A thankful rant 2013

Around this time last year, I wrote a hybrid post, titled “A thankful rant” where I took a moment to thank those who mean the most to me, my friends, my family, and you, my readers… Until – well, this happens quite often to be honest – it turned into a bit of a rant about the original meanings for holidays and how the point has been lost for most of the reasons for the seasons. Before jumping into familiar waters, I want to say that if my family or friends are reading this – you mean so much to me, and I hope the next month, leading to Christmas is a magical one for each of you. To my readers, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you! For without your support, your comments, your reads, and your thoughts, I would not be able to do what I do, living a life fulfilled with exploration, creativity, personal growth, and with the ability to share my opinions and feelings freely, with complete gratification stemming from those I am blessed enough to inspire, instilling a new life full of hope.

Rereading over old posts is always an interesting experience for me, and reading over that article offered me nothing short of an awkward giddiness. I still agree with everything I said then, however this year, I thought a more simple, less ranting version would be nice – AND THEN Walmart and a bunch of other greedy f%&#’s decided to ruin another American holiday for millions of people by opening their doors on Thanksgiving. If you don’t already know about this, then you can find out more here.

Each day that I wake up breathing, I find myself more and more pissed off about the things that are happening around the world. Greed, selfishness, wastefulness, and the fact that very few people think through their choices and actions, realizing what effect they’re having on others around the world, are a few of the many things that make me sad about this day and age. Traveling to more ‘Eastern’ civilizations offers me more hope for the world and for mankind, because family values, moral integrity, and world consequence is often held in higher esteem. For that, I am thankful. For without balance to the status quo, the world would be doomed at a speedier pace than it already is. But I hope and I pray that greater numbers of mankind will realize and act.

I want to leave you with a few parting ideas and ways to live a better life – with focus on the betterment of the world, as a community, with which it is evolving to become in today’s age:

• Eat fresh and eat local – There are now more food options than ever before, and almost every single processed food is unhealthy for you. Foods are now created with unauthentic ingredients, stuffed with fillers, and made like complete junk. Eat fresh foods, fruits and veggies, from local farmers who are passionate about their work, and the quality of their product. This is something you will NEVER regret!
• Buy from local businesses, support local people – Ever watched the Disney movie Wall-E? If not, watch it immediately. Corporate takeover of the world is a real thing, and it’s something you should seriously watch out for. For each and everything that you can do to bring business to local economies, while also supporting the little man, then each one is a step in the right direction to improve the world as we know it. Also, buy quality and buy it locally, don’t buy cheap, plastic crap that can be neither recycled or reused over time.
• Drink more water – You will feel better each day.
• But conserve water – With the world’s water supply plummeting, conservation of water is more important than ever, and perhaps more important than most other limited resources. Take shorter showers, use less water to clean dishes and to brush your teeth – find other ways to waste not. Remember, without water, there is no life.
• Care about others, be a giver, not a taker – Compassion is one of mankind’s most amazing attributes. There is a deep love for helping others that many people tend to ignore, but once you open those gates a little, a flood of love, passion, and fulfillment greets you, like nothing else you’ve ever felt before. Be remembered as a giver, as a selfless and wonderful soul.
• Support positive change – Just talking about what needs to be changed isn’t enough. Join a group of likeminded individuals, work to open the eyes of others and spread knowledge, and make a difference – hell… Start a revolution. Do what you know will make our world a better place. Be the change you want to see.
• And political change – It’s safe to say that majority of Americans understand how bad the government can be – from the surveillance scandal, being caught in its web of lies, being money hungry over oil, how it allows awful foods to be consumed nationally, or how it won’t put movement to renewable energies, or even the creation of better cars. Corporations run the government, not the politicians – for they are like puppets, guided by the strings of money and the promise of ‘fame.’ Only lies, deceit, and greed run the country… And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in a country like that.
• Honesty and integrity – Perhaps the Bible and being religious isn’t your thing (and I can agree to that on some levels), but one thing you have to appreciate is how well the Bible works at guiding ones moral compass. I believe that honesty, integrity, and overall moral quality is a cornerstone to world acceptance and evolution, and eventually world peace. Treat others well, with respect, honesty, integrity, honor and with humility and you will feel better, love better, and live better.
• Remember the reason – There was once a meaning behind each holiday and season, and the obvious route of these traditions (that used to teach us humility and morals, and faith) is trivial compared to the importance of recognition and honor.
• AND for God sakes, boycott holiday shopping days – If enough people realize how awful it is to take ANOTHER holiday away from employees and their families, perhaps the stores will learn to scrap horrible ideas like this.
• All in all – This mixed rant of random ideas and problems basically circles back to the realization of what’s truly important in life – so figure out what’s important to you, and run with it.
  

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” –Mahatma Gandhi.


Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


(Photo by mathewingram via Flickr)