Just Some Thoughts…

"While we are encompassed by a world of problems, it is our responsibility to decide how we react." -thepositivendeavour

You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys

The Greater Scheme

January 15, 2013 — 4 Comments

Disclaimer: Open your mind.

I have been told before that I think too much. This may be true. Most people would consider over thinking a bad thing. I have always seen it as something to look down upon, but lately I have begun to reconsider. Why? Because I kinda get a high off the introspection of myself and my life. Why? Ohh well because I feel somewhat optimistic about my future. Why? Gosh, because I think I am finally realizing that God has purposed for me to do something special in this life just as He has every other human being on this earth. Cliché?

Think about it. When was the last time you sat down and looked at yourself in the mirror then looked outside and asked yourself the question, “How many of me are there?” If you really have to contemplate this question that is a good thing. However, if you are honest with yourself and can name a plethora of others just like you, then maybe you should consider how true you are being to yourself. I’m not saying that everyone was put on this earth to be a unique individual, but there is something unique about every human being. Find it, and expose it.

When I’m alone, and even sometimes when I am around people, I have a tendency to fall into deep thought. I have become pretty good at making my “trances” unnoticeable, but best believe that something is always going on inside my head. I was ironing and washing last night, and I began to become fatigued because it was so late. I wanted to just stop, jump in my bed, and finish what I was doing in the morning. Then I started to think about “the greater scheme” of things. I was ironing because I wanted to be prepared for an interview I had the next day. I wanted to do this the night before the interview because I didn’t want to risk not being prepared for the interview. I couldn’t risk not being prepared because I needed the job. I needed the job because I need money. I need money because I need equipment. I need equipment for some of the personal projects I am working on. Once I begin to consecutively complete theses projects I will be on my way to achieving some of my life goals. If I achieve what it is I feel I was placed on this earth to do, then in my latter years of life I will not have to say “I wish I did…”

Do you see the thought that can come from just ironing and washing a couple of clothes for an interview? I know this may seem like a bit much for the average thinker, but I feel that is how we have to treat life sometimes. The little things we do now will lead up to the greater scheme of life. No one just hits an age in which everything just comes together for them. It starts now. The next time you are tempted to half-step a seemingly frivolous task just remember you are working towards your future with the little tasks you are completing now.

Blessings.

Wreaking Havoc

January 14, 2013

Disclaimer: I do not intend to push my religion or beliefs on anyone who reads the entry. There may be lighthearted moments in this entry and exaggerations may be used, but I truly believe this is a pressing matter.

I have the privilege of having a job, and I am grateful for that. Along with having this job, I benefit because I do a lot of shopping at store I work at. I generally enjoy the work I do, but like any job there are a few things that get to me. I came into to work one day feeling very jolly. I would like to think that I am a cheerful person for the most part, but this was just a really good day. I only had to work a four hour shift that day, and two of my favorite managers to work with were scheduled on my shift. I clocked in, then proceeded to empty my bladder before making my way onto the sales floor. The feeling I got while leaving the bathroom was amazing. My steps felt so light as if I were walking on cotton balls. Well maybe that’s a bit much, but I did do my Johnny Depp walk right up to the cash wrap (I would be glad to demonstrate it if ya ask me) and immediately started working on go-backs. I was surprised to see the condition the store was in because usually by the afternoon it was wayyy below “brand standards” aka an utter mess.

After I finished with the go-backs, I began making my way around the store, perfect-folding any disturbed clothing back to brand standard. I felt good knowing that I was nearly finished making one of the women’s sale tables nice and “pertty” as my general manager would say. Any sales associate knows that it is rare for a store to need little recovery after a long day of sales. However, if this happened to be the case, then work would be fairly easy that day. The only thing the sales associate would really need to worry about was good costumer service, and that was no problem for me because I was THE MAN when it came to costumer service. At least I thought I was.

You see, while I was doing my thing I spotted this one lady coming into the store on her cellphone. I didn’t really bother to tell her about our promotions that day due to my prior experiences with trying to talk to ladies while they were in the middle of a captivating phone conversation. So I just glanced at her hoping to make eye contact so I could at least acknowledge her. I probably wasn’t as interesting as the conversation she was holding because she never looked at me. She just made her way into the store, and what she began to do next nearly brought tears to my eyes. In a matter of seconds, she began to tear apart all the hours of recovery me and my fellow sales associates had put into perfect-folding all the clothing. The worst part of it all was that I was the only sales associate on the floor at the time, so I would be responsible for the recovery that needed to be done after this lady left the store. Tears began to roll down my face as I saw multiple perfectly-folded jeans and shirts fly across the store.

In the midst of my distress, however, a thought popped into my head. I constantly did the exact same thing this lady was guilty of. I mean I’m sure I have done this in plenty of other stores, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Just as this lady was destroying what I had patiently worked on, I often go about destroying all the work and effort my Creator has put into me. Whether it is through a bad habit or various other sinful indulgences, I am guilty of destroying much of the work my Creator has done on me. Nonetheless, unlike the sales associates who is reluctant to fix the damage that has been done, God is patiently waiting to take me back and fix me up.

What am I waiting for? What are you waiting for?

Those Slum Days

December 29, 2012 — 5 Comments

Disclaimer: This entry was written with the hope of encouraging someone. This entry was written to encourage myself.

“While we are encompassed by a world of problems, it is our responsibility to decide how we react.” -thepositivendeavour

Although science proves that some people have chemical imbalances that give them a greater disposition to feel down, we all have had a “slum day” in our life. I have noticed a number of things that have had the ability to dampen my mood. It could be something as simple as a gloomy day or an unprecedented wave of guilt. So when I got to college I purposed to do two things. Create a pleasurable environment via the people I surrounded myself with and the activities I indulged in, and meet as many people as I could. I basically did this for the first couple of weeks until I got into a relationship. I noticed that I began to segregated myself from others and that I was going in the opposite direction from which I intended.

When my relationship came to an end I was pretty bummed because not only did I experience an unbearable sense of loneliness, but I also felt as if I would never be able to mend some of the relationships I sabotaged. This was partially true. However, I’m glad things played out the way they did. You see, the high school I attended was very small. I had a group of buddies I used to hang out with all the time. We even had a name for ourselves (League Of Extraordinary Freshness or L.O.E.F) and had people asking what they could do to get in our group. I would not be hesitant to say we were pretty cool. What my experience in college revealed to me, however, was that for most of my life I fed off others to feel confident about myself. I know this to be true because when I got to college, and realized that the structure of it did not promote me to be constantly surrounded by people, I felt lost. I was confused about the person I was when all of my “support” was stripped away from me. I wanted to meet as many people as I could not necessarily because I cared so much about these people but because I wanted the security of knowing that I was known. I wanted to be popular.

My desire to have others fuel my confidence became very stressful especially since I spent the majority of my time with one person. After my relationship ended, I ran to others for confidence. I got into another relationship for constant support. I fought to fix my situation until one day I realized the problem. Time would pass, and my situations would eventually fade away, but nothing would really change until I solved the problem with me. I began to wonder how I could possible acquire enough confidence within myself to live for myself. I wondered how it would feel to live outside of the jurisdiction of other’s opinions or views about me. I wondered how it would feel to be unmoved by the way others perceived me. I wondered how it would feel to live freely.

Truth is, I am still on my journey to discovering all of this. I have my slum days, and I often get discouraged. But when I am faced with these discouragements I try to remember that “while we are encompassed by a world of problems, it is our responsibility to decide how we react.”

Stay safe, and stay encouraged my friends.

Interlude: Sexy! With tears flowing…

December 18, 2012 — 2 Comments

Disclaimer: This entry has no relation to “A Virtual Solace pt 1: Social Networks.” It is merely an expression of gratitude and a proclamation how fortunate I am. EXAGGERATIONS MAY BE USED. Count your blessings.

I was awakened this morning and presented with the perfect set up to have a bad day. While I was still half asleep, I began to be reprimanded for not doing the dishes the earlier night, I was given a packet full of make-up work from this previous semester that I still need to complete, and worst of all I was reminded that Listerine’s 24-hour protection formula would not be the cure for my morning breath. I just didn’t see any ‘light’ coming from the day. Nonetheless, I proceeded to get out of bed and have my devotion. After I finished up with that, I went into my bathroom to do my thing. Years ago one of my aunts revealed to me how unsanitary and disgusting it was to wake up and have breakfast before brushing my teeth, so ever since then I have gotten into the habit of brushing and flossing before leaving my room in the morning.

I was in the bathroom, and although I knew it was a pretty beautiful day outside, I felt as if the sun’s rays had purposed not to show me any favor. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worst I got a call from my mom about some obligations I had for the day while I was in the middle of a session with my Philips Sonicare toothbrush. Great toothbrush by the way. Anyway, I was determined to keep up the whole positive/optimism tip I had been working off of for the past few days. So I rushed back into my bathroom said, “I will feel the sun’s embrace and witness today’s beauty!” I then tore open the blinds in my bathroom. What I saw in my driveway nearly had me gasping for air. It was my dream to have, my ideal ride, practically my baby, but it was still my…my grandpa’s car.

I immediately called my mom and said, “Mo…Mom did you see what is in the drive way?!” She must have picked up on the anxiousness and utter excitement in my voice judging by her somewhat abrasive response. “Bakari, no! No, your father said the car still needs to be taken back to the shop for some work…..blah blah blah.” I was unmoved by her statements however. The only thing that registered into my head was, “Sexy!” And with tears flowing down my face, a quote by G.K Chesterton popped into my head. “There is one thing which gives radiance to everything. It is the idea of something around the corner.” Yes, I fully experienced this radiance because ideas were streaming through my head. Maybe I would enjoy a night out on the town or go find some trouble to get into now that my medium of transportation was back in my possession.

You see, a couple weeks ago when I was returning home from some mischief, I got into…umm…yea I got into a little accident. For some reason the whole drive seemed to be full of “close calls” if you catch my drift, but when I was about 2 minutes from reaching my house…BAM! But I can’t be totally blamed for the accident. After all, the woman could have swerved out of the unmoving traffic if she noticed I was about rear end her. Use your rear view mirror people!

As of now, I am unsure if I will actually be allowed to drive my grandpa’s car again, but the fact that it smiles at me from my driveway gives me a great sense of hope. That is how we have to look at life sometimes. It reminds me of a quote I came across a while ago that states,“When you feel like giving up,remember why you held on for so long in the first place.” -Unknown source. I know it may seem like a shift in moods, but I had a purpose behind writing all this. We all have something that drives us although that “thing” may sometimes seem abstract. It may be a hobby, an aspiration, a relationship, a religion, a death, a future career, a child, a parent/grandparent, or even a pet lizard. You get the point. And for those who honestly don’t have something that keeps them going…umm…I am praying for you brother/sister. Stay safe. Nevertheless, always remember that in the event of your “permanent absence”, aka death, you will be missed by someone.

So take a second to appreciate that person, thing, or both that has you screaming, “Sexy!” while tears of joy roll down your beautiful faces. Stay encouraged my friends.

A Virtual Solace pt 1: Social Networks

December 18, 2012 — 4 Comments

Disclaimer: I do not wish to discourage or downplay the use of social networks. I just hope to offer a lighthearted outlook on some of the attitudes users may adopt while using popular social networks. EXAGGERATIONS MAY BE USED.

The year must have been 2005. I was a pretty young and naive kid back then, but I could always count on my school mates to keep me abreast on the latest social trends. The internet at my house only provided my siblings and I limited access because at the age of thirteen my eyes were exposed to some “grown-up stuff.” Nonetheless, I was an honest kid with a pretty strong conscience, so I informed my mother of this ‘traumatic’ experience. I imagine our conversation went something like this…

Me: Mother, a couple of minutes ago I experienced a serious breach in the morals and integrity I have clung to all my life! I am quite disturbed at the lewd content the internet seeks to show kids like me! It’s a good thing I’m responsible though.

Mom: Bakari, what are you talking about?

Me: Ummm, well I just saw some “stuff”…umm yea no big deal. However, that is not important. I just came to see if you wanted to dialogue about some of the responsibilities you and I have in protecting my siblings from running into any mischief on the internet!

About three weeks later I was under high scrutiny, and my dad installed a program called “Bsecure Online” on our computer, which blocked about everything worth being on the computer for. It kinda sucked because I thought I would gain some type of trust for being responsible and telling my mom the truth. The worst part of it all, however, was that a social network by the name of “hi5” was gaining a lot of popularity and users at the middle school I attended. It was blocked on my computer though. I was out of the loop for the longest when it came to having a hi5 page, but during that time I was able to make observations about some of the people who used this social network.

The first thing I observed was the immense amount of time these people could spend on hi5. In computer class everyone would have his or her hi5 page minimized for quick access when the teacher was not paying attention. I wanted to be cool and everything by having a hi5 page, but I was unsure if I could manage to sit at a computer for so long staring at another person’s profile and pictures. I also noticed an increase of “boy-crazy” girls at my school, or maybe it just seemed that way because up until that point they never articulated their sexual frustrations as your average 7th grade boy did. After attending a private school with the same class for years, I presume this put the 7 boys in my class at a bad disposition. This may be my excuse for why I didn’t get girls back in the day, but the girls in our class became numb to us. Their eyes grew weary of our bright faces, so we would just have to watch as they sat like fiends lusting over some cute church boy they were friends with on hi5. The irony. The third thing I observed was this site allowed introverted people to have soo much entitlement. My shy mates were able to keep in contact with friends, stay abreast with trending topics, and/or keep up with the daily lives of others without having to physically interact with them. Honestly, I was pretty jealous. Those little rascals!

The were many other things I observed while unable to use this social network, but there was one thing that stuck out to me the most. Hi5 seemed to be prepping my school mates to assume stalker like tendencies. I mean till the point where some of them became seasoned virtual stalkers. The constant access and updates this social network provided was just too much for some of my school mates!

Years later…

Now there are a mass amount of blooming social networks that are specialized in exaggerating much of what I saw years ago! They have revealed themselves to us by the names of Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

To be continued…