This I Believe

I Am Perfect

 One phrase that has always haunted me was, “Nobody’s Perfect…”.  Yet, this phrase is something that most people would agree on.  But, I do not agree with this because, I Am Perfect.  When you think about it, we are all perfect.  We always have and we always will be perfect, whether we want to accept it or not.
 I say that I am perfect because, I make lots of mistakes, I don’t always get things right the first time and I lie sometimes for no reason at all.  If you see my face, then you know that I have the perfect face.  Every ingrown hair is right where it should be.  When my lips are dry, they crack with precision.  My eyes are the perfect color and they don’t always see clearly without my glasses.

 As for my body… it too is perfect.  I have scars from past injuries.  My belly fat is where it should be.  My arms are on opposite sides of my body and my legs are muscular in some places and firm in other places.

 So, with all that being said, wouldn’t you agree that I am perfect too?  Or course you would.  Why…?  Well, people have a knack for noticing imperfections.  When we noticed imperfections, we tend to inquire about the imperfections.  E.g., If my belly fat were to disappear, most of you would notice and some of you would ask questions.  If my ingrown hair bumps were to disappear and/or I had no lips at all, people would immediately notice and some would even question.  If I never made any mistakes, then people would question my authenticity.  Some would even suspect me of being something other than… me.

However, for those who have at least seen me more than once, you have to admit that I was the same person that I was the last time you saw me.  Why? Because if you compare how I look and how I am today to how I looked and how I was yesterday… you have a perfect comparison.  The minute that my image and/or personality changes, you will notice and you will question.  Why? Because as I am at this very moment… I Am Perfect.

Okay, I'm back...

It's been a while, but I have more to share.

Meet Mr. NOW

People… are living your life or waiting to die? I only ask because of my many conversations with others. It seems that most of us are waiting on something great or miraculous to happen. Why wait? Why do we disrespect the present (now)? What is it about the now that causes us to reflect on the past and look to the future for salvation. Reality is now and everything else is just a thought or a dream. We all share two primary blessings that guides our movement throughout our lives, #1. Desire and #2. Ability. We all have desires to experience life and its many chapters and we all have the ability to make it happen. So with this in mind, what’s the problem with taking advantage of this very moment? This is now and this is the only thing that you can control. You cannot control the past nor can you control the future… just the now.

So with respect to the now, I want you to take a good look at your desires, including the bad ones. What makes those desires good? What makes those desires bad? What is wrong with wanting a nicer house, a nicer vehicle, nicer clothes, a newer you, etc…? Some religious folk might think that your desires are worldly and sinful. However, to ignore your own desires (in my opinion) is equivalent to self-genocide. Ignoring your desires is very detrimental to your knowledge of self. Learn to love yourself as is and proceed to live life as is. Not how it was and not how it should be. To live your life means to take the now and allow it to materialize right before you, which leads me to the next blessing.

ABILITY. Ability allows you to materialize your desires. What abilities do you have right now? If you can learn the simplest lessons then you are the most powerful person you know. You can get the life that you desire… but… to use your ability means to proceed with energy. Rev Run shared with us that Energy plus Optimism equals Progress. Therefore if you want Progress, then you must PROCEED with OPTIMISM!!! There is nothing wrong with praying, if prayer is a part of your life… but if you don’t start moving, then you end up wishing, dreaming and collecting dust as you wait to DIE!!!

Some of us experience achievements and sell ourselves short by giving all the credit to God alone. You all need to get over this hump like…right now (please read on). To give God credit is never wrong, but if you ever start to give more credit to yourself, then you will have emancipated yourself from your own oppression. If you can give more credit to yourself then you no longer have to wait around for God to give you something. NEWSFLASH: It was the Creator that gave you the ability to achieve in the first place!!! Meaning… you have already received your blessing. So what are you going to do with it! Grab the now as if it were a ball of clay and turn your self and your life into a masterpiece.

I could write all night about this… but someone may actually read this with little time to spare.

The Willie Lynch Theory

I'm not sure if any of you have ever heard of or read the Willie Lynch Letter, but the letter and the outline are pretty interesting. As I post this, please know that I am not endorsing the validity of the contents. However, when compared to the current state of affairs regarding the conditions of the Black race, one can only wonder.



This speech was delivered by Willie Lynch on the bank of the James River in the colony of Virginia in 1712. Lynch was a British slave owner in the West Indies. He was invited to the colony of Virginia in 1712 to teach his methods to slave owners there. The term “lynching” is derived from his last name.

[beginning of the Willie Lynch Letter]

Greetings,
Gentlemen. I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies, where I have experimented with some of the newest, and still the oldest, methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasions. I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree, a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed. Gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them. In my bag here, I HAVE A FULL PROOF METHOD FOR CONTROLLING YOUR BLACK SLAVES. I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, IT WILL CONTROL THE SLAVES FOR AT LEAST 300 HUNDREDS YEARS. My method is simple. Any member of your family or your overseer can use it. I HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SLAVES; AND I TAKE THESE DIFFERENCES AND MAKE THEM BIGGER. I USE FEAR, DISTRUST AND ENVY FOR CONTROL PURPOSES. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is “AGE,” but it’s there only because it starts with an “a.” The second is “COLOR” or shade. There is INTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZES OF PLANTATIONS, STATUS on plantations, ATTITUDE of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST AND ENVY STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION. The Black slaves after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for HUNDREDS of years, maybe THOUSANDS. Don’t forget, you must pitch the OLD black male vs. the YOUNG black male, and the YOUNG black male against the OLD black male. You must use the DARK skin slaves vs. the LIGHT skin slaves, and the LIGHT skin slaves vs. the DARK skin slaves. You must use the FEMALE vs. the MALE, and the MALE vs. the FEMALE. You must also have white servants and overseers [who] distrust all Blacks. But it is NECESSARY THAT YOUR SLAVES TRUST AND DEPEND ON US. THEY MUST LOVE, RESPECT AND TRUST ONLY US. Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. IF USED INTENSELY FOR ONE YEAR, THE SLAVES THEMSELVES WILL REMAIN PERPETUALLY DISTRUSTFUL. Thank you gentlemen.”

Small-time Philosophy

--To that viewer that rarely visits my blog, I’ve be working on a huge research project that has consumed me completely. I will be posting more in the near future. In the meantime, I have abstracted some words from a Philosophy paper I wrote a while back.--


“… It only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those we know, and it can take many years to heal them (Unknown, 2007).”

One word spoken, one action taken, one misunderstanding can cause everything from unity to borderline anarchy. With our words and our actions, we can almost control our listeners and predict how they respond. Words can lead to death as well as life. However, without the “how” element, words are nothing more than a combination of letters that make particular sounds when combined appropriately. The “how” element creates the mood that deliver the words and/or the actions. In other words, it’s not what you say or do, but how you say or do it. We each have different relationships with the people in our lives. We are mostly professional with our bosses, teachers, and business associates. With our friends and relatives we are humorous, caring, and more intimate. However, misunderstandings do take place and they can have devastating and everlasting effects on all of us. Imagine you are with your significant other and as you look into their eyes you say, “I really do love you.” You know better than I do about the response you would probably receive. Now let’s put emphasis on certain (BOLD) words. What if you had said, “I really do love YOU”? Or how about, “I really DO love you”? All it takes is one word, one action or one misunderstanding that could generate a paradox within your relationship with one another.

I learned that if my words are accompanied with the right delivery and emphasis, then I could say what I need to say. If I need to say to someone that they are not the best at what they do, then I should be able to do so without undesired consequences. Take a moment to examine this sentence. –You are NOT the best at what you do, but you MAY be able to excel. – By putting the emphasis on the bold and CAPITALIZED words, this sentence is not too encouraging. What if this was something your boss had said to you in this manner? What if your spouse had said this? Think about how you would feel. How would you respond? Now let’s take this same sentence and place the emphasis on some other words. –You are not the BEST at what you do, but YOU may be able to excel. – By placing the emphasis on other words, the delivery is completely different. Now the sentence sounds more encouraging and you would more than likely receive the information in a more positive manner.

While saying what needs to be said, putting emphasis on key words can determine how it is received. Emphases on words are so powerful, that it allows you to take one sentence and give that sentence multiple meanings. Examine the next sentence. –I need to make more money. - Now let’s add emphasis on each individual word of this sentence and notice how the delivery is change due to the emphasized word:* I need to make more money. * I NEED to make more money. * I need to MAKE more money.* I need to make MORE money.* I need to make more MONEY. By emphasizing certain words, we have managed to take one short sentence and give it multiple meanings. What must be understood is that if the emphasis is on the wrong word, misunderstanding is inevitable. Therefore, before speaking, we should think about our delivery, because the same phrase that encourages you can also discourage you.
The desired outcome should always be in mind whenever you take any form of action. Examining your own character flaws will yield exceptional results if you are honest with yourself. Know that you are not perfect and you may be misunderstood at times. Overall, it is not what you say; it’s how you say it. It not what you do; it’s why you do it. Know that you can really encourage the outcome, just by putting the emphasis on one word. As you move on, take these words of wisdom with you:

How do you channel your personal strength? In putting forth the daily efforts that life requires, energy plus optimism equal progress, while energy plus anger only results in frustration. Do the math and you too will add the difference between what’s work, and what’s wack. GOD is Love- (Simmons, 2006).

Drug Addicts = Human Beings?

Do you have a drug addicted family member? Do you love that drug addicted family member? I’ll be honest; it’s hard for me to love someone whom does not appear to love themselves. As an outsider looking in, all I see is someone who is always willing to lie, cheat, beg, steal and/or trick to satisfy themselves. Just like some of you, I feel like it’s not my job to care. If you want to kill yourself via smoking, sniffing or shooting, then that’s your business. (Nod your head once if you agree) Don’t worry; I’m not setting you up to feel bad later. I’m just letting some of you know that you are not alone in feeling this way. It’s quite normal to feel the way that you do. Actually, it’s cautiousness.
It has been said and proven true, that the hardest working individuals in America are… the drug addicts. I’m not speaking about the upper and middle-class drug addicts. I’m talking about the poverty stricken, homeless and desperate drug addicts otherwise known as crack-heads. I know this subject is somewhat of a cliché, but let’s not allow that to stop the discussion. If you followed a drug addict around for a day, then you’d probably have to take the next day off. From sunrise to sundown most drug addicts are on the move. Their primary goals are to get high whenever the opportunity arises. Their Ultimate hope is that the next high is just like that first high. So I must ask, have you ever been HIGH? I hear it’s better than sexual orgasms... Have you ever had an orgasm?
Drug addicts are skillful and dedicated to their many crafts. They can lie like Lawyers, beg like your favorite charity and steal like the government. Respectfully, I have to take my hat off and salute these drug addicts. If ever there was a body of people in touch with Carpe Diem, it would have to be the drug addicts. Think about it… How often do drug addicts procrastinate?
Whenever drug addicts are featured in movies, they are epitomized as if they are another species. They are constantly ignored and mistreated in almost every scene, as if they were objects. I challenge all to take a closer look at the addict that’s being disregarded and ill-treated. Notice that they too are… human. Have you ever been ignored and/or mistreated by a stranger, or family? If so, did you like it? Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an addict?
It is easy for us to pay little or no attention to drug addicts because they are the ones who choose to do drugs. Therefore, we view this as a personal choice. However, if you heard the tale of your typical drug addict, you’d probably think differently. Think about your happiest first time experiences such as falling in love, sex, driving, etc… If you can remember that feeling, multiply it by 10. If you can successfully fathom this thought, then you are probably close to the feeling that a drug addict gets when they get high for the first time. This is a feeling that can’t be ignored instantly and just like any other endorphin producing experience. Every time they get high, they are hoping that it’s just like first time. If this really is the case with drug addicts, we may want to change our view and realize that drug addicts don’t do drugs… it is the drugs that do the drug addicts.
An addiction of any kind can have anyone acting out of character. When a drug addict steals, begs, lies, or hustles you, it’s probably not personal. If they say that it was the drugs that made them do it, they are more than likely being truthful. We must collectively arrive to the realization that drug addiction is really a sickness and not just a habit. We can control the course of our habits… we can only tolerate our sicknesses. I really hope this reaches you in a way that will allow you to realize that these “Drug Addicts” are human beings just like you. If you are anything like me, you have ignored because you don’t see the hope. Just like me, you may have mistreated and/or denied assistance because you did not see a personal benefit. Mother Theresa said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." So, with Caution, I’m asking you to speak with an addict about their struggles with addictions. I know most of us lead busy lives, but let’s try to dedicate a moment or two to someone outside of our comfort zone without focusing on the Quid Pro Quo. Instead, let yourself focus on the possible positive alteration that you can inflict upon someone with little or no hope. Take with you these questions: What will I do? What won’t I do? What can’t I do? What can I do? More importantly…What must I do?

Are you looking Beyond?

Do you conform to the status quo? Do you trust the status quo? Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present, existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they currently are. So when I ask if to accept the status quo, what I am really asking is… do you accept things the way they are or do you have your own way of seeing things. Individuals, who normally do not look beyond the status quo, tend to be average at best. These individuals tend to accept things as they are with little or know questions, at all. Is this wrong? No. It’s normal. It’s easier and less stressful. However, it’s just not challenging.
I am one whom will always ask questions and look further. Not because I want to be difficult, but because I like knowing as opposed to thinking that I know. I’ll advise anyone to ask if you are uneasy with information that’s given to you. Not everything is as simple as Black and White. Sometimes when you are presented with something… you may need to ask WHY, i.e. you may need to look beyond.
Is knowledge always power? Is knowledge always good? I say, it all depends. Who has the knowledge and where did they get it from? More importantly, what are their intentions? Do they intend to inform or do they intend to decieve? What if you accepted someones deception? What if you were misinformed or simply misunderstood the infromation that is given?
I invite you to look at the current state of affairs… thoroughly, and ask yourself if something seems scetchy. Let’s take a peek outside of the box. Share some questions and thoughts.

(“…It is better to ask a question and be a fool for a minute, than to not ask and be a fool forever…”) – Author Unknown.