Keep It 100

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
-Bill Cosby

Greetings folks and welcome to the 100^th edition of “The Diplomat’s Report”. Wow, just saying 100 makes me feel special. I was going to rent out Liv, contract DJ Khaled and Rick Ross for a live performance and throw a huge party. But after consulting my accountant, my bank account and the shoe box in my closet, I realized that was not in the budget. Instead, I’m pouring a bottle of something dark and delicious, raising a glass and giving thanks to God, my family, friends and followers for making this possible. CHEERS!

I’ve been writing for quite some time, yet when I made the decision to go to law school, my passion for writing along with my dreams of becoming a football player and a famous R&B singer went the way of the dodo. After law school I went through some troubling times and was encouraged by a friend to start writing again. After months of encouragement I finally did and what resulted on April 13, 2010 was the first post of this blog entitled “I’m Sorry.” It was viewed by a grand total of 7 people. No, there aren’t any numbers missing and no you didn’t develop an acute form of dyslexia. The numbers were pretty typical, all under 10 views until June of 2010.

Initially the blog wasn’t about the views. It was about me finding my lost passion for writing and getting my thoughts and feelings out of my head and onto the screen. The blog started out as a form of therapy for me and over time it turned into a critique of society, politics and me.

Today, I care a little more about the number of weekly views than I did then, but not much more. As I’ve been doing this for over two years, I’ve learned that the number of views a particular post gets depends on a lot of factors, most of which I don’t care to address week in and week out, just to pat myself on the back because a few people read my blog. What I care about most is my message and sharing it with others. Over the years, it’s been the thanks I’ve received for timely words of advice, consolation and encouragement which have strengthened my resolve to continue to write this blog.  It’s because of you more so than anything that I continue to write.

Reading over the previous 99 blog posts has led me to a few conclusions:

1. I have grown a tremendous amount in the past 2 years;

2. The blog would not be possible without my family, friends and avid readers; and

3. There’s still so much more I can do with this blog.

For those of you who know me best you know that my greatest goal in life is to take over the world. My quest for global domination isn’t to enslave humanity and force them to bow at my feet and feed me grapes. My quest is so that I may be able to travel when I want, enjoy the finer things in life, take care of my family and help others along the way. Today that’s still my goal and it’s something I wake up and work on every day, except Sundays (a man has to have a day off). I believe this blog is a step towards helping me achieve those ends, which is why I continue to write.

The initial lackluster number of page views sometimes felt like rejection. It felt like I had offered the world my life and they snatched it, threw it on the ground and did the Mexican hat dance on it. Over time, I learned to take it for what it was, a challenge. Challenges strengthen us and present opportunities for greatness. For all of the hardships that I have endured in my life I’ve experienced a lot of accomplishments as well. Every challenge and controversy was followed by a subsequent moment of triumph, which allowed me to appreciate the moment so much more. I’m thankful for the great times and appreciative of the not-so-great times because I know both are needed for success.

Admittedly, I’ve experienced a lot of growth between April 2010 and now but by no means am I anywhere near where I want to be as a man, friend, family member and global citizen. I want to be stronger, kinder, more understanding, more humble, rich, and famous with a closet full of Jordan’s (I kid, I kid). Until I’ve reached those goals, I’m going to continue to work on being a better man and I’m going to continue to write.

To those seven of you who have been here from the very beginning, thank you so very much for the inspiration and instilling in me the courage to step out on faith and share my thoughts with the world. To the rest of you that make up the more than 4,300 page views this blog has seen in two years, thank you as well. The initial seven may have jumpstarted this post but you are the lifeline that continues to keep it going. I hope that you continue to read my blog, that you’ll share it with others and grow with me. I love you all. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed! 

History in the Making

History in the Making

His·to·ry   [his-tuh-ree, his-tree]  noun.

1. the branch of knowledge dealing with past events.

2. a continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc., usually written as a chronological account; chronicle: a history of France; a medical history of the patient.

3. the aggregate of past events.

4. the record of past events and times, especially in connection with the human race.

5. a past notable for its important, unusual, or interesting events: a ship with a history.

Greetings folks and welcome to another edition of “The Diplomat’s Report”. I know I left you high and dry last week but I promise I have an excuse. It was a terrible week. Between a never ending commute, tight deadlines at work and life, it was next to impossible to publish last week. But I’m here now.

This past Monday we celebrated the 57^th inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States. We also celebrated the day we remember the birth date of the Father of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On the day we celebrated the second inauguration of the nation’s first Black President, we celebrated the birth of a man assassinated for his belief in the notion “that all men are created equal.” While we commemorated the successful transition of power, we also celebrated the man who helped make that transition of power to a person of color possible. It’s historic.  

History is the branch of knowledge dealing with past events. It’s the study of things that happened that provides us with an appreciation of the present and a better understanding of things to come. We make history every day that we take a breath and every day that the date on the calendar changes. What we did yesterday is now history and what we do today will soon become history as well.

Therefore, yesterday shouldn’t be discarded with the trash never to be seen, heard from, or spoken of again. Yesterday should be treated like a memory, gone but not forgotten, because no matter how good or bad yesterday was there’s always a lesson to be learned. Yesterday a kid learned that 1+1=2, another learned how to spell his own name, while another learned not to touch the hot stove; all valuable lessons. Armed with that knowledge these kids can do quadratic equations, read and write novels and not burn their hand off.

What we do today will be history tomorrow. We can’t waltz through life as if nothing we do matters, as if nothing we do will affect anything or anyone else, or as if nothing we do will impact tomorrow because it will. Every day that we’re alive we’re making history. That is why we should learn to appreciate both the good and the bad events that occur in our lives. While we often have great days, we also have days that absolutely suck; however, we need to appreciate them. From the less than desirable days and events we learn the bounds of our strength, our threshold for pain and that what doesn’t kill us will, in fact, make us stronger. From the great days that make us smile, laugh and enjoy life we learn to appreciate success, we learn to smile and we learn what happiness really means to us. That is why we must consider both the good and the bad times to be important contributions to history. In every event, every setback, every comeback, every firing and every bad grade there is a lesson. What we choose to do with that lesson is on us. We can choose to take the good and the bad, pay close attention to the information they provide and allow it to shape our history or we can choose to ignore it; the choice is yours. But my advice is that we should be careful to note that history ignored and/or forgotten is history that is bound to be repeated.

Don’t let history define you or deter you. Write your own history and define yourself. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!

I Won't Complain

“I used to complain that I didn’t have any shoes, until I met a man that had no feet.”

Greetings folks and welcome to another edition of “The Diplomatic Report.” I’m convinced that I am the friendliest looking person in America. Seriously. No matter how much I may be enjoying my iPod while walking down the street, how engrossed I may appear to be in my book on the metro, or how angry of a black man I may look sometimes in public, people still want to talk to me. For whatever reason, there is something about my appearance or demeanor that says, “Talk to me. I don’t mind.” Every day it seems like I’m starring in another episode of “Strangers in My Space.”

For example, last week I was in the break room at work seeking a reprieve from the monotony of my task at the moment, when a co-worker began to talk to me. Why? Because, like I said, I’m the friendliest looking person in America. This guy began to tell me his life story, which is normally the point in the conversation where I pretend I have a phone call or acute and explosive diarrhea. However, his story was different. His story was about an African refugee who had experienced the highs of having everything and the lows of having nothing. He left his native African country, after his wealth had been taken by the proxy government, with his 2 children and $29. He came here, went to law school full-time, and worked 60 hours a week at 3 different jobs while raising his kids as a single father. With all of that going on, he somehow managed to graduate. Then he sat for the bar and passed the exam, but was denied admission despite having passed the test. He was denied because of debt he accumulated while trying to get his law degree, feed his family and pay the bills. For 2 years he fought with the admissions committee to become a licensed practicing attorney and eventually won.  

However, in the mean time, he had to do something—anything--to feed his two young children and pay the bills. He filled out application after application and was denied and turned away. He eventually came to a point where he could no longer support his family so he sent his two young children to live with a friend in another state so they wouldn’t have to deal with the pain and shame of being evicted and homeless. Once they were in safe care, he was relegated to living in a homeless shelter for 2 months while he attempted to work his way out of debt, homelessness and unemployment.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to get a job for months prior to that moment. He told me of the countless applications he filled out and the hundreds of jobs he was denied because: 1. He wasn’t barred; or 2. Was too qualified. This is the plight of many out of work and displaced attorneys all over the country. To be an attorney without a job is one of the biggest black eyes a professional can have. People assume that you’re either not good enough or overqualified for a particular position, which leaves most smart, qualified, hardworking attorneys unemployed or working out of their field. After a lengthy battle with the bar admissions committee, eventually he was barred and two days later he received an offer for employment.

Despite my initial resistance to talking to this man, I was captivated by his story and inspired to pen this blog. It’s easy to gripe and complain about how terrible things are in our lives and I know for many of us it’s a legitimate gripe. However, there will ALWAYS be someone who has it worse than we do. I’m reminded of a quote that says, “I used to complain that I didn’t have any shoes, until I met a man that had no feet.”

For lack of better words, things suck right now for many of us. Many of us just saw our take home pay get sliced, we’re concerned about whether we’ll be able to pay all of our bills, and we’re worried that Congress’s bickering and petty childish behavior will doom us all to eternal brokeness. Yet and still, we have jobs to do, families to raise and a God to praise in spite of our circumstances. I’ve found that as hard as things are today and as heavy as the burden may weigh right now, it gets a little easier and the load gets a little lighter the further we go.

I’ve been bent but never broken. I’ve been knocked around and knocked down, but always made it to my feet before the end of the standing 8 count. I’ve been fatigued but I’ve never quit. We must find the will, the determination, the strength and the faith to continue because trouble won’t last always. The Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.” If your life seems dark right now it just means the sun hasn’t risen on your circumstances just yet. But don’t quit before dawn. Hold on, welcome the challenges, and see if you won’t be better for it in the end. Without controversy or strife there be can be no progress, no growth, no glory.

I hope the first two weeks of the New Year find you doing well and that the next fifty weeks are even better. As a public service announcement, if you like what you read, please feel free to drop a line in the comment section below, pass it along to a friend, family member or stranger, or start following the blog (look to the left of the blog). Thanks for the LOVE! Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!

Happy New Year

Greetings folks and Happy New Year! I’m back from my holiday vacation and I’ve kind of, sort of missed you. Yes, you too. I hope everyone has been resting or partying to their heart’s content and is ready to get down to the business that 2013 has for us. Last year was a rough year for me and talking to friends, readers and complete strangers, I’ve learned that I wasn’t the only one. There were ups and downs, mountains and valleys, laughter and tears and roadside ditches. Yet through it all we made it and we’re much better off for it.

I can honestly say that I’m a better man because of the trials and tribulations of 2012 and if I had an opportunity I wouldn’t change a thing. Adversity builds character and conflict gives us the opportunity to be great. I’ve never been one for ordinary so if it takes me getting knocked down, to get back up and step into greatness then so be it. I welcome the challenge.

Through my reading, I’ve found that many people either love or loathe New Year’s resolutions and that there aren’t many people who sit in between. There’s the faction who believe they don’t need the passage of time to resolve to do a new thing and I tip my hat to them. Then there are those who, were it not for every January, probably wouldn’t resolve to do much. I don’t wait until January 1^st to declare my goals or intentions for the upcoming year because mine are always evolving. However, I do take advantage of the yearly tradition to see where I’ve been and where I’m going. Regardless of what camp you lie in when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I think it’s important that we set goals for ourselves and that once we set them we Think them, Believe them and Do them. Resolutions are just empty promises if we don’t think they’re plausible, believe we can accomplish them and then actually follow through.

As I’ve done every year since starting this blog, I’ll share some of my resolutions with you. Again, this isn’t my complete list as some of them are rather personal and I’d much rather keep those between me and God. Without further ado here are my 2013 Resolutions.

1. Grow

Anything that isn’t continually growing is dying and I’m not ready to die yet. Despite my accomplishments, I’m not nearly satisfied and I’m eager to see what happens next. I’m not always the easiest person in the world to deal with and my family and friends can attest to that. I know that the man I am today isn’t the man for the job tomorrow, but that the man of tomorrow isn’t that far away from me. Accordingly, I plan to read more, write more, learn more, and share more in hopes of being a better me.  

     2.  Get Published

I enjoy writing and have since I was a little kid. Part of the impetus for this blog was to get my thoughts out and get back to writing. I did a lot of writing in law school but not the fun and enjoyable kind I did prior to law school. Writing this blog has allowed me to find my passion for it again and my desire to share my thoughts with the world. So, I’m working on a manuscript for a romance novel meets crime drama meets whatever the genre Steven King writes. I’m kidding, but there is a manuscript in the works and I’ll be taking pre-orders tomorrow at your local corner store.

3.   Community Outreach

The Bible says, “To whom much is given, much is required.” I consider myself to be blessed and highly favored and God reminds me of it every day. However, living the life that I live and working the hours that I work often leaves little time to help others. What is life about if we aren’t helping others? Yes, I love a fine timepiece as much as the next man (maybe a little more) and I prefer 12 year old Scotch to liquor that comes in plastic bottles. However, I know that I can’t take any of that with me when I’m gone. My legacy, my impact, my gift to the world will be in what I leave behind. So, for every dollar that I make, every hour that I spend at work and every gift that I buy for me, I’ll take a fraction and give back. I think it’s important to give both time and money because neither alone is enough to help solve the world’s problems so I’m pledging to give both.

These are just a few of the goals I’ve set for myself for 2013. I hope that they inspire you to set your own and hold yourself accountable as I’ve done here, so publicly with mine. My hope for all my readers in 2013 is that you’re blessed beyond measure, that this is your best year yet and that you don’t sell yourself short. THINK you can, BELIEVE you can, and then DO it! Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!