Da Word... 215! A good name

Quick! If you had to choose between money or friends... which would you pick? Hmmm? Now, do you want groupies or a bonafide crew? It's easy to answer these in the hypothetical, but if you are faced with a very real possibility of either, how would you come to a decision? And for what reasons? Is the path you now walk in line with that choice? Or are you in danger?

checkit:

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

- Da Verbs 22:1 (Proverbs)

Well, we know where da word stands! A good name and being esteemed is where the party is at! No doubt! I mean yo, riches are nice. Things become a lil' more convenient when you are straight rolling in dough. OH, and you might be mad popular! After all, you can throw lavish get togethers and have the creme de la creme on your invite list. But wait.... is that all there is to life?

A good name involves maintaining integrity. It takes standing against the flood, and sometimes fighting the fight alone, whatever it may be, for a time. But the rewards of a solid character far surpass that of great riches. In fact, the rewards of great character can very well include great riches! Ah, but the best thing about a good name and to be esteemed is that these things are intangible. In other words, it can't be taken away. Don't get me wrong, some may try to lambaste your name and embark on a whole campaign with the sole purpose of smearing you into oblivion. But yo, if your character is solid, nothing they bring can hold weight.

The best thing about seeking after a good name though is the shear weight and strength of love and relationship you'll have with maaaad kats. Just ask yourself this question, would you rather have a crew of kats that love you genuinely or a bunch of money grubbin', posing, coattail riding, superficial, turn their backs on you on the drop of a dime "friends" as your inner and outer circle of comrades? The latter is a suffocating recipe for disaster while the former is like the breath of life itself.

I like the refreshing breath of life option myself. It promises days of genuine joy and unmatched living, both of which lasting. The latter option... yo it's not even worth describing. Chase a good name! The rewards of that endeavor are priceless. And riches are but a small part of the flow of possibilities.

G-bless,

- patrick

Da Word... 214! Forget Not!

Ever do something great and feel such exhilaration that you can't help but exclaim, "Yeah! I am da shiznit! Look at that, LOOK AT THAT!! OH YEAH! WOOO!" I'm sure we all have. Sometimes we do some amazing stuff! And that's kool. BUT, have you ever then grown so accustomed to success that you get comfortable and start to forget all those that helped you along the way? All those whom without you might not have developed the skills, character, network, and opportunity to shine?

checkit:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God... You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.

- Deuteronomy 8:10,11,17,18

The danger of getting comfortable is ever present. We get used to a thing and we start to think we are entitled to it, especially in relationships. You know how many relationships of all kinds get severely and sometimes irrevocably strained due to one taking advantage of the other? It gets baaaaaaad yo! We cannot forget about the contributions of others that have aided us to get to where we are today. But before we go there, let's focus on Pops.

Pops is da shiznit. I mean come on, there is no competition. Pops is the quintessential awesome being. What's more, that kat loves us so much, he bestows all manner of blessings and opportunity upon us! ...stuff we don't even deserve kid! That, my friends, is sweet. All he asks is that we roll with him and in the same direction he is going for doing so only benefits us even more! It protects us from ourselves.

Ahh, but therein lies the double-edged blade. As the good times roll and our stations in life elevate, we start to get comfortable. We say, "Yeah, this is how it supposed to be." We begin resting on our laurels. We may even start to think we got to where we are by our very own hands! We soon forget all of the coincidences popping up that proved to be excellent opportunities. We forget all the exactly right people we crossed paths with and developed continuing relationship that proved to be essential to our current position. Was all that chance? No kid! Pops himself was at work. We gotta remember him and not fall into self-worship. Because if self-worship kicks in, it will be the beginning of our own ends, by our very own hands. Keeping the right perspective ensures the longevity of la vida free and awesome. Give thanks to where thanks is due.

So it all flows from Pops! What else does that mean? It means also that there are a bunch of peeps around you that Pops likely had a hand in introducing. These people from all walks of life have aided in shaping us to become the people we are. There is nothing anyone has attained all on their own. We cannot forget that. Once we do, look out below. The bottom will drop out so fast you'll never even notice how fast you've already begun to fall. Remember Pops and all those who have been there along the way. Let's keep a healthy perspective. Let us also give thanks and proper recognition. It will keep us humble. It will keep the good times rolling. And it will enhance our quality of life. Word.

G-bless,

- patrick