Second Installment of Dr. Seuss

Oh, the Things You Can Think!
By Dr. Seuss

You can
think up
some birds.
That’s what you can do.
You can think about yellow
or think about blue . . .

You can think about red.
You can think about pink.
You can think up a horse.
Oh, the THINKS you can think!

Oh, the THINKS
you can think up
if only you try!

If you try try,
you can think up
a GUFF going by.

And you don’t have to stop.
You can think about SCHLOPP.
Schlopp. Schlopp. Beautiful schlopp.
Beautiful schlopp
with a cherry on top.

You can think about gloves.
You can think about SNUVS.

You can think a long time
about snuvs and their gloves.

You can think about
Kitty O’Sullivan Krauss
in her big balloon swimming pool
over her house.

Think of black water.
Think up a white sky.
Think up a boat.
Think of BLOOGS blowing by.

You can think about Night,
a night in Na-Nupp.
The birds are asleep
and the three moons are up.

You can think about Day,
a day in Da-Dake.
The water is blue
and the birds are awake.

Think! Think and wonder.
Wonder and think.
How much water
can fifty-five elephants drink?

You can wonder . . .

How long
is the tail
of a ZONG?

There are so many THINKS
that a Thinker can think!

Would you dare
yank a tooth
of the
RINK-RINKER-FINK?

And
what would
you do
if
you met
a JIBBOO?

Oh, the THINKS
you can think!

Think of
Peter the Postman
who crosses the ice
once every day –
and on Saturdays, twice.

THINK! You can think
any THINK
that you wish . . .

Think
a race
on a horse
on a ball
with a fish!

Think of Light.
Think of Bright.
Think of
Stairs in the Night.

THINK!
Think a ship.
Think up a long trip.
Go visit the VIPPER.,
the Vipper of Vipp.

And left!
Think of Left!

And think about BEFT.
Why is it that beft
always go to the left?

And why is it
so many things
go to the Right?
You can think about THAT
until Saturday night.

Think left and think right
and think low and think high.

Oh, the THINKS you can think up if only you try!

(We are taught at very young ages to be incredible dreamers and somewhere along our timelines, we lose the hope and the idealization. I say to you, reach back and grab some of those things that made you jubilant. Do more things that make you smile. Live and experience as if tomorrow was your last, but dream as if you would live forever. Rid yourself of mindless excuses and Oh, the THINKS you can think if only you try! - Alessandro Echols)

Once a Child, Always a Dreamer

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by Dr Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Leaving a Positive Footprint

DailyOM.com
November 25, 2009
Leaving a Positive Footprint
Blessing Space

Physical space acts like a sponge, absorbing the radiant of all who pass through it. And, more likely than not, the spaces we move through each day have seen many people come and go. We have no way of knowing whether the energy footprints left behind by those who preceded us will invigorate us or drain us. Yet we can control the energy footprint we leave behind for others. In blessing each space we enter, we orchestrate a subtle energy shift that affects not only our own experiences in that space but also the experiences of the individuals who will enter the space after us. While we may never see the effects our blessing has had, we can take comfort in the fact that we have provided grace for those that follow after us.

When you bless a room or an entire building, you leave a powerful message of love and light for all those who will come after you. Your blessings thus have myriad effects on the environments through which you pass. Old, stagnant energy is cleared, creating a vacuum into which fresh and invigorating energy can freely flow. The space is thus rendered harmonious and nourishing, and it becomes a hub from which positive feelings are transmitted. Intent is the key component of the blessings you leave in your physical wake. If your intent involves using your own consciousness as a tool for selflessly spreading grace, your blessings will never go awry. Whether you feel more comfortable performing a solo blessing or prefer to call upon your spirit guides for assistance, visualize each space you enter becoming free of toxins, chaos, and negativity as you speak your blessing. Then imagine the resultant emptiness being replaced by pure, healing white light and loving energy. Even a quick mindful thought of love can bless a space.

This type of blessing is cumulative and will grow each time you bestow it. Try blessing every home, business, and office you visit for an entire week and observing the effects of your goodwill. Your affirmative energy footprint will help brighten your day as you contemplate your blessing’s future impact on your siblings in humanity and your environment.

(c) AFG Creative Productions Group

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
-Michael Jordan, Greatest NBA Player of All Time

Vanderbilt University 2008-2009

Crazy Enough to Change the World

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, about the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
-Steve Jobs

Thoughts for Today

New Leather Shoes

As I started to tie up my new leather dress shoes I began to tell myself, "there is no BETTER DAY to lace up, try on and wear these than TODAY." Too often do I find myself holding on to things thinking that they will A) last for a long time or B) that I should probably wait for a BIG DAY to put on or try something new. The fact is, you never know which day will turn out to be a big day unless you are always prepared and have the idea in your mind that, everyday and any day, can be a jubilant and exciting day of adventures, meeting new people and growing in wisdom and knowledge if you allow it to. So as I laced up my new black leathers and walked outside into the beautiful Barcelona weather, I said to myself, "TODAY is going to be a great day."

Make The Day YOURS.


(c) AFG Creative Group
“When will you begin taking advantage of life as if it were a precious gift? It’s simple: when you recognize each passing second as the best moment of your life.”
-Alex Echols

Spring 2007

"Alex is actually someone who I did NOT like last school year and he will tell you that in a second. I thought he was suburban, spoiled, a-hole who had know idea of how to treat people or what it meant to struggle. This perception of him has changed completely. I call him my brother with pride now and have come to known his in a new light."

I pray that I only continue to walk onwards and upwards towards the light.

Still Lasting

11/21/07
So I am finally taking into consideration of what I really want to do when I get older. Ponder that which is coming to me. So in my mind right now I am thinking about books, restaurants, being an actor, being a movie director. I wonder will this stuff last and if so, how long?

Untitled Motivation

For some, these last few months may have been a hell of a mental journey. Maybe you have lost friends or even a significant other, but maybe you have also gained many more friends. More than anything, I want you to understand that some people are here for ‘the now,’ some are here for ‘the while,’ and some are here for ‘the long haul.’ Sometimes we get so worked up on our present situations that “maybe we wanted to hear it so badly that our ears betrayed our minds in order to secure our hearts.” There are reasons why you are here in this exact moment and time in [insert the place you are in RIGHT now] that may not be understood now, but will someday become known. The “now’s,” the “while’s” and the “long hauls” are here to help you realize your dreams, your passions, your dislikes, your values or your reasons for being. Take it just as that and understand that nothing in life lasts forever, but it is nothing wrong with adoring and loving it while you have it. Right now, you have life, so LIVE IT!
-AE

"Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it." -
Kathleen Casey Theisen

Thank You A-PHI

Excuses

Excuses are tools of the incompetent
Used to build monuments of nothingness
Those who excel at them
Seldomly succeed at anything

Like No One Is Watching

November 19, 2009
DailyOM.com
Like No One Is Watching
Shake Your Tail Feathers

Most of us express our distinctiveness in many ways throughout our lives. Although, as we proudly share our offbeat traits and preferences with the world, we take great pains to downplay those eccentricities we ourselves deem odd. Instead of living lives colored by these quirky impulses, we seek out socially acceptable outlets for our peculiarities. We may not realize that we are editing ourselves in this way because our individual societal awareness is unintentionally attuned to the attitudes of the people we encounter each day. Over time, we have learned to suppress some of the most fun aspects of individuality. To rediscover and embrace these buried traits, we need only ask ourselves what we would do if we knew for certain that no one would judge our choices.

Visualizing this day without judgment can help you better understand the idiosyncrasies that are an important part of who you are but seldom manifest themselves in your existence. Perhaps you secretly dream of replacing grown-up, conservative clothing in favor of a changing array of costumes. You may envision yourself painting your car electric-green, hugging the trees in a crowded local park, singing joyous songs as you skip through your community, or taking up an exciting hobby like fire spinning. Try not to be surprised, however, if your imagination takes you in unexpectedly simple directions. In your musings, you may see yourself doing things such as breaking out in dance or dying your hair a fun color. Regardless of the nature of your suppressed peculiarities, ask yourself what is really stopping you from making them a part of your life, and then resolve to incorporate at least one into your everyday existence.

Life as we know it is so short. Making the most of years we are granted is a matter of being ourselves even though we know that we will inevitably encounter people who disapprove of our choices. When you shake your tail feathers like no one is watching, you will discover that there are many others who appreciate you because you are willing to let go of any inhibition. By doing this you help others know it is okay. No one else in the world is precisely like you and, each time you revel in this simple fact, you rededicate yourself to the celebration of individuality.

Barcelona - Ray Ban(R)

(c) AFG Creative Productions Group

New Piece: TBT

To Be Titled

I can still feel the beginning of the ending
Between me and you
Fewer and fewer of passionate embraces
Reminiscent of a time when we felt that
Nothing could come between us
For our love was strong, nearly unbreakable

And then the seasons began to change
As did our individual paths
I began to go left as you went right
All I did was sit and wonder 'is this right..is this what's left'
Are all the feelings we once felt, gone

I guess I got the answer
When I saw what was left of us
As you kept right

Daily DoubleOM

DailyOM.com
November 16, 2009
Owning Your Emotions
Name It and Claim It

Our feelings can sometimes present a very challenging aspect of our lives. We experience intense emotions without understanding precisely why and consequently find it difficult to identify the solutions that will soothe our distressed minds and hearts. Yet it is only when we are capable of naming our feelings that we can tame them by finding an appropriate resolution. We retake control of our personal power by becoming courageous enough to articulate, out loud and concisely, the essence of our emotions. Our assuming ownership of the challenges before us in this way empowers us to shift from one emotional state to another—we can let go of pain and upset because we have defined it, examined the effect it had on our lives, and then exerted our authority over it by making it our own. By naming our feelings, we claim the right to divest ourselves of them at will.

As you prepare to acknowledge your feelings aloud, gently remind yourself that being specific is an important part of exercising control. Whatever the nature of your feelings, carefully define the reaction taking place within you. If you are afraid of a situation or intimidated by an individual, try not to mince words while giving voice to your anxiety. The precision with which you express yourself is indicative of your overall willingness to stare your feelings in the face without flinching. Naming and claiming cannot always work in the vacuum of the soul. There may be times in which you will find the release you desire only by admitting your feelings before others. When this is the case, your ability to outline your feelings explicitly can help you ask for the support, aid, or guidance you need without becoming mired in the feelings that led you to make such an admission in the first place.

When you have moved past the apprehension associated with expressing your distressing feelings out loud, you may be surprised to discover that you feel liberated and lightened. This is because the act of making a clear connection between your circumstances and your feelings unravels the mystery that previously kept you from being in complete control of your emotional state. To give voice to your feelings, you must necessarily let them go. In the process, you naturally relax and rediscover your emotional equilibrium.

November 17, 2009
Decorating Life
The World as Home
There are few things more thrilling than having a new house or an empty room to decorate. Our imaginations soar as we consider the many possibilities. In the same way, our lives offer us the opportunity to express ourselves within various contexts, to ask ourselves questions about what we want to see as we move through our days and how we want things to flow. Some people do this instinctively, moving through the various environments they inhabit and shifting the energy with their presence. These people have a knack for decorating life. This can be as simple as the way they dress, the way they speak, or the fact that they always bring a bouquet of wildflowers when they come for a visit.

As we move through the world, we make a statement, whether we intend to or not. We shift the energy one way when we enter a room dressed elegantly and simply, and another when we show up in bright, cheerful colors and a floppy hat. One is not better than the other. It is simply a question of the mood we wish to create. What we wear is just one choice we can focus on. The way we speak to people, or touch them, shifts the energy more profoundly than almost anything else. The words we speak and the tone in which we say them are the music we choose to play in the world that is our home. Some of us fill the space with passionate arias, others with healing hymns. Again, one is not better than the other. We are all called to contribute.

Just as we consciously create an environment within our homes, we can consciously choose to decorate life itself with our particular energy. Ideally, in doing so, we express our deeper selves, so that the adornments we add to the world make it more meaningful, more beautiful, and as welcoming as a beloved home.

La Mitad: View from the New 'Man'

If you did not hear my American accent, see the clothes on my body, the shoes on my feet and the car I drive, would you know I was American? If my hair was long, wavy and uncut and I had windows to the soul the color of timber logs and green forests, would you know I was African American? Or would you make judgments solely on my naked body and the color of my skin? In your eyes, I could be a few things, but would your best guess be African or better yet, would you get frustrated when I begin to reveal the several ethnicities that make me the man I am? Would you dispute my grandmother’s whiteness or my grandfather’s mother tongue of Italian simply because the color of my skin is black? Or would you come to terms with the facts of life and understand that at the very core of our existence, color is nothing more than ‘the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans.’ For although my color has kept you away from me in the past, let it no more.

-A Word from the New 'Man'

To My Momma

"But Momma, I aint done yet, sit back and watch your son rise, kick back and know your son set."
J-Cole, Beautiful Bliss, Attention Deficit (Wale)

Top 10: Ways To Become An Evolved Man

Top 10: Ways To Become An Evolved Man
Follow this link. It's a good article.
Top 10 Ways

Making It Happen

DailyOM
November 5, 2009
Making It Happen
Go for It

There are times in our lives when all the signs seem to be pointing us in a particular direction. Our thoughts and dreams are echoed in the songs and stories we hear and the media we see. Maybe the message we are getting from the universe doesn’t even make sense in the “real” world, but somewhere inside, these urges feel right. Maybe you feel you are being told to move to a new city although your life where you are is just fine. Or maybe you feel the desire to pursue a new direction in your career when it never really interested you before. When we spend time getting in touch with our higher selves, our intuition sends us directives to lead us to become our best and most fulfilled selves. And when we are open and listening, the next step is to take action and go for it.

Once we make the decision to pursue our inner urgings, the universe sets into motion the means for all sorts of details to fall into place. A sense of peace will come over us, because we know that any questions will no longer make us wonder if our dreams are possible, but how to make them happen. Instead of deterring us from our goal, these questions only serve to clarify our focus to move us forward. We need not throw caution to the wind to follow our dream. The positive shift in our energy affects everything around us. Like a rush of water, it goes ahead to clear debris from our path so that we can go forward. Our new attitude also attracts likeminded people. Sometimes even the most unlikely angels arrive to help us along our way with the information and support we need.

Wherever your dreams are pointing you today, take a step. Take action and manifest your inner urges and soul whisperings.

The Thing that Goes Bump Bump in My Chest

Sra. Salazar met her husband when they were both around the age of 17. Friendship, a great one at that, sparked the beginning of a true love story that would last for more than forty years to date. Although both stood at squat 5'4'' statures, their passion for each other was inundating. Two children and three grand-kids later brought me to September 5th, a day that would mark the beginnings of my extranjero life in Barcelona. Initially, I had no idea that her husband was still living (a seemingly overt communication error on my part) until one day, I unlocked the door and found myself being introduced to Sr. Salazar. As it turned out, Sr. Salazar lived in another 'pueblo,' where he had constant medical treatment for cancer. Cigarettes became his kryptonite at a very young age.

November 5, 2009
Dear Journal,

I was not really sure if I was hearing right until I heard her subtle cry. A cry so native to me that I felt a direct hit to my heart - a similar hit I felt when the diagnosis of cancer was revealed to my queen. Not sure how to help or cope, I just simply was. I listened as she spoke in her rapid fire native tongue, "My husband's cancer has returned and it has grown. The doctors will administer more chemo, but they are not sure it will help much." At that very moment, decades and decades of unknown love passed through my head. The love and deep admiration between Sr. and Sra. Salazar. And then, I began to wonder, is the phrase "it's better to love and lose than to never love at all" completely accurate? I think so. As much as it would hurt and tear my heart to see my other half be taken away from me, something in my heart would still remain - the memories. Those endless memories of jubilation and even altercation would remain within my soul forever and although they would bring me to many, many tears, I would know inside, that I did indeed have something special. That I FOUND that 'one' that we always hear about as children; that once upon a time in a land far, far away, I FELL in LOVE. and more than anything, that's something very special to hold on to. NOTHING LASTS FOREVER and that is why if you have anyone in your life that you love or that you are not getting along with at the moment, find them, embrace them and simply say, " I Love You."

Prayers to everyone,
A prayer for ELLA,
One Love,
I love you family,
One Life,

Best Foot Forward,
AE

It's Time - Everyday is the DAY