Kate Winslet! Dr. Laura, and who the hell is Jack Welch?

Kate Winslet. Really, where do I start? This lady inspires me in so many ways. She exudes so much strength, yet she doesn't come off as hardened. She maintains a sense of vulnerability that draws you in to her on-screen roles, and lends a softness to her strength. She is obviously deep, passionate, and highly intelligent. Check out her role as Ruth in, 'Holy Smoke', or her role as Hanna in, 'The Reader'. Bloody brilliant. Also, check this out: Kate Winslet winning Best Actress for "The Reader" See what I mean?

Dr. Laura! Mrs. Schlessinger! Wow, talk about not PC, and highly controversial! And I LOVE her! This lady will tell it as it is, with no punches pulled. She gets a bad rap, as she has been demonized for apparently hating gay people, when in fact she doesn't. Seriously, check her out for yourself, don't just believe the hype. Tune in to her radio program, or go to her website. She has actually helped many gay people come out to their families over the years, and she doesn't have the ignorant outlook that being homosexual is a 'choice'. She accepts that gay people are who they are, and that is fine with her. The reason she's been so maligned over the years, is that she is extremely blunt, and can come off as rude or overbearing. She also believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, mainly because kids need a mom and a dad. Also, I know that at one point she was an Orthodox Jew, so I'm sure her religious view played a part. Personally, I believe in freedom of religion, so whatever she wants to believe in, is her right under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The reasons I love this woman, are thus: she is so incredibly strong. She can take a figurative punch, let me tell you, and she marches on. She has the courage of her convictions, she stands by what she believes. She's smart. She embraces life. She believes in the beauty and uniqueness of both men and women. She doesn't demoralize either gender, she's not a man-hater. She encourages women to embrace their femininity. She believes in doing good in the world, and that good people have a duty to perpetuate goodness. Really, I could go on, but I won't. Check her out for yourself, at the very least you will be entertained!

So who is this Jack Welch fellow? To be truthful, I don't know much about him. He's not like, you know, a great hero of mine, or anyone that I have ever really looked up to. I didn't even know that he existed until a few days ago, when I found the "change before you have to" quote, that I use as the tag line of my blog. Brilliant quote, I love it.

Here is what I do know, and this is all courtesy of Wikipedia - so you know, look into it further if you want to. Jack was born in Massachusetts in the 30's to a working class household. He stutters. He's a chemical engineer, and a self made man. He was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1981 - 2001, and in 2006 his net worth was $720 million! Holy crap. I think it's safe to say that regardless of who this man is as a person (and I don't really know), that he has achieved great success in the business world, and probably has some wisdom to impart, in one way or another.

Here are some more J.W. quotes :

"Giving people self confidence is by far the most important thing I can do. Because then they will act."

Wow, how true! How many unconfident people do you know who take action when action is needed? Not many. Only strong, confident people really act with any kind of conviction when action is needed. And the fact that he is a leader who obviously believes in bringing out the best in people, speaks volumes to me. I have found in my life that good leaders and successful people in general will always make you feel good and motivated when you interact with them. They won't bring you down. You leave feeling like, "Yeah, I feel good, let's go do something. I can do it!" Love it.

"Be candid with everyone."

Agreed! Now, I don't think that means to be cruel, but honesty really is the best policy, in my opinion. If you are not honest with yourself or others, you are being fake, and thus the path you walk is fake. Be real, and no matter where you are in life, at least you know that you really are there, and not in a delusional fantasy world. Then, you can take real action, and grow and succeed.

"The team with the best players wins."

True! True, true, true. Don't pretend it's not. Strive to be better!

"If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete."

Ahh, so you find yourself floundering... is this where you're supposed to be? Are you doing what you're supposed to be doing? Find something you love, and have predilection for, and do it! You will succeed.

"Control your own destiny, or someone else will."

Yup! I know this for a fact. Take charge of your life, you can do eet! And don't blame others for your shortcomings. This can be hard to do, I know, but once you do take control, the world will open up to you. You'll have less boundaries, and the only limits you set will be your own.

                                                         Snazzy purple tie, Jack! Love it

So anyway, I feel like I've given myself a good talking to! If anyone else has joined me on this little blog posting journey, I hope you have enjoyed it! Smooches