Using Your Energy Wisely

Tomorrow will be January 1, 2012 and the countdown for the end of the world will begin. Some people will spend each day worrying as if it will be their last and try to use some of their time to perform acts of kindness. Others will be completely selfish and will engage in acts that will only satisfy their needs and forgo common sense or reason. In all seriousness, if 2012 ends up being your last year on earth, how should you act, behave and belief? Will thoughts of 'would of', 'could of' and 'should of' monopolize most of your thoughts and affect your "future"? Will your fear of the world coming to an end influence however many days you have left on this earth?

Maybe, just maybe, it would be a better idea to use your energy wisely. Living your days like they are going to be your last is not a bad idea. When you put your mind into that perspective, you might appreciate the people and the things in your life that should matter most. You might seek out experiences that give you a sense of peace and tranquility. You might work harder to accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. Or, you may find a sense of purpose in the world that you did not have in the past because you took life for granted or did not take life seriously.

You don't have to believe in a higher power or go to church every Sunday to adopt this new perspective on life. It's just an adjustment-not a simple one but it does take small steps. When you make this change, you must understand that you are beginning you use your energy wisely. You are thinking about your next move before you make it. You are being more thoughtful when it comes to how you act around other people and less concerned with the nonsense that surrounds you. Life becomes more precious. The world becomes more precious.

Illusion and Reality: What You Should Really Be Thankful For

Illusion: The Pilgrims and Indians were "friends".
Reality: The Pilgrims and their descendants took away the land, killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of their "friends" in order to create the foundation of the American Dream.

Illusion: Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal".
Reality: Indians, Africans, and any other person of color was forced to become Anglicized, discriminated against in their homes, jobs and various other aspects of everyday living, humiliated and dehumanized for hundreds of years.

Illusion: Slavery ended with the victory of the Union over the Confederacy along with Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Reality: Slavery still exists in the United States. Slavery is a global epidemic. Slavery does not look like it use to-it has taken many forms so that it is unrecognizable for the willingly ignorant, sleeping majority. Slavery takes place in your home when you are being forced to pay outrages prices for your rent and mortgages. Slavery takes place when you are harassed on your job in addition to having to work outrages hours for a minimum pay that you have to turn around and pay your monthly expenses with. Slavery takes place when you are being bombarded left and right with advertisements to buy, buy, buy (mostly things that you don't need) which helps to make someone else's pockets richer. Slavery takes place when the 1% control the 99% and the 99% are the ones who allow for it to happen.

It's time to transform yourself from one of the willingly ignorant to willingly educated and proactive. It's time to shatter the illusions of yesterday and take a good look at the reality that's right in front of your eyes. Yes, the reality is harsh, more gritty, more...real. It's not as comforting as the illusion-and it's not suppose to be. The purpose of the illusion is to keep the 99% under control; to keep the 99% into feeding the illusion so that the 1% can remain in power. This needs to be flipped upside down and turned inside out!

It's time to realize that life is simple-it's the complexities that are created by man (the 1%) that make life more complicated and take away from the simple truths of life. There are certain truths that we should all be thankful for: the ability to breath, family, friends, purpose, help out our fellow man and protect our environment. These may sound so simple-cliché even, but it is these simple truths that some "civilized" civilizations are backing away from-even forgetting. This reality is becoming more and more an illusion when you think about it. When you read stories about how shoppers step over a dead body in order to continue their Black Friday shopping, you wonder. When you read stories about prominent, adult men sexually abusing little boys across the country for decades, you wonder. When you read stories about mothers or fathers kidnapping and killing their own children or other family members, you wonder. When you read stories about "reality" TV stars as if they are news and that their lives are more important than other, unheard stories of people who are starving, homeless, jobless, and abused, you wonder.

Or don't you?

I know I do.

Transferring Energy: the Problem with the 99%

Yes, I said it-there is a problem with the 99%. No, I take that back-the 99% are the problem. Yes, that's much better. That makes more sense. Everyone I hear and everything that I read discussing the financial problems of the 99% don't ever mention what the 99% were doing before their problems occurred. That's because they didn't have any. Yes, they may have had problems with getting a flat tire, missing the bus to get to school on time, or turing in a bill to their creditors late. But they were ok with these problems. They were ok with supporting the system that put them into debt. They were ok with contributing to a system that wanted to put them into debt. But now, the system has backfired on them. The system that they taught was so stable is collapsing on them.

Now they want to complain about it.

Now they want to march and protest.

Now they want to "occupy".

Where was all this enthusiasm before? Simple-it didn't exist. It didn't exist because they were ok with the status quo. But the status quo was flawed. It didn't just happen overnight. The status quo of overworking the lower class to support the bank account of the upper class. The status quo of abusing and ignoring the rights of the majority to support the whims of the minority. The status quo of marginalizing those who create the wealth to support those who will steal the income of the working class.

Well, when I put it that way, I hope you are asking the same questions that I have been asking myself: how can 1% lead 99%? How can the minority rule over the majority? How does that work?

The only answer I can come up with is that the 99% created the problem, not the 1%. The 1% can only take advantage of the 99% if they are allowed to. The 1% cannot be held responsible for the lack of action of the 99%. Who is really at fault here?

It's time to wake up to the truth of the matter: the 99% are responsible for the mess that the world exists in today. The 99% are the ones who don't take action until after they have been negatively affected. They are working hard while the 1% are working smarter. While the 99% are working, the 1% is plotting and scheming of ways to take advantage of the 99%. And the 99% are too busy caught up in things that really don't exist and as a result, they are not paying attention. The 1% do what they do because they are allowed to do it-they aren't stopped and they know this. They know that they will get away with their plotting and scheming because the average person, the 99%, is not going to stop them, and if they attempt to do so, it'll be too late.

It's time to to wake up and start a new routine. Now is the time to start transferring our energy and focus on what's real. Real things like positive relationships between men and women, parents and children, employee and employer. Real things like taking care of our health and our environment. Real things like nourishing our spirit and expanding our knowledge.

But maybe you'd rather continue to point fingers at what other people aren't doing. And maybe you're too afraid to look in the mirror to see what it is that you're not doing. Whatever the case may be,  don't forget that you weren't told that you are apart of the problem and that you need to do something to become apart of the solution. Transfer your energy and become apart of the growing 1% of the people who are genuinely out there to help people and set things right. Transfer your energy from complaining and blaming into growing a backbone and taking action.

Damn Columbus Day

"Columbus Day was not a day to ignore-because Columbus discovered America and he is responsible for the United States having Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day."

"Columbus didn't discover America and the Native Americans were living there first."

 "Native Americans were living there and lived off the land, however Columbus found America and made it so that people in Europe could go and settle the land and created America to be what is is today. And at Thanksgiving, the 2 cultures became friends!"


Now multiply this thought by millions of Americans who believe this myth; mix this myth up in a pot, add genocide, greed and massive exploitation and you will get is what is now known as Columbus Day.

Damn that!

I'd rather wake up to a world where I know truth versus fantasy than be caught up in a lie that has been perpetuated for hundreds of years. And the stories about Columbus are just bad-really bad-so bad a caveman could do better!

Forgive this person, Native American ancestors, who knows not what they are talking about. This person clearly does not know the fact that friends don't kill their other friends and exploit those who are left over in order to build up their empire and their reputation at the expense of others. This person clearly doesn't know the fact that the government of the United States has never kept a treaty between it and any Native American nation. This person clearly doesn't know that the facts...period. Forgive this person, Native American ancestors and all other people who believe the perpetuated myth. They are only concerned about their lives and not the lives that it cost for them to have what they now enjoy. While they spend their day off from their jobs supporting big corporations and being thankful for the blessings of their lives, they do not think about the diseases that were spread to you and killed you. They do not think about your family being devastated by famine and war when the Europeans forced you out of your  homes. They do not think about your nations being exiled into reservations to rot and disappear.

What do the Native Americans have to be thankful for? What did Columbus do for them? If you want to talk about Columbus Day, let's be honest and look at all the facts before we come out of our mouths with so idiotic lie that only should make sense to a 2 year old. Columbus (and all of those who supported and financed Columbus's expedition to the Caribbean, which is where he really landed!) made Europe rich and destroyed the Native American people. Columbus made Europe rich and created slavery with African people. Columbus made Europe rich and now Europe's financial system is falling apart at the seems.

Was it worth it, Christopher Columbus?
And is it worth it to still believe this lie?

Have a Backbone! (AKA: Tactical Disposition)

Many of you readers seem to understand the importance of being aware of your surroundings. And you have realized that there is more than one type of awareness. There's the kind that makes you see that the world is not the way that is should be; there's the kind that makes you see that the so-called staples or fixtures of our culture cannot sustain our current state of existence; there's a kind that makes you question why things are the way that they are; and there's a kind that make you question why it seems to be that there are only a few people who are actually awake and aware of the same things that you are. Can anyone tell me why this is? 

This is just my opinion but it seems to me that a lot of people are happy being asleep. It's easier and it's definitely a hell of a lot safer. It's more convenient to be concerned with me, my and mine. It's better to believe that the problems of the world that don't affect you individually will simply go away or be solved "one day". You have overcome; you can take care of your securing your luxuries and it's all good.

If you are the person that I just mentioned, then let me let you know right here and now that you are a selfish and sorry excuse for a human being. If you're offended-good (and you should be)! How can you not see that the world as we know it is crumbling apart at the seems and sit there and not do anything! Are you so tuned into reality TV that the real reality passes you by? Are you too concerned with the NFL and NBA lockout that you can't see that many of the established systems that are in place are crumbling right before your eyes? What the hell is the matter with you?

Life is the only game that you should truly be concerned about; not just your own life but the lives of others. You are apart of a community much bigger than your close circle of family members or the neighborhood that you live in. You are apart of a country that, regardless of race, gender or religion that is not for you and is and was designed with the idea of having you fail. I am not exaggerating! 

We are at war! If there are people out there who can get sentenced to death even when there is no proof of guilt, then the system is broken! If there are people out there who are entitled to certain rights are getting screwed over by major corporations, then the system is not in their (and your) favor! If there are people out there who are hardworking getting harassed on their jobs and then getting let go and refused their unemployment, then the system is corrupt! This list goes on and on. Can't you see this happening around you? Can't you? And if you can't, then why can't you? What are you doing?

Really, what are you doing? What is more important than making sure that you are living in a country where its citizen's rights are protected? What are you doing that's more important than assisting the people around you in making sure that their basic needs are met? Are you that selfish that you can't concern yourself with their troubles. Wouldn't you want someone to help you if you were in their position?

Remember when I asked you to think about how you could engage yourself in warfare? I asked you to think about the world around you to see if there was something that you could do to help fix it. By helping to be the solution to a problem, you are engaging in warfare. Whether it is volunteering at a soup kitchen on a regular basis, donating food to the homeless, mentoring a child that needs guidance and support, you are combating the war that's currently going on. These are just some ideas. You could take it a little bit further by not banking with banks who insist on charging a fee just to use their product. You could refuse to buy gas at a gas station that was responsible with contaminating the environment and spend millions of dollars trying to keep this fact out of the news. 

All you need to do is begin with one. Find one position that doesn't just affect you and take a stand. Get some fire in you and fight for truth and justice! Grow a backbone and don't waiver in your fight to accomplish something that benefits mankind on a grand scale. If you don't know where to start, all you have to do is take a look at the stories that the news stations aren't covering and start asking yourself some questions. 

This may sound cliche to you but you really can make a difference. If everyone thought that one person could make a difference, wouldn't we would be in a better position than we are right now? I won't lie and say it will be easy but the goal is to help make it easier for someone who is a prisoner of war. Remember, you don't have to be a soldier in an army to help save lives. Do what you can right in your own neighborhood, in your own state and in your own country. 

Do the right thing for mankind; this is the second step to engaging in war and helping to solve the problem or problems that lie before you. 

Attack by Stratagem: Troy Davis and What Black People Lack

*WARNING: The following content may be offensive to those who read it; if this is the case, please comment. I welcome it, I encourage it and I am eager to receive it.*

I have to change the course of my discourse for this posting. I didn't want to do it at first because it delays what I intended to write. This is inconvenient in a way, too, because I feel like I am about to "say" things that people already know. And unfortunately, I have to specifically address black people because I have a bone to pick with the collective. 

Just in case you've been out of the loop of what's currently important in black news, innocent inmate Troy Davis was executed yesterday evening at 11:08 pm. Yes, you read that right...innocent inmate. The witnesses of his trial recanted their testimony, no evidence links him to his "crime" and yet, the Supreme Court refused to stay Davis' execution. News and other media outlets are asking black people to react to this atrocious crime that has been committed by the United States government, such as: How can this be? How can an innocent man still suffer from the ultimate penalty of guilt in the United States? Black people are remarking that we live in the year 2011 We have a black president now. Everything is all good-we are not living in the days of segregation. We have better jobs and better opportunities than other blacks before us and will be able to leave more to our descendants. 

But here in lies the problem.

What are you leaving for our descendants, black people? My observations do not seem to equate to your perspective. I see that debt, malice and hatred, avarice and a deficiency in a collective pride are the only things that are being passed from one generation to the next. You can't really say that my observation is too far fetched, can you? You mean to tell me that you don't see that we are accumulating more and more debt because we are trying too hard to be like white people or because we are trying too hard to putting on airs? You can't see that we as a collective are quick to sell each other out or not even care about our fellow black man or woman because we are too concerned with our own individual well being? You can't see that we are more and more concerned with materialism and less and less with morality and truly taking care of our individual and collective emotional, physical and spiritual well being? Can't you see it?

This is not to say that these generalizations apply to everyone-that would be a truly ignorant thing to say. However, the majority do ruin it for the minority; its the majority that people use to stereotype, its the majority that are seen the most and its the majority that slow down the upward progression of the the entire collective.

How does this all connect to the Troy Davis execution? Don't worry, I haven't gone off on a tangent. I haven't forgotten his senseless death. I haven't forgotten that many, many people yesterday were concerned over whether or not people called and e-mailed radio stations and other social mediums to communicate their anger and frustration with this whole ordeal. I haven't forgotten how I've heard the name Troy Davis multiple times over the past 2 weeks or so when hearing about his case. But what about next week, next month or a year from today. I know I will remember-what about you?

Will you remember the anger you felt when you heard about Troy Davis? Will you even remember whether you talked about his case with your family members and friends? Will you remember what action you took when you found out about this horrible injustice......

Wait a minute, I think I skipped a beat. Did you do anything? Did you do anything to try to call attention to the horrible injustice of Troy Davis' execution? Did you even get angry when you heard the news?

Let's wake up here, black people! Let's examine the events leading up to the Troy Davis case. Troy Davis was in prison for 10+ years, right? YES. Did his story make national news once it was determined that his trial was irrelevant? NO. Did more and more black people start jumping on the bandwagon within the past 2 weeks to try and "save" Troy Davis? YES. Did black people call attention to the rules and regulations that made it possible for the state of Georgia to wrongful hold Troy Davis in prison prior to these past 2 weeks? NO. Is Troy Davis the only victim of this atrocious legal system? NO. Have there been any type of nationwide petition that attempts to eradicate those who are in position of power out of office? NO. Are organizations that "stand up" and represent the needs of the black community continuously working on alleviating the community of wrongful laws and penalties that are affecting them the most? NO. Is there anyone who you know that are asking these types of questions and calling it to the attention of others? Are there? I'm guessing, well...NO!

Let's wake up here, black people! We need to finally admit the fact that we have not overcome and we shall not overcome unless we start being honest with ourselves. We shall not overcome until we create our own destiny and stop letting others determine for us. We shall not overcome until we unite together and devise a strategy on how to be proactive, rather than reactive to the problems that affect our people (which will lead to many more). I know that I don't know all of the answers but I do have one that can help to avoid there being another Troy Davis. Black people are lacking strength: strength of unity, strength of thought and strength of heart. We cannot continue to use the same methods of petitioning, complaining (and honestly the lack of effective complaining) that we have in the past. Those methods aren't working. And why should they? We are asking the corrupt and arrogant to correct their mistakes and right their wrongs. What motivation do they have to do that? Because you're asking them (nicely)? Because after you've asked, you complain amongst your friends and end your pursuit of justice. And then the next person comes along and the process repeats all over again. And again. And again.

Let's wake up here, black people! When are we going to see what's right in front of us? When are we going to get the fire that we need to change our ways? When are we going to adjust our methods with the times? How long do you think it will take? How many more Troy Davises will have to die?

Waging War...It Hurts (Part 1)

You would think that this concept is simple, right? That it makes so much sense that everyone should understand, right?

Wrong!

War, and therefore warfare, takes much more than the ordinary person is willing to accept. There are, to put it simply, three aspects of war that must be understood in order to participate in it (and don't think for a second that you, reader, are immune to war-you're not, however, we'll get into that a little bit later). First comes the Spiritual level, next comes the Mental level, and last, but not least, comes the Physical level. This order is crucial-make no mistake! I'm willing to argue this point until I'm proven otherwise, but for now, just go along with me to understand my rationale.

But first, we must go make to the earlier statement that was mentioned because I think it needs to be repeated: YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO WAR. Just because you are not an enlisted solider doesn't mean that you are not at war. Just because you are a faithful practitioner of a religion doesn't mean that aren't engaged in warfare. You exist in this world. You are obligated to follow the laws of your city, state, and/or country because you are its citizen. You are undermined by a hierarchy are laws (from the mundane laws of your job to the monthly laws of your rent and car payment) that you are vaguely intimate with and are not able to fully articulate their rationale with great detail. You must, therefore, understand that in some way (voluntarily or not) you are in war and more often than not, you are unaware of its existence. 

So your homework tonight (if you choose to complete it) is to think about as many ways as you can of how you are engaged in warfare. Hopefully, you will begin to realize how much of a tangled web you are caught in. And if you think about it a little deeper, you will realize that you're not alone. And maybe, just maybe, you'll come up with some questions about why you (and we) exist in this condition (or state of being) and you'll have some possible solutions to ending the war. 

After all, war is meant to be fought, right?

Laying Plans: The Way

So I hear that Virginia, Maryland, DC, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and possibly a few other states felt the 5.9 earthquake that hit the East Coast yesterday. Mass posts were made on social networks to enlighten the world about the event of the day affected them personally or to inquire about their loved ones since not all cell phone lines were working. News reports made brief statements about how buildings were damaged and that schools in the affected areas would be closed due to the need of having to assess any damages as a safety precaution. People huddled outside of their homes and offices to share their experiences with one another and offer their opinions of whether the earthquake is a sign of the second coming or whether its a sign that they are in need of a drink, a day off or getting laid.

Personally, I didn't feel anything. And I feel I should have.

Events like this are rare on the East Coast; I've grown up in this area almost all of my life and I have yet to experience something so "earth shattering" (and yes, I know, the phrase is corny and to some, it may be in bad taste, but whatever-I like it, I am writing it, and it stays!). It is when people experience earth shattering events that they are forced to pause, take a look around them, examine their life and if there's any time to spare, the lives of the people around them. There are some people that are more conscious enough to assess this on a regular basis (which I highly recommend) but I can assure you that this group of people are small in numbers.

It's the majority of people that I'm concerned about; those who live their life without even considering the affects of their choices too deeply until an event, such as the one that occurred yesterday, literally shakes the ground beneath them. They start to panic, display the most amount of fear and look around to be comforted by something or someone they think is, well, stable.

So, in order to fulfill the promise of this blog (and if you don't remember what that was, read the first blog posting), I have a few basic suggestions on how to use this earthquake, or any other natural or unnatural disaster, to help you begin or redesign the plans that you have laid out for yourself:

1. Live a Life Filled with Principles that Can't Be Compromised
Your actions have to have meaning, not just be an end to justify a means. Whether you follow a Western religion or an Eastern religion, you must use what you have been taught to help motivate your actions. If you do not follow any religion, you do have your morals to utilize. Make sure that you choose which principles are the most valuable to you and let them help you navigate through life and the people you encounter. You may be challenged at times to let one or all of your principles go and this is a battle that you will need to engage in-once the first one has been fought and even if you don't win, it will make all the difference later on.

2. Take Care of the Path that You Walk and the People In It
The path that you walk is not in isolation to the rest of the world. Even for those who consider themselves to be free spirits or those who think that they march to the beat of a different drum, we all live on one earth and that earth must be taken care of. I'm not saying that you should drop everything that you are going and become an environmentalist. All I am saying is that there are things that are within the realm of your control that you can do something about and these are not all having to do with physically cleaning the earth (i.e. picking up trash that doesn't belong to you and put it in the trash can its sitting right next to because you're right next to it) or (i.e.  doing right by yourself so you can do right by others: like refusing to be called out of your name by anyone and refusing to act anything like the name that you know that you're not and getting rid of those who are in your life who are not uplifting in any capacity).  *I will talk about this heavy topic later in future posts, so be on the lookout!*


There is no one, right way to live life but there definitely is a wrong way, a way that infringes upon the lives and livelihood of others, abuses the universal rules of honor and respect and condones racist, sexist and philosophical acts of violence. These two suggestions help you to avoid walking down the wrong path and when any event such as an earthquake catches you by surprise or throws you off guard, you have solace in knowing that you really didn't need to feel the ground shake beneath you to put your life into perspective.

The Keys to Success

Have you ever been in this situation or experienced something similar to this before?

You're walking towards your front door. For some reason, you've put your house keys somewhere unknown between the time it took you to close your car door and the time you walk up the sidewalk to your house. But you're carrying so many grocery bags in your hand that have, for some reason, multiplied in numbers from what you originally thought you had. Your cell phone begins to ring and its a call you have been waiting for all day. To top it all off, you have to go use the restroom...and it's urgent. What should you do first? Why does it take you so long to process your thoughts when your objective should be so clear?

The answers may seem simple when you are on the outside looking in but this situation is just an small example of how life seems sometimes: disorganized, chaotic, confusing....the list goes on and on. One thing sometimes turn into another and then another. Time seems to either be on your side or is running away from you like it owes you money. You are either thinking really clearly or you are swimming in a pool that's six degrees away from you declaring yourself insane. You have become your worst enemy.

And that's where the Art of Life comes into play. Life has so many things to offer like adventure, love and excitement. Yet, at the same time, life too, offers so many disadvantages like poverty, corruption and death. This is its beauty and its curse. You are a disease and life is your cure.

This blog's goal is to help you open your eyes to see more than what's right in front of you, which may not be so obvious all the time. This blog's goal is to open your mind to understand that the world around you, which is not always what it seems to be. This blog's goal is to open your soul, which will enable you to love yourself just a little bit more than you already do. This blog's goal is to open your spirit and feed you with information on how you can help yourself, which in turn, will allow you to help someone else.

Don't be afraid to take part in the journey that is called life. Learn about the beauty that it possesses...you'll be glad that you did!