New Year - Discovery and Adventure

Dreams and Ambitions

Aspirations - Looking forward, Living in the Present

Boxing Day - Caribbean and UK - No, not that kind of boxing

Merry Christmas

Winter Solstice

Suicide

Transformation

Tiger

World Intervention Day - Third Thursday of December

World Intervention Day (Annually, every 3rd Thursday in December) is dedicated to raising awareness of the very real physical, financial and emotional costs associated with behavioral crisis, no matter the source. Government and U.S. health officials estimate that addiction and the costs associated with treatment are the #1 source of preventable death in the US including chemical dependency and alcoholism to eating disorders, spending, gambling and more.

This day of recognition offers a way to rally support for family and friends to step in with hope, determination and a plan to help a loved one in their journey to recovery.

World Intervention Day helps raise awareness and serves as a call to action to: get assessed, get stabilized and most importantly, get the help you or a loved one desperately needs to get well.

The startling statistics show:

• 1 in 6 Americans report that they “drink too much,” while 1 in 20 say they have problems with extreme drinking

• 1 in 38 Americans has an eating disorder. One out of 10 are men; 9 out of 10 are women

• 1 in 43 Americans has a gambling problem

• 1 in 15 Americans regularly uses illicit drugs

• 1 in 20 Americans is currently dealing with depression

• 1 in 5 American adults smoke cigarettes

• 1 in 13 Americans suffer from an unhealthy Internet dependency

World Intervention Day is a chance to bust the myths of change. The support system around a struggling loved one often stands still, and even builds up a support system around the problem that enables chaos and crisis. Long after the red light goes off that help is needed, friends and family struggle to agree upon what to do, with an average of 24 months passing before anything is ever done. Behind a behavioral crisis and the refusal of help, the resounding “NO!” there’s a “YES” dying to come out.

Source: The Change Institute - www.changeinstitute.com

The face of God

Love & Service

Overcoming Adversity

One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. - Albert Schweitzer.

Human Rights Day

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations pronounced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Human Rights are inalienable rights which belong to each person on this earth merely because he or she exists.  It is as follows:

Universal Declaration of Human RightsPlain Language Version 1 When children are born, they are free and each should be treated in the same way. They have reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a friendly manner. 2 Everyone can claim the following rights, despite - a different sex - a different skin colour - speaking a different language - thinking different things - believing in another religion - owning more or less - being born in another social group - coming from another country It also makes no difference whether the country you live in is independent or not. 3 You have the right to live, and to live in freedom and safety. 4 Nobody has the right to treat you as his or her slave and you should not make anyone your slave. 5 Nobody has the right to torture you. 6 You should be legally protected in the same way everywhere, and like everyone else. 7 The law is the same for everyone; it should be applied in the same way to all. 8 You should be able to ask for legal help when the rights your country grants you are not respected. 9 Nobody has the right to put you in prison, to keep you there, or to send you away from your country unjustly, or without good reason. 10 If you go on trial this should be done in public. The people who try you should not let themselves be influenced by others. 11 You should be considered innocent until it can be proved that you are guilty. If you are accused of a crime, you should always have the right to defend yourself. Nobody has the right to condemn you and punish you for something you have not done. 12 You have the right to ask to be protected if someone tries to harm your good name, enter your house, open your letters, or bother you or your family without a good reason. 13 You have the right to come and go as you wish within your country. You have the right to leave your country to go to another one; and you should be able to return to your country if you want. 14 If someone hurts you, you have the right to go to another country and ask it to protect you. You lose this right if you have killed someone and if you, yourself, do not respect what is written here. 15 You have the right to belong to a country and nobody can prevent you, without a good reason, from belonging to a country if you wish. 16 As soon as a person is legally entitled, he or she has the right to marry and have a family. In doing this, neither the colour of your skin, the country you come from nor your religion should be impediments. Men and women have the same rights when they are married and also when they are separated. Nobody should force a person to marry. The government of your country should protect you and the members of your family. 17 You have the right to own things and nobody has the right to take these from you without a good reason. 18 You have the right to profess your religion freely, to change it, and to practise it either on your own or with other people. 19 You have the right to think what you want, to say what you like, and nobody should forbid you from doing so. You should be able to share your ideas also—with people from any other country. 20 You have the right to organize peaceful meetings or to take part in meetings in a peaceful way. It is wrong to force someone to belong to a group. 21 You have the right to take part in your country's political affairs either by belonging to the government yourself or by choosing politicians who have the same ideas as you. Governments should be voted for regularly and voting should be secret. You should get a vote and all votes should be equal. You also have the same right to join the public service as anyone else. 22 The society in which you live should help you to develop and to make the most of all the advantages (culture, work, social welfare) which are offered to you and to all the men and women in your country. 23 You have the right to work, to be free to choose your work, to get a salary which allows you to support your family. If a man and a woman do the same work, they should get the same pay. All people who work have the right to join together to defend their interests. 24 Each work day should not be too long, since everyone has the right to rest and should be able to take regular paid holidays. 25 You have the right to have whatever you need so that you and your family: do not fall ill or go hungry; have clothes and a house; and are helped if you are out of work, if you are ill, if you are old, if your wife or husband is dead, or if you do not earn a living for any other reason you cannot help. Mothers and their children are entitled to special care. All children have the same rights to be protected, whether or not their mother was married when they were born. 26 You have the right to go to school and everyone should go to school. Primary schooling should be free. You should be able to learn a profession or continue your studies as far as wish. At school, you should be able to develop all your talents and you should be taught to get on with others, whatever their race, religion or the country they come from. Your parents have the right to choose how and what you will be taught at school. 27 You have the right to share in your community's arts and sciences, and any good they do. Your works as an artist, writer, or a scientist should be protected, and you should be able to benefit from them. 28 So that your rights will be respected, there must be an 'order' which can protect them. This ‘order’ should be local and worldwide. 29 You have duties towards the community within which your personality can only fully develop. The law should guarantee human rights. It should allow everyone to respect others and to be respected. 30 In all parts of the world, no society, no human being, should take it upon her or himself to act in such a way as to destroy the rights which you have just been reading about.

This plain language version is only given as a guide. For an exact rendering of each principle, refer students to the original. This version is based in part on the translation of a text, prepared in 1978, for the World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace, by a Research Groyp of the University of Geneva, under the responsibility of Prof. L. Massarenti. In preparing the translation, the Group used a basic vocabulary of 2,500 words in use in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Teachers may adopt this methodology by translating the text of the Universal Declaration in the language in use in their region.

Fitness Inspiration - Ramel Feliz

I have trained with a personal trainer when I was in my late 20s and my late 30s and understood the value of a trainer.  Now that I am in my late 40s, I have a trainer focusing on my total fitness, longevity and optimal health.  Despite 10 to 15 years of physical abuse self-inflicted and 5 years of sobriety and recovery, I look and feel younger than I did in my 20s and 30s.  I owe a great part of this to Ramel Feliz, my trainer.  yeah Buddy!! www.rameltdown.com.

The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor - 70th Anniversary

Today is the 70th year since the Sunday attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Empire of Japan.  This action caused the United States to declare war on Japan and led to the USA's entrance into World War II.  Japan was destroyed and had to rebuild from the ashes.  Rebuild it did and I had the opportunity to live in Japan for one year from 1984-1985.  I fell in love with Japan and it became one of the most transformational years of my life.  I love so much of Japanese life, language, culture and people.  I cannot imagine being at war with these people, but then I cannot imagine being at war with any people.  I have friends in almost every country of the world and have no enemies, except for those people who do not know me yet. 

Many people hate former adversaries in war.  I can't imagine such hatred. I honor all who died in this attack - all who died.

The most wonderful time of the year...

Palm Beach Marathon

Africa - land of Adventure

Africa is a place of imagination. A place of great beauty and great horror.  A place of great courage and great tragedy. A land of such injustice and such redemption.  It has been called by Richard Dowden "Altered States; Ordinary Miracles."

For me, Africa is the birthplace of mankind and the source of my dreams of adventure. 

World AIDS Day

Today, I honor all of my friends who have left this world because of AIDS.  This terrible disease has claimed the lives of more friends than any other disease or event.  Here in Florida, we have the third largest population of those infected with HIV in the nation. One in every 205 white men, one in ever 113 Latino, and one in every 42 African American men in Florida is living with HIV in Florida.  Nationally, AIDS is the leading cuase of death among young African American women.   But we can make a difference; I can make a difference one on one and together because We are GREATER than AIDS and HIV.