On day 31 of 2007, take some time to introspectively, objectively, and honestly ask yourself what have you learned about yourself since the beginning of our walk together as we work together for the good of all we contact and impact on a daily basis? Today marks the close of our first full month of walking together in peace and working together as one for the good of humanity’s culturally diverse global village. We may not have agreed with each other all the time but it’s okay to agree to disagree. If we had always agreed with each other every step of the way about everything we’ve discussed, somebody’s not being very honest.

Hopefully, our galvanized group of great men, women, and children have grown to love each other enough to tell each other the truth instead of letting the emperor believe he’s wearing clothes. Besides, don’t you think that it’s healthier to have a good debate every now and then than it is to betray each other with the violence of our silence about the real issues that matter most to our blended, extended family of great people with great weaknesses like ours? Think about it.

Reading the book, HE-MOTIONS, by Bishop T.D. Jakes, Pastor of the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, is a must read for men whether or not you have ever personally experienced the “silent scream of your own soul,” a scream that’s been “gagged by overworking,” “muffled with alcohol, drugs, or sex,” or “drowned out by the applause of others.” As so courageously stated in the aforementioned book,

“I experienced a powerful depression a few years ago. I would come home after church and sit in the dark and weep. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying. I had lost my joy. I realized that I didn’t know who I was apart from the roles I fulfilled: husband, father, son, brother, pastor, bishop, businessman, employer, on and on. But who was I?”

It’s been extremely challenging, rewarding, and humbling thus far for an ex-perfectionist to keep publishing a less than perfect literary work for complete strangers to read or ignore if they so desire. There’s no time to clean up the cluttered mess that the creative process required of me to write something from scratch that will eventually be worth sharing, worth buying, and worth reading. Some days are “sunny-side-up days” while others are “sunny-side-down days.”  As stated previously, struggling to write these unrefined, unpolished messages on a daily basis isn’t like writing an edited, polished, and refined book ready for publication.

Weeping did indeed endure but for a night until joy finally came in the morning. I, therefore, am willing to keep trying to the best of my ability to do the very thing one too many women contend the men they love don’t do very well. Communicate. Is this easy for me to do? Not at all, But I’m willing to take the risks required to do something uncomfortable if it will challenge other men who also know they need to grow up in order to become a better man, a better husband, a better father, a better friend, a better person. Easy? No. But I never expected it to be, nor did anybody promise that personal growth would be a painless process.

Getting up and showing up on day 1 of 2007 is indicative of the fact that many of you are finally ready to face your biggest fears and embrace Change. Hopefully, you’ll see the love permeating each message before you see the plethora of mistakes I’ve made while experimenting with different writing techniques. God willing, I’ll revisit each message to polish and refine them for inclusion in what may be the humble beginnings of yet another book that’s worth reading. It only takes one right combination of words out of the many failed messages I’ve tried thus far to birth a big dream.  For reasons now known, I’m choosing to exercise my free will to keep getting up, showing up, and walking by faith, not by sight, until God reveals the reasons why I’m doing this right now.  Hopefully, we’ve all learned this month that

“a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.”

God willing, we’ll continue to close out each month of our revealing journey by connecting all the dots that, upon first glance, appear randomly spread out during each month of what I’ve declared as an unpredictable “year of firsts.” Although you may not see it yet, there’s a method to this madness. I’ve never been afraid to step outside the boxes somebody else drew or to risk trying to do something that’s never been tried before even if it made me look bad initially. Hence, I’ve failed more than I’ve succeeded. So please be patient with this emerging “works in progress.”

The tried, tested, but failed, traditions of the status quo will get replaced by creative, innovative trends that will replace some self-destructive behaviors that are now threatening the very lives of the teenaged girls who aspire to make it big in the image making industry. Fashion model, female activist, television executive, and talk show host, Ms. Tyra Banks, of the Tyra Banks Show, has been unfairly vilified due to published photographs that reveal her recent weight gain. When one objectively considers the unhealthy, life-threatening side-effects of “anorexia nervosa” or “bulimia,” packing on a few extra pounds pales in comparison to what the modeling industry demands of their “next top models.” As a sign of respect, let’s tip our hats and applaud this curvaceous modeling icon for courageously leading the way in an industry that is long overdue for an image overhaul by standing up and speaking truth to power in love. Does anybody out there know why some many people enjoy finding faults with others as though there’s a million dollar reward for doing so?

The one thing I personally promised myself not to do in 2007 was to harm any of you with the words from my mouth. Do you agree that nothing damages another person’s psyche more than the verbal abuse of an unbridled tongue that leaves no visible signs of physical abuse like a clenched first or an open handed slap in the face by an angry, disingenuous person who claims to love you? How many of you remember saying or hearing the words, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? How many of you realized that this innocuous, popularized phrase is a perfect illustration of what I refer to as a “true lie.” A true lie is a lie that you hear one too many powerful people, publicized pundits, and popular peers passionately stand up and say often enough that you begin to believe it’s true.

There’s an absolutely beautiful Gospel song, “I Need You To Survive,” as performed on the Family Affair Volume II album by Pastor Hezekiah Walker. The chorus is,

“I pray for you, you pray for me. I love you. I need you to survive. I won’t harm you with words from my mouth. I love you. I need you to survive.”

If I’ve completely messed up the soul stirring lyrics to Mr. Walker’s song, please correct me. Please don’t let me keep running around butt naked thinking that I’ve got a suit on that looks as nice as the ones worn by the dapper men adorning the pages of popular fashion magazines.

If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired of giving and receiving a love that wasn’t worth paying much attention to last year, please don’t give up before we cross the finish together on day 31 of December. Digging deeper inside the cluttered place where secrets hide than you ever have before takes courage. How many of you gritted your teeth, cried a few tears, dug your feet deep into the trenches, and started pushing past the pain you felt as you began to unearth the truth you side stepped in 2006 for too long and for all the wrong reasons? Struggling to keep pushing past the pain hurt more than expected. But doing so has given you the inner strength of character needed to keep climbing higher than you thought possible.

The outward physical manifestations of the miraculous life-changing metamorphosis that began deep inside the seat of our gifted souls will vary in unforeseen, unpredictable ways from one person to the next. So please don’t compare yourself to any of our teammates. The rewards for digging deeper and doing what wasn’t pleasant, or popular with our co-dependent peers, for any of us has finally started to pay off in ways you never expected when you got up and showed up to take your first step towards achieving great things as we help each other make our dreams come true. Developing the discipline required to make it this far has given you a plethora of good reasons to keep replacing bad habits with good habits that will enable you to excel and succeed despite the overwhelming odds against you are facing right now. If you don’t remember anything else we’ve discussed during the first month of 2007, please don’t forget that

“impossible is still nothing to the One sitting high, but looking low.”

I’m not offering any quick fix remedies that will only last until Adversity strikes again, just an opportunity for our galvanized group to believe that we can all achieve great things as we continue to trust God absent any reservations until we can help each other make our biggest dreams come true. Before I close out this month of unexpected twists and turns, how many of you realized that something else a Pimp, a Prostitute, and a Preacher had in common was the less than obvious, undisclosed fact that each of these characters were all metaphors chosen by me to illustrate the power of choices. Surprised? Part II of Pimps, Prostitutes, and Preachers, a message originally posted on day 3 of 2007, will be explored and developed further during Black History Month.

For reasons now know, I’ve learned to respect the power of the pen, the written word, and the mental word pictures carefully crafted sentences and the unique combination of juxtaposed words can create in the minds of my readers. No wonder with much power comes much responsibility. Can it be that our fear of the responsibility lasting success demands is the main reason why more people still appear to fear Success more than they do Failure? Think about it. Gotta go. My most valuable resource is calling me. May the peace of God be with each of you until we meet again.

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

On day 30 of 2007, I humbly beseech each of you to join me as we tip our hats as a sign of respect for Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Today marks the 1 year anniversary of her “Homecoming Celebration.” I can only imagine how elated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became when his saw his Queen walking through the front door of our Father’s house. May their souls rest in peace for all of Eternity.

During his morning talk show, I recently heard Mr. Steve Harvey share the fact that “men used to dress to impress women.” It was disappointing to hear this syndicated talk show host say something to the effect that, “Now, men dress to impress each other.” I sat there for a few minutes to ponder what I just heard the “best dressed” man in the entertainment industry share with his listeners.

As I sat there “thinking way too hard and blinking my eyes until they hurt from fatigue, I recalled what happened far too often while riding Marta to a previous job in downtown Atlanta, Georgia in 1999. I became indignant while watching one woman after another board the train and have to stand because one too many men refused to do what real men with character used to do back in the day.

Not a single man got up and offered man’s most valuable resource their seat. I couldn’t keep standing there doing nothing but complaining about what my deceased grandmother, my unsung sheroe, would have beaten me to within a half an inch of losing my life. I had to do something out of respect for the women who deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.

I confronted the men and challenged them to take a stand and show man’s most valuable resource some hard earned, well-deserved respect. To my utter dismay, one too many of the men tried to argue me down and vilified me for jumping smack dab in the middle of their kool-aid. Because I knew both of my deceased grandmothers were watching me from within the pearly gates, I didn’t lose my religion and revert back to my previous ways.

Despite the fact I was working out with weights as often as possible, and weighed about 225-lbs, I resisted the overwhelming urge to “knuckle up” and dish out a few well-deserved “beat downs” in the name of Jesus. Besides, I knew Dr. King was also watching me honor my personal promise to resolve my conflicts non-violently. What happened next reminded me to never underestimate the power galvanized women possess when they start working together as one for the good of all the women riding the train that day.

I asked all the women on the train to start clapping until every man still sitting in their seats finally did the right thing and stood up like a man and surrendered their seats. Kudos to all those women who refused to stop clapping until the men gave up their seats as a sign of respect for the women who were probably somebody’s grandmother, momma, wife, sister, or teacher.  These men were disrespecting the next Coretta Scott King, Mother Teresa, or Ms. Rosa Parks.

Can anybody out there in the “blogosphere” tell me what in the world happened to all that “southern hospitality”? I miss what I saw while visiting my grandparents who lived in Selma, Alabama during the infamous days when “white only” and “colored only” signs spoiled and cluttered the segregated fields of their big dreams.

If the blatant sign of disrespect I saw the men display towards the women riding the train that day is indicative of what the “hip hop” generation refers to as the “dirty south,” it’s time for a generation of “old school” men, who still know how to love, trust, and respect all women, to take a stand. How many men will help clean up what a few misguided men have messed up for the rest of the men who still believe a woman is too valuable to throw away? No wonder 51% of all women are living single lives with potential husbands who didn’t realize the women they disrespected could have been their lovely wives someday.

Ladies, if you see a man in Atlanta, Georgia tipping his hat to every woman he meets on these mean streets, I’m simply doing so as a sign of respect because I’m still deeply in love with the Queens that each of you are. Besides, I wouldn’t here if it weren’t for Mother. By the way, I can’t terminate my message without saying, “I love you Mommy!!”

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

On day 29 of 2007, I couldn’t wait to get up and show up to see how many of you feel the same way I do about the state of the relationships between men and women. My heart sank upon recently hearing and reading reports from various sources that 70% of all African-American women are living single lives while 51% the rest of humanity’s women are also living the single life. Some of these single women claimed to be happier single than they were married. Based upon the reasons given for divorcing their spouses, that may be true.

It was just as disturbing to discover that the divorce rate among “Christian” couples hovers around 50%. One out of every two married Christian couples are still choosing to misbehave and behave badly, still refusing to “choose the nails,” and are still choosing not to share “a love that’s worth giving and receiving.” One out of every two Christian couples are, therefore, choosing not to follow the example of the leadership Jesus Christ modeled. For all the wrong reasons, one too many men are choosing not to bear the weight of the individualized cross that comes with every imperfect marriage between two imperfect people living in an imperfect world.

If God is perfect, if God’s divinely designed plan is perfect, if God is all knowing and all seeing, and if God created a woman to become a man’s most valuable resource, what happened? Can God make a mistake? I don’t think so. Do you? Have you ever asked yourself what went wrong with God’s perfect plan? I do constantly. Despite the myriad of reasons married couples choose to fight like mortal enemies, I’m still a firm believer that

“a wise woman has been and will always be a wise man’s most valuable resource.”

Based upon the Great Architect’s perfect plan and sovereign will, the gifted hands of the Master Potter removed a rib from Adam’s body to mold and shape into what a wise man will only refer to as a woman. I don’t know any great person wiser than our all-knowing and all-seeing Creator. Do you? Can it be that what’s wrong with the institution of a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman has more to do with the great weaknesses of imperfect husband and wives than it does with the greatness of the faithfulness of the only perfect Person willing to choose the nails?

Have you ever wondered who, or what, had the supernatural ability to jump smack dab into the middle of the Garden of Eden to destroy the relationship between Adam and Eve? I did before but not anymore because God gifted us all with the perfect clue that you’ll find in the Book of Genesis. Can it be the same charismatic, complicit, culpable, creepy crawler whose nefarious spirit slid inside the slippery skin of the low-down snake in the grass that became the original “down low brother”? (Please note: the term “brother” is not referring to the “ethnicity” of the person who is on the “down low.”)

Can it be the same deceitful mix master and divisive spin doctor whose infamous claim to fame is the father of lies, the master deceiver, the prince of darkness, the beautiful, albeit false, angel of light, the master of confusion, etc.? As the “church lady” character comedian Dana Carvey birthed during his stint on Saturday Night Live would say, “Can it be …. Satan”? So why refer to Satan the original down low brother? Because it’s clear from reading the Book of Genesis that Satan was the “first” down low deceiver who deliberately, and with premeditation, misrepresented the truth in more ways than one.

For nefarious reasons now known, Satan failed to reveal the truth about who he really was when his wickedly evil spirit approached Eve disguised as something he wasn’t. Satan, the master deceiver, also tainted the truth in order to carry out a hidden agenda by simply “adding” one word to what God told to Adam, not Eve. Doesn’t this heart-breaking scenario sound familiar to what’s still happening one too many times during such a deceptive and divisive season as this?

Satan, the greatest pretender of all times also deliberately, and with premeditation, committed copious crimes of passion when he came to Eve with a hidden agenda. How did the original down low brother destroy God’s perfect plan? How many times does the violence of this betrayal of silence happen between unsuspecting women and men on a daily basis? The answer is still one time too many. This disingenuous false prophet and false teacher didn’t choose to come correct while deliberately trying to wreck the blissful relationship between the two, not three, people God gifted to each other for all the right reasons.

In the face of Adam’s inexplicable absence, or betrayl of silence, the father of lies managed to distort and disguise the truth by simply “adding” one word to what God told Adam to share with Eve. This wasn’t the first time the fallen master of confusion utilized an alluring illusion by turning the truth into a “true lie.” What in the world is a true lie? If the truth is that which never changes, how can it become a true lie? If the truth is the same today as it was yesterday and will forever be tomorrow, what changed? Obviously God didn’t and neither did what Adam heard from God first-hand.

If the all-knowing One sitting high, but looking low, is Alpha and Omega, do you think it’s possible that our Creator is surprised by who, or what, is still killing, stealing, and destroying God’s perfect plan for the relationship between one man and one woman? I don’t. As many of you have already predicted, when you get up and show up this week, you’ll discover that the main topic of discussion for the next week will center on the critical condition of all the ailing “male-female” relationships that are failing at an alarming rate. Can it be that two is still better than one? Let me know what you think.

Can it be that three is still making a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman too crowded for great women and men who agreed to walk together as one peacefully? Can it be that one too many angry women and abusive men are really refusing to admit the truth that they are mad at God and are choosing to kick the scapegoat they blame for the crying shame they’ve created after lying to each other long before getting married in God’s name for all the wrong reasons? Think about it.

According to God’s perfect plan, I honestly believe that the basic building block that will galvanize the human race is the mutually rewarding relationship between one married man and one married woman. Do you? Can it be that Satan isn’t the only disingenuous down low brother who’s still lying to man’s most valuable resource and betraying our trust with the violence of their prolonged silence? Can it be that the father of lies has deceived generations of down low brother’s, who believed the lie to help divide, conquer, and destroy humanity’s global village from within instead of from without?

Since the truth is that which never changes, only God truly knows the reasons why two is still and will always be better than one till death steals the very last breath a husband and wife share for all the right reasons. For reasons now known, I’ll trust the perfect plan divinely designed to work together for the good of both Adam and Eve before the original down low brother invaded the privacy of their personal space.

Besides, it wasn’t their Creator’s fault that the deceived members of the first family believed the first true lie the first down low master deceiver told and sold to their exposed, naked, and ashamed souls. It wasn’t God’s fault that the pretentious prince of darkness slithered up to Eve disguised as a beautiful angel of light and persuaded the first lady of the first family to knowingly and deliberately commit the first crime of passion. It wasn’t God’s fault that Adam and Eve suffered the first series of eternal consequences that culminated with their eternal eviction from the first “place of pleasure” I frequently refer to as the “Garden of Eden.”

Can it be that the time has finally come for great people to stop getting mad at the big dog, who kept fighting you and biting you where it hurt the most, and kicking the co-dependent cat sitting closest to you and still licking all the open wounds created by the sins of all the other imperfect people who kept hitting you below the belt? Think about it. But, be forewarned! Our antagonistic spiritual enemies will not roll over and passively allow any of you to believe that great people like us with great weaknesses like ours are the only imperfect people responsible for messing up God’s perfect plan. Always remember,

“Power still concedes nothing without a struggle.”

God willing, we’ll continue to discuss the moral and spiritual demise of one too many male-female relationships from a slightly different perspective than what great people like you are accustomed to hearing or reading about on a daily basis. Hence, each of you will react differently based upon the personalized version of the true lie that you’ve been conditioned to accept as the unadulterated truth.

Although our galvanized group of imperfect people has agreed to walk together in peace and work together for good as one, your individualized response to the external stimuli you’re about to receive will vary from one person to the next. So, can agree that it will be okay to respectfully disgree with each other so we can keep walking together in peace while working together as one for the good of all God’s children? I hope so.

Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with each of you as we keep pushing past the pain that’s still standing between our God-given ability to achieve great things and make our big dreams come true. As always, the choice to do so is yours alone to make on day 29 of 2007.

©Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

On day 28 of 2007, those of you who struggled to get up and show up today deserve yet another standing ovation because you’ve pushed through the pain for another week. The software upgrade I attempted to do failed miserably. While many of you were sound asleep, I spent all night sitting at my desk recreating the previously posted messages I pecked out. Technology happens. Life happens. Adversity always seems to strike when we least expect it. So do miracles. I believe that meeting and marrying the woman I refer to as “my most valuable resource” was an unexpected miracle.

On May 24, 2000, I literally sat in awe the first time I affixed my eyes on the beautiful woman, sitting in a Borders Bookstore, who would later become my most valuable resource on April 14, 2001. I can still vividly recall the “slappy-happy” feeling of astonishment my stunned, stupefied, and speechless soul felt the first time my eyes saw the woman God “gifted” to a great man like me with great flaws like mine. Despite how my fiancee’ might have felt after Adversity knocked down the door to my heart without a warrant and falsely arrested the pursuit of my happiness when no exigent circumstances justified doing so, my “Dream Come True” stayed with me and prayed with me during my dark night of the soul.

Following an extended season of dealing with unduly burdensome circumstances beyond our reasonable control, my wife and I have decided to tough it out. On April 14, 2007, my most valuable resource and I will celebrate our 6-year wedding anniversary. Was it easy? No. Painful? Yes. Challenging would be an understatement, but my wife and I recently agreed to keep choosing the nails and doing what I hear so many married couples refusing to do, bearing the combined weight of their crosses. It would be a bold-faced lie to say that my most valuable resource and I have never hurt each other’s feelings, stepped on each other’s toes, and deeply disappointed each other while struggling to learn how to love each other unconditionally.

Nevertheless, as the head of our emerging home, I have chosen to become man enough to keep taking the hits, which is what it means to be the head of anything. That’s what real men do. I have, therefore, chosen the nails I would have rejected before I became a man. Only a man will choose to keep getting up, showing up, and pushing past the pain of the personalized cross my soul must bear until I can gift my most valuable resource with a love that’s worth giving and receiving. In my secret place on bended knee, I thank God everyday during our quiet talks that it’s not illegal for my Queen to be so intelligent and beautiful.

Both my wife, Kwiz, and our precocious baby girl have truly been a blessing to a man with big dreams who’s still struggling to overcome my many great weaknesses one step and one day at a time. If I told you how many degrees my life partner has already earned, you wouldn’t believe me. So I won’t. As a strong-willed manchild, I became extremely adept at always having to learn what Adversity taught my inept soul the hard way after my college education got abruptly interrupted. It appears to my wife and I that our 2 1/2 year old daughter has inherited the same great weakness I struggle to turn into one of my most valuable assets.

After dropping out of college, I sought the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding I still desired elsewhere since I wasn’t as prepared to jump through the hoops of higher learning as I thought. Not one to sit around having a lonely pity party, I joined the U. S. Air Force to resume my college education in Sacramento, California, only to become disappointed that, in 1977, the G.I. Bill stopped covering the cost of a college education. Nevertheless, the extremely high level of technical and management training I received over the next 11 years surpassed my wildest expectations. I, therefore, don’t regret my reluctant decision to curtail my pursuit of a traditional education.

Although disillusioned by the fundamentally unfair treatment received, I’m glad I fought to free my emerging mind from the spiritual oppression still trying to kill, steal, and destroy the God-given ability to be a great person, dream big dreams, and achieve great things. Little did I know how my decision to rise about the oppressive rim of mediocrity and self-educate myself would impact my life almost 23 years later when I met my wife in Buckhead, Georgia.

Had I not been sitting in that particular Borders Book Store reading a thick stack of books and doing what had become a fundamental habit for me, I may have never met the extremely intelligent, articulate woman who birthed our beautiful pearl of a girl. Had I not been able to approach this highly educated woman with the ability to articulate the business plan I devised for the rest of my life, she would have exercised her free will to kick me to the curb. Something as insignificant as a library card and a dictionary opened the door for a man who dropped out of college to meet the Queen I still call my “Dream Come True.”

Only God knows why He gifted my soul with a woman so beautiful and intelligent that it should be against the laws of nature for such a human being to exist. I’m constantly challenged and inspired by the woman that an all-knowing God graciously allowed to matriculate to the level of intellectual acuity she has both gained and maintained after many arduous years of scholarly study thus far. Before I close, please humor me for a moment to explain the significance of the italicized words in the previous chapter.

My mind sat up in the seat of my soul and paid attention the day I heard the words, “intellectual acuity,” as articulated as only Dr. Michael Eric Dyson could during his daily, syndicated talk show, The Michael Eric Dyson Show. It tickles me every time Dr. Dyson rings the bell signaling to all willing to listen to this jovial professor that his class is now in session. I deeply appreciate every thought-provoking lesson he proffers and truly enjoy the ecclesiastical, albeit comical style, of the critically thinking one.

Speaking in a manner that reminded me of my highly intelligent wife, Dr. Dyson articulated three syllable words with such amazing ease while I participated in his open classroom from afar. I remain hopeful that many more great women and men will begin to publicly emulate his empathy for the poor people rich people hated or despised for all the wrong reasons. Dr. Dyson’s continued success only confirms my honest belief that

“a wise woman is still a wise man’s most valuable resource.”

Since I didn’t hear any objections from Dr. Dyson, it’s safe to assume that he also agrees with me. If you don’t, please “holla back” whenever Mrs. Dyson isn’t around if time permits.

I also had to remind myself that getting up and showing up daily was the original goal until doing so became a habit. Only God knows what will get birthed out of the discipline of writing these daily posts even when it hurts. Since I’m in the process of conquering my perfectionistic tendencies, some of the daily posts you’re reading are therapeutic “quick writes” in the process of becoming refined, polished, and published pieces. Mistakes, may abound until I can finish the editing process and conquer some of my deepest fears. God willing, this too shall pass.

The meticulous process of composing a book is much different for me than writing something from scratch. Intimidating? Most definitely. As an emerging writer, getting up, showing up, and pushing past the pain of staring at a blank computer screen until I can finish writing something worth reading is not as easy as one would think, especially for me. Perfectionism is just one of the many remaining bad habits I’m still struggling to replace with many good habits. Hopefully, you’re also beginning to replace some of your bad habits with new habits. Yes, it’s a difficult process but nobody expected it to be easy.

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

On day 27 of 2007, how many of you honestly believed that you could keep getting up, showing up, and taking another step in the right direction? It wasn’t easy was it? While struggling to make big dreams come true so we can all achieve great things, what have you learned about yourself, the people you call, “friend,” your co-workers, your family members, your spouses, your life partners, and your antagonistic enemies? Have they been supportive while watching you dig deeper inside that cluttered space where secrets hide? Have you seen any tangible evidence of any passive aggressive behavior since you decided to something new in 2007?

Are people celebrating with you because they’ve been there before, or are they hating on you because they don’t want to see you face your biggest fears and embrace Change? Do you ever wonder why one too many of our peers are afraid that you might challenge them to do the same once your biggest dream comes true? As you begin to rise above the rim of mediocrity, how many people are grasping at your feet trying to pull you back down instead of letting you spread your wings and fly? Why would anyone who looks you in the eye and calls you, friend, pretend to care about you one day only to flip the script on you the next day?

Can it be that all really is not fair when it comes to love and war? Can it be that trying to play the spiritual chess game called, “life,” is just another one of the many games people play to win that God never intended for any human being to play fair? If playing fair while learning how to master the art of making love last forever, why are so many ailing marriages failing to work out as expected? If Mr. Denzel and Mrs. Pauletta Washington ever file for a divorce from the Queen he married in 1982, I wouldn’t know what to do or say for a few days. It’s undisputed that Mr. Denzel Washington has captured the hearts of so many of the women I’ve met over the years. Nevertheless, this iconic celebrity steadfastly refuses to discard his lovely wife and toss her aside as though she’s worthless. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Washington for mastering the delicate art of doing what one too many heart-broken women and men believe is impossible during such a heart-breaking season as this.

This will be my first poll question of 2007. How many of you honestly believe that the only way to make a committed relationship last till death do the two of you part ways is if everybody involved plays fair and fights fair according to the pre-established rules of engagement? Whether your answer is yes or no, please explain if time permits. The answer to our first poll question may surprise you.

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week. God willing, we will begin connecting all the dots placed on the firts 31 pages of 2007 on the last day in January. On Sunday, we will begin to dig a little deeper as we dialogue about the demise of committed relationships and monogamous marriages between men and women. Only God knows if those of you who didn’t have a Happy Valentine’s Day in 2006 will have a happier Valentine’s Day in 2007. Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with each of you as you teach each other how to love absent any conditions.

©Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for getting up, showing up, and pushing past the pain as we keep digging deeper and climbing higher on day 26 of 2007.  As always, I will keep rummaging through my stack of blog dust for yet another thought-provoking message to challenge you each day to take the next step towards making your big dreams come true by faith.  It’s my heart-felt desire to find creative ways to inspire each of you to persevere as we continue to draw near to the place where you will triumphantly stand face-to-face with your divinely ordained destiny.  Excited?  I hope so.

Bad news.  Technology happens.  The original message intended for today that I thought was safe and secure got blown away by a strong gust of wind that scattered all my blog dust here, there, and everywhere but the one place I expected to find it.  It will take me awhile since the writing process for me is extremely messy and time consuming.  So please accept my apology for this deviation from moderating a conversation about a controversial topic that still deeply divides humanity’s culturally diverse village.  It’s my honest belief that the subject of today’s message plays a key role in why an overgrown bully of a giant has been blown out of proportion.  This modern day Goliath is the president of “Racism, Inc.”

Quick question.  Do you see yourself as a “giant killer” or as a “grasshopper?”  Think about it.  Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with each of you after you leave here today.  

“I am your constant companion.  I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.  I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.  I am completely at your command.  Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly, correctly.  I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me.  Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.  I am the servant of all great people; and alas, of all failures as well.  Those who are failures, I have made failures.  I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human being.  You may run me for a profit or turn me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.  Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet.  Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

…I am habit.”

–Anonymous

©Copyright 1990-2007 by Roderick O. Solomon.  All Rights Reserved.

Before our galvanized team of diligent and resilient people begins our character-building journey on day 25 of 2007, how many of you got up, showed up, and realized that you were the one who really needed a good long drawn out hug? I did. Did you? Since Time and Chance happens to us all, some of us needed an empathetic ear today from a compassionate peer willing to hang on to our every word. Did you? As evidenced by the sweat pouring down your faces, many of our bone tired, weary souls needed to find a set of strong shoulders to lean on today.

Here’s some good news. You came to the right place as evidenced by the smiles on every face you see. We’re one big blended, extended family. Dysfunctional? Probably. But whose family isn’t a little “off the chain” or “over the top” especially during tough times? Mine was and yours was probably just as challenging. But we survived and toughed it out because we loved each other. Besides, that’s what tough people, who choose to love each other, do during tough times.

Guess what? We love you too. So, here’s a little “link love” while I blow some magic “blog dust” your way to make you feel better today as we take one more step closer to making our biggest dreams come true so we can help each other achieve great things. Besides, my gray haired mentors and nurturing role models raised me to believe that whenever “one” of us is hurting, “all” of us are hurting. Did yours? I still feel the same way today despite what I see and hear when walking down the street to meet and greet passers by with a smile, a handshake, or a hug. My family raised me to care about my neighbors and share their “southern hospitality” whenever and wherever I could.

Isn’t it nice to know that none of our emotionally connected souls are so busy that we don’t have time to care about you or take as long as needed to meet you where you are right now? If necessary, we will meet you at the place of your biggest defeat to allow you the personal space your critically ill soul needs to completely heal. Don’t be afraid to tell us where and when we need to go to help you conquer your biggest fear. We have all suffered at least one great fall. I’ve had many.

If time permits, click on the About page at the top of my Home page to see why I decided to publish WHEN LEAST EXPECTED™, “Inspiration To Brighten Dark Days And Lonely Nights When All Seems Lost,” now after working on it for about ten years. As evidenced by my “Stones Of Remembrance,” we have all suffered at least one defeat that we didn’t think we’d recover from until we met the “greatness” of God’s “faithfulness” when we least expected it. I’ve suffered many in my lifetime. As my grandmother always said, “what don’t kill you just keeps making you stronger” the longer you choose to keep strugglin’ to overcome your biggest antagonist.

So why did I choose to “keep risin’ after every fall” and “steppin’ out of the darkness” when nobody, except Jesus, thought I could? Because I learned to trust God while my soul turned in the crucible of Adversity’s refining fire, I knew that nothing could, nor would, ever separate my gifted soul from God’s love, grace, and mercy. Nothing. Nothing and nobody would or could ever make God forsake me or leave to die alone in a valley littered with yet another sun-dried bone. From somewhere deep within the severely wounded heart of my cast down soul, I heard a still, small voice that kept whispering, “Don’t give up” until a peace that surpassed my limited understanding about everything that had ever happened to me inspired my bone tired, weary soul to rise to my feet, shake off the dust of my defeat, and take another step closer to making my biggest dreams come true so I could start achieving great things.

“Love” is the reason why I still feel so compelled to cry while watching, reading, or hearing about all the egregious, horrendous, and horrifying events that are still happening daily to one too many great people like you. Even Jesus Christ and Nehemiah wept. So, I’m not ashamed to let you know that a 225-pound red-blooded man still cares about each and every one of you that much. Matters not the colour of the skin covering your beautiful faces. Matters not how wealthy or poor you may be today since God can change your life in the twinkling of on an eye when you least expect it to happen. God has done it for me too many times in ways I never expected. Since your skin colour, social status, and financial status don’t matter to God, it shouldn’t dictate to whom I choose to link love with unconditionally. Does it matter to you? I hope not.

Can it be that there is a divinely ordained reason why the human race is comprised of many great people like us with great weaknesses like ours who are just as diverse as our personalized spiritual gifts, natural talents, and fingerprints? Hidden inside the pages of the Bible in our hand lies the key that will unlock our God-given ability to wrap our brains around the truth that all the culturally diverse people God created belong to one humongous blended, extended family. Reading 1 Corinthians 12 will enable each of us to teach our peers so they can better understand why God uniquely gifted our divinely designed bodies with an individualized skill-set of spiritual gifts and talents that differ from one person to the next.

Matters not whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican despite what you might have thought after reading yesterday’s message. I don’t hate President George W. Bush. I just don’t like his ways nor do I agree with many of his unwise, partisan political decisions because one too many great people are still dying for nothing. Nevertheless, I choose to love Bush which is why I exercised my free will to give him another push. Can you learn to love somebody you may not like this year? I hope so.

Can it be that the ailing heart of humanity’s global village will keep failing unless and until all the members of the human race can function as one galvanized body of people who agree to cooperate with each other and operate as one emotionally unified body of people? Can it be that the power of God’s love will inspire all our Father’s children to protect each other whenever “one” member of the human race is hurting to keep “all” the members of humanity’s deeply wounded body from hurting?

Can it be that love, not hate, will inspire all the severely wounded members of the human race to emulate the intricate life support systems of a delicate human body after we agree as one to adopt the phrase “All For One And One For All” as our mission statement? Can all the members of our blended, extended family agree as one to “link our love” together and challenge each other not to wait until another one of humanity’s darkest hours occurs when all appears lost and we fear the worst had already happened? I sincerely hope so.

Quick question. Who, or what, is still preventing you from trusting God absent any reservations and beyond the shadow of any doubt you may have about Jesus Christ? If any of our team members are hindering you, don’t be afraid blow the whistle. Matters not if that bully calls you a “Snitch.” Don’t be afraid to flip the script on your antagonist by letting us all stand together as one. Together we can confront that cowardly person for the good of all humanity and stop the violence our own betrayal of silence created for too long and for all the wrong reasons.

So, whenever you choose to leave here today, please ask God to gift you with the inner strength of character needed to challenge yourself to love yourself enough to “keep pushing past the pain” you’re feeling right now. Go ahead. Cry if you have to as you begin to “honestly” deal with the your individualized issues and personalized reasons why all is still not well with your gifted soul in 2007. As we lean on each other’s shoulders and struggle to follow the faithful footsteps of God’s unfailing, “bi-partisan” leadership, just know your dysfunctional family members will always “link our love to your love” absent any conditions.

On day 25 of 2007, please give your teammates a well-deserved “high five” for paying the price to keep their big dreams alive. Despite how many nights you wept in the fetal position, each of you kept getting up and showing up everyday. Because all of you exercised your free will to keep pushing past the pain you felt, you have finally started to dig deep enough to unearth some stuff you hid when you always did what only came easy or felt good.

So, please don’t feel bad because you’re crying in front of your peers. We won’t think less of you matters not how long it may take for God to bless you after you link your love with His. If the truth be finally known, one too many of our self-deceived peers, who honestly believed they could keep lying to themselves while trying to “fake it” until they “make it.” If the truth be finally known, many of our most successful and wealthy peers still share some of the same fears we have about the same unfinished business they still choose not to personally address.

When you finally begin to honestly believe the truth I care enough to share with you about our most gracious and merciful Father, you will achieve great things as your biggest dreams comes true. As we struggle to walk together in peace and work together as one for the good of all God’s children today, please encourage the person standing beside you to take the next step towards achieving their big dreams until we can all achieve great things. Don’t forget to challenge yourself to replace every “bad habit” with a “good habit” for the next 310 days of this “year of firsts.” If necessary, write down the words that have become my screensaver if it helps you to remember them,

“DON’T GIVE UP.”

Besides, if stellar athletes believe they can push past the pain until they can achieve the level of excellence, physical conditioning, and mental toughness all great champions need to succeed, why can’t we try to do the same? “No Pain. No Gain.” Maybe that’s why we pay them millions of dollars to do with excellence what one too many great men, women, and children still “choose not” to do in 2007. “Push Past The Pain.” If somebody like me with great weaknesses like mine can do it, then so can each and everyone one of you with God’s help. Remember, impossible is still nothing to God. God willing, 2007 will be the “first year” great nations of great people stop killing each other for nothing and start developing the inner strength of character needed to keep pushing past the pain until the synergy of our link love finally conquers hate? “No. Struggle. No Strength.” Think about it.

“ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!!”

I don’t know about you but I sure could use some of your link love right about now since we’re going to take a closer look at two extremely controversial and divisive topics of many heated debates, “Race” and “Racism,” from a different perspective tomorrow. God willing, and if the creek don’t rise before the sun gets up and shows up come morning, we’ll address this overgrown modern day Goliath. My wife constantly reminds me that I’m “so country” because of the terminology I inherited from my parent’s families. As country as my wife claims I am. As Dr. Michael Eric Dyson would say, “Holla Back!” if you agree with my Queen.

Quick question before we close. How many of you know the cultural differences between a “scarcity mentality,” an “abundance mentality, and a “slave mentality?” It appears, based upon the massive number of hands and voices that just got raised, that the answer to this thought-provoking question needs to be the topic of another post. Understanding the difference between these two diametrically opposed paradigms will explain why humanity’s global village is still emotionally divided during such competitive and self-deceptive times as these. If you already know the difference between a scarcity mentality and an abundance mentality, then you won’t mind sharing some of your link love with the rest our blended, extended family members today.

One can never get enough of your link love or blog dust anyway since you love inspires me to get up, show up, and take another step towards our common, worthwhile goal. Can it be that our remnant’s “one for all and all for one” attitude will still ring just as true today during such an emotionally explosive and divisive season as this one?Can it be that it’s still true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link? We’ll see. Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with each of you and your families today.

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

After watching President George “W.” Bush address a house emotionally divided along political, financial, and racial lines, I had to brush off the dust of my disgust and trust that God would give President Bush a bigger push than the one Mr. Kanye West gave him after our government failed to save one too many helpless poor people who died for nothing. Although Bush had the attention of all who hailed him and threw up a “W” during his campaign, his speech writers failed to mention a single substantive plan to halt the declining human condition of the survivors still displaced by Katrina’s wrath.

As stated before, “it’s a bad wind that stubbornly refuses to change directions,” especially when one too many of America’s demoralized troops are falling down in the burning sands of Iraq and “dying for nothing.” Once again, it’s time to employ the power of the pen to beseech the O.G. who gave a lame duck speech not to deploy the souls of parent’s children to Iraq just to protect holes filled with black gold and die for the true lie Bush told and sold to the deceived souls who once believed in him while throwing up a W.

President George W. Bush, What Up With That?

Only God knows why so many of the highly educated, politically motivated O.G.s who wear red coats and blue coats still refuse to push aside their foolish pride and decide to do what’s fundamentally fair for all God’s children. Only God knows why one too many innocent children are crying and dying in Iraq from the collateral damage ground zero created while another generation of impoverished children in America are steadily falling through the widening cracks of a crumbling foundation that can no longer support an under-funded educational school system.

Can it be that a remnant of latch-key children with nothing to lose will refuse to throw up a W and bow down to the same emotionally disconnected O.G. siphoning funds away from their lame duck social security checks? Can it be that God will use the little children of humanity’s global village to checkmate the spiritually-blinded, high-minded O.G.s in red coats and blue coats who hijacked a democratic election and held America’s electoral votes hostage to step away from the insanity of their win-at-all-costs slave mentality?

President George W. Bush, What Up With That?

Only God knows why it never mattered to the O.Gs sitting in a divided white house that the bombs that fell from the skies over Baghdad would splatter and shatter the hopes of the families who lost a heroe or sheroe who died on the burning sands of ground zero for a bunch of lies. Only God knows why the rest of the O.G.s sitting in prominent positions of privilege still can’t agree to walk together in peace and work together as one to do what’s best for the rest of humanity’s global village before it’s too late for our prayers to make a difference. Only God knows why it doesn’t deeply sadden the O.G.s wearing red coats and blue coats that one too many highly decorated men and women, who are now physically, emotionally, and mentally mutilated, are still being forced to keep fighting a politically motivated war that mortal men and women can never win. Only God knows how many more grieving parents who stopped throwing up their W and believing in an O.G. who’s still deceiving himself with the same bold-faced lie that continues to claim the lives of one too many great men, women, and children still dying for nothing.

President George W. Bush, What Up With That?

Can it be that the real O.G.s aren’t the urban street gangs waving red rags or blue rags but the politically correct gangstas dancing around a “white house” to avoid the ticking time bombs of “hopelessness” and “social injustice?” Can you imagine how many conservative talk show hosts and politically correct pundits would get offended and shake their first if urban street gangs contended that the names of the real O.G.s would consist of a list of powerful people sitting in high places and white houses? Can it be that the title, “O.G.,” also symbolized the politicized “red coats” and “blue coats” who highjacked a presidential election, carjacked monetized electoral votes, and split the land of the free into the divided “red states” and “blue states” of America?

President George W. Bush, What Up With That?

Only God will know what it will take to motivate the short-sighted status quo who realized too late that they enabled America’s Commander-In-Chief to separate a divided “white house” with the rumors, half-truths, and true lies that ignited another civil war between the political gangs wearing red coats and blue coats. For the first time in our sanitized history, will the real O.G.s take a historic stand on bended knees and shake the hand of the next tough power broker with enough political capital to end the “family feud” between Republicans and Democrats? Will the real O.G. begin within to lead by example, practice what he continues to preach during yet another disingenuous speech, and teach the rest of humanity’s violent street gangs how to “win friends for life” and “influence all the right people” for the right reason during such a deadly season as this?

Only God knows if the fervent prayers we pray on day 24 of 2007 can save our brave troops from the clear and present danger of a civil war that battalions of mortal women and men can’t win with the violence of Bush’s silence about the gallons of oil he wants to control. Until we meet again, please pray that God’s perfect love will give President George W. Bush a big push in the right direction before our Commander-In-Chief wastes another blood-stained dime on a war crime even Uncle Sam knows mortal people can’t realistically expect to win. Do you ever wonder what Maslow, Ghandi, and Dr. King would say if they were all still alive today and saw how many ailing societies are dying for nothing because gangs of white-collar O.G.s broke the law while failing to meet the fundamental needs of humanity’s war torn global village? I do. Do you? Gee, why not?

O.G., What Up With That?

©Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Doesn’t it make you feel good to see yourself getting up, showing up, and taking another step closer to making your dreams come true on day 23 of 2007?  Have you ever found yourself wondering why one too many great people are still ending up homeless in a fertile land where there’s enough milk and honey to fill every hand that’s empty?  It happened to me.  During my season of sunny-side-down days, I watched my weight plummet from over 200 pounds to about 165 pounds.  I understood most of the reasons why my brook had run dry so quickly.  I also accepted full responsibility for my decision to pursue my dream.  But what I had a hard time accepting was why so many of the people I knew, or helped financially, had decided to turn a blind eye to my financial demise.

But somebody I didn’t know help me to realize why my decision to step out on faith and pursue my big dream had offended the peers I befriended who now resented me. Apparently, I had broken some unwritten, unspoken code of conduct my co-wokers lived by to justify their fears and the myriad of reasons why they had settled for less.  When my company car had broken down, I reluctantly drove my 5 series BMW to work to avoid being late for a meeting.  Why did I do that?  Every domino I had so meticulously lined up like ducks in a row suddenly started falling.

I also made the mistake of asking a co-worker to drive me home from work one day after putting my company car in the repair shop.  Yet another fatal mistake that severely hindered my ability to win friends.  The response was, “****, your home has more square footage than mine!!”  As expected, the dominoes kept falling.  Shortly thereafter, I discovered that my co-worker had started remoldeling the family home.  By now, the collateral damage for daring to paint outside the box of politically acceptable behavior while dancing to the beat of a different drum had sealed my fate.  Overhearing a manager telling the other managers, “As long as I’m here, Solomon will never get another raise,” became the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.  Sounds crazy but it happened and it’s still happening to many of you today.

Before sacrificing my home in 1990 to pursue my dreams, I began to notice the same group of men, who were standing on the street corners when I left in the morning, were still standing on the same street corner when I arrived back home from work later that evening.  Curiousity compelled me to ask them why they didn’t have some place else to go.  The stories they shared inspired me to pen today’s entry.  That’s why I have so much love and respect for the angels who manage Hosea Feed The Hungry & Homeless in Atlanta, Georgia.  I truly enjoyed working with so many of the great people I met who assisted Ms. Elisabeth and Mr. Afemo Omilami as they did the “eternal work” of meeting the unmet needs of the relocated and displaced Katrina survivors.  Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with each of you.

LIFE’S STREET CORNERS 

See all those men standing on that street corner wishin they had some place else to go?  Some are panhandling for money or looking for honest work, while the rest are just looking for an honest way to survive.  As a truck passes by, someone shouts, “I’ll pour cement, paint your house, or wash the car you drive!”  Long after we retire for the evening, some of those same men will still be standing on that street corner with no place else to go.

As a truck pulls up, the driver honks the horn and asks the men if they want to earn some tax-free dough.  Feet start flying, moving as fast as they can just for the chance to earn an honest day’s pay.  Happy are the chosen ones while the rest must be persistent enough to try again another day.  Without a high school diploma or college degree to tack on the wall, many of these great men will have no choice but to go back to some street corner wishing for some place else to go.

Can it be that it’s not always by choice that all those great men are standing on that crowded street corner with no place else to go?  During the last recession, many men lost good paying jobs, their homes, and found it difficult to make ends meet.  Thanks to their false beliefs about the poor, banks refused to extend business loans to the homeless men lining up on that street.  Following a divorce from man’s most valuable resource, tough times can force any of us to live on the street corner with no place to else to go.

My son, get your education since Ignorance and Illiteracy won’t help you make the hard times go away fast enough.  If you lose your freedom to choose, the full price Success demands up front today will be one expense Poverty will make you pay tomorrow.  May common sense inspire you to always do the best you can in the classroom of your choosing to avoid much sorrow.  As you keep climbing higher and higher still, I pray the wisdom you acquire will keep you off life’s street corners, wishing you had some place else to go.

©Copyright 1990-2007 by Roderick O. Solomon.  All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for getting up and showing up on day 22 of 2007.  Since many of you still don’t understand what “digging deeper” and “climbing higher” mean, the challenge for you today may take a little while for some of you to complete.  But please invest in yourself and do it anyway.  You may be surprised by what you find.  By now, you’re not as afraid as before to keep digging deeper inside the place where all secrets hide. 

I found both of the following profound statements securely nestled between the covers of the book, THE 8TH HABIT, by Mr. Stephen R. Covey.

“If you want to make minor, incremental changes and improvements, work on practices, behavior or attitude.  But if you want to make significant, quantum improvements, work on paradigms.”

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Albert Einstein

Until I hear from you, I’ll remain hopeful that Einstein’s quote will help you to better understand what it means to keep climbing higher.  In closing, here are three questions for each of you to ponder while conducting your research today,

(1) Where did the term “paradigm shift” originate?

(2) What does it mean to shift a paradigm?

(3) How can a paradigm be shifted? 

Hopefully, your enhanced understanding about the meaning of the term, paradigm shift, will begin to set the force in motion that will eventually shatter all those petrified false beliefs about your God-given ability to “know how” to make your biggest dreams come true as we aspire to achieve great things.

Oh!  You thought I was kidding.  Not! 

By the way, I recently added The Book Store link to the sidebar section of my Home page for your convenience.  Until we meet again, may the peace of God be with you as you take another step closer to achieving big dreams and doing great things. 

©Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.