Gentleman's Code;Culture & Trends

What is a ride or die chick?

2011-12-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

A ride or die chick will always be by your side as long as your productive and focusing on your dreams. So many females only want materialistic items, and those are not the type of females that will assist you in your goals. When I was younger, I tried to appease females by spending unnecessary money on clothes, drinks, and parties. A true profound woman will understand that you may not be able to obtain the most lavish things in life at the moment, but one day you will be at the top of your industry. When the times come when you are extremely successful, she will be right by your side as she always have been. So to all my male followers, make sure your girl is there for you through the and tribulations and the glory.

How Rejection Is One Of The Greatest Gifts In Life…

2011-12-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Rejection is something that all humans fear, and want absolutely nothing to do with. As I was driving home from work the other day, I started to understand how much of an important component rejection is to the makeup of success. Ever since I graduated from college, I have had endless amount of rejection letters from jobs I have always dreamed of one day working for. I started to view all the rejection letters as gifts that will help guide me to a road of success and prosperity. We sometime believe in our individual talents so much that we are blinded to the real reality of circumstance. I took all the rejection letters I received, and I placed them on my wall as tools that can help me become the best candidate for my dream job. Through my continuous journey of grasping a lucrative career job, I found that I may not truly be ready to handle the responsibility of a high ranking position.

To all my followers, take the rejections you receive in life as blessings. If you never know what rejection feels and taste like, you can never truly understand the sweetness of success and achievement. I know I have been busy dealing with various situations in my career, but I will be updating my blog several times a week. I have some great topics that will be explored and address on Culture Trends during and after the holiday season.

NFL Week 12

2011-12-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

We are heading down the stretch run of the NFL season, and boy was week 12 intriguing. The New York Giants were dominated by an explosive New Orleans Saints team. On every aspect of the ball, the Giants were manhandled from the 1^st quarter to the 4^th. The Giants have now lost three straight games, and they have played their way out of first place in The NFC East. The Saints have become a team that no one wants to face in the playoffs due to their high powered offense. The Saints defense is not intimidating by any means, but they can make enough plays to get the job done. The dome in New Orleans is the main reason why many think the Saints are going to be such a dangerous team when January comes. The football world would be intrigued to see a week one rematch of The Green Bay Packers against The New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship.

I have to give credit to NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and The NY Jets offense for their great comeback against The Buffalo Bills. The Jets offense looked out of sync for the majority of the game, and boos were flying all over Met Life stadium. Mark Sanchez drove the Jets down the field in the 4^th quarter to give the Jets a 28 24 advantage. The Jets improved to 6-5, and are still in the hunt for their third consecutive playoff birth. Jets fans can’t be too happy because its still looks their beloved team has a lot of work to do to become a wildcard team. The Lions also have a long way to go to become playoff eligible, and I’m glad that Ndamukong Suh has been suspended for numerous games. I am all for toughness in football, but when you cross the line I am not longer in your favor. Suh may have easily cost The Lions several games, and their first playoff birth since 1999.

The Indianapolis Colts lost their 11^th straight regular season game last Sunday when they were defeated by The Carolina Panthers. The Colts seem to have lost all their confidence, and even Peyton Manning could help heal the wounds of Colts fans. Next year, The Colts will have a tough decision to make due to the fact that they will have the # 1 pick in the NFL draft. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be selected #1 and Peyton Manning will have to battle him for the starting quarterback spot next year. Andrew Luck will not sit years on the sideline and watch Manning play due to the trend of rookies starting during week 1. The Colts have been one of the stables in all of football, and I’m ashamed to see this franchise go down the embarrassing and disgraceful road of a winless season.

Finally, The Philadelphia Eagles are the biggest disappointments of the entire NFL season. If Eagles head coach is retained as the head coach, the Eagles front office is sending the wrong message to fans. The Eagles have had bad season previous to this one, but they have always played hard because they armored the famed Eagle uniform. Maybe next year, The Eagles wont proclaim themselves as dream team (have they not watch the Miami Heat) because placing more emphasis on your team is not always good. There will be changes in Philly next year, and the first change should be with Andy Reid because he has outstayed his welcome.

Nate’s Friday Reflection: Occupy Wall Street

2011-11-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of days, I have witness supporters of Occupy Wall Street treated as animals by the police force in this country. The last of my knowledge, I thought that it was our right as Americans to protest against anything we felt was inadequate, as long as we did so in a humane peaceful manner. The demographic of Americans that are promoting and supporting Occupy feel as though this country has neglected them in their most time of need. When I hear about the large population of people with lavish collegiate degrees and years of experience that are out of work, I begin to become frustrated and confused. It seems as the rich and powerful are keeping their circle private, and the majority of the masses are falling at the waist side of corporate greed.

Greed has made this confrontation between Occupy and corporate dictatorship a national dilemma. There are always going to be citizens that are hammered by the despair of poverty, but the percentage has to come down in order for America to strive as a force in the international landscape. The Occupy supporters have been trying to force America to see the error of their ways, but police are physically trying to interfere with their profound protest. I urge all my followers to take some time to understand the Occupy movement because this battle of control between the power and the powerless affects you even if you are oblivious to the epic confrontation. This revolution is highly televised, and the results are highly imperative to the future of this nation.

Penn State Scandal

2011-11-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Have you ever walked in the shadow of a giant? We all use to think of famed Pennsylvania State head football coach Joe Paterno as a football giant who is the face of college football. In the last couple of days, the eyes of the world have been placed upon state college. Numerous boys have been molested by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky who is the beyond scum. I don’t understand how some people can really defend Joe Paterno. Joe Paterno knew about young boys being sexually violated, and done absolutely nothing about it. In a year, where several collegiate colleges have been terminated of their duties due to the fact that they had violated NCAA rules, Paterno gets an unfair pass.

How can Paterno still receive the privilege of coaching the remainder of the season when he enabled a sexual predator to prey on innocent children? I always admire Paterno for the way he carried the Penn State program in an area where cheating and fraud has been injected into the core of college athletics. This scandal has made me believe that Paterno is nothing more that a shameful child predator enabler. I don’t blame the young graduate assistant that witnessed the sick molestation of a child by the sorry Jerry Sandusky. That graduate assistant had no power to truly affect a change in the disgusting actions within the football program. Joe Paterno is the one to blame because he is the most important figure in Pennsylvania, and he held the hammer that could have destroyed the predator and his animalistic behavior.

A lot of college football fanatics feel betrayed by Penn State and Joe Paterno. How can Penn State honestly go into a recruits home and preached honor, trust and decorum? This situation will affect and hurt the football program for an extensive period if not forever. I truly feel bad for the seniors of the football program who last home game at happy valley will be bombarded with negativity and darkness. Paterno coaching on Saturday is just another example of how selfish of a man he is. If Paterno really cared about his seniors, he would step down and not coach on Saturday in order to allow the seniors to enjoy their four years of dedication and hard work on during their senior day football game. I would be surprise if anybody could care less whether Nebraska is coming to Happy Valley for the first time since they were supplemented into the Big Ten conference.

I am glad we finally see Joe Paterno for what he truly is. He is a man that only cares about image not morals. I don’t understand what kind of man stands asides and allow children to be scarred for life. All of the positive elements that Paterno has injected into the core of college football have been forgotten by his negligence. Anyone who can support Paterno has to take a cold hard look in the mirror and ask what if one of the boys that were molested were your son, cousin, brother, or friend? I hope that Penn State terminates Paterno of his coaching duties immediately because it’s the right and humane thing to do.

Kyrie Irving Interview

2011-10-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

I sat down with Cleveland Cavalier star Kyrie Irving to better understand what fuels this great guard from West Orange, New Jersey. Irving also discusses the value he places on hard work and education. The humble star was a pleasure to interview, and I know he will do great in the National Basketball Association.

Irving is always on the road preparing for his startup season in the National Basketball Association. While he is away from his home state, I was curious about his process of maintaining his hair?

“I make it a point to come home every month to get my hair cut because Fresh the barber always does an incredible job on my head. So every month, I make it my priority to get home and pay Fresh the barber a visit”.

NC: Where are you originally from?

Irving: I was born in Australia, and I moved to Newark, New Jersey when I was a child. I later moved to West Orange after my stay in Newark.

NC: What age did you fall in love with the game of basketball?

Irving: I would have to say it was in the sixth grade when I knew I wanted to play the game of basketball.

NC: What do you say to young kids that inspire to play in the NBA?

Irving: Maintaining a high work ethic, and appreciate the game. My dad always helped me to understand how imperative the lessons from the game of basketball had to do with lessons in life.

NC: What are you doing while The National Basketball Association is in a lockout?

Irving: I workout in Miami, Florida with other NBA players, and I’m also attending classes at Duke University.

NC: That’s great that you are still attempting to pursue your education

Irving: Yes most definitely, education has and will always be a major priority in my life

NC: What do you think you can bring to The Cleveland Cavalier Franchise?

Irving: I think I can bring great focus and drive to the franchise. I want to be a great player in this league, and only being 19 years of age, I want to learn as much as I can about the game. I want to make the Cavaliers a contender on a yearly basis.

Controlling Your Destiny/We the People…

2011-10-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Our destiny is in our hands on an everyday basis. You may think that your future is not based on your individual talent, but it truly is. The followers of the Occupy Wall Street Movement have been able to transform the direction of

America

. During a period where the rich are becoming more and greedier by the minute; the working class has decided to step up and combat corporate greed. Massive Corporations in

America

have no comprehension on the damage their greed constructs due to their selfish nature. The Occupy Wall Street movement has enabled the underdogs in this country to voice their opinions and views about America. As I witness this imperative movement, I sit and wonder about the notion of "controlling your own destiny". The underdogs in this country can no longer let the powers that be control the economical structure in this country anymore. There are millions of jobless Americans who are far more talented and qualified than some of the largest corporate officers

I hope all my followers learn from Occupy Wall Street and the movement that is penetrating American cities by the day. You must take your destiny and create your own brand because creativity is imperative in this country. There are so many avenues in which you can promote your specific talents and creative voice. The fear of my generation is the horrendous economy, but change is on the horizon. Even if you are unemployed or lost in your career journey, don’t let your situation define you. You are not defined by this economy because movements like Occupy Wall Street are driving the social and economical transformation of America. I am still working on my career on a daily basis, and I will never stop until I reached my full potential. If you have time, I highly recommend that you create your own brand, and learn more about The Occupy Wall Street movement.

Keep Climbing up the Lord’s Ladder.

With all the debates going on between the democratic and republican parties leading up to the election; it makes me think about this country and what “We the People” really means. In the early stages of these debates we see different members of the same political party at each others throats trying to throw one another under a bus just in order to make it to the next round and possibly become the leader of this nation that is in deep trouble. The morals apparently have been swiped off the table and it’s turned into an every man for himself battle. That’s just the thing that bothers me; these candidates are switching their stance on issues, fighting with people in their own parties, and trying to win the hearts of the American people so that they can have the ultimate power.

We shouldn’t forget all these things when we go to the polls to vote for our next president, these candidates are phony and will do anything just to win; what about US? We the people are the ones struggling, unemployed, and losing our houses while they are spending millions of money on their campaigns alone. Do they really mean everything they are saying up on that stage? I don’t think they do, how many presidents actually do what they say they will when they are running. I think this country definitely needs a president but I also believe that we need a new way of passing certain laws and bills in this country. Yea congress is great and mighty but they can’t pass anything, they only care about not letting the other party achieve their goals. These childish mentalities are the same reasons I believe this country almost went into default this past summer. This deadlock war in congress makes me believe that the American people are not achieving or gaining anything to help us by leaving it up to these leaders to get it done.

In my mind there is a completely better way of getting things done, as Americans we want improvements, we want jobs, and we want to see this economy turn around. What does congress want? They want to hold the other political party from achieving their goal. IT DOESN’T ADD UP. I propose an idea that since we get to elect these congress people and they aren’t doing what they said they would, we the people should stand in as congress ourselves. Since we are the ones hurting, we should be the ones voting on bills and laws to get passed; NOT congress who are millionaires and don’t see the real tribulations of the American people. As Americans we come together to vote once every four years for a new president, I doubt it would be hard to pull us all together to vote on different bills once every six months. This would allow for the American people to gain and demonstrate what they want achieved, because let’s face it the congress members we elect aren’t getting anything done to help us out. We the People need to become once again the decision makers in this country that we live in, work in, struggle in, and die in; NOT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO LIED TO US JUST TO GET INTO POWER. We all know what we want individually, we all know what we need individually, they don’t know US, WE SHOULD BE THE ONES VOTING FOR OURSELVES.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s…One man may come up with an idea that changes the world, BUT it is the world that must accept the idea and change

Three Effective Date Tips for Guys on First Dates

2011-10-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

1. Have reliable transportation.

A date can go really sour if you don’t have proper transportation for a date. One of the biggest turnoffs for women is men who fail to have sufficient transportation. Even if you have to borrow or rent a car, make sure you have transportation for your lovely date.

2. Make sure you wear cologne

I know you are thinking what guy doesn’t wear cologne on a date? You will be surprised how many males fail to wear a charming fragrance on dates. Even if you can’t afford expensive cologne, you can use samples from magazines. All females adore guys that smell refreshing and unique. You can even find some great smelling cologne online for half the price that you will pay at a high end store.

3. No Thirstiness

One of the main problems in dating now days is the thirstiness of males for sex. No respectable female wants to be treated like a piece of sexual meat. A date can go really south if a female feels that all you truly want is sexual intimacy. You should always treat a female with respect, and get to know here before you try to take things to the next level.

To Be Perfect or Not To Be Perfect/Count Your Blessings

2011-10-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Throughout our years as children growing up we are always told that no one is perfect. Contradictory there is the saying “ practice makes perfect”. We all know that practice makes perfect pertaining only to what you are practicing and not as a whole. This is not what I’m concerned about though, the problem that I’m having with growing up and being told that no one is perfect is troublesome for a couple reasons. Is it discouraging or encouraging to know that no one is perfect? If you know that the person next to you is not perfect does it discourage you not to try as hard to be better then them or better at all because you know that you will never achieve the highest excellence? Or does it encourage you to try and be the best and prove the proverb wrong?

Well lets face it, Perfect has no standards, one person may think they are perfect but another person may view them as not perfect. No Standards lead to an inconsistency of the very thing that everyone strives to always be. Another issue I have is this, in society we know that everyone makes mistakes and is not perfect but why then do we crucify those who are in top power for making mistakes and not being perfect. Look at the news, everyday there is always some kind of new story digging up old dirt to make a presidential candidate look bad for some mistake they did in the past. WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN NO ONE IS PERFECT BUT YET WE CRUCIFY THE LEADERS IN THE WORLD FOR THEIR MISTAKES. I know for a fact that if I ever wanted to run for president of America that I would be discouraged because of this fact alone. America wants to teach one thing but expects another from its leaders.

I’ve made mistakes in my life, almost all of us have; does this mean we are not legitimate candidates for high positions in society? Let’s be real, America and it’s high society looks for its perfect candidates all across the board whether it be institutions, politics, corporations; Why is that? Is it that fear that a non-perfect image in power will encourage other non perfect people that they can too be something great regardless of the mistakes they had made in the past? I know one thing is for sure, I’m NOT perfect but I definitely want to be something great in my lifetime. If these high societies judge and weed out the “non-perfect” candidates then I will make it in my own society because after all….

Only God Can Judge Me.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s…Why are we teaching our kids and the next generation things that aren’t true? I know they say that the truth hurts, but sometimes being told things other then the truth and finding out the real truth when we grow older hurts FAR WORSE.

Last Sunday, I was walking to my car from a great service at church feeling inspired and rejuvenated. A man followed me to my car, and I was wondering what did he want from me? My sister told the man to have a good day and get home safe. The man replied by saying I have no home, and no money to find my way. My sister gave the man some financial compensation, and he was very touched and moved by my sister’s gratitude. I began thinking during that moment about all the blessings that we take for granted. Everyday we sit and complain about not having various things we want in life, but we never sit and appreciate how truly bless we are. I even fall into the trap of constantly complaining about issues and dilemmas that are truly trivial compared to so many other Americans who fail to even have sufficient housing or food supply.
I suggest that we all just sit down once a day and reflect on how bless we truly are. It’s only human nature to want to have the finer things in life, but let’s not forgot about how lucky we are to have food on our table, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads. You may not have the car you want, or the lifestyle you dream of, but you are truly blessed. Imagine what it feels like to wonder where your next meal is going to come from, or where you are going to lay your head at night? Those are scary situations that millions of Americans deal with on a daily basis. Once we begin to appreciate what we have, then we can focus on building to our futures.

“If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it”.
Michael Jordan

Until next time, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Live From Barnes and Nobles Part 1/ Apple Didn’t Release Any New Products…

2011-10-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is first post written live from Barnes and Nobles in Middlesex, New Jersey. I was reading an intriguing book constructed by actor and lawyer Hill Harper, and I wanted to share some of the information I obtained from the book with my followers. The book was titled The Wealth Cure, and it’s a very intense and eye-opening narration. I ordered my usual chocolate smoothie with extra chocolate chips on the top. I found a great seat, and I began my journey into the fascinating world of literature. As I was reading, I soon found out what wealth and happiness truly means. You can be financially poor, but be the wealthiest person on this earth. True wealth is a combination of health and common sense.

A person can have all of the money in the world, and a devastating disease such as cancer can consume their body. When you are battling a dangerous disease such as cancer, everything in life is placed on a perspective pedestal. All the money in the world can’t make the disease go away. Money is very powerful, but having ideal health is far more important. The lesson I learned from that part of The Wealth Cure is as humans we strive to live for money and material items. We should sit back and contemplate are own well being because you can’t have money if you are six feet under.

Part 2 of Live from Barnes and Nobles will focus on the topic of finding love in all the wrong places. Remember followers; keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Today October 4^th was extremely hyped up all across America and possibly the world. Apple the leading company in innovative technological products said they were going to hold a conference “Let’s Talk Iphone”. For months since the leaking of another iphone at bar in California, people have been going extremely wild to get their hands on a new iphone. Since June of 2010 when apple released their iphone 4, people knew that they were already beginning to work on their next product. Apple is a mega corporation that has every intention to please its followers and consumers.

Think about how bad it would hurt their company if they were to take a hiatus and not release a new iphone within 4 years from 2010. People and consumers would be furious and probably search for something better and new. With the extremely high hype over this “iphone” that was found at a California bar, apple had to make moves. Was this new phone that was discovered actually the prototype for the iphone 5 which wasn’t supposed to be discovered until next year? Or was this really a half series makeshift phone they were going to call the iphone 4s. I mean this new 4s that was just released today was nothing extremely interesting to me, a better camera, a new voice recognition, and other small new features but nothing that blew me away.
Was this a product that had to be released early and didn’t fully get time to develop into the next best thing just because it was leaked? What I mean is, since Apple is such a leading corporation and a new product was leaked they felt like they had to give the world something they were yearning for. If they were to hold off and not release any iphone for a couple more months then the hype around their company and product might have been lost. Excellent marketing tactics by Apple, they possibly decided to just release an Iphone that wasn’t perfected or fully developed just in order to hold off their consumers…well and make a couple million off a new product!. There’s no doubt in my head that this was a release that was months too early. The product doesn’t excite me because I have an iphone and the new features of the 4s aren’t anything that has me saying “wow I need to sell my phone and go buy this new one”. Instead I’m saying that apples marketing team did phenomenal but their developers dropped the ball on this new iphone.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s. any comments I know you have some about this topic… one thing in life to remember always is that … anything rushed was never worth the wait!

NFL Week 4 Preview

2011-10-03T22:28:00.001-07:00

The 4^th week in the National Football League opened my eyes about various teams, and their chances of having a successful and productive season. I have to start with The Philadelphia Eagles losing to a much inferior team in The San Francisco 49ers. Michael Vick threw for four hundred yards, and gained 75 yards rushing during the duration of the contest. The San Francisco 49ers ran all over the Philly defense on Sunday and the acquisitions from the offseason are not playing up to their potential or lengthy contracts. The Eagles turned the ball over three times during the game, and the 49ers were able to capitalize on the foolish mistakes made by Philadelphia. I have to give credit to Jim Harbaugh because he has changed the culture in San Francisco by instilling a winning mentality to a franchise trying to make the playoffs for the first time in over five years.

The most interesting game in week 4 occurred in the house that Jerry Jones built. The Dallas Cowboys dominated the first half of the game, and it looked like The Detroit Lions weren’t ready for the big stage. In the second half, Tony Romo made several costly and erratic decisions with the football. The interceptions thrown by Tony Romo could have been prevented if Tony didn’t believe that he was the second coming of Bret Favre. The brilliant first half by Tony Romo was overshadowed by a dreadful three interception second half. The Detroit Lions are the new bullies on the block, and they are playing with an extreme amount of swagger and confidence. Lion’s quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns in huge spots during the game on Sunday, and he looks like he is finally living up to his number 1 draft selection from a few years ago. The best quarterback to receiver tandem in the NFL right now is Stafford to the insanely talented wide out Calvin I am turning into the best receiver in football Johnson.

I have to give credit to Eli Manning and his great play in the fourth quarter against The Cardinals on Sunday. I have been extremely critical of Eli since he came into the league in 2004. Last Sunday, (in the same arena where Eli won a Super bowl) a certain magic was able to come over #10. The magic almost didn’t occur due to surprisingly productive wide out Victor Cruz losing the ball during a crucial part of the game in the fourth quarter. The referees declared that Cruz gave himself up, and no fumble occurred. The New York Giants drive continued climaxing in a touchdown pass to under rated wide out Hakeem Nicks. The New York Giants have proven to me that they are the best team right now in the NFC East, and that they are mentality tough. Osi Umenyiora is back on the defensive line, and he looked very active and intense on the field in Glendale. The NFC better be aware of big blue, because they are a very dangerous football team.

College football fanatics the wait and anticipation is over. Here are my top ten candidates for the Heisman Trophy.

Russell Wilson- Wisconsin Badgers
Robert Griffin III- Baylor Bears
Marcus Lattimore- South Carolina Gamecocks
Trent Richardson- Alabama Crimson Tide
Andrew Luck- Stanford Cardinals
Laundry Jones- Oklahoma Sooners
Brandon Weeden- Oklahoma State Cowboys
Tyrann Mathieu- Louisiana State Tigers
Ray Graham- Pittsburg Panthers
Kellen Moore- Boise State Broncos

It was never about making a dollar to me/Living out of your financial means…..

2011-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

As a society, we are pronged to want the lavish things in this life. As I sit and ponder about the importance of financial stability, I notice that so many people are living beyond their economic means. Why buy a BMW, when you can’t even afford to move out of your parent’s house? I witness people throw hundreds of dollars at the club every weekend, but don’t even have sufficient enough funds to invest in their future. Those hundreds of dollars could be spent on a book that gives you the instructions on how to turn those hundred dollars wasted in the club into thousands of dollars.

The “Keeping up with the Jones “syndrome is a disease that affects millions of Americans everyday. As I began to read more, I develop the ability to understand that lavish items should only be purchased by financially secure individuals. Ever since I graduated, I have been able to comprehend the value of a dollar because unemployment has attacked the college graduate community throughout this country like never before. The people that live beyond their means are destroying their abilities to be productive and invest their money. A financially stable person creates a productive financial backbone for themselves and their offspring. You can’t live like Jay z or P Diddy when you’re only making thirty to thirty five thousand a year. I would much rather have 10,000 dollars saved in my bank account, then obtaining a brand new 2012 Audi A6 without being able to have sufficient funds in my bank account.

If you never have that luxury car or house you have craved all your life, don’t worry because financial stability is far more important. It’s ok to treat yourself to something nice from time to time, but do it in financial moderation. Living out of your financial means is a road leading to money quandaries and insurmountable debt.

I grew up in a very blessed lifestyle, but I was raised to be humble about my life’s style.

Growing up was something out of a dream to me. Yea there are some hard times but growing up I heard of other people’s problems that I never had to experience myself. Does it make me less of a man to acknowledge that I never had to worry about money? I don’t think so. Does it make me less of a man to acknowledge that I never lived in a ghetto?. I definitely don’t think so. To me, I never considered what I had or have to be superior to where I WANT to be. Being raised in such a blessed lifestyle I was able to see things, do things, and have things a lot of other people my age have never done before, let alone people who are in their 60’s. For this reason, and many others I write to express what my life is like. There is not enough money is this world that can make me change my lifestyle. I like for the good, I do things for the better needs of the world. There’s many days I wake up and think to myself what am I going to do with my life. I achieved my degree, I have a career, and I’m living comfortably; but I find myself seeking to do more. I want to make a difference in my lifetime, it doesn’t have to be drastic or even acknowledged by anyone but I just want to do it. Coming from a blessed lifestyle and always having money around you makes you learn that there are people with diseases and illnesses that will never get to see the sights I’ve seen. They are completely powerless to those diseases and no matter how strong they are physically and emotionally they still may succumb to those illnesses. What I want to work on, it’s a goal to raise some money (one dollar, two dollars, 2 million dollars it doesn’t matter) to put towards foundations in order to possibly find a cure for some diseases. Every time you go to the store and they ask for a dollar extra and you say NO, I can’t blame you…I do it as well. I don’t know why I don’t feel like giving a giant corporation my dollar but I feel like I could raise the money myself and feel better about doing it. You many not know somebody with an illness or disease but then again you’re still living and it may be you one day, it may be your child, your spouse, your parents. Lets start now and raise some money to protect our future by donating some money to research in hopes that they can find a cure for some diseases. Being pro active is the way to better protect yourself. NO MONEY IN THE WORLD CAN MAKE ME EVER WANT TO RID MYSELF OF THIS GOAL. I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY GIVING BACK!

Sincere,

LIfE.

P.s. I’m launching a lipstick line for breast cancer awareness month and I will be selling each lipstick for 5$ and all the profits will go to a breast cancer research foundation. I will post a website where you can buy them from next week. LET’S MAKE THE WORLD A BEAUTIFUL PLACE It was never about making a dollar to me, it was always about making a difference.

Nightmares after College…..

2011-09-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Millions and Millions of college graduates around

America

are dealing with the stress of surviving in this economy. Making an investment of 80,000 plus should allow you to at least live comfortably and enjoy the fruits of your collegiate dedication. Life after college is not a dream, its way more of a nightmare. You have college graduates working at retail jobs because they can barely even find internships let alone full time paying gigs. A lot of college graduates don’t have the luxury of having parents that will aid them financially during these hard times. The funny thing is that I was really contemplating going back to school to receive my Master’s degree.

College is supposed to be the pathway to a tremendous career that you will love and adore. College seems to have turned into the pathway into financial and career frustration. What is to become of this nightmare? The economy has to recover to allow college graduates the ability to build a foundation for themselves. When you invest thousands of dollars into a service (college is a service), you should be able to at least reap some of the benefits from your investment into that service. Hopefully, more college graduates will start to visualize prosperity instead of post collegiate nightmares.

Three Best Ways To Combat Nightmares After College

1. Participate in local and national networking events

2. Create a blog or website to showcase creative content

3. Connect with a Mentor in the field that you obtained your degree in

Until next time, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

What Has Happened To Black Pride?

2011-09-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I was finally able to view the impactful movie about African American maids better know as The Help. As I was in the process of viewing the movie, I saw numerous black figures that prided themselves in representing their culture and their community in a strong fashion. I look at my generation, and I see that we are totally lost as African Americans. The African American community has lost their core values and basic standards. Young black men gravitate to negative figures such as Lil Wayne because there is a shortage of prideful successful black men in their lives. African American men such as President Obama and Tyler Perry should be uplifted instead of figures that only promote black degradation.

In numerous black communities around America, you see African Americans that place no value in education or business etiquette. Why are there no stores in black communities that specialize in business attire for the corporate world? The reason is because establishments know that there is no need for those types of businesses in the black community because African Americans don’t place a heavy emphasis on the corporate world. That’s where the importance of education takes precedent because without an education you can’t insert yourself into the fabric of Corporate America. Living in an urban neighborhood my entire life, education has been placed on the backburner in the minds of numerous African Americans in this country. In other cultures, education is the primary priority because education represents stability and intellectual growth.

In order for the black community to be transformed into a proud and prosperous fraction of America, there has to be tremendous changes. The household needs to change into a family atmosphere. The father portion of the house hold needs to be a constant because it really does take a village to raise a child. The idealization of celebrity figures needs to be eradicated because they don’t have an invested interest in the followers of their certain craft. I just hope that we will made the necessary changes before it is drastically too late.

Three Essential Interviewing Tips……

2011-08-29T12:43:00.001-07:00

Three Essential Interviewing Tips……

1. Confidence- When you enter an interview, confidence is a key because you have to show your potential employer that you are confident in your abilities to transform the company to new heights. If you enter into an interview and your not able to answer the interviewer questions without seeming nervous or falling all over your words, it’s going to be hard to persuade any potential employer you’re the right candidate for the job vacancy.

2. Engage your interviewer- Many people have the misconception that they are the only ones that are competing for specific jobs. Job interviewers have to go through tons of interviewees before making an accurate decision on who will be hired. If you’re going on a job interview, you have to be able to engage and connect with your potential employee. If you are boring or not engaging with the person that is interviewing you, they will not even registered you as a potential employee once the interview reaches a closure.

3. Be Professional At All Times- When you have a job interview, always insert professionalism into your presentation towards your potential employer. Don’t go to the club or get intoxicated the night before a big interview. When you are taking public transportation, always allot time for miscues and accidents. Take a few minutes to also look up the vision statement and the background of the company prior to the interview. If you can depict and converse to the interviewer about some of the essential values and the vision of the company, your chances of capturing the job are greatly enhanced.
Until next time, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment”. Oprah Winfrey

Complacency 2

2011-08-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

Complacency has become a fabric that is tattooed within the human autonomy.
The city where I lay my head at on a daily basis is a direct definition of the word complacency. When I ride around in my city, I see men and women who only aspiration in this journey called life is to just get by. When we become complacent, our abilities to think critically for ourselves are eradicated. In my community, I have witnessed promising young men and women lose out on their dreams, because they are complacent with their circumstances. I take a look in the mirror of my city and see how complacency has made education and prosperity vanished into the night. Last Monday, my car broke down, and I was located in East Brunswick, New Jersey. The AAA man came within fifteen minutes, and the road tech gave my car a full diagnosis. In Irvington, my family and I waited over two hours for the road side service that my mother pays for on a yearly basis. The difference between white and black can be felt so heavily during those two occasions. We must gain the ability to become more creative beings that define our own legacy and not wait on others to bail us out from being an adult.

Looking into the mirror of the future, I see that the city I call home will fall deeper into the arms of complacency. I see the residents of my city running into the arms of complacency like a kid that runs into their parent’s arms after a long day of school. When I was younger, I never knew why people feared the city of Irvington, NJ. As I see things through adult glasses, I see that my city has allowed programs such as welfare and section 8 to disconnect the positive cords that we once had with prospering neighboring communities such as Short Hills, Livingston, and Montclair. Until next week, reach for your dreams and keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Moving Out and Life

2011-08-16T09:21:00.001-07:00

Moving Out…
Ever since a couple weeks ago when I received the amazing news that my girlfriend had gotten a job as a teacher for the upcoming year, I’ve been on the hunt to move out with her and get an apartment. I wasn’t expecting it to be this hard or this scary quite frankly though. There are so many different aspects of moving out that are hidden behind the idea of moving out. I thought a week or two into it, we would have found an ideal apartment in a nice town and already planning to move in next week. Unfortunately, things aren’t as easy as they seem. Who would have known it was so hard to get your ideal apartment without paying an arm and a leg. I mean with the way the economy is right now, I was expecting places that were newer to be cutting a break on prices…Wrong. Looking for an apartment has not only become an urgent matter to us, but now has become like a second job. Searching endless hours, visiting different towns and apartment complexes, two family houses, and quite frankly wasting time on places that shouldn’t even be considered rentable. We have until September 1st ideally or latest September 15th to find a place that fits out wants and its taking a toll on us physically and emotionally. Who would have ever thought that it was going to be such a struggle to find a place to move out to? Another thing that has come into play is determining how much we can afford a month to spend on rent and being real with what we can get for that amount. It’s becoming a harsh wake up call to us because we were looking for certain things out of an apartment and the realization that we can’t afford those luxuries is scary. It has me thinking about Americans that are of my generation; not many of my friends, my age have an apartment…NOT ANY to be exact. I look at my own family my two older sisters are working and barely saving enough money to afford rent if they needed to move out. What is in the future for my generation? Will we ever be able to afford to move out? Will we ever be able to move out and save money to put towards a down payment on a house? Will we ever be able to get a mortgage even if we do save up a down payment? It is truly scary to think about all of the different things that come into the picture because of how much uncertainty comes with moving out for the first time. Still on the search but I know one thing is for sure…I WILL NEVER KNOW UNLESS I DO.
SINCERE,
LIfE

P.s…Where the rainbow meets the pot of gold is not where the treasure lays, it is within the beauty of the arch…appreciate the beauty of things not the value.

LIFE
So there is this thing called life that we have experience from birth. There is a certain path that was preset for us by people who came before us. We have a certain destiny that has been set for us to follow. Now whether we go along with that path or try and create one for ourselves is up to us. Everyone has a certain mind set about life and what it does to a person as a individual or a whole. In Life, we all have to test the waters to find where and what we want to do. Take every step as it comes along in life and take the necessary steps you need to make it.

Three Quick Ways To Make It In This Horrendous Economy.

2011-08-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

1. Cut back on unnecessary pleasures- During this economic storm, cut back on various unnecessary pleasures that you don’t need. We all love to go out and drink and have a good time, but you can insert that money into greater causes. That money you would have spent at the bar (if you’re a guy on pretty ladies at the bar) could have filled your gas tank up for the entire week. It is also no shame in wearing what you have in your closet because fashion comes and go, but a maintaining a good budget can last a lifetime.

2. Develop a Hustler’s Mentality- The economy is terrible, and you have to be able to create various tactics to create extra change in your pocket. A great way to pick up change is to create a semi car pool. We all have companions that fail to own a moving motor vehicle. Every time you take them somewhere, politely ask for ten maybe fifteen dollars for gas. You can take that money and either put it in your gas tank, or keep it for a rainy day. Believe me when I tell you car pooling has enabled me to create extra change for myself plenty of times.

3. Stay Single- Having a girlfriend or boyfriend can be extremely expensive. When you are in romantic relationships, currency has a tendency to just disappear before our very eyes. When you’re single, you have no romantic commitment to anyone really but you’re self. Your only commitment is towards your money when you are single because you don’t have anniversaries, birthdays, and make up gifts to worry about.

Next time we will be discussing proper interviewing tips.
Until next time, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Debt & Commitment

2011-08-02T17:29:00.001-07:00

Debt Crisis…

These past few weeks has had America on its rocker. Everyone not only politicians were going crazy because for the first time in American history our country could have defaulted. For weeks leading up to the deadline politicians in the nations capital fought non stop back and forth to find a deal to solve the debt ceiling crisis. With America trillions of dollars in debt and no more time it came down to the last day for politicians to come to their agreement; which was signed into law today by President Obama. Few things irked me about this issue over the past few weeks, one being the fact that it seemed like politicians couldn’t see clearly. For weeks politicians couldn’t see the issue in sight rather they saw which political party they are a part of. Democrats would not budge and give into any suggestions of the republicans or vice versa just because they weren’t from the same party. Another issue I had dealing with this debt ceiling crisis was that democrats were looking to raise taxes for the wealthy. I’m not wealthy but I stand by my constitution for which the country is built on. I believe we all fought for equality at one point or another in history and I don’t believe that one person should pay more taxes then another person. It bothers me that if you are a successful person and strived to make it big and obtained money you truthfully deserve, then you have to pay more money then another person who credit card debt and lives the same style as you. It makes me want to not become successful and start my own company because its like a penalty for obtaining a good life. Thankfully, taxes have not been raised in this deal and politicians did come to an agreement and America will not default on its debt crisis. For now we all are saved from seeing our country fall to crumbles but if we continue to spend and not retain any funds then soon enough this country will be in larger trouble then they could imagine. Just this past weekend as I was training to become a part of a US Federal Agency I learned some of the benefits of the job which in fact could be killing America in itself. People within this particular agency were paid to workout, go to eatings, and contest for arrests made. I understand it’s a luxury if you obtain a position in the federal government but until then I find it a disgrace that our country can spend, spend, spend without worrying about paying it back.
Will this country start to do what’s right before it’s too late?

Sincere,
LIfE

Ps… not to be quoted or taken for more then a testimony that I have heard from a marine soldier… “I was paid 20-30,000 dollars as a bonus and 8,000 dollars a month to be deployed for my tour…in the end I received 100,000 dollars in 8 months”. Thank you for fighting for our country but LET’S STOP THIS WAR, BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ANY MORE MONEY TO BE AFFORDING IT.

Why are so many men so scared of committed relationships?

Relationships are a topic that every man has dealt with or will deal with in their lifetime. I think the older we get, the more scared we are of the word commitment. The male species loves to chase and not be tied down by the death label better known as boyfriend or husband. During my twenty three years of living, I dreaded being in committed relationships because I always wanted to duplicate the actions of my male peers. It becomes vey challenging at times when you’re the only guy out of your male companions that has a significant other that you’re committed to. The constant battle to keep going down the right path causes many guys to cheat and explore their options. Females have been so tentative in inserting themselves in relationships with guys because they have the fear of having their heart broken.
The fear factor in relationships will always be prevalent because commitment is a very scary word. In the last couple of years, the divorce rate is accelerating faster than the popularity of football and true blood. During the summertime portion of the year, relationships are seen as a burden rather than a beautiful union. We as a generation become bored very easily with activities we find repetitive. I just hope that when you do find that special person that you feel is the one, don’t relinquish the relationship if you are truly happy. Romantic Relationships help builds character and stability in our sometimes confusing and busy world.
“A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself — to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart”. Leo F. Buscaglia

Short Sale & Networking

2011-07-20T15:11:00.001-07:00

Short Sale…

Ever feel like you sold yourself short? The thing I hate most about life is when I hear stories about people that could have had something so great but they sold themselves short and ended up with something so much less. With this physical exam coming up I was told to give it my all because if I take the exam just to meet the passing requirements, I still might not make the cut to the next round. There is nothing more crushing to me, then to hear that I didn’t make the cut and possibly have an amazing job because I didn’t push myself to give this exam my all and I just settled for passing. Since this blog is about culture and trends I feel like people tend to sell themselves short when it comes to style sometimes. Ever go to the mall and see something that you know you would look amazing in but didn’t like the price tag because it was maybe 20 dollars more then you wanted to spend. Instead you ended up buying something identical for cheaper and felt regrets that you should have spent another buck to get something you really wanted. It happens to the best of us because sometimes we are faced with decisions that we have to weigh our psychologically and we fail by picking the wrong decision. Who knows what triggers our decision making to pick the wrong choice, but one thing is for sure…it always seems like we make the wrong decision and sell ourselves short more then making the right decision. Lastly, I was conversing with a good friend of mine and said that his past relationship ended because he wasn’t happy. While I’m a communications major and completely read the reasoning behind his decision, he could not reason it with himself so easily. He said he wasn’t happy or as happy as she was in the relationship, he felt like things were different and he felt like he couldn’t please everyone in the world but one thing he needed to do was to make sure he was happy. He ended the relationship and hurt the person he had been dating badly but the decision had to be made. Unfortunately, his decision may have been the right one because he was selling himself short and was pleasing the other person but not himself. Take a look at the decisions we make throughout the day and realize how many times you sell yourself short…for some its way too much…for some its not that great…but the thing that’s most important is to REALIZE IT because if you can realize it then you can change it from happening so often.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s… Invest in yourself. Never sell your self short on dreams that you know you truly want. It is easy to forget that the most coveted things are not easily attained. Go beyond what may seem like your limits and you will succeed in maximizing your return.

Networking: The new biggest key to success.

When I was growing up, I thought that having good grades was the number one key to success. Since graduating from college, I realized that networking is just as essential as good grades. You have thousands of college graduates who graduated top in their respective institutions unemployed or working jobs that are way beneath their educational qualifications. I have attended numerous networking events, and I was so surprised to see that the people who obtain prestiogous positions in their fields are the ones that are in relations with the right people. College institutions are big business, and they push certain ideologies such as graduate and doctrine programs. In this economy, you have to network and create relationships with the people that can insert you into the career that you desired for years.
Colleges need to stress the importance of networking more because in the year 2011, grades doesn’t mean as much as it once did. I know you are wondering why am I downgrading good grades so much, but its not a downgrade its just reality. If you are a good networker, you can appeal to people that your capable conducting yourself in a business forum. Every day I try to network with anyone I come across that is successful, because networking will get you to your dream job quicker than just a high GPA. During this economic distress, you have to be able to communicate and make connections throughout the business world.
“In my experience, there's only one thing that will always steer you toward success: That's to have a vision and to stick with it… Once I have a vision for a new venture, I'm going to ride that vision until the wheels come off”. Russell Simmons
Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Dedication & Work Ethics

2011-07-11T16:41:00.001-07:00

Dedication…

Can be applied to a lot of different things but is always the hardest thing to maintain. Just this week as I continued on my struggle to get in shape for this PEB fitness exam I have to take I realized this very much. I saw how hard it was to be dedicated to my goals I had to achieve. I’ve consistently been hitting the gym every single day running, working out, and eating healthy. The only issue I had this past week was continuing to eat healthy, my sister is a baker and consistently has cupcakes and desserts all over my house. It was a strong fight I had to battle with and lost a couple of days this week but I realized this weekend that I need to be more dedicated and can’t lose focus of the goal. I began to think about why people stray away from being dedicated and I came to one conclusion. People can’t understand that the goal they set for themselves is the big picture and the journey to the big picture is still in the frame. They want to be dedicated but they think that at certain points on the journey they can stray away and not worry about repercussions. In actuality the repercussions are actually more extreme when you do break them though. For example when I cheated on eating healthy this past week and have a few drinks on two days and tried to workout the next day my body could not handle it and I was set back because of my lack of dedication to the goal. Applied to relationships and dating this is also true, when a person loses focus on their goal (the person they are dating) they tend to do things that can have strong repercussions when the dedications is lost. Whichever subject or goal your trying to achieve it is extremely important that you don’t lose your dedication for one minute unless you’re willing to do deal with the set backs. I know after this past week that I FOR SURE AM NOT WILLING TO DEAL WITH THE SET BACK BECAUSE THE GOAL IS WORTH MORE TO ME THEN ANYTHING THAT WILL SET ME BACK.
Sincere,
LIfE
P.s..
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
-Jesse Owens

Work Ethic: A Strong Tool

The word work ethic has been flowing through my brain for the last couple of years. Work Ethic is not a topic of discussion that should be taken advantage of. Some of the greatest minds of this generation has taken the term work ethic and ran with it. Work Ethic is a commitment to success and greatness. During the last two months, I have seen the results of my hard work. I have been to seven interviews, and I really have witness progress in my navigation for a career not just a regular job. Life is funny because a little over five years ago, I didn’t feel that a professional post collegiate career was in the making for an immature kid like me.
My hard work will continue even when God blesses me with that illustrious position I’ve been searching for since May 12th, 2011(The date I graduated from Kean University). Work Ethic is working and grinding when you just can’t work and grind anymore. The people who are successful and powerful are the ones that believe in hard work and perseverance. No one wants to sleep at the bottom, but the bottom sometimes helps you build work ethic and hunger. No one wants to be placed at the bottom, but the bottom is a place for learning and growth.
“Give a voice to the people that can’t be heard”. Anderson Copper
Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

One Month Out & Planking

2011-07-03T16:40:00.001-07:00

One Month Out

And there is a plate full in front of me. I finally got an interview, well a physical exam test, which in my eyes is like a first interview. A few weeks ago when applying for a couple different federal agencies, I was skeptical that I would even make the cut. Three weeks later and I finally got an email back with an opportunity to shine. So excited about the chance I am given to move forward in this long process involved with working for the fed’s but I’m convinced that it’s all worth it even if I don’t make the final cut. As this process continues over the next two months I will be extremely focused on my goals that I have in front of me, and for the most part might keep you up to date on my status. In 4 weeks I will have to go to Washington D.C. and compete with marines, civilians, and other law enforcement personnel in a physical exam. This physical exam consist of five events in which you must score a 70 or higher in each event. The only issue is, there are only 18 positions open and thousands of applicants…scoring to barely pass will not enable you to make the cut. With that said I have begun training in order to try and be the best of the best that compete in our nations capital. The five events are body fat percentage, 1.5 mile run, 30 foot obstacle course, bench press, and sit and reach test. Coming from a guy that has been religiously working out for the past 7 months, I’m scared out of my mind. Over the next couple of weeks I will keep you posted on new information dealing with my improvements over the course of the week because the only thing truly on my mind is succeeding in this goal of mine.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s. STAT’S as of week #1
Body fat %-11 perfect score-4.48
1.5 mile time-10:45 perfect score 8:48
sit & reach- 16.5 inches perfect score 25 inches
30 ft obstacle- unknown
bench press- 235 perfect score 300

Planking…. Do we really know the meaning behind the phenomenon?

Hello folks, I hope we all are having a safe and prosperous 4th of July weekend. This past week, I have witnessed a trend that is occurring on popular social networks such as twitter and face book. This new phenomenon known as planking has taken the World Wide Web by storm. Planking is when you place your body in an air plane like position flat on any surface you can find. I thought that this activity that so many of my peers began to partake in was harmless and somewhat amusing. Late Wednesday night, I was reading an article in the newspaper, and I found out that planking was a practice used to dehumanize African Americans during the nightmare better known as slavery. I was astonished to see that a practice that many African Americans partake in was once used as a tool to accommodate evil and wickedness.
I think as a society, we allow ourselves to fall victim to the latest trends too easily. We are so quick to embrace whatever others consider cool or trendy. I feel that our ability to critically think for ourselves has evaporated into the quick sand of ignorance. I wrote this piece because I think we need to distinguish what is a positive trend and what is a negative trend. The only way that individualism can prevail in a society where people are fearful to stand alone is through reading and observing. Reading and observing are two of our most powerful assets as human beings. This planking phenomenon is a disease that is spreading through the internet, and it must be eradicated soon. During this dangerous phase known as planking, let’s become individuals and use our knowledge to create a world where character and concernment defeats ignorance and unawareness.
“Believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader, and fuller life.” W.E.B. Du Bois

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Don't Exceed the Limits in the Game because it's No Longer a Game

2011-06-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

The limit to which no man should exceed…

Its at a certain point in a mans life that he makes transitions that are life changing. Transition between years, maturity, single to married, midlife crisis transitions, and transitions between different relationships. I want to concentrate on the transitions between relationships because frankly if I were to write about the others I might fill a novel. The stages in a relationship alone could drive a man insane. I always viewed relationships as a game with a winner and loser because let’s face it…each person in the relationship plays the game. For example, there’s the first date, we as men either play hard to get or show our greatest side to impress her. Whichever we choose, it’s always key to remember that she’ll be playing the game just as well. Then the next transition after the first date is getting the second date and the first kiss after that…the game continues into the next quarter and we try to not think about it too much but the scoreboard is always in the back of our heads. What I mean by scoreboard is a tally for who’s got the upper hand so far into the relationship. Let’s face it, we may be sprung from the first date and catering to all extents in order to obtain the person we believe is “the one”; you in this case would be losing in the game because she would have you wrapped around her finger. This alone is what my article is solely about; the limit to which no man should exceed. When we give more then we are receiving is the moment when we have passed a certain checkpoint. To give a little more without looking for anything in return is fine…to go above and beyond to give in order to flex your kindness muscle is when you might get hurt. I always use this analogy because it makes most sense to me, we are all animals at the end of the day. What I mean by this is that at the end of the day we are going to do everything possible to show that person of the opposite sex that we are the alpha-male just like animals do. Even animals in certain cases go pass their limits and still don’t get what they wanted. I’m a true firm believer in an equal healthy balance in the relationship. Never give more then you can manage, and never receive more then you deserve. Never push your limits in a relationship because once you’ve gone past a certain point, you will never know you’re true boundaries and damage occurs when there is no boundary. As I grew one year older this past weekend I looked at my girlfriend and realized that she was the first girl that I was able to maintain this healthy balance with, and this is the reason I truly believe my relationship is still in existence. In the past years I failed to maintain this balance and I always tried to flex my muscles and pushed past my limits which would work for the first couple of dates but plummeted after that because I was not able to maintain that flex. A year older and I am completely content with the limits I have set for myself, where I placed my boundaries, and what I have been able to learn due to my failed past relationships; there is nothing more that I could ask for as a present to myself other then being able to be completely content with myself.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s. look further this upcoming week, if you look at what’s directly in front of you then you can never prepare for what’s at the next mile marker on your road to success.

Youth Athletics: It’s not a game anymore.

In the year 2011, young athletes are placed upon a heavy amount of pressure and
stress. Young athletes have to participate in sports many times against their
will. The parents are so involved that the fun and excitement is taken away.
When I was younger, my dads use to push me so hard that I hated to go to
practice. Many kids that participate in sports aren’t able to play just for the
fun of it. The pressure that young athletes are under is mind-blowing because
kids shouldn’t have to worry about every mistake they make in sports.

Young athletes aren’t able to just play sports because a
lot of parents and coaches live their dreams through the athletes. My next door
neighbor is a twelve year old kid who father makes him run around the house 10
times a day with a football. The father never reached his goal of playing in the
NFL, so he forces his son to play football every day for extensive periods of
time. Various times, the youth coaches are placing kids in situations that are
unjust and unfair. Many youth league coaches will only reward the kids that
performed well. The kids that didn’t perform well are not rewarded, and that
could directly affect the child. The youth league coach should show the kids
how sports can help them in various situations in life. One of the biggest
reasons why young athletes quit playing sports is because of the stress that
coaches placed onto them. Children that are placed under a lot of stress may
turn to steroids in order to handle the stress. When I was playing basketball in
middle school, one of my teammates began taking steroids in order to receive
praise from the coach.

One of the main consequences of parents and coaches
stress on a young athlete is self esteem issues. The child may feel that they
will not be successful in life because they failed at sports. If you are not
accelerated in the field of sports, you can still be a success in life. So many
young athletes’ parents and coaches do not support their children when they are
not performing well. The parents and coaches are supposed to let the child know
that your performance in a game doesn’t determine your value in life.
I think that there are no benefits from creating tension
within a child. When you allow children to play for the sake of fun and
enjoyment, you are helping to construct confidence and life skills. I see so
many times how much stress young athletes are under because so many young kids
live around my residence. Writing this opinion paper had me think back to all
the pressure I was under when I played basketball. I started not to enjoy the
game at all because of all the stress that was placed on my shoulders. When you
place pressure on young athletes’, you tend to take all of the positive
objectives that youth league sports occupy. Young athletes are supposed to learn
about teamwork, and working as a unit to accomplish a goal. Parents and coaches
that placed stress on young athletes’ should take a look in the mirror and
realize that they are harming the child. Youth sports are constructed to ensure
that young athletes’ enjoys themselves and evolve as a person. Young athletes’
should participate in sports to learn skills that will ensure them of a
productive and prosperous life.

Life

2011-06-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

A Father…

The man in every single person’s life. Regardless of whether you’re father is alive, deceased, absent from you’re life; he is still always still you’re father. You would not be possible in this world if it weren’t for the man that met your mother and gave himself to produce you. The fathers that are still alive and a part of their children’s lives are those people who are blessed. Every morning they wake up and get to look at their father and thank the lord for they have another chance to learn something from the male sex in life. That something may be advice about dating, business, or just advice about how to carry on with their lives; whichever it may be, we are still blessed to be enlightened by it every single day that they are still with us. For those whose fathers are deceased, we say sorry but understand that a persons’ legacy is not only felt through their life but their afterlife as mentioned last week. Fathers, will always be the seed that was planted and we are the fruit that was produced. Even though the seed may not be existent any longer the fruit will still bear it’s excellence off of the seed that made it. In other terms, the first man in your life will forever have that special place in your heart and you will have excellence in his likeness regardless of whether he is still breathing on this earth. Lastly, the fathers who are absent, whether they be in war serving this country, missing from their duties as a father figure, or just plain and simple missing from their role as being a father; you are the seed. For those missing a father, if it’s the first year, fifth year, tenth year, keep living your life; remember that you are the product of a wild card. You may continue to search for that missing fatherly figure but nothing may ever be found that is as great of a person as yourself. As I conclude my day with the sun setting in the western skies as I am positioned in the eastern seaboard, I only think of how blessed I truly am. Many less fortunate then I, but for those I spread my inspiration and my arms to grant them comfort so that they may know that, regardless of what your situation may be in life; father, no father, missing fatherly role… we are still OURSELVES made better by them, stronger by them, and an extension of them because we are the product that’s formed by the seed.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s…these past two days have been hard for me, personally not affected but emotionally affected as a community in two ways. An old co-worker of mine who I had briefly known was hit and killed as she performed an act of good will. As she attempted to save an injured recently struck dog in my town a pickup truck sped down the road and struck her…later proving fatal…the driver took off and is still not found. A true tragedy, but in my eyes as I close them and count my blessings tonight all I can think about is; our parents are not suppose to bury us…life sometimes is cruel when we are doing the right thing in life…my heart goes out to her family and her father on this fathers day…RIP T.J.

A Brief Reflection of My Collegiate Journey

When I entered Kean University in September of 2009, I didn’t know what
direction my collegiate career was really headed. I declared myself as a
Communication major, and I didn’t know that much about the major. When I was
child, I had a very deep love affair with sports. I would sit by my television
and envisioned my self working for a large sports corporation. I knew that
being a Communication major would allow me to enhance my skills in various areas
such as public speaking, writing, and public presentations. I knew that
eventually graduating with a Communication degree will give me access to my
dream of working within the sports realm.

The field of Communication has allowed me to become a
more versatile student and person. When I partake in Communication discipline
courses, I am able to learn various skills that will help me become an access to
a potential company that I want to work for. Prior to me declaring Communication
as my major, I thought Communication was primary about talking and conversing.
When I entered the major, I found that the field of Communication provides you
with so many skills that are completing opposite of talking such as non verbal
communication. As I placed my self deeper in the major of Communication, I found
that my writing and verbal skills expanded to a level that I could never once
imagine.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder

PS: The road to success in this life comes with a price that all successful
people have to pay in order to reach their dreams.

America Can Do Better & Not Casting the First stone

2011-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Can America Do Better?
Yes I feel that America can do better in various ways because America was
supposedly founded on the foundation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. America is at a time where uncertainty and instability have become
apart of our everyday culture. America is not a peaceful nation because America
has become a bully to smaller countries. The hierarchy of this country for
decades have brainwashed young men and women into thinking that fighting for
your country is patriotic and steadfast. Once the men and women return back to
their homeland, many are denied healthcare and benefits that they have earned.
America has people in high positions that controls our way of existence creating
and eradicating laws not for the betterment of the county, but for their own
advantage. America can do better because we as a nation have adapted into a
selfish community, instead of a benevolent one. During these hard times, you
have to worry about yourself because if you fail to do so, you will be outside
of the American window that depicts prosperity.

Americans can do better by creating job opportunities
for the jobless. When I graduated in May, I was and still am fearful that my
four years of hard work at the collegiate level wouldn’t be recognized by
various companies because jobs are cutting back due to the economy. That is a
direct example of how America have created a disservice to its residents because
we are taught if you work hard, you will find the keys to the houses called
success and prosperity.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.
PS: Failure is one of the best teachers of hard work and ambition

He who is without sin shall cast the first stone…

It’s the end of the third week now and we’re seeing how a mass media covered trial can take its toll on a family. If you don’t know exactly what trial I’m talking about by now; it’s the Casey Anthony trial, the one where the mother is suspected of killing her two year old child and is facing numerous counts even Death Penalty. Why am I writing about a media frenzied trial you may be asking, well its intriguing to me in different aspects. First and foremost, I find this trial to be very interesting because we’re dealing with a 25 year old women who had a two year old child and is suspected of killing her. All the evidence so far has been pointing directly at her making her look extremely guilty but somewhere in my mind I find it weird that there is no evidence that is able to link her to the evidence in a way that is 100 percent guaranteed error-proof. Why may you ask is it that I feel so troubled by all this evidence? It’s because a person that is a year older then myself, had a child, had a disturbing, hardship past, and is now found out to the world to be a compulsive liar is facing death. Strongly against the death penalty in the first place because I’m a believer that there should be only one person who should decide when we leave this earth, and that’s the one person that created us all. Putting religion aside though, the evidence is remarkable, car smelled like a dead corpse, tape found on the skull that was also seen in photographs with her father, a compulsive liar pleading innocence. IT’S ALL THERE, RIGHT??? Not in my opinion, as I’m watching this trial unfold I’m working with the notion that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but with this trial I feel like the media has already portrayed this young 25 year old mother as being guilty before trial even began. I see where the evidence is trying to be linked, but IT’S NOT been YET, it has been provided but not linked in any sort of way to Casey Anthony…NO FINGERPRINTS have been linked back. In closing, if a jury is going to play GOD and decide whether this woman is guilty or not , I believe that there needs to be infallible evidence that this lady did kill her own child and if that can’t be proven then we need to live with the facts and not speculation.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s. Eye for an eye should no longer be a way to live out life and rule in our government. Why is it that we see Death for Death a way of comfort?

Legacy & College Athletics

2011-06-06T14:02:00.001-07:00

A Legacy…

Something we build when we’re alive that last for eternity when we die. Just this past week as I laid my head on my towel poolside in Disney World I began to think about how this was the most magical place on earth. Yea I’m 23 and I’ll be the first to admit that Disney still has my heart as a grown man. I believe that any place that can bring you to smile in shock & awe and have you amazed at every single little detail truly is a place in your life that is magical. For years upon years I’ve been to Disney literally over 120 times and I feel like just this last time I began to really see a single man’s legacy get continued and lived on by others. A man with a dream to bring happiness to the world, a man that knew he had what it took to make his dream come true, and a man that understood that he could build a legacy that would live on forever if he wanted too; Walt Disney. This article is not to praise just one man, but all of mankind in the likeness of Disney. It all started with a dream and when his life tragically ended he made sure his dream did not and that’s why I consider him one of the greatest men to live. Millions upon millions of people visit this area a year just to get the feeling of happiness and magic from an atmosphere that was created in a persons mind and carried out into real life. Although the economy has gotten a lot worst, and people have been struggling to live and get by, I still saw millions of people this weekend alone. Everyone that travelled there, with children, with loved ones, with spouses, whatever it may have been, they all came to get a taste of a legacy & the American dream. Nothing is impossible in life, become the chef and make your dreams so maybe millions of people in the future one day will be able to taste your legacy and be filled with shock & awe.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s…this week I leave you with a web page dedicated to the life of WALT Disney. A man that wanted nothing more then to have his dreams come true. Read this biography from start to finish because if you see all the troubles and road blocks this man had to go through in order to make his dreams come true, just know that nothing is too grand too stop you.
WALT- "It's the principal thing I hope to leave when I move on to greener pastures. If I can help provide a place to develop the talent of the future, I think I will have accomplished something."
Article- http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html

College Athletics: It’s not an amateur game anymore.

During the last year, we have seen a dangerous practice that has been occurring in college athletics for numerous years come to the national fore front. Last Monday, Jim Tressel relieved himself of his position as the head football coach of The Ohio State University. Jim Tressel was accused of lying to the NCAA about allegations of star football players pawning off their collegiate memorabilia in exchange for free tattoos. As I viewed various sports stations through the week, I saw various sports analysts, anchors, and journalist give Jim Tressel a short of pass in his inexcusable behavior. I can bet my entire yearly pay check that if these athletes were third string caliber players, the compliance committee would have been notified of the rumors and allegations by coach Tressel within seconds.
This is another case of the deadly trend that has been transcending big time college athletics. Big time college sports has transformed into professional sports because the only two areas that are imperative in college sports are money and wins and looses. In 2010, when Bruce Pearl was accused of lying to the NCAA, he was able to hold his position as head coach until The University of Tennessee was eliminated from The NCAA Tournament. The only reason why coach Pearl was able to obtain his position was due to the fact that he was the main contributor to the turnaround in the basketball program. If you believe that college athletics is about morals and instilling values, you are not living on the planet we call earth. The words honesty and integrity have been eradicated from the college game, and I’m not sure if these words will ever raise up form the dead.
Stay Tuned, Culture Trends will be taking off in a major way this summer
Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

It's the END OF THE WORLDDD...TAKE A DIFFERENT PATH

2011-05-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

he world is coming to an end… yea right

On this week installment of culture trends, I would like to understand what really goes through the human mind sometimes. For several weeks, there has been a collective buzz about the world ending today at six o’clock. The time is now eight o’clock, and surprising we are all still alive and well. I think that we are so caught up with what others say and dictate that we don’t utilize our own critical thinking skills. Numerous people around the world have quit their jobs believing that the world is ready for termination. The older I become, the more I view the world as a place occupied by over grown children. Any adult with a first grade education should be able to comprehend that no mortal can predict when the world will come to an end.
Instead of waiting for the world to close her eyes, we should try to make sure that the world headed in a positive direction. We live in a world where disease, violence and poverty have destroyed our lovely world. Everyday, I see children who are yearning for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and a descent place to live. Why don’t we help our fellow man, instead of pondering when will the last days of the world be? The reason this blog was created was to show that there is a vast amount of artistry in all of us. In the upcoming months, we will hold a breast cancer walk because we want to transcend the world into a better place. We live in such a beautiful world, and we all must make a lasting impact on society.
PS: Don’t worry when the world will end, just worry about helping create future leaders and role models

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Lets face it…we all know that there’s always another road one may
travel. What that road may be is determined by us. Once we decide
and build up enough courage to venture off and travel that road it
always seems as though a road block or a fork just randomly happens to
come into our paths. After all the planning or working ourselves up
to get away from the normal road or paths our lives are on and finally
switching over to a new lifestyle whatever it may be, WHY does
something always seem to set us back. This same road block or fork in
the road always has us questioning why we even switched our paths in
the first place. As I’m starting to venture off and starting to see
the world as a whole and one road for me to travel I’m starting to
understand that these roadblocks are only bumps and pebbles in the
road compared to journey I will be one for the remainder of my life.
A person the other day told me that if I wanted to live an average
life and do average things then I will be an average person, he
followed it up by stating that I should be the one in a hundred to be
different, take a different path, and have a different life because I
made a decision now in my life to staying in one place. I truly have
a feeling that if I begin to see the world and travel more then the
more I experience these road blocks the easier I’ll be able to
overcome them. There is nothing too great for me to overcome when I
want to overcome the greatest and be the best. So I leave you this
Sunday morning thinking about which road you want to be travelling
on….it’s not always how fancy the car is ( how luxurious your life
is), but how much luxuries you experience on a different road. Take a
leap, take a different path, live a different life away from the
normality’s of people in this era and it may be the greatest decision
you’ve made; I wouldn’t think twice about doing it…I’m already on a
different path because I realized that I’m cut from a different cloth.

Sincere,
LIfE

Ps….Like stated above…the world’s not over, KEEP LIVING… DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT…BE DIFFERENT…NO ONE’S EVER NOTICED FOR DOING THE SAME THINGS
AS A PERSON NEXT TO THEM

Tenure & War

2011-05-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

Tenure: Good or Bad…… A great Debate
My first point for intensifying teacher tenure is that tenure protects teachers
from being fired for personal, political, or non- work related reasons.
Opponents have the notion that with most states granting tenure early, teachers
have not had the experience to prove their worth. I am refuting that statement
because various school systems are implementing the term non experience as a
shield to terminate teachers for reasons that have no correlation to the
classroom.

Many teachers are fired not because they lack experience, but because they do
not fit the unfair image that many school administrators feel should be the
standard within the classroom. Teachers should not be terminated for reasons
that have no association with the advancement of his or her students. During
the tough economic times, many school districts are releasing teachers with the
claim that they lack the know how to continue to occupy the position. Teacher
Tenure will ensure that teachers will be able to obtain their position, and will
not have their position abolished due to the safeguard known as non experience.

Teachers will be afraid to try new, innovative lesson plans if they
are afraid of losing their jobs. Teachers are able to teach more effectively
when they are able to work in an atmosphere where creativity and innovation is
custom. I refute the opposition belief that teacher tenure does nothing to
promote the education of children. If teachers are fearful to implement fresh
ideas into their teaching techniques, the promotion of a universal education is
not a major priority.

Learning is a process that is everlasting advancing, and you have to
be able to reach your students on the base known as innovation. Opponents fail
to realize that in order for education to evolve, teacher tenure has to always
remain a constant. Teacher tenure allows teachers to be able to recreate older
eduacational techniques which are viewed as ineffective for today’s students. If
teachers are afraid to restructure the learning process due to the lack of
tenure, then students are going to suffer during the duration of their
educational journey. I disagree with opponents of teacher tenure in their views
of innovation in the classroom not being relevant to the promotion of the
education of children firmly because everyday education is evolving and
transforming for the objective of advancement for students.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

This War…Lives Lost…What’s Won?

When 9/11 occurred back 10 years ago our lives as Americans changed instantly. We had lost thousands of lives within 3 or 4 hours. Life as we knew it would never be the same, the thought of terrorist in our homeland would always be in the back of our minds every single day. Within 30 days we say action taken against one of the biggest terrorist groups Al Qaeda. President Bush was so sincere about starting a war against terror that none of thought would hurt us more, take longer then 4 or 5 years, and gain less then we thought we would achieve. I’m not against our military in any sort of way, I have cousins and close friends who are overseas serving and I appreciate them very dearly. I’m not saying that going after the terrorist was the wrong thing to do in any sort of way. I’m just questioning the fact of what we’re gaining by still being in a war with one terrorist group that’s in countries all over the world including our own. Is what we’re winning vs. what we’re losing really worth it? I think not; look at the number of lives that have been lost in this war to date, the number is sickening. YES, we are knocking out some of the top leaders in terror but are we really killing their goals as terrorism, or are we only fueling them more? Have our actions by invading other countries and starting a war against terrorist and accidentally killing hundreds upon hundreds of innocent civilians making US the terrorists in their eyes? In the past ten years I’ve felt these questions bothering me more and more because every day we stay in another country that doesn’t want us there…Lives are at stake. I look at it this way 10 years later, you are free to disagree, agree, or have an open mind towards my views but this is where I’ve begun to stand on this issue. We’ve gone into another country to find a group of people that have caused terror on our home soil and took lives of the people we love. In doing this we actually have lost more lives of the ones we love and also killed innocent people in another country in a violent war. The innocent people within those countries are living in a war zone and are unaware of when it will all end or when their lives will be lost. Just because we got Osama Bin Laden does not in any shape, way or form end terrorism; it only made it that much worse. Sleeping easy now does not come easy in the land of the free to me…I’ve begun to sleep with nightmares and fears just like the innocent people in those countries for the past ten years.

Sincere,
LIfE

Ps… Food For Thought- if people were to come into the US and kill President Obama our Leader as Americans…Would we sit back and throw the towel in? Or would we be fighting harder then ever before?...What we just did with this whole situation dealing with Osama Bin Laden is in the same ideology to me…I’m beginning to feel like the Japanese emperor after they bombed Pearl Harbor in a sense…I’m afraid we just woke a sleeping giant.

For the Well Being of All; Culturally & Inspiring

2011-05-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Political Party for the Well Being of All…
Is there such a thing? It always seems as though there’s always a
conflict between the two parties regarding almost any topic that comes
up. Some time I take a look at politics and feel as though these two
parties go against each other regardless of what the topic may be.
One thing I think politicians always seems to forget is that a great
man named Martin Luther King Jr. fought and died for equality, now I
sit back and see how people are starting to make different exceptions
for different races, or groups of people. One nation under god, Every
man will be treated Equally; are these just beautiful phrases that we
don’t live by? We see the two parties split essentially as the
following; democrats are for the people and republicans are for the
rich. Time and time over I hear how republicans don’t care for the
people and for the poor, and for this race or this group or people or
for the other. Vice versa, I hear how democratic want to tax the
wealthy, or create laws to benefit the poor and those who are part of
different groups that can benefit from welfare or government funding
help. Where’s the Equality in today’s society? I’m neither
republican nor democratic but I just can find a center party to fall
under, the party that cares for the well being of all Americans. A
document written hundreds of years ago dictate that equality and
respect for each and every person is essential in order for this
country to survive. Hundreds of years later I see a country on its
last breath, wasting its energy to breathe on topics regarding, The
Rich, The Poor, This Race, That Group….WHEN WILL WE AS AMERICAN PEOPLE
CARE FOR THE WELL BEING OF OURSELVES AS AMERICANS, RATHER THEN THE
WELL BEING OF OURSELVES AS A CERTAIN CLASS, RACE, OR GROUP. It
bothers me deeply because I would always love to run for a political
position one day in the future but I know that I would not get very
far because I would not receive any support from neither party if I
supported both parties as a whole and cared for all Americans. It
seems as though the one thing that was created to keep peace and order
in this country is now the same thing that divides it…POLITICS…WHERE
IS THE ANSWER?
Sincere,
LIfE
P.s…People say don’t discuss politics over dinner, or certain events
because you don’t want to offend another person or turn the night into
a war over politics…I SAY…DISCUSS IT MORE… SEEK FOR A HIGHER MIDDLE
MEETING MUTUAL GROUND…DON’T CREATE A BATTLE GROUND ON A COUNTRY THAT
GAINED IT’S EQUALITY AND FREEDOM FROM A BATTLE

Culturally Inspiring
Last week, I visited a Jewish congregation name Temple Beth –El in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Senegal is located across The Hudson River and is very large in size. When I first entered the Senegal, I viewed special windows. The windows were called Dedication Windows. I was amazed to witness how similar my church windows were to the Jewish church windows. One of the windows had the word Wasserberg on it, and I tried to figure out what did that mean. As I began to walk down the aisle, a man approached me and asks if this was my first time coming to a Senegal. I replied to the gentlemen’s answer with a yes. After our mini question and answer phase, he showed me some very unique designs on a plaster. The plaster had various different color triangles, and they were very colorful. I noticed that most of the benches in the Senegal had numerous special designs on them.
When I began to sit down, a man named Rabbi Beckman came to sit down. He was talking to a woman that was sitting adjacent to me. The Rabbi asked me what my name was, and I told him my name. The Rabbi began to tell me about how important a Rabbi is to the structure of Jewish culture. I felt very welcomed by the Rabbi, because he didn’t look at me as an outsider.. The Rabbi pointed to the top of the church and asked me if I knew what those symbols were. He told me the image was called a Sanctuary Skylight. On my occasions, he said that he would look at the skylight for inspiration and guidance. I took from his statement that the skylight represented the balance that all Jewish people should obtain in their lives. The skylight also gave the Senegal a mystic that I couldn’t really place into words. The Senegal represents the beauty of culture.
Until next week, keep climbing up the Lord’s Ladder…

No Shortcuts for Shedding

2011-04-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Short Cuts….

When I think about short cuts, the words weakness and laziness come
to mind. I know that we all are so busy with our schedules, and short cuts help
us deal with the stresses of life. The last couple of weeks, I found that short
cuts disables on of our biggest strength as humans. The strength I am referring
to is creativity. When we take short cuts, our creative minds are at a
standstill because we allow laziness to get the better of us. During my last
semester in college, I have been hearing the voices of shortcuts frequently on a
daily basis. If I want to be prosperous and successful, I must always remember
that shortcuts will never be a positive equation to my ambitions.

Last week, I was traveling to New York City, and I saw this guy standing
outside. He asked me out of no where if I had a few dollars that he could
borrow. I dispersed a few dollars into his hands, and he told me to never take
shortcuts. As I was in my lab thinking of an imperative topic to write to my
readers this week, his comment popped up in my head. This man had the
preconceived notion that shortcuts could aid him in life. The sad consequences
of shortcuts affected him because he had no resources to help support him but a
cup of coins and a somber story. I know that there are millions of people with a
story that correlates directly with the man that I encountered last week. Never
allow yourself to become a victim of shortcuts.

PS: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy”. Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Easter everyone, and keep climbing up the lords ladder.

Its about that time again…spring…re-new, re-birth, and resurrect. This time of year always finds a way to get to me…if it isn’t my allergies then it’s my undying appreciation for the beauty that comes with this time of year. There is nothing greater then the warm spring air…the renewing of life all around...the re-birthing of all different species from flowers to animals and mammals…and the resurrection of the things that have passed. At one time or another during this season we find ourselves cleaning through our houses, closets, and life in general. As it starts to get warmer out and new things are starting to come into picture we find it necessary that we too should do out with the old and in with the new as people like to say. How many times do we find ourselves shedding layers upon layers of clothing in our closets in this event known as “spring cleaning”?. I know I find myself eliminating all things I find no use for…like wise with my circle of friends surrounding me. Around the April and May months I find myself making cuts out of circle. I look at it in this manner…those who have no value towards helping me achieve…essentially are dead weight that I’m carrying on my path to success. Shedding all these layers will help you get where you need to be faster. When we have people that are within our circles that do not share the same mind frames or goals as we do…or do not have the same outlook on life as we do…we hold ourselves back to satisfy their wants and needs. It is for this reason I find it necessary at least once a year to clean out my closet and get rid of layers that are no longer useful for myself. With each season that comes it is only natural for us as humans to act as mammals….many of us tend to forget this. Spring time we start to re-awaken and come out of our hibernation mode…as men we all try to get in shape to be the alpha-male for the summer (mating season) and women too try to be at their finest for summer…but as the fall and winter time comes around we look for that one mate to go into hibernation with. As mammals…I say it is necessary for us to SHED…SHED for a renewal of yourself and to get rid of the old ways. I find no greater time to discuss re-birth, re-newal, and resurrection then on the weekend of easter. All things we found within our lord is in the likeness of what we find in spring. Keep the Faith and Shed the layers this weekend people…Regardless of Religion…this world needs positive people.
Sincere,
LIfE

P.s.. Remember that it’s always harder to climb a mountain carrying people that have no interest in what’s at the top…Do it For YOURSELF

Cut off the Dead Weight...Not the Blessings

2011-04-16T08:59:00.001-07:00

Cut off the dead weight….
While I was working out the other day, I realize that graduation is less than a month away. As I was lifting weights, I started to understand that I have to transform into a new person. My associates that I deal with on a daily basis are not trying to elevate themselves out of their current situations. In life, we have to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. In order for success to become a part of my legacy, I will have to relinquish some of my closest friendships. Many of my friends fail to understand the true definition of advancement and acceleration. As I view my companions placing irrelevant comments and statues on social networks such as twitter and face book; I viewed them as people that I never want to associate myself with. When you look at the scope of the world, successful individuals only associate themselves with other successful individuals. Obtaining and maintaining success is not an easy job, and it requires you to access your surroundings and the company that you keep.
At the end of the day, if we fail to liberate dead weight from our DNA, then we have no one to blame for our misfortunes but ourselves. I know my topic this week seems a little mean and callous, but the real world is not a happy go lucky place. Sometimes, prosperity and advancement comes with an ultimate price. I didn’t sacrifice thousands of dollars to attend college to allow myself to miss out on success for the sake of friendship. Friendship will sometimes blind your vision towards the ultimate objective. For example: If you have associates who would rather attend a party then a networking event, you should disconnect yourself from those people. I know it’s a difficult choice, but the only choice for advancement is eliminating dead weight from your life.
PS:” Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself." Jay z
Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

You don’t realize what you have til’ it’s GONE. An expression people
use more and more to express how they feel about their relationship
that’s coming to an end, well at least that’s what everyone’s status
seems to be when they’re fighting with their significant other on
facebook. To me its more about my blessings…it’s more about what I
have and how I need to appreciate every single one of them while I
still have them. I tend to always forget how truly blessed I really
am…I mean I don’t know how I can forget it when its tattooed on the
back of my arms. But maybe that it…maybe I forget to remember how
blessed I am because it’s I can’t always see it…just like my tattoo’s.
In retrospect though, I always find my self feeling less appreciated
by those I feel blessed to have. It’s a horrible feeling when you
place someone so high on your list and you come to find out that they
forget to count their blessings themselves. Many years ago when I
decided to get my tattoo, I told myself to get it on the back of my
arms so that way every time I took a look in the mirror I
remembered…how blessed I really am. Unlike my tattoo which will last
til’ the day my casket drops…my blessings may not…that’s why I make an
effort each and every day to reach out to my blessings and touch them
in any way possible. It was until this week that I realized that I
can’t control anyone else’s life or emotions on how they feel towards
me or about me…it made me remember that I can’t tell them to count me
into their blessings when they thank the lord…but I can tell myself
that the fact that I still count them in mine everyday that I truly am
the better person…not because I don’t discard them out of my
blessings…but because I can still see what I have regardless of how
far from my control it may be. We as humans tend to hold things that
we can control closer to our hearts because well…we are in control of
them…as I wrap up this week and grow smarter and older in this
journey…I think I’m going to start holding the things I can’t control
closer to my heart, for those are the things that I can lose first.
Sincere,
LIfE

Ps.. “ Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in
our own sunshine” R.W.E Get out of the sunlight so you can see what
you truly do have

For the Good;Don't Sleep on Life

2011-04-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

As this first week of April comes to a close and I’m pumped up on meds after falling ill to a sinus infection, a thought comes to mind; Why is it so hard to do the right thing?. I can’t see past my dying desire that I’ve always had…to help those in need…those who are battling an illness, those who are facing issues, and those who need any type of help. I always was and I believe I always will be a person that puts others before myself….to see another person smile because of what I had done for them is what makes me smile. The question is… “why is it so hard to help those in need”…. I want to hold my own events that help raise money and perform other services for those in need…such as marathons to raise money for cancer, Gala’s for various illness (fundraiser dinners), and even just do little things that count for those who need someone else’s help. I mean in life they always say if you want something you got to get it yourself…well one time or another in life I believe that we all have been down and if it weren’t for another person we might not have been able to get up. The issue I’m having is that these things and events that I want to hold to do GOOD seem like they have so many restrictions and require so much more legal paper work then they should. I mean just the other day I was considering holding a marathon to raise money for a cancer foundation and donating it…when I took a look into what it would take to actually hold an event in a nice park setting, there were permits that you had to apply for…there were possible fee’s…the legalities seemed like they were a brick wall going against what was for the GOOD. It seems like in all situations where you want to do good there is always some type of wall that you face…you have to make the decision to walk away from it…or try and break it down to get to the good. One thing is for sure though, like all other things I want in life.. I will not fail at this goal I have of holding a charity event, because I know that I am Truly Blessed and what I have, I should share with those who don’t… legalities and hardship will never bound me down because I know the only thing that can cause me to fail…is giving up on trying to succeed. YOU alone have your dreams so therefore, You alone can make your dreams.

Sincere
LIfE

P.s. if you want to join in with helping set up any sort of fundraising event please keep us posted with any information that can help us make it possible…just like those who need help getting up when they are down…we could use any help or donation of information to helping us get up and actually holding these events… please email us at mindsexpression@gmail.com Thanks again and always remember, GOOD DEFEATS EVIL, and ACTIONS DEFEAT WORDS

Sleep is the cousin of failure ….
Every night we lay our heads down to navigate to a place where we can relax and reenergize ourselves. As I laid down the other day, I felt a sense of failure because while I tried to sleep, someone else was supplanting their legacy on the world. Don’t get me wrong, sleep is an important component towards the DNA of success. Do we really need ten plus hours of sleep every night? The time we spend unnecessarily counting sheep, could be used to enhance our careers. The other day when I spent excessive time sleeping, I woke up feeling unproductive and lazy. When we are partaking on our days off from work or school, we usually spend the majority of that time catching up on sleep or just laying in our beds. I am one of the biggest disciples of sleep, but I finally realize that sleep may truly be the cousin of failure.
Recent or upcoming college graduates like myself must learn to not to let sleep take over out lives. Do you think that people that are truly successful love to sleep for excessive amounts of time? Success is not correlated with sleep because when you sleep, your brain is not focusing on networking or career advancement. When we die, we will be able to catch up on all the sleep we want. While we are on this earth, we must not let sleep take away our drive to be the best in whatever we do.

PS: One day last week I spoke to a highly successful Executive for Verizon in New York, and he told me that sleep will never parallel prosperity and excellent.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder

Career Fair;Future & Forward Thinking

2011-04-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

Career Fairs: The Staircase for a Prosperous Future.

For the past few years, obtaining our dream job has become a
task that seems nearly unachievable. On many occasions, we have the mistaken
notion that we have the necessary characteristics that various high profile jobs
placed a substantial amount of emphasis on. A major tool that could help college
students or entrepreneur’s capture their dream job is attending career fairs.
Career Fairs enables you to meet various job employers that can help you find
the key to open the door for a prosperous career. Last week, I attended the New
Jersey Nets career fair, and I was so inspired to elevate my interviewing
skills. I was so nervous when I entered The Prudential Center because thousands
of students were well prepared for various questions and scenarios. They
credited career fairs for assisting them in their career advancement. Career
Fairs offer you the opportunities to obtain knowledge in numerous business
disciplines such as sales, and self presentation.
Just take a few minutes every day to navigate through the web
researching career fairs. Even if a certain career fair has nothing to do with
your career field of choice, you should attend just for the networking
opportunities. So many people careers have started by networking, and trying to
cultivate relationships with the right people. In a little over a month, I will
be graduating from Kean University, and I have already seen the lasting impact
that career fairs can have on the future of American employment. When you want
success and greatness, you have to be willing to take additional steps to ensure
that you won’t be locked out of The American Dream. Career Fairs can help you
open the first and future chapters in the book of your professional career.

PS: “Power concedes nothing without a demand"
Fredrick Douglass

Until next week, keep climbing up the
lord’sladder.

Just yesterday someone asked me what I got my degree in and what kind
of job I was looking for. Easily I replied with Communications and
anything that deals with people and interacting with them. If that
wasn’t as vague as it comes I don’t know what else is. It didn’t hit
me until a couple hours later that I truly didn’t know what exactly I
wanted to do as far as careers went. I knew what I wanted to do in my
life though and I think I’ve started to look at one more in depth then
the other. I know that in my life I want to be successful and make my
dreams come true…I also know that I’m the type of person that wants to
help those who need help when I finally do become successful. The
only issue is that I can picture my dreams but I can’t trace them
backwards to see how I got there. Within the past 24 hours I’ve tried
to retrace the path backwards to see what career path I took to be
successful and I all I could come up with was this…I wasted 24 hours
trying to retrace something rather then building or re-building my
dreams. As the day comes to a close and the sun sets to my west I
find my self staring and thinking that one of these days I’m going to
chase it rather then stay in one place and wait for it to come back
up. With this said I learned a new lesson with another day…I got to
stop staying in one place waiting or looking for one thing because
within that time I could have been in 20 different places seeing and
gaining a million more. My career will come when the time is right,
because a rushed answer is not always the right answer. For now I’ll
keep chasing the sun to the left and maybe I’ll catch them both at
some point.

Sincere,
LIfE

P.s... There is a drive within that wants the best for ourselves; that
is called greed…there is a drive within that wants the best for
ourselves and others that surround us; that is called Good Will

Broken Dreams for a Second Chance

2011-03-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Broken Dreams….

When we think about the term broken dreams, words like fear and failure come to

mind. As I was driving earlier, I began to think about the pros of this

particular term. As human creatures, we all have ambitions and inspire to

achieve greatness. I truly believe that broken dreams enable you to become more

productive and goal oriented. When our dreams are eradicated, we reach a notion

that our dreams will never become reality. When we fail to grab the hand of

success, we need to let our failures elevate our desire for greatness. On so

many occasions, failure and broken dreams will handicap our ability to make an

everlasting impact on our life. I have always lived by the motto “What doesn’t

kill you makes you stronger. Broken dreams should motivate you to work twice as

hard to break down the walls of disappointment and the question what if.

The great Michael Jordan was told that he wasn’t good enough to make

his ninth grade high school basketball team. Oprah Winfrey’s relatives told that

she would never amount to anything in life. The reason why Michael Jordan and

Oprah Winfrey are so successful is because they turned their broken dreams into

fuel for their future. I wrote this piece because I know we all are afraid of

broken dreams, but all dreams are made to be broken and restructured. When the

closest of your dreams seem to starts to close, keep fighting to ensure your

door will remain open so that you can inspire future generations. Stay inspired

to stay grounded and learn from past failures.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder……

Second Chances…

What happened with the first one? Have we grown accustomed to having

second chances so we act carelessly with our first ones? Its almost

as if we (current generation) are taking half court shots at the

beginning of the game knowing that we’ll get the rebound

automatically. Security at its fullest, first impressions still

stand important but the proverb of “forgive but don’t forget” still

stands stronger. I take a look around me and see people having such

strong confidence in their actions and what they do that its almost as

if they have that confidence in the “second chance security” rather

then in what they are doing. Maybe its just me, maybe its just the

surround crowd around me…I tend to fall insecure in the thoughts of

second chances. Insecure for the reason because I’ve been burnt

personally by the “second chance” when it never presented itself to me

when I needed it. I had fallen victim to the thought and security of

it always being there. Since that day I began living life believing

that I only had one chance. If I have anything I want or want to

achieve I believe that I must succeed in it the first chance. I give

my self no opportunity for second chances...I believe that the first

chance deserves 100 percent of all you’ve got…because if you aren’t

giving 100 percent of yourself toward something you are doing…you

should probably ask yourself why your even doing it. In this

beautiful timeline of mine called “LIfE” the end result is inevitably

death…if I don’t give 100 percent until I reach that anonymous day

when I reach the end…then I can never turn back and ask for a second

chance… IF I CAN’T ASK FOR IT THEN, THEN I WON’T ASK FOR IT NOW.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s. exercise your mind, body, and soul…cheat on you exercise and

don’t give 100 percent of yourself then you can never build and grow

stronger within

Proud To Be Myself

2011-03-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Pride…

It has it in the English dictionary that this word means the quality or state of being proud. All week long I’ve pondered about what this word means in today’s society. I find that in today’s society pride has formed negativity around it. I’ve come to realize that these people of pride have begun to build walls against anything outside of what brings them pride. They get a taste of being proud and don’t want to let go…they long for its everlasting feeling that they build a barricade against anything that may bring them further from this satisfaction. This past week I saw pride in its darkest forms…one being my grandfather…the other being my father…and next to heir this Pride would be me if I couldn’t learn from their stubbornness to let their pride go sometimes. My grandfather; a man from olden times, one with respect, chivalry, and Pride. Always was and always has been the supporting stump in my family tree…if you needed anything done you knew he was the man to get it done. After years upon years of building up his reputation he was proud to realize he was the stump the rest of the branches and twigs in my family was supported off of. He gained a sense of strong pride as he should have. Six months ago he was injured and broke his hip, later to learn he had multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells & bone marrow). With not enough youth for his bone to quickly heal, he is starting to see his barricade being broken down. For the past six months he has walked with crutches in pain but nowhere close to the pain he was feeling from his pride being taken away from him due to this disease. Things he was normally able to do, no longer could he perform. He can’t cut his lawn, clear his snow, grow his garden…things of this nature that made him proud of himself for the past twenty years or so. The stump full of pride branched off into the limb, my father. The eldest son in the family grew right into a pride filled man…everything he does always reflects back onto his pride…everything he says, reflects right back to his pride. There is no way to tell a proud man he is wrong…for he has grown a barricade of stubbornness to ever go away from what makes him proud. In both my grandfather and my father, I may not see physical likeness features but I see the pride and how it has built a barricade against all who try to help them in any acts of kindness. I guess when someone said “you were born with nothing, so when you leave this earth you’ll take nothing” I think they didn’t take into account a persons pride…I feel as though GOD alone could not break down the barricades and take away my father and grandfathers pride. As for me the twig growing off of the limb…I can hope that I one day will have something that brings me such great pride but at the same time I hope the barricade I build will not be against the own grains of my family tree.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s. We all need to find a certain pride in life…just remember that life is a two way road…not only should you find pride…but you should give someone else a reason to be proud…if you build a barricade against losing your own…you may never be able to touch another.

Last Sunday, a very powerful and compelling piece aired on ESPN. The piece
chronicled the journey of the infamous Fab Five of Michigan University. The Fab
Five were the only college basketball team to compete in a national championship
game starting five freshmen. As I viewed the documentary, I was shocked to hear
Jaylen Rose (an anchor for ESPN, and a member of the Fab Five) say that Duke
only recruits black players who are “Uncle Toms”. From a far, I have always
admired Jaylen Rose because he was able to eject himself out of poverty and
urban darkness. I feel that his comments sent a negative message to black youth.
Players that attended Duke University such as Grant Hill are great role models
and someone that inspires me on an everyday basis. The message that Jaylen Rose
sent to the world is that being successful and affluent will never be correlated
with the word black.

Being a young black man that is aspiring to be
successful, I think that the comments reflect how ignorant and blind the black
culture is. Why must being black have to be associated with pants hanging,
cursing, and being a product of your environment. I view people like Grant Hill
as the pure definition of everything that is proper and good with the black
culture. As I become more educated, I see that the nightmare of slavery still
haunts the black community in the year of 2011. It really hurts me to see that
as a black man I may be viewed and depicted as a white admirer when I reached
and obtain my aspirations. I just truly hope that success and prosperity will
no longer be look down upon within the black environment.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Tribute to Japan

2011-03-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

Today, we are all in a state of shock due to the horrific disaster that occurred
in Japan and Hawaii. When I first turned on my television this morning, I was
shocked to witness how deadly the hammer known as Mother Nature can be. As I
placed myself in the shower this morning, I pondered to myself why we as humans
only unite when a tragedy occurs? I have observed from the human eye horrendous
tragedies such as September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, and Haiti’s earthquake.
After all these particular tragedies transpire, we as humans want to show our
emotional side and aid the victims. Why can’t we come together on occasions that
are not destructive to our beloved planet? Once all our fake tears are wiped
away, we will move on to the next topic which will probably be as irrelevant as
our Face book, Twitter, or Skype accounts.
We as citizens of this world should come in
unison 365 days in a year. When we are able to come together as one, we will
not have to put on a broad way show when Mother Nature decides to strike us.
Imagine how the victims of natural disasters feel when they know the majority of
volunteers will desert them after all the cameras have navigated elsewhere. I
know we all have our own tribulations and dilemmas that consume us every day we
open our eyes. If we are ever going to fully prosper as a nation, we have to
become more unified as brothers and sisters. Charity is constructed on the
premise that no hidden agendas are allowed. Maybe Mother Nature is telling us
in her own way that she will no longer stand for selfishness and miserliness.
She has warned us about the me only mentality and she will stand for it no
longer. My deepest prayers go out to anyone who has felt the wrath better known
as a natural disaster.
Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Fridays are normally the day when the working class wakes up and says “TGIF”. Unfortunately yesterday, Friday 11, 2011 was one day that once again is going down into the history books. The devastating earthquake that shook Japan and went down as the largest earthquakes in

Japan

, but it was far from over…A tsunami was on it’s way to wreak havoc on the Japanese people who were just starting to stand back up and assess the damages from the earthquake. Before any of this happened all I could think about was the events from a year ago an anniversary of devastation that occurred in my own life. A year ago the state was receiving a record number of inches of rain, flooding, winds, and anything else that could be associated with a storm that wasn’t classified as a “hurricane”. As the night fell, so did the roof on my fathers company…well actually it was blown off. As I responded to go assess the damage my heart dropped, my adrenaline started pumping, and I was still in a phase of shock. The place that my father owns, our lifeline, my career, my whole families careers were being destroyed by mother nature. Everything within the building was being rained on because the winds from the storm had peeled back the roof…a cosmetics company for those of you who don’t work in the field is one of the companies that is normally not too fond of water in any way; over a million dollars of chemicals ruined by the water, the different bottles and components for over 50 customers were drenched, all the machines and electrical devices were ruined…from it all the most you could do is settle with your losses that night and head back home. Unfortunately we were on vacation for the weekend and it was our first time heading back to the house…just wanting to get some shut eye for a few hours before having to go clean up and repair the damages, it turns out our entire basement is flooded with an inch of water and numerous keepsakes were ruined….Talk about wanting to give up. My fathers company which was never closed longer then for one day was now facing a possible ½ year repair…but my father had to keep his head to the sky as the leader of a company which was the foundation of my whole entire family. If there was one person everyone was turning to for answers…it was him. Upset, unsure of what to do the only thing he told us is the one thing I’ll never forget, “We’ve experienced the unthinkable, Now it’s time to do the unthinkable”. My family knew exactly what that meant, clean the scene and get that business back up and running…with such hard work and determination to save a company, the business and employees were back in the building 3 work days later…no roof, ruined machinery…but we took the good with the bad and still managed to produce good out of bad. As the day is nearing an end and all I can see around me is news about Japan and references to the damages and relief funds starting, all I can think about is crisis management. Japan is in shambles, they need to turn to their leader as my family turned to my father; if he needs to be strong and steadfast at any point of his whole life, this is the time. Even though my devastation from a year ago is small in scale compared to what happened in Japan today but one thing stays the same….Believe. The People of Japan must believe that they can overcome this devastation, they must believe that they can bounce back to being the third strongest economy in the world, they must Believe. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE, YOU WILL NOT ACHIEVE.

Sincere,

LIfE

P.s. Please keep Japan and all those effected by the earthquake and tsunami today in your prayers, meditation, or whatever your method is of reflection…because at the end of the day regardless of race, sex, political party or whatever…WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS AND NEED TO BE CARED FOR.

Future, Expectations

2011-03-05T05:35:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of culture trends. During the past
week, I have been contemplating what my next move will be in this journey we
call life. I think everyday this week I poured a glass of whiskey sour just to
take my mind away from the stress of midterms, job applications, and the pending
future. As I pondered my way through the week, I sat back and realized how close
I am to graduation. Graduation for many people is a time of excitement and
reflection. After the date of May 12th, 2011, I may take a special trip to
commence my achievement. After my trip, I will be more inspired to create my
everlasting legacy. Completing college is just the prerequisite for admissions
into the school of life. If I just sit around waiting for glory and my dream
job to come at my door, I better get use to residing in my parent’s residence.

I ask myself what my next move will be after I am no longer a
student at Kean University. I am preparing myself to build a foundation that
will allow me to insert my knowledge and talents into the world. The world is a
very scary place, and many times we run for cover because we are not equipped to
handle her demands. Don’t worry about the next party, or girl or guy that you
want to start a relationship with. Believe me when I tell you, success will
allow you to enjoy commodities such as designer clothes, males or females, and
elite company. I can’t wait until the day that I will be able to present myself
as a man who what reached the pentacle of his or her capabilities. We all can
reach our dreams if 365 days we stay on our grind.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Expectations

We all know that waiting for anything in life is so painstaking. We as humans, always want or need something…we have a tendency of being impatient when it comes to something we really want. As a person who knows this feeling better then most…I also know the cons of being impatient. The greatest con of expecting something to happen is when it doesn’t happen. Think about how many times you sit around waiting for something or someone to pull through and you expect for it to be the best part of your week and then IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN or THEY JUST DON’T COME THROUGH on their promise or word. It feels like one of the worst downfalls…at the moment you normally feel like you’ve been knocked off Mt. Everest and you were only 4 ft from the top. Growing up I always looked forward to Christmas, birthdays, and any other event where I thought I would receive a present or gift from others…RUDE AWAKENING when you don’t get what you wanted…especially when you were young you thought the world was over. As adults we have goals…we have expectations of reaching our goals…the issue I see is that many people believe that others are going to give them their goals like presents at Christmas or their birthdays…RUDE AWAKENING…NOTHING IS PROMISED…I believe in the saying “Good things come to those who wait” I also believe a better saying is “Those Who Go After What They Want, Shall Receive It Faster”…GO GET IT

Sincere,

LIfE

Who is the Character you see in your Reflection?

2011-02-26T06:29:00.000-08:00

Character

            As time expands, I believe that the word character has evaporated
from our core structure as human beings. We reside in a world where greed and
power has dissected the word character into tiny pieces. Character is such an
imperative trait that we must place back into our every day interactions. While
we are aspiring to have a successful career, we forget that character is just as
important as GPA’s or internships. Even though the economy is in deadly straits,
we must still be able to comprehend that character can open the door for
financial advancement. Countries such as Libya and Egypt have felt the wrath
from the mother of character. If the high ranking officials of these foreign
nations utilized our friend known as character, uproar would never have placed
its hands on the respective regions.

                        You can have a great life without losing your core
principles. If you are successful without upholding your position of character,
your success will not be everlasting and sustainable. When you reach your goals
without inserting character into your blueprint of success, you should place a
temporary tag on your achievement. As I strive for a better life, I always try
to maintain the same level of character and integrity. What is the use of having
money and power, when you feel so dirty inside as a person? When I was
contemplating what to write on the blog this week, I started to realize how
imperative the practice of character is. There so much more to life than
fabulous occupations and luxurious lifestyles. Our character must always remain
a constant during the duration of our existence.
                Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Reflections

As I sit back and reflect over my week, my glass of wine turns to a bottle…it’s been one of those weeks. A week that almost seems so surreal and the only thing that keeps you believing that it was real is your muscles hurting from working out the night before. Transformation from college life to grown up life is about one of the realest transformations you can go through…jokingly I caught myself reflecting about all the days I used to be able to wake up and say “I don’t feel like going to class today…it’s raining, windy, too sunny”…or some other bullshit excuse to just not make it to class. Now after finally succeeding in gaining my degree I missed the luxury of being able to choose when I wanted to go to class…now if I don’t wake up and head to work I find myself staring at a paycheck that reflects my laziness. It is a Love-Hate relationship toward the transformation between your college-career and your life-career…on one hand you hate missing all the freedom and limitless time to do whatever you please…but on the other hand you love the fact that you’re bringing in a paycheck that you never could have managed while you were in school. It doesn’t take much for me to realize that looking back and wishing I was still in college was simply a joke…it’s just taking a lot for me to realize that this is going to be my career for the next forty years or so of my life where as college was only suppose to take four…well for me it took five and a half….maybe a little more determination to get to class and actually try for at least three of the four years and I could have finished on time but once again I see how my efforts reflect on my achievements. In my opinion, life is all about achievements and goals a person achieves in their life. Hell, I could pass tomorrow and the world would acknowledge my achievements but they would never be able to reflect on them the way I saw and did them. Only I, myself would know the pain, sweat, and tears I pumped into achieving those goals in life…and for that reason, this transformation will be a strong one because I want to look back when I retire and see all my hard work reflecting on the beautiful lifestyle I always dreamt of. Finishing half of this bottle of wine I become philosophical and see the bottle half full because I know that just like my week and my achievements in life…when you get to the end of it...only YOU will be able to see the reflections of yourself in it.

P.s. Just remember that when you look in a mirror to see a reflection…you can never see past yourself…make your reflection the best you can…it’s the only time you can see your own self Living Life

Sincere
LIfE

Passion for Persuasion

2011-02-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

sion

                        In the world we reside in, persuasion has the
distinguish ability to control our greatest tool which is our minds. Some of us
have the misplace notion that the older we get, the more persuasion is
eradicated from our DNA. When I view people who are senior to me placing
irrelevant statuses on face book, or juvenile tweets on twitter, I wonder what
direction our world is heading. In an era where the economy is as horrible as
the elite in the country of Egypt, why not use persuasion to sell yourself to
the world. Around a month ago, I had an idea to construct a blog that will
persuade individuals to view my weekly articles for the advancement of my post
collegiate career. In our society, people are persuaded to purchase items that
are out of their financial planning, and cars that they can’t afford. Why not
try to create a brand for yourself that is unique and inspiring.

                        In the shadows of persuasion, humans that utilize this
great tool have been able to open up the doors of success and prosperity.
Whether we realize it or not, we all have adequate marketing skills that can
help us climb the ladder of achievement. We need to allow our minds and the tool
of persuasion to come together as one. Once the two parties unite, we will be
able to navigate through the road of success without a GPS system.

                        Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Passion…it’s what drives us to achieve our goals in life…derived from the latin word pati; which means to suffer. So how is it that something that gives us a drive to achieve our goals was derived from suffering?. It made me think that we as people need to go through hell to get to heaven…Nothing good in life is free…if you get it fast, it’ll end fast…all these different sayings that refer to the need for passion in anything you do. You need to get to heaven by suffering through hell to get to heaven…you need to work in life to get the good things…you need to work and put time into whatever you do to guarantee it lasts. As I look around I see a lot of people looking for the easy way out these days, they look for the shortcuts, they look for the free things…they don’t want to endure the suffering. After years of struggling at my job I’m finally now starting to see the light and becoming a part of the management team. Five long years of working from the bottom up, suffering, and struggling to learn every aspect of the operation, but now I see the rewards and it was all worth it. I didn’t have to go through the five years of training because I’m the owners’ son, but my father had a lesson for me to learn…and now I know what it was…he wanted me to learn how to have a passion toward something by struggling to achieve it. Whatever you may be doing in life; work, college, family…always remember that the best things in life should be the ones you have a passion for….because you gained the passion for them because of the struggles and suffering you went through to obtain them.

Sincere

LIfE

What's the Status of your Shadow?

2011-02-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

Status

Now a days everyone is updating their status to something new every five minutes... I’ll admit to doing the same up until a few months ago when I realized a status isn’t something you just update every five minutes. After I graduated and I started working I began to remember what the word status actually means. I don’t care about the definition of the word to the English language but what the word actually meant to me. Status is something you obtain not create; people’s status used to be what class level they were, what marital status they were, how far they were from a given place at a certain time. Status today has lost its value…we all try to create a status for the world to see but may not actually be living that status lifestyle we portray. No more status updates for me that’s for sure, my new given goal now is achieve my status in life not make it up for the world to see. If achieve a proper status and become a successful man then I won’t have to write about it; IT WILL BE SEEN & KNOWN.

Sincere,

LIfE

NYFW: I’ve been hearing a lot about vintage styles coming back into fashion…a few of my close friends have been behind stage and talking with designers and it looks like the fashion world is giving us a real treat. I personally like the grown and mature, classy looks but some of the vintage hanging out looks a really appealing…if you find time throughout your day check out some of the different pics from the shows and maybe try a new style out…because after all there are seven days in a week…don’t be too predictable.

The Shadow…..

Last Sunday, Aaron Rodgers broke out of the shadow of the
controversial former Green Bay Packers quarterback Bret Favre. Watching Aaron
Rodgers enjoy his new found celebrity made me think about how difficult emerging
from another person’s shadow can truly be. In life, we as humans try to create
our own legacy by hard work, perseverance, or sometimes just pure luck. As I
grow older in age, I see that shadows have turned people’s aspirations into
deadly nightmares. My two older sisters are highly successful with one being a
doctor and the other working for secret service. I found myself trying to
maneuver myself from their shadows, but I never tried to create my own legacy.
When I turned the age of twenty one, I began to realize that the only shadow
that is surrounding me is my own reflection.

We must be able to understand that someone else’s
success will never hold us hostage unless we allow it to. We all have
capabilities that will allow us to create our own chapter in the book of
success. Last Sunday, Aaron Rodgers was able to develop his own everlasting
legacy. I truly believe that we all can learn from Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers
and begin to construct our own empire without any overshadows. When we lay in
our coffins, we don’t’ want our companions to remember us by whether or not we
walked out of someone’s shadow. We want to be acknowledged for the everlasting
impact we had on our loved ones and society.

Until next week, keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Complacency&Judgement

2011-02-05T04:50:00.000-08:00

Complacency

                        Complacency has become a fabric that is tattooed within
the human autonomy.

            The city where I lay my head at on a daily basis is a direct
definition of the word complacency. When I ride around in my city, I see men and
women who only aspiration in this journey called life is to just get by. When we
become complacent, our abilities to think critically for ourselves are
eradicated. In my community, I have witnessed promising young men and women
lose out on their dreams, because they are complacent with their circumstances.
I take a look in the mirror of my city and see how complacency has made
education and prosperity vanished into the night. We must gain the ability to
become more creative beings that define our own legacy and not wait on others to
bail us out from being an adult.
                        Looking into the mirror of the future, I see that the
city I call home will fall deeper into the arms of complacency. I see the
residents of my city running into the arms of complacency like a kid that runs
into their parent’s arms after a long day of school. When I was younger, I never
knew why people feared the city of Irvington, NJ. As I see things through adult
glasses, I see that my city has allowed programs such as welfare and section 8
to disconnect the positive cords that we once had with prospering neighboring
communities such as Short Hills, Livingston, and Montclair. Until next week,
reach for your dreams and keep climbing up the lord’s ladder.

Judgment…

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”-JDM. In itself I see greatness; itself being myself. I see greatness because I perform acts of greatness onto others that I do not know. People tell me that you should live your own life doing things that make you happy…what if, making others smile and happy is what makes me happy. It serves me no greater happiness at the end of the day knowing that I have in some way, shape, or form made an impression on a person that I had not known before that day began. Many times in the past some of the closest people to me will ask why I’m doing something for a complete stranger; they question my character towards a complete stranger…what for?. All through out elementary school and high school I was a guy hidden in the shadow of fear…fear of rejection and public speaking to complete strangers. Somewhere along the line between prom weekend and graduation I found myself being more confident in my own self. The whole idea about someone judging me negatively didn’t phase me anymore, I learned how to live my life doing things which truly made me happy; that was making others happy. It was pure and simple…if a person didn’t want to accept me for who I was and wanted to judge me negatively, I knew that they had an issue with themselves that made them feel uncomfortable around me. From that time period on, I made it a point to do the best I could as a human being to perform the greatness I had within myself to all others around me. Without judgment, Life is actions without regrets…without regrets we have full self-gratification and happiness…Is that not why we live it? Confidence is key & Judgment by others is irrelevant

Sincere,

LIfE

Do You Have the Time? or Destiny?

2011-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Time…

24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 30 days in a month, 60 seconds in a minute, 365 days in a year and all this never really matters unless we are living in it and not just passing time. Look deep into your life as you have already lived it; have you actually lived it or were you just passing time. By passing time I mean, were you playing with time, throwing it away on nonsense, taking it for granted. Sadly, most of us are passing time, and time as we know it has no end, BUT we do. They say humans only use 10 percent of their brains; Why is that?. Is it because 30 percent is used to perform involuntary actions such as breathing, blinking, and sleeping? Or is it because most of our time lived doesn’t involve thinking rather it just involves passing. I’m no scientist but I think the second is a better pick for me. What I truly believe is that if people were to think more throughout their day then possibly we could be more proactive toward achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves. My life has been and forever will be spent on using my brain, I am a true believer that if you have something you need to use it… and use it to your benefit to obtain your goals. Since my mind never stops working and I’m always trying to come up with the next most innovative idea it seems as though time has flipped the script on me; Time is Passing. We all know this feeling all too well, whether it be deadline for a paper, getting somewhere, going to an interview or dinner date…Time always seems to be moving so much faster then we please. BUT it’s not; its our psychological view on our own life that makes us think there is not enough time in the day. Take it for what it’s worth and it’s only worth those simple numbers at the beginning of this piece. So rather then playing with time and passing it around like a game of catch, make the most out of it because one way or another it’s not speeding up, slowing down, pausing, or ending…Only We Are.

Sincere,

LIfE

Destiny….

What is destiny? That is one of the most intriguing questions that come to human
beings minds when they think about their legacy in this world. So many people
talk about how success should be apart of their DNA. During my relationship with
this project we call life, I’ve seen through an invisible window how success
has not reached out to so many people that yearn for it. Yes when college
students graduate from college, they believe that their defining moment in life
is just seconds away. For far too many students, they have been waiting for
their defining moment far longer than seconds. In a time where poverty and
stress have become part of our everyday existence, success seems more like a
distant star that can never be reached.

The pondering question is what can be done to make sure that our
destiny is not eradicated? We must be able to become more adaptable and
versatile. When you are able to comprehend and understand various different
realms, you are able to connect with a world that only a select few can be apart
of. If you just take a few portions of your day cultivating yourself into a
better all around commodity, your chances of reaching success will be greater.
Versatility is one of the greatest equalizers in this race for success and
prosperity.