The BOWA Blog

Val Leichtman

OWN IT!

by Val Leichtman

Renting: I spilled grape juice on the carpet. I called the landlord and I changed apartments. My dog stained the wall with pee. I called the landlord and changed apartments. My drunken friends trashed the inside of the apartment. I called the landlord and changed apartments.

Owning: I spilled grape juice on my carpet. I spent two hours deep cleaning my carpet and made a personal rule of no more grape juice in my living room. My dog stained the wall with pee. I cleaned and repainted the wall and hired a dog trainer. My drunken friends started to trash my home, I stopped the situation before it got out of hand and gave them a place to sleep it off.
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“If my life is for rent and I don’t learn to buy, I deserve nothing more than I get, cause nothing I have is truly mine.” This is from one of my favorite songs by Dido called “Life for Rent.” So many of us, especially when we’re younger have a “renting” outlook on our lives. We take a lot of things for granted and we don’t worry about a lot of the consequences. There’s nothing wrong with this, but until we learn to start taking true ownership of our lives, we won’t get anything but what we’re given from life.

I’m not 100% sure what it means to own my life yet. And, I’m really not 100% sure what I want I yet. I do know that I want to be treated like an adult, which means I must start acting like an adult. It means I must pay my own bills, both literal and figuratively. At this point in my life, I am blessed with numerous people who love and care about me, and I am lucky enough that many of them would come running if I called them and would help me clean up any mess I get myself into. However, I’m at a point in my life where I no longer want to depend on other people to clean up my messes. I want to take full responsibility for myself. I am ready to be my life’s own landlord.

Now, it’s time to go take down that “For Rent” sign in the front of my life . . .

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5
JUL
1
Audrey Bracho

“SELF-FISH”

by Audrey Bracho

Self-Fish (Xiphias gladius; from Greek ξίφος: self, and fish: Latin) They are a popular Kind of fish amongst human kind. They start in packs and lose all the ones they care about and love by adulthood. These fish are found widely in the wild, cities and tropics and temperate parts all over the world. They are the sole member of their family.

Physiology
The self-fish is named after people (or a person, action, or motive). Lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure. This kind of fish comes in all shapes, race, culture, creed and social constructs.

Contrary to popular belief, the self-fish, although very intune with themselves, have a tendency of not seeing the needs of their family fish.
Self-fish are not schooling fish. They swim alone or in very loose aggregations, separated by as much as 10 m (33 ft) from a neighboring fish. They are frequently found basking at the surface, airing their first dorsal fin. Boaters report this to be a beautiful sight, as their power is the center of all for which the species is known.

Although they can become a very accomplished species it is known to be the loneliest one all.

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5
JUL
1
Bert Oliva

FAMILY TIME ON THE 4TH OF JULY

by Bert Oliva

The 4th of July is a day to be proud to be an American. A day to be with your family. Why is it so hard these days to really focus on family?

“Family” is a big deal for me. All I knew was my mother. My mother was my father, grandparent, brother & sister… And growing up in the United States and seeing the “perfect family” on TV and in school was not easy.

So I went out to create my BOWAfamily.This family is of people that I love. I truly enjoy having them around me as much as possible. I love the challenges and the ups and down. I love it all as crazy as it sounds. I make it work!

I always look and find ways to make it possible. Family time is big for me. And I have noticed that at times family is everyone that you love and care for around you. These memories will be yours forever.

Look, I know that at times we lose contact with people we love. However if you are reading this, then you are working on YOU.

You should take a shot at reconnecting with family. Think about it; give it a shot. It might work out.

PowerTools™
1) Find what defines family to you.

2) Make every moment count.

3) Love your family unconditionally.

Live Life,
Bert Oliva

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4
JUL
0
LJ Polin

HOLIDAY PANS

by LJ Polin

Happy July 4th everyone! I hope everyone had a great time, with the people they love and avoiding any trouble that goes on out there when holidays temporarily release people from their otherwise predictable and schedule binding work life. Holidays are meant to relax, take a break from the usual chaos and put your mind to other projects. Whether it be some needed recuperation or completing a big side project. However you celebrate I don’t think you should do it alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy being alone at times, however I think that holidays are also times to be spent with those you love and care about. Or, at least that’s how I was raised. Overall, be safe! Enjoy great experiences and create them if you can’t. Share your time with great company and people you love and your holiday will be well spent! Happy holiday!

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4
JUL
0
Alexa Oliva

FAMILY TIME

by Alexa Oliva

Spending the day with my family is all I need to get reenergized. This can be true for many of us.
Do not think that taking the day to be with your family needs to be rushed. Let lose, involve everyone in the house.

There are a lot of people that criticize the unique closeness our team has but it’s easy when you work synergistically. It’s easy to want to spend more quality time together. In essence you are working from the same page in the book life.

The BOWAteam likes to take pictures and video and let you in to see we are a normal family getting together to have a great time.

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4
JUL
0
Eric Munter

PATRIOTISM

by Eric Munter

I would be remiss if I were to post a blog about something other than patriotism on the anniversary of our country’s independence. Thus I present to you the following …

Patriotism is a strange thing to me. It implies a powerful, awesome and dedicated attachment and devotion to one’s country. But why to just one country on this GREAT planet? Why are we not a unified team fighting for each other as a whole? Why must we separate ourselves based on geographic regions? Does living in a specific place on our treasured blue marble overwhelm the importance for celebrating our existence as a species?

Why can’t we be proud as HUMANS to exist? Why can’t we be “patriotic” about our PLANET? We should be proud as a whole to be THE beings on this third rock from the sun that are at the top of the food chain. But more than that – we are the species that has the supreme power to influence so much over such an immense natural force. Why can’t we unify under this “flag” – the flag of Earth? Why can’t we simply be proud to be human? Be patriotic about our existence as a whole.

I mean not to offend those who have died for the great cause of securing the incredible rights that we here in the United States celebrate today. But I cannot help but look at the greater picture. And one must wonder if the “greater picture” still is small in regard to what still is out there to discover.

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4
JUL
0
Val Leichtman

PUNISHMENT

by Val Leichtman

The whip snaps down, stinging pain shoots through my back. My flesh splits, a dark red line oozes to appearance. The tail of the whip cracks down again, licking my back, accompanied with a soundtrack of searing ache. Tears trickle out of my eyes as I squeeze them shut, lift my arm and continue my self punishment.
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I’m big on punishment. Not of others, but of myself. I can figuratively beat myself up for hours. “Why’d I do that? I should’ve done it this way. They’re probably so mad/disappointed with me. How can I make it up? I wish I hadn’t said that. Argh, I can be so stupid . . .” I swear, if the others here at BOWAworld could hear the standard soundtrack in my head, I’d be banned from being here. My running thoughts can be so de-motivating that it’s just almost comical to think that I work at a place the main goal of which is to motivate others.

Just this morning, I did something completely unintentionally that utterly inconvenienced and flat-out annoyed Alexa, rightfully so. I apologized profusely, but have now spent the last hour reaming myself for my mistake (I almost feel black and blue on the inside). This is not a healthy way to live. I’m not 100% sure where this modus operandi of mine stems from, but I’m fairly certain it is rooted in my deep fear of disappointing others, which in turn is rooted in my inability to see myself as important enough to put my wants/needs above anyone else’s ever.

Despite the tone of this post, I’m truly working on this and am actually quite proud of the progress I made. Just the fact that I’ve caught myself in this cycle and can begin to point a finger at the “why” of it is huge for me. So, today, I’m going to work on changing the soundtrack in my head. Maybe today I’ll replace it with a Brittany Spears’ “Oops, I did it again . . .”

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4
JUL
0
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