| Author | Message | ||
     Afroerotik Regular Poster Username: Afroerotik Post Number: 66 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
We Must Excel, Not Just Exist We, as descendants of slaves, as people of color, MUST strive for excellence in all that we do. We must live according to principles of excellence in our daily lives, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Living in alignment with excellence means making a conscious choice to do what’s right over what’s easy, what’s comfortable, or what’s familiar. In lieu of spending hours gossiping on the phone or endless hours on the computer in the pursuit of meaningless sex, we must examine our selves, our lives, and look to grow, mature, and evolve. I challenge you to stop thinking of yourself as better just because you go to church every Sunday, dressed in your overpriced fineries to show off to the congregation, when you step over the homeless on Monday without so much as an ounce of compassion or love in your heart for those who need a helping hand. We must stop trying to get over on the system, trying to figure out the easy way to get something for nothing, and rather make the choice to have integrity, to do what’s right for the community, not just yourself. It’s time now to consider the ramifications and consequences of our actions and stop living for the moment or the almighty dollar. If we consider the feelings of others, if everyone considers the feelings of others, we can transform ourselves from a selfish, insensitive, immature community to a compassionate, giving, enlightened family. Find a reason to see the good in someone, to reach out to another because you connect on a deeper level, not just because you think they have something to offer you, or because you want to feel insecure and petty jealousy. Speak truth to power. Hold your tongue when you feel the urge, the driving and compulsive need to lie, and utter only those words that are true. Embrace honesty with your entire being and reprogram your brain from your conditioning that tells you to create stories and deceptions that make you feel better about yourself and learn to be honest and truthful with yourself so that you might be able to be honest and truthful with others. We must accept our greatness, our royalty, and our divinity with humility, grace, and modesty. Would a Queen exchange her body for a car payment or money to get a new pair of shoes? Would a King create a prince or princess only to leave them unprotected and un-nurtured? Would a true manifestation of the Divine be more concerned with a car, clothes, or plasma TV than in helping those less fortunate? Ask yourself, are you living a life of excellence or do you merely exist? Are you striving to become a better person every day? Are you actually trying to become a better person: not richer, not more attractive, not get more stuff, not sleep with more women, not use more men, not cheat the system, not beat the man. Are you striving to dispel the myths and combat the stereotypes? Are you daily striving to learn more, to push yourself further, to excel in all you do? Pick up a book, go back to college, take a night class, use the Internet to learn out our history instead of just wasting your life away. Copyright 2008 AfroerotiK All Rights Reserved | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 7820 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
We must stop telling US what WE need to do. If I want to waste my life it's mine to waste and ain't nobody can stop me. Freedom is freedom to fail. PHYSICIANS, HEAL THYSELVES! | ||
| Afroerotik Regular Poster Username: Afroerotik Post Number: 67 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
It takes a special kind of insanity to suggest that excelling is somehow negative. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 7828 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
It takes a common kind of insanity to think that just because I don't drink your Kool Aid I think excelling is negative. I'm saying until you got some jobs or some money for somebody you ain't got nothing. Money talks and all the other walks. I'm sick of Negroes sitting around thinking that they did something because they told some other Negroes some general BS they all done heard befo. You haven't done nothing. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 13584 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
"Excelling" is relative. Excelling at what? AIG excels at swindling people. Chris Brown excels at beating up women. It is also prudent to consider that everybody who endeaors and aims high does not achieve their lofty goals while others become highly successful through a fluke of fate. | ||
| Ferociouskitty Veteran Poster Username: Ferociouskitty Post Number: 662 Registered: 02-2008 Rating: |
Some excel at pontificating and call it uplift. | ||
| Yvettep AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 3473 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: |
Afroerotik, I think some of the comments here may point to a confusion about who our intended audience is for this piece. You posted it with no explanation about who it is "for." For example: Pick up a book, go back to college, take a night class, use the Internet to learn out our history instead of just wasting your life away. I think you're preaching to the choir when you tell folks here to read a book! | ||
| Carey AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Carey Post Number: 1776 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
Good point, Yvettep. I was going to stay out of this one because I felt it getting thick. Yet, I too knew what Afroerotik was trying to say but didn't know who she was talking to. On a personal note, I wonder if a person really knows the effects of telling someone what "they" need to do. I doubt very seriously if it's an effective tool to change. In fact, I know it is not. For the most part, we all "know" what our problems are. They may not be found in a book, college, or any of the championed ways of self-discovery. It sounds good to say those things, but again, ...to "say" those things, does little to structure a real solution. I recoil when someone tells me what "I" need to do. Now, if I asked them a specific question about a specific problem ...then bring it. | ||
| Afroerotik Regular Poster Username: Afroerotik Post Number: 68 Registered: 01-2006 Rating: |
The insane are truly running the asylum. The members of this community who have nothing but constant criticism are clearly disturbed. They find something objectionable about every post, every comment, about every person who doesn't ascribe to their particular brand of dysfunction. What's worse, they seem to rule without any sort of larger, more sane collective voice policing them. They have become the police, with their efforts to silence people with baseless and superficial attacks. Moreover, to assert that my post isn't directed at the members of this forum is incorrect. It's directed at the Black community in general. It's directed at the legions of people who don't use logic and reason in their daily interactions with dysfunctional people. It's directed at the complacent people who don't speak up when they see injustice, even if it's in the form of virtual bullying, it's directed at those who are lulled into conformity and who won't use common sense and logic to disassociate themselves from negative, disturbed people. Does the "book" reference refer to people on this particular board? Of course not. Do the other examples apply, most certainly they do. Even if they don't apply to individuals, they certainly apply to the community at large and that's not something that should be denigrated. To assert that raising the standards in our community are negative, to assert that no one can offer commentary on our plight as a people is truly problematic and a sad, sad commentary indeed. | ||
| Libralind2 AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Libralind2 Post Number: 1206 Registered: 09-2004 Rating: N/A |
Thinking about all the above comments, I grapple with how do we reach people who dont read, think, care about what is going on in the world. I had 3 teens in my car the other day, and they felt Rihanna "got what she deserved" and I was shocked. One of the teens was my own grandaughter. NPR was on and the guest (whose name I dont remember) was discussing domestic violence and teens. When she made comments..the girls giggled at areas I thought were worth discussing and all they did was "humor" me. At first I was pissed and tried the "you wouldnt say that if you were beaten up". Then they made me feel "stupid" by laughing. I think my point here is, we can banter back and forth all day about issues but are we solving any problems? Are we trying to solve any problems LOL I am not looking for advise when I come here necessarily just like those teens were NOT looking for any advice from me LOL | ||
| Carey AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Carey Post Number: 1778 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
Hello Afrerotik I am so glad you returned. I believe in the phrase, "seek first to understand". I am sure you know the importance of having a direction and purpose. You appear to be wise and somewhat open to suggestions. If you are not, it would be hard for others to listen to what you have to say because you would not be living what you preach. You are correct in many of your assertations. I do not think anyone has an objection with you offering commentary. However do you realize your posts do not read as commentary. It's true, there are many on this board that loves to lay in negativity. There are also bullies around many corners. Yet, when someones posts are not clear ...well, when the posts do not have a defined purpose, that post is open for attack. Tell me, was your posts written to convince us, persuade us, teach us, enlighten us, or to make us laugh? Was it written as a rebuttle to something you read? OR, was it simply "commentary on our plight as a people". Do you get my point? "If you build it, they will come". You didn't ask questions in your post, your post read as if you were pointing fingers. Look, I can assume you've been somewhere in your life. I think most of us have experienced pain. Look at your posts and see if any of what you have written is what inspired you to turn your life around. I do not object to your message, it's you method that some may be having a problem with. Is your main goal to "uplift". If that's true, do you think it's effective or does it only serve to make you feel good as if you are the sheppard caring for the sheep. If it's commentary that's cool but it does not read as such. I hope you learn a little something through these exchanges. I hope you have not closed your ear because you are not hearing what you want to hear. It's uncomfortable I know, but that's where growth hides. Don't get me wrong, this board can be a funky place, I am with you on that one but make no mistake about it, all closed eyes ain't sleep. | ||
| A_womon AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 2571 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: |
Because people don't swallow what someone else chooses to opine about does not make them disturbed. One could opine that the fact that the writer thinks disagreeing with posts or taking certain positions that do not jibe with the poster's position results in the entire community being disturbed may in fact be more of a reflection of the poster's state of mind than the community at large! | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 13586 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
To me, the problem seems to be that the people who need the advice Afroerotik is dispensing are those who do not frequent this board. Everybody who comes here, as Yvette has suggested, are those who are already aware of the platitudes that Afrotek prates about. What garner enthusiastic response on this site are topics that are quirky and provocative and fresh, as opposed to unsolicited advice dealing with the obvious. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 7837 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
To me, the problem seems to be that the people who need the advice Afroerotik is dispensing are those who do not frequent this board. Everybody who comes here, as Yvette has suggested, are those who are already aware of the platitudes that Afrotek prates about. What garner enthusiastic response on this site are topics that are quirky and provocative and fresh, as opposed to unsolicited advice dealing with the obvious. (FOLKS, I THINK I'M IN LOVE!!!!) | ||
| Libralind2 AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Libralind2 Post Number: 1207 Registered: 09-2004 Rating: N/A |
With who ? LiLi asks Chris | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 7839 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
With who ? LiLi asks Chris (3 guesses and the first two don't count. Cynique has said what I was trying to say perfectly. We don't need to hear this crap. What good is it coming here and posting it. You haven't done nothing. I for one am sick of this. Take it to the folks who need to hear it. Until you do this, you ain't done nothing. | ||
| Ntfs_encryption "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Ntfs_encryption Post Number: 3582 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
"I'm sick of Negroes sitting around thinking that they did something because they told some other Negroes some general BS they all done heard befo." You mean like you.....??? |
