A Letter for Opioid Awareness

I am writing to bring light to the topic of opioid’s in the beehive state. As you know, opioid abuse and dependency is on the rise across the country. This epidemic is spreading fast and is affecting many lives locally in the state of Utah. This letter is urging for a reformation on drug education and prescription administration on the state level. There should be some level of accountability taken politically and professionally in the health care industry.

Kelly Gifford of the Salt Lake Tribune wrote in May of this year that nearly 24 Utah residents die monthly from opioid related deaths. Our great state of Utah ranks 7th nationally for drug-overdose deaths since 2013. It is my understanding that state officials are deploying $5.5 million in federal cash to attack this crisis. This is a noble act and will work tremendously to bolster drug rehabilitation programs across Utah’s counties. However, if the citizens of our great state are entering drug programs, it’s already too late. We have failed as educators, policy makers and community leaders.

Since 2007, Utah’s legislature has passed 101 laws in attempt to address prescription misuse. It appears that many of these have failed to pan out in the larger scheme of opioid abuse and misuse. Angela Stander, Utah’s Department of Health’s prescription-overdose prevention coordinator, believes this epidemic stems from doctors and opioid prescribers. An advocate for public awareness campaigns, Stander is animate at targeting these professionals and urging them to prescribe less. In turn, it’s hoped that the reduction in opioid availability will promote patient awareness and education. Standers acts are noble and should be replicated by leaders throughout the state of Utah. The efforts of political officials, community leaders and drug abuse advocates should shift to prevention, education and public awareness. The more citizens of Utah that can hear the dangers, effects and ramifications of opioid’s, the better chance we have at a reformation. 

I appreciate everything that you do for our great State. I’m hoping that, political parties, citizens and communities can prevent this epidemic from continual destruction and set a precedent for other states to follow. Thank you for listening to my suggestions. 

Sincerely,

Beau Kallas
Drug Abuse Advocate 

What is a Winner?

What is a winner?

A winner is someone who can overcome adversity.

A winner doesn’t ask for new cards when he’s dealt a bad hand.

A winner doesn’t become complacent in his misfortunes.

A winner understands winning is a process.

A process of ups and downs.

A process that pushes individuals to wits end.

A process that drives people to the deep trenches of their mind.

A trench so deep that it challenges everything the person ever believed in.

A winner doesn’t dwell on that moment of hesitation.

A winner is confident he can climb out of the slums of hell.

A winner understands the worst thing that can happen is to give up on themselves.

A winner appreciates the struggle; for they know nothing in life comes easy.

Failure is always there.

Failure whispers ‘quit’ when you believe you can’t climb anymore.

A winner has the discipline to realize that the ascent is redeeming.

A winner doesn’t stop until he reaches that peak and pushes further.

A winner is humbled by his losses.

A winner looks forward to the next opportunity for success.

A winner grasps the present moment, understanding that nothing is guaranteed.

A winner takes advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.

A winner is an individual who is triumphant in his struggles

A winner doesn’t boast in his achievements.

What does it take to be a winner?

It takes something deep within an individual.

It takes the ability to understand that you have the tools to be a winner.

It takes the courage to take that first step towards what you know you can become.

It takes the perseverance to continue when you’ve failed.

It takes the confidence when no one else believes in you.

It takes the motivation to prove everyone wrong.

It takes the humbleness to forgive everyone who doubted you when you finally make it.

• POWER •

At birth we are all set upon a path. A path that is laid out by a greater power. A power so strong that we’re unable to comprehend it’s capability. At first glance, each path looks eerily similar. But as we embark on our own path, it begins to differentiate from the others. In the distance we spot a light. We are unaware, but the light serves as our guide along the path. We don’t understand, so we continue haphazardly. Every time our foot strikes the earth, a new print is deposited along the surface. This print is what creates uniqueness amongst the paths. Often times we find ourselves losing sight of the light. We lose track of our guide. When this happens, our path is shadowed with darkness. It becomes difficult for us to follow the path. We begin to slowly drift away from what’s been laid out for us. We see glimpses of light, but only for moments at a time. We unconsciously continue along the path with false hopes of salvation. And then it happens; the light flashes in front of us. We reach toward it, but it disappears through our fingers. Falling to our knees, we bury our head in the darkness of our lap. We feel lost. We begin to give up. We lose all hope. Suddenly, a strong force of light beams onto us. Our eyes follow the pillar as it penetrates the shadowed clouds. We are overwhelmed by a greater power. The power that engineered the path. The power that served as our guide. The power that we have been searching for. We are enlightened. As the clouds close and your eyes drift back to the path, you finally comprehend the meaning of your journey; the power was always within you.

• Society and Religion •

Does being religious make you a good person? The basic principles of most Christian churches are having faith in God, respect, honesty, loyalty, peace and humiliation. But just because you call yourself a Christian doesn’t mean you put these values to practice. Jesus never believed in self-righteousness, so why are so many religious people guilty of it? Instead of wanting to learn about Christ, people are more concerned with where they fit in the “hierarchy of society.” Just because you donate a percentage of your earnings to your church doesn’t mean you’re punching your ticket to heaven. If God only wanted your money, he wouldn’t have sent down his son to be crucified for the sake of humanity. So before you say “My body’s a Temple” evaluate what’s on the inside of your walls. Temples don’t rot at the core. Those people are more like mummies. They cover up all their problems with deceit, while underneath they are rotting. The self-righteous accuse people of wrongdoing so they can feel better about themselves. It’s Ironic because that’s what the people who crucified our savior were doing. The difference is those people were blind. There’s a reason Jesus yelled from the cross “father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” When Jesus died, the blindness was cured. Everybody had vision. So before you’re quick to judge someone on their beliefs, understand they may view things different. There isn’t one way to look at all things; religious or not. People are entitled to believe what they want to believe. God doesn’t care if you served a mission, hold a position in the church or aren’t a member of any religion. Don’t act entitled to anything, because everyone is given the same chance at eternal happiness. So before you point your finger with disgust, remember Jesus pointed his finger with hope. The hope that with help everyone can be forgiven; everyone can reach eternal happiness. So it’s our responsibility not to boast in our ignorance, but to be hopeful in our humility. 

•Life•

Life is like a puzzle. Each breath we take and each moment that passes are all new pieces to our puzzle of life. With each day that comes and goes, we are that much closer to our puzzle being completed. Every one of us is guaranteed to receive at least two of the same pieces: our first piece which comes with our first breath, and our last piece which comes with our last breath. What we decide to do in the years between is what makes our puzzle unique. 

Life is like a river. It all began somewhere, small and slow. Along the way it may get faster or slower. At some parts the river may widen or shrink. People may come and go. But the river never stops for anyone. The people that matter are those that are along for the ride till the very end. Eventually the river ends and it empties into something much larger: heaven.

Life is like a blindfold. We don’t quite know what we may face each day. What we end up seeing may not always be what we want. But what we see is what we get. We just have to find happiness with what we were dealt. There are no do-overs in this thing called life. Once we take our blindfold off, once we are able to see the surprise laid out in front of us, we have to accept that and do our best with what we were given. Because in the end, it was completely out of our control anyway.

Life is like a party. We can’t always control who comes and goes, but we can control the actions and decisions we decide to make. Some people may leave earlier than we want them to or even sooner then they intended. But that’s just how this party works. The memories we make with these people will stay with us forever. One day we’ll all meet again at a much larger party.

Life is like a painting canvas. We decide how we want people to perceive us. Like the first stroke of paint by the artist, the decisions we make are final and can’t be erased. It’s our responsibility as the artist of our own lives to carefully analyze every move we make. The best artist isn’t always the one who doesn’t make mistakes. Instead he’s the one who learns from his mistakes and turns them into his strengths. 

Life is like a marathon. Everyone starts out the same way: taking their first breath, receiving their first puzzle piece. If you get out to too quick of a pace, you’ll run out of energy to fast. If you wait to make your push to late, you may miss your opportunity to be the most successful. You have to find that constant pace that will allow you to reach the finish line. It’s not always about who wins or loses this marathon. Instead it’s about enjoying the company around you and making the most out of the journey to the end life.

No matter what river we take, what blindfold we wear, what party we attend, how colorful our canvas is, or how fast we ran the marathon, we all end up at the same place: surrounded by the ones we love the most. Everyone is suffering and praying that you won't receive the last piece to your puzzle; at least not today. But with that last breath you take, your final puzzle piece is connected and it’s finished. Make sure the picture you created is worth looking at, because that's how you'll be remembered.

•Courage•

We often think that the only people who are courageous are those who are the biggest, strongest or the most respected in the community. We think that we ourselves can’t be courageous. We continually fall back and think that somebody else will eventually come along with enough courage to do the job. Courage doesn’t mean you have to be the biggest, strongest or smartest. Those who are courageous are those who can be the biggest, strongest, or smartest at a given time. Courage is believing in yourself when nobody else does. When everybody turns the other way, when the other road seems easier, when it’s just you, that’s when failure tests you. Courage is getting up and moving forward after you fail. Courage is looking your failures in the eye and saying, “you won’t beat me today.” Courage is not backing down from your fears. Don’t turn the lights on. When you’re engulfed in darkness, you being courageous will automatically lighten the way for others. Courage is doing what’s right, when everyone else is doing the wrong. Courage is losing all sense of fear. Courage is handling diversity. Courage is looking yourself in the mirror at night and telling yourself I did the best I could today to make the world a better place. Don’t be afraid to be courageous and don’t be afraid to make a change in the world. Everyone of us have something to give. Have the courage to find what that something is.

•Today’s a new day•

Take a look at the world today,
at all the anger, sadness and dismay. 
You sit and wonder why this could be,
you come to the conclusion, it must just be me. 
You glance out the window, consumed by your thoughts,
your mind begins to race, your stomachs in a knot.
You walk through the forest, everything seems dead,
you sit in the rain, on a lonesome flower bed. 
You sit and wonder what the world has become,
where all the worlds hatred could possibly come from. 
The rain pours down around you, everything is wet,
you stand to go, but the wind says not yet.
You look to the sky; the clouds begin to part,
almost as if they feel the sorrow of your heart. 
You feel the sun’s rays radiating from the skies,
Mother Nature’s way of answering your cries. 
You sit and think how the day has changed,
it happened so fast, it was rather strange. 
Always remember no matter how dark or gray, 
no matter how yesterday was, today’s a new day.