That's the question.
How much longer will we allow punks in terms of attitude and respect to leap and shine in the spotlights?? I am tired of hearing about the sad stories of those that are "So Hood". I know that "you can take the boy out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the boy", but why give them the spotlight to shine in front of the world as if its okay.
Terrell Owens is a master at his specialty, but a punk with his expressions. We need to seriously stop supporting ridiculous demeanor that WE PAY TO KEEP & WATCH?? Winning is everything, but it isn't winning when you are sacrificing who are you for the victory. It's a loss. Just like moving T. O. to another team. Whether its been said or not, T.O. needs a T.O.
Take away that money. Make him own up to his folly as he casts and displays his outwardly arrogance against authority. This is stupid. What is my son supposed to think who has some home training? What are the kids in the hood supposed to think? That its okay as long as you make that cheese? What are the kids in the suburbs supposed to think? That's its okay to keep him on the pay roll as long as we win?
C'mon people?!
How about we be the difference. I don't have the answer, but another team picking him up isn't the solution.
I'm Not Convinced we care.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
OBAMA: True Leader??
From the Daily Herald, on Sunday March 8, 2009: the article entitled, "Obama: Time of crisis can be 'great opportunity" came these statements.
"We've experienced great trials before," Obama said. "And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper -- to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis. That is what we can and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do."
(and)
"From the day I took office, I knew that solving this crisis would not be easy, nor would it happen overnight," Obama said in the weekly address. "And we will continue to face difficult days in the months ahead. But I also believe that we will get through this -- that if we act swiftly and boldly and responsibly, the United States of America will emerge stronger and more prosperous than it was before."
--------
Leaders throughout time have come from every walk of life. The difference between a great leader and a leader with little following and impact are really non-existent as it relates to who they are and how they were framed. They have all come from various walks of life. Whereas both types of leaders may have common beginnings, they do not share common struggles and thought patterns. Each leader is uniquely poised and challenged by life and struggle; but great leaders find themselves in tighter spaces with less oxygen than their counter parts with little to no time to respond. It is is in those life-threatening moments that leaders either die, become stagnant or burst through and create anew and find themselves in the fabric of universal history.
President Obama is in such a place. His back is against the wall. In fact, as my one of my very successful friends puts it when we are all alone hammering out life......"it's balls to the walls time." President Obama is in that position of "results now".
In the statements above their are a few things that I gather
I am convinced.
"We've experienced great trials before," Obama said. "And with every test, each generation has found the capacity to not only endure, but to prosper -- to discover great opportunity in the midst of great crisis. That is what we can and must do today. And I am absolutely confident that is what we will do."
(and)
"From the day I took office, I knew that solving this crisis would not be easy, nor would it happen overnight," Obama said in the weekly address. "And we will continue to face difficult days in the months ahead. But I also believe that we will get through this -- that if we act swiftly and boldly and responsibly, the United States of America will emerge stronger and more prosperous than it was before."
--------
Leaders throughout time have come from every walk of life. The difference between a great leader and a leader with little following and impact are really non-existent as it relates to who they are and how they were framed. They have all come from various walks of life. Whereas both types of leaders may have common beginnings, they do not share common struggles and thought patterns. Each leader is uniquely poised and challenged by life and struggle; but great leaders find themselves in tighter spaces with less oxygen than their counter parts with little to no time to respond. It is is in those life-threatening moments that leaders either die, become stagnant or burst through and create anew and find themselves in the fabric of universal history.
President Obama is in such a place. His back is against the wall. In fact, as my one of my very successful friends puts it when we are all alone hammering out life......"it's balls to the walls time." President Obama is in that position of "results now".
In the statements above their are a few things that I gather
- Addressing it as it is. President Obama is not denying the truth of where we are as a nation, but rather speaking as if he were eye to eye with each of us the cold fierce truth.
- Bridging where it is to where it can be. He naturally compels us to listen, by not leaving us with calloused truth and ensuring that before that statement is settled in our hearts and minds that -- we are headed to a better place by taking action collectively now.
- Making the belief or Call to action for us to believe. He invites our hearts and faith to follow his by stating his aloud with clarity. In the statements above he boldly commands us to rise by speaking to our spirits; bypassing our minds.
- We are in this together. He includes us in the vision of victory so that we understand our role and are reminded of our own strengths and abilities that must be used now.
- Kisses us with the dream. He concludes those thoughts with visions of us in "that place of health" that's down the road. We all of a sudden see ourselves alive and prosperous...all within a 1 minute time frame.
I am convinced.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Power of a Dream
Martin Luther King had a dream. Thomas Edison had a dream. Helen Keller had a dream. Michael Jordan had a dream. Albert Einstein had a dream. Carl Jung had a dream.
Joseph had a DreamCoat!
Many people have dreams. Throughout history dreams have been defined as marks and milestones that turned mediocre in to greats and greats into martyrs. I just read a "tweet" from Tony Robbins about MLK's statement, "if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for than he isn't fit to live". Tony then concluded, What or who would you die for?
Joseph had a DreamCoat!
Many people have dreams. Throughout history dreams have been defined as marks and milestones that turned mediocre in to greats and greats into martyrs. I just read a "tweet" from Tony Robbins about MLK's statement, "if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for than he isn't fit to live". Tony then concluded, What or who would you die for?
Having been raised in an optimistic environment, I was always told that I was not allowed to use two words in a particular order. Those two words in the forbidden phrase were "I can't". So as I was taught by my father I teach my children. As a result of that upbringing, I sincerely believed that there was nothing that I couldn't do. I sincerely believe to this day that if I were given the proper tools, there isn't anything I could not become.
At the core of the environment for thinking beyond limitations was the pursuit of a dream. It was common to hear my father say to others.... "if time and money were no option, what would you be doing right now..." That sales pitch along with always being asked about my faith and what I was believing for in my life, lead me to believe that many people live in this world wishing, hoping, praying and thinking about being, doing, living and liking something other than where they are.
I realize that we have to make choices and live a life with some rules and some regulations and possibly some limitations; but who defines those bars of prison within us??? I sincerely believe that each of us had authentic dreams and desires prior to life kicking us in the be-hind. I know for a fact that each of us are uniquely designed and therefore have unique contributions to add to mankind. It is my belief that the discovery of that purpose will lead us to a constant source of fulfillment and joy, which will come from our dreams. So what has happened?? More often than not our dreams, during our innocence of living, was robbed by the circumstances of life.
One of the famous quotes of Jesus the Christ is
"I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me."
Not professing to be a scholar, it seems to me that Jesus clearly identifies that the people lost something of value as adults, they once owned as a child -- faith. In fact he says that one cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven unless they have faith. Hmmm....what would the Kingdom of Heaven look like anyway?? Without giving it much exegesis, let's keep it simple:
Heaven? It sounds like a place of peace, excitement and perhaps fun??? At least something along those lines right?
Well looking at his statement he says that in order to live in such an environment we would have to become "elemental" again. If we do, we'd rank the highest in the Kingdom! It seems to me that children have a taste of something pure that we've long since sold... our soul.
As adults we often blow off the dreams of a child without considering what that child might become. We somehow allow it to go into one ear and out of another. It's almost as if we were to say " that's so cute Johnny wants be..., Susan wants to be..., Ray-Ray thinks he..., but they are just children, and they don't know any better."
The truth of the matter is we are looking at those children thinking, "just wait, you'll grow up one day you'll see", based on our own unfilled internal insecurities from the failed efforts of passion and determination in our lives. UGH! Thinking about that mindset frustrates me.
I am sure that people wrote off the mixed children of the 60's. I have friends today that were born in the 70's that still experience being "written off" just because of their heritage. One of my dearest friends born in the late 80's has been insulted on several occasions in our nations finest institutions even after having proven themselves more than worthy. I am sure that a black, bi-racial kid with a single white mother was written off. After all, she was with a black man during a time in America where it was completely socially unacceptable. I would imagine like any other child he had dreams too. No one knew that someday that little mulatto kid would grow up to be the President of the United States of America.
What about you?
What's your story? What's the excuse you keep allowing yourself from thriving and capturing your dreams and living them? Did you know that most of us are living someone else's dream? Seriously we are? Think of the millions of people that are now laid off... Each of them were living the dream of someone else and at the point that dream became a nightmare, they laid off everyone that was associated with it as if...they were the cause of the nightmare. The fact of the matter is that employment can be a good thing and many people may enjoy their work. However the truth of the matter is that 67% of Americans in 2007 reported that they DO NOT like their jobs. Sad but true. Most people aren't happy with their vocation, but spend the majority of their life "doing it", and giving their families and their personal lives the left-overs from someone else's fantasy.
On the other hand, I have several friends that are either first or second generation immigrants who have made a huge success as it relates to the "American Dream". How is it that they can come here to a foreign land with NO MONEY and within 5 years or so, own a private company, buy their own home and learn the English language they didn't know 5 years earlier??? It was a simple dream.
I think that Jesus the Christ got it right about entering the "Kingdom of Heaven", it requires a dream, like the ones you used to dream as a child. An openness to possibilities. Tenacity that startles reality.
Stop being afraid to dream; your dreams are the DNA of your purpose. Take the time to discover them and unravel your soul from "life", that is the order of the day. I Am Convinced that if you dream again, you will find true fulfillment in life and all you do.
After all, if you die trying to live it at least you were fit to live.
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
-Goethe
At the core of the environment for thinking beyond limitations was the pursuit of a dream. It was common to hear my father say to others.... "if time and money were no option, what would you be doing right now..." That sales pitch along with always being asked about my faith and what I was believing for in my life, lead me to believe that many people live in this world wishing, hoping, praying and thinking about being, doing, living and liking something other than where they are.
I realize that we have to make choices and live a life with some rules and some regulations and possibly some limitations; but who defines those bars of prison within us??? I sincerely believe that each of us had authentic dreams and desires prior to life kicking us in the be-hind. I know for a fact that each of us are uniquely designed and therefore have unique contributions to add to mankind. It is my belief that the discovery of that purpose will lead us to a constant source of fulfillment and joy, which will come from our dreams. So what has happened?? More often than not our dreams, during our innocence of living, was robbed by the circumstances of life.
One of the famous quotes of Jesus the Christ is
"I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me."
Not professing to be a scholar, it seems to me that Jesus clearly identifies that the people lost something of value as adults, they once owned as a child -- faith. In fact he says that one cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven unless they have faith. Hmmm....what would the Kingdom of Heaven look like anyway?? Without giving it much exegesis, let's keep it simple:
Heaven? It sounds like a place of peace, excitement and perhaps fun??? At least something along those lines right?
Well looking at his statement he says that in order to live in such an environment we would have to become "elemental" again. If we do, we'd rank the highest in the Kingdom! It seems to me that children have a taste of something pure that we've long since sold... our soul.
As adults we often blow off the dreams of a child without considering what that child might become. We somehow allow it to go into one ear and out of another. It's almost as if we were to say " that's so cute Johnny wants be..., Susan wants to be..., Ray-Ray thinks he..., but they are just children, and they don't know any better."
The truth of the matter is we are looking at those children thinking, "just wait, you'll grow up one day you'll see", based on our own unfilled internal insecurities from the failed efforts of passion and determination in our lives. UGH! Thinking about that mindset frustrates me.
I am sure that people wrote off the mixed children of the 60's. I have friends today that were born in the 70's that still experience being "written off" just because of their heritage. One of my dearest friends born in the late 80's has been insulted on several occasions in our nations finest institutions even after having proven themselves more than worthy. I am sure that a black, bi-racial kid with a single white mother was written off. After all, she was with a black man during a time in America where it was completely socially unacceptable. I would imagine like any other child he had dreams too. No one knew that someday that little mulatto kid would grow up to be the President of the United States of America.
What about you?
What's your story? What's the excuse you keep allowing yourself from thriving and capturing your dreams and living them? Did you know that most of us are living someone else's dream? Seriously we are? Think of the millions of people that are now laid off... Each of them were living the dream of someone else and at the point that dream became a nightmare, they laid off everyone that was associated with it as if...they were the cause of the nightmare. The fact of the matter is that employment can be a good thing and many people may enjoy their work. However the truth of the matter is that 67% of Americans in 2007 reported that they DO NOT like their jobs. Sad but true. Most people aren't happy with their vocation, but spend the majority of their life "doing it", and giving their families and their personal lives the left-overs from someone else's fantasy.
On the other hand, I have several friends that are either first or second generation immigrants who have made a huge success as it relates to the "American Dream". How is it that they can come here to a foreign land with NO MONEY and within 5 years or so, own a private company, buy their own home and learn the English language they didn't know 5 years earlier??? It was a simple dream.
I think that Jesus the Christ got it right about entering the "Kingdom of Heaven", it requires a dream, like the ones you used to dream as a child. An openness to possibilities. Tenacity that startles reality.
Stop being afraid to dream; your dreams are the DNA of your purpose. Take the time to discover them and unravel your soul from "life", that is the order of the day. I Am Convinced that if you dream again, you will find true fulfillment in life and all you do.
After all, if you die trying to live it at least you were fit to live.
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
-Goethe
Friday, February 27, 2009
I Have Been Inspired
I have been inspired. And, this is not to say that this is the first time that I have been. I have certainly been inspired by my parents. They are main source of my love, positive thinking and drive. I am inspired by my brothers daily as I see them win at life in a loving way. I am inspired by my nieces and nephews every time I talk to them. I am inspired by my Pastor every time I hear him speak. I inspired by a special janitor at my college who I see every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have been inspired by many teachers and professors. There have also been certain books, articles, and songs that have put me in the mindset of re-inventing myself and putting a source of inspiration within me.. There is also a certain gentleman in Chicago that inspires me every time I talk to him.But, today, and every since November 4th, 2008 my inspiration has reached new heights. This inspiration is in perpetual motion. It is a driving force that I hope millions of others have felt, have gotten caught up in and held on to.
It is the image of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. It is the image intelligence, the image of togetherness, the image of love, the image of tolerance, the sense of family, and the sense that we are headed in the right direction. The right direction for our country, for our people, and for our families.
For so long now I have had a vision of what I thought my first family should look like. What I think my first family should represent. And, thanks to the vision of President Obama those visions are now singular. They are now possible. They are now reachable for all. Not just for me for all that want to believe.
We now as Americans have to be inspired. We now have to have hope that we can be all and do all. We have to be inspired to reach beyond our limits....beyond any parameters set for any us. This is what I am getting from the Obamas. This is my prayer for the rest our country too.
But, it is this strong inspiration that I really want my generation to feel. The generation that believes that everything does and should come easy. We can now be lead with some true examples of love, perseverance, and hard work.
We can walk with hope, live with hope, and exude hope. The Obamas have shown us the formula. They have shown us the results of positive thinking, and positive living.
We have all by now taken in the moment of inauguration on some level. We have all by now experience our new President and the first family on some level. But, I challenge you to be as inspired as I am. As my fellow students are; as my genera ton is; as millions of other Americans seem to be.
We now have to take this inspiration and do something with it. We have to be better people. We have to not look out for ourselves but we must look out for neighbors. we must become less selfish, less judgemental, and more appreciative of people. We must give back our talents and our time. Something that in concept that has always been around. But, now there is no excuse. We are being challenge with this by the results of the election. We as a nation went to the polls and voted for change.
I challenge everyone to view this change though as not just a November 4th or Jan 20th phenomenon. We must take this newly attain source of inspiration and work with it, uphold it, and support it. Use it to become better ourselves and make those around us better. We must make our neighborhoods better, our homeless situation better, our food kitchens better until there is no more left to do. That's what this campaign, this movement, this election has ordained.
Please follow me down this path of inspiration and become inspired like I have and like many around me has.
If by chance you have not become inspired, allow yourself to be lead by our President and First Family. You will be inspired! I am convinced.
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