text: As it is customary, today I've heard a lot of "Happy Valentines!" It is a beautiful thing to celebrate the day of love and friendship. It is also a time for me to reflect on the many people that are not feeling the love today.
  Valentine's Day, as we know it, is a day in which people give each other beautiful cards expressing love and joy for having others in your life, chocolate and stuffed animals have made the list too, and the much anticipated bouquet of flowers... Valentine's, as we have created it, is a big-o redandpink day with tons of sweet feelings floating around, which is just wonderful...
  It is however, within this plethora of love-evoking products around me, that I sometimes wonder... What about the real love? Yes, I said it! All of these things, products, and details, although a great way to express love in the "traditional" way for Valentine's Day, are also NOT the only way to show real love.
  Expressing love can be as simple as a much overdue hug, and as powerful as a subtle kiss from those who care about you. Young adults are especially prone to expecting "things" that "show love," and are often quick to miss the very important signs of True Love in their surroundings. They are easily distracted with the mountains of imagery and influences that dictates everything they know to be, from what is "cool" to wear, going through what is "so-on!"to behave-like, all the way to defining and showing love to others, and to themselves.
  It seems as if most young people -and a fare share of adults- are just sitting on a surfboard, riding the waves of life, wherever these may take them, with this month's pop-hit (from anyone with enough money to make a sad comeback) as the love-song of choice, and a minimalist sense of understanding for what it is to give love to others in the first place.
  I would like to see love in high school hallways where other's are being bullied, in countries where people are being killed, and in households where people are being taught to discriminate. I would like to see less "text-me" and "be-mine", and more "stop what you are doing to him!" so the Real Love can come out from wherever it is. I would love to see the day in which love is not shown with a card but with a firm stand for others' rights, because we are all deserving of protection, of affection, of love... Anywhere and everywhere.
  Valentine's Day is a special day, by tradition. Let's make it even more so by making someone that did not expect it feel loved, for any and every reason! Have a sweet valentine gesture towards someone in need of your help, of your comfort, of your strength and help them find theirs too! We need to start thinking of all of us as responsible for one another, and maybe we will see the day when we will embrace others differences as just that, simple and basic differences that create diversity, and that present opportunities for us to evolve into a more loving human race.
  May Love and Strength fill your heart every day, and may we find you walking through Strength Avenue in the company of a new Valentine today!
  LOVE & STRENGTH!
  Posted by Strength Avenue at 12:29 PM
  Posted by Strength Avenue at 9:53 PM
  It is awesome to start a company, help others, to do what you love... But what is even more amazing is to absolutely love what you do, love who you are, and love your life...
  That was not always the case for me, and it certainly is not the case for many young people out there, who struggle on a daily basis to even like who they are. Be it due to outside influences, or the loud inner voice that talks to them to put them down, many children, young adults, and even fully grown adults are not happy with who they are. Some hate the image in the mirror, some hate the sound of their own voice, some would love to love themselves, but they feel too much pain. Some even give up on themselves, on their dreams, and on their future, and they go through a path that is dark, lonely, and completely destructive. That path exists in their choices, and in their thoughts, and anything that exists in there is as real as the blood running through their veins...
  That's why we started this: Strength Ave.
  A year ago my 7 year-old daughter asked me what "suicide" was. I was shocked! I asked where she had heard that and she explained I had talked about it with a friend while telling a story about a boy in high school. [Now, you may think I was being careless talking about these topics with her around, but it is not the case... She has ears in every wall in our house!] I have a personal policy not to lie to my kids so, shifting the tone to a more appropriate one for a 7 year-old, I explained how depression caused by bullying had led him to desperation beyond any measure and had pushed him over many limits, causing him to make the wrong decision to end his life.
  I was devastated by her face. I felt as if she had just woke up in a different world, and she probably did. This knowledge had given her a new perspective about how life really is for other people, and how incredibly sad it can be. And then... My 7 year old founded Strength Avenue with the words: "We have got to do something about it!" So we did.
  I went to work on the Strength Avenue project as if it had already taken over the world!
  She loved the name [Check!],
  She loved the logo [Check-Check!],
  And the most important thing... She LOVED our Purpose [A perfect smile!!!]
  I explained that because we wanted to make sure we did things right, we actually had to do 2 things, so our mission and our purpose became:
  1) To gain victory against hate, discrimination, and violence in the world, (and)
  2) To instill love, self esteem, and inner strength in the hearts of all people.
  That was just the start, back in February 2010. We are standing here, February 2011, celebrating many beginnings and remembering many ends to continue to pursue this dream of a little girl and her mom, who want a better world for all and just "Have got to do something about it!"
  She gave me her latest design with the words "My Soul is Strong!"
  I just have nothing more to say as to why, THIS IS AWESOME!!!
  May Love and Strength fill your heart every day, and may you find our products the tools they are meant to be to see yourself finally walking through Strength Avenue!
  Posted by Strength Avenue at 11:07 PM
  Labels: children, health, hope, inner strength, inspiration, love, peace, product reviews, self esteem, self help, strength, world peace