Sign Language: A few thoughts about reading messages from God in your everyday life.

What I've written isn't anything new, revolutionary or profound, it's only a series of thoughts that I've had and some of the conclusions I've been working through regarding God and the world. I could be completely wrong, you're entitled to disagree or disregard my thoughts, you're within your right. Now to be clear, when I refer to God I mean whatever entity you serve, he's all the same to me.

Now...here goes.

I don't subscribe to coincidence. The philosophy of "Things happen" never sat well with me. Now although I believe God exist, religion isn't the reason I feel this way about so-called random occurrences, science is. The beauty of science is the reason I think that certain things on this earth are fated. Little things like the earth being exact distance away from the sun in order for it to form all life is pretty remarkable. If that's a coincidence, it's a pretty big one. Who knows?

Most religious people believe that there is a high level of predestined occurrences that dictate the course of their lives. Everything that happens is the Lord's will. Not to say that they're wrong but if everything was left up to fate, prayer would be rendered useless, because your fate has already been decided. Now maybe it's not so black and white. Maybe there are many fates, and depending on your choices they can lead you to a particular destination. That's not a bad thing, but then the religious person would then ask where does God fit in?

I believe that God is a constant.

He's involved with every second of every day, but he does not dictate the course of your life. He provides the signs for you to read on your journey to your destination, wherever it may be. You choose your path.

If you pay attention, there are signs in nearly every decision that you make. It may seem strange but I don't think being a good person translates into having a good life. Your blessings have nothing to do with how good you are as a person, if they were, why are must Christians poor or sickly? Why are innocent kids killed around the world everyday? (Lord's will, right?). Blessing are favor from God and I won't even try to speculate as to how that works but I don't think you can earn salvation or "Holy" points. And If you're a good person because you want to get into heaven then you'll never get there. All of your deeds are rooted in selfishness. I'm of the opinion that God wants you to be good because it's just the right way to be.

We make it complex because we're naturally selfish and have the desire to be special. Look at how many religions claim to be the right religion but the main goal is simply be peaceful and love one another. So if your religion doesn't interfere with mine, why does it matter who's right or wrong? Is that the Lord's will too?

Sorry for going off on a tangent, back to the fate, choice God and signs.

We're all human, flawed. We make constantly poor decisions. Lord knows, I've made mine. In the end, God looks out for EVERYBODY, even the people we view as evil.

I could be wrong, but I'm of the mindset God really just wants us to take care of each other, give Him thanks and read the signs that he gives in order to help make your life easier. Unfortunately, it's not easy because many times, we fail to see the signs.

What are these signs that you speak of?

Think of this world as a giant road with construction detours, traffic, potholes and side streets. Those are things that you cannot control, forces that are unseen. You can't control circumstances, it's like the weather, the only thing that you can control are your choices. The signs guide you those choices.

When we are young, we drive so fast(immaturity, stubbornness, upbringing) we can't see all of the signs or even understand them. As we get older we learn a bit of discernment. Now... This may come as shock or sound blasphemous but you don't need God to see the signs Whuuuuuuut? *stops reading*

As you get older, you get smarter, it just happens. The thing about getting older is that you form habits, now some of the signs you've read will only be the signs you're accustomed to seeing, because of your habit. You may pick up a new series of signs and you think that's all you need and got it all figured out, but you're still not getting to where you wanna be(kinda like driving in circles right?) See the thing is, you need God to know how to read ALL of the signs. You need God increase discernment, that's why you pray. Your anger, sadness, pride, self esteem, fear, lack of perspective, all of those things can hinder you from reading God's signs. And with all that going on within yourself, you still have outside forces.

As I said before have no control over the potholes, traffic or weather ahead, but you can pray for the ability to see the pothole when it comes, the instincts to brake quickly and the patience to handle the traffic. You pray that your car can handle the potholes when your car hits a couple. You pray that you're on the right road.

When you get older and your discernment  improves, we can choose to ignore some of the signs even when they're blatant. Call it confident, call it conceit, call it stupidity. Either way, God is still there. He will continue to guide, protect, fix and teach you. All four of those things can come in the form positive or negative moments in your life, just know that you can learn from all of them as you move forward.

While you're on life's road, you can see a sign or hit some traffic which will make you take an exit and use the back streets, thinking it may be easier, but you may end up catching a flat tire. Guess who is your spare tire or the tire shop nearby? (Hint: it starts with a G) There may be a lesson in all of that. Sometimes it's better to ride on the highway regardless of the traffic. Sometimes that flat you caught prevented you from the accident further ahead. Depending on your situation, sometimes He provided that shortcut to get you back on the street that you needed to be on. Think about that time when you did something really messed up and when you look back you saw all the signs telling you not to do it, but you ignored it. Part of that is your common sense, the other part is him.

We all want better for ourselves, God wants the same. There are times that we want something so much that we end up ignoring what the signs are telling you. You may want a new job so bad that you'll end up taking the first job that comes along. You may up doing the same thing in regards to a companion. All the signs that tell you that it's not a fit, you end up ignoring. That doesn't mean you won't get to your destination, it may mean it'll take longer, or you may encounter things you didn't have to had you stayed on course. In the end, what's destined for you cannot be taken from you, God made it so, but you can decide to pick or settle on what you think is best. You can give up and head somewhere else. You'll mess around and live you're whole life not driving on the road that would've made you truly happy. A dream deferred and all that...But in the end, it's all on you.

Here's my final thought: You always have a choice and your God will always see you through the results of those choices. There's something out there, it could be God or a some unknown force, but there's something. Look at how each choice has affected your life...And look at how you're still standing strong through it all...That's no coincidence. That's God.

Fate...coincidence...I'm like Sway, I don't have the answers. I just try to read the signs and make sure that I have my GPS sure on the closest tire shop in my area because I'm prone to taking a detour or two.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: A great hero or maybe a greater weapon?

I remember playing the role of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr for my 4th grade Black History Month play. I stood on stage, in a suit & tie, with a crowd of kids behind me and recited a chunk of the more memorable parts of his historical "I have a Dream" speech. I wasn't nervous, but I was never afraid of public speaking. Maybe I was more proud than afraid, proud of the fact that I was able to represent a man, who I was told, was probably the best black man to walk the face of the earth. (At that time I thought Jesus was white)

I mean, what man do you know, that was never a president and still able to get us a day off from school?...Christopher Columbus...well...what black man? Exactly, there were and are none! Only him. The United States made Martin Luther King the black standard. Shit, the way they promoted him, you would've thought that he was the only person that did anything during the civil rights movement. Forty plus years after his tragic death, you can ask any child going to public school to name the five great black leaders and more than likely you'll hear:

"Martin, Martin, Martin, Martin and Martin." (Dylan voice)

And therein lies my problem. I'll explain position in a bit, but let me get to my Selma experience.

So I'm sitting in the movie theater watching Selma with a thousand thoughts running through my head. For starters, from a cinematic standpoint, the movie was average. Apart from it being your usual "We shall overcome" black movie, it was slow, methodical, enlightening and at some points very intense. David Oyelowo delivered an Oscar worthy performance as MLK. But the movie was far from a classic.

However, for me, this was much more than a movie. I wanted insight into the man behind the legend, before I wrote this blog. I was eager to see how the film depicted Martin Luther King, as well as the message behind his movement. And as I watched, who was supposed to be every black kids hero, being undeified right before my very eyes, I felt great.

For years we were force fed the story of MLK as this saint of a man trying to do what was best for his race. When in truth, what you had was a man who used a philosophical method of non violent resistance, which he himself struggled to maintain, while becoming somewhat of a political puppet in order to achieve change. In the midst of all that, he was a man, with vices and flaws. He was strong and weak at the same time. The man behind the legend was much more admirable. It took an enormous amount of strength to hold steadfast to a belief that renders you defenseless. But from a pragmatic standpoint, it may also make you a fool. And while Dr. King was no fool, his legacy has become more important to the oppressors, than it has been to black people.

I can't and will not take anything away from MLK's tremendous contribution toward the progression of black culture and civil rights in America, however I fear that his approach might have be our very undoing.

Think about it.

Martin Luther King Jr was a pacifist, and while that granted him entry in the political realm to facilitate change, it also made him the subliminal image that the oppressors present to black people of what is acceptable behavior.

The subliminal message implanted, is that in the face of injustice, we are supposed to remain, docile, poised and tolerant to verbal, physical and legislative abuse of the oppressor. And if you're meek and humble long enough, we will give a little piece of what you truly desire. You pump that message to the poor minority children across the country and those who are fortunate enough to make it out of the hood, into the world of affluence as well as a position of influence, are likely adopt that approach.

In short, Keep Calm and be the safe, acceptable nigger.

Now who's to say that a more "militant" approach akin to that of a Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael or Huey Newton wouldn't have facilitated a much greater change in the long run. While access to the political arena may have been limited, the galvanizing(I always wanted to use this word) of our people could have struck fear into the hearts of the oppressors and could have went a long way into how we're treated.

In layman's terms, people would realize that black people are not to be fucked with.

Is that a stretch to think that way? I mean, do they fear or respect your docile ass right now?

A person with a Malcolm X like mentality would not simply make speeches about injustices of the Ferguson and New York non indictments. A March and a protest would not be enough. Taking tear gas to the face while locking arms would not be enough. The old me would've sat on the sidelines waiting for the black anger to fade, as it usually does, but no more.

My question is, why not be a bit more "militant"? Were the founding fathers of the United States of America not militant? Was any successful revolutionary movement sparked by a sense of militant train of thought? The belief to stand up for yourself, defend what is rightfully yours while fighting for what you believe you deserve.

Now, while we live in a world where education, entrepreneurship and wealth are better than they've ever been for blacks historically, the racial undercurrent of the injustices of the poor minority are ever more present. It's foolish to think because you see the wealth of a few folks on TV and a black president, that the race has been won. You really don't know how small 1% is.

Come on now, they're shooting us unarmed, choking us unarmed, beating us, unlawfully arresting us, with no penalty. There's a contrarian reading this going "We do that to each other, so what's the difference?" Ummm...the difference is that when Tyrone kills Jamal, Tyrone gets life, and rightfully so. George goes home and makes love to his wife. This is 40 years from the civil rights movement. How civil are we as a nation with this going on? And now when black people voice their displeasure about are treatment, what is the first thing that's said?

"Let's try to remain calm, let's approach this peacefully. Dr King wouldn't approve of the looting and rioting."

Really? Do you know that? No one truly knows. Who's to say that MLK wouldn't have gotten fed up with the role of the "docile nigga" because of snail paced movement to get a bill passed while citizens died on the front lines of the movement. What if he got hit with one too many bricks and decided to throw one back? Now while I don't condone looting or rioting of our own communities, it is the language of the voiceless.

The idea of a "militant" mindset is not that of a person who's willing to attack, but of someone willing to defend. Of someone who will unify and protect his/her home. So what's wrong with that, especially when every other race and/or culture are willing to do the same thing. Try running a muck in a Jewish community and see how fast you'll regret that decision, before the cops even make it. Would that be considered militant or united?

Unfortunately Dr. King is the damn poster child for black civility in the face of blatant injustice. So much so, that the rest of the leaders of the movement, pre and post MLK are lost in the history books. The educational system rarely speak on the accomplishments of others greats and we clearly don't have enough effective leadership today. Sprinkle Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks and you've done your part for those 28 days in February. Thank you school system. They'll teach about Nelson Mandela before they will introduce you to Malcolm X or James Baldwin. Those were the unacceptable niggas. The dangerous ones. I was lucky enough to have an awesome middle school teacher. She planted the seed that allowed my awareness to flourish. There are plenty of young kids out there with the same seed that needs to be watered, but not enough.

This needs to change, we need to change. He was brave, there were many others that were brave. Why aren't we brave? Push for change and equality. Find a method. And whatever our approach in this new equality movement needs to be from us, not what those above you want it to be. Sometimes things need to be uncomfortable before you can truly be respected.

Take a long look at ourselves, take a look at what our predecessors have done. We as a people have failed to live up to Dr. Kings dream. The progression of race relations would have been further along if he were alive. The progression of how we treat one another has a people has taken even a further step back. We're probably too busy being distracted or afraid to lose what little we've gained. Drugs, prison, poverty, lack of accountability and capitalism have created a division amongst black people bigger than any Jim Crow law. The question is no longer why are we this way, but what can we do to change?

So remember on this day what Martin Luther King Jr stood for. Remember that he stood for equality, for all races. Remember that he stood for change in a non violent way. Remember that through it all, he never wavered in the face of his enemy. He didn't compromise his beliefs and was always willing to extend his hand in unity.

And Remember that they still shot him in his fuckin face anyway.

Black & Poor: The crimes that Eric Garner died for.

The American justice system has been broken for a long time. It's been broken long before I was born, and it will remain that way as long as those who control it hold racist and/or ruthlessly capitalistic views. I'm warning you now that this may not be the most eloquent and I will run off on a tangent, but I will try and tie it together at the end.

The recent events of the Mike Brown & Eric Garner verdict, coupled with my views of race relations in America has lead me to the belief that being black in America is considered a stain. Being black and poor is even worse. 

 

Now do I believe my skin color is a stain? No. My race, my complexion, my bloodline is a thing of unparalleled beauty. I look upon our people and see kings, queens and gods walking the earth. Unfortunately I also see the fallen. Some of the damage done by our own hand, but the hands of others have also contributed to our demise. Blacks in America have gone from property to second class citizens, to citizens. But the one thing we've always been, was a target.

Ask yourself how President Obama, the most powerful man in the free world(or so we'd like to think) has been one of the most openly disrespected president we've ever seen. Political colleagues, and the general public have taken their shots. I'm not an Obama supporter(for my own reasons) but to deny the existence of a racist undertone from some of his political colleagues would be a flat out lie. His color is a stain in many of their eyes. Never heard of a presidential candidate asked for verification of his U.S.citizenship. I can't recall any past presidents having their daughters (ages 13 & 16) likened to tramps at a bar.

I can list a few more rich or powerful black figures that have been treated unfairly strictly on the count of race (Magic Johnson, Oprah, Jay-Z), they've all encountered it. We can look at pundits, critics or your nearest YouTube comments section and it'll be littered with the most vile slurs. I don't feel particularly sorry for those I've mentioned, because  they've made it past the biggest hurdle in America, poverty.

If being black is a stain, then being poor in America is a crime, and prison is big business. It doesn't matter what color you are. 

There's a level of respect that comes with wealth. You live well, dress better, and your values maybe different because frankly your world is vast, you're exposed to more. You're treated differently, with a certain reverence, depending on the circle you're in. There are issues that you can focus on that you otherwise wouldn't be able to, if you were poor. Money isn't happiness, money is freedom, and that gives you to chance at happiness. Everyone wants to be wealthy or least comfortable, doesn't matter what color. 

You can live with being black and affluent, because that at least makes you a citizen. But when you're black and poor, you're no citizen, you're cattle. 

Eric Garner was black and poor. 

Mike Brown was black and poor.

Both were killed in circumstances that would ultimately not exist if the system was built egregiously unfair. A system that has historically targeted your race and socio-economic class with equal force. A system that wasn't designed for us.

Systemic poverty affected their values, the choices they made, as well as Police treatment. Their skin color made it only easier for the police to get away with it.

Since the Mike Brown situation is shrouded in doubt, with the one blatant fact that he was unarmed and several feet away from Darren Wilson, lemme tackle some arguments that I've heard about the Eric Garner incident.

He was breaking the law:

Selling untaxed cigarettes is a crime, but so is selling fake mortgages. Where's the eagerness to arrest the folks that sent the country into a tailspin? Was any one arrested? I wonder if they resisted arrest

would they have gotten choked? What's funny is that in the video, the police were responding to a fight, a situation that Eric Garner diffused prior to their arrival.

An unhealthy diet and pre-existing conditions lead to his death:

I hope by pre existing, you mean the fuckin knee that the cop had in his back along with having his face pressed against the concrete. 

*I could make a case about his years of eating genetically altered food approved by our government, as well as not being able afford shopping at Whole Foods, which isn't as readily accessible in his neck of the woods, like any fast food spot, but that's weak.

He could have resisted: 

He could've. But watching the entire seven minute video (not the 30 seconds that they show on TV) you saw that Eric Garner was frustrated. The cops that arrested him, knew him. They harassed him, if what he was doing was so terribly wrong then he would've been arrested every single day. But like every shop that sells loose cigarettes or fake bags in China town, the cops pick and choose who to harass. 

Eric was fed up because he wasn't killing anyone, he wasn't stealing. He purchased the pack of cigarettes he decided to resell. A product that knowingly kills you, but since you can tax it, it's all good. 

He was simply tired of the harassment. He had six kids, he hustled, just like the cops hustle for overtime by arresting people and call it cleaning up the streets. 

He was tired because all he was trying to do was keep his head above water so that he and his family could breathe. But like he told the police officers, 11 times, I Can't Breathe.

We can get into the logistics of the actually arrest and say that the chokehold was not a legal maneuver. Some might say that once it was a applied, Eric could've laid down. But if he moved forward, the cops grip would've tightened, leaning backward ultimately swayed him off balance because the murde- I mean officer was shorter and was pulling him backward. So explain to me again how can a man simply lay as soon as he was put in a hold like that?

I'm not gonna make Eric Garner or Mike Brown out to be saints, when you're living in hell, how can you be? But I shouldn't have to make a case for them to have rights. 

Basic human rights.

Eric Garner had a right to live. He had a right to voice his physical distress and have a cop do his job and monitor his condition so that excessive injury doesn't occur(that falls under the guidelines of serve & protect). He wasn't a savage, thug, or mental patient. It's sad. 

Jesus, he was killed on video.

There's a hash tag floating around that says "Black Lives Matter". And while all lives matter, black lives have unjustly swirled in the oceans, soaked the roots of trees, and stained the concrete far too long. Police brutality is real and the country has turned a blind eye.

When a man can be killed on video, his death ruled a homicide and still not get an indictment, something has to change. It starts now. It starts with us.

THE SHMURDA THEORY: Is Bobby Shmurda too raw for Black people? Yes, Black people.

*Shmoney dances while looking at my phone*...I've wanted to blog about my guy, Bobby Shmurda for quite some time. Next to Barack Obama, Bobby Shmurda is probably the most polarizing figure in urban America today. His song "Hot N*gga" along with the "Shmoney Dance" are undeniable. Granted, the dance is not original (look up any 90s Bad Boy video with Diddy you'll find proof) but dammit if it ain't cool! The other day, I was watching ESPN and they made a Bobby Shmurda reference. He is everywhere and he is exactly what his song says, the Hot N*gga, much to the chagrin of many people of color.

For weeks I've been hearing about how Bobby Shmurda has set Black people back with the success of his song because of the content of his lyrics. For those who have been under a rock, Bobby's lyrics are laced with tales of murder, drug dealing and growing up in streets. I'm not going to give details, but it's honestly the most ignorant set of lyrics you may ever hear on a record. But while in the midst of his rap, you're hamstrung by the beat and drawn by the dance. A few minutes pass and you're left wondering how could you have enjoyed such a song. Some of my circle of friends as well as fellow bloggers have expressed a level of uneasiness when listening to his song. A friend of mine said that he uncomfortable with Bobby Shmurda performing on Jimmy Fallon. To paraphrase, he was disturbed by the stereotypical image he portrayed and shouldn't be glorified on TV to a largely white audience.

I for one have no shame in saying that I like the record. His flow is far from the greatest, but he has awesome energy. The content.. well...no damn that, the content is real. A savage kid taking enjoyment in his savagery. From a macro perspective, Blacks (African American, Caribbean American etc) rose from the ashes of slavery and the Jim Crow to achieve the highest level of academic and economic affluence in their history. We have a president who happens to be black. One would like to say that as a whole, we should be proud. I guess, but being proud seems to come with a level of prestige, a need to see yourself a better light. That can create the need to distance yourself from the unsightly parts of the world from which you came. Kinda like the guy you gets rich, comes back to old neighborhood decides to circle the block a few times before parking. Or the guy that decides not to eat the food around way anymore because it isn't good enough.

Bobby Shmurda, is that uncle you don't invite for Christmas dinner because he gets wasted and passes out on your couch. He's family, but you rather not have him around. My point is yes, Hot N*gga is uncomfortable to listen to. Line for line it one of the saddest songs I have ever heard. The song is sad because Bobby is 20 years old and has lived a life no one should. There are folks that said that he could've rapped about something else other than violence and drugs. My reply to that is, what would you rap about if you grew up on 95th & Clarkson Avenue, having to sell crack as a 5th grader because your poor and your dad was locked up? Forgive him for not being the next Aristotle under those circumstances. Jay-Z rapped about it his entire first album, the only difference is that he did it better. Now Hoc has cleaned up since. I'm sorry if Bobby Shmurda isn't clean enough to represent Black America. Being systemically poor isn't an excuse for being ignorant or violent, but being systemically poor with a lack of proper education, leadership and values could be. In my opinion, that is what we lack overall. Anyone that makes it out of a poverty stricken community is an outlier, strictly on the basis of how many get left behind.

The hard truth is that Bobby is part of Black America, the gritty part. He is the part that people in high positions love to exploit and vulture, the part that more refined black folk have a difficult time acknowledging. It's the scar that reminds us that we have not overcome. There is a large segment of the black population that have not made it out of the savage land. While the media parades around The President, Bey and Oprah, with ninjas paying 25k a plate for campaign fundraising, the goons are killing each other in the street everyday. There are those that do a ton for their community, way more than I have, and to those people I'm eternally grateful. But there are those who fancy themselves elite, above the negativity, to the point where they feel it's not their problem. Meanwhile they have no qualm telling you what's wrong with society and how guys like Mr. Shmurda (say that aloud) contribute to its devolution. Bobby Shmurda needed that Hot N*gga song, it saved his life, it also saved the lives of his friends. He's a product of a broken system, a system that was broken before he was born. Without that song he'd be right in Brownsville, doing exactly what he said in the song. And you know who wouldn't care? You.

So for those who are quick to chastise and dismiss his impact on entertainment, think about where he came from and what he could have been doing. Is he ignorant? Yes. Is he raw, yes. Is he a negative stereotype? No doubt. But he's also one of us and there are people out there that see him no different from you and you could be wearing a suit. You can ignore, you can cringe a little every time it plays on the radio but I'll root for him. Because this experience is better than any life he had before. Hopefully it can broaden his horizon and maybe he'll learn how to be a better man, when he actually becomes one. He damn sure wouldn't have learned it on 95th & Clarkson. And maybe, he might be that spark that gets people off their high horse and look into what's coming out of our community. I was really trying to fit a line in with "Mitch caught a body bout a week ago" but I couldn't. Smh...*tosses fitted*

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. A WORD OF INSPIRATION.

I remember my days in elementary school, sitting in class, daydreaming incessantly. I would imagine that while in the middle of the teacher's lesson, a giant robot would suddenly crash through the wall and start attacking my classmates. Everyone would be screaming in panic, but then I'd hurl a chair in order to get the robot's attention. The robot and I would go on to have a fierce battle and somehow I'd rip it's cables out, defeating the foe. It was probably from that point on I realized that I wasn't a normal kid.

Most children have great imagination, the ability to easily transport themselves to a world where nothing is impossible. They laugh, play and live without a care, their innocence is beautiful. Unfortunately as we age, the realities of life tend to strip away at this fabricated world they/we created. The real world tells us that the word 'impossible' is more than a word. To many of us, impossible is a culture. Impossibility, is a culture of negativity that impedes the progress of all that you try to accomplish. If it doesn't impede you, then it simply redirects, alters, keeps you off course. Before you know it, your imagination dies and with that, your drive does as well. We've been brainwashed for years, whether it's by systemic poverty, poor education and lack of leadership(from family and community) we believe that certain things aren't achievable.

Without dreams, you limit your mind, stifle your potential and narrow down to what the world wants you to be. I did that to myself, definitely brainwashed to some degree. I mean, how far could I go? I'm a poor kid from Brooklyn, raised in a single parent home. I lived everywhere in good old BK, but where am I supposed to be in life? That was the programming talking. But now, I actually spend everyday of my life reconditioning myself to think otherwise. Live better, think better, be better. It's not easy, but I'm hard pressed to find something that's worthwhile to ever be easy.

You ever wonder why most people love athletes and celebrities? My opinion, it's not only because they're rich and beautiful, its because we see in them what we once saw in ourselves. They are the personification of impossible. So here's the "Not so secret" secret, so are you! You know what separates you from any successful person? The unwavering desire to never give up. We're literally looking at people who followed their dreams while we sit and watch. Yes, some are born with amazing physical attributes and natural talent that put them ahead of the curve, but does that take away your access to the environment they're in? You can't shoot, but you can learn the game and be a broadcaster, coach or an agent. Hell, be a sports attorney. Too fat to be a model? So how about you become a stylist or fashionista to the stars? You can't act, then direct, write. Why limit yourself from what you love?

I can hear the excuses forming in your mind right now as we speak. Yes, I know, you've made mistakes and bills have to be paid, but guess what, bills are gonna be there when you're a success as well. Think about how much things you've wasted time on. You have the ability to convert that time into achieving what you want. And make no mistake, I'm not saying we should all celebrities and athletes, that's bogus. I'm simply saying, chase your dream. Success is accomplishing any goal you set forth. It comes in all levels, if your goal was to sweep floors, then you've made it in life and there's no one that can tell you different. If your dream was to be a doctor, teacher, entrepreneur, author, activist, cop, janitor, do it, because it's in your reach. In my opinion, all of these things are feasible. Take a year, carve out a plan, take action. You know what's funny? I could delve a bit deeper and say that already are a success, just think about where you came from and how hard you've worked to get there. If the odds were against you, but you're still standing, one might say that you are.

Don't let the culture of impossibility kill your dreams. Don't let it kill your potential. I'm writing this for myself, not just for you. I fear failure just like you, but what I hate more than failing, is that sickening feeling of not trying, because of fear. I hold on to that bitter feeling, because that regret trumps the fear I feel while in the moment of chasing my dream. So look around you, look at this "real world" Then take your fingers, rip the sky and strip away at it, until you find that world you may have lost as a child. Nothing is impossible.