What happened to the time

What happened to the time

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was child, the whole world was in my mind,

My imagination was filled with visions of better days,

No thought or concept of real life’s delays,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was a child, victory was always mine,

I could put an idea in my head and it became my reality,

I could take a look at the world and never see any travesty,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was a child, all my cares were so far behind,

I could dream a dream, and it was never deferred,

I could easily stay on the straight and narrow, and never swerve,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was a child, not believing in me was a crime,

But my, my, my, have times changed,

As I became an adult it appears the whole game has been renamed,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was child, my optimistic spirit was nearly divine,

Now pessimism is the soup of the day,

And all we do is work, there’s no time for play,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was a child, heaven wasn’t hard to find,

 Days were long and nights were longer,

And the love me and my family shared seemed so much stronger,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

I remember when I was child, everything was fine,

Now that I’m older I realize everything is still fine,

I just have to do a better job of keeping track of time,

Stop and listen to the birds, pause and listen to the bees,

Observe the wind, and feel it cut through the trees,

Where did it go, what happened to the time,

It didn’t go anywhere, the only thing that’s changed is my mind.

I think it is very important for all of us to take a few moments each week and honestly reflect on how we have arrived in our current state. In these moments we will hopefully be able to clearly see and better understand how we have reached this point and we will know how to proceed so that we can arrive at an even better place.

 It may seem that times have changed drastically and the old ways of doing things just don’t cut it anymore. I disagree.

 I think it is our perceptions that have changed and have caused us to possibly lose track of our initial motivations, desires, and dreams. Reconnecting with those motivations, desires, and dreams will make yesterday more fulfilling, today more enjoyable, and tomorrow more exciting.

What's gonna make me happy

I often hear many people lamenting over true happiness not being in their lives. I like to ask them a simple question; What is going to make you happy? Generally it takes a while for them to answer, but occasionally the person knows exactly what they want. In many cases the person is seeking an object or a person, usually the attention of a person. In both cases I like to continue to ask questions, probing deeper so that we, but most importantly the other person, can understand the value they are placing on the person/thing they want. I believe that understanding the value of whatever you desire is paramount to truly enjoying it once you get it.

Understanding value is crucial because it allows us to have realistic expectations for the outcomes we earn in our lives.

For instance, I once called myself being in love. I had a fiancé that made me feel good about myself because so many other people appreciated her attractiveness, both physically and emotionally. Because so much of our relationship was based on immature feelings and actions it didn’t last; however once our relationship was over I missed my ex tremendously and I vowed to get her back. I eventually figured out that what I valued most about our relationship was how good I felt about how everyone else was impressed by her as opposed to truly valuing the mutual love, respect, and admiration that comes with a positive, mature, and sustainable relationship. Eventually after months of languishing and agonizing over not being with my ex I had a small chance at reconciliation; and I found the idea of reconciliation so anticlimactic at that point that I had no desire at all to even explore the option. It was anticlimactic because over the time that I was missing our past relationship, and doing everything in my power to try to get it back together, I had actually matured, and dealt with a lot of the personal issues that I was facing that made our relationship immature and unsustainable in the beginning. The true happiness that I had gotten from that relationship was no longer of value to me; so what I knew would make me happy couldn’t even come close to satisfying me because I didn’t really want it, didn’t need it, and most importantly, it wasn’t for me.

That is an extended short version of a long story; but the gist is that until you take time to truly assess why you, and you alone, are pursuing the happiness you are going after, you are very likely to be running a rat race. And humans can’t possibly be truly happy, euphoric even, at the end of a race for rats.

Just think hard about what is the source of your happiness; if you can easily smile about it, you’re probably on the right track, if not, you may wanna keep on thinking (well, you should keep thinking either way; positive honest thoughts are your friend).

Why doesn’t everyone act like they want to feel good?

I had stopped blogging for awhile because I had become so apathetic about so many things around me. I have always had an intense desire to make the people of our world smile in some way. And as I became apathetic and content to enjoy my exceedingly excellent and awesome life while everyone else did whatever they did I was unable to do so. Some will say the call was this and the call was that, I will just say that I changed my mind. That’s one of the great things about our minds; they can be changed and molded as long as we are willing to keep learning and living.

Why doesn’t everyone act like they want to feel good?

I had heard so many different people talk about how important it was to be happy and enjoy your life, but I saw very few of those same people actually doing the things that they spoke about. That is to say I didn’t see folks actually trying to be happy. I saw them trying to do this and trying to do that; trying to finish school, or trying to pay the rent, or trying to get to work, or trying to get closer to God, just trying to do anything they could. But I didn’t sense that they were truly enjoying the things they were trying to do; and the usual refrain was that they were just doing the best they could and eventually their time would come and they would be happy one day. I was only around 5 or 6 years old when started to notice this so I had extremely limited life experience to engage in fully accurate analysis of these things that I was observing, but I had feelings, and I didn’t feel that people really believed most of the stuff they were saying about one day it would be their time; I could see it in their eyes. Their eyes looked weary and tired, and they looked like they were hoping that their time would come one day, they really wanted it to come, but they didn’t really believe that it would; not enough to make it actually happen at least.

I write all of this to say that we need to first figure out what our time is? What are you looking to do in your life? What is going to truly give you happiness? And I mean the kind of happiness that people feel when their team wins the big game in the last moment, true euphoria. Not the happiness that comes from a comparison that is not relevant in any meaningful way.

A lot to digest all at once so I’ll stop for now; but I’ll continue a lot more often going forward.

Just questions to ask, and hopefully to poke and prod my fellow human brothers and sisters to stop living for everyone and everything else, and start working toward happiness.

Believe in Yo Self :)

I believe

I can do it, I can do it, I know I can,
I can do it, I can do it, because I got a plan,
I can do it, I can do it, I have no choice,
I can do it, I can do it, because I gave my thoughts a voice.
Once I say it, it can happen,
Whether it’s acting, or its rapping,
Whether it’s graduation, or probation,
My results are all MY creation.
I direct my path so I must believe in me,
I have to be the first one to see the light in me.
Because if not me, then who;
Everybody else got their PHD in what I can’t do,
So I just continue to push, and believe in me,
And leave my dreams for everyone else to see.

“We can become and achieve anything that we want to be.”

I used to hear this all the time as a child and I truly believed it. As I got older I started to think it wasn’t true, but then I realized where the disconnect was; after we decide that we are going to do something we must be sure that each and every action we take has the possibility of getting us closer to our goal. Also, we must attack our goals and go after them with the fervor and vitality of someone that has to achieve their goal or they will perish. In reality when we don’t achieve our goals and aspirations our spirit becomes broken and dead just as our dreams are. So failure is not an option, your dreams are within your reach. You have the key, and are the captain, so go make your dreams come true!!!
I believe in me; do you believe in you?

Why do we wait

Why do we wait?

Why must we wait till the sky is falling,
To answer our brothers and sisters frantic calling.
Help me! Help me! I need you now!
But no one moves until we’re prompted by the ground.
I’m starving, I’m broke, and I need a job,
But none of us can help until we can be a part of the help mob.
Each and every day we all know of those that are caught in the struggle,
But we can’t give assistance because we have our own lives to juggle.
We all have struggles and we all have problems,
With our minds on forever, together we can solve them.
It’s not just a nice thought, it’s actually our obligation,
To help our human brothers and sisters regardless of their nation.
So instead of waiting for the next tragedy to strike those less fortunate,
Let’s help each other daily because it is so important.
And the best part of it all is that everyone wins,
So let’s focus on helping each other instead of focusing on each other’s sins.

We all know that times are hard these days. Survival becomes more and more difficult with each hour that passes. Instead of worrying about our own situations, we should try to help others overcome their struggles; then we can put our energy into positive pursuits instead of contemplating negative outcomes.

We are all a part of the human family and so we must strive to assist our relatives in any way we can. It is only to our benefit to help each other daily, not just when we are in a horrible situation. And the more we make communal assistance a daily action, the less we will have to do when calamity strikes. And even if we do have to help more in times of emergency, it will not be a new experience for us. Together we can truly make our world the place we want it to be. We just have to stop letting times of tragedy be the only times we are concerned about the greater good.

We’re all here together, so let’s live like it.

Everything is great.

I’m better than you, and I need you to know it,
I’m so much better than you I gotta say it, I can’t just show it.
I have more money and I have a faster car,
All around my city I’m treated just like a star.
I have a better life than you, and I know you hate it,
Without your envy, I wouldn’t have made it.
My wife is prettier, my husband is finer,
Your clothes are from Wal-mart, mine are all designer.
My kids are super smart, they even excel in the arts,
The best you can do for your family is take your kid to the city park.
I’m better than you and you wanna know why?
It’s because I say so, now go ahead and cry.
But hold up a second, what’s that you say?
You just saw my wife with some other man the other day?
My mortgage is past due and my bank account is over-drafted,
And for dinner yesterday I almost fed my kids their pet rabbit.
My son is getting held back and my daughter can’t read,
My husband is a known creeper and my car is just on a lease.
Oh, ok, man, I guess you actually know the truth,
I feel like one of these rappers that got exposed outside the vocal booth.
So my great life is all a front and there is no nirvana,
And I’m not even married, I just have a baby mama.
Man I feel bad, just like I usually do,
That’s why I focus so hard on making you feel the same way I do.

So many of us put so much effort into making things look like they are fine when they truly are not. We put lots of energy into appearing to be richer or better off than we are in hopes that we will gain the respect and reverence that someone who has actually reached the level we aspire to already receives. Instead of trying to fix our problems or make our lives better we find ways to make it look like everything is going great, when in reality the walls are coming down around us. This is even more devastating because as we appear to have everything under control we turn away those who can help us from losing control.

The great news is that although we may feel pressure to appear perfect and problem free because that’s how everyone else is, the reality is that everyone is dealing with something. No one’s life is perfect. Therefore we can put our focus on improving our own situations instead of putting up a front so that everything appears gravy. Then, once we have truly reached our nirvana we are able to help others reach the same space in their lives instead of making them feel bad about their own issues. And everyone wins. You feel better about your situation because it is on the way to being better and eventually it is actually better. And you can then help others feel the joy of living a life that is fulfilled and flourishing instead of tolerating a busted and disgusted existence.

Living the Dream

I had a dream last night that the world woke up,
And everybody decided to give this stupid race thing up.
No more looking for my box as I fill out these papers,
No more knowing how I act before I show you a caper.
All race does is give you the wrong idea,
Makes you believe some lie when the truth is quite clear.
I’m on my grind and I hustle because I don’t know no better,
In reality I’m just trying to survive anywhichway, however.
But that’s not what you see, cause you already know me,
You met me last time you flipped on your t.v.
And I know you too, how you can’t bust no move,
Looking all crazy, as you think you groove.
And what does that have to do with my color?
Nothing at all, I just can’t call you my brother.
And after all the drama and the misunderstanding,
Being stuck on these colors got us not feeding our families.
Too busy being divided, when the Earth done provided,
Plenty food and shelter for us all, but we still gotta buy it.
So at the end of the day the bottom line is that green,
And we all gotta get it for all the same things.
So instead my race, focus on what I need,
I’ll do the same for you and help you get what you need.

As we celebrate a beautiful dream let’s focus on what makes us the same instead of some usually irrelevant differences. Our cultures are important, but they shouldn’t limit our compassion for our fellow man. More importantly, our cultures are much deeper than our skin tones. Our past experiences may be colored with pain because of our race, but our futures must be free from racial definition. We have already seen this year how little control we have over the world, so we must focus on our unity as we struggle to survive. Survival is special and beautiful and makes life worth living so lets help each other as much as possible, regardless of our color or creed. The content of our character is the greatest contribution we can make to our cultures and our world. One love, One life, One nation.