Advice From Haas

1. If you love someone make sure they know it
2. Don't take things for granted
3. Live your life to the fullest
4. Enjoy the great days and try to be positive during the bad days
5. Spend as much time with your family and friends as you can - life is not meant to be lived alone
6. Always be polite - Chivalry is not dead
7. Speak Up - Tell people when things bother you, tell people when things make you happy
8. Laugh uncontrollably
9. Nothing can't be done - strive for the impossible
10. Nobody is perfect so show your imperfections because that is what makes you an individual

Sometimes I don't always follow my advice but here are some things I try to live by. Life is too short to not live to the fullest - I hope you enjoy.

Haas

Warrior Dash

Tomorrow is the day. I will be running in the warrior dash with a few close friends and hopefully making it  all the way through in a good time. Despite my Lack of running in about a good year (being lazy) I still think I am in good enough shape to keep up with some good runners. This is mostly because of all the recreation sports I participate in.

If you don't know what the warrior dash is, it is a 5K race up a mountain through obstacles such as mud pits, monkey bars, and navigating through essentially a junkyard of cars and tires. Hopefully I can find the warrior in me and run this race with some dignity. Through this post I would like to give a shout out to the real warriors of this country. There are two groups in particular whom I believe are true warriors. The first group of people are the soldiers of our country who protect our freedoms that we some times take for granted. Try to make a conscious effort to embrace and honor the freedoms we have.  The next group of people who I believe are true warriors are those who have been diagnosed with cancer and have to go through cancer treatments. These people endure so much struggle and pain.

Here is to the real warriors of the world.

Haas

How Would You Use Your Time?

The video below is of a movie trailer coming out in the near future. It depicts a world where time replaces money for the currency of our world. Please watch this trailer and think about the overlying theme by asking yourself what would you do if you had a very limited amount of time to live (a tangible date set for your departure from this earth). Would you spend every waking moment with the ones you love, or become selfish and conform your attitude with that selfishness.

Haas

P.S. Think about the scene where buying coffee takes four minutes out of your life and try to qualify things in your life that you could be spending your time more wisely

Everyday Heroes

What does it take nowadays to be labeled as a hero? When I think about heroes of the past century, I think about people like Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, John Lennon, and the FDNY. These people made a true difference in the world as we know and everyone they came into contact with, but the real question I am posing is can anyone be a hero to someone else?

Throughout my life, I have come into contact with many people who I believe are everyday heroes. These people do not have qualities like being able to fly or super strength; they have attributes such as compassion, generosity, and patience. Whether it has been a teacher, a coach, or my dad, each and every person has made a tremendous difference in shaping my attitude, life, and overall thinking as an individual. These people have all helped me grow as a person and I have learned to try and become a hero to other individuals. Whether its a conversation with someone when they are feeling down, teaching someone something new, or even just a smile creating this attitude and demeanor around people can make you an everyday hero to a certain someone. I became the person I am today because of the people who have shaped my life for the better, these people are everyday heroes to me. Learn to become an everyday hero to people whom you love.  Embody Heroic characteristics such as compassion, generosity, patience, loyalty, and honesty. 

Haas

Everyday Is A Gift

My grandmother always used to say that "everyday is a gift" so don't take your life for granted.  I am not a fortunate enough man to have met my grandmother, but my dad still reminds me to this day some of the things he had learned from her. Those words had never resonated in my ears correctly until my dad and I had recently discussed the topic thoroughly. We had began talking about it and we finally understood that we cannot fully realize this message until we have lived that way. Don't take things for granted!

This post coincides with my previous post with a different message. I am now starting to realize how important living life to the fullest is. We are Lucky people! Here are a few bullet points that I thought very interesting when told to me:

- If you can read this message, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

- If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.

-If you have money in your bank, your wallet, and some spare change, you are among 8% of the world’s wealthy.

These are just a few points that I believe are extremely important to think about when talking about how good we have it. Think about it...If you are simply reading this message, you have been educated better than 3 billion other people. That is amazing to me! My co-worker talked about a few other bullet points in her article titled The Power of Gratitude. These bullet points seemed to resonate in our office and truly took hold of how we think and how we act towards not only each other, but also ourselves. 

A couple of my friends and I decided over dinner a few months back that instead of giving up something tangible for lent, we would give up taking things for granted. We didn't realize what we were doing until a couple months later.  In those couple months it was amazing to see our attitudes change towards ourselves and also towards others. I have lived a short life so far, but I truly believe that living every single day like it is a gift can make a powerful and positive change on anyones life.

Growing as a person,

Haas  

The Power of Positivity

Have you ever wondered whether Positive thoughts truly have an effect on your life? Have you ever been around someone who seems to drag you into negative town? I have met a lot of "Negative Nancy’s" in the short time I have been on this earth and they are still, in my personal opinion, the worst people to be around.

My Dad always told me when I was a kid playing sports that if you visualize yourself doing well and think you are going to do well then you will. I never believed that until I grew up a little and matured. Positive thoughts truly have an effect not only on yourself, but also on everyone you come in contact with.  Imagine right now one person who has been in your life that you really make an effort to stay away from... I bet that everyone who reads this has someone who they can picture in their head, and all of those people have this negative trait blaring loudly through their actions. The truth is, it is easier to be negative and everyone has that trait innate inside him or her. Bury that trait. I realized that I cannot be like that, I must think that "the glass is half full" (another optimistic and positive undertone) as much as I possibly can.  

Positivity is a key ingredient to many things:

- Success

- Companionship

- Happiness

- Confidence

- An Open Mind

Barbara Fredrickson, in her book titled, "Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive," describes positivity as:

“Think of the times you feel connected to others and loved; when you feel playful, creative, or silly; when you feel blessed and at one with your surroundings; when your soul is stirred by the sheer beauty of existence; or when you feel energized and excited by a new idea or hobby.” — Barbara Fredrickson

Your mind is the most powerful thing in your body and arguably the most sophisticated thing in this universe; help it guide you to become a better, more positive person. Grow, Learn, and Succeed.

Haas

Importance of Cancer Support Groups

As the number of cancer diagnoses increases, so does the number of cancer support groups. Cancer support groups are groups in which cancer patients can join and find help, resources, and companionship in other cancer patients. Patients can find local, statewide, nationwide, and even international cancer support groups to join. Some groups are cancer specific, while many tailor to cancer patients in general.

These support groups are a great tool for fighting and surviving cancer. Many studies have examined these groups and have found them to be an important part of cancer treatment. One study examined the psychosocial benefits of cancer support groups and found that women in these groups were "significantly less depressed, less anxious, and had more knowledge of their illness.  This resulted in better relationships with care givers, fewer sexual difficulties, and more participation in leisure activities. 

Support groups also provide companionship for cancer patients. In these groups, people gain friends, connections, and support beneficial to their recovery. Many cancer support groups use the same methods and activities to help patients such as counseling, informational sessions about cancer related subjects, social events, doctor and hospital referrals, and some even include support like free rides and hotel stays. Cancer support groups are incredibly beneficial because they offer services and support that cancer patients cannot get on their own or from family members who have never had cancer.  Cancer support Groups are more than just information, they are a network of other cancer patients that will support each other, celebrate each other's victories, and share each other's tears.

Cancer support groups are the medicine that doctors cannot inject and cancer cannot defeat. Many studies even show a correspondence of survival rates to cancer support treatment groups. Support groups can help you manage and survive during cancer. Even for those who have non-treatable cancers, these groups can help inject a positive outlook on life, which might not increase their life expectancy, but will most definitely make their last years more comfortable and enjoyable. When medicine and support come together, we can win against cancer!

By: David Haas