Sunday, November 14, 2010

What makes me tick


I saw this quote while I was surfing Twitter updates and I fell in LOVE:
What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think this quotes speaks a lot to the person that I want to become and more importantly the legacy I am trying to leave for my family (whenever that part of my life begins). So let me break down this quote and why I think it is so important to my life.
The other day at work: If you don't know I work with this amazing scholarship program at my University (AU) called, the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program. This program is AMAZING and well, as much as it is a development program for our scholars, I am learning so much about myself and my leadership and personal development. Much in part because we have a schedule where we hold weekly seminars for our scholars- this semester our scholars have been reading the
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This week we had someone come and talk to us about Image & Reputation Development, she talked about it in terms of Self Branding and basically Legacy building. She mentioned this point about a "Thru Line" which in Hollywood terms is the singular story line that runs through the movie that no matter what you can fall back on. It's the drawing point of the movie, so like in the Notebook, the "Thru line" would be the love between Allie and Noah. That despite what happened in their lives, him going to war, she getting engaged to someone else, you as a member of the audience are okay with it all because the two of them still have this love that you know exists throughout the film.
So in taking from her direction, I have been trying to determine what my "Thru Line" has been. And for me it is "Social Justice and or Change." So how does this all apply to Emerson's quote?
"What lies behind us"
If you have been reading "
Inside Keesha's World" you will know that my life has been anything but ordinary, but I have never let that life consume the goals that I have set for myself. And as a kid I knew that what I wanted to do with my life was Change the world in which I lived. My legacy has always been to be known for my selflessness and the things I do for others, not because I want to be praised for these accomplishments, but simply because I do not know what else there is to do in life but to serve and make a difference. By far, as I said, my life has not been a bed of roses, but even in my worst struggles I have never had it as bad as the stories and the lives that I am changing around me.

"What lies before us"
Obviously I have life goals, I want to "Be the Change I see in the world." I want to live my life in constant movement, making a difference and impacting people in every part of my life, even if it is for a few minutes of their life, I hope that when a person meets me they see something great in themselves. Ultimately I would love to run a non-profit and really make a difference in the world around me. But we all have goals, there is this path that we are all on and something is driving us to that path whether we are aware of it or not. Some of us, myself included, have been blessed enough to know what that future would be and have been blessed enough to catch glimpses of that dream come closer and closer to being fulfilled. But what drives many of us is that "Thru Line"- "what lies within us"


"What lies within us"
If you do not know what your worth is, or rather if you have no idea what you stand for or the things that you are passionate about, or what you intend to get out of this life, then I think that you should begin to start those reflections. I have said it before, in order to "be the change" you have to start with self. You have to build your foundation and cultivate it in a fashion that makes reaching that goal "before us" easier. I have been blessed as I say, to know what lies within me. And all of the things that I talk about, "Being the Change" my "Pretty Girl Swag" these are those techniques that help me stay on my path, that help me to continue to cultivate myself in to a stronger better person. These are the methods I use to let go of those things behind me, to be aware of the things before me but to be in the present and focused on what I have power over today.

hmm.. A little more reflection to come, but for now- Take me as I am..

Friday, November 12, 2010

Kanye West is Whack!

So normally a topic such as this wouldn't make it into this particular blog. But there is a message behind this blog that I think we all need to get. Part of Being the Change is about owning and knowing yourself. In order to "be the change" you must build a foundation that starts with yourself and this topic that I am about to discuss, in my opinion it's clear that the foundation hasn't been set. That owning yourself and knowing yourself, are still parts of Kanye's character that he needs to develop.
So why do I say Kanye is whack?!

Take a look at this video:


So why you might ask do I think Kanye is WHACK?!
1) Kanye is ALWAYS apologizing! Dude, you are a JERK, own that.. You sit here and talk about " (you) Manning up to the mistakes that you made..." "(you) being a rational, well thought out human being" BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! You continuously have to apologize for the things that you say. Kanye, look Dude, if you are going to be a blunt person, and speak off the cuff, then be THAT GUY! But don't try to come back a week later or a year or three years later and say that "You didn't have enough information to make that claim." This is not the first time or the last time that you would make this "mistake". So "mistimed" or not own your thoughts, own what you say. I think that we need to stop apologizing for the people that we are, and it says something to me, watching you if you claim to be a changed person be a changed person, it should NEVER have to get to the point where I have to watch you apologize again.
Now I could comment on Kanye's rant about feeling like this whole thing was set up, I could also comment about Kanye's tweets and the fact that he canceled his performance etc. But the point that I want to leave with you is don't be Kanye, if you say something OWN IT. I know that it's easier said then done- when ppl say that they do not regret things in their lives, but look, I think you can't live your life holding on to the things you could have changed, the point is if you think there was something you could fix, then you live your life moving forward from that mistake and making changes that ensure you never go down that path again. And if you decide that you are going to apologize or move forward from a mistake, make sure it's only one time that you have to say you're sorry.

With that, I will stick to the title to my Blog: KANYE IS WHACK!!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Letter to Leann Rimes


Hey Y'all so normally celebrity gossip wouldn't be part of an Advocate- Activist blog about changing the world etc. But this particular blog is a little bit about changing yourself.
It the recent news Leann Rimes has been splashed across Tabloids penned a " homewrecker" a "Stalker" and a slew of other names. Women throwing the first stones and casting all types of blame etc on her. If you don't know the story let me refresh your memory. Leann Rimes and Actor Eddie Cibrian were filming a movie together and fell in love (so they say). Both of them were married at the time of their meeting and Eddie has children involved as well.
The two of the split from their significant others and ended up getting together. A year and a half later their divorces are final the two of them live together and the story has gotten a lot more play due to the two of them taking a more active role in the public by trying to plead their side.
So here is my letter to Leann Rimes:


Dear Leann,
I don't CARE about your life, or the things that you do in your private time. I don't know the story behind what happened to you and Eddie and I don't care. I understand that people might have gotten hurt in the backlash but to be honest that is life.
What annoys me is that your life has now become the front page news, when more pertinent problems are occurring. Such as the Hurricane in Haiti and the Caribbean, Riots in Oakland, the fact that our country just wen through one of the biggest political swings in politics in A LONG time etc.
It's not that I don't think learning about other people's lives is interesting it's simply that I have other things to do in my life and with my time than to be focused on your life and the mistakes you make or don't make. And to be honest the biggest reason I don't care is because, well, People make mistakes and we are human and things like your life happen everyday and no one expects there to be this huge year long battle over it: I mean look at Tori and Dean their marriage is built off of the same start yours is. They met on a set and fell in love. Dean was still married and had kids. And they are now happy and that is the last thing people talk about. And if you all recall the "Brangelina" scandal.. Brad was married to Jennifer Aniston and the tabloids didn't spend nearly as much time casting stones of tossing blame.
I think it is outrageous how many women are the first to blow up on this situation without realizing or acknowledging that we do this to each other everyday. That women and men find someone to love and then like that they move on to the next one. Does it hurt, yes, but is it our business? NO! So to you Leann Rimes,
I'd like to tell you I don't care, because I simply don't. But more importantly I don't care because your life is not mine and I don't feel that it is anybody's business but yours and the people who are directly involved. I'd like to say that maybe one day we'd get used to it.. but to be honest this is the price that gets paid as a celeb.

Sincerely,
A person who has more things interesting to do than focus on your love life.