Ingesting daily doses of illness, death, violence, racism, and civil unrest has everyone on edge and seeking relief. It feels as if life’s changes are happening faster than the world is spinning. Moment by moment, we must change with these trying times and refuse to be defeated by them. We are much more powerful and stronger than we think or believe.
Tag Archives: Newspaper Columnist
Sadness Behind The Smile
For some people, the joy, cheer, and merriment the holiday season brings won’t be enough to lift their spirits and overall emotional state of being. Try as they might, their constant cloud of anxiety, depression, and sadness won’t allow them to. Genuinely show care and concern and treat everyone the way you’d like to be treated because there are some people dealing with serious issues internally that don’t physically show on the outside.
Resolve Anew
Resolve anew–great gains are never made trying to do everything at once, but much can be accomplished in a year when you methodically work through one resolution at a time.
Self-Care
I’m speaking about totally loving and accepting yourself inside and out and being content where you are on your journey right now. You’re totally at peace with the skin you’re in. Self-care isn’t being selfish, it’s the total love of self. To fully love and care for others, we must first love and care for ourselves.
Still Unequal
Personally, I believe the world would be a far greater place if both sexes saw and respected each other as equals. The world would then wear a balance it has never known before. Mutual respect would lessen any conflicts and residual bitterness between men and women. Women would no longer be treated and viewed as less if they’re truly embraced and appreciated as equal to men. Inequality would then forever wear equality!
Temporarily Normal
Life today quickly reminds us about all of the simple freedoms taken for granted. Restaurants are closed or doing take-out only, movie theaters are closed, and all sports and concert events have been postponed or cancelled. For those of us optimists, we can take advantage of all of this time to slow ourselves down and bond closer with our family and friends. Use this time to see how you can be of service to others.
Staying Checked-In
Being sequestered at home on a daily basis can begin to weigh on anyone’s psyche. The most important thing we can all do is learn how to relax in order to reduce our stress and anxiety levels. We can do this by: Focusing – which is simply deep breathing for 1-2 minutes while focusing only on your breath. Meditation – which is sitting quietly and breathing deeply for an extended period of time. Imagery – sitting in silence and imagining a relaxing place in your mind.
Anxiety, Anger, And Sadness
I respect law enforcement at all levels. But sadly and madly, since the pandemic, we’ve witnessed what happened to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd; may God bless them and their families. Going forward, our purpose should be to NOT lose any more African-Americans to senseless violence, but if and when it happens again, the officers committing these murders MUST be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Senseless Violence
Agreeably, when innocent children of any race are slain, it strikes an extremely painful chord in the hearts and spirits of us all–or at least it should. No parent of any race should lose their child to violence and not receive the justice they so richly deserve. The guilty party should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and the sentences and laws regarding it should be tougher. Fighting for justice and equality for everyone should be the end goal of this entire nation. All lives can’t matter until black lives matter equally with police reform and equality for all.
Uncertain Times
With summer winding down, and with schools getting set to resume their schedules, parents are forced to make the tough decision of whether in-school or virtual learning is right for their child. With COVID-19 Coronavirus cases continuing to spike daily, the safety and well-being of the students, faculty, and employees must be given some serious consideration.
Charles R. Butts Jr. 