How Much Are YOU Willing to Pay?

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to the Inspire Halton Update feed, where we give you stories to improve your life and the lives of those around you. Today we're going to talk about the cost of progress.

Since today is the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of York, when American soldiers captured the capital of Upper Canada during the War of 1812, we’re going to dedicate this post to that conflict and those who participated in it, American, British, Canadian and Native.

Canada today is known for the peaceful, accepting attitude we seek to show. But 200 years ago, we were in a struggle with the United States. Though outnumbered, we, with our past British government, fought hard. In a struggle that lasted about 2 ½ years, we survived. Despite the burning of both the capital of Upper Canada at the time (York, now Toronto – still provincial capital) and the past capital (Niagara on the Lake), we burnt Washington and the White House. It was a hard fought contest with an estimated 19,900 casualties on both sides.

But the cost, however high, however tough, however unlikely our survival, panned out. The War of 1812 was the last time we were ever officially at war with the United States. Since that time, we've often been allies, or at least strong trading partners (though we still traded then, we were also looked at by some more aggressive Americans as future territory for the U.S to annex).

All things have a cost. Sometimes we're not aware of what it is, sometimes it's little, and sometimes it's a lot. These days, though we've been often blessed with peace at home we still deal with economic difficulties, with one of the highest recorded divorce rates in history, with poverty. We're bombarded by this and charities to help these causes which seem to come our way everyday and are all so important yet, we often let this one and that one down out of necessity. There's just too much to give to.

But, a price is a price – if it exists, it is a void. Once it is paid in full, it's done. The price paid by the soldiers in the War of 1812 has bought us 200 years of peace, to date, and hopefully serenity every lasting between the U.S. and Canada.

You, too, have prices to pay for what is dearest to you. All diseases have prices to be paid to be defeated. It costs now, perhaps more than you're willing. But the price given, however unappealing, determines the future.

Canada would not exist the way it does today without the bravery of our forefathers.

Recognise the price and pay it when you want to change something in the future, ignore it if it's not important to you or those you love. Your decision is one of the most accurate predictors of the future.

Alex H.

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If you like this Inspire Halton post, you might also like these other updates:

• Programmed to Hurt Ourselves 
• Elvis the Electrician
• The Most Important Thing a Teacher Ever Told Me (And Why You Should Hear it)
• The Importance of Being First
• You've Got Something They Want  

Saving the Shipwreck

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to the Inspire Halton update feed, where we send you awesome stories to improve your life and the lives of those you love. Today, we’re going to talk about struggle.

Many of you have heard of the great classical composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. Along with Haydn and Mozart, he shaped the classical age with his nine symphonies and many piano works (the first movement from his fifth symphony, the “Ode to Joy” chorus from his ninth, Sonata Pathétique and his “Für Elise” piano bagatelle are all popular). Furthermore, always the rebel, he revolutionized music into the Romantic age, when feelings took over from the previous form of older composers.

It’s surprising Beethoven could compose anything, let alone the great works he did. From the age of thirty, he slowly began losing his hearing. By the time of his death, he was nearly completely deaf.

But, in his entire career, Beethoven only wrote one opera, Fidelio.

For those out there who don’t know, an opera is essentially a play where everything’s sung in arias, basically songs that further the plot. But, for some reason, this didn’t go down well with Beethoven. He wrote four overtures (introductions) to his composition, for the love of a cow!

In one letter to the man who helped him revise it in 1814, Georg Freidrich Treitschke, Beethoven wrote: "I assure you, dear Treitschke, that this opera will win me a martyr's crown. You have by your co-operation saved what is best from the shipwreck. For all this I shall be eternally grateful to you".

Even the greatest geniuses, the masters who shape our age, have their failings. They mess up, like you and I and it’s painful for them, too. The difference between them and us largely falls down to how willing they are to keep working - even when they don’t like it. Vince Lombardi, the legendary American football coach, said “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will”.

Get to work on that project that needs to be done, that workout that’s waiting to be run. Ignoring it’s the only thing preventing you moving forward to the next level in your life.

Alex H. 

Elvis the Electrician

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome to the Inspire Halton update feed, where we send you inspiring stories, news about our operations and thank yous to those out there on the battlefield managing our event day to day and donating.

Being this is our first post, I’m going to start where I always do − Elvis Presley.

Now, it’s partly because he had an awesome accent and I’m a huge fan, but there’s more (and, believe it or not, it’s not because he’s all I know about).

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to relative poverty. His father was arrested when he was still practically a baby for altering a check from their landowner. As a bonus, they lost their house. It was a hard life.

Then, he was made fun of at school for wearing sideburns, elaborate clothes and his ducktail haircut.

Everything was set − Elvis had graduated from Hume Highschool. He was driving trucks while he learned how to be an electrician.

But one day, Elvis needed a birthday present for his mother. Where else to go but Sun Studio, where you could cut a recording of yourself for $3.98?

Elvis walked in one day, made the two-song single, took it home and gave it to his mother.

And that’s nearly where it all ended. But Sam Phillips, owner of Sun, listened to Presley sing, heard something he liked and brought the kid back to record again, and again, and again.

Nearly sixty years later, Elvis is the highest selling solo artist in the history of popular music with over a billion records sold.

Sure he came a long way from that first recording at Sun, but the importance in the story lies with his actions − he made a start, and that’s where all successful and inspiring people start out. You may not have the power to accomplish your dreams now, but you certainly have the power to begin. And you never really know where that first move will take you.

As Lao Tzu, the Chinese Philosopher, said, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

Perhaps it’s time you take yours.

Alex H.