Clinicallyspeaking’s Blog

     September has blessed me again with the opportunity to contemplate and look forward to yet another year of growth, love, life and happiness.  I wrote a blog in August with every intention on posting it for August.  The powers that be deterred me from publishing it for a reason.  While I can’t clearly over-stand it enough to explain, I’m going to still give thanks.  It’s my faith that tells me to listen and since Faith continues to unleash blessings upon me and mine, like safety, security, love, renewal, progression, and much more, I’m awfully glad I continue to listen.

 For the Love of Life…Have, Keep & Give Thanks for YOUR Faith!

The past couple of months have been crazy weird for everyone!  I’m not speaking of natural disasters, loss, or some freak incident, but simply in our everyday lives.  In my opinion, our daily experiences, unexpected changes, serendipitous occurrences, etc., all speak to the small element of control that we have, yet have not.  As such, and thankfully so, Faith has long since become my saving grace.  Faith encourages me to be brave in the midst of uncertainty.  Having answers may not always settle my head and/or my heart however knowing that I am important enough to be cared for by my loved ones gives me a certain sense of genuine security like nothing else I’ve experienced. 

Faith protects me from the fears of persons, places and things unknown.  I have grown to relinquish suspicion, sabotage, trickery, deceit and false pretense in the name of Faith.  I need not be prepared to defend myself for I know not what comes, just that I’m already protected.  Therefore, I make a commitment to be and seek out transparent relationships in the name of Faith.  I am aware that even with a vision — needs, times, people and circumstances will change.  It’s possible that the chaos is not in the change that is occurring.  May be the chaos stems from the lack of Faith that some have with experiencing the changes that are occurring.  As a result, we may tend to question, negatively associate, gravitate towards angst, or seek to disprove elements of change. 

Embracing change is definitely a Faithful act and is cyclic to providing a gateway to inclusion, respect, understanding, resolution and tolerance.  Change and Faith then become intertwined and only if we’re listening can Faith in Change provide HOPE.  Hope for better times, better days, better circumstances, better actions, better outcomes, and better feelings.  Faith in the graces, faces, places and times of change can offer a lifelong blessing of Hope and Healing.  Faith allows us to relinquish blame, shame and game.  Faith allows us to be empowered and enhanced by spiritual beliefs of which worldly beliefs cannot compare or measure up to.  Faith allows freedom of thought and movement that beholden us to an entity not comparable to humans — to each other. 

It is my Faith that keeps me thankful and appreciative for positive and negative experiences of change.  I meditate and request the same for my loved ones, always in Hope and Healing for the Love of Life.

 IT’S NOT ABOUT RACE … IT’S A SOCIAL CLASS ISSUE!

Residents, service providers and stakeholders alike are either beginning or are continuing to feel the onslaught of budgetary cuts across District of Columbia programs and services.  For some, the recent changes have affected their household incomes; resulting in reductions in TANF benefits, Grandparent’s benefits, Unemployment, Disability and other staples of survival.  These human and social service programs are the benefactor of deficit reductions in an attempt to undo the damage of yet another war, poor use of natural resources, poor choices in spending, coupled with the previous administration and a host of other failing systems.  Unfortunately for thousands of District residents, the victims receive the blame and foot the Bill. 

These shifts and changes have resulted in some very bitter feelings within the human/social service industry that I’ve witnessed in my twenty – one years.  Institutions and organizations compete for funding, notoriety and the sheer ability to maintain.  Paranoia of favoritism and prejudices plague leaders, crimes by and concerning local leaders are overlooked swept under the rug and ultimately become parasitic to the communities that are expecting their leaders to serve and represent them.  Organizations have become more vested in keeping their doors open, often sacrificing the quality of services for quantity – security in numbers.  Competition exists where collaboration should prevail and the poor and unprotected are excused in preparation for political pursuits.

However, in the act of writing with Love of Life in mind; I would not encourage nor lend this time or these lines to playing the infamous blame game.  I will urge the families and providers in the District, especially in Ward 8, to take immediate action.  Yes, things are changing and not all for the better.  We must not be apathetic or passive to such dangerously changing times.  As residents, parents, providers and stakeholders, we deserve to be valued over an election, dollar bill and deficit.  While it would be nice if the wealthy that created this deficit was held responsible for their damage by having to pay back their debts; the wealthy continue to receive tax breaks, funding support, and guarantees of stability and security that the average working class citizen could only imagine.

So let’s begin to know and value ourselves!

Therefore, please understand that this is about SOCIAL CLASS STATUS, and this is something that we can change!  For so long, we’ve been taught that most of our ills are the result of our RACE.  This was smart and safe, considering Race is something that we can’t change; this form of BRAIN WASHING has convinced us that we have no other choice than to be resigned to the fate of a prescribed ethnicity.  However, I BEG to differ.  Most of the struggles that have permeated our families, communities and social settings are a direct result of our social class status.  WE (minorities) have always been viewed as unworthy of and less than due to the mere difference in our history and culture.  We were taught that we needed fixing and since then have abandoned all of our roots for leaves of another type of tree.  We’ve been sold a religion that promotes financial prosperity equal to the riches of Kings as a measure of our success.  We’ve been taunted by the reportedly tainted histories of our heritage that so eagerly and efficiently resolved so many issues for Europeans yet created so much discord for all other ethnicities.  Our struggle has NOTHING to do with RACE… it is a smokescreen and deterrent for those that are easily misled and desperately seeking solace. 

So it’s obvious that we NEED to revert back to A PEOPLE that are solely responsible for ones’ self and surroundings.  It’s possible to prosper in this manner as the government is adamant about not being willing or able to care for its’ citizen’s basic needs.  Poverty and destitution which prevents access and reduces our social class status can be addressed, changed and improved.  It is important that we do ALL that we can to rise above this mental imprisonment.  No one is going to feed, rescue, save, or secure you. 

SO I SAY THIS WITH LOVE OF LIFE:

• EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN ONTHEIR HISTORY
• BUILD ON YOUR OWN TALENTS AND SKILLS
• THE AGENCY/ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION WILL NOT PROVIDE FOR YOU
• KEEP THE COMPANY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE
• IF WHAT YOU’VE DONE FOR 20 YEARS ISN’T WORKING, TRY SOMETHING NEW
• USE THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO LEARN FOR FREE WHILE YOU CAN
• USE THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESSES
• USE THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO HEAL YOURSELF AND FAMILIES
• USE THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU DON’T WANT TO LIVE

BE ACTIVE AND PROACTIVE… IT’S NOT 1975 ANYMORE…

COME INTO THE FUTURE OF INFINITE OPPORTUNITIES

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KNOWLEDGE CONTINUES TO BE POWERFUL!!!