The Bravery in being Great

       I don't know, it's so hard to face this world not knowing exactly where you fit in all of it. All this chaos, it almost feels like you're in a burning room with nowhere to escape. That you're looking for that "light at the end of the tunnel"; but instead, all you continue to see is darkness all around. You lose all the motivation that you have. Nothing seems to be going right, you feel like you're of no use to anyone. And the only time you really do matter is when people are gaining something from you. I feel used, like I'm only beneficial when I have something that people need from me. I feel like a alien in a foreign world, and I don't really belong. I feel like I've lost more then I have gained. But what I have gained despite it all is something that I can't replace. I feel like defeat has made me stronger, and I realize that my time is coming. I can't sit around and feel sorry for myself; or even blame others for not getting what I deserve to have, even if they were the cause of my temporary downfall. You can't weigh greatness on a scale, the true value of that greatness lies on how you use it. As well as the lives that you affect. I use to try to base my success on how well others were doing at the time. Then I  began to realize that you can't. Why would I base my success on others when they won't be able to do what I CAN and WILL accomplish? Who I am to short-change myself? Who am I to even doubt my own greatness?

       See it's human nature to base all that you have and don't have by what others have. That's why when you eat something that is someone else's it seemingly tastes better. Or when you see someone who you believe is more successful, attractive or better then you are we tend to emulate that person. We feel that we are not as great without having that exact or similar trait or quality that person has. I feel that admiration is an inspiring delight. It is good to appreciate an individuals work ethic, what they have or even how they look. Just don't allow that to be the sole basis of how you may deem your own "success". We tend to seek out approval from people who truthfully aren't as great as we are even if we feel they are successful. Truthfully those that you look up to may not even be that great. Greatness isn't just about what you possess or what you have accomplished, it's also about how much you have helped others become great as well. We fall in love with how something seems to look, not really knowing everything about it. We even find ourselves trying to compare and contrast all that others have, when in reality what they have my be good for them but not great for you.

       I am learning more in my life that being "good" at something and being "Great" at something are two different things. Just because something looks good doesn't mean that it is. For example; someone that I befriended when I was younger, was and still is affiliated with very prominent music artists. In fact, I myself know countless individuals throughout all channels of successful avenues in many platforms. I just have never been the type of person to ride the wave of another's success and emulate it as my own. I would much rather prefer to do things my own way and get my "buzz" off the beat of my own drum. Anyway; I believed at some point in my life that this person was getting all types of "success", because they seemed to be able to get things that appeared unreachable to me. We actually know all the same mutual people, and we are in the same neighboring part (Harlem). I use to question my own greatness because it looked good to see them have all those successful people around. Seeing them in photos together and having these celebrities even vouch for this person. I wanted that for myself; but a part of me always felt like I didn't need to do it that way, because people would see how great I was in MY OWN TIME. See, we tend to forget that not every time is the right time, and the time for someone else's successes have no bearing on our own.

       We get so caught up in how good something else looks for someone else, that we lose sight of how great we will be. Moreover, this person relied heavily on how successful they were on the successes of the people who are already successful. To me that is a sure way of living in the shadows of others, and I am too great to allow myself to ever do that. I also didn't deceive people, or steal their ideas and fabricate them as my own as they have. They also only dealt with people and aligned themselves with those they saw potential in. Clinging on to them not because they sincerely believed in them or their visions, but to stay relevant through that individuals hard work and success. I have expounded on that to express, don't base anything off of how things appear. Don't fall in love with appearances, believe in yourself even when others don't. Believe in YOUR potential and NEVER doubt it. Just be yourself and the RIGHT people will align themselves with you. Stop trying to seek the approval of others and just aim for the highest plateau. Don't box yourself in EVER because even placing yourself in one is limiting your own potential.

       I researched how well this blog was doing since I first started this years ago; and even with me going on a hiatus for nearly a year, and not writing on this daily as I use to, I have had nearly 10,000 views on this blog internationally. I have even had people write back to me, even telling me that they don't like what I wrote or expressing an opinion on how much that they do love it. To me that means people find relevancy in what I write and I am appreciative of that. There is no such thing as overnight success, and stop trying to base what you feel success is on how others view it. Stay in your own lane and do it YOUR WAY, and I guarantee others WILL FOLLOW YOU! I believe in myself even if others do not. I have learned to celebrate myself even if others may not. One thing that I do know is I am on the road to greatness, and NO ONE will stop that for me. I am a work in progress, but my progression is paying off. Remember; "Anyone can be good at what they do, but it takes bravery to be great just when being good is enough"!

        

       

Love thy neighbor; but Love thyself FIRST!

   Trapped in my own thoughts, wondering if I can ever amount to the expectations set by those around me. Am I man enough for the woman I have? Am I a good son, brother, nephew, father and friend? It's funny because I've seen myself as this great guy; and in many instances I am, but seeking perfection is impossible when there is no such thing. Trying to be everything to everyone is impossible, especially when you try to please everyone. You can go crazy trying to put a smile on the faces of everybody when nobody cares about your own. I ask myself why do I hold onto people who aren't worth holding on to? Honestly it stems from feeling like people gave up on me In my past, and at times in my present; and I'm quite certain in my future people will give up on me as we'll. Frankly that's life; I'm nowhere near being negative either, it's just a fact. I found myself seeking validation from people with more issues then me and even more broken then myself. It's heartwrenching longing for acceptance from individuals that you'll truly NEVER receive from, no matter how great you may be to them.

   I wanted certain people in my life even when they hurt me; I thought to myself as long as they were there, I was fine with whatever was done to me. But how is that even a way to live, or even a way to force yourself to live? How can you allow ANYONE to do and say things to you they would NEVER allow you to do to them? When you never come to grips with things and continue to make excuses about situations; and never change them, you're only lying to yourself. At some point even lying to yourself becomes second nature, because in your mind, even if deep down you know it won't change; you believe that person will do something different and treat you the way you treat them. How can you give of yourself so freely and accept undeserved pain? Because of Love? Love is an action, an emotion, a word and phrase; a thought we believe we all know, and a feeling we never want to live without. I can't tell you how many times I've lied to myself knowing I never loved myself the way I should have. Self love is the first love we neglect; we seek love of others instead because we believe without the love of another we are nothing. But how can there be a "We" if YOU don't love yourself wholeheartedly?

    When did we get to the point to accept things we know aren't good for us? When did I get to the point of trying to be everything to everyone; trying to save everybody, when I can't even save myself. Why do I hold on? Why should I hold on? The void I try to fill with the longing love and administration from those I care about was unfortunate at times really. I wanted to feel like I was important, that I was needed and desired. It may sound crazy to you but at least I'm honest about that. At least I realize where my actions and thoughts, demeanor and feelings, and persona I gave off stemed from. Who are you to judge? Why should I care what your views of me are? Honestly we seek way too much validation from people who mean us harm. People that should mean nothing to us, but people whom we hold in such high regards and we need not do so. It's embedded in our minds by other people that we NEED to be liked by everybody. That it's important to always be the one that people long for. And even now as I write this and I'm reading it at the same time it makes no damn sense whatsoever. How can you be willing to do whatever it takes for people to accept you, that you lose sight of your own identity? People are so willing to transform every ounce of who they are to themselves to appease others that they are willing to pretend to be someone else to be liked. How can you live that type of life and not find yourself broken? I'm confused about this now but many years earlier I was that person who cared too much about the thoughts of others. It was almost like I was wearing blindfolds everyday of my life; because I was willing to mask my identity that fit who I was, for an identity everyone else thought that I should have. At this point in my life I'm by myself MOST of the time, which was something I've become accustomed to as I've become a man. As a child; up until about nineteen or twenty, I felt like I needed a bunch of people around me. Again feeling like that equated to being important or feeling validated. A plethora of situations definitely showed me that meant nothing. My mother would always say that if I could count on one hand how many people I could expect to be there for me in my life, I was truly blessed. Some situations have strength in numbers, but when it comes to friendships and relationships of all kinds; all that truly matters is who will be there, not how many. That was a truth I had to come to grips with, and I was willing to accept it.

    Seems like life goes by so quickly; It feels like yesterday I just turned twenty-five on June 24th, and I ask myself what did I really accomplish? I thought about that even more when an old classmate and I were conversing. He said to me he felt like he needed to go back to school because he didn't really do all he thought he would have accomplished by now. I started to second guess aspects of my life and asked myself a similar question. Everyone has a different walk in life, we don't have to all do the same things to be successful. I feel like God has prepared me to be one of the top CEO's in the world! To be successful and wealthy but never getting beside myself. True success comes from giving back, not just taking. It was always important to me to place myself around people who are ambitious. The type of people that don't just settle for what everyone else believes success is. That person that will do whatever it takes to excel even when everyone else tries to convince them it can't be done. I use to weigh how successful I wasn't to how success I believed everyone else was (at the time) until I realized my walk in life wasn't everyone else's walk in life and vice versa. The problem with MOST people is we worry way too much about how better off everyone else is then we are, when we should use that same keen sense of vision we have on someone else's success; and apply 1000 times as much on our own. Do you really think the billionaires of this world felt like giving up? Of course they did! But what would have happened if they did? GOD only knows, but they didn't; and they kept going even when everyone else said it wasn't going to happen. 

      Even as I sit here in my room, on my bed in deep thought about my life and all that I have accomplished; I realize that I am still evolving as an individual. I've always taken pride in the fact that I have immense wisdom, intelligence and leadership qualities. I even realize I have the type of personality that is aggressive and I apply myself to the best of my ability to get things done. I even realize that I have immense influence on other people, even if they are what others consider important or those who's authority is higher then my own. Jesus was a man who was a fisherman, he wasn't a King or a senator or a man of "high importance" in the eyes of society at that time; but he was able to do things that seemed impossible by others. I genuinely want whoever is reading this to take a look in the mirror and remind yourself of how great you truly are. That despite how unimportant you may feel or others try to make you feel; you are the most important person in the world, because it's only one of you! That you're unique and different, and those flaws you attack yourself with daily; will be those very same flaws that help other people realize that you're even greater then they wanted to give you credit for. Remember that love of self is the most important love you can have; because when you fall in love with yourself, it will be easier to give love to others. Though it took me quite a few years to finally realize that, I pray my friend that it takes you much sooner to realize importance of SELF LOVE!