The "Vacation Home"

I am going to be graduating from in May 2011 with a BS (Bachelor of Science) degree. Although I am grateful and excited to end this chapter of my life, things are going to drastically change. One, I am going to have a lot more free time. I have been working full time longer than I care to think about and I am enrolled full time at school. Needless to say, I am busy most of the time! Second, I am going to start to pay off the tragic and unfortunate student loan debt AKA "Vacation Home." Ugh, I am not happy about this. Who is? The thought of sending off checks each month for TEN years make me nauseous.

I was speaking to a co-worker today and we were talking about the above. What I was telling him was how I wish that I would have been more prepared for college on many levels. Being the first of my immediate family to go to college we lacked knowledge on the ways of Higher Ed. To the best of my knowledge my high school did not go above and beyond to help students understand college, student loans, or deciding a major. Obviously, my high school assisted those who met with the education counselors (the few) and those that did not know or realize the benefit of doing so (the many).

What I left out in the opening paragraph is that I graduated high school in 2002. I did take a year and a half off BUT by the time I graduate in May I will have spent around 7 1/2 years in the higher education system. And, my BS degree is in General Studies. Hmmm, what type of career can you get with a BS in GS you ask? The answer is, well, I am not sure. If I would have known how important it was to seriously consider a future career or path, maybe I wouldn't have changed my major 6 times. If I would have known how serious student loans are and the dangers they can cause, maybe I would not get nauseous at the thought of my outstanding debt. If I would have known the importance of getting scholarships and grants, maybe I would have searched for more. If I would have understood the importance of selecting an educational path that you are good at, and interested in, maybe I would have graduated in less years than the standard physician with a degree that is more specialized.

It is my goal to educate as many kids about the importance and dangers that go with higher education. To set the record straight, I do believe in the higher education system and believe that most everyone should go. I am going to stress the importance and understanding of the Higher Ed. process. My message may fall on deaf ears but if I can help a few ambitious but confused youngsters I will be elated.

Do you have a person around you that could use some of the same guidance that I could have used?

If I would have known many of these things before college I would be enjoying graduation a lot more.

Make A Difference!!
CB

The When

When do you know it is right for you to start giving?

A great quote from Lao Tsu, "a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." The right time for everyone to start giving is NOW! This may not be the right time for you to donate 20% of you income to a charity but it could very well be the right time for you to tutor a child in Math.

There are so many different ways to give, if you have money and no time, you should write a check. If you have no money and plenty free time you should volunteer at a school or the food bank near you. If you are lacking both money and time, you should go above and beyond with opening doors for people, letting cars in front of you during rush hour, and picking up things that others drop while you are around.

I am really glad that this blog is getting comments and people are reading it. It is so important that we work together to make a difference. Now more than ever do we need to work to spread love, joy, and happiness. There are so many Americans that have been impacted by a multitude of things: wildfire, flooding, economy, etc. There are children that are all alone and are awaiting a caring family to help. I have put two links below so you can see some of the children that need you.

http://www.heartgalleryofoklahoma.com/
http://www.adoptuskids.org/

Take the first step, make a difference!!!

CB

The Season

It is time... yes it is of course time for football, but it is getting close to the holiday season. It is the season of cheer, love, and giving. There will be families coming together, over indulging in holiday treats, and spending quality time with each other. My family has an amazing time together; we are all extremely feisty and love to laugh. Everyone has that crazy uncle, aunt, or cousin that says the most off the wall things... that is my entire family. My wife loves decorating the house for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas (multiple trips to the attic each year). The holiday season proves to be a great time each year!

BUT, I also know that there are children that will not go Trick or Treating (not because of religious reasons), eating a lavish Thanksgiving dinner, or open any gifts on Christmas. There will be people sleeping under bridges in the cold weather thinking about the family they once had or wish that they had. There will be families that have nothing because the father has been out of work the last eight months sick from his cancer treatment.

There are so many reasons why people may not be able to have the same holiday cheer that I know my family are fortunate enough to enjoy. That is why my wife and I are preparing early for the holiday season. Inspired by my Granny (this is the first season since she passed), we will be giving out packs that include a new t-shirt, a new pair of undies, and a new pair of socks to homeless folks around the city during Christmas time. We will buy a package of shirts, socks, and underwear here and there from now until Christmas time. If we bought it all at once it would be expensive and it would be easier for me to say "No, I am not spending $230.00." In reality, if I space it out, it is more manageable and easier to swallow.

What are you doing to prepare to give during the holiday season? What can you do to make a difference?

CB

Surprise

Hello difference makers!

Isn’t today a great day to make a difference! I hope at some point in your week you thought about this blog and then thought about what you can do to make a difference. If so, that is great, the blog is doing its job! As always I would like to share a small story about something I have heard or seen that has made or is making a difference.

I was on Facebook two days ago chatting with my sister about relaxing music. To my pleasant surprise I was messaged by an old friend (who requested to remain anonymous) that I hadn’t spoke to in close to 10 years. He said that he read the blog and liked it! We continued to chat and he told me that reading this blog inspired him to finish a project that he began but put off. Understandably so, he has a couple of children, he is going to school full time and working. It is easy to get side tracked by life. So now he is finishing his wonderful project of collecting dental supplies for needy children. He told me that he wanted to do this because his family did not receive the best dental services/supplies and he has seen firsthand the affect bad teeth can have on children and young adults. After we chatted about his great project he handed me yet another surprise… he told me that he was lucky to have met me and another friend of ours when he did. He said that he was heading down an ugly road and we were great influences in his life. Wow, I had no idea that my actions were watched and influential. That is a great testament; you never know who is watching and how your day to day actions can influence the lives of others.

I am going to keep this one short! If you do good in your day to day someone will see, it will make a difference, and they will find their own way to make a difference just like you. It doesn’t take a lot of money, it doesn’t take a lot of time… all it takes is the compassion of your heart to want to make someone’s life a little better.

Make a difference; what are you doing?

CB

My Norms

Hello again!

As agreed, here is a list of things that I already do throughout my day/week to make a difference. Remember, making a difference is making a difference no matter how big or small the effort!

 1. I volunteer for Junior Achievement OKC. In this program I go to local High Schools and teach kids about personal finance. It is extremely important that our youth understand credit, interest rates, insurance, budgets, investments, and real estate. If I knew then, what I am teaching these youngsters now, I would be paying a lot less in credit card bills today. 

2. I give 5 dollars (not much I know, but I still have credit card bills, remember!) out of my pay check to United Way. The neat thing about United Way is that you can tell them where you want your money donated. Hospice is the recipient of my donation. How did I decide on Hospice you ask? Well, Hospice is the great organization that cared for both of my Grandmothers in their last few days. They were excellent to our family and treated my Grandmothers with dignity and respect.
3. I donate in some form or fashion 1/3 of all winnings from lottery or casino activities. I may buy 5 dollars in Powerball tickets but only win 3 dollars. I will find some way to donate or give away at least 1 dollar of that winning. Of course, when the winnings get good so do the donations!!! There would be some happy charities if I won the Jackpot!

4. When redeeming my credit card and debit card points I always donate them to a charity.


It is interesting, before I wrote this post I felt that I gave a lot. When you put it into writing things become clear. In the past the thought of tracking my acts of kindness never crossed my mind. However, tracking my difference making acts is now a way of life. It seems that I am strong in the institutionalized area of making a difference. Yes, this idea is about giving to the nonprofits but it is more about the changing a flat tire for a pregnant woman or the going to visit the elderly lady that just lost her spouse. It is more about smiling at people, helping people more, and making a difference in lives around you.

Before I finish this up, I would like to share a random act of kindness that I witnessed less than two hours ago. I was sitting in class this evening, this class is not the meat locker, it is the deep freeze. A young woman in the front row was wearing short sleeves and the professor said to her, "you are going to freeze tonight." About half way through the class period I noticed that she was wearing a big blue t-shirt. The young man next to her had taken his shirt off and let her wear it. Of course, the young man was wearing an under-shirt. This was only the second time that this class had met and they did not know each other before, in fact, they did not even sit next to one another during the first class. That is amazing because I would have NEVER thought to do that unless it was for my wife. These are the small things that make the world great.

I am going to share a website with great stories of helping others. I am in no way associated with this website but like the content. I would like for everyone to post things on this blog like the good folks are doing there. http://www.helpothers.org/

What are you doing? Comment and inspire others to make a difference! The more followers we have, the more comments we get, the better chance that we can really make our world better for us and our children. Spread the word!

Thoughts inspire words, words inspire actions, actions inspire everyone around you!

The Beginning

Hello new blog!

This is my first blog. I would like to first apologize for all of the grammatical errors that you are more than likely going to experience! I am going to explain my idea behind this blog and then I will try my honest best to make a difference. More than anything, my wish is that you are inspired!

Explanation:
My wife and I were laying in bed speaking about having our first child together. We are habitual planners and naturally we went through our checklist: we need x amount of money for the nursery, we need x amount of money for childcare, etc. At the beginning of the conversation, I was ready and willing to start the process of bringing a beautiful little one in the world. By the end of the conversation I was stressed out and as soon as she feel asleep began a job search for a 2nd job.

In the past, Nicky (my wife) and I had many discussions about adopting. The day following the conversation of "making babies," I thought that I would look into the option of a local adoption. I read all of the requirements and looked over the potential timeline. Then I saw a link that took me to pictures and bios of the girls and boys that are awaiting placement into a permanent home. At that moment I felt the biggest pain in my heart. These children ranging from infant to 18 years of age are all from broken homes or the parents flat out did not want them. Most of us today get upset when our friend request is declined on Facebook.

Imagine this, you are 10 years old again, BUT, your father is in prison for sexually assaulting your sibling, your mother is prostituting to feed her addiction, and all you want is your family to come watch you sing in your 5th grade Christmas program at school. In the back of your innocent little mind you know that no one will be there for you and out of the entire auditorium of families, no eyes will be watching you.

Wow, at that moment reality set in and like most Americans today, I had to post something on my Facebook. My post read:

What have you done today to make a difference in your life or the life of someone around you?

That is a question that I am going to ask myself everyday!!!

You never know, I could be making a difference in your life in the near future!

I know that I cannot save every neglected child nor can I feed a neighborhood of hungry people but I know that I can do my part to impact the lives of others. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

My Mission:

I am going to post what I am currently doing to impact the lives of others and then each week I am going to challenge myself to go beyond my normal routine. I would like to eventually do something everyday that has at minimum, an impact on someones life. Plus, I am looking for the support of my Facebook buddies, coworkers, family, friends, community, city, state, and country to post ideas on how to impact others and what you are doing to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

The task is simple, do something for someone that you normally would not do... open the door at the bank for the elderly couple, tell the Walmart greeter that her hair looks great, be patient and complimentary to those who made an honest mistake, or mow your neighbors lawn. If you are rich with money you could by books for the local preschool, if you are rich with time you could volunteer to read those books to the preschool. Something small or something large, just MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

In closing, the current state of the Government, Economy, Society, Education system, etc. is the way it is because we collectively as people have made it that way. We collectively have the power to make this nation a better place one kind act at a time.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to your posts.

CB