It Is What It Is

 

Don't get distracted by the specifics and

the minutia of negatives and dead-ends;

the world is full of people who are interested in

you not reaching your goals, either by

actively and viciously thwarting you,

or by passively and apathetically refusing

to assist or support you.

 

Let it be.

 

Resentment and anger over lack of faith,

betrayals, getting jammed up, lies,

character assassination, upset over injustice,

fighting off specific mischaracterization and libel,

and all the rest is just an ENDLESS, tiresome

game that can never be won.

 

And if you're spending your time recounting

all the shitty people of the world, you won't have

 any time left to fulfill your dreams.

 

So, keep your eyes on the prize.

Don't be distracted by the gutter trash or

present circumstance.

Don't take on the doubts of others.

Have enough faith and belief in yourself

to make up for all the world.

And keep. on. moving. forward.

No matter what.

 

***

 

How to Handle Irritations

The Real Secret

Just be rich and mostly white...

...and EVERYTHING will be all right!

In America, you can get away

with murder with creds like that!

***

Go With the Flow



Pain and struggle
are part and parcel
of this boondoggle.

Make peace with it
and push through.

***



Always a Good Policy

....Even though most of us have to work at it

to make it a reality!

One foot in front of the other.

***

Put the Cart Before the Horse



Oh, girl! THAT ain't it!!

If you waited for other people to catch on to what a find you are or recognize how much talent you have,
you'd be wasting a whole lot of precious breath and
time!

You don't wait for others to pay heed...
you can't hope that others will notice your work ethic...
the old adages you were taught about modesty and
demurity being virtues were horseshit-cubed!

You have to TELL your talents.....
shout your own abilities....
brag on your accomplishments.

BELIEVE in yourself even and especially when no one else
seems to. (Or, more apt, when the world runs you down!)

That's the ticket, Captain!

The only way to get ahead is to force your way ahead.
The only thing soft-spoken and kind-hearted gets you
is a seat at the back of the bus.

So break out your bullhorn or your megaphone,
start working on a booming big-boy/big-girl voice,
draw attention to your hard work and efforts, and
if all else fails; be pleased with yourself!

Part of not waiting for others to fall in line is acting
like you've already achieved everything you want.

Confidence inspires the same, whereas humility and
timidity get you overlooked and stepped on.

Give yourself the approval, the 'thumbs up,' the
pat on the back.

It's kill or be killed in the world, and subtlety and
humility are just an invitation to make you the appetizer.

**************************************************

The Mystery IS the Good Stuff

Mystery is the best part....and here's why!

The less you know, the better most things are--from
restaurant food preparation to people's histories to the
creative process behind your favorite TV show.

Nowhere, though, is this more true than in relationships.

The less time spent together, the less in-depth the talks,
the less emotions and thoughts and personal past we
share with each other (both false and edited and purely
subjective versions,) the better the chances we'll still
get along in our mutual pretense of getting along.

The Honeymoon Phase works because it's the limited
access phase where we are basing all our good feelings
on the best impression/limited understanding/projecting
our own interpretation portion of the show.

Once shit starts getting real, the magic wears off.

Good feelings exist when there hasn't been sufficient time
to develop bad feelings. Prolong it as long as possible.

And when you've extracted all the goodness from it and
there's nowhere to go but deeper; time to move on.

************************************************

Take Names & Numbers, Not Shit

Effectiveness is barging in
    intimidating
       demanding
           not-taking-'no'
               not caring about feelings...

tough as nails
   dickish behavior
      not sitting back
         no more wishing
                           and pouting
                                     and whining
nor waiting to have it handed to you.


Get active and bold
     and forceful
         and argue if need be
               and TAKE A STAND.

No giving up,
     no running away
         no caving when people get pushy
                           or want to have a pissing contest.


There is no morality; just win or lose.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

"The Climb" David Sides ft. Ahmir

Smart, Self-Satisfied, Survival-Minded

Most of us end up being unwittingly more devoted and loyal

to a company or cause or spouse than we are to ourselves.

But in our life, we are the most important person/thing we

will ever have to dedicate ourselves to.

It's not your fault if you got off track

(or off on the wrong foot);

this world avoids teaching survival skills...

like being

feral and protective and relentless when it comes

to looking out for # 1. This world preaches codependency,

softness, work 'ethic' (though no such reciprocity nor guarantees

remain) and everything but self-preservation.

Well, when you're ready...or today, especially if you're not ready--

make a deep and meaningful commitment....a contract even....

to preserving the self.

That you will no longer think twice about driving all the way

across town, or burning the midnight oil, or sacrificing

when it's in regard to something you want for a change.

That the odds against you are insignificant, and

ridiculous stresses (or slings and arrows) are not worth

considering, let alone being troubled by.

That you will cause no harm to self, especially by

giving up.

Push, plan, train, work it, persevere;

This is your life, and it's worth fighting for.

If you lay down, there's no one else waiting in

the wings to take over for you.

That's cause for motivation, not upset.

***

Show Off All Your Color

Wear Your Skin Proudly

Beyond reprimand,

beyond reproach,

beyond concern,

beyond restriction,

there is only the You

that you want to be...

not in defiance of

what others do,

but simply being...

unfettered and free.

***

Decisiveness

There simply isn't enough time to devote ourselves to all
that we take a fancy to or wish to indulge in. At some point,
tough choices have to be made in order to spend adequate
time dedicated to the things that need it. Choices have to be
made as to what exactly our priorities are.

It is often painful and difficult, but the action of being decisive
is what forms our personhood, our character, and the actual
form and track our life will take.

There is no guidebook; decisions in life aren't like the movies,
with clear, easy, emotionally black-and-white options. Life is
messy, convoluted and very grey. We have to sacrifice something
no matter what we do, and it's almost never a completely feel-good
ending.

They say that 'fortune favors the brave,' and that's largely true. I know
of few people who have something that didn't take a calculated risk in
order to be achieved. But only an individual can know what risk, when, and
where are right for them....and what outcomes can be dealt with adequately.
Rash decisions and gambling are something else all together!

Learning to interpret and trust our own intuition is a huge factor, too.
How we go about deciding (our attitude, energy, and the confidence we do--
or don't have) is seen by others and makes all the difference.

We just have to take what we know, get our thinking solid, and go with our gut.
Then commit ourselves to it and live with the results.

Because staying in limbo, wishing, praying, hoping, and--most
especially--endlessly considering what might happen...that's the way
of stagnation and despair. And the longer you stay there, the harder
it is to move forward in any direction.

**************************************************

Nothing But the Push

It doesn't matter the length of time,

or the difficulty of the terrain,

the absence of supporters or witnesses,

how torn up and hassled and spent you are,

or how many times you have stop to get a second wind....

so long as you keep getting back up,

keep pushing through the pain,

believe in yourself,

and give it your personal best.

The race is won by those who

don't give up.

Period.

'Last place' still crosses

the damned finish line.

***

Make Yourself HEARD

EXPRESS YOUR
CHOICE:
RAISE YOUR
VOICE!

(And VOTE for

a candidate

that will

PROTECT

your right to

continue to do so!)

****

Coming of Age

Of course, everyone knows the Biblical quote regarding the end of
innocence;  "When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I fought as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish
things." from 1st Corinthians...(but, without the hopeful upswing that
precedes and follows.) For to have blinders stripped away, to see things
for what they truly are, although sobering, is not any kind of pleasantry.

This world is one of distraction, illusion, and con-artistry.
We are formed from youth to imagine a world where fair play and hard
work are justly and regularly rewarded. Not only does adherence to
this notion ensure that we will be demolished most swiftly by a world
whose other players most certainly do not subscribe to such fallible
notions, but we are also set up so that--should we survive years of
assault while maintaining said outlandish principles--we will be worn down
spiritually and emotionally as we come to grips with the falsehoods
of our teachings....betrayed, misled, and unprepared.

Learning that all you know is a lie is a daunting revelation, under
the best of circumstances. But to find yourself unprepared for battle in
an environment where most others still in the fight have been preparing
and hardening for decades? It's a formidable task, catching up and
learning on the fly.

Police, landlords, bosses, lawmakers, business owners, politicians,
the wealthy, property owners...these are the people with the power.
These are the ones the rest of us demure to, regardless of how well
we cater and kowtow and play the game. Even if you do so amicably,
you're still under the boot heel of the masters.

They make the rules, and control our lives. It isn't pleasant, and it isn't
easy to admit. All those idealistic pleasantries about 'changing things'
and 'living a good life' are out the window. This is the savage land....
the real deal....the hard reality....the long-avoided starkness.

It's not enough to expose darkness. To penalize it. To counter it.

It's a never-ending tale of endless grief and pain. The only way to
win is to stop avoiding the obvious; darkness reigns, and the only way
to 'defeat it' is to attain it and possess it for yourself.

And only a radical, savage, fundamental rules change will cause that to happen.

Recognize, acknowledge, accept...then internalize. It's kill or be killed,
and the 'adult' world will not be kept waiting.

****************************************************

Adaptation

There's not a person I know who hasn't made some comment
in the last year that could be paraphrased this succinctly;
"Life never really turns out like you think it will, does it?"

The common theme and the universal nature of this conclusion
doesn't have to be dark or depressing; it's a simple assessment
of shared human predicament. I have made a certain peace that
the dreams and plans I had will (mostly) not come true.

That doesn't mean defeat; I still forge ahead on some matters
while other, less realistic ones that have born fruit have been
slowly released. And I find new interests, new focus, new joys.

It's hard to balance between striving and fervently desiring,
and yet not being so married to ideas and notions that you
can't go on when expectations aren't met! Many people wrap
themselves up in a cloak of identity that revolves around a
job, a relationship, a place...and have extraordinarily tough times
coming to grips with a loss or change regarding them.

But, there are disappointments in every life, and most of us are
not going to be the next Oprah. Of course, in order to be the next
Oprah (which of course would be 'the first YOU',) you have to
believe in a dream 100%...as it should be. But there may come a
time where you have to face some cold hard truths--decide whether
you will rededicate of go a new path.

The business of life--filled with sickness, loss, death, drained finances,
setbacks, and betrayals--does not run on a smooth track. Some are
lucky, most are not. Hard work has shit to do with it; plenty of hard
working fools failed miserably.

I think those people that go on TV (celebrities, the wealthy, artists, etc.)
who give this big toothy grin about being so incredibly happy and fulfilled
and how everything in their life is perfect--I think they're full of shit.
I think they're either lying because they have an image to maintain, a
studio to please, they're trying to convince themselves, or something else
is wrong.

That, or, for that briefest of moments, while the cameras are rolling,
they're on a high, or in a good place the day of the interview, where
they really mean what they say. But it's just a blip on the radar. I don't
think I'm being cynical--I have just seen way too many people beaten
down and reduced to 'merely surviving' when all the bells and whistles stop.

As the man said: "Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone."

It could all be over at any time, or our privilege could be eradicated
at any time. The key is to pick up the pieces and move forward with it.

Evolve or Die!

****************************************************

Pushing Through

Often times we can hit a wall with pretty much anything
that threatens to stall us out, aggravate us, discourage us,
or distract us. A stumbling block can turn into a sense of
an impenetrable wall, if we allow it.

When we get sidetracked from a goal or task, or even life
itself, it's important to regroup. In life, we typically don't
feel like doing what we do, but have to do it anyway.

A hurt leg, a tired body, wounded pride...these can all
add to a negative vibe, low energy, or stilted motivation.
But it's in those moments we have to find strength deep
inside and push through.

Sometimes it can even be the seemingly endless hurdles we find

ourselves jumping through, with frustration being the result of
no end in sight and no progress evident.

If we wait for perfect moments or obvious opportunities,
nothing will ever be accomplished. If we want to achieve
anything of importance, we can't let our thoughts or actions
or schedules be defined or guided by our state of mind or body.

If we're honest, most times these aches, pains, heartaches,
and musings are just excuses to opt out of efforts that are
frightening or difficult. But the way we become stronger is to
push through and fully experience pain and fear. Whether it's
the task we're avoiding or the actual symptom that is holding
us back.

When I get waylaid by pain and problems, I just remind myself
of the heroic struggles of people without legs or arms who get
up and face challenges every day, or someone similarly in a
position that far outweighs my mediocre plight. That helps me
to gain perspective on the matter.

But I also pep talk myself and positively talk my way through it,
finding strength and resolve in myself, as well as desensitizing
the difficult as being 'just another aspect of life.'

It also helps to rededicate yourself to what it is you feel is
important. Refresh it in your mind and keep it vitally visual at all
times. (If you're having trouble with knowing exactly what you want
or working towards a specific task, just handle one set of basic tasks
or hurdles at a time so you can get that sense of accomplishment.)

The struggle and the pain is just a part of the journey.
Try not to use it as an excuse to sit the race out.

************************************************

bare knuckle

LIVE  FREE,
EVEN IF MET
WITH 'FAILURE'
OR DEATH...
OR REMAIN
RESTRAINED,
AND NEVER
TRULY LIVE.

Thus Emerges the Hardcore Butterfly

Everyone has ulterior motives....

secrets....

can be controlled....

is after something....

has something they'll kill for....

is sick....

is broken....

can be used....

can be beaten....

can be bought....

can be broken.


Open yourself to the game.

When you make the rules yourself,

anything goes.

Burst forth

with a transformed soul

today.


"Do or Die"

opens up a whole new world

of possibilities.

*****************************