Keyes to Success for Hispanic Youth: 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

Be careful what you wish for

Most of us are such creatures of our whims, but we must be careful what we wish for. Because, sometimes what we think we want for ourselves now, and what we want later, after we finally realize what it is we really want out of life, can turn out to be two very different things!

So don’t break out dancing yet. Just because you found this blog does not mean that you have it made in the shade. We, are barely beginning to learn about life, but don’t worry. I promise each one of my readers that by the time you finish reading the first thirty lessons (posts) you will grasp and understand the elusive fundamental foundation of achieving success in life. Which is so very necessary for oneself to succeed in any area of life that you wish desire to achieve happiness in, I also promise you that by learning these simple teachings, you will be able to achieve and maximize success for yourself in almost any area of life you desire!

Note: To maximize your learning, I will soon begin including summaries of the important points I will cover in each post. It is up to you to think about the meaning behind each post and make note of what is important for you to learn.

To parents and teens: Please spread the word about this blog with anyone whom may need these teachings. These lessons were learned off of the cold hard streets of the barrio, “during a lifetime of learning.” I just wish that I had had these same teachings when I was a teen. Pero ni modo!

To achieve success you must first know yourself

Happy New Year 2012!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What it Takes to Achieve Success in Life

Much has been made, about just what success means in life. The truth is success means different things to different people. In other words, not everyone see’s success in life in the same exact way, however, one thing is certain and that is that all success begins within the human mind. It all begins with a burning desire to have or achieve something that one desire’s to have. This is nothing new, as we do these kinds of activities every day. Most people in the world eat some kind of breakfast, take a shower, tie their shoes, comb their hair, etc. And they do this almost unconsciously. But, how many people do you know that consciously deliberately set goals for themselves and achieve them? Not many huh? Unfortunately, many of us drift aimlessly through life doing the same boring routines over and over like little hamsters on wheels. The one true way to achieve success in whatever area of life you wish to succeed in, is to set a written goal, make a plan to achieve it, measure and keep track of your progress, and then work upon it until, you get it done!

Next post, be careful what you wish for

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Truth or betrayal, (making good choices)

As human beings we often form our own opinions and ideas about just how things work in the world. Some of us follow conventional methods while others rebel and seek to blaze new ways of doing things. Now with this said, everything in the universe and everything that has ever been invented has a certain organization to it. So what would have happened if the earth had been placed, let’s say only one hundred thousand miles from the sun? We would all be dead, that’s what, and the earth would be one very parched piece of fiery rock floating in space. What would have happened if your legs had been placed where your arms are? What if your arms and hands were where your legs go? Or if your mouth was between your eyes instead of where it is now? Everything in existence, such as the universe, the earth, the human body, and everything that humans have invented, has an organizational structure.

We as individual human beings also possess a unique organizational structure. We are not all the same, in the sense that we all possess different ways of thinking, reacting, and learning. Here is the paradox, even though underneath the skin we are all basically the same, within our psyche we are a swirling mass of creation in the making! In each moment that we exist, we are laying a foundation for either success or failure in everything we do in the future! Here is where our knowledge and experience in life either helps us or hurts our chances for achieving success in life.

For example in the area of love and relationships, let’s say that a young lady has been seeking the type of serious boyfriend who will be a good provider and husband. But let’s say that because of her limited experience and knowledge, she only “seeks” her ideal future mate in raunchy,seedy bars known as havens mostly, for players. What are her chances of finding her ideal mate there? Almost zilch perhaps! So what should she do? She should stop betraying herself, by realizing that she will never strike real gold where only fool’s gold exists!

Let’s take a look at another example. A teen gets offered a ride by someone that is drinking and driving. The drunk driver runs a red light and plows into a car with a small family. In one car, the father and mother are sent to the hospital with life threating injuries as well as their two small children. The teen who accepted the ride is also sent to the hospital with serious injuries while the driver is arrested for DWI and other charges. Now the question is, could the teen who accepted the ride with the drunk driver have avoided his serious injuries? Of course he could have. How many times in our lives have we said to ourselves “oh my God, I wished I had never done that?” Each and every day of our lives, we make choices. Some good, some bad so what we need to do is try our best to avoid making bad choices, by always trying to make the best choices we are being true to ourselves, as well as to our future hopes and dreams, and most of all, to our loved ones!

Next post, what it takes to achieve success in life

Saturday, December 24, 2011

What this blog will do for you?

If you are a young person, who is hungry for achievement in the world, then this blog is for you. The teachings which you will find upon this blog are for everyone who needs them. They are for young people of every race and culture. The only reason that this blog’s title is “keys to success for Hispanic youth,” is because of the high degree of need and suffering seen in the poverty stricken barrios, where life or death often depend upon the teachings one encounters as a young person.

Why are you upon this earth?

This is the first question which we shall address. The answer is simple, it is because life itself wanted to place a very special and important person upon this earth, and you are this special person. For it does not matter how you look, or how rich or poor you are, or the color of your skin, or any of a million other things. None of this matters, because the only thing that really matters is that life itself thinks that you are so special that you just have to exist, if universe is to be complete.

By now you may be asking, just what is life about?

Life is about living out your own personal life to its fullest potential, and also about sharing the best you can offer of yourself with those you love and with all humanity. It is about living out your dreams, instead of just engaging in wishful thinking. It is about being able to grasp the knowledge necessary to achieve whatever level of success you desire, in whatever area of life you wish. Life is about you, your loved ones and your friends but most of all, it is about being true to yourself!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Bus Ride

I was once on a bus trip coming up from the magic valley. It was about 10: pm, and the bus was mostly empty in the back. I deliberately picked the last seat at the rear of the bus, because you can stretch out and go to sleep. Well I was just getting comfortable, when I saw a young Chicano working his way up from the front of the bus. I tried to ignore him but to no avail. So I decided to humor the young man and see what nonsense he was up to. We started talking and he began telling me about his future plans.

He told me that after he got back to Austin, he was going to join a gang, start gang banging and doing hard drugs. I just quietly listened as he told me about his plans. When he finished speaking, I replied. "Okay if you are going to do all the things you say, you are, then let me tell you what’s in store for you." He listened as I told him what to expect. "You can expect lots of trouble, problems and danger; you can also expect to end up addicted to hard drugs and alcohol, as well as possibly end up in prison, crippled, or even dead." Oh and by the way I told him; you better forget about having cool friends, because on the bad side of life, there are no real friends!

When the bus arrived in Austin, we both got off. By this time he was really quiet and thinking hard. He thanked me and then we went our separate ways. About a year later when I was walking down South Congress Ave on the south side of Austin, a young guy walked up to me and said, "Hey you remember me?" I said, "Not really." He said, “don’t you remember you once gave a young guy some advice on a bus ride?" "Oh yea, I remember you now, how are you doing?" He said, “I’m doing great, I'm in high school, making A's, and when I finish there I am going to college." "Wow, that is great," I said, before going our separate ways for the final time.

With this said, this brand new blog is what helping teens achieve success is all about. But it is also much more than just helping young Hispanic youth become wise. The advice and teachings upon achieving success in life is available to all the youth of the world, so that they can reap for themselves and their loved ones, all the best that life has to offer!