Nov 1, 2017

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

The Women’s Convention held at the Cobo center in Detroit, Michigan this year was a compelling event bringing awareness to the Trump administration agenda. The sessions held at the convention contained a lot of information and perspective from a citizen point of view as well as those of power and influence. From the comfortability of old information, to the future of our water systems and the decline of the importance of education, women from all over the world came to talk about it together! People on the panels for discussion explained the policies and laws trying to be passed through Congress and the progressive impact these will have on society in the coming years. The conversations held at The Women’s Convention were uncomfortable, yet necessary and exhilarating.

Tarana Burke, Founder of #METOO Campaign, photo credit: elleuk.com

Speakers like Tarana Burke, who originally founded the #metoo campaign dealing with sexual assault and violence, brought awareness to neglect of victims and prosecution of offenders. Mayor Karen Weaver attended to continue awareness and involvement of communities pertaining to clean water and the Flint water crisis. Congresswoman Maxine Waters empowered the crowd with a very inspirational and informational speech in relation to the Trump administration and how their positions in office have crippled the nation. The Women’s Convention was a declaration of the power in unity. The protests of thousands of women who came together resulted in a movement that represents us all. Everyone was encouraged to take their rightful places and bring the conversations back to their communities to ensure change.

Mayor Karen Weaver (left), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (right) photocredit: google.com

The reality of the issues at hand is that they’re not being dealt with. Trump continues to neglect issues that hit home for everyone in the nation while securing the necessary policies and connections to advance his own agenda. Puerto Rico, whom we colonized,  is still in ruins til this day from the destruction caused by hurricane Maria, when we have the necessary resources to help them. Supplies and resources are being withheld solely because of a paperwork issue they feel is necessary in order to save lives. Our President and his administration are coming together, spending valuable time on things like; gaining access to drill pipelines into our oceans, declining access to affordable healthcare, promoting the oppression of the people they govern, encouraging and igniting civil warfare, and degrading and discrediting the importance of women who birthed the people of this nation. Ultimately, we are being conspired against and our ignorance will allow the dismantling of us all. We are the people and the people have power. That power lies within unity, knowledge and awareness of issues affecting our communities and electing people who have already been a part of the solutions, on the front-line, fighting for us. Be sure to get out there and vote for your local officials at general election, Nov. 7th! The fight starts at home!! 

Oct 9, 2017

The Light Within YOU

There is a plan for your life. No matter how many times or how far you stray away from it, it will always be calling you to it. Those moments of uncertainty is a calling of reflection. Always reflect on where you are, what you’re doing, where you want to be and what it takes for you to get there. Nobody ever said life was easy, and that’s because it isn’t. There are a lot of things that are going to stand in your way that you will have to hurtle over. You may be struggling now, you may struggle tomorrow, but the greatness that awaits you is always there. What makes you happy? What skill have you been blessed with that you can in turn bless the world with? Those skills are a part of your calling. It may just be a hobby that you like to experiment with in your spare time.  What sparks the worlds interest in you? When you do something you love and that you are passionate about, no one can replicate that. They may be able to be in the same field as you, but they are not you and can not bring what you can bring to the table. The foundation of this success is built upon your mindset. Your mind is your weapon, and an awful thing to waste. You can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. Use your mind, heart, and spirit to your advantage. In the words of Buddha, “what you think; you become. what you feel;  you attract, & what you imagine is what you create.” Do not compare yourself to others, you are your own form of beauty and greatness. Perspective is key. You can look at one situation a thousand different ways. You can change your world by changing your thoughts. Humble yourself. Frederick Douglass once said “You are not judged by the height you have risen, but by the depth you have climbed.”  Life is not about what happens to you, it is about how you move through it and overcome your obstacles. Through pain, strength is created and utilized in its best form. Instead of dwelling on the darkness, be the light if you can’t find it anywhere around you. Keep moving forward, walking in faith and believing that you can be as great as you want to be. Each day that you wake up is another chance to go after what you really desire. Every day is christmas, and every night is new years eve. You are constantly blessed with new beginnings and opportunities. Never stop educating yourself, knowledge will always equal power. When you learn something new, apply it to your life and pay attention to the change it brings. It’s one thing to think about doing something and another thing to actually do it. You may genuinely want to do something and don’t know where to start. The first thing you do is put it on paper, look at in physical form. Create goals to reach and don’t underestimate what it takes to accomplish it. Trust and be patient with the process. Everything takes time and effort. You may not get instant gratification but that is okay, do not quit. Claim your victory, affirm to yourself that you will get there, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. You must arrive at your destination before your life does. We live in an energetic universe. What you put out into the world is what will come back to you, sevenfold.  The universe aligns you with people, things and situations that match the energy you put out. The more you improve yourself and raise your vibration, the more you will see things that are beneficial to your well-being. A part of humbling yourself is putting your ego in check. The ego says “ I shouldn’t have to suffer,” that thought makes you suffer so much more. It is a distortion of the truth, which is always paradoxical. The truth is that you need to say yes to suffering before you can transcend it. Not in the sense of; “yes let me suffer,” but more of “yes, I may suffer, but the greatness that awaits me thereafter will bring me greater joy.” Suffering has a noble purpose: the evolution of consciousness and the burning of ego. Frederick Keonig said it best, “We tend to forget happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” Your life unfolds in proportion to your courage. So do not let fear or doubt consume you to the point that you procrastinate.  Although it is never too late, it will be much more challenging for you to overcome the mindset that led you into procrastination in the first place. Love yourself, and your neighbor. It may seem hard, but with the right perspective it becomes extremely easy. Love is the one thing people truly can’t ignore within themselves. Love is a powerful energy that pierces through the coldest hearts and darkest minds. The special thing about other people no matter who they are or where they are in  life, is that there’s always something you can learn from them. Whether it’s from a good situation or a bad one, there’s something great to be taken away from every one of them. If you know God, you know that he works in the most mysterious ways. One of the most common ways i’ve experienced myself, was through other people. The nectar of compassion is so wonderful. If you are committed to keeping it alive, then you are protected. What the other person does, or says will not ignite the anger in you, because compassion is the real antidote for anger. Those judgements you have a hard time getting rid of, are actually a reflection of how you see yourself. We tend to make these judgements not realizing they go hand-in-hand with our own behavior. That is another reason why reflection is so important. It’s easy to put your time and energy into other peoples issues than it is your own. Be constructive, not deconstructive. You can hear without vibrations of sound, see without eyes, talk without tongue, and feel without being touched. You are a force to be reckoned with. Life works according to your consciousness. You are more than just a shell, you are a being. In order to tap into that being you have to indulge in the spirit, not the flesh. When the being speaks, all nature and the universe responds. Now, GO BE GREAT! MUCH LOVE, NAMASTE.

Twitter: @beautyofmind96

Insta: Beautyofmindblog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyofMindBlog/

Photo Credit: Instagram, Facebook

Oct 6, 2017

The Peace To The Puzzle

Joseph Clements

My Papa, Joseph Clements was born Charles Fiedler in October of 1933 in Detroit. When he was 3 years old he was given up for adoption. He was adopted by Bessie and Charles Clements who gave him the name Joseph. The mystery of his biological family would haunt him until he was well into his 80s. He was such a vibrant, upbeat person even in his old age. He valued family more than anyone I’ve ever witnessed to this day. He had 6 children of his own, one of which he met at 83 yrs. old and took on a lot of people as family throughout his years. He didn’t sugarcoat much, was always very verbal about his opinions and contribution of wisdom. His legacy consisted of being a huge part of the church for many years, owning his own business, working in GM until retirement, serving for his country, but most of all his love of family. He had such a way of expressing himself and he gave the credit to growing up an only child with white skin and black parents. Growing up in the times that he did, he faced a lot of different obstacles that he never let take control of his life. He had fairer skin. So much so, that in the early 50s, he would be kicked out of “colored-only” bars.  For years, I remember hearing my grandfather ponder on the existence of his biological family.

 

In 2014, at 81 years old, Papa finally received his real birth certificate listing his parents as Paul

Paul Smith

Smith and Evelyn Fiedler. At which time, he proceeded to get their death certificates that listed next of kin. During this time, through Ancestry.com we began to find more answers. We found and became in contact with both the Smith and Fiedlers’ side of the family. For the first time, my Papa was meeting his family in the flesh. The joy in his heart and eyes still makes me happy to this day. Paul was a black man and Evelyn was a white woman. He had a biological sister, Mary Joy who recently passed and had been looking for him all her life. By his half-sister, we were told that at some point Paul became under the impression that his only son was dead and it effected the remainder of his life tremendously. I remember the day we were invited to his nieces’ home to eat and look over pictures of the family we never knew, it was a very emotional day for us all. He was even gifted with hats Paul always wore. We had connected with Pauls’ family in Detroit and wanted to truly connect with Evelyns’ side, but to our surprise we weren’t as welcome. Story goes that Evelyn put him up for adoption, she moved on to have another family with a white man. Not that it made much difference to us, we just wanted to connect with our long lost family. Papa actually went and was able to sit down and talk to Evelyns’ eldest daughter, his half-sister, for a short time and later received a letter with photos of her. The letter was a request not to contact the family again. We arrived at a very crucial time in their lives as their loved one, who would have been Papas’ half brother Dennis, had just passed. Through the grapevine, the younger generation of the Fiedler family became aware of my grandfathers’ existence and wanted to reach out regardless of their elders’ opinion. His nieces, Pam and Lisa Christianson and Nephew Dave Lowin traveled across Michigan to visit him for the remainder of his life.

 

Not very long after meeting his family he was diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer. This was a very challenging time we all had to grow through as a family. The common goal of promoting the longevity of his life and being moral support brought us all closer together. I remember my grandfather so bluntly saying that he was ready to go on to see the Lord and didn’t want to go through chemo. We all struggled with the idea of chemo, but wanted to prolong and enhance the quality of his life so we took interest into healthier, more natural alternatives. Papas’ diagnosis caused a ripple effect in our lives, we couldn’t look at things the same. Through everything, how happy and grateful he was just to have us around truly challenged our perception of what happiness is. For a long time he felt there was something missing. But the whole time, he was the peace to the puzzle.