“Failure” Is An Option
by Cheval John
What is stopping you from fulfilling your dreams?
Is it fear of the unknown?
Is it fear of failure?
Or is it the fear of people making fun of you after you fail?
Whatever it is, don’t let it stop you.
Dane Maxwell, founder of “The Foundation,” wrote a little post about failure.
He illustrates that it is o.k. to fail because it is a sign that you are making progress.
He used an example of how parents celebrates when their infant falls down when they try to walk for the first time instead of condemning him/her because they see that they are aiming for the impossible.
That alone encourages that infant to keep trying until he/she succeeds.
He can attest to that because he experienced plenty of failures before he became successful in building software products that have made him a millionare.
So whatever it is that you been itching to do, do it.
Whether it is learning how to play that guitar that you been craving to play or filming that first movie that you always want to film.
If it doesn’t turn out well the first time, keep on trying because in the end, it will turn out the way you want it.
And if someone says that you suck, celebrate!
Because at the end of the day, you did something that they didn’t have the guts to do themselves.
Don’t Take Life For Granted
by Cheval John
Sometimes we forget how precious life really is.
We are used to interacting with our friends, family, etc., on a daily basis that we get to the point of taking it for granted.
We believe that we have all the time in the world to tell a person how important they are in our lives and forget that they can be taken in an instant.
When that happens, we wonder if we did everything for that person or said what was needed to be said and ending up beating ourselves in the process.
For example, Deanna Brionnes has been the secretary of the Mass Communication Department on the campus of Sam Houston State for quite some time.
On a daily basis, she has to deal with the logistics of the department, whether it is helping a student register for a class or getting the schedule made for a professor.
In addition to her work, she helped in the planning of the MCM department’s annual spring banquet and collaborate with those that are in charge of putting it together.
Because of her dedication, she has received recognition from professors and student organizations in the department.
For example, Raven Films, a student film organization, gave her a baby blanket as their way of saying thank you because she and her husband are expecting their first child.
So the next time you see that person who makes life so fun and interesting, let him or her know how important they are to you.
Because you never know if you will get that opportunity again.
One Little Step Can Make A Difference
by Cheval John
Everyone’s aspiration is to make a difference in the world.
Many believe that you need to have a whole lot of money, or to be well known in order to fulfill that aspiration.
The reality is that “you are already making a difference in the world everyday.”
Whether it is by saying words of encouragement to make someone’s day better, saying hi to someone to let them know that they are important or buying them a cup of coffee. You get the picture.
If you want to do more and make this world a better place, then watch this video by Marie Forleo of MarieTV.
Honesty Is The Best Policy
by Cheval John
Some media pundits would say ‘if you’re not cheating, you are not trying.’
Many can attest that soccer is the poster child for that statement.
The casual fan sees the majority of players diving or faking an injury in order to get a call from the referee.
They would immediately have a stereotypical view of the sport because of that.
I saw the opposite of that in a match between Everton F.C. and Newcastle United on Monday.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the 64th minute, Everton’s Victor Anichebe was going for the ball on a breakaway to try to score the go-ahead goal.
However, Newcastle’s goalkeeper Steve Harper came out of his box to clear the ball and in the process was clipped by Anichebe.
The referee signaled a foul and it seemed like Anichebe was going to be penalized.
In an instant, Harper told the referee that Anichebe was for the ball and not for him.
Normally in that circumstance, a player would receive a yellow card.
If the foul was really severe, then a red card would be issued and the player would be ejected from the match.
Harper had the opportunity to get Anichebe sent off because the Nigerian forward was playing very well late in the competition.
But he decided to be honest and it kept Anichebe in the game.
That shows that they are some people who are willing to play the right way and do what is right no matter what.
Many would focus on the outcome of the game or the missed calls by the referees.
For me, Harper’s action was the shining moment of the match.
This Time Really Is Different
by Cheval John
With the presidential election right around the corner, the main concern is the economy.
Some say that we are at a recovery while others believe that it will get worse.
Voters are wondering if we will ever see America return back to it’s “glory days.
To understand where we are today, we have to understand the past and that is where guest writer, Dr. Brian Domitrovic comes in.
He has written a book called “Econoclast, The Rebels Who Sparked The Supply-Side Revolution And Restored America’s Prosperity,” which deals with the ecomonic recovery during the Reagan Administration.
He writes a weekly blog called “Past and Present” for Forbes and have given presentations at various conferences that includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Houston Branch).
He has made appearances on radio nationally on shows like the Lars Larson Show and Voices of America and television appearances on various shows like Lou Dobbs Tonight and The Kudlow Report.
He is an Associate Professor of History at Sam Houston State University and currently serves as the Chair of the Department.
Now without further delay, here is Dr. Domitrovic:
We never seen a recovery from a recession this poor since the Great Depression.
There is some competition, and it comes from the stagflation era of the early 1980s.
The general rule is that a deep recession brings a sharper recovery, and the reason is simple mathematics.
Growth rates are calculated in the following manner: new GDP is divided by previous GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and the steeper the recession, the lower that denominator.
The lower the denominator, the greater will be a growth rate with any given numerator.
In the Depression, growth was very sharp out of the 1933 trough (40% for four years), but it still gave way to a nasty recession in 1937-38 that took unemployment to 17%.
This is the benchmark for failed recoveries: a resort to 17% unemployment.
In 1980, there was a recession, a mild one, and the recovery was meek, at 2.5% in 1981, and this gave way to another recession where unemployment just about hit 11%.
But then growth caught fire, 17% over the next three years, and 3.5% per year after that.
Today, the recovery from our Great Recession, in the aftermath of which there was 10% unemployment, has been at best on 1981 standards.
We used to recover from deep recessions with 17% growth for three years as the recovery.
Now we plod along at 1-2% per year out of a very deep swoon.
The only time we’ve done worse in the modern era is the 1930s.
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