Let your voice be heard!

Barack Obama

"In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it."

It was election weekend in my city this past weekend. I absolutely hate leaving my house for any reason! I am truly lazy; I can't lie! But I had a conversation with a 15 year old the other day & he said that he wouldn't register to vote because he doesn't care whose president because it wouldn't affect him any. I was actually shocked to hear that & asked him why he thought the people who hold these political offices didn't affect him. He couldn't really answer me & so I began to explain the state of our nation to him. I explained that if he didn't exercise his right to vote, then he would be making null the fight people like Martin Luther King, Jr. went through so everyone's voice could be heard. Voting is an expression of speech & your vote, though only one, does count.

After that conversation, I began to check myself. The polls are open from 6am to 8pm so I can be very flexible about when choosing a time to go. I chose to go around 5pm Saturday evening. As I walked in, there was an older lady & a couple walking in as well. After my identification was verified, I walked in the booth, punched in my choices for local politicians and walked out. The whole process took only 5 minutes & it wouldn't taken that long had I not been third in line! I felt empowered because, in voting, I just told my city, my state, my nation, who I wanted to represent me!

The right to vote only gives us the opportunity to show how important we are to our world. Actually going to the polls to vote lets us & everyone else know that we do have a place in this world. Exercise your right to vote! Let your voice be heard! Remember: if you don't vote, you have no right to complain!

Are you inspired? 9/14

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."

Albert Pine

When was the last time you thought to do something for someone? Are you always thinking about what you can get or what you want? Why not pass along a bit of kindness to someone else, even if it's no more than a kind word to a stranger? You never know how much it might mean to someone, plus it could be something the person remembers for the rest of his/her life!

Info Credit: ThinkExist.com

Are you inspired? 8/24

This next quote really moved me because it DOES hold truth in it. It is basically saying to be kind to people with words because you may never see them again. It moved me... and believe me, I (SoHo) am NOT easily moved. ENJOY and have an EXCELLENT WEEK!!!

Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.

-Jean Paul Richter

Quote credit: InspirationalQuotes.com; Photo credit: Yahoo

Are you inspired? 8/17

This week's inspirational quote is a simple one that has actually inspired me all my life. So many times people complain about things that have happened in their lives as if no one else in the world goes through crap except them. Whining will get you nowhere! If there is an obstacle you've been faced with, do what you can to make the best out of a bad situation! Don't give up or have a pity party! If you seem to always run into problems or trials in your life, keep pressing forward because as long as you keep going, something good is bound to happen - REMEMBER... it can't get worse!

If someone has hurt you or done something wrong to you, it's hard to live with... TRUST ME! I KNOW! Whatever they did/said/etc. is out of your control. You can't change that but what you can change is how you react. You can take matters into your hands and do the right thing or you can whine about it. If you whine about it, the end result is on you and you can no longer blame the other person! If you turn that bad ordeal around and do something positive, then that end result is also on you & believe me, you'll be way more happy with yourself than if you just "wimped out"! My quote for the week...

"DEAL WITH IT! I GOT TO!"

Line by Craig (Ice Cube) in the movie Friday After Next

Are You Inspired? 7/27

"We must become the change we want to see in the world."

-Mahatma Gandi

This week's quote is special in so many ways because there are so many people who complain about how things are in the world yet none of them do anything about it. People complain about the president & other leaders but they don't vote! They complain about the things in their neighborhood do but they don't try to reach out to the kids to help them out.

Instead of complaining today, try being the change you want to see. Why not offer a hand to that kid who seems to be troubled? Why not get out and vote this November instead of complaining about who our next president is? If you do nothing, then you should have nothing to say! Remember, what you do may not be noticed by everyone, but it could make a difference to the one person who does notice!

Are You Inspired? 7/20

Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling Painting

Every week, we'll be featuring a little inspirational tidbit (or two or three LOL) that will hopefully help you start your week off right!Every week, we'll be featuring a little inspirational tidbit (or two or three LOL) that will hopefully help you start your week off right

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle

Are you lazy? Do you bite your nails? Do you have an addiction or some bad habit you are trying to break? Did you realize that you truly are what you repeatedly do? "So a man thinks in his heart, so he is." Basically that means if you think it so much, you'll start believing it in your heart & then it becomes a part of you, forming a habit, so to speak. Why not practice NOT being lazy? Why not pinch yourself everytime you bite your nails or do something else that shows how conterproductive your bad habit really is! If you do that, you'll begin to realize that this bad habit can be kicked!

If you aren't one of those bad habit people, then have you tried to strive for excellence? It will not fall into your lap! It will not look for you; you have to look for it! How do you look for excellence, you ask? Well, it's simple. Practice! Make seeking and reaching for excellence a part of your daily routine! Do everything you do to the best of your ability! You'll find that you make yourself proud and sooner or later you'll be more successful than you ever thought possible. Don't be fooled in thinking success comes as a monetary value! Excellence is a reward far more fulfilling than any money can ever be!

Are You Inspired? 7/13

Every week, we'll be featuring a little inspirational tidbit (or two or three LOL) that will hopefully help you start your week off right!

T.E. Lawrence

"All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible".

Have you ever had a nice dream & awakened, not remembering a single part of it? Well, that's normal sometimes. But what happens to the dreams you dream when you're awake? Do you forget about them or do you do what it takes to bring them to fruition? Have you been dreaming of something that you've "forgotten" about? Why not put a plan in motion to make those dreams a reality? No one can stop you but you! Remember, a wasted dream could lead to a wasted life! So be dangerous, dream with open eyes and make your dream possible!

Quote credit: http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/, Photo credits: http://www.dorsetforyou.com/ & JasonRogers' photostream, Thought: SoLo

Are You Inspired?

Every week, we'll be featuring a little inspirational tidbit (or two or three LOL) that will hopefully help you start your week off right!

Quote from Jane Austen

"Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied."

It's amazing how so many people complain about so many things. This is never right! That is never right! Nothing ever makes them happy. It's actually uncomfortable to be around people like that because they are always looking for pity. My advice for "complaint syndrome" is to simply be thankful for who you are and what you have. The next time you feel a case of the complaint's coming on, just take a deep breath & remember that you woke up this morning, so whatever it is, CAN'T be that bad!

Quote from Walt Disney

"It's kinda fun to do the impossible"

Have you ever tried doing something you thought was impossible? Have you ever done something someone said you couldn't do? How much fun did you have when you realized it wasn't as bad as you thought? Isn't it fun proving someone wrong when they think you can't do something? Go ahead! Have some fun today doing something you thought you couldn't! You'll be glad you did!

Jane Austen quote credit: FamousPoetsandPoems.com, Walt Disney quote and photo credit: Disney.com, Thoughts: SoLo