Pick Me Up

Words. Whether written or spoken, words are often conveyed through subliminal messages; a billboard, a used magazine, a random stranger, a blog, yet sometimes words are given to us straightforwardly.

It's all a blessing in disguise. If by any chance you need a pick me up, if you face adversity, here are four strong quotes that ought to make your day a bit brighter:

"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends." --John Churton Collins

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." --Henry Ford

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." -- Napoleon Hill

"Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll." -- Author Unknown

M.A.D.E

Dating is tough. And if your a teenager dating, it's even tougher. Sadly, there is a disturbing trend on the rise and it's affecting teens across the country; teen dating violence.

With teen dating violence becoming more frequent, you can bet that there are strong men and women bonding together, offering support and a safe haven for teenagers. Enter MADE (Moms and Dads for Education), sponsored by Liz Claiborne, this courageous group is out to educate teens about the dangers of unhealthy dating. Dating violence is an issue that parents want educators to emphasize in our nations schools.

The cool thing, you don't have to be a parent to get involved. Simply log onto www.loveisnotabuse.com for more info.

Don't wait another moment, Let us act now; you just might save the life of a teen.

Press Send

There use to be a time when sending a letter, a pen pal letter was something special. Perhaps in your heyday, or not, you passed love notes to a boy or girl in your English class. Maybe you were surrounded by friends and enemies that either loved you or hated you; they told you this to your face. Needless to say, it was personal.

The world is spinning and technology is taking us places we'd never expected to go. With social networking, including blogging, it's easy to get connected and stay connected. Even with our cell phones, we can shop, play games and chat with a long distance relative. Christmas cards? E-cards are quicker and no postage is needed. Plus, don't they come with a special Christmas jingle just for you? Seriously, why bother meeting Johnny at the local coffee shop when you can find out about his latest academic fete with the click of a button?

Maybe you should bother. Maybe you need to put down the phone, log off the computer and knock on Johnny's door and ask, "hey, do you want to go for a walk?"

Yes, human connection is still important, it's a detrimental part of our development. Technology and all its convenience is swell, but what's better than a good old fashion hug or a genuine Christmas card, better yet, a well intended handwritten note.

No life doesn't get better than that.

Another Name for It

Robin Fenty, otherwise known as superstar Rhianna, didn't expect the world to view her battered face, after her then boyfriend Chris Brown assaulted her earlier this year. Rhianna, like most women involved in an abusive relationship, went back to Brown shortly after the incident.

Rhianna spoke to ABC's Diane Sawyer about the incident, sighting that she decided to leave Brown after feeling she would be responsible for young women, who are knowingly involved in an abusive relationship, to go back to their partners. The singer pointed out that she couldn't live with herself if that had happened.

These days, the media is increasingly holding celebrities accountable for their actions. Through the media stars are able to let the public in on their daily lives. It cannot be easy to divulge such private information to the outside world, yet the times we live in call for consistent knowledge of others.

Thankfully, Rhianna put fourth a positive message to abuse victims. Some media outlets have gone as far as calling her interview a fraud, a publicity stunt or saying her "people" made her do it. Regardless of the negative attitude, Rhianna shared what she called "embarrassing" information with the public. Additionally, some media outlets claim that Rhianna was abusive toward Brown.

Despite the opinions of others, Rhianna was courageous in her intent. May she continue to take this experience and learn from it and more importantly, may she continue to stay strong.

Passion

Football is an amazing sport. According to Wikipedia, professional football dates back to 1892. Like baseball, football is a sport adored by most Americans, in fact football draws in over 10 million viewers annually.

The passion that football fans have for the sport is the essence of the game. Brett Farve, a well known quarteback, played for the Wisconsin Green Bay Packers from 1992 - 2007. Since then the National Football League superstar has left his beloved hometown; Farve now plays for the Minnesota Vikings. This sounds simple enough; Farve didn't exactly switch cubicles. Beloved by thousands of die hard Green Bay fans, Farve, through his own admission, felt it was time to leave the team. Green Bay fans were none to thrilled.

When the Packers finally met up with the Vikings, Favre was booed throughout the game. This didn't deter Farve from playing his best, taking his team with him.

We all draw strength from obvious and less obvious places. Sometimes we make changes in life that aren't always up to everyone's standards. One thing remains, we should always trust our instincts and always be the best we can be, no matter what anyone says.