Draw Your Future

This is a fun TED Talk that looks at how to obtain your dreams! Worth the watch!

JFK

Tips For Success

One of my favorite things about history is that you can learn life lessons.  Trust me life is too short to try to learn all the lessons.  This series on YouTube is fantastic!  Successful people share their top 10 ways to success.  These people have done it!  So much to learn!

Here is Oprah:

During the Great Depression

Storming of the Bastille

Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix

This painting has become a symbol of the French Revolution

I love the French Revolution!  I could talk about it all day.  I love Robespierre, and one year I read every book I could get my hands on!  Then one night i had a dream that I time traveled back to Revolutionary France, and had dinner with Robespierre.  I knew I had tto stop reading!

Today is Bastille Day in France (July 14th) - their Independence Day!  The storming of the Bastille was a significant moment in the French Revolution.  France was divided into 3 Estates.  The second Estate was the nobility of France, and they wanted more power in society.  France had a Monarch who did not want to give the 2nd Estate more power.

Louis the 16th - King of France during thee Revolution

France was in a  financial crisis.  Every financial adviser told King Louis that he must tax the 2nd Estate.  The 1st and 2nd Estate did not pay taxes.  The 3rd Estate did, and what was ironic was that the 3rd Estate was poor, and did not have money.  No wonder France could not get out of debt!  Every time King Louis mentioned the 2nd Estate paying taxes - they freaked out!  King Louis had a plan to tax them, and instead of making them pay - he asked them to vote on it.  

One problem with King Louis the 16th had no back bone!  With his  power he could just make them do it, but instead he engaged with them.  King Louis needed the 2nd Estate to vote so he called the Estates General.  It had not been called in over 150 years.  That tells you something.  The Estates General was made up of all three Estates, and each Estate has one vote.  King Louis the 16th wanted the Estates to vote on his tax measure, and be done with it!  He would of had no idea it would last the whole summer!

The Estates General

It is May 1789, and the 2nd Estate had no intention of voting.  Instead the debated and discussed.  Poor King Louis is asking everyone to vote!  But no one will!  He is very frustrated!  So he hired a foreign army to force the Estates General to vote!  The mobs in Paris heard this news, and wanted to protect the General.  To do that they stormed the Bastille to get weapons and demolish the symbol of the old regime.

The Bastille represented the Old Regime or King Louis the 16th.  That is why this prison was selected! There were only less than 10 people in the prison, but it represented the evils of the monarchy!  They liberated the prisoners, took the weapons, tore the prison down brick by brick, and marched to Versailles where the Estates General was to protect them from the monarchy.

They used the bricks from the Bastille to build a bridge going to the assembly - so for the rest of time people would trample on the old regime.  This was a big moment!

The bridge built with the Bastille

What is left of the Bastille - it is a subway stop in Paris

Tips of Success

One of my favorite things about history is that you can learn life lessons.  Trust me life is too short to try to learn all the lessons.  This series on YouTube is fantastic!  Successful people share their top 10 ways to success.  These people have done it!  So much to learn!

We start with President Obama!

Dred Scott v. Sanford

It is 1857, and the end of the fiery 1850s.  Everyone knew War is coming - not if but when!  The only thing the American Government was talking about was slavery!  The slavery debate consumed the country! Everyone took a side!  The Abolitionist wanted slavery to end now!  And they posed a great question!  They asked if you are a slave living in free territory - doesn't that make you free?

Now they needed someone who fits the question.  They found Dred Scott! He  fit the question.  Scott was a slave living in free territory.  The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and the decision made effects on this  country that was felt far and wide!

The name of the case tells a lot!  Most of the court were Southern Democrats, and sympathized with slavery.  The  name should be Scott v. Sanford.  Every case is the last names, Roe v. Wade and McCullough v. Maryland to name a few.  The court did not see Dred Scott as a human being - so they used his whole name.  So thing are already stacked against him.

Chief Justice Roger Taney

Chief Justice Taney gave the decision of the court, and this is considered to have tainted the court.  The court said slaves were not citizens of the United States so they would not hear the case, but they would make a ruling.  They ruled 3 things:

1. They answered the question.  They decided born a slave, you are a slave no matter where you live!

2. Slaves are not US Citizens.

3. Slavery cannot be excluded from federal territory.  This made the Republican Party and Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

The Republican party at this time was a one issue party - slavery.  Hard to imagine a  political party only talking about one thing!  Before this case their platform was keep slavery where it already exists, but do not extend it.  They were trying to find a common ground with the south - a compromise.  But this was the worst thing they could say!  But now with Dred Scott v. Sanford they have to go back to tthe drawing board!

This is the territory the court was talking about.

This case was pure politics that sided with slavery.  It did not heal the situation, but made things worse.  It was because of this case the 14th Amendment was created.  This Amendment gave the newly freedmen their citizenship, and now this amendment ensures every Americans rights!

Good news Dred Scott was granted his freedom later when his master died!

How John Adams thought Independence Day would be Celebrated!

No Complaining

One quality every powerful, successful  and rich person says you should have is no complaining!  Everyone has it hard, and is going through a battle!  Life is hard for EVERYONE!  No is exempt!   Do not complain - do something about it!  I truly believe this is where  life happens!  I love the Last Lecture speech, and notice what he says about complaining and Jackie Robinson.  It was  written in Robinson's contract to not COMPLAIN when someone spits on him!  Wow!  

I feel like I am speaking to myself too!  I sometimes complain, and I need to remember this!  I have to suck it up!  There is always a solution!  A few weeks ago I asked my Facebook friends what high school students need to know before they graduate?  I was amazed at the response!  Over 40 people commented with great pieces of advice!  I am going to do a post about that, but one friend said something about this topic!

She said to learn to suck it up, and be able to adapt!  Life is going to throw you curve balls, but life is about how you react to the.  Complaining does nothing!

Great Video about Complaining

The link above is Gary Vee explaining why he finds complaining unattractive! My Mom introduced me to him this summer, and I heard him discuss this.  It actually inspired this post!  He is  an extremely successful businessman who has made millions.  I believe his point of view is valid, and should be listened to.  He has made it, and we can learn from him!