thanks 'pac.

in the 90's, Tupac told us that only God can judge him. as i was finishing up the blog about being needed, i felt like i was judging the people that need to be needed. i mean, even though these people are obviously feening to be seen, i'm no better than them by labeling them.

i always tell myself that i am not better than the next person, and i think that its like that for everyone else in the world. we're all equals, where one person is strong, another person lacks. but when people fail to realize this, that's where we're left with alot of problems. people are judging whether we realize it or not. judging how people drive, the way they talk, dress, live their lives. when we do that, we create the illusion that see when we encounter that person.

i say illusion because we see that person and think, she dresses like a floozie or he has an affliction shirt on so he must be a dooshbag. but just because homegirl is wearing her vegas clubbing dress to dnbs or homeboy with the skulls/flames/flowers/ed hardy-type shirt on looks like an extra from jersey shore, doesn't necessarily mean that's what they're all about.

'Pac told us 'only God can judge me'. for those who remember, that quote might help us understand why he was who he was. yeah, he was a thug, talking about sleeping with Biggie's wifey and wanting to kill those who shot him. but this is the same guy who made 'Dear Mama' and told us to 'Keep ya head up'. he understood that there is more in a person's soul than what the eye sees.

we might mistake someone for being the most unsociable person in the world but not know that his mother just passed away. we shouldn't create that illusion of a person, especially when we first encounter them in our lives. if we continue to look at that illusion that we made of someone, it might prohibit us from getting to know someone that could be an important part of our lives. it could prevent us from sharing our best qualities with someone just because we don't like the music they listen to. and when we look into the person and who they really are, we're proving that 'Pac was on to something.

sometimes we may not understand what a person is thinking or is up to. or why they do what they do or say what they say. if we take a step back, erase any illusions of this person that we may have, that could be the first step in understanding everything. understanding why they have the interests that they have. understand the importance of communication and building a pure relationship. understanding that judging is just a waste of time and energy.

a need to be needed.

i've always questioned why people have a desire to be needed. i'm not talking about people who give of their time to help others out. i'm talking about people that need to be in the limelight, those people that always have something to say whether it's logical or not. i think thats one of the personality traits of a person thats on the bottom of my 'favorite traits of a person' list. crazy thing is, some of these people are not bad people.

i'm sure we've all come across one, worked with one or is currently friends with one right now. if we're going to label them, they would receive the 'me' label. this is a label that i would never want and sometimes strive to avoid. but its funny how we put up with these people, especially if they're our friend.

if we attempt to live a life without the 'me' label and carry around instead a 'you' title or an 'us/we' title, life would be fricken great! if we sacrifice that time in the spotlight for others to see us, maybe more would be done in the world. it is common sense that more gets accomplished by a group than a single person. no matter how much experience you carry with you or how much knowledge you hold, if its combined with the talents and wisdom of others, more will get done.

now i doubt that those 'me' people will be gone when i wake up in the morning. and this blog wasn't written earlier, so we must be tolerating these people some how. and who knows, for some people it maybe a psychological thing, but im no psychologist and i'm not trying to cure people here. but we are human and what we can do is understand. understand why they need to be heard. understand why they need to be known by everyone in the world. even though we may not agree with why they're the way they are, if we understand them, maybe it'll make it easier for us to live with them in our lives.

or maybe, a quick dose of humility will do the trick. when people realize that they are not the best, do not know everything and have opportunity for growth, it will show them that the spotlight they stand under is nothing but a night light.

no _________

welcome to the season that Christians know as Lent. a time for sacrifice and reflection on Jesus' final journey before his death. now, i'm not about to get all religious on you with holy talk, so don't fret. i will get some what spiritual on your ass.

some common talk between friends and family is what they're doing for Lent. more specifically, what they're giving up for 40 days and 40 nights. the whole concept of sacrificing something, particularly a vice, is to better yourself as a person and deepen your faith.

now i've been looking at Lent like how i look at New Years Resolutions. although its a test of your self-control to give something up for 40 days, why do we have to wait for times of the year like Lent or New Years to change something about ourselves? i know people that have not gone back to the vice that they give up during Lent and i also know people that use the excuse of 'its sunday' to cheat on their Lenten sacrifice. but what i love about Lent, is that it puts sacrifice back in the forefront. with that, it opens so many doors to other opportunities that you may not have had before.

i'm continuing to learn that sacrifice goes hand in hand with putting others first. and which ever way you look at it whether it be karma, the golden rule or any similar concept, it guides us back to the nature of who we really are. looking at the bigger picture, we realize that things get done better when there is a unified movement towards a better tomorrow. i don't know about anybody else, but i don't have the time and energy to be dealing with any negativity in my life. the people that matter most will continue to share positive energy with you as we continue on our journey.

i haven't 'given up' anything for Lent. but i continue to open my mind to the reasons why sacrifices are made. sometimes we have to accept things that we cannot control. we might not 'need' things that we feel that we may want. it seems like it all boils down to simplicity. social status and material items doesn't benefit the growth of ones soul. sharing life with the friends and family that matters is a beautiful thing. its a great time to remember who we are and what we represent. when we realize that we are amazing people with great qualities, there is no need to sacrifice anything anymore. thats because anything that we don't like about ourselves doesn't matter anymore.

now, if you're anyone who has a heartbeat and keeps up with world news, music and pop culture, you've probably heard the 2010 version of 'We Are the World'.

It's powerful to see people of all musical genres come together for a united purpose. What was even more powerful was the inclusion of Micheal Jackson's vocals from the original version. It continues to show the love and passion that he had for helping others in need.

I was kind of caught off guard to see the inclusion of auto-tune and the lack of social-conscious MCs. I hate to say that auto-tune ruined the 2010 version of this song but i definitely think it could have gotten by without it. It would have been a nice touch to see artists like Dead Prez, Talib Kweli or Common be included in this version, people who create awareness of world issues. I guess it just goes to show the transition and growth that music has made over the years.

Its good for those who live in a world of pop-culture to see the people they follow, do something good for others. Hopefully this continues to spread the message around that giving and helping one another is the only way we'll make progress.

VD

welcome to february. it felt like yesterday that i was trying to figure out who was winning the civil war with all the fireworks going on around oahu. a month deep into 2010 and what a year its been so far.

now we're sitting a few days into the shortest month of the year, with one of the most overrated 'holidays' right around the corner. yes, the infamous Valentines Day, where an abundance of roses can be seen across the world. shout out to my brothers out there who actually get their girl some type of flower other than a rose on VD.

now, why do i say that Valentines Day is overrated? well, I'm no love expert and I'm far from being the perfect boyfriend but do we really need a day to where we HAVE to be a gentleman to our women? i mean, its expected that men are going to be treating their lady like how they should be treated, a queen. I'm sure that there are women who treat their men like a king, but its like this is something that is expected on VD. I'm getting flashbacks to the holiday season where we express our thankfulness while eating turkey or being in a giving spirit because there is a tree sitting in our living room. i mean really, how many guys are going to get flowers for their woman out of the blue? how many ladies out there are going to give their man a back massage without having to be asked?

maybe overrated was the wrong word to describe how i feel about Valentines Day. maybe its just like Thanksgiving and Christmas, days where we're reminded to be thankful for the blessings that we have in our lives and giving to those who need things more than we do. maybe we're out to prove the beatles right, that love is all you need. whether it be with a significant other, friend, family member or pet. we all need to show love to someone with the hope someday we'll get love back in return.

there's no need to make love into this complicated thing that people spend years trying to figure out. when we were kids, we knew what love was. just cause you get older doesn't mean that it changes anything. either its there or its not. and you definitely cant force it.

putting in work.

underrated.

music choice #806

i've been sitting here for the past hour browsing into the mind of others while the love of my life resonates through the background of this room. i wanted to be at the gym by now but i cant seem to leave this temporary paradise. music choice channel #806 has kept me locked down, hip hop classics. while i question some of the songs on rotation here (Master P's "Make em say ughh"), other quality choices pull me back to times where i had to grow my hair out and booty music was the dance of choice.

if only life was as simple as pressing a couple buttons to bring you to a time you loved to be at. we've all traveled our journey's and experienced our beautiful struggles, but as we do so, we're also building quality to our life. wishing that you were able to relive past moments of our lives must show that we've done pretty good, regardless of the fruits of our labor. totally beats going through the infamous 'what if' contemplations.

going through life appreciating the things that make us who we are makes things a little easier. with my love coming to life through the tv speakers, its time to step out and see what else out there i can love.

"...and im still enjoyin life's ride, one more time". nas - doo rag's

(one of his best songs evar)