I HAVE TO SAY THIS ! IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO LOVE YOURSELF . NOR LOVE THOSE NEIGHBORS RIGHT THERE ACROSS THE STREET THAT ARE IN YOUR FACE , DO NOT DARE TELL ME YOU ARE READY FOR LEADERSHIP, WE CANNOT LIVE IN THE BUBBLE OF FACEBOOK AND THINK WE ARE NOW BETTER THEN THOSE AROUND US BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS ARE HIGH, BE THE LOVE ! BE THE HOPE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE . YOU MUST FACE YOUR FEARS AND HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH AND REMEMBER ALL LIVES MATTER, THAT ARROGANCE AND HATE YOU FEEL FROM A STARE WHEN YOU WALK BY , LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THAT IS . IT IS FEAR . FEAR IS RULING THIS WORLD WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THE FEAR BY SPEAKING UP AND PUSHING DOWN OUR OWN FEARS AND SAYING HELLO , BY SMILING . BY REACHING OUT AND HELPING NO MATTER WHAT YOU SEE ON THE DUMMY BOX OR HEAR ON THE NEWS , PLEASE PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TELL YOU THESE PEOPLE ARE REACTING IN FEAR . IT IS FEAR OF THE NOT KNOWING IF THEY WILL BE SHOT , FEAR OF NOT KNOWING IF THEY WILL EAT OR BE ABLE TO FEED THEIR OWN , FEAR OF BEING KICKED OUT OF THEIR HOMES , FEAR OF A DRIVE BY SHOOTING , FEAR OF BEING PICKED OUT AS THE BAD GUY BECAUSE THEY LOOK SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE THEY WALK IN FEAR ,,, THAT EVERYONE IS WHAT IS RULING THIS WORLD , IS FEAR !!!!!!!
SO WHEN MAKING YOUR GOALS OUT I CHALLENGE YOU TO THINK OF WAYS TO HELP FIGHT FEAR , AND NOT WITH THE CLICHE` LOVE CONQUERS ALL ……WITH ACTUAL ANSWERS MINE IS THROUGH COMMUNICATION , I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED COMMUNICATION IS THE BEST DEFENCE FOR FEAR YOU DON’T HAVE THE FACTS RIGHT JUST BECAUSE YOU HEARD IT ON THE NEWS OR ON THE TV . YOU ARE BEING LEAD TO BELIEVE THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE EVERYWHERE.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION HOW MANY OF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE EVEN DRIVEN THROUGH THE PROJECTS ? THE LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS?
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE ANGRY ? HOW MANY OF YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE HONEST AND SAY I FEAR SUCH AND SUCH ???
LOOK ALL I CAN SAY IS THIS “YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS, DON’T WALK THE OTHER WAY ALL THE TIME , BE BOLD AND ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH . BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH NOT WHAT THE TV IS TELLING NOT WHAT YOUR PARENTS TOLD YOU . NOT WHAT YOUR FEARS ARE TELLING YOU …..
I MYSELF CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD ,AND I’M NOT LOOKING TO START A REVOLUTION BY MYSELF , WHAT I AM , WHO I AM, WHAT I DO , HOW I TREAT OTHERS TELLS YOU WHO I AM , NOT JUST BECAUSE I SAID SO .
I HAVE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACKS , I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF MONEY AND I HAVE HAD NONE, AND I CAN TELL YOU WHEN YOU BRING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH YOU RICH OR POOR THEY CONTROL WHAT LIFE YOU WILL ACTUALLY LIVE .
SO MY POINT IS THIS , STOP LOOKING TO SEE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF , YOUR VIEWS , YOUR ACTIONS RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE TODAY WILL SPEAK LOUDER THEN WHAT YOU EVER IMAGINED. DON’T YOU REALISE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU , YOU SAY ONE THING BUT YOU DO ANOTHER ,DON’T YOU REALISE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING YOU !!
IF YOU ARE HIDING INSIDE AND ONLY SPEAKING ON THE COMPUTER AND NOT SPEAKING TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU
THAT MAY SEEM LIKE REALITY , TO MOST I’M SURE IT IS, TO MOST I’M SURE ITS THE ONLY FRIENDS YOU HAVE FOR WHATEVER REASON. BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE STORE OR QUICK STOP FOR MILK OR BEER WHATEVER I CHALLENGE YOU TO ACTUALLY LIFT YOUR HEAD UP AND BE IN THE MOMENT AND ACTUALLY SAY HELLO , ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THE PERSON BEHIND YOU , WITH A QUESTION , NOT A STATEMENT BUT A QUESTION AND WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND NO EXPECTATION OF ANY ANSWER BE THE ONE PERSON THAT REACHED OUT EVEN IN FEAR AND SPEAK TO THOSE AROUND YOU AND SMILE , SMILING SETS THE TONE FOR CONVERSATION, BEING GRUMPY TIRED AND HEAD DOWN WHEN YOU GO ON ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT YOU ARE FROWNING AND BEING GRUMPY , SETS THE MOOD FOR WHAT WILL BE SAID BACK TO YOU WHEN YOU SPEAK…
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE CURIOUS , LET ME TELL YOU WHAT MY HUSBAND AND I USE TO DO ….. WE USE TO DRESS UP IN DIFFERENT CLOTHING CRAZY OUTFITS AND HAIR DO’S
AND WE WOULD GO WALK AROUND IN THE MALL IN CLARKSVILLE TENNESSEE JUST TO WATCH PEOPLE AND THEIR REACTIONS,,, IT WAS SO FUN AND A LEARNING EXPERIENCE . THE REACTIONS ALONE FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT AGES PROVED THAT I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG . THE MORE SOPHISTICATED WE DRESSED UP ,PEOPLE WOULD TREAT US SO DIFFERENT FROM THE CRAZY PURPLE LEOPARD FUR PANTS I WORE AND THE PINK HAIR AND MY HUSBAND’S RED AND BLACK FUR SHIRT AND SPIKE AND PLASTERED STRAIGHT UP HAIR DO GOT US ANOTHER TYPE OF REACTION FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE . FROM THE CLASSIC STARES OF DISAPPROVEMENT FROM THE ELDER LADIES THAT WHISPER AND POINT , TO THE YOUNG KIDS THAT WOULD CIRCLE US AND SWEAR WE WERE SOME ROCK STARS OR FAMOUS PEOPLE , TO JUST DRESSING NORMAL AND GOING BACK JUST A COUPLE HOURS LATER TO SEE THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS (YEA, ME’ I’M NEVER BORED ) .
SEE I LEARNED WAY BACK IN SCHOOL A CLASS I HAD TAKEN CALLED COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS WERE TAUGHT TO ME IN THIS CLASS . i WAS TAUGHT HOW TO ADVERTISE , HOW WHAT PEOPLE SEE AND HOW WE PORTRAY OUR ADVERTISEMENTS TO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, YET IT TAUGHT ME WAY MORE THEN THAT , IT TAUGHT ME REALITY , IT TAUGHT MY PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SO THEY THEMSELVES FEEL BIGGER ,, THEY ATTACH PEOPLE AND THINGS TO THEMSELVES TO LOOK IMPORTANT , THEY ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO ONE UP THEIR FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS AND JUST DOWN RIGHT STRANGERS , THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT BIG THING TO SAVE THEM FROM THEMSELVES . THEY GIVE AWAY THEIR SOULS JUST TO BE CONSIDERED BIGGER OR BETTER OR STRONGER , THEY THINK IT BUYS THEM RESPECT AND THEY WALK AROUND THINK FEELING AND ACTING LIKE THEY ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHERS . WHY BECAUSE THEY DON’T LIKE WHO THEY ARE , THEY DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE , THEY FEAR , THEY ARE SCARED TO DEATH AND SO THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE A WAY OUT A WAY UP BECAUSE THEY FEAR THEY WILL NEVER HAVE THE CHANCE LIKE OTHERS . THEY ARE TOLD FROM BIRTH GET OVER IT YOU WILL NEVER BE SOMEBODY . WELL I’M HERE TO TELL YOU IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT AWAY. THIS IS WHY SO MANY SELF HELP BOOKS ARE SOLD . BECAUSE EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR THAT ONE SECRET NO ONE ELSE HAS ,,, HERE’S A WAKE UP CALL , HERE I GOT THE SECRET ,,, YOU ARE THE SECRET ,,, NO SHIT ,,, WHEN YOU WERE BORN YOU WERE BORN WITH A SPECIAL GIFT AND THAT GIFT WILL EITHER BE DROWNED OUT BY WHAT YOU HEAR OR IT WILL BE YOUR MAGIC, IT MAY APPEAR AFTER TRAUMA , OR YOU MAY KNOW IT AT BIRTH, BUT THE KEY IS HOW DO YOU ACCEPT IT , HOW DO YOU MARKET IT , HOW DO YOU USE IT TO SURVIVE .
OK YOU KNOW THE SECRET IS YOU , OK NOW YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT THE HELL DO I HAVE , I HAVE NO SPECIAL TALENTS , CAN’T SING CAN’T DANCE CAN’T PLAY BASKETBALL.
WELL I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT NOW THAT YOU KNOW YOU ARE THE SECRET AND IF YOU WILL WATCH YOU , CLOSELY LIKE YOU WOULD A ROCKSTAR OR FAMOUS PERSON I PROMISE YOU YOU WILL SEE YOU WILL FEEL YOU WILL KNOW ,SOMEONE WILL TELL YOU , YOU HAVE A GIFT. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE , AND IF YOU DO NOT GO LOOKING ELSEWHERE TO SEE HOW OTHER ARE DOING THEIR GIFT , YOU WILL FLOURISH THAT GIFT , BUT IF YOU START LOOKING TO SEE IF YOU MATCH UP TO OTHERS , YOU WILL EITHER LOOSE THAT GIFT BY COMPETITION OR YOU WILL SNUFF OUT THOSE THAT WANT OR NEED YOUR GIFT …
BE BOLD AND FEARLESS IN BEING YOURSELF , AND FEARLESS AND BRINGING YOUR GIFT OUT TO THE WORLD OR INTO THE TRENCHES OF HELL IS THE KEY , BUT IF YOU CANNOT BE ALONE FOR 20 MINUTES BY YOURSELF HOW ARE YOU EVEN GONNA KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WHERE DO YOU USE IT . DID YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE A GIFT ? YES YOU! YOU ARE A GIFT TO SOMEONE AND SOMEONE WANTS TO BE A GIFT TO YOU. WE ARE TO GIVE OUR GIFT FREELY OH BUT WAIT HOW DO I LIVE ON MY GIFT . BY HAVING FAITH IN YOURSELF IN IN THE UNKNOWN. DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE THAT YOU WILL NEVER VISIT NEVER SEE .YET YOU MAY HAVE EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED AND IT MAY BE AS SIMPLE AS WRITING YOUR GIFT ON PAPER AND SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE THAT SHARES IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE AND SO ON AND SO ON , THEN ONE DAY OUT OF NOWHERE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO SHARE THAT GIFT FOR A PRICE .COME ON ,DON’T YOU SEE THE WORLD HAS BEEN DOING IT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF EXISTENCE . THE EARTH DOES IT THE INSECTS DO IT . WE GIVE OF WHO WE ARE , THE BEES POLLINATE THE PLANTS GROW , THE MIND THINKS , THE HEART LOVES , WE EAT WE TRAVEL WE SEEK WE FIND , WE TEACH WE LEARN WE GIVE WE RECEIVE ,, AHHH BUT YOU SAY YOU DON’T RECEIVE,, NO YOU DON’T RECEIVE WHAT YOU EXPECT BECAUSE ITS NOT YOUR GIFT. HELLO JUST BECAUSE JOHN DOE DID IT JUST EXACTLY LIKE SUCH DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL …. WHY BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE A CELL DIFFERENT , WE GREW UP WITH OR WITH OUT SUCH AND SUCH . MY EXISTENCE THOUGH WE WERE RAISED IN THE SAME HOME WILL NOT BE THE EXACT SAME AS YOURS . EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US ARE DIFFERENT SOMEHOW THAT’S OUR GIFT. WE ARE UNIQUE , OK FOR EXAMPLE HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A GOOD EXAMPLE . SO SAY WE GREW UP IN THE SAME VILLAGE WITH THE SAME PEOPLE WOKE THE SAME ATE THE SAME LIVED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME , BUT I WALKED THROUGH THE BACK DOOR OF THE HOME AND YOU ALWAYS WALKED THROUGH THE FRONT . WHAT I SAW EVERYDAY AND WHAT YOU SAW , WHAT I THOUGHT AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT WAS DIFFERENT THAN YOU . THEREFORE WE HAD DIFFERENT PATHS BY ONE SMALL DIFFERENCE , THEREFORE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT PATHS , DIFFERENT THOUGHTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY , WE MAY WANDER ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS , I MAY HAVE A VISION PROBLEM THAT I HAD NO IDEA WAS A PROBLEM AT ALL , I AMY HAVE BEEN BIT BY AN INSECT YOU WEREN’T , THAT’S HOW STUPIDLY EASY IT IS TO UNDERSTAND WE ARE DIFFERENT THOUGH THE SAME . SO WHAT AM I GETTING AT ? YOU ARE A GIFT , AND YOU MUST NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW HAVE TO BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE UNKNOWN AND GIVE YOUR GIFT EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE DOING THE SAME THING AND IT MAY SEEM REDUNDANT AS BREATHING BUT YOU ARE THE GIFT AND YOUR GIFT IS NEEDED NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL YOU TELL YOURSELF IT IS IT IS YOU . GIVE YOU TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU AND BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE NO’S AND KEEP ON GIVING . AND IN THE WORLD’S PERFECT TIMING YOU WILL BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE MEANT TO BE AT THAT PERFECT TIME .
NEVER EVER JUDGE YOURSELF BY OTHERS , AND STOP JUDGING OTHERS BY WHAT THEY HAVE AND HAVE NOT BECAUSE THEY TO ARE A GIFT TO SOMEONE . WE ALL ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHER , NOT BECAUSE OF FAME AND NOTORIETY , BECAUSE THAT TOO CHANGES LIKE THE WEATHER , AND JUST AS STORMS ARISE FROM NO WHERE AND CANNOT BE EXACTLY PREDICTED , GOD HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TIME AND AGAIN. THINK OF A TSUNAMI THAT ARISES FROM ONE SIDE OF A CONTINENT AND DAMAGES AND WIPES OUT A PLACE TWO CONTINENTS AWAY , SO TOO WE AS AN INDIVIDUAL CAN EFFECT ANOTHER .
SO WHEN YOU SEE OTHERS RISE AND SOMEONE ELSE FALL ALWAYS KNOW YOU TOO CAN RISE , YOU TOO ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT. YOU ARE A GIFT . RESPECT EH OTHER GIFTS AROUND YOU YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE GIFT INSIDE OF THEM BY WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THEY SMELL LIKE . I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS IF YOU LOOK FOR THE GIFT WITH CURIOSITY EVEN YOUR OWN GIFT YOU WILL BEGIN TO RISE UP INTO YOUR GIFT . MEET THE WORLD WITH JOY JOY YOU WILL FIND , MEET THE WORLD WITH HOPE HOPE YOU WILL FIND , MEET THE WORLD WITH ANGER YOU WILL FIND ANGER, MEET THE WORLD WITH LAUGHTER YOU WILL FIND LAUGHTER BE WILLING TO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS AND DO IT ANYWAYS ,EVERYDAY YOU ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO UNWRAPPING YOUR GIFT. IF YOU NEVER EVER GIVE UP , YOU MAY EVEN DOUBT FOR A MOMENT BUT AS LONG AS YOU COME BACK WILLING TO SEEK YOU WILL FIND . BUT IF YOU DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU WILL FIND NOTHING. IF YOU GIVE NOTHING HOW DARE YOU ASK FOR SOMETHING . IF YOU ASK FOR NOTHING HOW DARE YOU GET MAD BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE RECEIVED SOMETHING . YOU DO NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS BUT YOU DO HAVE ONE . BE WILLING TO SHARE WHAT YOU LEARN BE WILLING TO GIVE WHAT YOU RECEIVE AND YOUR WORLD WILL FLOURISH JUST AS A WILD FLOWER SEED RECEIVES FROM THE HEAVENS AND BEGINS TO GROW IN TIME WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING OR EVEN WATCHING FOR NOR EXPECTING IT BURST THROUGH THE SOIL OF THE EARTH AND LITTLE BY LITTLE IT GROWS EACH DAY AND THEN ONE DAY OUT OF NOWHERE IT IS NOTICED SOME SAY IT’S A WEED SOME SAY IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL IT STILL IS WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE UNKNOWINGLY UNDERGROUND IT WAS THERE ALL THE TIME . YOU TOO ARE A SEED UNDERGROUND THAT NO ONE KNOWS EVEN EXIST UNTIL THEY PERFECT TIME ,THOUGH THE FLOODS CAME AND THE SUN SCORCHED THE GROUND ABOVE YOU WERE ALWAYS STILL GROWING ONE DAY AT A TIME .. I HOPE AND PRAY MY ANALOGY HELPED SOMEONE SOMEWHERE SEE THE LIGHT AND HELPED BECOME AND ACCEPT YOURSELF AS THE GIFT. FOR I AM WILLING TO PUT THIS OUT TO THE BIG VAST WORLD OF UNKNOWING HAVING PURE AND SIMPLE HOPE AND FAITH OF IT IS WHAT IT IS . I JUST HAD TO SHARE ! LOVE ALWAYS TAMMY WHITAKER LIVINGSTON
Tammy's Space 