What's Next? (Thought Of The Day)

You ever reach a stage in your life and wonder if anything new's gonna happen? You "think" you've overturned obstacles and passed small milestones and stages and now you're waiting? It isn't exactly a crossroads because a crossroads still has options; but it isnt a dead end because you've still got something to look forward to (at least you think you should). Instead it's like reaching a traffic junction and there's no indication of whether you should turn left or right. What's Next?

What's Next is YOU. There's no major epiphany or stand out discovery, it's all about you. Good things comes to those who wait but better things comes to those who dont procrastinate. Everyone has a particular milestone they want to reach in life but have a different mindset as to how they are going to get there. Too often I've seen people around me give up too easily or take a less effective road making cliched mistakes in thinking the path to success, happiness and portioned contentment is a straight road with only minor bumps. The laziness sets in, they blend in with the rest and become a ground eagle.

In order to figure out what's next you have to master what's NOW? Whatever it is you want to achieve in life starts from YOU and the small steps you take towards that goal. Focus on your character, your weaknesses, your strengths and your potential in order to implement your actions, your talents and your skills. Tie up any loose ends you have now however small and possibly insignificant to give yourself a clean slate and no excuse to flourish in future. What's Next is you dealing with What's Now. What's Now is you planning for What's Next. Confused?

"The toughest part about getting to the top of the ladder is about getting through the crowd at the bottom"

Swagger (Thought Of The Day)

Swagger: "A dashing or confident air or way of doing something"

Gonna keep this one relatively short since it's a topic that has been questioned, elaborated and overall done to death. I've seen a few blogs (Necole Bitchie, Butterz, etc) on how swagger is the most annoying term and topic in the world today and I find it hard to disagree. However in an industry where violence and hate is often the number 1 antidote for a hit tune or record I somewhat don't have a huge problem with swagger being introduced to an artist's forte. Warranted the tediousness derived from it's repetitive use in EVERY track is a common cause of frustration but you do have some sense of positivity in thinking "wow maybe they can diversify their content". Only problem is that the diversification just stops there and as lovers of music the public are now hung on the word too.

I see so many people obsessed with the word that it's created it's own culture but as much they may like the word it doesnt actually mean they have swagger. The definition in the dictionary is just the basics so dont think because you say you have swagger "confidently" that you can go around tarnishing it's name. Stay true to yourself and stop following fashion because swagger is somewhat a follow fashion phenomenon that has reversed the positive notion of standing out to now just fitting in. Swagger is like Sugar in a sense that too much of it is too bad for you. Where swagger was entertaining before it has unfortunately resurfaced as a virus spreading across the world and it wont stop until everyone is colour co-ordinating their eye colour with their belts. Like my swaggajacking friend (lol) Eileen said, the new "swagger" is just being yourself...being normal. and I'm as normal as they get haha *brushes shoulders off.

"He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away"

Don't Be A Statistic (Thought Of The Day)

The world is a plethora of conflicting thoughts and theories but what remains constant is facts and figures. Its a fact that we will die and we are constantly haunted by those factual figures...taxes. On the other hand it's an unsanctioned fact that we must figure out how to figure ourselves as figures in this over-crowded world...make sense? What I'm tryna say in small words is Don't Be A Statistic.

It's the afternoon and you havent left the sofa or bed, instead you're watching re-runs of sitcoms and daytime talk shows knowing fully well that the dude aint the father. Its a break from the world, true, except that you've had this break for too long, every day! You sit and eat all day with no care in the world, no job, no hope, no life, nothing. Don't Be A Statistic!

You see her, she sees you, wait for the eye contact then study it for that split second before you make your move; remember girls get approached all the time by all types so don't automatically assume she's gonna approve of you just because you're wearing a top a size smaller to magnify the arms and you starched your jeans or you're wearing fresh footwear. You gotta be unique with it or you'll receive "The gulp". Don't Be A Statistic!

There's a pointless war going on between areas or "ends". You're stuck in a world where postcodes determine your survival. Just to gain approval, status and money you choose gangs, guns and knives not realising that this postcode you're fighting for belongs to your bloody borough and the government are laughing at you. You're ready to throw it all away for a letter and a number and either end up in jail or dead. Don't Be A Statistic!

You're horny, waaay to horny, you and your partner just get down to it with no protection, you somehow "forget" the morning after pill or fail to realise that 99% means just that....99%. You're now pregnant and "spoilt for choice", from when you think you have to make a decision then you have a problem. Lose A life or Lose A Life? Sad story. Don't Be A Statistic!

We are all encouraged to go for our dreams and never give up but at the same time we must make sense of reality and realise that not everyone can be an MC or a Model. You're beautiful, photogenic, sexy and watch ANTM that doesnt mean you're a model, have options. You can rhyme, turn the definiton of a word into an aggressive noun and cover microphones with saliva, yes you're an MC but so is everybody else, persue your dream but have something to fall back on. Don't Be A Statistic!

You are the father, handle it, deal with it. You wanted that 30 minutes (or considerably less) of pleasure knowing the consequences. Embrace your child and teach them everything you know and everything you didnt know. Be proud of what you produced and dont neglect the core of what you created. Take responsibility. Don't Be A Statistic!

Pick the right one dont pick the right "sum"! Just because the dude has money dont mean he's the best candidate, doesnt mean he isn't either but base your reasons on more than just figures, look for the facts too. Weigh up all the elements or you'll be digging for gold and end up breathing nicely from all the air (oxygen) he's giving you. Money makes the world go round but True Love makes it stand still. Don't Be A Statistic!

The world is your oyster and you can use it however you wish but take time to realise what's right and what's wrong and then use it to help yourself and others. Above all Don't Be A Damn Statistic!

"There are times when someone should be content with what they have but never with what they are"

Colour Blind (Thought Of The Day)

We live in a multi-cultural world built on ethics, morals, love and ruling but we seem to be held back and seperated by this few thousand year old burden aptly named Racism. Racism is that nagging subconscious that creeps out through the mouths and thoughts of the ignorant and creates a dent in the perceptive integration of our society. Ironically, I'm not gonna dwell on the wider perspective and go into one about Slavery or the plight of certain races 1. because slavery is now used as an excuse rather than a statement 2. I've no time for Jesse Jacksonesque speeches, I have work to do. I'm just gonna have my little say and you can leave a comment afterwards.

The Story....
Now how this post actually came about was when I was on the train back home from work. A mediterranean olive-skinned girl came on the train with an attractive friend and sat down. No problems there right? The thing is that the girl was more than above average in looks and the attractive friend was her ass. Again no problems there right? Wrong! Unfortunately two nubians took it upon themselves to start on the girl just because she was getting attention from virtually the whole train (apart from me, 'cause you know I was tryna search for a track on my ipod..ahem). Now I throw the word "hating" around loosely at friends as a joke but this my friends was full on hating!! They started complaining that her bag was on their feet when she was diagonally across the carriage from them. WTF!?! When she replied back, I was surprised to hear a little "ghetto" in her, needless to say the girls were too and they started berating her with wankster and black wannabe statements etc etc. Sigh...this is young teenage talk from grown ass women!!

Before it got physical a couple people stepped in (both men, obviously) and it calmed down after the girl got off at her stop. I was just shaking my head at the other two girls who continued dissing her skin tone and one said "Why you tryna take our mans for, stick to your own". The mixture of the bad vocab and stupdity of the statement sent me into a frenzy of laughter. Is this what we continue to come to? We can all live together as long as we stay in our own lanes, cultures and races? Sad Sad. I dont blame them fully though, I blame the concept that is Stereotypes. Stereotypes are the real reason behind racism. Everyone's been brought up to believe things are a certain way so they are blind to these levels of diversity and change...its true.

It's Stereotypes that make women clutch their bags when a young black man's walking towards them, It's stereotypes that make some the police and people hardly ever see eye to eye, it's stereotypes that makes people look at asians funny when they bump bashment in their cars, its Stereotypes that make people laugh at Tim Westwood when he speaks and it's Stereotypes that makes people think all oriental asians have rich parents and know some form of martial arts. Cut it out! I cant deny that certain stereotypes derive from consistent behaviours in cultures but we as a people need to stop being colour blind and start being blind of colour. Think About It!

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd"

The "Break" Up (Thought Of The Day)

Hmmm what can I say that hasn't already been said about this particular junction in a relationship? Ah yes thats it, in a professor's accent "the proposed "break" in the middle of a relationship is merely an excuse to breakaway from the real decision that you have to make" The Question: Are you gonna work it out or are you gonna end it? You see when couples choose to have a break it's obviously for good...ish intentions but 9 times out of 10 the one who asks for the break is just afraid to make that difficult decision and answer the question.

The truth is when we're with someone and the relationship fizzles out we sometimes take a break ironically as an act of fear for what the world may offer us afterwards. We think that maybe if we were to leave our partners we wont find anything better out there and so instead of making the break permanent we make it just. But we must take a look at the wider perspective; (badoom chi) do you really want to sacrifice your fear of being alone for a bad relationship? It's a simple question with a difficult answer ( or vice-versa) and eventually you then find yourself back to the battle between our dear old friends Head and Heart.

Hmmm and lets not forget the other use of the term break. The chance to explore different, options; we cant be selfish and call it a break just so we prevent our partner from exploring there own options, it HAS to be a break-up......Im not insensitive in thinking that a break is solely for individual gain but it rarely benefits both parties because one person is usually left out in the loop. Despite it's extremeties it works out better in the long run to decide on one or the other. That's the difficult but right decision. Time to cool off....yes, a break....no! So...what you gonna do?

"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing"

Friends & Associates (Thought of the Day)

Had a brief but detailed conversation with another friend (ironically) about the dilemmas of having a friend and an associate. The term "friend" is arguably and subjectively thrown around easily without really thinking about the defintion or the context of it. I myself (like most of you Im sure) use the term friend for everybody but are we using the terminology correctly?

Life's lessons suggest that we dont have too many friends as most people would class a friend as someone who'd have their back whenever, wherever, whatever...even go as far as taking a bullet for them (Yep that would then wipe out 98% of your so called "friends") But could we be comfortable in calling the non 50-centers an associate? I know I couldnt. However it could be said that we'd be lying to them because social rules tell us to, but I say f*** that. Even the hollowest of thinkers would relate to one of the definitons of friends which states....

Friend - "Used as a polite form of address"

My personal opinion is that the term associate is too negative to use and that as long as I acknowledge AND respect you and we have a levelly understanding of one another through a substantial amount of meaningful dialogue then you can be classed as a friend.

Friend - "A person with whom one enjoys mutual affection or regard"

Of course there's levels of friendships. Im not stupid now. I have friends and then I have friends. Friends and close friends if you will. I just cant use the term "associate" for people who I dont speak to as much as a close friend, its disrespectful. An associate is a quiet workmate, that dude who always serves you double sausage and egg mcmuffins at mcdonalds, a useless father, someone you dont like but have to speak to, your dissertation tutor or that person you stepover to get to the top (kiddin..kinda). That's an associate!

"The only way to have a friend is to be one"

Head Vs Heart (Thought Of The Day)

Challenges and Obstacles are part and parcel of life experiences yet whether we have battles over religion, relationships or recreational activity the one constant choice that creeps up on different stages of personal growth is our head versus our hearts. Time after time we're stuck for choice between the conscious conflicts of our thoughts and the eternal intagibility of our souls. But why? Surely one cant work without the other, or else there are doubts. If you follow your head you are denying your heart's intent and if you follow your heart your are lying to the mind patterns. Its the worst feeling right? But are we reading too much into the thought of head vs heart? Can we bridge the gap?

Regardless of what we may think there is a right choice and a wrong choice; and seperating our choices into head and heart means we are setting ourselves up for an inevitable down fall. The battle isnt necessarily between head and heart, it's between right and wrong. Whether we choose to be naive of what's right is obviously up to one's self but know that choosing the wrong choice in full recognition of it will result in consequences on both the head and the heart.

"Again and again, the impossible problem is solved when we see that the problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made"

Here Today, Goon Tomorrow (Thought Of The Day)

What is Going On!?! Is it just me or is every adolescent between the ages of 13 and 25 (sometimes even older) trying to go on "gangster"? London, UK, The World is an eclectic range of races and languages yet they all seem to be affected by this one but proportional culture, The Goon Effect. Now I'm not here to blame anything or anyone for this rise in Goonism after all life is about choices and no matter what kind of peer pressure there is, you have a choice Yes or No. The Yes has taken effect and each year the number of crimes surrounding Goonish behaviour continues to rise; I can imagine the crime rate charts read like a continuing vertical or diagonal line, never dipping once. And for what!? An akward stare? Someone stepped on your trainers? Someone took London Transport in your area? Someone dresses differently from you? Someone is misusing the money you earned illegally?. All these "disrespect" incidents are in itself disrespectful to the term respect. I'm sure respect is earned rather demanded...maybe thats just me.

I guess I'm not too worried about the elders because really and truly they are a lost cause (negative thinking but oh well), its the youngers Im worried about. Their generation is in dire need of attention right now because they are ending lives without caring about its significance. Im still tryna figure out how to be so heartless, that must be one messed up feeling. It all starts from the basics though, from the jeans/tracksuit bottoms riding low (That is not swagger, that is oh so swag) to the music playing from their mobile phones (the tunes they play are whack aswell, get some damn headphones) it's those small levels that lead up to bigger levels of disrespect. It's a shame there aren't enough creative and inspirational ideas to get the youngers off the streets and thinking with a level-head but speaking to a friend a couple nights ago there are at least those willing to give a helping hand. Are we as elders gonna help them or are we gonna sit and watch the peer pressure get to them? And to the elders that are involved in this unnecessary madness, do you really want your kids and future generations to be caught up in this?

"He who conquers himself has won a greater victory than he who conquers a city"

Father Figure (Thought Of The Day)

I Figure a Father Figure is one who does more than bring home Further Figures. In Fact A Father Figure is A Figure of speech; for fathers unlike our forefathers have the power of four fathers and so are more than just one figure.

I Figure a Father Figure is determined by the two definitions of an Action Figure. He can be a figure of action who acts on heart and mind alike. Or he can be an action figure....just a still sculpture of material that does nothing but lie or stay still, no heart and no mind.

I Figure a Father Figure who doesnt Figure as a Father gives his child two choices. They can have a reaction which works two ways but usually ends up the worse way; gangs, guns, drugs, negativity. OR they can have a re-action; rebuild and take action, constructing a life that figures more useful than their father could imagine.

I Figure a Father Figure is a Father that Figured.

"Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad"

Life Is A Journey Not A System (Thought of the day)

Life sometimes has some strange & tedious chronological theme about it. You're born into a world where there is a designed system for success that the majority of the people around you seem to follow. When you're growing up as a child it's that common phrase you hear from your parents "You have to study real hard so you can go to University and get a degree to become a.. [Insert prestige job with amazing salary here]" Educational Institution followed by Educational Institution followed by another and then boom!! you're catapulted into the "real world" only to find that sometimes the real world is reality smacking you in the face.

For your main goal now is to acquire a job straight away without hesitation so you can raise funds to look after your well being, pay off that student debt and get out of that house you've gained independence from through the duration of your degree. You therefore have to sacrifice your life goals (if only for a little while) and often lose the urge to get back onto the path you once dreamed of. 9-5 in an office for the next 20 years? Boy I hope not. Some people are designed for that line of work but others are designated to it. They fall into a system and cant get out because of that same tedious, chronological theme. The Matrix doesn't seem so fictional after all. Such is the repetitive nature of the system, the scenario is for you to settle and wait for your opportunity or whatever else you really want in life; but sometimes it doesnt work like that "If Opportunity doesn't knock build a door!".

I cant allow myself to settle and although the system is a secure base for some level of success and stability, it is also the equivalent of doing nothing. By following I'm merely doing something normal rather than doing something special. So my advice to all is make life a journey not a system.

Broadband

"And In The End It's Not The Years In Your Life That Count, It's The Life In Your Years"