What’s Crackin!?

I had someone randomly message yesterday and left a comment on my Xanga asking me to help him answer a few questions about religion.  Being the fact I like to talk and type, I was more than glad to help him answer the questions.  But then I realized something about a lot of religious people, they like to help others "see the light".  Personally I have absolutely nothing against their purpose because I know their intentions are good, but I think some times they simply try too hard.  One of the questions I was asked was "Why do you think some people generally do not like to attend church?" 

I cannot answer for every one who does not go to church nor do I plan to but I know my own personal reasons.  But there are people out there who don’t go to church simply because they aren’t Christian or Catholic.  This topic has been discussed between my friend, who is studying to be a pastor, and myself.  Don’t you sometimes get the feeling that Christians try a little TOO hard in attempts to help people "see the light"?  With it coming from so many directions and in so many different methods, it is hard to determine whether or not they people to believe voluntarily or be forced to believe.  I have complete respect for my friend because he doesn’t try to force the issue.  He believes in what it is he believes but also realizes that the rest of us does not need to believe the same thing as him.  His intentions are good because he thinks he has found something that is very wonderful and only wants to be able to help the rest of us find it too, but the main thing is he doesn’t force the issue.  In my opinion, if I was to see the light and start to believe I will have to do it on my own terms and not just because someone convinced me.

Too many times and in too many places do people who are religious try to force it down your throats.  For someone who is NOT religious it is hard distinguish between the vast array of religions out there.  The person who comes knocking at my door, chase after me outside a supermarket or comes talk to me while I fish at the park all represent the same religion.  Whether they are or not, I cannot decipher because from what I hear they are all preaching the same concepts.  With so many people out there representing or misrepresenting a religion, you wonder why so many people would have such negative connotation towards it. 

Religion is good to have, it helps give people a sense of direction, goal in life and a purpose for living and I have nothing against that.  What I do have something against are all those who claim to be religious but have absolutely no understanding as to why they believe.  Teach me, preach to me and educate me if you have an understanding but do not tell me how I am going to hell when you have absolutely NO understanding of the religion and why it is you believe in what it is you believe in. 

Many people only TURN religious during a time of crisis and when believing in God seems like the right thing to do.  When disaster strikes, suddenly a lot more people believe in God and will pray to him for help and guidance.  I may not be religious but I understand the importance of faith and faith is not something you turn on and off at your own pleasure.  No one ever said believing in something was easy so don’t expect religion to be neither.  In my opinion, it is not about the number of people who attend church but about how devoted and commited those few who do attend are.  So instead of worrying about how to get more people to church, they should concentrate on having those who attend understand what it is they claim to believe in.  You can have the best product in the world but unfortunately your reputation will proceed you.

"Men are like fish in the ocean and women are the fishermen.  The fish gets to chose which pole to bite but the fishermen decide whether or not its a keeper." - Daniel Leu.

Be Humble, Get Ahead… No one likes a “know-it-all”, especially those who are unwilling to listen to other’s advices or suggestions. If you were well attuned in a certain aspect and trying to help out a friend, who thinks they know everything, it makes it difficult. No matter what you say, how you say it, they’ll just brush your comment off and completely disregard it. They do that a few more times and soon you’ll just completely get frustrated and give up the attempt in trying to offer any assistance. Instead of being someone who thinks the “know-it-all” and instead you act humble, everyone and anyone will be willing to teach you and offer you advice. It doesn’t matter how much you know, how much you don’t know, if you are willing to listen and not object to everything that was mentioned, then other people will always be willing to share with you their knowledge. At a work, if every time your boss tries to tell you something or teach you something new and you constantly say you know or just fail to pay attention, then after a few times they’ll stop trying. This concept applies to everything from work to sports to everyday living. Even if you already knew the answer, just nod and say, “Yeah, I agree with you.” The other person will appreciate you listening and will be a lot more willing to continue sharing their knowledge. There is ALWAYS something you can learn from someone else, so don’t ever act like you’re better than anyone! Brushing off the Negative…. From the moment we wake up till the time we fall unconscious into slumber, we are bombarded with little issues. The majority of these issues are nothing significant, like what to wear, getting breakfast ready, but there are a few things that just drive us insane! When driving to work, sitting in traffic usually drives people completely NUTS, and this doesn’t involve those idiotic drivers who just seem to swerve in and out of traffic like they own the road. But these negative vibes really don’t affect us in anyway shape or form unless we make it effect us. So just brush it off and move on, this way your mood won’t be brought down because of some idiot. While your own the road, I know it’s annoying for those punks who cuts everyone off and swerves in and out of traffic. But what does anything they do affect us? Unless they hit you or cause you to get into an accident, they don’t, but yet we let those people get straight into our head. It seems people like to take it personal; people like to take it as a challenge. I say, “WHO THE HELL CARES!?” So what if they’re doing that? It’s just risking their chances of crashing or getting a ticket, but if you play along with them then you automatically increase your chances too, then your day will really be sour. Just sit back, do what you go to do and forget it. Just like traffic, sit back, enjoy your music and enjoy your time, I mean, it’s not like you’re going anywhere in a hurry anyway, so might as well enjoy it. Aside from driving, it seems everything else that involves people can annoy the hell out of people. In my case, it’s on the basketball court when people annoy me the most, but I am slowly attempting to change to. Partially because of a bet but also because I’m not at an age I can perform up to my standards any more. But who cares if someone fails to say “Thank you” when you open the door for them, or cuts you off in line at the post office? Does it matter? Did you loose a part of you? Did they steal your money? No! Just brush it off and not let something so insignificant, in the whole scheme of things, go. Concerning ourselves with things… Don’t Affect Us…. How many of us do this? *Raises my head* I can’t deny it, I often times catch myself being caught up and wondering about an issue that does not affect me. But there are a lot of people who completely concern themselves with issues that doesn’t matter to them! Like the topic I wrote about on Wednesday, “Gay Marriages”, I don’t see how people who aren’t homosexuals can say that gay marriages should be illegal? It doesn’t even apply to them! If you’re not gay then why does it even matter? A lot of Asian parents raise their kids by using physical discipline and that’s just how they were brought up. What I don’t understand is why those parents who don’t spank or physically punish their kids complain about it. So you don’t, congratulations, but it doesn’t mean your method is the ONLY method of raising a child. My parents and family raised us all using physical punishment and I think we all turned out okay, so there goes their theory that spanking your kid makes them turn violent and bad. I just don’t think it matters to those who don’t do that, unless someone else was disciplining their kid in that manner, don’t concern yourself with it. We all like to read about gossip and the most intimate details of a celebrity’s life. I understand wanting to know about the life of someone who’s rich and famous because our own lives aren’t as exciting, but concerning you with their lives is just ridiculous. Just because Brad and Jen broke up, WHO CARES!? It’s their personal business. So who cares of Austin and Demi are having a baby? Like I said, it’s fine that you read up on it and want to find some excitement in your life, but to get caught up in it is ridiculous. You know of people who get all upset and angry because of something that ridiculous. Go find a hobby people! Go make jig-saw puzzles or something.

It’s Over When….? (In response to C the H Q question)

The question was posed and I paraphrase, how do you know whether or not when a relationship is over or when you have to give it more of a chance and work harder on it?  (All the opinion and suggestion provided are of my own, you may agree or disagree with them, but they are merely suggestions.  Some of you may not want to read this due to the fact that it maybe a perspective that you are not willing or want to accept.)

In my opinion, if you’re in a relationship and even the slightest inkling of it not working means the relationship is already going downhill.  I know it’s a strong statement to make but I think it’s true.  So what about communicating, talking things out?  Counseling?  Starting over?  Yeah, you can give those a try but majority of the time if it comes to that, it’s already a little late.

Through personal experience and experience of friends, I realized that majority of people in relationship never worry about whether or not it’ll end, they are too caught up in the moment.  Most couples are either so blinded by “love” or each other that they don’t even have time to worry or consider ending a relationship.  They enjoy their times together even if there are bickering and arguments, but almost never have I heard ANYONE say that they thought throwing in the towel. 

Okay, I can’t say I’ve never heard it because once I do hear it; the end result is usually predictable and inevitable.  All relationships have bumps and obstacles, it’s only natural, but those aren’t reasons to cause doubt about the relationship.  Couples work through those and face those challenges together.  No matter how many differences and challenges that faced me, in past relationships, never did a doubt of the relationship occur.  When it actually did occur, there was no longer any relationship.

Even when people get married, there are doubts of being “ready” or of anxiety but you don’t hear people say they doubted the relationship and the marriage.  If you can doubt, that means there’s more issues than meets the eye.  Give it some SERIOUS thought and trust your instinct, your intuition.

Pet Peeves….

EVERYONE has pet peeves, no matter HOW patient of a person you are, so don’t try to pretend you don’t have any.  For example, majority of girls hate it when guys stare, gawk and make unnecessary noises at them (refer yesterday’s post).  No matter who you are, something bothers you, we’re human.  Here are a few I know BUG the LIVING daylights out of Chinese parents.

-         Shaking your legs (they think you’ll loose money if you do that)

-         Playing with chopsticks as if they were drumsticks (only bums do that, according to my parents)

-         Not finishing what’s on your plate (this one use to get me in trouble all the time)

-         Nail biting

Here are some of my biggest pet peeves:

-         Anything on the basketball court (hahah, my friends can’t attest to this one)

-         People who show no respect or courtesy to others (it doesn’t bother me as much if they don’t show it to me, but towards others)

-         People who only think about themselves and only themselves.

-         People who thinks the world revolves around them!  If anything it should revolve around MY BIG HEAD!   HAHAHAH

-         Those who treat animals like inanimate objects!  I’ll kick them, punch them and then throw them out in traffic.

-         Attention whores.  (I’m a Xanga whore, e-Prop whore but not an attention whore.  I don’t like to draw attention to myself in public, not even with a group of friends. But there are those who just want the WORLD to notice them.  SIT DOWN!)

So, what are a few of yours?  Please do share.

Pressure from Society

No matter where you grow up, what culture you grow up in, what economical bracket you fall under, you will always have standards to meet set by society.  These standards aren’t set by anyone in particular but are just put in place and often times provide a lot of unnecessary pressure.

There are certain pressures that different cultures feel.  If you were raised in an Asian household as compared to a Hispanic or African-American household, then the standards are completely different.  I’m not certain what kind pressure other cultures feel, but in the Asian culture there is a lot of pressure on education, respect and keeping your culture going.  I’ve had talks with my friends about our future and every one of them wants to be and marry a girl who is of the same culture because they feel a pressure, even if their parents don’t actually come out and say it.

These standards may come from all different angles.  Guys are almost required to do certain things, act a certain way and that’s all because of society.  Same applies to a girl.  If they don’t meet those “standards”, then they are considered to be “different”, “odd”, etc.  These standards are there but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to try to meet them or even attempt them.  We try SO hard to fit in from elementary all the way through high school, but once we get to college it’s all about being unique and standing out.  That also applies in work because those who can think “outside the box” get more opportunities and can provide a different perspective.  The only problem is, society doesn’t see it that way.

Share some of the pressure you feel from being a certain culture, gender or anything.

Don’t’ you wanna just…….

Don’t you wanna just go to Vegas, put ALL of your money on ONE number at the roulette table and get it!?

News Flash…

For those of you who don’t know, or don’t care, Robert Blake is acquitted for the murder of his wife and Scott Peterson will be getting the death sentence. I never followed the Blake case but I can not agree with the Peterson decision any more!  DROWN HIS A**!

Be Humble to Get Ahead (Tomorrow)

Have you ever noticed?  The more you seem to WANT to learn, the more people are WILLING to teach?

Brushing off the Negatives (Tomorrow)

Why concern ourselves with those negatives around us?

Concerning ourselves with things that’ll NEVER affect us… (Tomorrow)

There are certain things we worry about that’ll NEVER apply to us, so why not worry about things that will?

I figure, since Friendster has one of these blonging things to, I might as well use it.  Since not everyone gets to read what I post up on Xanga, I’m going to make double the posting.  So enjoy!

Fakes…

We’ve all been caught in a situation where we don’t want to be in but because we have to be polite we pretend to enjoy the conversation.  I know it’s happened to me before, but there are people who just seem fake ALL the time.  Their laughs are fake, their conversation seems insincere and actions are all completely fake.  I’m sure you can all tell they’re doing that and we’ve all done that before, but why do we put up with it?

You can be sitting there and just hear a fake laugh from across the room but yet it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else?  That fake laugh is so easy to distinguish.  So are you telling me you would rather talk to a fake who pretends they care than no one?  I’m not sure if I can do that because I would like to know that the person I’m talking to actually is listening to what I say.  But the question was posed, would you rather be a fake somebody or a real nobody?

I’d have to say real nobody because no matter how much I fake, the truth will be revealed someday.  When that day comes, you’ll fall even harder than if you were to just be a nobody and stay at the bottom.  But that’s just my opinion on that topic.

Gay Marriages…

There has been a big controversy recently over gay marriages and it will always be a hot topic.  Religious people don’t believe it should be allowed because it was not what God intended and old fashion people also feel that gays are “disgusting”.  So what do I think about it?

I personally don’t really care what they do, and that’s just being honest.  Just like a straight couple, as long as they don’t flaunt their sexuality in public, I can personally careless.  If a gay couple wants to be together and want to get married, then I don’t see why they shouldn’t be allowed to.  The argument that if they decide to have kids through artificial insemination or adoption that they’ll mess up the kid, I think, is completely bull sh*t!  There are more than enough straight parents who already mess their kids up, so the sexual preference of a person does not distinguish whether or not they’ll be good parents.  If it is true what the stereotype says about homosexuals, then they probably will be BETTER parents than straight parents. 

I personally don’t understand the concept or why they think the way they do but then again I also have no right to say they can’t.  So, for that reason alone I don’t see why they shouldn’t be allowed to get married and have a family of their own.  It’s their choice and their life, if they don’t anything to bother us, they’re just like everyone else. 

Winning vs. Losing

The older I get, the worse my ankles get and the less I am able to perform at the level I would like on the basketball court the more I begin to realize that winning ISN’T everything.  Obviously we all want to win but through winning we really don’t learn as much as we would through losing. 

When I play basketball at the park, the team I play with still wins 90% of our games and rarely can we find a team out there who can beat us.  But with us constantly winning it makes us grow content and over confident in our own abilities.  I also realize that the more we win the less we learn from each game because we just believe we can win without even giving out full effort.  The saying, “Winning cures all” really does apply because only is it those rare occasion we lose, do we realize our flaws and our mistakes while we play.  It is after a loss do we sit down and point out what we did wrong, which is usually us messing around and taking competition too lightly, but there are occasions we just get out played.  But if we don’t lose we will never learn our mistakes and continue them.

But outside of basketball, it applies to life too.  For those people who constantly get good grades and never fail in anything, when they finally don’t reach that high mark it’s like the end of the world to them.  No one can stay on top forever, but for those who never fail that first time not being successful is completely a shock and for some impossible to handle.  But it is through those down times when you don’t succeed do we learn the most and get the most of it.  Only then can you truly learn to appreciate your hard work and winning.

Don’t you wanna just….

Don’t you wanna just sit in the sun all day and absorb it in without getting sun burned?

When You Know it’s Over (Tomorrow)

This was a topic brought up by Connie.

Pet Peeves.. (Tomorrow)

We’ve all got them… so please do share.

Society’s Pressure… (Tomorrow)

Unknowingly, society will place pressure on us for being male/female, a certain age or a certain economical class.  Do you feel the pressure?