23-Year-Old Snapchat Founder Turns Down $4 Billion For His Idea: Is He Brilliant or Just Insane?

Is he the most brilliant entrepreneur ever or a crazy man? That is the question everyone is asking after news that the co-founder of Snapchat turned down the deal of a lifetime.

Only a few years ago, Evan Spiegal was your average college student, but since then the now 23-year-old has turned a hobby into a world-wide phenomenon. 

His interest in designing software started in high school when developing video game emulators grew into building and designing websites for friends.

Spiegal's hobbies showed his obvious talents and his interest in the subject only continued to grow into college.

The revolutionary smartphone app was created out of an idea between Spiegal and his frat boy buddies. They were brainstorming a way you could share pictures and then have them disappear into cyberspace without having to save or delete them. 

The unique concept, which can be thought of as essentially texting through pictures, has become an overnight sensation for smartphone users. Whether it's snapping pictures of funny faces or what they're having for dinner that night, people of all ages are getting hooked. 

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This popularity has led Spiegal to believe that Snapchat has a lot farther to climb and a promising future ahead, so much so that he turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook

for the app. Not only that, but he then proceeded to turn down a second offer from Google for $4 billion! He stands by his decision, positive that Snapchat will one day be capable of being an industry of its own. You almost have to admire his confidence! 

Again, we ask ourselves- brilliant or crazy? I guess only time will be able to tell if the young businessman was correct in standing by his idea or if he should have taken the money while his app was still in high demand.

What You'll Know By the End of Your First Year of Motherhood

Every mother-to-be has a certain expectation of how parenting will be and what kind of mother they see themselves as- don't deny it! But by the end of the first year as a mother, every woman knows what no book will ever tell you- some of those expectations turned out to be true, but most didn't. Motherhood is a unique and amazing experience that ultimately cannot be understood until you're actually experiencing it for yourself. So as you begin your journey through this nerve-wracking and exciting stage keep these things in mind:

-It doesn't matter how many books you read

The first thing every parent-to-be needs to accept is that there is no such thing as being 100% prepared to be a parent. Mistakes will be made. Surprises will happen. But you know what? That's okay! You learn as you go and that's the beauty of it! 

-Your body is going to be different in ways you didn't predict

Your postpartum body is going to to be stretched and squishy and it's probably going to make you feel self conscious and embarrassed at times- but cut yourself some slack! You just spent 9 months nurturing and carrying a little person! That right there is a beautiful thing, so don't ever let anything make you feel otherwise.

-Get ready for the unsolicited advice

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there with some fantastic advice that you are desperately going to need and appreciate. Then there are those other people. A lot of people are going to be pouring their parenting styles and techniques on you, whether you ask for

them or not, so prepare yourself to patiently and politely listen, nodding along, and then mentally disregard everything they just said. Other people's babies aren't like yours, so the only people who know exactly what kind of parenting works for your family are you and your husband. 

-Every baby is unique which means each experience will be too

Every baby is their own unique individual (just in a tiny body!) which means that there is is no manual (person or book!) who can tell you exactly what it's going to be like raising your child. It's a stressful, sleep-deprived, scary, beautiful and wonderful time in your life, so buckle up and prepare yourself for the ride, taking one thing at a time and learning as you go! 

Hosting Your First Thanksgiving Without All the Stress

Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most celebrated and looked forward to holidays in America- unless you are in charge of preparing this years dinner that is. Anyone who has been in charge of preparing a meal that size for a group of people knows that it can turn a fun, relaxing holiday into a hair-pulling, stress-filled dinner. Luckily, there are a lot of techniques to help even the rookies of Thanksgiving prepare a delicious meal, host an awesome party, and actually have fun at the same time. 

1. Remember that even your grandma hosted her first thanksgiving once

Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make sure every single thing is absolutely perfect- it won't be. But that's okay. There is no sense stressing yourself out because your turkey doesn't look exactly like Aunt Betty's or Grandma's, they have had a lot of years of practice to get it that way. 

2. Since you're the host, you get to call the shots

As much of a burden of responsibility it may initially seem, it is also kind of a relief. A relief because this year, you get to set the pace and tone of how you want Thanksgiving to be. Do you want it to be fancy? Have people dress up. Rather keep it casual? That's fine too. You can decide what time you want people to show up and how many should come. You can decide if you'd rather leave out the cherry pie this year and replace it with chocolate. Getting to make these kinds of decisions can actually be kind of fun if you let it!

3. Don't forget the message of Thanksgiving

Even through all the stress, remember that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time for everyone to relax and spend time together (and pig out), and just because you're hosting it doesn't mean you are an exception! So don't let the little things bother you and freak out if everything doesn't t go perfectly. Relax! Even if the pie burns or Uncle Frank drinks too much again.

4. Accept help

Understand that this is your first time hosting such an important holiday dinner and it's going to be a lot to handle. So when people come into the kitchen and are asking you if you need any help, don't be afraid to say yes! 

5. Do everything in advance

The key ingredient to having a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner party is not to save anything for the last minute. If you start planning really far in advance and have a set schedule of when things need to be done by, this will take a huge weight off your shoulders and help things to go along smoothly. Have menu planned and grocery shopping completed by the weekend before- by Wednesday every super market will be a war zone that you want to avoid at all costs. The day before Thanksgiving, prepare are much of the food as you can, set the table and any decorations you wish to have, and decide on your outfit. 

On Thanksgiving day, figure out what time you need to roast the turkey, boil the potatoes, and lay out any appetizers or snacks. Make sure you empty the dishwasher before the party starts. Don't forget to squeeze a shower at some point between all of that and you're all set to host your first Thanksgiving dinner!


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Middle School Football Team Demonstrates Humility and Kindness Adults Can Learn From

Mothers spend all of their time trying to teach their kids; teach them how to behave, how to treat others, how to achieve their goals- but then we hear stories that make us realize how often it can be the kids who teach us. 

The football team at Olivet Middle School in Olivet, Michigan shows how inspiring and courageous acts can come from the most unexpected places from the most unexpected people. 

For weeks, the Olivet Eagles plotted amongst one another, without the knowledge or involvement of any coaches or teachers, to make a play that would permanently change the way the game is played. 

The play thought up for one of the members of the team, Keith Orr, a special needs boy with a very big heart. 

Despite the dismay from the crowds, Sheridan Hedrick, one of the players for the Eagles, sacrificed a potential touchdown to take a knee on the 1-yard line. His reason for doing this? To allow Keith to know what it feels like to score a touchdown and be the team hero, a joy the boys on the team felt every person deserves to know. 

Once Hedrick took a knee the play affectionately referred to as the "Keith Special" began. The ball was hiked and handed to Keith, who ran the touch down without a scratch thanks to the protection of his fellow teammates. 

What the boys did not know during their plan, was that the play they made was so much more than a touch down for a middle school football team. It was a moment that changed the outlook and perspective of one boy but also of a team and everyone who hears their inspiring story. It is proof that there are children out there that posses a level of humility and heart that many adults struggle to achieve. And perhaps, instead of us adults always having to be the teachers, that there are lessons for us to learn from them as well. 

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Click Below to Watch the Inspirational Video About the Olivet Middle School Football Team: