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Showing posts from May, 2012

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The Trap of the "Self-Made" Myth

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  The Trap of the "Self-Made" Myth https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-power-of-umoja-breaking-the-illusion-of-isolation--70376622 We’ve all heard it: “I got it out the mud all by myself.” It sounds good on a track or in a motivational speech, but is it the truth? For too long, our community has been sold a lie that glorifies extreme individualism. We are conditioned to grind alone and suffer in silence, believing that asking for help is a sign of weakness. But this mindset is exactly what feeds the heavy, quiet burdens of blame, shame, and guilt. When you isolate yourself, your struggles feel insurmountable. The reality is, our ancestors never survived by acting as islands. Their superpower was the collective. The deep, intentional work of true unity requires us to look in the mirror and then look at our community. What happens when we stop competing with our brothers and sisters and start combining our strength? The answer just might change how you approach your entire lif...

How Can You Denie

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How can you denie/  the power of Umoja/  when its in your face?  Gye-Nyame has been existence for quite awhile and I took a serious look back and was amazed by how people in the tribe and those on the fringes have benefited. Through partenerships, collaberations, and unity we have been able to create opportunities from absolutely nothing. So I have to ask the question asked in my Ha2ku, "how can you denie the power of Umoja (unity), when it slaps you in the face?: Housing over 25 young men, 5-7 at a time and being able to feed them and help the majority of them survive the summers from 1999-2007 Sending at least 5 boys a year to Simba camp 1999-2005 and then through a collaberation with (UW) increasing the number to 10-12 per year from 2005 to present Providing or openning opportunites for over 20 individuals to make money as either employees or contractors Openning opportunities for individuals to travel across country and to network with like minded people Creating...

Thank you

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Thank you very much/ For within your behaviors/ Lies a lesson for me/ I have not posted in a while. I don't know if it is because of frustration or just plain laziness. Today the inspiration hit me and I didn't have time to write at work but I felt it was important enough to pen my thoughts on this situation. Modern tech has made it so easy to share and I have been investing a lot of time on my spreaker station, but this Ha2ku needed to be discussed through the pen or should I say the key board. While working with young people today I ran into a young man whose behaviors were irrateing me to no end. He couldn't or wouldn't (I don't know which) stop moving or talking with me. He was a case study for persistence. He had it set in his mind that he was going to get what he wanted and started asking me for it over and over and over and over..... hopefully you get the idea. I noticed my breathing began to shift and became shallow I noticed my body began to heat up,...