Featured

The BEAUTY of Black History

Perspective 1 of 13 | The Slavery Project

You know, for the longest time I never knew black people in America had a history. “Back in my day” [I can’t believe I’m saying that] they didn’t teach anything at all about black history. There was a little paragraph that said your ancestors were slaves, accompanied by a picture of slaves working in a field. Then we learned about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and that was it. I get that people don’t like to talk about slavery but that sent the message that there was No history for blacks. That other than silent workers who never contributed anything meaningful there were only two people in all of black culture who ever did anything of value and that was many years later.

The End.

.Not much of a history lesson. It sent a message that black people never mattered. And that Only white people Did matter. Both blacks and whites received this message.

There is an ancient proverb: Until the Lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.

Yes, one way Dominant groups inscribe power is by means of the historical record. It’s all Right, such is human nature. Promote thy self and minimize the accomplishments of others.

But now that I was older I decided to investigate myself. And what I discovered gave me a whole new Appreciation for black culture.

You see, contrary to what I was led to believe, black people have a rich, exciting history in this country that is just like any other culture’s history. I don’t mean that every culture had their culture and identities stripped away, but I do mean we have a very rich and colorful history in this country that speaks to our wonderful humanity. Determination, desire, struggles, hopes, highs, lows, love, war, passion, creativity, self expression, teamwork, invention, and inevitably the triumph of the human spirit. Every history book speaks to people being oppressed in various ways and how they always fight back to gain their freedom. From high taxes to strict rules to excessively long work hours to oppressive governments – the injustices abound within history books. Yet, people always find their way back to freedom. ALWAYS.

BLACK HISTORY IS NO DIFFERENT.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to share some highlights that Really resonated with me.

And I hope they resonate with you, too.

Black history does not have to be the always the victim and never the Victor topic that brings humiliation to black americans and great shame to white americans. It is a part of our history that we would do well to come to terms with because both hiding it and being ashamed of it has not worked to bring peace nor solace to this topic. To the contrary, those reactions have only kept the wound open. Black history does tell a very human story, One that we can embrace with love for our ancestors, respect for where we were in our society at that time and far more importantly, where we would like to go moving forward.

A Day Late and a Kwanza Short

A 2025 Kwanza Reflection on Self-Determination

2025? Um its 2026 and ’bout to be 2027 in a minute.

But I didn’t honor my 2025 Kwanza year and I Am committed so here we go!

After much deliberation, I realized that this train of life is never going to stop so I can catch up. Every time it slows down, it just slows down; it doesn’t stop. So I learned to meet my goals REGARDLESS of whatever is happening in my life. This late 2025 reflection was supposed to happen in January, in February, in March, in June, in July, and now here we are in September and its still not done. What exactly took so long? I had notes – I don’t know where they went. I made new notes and they got lost in the abundance of other notes. A simple video – if shot live – would have probably taken no more than 20 minutes and it would have been done. And I had a million ’20 minutes’ over this past year. I spent much of it going around in circles, waiting for life events to unfold in the way that I expected them to unfold and when they didn’t, –freezing- as if I couldn’t move on until that one thing happened first. Why is the simplest thing the hardest? Let’s Explore:

The Simplest Thing Is The Hardest

This year I’m “Fixing My Foundation” which is a gradual reinstallation of the fundamental priorities that have always sustained me, but in recent years I’ve fallen behind on. Organized home admin duties, an organized home, a daily stretch and exercise practice, weekly chores, weekly beauty routines, a wake time, a sleep time…these are all basics that I never E V A struggled with. I mean ever in life since I was kid. There’s an intentional reason why I got up at 6am when I was a kid and it wasn’t to watch Shirley and Lambchop on Channel 2, which was the only kids show on at that hour. I realized that sleeping late cut into my day’s activities and before I knew it, it was dark again and my day was gone, all because I slept through half of it. So, the decision to wake up every morning at 6am goes back to like age 8 or 9. The decision to go to sleep at 10pm was also intentional. That was established sometime during 8^th grade because 10pm to 6am is exactly 8 hours of sleep and that was the proposed perfect amount of sleep for most people. I was also an organized and dedicated academic student with a calendar and a focus in life. My Focus was to move away from the ghetto, to live around grass and trees and to make a comfortable life for myself. So I led a life – by my design – that was both intentional and practical. It served me well. And as I grew and moved around in the world and noted people who did not do those things, I never envied them. I always thought my way was better because it allowed me to keep pace with a busy schedule and not look haggard and not be overwhelmed…that is until the mid years of life when I quit my very practical job and embarked on a whole entirely new journey that really shook me up, Shook Me All Night Long…And I’m now in RECOVERY MODE by Reinstating the good habits of care and keeping of the home so that I can BREATHE AGAIN. I cannot operate happily in a mess. It’s just not me. So the simplest things became the hardest things by being unorganized and not clearly focused.

Readjusting to Life in the ‘Real World’

Tax Season in August? Yes, because its SHOW UP Time. So I just did 2024 taxes because my old fafsa expired and I was dropped from the upcoming semester with the option to pay. but who wants to pay when its supposed to be free? Payment plans are optional – but not for me. So I dug up my old calendars (2024 and 2025) because I keep detailed records of my business, however they are supposed to be in a format that is mailable to the IRS. So I had to go thru the entire year, day-by-day, to make that happen…you could say I was a little behind. But it got done. Because I love money, Money Loves Me and the Feds told late filers a few years ago ‘Either file your taxes or thanks for the gift. From now on, Ya got 2 years’. Well!! All good things must come to an end. So I got the steppin for the aforementioned motivational reasons and got it done “Better Late Than Never”.

SHOWING UP

Showing Up is REDEFINING what is important in life and then DOING that thing. Of course, at the dawn of civilization people understood what was important in life – Family, Food, Home, and Fun – but after being convinced to only work on other peoples’ dreams, we created a dysfunctional social system that does not serve the majority of the people.

So in establishing a clear outline of what IS important in life, I rediscovered myself. Because I used to know, but then I got off balance. So, getting back on the horse I discovered the “why” of why many people are off balance. Because we forgot what goes into a happy life. It’s the simplest of things, that is connecting with people, expressing our love, enjoying a tree, watching the birds, being ourselves, teaching others what we know, allowing ourselves to be ‘footloose and fancy free’, to ‘go with the flow’, to ‘take life as it comes’. Somewhere along the line this was replaced with expressions like ‘you can’t win for trying’ and the ‘rat race’ and ‘it’s a cruel, cruel world’ and its a ‘dog-eat-dog world’. Interesting how such popular phrases are born of two very different schools of thought that have very different outcomes. As I’m Relearning good habits that serve me well, I am glad I can clearly define these as a FOUNDATION for managing life in a civil setting. Better Late Than Never.

The Simplest Thing Is the Hardest…How to Go Nowhere, Really Fast!

The simplest things are the hardest because we make far too much of them. We attach too much pressure on ourselves and that creates stress and overwhelm, which creates stagnation, which creates frustration, which creates stagnation, which creates frustration, which creates….yes, it’s a vicious cycle. You just got to stick your foot out, place it on the ground and get off this crazy ride to nowhere. For example, I have max data issues on all of my devices, I spend hours trying to get the data off with not much progress, or some data comes off but not enough to create a new video and through a series of excuses and device issues and whatever— it doesn’t get done. And I’ll tell myself to wait until I’m organized and wait until I have time (which never happens) or wait until the “right” time. But when IS the right time? I discovered the right time, is RIGHT NOW. I mean by the time I write this blog and make this video it will be kwanza again, sooo…EVERYTHING IS PUSHED TO THE BACK, EVERYTHING IS PUSHED TO THE SIDE AND IM POSTIN’ THIS VIDEO AND IM MAKIN’ THIS BLOG – MAINLY BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO WASTE THIS GREAT TITLE! –BUT THAT’S BESIDES THE POINT!!! FOCUSED.DELIBERATE.INTENTION.

The simplest thing seems too simple; it’s too easy. We are often subconsciously stuck in a cycle of control where if it doesn’t show up in the way we thought it should, we give up and don’t know what to do next. Guess I’ll just scroll and waste time until it becomes abundantly clear (again) that I should make a different choice.

We are really, really attached to sameness, to familiarly, to predictability and when life doesn’t present what was expected – which happens – our old traumas are reignited and it creates a spiral of confusion, refusal to move forward, regression and backsliding, and overwhelm as life keeps going but we are stuck in the past.

STUCK IN THE PAST

At the moment when it is understood that events unfolded however they unfolded – even if it was not what I expected – I can move on. Instead, this year I was a day late and a Kwanzaa short…but is it really too late? Is it?

I’m of the sort that the only time it’s ever too late, is after you die.

I’m reminded of the most important things in life – and that is our relationships with each other. I would say “family” which for many of us could be a positive thing, but truthfully every family is simply not going to embody the support and love that a person may need to thrive. Which means you might be one of those people, in whom it becomes immensely important, that you ravenously love yourself so that the most important relationship you have with anyone is with yourself first. From that point, you can then select members outside of yourself who will be uplifting and loving and kind and supportive. But you cannot do that if you don’t have a really good foundational relationship with YOU.

When the simplest thing is the hardest: Recognize that it is not inherently difficult, just your mental perception of it is. Decide that it WILL get done. And then Baby Steps. One week I looked for my old calendars. Another week I located my manual logbook. Another week I put the two together and for several weeks I worked on the project until finally the income and expense logs for 2024 were complete. That was Step 1. Done. Step 2: Log into Turbo Tax. One week I did that but it was closed because its no longer 2024 so I decided to go with a free one instead! Another week: I got the ball rolling and after several weeks of technical delays and research because I do my own taxes, they were done. Yaaah! That was Step 2. I was tired so I needed a break. Next week is Step 3: Log into Fafsa and input my information. I did that, but more technical delays. Turns out I had the honor and the privilege of being ‘specially selected’ to waste my time by putting my Fafsa on hold so I could go down to the school to give them a bunch of useless paperwork like “A Statement of Purpose” so that they could finish the process. I went to the school to say that I mean really, I’m so close to finishing. I literally have one class left. Yall didn’t let me in in the spring (I cant even remember why), it wasn’t offered in the summer and they responded something about the special selection for the last semester. And I responded, ‘No, not last “semester” last CLASS. I mean I started taking classes in 2017, can yall let me finish?!!! Nah, ’cause we need that Statement of Purpose and all the other stuff that’s already in the Fafsa—Except this is on our special letterhead, so this is our copy.

Okay. Could we expedite this process because school starts in one month and there is one spot left.

We can’t guarantee that.

<Sigh> Alright, I’ll just prepare myself to possibly take this class next Spring.

Not so fast — we need a copy of your license. And it can’t be expired.

Oh of course! Of course! Because the school ID you issued me and the fact that I have only one class left is just simply not enough. I completely understand. I mean, I could be anybody. I’m sure all kinds of sneaky and devious characters slither their way into college institutions to sit through Research Methods of Psychology. I know how in demand that class is. Here is my precious UNEXPIRED license as requested. God forbid its expired because if the license is expired, then my ability to read must expire with it.

So SINCE that was the case I just prepared myself to maybe not finish this year. Maybe the Universe just wanted me to make it an even 10 years. And who knows, if I go into the next semester, maybe the teacher will be tall and handsome so it would all be worth it in the end. Yes, lately, every time there’s a delay I believe its because there is some tall, handsome man waiting at the end of the delay and it will all be worth it. Perhaps its time to start dating again…Actually, you never really know what God has in store for you and I have discovered that when you ask Jesus to Take the Wheel, he has a better purview than you do, so just go with the flow, remember God is really in control so go on and do one of the other million things on your to do list…AND JUST CHECK BACK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND NIGHT TO SEE IF THEY PROCESS IT, the lady reminded me. Oh Yes, of course, of course. I have nothing better to do than to hug up on the school email twice a day. Its not possible for them to CALL me to tell me its completed although they absolutely need have my phone number.

Aaaah man makes plans and God laughs…

I’m learning patience, discipline [Another VOW to maintain my tax records Monthly so I don’t have this problem next year!!!!, Appreciation for coming this far and for being at the threshold…

So is it a day late and a Kwanza short or is it better late than never?

Your Perspective is the Only One that Ever Matters.

I think…I’m Right On Time

Despite what people are telling you all over the internet or even in real life,

You don’t need to glow up

You don’t need to grow up

You don’t need to blow up

In Life, You just need to SHOW UP!

–Timothy J. Ward

Skipping Through Life…

A little girl passed me the other day – skipping.

She skipped passed me then came to a hoppity halt.

‘Oh I remember skipping!’ I thought, ‘How joyous!’

I don’t know if there is a more joyous expression of Pure Joy other than skipping.

At what age did I stop skipping?

Can I still skip?

Wait a minute im going to do a test run down the hallway…

I have no idea if I can still do this…

…Ok. It’s a little wonky, but I can do it. My boobs bounce a lot, my left hip hurts, but I can do it.

I walk to work but maybe I can skip to work.

Would I be tired when I got there? Can I skip all the way?

What would I look like skipping down the street at my age?

Why do I even care?

I care…

It feels forced and I feel like an idiot but I must say there is something fun and exciting about it.

So, I don’t think I’ll skip to work – at least not just yet…but I can skip down my hallway every day.

Trying to recapture my youth?

Trying to recapture LIFE!

At some point I skipped skipping – maybe if I continued to skip through life I would have avoided much of the emotional distress I put myself through…

All because I stopped skipping.

I Got Bit By A Wild Karen!

You cant tell me life aint funny!

Ughghh, karens. there’s a rabbit-karen in the rabbit community…uh yeah there are rabbit communities…

And I just got bit by a wild karen! She messaged me with a lengthy, vehement, dissertation about my latest rabbit advice. I offered some suggestions she’d never heard of and for some karens, thats a problem. You see, this particular breed of karen believes they must know more than non karens. So she made up some lies about how dangerous my rabbit advice was, not knowing that I research everything. And no, ‘”Hey Google” doesn’t count. By the way, it is a community where people are seeking and offer up advice, and there were many, many pieces of advice being offered. One piece of advice I offered had to do with the rabbit-guinea pig bond (basic rabbit 101 stuff), another on the application of lanolin to the sutured, neutered area that a rabbit kept picking at after it scabbed over.

Now there are different breeds of karen, just like there are different breeds of rabbit. This particular breed of karen would never admit to, and notably may be totally unconscious of, the bias they have toward a black person who says something they don’t know anything about . So what are these karens actually looking for?

Karens are looking for a sense of “rightness” to something that looks “off”. Wild karens (the ones who lash out) are perplexed, bewildered, disbelieving that a nonkaren could know something a karen does not know, because that’s not the natural order of things, in their mind. Oddly enough, even when it pertains to a person’s own culture. You heard right. Karens be trippin. It triggers them, bothers them, and they come out of nowhere to let YOU know that they never heard of something before, so therefore it must not be true, especially coming from someone who looks like you. Eavesdropping on conversations, barreling down shopping ailes, dm-ing total strangers. Karens are an annoying part of our society, but just like all of us, well, they’re human too.

Admittedly, (I guess), they deserve our patience as much as anyone else (sigh). Dont get me wrong, if I had the opportunity to set her straight, I would have with the quickness, but we are not friends on FB so there was no way for me to respond. And there was no way I was about to look her up just to give her a piece of my mind. I was ready though..I was like who the hell do you think you are tryna tell MEEH! So I blocked her instead. I already know from past experience that trying to reason with these karens gets you nowhere really fast because this glazed look of disbelief comes over their face and all they can see in those moments is their stereotypical belief. Also the absurdity of arguing over rabbit facts in a rabbit community was kind of cray, so I had to let it go. It just seemed so….silly.

So, shit, karens need the same compassion for their journey as anyone else.? Yes, because they are only human and like ALL of us, flawed. After studying this breed for some time (it comes in both male & female) I have come to the conclusion that they are fully unaware of their bias, often in situations where they believe they are helping. But there is [what I call] “a glitch in the system” when they are presented with something that does not match their reality, and that is: a black person cannot give an intelligent answer to a question a white person didn’t know. Something is wrong with that picture. Since the unconscious truth is that black people don’t possess the same intelligence as a white person – and this is a common belief by many in the culture – someone who presents otherwise has begun to unravel the truth. They may not even know why they are so angry, they just know something’s not right. When a person has an awakening of this sort, it is not uncommon, and therefore understandable, that they fight to hold onto their sense of reality. In this way, a rabbit karen is no different from anyone else who is faced with a truth they believed in all their life… may not actully be true at all.

This becomes important – very, very important – when your whiteness is your claim to power, your claim to being “better than” someone else, when your whiteness defines you. It is a scary thing to feel as if the rug is being pulled out from under you. This is why the trigger, this is why the anger, and this is why the “karen”.

Just like all people who feel powerless, because we are trained to define ourselves by external things (money, education, a big house, an expensive car, being white) karens can be an annoying nuissance to others in an attempt to right a wrong. Because of this, the karen must battle every non karen who shines their light. But the truth is, we all have a little karen inside of us. The good news is the more we integrate, apply emotional intelligence and simply Allow others to be who and what they are without believing my opinion is the truth of all things, the easier it is to not be a karen.

I invite you to discover your “inner-karen” through honest introspection. Fair warning: It’s not easy to admit to and its not for the faint of heart. You will need to be honest, humble, and willing to look at your own current or past flaws, when it comes to this discovery. The reward is greater understanding and less criticism of the karens in our society, which will make for a better world to live in.

Meanwhile: Back off, rabbit karen, before I sick my growling, human-biting, mouse-killing, rabbit on your ass. Then you’ll see just how cute and fuzzy she really is!

#integration

#advaita

#bethechangeyouwanttoseeintheworld

Embrace Your Inner Trump?

Embrace Your Inner Trump!

Ok DT had a bad reputation – he didn’t pay his bills, grabbed women by the pussy and was arguably a racist. However, when we integrate things and people we look at the positive in them and not the things we do not like. This means there are positive things about Trump. For example, he built an empire (whether he got help or not is irrelevant because we all get help when we have big dreams. That is how we accomplish them) that made him into a billionaire and – I know, I know, he was already from wealth and was given several million by his dad to get started – He Still made it happen though. How? Business Know-How.

There is something to be said for a person who dives straight into a field that they know absolutely nothing about – and I mean NOTHING!!! about. It seemed to me he had no basic knowledge of government in the U.S. AT ALL, but he went after what he wanted anyway. He shot off his big mouth and then had to back it up but he didn’t let his mouth write a check his body couldn’t cash. He did not have the favor of the majority of the population, he often was unaware of basic political dynamics, he was exposed for prior misconduct in earlier years and through it all he did the damn thing. You cannot deny that he did it. He became the 45^th president of the United States of America with zero experience and apparently zero knowledge of any government politics.

but he did it anyway.

because he could.

It was a tough row to hoe, because it was a crazy concept to begin with. You have got to be Brave, You have Got to Be Strong-Willed, You have Got to be Determined, all of the characteristics that go into wealth development he simply poured into another field he had no knowledge of. And he won. He painted an image of what he wanted and he held that image in his mind and spoke of it often and maintained his will to succeed without backing down, no matter how bleak things looked. And they looked Bleak.

So, regardless of how you feel about him, you must admit, he has some pretty good qualities we could all learn from.

<Crickets, Crickets>

i know this article will probably be met by crickets, but that’s ok.

Law of Attraction Anyone?

Should Mexicans go back to Mexico?

Cultural Blends…

I was in class with a young man who embodied the beauty and mirth of youth.

Ahhh…I remember it well…the bright eyes, the bright smiles, the merriment. He was smart, funny, happy and Mexican.

I enjoyed seeing him there because he had one of those faces that lights up a room.

One night on my way home I saw him walking and offered him a ride. On the way to his house he said he might not be able to continue school and he described his frustrations (sadness really) with the anti-mexican rhetoric being promoted by our then president and some of his supporters. There was a lot of hate speech and you know how it is – people Say they don’t like that stuff, but they keep tuning in to watch it, thereby perpetuating more of it.

He talked about how he and his family didn’t feel safe, I think there were also some legal issues and that reality was unfolding in his life.

I felt really bad for him, especially since he was so young and so bright. It was a short ride to his house so the only thing I could tell him was: Listen dude. You’re a Mexi-CAN not a Mexican’t. you can’t allow other people to define you. Furthermore you are from this country. This land is your land, this land is my land, humina humina… He was pretty sad to even hear it.

So…should Mexicans go back to Mexico?

Well, they are already here in Mexico.

And if Spanish language is the problem, ask White European Spaniards why the natives in the lands they appropriated speak Spanish, instead of their native tongue?

Could it be for the same reason why the Natives in America speak English, instead of their native tongue?

Native Americans were not speaking English prior to European settlers forcing their culture upon them.

Likewise, in the southern parts of the Americas those Natives were not speaking Spanish before the Spanish settlers forced their culture upon them either.

So whose land is it anyway?

Well if you want to be technical, they were “here first” so this is their land.

Just because you moved in does not mean they disappeared into thin air, because they are still here.

So if anyone were to “go back” how could it be the people who are from this land?

If anyone were to “go back” it would have to be the people Not from this land…

Right.?

Where are your ancestors from? Because Brown people lived in these parts…Canada, North America, Central America, South America, Hawaii, Alaska, the Islands…

So maybe it is time to reevaluate territorial ideals of who should live where.

We have this song we used to sing. Ironically, it is a very American song:

This land is Your Land.

This land is My land.

From California to the New York Island

From the Red Wood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters

This land was made for You And Me.

History did what it did and the past is in the past and cannot be undone. The value of learning and understanding our american/native/mexican/spanish/french/portuguese heritage is that it can offer clarity on how we arrived at a set of beliefs and remind us of where WE actually come from. Because sometimes we forget. For example, if I believe Mexicans should “go back” to Mexico, after doing some research, that would mean they would remain right where they are. If I were trying to “rebalance” things and make them how they used to be…

then I would be the one who would actually need to go.

So.

But we are smarter now in many ways. So it is time to take a fresh look at old beliefs about who should live where.

After all, what’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Invisible Whites

When poverty in America is discussed, it is usually only ascribed to one race in particular and not to another race. Can you guess which race is poor and which race is rich?

So these discussions send a message to both.

But next time you are in Walmart or see a homeless person who is white, make a point to note that this person is not fitting the white stereotype. They are aware of the stereotypes, as all of us are, but they do not exemplify that…

Which brings to mind the question…

Is there more to being white than being rich and problem free?

Of course there is, but that is not the narrative that is presented socially, is it?

Then of course, many white people try hard to emulate that stereotype because it certainly sounds good. I mean who wants to be told they are great because their skin makes them great, but then they have to punch a clock and beat the pavement like a pauper, only to hear that everyone else has a right to complain about their lot in life but they do not?

There is a small part of our American culture that seems to go unheard, untolerated even, yet we always watch with eyes wide open in seeming disbelief when their anger boils over.

And indeed that small part of our American culture is only the ones who are “racist enough” to lash out – and I use that term to describe their frustrations – to speak their mind openly.

Are they racist enough or frustrated enough?

They are not heard. They are discarded, discounted.

But everyone has a voice don’t they?

Is there something they are saying with their actions, racist words and behaviors, that we are not understanding?

That we don’t want to see?

Well, this article is perspective so here is some:

Their racism represents feelings of disempowerment.

They are afraid to lose their power.

And feel they already have.

They feel people are trying to take their power away.

As such, they feel they have to fight to keep it

Because that is what happens when people do not feel cared for, when people do not feel heard, they feel they need to do things to get people’s attention and to feel good about themselves.

In other words, they are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore.

We all know the type of person I’m referring to here. But the question that should perhaps be asked is:

Why do so many white people, who do not say or do the things these extremists do,

Empathize with them?

Sometimes admire them for their boldness in speaking their mind?

When social commentators make disparaging comments against black people, it is not uncommon that they also have millions of followers. Silent ones. While they agree with what is said, they may not want to vocalize it themselves.

Or they will be racist if they do.

Because times have changed and racist rhetoric is no longer commonly accepted as being ok.

But there are many supporters nonetheless. Supporting with their likes, supporting with their watching and even with their money.

All silently.

Does this speak to white racism or does this speak to something else?

It speaks to something else that is the heart and core of our humanity.

Sovereignty.

Governship over your own world, over your own thoughts, ideas, and outcomes.

And it is the confusion surrounding Sovereignty that creates racism, sexism and any other kind of bullying-separation tactics people have developed to maintain control over others.

Because the people with this behavior do not feel empowered.

They Are empowered, but they do not Feel empowered because they have allowed themselves to believe in systems in place that disempower them. Belief systems like the race agenda and shortage consciousness are active in their vibration.

They cannot be special for simply being themselves. They believe they are special because their skin is “white”.

And there cant be too many “others” because then there may not be any more white people.

They do not look at themselves as part of a whole; they look at themselves as separate, finite, and as such at risk of extinction.

What I see between frustrated whites and frustrated blacks in america are two sides of the same coin: People who do not feel they are powerful.

You are.

But not because of anything Outside of yourself.

You are powerful because you are an extension of Divine Source Energy.

You are powerful because you are made in God’s image.

You are powerful because you have the ability to turn off the outside noise and tune into your inner Being.

You are powerful because you exist to be so.

And as more people begin to realize their power in relation to who they are –

and Not in relation to someone else,

The more mankind will ascend into a higher state of consciousness that will enable a more pleasing life experience for the majority instead of a more pleasing life experience for the minority.

And the happier we all will be.

Namaste

Is There A Price For Freedom?

“The road to Freedom is always stalked by death” –Angela Davis

The implication in the quote above is that there is responsibility that comes along with freedom.

Therefore, the more free you are, the more responsible you must be.

Responsible, not just in supporting yourself with a job, but being an invested party within our government system.

Government is FOR the people and BY the people, sure, but in order to make that a reality “the people” – that is YOU, that is ME – would need to take an interest in the goings-on and affairs of the world we live in. That level of interest will vary from person to person, but we cannot relinquish all of our power to a small group of people, like a child to a parent, and expect the “parent” government to dispense only fairness and just, right action all of the time. There are simply too many “children”.

We are not children though are we? Children don’t have much responsibility, certainly not when compared to an adult. This is why Children don’t have the same freedom that adults have. As children, adults regulate and control their freedom. Parents ultimately decide what the child will wear, what they will eat, how they will behave and even what activities they participate in.

But adults? – We have to ask ourselves a very serious question. What exactly do I want from my government? And what am I willing to do for it? Certainly a few individuals do not have the capacity to know or to provide for billions of people. Since this is the case, it becomes imperative that we invest in our own selves and in our own lives, that we seek to contribute actively to the society that we live in, instead of only leaching off of the power of others. which then becomes a drain on society. Too many people taking from the pot and not enough people adding to the pot.

So it is not surprising when we see some parties in government who seek to oppress others. Responsibility is part and parcel to freedom. We, the people, must also be caretakers. Governments need our interest, they need our support, they need to hear our ideas – so we need to have ideas – and then they need to see us actively contribute to the world we want to live in.

For example, we all say we want a clean and health economy, but how many are willing to cease littering? and to volunteer once a year to clean debris that blows into our streams or streets? or to support organizations who work toward clean energy and sustainable ventures that are better for our environment? How many people are voluntarily willing to recycle?

Or would you rather support companies that pollute our environment because its convenient?

These are hard questions we must ask ourselves. Because the answer involves change.

and Change is not so easy.

Democracy is a Partnership between people who are being governed and people who are govern-ing. But every relationship is a two-way street, is it not?

This means there is Responsibility on our part. On My part.

How do we regulate Our government?

We must never forget the power is in the people as long as we remain united.

And we must actively support the world we want to live in. Not wait to see what “others” will do. Because they are all waiting on You.

What can I do to contribute meaningfully to the world that I would like to live in?…is the Question.

So is there a price for freedom?

It all depends on how you look at it:

Is Being Responsible A “Price”?

Diff’rent Strokes

Daily writing prompt

What does freedom mean to you?

View all responses

What Does Freedom Mean To Me?

As with anything, words are assigned the meaning that you give to them.

I’ve had varying levels of freedom over the years, each time believing I was free…

Until I became more free.

Freedom is simply the right to choose.

Now the tricky thing is, Freedom looks different to all of us. I might think freedom is not living in the hood. Others with emotional attachments to their hometown may disagree. I might say freedom is not having religious requirements. Others will assert their freedom while observing the religious requirements. I might say freedom is not working for someone else. Another might say they choose to work for someone else and they are still free. Cant argue with those. Because it’s all a choice.

Choice, Variety, Options will look very, very different from culture to culture and from person to person, because we all have different perspectives. We all want different things out of life. So who is to say how another person should or should not define their freedom? It is true that we are so free we could choose bondage. And many of us unconsciously do, while asserting we are free.

So I’ll leave you to ponder the theme song from Diff’rent Strokes:

Now the world dont move to the beat of just one drum.

What might be right for you, may not be right for some.

Everybody’s got a special kind of story.

Everybody’s got a way to shine.

It dont matter that you got not alot, so what?

You’ll have yours, they’ll have theirs and I’ll have mine.

And together we’ll be fine

‘cause it takes different strokes to rule the world.

Yes it does, it takes different strokes to rule the world.

hmmm…

a year of lessons

there are so many lessons ive learned this year I don’t know if I can even recount them all. but in appreciation for all that I Have and all that I AM and all that I Will be, I will do homage to this year of very hard lessons.

for one thing I learned I was living in a bubble and that it was by choice. in psychology I learned about social conditioning and government control and research. I learned how wonderfully vast and expansive our collective consciousness is, just how many thoughts and opinions are out there and I respect them all. ‘I Respect them ALL’ does not mean I agree with them all, but I respect the human being and the right for the human being to choose for himself.

i learned about duality and how the power of our desires will shape our future -both individually and collectively. I learned how truly powerful we are, IAM, the human race is. I learned, more in depth, about emotions, specifically how our triggers reflect the same thing that we hate residing within us [^{enter the ‘I hate trump’ parade of individuals who blame one man for outwardly displaying the same behaviors we all possess. we all possess and ALLOW while we play hide n seek with our lives, pretending, “posing”, “flossing”, allowing jealousy and feelings of superiority to infiltrate our consciousness, all the while pretending we are fine, we are not jealous – we just look at what everyone else has and decide we want that too, we decide that other people have it so easy while we have it so hard, that’s not jealousy, its……, we are not racist we just don’t believe other people should have the same things we have, we just believe we should be on top and they should be underneath us. everyone’s equal, but some are more equal than others. that’s not racist that’s…… we are not sexist, its just that we believe women deserve to be raped if they wear that outfit in public. they asked for it, that’s not me acting out my own desires to rape people plus I still have God’s favor because the bible says women are inferior so that means we are meant to abuse them right? have I read the bible? no, I don’t have to because I know who I am…}] Yes, we have all become quite adept at hiding who we really are in the closet while pretending to be someone else in public. we just expect some things to stay hidden in the closet. but truth will NEVER be hidden; not for long. Truth ALWAYS comes to light. ALWAYS [^{enter mr trump with his limited filtration system}]…Peruse through any history book and you will notice a constant battle between humanity’s fears and humanity’s desires (the fear of being powerless and the desire to be independent, along with all the ways we work those two needs out on each other. which is why we have greed and separation. Truly we make things so much harder than they need to be.

strength and courage

the ability to hold everyone’s truth as my own truth and to still maintain my own thoughts and ideas -this was expanded upon in a new way for me. it went far beyond respecting others’ opinions and moved into understanding all aspects of ‘why’. why we do the things we do, why we feel the way we feel, why we hide the things we hide, why we hurt the way we hurt and don’t say anything.

this was a painful reality at times, because everyone has a point, a perspective that is valid in their own life. I have gone back and forth many, many, many times on the realities of social conditioning versus personal responsibility. I will hold that divine truth will reveal itself as it always has and that God knows what is in a person’s heart. this places each driver in his own driver’s seat. including me.

confrontation

the kind of confrontation i am referring to here is confronting myself. digging into that figurative closet and tossing out into the open childhood traumas, even if seemingly not so traumatic, tossing out into the open anything lurking in the shadows that i run and hide from, tossing out into the open behaviors that were not serving me, fears, insecurities, powerlessness. tossed out into the center of the floor, on display. look at it. own it. its mine. now that I have accepted it is mine, address it, one by one. CLOSE THAT CLOSET SO IT CANT RUN BACK IN and work with each of my struggles one by one. by one. by one. that’s all for now. I may find a few strays later. I’ll be back in that closet to continue the clearing work that needs to be done. Why confrontation? For integration, for peace. (When you know who you are you have peace within) I was not scared because it is only me and also, ive always embraced my shadow side. however the work was still hard, still difficult, unpleasant, even painful at times. and I thought if it is this hard for someone like me, how much harder is it for someone who has spent their entire life running away from who they are? how hard indeed – and judgment goes away. and respect for other enters the room. that is the work of confrontation or shadow work. and it is ongoing.

a year of love

i don’t believe i have loved humanity as much as I have this year – the good, the bad and the ugly. not sure if I really loved humanity at all; definitely not like this. I loved their good side, but the bad? this is the peace of integration. it is understanding, embodying, embracing that the good And the bad are within each of us. We all have the Capacity to do both good and evil and many of us do both good and evil, we just don’t see the evil part because it is us and we have our reasons why we do the things we do.

a year of integration

embodying myself in all its parts and embodying humanity in all its parts, embracing the oneness that we all possess – it takes a lot of work to get there. this is not the hardest thing I had to face this year. the hardest thing was facing myself.

a year of loss

this year I loss two people very dear to me.

my beautiful grandmother: Mary Kenner, who passed away but left me with a wealth of love and words to live by, namely ‘Draw Close to God’ and ‘Enjoy Your Life’. Truly I have learned these lessons most powerfully this year and they were reinforced directly from her mouth to my ears. I Will continue to embrace these truths.

and my beautiful friend, Lisa Rose, who embodied what it means to be both pure of heart and bad-assed. A rare soul, a brave soul. I miss you and think of you often, as you know.

this year has put me through the ringer. but i had one final lesson to learn before the year was done and it was learned on new years eve. a powerful lesson, a painful one, a revealing one, a spiritual one. i took to searching and journaling and praying and what was revealed to me was what I already (conscienciously) knew. Only now I knew through actual experience (that’s the suckey part but I already knew better so I brought the suckey part on myself). Stand in my power as the human being that I AM and ALWAYS Was. The Choice Lies With Me and No One Else. Lesson was learned and I AM even more POWERFUL for it. which was actually scary for the same reasons being powerful is scary to many of us. I cannot relinquish my life to anyone. I AM here to live MY life and to enjoy MY life. That is MY TRUTH.

and I AM no different from anyone else.

I know my next steps for the upcoming year and yet it is a blank canvas. this is a new way of Being for me too, but exciting. this is the human experience: to Live For Each Day.

_______________________________________________

at the end of the year i came across Whitney Houston’s song ‘The Greatest Love of All ’. such a beautiful song that sounded new to me. as we embark on the upcoming year, lets really lean into the words this song relays. it is no accident that these beautiful words came from a beautiful woman who possessed such a heavenly and beautiful voice.

Listen:

I decided long ago
never to walk in Anyone’s shadow
If I Fail, If I Succeed
At Least I’ll Live How I Believe
No Matter What They Take From Me
They Can’t Take Away My Dignity
Because the Greatest Love Of All Is Happening To Me

A Year In Review

So Mother Nature decided it was time we made a decision;

Either Level Up or Experience What You Do Not Desire.

I did not realize the world was as bad as it was

I did not realize that toxicities within men and women had escalated to the point it had.

I was Aware that things on the planet were bad – the desecration of our land, our animal and plant life. I was Aware of the corruption within politics (we all are), but I had not Embodied these truths. I had not Embraced these truths to the extent I had this past year.

what changed?

the bible’s timeframe began to take shape right before my very eyes.

secretly I always hoped I would not see it, fear setting in, let that happen to some other generation. I just want to grow old happily and die naturally and …[translation: keep living in my comfort bubble where I ignore the world’s problems as if they are not also my problems, not yet understanding the connection we have to each other and to Every Thing. I was not shocked to see this happen. I would be lying if I said I was. for one thing, I always kind of knew it might happen while I am present here on earth and for another thing I was warned about this last fall, about the world changing in a major way the following year. and yet, I in my bubble ‘decided’ well….im in school right now, so I guess the major thing will happen once the semester finishes…that sounds about right…because I am the center of the universe and the world revolves around me…so yeah, around late spring-summer the major thing can happen and I’ll be better equipped to deal with it at that time. made sense to me.

didn’t work out that way.

despite awareness, I did not embody that truth and I was shaken to my core along with the entire world.

don’t’ think a person could really prepare for such a thing. kind of like when I had a baby. I thought I was totally prepared, read all the books, babysat out the wazoo, planned pregnancy, totally ready…but you’re never ready for such a life changing affair and I was not ready for this. didn’t seem like anyone going through what I was going through (those who knew this was coming) was. there are different levels to this of course. some people, through their own logic and common sense understand the necessity to not relinquish ALL of your power to outside entities, and they have retained a measure of self sufficiency within their own lives. they know how to fend food for themselves, how to find water, how to keep warm in the cold, etc, etc. we call them “preppers”, but perhaps it is just “common sensers” because we should all know how to grow our own fold and find water, natural abilities that should come from being human, how to take care of yourself. but those “distractions” were removed from our world. let others take care of that for us and we just worry about making this money. we can “buy” food with the money we work for. some people relinquished, some didn’t.

meanwhile back at the supermarkets toilet paper was flying off the shelves at record speed, because in times of turmoil the toilet paper shall be our saving grace [light shines down from heaven onto said toilet paper roll on a pedestal]. whatever happened to food and water in times of crisis? ‘oh that was a thing of the past; we are so beyond that now. toilet paper will sustain us.’

I knew people needed to rest; I new people needed this to happen; I thought it was simply because we lived in such a fast-paced society and without the benefit of calming down we are not able to tune in.

then the great toilet paper scare of america happened.

and I realized just how far from our humanity we had come.

so far in fact that we forgot we are human BEings, and as such, scared of running out of toilet paper in times of crisis. why is that even on the list of concerns? because we became far removed from who we are as human beings to the point where we forgot our basic needs and what matters most.

you see, we already had a virus long before we were given a name to it.

and so I felt the shift – the physical shift – pulling us all together.

spending some time in confinement regained some of our senses. people began to see the way we were living was not fruitful, was not happiness. spending time with family was important, developing our natural talents and gifts was important. enjoying life is important. enjoying Living is important.

after regaining our senses some of us even tried to return said toilet paper – perhaps exchange it for food? But alas, ‘no takebacks’ was the response from commerce.

God disciplines those He Loves.