“THE ERA OF NO FOREPLAY”

BY AL KING

Everything is rushed. Patience has become a rarity in the practices of those we call humans. We have instead resorted to a level and era where there is no foreplay, both figuratively and literally. When it comes to the many aspects we exchange with one another, there is a defiant approach for what should be protocol and its expectations. Look at how business has become shady from the gate with no networking or the substantiation of building a rapport that will lead to a relationship. People expect you to just jump right into business with them just because they believe they are doing business. Relationships are dead from the beginning because people refuse to take the time to get to know one another from the start. Dating and Courting has been omitted because everyone’s in a rush to be in a Pseudo-relationship. People meet on Monday and by Friday they live together. These examples just go to show you just how much we have opted to throw principles in the garbage. That is why things are a mess and don’t seem to moving in a direction to resolve this issue.  If there's foreplay in the equation, you have accountability and a necessary flow to the momentum.  Simply, you can find out a lot if you are willing to take your time to find it out. There’s very little chance you will have any enlightenment and favorable results if you are rushing from point “a” to point “z” without experiencing the letters in between.

"VISION GPS"

BY AL KING

Navigating through life requires a Vision……….. One that will lead you to a life of fulfillment which can only be attained once we have connected with and to our purpose. Purpose will equal vision.  That purpose will be defined by what you are most passionate about and what you are willing to place everything on the line to attain.  The lack of a vision will only be a filled with a journey of free-styling and no accountability which we don’t want that at all. We want to experience and benefit from applying our best efforts of this gift and blessing called a vision. Knowing that if we do what we should, we can live a life of fulfillment. A determined mindset will produce a determined mind state. Moving in the direction of accomplishment; a concise blueprint is devised that encompasses our dreams and aspirations in a nutshell.  In order for this to transpire, you need ACTION not lip service. Your determination, focus, dedication, sacrifices and consistency will determine just how much you want it.  Potential means absolutely nothing if it isn’t applied. You must move in the direction that’s conducive to you reaching your anointed destination.  In doing so, you must create a concise blueprint that will encompass your dreams and aspirations. With a plan in full effect, we have substantiated our intent to expedite this vision. Go out there and chase your dreams and put that vision in place so that you can reap the blessings of your gift.  

If it can change your life you must be willing to do everything to make it your life!

“BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF”

BY AL KING

Things are not going your way as frustration grows……it is met with a fight to gain clarity. What’s the reason? Well, life has a way of forcing us to pay attention and think and the only way to get your attention is to throw some challenges in your direction. We don’t realize during the fury of these challenges that we are actually being brought to a conclusive state of peace and resolve. Gathering this much needed lesson will only define that understanding. So stop asking……What did I do to deserve this?  Be thankful that you have been chosen to go through something. It’s often said that “You have to go through something to get through something.” Most of us will still question it all because we have this false sense of entitlement and believe we should just receive without any friction, any hardships or challenges. In no way does life work that way. We should all be the recipients of blessings but don’t get consumed into believing that there’s guarantees set aside for you. There’s one thing that most of us refuse to accept and that’s where we become our biggest detractors to ourselves by not ……….being honest with ourselves.

Being honest requires becoming vulnerable from within and not being self-biased. One must build the courage to face your choices and decisions head on so are you willing to man up? That inner-reflection will only bring forth a truth that you need for your overall clarity which is exactly what you need to move forward. By us dissecting ourselves it makes us accountable. We are achieving balance that most want but refuse to take the necessary steps to attain it. This will eradicate the negative stance of just pointing fingers and blaming someone else for the position that we currently stand in. It will always be easy to do that instead of working on being bigger and better in our holistic approaches. How can we live without having integrity to ourselves? We can’t.   Again, it’s about accepting the ramifications of what we felt at one time was the right decision and choice.  All of us should constantly be under construction by working to be better and more. By making the necessary strides to improve our circumstances we must first identify with what is versus what should be.  

I want to leave you with a few thoughts ………

Are we working to maximize our potential as a person, friend, relative, parent or spouse? Have you learned from your past without becoming a prisoner of the past? Do you accomplish your goals you set and not start something that you never finish? Do you have expectations of others that you don’t have for yourself?  In answering those questions, you have to be honest. Don’t waste time chasing your tail by failing to look in that mirror because you fear facing YOUR truth. Nothing will change if you’re not willing to change your perspective!

 

 

    

"IT'S NOT ABOUT KEEPING IT REAL, IT'S ABOUT KEEPING IT RIGHT"

BY AL KING

 Most of the time, the right thing to do is what the majority will refuse to do. The main reason for that is because people are so conditioned to going in the direction that is mos...t commonly used. Followers follow out of fear of being perceived a certain way. The last thing they want is to be seen as someone with a mind of their own. With jails and cemeteries winning the fight, there are those that would’ve been here today had they not been too concerned about what others thought about them. It usually takes us going through something catastrophic to realize how much thinking a different way can save us from what can cost us later. It’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s about making a judgment call and walking away from what may be the foreseeable, had you stayed in the situation. It only takes a split second for a lifetime to pay for the moment—the difference between being here today and being here tomorrow.

As we all know, jails represent the darkness of society as statistics are sensationalized and families are damaged…there are no wins. As jails are filled to capacity and new money is used to construct more, there are many mistakes being made, every minute leading to them. The potential of many minds is lost. For many years to come, this redundant cycle is repeated. You have those that never make adjustments back into society and remain institutionalized—operating better while incarcerated. All in all, that is no place to be which is why there is no justification in making confinement seem as if it’s real. Not only did the plan not work but both the victims of crimes and people that commit them leave behind families that have to proceed without them. If only we were losing people to more respectable and productive means like colleges and professions. For example, Black men in America are going to jail more than they are enrolling in college. If jails were colleges, we would dominate the educational sector with such a diligence that scholars would be produced by astronomical numbers. 

 

“THE POWER OF THE BOOTY”

BY AL KING

 

 

We are all chasing power and the acquisition of power gives us all the possibility of our desires being fulfilled.   Having power places us at a vantage point to manipulate and also create opportunities for ourselves. Some of us understand how to use what we possess to gain power. So are you wrong for using what you have to get what you want? Some of us may answer that question with “as long as it is within means.” Don’t you use your skill set, credentials and experience each time you’re applying for a job? Aren’t those things taken into consideration when that person on the other side of the table is interviewing you?  Let’s look at how the physical attributes of a woman can create and enhance her potential of gaining power.  For certain, her attractiveness and appeal can create opportunities for her and one asset if she’s equipped with it that will definitely give her power is……. the booty.  Is she wrong for using it? Whether she has one or not, every single woman on this planet knows that there’s power in the booty.  With that understanding if she doesn’t naturally have one, you better believe she’s working to purchase one. We are now living in a time of cosmetic surgery and augmentation so the booty is no longer a Black Woman thing but has become a universal thing. So that has placed other races and ethnicities in the race for who has the better booty.  Fake OR not….. Booty is power because it intrigues, controls, dictates and rules.  Booty is also EQUITY.

 

The physique of a woman has always been an important factor for BOTH a man and women. Men have always chosen to invest in what she physically possesses way before her other qualities. In turn, women have always in their subconscious state used their sexuality to garner leverage. As shallow as it may sound this is so real and you would have to be crazy not to understand the science of it all. It’s no secret that most humans are flesh-driven and choose to immediately invest in what they see on the surface which is why the booty will always be powerful. Whether naturally or cosmetically acquired, the booty will always command attention and open doors…..literally. Does she want the doors to open based on her physical possessions or what she can honestly bring to the table with other variables?  i.e.; wit, intelligence, accomplishments, accolades, credentials. Those of you that have the booty are probably doing everything in your power to gain power. With each step, you’re using it to get you something that you desire or lack by making it work for you in some kind of way.  Just keep in mind if that booty opens a door, you may have possibly diminished the other components you have to offer. Use what you have to get what you want as long as it is within means and not compromising what you truly represent!

"THE STIGMAS CREATED THE VERDICT"

BY AL KING


These are my views as a Black Man, Father and Civilian that I will be honest in sharing in this passage. I have sat back and taken in the many different stances that have been taken in light of this very unfortunate occurrence. I want to extend my heartfelt prayers and condolences to the Martin family as they deal with this very sad outcome. Each of us has been touched by the murder of Trayvon Martin and the verdict that ensued. It could have easily been your son or relative placed in that very same situation which is a very real and actual testament of the times we live in. We can voice that the result of this trial was unfair and no justice was served which may very well be the case but moving toward a solution is imperative. We need to wake up.   But let’s be clear that the STIGMAS surrounding the Black Male is what substantially shaped the outcome of this trial. The magnitudes of these stigmas that are attached to the Black Male have dictated so much in the lives of each colored individual.

 

We can choose to ignore the obvious but the reality is we have become spoken for before we can even say a word in our defense.  Any Black Male will be subjected and scrutinized on these stigmas that continue to be affirmed based on the actions that support them. There is no benefit of the doubt or fair judgment being exercised. The judicial system is a playing field for these stigmas to be used against any Black defendant, easily defeating the mantra of “innocent until proven guilty.”  Each day he is forced to accept the repercussions of these stigmas by being profiled; to the extent of driving a car, shopping in a store or simply walking down a street. You would have to be a complete fool to not take this fact into consideration if you’re a Black Man living in America. We are perceived and judged by what has already been pre-set in the minds of everyone that is non-black. Unfortunately, the benefit of the doubt is just not something that we are obliged to receive.

 

Society views the Black Male as a violent source because we have lessened our expressions in the form of violence. In our own elements we kill one another over things that are not worth taking it to that extent, appearing to have no respect for the life of another and even our own. Based on the history of how we treat one another, it’s interpreted that we are all physical, non-loving, uncivilized beings that kill one another for no reason. The constant embrace of ignorance, violence and mischief in our communities or backyards so to speak don’t help the perceptions of those outside of the Black Race. The outcome of this conduct is rooted to a normalcy that we have chosen to embed in our mindsets and practices. Using hate and shunning love plays a very integral and damaging piece to this puzzle.  That hate that’s constantly spewed is why we choose to destroy one another for petty reasons but we want everyone else to respect us.

 

Let’s not wait for something to happen and then act like we want it to stop when we are not being pro-active to begin with. Problems can be reduced by taking a pro-active approach which is something we fail to grasp. Being motivated in a different way will be conducive to the changes we desperately need. I think as parents, we need to teach our children that these stigmas are prevalent and show them how to deal with them. We are only curtailing the truth and what’s a part of the reality we are faced with each day by acting as if these things aren’t there. For example, Black Men are profiled period. It does matter what you wear, drive and the times you are out in public that can very well dictate your destiny. If we choose to act as if this is not the world we live in, we are only doing a disservice to our own understanding and safety. Having a pro-active stance eliminates possibilities. Why are we people that only react instead of creating solutions before they become problems? Then when we are spanked with these incidents that force our hand there are temporary outcries filled with rage, resentment and emotionally charged acts up that only last until the smoke clears.  

All along, we are more than equipped to deter things from happening by taking the necessary steps that will promote a difference. We can accomplish more by doing better. Seeing where we can work on what has become a factor in what only transforms into the regressive nature that we carry from one incident to the next. Must I also remind you that we are the same people that sensationalize the people that destroy our communities by making them martyrs. We are the same people that fail to rally for the things that can uplift and empower us a whole but come together and form consortiums of negativity.  Again, wake up. Once people close their doors they are less inclined to be concerned about what goes on outside of it until it directly hits home. As a parent, this has provoked a lot of concern. A concern where you can’t teach your children to not be a victim of violence solely based on the color of their skin.

 

How many of us are going to rally for the presence of LOVE? We must demonstrate that we can love and co-exist with one another without using violence as the answer. Deplete these stigmas so that our future children are given the opportunity to prove themselves without being judged. We can blame the judicial system for failing us of justice but does that deplete the fact that we are a very troubled race WITHIN? Can we continue to have no regard for the life of our own and expect others too? Black on Black crime is just as prevalent today as it was thirty-years ago. If we continue to lose our youth, wouldn’t it be safe to say that the Black adult will become endangered species?  Where will the wisdom come from? Who will the mentors mentor? We must work on changing how we treat one another in order to make changes. Sadly, the lack of love has created a culture, trait and characteristic to bring bodily and gravely harm in a split second to one another. We must wake up!

 

“WHY ME?”

BY AL KING

We face some adversity and the first thing we say to ourselves is ……. Why Me? Well, let me tell you something that you need to hear. First, do you say why me when things are going your way? I highly doubt it. In a very interesting way we are specifically chosen for each battle and it’s never one that we can’t overcome. We are taken for a ride where we may even be stripped of everything that we have, getting all the way to our very low. That happens because GOD requires your undivided attention and wants you to have no distractions as he converses to you through the experience. He knows that he must shake your entire world up to get your attention, taking away even some of the essentials that you need but will never leave you with nothing. In the end, you will thank him for being sacrificed and used as an example that will help others as you thicken your testimony and champion your feat. This process has nothing to do with karma but purpose. It’s very important to recognize that we must be refined in order to realize both our plight and purpose. Personally, it had taken me some time to accept that some of the things that had been thrown at me were divinely orchestrated just for me to attain the hard lesson.

Days and nights, I would sit and wallow in my reality and ask that same question because my circumstances seemed unfair and unjust. It wasn’t until I begin to face and accept the choices and decisions that I made that I begin to see the reason behind it all. We refuse to be accountable and responsible for our today and tomorrow based on what we did yesterday and for every action there is a reaction. We can’t get somewhere without going through something in the form of humility to reach the destination. That somewhere is a significant piece of our ultimate purpose. Do you really think that anything that’s worth having and honoring will come without some form of turbulence? Most of us want everything to come our way without any bumps in the road, smooth sailing where we just ride off into the sunset.  It’s not until life intervenes and forces us to appreciate our simplest blessings that we get it. Once we have gotten through it all I can assure you it will feel like we never went through it. I know that many of you may be enduring something that has you wanting to give up but I implore that you continue to push in order to get through it. Remember, all you need is a teardrop of faith to get through anything. The impossible is always a step away from being possible!

“NEW BLESSINGS”

BY AL KING

Happy New Year!

We should all be appreciative and grateful for being granted a new start full of potential to receive an abundance of new blessings. This is an opportunity to reset and grow from what you have learned from the previous year.  Whatever the challenges you were given, take the lessons and be thankful for your newly acquired wisdom. Take the bad and understand it could have been worse. You also have an incentive to make things better because you have grown in perspective and experience. A better understanding, a stronger perspective. Everything that we look to get accomplished is possible when we are healthy and optimistic in our mindset. You can’t expect anything to transpire positive if you are already thinking negatively. One thing I have observed over and over is how most of us approach a new year with the mindset of elimination.

 With this immense aggression we begin to deplete people out of our lives by changing numbers and ignoring calls. Any means of carrying this out is done. I personally don’t take this approach but to each his own. The thing about that is that the challenge and problem is usually not those you deal with but it lies in you. People will eliminate others and replace them with the SAME type of person. Instead of carrying out this act of rash elimination they should have sat down and conducted a self-analysis. We often out-rule the possibility of the problem being right within our own person.  We resort to diverting the blame on others and carry a delusional state that we had no part in our own circumstances. Truthfully, we have made choices and decisions that have created a reality that we are left to accept and correct or allow to become our forever. 

You may be reading and saying what does this have to do with New Blessings? Well, you can block your own blessings by not being in a healthy space of your own. How can you accept a blessing if you are not able to accept yourself? It requires a lot to be centered, humble and mature enough to decipher and receive a blessing which is why our own self-investment is crucial.  When we have built up our own person we are fully capable of identifying, receiving and doing the right things with the blessing. If not, we may not even see it or be waiting for it, to come to us. You can be patiently waiting for that blessing that’s actually waiting for you to COME and GET IT. It may be right in front of you and you have chosen to ignore it because your deciphering is off and you are so cloudy that it has totally taken your judgment somewhere else. If you have ignored or not identified with your blessings just don’t feel slighted because they were passed on to someone that has done what you didn’t. So do everything in your power to be focused so that you do the right thing with your blessings.

POSITIONING is everything. I strongly believe that you must position yourself in order to receive blessings. Here are few things that will aid in that positioning; 

·        Place GOD FIRST.

·        Be Righteous.

·        Be Receptive.

·        Be Respectful.

·        Invest in the things that promote your growth and healthiness; spiritually, mentally, financially and holistically.

Keep in mind that if something is not helping you, I can assure you that it’s hurting you. I extend my sincerest blessings to you and hope that you attain all of what you desire all within means. Go out and have a great year full of prosperity ……. Be Bold and Be Blessed!

“SELF-IMPROVEMENT”

BY AL KING

As you may all know, I am the author of my debut book “Let it be Known.” Before I released this project I made an honest assessment of some things that I felt I needed to work on within myself. One thing that didn’t fit well (pun intended) was that I had gained a substantial amount of weight. I began to feel physically sluggish to go right along with the aches and cramps which I knew was the result of this weight I was carrying. I was always an athlete so not moving my body for so many years, I realized this was the penalty I was now enduring. With responsibility and continuously working non-stop in your daily grind, eating the wrong foods, not exercising, we lose ourselves in the process and the weight gain seems like it comes from out of nowhere. It’s said that you can acquire wealth but if you’re not healthy, you will spend that same wealth on your health.  After feeling heavy and my body began to ache, I came to the conclusion that I had to make some personal improvements to go along with some the goals I was working hard to execute with business. The first thing I did was detox my body, change my diet and start an exercising regimen. A year later I am fifty-pounds lighter and feeling a thousand percent better with myself and probably added ten more years to my life by making the commitment and dedication to do better. Today, I continue to live a different and conscious lifestyle of better health practices because I refuse to not be my best. I share my own journey through “Self-Improvement” because we tend to downplay just how much we become our investments.

Overall, improvement is a necessity by all means but Self-Improvement is non-negotiable and should be the utmost priority in your world. We sometimes end up neglecting our own advancement by stifling our own development by investing in outside entities FIRST. By doing that, we are placing ourselves second and possibly last which not only defies self-preservation but it defeats our own relevance. I firmly believe that strong relationships are contingent on a strong personal relationship that starts with the person in the mirror. You can’t have any healthy relationships with anyone if you are not in a relationship with yourself. Keep in mind that we are all under construction. With that understanding, we are not perfect and there are things that we all should be diligently and consistently working on to make ourselves better. Identification facilitates in converting our weaknesses and flaws to strengths. There are some that live in a delusional state by fooling themselves into believing that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Each day should consist of becoming the best person possible. By making those strides we are able to convert our current challenges into future triumphs.  

 I wanted to share a few areas that you may need to consider improving in;

·        Health- If you are not healthy, nothing in your life will be.

·        Mindset- Keep in mind that you are your thoughts.

·        Objectives- Don’t neglect your own dreams as you work your job and steadily invest in someone's dream.

·        Character- Strengthen your weaknesses by focusing on those areas that pose a challenge and discomfort. Being the best person will attract the best.

I hope that I can inspire just one person to make some self-improvements starting today!

“SEASON'S CAN’T BE CONTROLLED”

BY AL KING

You can’t force what will be because what will be......simply will be. I don’t care how much you attempt to pressure things into the universe things will happen divinely. Am I saying that prayers are not answered? Not at all….. There are just absolutely no accidents in the universe and every result is a calculated journey. I know some of you are experiencing a strong desire to make some things happen through your sheer determination and may possibly feel things are not moving quick enough. That is totally fine but there are seasons for every seed to sprout. It’s very hard to accept that realization in why something may not be coming into manifestation when you need results NOW. Keep in mind that a process will always come before the results.

Quite essentially, your patience and respect for that process is what will invoke the growth of that seed. I don’t care how much you attempt to rush it, if it’s not time, it’s just not time. Life gets in the way as we work to keep our essentials in place, bills paid and the rigorous demands of being responsible create an emotion all on their own. We’re always looking to find stability and peace in what we know as ……..living.  All of this is heightened when we are responsible for others in our role as providers. I wanted to share these words with you because sometimes we need to hear an echo of what we already know…. So allow things to move in alignment without fretting and remain poise as your season arrives!