The Catalyst

Happy Black Friday,

I trust everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Holiday. Though, like many of you, I had to work I made a decision to enjoy what I could. I hope you all took the time to be thankful for what you have and at least used one day to not fret over the things you don’t have. I wanted to share with you the latest version of the Cata-List. It somewhat matches the theme of being grateful. It’s merely a list of things we should be thankful for but tend to overlook…

Family – These are the people in our life who give us the most love and support while simultaneously being the biggest pains in the (fill in your own blank). Family lets you know that no matter how big you get you’re still going to be the same old you.

Friends – These people are similar to family except you can choose your friends.

Pain – Despite the negative connotation, pain is the reason we feel alive. That’s why doctors smack babies on the bum when they’re born. Pain is why you shouldn’t get down after a failure. The more heartbreak you experience lets you know how much love you actually have to give.

Job – There are a lot of unemployed people out there that would love the job that you so hotly detest. The same job that you complain about and dread going to would be a life saver to those who, due to a lack of employment, can’t make ends meet.

Hope/Faith – Optimism is what gets you out of bed. Everyday is a new day. You never know what the future will bring. Without a positive outlook, you may as well go dig your grave and pay someone to cover you up. You don’t have to be in a casket to be dead.

Love - The thing about love is that it is the only thing in life that absolutely has to be earned. You can’t buy it or rent it. It has to be given willingly. If you are ever so lucky to find someone who loves you…enjoy it while it lasts! (Just kidding but a little serious)

Reason – It kills me how much people don’t use good old fashioned common sense. Reason, which is a cousin of instinct, is our compass in life that points us in the right direction. Unfortunately, a number of us sacrifice reason for a macédoine* of ideologies. Just because something is confusing and/or incoherent doesn’t mean it’s spiritual.

Wisdom – Is the treasure you receive from living a well diverse life. When you explore as many opportunities and possibilities that life has to offer you enter a level of awareness that 95% of the materialistic world will never understand.

Life – The most overlooked asset we have. Our existence is so random that it sometimes seems accidental. There are so many situations and arbitrary acts that went to your birth you can’t fathom them all. Your creation was millions of years in the making. There are certain things in life that you can control. However, most things you can’t although we spend a vast majority of our lives trying. I can tell you from experience that life is about enjoying the ride. Quit fighting the universe. Life should flow like a river. If something gets in the way you should go around it or keep pushing until your problem erodes like a boulder constantly getting pounded by persistence of fierce rapids. Life is meant to be lived. Don’t let indoctrination, conformism, or the mass media tell you have to live and behave. Everyone’s path is different. Some start with more possessions than others while some merely end with more. Some people experience more passion and more love than others. We have to make the most of what we have right now. Whatever makes you happy, DO IT! Over and over again until you get bored. Then try something else that pulls your interested. Never stop learning. Never stop wondering. Never stop asking questions. Never settle for less than what you absolutely want.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melodie Beattie

Dream Big. Live Bigger



The All-American
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*Word you’ve never heard…

macédoine /mass-uh-DWAHN/ noun – a confused mixture: medley