It's A Challenge - Some things need to be said.

NOTICE

This year, Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on Mondays. Due to visiting family and in observance of these holidays, there will be no blog posts on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Next week, December 18th., will be a VIDEO blog post. It will be the last post for the calendar year 2023. After the holidays, my next post will be on January 8th., 2024.

Thank you.

INTRODUCTION:

With all that is happening in the world, I have received many emails asking me, "How can we enjoy the holidays with all this sadness around us?" That is an excellent question but one that is very difficult to answer. Some people are more sensitive than others. Meaning they let things around them affect them more than other people do, even if those issues do not directly affect them. That is not a bad trait; it doesn't mean they care more than others. Some individuals are more sensitive than others and let things bother them. However, there is a way to combat that, and I will try to explain it in this post.

WHAT WE DEAL WITH:

Each day, the world is a challenge. Life is a challenge. Those challenges are different for each of us. However, many of us share the same everyday challenges. If you are like me, meaning, a sensible and more logical thinking person, you tend to question many things. For example, let's look at the basics of the Israeli war. No one can dispute that Hamas attacked Israel. Israel did not start this war, and they have the right to defend themselves and rid themselves of the attacks they have sustained over the decades.

That is a sensible and logical way to look at the situation, and they are the facts. Yet, college students across the country and people throughout the world are condemning Israel for taking the actions they are taking. There are those, even with photographic proof, who refuse to believe the atrocities that Hamas has committed against the Israeli nation. How our institutes of higher earning are handling this also upsets me.

Over forty attacks have taken place against our troops in Syria, and our President has done nothing substantial to stop them. These attacks have not resulted in any deaths but have caused injuries to our soldiers. THAT IS AN ACT OF WAR by any definition. The United States has enough firepower in that region to send a clear and present message to these terrorist groups through actions against the country that supports and funds them. Iran. Yet, we sit and take it. That upsets me.

These things upset me because our response is not logical and makes no sense. Instead of showing strength, we show fear and weakness, leading to more attacks. Until one day, a soldier will die. If a soldier dies during this administration that could have taken steps to curtail these attacks, our President will have to live with that death for the rest of his life. Ronald Reagan said, and rightfully so, "Peace through Strength." Why? Because it is accurate and it works. Many great Presidents have proven that.

Many have family members serving in the armed forces during this holiday season. I remember when my son was deployed to Iraq, I had many sleepless nights. My heart understands how they feel and shares their fears.

Many who protest are there to see what is going on. In reality, there are more people there who are clueless than there are who know what they are protesting about. However, that said, it is this writer's opinion if you are protesting against Israel and pro-Hamas, and mock the U.S. in the process, although I respect your (Photo courtesy CNN)

right to freedom of speech and PEACEFUL, which many are not, protests; maybe it's time for you to get your

your FREE college education in another country.

WAR:

War stinks. People will die. Innocent people will die. Even in Gaza, there are Palestinians that do not support Hamas and those that do. That is their choice, but with that choice comes consequences. Not all countries follow what is considered the "Rules of war." Is there such a thing as fighting a civilized war? There is nothing civilized about war. For the most part, there is only one rule. WIN, and many will do that at any cost.

Add these issues to rising costs, crime, our open borders, and other social issues; how do we expect some people NOT to be bothered by all of this? Add the election cycle into this mix, and watch out for America. There will undoubtedly be some interesting conversations at many holiday dinner tables. We used to say, "No one wants war," and there was a time when that was true. Unfortunately, that may not be true anymore. This also includes the war in Ukraine. We do not hear much about that anymore except for what it costs the American taxpayers. However, that is a war Ukraine must win. In order not to be surrounded by a world filled with countries that do not believe in democracy and freedom, it is against our way of life. We must help them to protect our way of life.

Although many feel these things do not directly affect them, they do. All of this costs money. Anything the United States supports costs money. That money is paid by us all—the taxpayers. That would be called the cost of doing business in the business world.

War comes with many different forms of price tags. Emotional, behavioral, financial, loss of life, life-changing experiences, and many more. It is a long list, and it affects many. Until society and the global community wake up and realize that in a war, there are no winners, only losers, things will not change.

(Photo courtesy Tuff Now)

HOW DO WE SURVIVE THIS?:

I stated earlier that there is a way to combat these feelings through the holidays, and there is. However, a person must want to. There is a phrase I am particularly fond of. It goes like this:

Don't focus on the things you can't control; focus on the things you can control.

That is where the secret lies. It's OK to be aware of what is happening, but focusing on it to the point where it consumes you daily is anti-productive for your happiness. Put it where it belongs and focus on what makes you happy. It makes sense because there is very little you can do to change it. None of us control what others do or will do in the future. All we have control over is ourselves. How we perceive things and how we choose to react to them. It is very easy for issues to affect us profoundly. We have our own sense of morals and values. We judge others against what we believe. Often, that is not fair to others. Therefore, why do it?

Having an opinion and stating it is okay. However, do not let it consume you. Again, you cannot control others. As much as I see things that bother me, I know enough to form an opinion on them, but take them with a grain of salt. You cannot fight every battle. That is how you survive it and have a wonderful holiday season. Sadness, as much as happiness, is a part of life. We have to be able to cope with both of them as required.

IN CLOSING:

In life, there are far more issues to overcome to achieve happiness than there are to achieve sadness. At times, it is a daily battle. The two words most commonly used are "I WISH." Think about how many sentences you start with those two words. However, we must always wish and hope and work towards our dreams. That determination will make you successful in life and achieve your goals. To wish for more or what you feel is impossible is okay, provided you are happy and thankful for what you have. Many are not as fortunate as you.

Life is about perception. How we perceive it, and how we perceive its effect on us. If we all learn to keep that in perspective, achieving happiness will follow. For now, focus on the beauty of the holiday season and all it implies and comes with it. I look forward to meeting with you all in my video blog post one week from tonight.

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Please feel free to leave comments, or if you have a topic you would like me to discuss, you can email me at crondina@caesarrondinaauthor.com. Thank you.

Be safe, stay well, and focus on being happy. And remember to always: