Stand up and dance…

So, I was online a couple nights ago and I ended up on Youtube. OK…ok…I know, I need a life. Sue me.

I was loading up one of my favorite clips from the group “Playing for Change” and a thought popped into my head. After a quick search, I found what I was looking for…Mr. Matt Harding. Or, as some people might know him…That guy that dances really badly on the Internet. If you haven’t heard about him take a second a watch this little clip.

"Where the Hell is Matt?"

Now, having watched that, answer me this question…

What makes Matt so special that people from all around the world wanted to come out and dance badly with him?

If you think you’ve got a great, deep, philosophical, meaningful answer…hold that thought. :-)

See, I don’t think that there’s anything at all that special about Matt Harding. Sorry Matt. :-) He’s really just like any of us. If you doubt me, check out how he describes himself on his site…

“Matt is a 32-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames.”

See what I mean? Now, don’t get me wrong. There is something about Matt and he sums it up in the next sentence…

“Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on.”

See, Matt realized that there REALLY is a great big old World out there and that life is what happens outside, not what goes on in your office, building, or cube at work. Even more than that, he DID something about it. He chose to dance.

I believe that music and dance and other forms of art are things that unite everyone, no matter where they live, what race or religion they are, or how they live right now. We all can be moved by music, to action or to tears. We all can feel that joy and happiness in dancing wherever you are, no matter how bad you might dance. Those are things that speak directly to the human spirit. Things that join us together and help us to push aside the things that divide us.

I read and see SO many things every day that attempt to emphasize our differences and try to pull us apart, drawing those lines in the sand. We’ve all seen it and sadly, I think most people tend to believe those things. Or rather, they tend to focus on those things that make us different. I would submit to you that, yes, everyone is different and honestly, that is a wonderful thing. But today, in our World today, it’s the things that unite us and give us a commonality that are important.

We’ve lost sight of the fact that we are all HUMAN. We are all residents of planet Earth. We are all in this together.

Today, I’ve got another challenge for you. It’s really a simple one. :-)

Dance.

That’s right. Just dance. Celebrate the fact that you are part of the human race and dance. When you’re standing in line at the grocery store. Dance. When you’re getting gas for your car. Dance. After work, during work, with friends or family or even neighbors. Turn up the car stereo or sing on your own. Just don’t miss another single day to realize that you are a part of something huge and wonderful. Don’t miss another moment to feel that incredible blessing that we call life or to share it with someone else. Anyone else. We’ve all been given the same blessing. I think it’s time we ALL started celebrating together in that fact.

Come dance with me today. Let’s laugh and sing and most important, DANCE. I’ll be the one looking like a spaz. Not that I really care anyway. :-)

My question is WHY?

It’s the 3 year old question that keeps coming to my mind over and over and over again. It’s something that I actually pride myself on asking. I think that far too often, people don’t ask that wonderful question WHY. We have been conditioned to simply accept and. I think, told that we are too incompetent to understand, so it’s just better to let someone else make decisions for us.

I found that I have a great response to someone proposing that attitude for my life. It’s very simple and easy to remember. In fact, it’s just one word.

BULLSHIT!

So what, you may be asking yourself, set him off THIS time? :-)

Ha Ha! It doesn’t seem to take much anymore. I’m not sure if that means I’m getting cranky and cantankerous in my old age, or if I’m actually thinking clearer and requiring more from the World and people around me. Either way, it means that you get to hear me rant about yet another topic here today. :-)

I was watching the movie Legion last night. It’s a good action flick with a fair plot and story. But what captured my attention was the message that was presented. And that’s what got me asking that question why again. At one point in the movie, one character, Jeep Hanson, and the archangel Michael are talking. I won’t give away the plot or the movie, but let me present you with a quote from Michael to Jeep.

“When God chose your kind as the object of His love, I was the first in all Heaven to bow down before you. My love, my hope for Mankind was no less than His. But I have watched you trample that gift. I’ve watched you kill each other over race and greed. Wage war over dust and rubble and words in old books. And yet in the midst of all this darkness, I see some people who will not be bound. I see some people who will not give up even they know all hope is lost. Some people who realize that being lost is so close to being found.”

Read that quote again. Go ahead, I can wait. :-)

It’s really a fairly accurate description of the World in which we live. And it got me thinking. So, my question for you to ponder today is simply this:

Why is it that there are so few people that inspire hope, that give kindness, and that make the right choice even when there is no hope or they understand exactly how high the cost might be?

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand how easy the wrong choice usually is and how tempting that path becomes. I know, because I’ve been down that path myself. I’m sure we all have. But there are those people among us that, more often than not, make that hard, right choice. They are the ones that show that it’s possible to live and love with honor, integrity, compassion, and hope.

They are also not usually the famous, rich, or powerful. Sadly, that is a failing that we of the entire world have responsibility in. Look around at the people that are rich and famous. Sure, some of them, some of the time, stand up with honor and bring hope to those around them. But, at least for me, there’s always that thought that it’s simply for the publicity and the photographers. I hope that I’m wrong, but something tells me I’m probably not.

Now, I’m always one to throw down a gauntlet and offer up a challenge. :-)

So where do you fall in life? Are you one of those that consistently trample this gift we call life? Or are you one that tries to do the right thing, regardless of how hard it might be, and inspire hope for better things in those around you? Do you fall somewhere in the middle? Or do you vacillate between the two?

Once you’ve taken that hard look and now know how you choose to value life, ask yourself this question:

Do you want to be better and more than you are right now?

This is especially important if you have children or are around them. See, kids look up to adults and all of them are taking in what we do and say. That’s how we learn. That’s how we come to understand life and how to live in it. Honestly, what kind of example are you being?

You have everything you need in order to be and do better right inside you. We all do. None of us is lacking in ability, it sees that it’s willpower and integrity that we lack. It seems that we tend not to care about the consequences of our choices or what our choices say about ourselves. It seems that we would rather choose the World than the values of honor and integrity.

What I’m trying to say, in its simplest form, is that it all come down to YOUR choices. You chose each and every day where you stand, which side you’re on.

I would submit that in order for us to change the World, we first need to change our choices and make certain that Right has greater value than easy and Honor and Integrity are placed at the top for everyone else to see.

Come walk this path with me. It’s not the easiest one to walk, there’s not as much glory along the way, but I’ll walk it with you and together, we can change the World.

You Deserve What??

It is really an interesting World that we live in today. We have the most that we have ever had in all of our history. There are more people living today than ever before. And yet, SO many people have this belief that they have a right, an entitlement, to everything and anything that they want. There seems to be this belief that we are owed something, simply because of how improved things are in our World today.

I think that today, we should challenge that attitude. :-)

So, let’s turn to our favorite Mr. Webster and see what he says about Entitlement.

Entitlement is:
The state or condition of being entitled, or belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.

And Entitled means:
To furnish with proper grounds for seeking or claiming something.

So, it looks as though entitlement is a state where we believe that we have proper grounds to claim certain privileges. You know…I think that’s fairly accurate. My question today though, is does it really apply to us as people living in the World today?

What are we entitled to?

You hear about it every day, some of us experience it and some of us might even believe it applies to ourselves. That’s a belief that in some way we deserve something; that it’s owed to us. Really? Honestly, I think not. At least not how most people choose to interpret this. :-)

Most people that they are entitled to some combination of the following:

• A good job
• Freedoms (depending on where you live)
• A place to live
• Food to eat
• Children
• Love
• Faith
• Happiness

This list is probably MUCH longer, but you get the idea.

The bad thing is; we’re not entitled to any of those things. We may WANT them, and most of us will WORK for them, but in and of ourselves, we don’t DESERVE them just because. None of those things in this list are just given to us. Even here in the United States, freedom and faith are not just given to us. Freedom has cost MANY lives and lots of blood to gain, as had faith no matter what you believe.

It seems to me that most people today believe that they are entitled to some sort of handout or assistance. Unfortunately, this attitude is being encouraged by Governments, Minority Rights Groups, Religions, and many, many others. Sadly, there are LOTS of people that accept this and even come to rely on this. They would rather choose a form of slavery and dependence over taking care of themselves.

Argue all you want about the people that sadly find themselves in a position of needing assistance and how they don’t choose it, but you all know the reality of the 100+ to that one that choose to and live off the system.

I asked lots of my friends about what they felt they were entitled to in this life. I got a lot of great answers back. The common consensus and my thoughts too, is that in reality, we are ENTITLED to nothing. There are no guarantees in this life. What we get comes from how hard we try and if you want more then you have to roll up your sleeves and work your ass off for it.

So take a moment and think about all that you might have, and remember that YOU did all that. YOU made it happen. YOU are responsible for where you are at. And it’s 100% up to YOU if you want to have more or be better.

YOU can do it. I believe in you.