
by Tim Thompson
This post originally appeared on MangoCommunicationsBlog.com
This is probably one of my favourite quotes because it is the epitome of the mission statement “ helping others”. It is easy to sit with the great but very difficult to walk with the broken. There are many people in the world today who are broken. In North America, broken can mean depressed, jobless, broken relationships, illness and so on. In the rest of the world, broken takes on a new and more challenging meaning. It includes mines in Congo that exploit children, the violence in Myanmar, the devastation in Puerto Rico and so on. We should be taking the harder road and walking with the broken. Not enough of us are helping others as we are too busy involved with first world problems. Problems that in reality are not that important. Also, let’s not forget the treatment of animals throughout the world including China, the continued popularity of fur coats and the abuse of animals in our province of Quebec. Remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi – “ the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. What are you doing to walk with the broken?
A friend recently lost her beloved family dog, Dogs are a unique and special breed of animals. They are truly selfless and love their lives to both please and be with their masters. The benefits of dog ownership are immeasurable. Dogs are more than just cuddly companions — research continues to show that pets bring real health benefits to their owners. Having a dog around can lead to lower levels of stress for both adults and kids. They’ve been found to decrease the risk of asthma in children and have been linked to lower blood pressure. And researchers have also shown that dog owners are more active than those who don’t own dogs, packing in more steps per day on their walks or just regular playtime. Last month, a study showed that older dog owners take 2,760 more steps per day on average compared to non-owners, which amounted to an additional 23 daily minutes of moderate exercise.
But the best part of dog ownership is the love and affection that is unconditional. From the moment you walk in the door, they are excited and thrilled to see you and just want to be with you. Period. That’s all they want. A lesson in love and selflessness that could help society become a better place.
Some quotes are apparently simple yet difficult to execute. But we do have a choice we every day and the choice is simple – am I going to be in a good mood and seize the day or am I going to decide that I am in a bad frame of mind and ruin the day. It’s up to you.
Powerful. In other words, our past has prepared us for the present and we must attempt to learn the lessons of the past and utilize them today to make our life better. Some people decide to let the past impact their present and future. But instead, we should be using the lessons learned to make better decisions going forward. When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it
- Admit it
- Learn from it
- Don’t repeat it
Tim Thompson was born and raised in Montreal and has a degree in Sociology and Psychology from McGill University. He is the President of Radio Marketing Solutions which includes 947 HITS FM and Wild Country 965. He is also the President of Mango Communications and a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters West Island.