My Universal Truths

A week or so ago I was scrolling through my news feed and came across a daily prompt that I thought was really interesting. I never found the time to sit down and do it, until now. So, here are three things I believe in my heart to be true and three things I believe to be false.
What’s true?

People are good

I posted something a couple of days ago sort of similar to this, but here’s another explanation. It’s so easy for us to see the bad in people before we notice the good. However, I truly believe in my heart that people are innately good. The evil and hatred that we see in the world are learned. I think that naturally, we want to love our neighbor and be kind, but because of what’s done to us, we choose to reciprocate rather than turning the other cheek. Sometimes, all it takes is being the bigger person, or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, to see that most people and most situations begin with good intentions.

Self-love is the most important love

Before you decide that you’ve found your soul mate. Decide that you’ve found yourself. Before you decide that you love your significant other. Decide that you love yourself. I believe that no one can truly be satisfied and nothing in their life can really solid if you don’t love yourself first. You could be at the top of the professional ladder in your chosen career, but if you hate yourself because you used manipulation to get there, are you happy? If you’ve become another person for the person you love, do you love yourself? Do they love the real you? These are somewhat cliché examples, but they’re universal. Everyone can relate to love and work. The point here is, don’t sacrifice who you are for anything or anyone. Love yourself above all.

The universe will have what the universe wants

What I mean here is that the universe has a way of always remaining balanced. Someone dies, someone is born. Something horrible happens, something beautiful is coming. However you believe this happens, is an individual point of view. Whether it be God or Karma, religious or spiritual, they all come down to the same thing—the driving force of the universe we live in is going to have its way. That being said, there are things in this world that aren’t up to us. We can’t change them and we definitely can’t stop them. Sometimes all we can do, is watch it happen—be it a disaster or a miracle. What’s meant to be will always find a way to be.

What’s false?

You’re too small to make a difference

I mean this in every sense of the word small. Small as an individual. Small as in age. All of it. There isn’t one person that’s alive that doesn’t carry the potential to make a huge difference in this world. Every big change started as a small vision from one person. Change takes time and change takes people, but all of that starts with one person. It starts with you.

You’re here for no reason

Everyone is here for a reason. You may not know it yet, but that’s what life is for. It’s an abundance of time to find your reason. Whether or not you believe in a god or consider yourself religious, you can’t deny that you’re here for a reason. You could be the most headstrong atheist, but maybe your reason is to show everyone that what you believe is true. You could be depressed and borderline suicidal, but maybe your reason is to be the flower that grew from concrete and be an inspiration to others. You have a reason, you just have to love yourself enough to be willing to figure it out.

Dreaming is for children

A lot of people like to say that dreamers are impractical or they just have their head in the clouds. They like to say that we’re not practical, but this isn’t at all true. You have a dream because you posses what it takes to make it happen. If you can dream it, you can make it happen. I think this quote says it all—”Dreamers are mocked  as impractical. The truth is, they are the most practical , as their innovations lead to progress and a better way of life for all of us.” So, don’t let anyone tell you to quit dreaming.

Vancouver Baby Has 3 Parents

I came across a Huffington Post article about a baby, in British Columbia, Vancouver, who has three parents.

The baby girl is the product of a lesbian couple, who used the sperm of a close male friend to conceive. Legally, both women are financially responsible for and will have custody of the child. The male donor is considered a legal guardian with rights to access. Logistics of the family were drafted in contracts before the baby was actually conceived, as is required by the British Columbia’s Family Law Act-effective March 2013.

Homosexuality is something that’s excessively and passionately debated from both sides in the United States, so I’m assuming that there was both, positive and negative feedback when people got wind of this story. Here, in America, we’re only recently opening the can of worms that is allowing homosexuals to be married. Dealing with the topic of them being able to raise children is another hot button debate.

I however, believe the United States should follow the example that Vancouver has just set.

People are going to fight it, just as they fought and are still fighting homosexual marriage. But at the end of the day, the same question arises–with the exception of harm being done to a child, in what way is another family’s home life the business of the rest of America?

Besides, I’ve heard over and over in my life that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Is that only so when said village walks the tightrope that is society’s definition of “normal.”

A lot of people who are against homosexuals having children or adopting like to argue that every child needs a mother and father figure in their life. To this point, I absolutely agree, because I think men and women bring different things to a child’s life. Things that they’re counterpart can’t.  That being said, that mother figure does not have to be a biological parent and neither does the father figure. A father figure can be an uncle, an older cousin, a grandfather. While the role of mother can be played by a step-mom, aunt, a grandmother. As long as the child has everything that both can offer, there should be no debate.

For the people who think this specific case is a horrible incident, this child isn’t lacking anything that traditional naysayers of homosexuals raising children like to say a child needs. She has a father figure, who has not only agreed, but has signed a legally binding contract to be present in her life. She has not one, but two mothers. So what is she missing? In theory, she was born equipped with more than the average baby.

This little girl, has three parents and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The third is simply another person to comfort her, another ear to listen or shoulder to cry on. One more person in her corner. Another human being rooting for her.

Introspection. Self Growth

A couple of months ago a friend introduced me to a sort of personality test called the enneagram. Usually, I’m not the type of person who believes that personality tests are anything more than specific enough generalizations about a handful of people to make the masses believe that they fit into one place or another. For me, the enneagram, was different.

In my opinion, it’s a little more flexible than other personality tests since it allows you to be variations of the number you believe you are.

Anyway, I’m not an expert on it so I don’t intend to use this post to tell you how it’s supposed to be used or describing each number, but if you’re interested in learning more about that, you can visit enneagraminstitute.com. Rather, I’d like to detail how using this tool has helped me in my personal growth and my relationships with others.

I actually found my number by listening to the recording of a  seminar that my friend went to. I realized pretty early on that I was an 8. After finding my number, I became slightly obsessed with learning more, since everything I had heard so far was extremely accurate.

As time progressed and I did seek more information about the enneagram, I realized that there were many ways I could apply what I was learning to everyday situations.

Based on what I learned, 8’s are authoritative figures. They do best in roles of leadership and are very independent, sometimes making them shy away from help even when they need it and thinking that their way is, not necessarily the right way, but the best and most efficient way to do things. Basically, to other people they come off as bossy and controlling, but to themselves they have good intentions.

With that in mind, I started to watch the way I dealt with people, what made me tick, and the way that I responded to situations that weren’t going my way. I didn’t like my findings.

In dealing with people, I tended to be very amiable when I was in control of a situation, but when I felt like I was loosing control or my voice wasn’t being heard, I became very arrogant in the way that I responded to other people-shutting out their ideas and giving them the cold shoulder, because in my mind, no one could have a better idea than me. Things that upset me were things that shouldn’t have, such as a perceived lack of control, when really someone else was just trying to give their viewpoint. I also realized that I stressed over things I had no control over, like plans for the future that were changing because of things I couldn’t control. Finally, the way I responded to things I didn’t like was to shut down. If someone wanted to have it their way and I didn’t agree with what that way was, I was done with the situation, and sometimes the person for various amounts of time.

In no way am I perfect or even close to where I want to be now, but by learning about my tendencies and flaws through the enneagram, I know what to watch for on my journey to becoming a better me. I know that I have an ego and that to succeed and not burn bridges, I need to keep it in check. I have to learn to understand that the universe we live in uncontrollable. Sometimes, things are going to happen that affect my plans and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Good People. Good Vibes.

Today, I went out to eat with a friend and when we came out a woman came to us asking for money. She said she wanted money to feed her babies and told us she would get on her knees and beg if she had to.

I’ve come across and seen many homeless people and while it’s always a sad case, none of them have ever broken my heart the way this one did. Has this woman come across so much of the negativity that comes with the stigma of being homeless that she offered to get on her knees and beg before I even said no?

That was the part that really broke my heart.

I know some people are homeless because they’re alcoholics or drug addicts, but I also know that many people just fall on hard times. Could this woman not have been one of them?

I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind that I was possibly giving my money to someone who wasn’t going to spend it on food for her children, but instead find the nearest liquor store, but I still gave her whatever cash I had in my wallet.

When my friend and I got in the car, a conversation about how the woman might spend the money started. We both voiced that she looked a little old to have kids and if she was in fact trying to feed them, where were they if she was here?

But when I got home I mentally reprimanded myself for thinking the worst of someone so desperately begging for money. Granted, the money I handed her could’ve been used to buy anything but food, but would I have missed that $4 anyway? No, but if she did in fact have kids she was trying to feed, they would have missed that meal.

My point being, we should strive to be good people, even when something is telling us “it’s safer not to be.”

It’s so easy to focus on the negative things in life. Sometimes, it seems like that’s all that’s surrounding us. We hear about violence, death, war and almost nothing good on the news. We let everyday nuisances ruin our day.

What’s easier said than done and what needs to happen in my life, and I’m sure many people would agree, is to start focusing on the good. Everyday something good happens to you. Even if it’s the smallest thing, that seems to mean nothing, be thankful for that.

I think being wrapped up in all of the negativity, makes it easy for us to forget that people are inherently good. Love is natural. Hate is learned.

Check your privilege and be good to people. With a flip of a coin you could be in their shoes.

How Traditional Media is Changing Week 7: So, What have I learned?

For the last week of this project, I’ve decided to summarize what I’ve learned about the importance of social media in mainstream and traditional media. As I said last week, I would be doing a summary if nothing big happened in the way that ABC used social media on its site, so here we are.

So, what have I learned?

I think more so than anything, there’s been a reinforcing of things  I already know  rather than new things learned.

1. Audiences don’t want to just receive news anymore. They want to be a part of it. Social media makes it easy for them to do so by sharing stories, interacting with professional journalists and making it easier than ever for they themselves to be citizen journalists.

2. Social media helps keep news “breaking.” Through the use of social media, news can be updated up to the minute. With the help of Facebook, twitter and other like sites, the days of waiting for the morning paper to know what’s happening now (or then, when newspaper was your first source) are over. Journalists are able to tweet live updates from the newsroom or wherever they may be in the field.

3. Social media, when used correctly, can help drive traffic to main sites. By tweeting links to articles on their homepage, ABC is increasing its amount of viewers. In a time where search direct articles rather than browsing a homepage until they find something interesting, twitter allows a journalist to put that article directly onto a readers timeline–sending the news to the reader instead of the other way around.

Having a social media presence is important, not just for companies, but for individuals as well. Outside and within the parameters of journalism, having that online presence helps to effectively build and sell your brand.

Have You Been Following MH370? Details Here

If for whatever reason, you’re unfamiliar with what’s going on when you hear something about Malaysian Airlines flight 370, that is the commercial aircraft that disappeared on March 8 while still carrying 239 passengers.

Since then, authorities and experts can’t seem to come up with any evidence or solid leads as to what happened to the plane.

Let’s go back to the beginning for a full timeline of everything that’s happened from day one until now.

Day one: Saturday, March 8–The 12:40 a.m. flight departs en route to Beijing. The last known contact between the flight and ground controllers was around 2:40 a.m., however, the plane which was supposed to be in Vietnamese airspace at around 1 a.m. disappeared from records before doing so.

Day two: Sunday, March 9–Authorities began to consider terrorism as a possibility and also discover that two passengers were using stolen passports. Later on, a Japan bound pilot alerts authorities that he had made contact with the aircraft around 1:30 a.m. Th pilot said that he received no response from the Malaysian Airline Pilot, but did hear static and mumbling. The only other evidence of the plane is a 12 mile long oil streak.

Day three: Monday, March 10–Malaysian aviation chief quiets rumors of terrorism when he announces that men with stolen passports checked in but never boarded the flight. Vietnamese search teams announce that they have spotted debris, while U.S. adds that there are no signs of explosion in its satellite images. Authorities late deny that any debris was found, confirm that the oil streak was from a boat rather than a plane and conclude that a spotted life raft was actually a moss-covered cable. Families attempting to contact lost loved ones were able to reach cell phones and heard ringing, but experts say this simply means the network is trying to locate the party being called.

Day four: Tuesday, March 11–Reports begin to suggest that men with stolen passport may have actually been asylum seekers rather than terrorists. Authorities begin to say that MH370 may have flown west into the Malacca strait, which is when it was detected at 2:40 a.m. Monday night.

Day five: Wednesday, March 12–Vietnam begins to pull back in search efforts, while Japan and Indonesia send more help. China reveals satellite images which they believe shows MH370 debris.

Day six: Thursday March 13–U.S. experts say that MH370 flew for fours hours after being detected by radar. After much criticism, Malaysia defends its search efforts.

Day seven: Friday March, 14–As of today, there aren’t many new developments.

This story has intrigued many, including myself.  I don’t remember the last time I was so interested in a story. I find myself checking my AP News app multiple times a day for updates on MH370, but to no avail.

I think it’s human nature to love a mystery, but to hope for the best outcome. Not only for all of us spectating and waiting, but for the families of those who boarded MH370, answers are wanted and needed. It’s crazy to think that in the age of advanced technology that we live in, when answers are at your fingertips in .34 seconds, an aircraft can simply “fall out of thin air” with no detection.

Like the rest of the world, I will continue to follow and wait for answers.

*sources

mashable.com 

theguardian.com

How Traditional Media is Changing Week: Synopsis

Between midterms and spring break, I’ve been slacking when it comes to keeping up with this weekly post. Luckily, not much has changed in the way that ABC is using their website.

That being said, there’s not much new information to say this week, so I decided to do a summary of the last 5 weeks.

Week 1

I began this project with a summary of the news outlet I would be monitoring–ABC news. At this point I didn’t talk much about the role of social media, but instead I talked about “pro-am” or citizen journalism. For those who are unfamiliar with either of those terms, they simply mean audience participation in journalism, be it through comments, sharing stories or blogging. The first post went over how citizens contribute to traditional journalism and the ways in which ABC fostered that desire.

Week 2

In week two I had planned on talking about the role of social media in media. Being that it was Superbowl Sunday, I expected ABC to have live tweets on its website regarding the super bowl. At the time, I couldn’t find them, so I ended up doing a comparison between ABC and Fox. While Fox didn’t have any live tweets that I could find, they did have an up to date summary of the game, something that ABC did not. The rest of the post discussed the benefits of having quarter-to-quarter updates rather than posting one article at the end of the game. Based on my knowledge now, I think ABC may have had live tweets on a section of the homepage I didn’t see at the time.

Week 3

I finally began the discussion about social media in week 3–using the Olympics as a case study as to how and why social media can be important to the success of a website. This week is when I became familiar with ABC’s sidebar feature which hosts live tweets from ABC reporters and other relevant sources of information. The post however, didn’t just cover social media from a reporters view, but from a reader’s view as well–detailing how crucial social media can be to audiences because rarely do readers start from a homepage as opposed to a google or twitter link.

Week 4

This week I used the Michael Dunn Trial as a platform to talk about multimedia and how comments allow readers to interact with each other and ABC. The multimedia used in this story was a video as well as an article. My post goes over the benefits of each and how they work together to tell a story–each offering something the other lacks.

Week 5

Last week I discussed two new features that I realized on ABC’s homepage, “social climbers” and “trending topics”. These are two features that enhance audience participation. “Social climbers” is a section that hosts the top most searched articles. “Trending topics” hosts the top 5  stories from ABC that have been shared via social media the most. After introducing the sections, the rest of the posts lists how each of these feature enhances audience engagement and experience.

So this is where I am with this project. Since next week is the last week that I’m required to do a post, I’m thinking of the theme of that post being “what I learned.” Unless, of course, something huge happens in the way the website is being used. After week 7, I may occasionally come back to this project and post things I find interesting about how online and traditional media are converging and changing.

Arizona “Anti-Gay” Bill Vetoed

Arizona recently passed a senate bill that would allow business owners to refuse service to homosexuals and others who may not live a lifestyle in alignment with the business owner’s religious beliefs.

The state has recently been known for passing some questionable legislation; note the immigration act that pretty allows you to be pulled over for looking Mexican. So, I was surprised to hear that the bill was later vetoed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer who said the bill caused more problems than it solved.

Although the bill was vetoed in Arizona, I think the bigger problem is the fact that it passed in the first place. That alone speaks volumes about how far America has come since the 1960s civil rights movement when it comes to allowing equal rights to every American citizen. The bills basis was to protect the religious freedom of business owners, but in protecting their freedoms, Arizona striped gays of the same rights Christians and other religious groups are entitled to.

Not only on a moral level, but financially speaking, is a homosexual’s money not as green as a heterosexual? Serving a gay person as a customer at whatever type of business you own, does not in any way inflict their beliefs on you or condone their behavior. Is it not enough for businesses to publicly identify as a religious organization that does not condone homosexuality. Chick-fil-a for example, does not support homosexuality and most people know that. That alone probably stops a large percentage of homosexuals from eating there, which gets the people they don’t want out of their stores anyway.

The bill was vetoed, but religious groups in Arizona say they will continue to diligently fight for their rights–which, I’m not exactly sure they lost. Shouldn’t it be homosexuals fighting for their rights that religious groups are attempting to take because they don’t agree. I’m not sure how the politics on a vetoed bill work, but from my limited political science knowledge I assume it would go to the supreme court.

You could ask why this post is even relevant since the bill was vetoed, but for starters I think anything that potentially infringes on people’s civil right is relevant. Not only that, but there are currently five other states (Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma) that are still toying with similar legislation. With many of those states being in the South and the South’s reputation being notoriously traditional conservative, southern Baptist, it worries me that bills stripping people of their rights will continue to pass.

Other states that have considered legislation as such, but are stalled include Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee.