Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (You already know what time it is)

I guess it is now time to address the “elephant at the polls.” It is coming around to election time, and as we venture through this period we are going to hear more lies, more misleading ads and more reasons as to why this candidate is better than the other one. You may also find some truths here and there. While election time is important for us all we need to realize that in order to make the right choices we need to be “knowledgeable” about the candidates. If you don’t know enough information then “Google” them. No one is perfect, and that includes candidates for office as well. The only thing better than a voter at election time is an “educated voter.” An educated voter has done his or her homework on the issues and the people. How many times have you gone into a voting booth and saw names of people you didn’t know anything about? I know I have encountered this before. Usually whenever this happens you are stuck with the option of “picking the candidate whose name sounds” the best. That it not fair to the other candidates. Also when checking make sure you consider the good things and the bad things. If you have already made up your mind before doing any homework then you are essentially a “closed minded voter.” This should not just about you. This is about all of us. Be smart, be diligent, and most of all be educated. That way you can avoid making a mistake that will cost us all. Thank you for checking out my Daily Thought and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

           Brett Jolly with Lynda Carter (The original Wonder Woman)

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (Martin Luther King)

Monday January 15, 2024 was designated as the day of honor for the birthday of Martin Luther King. I talked about King before. A lot is known about him and (in my opinion) I think he deserves a national holiday day of recognition. I was too young to know him, but my father did. They were good friends. Pop told me stories about King. He told me that King may not have been an absolute saint (No one is perfect and we all have flaws) but King’s dedication to his people was truly admirable. Through the years I heard that some people didn’t believe we should honor his birthday. To me, a great person is one who can change the way people think for the better. When you consider the era in which King was prominent you should realize that there was a “lot” of inequality among races of people. We needed a different attitude. King managed to change the way “everyone” thought, and he managed to do so “peacefully.” That deed by itself deserved an annual day of recognition. If King were alive today (and still in his prime) what cause would he tackle? The fighting in the middle east would surely be on his radar. The fighting between Russia and Ukraine would probably be there too. I also believe King would have wanted to get involved in our current political atmosphere. I don’t think he would have run for any office. There is too much manipulation and lying going on in our congress. I don’t know how successful he would be, but his presence might make a big difference today. Now that King is gone, it is time for us to find “another King.” There is a younger man (or woman) out here somewhere that has what it takes to “make people aware.” My father told me that “great people are only ordinary people who attempt to do great things… and succeed…” If we depended “less” on social media we might be able to focus more on the issues that are more important for our survival. Together, we can literally “change the world” for the better. That type of unification would make Martin look down from the Heavens and smile… Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today, and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (Women fighting abuse against men of fame and power)

The other day I was talking to my daughter Jazzmin about singer Britney Spears. For the record, I am not a “huge” fan of hers, but I really love this one song she has entitled “Toxic.” We began talking about all the troubles Britney has had to endure in her career, but then we realized the same thing can be said about a “lot” of females in fame. For instance, the women involved in the life of P. Diddy suffered tremendously. Some claimed that he was responsible (He even got sued for $100 million dollars by Cassie for it). There is also talk that Beyonce is heavily controlled by her husband Jay-Z. New speculations have been coming out about what she has gone through with him. Former President Donald Trump has been accused of abusing several women and even lost in court over it. If you remember, even current President Joe Biden was once accused of assaulting and harassing Tara Reade, a former staffer. She defected to Moscow, because she said she “felt safe” there. There is a rather “long list”of women who had to endure abuse, ranging from Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Halle Berry, Rihanna Lady Gaga, Gabrielle Union and more. R Kelly was convicted for abuse of young girls, but it took “a while” before he was even brought to court. Why did it take so long? Does this mean that society doesn’t protect or view women as they should? Why do a lot of women fear the process of taking a man to court over abuse? It also seems that the more power and popularity a man has the better his chances of being found “innocent.” Can women get fair treatment in society? What do “you” think? Thank you so much for checking out my Thought for Today, and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

              Brett Jolly and actress Gabrielle Union

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (What does the New Year mean for you?)

This is a new year and with most new years we often experience changes and new beginnings. I have “already encountered new changes in my life” and there may be more on the horizon. One of the changes I want to make in the new year is to depend less on what I hear in social media and to assume less from what is posted. Years ago many people relied on newspapers (and even magazines) to give us our information. It seems as though newspapers are slowly becoming extinct. Now it appears that “more people” are getting their news from social media (and often this news can be “tainted, exaggerated or just completely false”). In fact, it seems like more people on social media are “manufacturing and conjuring up facts” and because of this many people don’t know what to believe anymore. It would be nice if social media could be “regulated” and subjected to more “accountability.” Until that happens, we will need to do our own “fact checking.” In this new year I will have different views on many things as well as people. Considering the allegations I have already heard, I have less faith in people like TD Jakes, P Diddy, televangelists, politicians and more. As a professional musician, I have come to know that famous people are only regular people like us who happen to have the benefit of being in the limelight. It doesn’t make them any better than we are (and it doesn’t mean they are more talented). I also came to the conclusion that fame (and also fortune) often comes with a “price.” There have been many “alleged stories of personal sacrifices by Will Smith, Jay-Z and others for their rise to fame. These stories are mostly unproven but verifications seem to be coming out. Years ago I wanted to have that fame. Now that I am grown up I realize I am better off right where I am. If we don’t learn from our past then we are doomed to repeat it. Open our eyes and look beyond the surface at the stories you hear. You might become even wiser from what you “don’t” listen to. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today, and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.