Onward and Upward

I will never forget where I come from, and part of that is the struggle I endured with four extraordinary men. Time flies and we got a million more years to go. Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Theta blood running through our veins. This calls for a One Life and a AAAAAAAA-PHIIIIIIII, 06 my brothers.

What a great way to end my month of surpassing my blog goals.

A Day Called Tomorrow

This excites me so much. Onward and upward by leaps and bounds.

Stay Extraordinary

Coca-Cola

The Future: BMW Vision ConnectedDrive

Freaking Ingenious Invites

An Unknown Sage

By Alex Echols

The sage asked the young man, "what is your biggest
desire and wish in life?"

"To live and die happy,"
said the young man.

The sage then responded,"
so why aren't you smiling right now?"

One Life, You Decide™

"Sometimes You Just Gotta.....Go"

All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco

A Dream Come True

I recognize my fortune.

I am more than blessed to have so many opportunities come my way in life.

I recognize the truth.

They have come not only because I have worked hard and searched for them, but also because I had the courage to take those initial leaps. Such opportunities come because I wake up each day saying, "Alex, you can have anything you want in life, but begin grinding hard for it TODAY."

This weekend, one of my dreams came true as I traveled to the beautiful city of San Francisco with a very close friend and it made me re-realize something very special: everything happens for a reason. If I had not waited till this past weekend to travel to San Fran, there would not have been a Hong Kong reunion. If I had not waited, I would not have gone with such a beautiful world traveler as the one that accompanied me. If I had not waited till this weekend, I would not have left my mark of 'One Life' at the Golden Gate Bridge.

"Everything happens for a reason and at the right time."

Tis very true, but you must also realize this: if you ever want to receive the vast riches (monetarily and not) of life, you must branch out physically, emotionally, socially, culturally and etc. If you would like to be great in life, you must be willing to sail with the great winds - that's when kites fly their highest. If you want to live life to the fullest and have everything, you must begin waking up and telling yourself, "it's okay for me to have everything I want in life." What you put into the world, is what you will receive back.

If you have a twitter account and all the people you follow are very negative or constantly talk shit(subtweet), then it is time for a change. They are affecting you whether you consciously recognize it or not.

If you have been hanging around someone you feel is holding you back, it is time for a change. "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time" (Jim Rohn).

If you find yourself thinking or saying, "I could go for a change right now," then maybe you should. Change does not have to be grand. Change for yourself can begin with baby steps. Maybe you do not feel comfortable taking that leap just yet, that is fine. After all, we do learn how to crawl and walk before running.

Living life to the fullest is not only a perspective and practice, it is a lifestyle. As you sit in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, recognize that you are sitting amongst millions of people who have traversed the land before you.

Now is your time to leave your mark.

At the end of your life, you are going to smile more about the mistakes you made than the ones you did not. Start asking for more out of life while simultaneously working hard with a GENUINE smile on your face. Too often we get caught up with the destination before we begin the journey.

It is not about the moments of life we live, it is about the the amount of life we put into those moments. Find your footing and go forth in the direction of your dreams. The blessings are in the struggle.

P.S. As I am about to check off another dream/goal on my bucketlist, I ask that you do the same. Begin crafting those bucketlists and following your dreams.

My foundation is coming soon and it will be a movement - we are going to change lives together.

One Life, You Decide™

Hereafter Featurette: Visual Effects Reel

The merge of art, design and action make me incredibly happy. Hereafter is in the running for an Academy Award for VFX.

All of the Lights - Yeezy

Beautifully crafted video despite the cliche holographic lights, but Rihanna's sexy ass makes it even better.

The Black Mamba

Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Featuring Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Bruce Willis and Danny Trejo
Arrivederci.

Gray Day Smiles

Photo Credit: Alric V. Mondragon

As I just sat in my work’s commissary eating breakfast, I onlooked the rain falling outside. Gloomy and gray it was, but I still began to smile as I reminisced about how gray and gloomy I felt inside exactly almost two years ago.

Outside was Nashville, rain on the ground and an umbrella to my side. I had just swiped my card for lunch and was anxiously waiting to eat. I think tacos, beans and rice was my taste for the day. I found a spot next to the fireplace in the cafeteria, placed my tray on the wooden table and pulled out my notes to continue practicing for my upcoming Spanish quiz. I felt I was already prepared, but my university loves the element of surprise when it comes to quizzes and tests.

Conjugations down, moving on to nouns and ‘o, I forgot to start eating.’ By now, my food was cold, but I decided to eat it anyway. A few minutes later, I got a text message from a girl I had been dating for a while. “We should probably talk; I do not know how I feel about us anymore.” Immediately, I felt an intense punch to the gut as the months of being together flashed before my eyes. And not to forget, Valentine’s Day was only 72 hours away. I no longer had an appetite, my food only got colder.

What had I done, where did I go wrong and how did I fuck up were just a few questions that were encircling in my head.

Today, I realize we just weren’t meant to be long term, but at that moment, you couldn’t tell me shit. I was hurt, it was gloomy outside and o crap!, I still had my damn Spanish quiz to take.

I felt gray inside.

As I sat in my work’s commissary eating breakfast this morning, I onlooked the rain falling outside, smiling, as I was immediately taken aback to that day. But something was different today, because I am different. Not only because I am a bachelor, but because my views have evolved and matured.

I know nothing lasts forever whether it is friendships, a rollercoaster ride or a chilled bottle of Dr. Pepper. I now know to cherish these exact moments and take the future moments all in stride.

I now know that shit happens.

But most importantly, I now know that ‘pain is unavoidable, but suffering is optional.’ (Buddha).

She’s a beautiful girl and will always have a piece of my heart. But thank God, I am an octopus.

The Unseen World

What We Can't See
February 14, 2011
DailyOM

Just because we can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist, although this is a common way in which people deny the existence of spirit guides, angels, and other unseen helpers in our lives. However, anyone who has encountered such beings can attest to the fact that they do, indeed, exist, just as our breath exists, keeping us alive, even though we can't see it. The wind exists, too, but we only know this because we feel it on our skin and hear it moving the leaves on the trees. All around us and within us are things we can't see, and yet we know they are just as real as the grass beneath our feet.

What we see and don't see may just be a matter of perspective, like the ladybug who sees the leaf on which she sits, but not the tree the leaf grows on, or the person sitting beneath it. And the person beneath the tree may or may not see the ladybug, depending on where he focuses his attention. Still, all of these things, whether seen or not seen by the person or the ladybug, exist in reality. Some people are more gifted at accessing that which we cannot see, but given an open and willing heart, anyone can tune into the invisible realm and begin to find their way.

Human beings have always done this, and it is only recently that we have fallen into distrusting the existence of what we can't see. If you have lost touch with the unseen world, all you have to do is resolve to open your heart to its existence, and it will make itself known. Closing your eyes in meditation and visualization, or engaging the unseen through the written word, are just two ways to welcome the invisible back into your life. Whatever you choose to do, cultivating a relationship with that which you can't see is a time-honored human practice that can greatly enhance your life.
via DailyOM

Unwritten Words

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your innovation

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah
-Natasha Bedingfield

Eminem and Motor City

Great story, narration and marketing despite the lack of a gripping and engaging denouement.

My Next Life

My Next Life
by Woody Allen

In my next life I want to live backwards.
You start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old people’s home
feeling better every day

You get kicked out for being too healthy,
go collect your pension, and then when
you start work, you get a gold watch
and a party an your first day.

You work for 40 years until you’re young
enough to enjoy your retirement.

You party, drink alcohol, and are
generally promiscuous, then you
are ready for high school.

You then go to primary school,
you become a kid, you play.
You have no responsibilities,
you become a baby until you
are born. And then you spend
your last 9 months floating in
luxurious spa like conditions with
central heating and room service
on tap, larger quarters every day
and then. Voila!
You finish off as an orgasm.

I rest my case.

Feel Good Friday Music

Nas - Hey Young World


Wale - The Power

Bam! Another Excerpt from Russell Simmons

"Some of the haters will go online and write, 'What's Russell still doing hanging out at parties and premieres all the time? He needs to take his old ass home for once.' Well, they can kiss this old ass because I'm never going to shut myself off from the world. I can only pray that when I'm eighty years old, I'll still be listening to new kinds of music, trying new kinds of foods, reading new kinds of books, and checking out new clubs. I don't ever want to adopt a mentality in which I think there's nothing left for me to learn or enjoy out of life.
...
Whether you're a veteran like [Diddy] or a newcomer looking to make your mark, never front like you can afford to shut yourself off from new experiences or different ways of seeing the world. You can never tell from what direction your gift will be coming, so you must stay open to all possibilities. For instance, just because you live in the hood and are comfortable there doesn't mean that you can ignore how other people live. Life might be 'good in the hood,' but your inspiration might be arriving from a source of thousands of miles away. If you write everything off that seems foreign to you as 'wack' or 'weird,' you may never see the inspiration that's intended for you. You might not be familiar or comfortable with the world outside of your experience, but there's a very good chance that's where your gift is going to come from. Don't make the mistake of attracting gifts, but then unwittingly turning them away because you're too closed-minded in your outlook toward life.

The spiritual awakening that's good to lead to your change and eventual enlightenment can come at any second. You could be listening to a certain song, or reading a certain book or watching a certain play, then Bam! it hits you."

Patience

Damian Marley & Nas

Lessons of An Ordinary Day

Yesterday afternoon, I was on my way to the 112th Golden Dragon Parade and Festival located in downtown Los Angeles. As always, I decided to take the bus not only because I have not transitioned over into getting a vehicle but also because I genuinely love the comedy that takes place on Metro public transportation. I boarded the number 2 headed south-east.

As of late, I have began sitting on the inside seat because I absolutely get urked when people take up two seats and as a result, I found it important to stop being a fucking hypocrite. Music blaring in my ears as an older man approached the seat adjacent to me. At first, he inched by me and I was relieved but he quickly returned and sat down next to me. Reeking of alcohol (I think it was whiskey), I immediately wished he would find another seat, but did not attempt to make my thoughts known.

Seconds later he began to talk to me, "going to see my grandchildren today...it's my first time, but today I am going to do it." As I nodded my head and gestured, 'ok, ok,' I returned to my music and gazed out of the window. "Got my teeth in my bag here, even shaved off my mustache and beard for my grandchildren, I am going to see them for the first day today." In my head, I thought, "didn't this fool just say the exact same thing?" "If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing," he told me as if he was referring to drinking and not seeing his grandchildren earlier. "If I had to do it all over again, I would have lived the same life I lived because now I have learned."

As of now, my ears became a bit more alert and I realized that my initial judgments kept me from listening to his words from the very beginning. "Hmm, hmm I tell you, you have to live your own life and make your own mistakes - by doing that, you will have no one else to blame." Soon after, he gestured adieu and left the bus.

Guardian angel? No. Soothsayer? Nawwww. Wise man? Maybe. But more than anything, it was a lesson learned during an ordinary day.

Go Forth.

One Life, You Decide™

Still Here

By Langston Hughes

I’ve been scarred and battered.
My hopes the wind done shattered,
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,

Looks like between ‘em they done
Try to make me

Stop laughin’, stop loving’, stop living’-
But I don’t care!
I’m still here!

Treating Every Second As Holy

Below you will find an excerpt from Russell Simmons' new book SuperRich, which really struck a cord for me by discussing the culmination idea of working hard, smiling and success.

"For instance, last year I was approached at the Magic clothing convention in Las Vegas by a recent graduate of Morehouse College named Wayne Bell. Wayne told me that he had his sights on becoming an actor, but was concerned that he didn't have enough money to get an apartment in Los Angeles, where he needed to be in order to go on auditions. 'Uncle Russ, I really want to be the next Denzel,' he told me. 'What should I do?'

'Stop being a bitch and move to L.A.,' I replied. 'I've seen sixteen-year-old girls move to Italy without a dime in their pocket so they can become models. You're a grown-ass man, so you've go no excuse. Just get on the next bus to L.A., take the first job you find, and then put your head down and start working your hardest. Before too long you'll look up and you'll be standing in front of the cameras.

A lot of young people might have waved off that advice, but Wayne took it to heart and got on a bus to L.A. the very next day. Once he arrived, he got a job scooping ice scream at a shop in Beverly Hills. And true to my advice, he hustled his hardest at that job. He didn't complain about how much money he was making or act as if serving people ice cream was somehow beneath him as a 'Morehouse Man.' Instead he made friends with his bosses and coworkers, chatted up his customers, and served cone with a big smile.
...
Several months after meeting him in Vegas, I was at the L.A. premier for Lee Daniels' Academy Award-winning film Precious when who did I see working the room but Wayne! Despite the party being one of the hottest tickets in town, Wayne had managed to finesse his way inside, where he found himself rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. As I looked on proudly, he managed to strike up conversations with such stars as Oprah and my great friend, the director Brett Ratner.
...
But here's the thing: Wayne would have never been able to get so close to all those players if he hadn't been hustling from the moment he set foot in Los Angeles...The chain of events that led to his having a foot firmly planted in Hollywood all started with his willingness to scoop ice cream with a smile on his face.

Wayne's still a young man, but he already understands a secret of success that eludes many for their entire lives: Treat every second as holy. In other words, treat the moments spent scooping ice cream the same as the moments spent talking to Brett Ratner. Whether it appears on the surface to be a pedestrian or prestigious, tedious or tremendous, every moment must be infused with love and hard work. There is simple no other way to find long-term success in this world."