LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

By Domenick J. Maglio Ph.D. Traditional Realist

Everyone in life is dealt a different hand. Some are born tall or short, rich or poor, dark or light skinned, deformed or physically intact, bright or dull, from happy or dysfunctional family, and unique in many other ways. Yet all people have one thing in common: they all have freedom of choice. The decisions they make are the difference between a dignified or a pathetic life.

The wonderful thing about being a citizen of the US is that we have more opportunity than any citizens in the world. This translates into being able to find something you want to do as long as you are willing to make the necessary sacrifice to do it. There has to be a willingness to start at the bottom and work up with a positively motivated attitude and take on more responsibility without complaint about not having immediate compensation. There should also be a willingness to take risks by moving to an area with better employment opportunities, taking on new challenges or investing time and money to establish your own enterprise.

With opportunity comes the necessity of focusing one’s energy without making excuses or poor choices. Excuses and eliminating choices are the death sentence for obtaining a person’s goals. You can observe this in schools where many teenagers use ridiculous excuses such as “my parents did not help me,” “I had a headache”, “my books are at my other parent’s house”, and “I have no time” or “I am not smart enough.” There should be no excuses or lazy choices that are acceptable when you are highly motivated.

Temporary setbacks such as an accident, illness, divorce, bankruptcy, or the death of a loved one have to be confronted and overcome. The adversity a person conquers is a life lesson that makes the individual stronger. Military soldiers who get blown up in a war zone are amazing examples of a person’s tenacity. Soldiers who lost several limbs and whose spouses left because of their inability to deal with the secondary pain of witnessing their struggle are just some of the problems soldiers have to overcome. PTSD is an issue of many returning vets that has to be overcome through tremendous psychological power of the mind.

When you see individuals and young children with severe physical issues put on their prosthetics, battling to learn how to adapt their body it shows us the mental strength of human beings. Not only are these people inspirational to us all but should shame us out of wallowing in our insignificant difficulties.

When an individual does not confront obstacles necessary to lay a strong foundation to solve future difficulties they remain in a “why me?” state. If this habit of despairing over very little continues it will end in becoming a failure in one’s own mind.  On the other hand, the person who learns to employ his past learning experiences to gain insight has a reservoir of skills, confidence and knowledge to tackle even the most difficult situations that life has to offer. Personal “willpower” increases as the person shows himself that he can conquer serious obstacles, which can block him from reaching his goals. This self-taught knowledge is mind over matter and appears to have become a lost art.

In comparison, people who are stuck in their setbacks and chronic difficulties produce a life of misery. Their passive approach paralyzes the person, which does nothing to solve the problem.  Rather it erodes the person’s confidence and discourages him from focusing on the issues in front of him. They become incapacitated to deal with even the most insignificant and trivial difficulties.

Our approach to living determines our future. We have freedom of choice to make our decisions to live the life we wantg. When we consistently think in the short run, we are living an instant gratification life, which usually does not end in happiness and inner satisfaction. Without putting aside savings for eventual, unforeseen future occurrences like disease, accident, old age or natural disasters the ability to rebuild their lifestyle is slow and limited. Many people just complain about their bad luck instead of using their resources to solve their issues.

“Live for today” and “disregard the future” were notions of the hippies in the 1960s. It is a short sighted and utopian view of living a good life through their entire existence. The odds of this occurring are very low and almost delusional. Let us get back to a more mature, reality life-style.  We need to do the necessary things that prepare us for the future inevitabilities in each stage of the life cycle that normally confront us.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

"WOKE" TO ELITES PREACHING VIRTUE SIGNALS OF THE NEW RELIGION

“WOKE” TO ELITES PREACHING VIRTUE SIGNALS OF THE NEW RELIGION

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

The progressive PC agenda of “one world government”, social justice, global warming, non-judgment, gender proliferation, no borders, minority rights, white privilege, and of the USA’s exploitation of the world’s people have become the underpinnings of the new religion of the elites. These “smuggers” have become preachers to their wannabees to “woke”(awakened) by becoming aware of the superiority of “virtue signals” of the progressive religion. The elites reject the traditional moral values and want to establish this new utopian, manmade religion, excuse me, “humankind religion.”

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, corrected a young female who said, “mankind”. He smugly and pompously reminded her the virtue signal should be “people kind.” The young audience applauded his marvelous religious knowledge and wisdom. He is one of the high priests of the new progressive religion being elected as the leader of a major western nation. After this statement, Trudeau received significant negative blowback and his spokesperson related he was “only joking.” Everyone in the audience knew what he said was meant to be followed.

Ex president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and other European Union leaders are important contributors and disciples of the new wave religion, worshiping earth and the genius of man, excuse me again, and “people kind.” These elite geniuses determine the belief system of this utopian vision.

Evil does not exist in this worldview. People in this worldview are supposedly equal. The non-privileged minority people are victims of their circumstances. These individuals should not be punished for their crimes but should be given special privileges like advancement, money and forgiveness for their negative actions. These misdeeds were ultimately caused by social injustices of the past. Rich, white, special privileged people perpetuated all of these injustices. Ironically it is these same white, elite people and a few of color, which have created this new “religion.” The elites’ revelation of a one-world-government with them being the all-knowing figures leads the non-elites to a higher spiritual life.

These virtuous social-justice advocates are the same ones that created this progressive religion to right their own past elite sins. Somehow, by forming a “one world” efficient, centrally controlled government the wrongs of the past will vanish and humans will rise to the status of mini gods.  Science will provide the answers to prevent natural disasters by changing the climate throughout the world. These disciples of science will erase evil and ignorance and everyone will be on an equal plain of knowledge, motivation and love.

The use of political correctness will help people censor any thoughts of racist, ethnic or Christian values. This will promote the creation of a more perfect world.  The earth and all living things will be treated as sacredly equal specimens of a new world order. Humans will be “self-actualize” into more fulfilled and omniscient individuals.  Evil will be erased as will the need for any punishment. Everyone will live in harmony. Kumbaya.

The world will no longer need borders, law enforcement, armies, procreation between male and female as modern science will advance to the level of producing super bright, healthy and compassionate people. The world will become heaven on earth with hedonism being a shining guide to inner perfection. This will be accomplished by the brilliance of our past and perfect elite leaders who will direct us to this promise-land.

This will only happen if world citizens sacrifice their antiquated beliefs in freedom, human rights, guns, equal justice and happily participate in this “march to paradise.” Being “woke” to these new virtues and following them will take humankind to the heights of being equal to god. Their “god kind” will prevail.

Heaven on earth is obtainable as long as we follow our science inspired wise man into the promise land. Only by leaving the perverted traditional values behind, all the followers need to study the virtue signals of the elite wise men to be inspired soldiers in this revolutionary religion. This is the “woke” phase of the enlightenment and “bliss” for all humans.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

BE ALERT AND CHECK PUBLIC SCHOOL CLAIMS

BE ALERT AND CHECK PUBLIC SCHOOL CLAIMS  

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

Min national polls most Americans believe the job congress is doing is horrible. Yet when it comes to re-election of their own local establishment congressional representative they usually overwhelmingly win. Their own congressman is doing an excellent job but all the others are not. This defies mathematical odds.

The same phenomenon happens with people concerning their child’s school. Their child’s school is a high functioning one while others in the district are less than adequate. This happens even when the national polls demonstrate that according to the public, US education is in deplorable shape as compared to the US education system in the 1960s or even currently developing countries.

The reality of the state of our local schools is much harder to determine today than ever before. The sheer enormity of our school districts and individual schools make them truly difficult for parents to assess. In the past teachers were recruited from the neighborhood. Parents knew their child’s teacher and the administrator both inside and outside the school. Many of the principles were the same individuals who were in charge when they were educated. People were more stable and accountable to the local people in the neighborhood.

Fast forward, we now live in a mobile society. People are transient, have few roots in the community. Teachers and administrators have more impressive titles but little power and no direct accountability to parents and students. No one is directly in charge. A bureaucratic committee is running our public schools. Our schools are so large they have to have numerous administrators. The principal has not only one vice principal but several of them. The clerical staff is no longer a couple of secretaries but an entire department of specialists assigned to various sections including public relations. This group controls the news flow by massaging the school district performance data. Citizens have been lulled into not believing their own eyes. The sugar coating of our public schools has become a super con art.

The principal has to directly answer not to the parents, rather to the local school district office of various level bureaucrats. The head superintendent of schools is an elected or appointed political position directly responsible to the local board of education. Each school board member is supposed to represent a division of the entire district. The school board is accountable to enforce state mandates and regulations that are formulated by bureaucrats in the state capital and the State Department of Education.

Federal and state intervention in our local schools has hurt, not improved our students’ education and our teachers’ ability to create a safe and stimulating learning environment. President Obama’s administration devised the “Promise Program.” This program, like most federal ones, used grant money to entice school districts to participate in the program. The stated purpose was to  “reduce the schoolhouse to jailhouse pipeline.” The result has been to ignore sociopathic students to lower negative statistics in order to receive the additional funds. This policy was a major factor in keeping Nikolas Cruz from getting needed help. It has kept dangerous students in school without any consequences all over the nation.

On the local school district level it is currently almost impossible to determine the actual effectiveness of the individual school. Almost every power broker in the district would like to attract new perspective businesses to the area. Chambers of Commerce need high functioning schools to close the deal to bring new business and to maintain established businesses in the community. It is in the vested interest of the local establishment to elevate the reputation of the public schools. These mainstays of local business have many incentives to sell the school district’s reputation to the surrounding counties. Public relations department reports sugar coat assessment results that highlight dubious elements and conceal blatant statistical shortcomings of the district’s performance. The school’s public relations department makes the local businessman’s pitch easier by providing snippets of assessment results to create an illusion of positive results.

When today’s high school graduates have less academic proficiency than high school graduates in the first half of the 1900s, no amount of today’s grade inflation can hide student’s deficiency in academic skills, knowledge and reasoning ability from discerning parents. The media interviews with college students from the most prestigious universities in the nation are impossible to dismiss. It is a stunning example of the pathetic state of the US education. It is a maze of confusing bureaucratic layers with citizens having practically no voice.

Our educational system has to be radically revamped or America will lose its prominence as a world leader. This can only be accomplished by reestablishing direct accountability to parents in the local school district for actual comprehensive education of their children. Immediately we should end state and federal mandates, which serve only political interests not that of our student’s education.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.

STAY MARRIED FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE

STAY MARRIED FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

There are specific behaviors seen early in a marriage that should be grounds for terminating the relationship. Physical abuse, severe and long term substance addiction, adultery, mental illness, sexual molestation are some of the grounds for early divorce. Usually these destructive, deviant behaviors were hidden or missed before the marriage.  Nevertheless, once uncovered these negative acts should be confronted with serious consequences including dissolving the marriage.

Once there is a child in the marriage the options become more complex and complicated. In the American culture of the 1950s and early 1960s most citizens said couples should stay together for the sake of the children. The parents understood the psychological anguish children had to endure with the breakup of the parents due to the children’s divided allegiance to each parent.  The feminist liberation movement changed the narrative from the impact on the children to the suffering of the woman/mother in a relationship she no longer found fulfilling. Feminist groups and psychological experts who were influenced by the movement directly encouraged a wife to leave the marriage. The hope and dream was that mothers would be liberated and live a more fulfilling life. This has not been the norm.

There are unintended negative consequences to all family members from a divorce. Fathers usually had to move out of the home. The wife received a percentage of the ex husband’s income depending on the competence of her lawyer. Most females did not get all they expected financially and had to share child time with the ex.  Most importantly the children were shuffled back and forth between parents, which complicated their education and social development.  The negativity from one parent about the other alienated the children towards both. The child became more angry and disappointed with one parent than the other but this often shifted over time. The most devastating impact was that the child often turned his bitterness inward. Children are the most seriously victimized by divorce although everyone suffers.

Divorce is the death of the original family although it does not end most of the problems but creates many new ones without totally solving the original ones. The exchange of children on weekends, new step parents, holidays, school events, religious events, future marriages of the children, funerals and many other unexpected issues and events cause emotional difficulties, confusion and conflict. The love and anger in the offspring are rarely totally resolved.

The wedding vow of “in sickness and in health” has to be addressed. It affects not only one spouse but the future wellbeing of all other family members. Creating a healthy marriage takes time and effort. Almost every couple goes through peaks and valleys until personal maturity calms them into a more even flow. The difficult times as well as the enjoyable ones bond the couple together. Jumping ship with the first indication of rough water will exclude many future wonderful experiences. People mature at different rates and at different periods of their life. An intimate marriage relationship is a fertile zone for strong and healthy change. The positive rewards of transforming each member to a more spiritual level are unpredictable as to when it might occur in the relationship.

Many individuals who prematurely end a marriage find themselves wondering “what if”.  The other ex spouse could be thinking about their ex spouse rather than the person with whom they are currently in a relationship.  They miss the good qualities while the past negative ones usually fade since they now have a more mature understanding of what took place. The dynamic of a shaky marriage is easier to understand over time as we better understand and accept our own imperfections.

The positive feelings of one of the divorcees from the beginning infatuation might have remained or returned later on the part of the other. Regardless of the feelings of the ex-spouses, the children are a concrete connection between them and will remain for both as they will always be the biological parents of the children.

Most significantly, the benefits of a long-term marriage are lost in a divorce. Married people usually are healthier, live longer, have better sexual lives, and more financial stability than individuals living alone. Marriage is not an easy or totally romantic journey. It is a difficult one that assists each person to better understand his or her own limits and strengths. It creates interdependence that merges a couple into a unit.

A divorce is a parental decision while the fallout primarily strikes their innocent children’s sense of security for the future. Children often feel emotionally guilty for the divorce leaving the children as the ultimate victims.  Divorce is not a permanent cure all. It may give partial and temporary relief from pain only to metastasize in each family member. This retards the full potential for reaching a satisfying and fulfilling life.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.