Chapter 2 - From There to Here

[Paul Terlemezian]

"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." - Abraham Lincoln

"abandomimiums" - "Instead of a War on Poverty, we fought a War on Drugs." I wonder which comes first - poverty or drugs - or if it matters. I hope that a "War on Poverty" would reduce our need to have a "War on Drugs." I fear that a "War on Drugs" would increase poverty.  I also wonder - where else do we fight the wrong battle?

Trust - Time - love, acceptance and a non-judgmental attitude. If trust is how you wish others to feel toward you then - there cannot be a time limit. Your love must be authentic and realized by others -and  they must feel accepted by you. Doing this non-judgmentally will be a challenging habit to sustain amidst security concerns and biased messaging. How can we be what we want the world to be?

"Putting bandages on heart attacks" - how often do we take credit for doing a good thing (applying bandages) when applied to a bad thing (heart attacks) and then feel unappreciated when the heart attack victim is not happy to see us the next time? Where else do we do this?

"Can you help us?" - What prevents us from responding effectively and consistently? Is it the burden of responsibility?

"Kids without positive role models and encouragement forge their identity out of negative labels stamped on them by others." Instead - how can we help them "be the hero of their own story."