The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

Fear is an issue that a lot of people deal with on a day to day basis. Some people have fears of flying, or bugs, or even germs, but I don't actually think its the plane, bug, or protozoa that scares people. I think it's fear itself; fear of the unknown, mysterious, or uncommon.

You will commonly find that fears rarely come from some personal experience or interaction, but rather from the people surrounding you; kind of vicariously transmitted to you. Lets take a step back and look at the situation. Something that you've never had the chance to experience scares you so much, that you'll never experience it, based on the assumptions and attitudes of another person. Wow...I would feel horrible having to go through life never experiencing anything first hand, but instead through other people's exaggerated stories and high strung emotional monolouges.

How many times in your life do you allow others fears about the future become your fears? This post will show you why others fears are not yours, and how to avoid them and begin thinking for yourself.

1. Fear is always a choice

Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling great and having a good time, someone randomly "warns" you of what to be afraid of, or of all of the things that could go wrong? At that moment you must realize that you can choose to accept or deny the ideas of someone else. We must get rid of the "group-think" attitude and learn to think for ourselves. Each day make it a challenge to feel great and have a good time and put forth a zealous effort to make it happen!

2. Stay in the positive

That which you put into your life will continue to manifest. If you continue to think negatively and befriend negative people, what do you expect to come forth? Fearful people can't operate in a spirit of positivity and as long as you continue to pump positiveness (if thats a word) into your life, the negative people will slowly fade away. Stay in the positive! This can be so hard, especially if things are not going right, but once you realize the importance of it, you will make a point to do so.

3. Set the example

When you stay focused and put your energy on the positive things in life, there will be people that want desperately to take you down. They do this because they don't fully understand vibration and energy. When someone is speaking from a place of lack and fear you will see it in their actions. Allow only what you want to think about manifest. It's important to be compassionate towards people, but don't allow their fears to become yours, by taking in that energy. Don't feed into someones negativity and fear. If you start agreeing and accepting it as real, you will feel disempowered. Be an example for others. Carry along the way you intend to carry on, and it will become contagious!

Training Daze

Our Daily Journey is a Christian Living Blog which provides guided bible study and thought provoking articles. Something new I want to try to read daily to help strengthen my relationship with God. As I get closer to graduation and realize that life will so much different, I realize that a foundation must be established in order for me to continue to walk in the favor of the Lord...

In 1 Kings 17, we find God training Elijah. By the waters of Kerith, God used ravens to bring Elijah his daily meals. But as the drought persisted, the babbling brook became a silent stream, and then it slowed to a mere trickle. We read: “But after a while the brook dried up . . . then the Lord said to Elijah” (1 Kings 17:7-8). Often we would rather have God show us the next step before our resources are totally depleted. Waiting can be nerve-racking. It can be frustrating. But this is all part of the training process. We need to learn that we’re dependent on God, and Him alone. We need to learn that when our comfort zone is compromised, God is still in control.

What is your usual response when faced with difficulties? What new perspective should you work on?

So often I relied on myself to fix my problems and make decisions. I am so "independent" to the point where my pride gets in the way when I know I should ask for help; Even from God. I'm also impatient...expecting everything to happen with the snap of a finger. This journal allows me realize that God is in control of everything. He knew the plan for my life before I had life. All I have to do in life is trust in Him. He will not put more on me than I can bear. All I have to do is trust in Him inspite of what I've been through or what I see. I will trust You!

For Clear Eyes...

Lap dances are killing people now?! Not really, but close enough. Michael Ireland could not have imagined that a lap dance could be detrimental to his health. In 2008, Ireland went to the Cheetah Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., expecting to have a good time and be entertained by strippers.

Michael Ireland's life changed once he got too close to a stripper named Suki who danced on top of a bar. Apparently, Ireland got a little too friendly smacking Suki on her backside. The stripper instinctively kicked him. Suki's stiletto heel punctured Ireland's eye socket and broke bones around his eye and nose.

Ireland's attorney, Lake Lytal, claims that his client was severely injured and has permanent double vision. Instead of going to trial, which would have likely netted Ireland up to $1 million, the Cheetah Club decided to settle with him for $650,000.

Now don't get me wrong I don't think anyone deserves to have their eye punctured, but he definitely disrespected her. I know some people are thinking "Well she's a stripper, that's what guys do." In all actuality most strippers find it disrespectful to be gropped or touched in a sexual manner. If that was the case they might as well go and be prostitutes lol, but serious.

Police Officer Punches Black Girl in the Face - Essence.com

Police Officer Punches Black Girl in the Face - Essence.com

NAACP - To Advance or Not Advance? - That's the question.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the United States; practically a household name. It was founded in 1909; A time when a black person was "free" but not truly free; a time when segregation was still considered the norm. A time of prominent leaders like W.E.B. DuBois and Mary McLeod Bethune.

Throughout their 101 tenure, they have supported issues like Media Diversity, Education, Civic Engagement, Health Programs, Social Justice and now the legalization of marijuana. Yes marijuana...

According to a CNN article that I read last night, the NAACP believes that legalizing marijuana is a civil rights issue. The California State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, led by President Alice Huffman, recently announced its "unconditional endorsement" for Proposition 19, a legislative initiative on the November ballot that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California. President Huffman's reasoning behind it is because African-Amercians are disproportiantely affected by marijuana being illegal which makes legalizing it a civil rights issue.

A California study concluded even though Blacks and Latinos make up less than 44% of the state's population, combined they account for 56% of the arrests that are made for the possession of marijuana. Therefore this study has concluded that arrests are "racially-based."

This started out as a facebook status for me, but I felt so strongly about it that I decided to blog. Facebook wasn't enough space for me. In my opinion the NAACP is selling the black community short, by support legislation like this; making people believe that its okay to do drugs. I understand that they want to bring civil justice and rights to under represented communities/ethnic groups, but legalizing marijuana is not the way to go.

Out of allllll of the civil rights issues facing our black community today, why this one? How about they support a better drug awareness program since so many blacks are getting arrested for possession of marijuana. The unemployment rate is so high; even higher for black people. How about they support a job placement program; something that will actually benefit the black community long-term. I mean don't get me wrong I'm judging anyone who smokes weed. Its your life, live it how you want to. But for the NAACP, an organization that I thought gave black people a voice, to openly support an issues like this really shocks me!

The NAACP is supposed to be working to "advance" black people not keep us down. How can you advance if you're losing brain cells? It sounds funny, but I'm so serious. How can you advance if you cant even pass a drug test? Since the NAACP wants to talk about studies lets talk about it. Studies prove that marijuana is a gateway drug which leads to more serious drug use. The only thing that it will do is bring more violence into black communities and kill our black people.

Other people argue that making marijuana legal will "bring tax dollars to the community." Let's be real. We all know that the black communities where people smoke the most weed will never see a dollar of that money. This is just another way to keep a race down and make money while doing so. I sound a little militant, but this is truly what I feel. Take it how you want to.

The decision on Proposition 19 will be made in California in November.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?

Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet.

Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

Bag Lady

I've always been a big Erykah Badu fan. She makes the type of songs that allow you to groove to the beat, while delivering a message. Sometimes I have to listen to her songs over and over to actually understand what that message is lol, but once I get it, it makes it that much more special.



Bag Lady - the first release off her 2000 album 'Mama's Gun' - has recently become one of my favorites. It has taken me 10 years, but I've finally figured out what she's saying. Well I guess I kind of already got the jist of the song, but I've just recently personalized the message. I mean after all what's the point of listening to music if you cant relate to it?



The first line of the song says: "Bag lady, you gone hurt yo back; draggin all them bags like that" Now when I was younger I figured hmmm, maybe she's talking about a lady with a lot of purses...Dont judge me lol. I was a kid.

I now hear this song and realize that I can't continue to hold on to excess baggage and negative energy because all that it will do is hold me down and hold me back. Whether it be grudges, bad relationships, or other people's problems. "All you must hold on to is you, is you, is youuuuu." Its just time to live for me and do what makes me happy!