My daughter's Freedom Essay

New Threats to Freedom Scholarship Essay
By Kelsey Hatch

In response to the video, “Goodwin: The freedom to fail”, I wish to expound upon the idea that the loss of the freedom to fail destroys the pursuit of happiness. Not only do I wish to confirm this posit, I also want to demonstrate how the loss of the freedom to fail, ultimately results in the destruction of the American Democracy, the American dream and America’s purpose, in this world.

The Constitution guarantees the American people the right to the pursuit of happiness. As stated in the dictionary, the denotation of pursuit is, “an effort to secure or attain; quest.” So, in essence, the American people are guaranteed the right to a quest or an effort to secure their happiness.

It is common knowledge that in any pursuit, there must be failure and success. Only through mistakes can a person learn how to succeed. So if a person has freedom to make mistakes, or fail, then they have the freedom to succeed and vice versa. Also it is universally accepted that people feel happy or proud of themselves when they succeed or fulfill a goal. This reaction to success is human nature. Success is a fundamental factor in obtaining happiness.

The right to the pursuit of happiness is one of the cornerstones of the Constitution. It is also one of the key elements of the American Dream. The American government and culture were originally built to house the right to the pursuit of happiness. Because of our democratic government, the people have the opportunity to pursue whatever success they wish. True, that it does not guarantee happiness, but it guarantees the pursuit of happiness. I acknowledge that not all pursuits for happiness will be successful. There are outside factors playing into the efficiency of democracy and capitalism. Also, through the progression of time and the evolution of democracy, the American dream and capitalism is influenced. It does not change, but it takes on other meanings and connotations as the people grow in experience and knowledge. When boiled down to the bare minimum, the loss of the freedom to fail results in the loss of the freedom to pursue. The loss of the freedom to pursue results in the loss of the freedom to succeed. When the freedom to succeed is destroyed the entire purpose of the American democracy and the Constitution becomes meaningless, as the privileges guaranteed through these rights fall out of existence.

The loss of the freedom to fail does not affect only one constitutional right, or one group of American citizens. Rather, it affects the American democracy and the Constitution as a whole.

The freedom to fail must be protected. For without it, America’s purpose to its people and their happiness is essentially lost.

5 Healthy Tips for Busy Folks

In order to live healthy and in harmony with our bodies we need to fuel our marvelous machines with “high-grade fuel;” the kind of fuel that powers a Ferrari, not a go-kart. That said, few of us come equipped with a Jetson’s-style kitchen that produces exactly what we need at the touch of a button. What are we to do when life gets too busy to cook? The following tips are designed to help us fuel up our engines with delicious food and get us out of the kitchen and back into life with a minimum of fuss.

1) Cook in bulk. Instead of making just enough for today, prepare multiple pieces of cooked vegetables, fish, tofu (yes, tofu tastes great cooked with seasoning) or chicken at one time. Bag up extra servings in individual airtight bags or containers. Freeze or refrigerate.

To prepare: Season with your favorite spice mixtures, and sear in a little butter and olive oil in a frying pan. When brown, transfer the same pan to a 350-degree preheated oven to finish cooking. This method ensures moist, juicy results. Make extra brown rice, brothy soups, scrambled egg, and other healthy cooked items. A mound of brown rice on a salad, with slices of sautéed chicken, tomato, and avocado makes a super quick healthy meal. Top with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil for heart-healthy and tasty salad dressing.

2) Prep in advance. Wash and spin-dry greens as soon after bringing them home from the market as you possibly can. Prep enough for the week if you can. They keep for about 5 days in an air-tight bag. Wash, peel, and chop carrot, celery, radishes, cucumbers, and other firm vegetables to throw in a salad or stir-fry. Try to include seasonal vegetables—asparagus in spring, green beans in summer, zucchini in fall, and root vegetables in winter. Grab a handful of veggies on your way out the door or when the urge to snack hits you. Wash large baskets of berries or fruit to keep out on the counter throughout the week.

3) Keep tasty dip and salad dressing at the ready. They encourage us to think about including raw vegetables in our diet. A big plop of buttermilk-sour-cream dressing does not negate the high fuel value of the vegetables. Try the recipe below from my book: Miracle Pill 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy . It features three variations of creamy dressing on the same base (Blue Cheese, Ranch, & Green Goddess).

4) Incorporate whole grain bread as your standard bread. Life presents lots of instances outside of our control where our meals contain white rolls, white-flour crackers, sandwiches on white bread, and white tortillas. You can keep your primary intake coming from whole grain by purchasing only bread with the words: 100% whole grain, on the label. Remember, 100% wheat flour is still white flour. The inclusion of the word “whole” confirms your bread contains the bran and germ of the grain. Whole grain is the foundation of a healthy diet and is powerful fuel.

5) When in doubt, go for brothy soups and sauces. Avoid fried food. A creamy corn chowder just cannot compare to the lean fuel of minestrone or chicken noodle. Any dish with a “cream sauce” will generally contain less plant product and have more processed fats (think hydrogenated fat out of a foil packet). Order the shrimp with tomato salsa instead of Fettucine Alfredo. Go for the chicken-broccoli stir-fry with soy sauce and ginger instead of the deep-fried egg rolls.

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

with Green Goddess and Ranch Dressing Variations

Makes 2 ½ cups

Use equal parts sour cream and buttermilk as a base for a myriad of creamy salad dressings. Be creative.

Green Goddess Variation: Omit bleu cheese, garlic powder, and cayenne. Add chopped capers, walnuts, sweet pickles, and parsley for a delicious Green Goddess dressing.

Ranch Variation: Omit the bleu cheese, cayenne, and garlic powder, and add 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup cottage cheese

6 ounces good quality bleu cheese (like Maytag, Stilton, or gorgonzola), crumbled

2 tablespoons onion, very finely minced

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Thin with milk if too thick. Chill for at least four hours. Can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tres Hatch is the author of: Miracle Pill 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy.

Book Signing Chronicles

People are funny. This fact has never been more apparent to me than over the last year of book signings. Although the quirks of dealing with the public are not exactly a surprise there have been countless moments where I just let my jaw hang slack and, “huh?”, becomes the best response I can muster. I have experienced everything from hilarious to bizarre; with poignant and touching revelations slamming me back to Earth just when I start to lose my faith in humanity. Mostly, I feel inspired by talking with people, but occasionally, those conversations make such an impression they become part of my “signing chronicles.”

At a recent Costco Book signing I met a jaunty “gentleman” in his mid-seventies. He leered at the book posters surrounding the signing table before strutting up to me. With a swagger and a yellow-toothed grin, he told me he had recently lost forty pounds. I congratulated him and took the bait, “How did you do it?” He took my hand and winked as he said, “I started chasing women.” This walking advertisement for Viagra then leaned in and asked if I wanted to help him lose five more. Hmmm. Tempting, but... no. Had I been as quick as my friend Katrina I would have shot back “Heck yeah. My herpes has not flared up in over two weeks.” But sadly, I just stood there, yet again, mouth agape. Perhaps some moments need no flourish to earn entrance into (cue theme music)…the Signing Chronicles.

Another memorable moment happened at a Deseret Book store. I had not even found my designated table before an older gentleman bounded in with the energy of a puppy, grabbed my arm and asked if he could show me a certain framed portrait of Jesus on display. Don’t ask me why he felt compelled to share. I went reluctantly with him to a separate section of the book store where he excitedly pointed to a famous image of Christ. He proclaimed it was out of this very picture that years ago Jesus had actually emerged, appearing to him—in person. Feeling sure I had missed his meaning, I agreed it was a great picture and truly projected the spirit of the subject beyond the canvas. Oh no, no, no. He immediately set me straight. The artwork was not what he saw, but an actual manifestation of a person had emerged from the painting into a 3-dimensional being.

Although I’m not arrogant enough to put limits on the faith of others, and I believe miracles occur on a daily basis, I stood there blankly, with no idea how to respond to this particular story. I was quickly reduced down to a head scratch and a “huh.” I navigated back to my signing table, more than a little relieved to be in screaming earshot of other people.

On the flip side sometimes I am inspired. One particularly humbling encounter was with a friendly woman in her late 50’s with beautiful eyes. She asked me to sign her book while we chatted about her weight concerns. She looked great to me and laughed amiably when I told her so. With refreshing honesty she went on to tell me that her sweetheart of 40 years had passed away one year ago and she could not discern what her body needed anymore because the loneliness and grief were paralyzing. She could not “hear” her needs because she no longer cared. I could not have known from her sunny personality that she was starving to death while compassionately engaging me, a perfect stranger. Her giving nature was revealed as she asked me questions and offered compliments. Meanwhile, she battled sadness inside. I will never forget her grace as she steered the discussion away from herself and back to me, where she attentively listened and inquired about my happiness.

There are many gifts in this world, and certainly one of the most unsung is the ability to lose oneself in the care of others. This sweet woman was blessed with a fountain of unselfish consideration, while at the same time experiencing adversity that could just as easily made her bitter and withdrawn. I learned more about managing grief in ten minutes with her than I could in years of therapy. My prayers and gratitude go out to her.

Tres Hatch is the author of Miracle Pill 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy.

The Golden Rule

My heart is heavy as I reflect on the last few days. Via book signings and personal conversations with dear friends I have been honored with the confidence of deeply personal information. Book signings are revealing experiences. Perhaps it is because my book has an emotionally vested topic, or perhaps it happens to all authors, but as I share my story and ask people about theirs, they tell me things I could never learn from a casual chat.

One man in his late twenties, with a slim build and long, lanky legs, hung back while I visited with two other readers. Finally, it was his turn, and he seemed apprehensive. To start off the conversation I asked him if he had ever had a weight problem and he told me he had recently lost 40-pounds. Obviously, he wasn’t in need of weight management advice from me. Instead, he struggled for words as he told me about losing his job a year ago. With a degree in psychology and years of work experience he was now working part time as a waiter, alone, living in a basement apartment. Clutching a rotisserie chicken (which would turn out to be his food for the next five days) he said the job hunt had all but shut him down inside. He had actually lost 40-pounds because he could not afford enough food. This soft-spoken stranger fought the tears as he revealed his true dream was to work in an artistic field, but he felt it would not happen because nothing had gone right for him in a very long time.

“I failed,” he said, “therefore, I will continue to fail.” This line of logic feels reasonable to the one living the adversity, but is profoundly false. Without wasting time, I quickly assured him he could do anything he wanted. He just stared at me. I looked him in the eyes and said it again. I then encouraged him to get out of his door, mix it up with a different crowd, take a less-than-perfect opportunity in his preferred industry, and segue that into a better opportunity. But, without a doubt, I told him he would succeed. With a dismissive wave he said, “You probably tell that to everybody who talks with you. Right?”

At that moment I had to be honest and I said, “No. I don’t tell everybody that. Just the people who need to hear it. Do not forget how powerful you are.”

He moved on with a hint of a smile and I continued to shake hands, sign books, and listen. I heard more heartbreaking tales of weight gain caused by: failed health, medication, divorce, death, financial hardships, unfair employment situations, and even a few uplifting success stories of people taking charge of their health and losing weight.

In my personal life the people I care about have recently been inundated with pending divorces, grown kids on drugs, serious hospitalizations of children, failed businesses, the stomach flu (working its way through a family with eight children), and married partners treating each other like enemies. Big sigh!

It is a precious trust for me to carry people's stories. I don’t take them lightly or make any judgments. In my own life I have been in many of these situations. But the common thread to them all is the need for kindness and love. Really, if we all followed the Golden Rule and treated others how we want to be treated, there would be an enormous relief of sadness. As Mother Teresa said, “If everybody would just take care of their own, we could ease the suffering of mankind.” By extending beyond my own sphere to help others, I truly make a difference; maybe not to millions, but certainly to one. If we treat others with compassion, forgiveness, and the kind of respect we, ourselves, enjoy, we relieve grief and prevent hardship. Ok, sermon over, but I have no doubt that love is more powerful than any negative force. And I am grateful for the reminder.

What a gift to talk with people. I hope not to waste these opportunities by failing to listen with my whole heart. It would be nice if my book grew into an international phenomenon and I became richer than JK Rowling, but if I couldn't spend those intimate moments with strangers, one-on-one, I would lose out. My thanks to all those that have been so gracious with me. I honor you.

Tres Hatch is the author of: Miracle Pill 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy.