Humility

You are not better than anyone else. No one is better than you. It sounds cliche, and it is, but everyone is just, different.

Too many people feel as though they are better than everyone else, or at least better than some people. It's funny, but that is exactly what makes those people not any better than anyone else. I have found that humility in all areas of your life can take you much farther than anything else. Humility does not mean a lack of confidence in your abilities or constantly underselling yourself. Humility merely means a graciousness and appreciation for what you are capable of, and a willingness to share your talents and positive characteristics with those around you for the betterment of everyone. Chances are, somebody somewhere is better than you at something. Don't be envious, be happy for them, and strive to achieve what they have achieved.

I consider myself a moderately successful young man both in my personal and professional life, but I also know I did not get where I am by myself, nor do I consider myself at the pinnacle of my professional and personal life. I have received the help and support of countless people in my life, and I am finally at a point where I can start to give back the support I received to others. Humility has kept me from shutting myself off from others, and humility has taught me to appreciate what I have because it can be taken at any time. I get so tired of those people who don't know the meaning of the word humble. They have this over-inflated image of themselves and think the world owes them something, or that they are something for the rest of us in the world to behold. You can be proud of what you have done, but without humility, no one else will be proud with you.

Until next time,

Your humble servant,

Charles

A Little Poetry

Confusion...

Not working with all the pieces

Everybody trying to find their peaces

You wonder what you're missing

and then you find out...

Time...

Can mean so much

Can mean so little

You wish you had more

sometimes you wish it would just pass you by

Yourself...

You think you question

you try not to think, try not to question

Why...

Things are different, so different

Not just the obvious.

It's very strange, you're almost

Angry...

Disappointed, worried, frustrated, hurt,

You wish it was simply

Confusion...

Friendship

Friends are an integral part of everyone's life, whether it be a positive or negative part, they are a part. Never make the mistake of thinking you can make it on your own. Friendship is what keeps us connected, it is what makes everything else you do in life bearable. Of course you have your family, but can they not also be considered extremely close friends? Conversely, can close friends not be considered almost like family? Your friends, your true friends are there for you. They do not judge, they do not disapprove or distance themselves from you. True friends do not boast or seek approval. True friends do not speak negatively of you,(unless they say it to your face.) A true friend listens, supports and offers whatever help they can. Take a look at your friends. Do these people fit one of these two descriptions? If so, which one? Which category do you fit in as a friend? It is never too soon or too late to evaluate your life and the people you have asked into yours. I would like to close by saying thank you to all of my friends. I would not be who I am today without you in my life, whether we are still close friends, have fallen out of touch, or if you can't stand the thought of me, you have had an impact on my life, thank you. And to my nearest and dearest friends, love to you (whatever type of love makes you the least uncomfortable.)

Charles

Have a Good Time...

But, You Play Hard, You Pay Hard.

The Submission of Will

Two extremely important people in my life have shared something extraordinary with me over the past few weeks. First of all, you need to know that I am a Christian. Here are the two things that these people have shared with me.

1. There is no harder prayer to pray than "Lord, Thy will be done."

2. If Jesus could do it in the Garden, we should be able to do it too.

That's it.

Thank you to these two people.

I'm working on it.

I'll get the hang of this eventually...

Okay, my blog posts are extremely sporadic, but now that I have a handle on school and my schedule, I will try to do better.

For tonight, an observation followed by my thoughts on this observation.

The observation:

Many people, school age, teenagers, college students, even adults, do not have clearly defined goals in life. They are content with where they are, or worse, they are content with whatever happens TO them. They do not view life as something they do, they view it as something that happens to them and something they have no control over. I am severely disappointed when I ask any of my students what their goals are and I get a shrug of the shoulders or the always popular, "I dunno."

Here are my goals, followed by my thoughts on why I think goals are so important.

1. Be a part of and help to raise a wonderful, Christian family, sharing the upbringing I received from my parents, especially my mom.

2. Ultimately become Dr. Charles F. Henry, and conduct a stellar choir at the university level.

3. To have a positive effect on any and all students and people I encounter along the way.

My thoughts on the importance of goals are easy to explain. They give us direction and drive, a sense of purpose that everyone wants and needs. I think someone once told me, or maybe I just came up with this, that everything you do in life is an audition or application for the next step. High school is an audition for college, college an application for a job, your first job the audition for your next and so on. If you do not know your goals, these things no longer become steps but merely treading water or running in place. People have asked me how long I plan to stay where I am and I tell them, "Until the next step up becomes available." Certainly there is something to be said for feeling satisfied and happy, but there is a difference between being satisfied and settling. Don't settle. Always look for and be ready to take the next step.

The easiest thing...

So many people today say "Chivalry is dead." I disagree, I don't think it's dead, just not necessarily vibrant at the present. Here is the easiest task you can complete on the road to becoming a respectable gentleman.

-Open doors for others.

This task requires little to no effort, no money, no thought and no time but can make a tremendous improvement in the way others view you and how you feel about yourself. You may wonder who to open doors for. The answer is everyone. Open it for adults, open it for senior citizens, for your friends, for men and women and children. Make it a conscious effort. Think to yourself that if you see a person entering an establishment where you are going in, you will hold the door open for at least one person. This also applies to getting in and out of an automobile. If you are driving, certainly make the effort to open your passenger's door first, and if you are not driving, you can offer to open the person's door on your side of the car. It is incredible how the little things can mean so much. You young men out there may think this is cheesy, but you can ask my wonderful and beautiful girlfriend how much the little things mean. Take the extra two seconds to open the door for someone, soon it will become a habit and you will find yourself on the way to becoming a gentleman.

Waiting at the door for you to enter,

Charles

New Direction

Being a teacher the last two years has opened my eyes to a huge gap in the education of younger generations. So many young people today are never taught etiquette, decorum and other basic needs to function at a high level in society. I have been fortunate enough to receive a "Gentleman's Education" from the adults in my life, and I feel somewhat called to share that information with today's young men. My hope is that this blog will touch subjects that all young men are dealing with, and provide them with advice and a sense of relief knowing that others face the same challenge, all in the comfort of complete confidentiality. I will be starting this blog with subjects that I know many young men confront, and hope that soon you will have your own questions, scenarios, etc. to ask about and share.