A quote from Einstein.

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will get you everywhere." By Albert Einstein.  This quote can have a multitude of meanings. But we are going to talk about it in respect to the future and the coming new year.  In this case, there are things we still want to do. Things we have yet to accomplish, but we have no idea how to get there.  We see the rules that logic provides for us to try and get from A to B, and yet we struggle.  Sometimes our path seems blocked.  That is where imagination comes in.  Imagination is our ability to see other methods to getting where we want to go.  It is the ability to imagine things that aids us to creating new ideas and inventions.  As such, without imagination, we would not have cars, skyscrapers or any advanced tech if someone had not stopped using logic and tried to figure out a new way to do something.  With imagination we gained books like "Harry Potter" and "The Hunger Games", and movies like "Up" or "Minions".  Entertainment for our selves, conveniences and more have all been thought up with someone's imagination and then they found a way to bring the imagined into reality.

Final Thought:  If you think your idea is dumb, think again.  It could potentially turn into something that can make life a little easier for people, or to entertain them.  Imagination is a part of our ability to dream, and it aids in making said dreams a reality.  So do not give up on your ideas.  Put the work in and you can potentially go anywhere and be anything you want.

News Cut off

Every once in awhile I have to shut myself away from the news.  For let us face it, it's really depressing.  So I generally choose the holidays to do so, for the holidays are meant to be fun and enjoyed by all.  And that is exactly what I did.  I deprived my brain of everything having to do with what was going on in the news.  Yes, I know I require the news to gather some info and ideas for issues and articles, but watching all that depressing stuff all the time is very unhealthy.  In fact your brain is very powerful and depression or anxiety can harm your body in a multitude of ways.  Needless to say it is a very bad thing.  As such, to remain healthy for you my readers (and in my own self interest) I abstained from the news and anything really relating to it.

Final Thought:  Anything that depresses you or causes you anxiety is potentially bad for your health.  Immune systems can weaken, you can become physically weak, or you can lash out in anger toward those you care about.  So try to take a break from life's stresses or take a vacation if you can.  Trust me, it will help you in the long run.

Countdown to New Years

So, did everyone have a good Christmas?  I know I sure did.  Got to see all my family and a few friends and spend quality time with everyone.  Now (as I am a nerd) I have a whole lot of books to read (ones that I got for Christmas, and others I bought throughout the year).  Do you know what that means?  I probably will have better articles, issues and even mini-posts once I get around to reading and analyzing all the information I'll be cramming into my tiny little brain. Good times right? (well for me atleast).  But this is how I constantly try to make myself better, to know more, to maintain power and authority over myself.  I will never forget the lessons I learn from others and especially those I have learned from my mistakes, but I have to ensure that I do not repeat mine or others mistakes in the process.  Needless to say, it is never easy to overcome your own anxieties, inhibitions, hangups, and whatever other descriptive word you want to use to describe what holds yourself back.  But it is us overcoming these things that makes us as humans great.  We are built to overcome our own failings and to cooperate to achieve greatness.  It is within our ability to make dreams possible.

Final Thought:  What dreams may come? a quote that I have heard but never really understood.  But I think what I wrote about above comes close to a part of what this quote means.  It is about personal and societal progress.  If we as individuals progress, society can progress and it kind of escalates into something great if you think about it.  What could we do if we all just focused on fixing ourselves first?  Making ourselves the model for others to follow?  Maybe we could achieve that city shining on a hill that President Ronald Reagan once spoke of.  Of course that means self improvement.  I know I can do it and so can you.  So good luck, make mistakes and most of all, know you have the power to overcome anything.

Merry Christmas

Christmas is about showing love to one another.  It is about the giving of oneself selflessly out of that love.  On this day Jesus Christ was born, and thus given to us by God.  So I am here wishing you all a happy and a healthy Christmas.  

Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,

Steven Gracey

Christmas Eve

Welcome to Christmas eve.  I doubt many will be able to read my blog today as they are probably doing last minute wrapping of gifts for those they love.  We all have our traditions and our ways of celebrating.  I for one get together with my parents and some other family and unwrap some gifts before Christmas morning (that and a nice home cooked meal).  Basically it is all about the fun and love of being with one another.  It is good to embrace traditions on this day and tomorrow's Christ's' Mass (Christmas) for it gives us memories to build upon year by year as we all grow old together.  It is a holiday to be celebrated and shared between all mankind whether you are a Christian or not, for love knows no boundaries and I believe that is what God intended (sorry if I am a bit preachy here).  This is just how I view the holiday based on how I was raised, my faith, and my own love of my fellow man.  It all comes down to the individual showing love for one another, and sacrificing of themselves honestly for one another to show that love.  So may God bless you all on this holy night of nights.

Decorating the Tree

This time of year is about the fun of family, so in addition to opening the gifts on Christmas surrounded by family and friends, there is other activities that can be done together for the family to enjoy.  In this case it is decorating the tree.  You can make a theme, or go crazy and shove all the ornaments and trinkets you can on it.  However, doing it together as a family can bring people closer together.  Each ornament brings a memory and when you all take turns placing the ornament it gives people the opportunity to remember the past and the love in them.  Each year you can add a new ornament to the tree to represent the year and the life you all lived together in that year.  Basically the tree can be and should be in my opinion a coming together moment.

Final Thought:  The tree represents something.  It can represent the path from earth to heaven with the star on the top.  Christmas trees may represent the memories and love shared and passed on from year to year.  A Christmas tree represents an aspect of Christmas that all families can share.  So feel free to get a tree (fake or real) and use it to come together.

Do unto others as they Do unto you.

Today's quote is do unto others as they do unto you.  This means treat people the way you want to be treated.  It is a character lesson that is told in the Bible, and even other faiths and philosophies around the world.  Basically just be a good person despite how people treat you.  Don't sink to the level of people who would do you wrong.  Yes, I know you want to smack the jerk that nearly got you into an accident on the highway, or the guy yelling at you about their insurance not covering their medication even if you have zero control over the situation (something I experience at least 2 to 10 times a week).  But I do not let that bring me down.  I try to rise above it and let it slip away.  It is not like you cannot get made, let alone annoyed at something like that, but in the end it is trivial.  For the longest time I would bottle up these emotions and it had a negative effect till I learned to let it go (though there are still things I hold onto for there perceived importance despite myself) and I am still learning to let go more and more each day.  I treat others with as much respect and kindness as I am capable of even though I can come off a bit weird at times (too honest, or too unfiltered).  However that honesty is needed as how can I overcome my flaws by not being honest with myself.  If I cannot be honest with myself, then how can I be with others?  Not treating myself as I want to be treated is the same as treating someone else in a way you do not want to be treated.  As such you become a phony.  A fake personality.  Obviously this is a bad thing.  Hence why I write this quote of the day.

Final Thought:  Treat yourself honestly and you can treat others in an honest way too.  Be critical of the self while you self reflect to find out who you are on the inside.  Once that's done and you can act generally toward others.  Honesty really is best (of course curb it when dealing with people who lack character and thus self restraint).  Once we all understand this character lesson, we may just progress as a society by not saying dumb things we would not want to hear if we were in the recipient's position, how we would not want to act especially if we were on the receiving end.  It is a deep lesson that takes time to understand.  Just give it time and question everything so that you may find the inner truth that makes you who you really are to improve yourself as a human being.