What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
-Albert Pike
Greetings folks. Janet Jackson sang a song entitled “What Have You Done for Me Lately.” That song has transformed into much more than a Pop 100 chart topper into a constant reminder of how the world thinks; “what have you done for me lately?” Most people aren’t concerned about what you did 10 or 20 years ago but about what you have done lately, which is a good question. What have you done for me (or anyone else for that matter) lately? Was the last time you did something nice for someone, a (100%) white man was president? Was the last time you thought about someone other than yourself, Dan Marino was still playing for the Dolphins? Was the last time you took time out of your busy day to say or do something nice for someone else, people were still flipping houses like IHOP pancakes? If so, you should be asking yourself the question “what have I done for anyone else lately?”
We work so hard every day to pay bills and accumulate stuff; Americans in particular. No one works to be able to buy a 13” black and white TV, a smart car, and gold plated jewelry laced with cubic zirconium. No we work for the 52” HD monster to hang on the wall. We work to drive the BMW 7.50 IL. And we work for the Rolex and the Tiffany bracelet. And you know what, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with liking and buying the finer things in life. The problem comes when it’s the beginning, middle and end of our story. What happens is that when we focus solely on the acquisition of stuff, we miss out on other things in life. We miss out on forming lasting relationships and bonds with friends and family because we’re always working. We miss out on life changing events like concerts and classic sporting events because we’re always in the office. We miss out because we’ve directed more energy than we ought, towards the pursuit of material things.
The pursuit of happiness is not and does not equal the pursuit of things. The pursuit of happiness is pursuing lasting relationships, spending time with family and friends, having good health, travelling, and enjoying the wonders this world has to offer. These are all things you can’t do laid up in your house full of stuff or tucked away in your office or cubicle.
There are much more important things in life than things. It’s really about what we do for others. My mom is always getting on me to mentor the youth at her church and between work, work, football, wedding planning, and more work, I find it very difficult to squeeze it in my schedule. However, the importance of such an endeavor isn’t lost on me. I see its importance almost every day I go to work.
At the end of last school year one of my 11th grade guys gave me a card. On the outside of the envelope it said “To Pops.” I thought he accidentally gave me a card intended for his father. I asked him was he sure this was for me and he replied “yes” so I assumed that he re-used the envelope. When I opened it and read it, it was him thanking me for being his teacher and for mentoring him. He said I was like a father to him and that he was thankful. I have to be honest, the card almost brought a tear to my eye…almost. (Ok maybe it did but don’t tell anyone.) How could I, an individual who has made it my mission in life to this point not to father any children so I can focus on my career and enjoy myself be considered a father figure? How could I, a person accused on several occasions of being selfish and inconsiderate, have been so thoughtful as to have made a difference in this young man’s life? If you find an answer please share.
I think it’s because I care. I think that at the end of the day for all the frustration these students cause me, for the anger and resentment I have towards “the powers that be”, and the demands I put on these students to want more and achieve more, they see that I care. And in many ways, that was enough for him.
I kept that card, as I do all cards, but instead of tucking it away in a box or cabinet, I placed it on my dresser as a daily reminder of the impact that I make in the lives of young people, even when I don’t know that I’m doing it. It reminds me every day that I need to smile, hold my head up, and keep my head in the game because someone is always watching.
One of the reasons why I enjoy my job is because of the daily impact in the lives of young people I get to make. I in no way intend to do this for the rest of my life, but it’s good for right now. It makes me feel as though I’m fulfilling Ghandi’s edict to be the change I want to see in the world.
When it’s all said and done and it’s time for me to be laid to rest I’d like to be remembered, and remembered fondly. I think this is the goal of most people, or at least it should be. I want to be remembered as thoughtful, honest, caring and hard working. I know the collection of watches and the massive amounts of sports memorabilia I hope to have accumulated by that time, and will leave behind, won’t achieve that goal. I know that in order to achieve the legacy that I want I have to do more for others. So when I get too wrapped up in “The Life and Times of the Diplomat” I ask myself the question “what have you done for anyone else lately?” and so should you. Stay Up and Be Blessed!
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
-Albert Pike
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Your Own Worst Enemy
"Who gone stop me? Who gone stop me huh?"
-Jay-Z and Kanye West "Who Gone Stop Me"
Greetings folks. Whenever we look for opposition to our success we tend to look outward; looking around every corner and under every stone for people who may hinder our pursuit of success. And we’re right for doing so. Ask every successful person and they can all point to someone or something that got in the way of fulfilling their dreams. It happens. It’s a part of the process. You deal with it and you move on. However, the problems outside of the walls that guard our aspirations aren’t the only ones we should be worried about. I challenge you to look inward as well.
We all have (should have) haters, that is if you're doing anything worthy of hating. However, often times we're own worst enemies. Shooting down our own ideas before they ever get started, telling ourselves "no" before we've given anyone the chance to say "yes."
I know it may sound crazy but think about it. How many ideas have you stopped in their tracks because “you” said it couldn’t be done? How many times have you started and stopped going along a certain path because “you” said it wasn’t a good idea? How many times have you scrapped an idea because “you” said it was too difficult for you to accomplish? We’ve all been there, done that and have had these thoughts. Sometimes the idea not to go forward with a particular idea or plan is the absolute right choice. Perhaps, jelly flavored fingernails aren’t as good of an idea as you originally thought. Maybe running that daycare out of your efficiency isn’t as sound a business plan as it sounded when you had this idea at 3 a.m. the other night. Sometimes the ideas that we have aren’t bad, but are just bad for right now. Everything has a time, a season, a rhyme and a reason. And what may not work today, may work perfectly tomorrow. The key is knowing which pile to put these plans and when to act our dreams.
Regardless of what column your ideas, hopes, and dreams belong to, you have to stop hating on yourself. Stop persecuting yourself. Stop doubting yourself. If you don't believe in you who will and better yet who should?
Success begins within. It starts by dreaming, it becomes possible by believing and comes to fruition by achieving. Give yourself a chance before you shut it down. If you can make it past your own scrutiny you'd be amazed about what you can accomplish.
Walt Disney stated, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Be courageous, pursue your dreams and at the end of the day, regardless of the outcome, you can be satisfied with the fact that at least you tried. But you can’t possibly win the game if you never step foot on the court and attempt a shot. Get in the game, chase your dreams and make them into reality.
Thanks for reading. Until next time Stay Up and Be Blessed!
-Jay-Z and Kanye West "Who Gone Stop Me"
Greetings folks. Whenever we look for opposition to our success we tend to look outward; looking around every corner and under every stone for people who may hinder our pursuit of success. And we’re right for doing so. Ask every successful person and they can all point to someone or something that got in the way of fulfilling their dreams. It happens. It’s a part of the process. You deal with it and you move on. However, the problems outside of the walls that guard our aspirations aren’t the only ones we should be worried about. I challenge you to look inward as well.
We all have (should have) haters, that is if you're doing anything worthy of hating. However, often times we're own worst enemies. Shooting down our own ideas before they ever get started, telling ourselves "no" before we've given anyone the chance to say "yes."
I know it may sound crazy but think about it. How many ideas have you stopped in their tracks because “you” said it couldn’t be done? How many times have you started and stopped going along a certain path because “you” said it wasn’t a good idea? How many times have you scrapped an idea because “you” said it was too difficult for you to accomplish? We’ve all been there, done that and have had these thoughts. Sometimes the idea not to go forward with a particular idea or plan is the absolute right choice. Perhaps, jelly flavored fingernails aren’t as good of an idea as you originally thought. Maybe running that daycare out of your efficiency isn’t as sound a business plan as it sounded when you had this idea at 3 a.m. the other night. Sometimes the ideas that we have aren’t bad, but are just bad for right now. Everything has a time, a season, a rhyme and a reason. And what may not work today, may work perfectly tomorrow. The key is knowing which pile to put these plans and when to act our dreams.
Regardless of what column your ideas, hopes, and dreams belong to, you have to stop hating on yourself. Stop persecuting yourself. Stop doubting yourself. If you don't believe in you who will and better yet who should?
Success begins within. It starts by dreaming, it becomes possible by believing and comes to fruition by achieving. Give yourself a chance before you shut it down. If you can make it past your own scrutiny you'd be amazed about what you can accomplish.
Walt Disney stated, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Be courageous, pursue your dreams and at the end of the day, regardless of the outcome, you can be satisfied with the fact that at least you tried. But you can’t possibly win the game if you never step foot on the court and attempt a shot. Get in the game, chase your dreams and make them into reality.
Thanks for reading. Until next time Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
9/11 10 Years Later
Often times when we think about September 11, 2001, we think of the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives and the many loved ones they left behind to mourn their deaths. However, the attacks of September 11th changed the lives of billions of people the world over. When the terrorist attacks of September 11th occurred, it was more than just the victims and their families who suffered, more than just Americans, but people the whole world over.
Before 9/11 America stood tall as an impenetrable force, protected by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a large and skilled military, and some of the world’s best intelligence gatherers. The attacks on 9/11 shook the very foundation of the belief that we were untouchable. Viewing the responses from people all over the world 10 years later, and the genuine looks of horror and disbelief, helped me to realized that these attacks weren’t just attacks on Americans in America, but an attack on freedom and democracy all over the world. It was an attack against any non-Muslim extremist. It was an attack against anyone and any country that dared to stand in the way of the beliefs of this small group of people. So while the attacks may have been on American soil it was an attack against the entire free world.
On September 11, 2001 I was a senior in high school. I remember that day vividly as if it were last year. I along with a few classmates, were preparing to head to Miami Dade College, which was at that time Miami Dade Community College, to take a class. Before we left we got news that an airplane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. We rushed to get a glimpse of the scene on television and when I saw it the first thought that rushed to my head was that this was no accident. I knew from the size of the hole in tower 1, that it wasn’t a prop plane flown by a novice pilot by accident into the side of a building, but a deliberate attack. Despite my initial thoughts, I in no way had any inkling of what still lay ahead.
We got on our bus to head to the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade Community College, which was located downtown, and what awaited us when we arrived was surreal. Imagine a zombie movie after most of the people have been turned into zombies and they show a view of the streets, completely devoid of people before the zombie army marches around the corner. Downtown Miami was the scene of a zombie movie before the zombie army began to march. The feeling was unreal.
My classmates and I looked around, looking for people, not knowing that en route to our class that the entire downtown area had been evacuated, fearful that the area could be subjected to attacks as well. We got back on our bus and headed back to school. When we arrived there was a frenzy by parents to take their kids out of school, out of what appeared to be harm’s way. Afterwards, we all went home, went our separate ways and the rest of the evening was a blur as I sat in front of the television trying to gather as much information as possible about what happened, why it happened, and what was being done to prevent it from happening again.
What happened was a series of plane hijackings, which resulted into the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2; a crash at the Pentagon; and before the last plane could crash into its intended target, a crash into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The last plane was derailed thanks to some of the passengers aboard. In total, 2,977 people lost their lives that day, 411 of which were emergency response personnel.
Life as we know it changed tremendously after that day. After that day, we no longer walked around with the same sense of security that we once did. After that day, we no longer looked at Middle Eastern, Arab or Muslim people in the same light, lumping them together with the cowardly terrorists who committed those heinous attacks. After that day, we no longer had this air of invincibility. The September 11th attacks not only took away the lives of nearly 3,000 victims in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but our freedom as well.
To gain it back we launched a war against terror, terrorists, and any country harboring them. It was clear that if you were not for us, you were against us. And to aid a terrorist was to be against America and freedom.
It’s 10 years later and we must remember the lessons learned from that fateful day. It’s 10 years later and we must continue to remain vigilant against terrorists across the globe, because they remain vigilant in pursuit of their goal to undermine democracy and freedom. It’s 10 years later but we must never forget those who lost their lives going about their daily routine, those who lost their lives trying to help others, and the legacy they leave behind. It’s 10 years later and we’re 10 years older, 10 years stronger, 10 years wiser and still as committed to freedom as we were then as we are now. Thanks for reading and until next time Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Before 9/11 America stood tall as an impenetrable force, protected by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a large and skilled military, and some of the world’s best intelligence gatherers. The attacks on 9/11 shook the very foundation of the belief that we were untouchable. Viewing the responses from people all over the world 10 years later, and the genuine looks of horror and disbelief, helped me to realized that these attacks weren’t just attacks on Americans in America, but an attack on freedom and democracy all over the world. It was an attack against any non-Muslim extremist. It was an attack against anyone and any country that dared to stand in the way of the beliefs of this small group of people. So while the attacks may have been on American soil it was an attack against the entire free world.
On September 11, 2001 I was a senior in high school. I remember that day vividly as if it were last year. I along with a few classmates, were preparing to head to Miami Dade College, which was at that time Miami Dade Community College, to take a class. Before we left we got news that an airplane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City. We rushed to get a glimpse of the scene on television and when I saw it the first thought that rushed to my head was that this was no accident. I knew from the size of the hole in tower 1, that it wasn’t a prop plane flown by a novice pilot by accident into the side of a building, but a deliberate attack. Despite my initial thoughts, I in no way had any inkling of what still lay ahead.
We got on our bus to head to the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade Community College, which was located downtown, and what awaited us when we arrived was surreal. Imagine a zombie movie after most of the people have been turned into zombies and they show a view of the streets, completely devoid of people before the zombie army marches around the corner. Downtown Miami was the scene of a zombie movie before the zombie army began to march. The feeling was unreal.
My classmates and I looked around, looking for people, not knowing that en route to our class that the entire downtown area had been evacuated, fearful that the area could be subjected to attacks as well. We got back on our bus and headed back to school. When we arrived there was a frenzy by parents to take their kids out of school, out of what appeared to be harm’s way. Afterwards, we all went home, went our separate ways and the rest of the evening was a blur as I sat in front of the television trying to gather as much information as possible about what happened, why it happened, and what was being done to prevent it from happening again.
What happened was a series of plane hijackings, which resulted into the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2; a crash at the Pentagon; and before the last plane could crash into its intended target, a crash into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The last plane was derailed thanks to some of the passengers aboard. In total, 2,977 people lost their lives that day, 411 of which were emergency response personnel.
Life as we know it changed tremendously after that day. After that day, we no longer walked around with the same sense of security that we once did. After that day, we no longer looked at Middle Eastern, Arab or Muslim people in the same light, lumping them together with the cowardly terrorists who committed those heinous attacks. After that day, we no longer had this air of invincibility. The September 11th attacks not only took away the lives of nearly 3,000 victims in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but our freedom as well.
To gain it back we launched a war against terror, terrorists, and any country harboring them. It was clear that if you were not for us, you were against us. And to aid a terrorist was to be against America and freedom.
It’s 10 years later and we must remember the lessons learned from that fateful day. It’s 10 years later and we must continue to remain vigilant against terrorists across the globe, because they remain vigilant in pursuit of their goal to undermine democracy and freedom. It’s 10 years later but we must never forget those who lost their lives going about their daily routine, those who lost their lives trying to help others, and the legacy they leave behind. It’s 10 years later and we’re 10 years older, 10 years stronger, 10 years wiser and still as committed to freedom as we were then as we are now. Thanks for reading and until next time Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Welcome to the Club
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22
Greetings folks! The bible says that a man that has found a wife has found a good thing. I’m not married yet, but having found my wife-to-be, I can attest to the validity of that scripture. I love my fiancé and truly feel as though she completes me. Not only does she complete my sentences and read my mind, she understands me, empowers me and holds me up. Knowing all these wonderful things about her and our relationship has made me anxious for our wedding day next fall and deeply appreciative of the love that we share. It’s also the reason why I’m so happy for my best friend.
A few days ago my best friend Marcus proposed to his long-time girlfriend and she said “yes.” Marcus and I have been friends since we were kids and we’re like brothers. We went to church together, played football, went to the same college and talk almost every day. We share a lot and it’s good to know that there is someone you’re not related to, don’t work with, and not indebted to who cares about you and your well-being. I’m thankful to have Marcus as a friend and I’m also extremely happy for him and his fiancé. I look forward to the day they tie the knot, being belligerent at their wedding, and getting him obscenely drunk. (That’s what friends are for.)
Now that he’s engaged he can officially be inducted into the “Engaged Men’s Club.” Membership is restricted only to those men who are engaged. It is a sanctuary from all things wedding related, including fiancés, color swatches, invitation samples and the dreaded guest list. The membership expires once you get married but after it does it transfers into a “Married Men’s Club” membership. Here’s to true love, happiness and the newest member of the “Engaged Men’s Club.” Welcome to the club!
Proverbs 18:22
Greetings folks! The bible says that a man that has found a wife has found a good thing. I’m not married yet, but having found my wife-to-be, I can attest to the validity of that scripture. I love my fiancé and truly feel as though she completes me. Not only does she complete my sentences and read my mind, she understands me, empowers me and holds me up. Knowing all these wonderful things about her and our relationship has made me anxious for our wedding day next fall and deeply appreciative of the love that we share. It’s also the reason why I’m so happy for my best friend.
A few days ago my best friend Marcus proposed to his long-time girlfriend and she said “yes.” Marcus and I have been friends since we were kids and we’re like brothers. We went to church together, played football, went to the same college and talk almost every day. We share a lot and it’s good to know that there is someone you’re not related to, don’t work with, and not indebted to who cares about you and your well-being. I’m thankful to have Marcus as a friend and I’m also extremely happy for him and his fiancé. I look forward to the day they tie the knot, being belligerent at their wedding, and getting him obscenely drunk. (That’s what friends are for.)
Now that he’s engaged he can officially be inducted into the “Engaged Men’s Club.” Membership is restricted only to those men who are engaged. It is a sanctuary from all things wedding related, including fiancés, color swatches, invitation samples and the dreaded guest list. The membership expires once you get married but after it does it transfers into a “Married Men’s Club” membership. Here’s to true love, happiness and the newest member of the “Engaged Men’s Club.” Welcome to the club!
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