face the consequences when we choose to make unwise decisions.

2. We all need to stop saturating our lives with the media's overkill on any and every subject. Is it really profitable for us to spend THAT much time listening and watching this stuff?

3. Let's all pay attention to and honor the REAL HEROES that surround us everyday and not allow the media to get our attention off of these people. Just because someone is famous and/or rich does NOT make them a hero!

4. Be a role model and help your children pay attention to those people around them that are appropriate role models for them. Again, just because someone is famous and/or rich does not mean that they are someone to emulate.

Again, all of this comes down to a choice - OUR CHOICE on what we allow into our homes and our heads. It's up to YOU to control this and to help teach your children this value for their own lives.

Think about it and...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Mike's Rant on Misguided Hero Worship

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm continuing on my little "rant" for this week and, guess what? I'm still smiling!

So far this week I have "ranted" about people's using "addictions" or some other "disease" to apparently remove them from actual responsibility for their actions, the media's "over kill" on these and just about ANY situation and now, today, I want to "rant" about our misguided "hero worship".

Again, I can't speak for other places in the world, I can only speak of what I see in the United States of America. However, from what I can tell, it seems that this is something that takes place in a LOT of countries around the world.

All of this discussion has centered around - or began because of - Tiger Woods and his HUGE mistakes that have come into light since around Thanksgiving of 2009. On Monday I discussed Steve Phillips, another "celebrity" that was involved in extra marital affairs that cost him at least two different jobs and caused him to enter a "sex addiction clinic" and claim that, because he knew the consequences and he ignored them he MUST be an addict.

The media has covered this thing to the point of exhaustion and, yet, I know there are some people in this country that are just waiting for more and more information on this - and other - topics like it.

Now, let me go ahead and say this ahead of time - tomorrow we WILL be discussing the thought of "role models" and address the question about these "celebrities" - "Are they role models and should they be held to a higher standard?"

You see, to me it doesn't matter if you are talking about athletes, singers, musicians or actors. Here's the bottom line - THEY ARE JUST PEOPLE!

Yet, for whatever reason, we - in this country - have lifted them up and placed them up on a pedestal because...what? They can hit a baseball or dunk a basketball? They can sing or play the guitar? They can act?

This makes it alright in our society for these people to get paid $25 million dollars per year for doing so? Really?

Hey, I like sports just like a lot of people. I enjoy watching Brett Farve and several others play football. I love watching Albert Pujols hit a baseball and LeBron James dunk a basketball. But, does what they do entitle them to be paid THAT kind of money and does it entitle them to the "hero worship" that so many young people - AND ADULTS - pour upon them?

My answer: NO!

Now, let me clarify something here - I have no problem with someone attaining wealth. One of the great things about attaining wealth is all the good that can be done by the person that has accumulated such wealth. Also, I do know and realize that MANY of these athletes (and others I have talked about) DO a lot of wonderful things with the money that they have received. O.k.? But that's not the point of today's discussion.

Here's the point: Does their ability to hit a ball, dunk a ball, sing, play or act automatically qualify them to be a "hero" for our young people?

Let's talk about the REAL heroes that are around us each and every day and let's do all we can to LIFT THEM UP and ENCOURAGE them in THEIR lives. And, hey, by the way...I can guarantee you that THEY are not getting the millions of dollars that these "celebrities" are getting paid. Yet, they are dedicated to their jobs.

Here I go again with another clarification before I talk about some of these real heroes. As I list these groups of people I want to make sure we understand that, just like anything else, just because a person is IN one of these groups does NOT make them a hero! There are GOOD and BAD representations in each of these groups. Obviously, I'm talking about the GOOD representations in each of these groups.

TEACHERS
Where would we be without our teachers? The GOOD teachers are dedicated to their jobs and do their very best to bring out the best in their students. They are often underpaid and under-appreciated. If your child has a GOOD teacher, why not take a moment and send them a note of thanks? What a great thing to do!

POLICEMEN - FIREFIGHTERS - EMT's
There are probably others that fit in this category that I am over looking but it is not done on purpose so forgive me if I left someone out. Again, the GOOD ones in these categories care about their jobs and the ones that they serve. They are there when they are needed to give protection, aid and, even comfort at times. They put their lives in danger regularly but do so willingly. They, too, are usually underpaid and under-appreciated. Do you know one or more of the GOOD ones? Why not tell them "thank you"? I can promise you that they will appreciate it.

THOSE SERVING IN THE MILITARY
There are countless men and women that have VOLUNTEERED (let's not miss this point) to serve in this way and there are countless numbers of them that are in very dangerous situations on our behalf. You may not agree with the politics behind those in charge, but you cannot fault those that are serving. Along with those that are serving I also want to mention those that are left behind at home to take care of a family or just to worry daily about the safety of their loved one. Salute one of these heroes whenever you get a chance!

OUR VETERANS

There are also countless numbers of men and women that ARE around us every day that have served their country in their past and ALL of them have been impacted in some way. Some with memories that they would like to be rid of and some with physical problems and/or handicaps due to their service. There are also countless families that have nothing BUT the memories of their loved one that served and was killed during their service. Again, salute these people whenever you get the chance.

I'm sure there are MANY more people that YOU can think of in the are of TRUE HEROES! However, the point is not to remind me of them - but to make sure that YOU let them know that you consider them a hero!

THESE are the people that we should be pointing out for our children, our teens and, even for each other as those that truly DESERVE the label of "hero" in our world today.

And, yes, some of these athletes, musicians and actors would also tell you the exact same thing concerning this topic.

Indeed, there ARE true heroes that live among us or HAVE lived among us. Let's get our priorities straight and let's get our focus straight and direct this focus toward those that have actually SACRIFICED and SERVED or are doing so each and every day!

And, as you do so, remember...


"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Mike's Rant on the Media

The Rant Continues...

I hope you don't mind me taking this opportunity to let off a little steam about a few things. And, yes, I'm smiling as I type that sentence!

Today I'm going to rant about the media and the impact it makes on our lives each and every day. Before I get started on today's "rant" (yeah, I'm still smiling) I want you to try to figure out how much time each day - on average - you spend listening to and/or watching some sort of "news". Could there perhaps be a need for a change in your dose of "news" each day?

As I mentioned on today's podcast, think for a moment about all of the news outlets available to us each and every day. When I talk about this, I'm not even talking about newspapers and what's available on the Internet which would multiply the sources many times over!

How many 24 hour "news" channels can you think of? There are SEVERAL available to us out there each and every day to where, regardless of the time - day or night - you can turn the television on and get the "news".

In case you are wondering why I keep putting "news" in quotation marks it is because I believe that the majority of what is passed off as news is not really news. So, I'm using the term "news" in a very loose and general way.

Now, on top of all of the 24 hour "news" channels on a national level, you also have 24 hour "sports" (yeah, I'm using that one loosely and generally as well) networks as well that tend to try to get into the area of "news" quite often. Then, along with all of that you have the entertainment "news" shows that REALLY get into the "gossip" aspect of all of this.

Are you ready to go to the "local" level now? I can only speak of the way it is in Arkansas, so you will have to apply this to your local "news" market on this part. Most of our local news channels (the main networks - NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX) have an early morning "news" program that starts somewhere around 5 or 5:30 a.m. and goes until it's time for the national morning "news" programs. These generally run until 9:00 a.m. or, in the case of one network, 10 a.m. each day. In Arkansas, on the networks who's morning national program ends at 9:00 a.m. our local channels pick up with ANOTHER segment of morning "news" which ends at around 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. THEN several of them also have a noon "news" program that last for 30 minutes - and even one of them goes for a full hour. On top of all of that, each of these also has a "news" program from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. (followed by the national "news" from 5:30 - 6:00 p.m.) and another from 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. and now a couple of these have extended this to an additional segment that goes from 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. We're not done yet! They hit us again with a 10:00 p.m. "news" segment that goes for another 30 minutes! However, the local FOX network has their evening "news" begin at 9:00 p.m. and again at 10:00 p.m.

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!

Now, this is in ARKANSAS - there is just not THAT much to talk about around here!

But the truth is this: even nationally, there just really isn't THAT much to talk about! And, so, many times these networks must CREATE their own news by talking about things that aren't really news. Many of the things you will see talked about on these programs are full of controversy that rival the "entertainment news" (gossip shows) format.

Can you say OVER-KILL?

You could literally sit in front of your television ALL DAY and watch "news" from the time you get out of bed to the time you GO to bed and then, if you want, get up in the middle of the night and catch a peek at a little more. See why I asked you to determine your "dose" that YOU get each day? Might it be a little much? Could it be that you need to "wean" yourself off of this?

So, what does this have to do with what I ranted about yesterday? EVERYTHING!

When you consider the amount of time that is dedicated to "news" (again, for the most part the use of this word is a JOKE) then they have to fill that time with SOMETHING!

And, so, when a professional golfer crashes his SUV into a fire hydrant and tree at 3:00 a.m. and 911 is called - IT'S MAJOR NEWS that is shown over and over again and talked about to the point of redundancy!

Now, let me say this - I'm not letting Tiger Woods or so many of our "celebrities" off of the hook on this, o.k.? We'll be talking more about this tomorrow and on Thursday -- but right now I'm ranting about the media! (Yup, still smiling).

Really think about it - how many times did you see the SAME clip of his SUV crashed into that tree? Over and over again all day for several days!

Let's fast forward a few months to something that happened earlier this week - Tiger's "news conference" (Really? Are you kidding me?) for him to "apologize" to a few close friends PLUS a huge television audience! Was this something that REALLY merited all of those channels to "cut in" to their programming so that they could air this live?

And, because it was relatively short - 14 minutes, was it? - some channels (the so-called SPORTS channels...yeah, I'm talking about you, ESPN) decided it was worth showing in it's entirety more than once! If I had hair long enough to do it, I'd be pulling it out about now!

Wow, have I ranted long enough yet? (Smiling!)

Here's the thing that WE (those of you taking the time to read this) must think about --- IT'S ALL MOSTLY JUNK and NEGATIVE so we need to break away from it as much as possible!

Again, with as much time to fill as these "news" programs have to fill then they MUST find as much doom and gloom as possible. And, with today's technology it is now possible for them to get more and more often from ANYWHERE around the world!

I think it was the old ABC sports show called, "ABC's Wide World of Sports" that used a phrase along the lines of, "Spanning the globe..." Here's the thing - these "news" outlets are no longer just "spanning the globe" they are now scouring the globe to dig up anything that can to try to pass it off as "news".

Really think about that and how it impacts YOUR life and YOUR attitude each and every day.

Ahhhhhhh...now, I feel better!

Hey, seriously, thanks for joining me today and I do hope I've given you something to think about that can HELP YOU in your quest to live a POWERFUL and POSITIVE life!

And, as you do so, remember...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Mike's Rant on RESPONSIBILITY

Let me start off today acknowledging that I have not lived a perfect life. Let me say up front that I have made HUGE mistakes in my life that resulted in some hard things to work through. I am not perfect and I do not claim to be perfect.


That being said, I have to rant a little bit about some of the things that are "news" - especially in the sports world - during this time period.


You know, it wasn't very long ago that I had a series of discussions about recent events in the sports world that involved several "young" men who had made some very unwise decisions.


One of those involved an "unamed" (my choice) professional golfer that is still very much in the news even now as I type this article today.


I know that you figured out at the time that I was referring to Tiger Woods and I do mention him by name in the podcast that I did on this topic today.


HOWEVER, let me state something right up front - I am not venting about Tiger Woods today and here's the reason why: I have not listened to what he has had to say on the topic and I will not address "rumors" of what has or has not been said. I didn't even watch the "news conference" the other day when he "apologized" in front of a few close friends and relatives (and all of the T.V. audience, too???). Obviously, I can't have missed SOME of what has run across the bottom of some stations I have watched that have quoted some of the things he has said. For example, it has been reported on several occassions that he was being treated at a sex addiction clinic - although this has never been confirmed or admitted by Tiger Woods himself.

However, through the course of this "story" being addressed to the point of obsession another situation has come to light and I HAVE heard someone associated with this other situation talk about some things that have just not settled well with me.


So now my RANT begins!

One day I was watching ESPN (and, by the way, my next "rant" in this area is going to be on the media and how they have just gone overboard on so many things) they shared information about one of their former on-air commentators, Steve Phillips, having been fired from ESPN as well as a job as the New York Mets General Manager both due to him having affairs with people that he worked with. ESPN proceed to show a clip of an interview that Steve Phillips had done on the "Today" show earlier that week in which Mr. Phillips discussed the fact that he had been at a sex addicition clinic.

Now, this is not an EXACT quote, o.k.? However, he said something very similiar to this: "Here's when I knew that what I had was an addiction. When I knew that, continuing my behavior might cost me my job and even my marriage, I did it anyway."


Now, friend, I'm not sure how that strikes you - but that just "rubs me the wrong way" and I've been holding this in for a couple of weeks until I finished up on my other topics.

I guess I should place another "disclaimer" here for the moment before I continue:
I DO understand that an addict can be so wrapped up in their addiction (whatever that addiction may be) that they completely throw out any "common sense thinking" out the door and their main focus is to get their "drug" regardless of the cost. O.k.? I do understand that. I do know that to be true and know of situations where people have lost EVERYTHING due to such an addiction. Is it possible for someone to be a "sex addict"? I'm sure it is.

But - and this is just my opinion - I'm not buying this "addiction" thing for a moment in this situation. Let me share with you why I feel this way.

The reasoning. I'm sorry, but that "reasoning" that was used by Mr. Phillips is just LAME! If his reasoning is THE definition of an addiction then we are ALL addicts of some sort!

Think about it - anytime ANYONE does ANYTHING that is wrong, they could use this "reasoning" to claim an addiction. "Yeah, I knew that if I got caught I'd get punished, and I did it anyway. Hey! I must have an addiction!"

Pardon me, but I don't think so.

You can listen to the podcast and get more on my thoughts, but let me say this: (again, this is just MY opinion) Mr. Phillips (and countless others every day) did what he did because it is what he WANTED to do!

Pure and simple.

We are teaching our young people a TERRIBLE lesson and setting a TERRIBLE example by such thoughts and actions. Own up to your mistake, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and don't fall back on such a weak argument and call it an addiction.

Yes, even by taking responsibility the fact remains that WRONG WAS DONE and OTHERS WERE HURT by these actions BUT...I have far more respect for someone that takes responsibility, don't you?

And, oh, by the way...in these situations, you will hear the phrase used, "I take full responsibility for my actions..." I beg to differ. If you take full responsibility for your actions then STOP FALLING BACK ON THE ADDICTION STORY and simply state: "I screwed up!"

As I stated in my podcast, you don't have to agree with my thoughts on this. I don't expect that everyone will. But, if nothing else, please help me in this area of helping us ALL see - and, by doing so, instilling this important principle into our young people - the need for taking responsibility for our mistakes.

Thanks for allowing me to rant. Be warned, I'm going to do some more tomorrow!

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"


Mike