Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

MAYFLOWER: In the year 1620 a group of religious persons seeking to worship freely, set out on a journey to a new world. On the aging ship of the mayflower they departed with high hopes for their future, and a strong belief in their God who would guide them through the waters to their new home. It was this very mindset that brought European settlers to North America. The process of obtaining this dream turned out to be a little more difficult than they had probably perceived in their dreams.

However, their future was bright even though it would be riddled with hardship.

1776: Within the next century, the 13 colonies were settled.  These 13 colonies remained under the rule of the English government.  For the most part, the colonies were happy, and well taken care of by England. However, eventually the distance of a monarchy, under the rule of a King who had literally lost his mind began to take its toll.

The people were taxed heavily. And they found themselves funding wars and battles that they did not necessarily believe to be their own.  This was the time when a group of brazen men decided to take a risk.  The Goal was to make a new country, a new government where the people could be free. This was the purpose of the Revolutionary War.

The Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the boldest pieces of literature ever written.  This document was literally a letter of treason to England.  These men signed what they probably thought would be their own death sentence.  However, the principles upon which they wrote the declaration seemed to be far more important to them than their own lives.

In the declaration of Independence, within the second paragraph it states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. 

Life: Life is given freely, and every living person is entitled to keep their life.  Not one person should feel that they have the power to remove another’s life.  Our government’s sacred duty is to protect the life of its citizens and the sanctity thereof.  If the Government does not uphold this priority it is our right as the people, to abolish the government and organize a new government. 

Liberty: is defined as: “the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views.” Liberty is our FREEDOM and AGENCY to choose for ourselves!  To choose how we will live our lives, and to choose what we will do with the LIFE given to us.  Liberty allows us to: grow, build businesses, choose what we want to study or accomplish. And live how we choose to live.  It is our God given right to FREE WILL.

The Pursuit of Happiness: It is also our God given right to pursue a life that will make us happy.  There are many ways to be happy, however, it is not within the rights of the government to put restrictions on what we can pursue to find our own true happiness.

One point I wish to make clear, this is NOT a linear list of rights.  It is a Hierarchy!  Which means if any one person, or group of persons finds that their pursuit of happiness lay in the destruction of other peoples life or liberty, they are to be stopped!

If a person or group of persons freedom or liberty infringes upon the sanctity of life they are to be stopped! 

Our right to live is the most important right that we have.  It comes to us freely, and we must choose to do with it what we believe is best.  But it will NEVER be our right to take someone else’s life away and deny them their liberty and pursuit of happiness.  This very concept has been fought over in every war throughout history. These are themes that have resounded through every  era of time and every corner of the world. 

Because the birth of our country was based on the belief in God and Christianity, I would like to discuss the two great commandments in Christianity that rule over all others.

First: Love thy God with all thy heart, might, mind and strength.

Second: Love thy neighbor as thyself.

I mainly want to focus on the second commandment.  Loving thy neighbor means respecting their Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.  This commandment does not state that we should love our Christian Neighbors, even our religious, rich, or famous neighbors. It says we should love our neighbor as OURSELVES.  This means EVERY neighbor.  You do not have to like what they do, and you don’t have to participate in what they choose to do.  But you do have to respect and love them, even as you love yourself.   When I say every neighbor I mean EVERY neighbor, including but not limited to: your gay neighbor, your Muslim neighbor, your transgender neighbor, your fat neighbor, your anorexic neighbor, your republican neighbor, your democrat neighbor, your dying neighbor, your neighbor who is in need of a friend.

For Pete’s sake people, why can’t we respect one another and honor those inalienable rights that we are all born with? Honor life and its sanctity.

What Peter Jackson taught me about my depression.

Depression is a very common disease that many people suffer from.  Some may not think it is an actual disease.  Nevertheless, many are dealing with it every day.

 

I was about 20 years old when I realized that I had tendencies to be depressed.  I didn’t want to face the facts of it because I outwardly believed that people who claimed to have depression were whiny. They were obviously people who didn’t know how to take charge of their own lives.  I believed this for quite some time, even though I was secretly dealing with a mild depression myself.

When I got married I started realized that my suppressed emotions might get me into trouble.  I had a bad reaction to a generic birth control pill that caused me to have severe anxiety attacks.  Imagine my husband’s surprise when three months into our marriage he thought he had literally married an insane woman.  I was not ever able to see the good that was around me, but I also couldn’t really see the light of day…literally. It was as if my mind was shrouded in a dark cloth.  After three months I switched medications and things seemed to be doing better.

A few years later my husband and I decided to have a baby.  HOLY COW, it was such an exciting time, despite the horror of being pregnant. We loved our little bundle so much.  However, it was only a few weeks after our son was born that I began to realize again that something was not quite right.  This was an exciting time, I should be feeling happy. My Son was literally the best, most chill baby on earth. So why did I feel like I wanted to be anywhere but where I was?  This time, the depression took hold of me to such an extent that not only could I not see the light of day, but I could not even feel the warmth of the summer months.

I fought and fought not knowing what was wrong with me.  Despite my best efforts, another persona slowly crept into my mind. This person told me horrible things, things of sadness.  It warned me of perils that would certainly befall me should I leave my front step.  It told me what the world truly thought of me.  And soon enough I was living in a state of constant fear, I rarely even left my bedroom. It even got to the point where my husband was scared to leave me to go to work in the morning.

Now, Flash forward to last night when I was lucky enough to be watching the extended version of “Lord of the Rings.” (If you haven’t watched the extended version…you should).  Well it got to that scene…you know the one, where Sméagol and Gollum are conversing back and forth inside this poor pitiful creatures head.  Sméagol tells Gollum to “Go away and never come back!”  Gollum eventually does leave, but in a later scene when Sméagol feels betrayed Gollum returns and takes full control.

"Go Away and Never Come Back."

Unfortunately these few scenes from the movie took me back to that awful time when I was fighting a sneaky voice inside my own head. I am lucky that I have been able to recover for the most part.  However, there are times that I catch that awful voice creeping back into my own thoughts.  It usually happens when I am stressed and I stop taking care of my body.  But I thought of how the Ring had affected Sméagol to become such an awful creature, It all depends on what we let into our head.

If my mind becomes idle, I become bored and then I choose to watch television or spend most of my time on the computer. When my mind is thoroughly unstimulated, that sneaky voice can creep back into my mind and allow fear to take over. Just like when Sméagol thought his alter ego had left forever, he let down his guard, fear overtook him, and Gollum returned. I can never let myself become complacent and think that my depression is gone. When I do, I let down my guard and I am surprised by the attack of the fear that overcomes me.

How do I counter this?  I don’t like taking drugs to suppress my emotions…I don’t think I should manipulate my mind or my body that way.   What I do instead is I keep my mind stimulated with good information. Information that helps me improve myself every day.  Here are some of the things I do…

Read a book. This helps me maintain a positive outlook, I usually read books that help me with my business. Like: “Think and Grow Rich”-Napolean Hill, “The Richest Man in Babylon”- George S. Clason, “Nurtured By Love”-Schinichi Suzuki, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” –Robert Kiyosaki.  These are just a few I have read recently.  Although these book may focus on financial success, their message is consistent, they continually talk about keeping a positive mindset. Although I LOVE classic literature, I don’t choose to read it when I am already feeling sad, mainly because I know once of the characters is going to die and I will be even more depressed.

Practice my violin. I am a violin teacher, so this is very important for me to do.  Playing any instrument challenges your brain and helps you to problem solve.  It also gives you a sense of great accomplishment when you do solve the problem you are working on.

Try something new! Whether it is a new type of food or a new skill. Trying something new will always add interest to your life. It throws you out of your comfort zone and I believe it keeps you young too!

This was one thing I tried that I wish I hadn't...but the experience made a great story

TALK TO PEOPLE! There is nothing more depressing than going an entire day without talking to someone.  Now, I am not a super social person, in fact, some might say my social skills need work. However, I have found that if I make an effort to talk to someone that I love every day, someone that I don’t always get the chance to see in person, my day is much happier. This is because I am not focused on myself!  Also, meeting new people is one of the most amazing things you can do. My life has been graced with so many interesting and lovely people who, if I had remained in my social box I would never have gotten the opportunity to meet.

Play with my little boy. Right now he is an only child and he needs friends too.  Also, life is too boring to be a grown up all the time. Sometimes the best therapy for me is to get down on my hands and knees and pretend to be a bear so that my little kiddo can run away and giggle.

Act Silly.  Sometimes laughter is the best way to scare away the doldrums.  Don’t mind what people think, if you need to laugh…do it out loud! Acting silly is sometimes a good way to let go of stress and worry.

Take Care of my Body. If I eat crap and my body feels sick…my mind will too. Also, exercise…not to lose weight but to challenge yourself to do hard things, and endorphins. “Endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” –Elle Woods (Legally Blonde). J

All of these things are things that will help you to live in the moment.  Live life, if by chance you do die tomorrow, make sure you are happy when you go!  I have tried it the other way and it isn’t worth it.

I am by no means telling people to get off of their depression meds.  You have to do what is right for you, be careful!  I am only sharing what I have found that helps me. 

A Man Called Chuck

If there is proof that goodness surrounds  us daily, I found it just the other day.  My husband and I were looking at a property.  We had stopped by to see what kind of condition it was in.  It was a small duplex, and in the top unit lived a man called Chuck.  Chuck is one of the current renters. He invited us into his home so that we could meet him and have a look around.  I have to admit, when I first met Chuck I found myself caught up in judgments.  He is an elderly man with what looks to be many health problems.  It is hard for him to see, because his eyes are surrounded by large puffs of drooping skin. He was in a bathrobe, and his swollen and sore feet looked so painful to me.  The house was well kept, but it had that particular musty smell about it when one walks into an old person’s home.

 

My immediate thoughts were ones of judgement and negativity.  As Chuck kindly took us on a tour of his home, he plodded from room to room showing us his life and telling us all about how he loves his home.  One of the first things I recall him saying was that he loved to write and play music.  He’s had a hard time of it recently because of his health problems, but he promptly told us that he knew that Jesus would restore him, and he would be able to play his music again. Hearing this man, amidst all his hardships, blatantly claim that he knew Jesus would heal him…it stirred something in me. He said this with no hesitation, no fear of judgment, no worry that he would offend anyone by claiming he believed Jesus would heal him. He spoke with pure conviction of his beliefs, without any hint of irony in his voice.  What he said changed me, and I began to look at him in a new light. He took us through the rooms of the house.  In one bedroom I saw pictures on a night stand.  One was a picture of his family. The other was a picture of a young handsome man in a uniform.  He told us the next room was his own personal closet, because he “owned a lot of suits.”  Oh boy, did he ever. There were colorful suits, neutral suits, and striped suits all accompanied with matching shirts, and all of them were neatly pressed and placed carefully on the hangers in his closet.

On the way out, I had fallen a little behind the rest of the party when Chuck stopped me.  I wanted to catch up with my husband and the others. However, Chuck had different plans. He wanted to meet my baby boy.  Chuck loves children. He told me that my son was a gift from God, lent to me to make me happy in my life.  While I totally agree with him, I still wanted to catch up with the others. I started inching away from the porch, trying to be polite at the same time.  Well, he wasn’t dumb.  He stopped me and said, “You come back here. Come sit on my porch.”  So I gave in. “Why the heck not?” I thought to myself.

I climbed back up the stairs and sat on the chair next to him, and I am so glad I did.  I learned that the handsome man from the photograph was actually the man sitting beside me, now wearing an old bathrobe instead of a crisp uniform.  He had served in the United States Air Force.  He lived all over the world, including almost every country in Europe.  He’d had a family, a wife and children.  He told me about the time when his mother was sick, and he came back home to take care of her, which is how he had ended up in his current home. 

He also loves the outdoors.  He has scaled the Grand Canyon and travelled all through Zion National Park.  He told me a particularly interesting story about when he visited Craters of the Moon in Idaho.  He had his acoustic guitar with him, and he sat in his campsite and began to play.  He then said that a bobcat came out of the brush.

“He let me know right away that he wasn’t dangerous.”  And then he continued, “That bobcat sat right down and listened to me play my guitar.” 

There is obviously no way that I can prove this story to be true.  But I have no reason to disbelieve my new found friend.  If he can charm me, I certainly believe he can charm a bobcat with his guitar.

 

This man had nothing but good things to say about everyone and everything around him, despite his poor health.  He helped me realize that his unpolished exterior was not a reflection of who he was.  He was not the old man I saw before me.  He was the young, charismatic man from the photo in his bedroom.  He loves every day that he is alive.  Moreover, he showed me something priceless.  He showed me how to live with conviction, love and faith every day, even when your circumstances seem dire.  It was a breath of fresh air getting to know him.  My advice for the day: if you are looking for something more in your life, get off your phone, stop talking about yourself and sit down with someone and listen to what they have to say. You will inevitably learn something.

On Integrity

Today is a short post.  I just want to focus on this quote from C.S. Lewis. "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching." There have been many times when I have caught myself in the snares of caring about what others think of me.  However, what other people think matters very little.  Who am I when I am alone? Am I still a good person?  A vivid lesson of integrity lies at the heart of solitude.  Be true to the person you wish to become. 

Please stay updated for the next posts.  We will have some exciting interviews with some wonderful people.  

The Gift of a Mentor

The definition of a mentor is: an experienced and trusted advisor.

I have been blessed with many mentors in my life.  The first mentor I received was at the age of 3 years old.  At this tender age, I began playing the violin under the instruction of Jeanne Grover a Suzuki violin teacher.  She taught me many things in regards to music and the violin.  However, under her kind and loving instruction I also learned many life lessons that would carry me throughout the hard years of growing up.  These lessons were:

1.      I am capable of doing hard things.  For those of you who don’t play an instrument, you should know that playing any instrument uses both sides of your brain simultaneously.  You focus on a plethora of concepts all at once:  the mathematics and mechanics of the music; the form of your body while playing; the notes and tone; coordinating these skills with all the other musicians around you; and lastly the musicality.  There is a reason musicians often get good grades in school.

2.      Finish what you start.  There is no sense in starting something you won’t finish. This conditions you to fail. 

3.      Honesty.  An honest person is a trustworthy person. Be honest with yourself and others.  If I didn’t practice, and then I lied saying I did, Jeanne knew.  I learned early on that honesty got me a lot further than lying.  Also, lying didn’t protect me, it inhibited my progress!

4.      Talent.  Talent is not something that you are born with; it is something that you learn or are taught.  You can be good at anything, but you have to have the desire and the determination to then follow through with it.  This philosophy that every child (or person) can learn a new skill was developed by Schnichi Suzuki himself.

5.      The taste of success. After hours of hard practice and concentrated effort, performing the violin in front of hundreds of people is one of the most exhilarating, terrifying, and amazingly rewarding experiences for a musician.  However, it only comes after the work has already been done. 

my beloved mentor: Jeanne Grover

Since Jeanne, I have had many mentors in the field of music and I am grateful to every last one of them for how they have changed my life. The gift of a mentor is priceless, they are the wise and the loving.  

Mentors do not grow on trees, and they cannot be bought, unlike many financial institutions might have you think.  It is a rare thing to find a person who will unselfishly devote their time to your education and not ask you to sell your soul in return.  Last year, I was blessed to find two new mentors: Brent and Holly Anderson. I am so very grateful to them for everything they have taught me in regards to building businesses, thinking positively, and recognizing opportunities.  They are different from any music mentor that I’ve had regarding the goals we have set.  However, the things they have taught me are very similar:

     

      1. I am capable of doing hard things.  Building a business can be extremely hard, physically and mentally.  However, knowing that your future is in your hands is well worth the effort.

   

       2.. Finish what you start.  If you continually back out of the things you have started, you will never succeed. You will end up regretting your decision repeatedly, wishing that your circumstances would change and unable to change your circumstances yourself. 

3. Honesty.  Honesty is the basis for any good business, interaction, and relationship. If you are dishonest, those around you will know.  Without honesty you cannot succeed.

4. Talent. Talent is developed, not inborn! The general mindset of an entrepreneur is one of positivity, opportunity, and accomplishment.  They are trained to see the nuggets of gold hidden around them, and they know how to turn those small nuggets into large bricks.  They are the optimists who see the best in all things and know they will be successful.  There is a reason that entrepreneurs often don’t need to get good grades. They have learned the talent of success.

5.      Taste of success.  Having a dream is the best way to taste your success.  Dream and visualize what you are working toward and imagine what it will be like when you reach that goal.  After the work is done your success will taste all the sweeter.

Each of my mentors has helped me obtain different goals, but the things they teach are so similar.  They may use these teachings in different concepts, but they are the same nonetheless.  My mentors have provided me with a full and rich life.  They are those people who I will always look up to.  I have listed a few of their names below.  I hope they will read this and know how grateful I am to them.

Listed in chronological order:

Jeanne Grover, Barbara Scowcroft, Dara Morales, Linda Morrison, Ted Ashton, Alma Moraza, President and Sister Watkins, Sue Neimoyer, Brent and Holly Anderson.

Thank You.

Loyal to Your Word!

How many times do we say we will do something and actually follow through with our promises?  Being loyal to your word is one of the most important skills you could possibly develop.  If you are loyal to the words that leave your mouth, then other people can trust you. 

I, like many, have had struggles with this, saying I will do something and then forgetting about it or finding something better to do. I try to fulfill my word, but sometimes I just take my own sweet time to do it. This has been one of my biggest hindrances to my success, and it will be yours too if you don’t change it.

If you find that people don’t take you seriously, or that your opinion seriously lacks credibility among your peers and family, the problem is NOT that they are “narrow minded” or “misunderstanding.” The problem is that you are simply not trustworthy. If you have never given people a reason to respect you, you cannot expect them to give that respect freely to you. You can only become the person of credibility you desire to be when you become loyal to your word. Always remember that your words reflect who you are!  If you use curse words regularly as adjectives, you may portray yourself as slightly uneducated and lacking in wit. If you make empty promises, you will portray yourself as a neglectful and careless person.  If you lie, you will be known as a liar. 

Like anything else, becoming loyal to your word is a conscious choice that you will have to make.  Once you make that choice you will have to follow this mental process in order to make your word valid:

      

Think before you speak!  If what you are about to say is false, rude, an empty promise, or a lie…well for Pete’s sake, don’t say it! Your words reflect who you are!  What do you want to say about yourself when you open your mouth?

  Make a decision!  If someone is asking you for a favor, ask yourself if you can accomplish what they are asking. Are you willing to perform the task they need performed? Decide if what you are about to say is something that you can physically and mentally accomplish.

Don't give me that look....make a decision!

      

SPEAK!  Once you have made your decision, let your voice be heard.  Let the vocalization of this promise be the seal upon your decision.

SPEAK!

   Follow through!  You have spoken, so now it is time to follow through with that promise. Do what you need to do in order to accomplish the task.

Alma:  My best friend, never afraid to do anything she set her mind to.

   

  Don’t go back on your word!  If you fail to perform the task, do not try to change around what you agreed to do in the beginning.  People aren’t stupid. They know when you are trying to relocate the blame.  Take responsibility for your failure, apologize, and make a goal to do better the next time.

My Sister Amy, one of the most trustworthy amazing women I know.

Honesty is the best policy, but being honest encompasses much more than just not telling lies. It encompasses every promise and every word that leaves your mouth.  It encompasses all actions and interactions that you have.  Be HONEST to yourself and to others. In this you will find your success.

“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.”

                                                                                                            -Zig Ziglar

Suck Out The Poison And SOAR!

Consider your mind.  Our generation is willing to spend thousands of dollars on just educating our minds!  But even after we have spent all that money, attended all those classes, and suffered through all the stress of obtaining an education, how efficiently do we use our minds?  We have this vast database of information, but every day we discredit everything that it processes.  We even lose confidence in our own minds to such an extent that we reduce ourselves to being nothing more than an existence of matter.  Humans are extraordinary; we have the ability to use our minds for the greater good, which is why we call it “Humanity.”  We are souls capable of choosing our future, with minds that will shape that future into a tangible reality.  However, we have chosen to pollute our minds with every-day common smut, creating an environment that inhibits the progress of the mind. In this toxic environment we are losing our humanity.

We live in a world that thrives on negativity.  It bombards us every day; from the moment we wake up, it creeps into our thoughts and our interactions, leaving us little light by which to see the good that surrounds us. Why do we let negativity take control of us in such a way?  Negativity is a powerful thing, but it is also an easy thing.  You see, negativity carries with it no expectations.  If there are no expectations, then we are more easily appeased and we can remain in our state of unchanging complacency.  It is admittedly easier to live without hope and expectations than to see ourselves not reaching our potential and falling short of our dreams.

Negativity is defined as: “thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something: thinking that a bad result will happen: not hopeful or optimistic.”

                                                                           (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

I have had my own love/hate affair with negativity. Through coping with the deaths of very close family members to my own experience with severe postpartum depression, I conditioned myself to think the worst in all cases.  You see, if I were to think the worst, then when the worst happened I was not surprised or let down.  I let myself become hardened and unwilling to see the good, and my attitude towards life reflected my thoughts of despair and grief.

I can recall many experiences with a roommate that I had. I will call her Chanelle. Chanelle had the biggest, brightest smile I had ever seen and the giant, positive personality to go with it.  She was a dancer and would wake up at five in the morning to practice ballet in the living room.  Her seemingly perfect exterior and her unfailing smile led a “realist” like me to pursue one goal:  bring her down. I wanted her to learn that the world was an awful place.  Needless to say, at first we did not get along. She simply avoided me while I toiled in my attempts to hurl the woes of the world in her direction. I am happy now to say that I failed in my pursuits, and to this day, she with her unfailing smile, is still one of the loveliest people I have ever met.  She has also become a very successful woman, and I can only attribute this to her positive “can do” attitude. She never let her mind become polluted with the negativity that I was trying to instill in it.

Cynicism, worry, paranoia, anger, self-consciousness, and depression are all byproducts of the continued allowance of negativity in our minds.  As I have already expressed, I am no stranger to these emotions.  It was ultimately depression which left me with the desire to change my thoughts.  My depression left me in such a state that I was a burden on my family and a danger to myself.  I had to change, or I would lose everything I held dear.  It was not easy; depression is a very real disease. It was as if I was at the bottom of a muddy pit, clawing my way to the surface with nothing to hold onto but sheer will of heart, this alone was the only thing keeping me from falling to my death.

It has been a long road getting to where I am, and even now, I have a long way to go. But here is what I learned along the way:

Positivity is much more powerful than its alternative! This is true because there are so many amazing things to accomplish in life!  It is not easy to be positive, because unlike its counterpart, positivity carries extensive expectations. However, these expectations are what will ultimately change us. Positive thinking led Harriet Tubman to free a thousand slaves.  It led Thomas Edison to a successful end in his desire to harness electricity. Mother Teresa received a Nobel Peace Prize through her ability to help others and bring positivity into their lives. Positive thinking is how Elon Musk will eventually colonize Mars. And finally, positive thinking is what will lead all of us to personal success. This habit will cause our minds to soar, and our generation will become the most successful, the most vibrant, and the most loving generation of all time. 

Changing how you think is incredibly difficult, especially if, like me, you have had years of doing the opposite.  My suggestion is to start with your body. Eat well and exercise, because if your body feels sick so will your mind.  After this, find a goal that you want to focus on, something that you sincerely desire to accomplish.  Challenge yourself for 30 days to concentrate on obtaining that goal. Every time negative thoughts come into your mind, you will need to consciously replace them immediately with something worthwhile.  Most importantly, believe that you will obtain your goal! If you don’t believe that it can happen, then there is no sense in working towards it. You must honestly believe that you can obtain your desire!  During this time, it is also important not to speak ill of others.  Make it a priority to be conscious of those around you. EVERYONE is going through something hard, so don’t let yourself be another reason for them to think negatively. Essentially what I am saying is: pay it forward; create good karma.  Everything you give will be returned to you in many ways.  

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.”

                                                                                          -Mahatma Gandhi

Further Reading:

1. Harriet Tubman, http://www.biography.com/people/harriet-tubman-9511430

2. Mother Teresa, http://www.biography.com/people/mother-teresa-9504160.

3. Thomas Edison, http://www.thomasedison.com/.

Citations:

4. “Negativity.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negativity.

5. Howell, Elizabeth. “SpaceX's Elon Musk to Reveal Mars Colonization Ideas This Year.” Space. Web 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.space.com/28215-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-idea.html>.