My philosophy is simple
Standup
Take a deep breath
Smile forgivingly
Pray honestly
Thank God humbly, and then,
Figure out where you want to go and

Go
Without hesitation

Love
Without reservation

Live
Without excuses

Understand
It is all within your reach

All you need is
A lot of faith
A little determination, and
Some concentration to
Help you stay focused on
Where you need to go

You weren’t born with a
Silver spoon in your mouth
I know, but
Get over it!

Racism
Get over it!

Inequality
Get over it!

Poverty
Get over it!

Slavery
Get over it!

Dysfunctional family
Get over it!

Life ain’t fair
Get over it!

Realize it
Come to grips with it
Accept
Overcome, and then
Crush it!

Beat it
Beat them
Monkeys on your back
The extra weight you carry
The disbelief
The doubt
The insecurities
The fear,
Fuck ’em!
It’s your life!

Circumstance
Get past it!

Obstacles
Don’t stop until
You get over it
Underneath it
Around it
Bust through it!

You have to find a way
To keep it
From destroying you

Do you know what’s funny about life?
It can destroy you, and
No one cares
How it happened

No one will see you
The grungy man
Standing on the street
Holding the sign
Asking for spare change
and think,
Genius
Go getter

In their eyes
You’re a bum
A lazy
Despicable
Useless
Undriven
Waste of resources
Squanderer of dreams
Freeloader
Con-artist
Getting over in the land
That was built by their forefathers
“one railroad track at a time”

They raped your mother
Don’t matter!

Your teachers are inadequate
Don’t matter!

Your father wasn’t there?
Don’t matter!

You were born in the ghetto
Electric sliding to the rhythmic sounds
Of shots ringing
In fast succession
Like firecrackers
Don’t matter!

Forced to study
On cold wood floors
Under the bright lights
Of ghetto birds
Behind gated doors and
Barred windows
Don’t matter!

Listening
To the sizzle of crack pipes
With your baby brother screaming the
Cry of unchanged diapers
While the batter ram
Bangs against your front door,
IT DOES NOT MATTER!

Americans don’t have pity
Regardless of circumstance
Lack of opportunity
Where you started

Americans won’t cry tears for
Your struggle as they
Build wealth on the backs
Of your broken dreams and your
Unachieved aspirations

Americans don’t feel bad
When they see you
Begging for food
Homeless
Hopeless
In need

No,
They don’t want to help you
They don’t want to hear your story
They don’t want to give you a thing

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and
Realize

No matter how bad your life is
Somebody
Somewhere
Is going through something
Far worse THAN YOU
My philosophy is simple

Standup
Take a deep breath
Smile forgivingly
Pray honestly
Thank God humbly and
Then figure out where you want to go and

Go!
Without hesitation

Love
Without reservation

Live
Without excuses

Reach
For your dreams
To the sky
To the Heavens

Reach!!!