Greetings readers! Today I want to talk about opportunity and how many people tend to miss theirs, particularly when it comes to financial opportunities.  It’s no secret that today we live in a world in which our economy is shaky and jobs aren’t secure. Yet, years of tradition and people’s natural skepticism in anything new or innovative causes them to rely on a single pay check, from a job that they know could very well be gone in the next minute. As cliche’ as it sounds, having a PLAN B is an absolute necessity. Savvy investing, financial planning, multiple sources of income, these are but a few ways to increase your financial security in an unstable world.

People have a genuine fear of the unknown.  Believe it or not, this includes gaining success financially.  If you think back in time to some of the most pivotal inventions and innovations in history, most of them met some degree of resistance or skepticism before being accepted and adapted to in every day life.  A small list:

1. Air Plane

2. Insurance Plans

3. Television

4. Cell-Phone

5. Internet

Any of those ring a bell? Obviously that’s a very short list, but they are all things that most people can’t live or function without.  They are so much a part of our everyday lives that it’s hard to fathom people using phrases like “That’s unnecessary” or “That’ll never catch on“, but yes each of these brilliant and necessary contributions to society met that type of friction.  Human beings and therefore society at large is resistant to change. Skeptical and stubborn, even when someone wants to convince us that something could benefit us directly, our most immediate reaction is to ask “Well . . . what’s the catch?“.  Now in fairness, this question certainly comes in handy in many many cases, however it is a sign of a frigid way of thinking.  People are conditioned to believe that everything works in a certain order.

“You work hard now, you reap the benefits later . . . hell you might not even reap the benefits at all, but at least you’ll feel good about working hard and trying, right?”

This was outlined in an excerpt from a book that I posted a while back.  Personally, I like to encourage people to learn how to work SMARTER, not just harder .(Notice that I said “not JUST harder” because I don’t want any of you thinking that I discourage hard work).  Most people, have a one track mind when it comes to making money.  If you ask someone “hey, what’s the best way I can make some money?” The answer will most likely be “get a job”. Yes, jobs are wonderful without a doubt. But what do we know about jobs?

1. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid.

2. Most people don’t like their jobs.

3. You rarely have control of WHEN you work.

4. Jobs aren’t stable. If you lose your job . . . you lose your paycheck.

These are reasons I say looking for a plan B is essential. Even if you don’t have goals and dreams of being obscenely rich and wealthy, living paycheck to paycheck is a quick and easy way to be miserable.  It takes a new way of thinking to be open to new forms of income.  There are opportunities around every single corner in today’s world. Some are bogus and some are wonderful, but as the old saying goes: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I’d advise that you consider things as you come across them, as opposed to writing them off immediately.  Having an open mind could very well lead you to a life of prosperity! Don’t seek out get rich quick schemes, don’t expect every opportunity you stumble upon to be some magic wand that will have $1,000,000 deposited in your account the next day.  But there are legitimate ways to build a steady residual income that has potential to grow over time.  There is true value and power in that type of opportunity and the words FINANCIAL FREEDOM don’t have to be a distant dream reserved for people that aren’t you.  Of course I couldn’t share my opinion on this matter without sharing an opportunity with you as well!

FANTASTIC FREE OPPORTUNITY HERE!!!!!!!!!

SIGN UP HERE!!!!!

Hello out there! I’ve been thinking on this for quite some time.  I may have developed a bit of a reputation for being overly analytical based on other post I’ve made in the past, don’t hold it against me. I want to discuss the awesome power of words! Isn’t it weird that we use words so often and routinely, completely depend on them for survival and communication yet we diminish and downplay their meaning and ultimately take them for granted? Actually no, it’s not weird at all. We tend to take for granted most things that we need but also happen to be readily available. Friends, family, air, water . . . you get the point.  Words are the foundation of language, our means of communication and understanding. Words come together to form sentences which are expressions of thoughts, opinions and feelings.  For these reasons, it really does bother me when people aren’t more mindful of the things they say and how they say them to people.  Phrases like “they’re just words” or “words ain’t never hurt nobody” are largely false statements.

The words you choose will go far in forming people’s impression of the type of person you are and often make or break a deal or budding relationship (romantic or otherwise).

Often times I wonder . . . what ever happened to being thoughtful? For some reason being crass and quick at the trigger in terms of what we say is all too common. Understand that people don’t hear what you think, they hear what you say. If you don’t do a sufficient job of communicating your thoughts with the right words, the message you’re sending will be misinterpreted.  Think of your words as a large factor in branding yourself. If you’re a person that often uses big words (and not necessarily correctly), talk down to people and use a tone of superiority when you speak to them, instead of the respect and admiration you THINK you’re receiving from your peers, it’ll actually be resentment and dislike. You’ll be viewed as a pompous ass and that’s probably not what you’re going for.  On the flip side, if you’re a person that’s often rude, loud, brash and uses profane language you’ll most certainly be perceived as someone that is ignorant and does not understand when and where certain things are appropriate.

Free Speech and Word Play

There have been several instances in which people have used extremely offensive language and seemed to be confused at the backlash that followed their statements.  Let’s settle this here, the argument of free speech means nothing . . . and I mean nothing . . . hardly EVER. Why you ask? Free Speech is a legal issue, you can feel free to say whatever it is that you want to say and you can do so in any situation without legal consequences, unless what you’ve said has legitimate reason to be seen as inciting a riot or causing a public disturbance. With that being said, just as you or I are free to say whatever you feel, the public, the media, your boss and your co-workers all have the right to respond to what you say in the manner they feel appropriate.  If your boss feels you should be fired because you’ve caused his company to look bad . .. you’re fired. If your football coach decides you need to be kicked off the football team because of your facebook status (a la Mack Brown at Texas), he can do that if he has deemed what you said to be that inflammatory and inappropriate. What does this mean in relation to the title of our post today?

It means that words can be loaded with emotion and definition. Once they leave your mouth they are open and subject to being interpreted by any and all that hear them.

It’s important to remember the sheer strength of the language we use. Each word has a meaning, a denotation that consist of even MORE WORDS.  Words can be used to inspire and motivate or they can be used to diminish and demean.  Please choose your words wisely and understand how they impact the person you’re communicating with.

Hello World! I hope all is well out there. As many of you know, I rather enjoy sharing my opinions and perspective on certain things whether other people are interested in hearing them or not.  Today I feel compelled to discuss the “Angry Black Guy Complex”.  What is this you ask? Well . . . have you ever noticed how COOL it is to just walk around looking angry and pissed off seemingly all the time? Okay maybe its not actually cool (at least not in my opinion) but it sure is perceived to be so. Particularly among my Afro-American brethren.  Now let me clarify, I too have fallen victim to the popularity of just looking plain upset and agitated for no particular reason at all.  The classic “mean mug” is celebrated and glorified widely and I think I’ve developed several theories as to why this may be so.

Example: Ever walk through the mall and mistakenly make direct eye contact with a complete stranger? Let me explain how this awkward moment goes between black men.  We make eye contact and immediately think “what is this n*gga lookin’ at?” (because we’re slightly paranoid and at times unnecessarily confrontational).  Instead of a polite smile, which is completely unacceptable and unheard of, we give a cold stare for a couple of seconds then look away.  Its primitive really and I laugh to myself every time it happens.

Explanation: In our culture we are incredibly obsessed with being masculine, even if we are in fact genuinely sweet and kindhearted gentleman that prefer to avoid confrontation . . . we would never allow a complete stranger to believe that we’re a “punk”.  So instead of a polite smile, a head nod, or a cordial “Whats up bruh?” we just MEAN MUG! Makes perfect sense right? I’d rather someone think I’m a stone cold killer than a happy go lucky person that enjoys life and pleasant exchanges with strangers . . . negative.

That’s only one example. The constant need to emasculate ourselves because we don’t actually FEEL like men. Displays of random macho behavior often show just how insecure and obsessed with “looking like more of a man” than we are. Somewhere in our history, the idea of smiling and not being a man became synonymous with one another.  You ever look at facebook or myspace (if you still have a myspace lmao) and see the pictures guys take? Why are we more willing to shoot a bird at the world than smile? You’d rather say “F*CK YOU!!!” to everyone that visits your profile than smile at them? What’s hilarious is the amount of women that buy into this idea of the angry black guy being sexy . . . until he punches them in the face! (which surprisingly isn’t as big of a turn off as it sounds, some of you love that too)

So why is this anger so widely accepted and coveted? Are we actually angry people by nature, angry because of our circumstances or are we simply angry for show?

I would argue that no-one and I mean NO-ONE is angry by nature.  There’s usually a reason, whether it be deep seeded and traumatizing or trivial and overblown, there is a reason.  History tells us that people have tried to pigeon hold black people in specific behavior categories for years and years.  The idea that black people are angry by nature is widely accepted outside of our community and yes, even within. We’ve done well to keep this particular stereotype alive, but what about the others? Why don’t we take a look at all of these stereotypes:

The Brutal Black Buck: This is the angry black guy that this very post is all about. Accused of being uncontrollable, violent and a sexual deviant. Incapable of rational thought, only compelled by primitive desires and cravings. A particular craving, one for white women is supposedly insatiable.

The Uncle Tom: A direct contradiction of The a fore mentioned black buck. Uncle Tom is docile, hard working and kind. Trusted not to harm the hair on anyone’s head.

Sambo/Jim Crow: Silly, lazy and shiftless. Enough said.

The Jezebel: Basically she’s a hoe. But she applies to every single black woman (hints the reason its a stereotype). The belief that black women have an insatiable sexual appetite and show no discrimination is searching for gratification.

The Mammy: She’s overweight and a-sexual. She’d rather take care of someone else s’ home and children than to have her own (once again a direct contradiction of the previously mentioned stereotype)

My conclusion on black stereotypes? Black people are angry, happy, evil, good, tall, short, skinny, fat, lazy, hardworking people (in no particular order). We can’t be placed in any mass category any more easily than another race or group of people. Each of us is unique and based on that individuality may fall into any given category at any given time.

This doesn’t answer my original question . . . why on earth is the angry black man, The Brutal Black Buck, the one that has surely seemed to resiliently stand the test of time? Why is it that we seem to continue to willingly perpetuate this particular notion about ourselves?  It’s not a desirable characteristic to possess.  People don’t like angry, hostile individuals. They usually stray away from them and don’t want to hire them or give them opportunities or friendship.  My personal opinion is that it comes from a lashing out after being oppressed for so long.  Finally standing up and being able to say “No you don’t run me, i’m a grown ass man and if you try me I will most certainly do something about it”. This is understandable, people don’t like to be nor do they deserve to be pushed around as we were for so many years.  But this particular defense-mechanism is often used against one another and ultimately not productive.

The way to dispel these stereotypes, prejudices and hatred not only from outside sources but among ourselves is and always has been LOVE.  Love is the answer, show people your beautiful smile. Show them your kind heart, show them your humanity.

Hello Prime-readers! Clearly it’s been a while since we’ve blessed you with a post, so today we break out of that funk (with a promise that there won’t be such a delay again).  Today’s topic? The power and importance of being able to express yourself.  Soooo . . . what am I getting at here? I believe that people’s inability and fear to articulate their ideas to others could in fact ruin them socially and or professionally. This isn’t new information for some of you, but others may potentially hold themselves back from great success and self-realization in their lifetime.

A quick run down on my take on communication; In my opinion its one of the most important skills that people rarely seem to work on.

If you don’t actually express to others when you’re happy, angry, appreciative, hurt, offended or whatever, how can you expect them to know or understand? They say actions speak louder than words, but what they don’t say is that speaking loudly doesn’t always lead to comprehension.

A key mistake I believe people make is assuming that others know and or understand how you feel about a situation.  As a lifelong student of communication (which is something we should all strive to be) it is vital that you make the effort to let people know and understand what you think and how you feel. Your words will make all the difference! Articulate what you feel and what caused you to feel that way, it increases the probability that people will understand you immensely!  I see people that walk around constantly upset that someone they care about, or work with, or live with doesn’t “get them” but often times I wonder if they’ve made the effort to be understood.

The inability to express yourself in a professional setting could cost you millions of dollars.

Often times when people discuss communication, its only discussed on a personal and or social level.  I want to explain just how vital communication is in a professional setting.  Many people walk around with incredible ideas . . . BOLD IDEAS, ideas that could be absolutely groundbreaking.  They also walk around with ideas that may never come to fruition because . . . well . . . they don’t share them!  All the knowledge in the world could potentially be useless if it doesn’t have an outlet.  People have a painful fear of public speaking. Its incredibly intimidating, I mean the thought of having all those eyes . . . watching you . . . judging you . . . scary right? Sure it is, but what’s scary to me is that so many people would let the fleeting opinions of others potentially hold them back from further financial and personal success.  What if I told you that being able to adequately express and convey your thoughts and ideas to groups of people could earn you large amounts of money? I mean think about it, there are Fortune 500 companies that PAY PEOPLE TO SPEAK!! Why? Because a lot of them haven’t gotten over their own fear or developed their own communication skills well enough to be a public representation of their company.  More people list public speaking as their number 1 fear than people that list DEATH . . . seriously? Sorry but if I have to choose between death and public speaking, I’ll talk about ANYTHING (that’s just me though).

First things first (or in this case last). Before you take the steps to express yourself, work on becoming a better listener. Communication is a 2-way street, becoming a better listener and receiving other people’s messages accurately will allow you to send your own messages more efficiently and effectively.

I’m saying all this because I want to urge you all, our readers, to work on your communication skills. If you’re in school and have a free spot on your schedule, add a speech or communication class. It’ll be well worth your money (assuming you’re a strong student and actually absorb the information).  If you don’t want to take a class, buy a book. Whatever the case, continue to work on developing your ability to communicate and convery your thoughts and ideas to others!

Just wanted to share 2 amazing solo rap artists, and don’t worry the full interviews and more of their work will be posted soon!!!

Rufat, follow him on twitter at twitter.com/RuFly

RE, follow him on twitter at: twitter.com/reisthefuture

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Often times I wonder if it’s possible to save people that seem to be completely fixated on killing themselves.

As a young black man in America it saddens me to say that I’ve reached a point to where i’ve become desensitized to much of the violence and despair that plagues us.  I know I can’t speak for us all but over the last 3 years I’ve been to a total of 6 funerals caused by unnatural death . . . violence at the hand of one of our own.  Does life not have any value anymore?? The degree to which we seem to be disconnected from LIFE is nothing short of sickening.  On a very fundamental level I have to question whether or not people understand that death is permanent.  Young men (and in some cases women) are willing to take each others lives over minor disputes and disagreements very little, if any hesitation or forethought.  PEOPLE I ASK YOU, WITHOUT LIFE ITSELF WHAT DO WE HAVE? Why is it that life has been reduced to some type of joke? Is there anyone else out there that still understands how fragile our existence as human beings is?  I suppose to some degree I’m a bit emotional about this, but at some point I’d like to go an entire 365 days without watching a childhood friend, ex teammate  or even a random kid I rarely spoke to be lowered into the ground.  I’m 22 years old and that’s something some of the people I just mentioned will never be able to say.  If you’re shrugging your shoulders or saying “that’s the way sh*t is” right now maybe you’ve allowed yourself to lose touch with life as well.

According to The Black on Black Crime Coalition, while African Americans make up 13.5% of the U.S Population, 43% of all murder victims in the year 2007 were African American.

These numbers are beyond alarming to me.  I mean there’s already a small amount of us, do we really need to be killing ourselves?? What about the fact that these senseless crimes have an impact on much more than the person who loses their life.  Have you ever witnessed the pain in a mother’s eyes when she outlives her child? The heartbreak violence brings to siblings, relatives and friends is unspeakable and leads to depression and in many cases retaliation;  Perpetuating the cycle, continuing the pain and further hindering us from prospering as a people.  Uh oh, did I just use the “prospering as a people” line?? Kind of cliche’ huh? Forgive me but I still think it’s possible and a necessary effort.  Much of what I said doesn’t even address the fact that murderers go to prison.  Now that’s a revelation isn’t it?  Yes, when you kill people you typically end up behind bars for life. Congratulations, we’ve figured out a way to ruin multiple young black lives at a time as opposed to 1 or none. I know our Caucasian hooded brothers are just oh so proud!!

Many of us can recall sitting in grade school social studies classes or possibly in the privacy of our own homes, watching civil rights documentaries and cringing at the site of white on black violence.  Shaking our heads in disgust, wondering how people could be so cruel . . .

. . . Fast forward to 2009 and we’re faced with black on black crime like never before.  Yet we seem to be numb to the cruelty and irony of it all.  Shouldn’t we be more shocked and upset with the fact that WE ARE KILLING OURSELVES?!?!

The constant questioning and debating rages on, everyone wants to know where this generation’s Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X is when its completely evident that this generation faces problems of a different nature.  Each of us that has the sense to recognize this problem has to stand up and fight it. Stand up to the people that look like us and don’t realize that they hate themselves.  We celebrate violence and murder in our music, convince ourselves that the fact that every new rapper claims to be a vet in the dope game is cool because:

A. We know its not true

B.  It’s only music and it sounds good.

But we can’t continue to ignore the fact that glorifying the dope boy lifestyle is a large part of our issue to date.
In the midst of being entertained we forget the very REAL impact that drugs and drug violence have had on our community.  Single mother stressed out get’s hooked on dope, leaving her oldest son to provide for the family. His quickest solution coming from the street corner, he sells dope and gets another single mother hooked. The cycle continues and our community continues to be ripped to shreds from the roots and destroyed day by day.

In order for our children to live we must reestablish and reinforce the value of life in our community. Give them something to dream about, something to aspire to.  It starts with those of us that are capable of being those dreams come true. Show them that it’s possible. Let them know That it’s real.

aapf.org

THE TIMELINE

January.2001: Socol to Barneys

2004: Gian Giacomo Ferraris to Jil Sanders & Giancarlo di Risio brought into Versace

May.2008: Barneys New York’s CEO/President/Chairman, Howard Socol Resigns yet remains through June.

May.2009: Versace board approved 3 year plan signalling the CEO’s exit.

June.05.2009: Giancarlo di Risio resigns as CEO of Versace (supposedly over the
clash with lead designer over money matters – how to cut cost and control Donatella’s lavish lifestyle)

June.10.2009: Versace names new CEO, Gian Giacomo Ferraris (previously of Jil Sander)

July.15.2009: Gian Giacomo Ferraris officially takes reigns at Versace

THE QUESTIONS

-What the heck is taking Barneys sooo long??? A CEO would probably be doing them wonders right now. Things aren’ tlooking to good for them!

-Really? It didn’t even take Versace a week to rename a new CEO? They were a little to excited to get rid of him!

-Did Giancarlo di Risio really think he could to beef will Sister Donatella VERSACE and keep his job at VERSACE?

-Where does this game of CEO musical chairs leave Jil Sander? How long will it take them to replace GGF – less than a week or more than a year?

What do you think of all of this? We want to hear your voice!

In my observation of people over time I’ve noticed just how many of us seem to be completely oblivious to others and they’re attitudes, thoughts and opinions. I often hear people say “I don’t care what other people think”.  This is a dangerous way to live your life.  If you don’t find a happy medium between living your own life and being aware of your reputation you could be doing yourself harm. Building your reputation can be very difficult, simply because by nature people are pessimistic.  We may all WANT to assume the best of others, but the moment someone disappoints us we’re willing to accept that THEIR CHARACTER is just as bad as their mistake.  Its commonly phrased as “It takes 1,000 good deeds to build up a good reputation, and 1 one bad deed to destroy it“.  Those of us that choose to live our lives oblivious to others and what they think or feel are prone to committing more bad and damaging deeds in terms of our reputation than good. I’ve compiled a list of a few rules I like to live by:

1. Despite what you want to believe, people ARE judging you: Perception is a funny thing. Often times people will make assumptions about your mental and professional capabilities based on your physical appearance.  For instance, people that are physically attractive are perceived to be more mentally capable, articulate and accomplished than people that aren’t attractive. This perception and attitude towards attractive people holds true until proven to be absolutely untrue (as we all know it very often can be).  Now obviously there isn’t much that can be done to alter your physical appearance, but you do have control over the way you dress, the way you carry yourself and your personal hygiene.   Simple things like taking a more serious approach to your physical health and fitness will give people the idea that you are young and vibrant as opposed to lazy or lethargic.  Brushing your teeth thoroughly twice a day, flossing, keep your hair in order, eating right. These are all little habits that can lead to you becoming the most physically attractive person you can be.  Take pride in your health and appearance so that you can present something appealing to the people around you.

2. Try not to burn bridges: The way we choose to handle conflict will vary from person to person, but my personal approach is to try to solve it.  Far too often people would rather have these long, drawn out battles with others, to the point that they forget where the problem ever started because they’re so infuriated by the last incident.  The way I see it, most of the time you have an issue with a person it CAN be worked out if you and that person are both willing to move past it.  Often times the problem may be convincing that other person.  Building relationships is always better than destroying them. Poorly handled conflict now could hinder possible partnerships in the future. You don’t know when you may need to cross troubled waters and I guarantee that if you burn enough bridges you’ll continue to be stuck on the island.

3. Beware the company you keep: This is a HUGE one.  It never fails, people will make extremely bold assumptions about you based on the people you spend your time around.  Aside from assumptions other people make, its widely believed that you do begin to take on the characteristics of the people around you. Meaning, if you spend time with slackers all the time, you will begin to be a slacker. If you spend the majority of your time around go-getters you will become a go-getter.

4. Be considerate: This rule sounds simple but it’s undoubtedly a problem that many of us have encountered either directly or indirectly.  Everything that we do or say in this life has an impact on other people.  Take notice of the type of things you do and say when you’re in public.  Do you curse too much? Or you too loud and obnoxious? Do people often call you rude (regardless as to whether or not you agree with them). Remember that offending someone else has very little to do with what you think or feel, its all about how you’ve made someone else feel.

5. Fear is NOT the same as respect: Often times people in power are under the impression that the fear of those around them is the same as the respect of those around them.  This is a common misconception that we should all be aware of.  Fear is a negative emotion and Respect is a positive attitude. Fear breeds resentment and hatred. Respect breeds loyalty and trust. When the people around you respect you the only fear they have is disappointing you. Be able to recognize the difference between the two, it will improve your reputation and your ability to lead.

As I said before, you should feel free to carry on with the attitude of “I don’t care what people think”. Just remember that that decision holds consequences. Just as this is a free country and you have the right to say and do what you feel, people are entitled to their personal reactions to what you say and do.  This is my suggestion to people to be more aware of where they stand with the people around them and understand how changing some of their own habits can help to create a more pleasant social and professional environment.

This video was forwarded to me via e-mail and I wanted to share it with you all. This young man is only 10 years old . . . .

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The FSF table

Sneaker Pimps is more than a sneaker event, its an exhibition of a culture. Walking into the venue in downtown Miami the first thing that you notice is that walls lined with sneakers. All kinds of sneakers are exhibited from local artists’ customs Air Force Ones, to limited edition Stash Air Max 95s. The event also had up and coming clothing brand selling a few things, Da Bottom clothing( http://www.dabottomclothing.com/), Like Mike(http://www.likemikeclothing.blogspot.com/) and 8and9 (http://www.8and9.com) all had tables as well as a few other brands. The biggest and by far the most impressive table at the event was the FSF(Female Sneaker Fiend) table set up by my girls Jen, Yarelis and Chef. The ladies definitely hurt some guys feelings with what they brought out of their closets to display. A few well known people were in attendance, Mickey Munday of the Documentary Cocaine Cowboys, Safe; one of the founders of the brand most commonly worn by Terror Squads Fat Joe and many other Hip Hip celebrities, and most notable Dj Clark Kent as the co host of the event.

As the opening act of Sneaker Pimps Miami, Chicago’s own “The Cool Kids” came out and rocked the crowd for about 30 minutes preforming a  few songs then surprisingly walking around the venue interacting with the crowd/fans. After a brief intermission the main attraction “The Clipse” took the stage. They were who most everyone came to see, if not to enjoy the sneaker-filled atmosphere. The Clipse preformed a variety of songs from both albums and their latest mixtape, while the crowd was right with them on every word and ad lib. The choice of performers find the event very well, with self proclaimed Cool Kids being “sneaker heads” and rocking the Air Jordan V’s(fives) from the most recent “Raging Bulls pack” respectively and The Clipse, who were accredited along with Pharell to have been the first rappers to have worn the Air Force One KNOCK OFFS known more affectionately asBapes. As a sneaker enthusiast myself i love sneaker events because i love to see what other people are wearing.

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