The Time It Will Take | Day 5 | #BlogADay

Piggy-backing off of yesterday's blog, I received this from +Sweetlocs Taylor this morning.

You cannot turn the corner until you get to it. In order to create a breakthrough, you must lay the groundwork for it.

Real value is built with time, effort and commitment. Don’t cheat yourself out of that value by demanding instant results.

When you’re moving in a positive direction, enjoy the ride and give it the time it takes. Even though the fulfillment is not yet complete, you can already begin to experience it.

Don’t be afraid of the time it will take to make real progress. Be thankful for the opportunity to make an increasingly valuable difference as time goes on.

There is great joy to be found in meaningful effort. The longer and more committed the effort is, the more joy you are able to experience.

Cheerfully give yourself and your work the time it takes. Choose a worthy destination, and treasure every step of the journey.

— Ralph Marston

Empty Gestures

...fulfill no purpose.

In everything that I do, I strive to do with intention and with purpose. I am learning day by day that it is not enough to be driven by passion or my emotions. Until I add knowledge then wisdom to my passion, I am being moved by mere emotion -- and this is not enough!

In all of our protesting and "standing for justice" BE RESPONSIBLE in exercising our rights.

1.  KNOW THEM (your rights). Every RIGHT still has laws attached to it and they often vary from state to state. Make certain that while you're practicing you're "rights", you're not breaking the law.
2. Consider how you can BEST and MOST EFFECTIVELY create positive change. I can't stress this enough.

For example: 

• Not tipping a white waitress until justice is served...not really holding any weight in the judicial system.What THIS act DOES do is perpetuate the stereotype that Blacks don't tip well. 

Note: Based on my personal experience as a waitress, Black consumers are often the worst tippers (along with church folk and military service-members) so, yeah. It would appear to me that this young lady is using injustice as an excuse for not tipping when she likely wouldn't have anyway. #ImJustSayin

• Randomly wearing a hoodie and sign to a random mall in your town...not really holding any weight in the judicial system. This young man was arrested in my hometown of Wichita, KS. 

Do I, personally, feel that this young man should have been arrested for refusing to remove his hoodie and sign while in the mall? Of course not! Do I think this young man made the BEST decision in his attempt to "stand for something" so he won't "fall for anything"? NO.

Photo originally posted by Tyrice Lollis

• Boycotting local malls and businesses until justice is served...not really holding any weight in the judicial system. 

Our passion can be a powerful tool but I personally believe the fight is with our right to vote and voting locally AND nationally. The dollar DEFINITELY holds weight but only when it's IN the right hands and/or TAKEN FROM the wrong hands.

• Now, THIS...this is just downright STUPID. Along with rioting and looting. Generally, the very community where the persons you say you're working to bring justice to are the only communities that get destroyed during riots. Just don't...*smh*

So yes, be mindful of where you spend your money but most importantly, make sure to go make an EDUCATED VOTE in your next local election where the political shift BEGINS.

COMMUNICATE with your delegates and state representatives. Write letters, make the calls, LEARN THE LAWS. In this technological age, there is NO EXCUSE for ignorance so, DON'T BE IGNORANT.

*All photos taken from our beloved Facebook.

THIS IS A WARNING!!! We Live and Learn, From Each Other

It is VERY easy for people to fake success and even whole businesses via social media. Do not let a person's "clean" look, or even Jesus speak and talk about faith convince you that they are a legitimate company. Make certain to THOROUGHLY research and receive referrals from trusted agents before spending any money in support of an online business. 

STORY TIME!

A few years ago, I was invited to write an article for a "magazine" that was created by someone I'd met online. Although we met via social media, we eventually met during a trip to Atlanta and continued to build a personal and professional relationship.  After months of supporting their "business", I discovered that the individual was charging people for ad space and photo shoots for features in a magazine that didn't exist.

It didn't take much: He used his popularity between a few major cities, combined it with the use of a decent camera, worked the basics of a photo editing program, added in articles from a few writer friends, print and voila!  I was excited for the brother when I saw he and his "team" with pics of the debut release -- the fruit of their labor! They followed all of those steps and had their circle of influence convinced that they have a legitimate publication! 

I came to know about this "hustle" after communicating with a mutual connection from Twitter. This sister had been one of the supporters who paid for a photo-shoot and ad space. In this case, I turned out lucky. The only thing I lost was a waste of a great concept for an article. This sister, and Lord knows how many others, were out hundreds of dollars after expecting to share news of her business with a whole region! 

As independent artists, it is most important to invest in our brand. As with any investment, there are risks involved but do not be deceived by one's perceived success because of their presence online. With the technological age, doors have been opened like never before. Not only is this beneficial for a new wave of entrepreneurs but there is a whole new breed of people out here hustling those who are truly working hard, legitimately using social media and the trust of others to make a name for themselves.

THIS is why I dislike the term "hustle" in regards to hard work in business. "HUSTLING" is not synonymous with hard work. HUSTLE is what people do to AVOID hard work but to reap the benefits that generally come from hard work. 

NOTE: Unless of course, you work for the Oklahoma Thunder. Please, hustle along! 

We, as we've done with most matters of language, have changed the word "hustle" to mean various things by using it so loosely. Bottom line is, no one wants to be hustled and hustlers have never been viewed as trustworthy individuals. As for me, I'll be a hard worker all the days of my life but will never call myself a hustler. 

It is my earnest prayer that people will always know me as a reliable and trustworthy individual. - *BEAM*