Persevere Your Way To Success

You either can starve or you can survive. You have to learn how to go after the things that you want in life. If you think waiting for a hand out is going to get you started, your thinking wrong! You have to get it started yourself. I learn that people will only help you if you help yourself. So that's one of the first things you should do. Find yourself, find your brand, find your label and stamp it! Think positive at all time and focus on the bigger goal that you are trying to accomplish. You should care less about the negativity that people bring to your product and the product is you! Nowadays people don't want to see others succeed. Who could they blame if you don't work you don’t eat? This goes for anything if you are lazy how do you expect to get to where you want to be in life. I would say it’s like a race, but it's not. Never try to outwork the next person but just focus on bettering yourself.

There will be a point in your life where you will get knocked back a few steps. It’s ok that’s part of life but the bigger thing is for you to not give up. What will make you stronger is the way you preserver through the struggle. Telling yourself that nothing could stop you. You have to have self-motivation because there will be people that down talk you every day wanting to be in your place that you are in right now. Let that motivate you to get over that extra curve that made you want to give up. No, it’s not easy to pass that finish line, but you have to have confidence in yourself knowing that you can do it. Success is there waiting for you. There may not be any road signs telling you that your hard work is paying off. There are no shortcuts to success. So focus and believe in yourself. Your hard work never goes unnoticed, people are watching you rather you know it not.

Take A Walk In My Shoes

The doubting, lack of support who can we count on? Where I'm from money and love is everything we lack. If you have seen what I've seen, then you'll understand where I'm coming from. Families go certain nights without eating sometimes. Talent going to waste with no role models spreading the love to encourage one another. It hurts me to see this, knowing that at one point in time this was me and my family in the same situation. Hungry eating Syrup sandwiches for dinner. Meanwhile, the mother is overworking herself with three jobs just to survive. it's not easy in life without money plus love.
My hood is the testimony for it, so I know people will agree with me. I have come from the bricks, known as the projects. Section 8 where private landlords rent apartments and homes at fair market rates to qualified low-income tenants. I would say that it is a good thing, but it's like your putting your living conditions into their hands. The government that we have now, may try to take that away from people at any moment.  I come from a single-parent household with my mother raising four kids on her own. My grandmother past away when I was at the age of one.  I salute my mother for staying strong and raising me into the man that I am today. This is where I come from.
I strive for a reason, I have no choice. I am the oldest child on both sides of my family. I have 3 little brothers and two little sisters looking up to me. I was raised to be the man and be the provider for the family. I work so hard to put the work in, but it's just like I have the devil on my back every time I take ten steps forward. I know I am not the only one that is going through this situation. Waking up seeing people robbed and others taking anything just because they want it.  The way the jail system works now days. Once you are convicted, it's like your life is just rolling you gutterballs. Selling drugs for a living just to make sure everyone eats inside the house. So as the females selling their body just to make sure their little ones eat. These are the things I see.  My neighborhood is counting and looking up to me to help change the community.  This is where I come from.

Music and sports are the only things we know will get us out of poverty. it's hard to get exposed to new things when you're around people that are simple-minded and haven't been exposed to much themselves.  People that have the opportunities to get away sometimes sacrifice their opportunities not wanting to leave family struggling. This is a heavy load that I am carrying on my shoulder, Just being the one with the opportunity to help and change the community and lives. There are so many families in my neighborhood who are counting on me. I can not let my community down. I have to show them there is another way out. It's so much that I come from, you wouldn't be able to walk a mile in my shoes.

Steps Towards My Dream

I'm just so excited in many ways that I can't even explain them. I want to thank those who have helped me keep pushing towards my dreams. This blog is showing appreciation, thanking people and telling you about my experience traveling to Melbourne Australia.
It took me three different planes just to reach my destination. First, I took a flight from Atlanta, Georgia to Lax (Los Angeles). The flight was about 4 hours. Then from Lax, I went to Sydney, Australia which was a 15-hour flight.  I know what your thinking, that is too long to be sitting on a plane. The Flight Actually wasn't that bad at all.  They feed us three meals and you would have free access to the new release movies. Most of the time on the plane you would really be sleeping. So after I arrived in Sydney it was one more flight I had to catch. Last stop was Melbourne, which the flight was about an Hour.  So in total, I've spent 20 hours on a plane. I've left Atlanta Saturday and Arrived in Australia Monday Morning. It's crazy but if you think about it, with the time traveling I missed a day. March 24, 2019, is the day that I've lost. Once I return back to the States I will gain a day back.
Once I landed in Melbourne a few of my teammates welcomed me at the airport. Jeff And Millar two great wonderful people that welcomed me in with open arms. Jeff told me the first thing I need to know is that the passenger seat is on the opposite side. It was kind of weird because in the States we drive on the right side and the steering wheel will be on the left.  They would laugh when I say Melbourne. Telling me that I am pronouncing it so wrong. So when you pronounce Melbourne the r is silent. So you will have to say it like Melboune.  The city is great and it is a lot different from the states they drive on the left side of the road and plenty more.  So as you can see I'm really enjoying myself and I haven't even been here for a whole week.  If you don't know I am here to pursue my baseball dreams. This is just the beginning of my Career.
I really can say that my life has made a whole 360 turn. now I see another picture which isn't clear enough for me but I know it is a step closer to my dream. It's nothing but God. One day I started thinking about dreams that were never achieved. This is my biggest fear of seeing my dream die when I give it my all. People around me always tells me that you are the only person that can kill your dreams. One way is not having faith or even working towards it you will never reach your dreams. I use to doubt myself and talents going off what others say about me. All my life I have been counted out. The things I hear the most are, your not big enough or you are too old. It's just crazy how people doubt you and won't encourage you to strive for your dreams. I would look at others seeing how they are happily in their dream careers. This is what I had to realize everyone has a different story and pathway. Encouraging words from Dwayne Johnson "Don't become the next person, worry about becoming the first you".
So for those who don't know, I have a passion for baseball. I've been playing since the age of 9. I am happy to tell you great news. On March 23, 2019, I've moved to Australia to join an inner-city baseball club out of Melbourne. Saint Kilda Baseball Club. I am very excited to display my talents with them. Saint Kilda is the oldest club in Australia established in 1879.  New players of all levels are always welcome at the club. I am a new import that will be playing with them for the winter season. The season Start April 6, 2019. There is a way for you to keep up with the team. You will have to download an app called  Team App. Once you download the app, go to the search list and type in St Kilda Baseball Club. You will see the schedule score of the game.
I thank you all for your support and wish that you follow me as I take steps into my journey of chasing my dreams. Love you all and will keep you posted with more!

Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning Of All Wisdom

     Overthinking my pathway through life, when it comes down to finding the inner me. I'm lost, with my mind everywhere trying to figure out what is my purpose. I went from playing baseball, filming, and photography. I have been playing baseball my whole life. I started when I was at the age of ten. Even after college, I went to try out for a few independent baseball teams. Also, I reached out to a few teams overseas. I believe it's just a transition in my life where its time to do something new. Then I start to feel like it would be me giving up on my dreams. It's just so much I want to do, but I have to do things one at a time. My mind is so everywhere that's why I just go with the flow of life.
   College was one of the moments in my life where being lost really hit me. Once you cross that huge stage, A question pops up. "what am I going to do next ?" is what we ask ourselves.  I answered my own question like, "I don't know man, you have been playing baseball your whole life so why stop." My Life has been nothing but involved around baseball from me waking up to the time I close my eyes in bed. Many people tell me to become a coach, but that something I don't want to do. In my dreams, I can just see myself walking under the lights while my brother's records are playing as I make it to the pitcher's mound. Fans screaming my name those are the things I dreamed about. Traveling the world doing music and spending the love that I have for the people. I can live with that spreading love. Making music that people can relate to and can understand that they are not the only one feeling the pain. 
     I have a passion for Music, this year my music and my personal blogs are all I'm going to be focusing on. One question I know people may ask is " why do you love making music." It's just another way for me to express myself, the love and everything that comes with the music period. The fact that people would look at you as a big impact in today's society. My music is about love and hate, ways to make life better for those who are stressing while going through the struggles. I have been going through the struggle with finding myself, trying to figure out who am i. It seems with me writing and doing music letting my voice be heard to help others. Whether or not it's from relationship problems or from day to day things that I see within my life. I have been around music my whole life. It runs in the family bloodline. So maybe doing music and helping others is my calling. 

           "Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning Of All Wisdom"

                               P.S: Music Coming Soon!

Boys To Men!

   Every year in the Dukes Foundation we intake intelligent, well talented young men graduating from high school. While moving a step higher and going away in different directions, these young men are beating the odds. Considering where they come from they do not let that distract their focus and determination to be better and do better. There are many people today doubting our young men in this world, telling us things that we are not capable of achieving. Graduating from high school is one of them. I agree there are not too many of our young men graduating from high school. We find ourselves getting caught up in the wrongs things, more so at a young age. This is either causing them to lose their lives or going to prison. As an urban kid growing up from the city I really can understand where they are coming from.   

 Now here I am, a college graduate from Lane College majoring in Mass Communication. My journey with the Dukes Foundation really keeps me focused on what is ahead of me. The Dukes Foundation helps me find a long-lasting brotherly connection with people with those within the foundation, all appeared from similar situations. James Atkins another mentee from the Dukes Foundation graduating from Morehouse College and now a program manager for Microsoft. So as a proud member of the dukes foundation, I can truly say that it is possible and we can make a change to overcome the odds. 

 The Dukes Foundation is a youth mentoring program that provides; academic coaching, career development workshop, cultural exposure, and motivating exercises.  http://www.dukesfoundation.org/

Choices, Chances and Change

All you know is that you are trying to get in where you fit in. One thing about that is you are just lost & Don’t know which direction to go But you know what you want out of life. You just need to know how to get started, You just need to know which step to take first and How to reach out to those people that are willing to help. Better yet, We all want to know where to find the best crowd to place ourselves in. The answers we want them so bad that we start to go searching really hard for them causing yourself Stressing because you can’t find the answers. You start getting upset & burning down the bridges that are connected to your answers. You just not knowing that the answers may be right in your face & you are doing nothing but overlooking them. I learned you have to stay composed and just be patient, which we don’t have but being composed will lead you to your answer. What people don’t understand sometimes the answer will find you.

Now for my story, I'm wanting to play pro baseball. Growing up my parents didn’t have the finances to put me into any upscale baseball programs. I didn’t have the fancy baseball uniforms, bats gloves and etc. One thing I did know was that my talent was good enough to compete with others. I know people don’t believe in me, But I believe in myself and I am self-motivated so there is nothing that can stop me. The problem for me is that it’s hard to find a baseball agent, I go looking online every day. Searching to find a baseball agent that will help me work my way into the league. I make sure I workout every morning, if I’m not working out I’m running because I know my time is coming I just want to be ready for it when it does come. I still ask myself what is the first step for me? I find that the answer is to stay ready so you won’t have to get ready. Prayer works so stay prayed up. You have to be posses with the dream. You have to see it when nobody else does. Your dreams will come true but you have to believe in them.

   The 3 C's Of Life are Choices, Chances, and Change. You have to make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change. The greatest and most persistent blockages to your progress in life usually come from yourself.  https://www.theodysseyonline.com/three-cs-life 

Who Can We Trust ?

  Who knows you better than you know yourself? Time after time we ask ourselves who are you but can never find that out. Use your time wisely and find that out cause it’s very important to know who you really are. This world we are in today is like a wild jungle full of lions, tigers, and bears. there are really wild and vicious Animals, Which is us, humans. which one are you? There are times where we go through things and never have a person to vent to. it’s just so much anger, hurt and pain build up inside of you ready to let loose. This makes you become a person that’s ready to kill anything that’s in your way, having you to react instead of thinking about the situation before your actions. Which most of us do not choose to do when so much pain & stress just built up inside of you.  

   Then it goes to who can you trust to talk to. If this person can give you the best advice? Then you get to tell yourself. How can this person give me some advice when they haven’t even felt your pain. So we hold it in because they wouldn’t understand it. The fact may be something other than them, not understanding. We may tend to be scared or ashamed to tell or let anyone know what we are going through. Nowadays where can you go for help? Everywhere you go people judge you for who you are or what you have been through. Which makes it hard for people to even tell someone what they are going through. So am asking the world today how can we take care of this situation? What do you suggest that we should do because most of this today is affecting the youth as of today? Some of the youth today can’t even talk to their own parents which is sad. I feel that something should be done!  Help make a difference in our society!
PS: A Main Focus For The Youth ( The Dukes Foundation )             http://www.dukesfoundation.org/