Living by Values

Where do people find meaning in life? Religion offers a lot of guidance to many, but more and more people identify as atheists. I think most of us feel, maybe sporadically at times, that there is a deeper meaning to our existence, even those who have no religion. Many just don’t agree with worshipping a deity we don’t have scientific evidence to see.

I do believe in God and the bigger picture, but I think humans try too hard to explain much of what we don’t know. I am okay with accepting the mystery in life, but believe there is more to us beyond what we are aware of .

Now, whether someone believes in a higher power or not, we must be able to agree as humans on some basic expectations. This is why we have laws. You can’t harm someone for no reason and not expect consequences.

As a counselor and also as an individual outside of my profession, I see the importance of identifying what we value and working hard to make sure our actions align with those values.

When we do not take time to reflect on how we are leading our lives, we may feel a little lost or like we are on auto-pilot all the time.

Pinpointing what we care about can help us plan what we do with our time, such as matching our career choice to our values, prioritizing our health and relationships, and more.

I often think of my values, which happen to tie to Buddhism and Christianity. I feel connected to both religions and look to Buddha and Jesus for guidance on ideal ways to live life with meaning. Loving our neighbor, doing no harm, acting for the better good, and purifying our mind and heart.

Life can be hard in many ways and looking to our values can help us know we are on a positive path, accepting that we are not perfect beings.

Predictions for the Return of March Madness

We all missed filling out our brackets for the NCAA Basketball Tournament last year and making wagers with friends. Well, the time has finally come to follow teams passionately and enthusiastically until they ruin our bracket.

I usually end up doing okay with the brackets I fill out, but that’s the fun part of it all really- thinking you have an awesome bracket to see it go to shreds.

^ This is Rip from “Yellowstone,” which Veronica and I started to watch skeptically but ended up loving.

So, here are some of my predictions that will likely go astray.

Lowest seed to advance from the first round: Colgate (14)

First 1 seed to lose: Michigan in the Round of 32 (to St. Bonaventure’s)

12 seed or lower to make Sweet 16: Winthrop (Check out Chandler Vaudrin on YouTube)

Elite Eight: Gonzaga, Iowa, Baylor, Texas Tech, Illinois, Houston, Florida St., Alabama

Final Four: Gonzaga, Baylor, Houston, Alabama

Champion: Gonzaga (beating Baylor 73-69)

Top 5 Childhood Cereals

Almost 26 years old and I still love cereal. And unlike some other childhood staples, think spaghettios or poptarts, cereal never left me completely. I’ve gone through phases where I eat cereal every day or I don’t have any for weeks, but I can always return to the comfort food.

So what are my top five cereals from when I was a kid? Well, let’s think it through.

1- Frosted Mini Wheats

One of the only cereals I still eat to this day. Such a classic that almost always tastes right.

2- Reeses Puffs

Oh man, if you love the peanut butter and chocolate combo this hits the spot. Unlike other brands who tried the combo, like Captain Crunch, the creators of Reeses Puffs made a masterpiece.

3- Fruity Pebbles

Pretty sure this one is pure sugar. But probably why it tastes amazing and I could down 2-3 bowls easily?

4- Lucky Charms

When I heard that people bought packages of the marshmallow pieces from Amazon, rather than the whole cereal, I was not surprised. We all come to see how many marshmallow pieces we can get in one bowl.

5- Cinnamon Toast Crunch

When you’re craving some Cinnamon, CTC is calling your name. However, this one seems to grow old quickly.

What are yours?

Should Athletes Speak Out on Serious Issues?

Earlier in the week I saw the news that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a world-famous soccer player, commented that famous athletes should not talk about politics. He thinks politics divide people while sports unite them and that everyone should focus on their specialty. He specifically mentioned Lebron James, who simply does not agree with that sentiment. Lebron is well-known for being outspoken on certain social and political issues, especially those related to social injustice.

I am sure some people agree with Zlatan, while others concur with Lebron.

Ultimately, I think everyone has the freedom to share their opinions. However, what we share to public platforms concerning serious topics should be thought out and carefully crafted. I do not like or agree with cancel culture and dislike the idea that many are hesitant and scared to share how they really feel, but that does not mean there should be no consequences.

Athletes have a special platform to share whatever they want, but I would hope they consider what they put out there knowing they can influence a lot of people.

Just because I like Lebron does not mean I should agree with what he says without applying critical thinking. The same goes for everyone we hear.