Feed Your Good Dog

Positive Thoughts | Positive Actions | Positive Results

TGIFYGDF! . . . Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

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heartA truly time tested message about what Love is, and great reminder for us all.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Best Places to Retire

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Best Places Retirement stick figure celebrating“Retirement is not in my vocabulary. They aren’t going to get rid of me that way.” ~Betty White BrainyQuotes

8 Best Places to Retire | Everyday Health

In Everyday Health’s article “8 Best Places to Retire” by Vanessa Caceres and Reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH we learn about eight of the best places to retire. The criteria used to determine the best places to live in retirement include:

  • access to fresh food
  • activity levels and light exercise
  • intellectual stimulation, and
  • access to health care, among others

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One way to “Feed Your Good Dog” as we age is to engage your brain in memory games. Here’s one for you. After you read the article come back and try to match the city with the quote.

_____Gainesville, FL | _____Ikaria, Greece | _____Iowa City, IA | _____Madison, WI |

_____New York City | _____Okinawa, Japan | _____Omaha, NE | _____Nicoya, Costa Rica

  1. “People can get around easily on foot, or hail a cab, or get a ride from government-based resources, she says. There are hundreds of social activities for older adults.”
  2. “There’s also a strong economy and educational environment,” says Chatterjee. Intellectual stimulation was an important part of the rankings used in the Milken Institute’s 2014 report, Best Cities for Successful Aging, says Chatterjee.”
  3. “… one of the cities identified by a decade-long research project called ‘The Blue Zones’ to have the largest number of people living to 100.” Why? ‘There’s lots of fish and plant-based foods.’”
  4. “One of the top locations in the Blue Zones research for residents living to 100, this city wins points because people living there maintain strong connections with family and friends.”
  5. “The strong economy and low unemployment rate make it more likely that children or grandchildren live and work closeby — reinforcing social ties.”
  6. “’Access to healthy foods and easy ways to prepare them are other keys for longevity.’”, Chun says.
  7. “The long lives seen here appear to be the result of a plant-based diet, strong social connections, and lots of movement.”
  8. “…a well-established healthcare system with accredited hospitals, and there’s intellectual stimulation . . . there”

Source: 8 Best Places to Retire | Everyday Health

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Answer: 8 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4

Each Day Is A New Day Full of Choices

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Choices Quote Nick VujicicFor most of us, how we approach each day, as we get out of bed in the morning, is up to us. We must make choices about what we think and do. Deciding is so much easier if we have purpose.

When the alarm rings at 6AM each day for CJ Stewart, he is ready for a new day because he has purpose. As CEO and Co-Founder of L.E.A.D., his purpose is based on his dream to empower an at-risk generation of young, black males from the inner city of Atlanta to lead and transform their city of Atlanta, and eventually the world. Some say his dream is too lofty, and that he is crazy to think he can realize it. However, through L.E.A.D., together with his wife, Kelli, its board and a host of supporters a positive culture is emerging among young black boys in Atlanta that is showing every indication that CJ’s dream is becoming reality. Find out how in CJ’s current blog post 6AM AND IT’S A NEW DAY . . . OR IS IT?”

And, remember . . . Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

College Advice – This Pretty Much Sums It Up

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College Advice - French ProverbMy husband Paul and I are the proud parents of a young woman who recently graduated from the University of Georgia. She designed the top of her graduation cap around the French proverb – “Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.” It moves me to know that this is her philosophical takeaway from the last four years as a college student; and that it is the basis for how she will handle the transition from a life she grew comfortable in to a life that she will make for herself starting anew.

I wanted to share our daughter’s insight with the hopes that it will be seen by, and have a positive influence on, someone who is getting ready to start college as a freshman, or even returning as an upperclassman. I cannot think of a better philosophy for a college student to adopt and develop, as it may prove to serve him or her well in life after college.

College Advice from Jeff Beals, former dean of student affairs at a private college.

There is also quite a bit of college advice out there. Here is one article with good college advice currently circulating throughout social media that is written by Jeff Beals, entitled “Is Someone You Love Going to College? Their Success Depends on Three Words” The three words Mr. Beals is referring to are: “Responsibility. Authority. Accountability.”

He says: “In order to succeed, each individual must take total responsibility for his or her own life. You must graciously accept credit when it is due, and more importantly, you must be the first to stand up and take the blame when you have made a mistake.”

He then sums it up with what I think to be one of the most important points he makes in the article, “While responsibility, authority and accountability come with a burden, they are also liberating. Success begins and ends with you. People who abide by these three words enjoy more success and lead richer lives.”

Mr. Beals has further college advice for college students all of which is summed up below, and you can read here:

  • Go all in – become immersed in the experience.
  • Be active, go out and make things happen.
  • Get involved outside of the classroom.
  • Use time management habits to find the balance between studying and having fun.

We congratulate anyone making the decision to further his or her education, and wish them all the best! And, also remember . . . Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Self-Empowerment Strengthens Self-Esteem and Self-Respect

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CJ Stewart, co-founder of L.E.A.D.“I chose to surround myself with experiences that strengthened my self-esteem and self-respect.” CJ Stewart, co-founder of L.E.A.D. on how he was able to work his way out of the inner city of Atlanta instead of giving into perceptions, both self-imposed and societal, that define young black males there.

Read CJ’s blog post “Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion, or How to Affect Change” to understand his perspective on:

  • Why he is qualified to speak on behalf of the black male population of Atlanta;
  • What a life of poverty does to a person, especially a young person, and what we can do to help change the debilitating effects of poverty on a person;
  • What Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion has to with the change he wants to see take place in Atlanta, especially for at-risk black youth living in the inner city;
  • How one’s perception plays into the perpetuation of racism;
  • Why it is important for him to acknowledge the existence of racism, and how that helps him lead an at-risk black youth living in the inner city of Atlanta; and
  • What he suggests about creating opportunities around Sunday worship that, he believes, will bring about a change in perception.

And, remember … Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Spotlight on L.E.A.D. Ambassador Austin Evans

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L.E.A.D. Ambassador Austin Evans with Governor DealThank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday (TGIFYGDF)!  And, thank goodness for organizations such as L.E.A.D. Through L.E.A.D., young black males from Atlanta’s inner city, have an opportunity, when they may not otherwise, to earn an education and commit to improving themselves and their communities.

To date, 100% of the young men who complete L.E.A.D.’s program graduate from high school, 95% enroll in college and 92% receive scholarship money to help pay for college.  Austin Evans is a L.E.A.D. Ambassador and an aspiring United States Senator. He is graduating from L.E.A.D.’s program this year and from Atlanta Public Schools’ New Schools at Carver. He is a POSSE Foundation Scholarship recipient and will be taking his talents to Texas A&M in the Fall. He is also a finalist for the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Foundation Scholarship.

Austin recently met with Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal. He actually told Governor Deal that he wanted to become a U.S. Senator. Thank you Kelli Stewart for capturing that surreal moment.

Following is a conversation, young Evans had with his mentor and L.E.A.D.’s co-founder CJ Stewart after his meeting.

CJ: Is the Governor approachable?

A. Evans: The governor is a very approachable man and I felt very comfortable in his presence.

CJ: Describe the personality of the Governor?

A. Evans: His personality was professional and as the conversation continued he showed me a more welcoming side of him. He’s a very nice man.

CJ: Describe his hand shake?

A. Evans: He gave a respectable firm handshake while looking me in the eyes.

CJ: Can the Governor connect with teenage black males? Describe.

A. Evans: The governor can connect with black males if he reaches out to them in way that makes them comfortable. Black males feel as though the government doesn’t exist to help them. That barrier must be removed before we can truly connect.

CJ: What surprised you the most about the Governor?

A. Evans: The most surprising thing was that he remembered my grandfather extremely well and had the utmost respect for him. My grandfather shined Governor Deal’s shoes in Gainesville long before he became the Governor of Georgia.

CJ: If you had the power, influence and the leadership of the Governor, what three problems would you solve first in Georgia?

A. Evans: First I would change the disparities in the educational system. Second, I would close the tremendous wealth gap. Third, I would promote more unity and competition because through competition greatness happens.

CJ: What will you be doing in the year 2040?

A. Evans: In 2040, I plan on being a U.S. Senator representing and empowering Georgia.

You can read more about the good things coming out of L.E.A.D. at its blog here.

And, remember . . . Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!