Why Obama's First Term was a Doozy

Us.


We are the reason that things we said we wanted were not actualized.  


I wish I had reached out to his campaign folk after his inauguration with the iPromise campaign so that people could really GET this line that went out in a campaign e-mail from his folks yesterday: "From the very start this has been an experiment in our political process, testing whether ordinary people really can still come together to change this country."

When I hear people complain about the President, I still ask: "So what did YOU do, or what are YOU GOING to do?"  He's one man, with a title and a big house.  But we are the millions that put him there.  It took millions of people, all saying one thing - collectively - to put him in office.  The millions must collectively tell our congress people to vote the way we say or else.  The millions must collectively stop paying their health insurance policies to demand that we all get fair healthcare.  The millions must refuse jury duty until the (in)justice system is changed.  The millions must keep their children home for school to demand a shift from paying out billions to test manufacturers to billions for successful educators.  The millions must take their money out of banks if we want an end to their corporate greed.

We, as a nation, still don't get it.

"...For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies...What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship." 

You're Not Mentoring?!

I get into debates - mostly with men - about why it's always a good time to mentor.

What I usually get is: "I'm not where I need to be."
"I don't have time."
"I'm no authority on anything."
"What do I have to offer?"
"I'm still f*cked up in the game."

They base whether or not they should mentor on where they believe they are in their American Dream. Often, their fantastical American Dreaming includes having that degree, having a certain amount of money at their disposal, having a better credit score, having a better living situation, having some notoriety in their industry, having a better reputation, having, having, having - more, better, different.

What is overwhelmingly absent is their reflection on who they are and what they are doing.  Are you resourceful, confident, committed, creative, brilliant, generous?  Do you exercise regularly, show women in your life the love and respect you'd want for your mother, aunties, sisters? Do you speak on behalf of people that don't have a voice in particular spheres?  Do you demonstrate mastery in chess, numbers and logic, capoeira, photoshop, reason, photography, basketball, computer programming, freestyling?

You're not where you "need" to be - mentor a kid and have them witness how you flip it, showing them how it's done.

You don't have time - mentor someone on the job or e-mentor.

You're not an authority - don't pretend to be; be the one to bring authorities to a group of kids in an afterschool program.

Think you don't have anything to offer - what passions or interests do you have: chess, numbers and logic, capoeira, photoshop, reason, photography, basketball, computer programming, freestyling?  Have your connection be based solely on this. (*Think old guys in the park schooling the youngins in chess.)

You're still f*cked up in the game - get over your disappointment about what didn't happen the way you wanted it to and begin creating the life you want.  Often the prospect of having children, or mentoring one, forces us to do the work we put off.

Get involved.  Change a life and your own.

The Future Project
National Cares Mentoring Movement
iMentor
I Could Be
Infinite Family
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of New York
National Mentoring Partnership
Mentoring Partnership of New York
Mentoring USA

(*Photo: DJ Dhundee teaches music production using iPad2 with the Beat Makers Music Production Program)

Noticings on the F Train

From Dekalb to Canal

47 people
18 headphones
16 men
6 books/magazines open
1 observant person - me!

How a Social Architect Creates A Personal Blueprint

• MVMT's New Years Guide 2012
• BurnBright's Strategizing for Success Workbook
• Scott Dinsmore's 2012 Goal Setting and Action Workbook
• iBe 2012 Edition by The Future Project

With these, my vision board, and my mobile calendar - I AM A SPIRIT LIVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE.


(creation is the most spiritual thing we can do; hence, declaration gets the party started and action gets the angels amped. tenacity strengthens the love principle and magic is simply a measure of how much fun we're willing to have with humanity)


Said another way - with these tools guiding my practice in manifestation, if I share, everyone will see how clear and achievable Heaven is on Earth.

People!... We Have Goals

I had people share one goal they hope to accomplish in 2012 at my Kwanzaa celebration (Kujichagulia - Self-Determination). Here you have it:

Kwanzaa 2011 - Kujichagulia!

Fruit from the Tree of Purpose

Who knew that my most viewed blog would be the one I posted sharing my Statement of Purpose (aka admissions essay) to Gallatin?!  I want to share two short stories about how my posting the statement has impacted myself and others.

First, anyone reading this should know that I believe my purpose in life is to enrich and enable the best capabilities for all people.  It is fascinating how nearly any and everything I do these days winds up as an expression of this purpose.  My Statement of Purpose has been revealed as one of these unsuspecting seeds of contribution to people I may never have known about.

I got an email one day in late October or from someone asking if I provided editing services.  Since they sent the e-mail to my PlanIt Brooklyn e-mail address, I figured they were simply confused about my consulting company.  After a quick e-mail for the sake of clarity, I discovered that this gentleman in California was applying to Gallatin and believed that the essay he'd written was crap.  He was asking if I'd be interested/capable of helping him with his and asked how much I'd charge.  I was moved that he'd been so courageous as to ask for my help with less than 48 hours until he had to press send on his application.  He shared with me about what degree he wanted to fashion for himself and I told him not to worry about paying me - simply send what he had thus far. I offered him a few tips and he was off.  I told him to do his best to share himself and that if Gallatin didn't accept him it was their loss and not his.  He sent me an e-mail letting me know he'd pressed send and I wished him luck.

Three days ago I got a call from a California number (408, my old area code).  It was him.  He'd called to tell me that he got accepted into Gallatin!!!  He felt it was important for me to know because, he says, "[My] essay helped him to craft [his] own." I began tearing up and thanked him.

On another random day in November, I attended a dear friend's intimate birthday party.  We somehow began sharing about our passions and the birthday girl asked me if I ever ended up going to Gallatin.  "No," I told her, "didn't have the money and wound up getting a job that allowed me the opportunity to do exactly what I was going to Gallatin to help me launch."  She went on to tell me that she was speaking to a friend of hers and discovered that that friend had somehow found my Statement of Purpose online and that it inspired her to apply to Gallatin and she too had gotten in!

Extraordinary.

What else can I share that will lead to people living courageously?...