CHAPTER 1

Perception, Desire, Thought.The foundations for every action.

From: Anonymous

Decisions and Consequences

The greatest lessons are often taught by the simplest of means. Wecan hinder the growth process and development of the person in needof help by complicating the lessons we're trying to teach. Life itself isfull of lessons. There are many consequences tied to the decisions thatwe make. For instance, if we drive a car through a red light, we willmore than likely crash. The consequences of making the decision todrive through the red light not only caused us to crash, but could costus our life.

There are many consequences tied to the decisions that wemake.

But what if we're driving the car of life without a driver'slicense? What if you don't know what a red light or a yield signmeans? What if you're traveling on a highway, trying to reach aparticular destination, but you can't read the signs that will take youto where you're trying to go? What if the road you're traveling on isfull of potholes that you keep running over because you don't knowwhat potholes look like? What if it's very dark on the road you'retraveling down and your headlights are not working?

There are many consequences tied to the decisions that wemake.

When we're in a swimming pool, we usually don't consider thelifeguard until we're the ones drowning. We often ignore the flightattendant until (we are about to crash) the plane is about to crash.Life always takes on new meaning when death is knocking at ourdoor, or when times are hard. But when things seem to be goingwell, we often neglect the people or things that are truly important.We can listen to a friend who we may have known for thirty days,but we totally ignore people or family members who have knownus all our lives. We usually ignore the people that care most aboutus because of our ignorance or the contempt and disrespect thatfamiliarity sometimes breeds. And we pay for it in the long run. Andthe pay value of ignorance usually ain't good. Then when reality setsin, we start kicking ourselves in the rear end, or we start drowningin self misery which usually leads to a state of depression. Untreateddepression can lead to all sorts of abnormal or even insane behavior,because a depressed mind is a mind that's become diseased (diseased).A diseased mind can produce dangerous results.

Can we listen? Some of us never pay attention to what's beingsaid, and sometimes we honestly don't hear it if a person is talkingto us. We use all sorts of psychological blockout techniques. We looklike we are interested in what's being said, but in reality we're justwaiting to talk. Maybe it's because we feel that we are the only oneswho have something important to say. When we speak we wanteverybody to listen, and when they don't we become frustrated,sometimes to the point where a simple conversation (that's if we'reconversing) turns into an outright argument, or a fist fight, or worse.Many of us result to foolishness because we haven't learned or haven'tbeen taught how to listen. Listening is an art form that is easy forsome, but very hard for most of us. Do you ever say to yourself, aftersomething bad happens to someone else, "If they would have listened,things would not have turned out that way"? Do you recall askingyourself that same question after something not so good happens toyou? Sometimes we ignore ourselves. I ignore myself quite often. Ialso listen to myself. But I listen with reason, I ignore with reasonto try to make the decisions that are good for my social development.And I often make bad decisions, but less than before because I havereason. And what is reason? 1) The cause or motive for an action,decision, or conviction; 2) The capacity for rational thinking; 3) Tothink or argue logically; 4) To reach a conclusion by logical thinking.And what is logic? The study of reasoning, valid reasoning. Good oldfashioned common sense.

There are many consequences tied to the decisions that wemake.

The knots we tie can become other people's problems. It's kind oflike unconsciously setting a trap that others will fall victim to in thefuture. You know, like planting landmines, and not knowing it. Butsome people purposely plant landmines, knowing what the futureeffects of those landmines will be. Some form of death or destruction.When someone, or something tells you a lie that you believe to bethe truth, it could be a timebomb waiting to explode. You live fivedays, or in some cases twenty-five to fifty years believing the lie tobe truth. Then all of a sudden something happens and the truth isrevealed to you. When this happens, we usually react in one of threeways, or in some instances all three: 1) We experience an emotional/psychological death and feel mentally destroyed, causing us to actout; 2) We ignore it, in which case our reason is not working andthe mind is in a state of ignorance and denial, and as a result welive in misery, and/or; 3) We embrace the truth however hard it maybe and grow from it, in which case we're able to move on with ourlives. The knot we tie that can become other people's problems can beeither telling a lie, or refusing to acknowledge the truth. Either way,it's a landmine. Some of us are walking landmines, and walkinglandmines are deadlier than the ones that don't move.

The decisions that we make have a thousand consequences tiedto them.

1) Listening is an art, 2) Comprehension is a skill, and 3) Self-disciplineis a blessing. Depending on how you use the three, theycan be just the opposite. Listening without reason can alter yourperception and change reality. Comprehension without logic cancorrupt the decision-making process. And self-discipline withoutdirection can have you trapped in a state of repetitive behaviorthat is not conducive to your mental and physical growth anddevelopment. Arrested development and retardation are similar. Toarrest something means to stop, seize or hold it. When something isretarded, that means that it's progress has been impeded or slowed.Not listening, or listening without reason, can stop, seize, hold, orslow down your progress. It can also slow down the progress of otherswho have to give extra attention to you because you refuse to listen.Sort of like when parents have to keep taking off from work to cometo your school because you're constantly getting in trouble as a resultof your not listening; or when your friend tries to explain to youwhat you're doing that causes them and your family pain, but youdon't listen. As a result, your friend leaves you, your family fallsapart after you end up dead or in prison. Of course that's an extremeexample, but it's reality for some people. There are a thousandconsequences tied to your decisions. Everything you do will affectothers, whether you want your actions to or not. Listening is an art,comprehension is a skill, and self-discipline is a blessing.

The decisions that we make have a thousand consequencesconnected to them.

The freedom to choose is not the same as free will. That soundslike an oxymoron, but it's not. Choice and will are two differentthings. Choose means to select or desire. Will, here, means the mentalfaculty of deciding upon a course of action. What's the difference?Choice is the act, will is the thought driving behind the act. Whoeveror whatever controls the thought, dictates the act. If a person tells yousomething, and you believe what you've been told, then you will acton that belief. What we are told creates a desire, and desire drives thewill. Words, concepts, looks, sounds, and all sorts of things, whethertrue or false, are seeds that are planted within our minds. Those seedsbecome thought, which tells us what to do or how to respond when asituation or circumstance arises. The thought will then determine thedecision we make. The choice. Choice is the act, will is the thought.In the hood, if someone is acting out of character based on whatsomeone else said to them, we'll say that the person that's acting outof character has been "siced up". Kind of like convincing a person todo something that they wouldn't do under normal circumstances,i.e. gasing a person up. The decisions that we make have a thousandconsequences connected to them. Freedom to choose is not the sameas free will.

There are a thousand consequences tied to the decisions that wemake.

Desire feeds the will. If the transcendence of desire is the end toall suffering, as long as we desire we will suffer. Everybody suffers,it's normal. It's how we handle what we see as suffering that makes adifference in our lives. Some of us have a total breakdown, mentallyand physically. And some of us find a way to use suffering as energythat fuels the building of character and go on to do great things. Idon't know any sound minded person that likes to go through painand suffering. But there is no experience that others before us havenot experienced. We can learn from the experiences of others if welisten, but do we know how to listen? If we don't, we must learn howto listen. Don't wait to talk when the voice of experience is speakingto you. Can you hear me?

Decisions and Consequences.The Struggle Continues....April, 13, 2010

From: Anonymous

To the youth,

In this life mistakes can be fatal or destructive to the one whomakes them or to others. It is imperative that you not make them.

All actions in human life begin first with a decision to makethem come into being. The decisions that you make in life to actor not to act govern, for the most part, how your life will go. Itis paramount that these decisions which give birth to actions thatwill, without doubt, engender a result, whether it be a favorable orunfavorable one, be prudent and rational. Never, if possible, makea rash, imprudent decision to act. It could be the decision if youdo that may result in your untimely demise, or your freedom beingperpetually taken away from you.

Life is very, very fragile and temporary. Before you know it youryouth will be gone and your life closer to death. You cannot afford towaste time on foolishness, unnecessary bullshit, or worthless things.Time is precious, so utilize it wisely and usefully.

The lifestyle of the "gangster" or the "thug" is useless and almostalways destructive to those who indulge in it. You may think thatyou are slick enough, smart enough, or wise enough to avoid thealmost inevitable catastrophic and woeful consequences of the lifestyleof the "thug" or "gangster", but you're not. And if you think you'restrong enough to handle the consequences, or if you think you don'tgive a damn about them, I'm here to tell you that this is bullshit.Most of you all are not strong enough and when you're faced withtremendous adversity such as having the possibility of the rest of yourlife being spent behind bars, being on death row, or having a gunbeing thrust in your face, or a knife in your chest, you cry and askGod for help, and you regret ever having made the decisions thatled to being in these predicaments. So you all need to stop fakingand putting on these tough, "I don't give a fuck" facades and stayin school, graduate, and pursue careers or jobs which will bring yougood income and keep you out of the bullshit that will end your livesearly or take your freedom from you.

Use your minds and think prudently. Do not waste your lives.Do what you know in your heart will give you a productive life foryou and your present and future family. Don't be foolish trying to bewhat you're not, and what is foolish to be.

Rappers who rap about living "thug" lifestyles and being"gangsters" are only trying to sell records and make money. It's all forentertainment, so don't take what they say literally and don't try toemulate what they say in reality. This is foolish, as well as perilous.I'm not telling you don't listen to rap music; there's nothing wrongwith listening to it, or any other genre. But I strongly emphasizenot to try to actually live what you're listening to. It's safe whenart imitates life, but dangerous when life imitates art, sometimesanyway.

In Japan, the art of the culture is often violent and evendepraved in Manga and Hentai, the two most lucrative and popularforms of art in Japanese society. But Japanese people rarely try to actout the art that they love and support almost fanatically. They'reprudent enough and smart enough to know that if they wish to livesafely, freely, and productively, they cannot act out their beloved artin real life. And this is why in Japan crime is so low, and why theirsociety is so peaceful.

You should be smart enough to listen to whatever you wantmusically, watch whatever you want theatrically, etc., and not tryto manifest these things in your own lives. This also goes for books.You may read something that arouses your interest or desire, but youmust resist the urge to act out things that can possibly be harmful toyourselves or others. Stop being imbeciles and acting like you cannotthink for yourselves, don't mess up your lives being fools! Leave"gangsterism" and "thugism" in art, i.e music, books, and movies.Do not give real life to destructive lifestyles and inclinations. Showthat you are smart and not a generation of fools like a lot of thepreceding generations of youths and "adults" have been, and like youas a whole are continuing to be.

It's time for you all to use your creative energy positively, evenif you have to write, or rap, or make movies about negative thingssometimes. Stop taking your money and spending it all on materialbullshit like chains, pendants, and cars that have no value. Thinkreal estate property, valuable artwork, stocks and bonds, jewelry thatholds value and is an investment. Stop being fools!

Stop killing each other for useless reasons. Think for yourselvesand don't follow fatalistic people or doctrines. Live and let live. Stophating just to hate. Stop wasting your precious lives on things thatare completely unproductive and useless. Think how you can helpothers in a meaningful way.

And for all of you out there that still want to be "thugs" or"gangsters", my message is this:

You all will definitely suffer hardship, stress, and a lot of otherwoes, so don't think you won't. And you'll find, if you're still alive,that everything you did was a big waste of time. Please though, do notsacrifice someone else to relieve your misery when it comes. Take yourconsequences like a honorable person. You made your bed, so lay in itby yourselves. Don't "bitch out" and snitch on someone because youcan't take it. You must live with your choices. No matter what they are,or what they may bring to you, face them with courage and honor.

March 29, 2010

From: Anonymous

Beautiful Black Children Of The World

Let me start by sharing a little about myself. I'm serving alife sentence in federal prison. I've been incarcerated for the pasteight years. I have a beautiful eight year old daughter in the world.I've been in jail since she was five months old. I've lost both ofmy grandmothers to heart attacks since I've been in jail. I've lostnumerous friends, family members, and associates to the streets.Most fell victim to gun violence, and the same thing I fell victimto, prison. I was raised by my mom, my father overdosed on drugswhen I was five years old. I had a brother ten years older than methat was killed when I was nine years old. I came to jail at the ageof nineteen, I will be twenty-eight this October. Before this, I didnumerous juvenile bits. I have four younger sisters, two of them gavebirth to sons and I now have two nephews that I know of.

I'm under lock and key. My contact with my family is limited,and I live in a room that's about the size of a closet. I have peoplethat tell me what to do, when to do it, and what time to lock in myroom, not to mention what time to eat, strip off my clothes, stick outmy tongue, turn around, bend over, and spread your ass! All thiswhile others watch on. I have no privacy. I am the personal propertyof the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I'm what people call a modern dayslave.

A lot of the decisions that I made in life created my currentcircumstances. As a man thinketh, so is he. Your mind is like fertilesoil. The seeds you plant, will sprout into trees, and those trees willbare fruit. Whether the fruit is good or bad, depends on the seedsthat you planted.

I planted negative seeds, which sprouted the fruit that I mustnow live off. Though it is bitter, it is the only fruit I have to survive.We are creators of our own circumstances. I neglected my education,which was my biggest mistake. I didn't hurt myself exclusively either,I hurt all of my loved ones as well. Your decisions not only affect you,but also others.

All of this pain I caused through sincere ignorance.