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I Learn by Doing: A Personal Meditation on the Batak Proverb

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I Learn by Doing: A Personal Meditation on the Batak Proverb "You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down." — Batak (Batiki) Proverb That line hits different when you’ve lived it. I chose this proverb for Day 3 of Tribal Quotes because it calls out something deep that many of us are missing: the wisdom of experience. Too often, we get stuck in thought, tangled in theory, or lost in the illusion of needing to be fully ready before we act. But this proverb cuts straight through the noise. You want to learn how to cut down trees? Then cut them down. That’s it. No Flight School for Birds Flying is complicated. Aerodynamics, balance, wing structure—it’s not easy. But birds don’t have academies. They learn to fly by flying. We learn to walk by walking. We learn to talk by talking. And we learn to live by living. But somehow, we’ve been convinced that real learning happens only in classrooms, through lectures, in books. Don’t get me wrong—I value study. But too many of...
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CANEI: Constant and Never-Ending Improvement

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CANEI: Constant and Never-Ending Improvement Great Day, Family. This reflection is for the Elders, Warriors, and Nation Builders out there who understand that growth doesn't stop at a certain age or title. This one is personal—and tribal. Because I’m walking this path, just like you. Today’s theme? CANEI : Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. From Kanai to CANEI: How the Journey Began Long before it was a concept, CANEI was my life. Back in the early days of Gye Nyame, I had the honor—and the challenge—of raising my sons. I was blessed with a contract through a program called Kanai that allowed me to work with African American boys many deemed “difficult.” But what they called “difficult,” I called “diamonds in the dirt.” These young men became the Gye Nyame Boys , and we birthed what would become the Gye Nyame House . Through that sacred work, I realized something powerful: self-improvement wasn’t enough. We had to aim for self-mastery. That shift in perspective laid th...
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