Everybody wants honesty, but how many of us want truth?

There are two things I need to say in beginning this:

1) I will never say that I am faultless or perfect, but I am a constant work in progress that is striving for righteousness.

2) There is a difference between honesty and truth.

Honesty is the correct yes or no answer to any question you want to know the answer to, but truth is the answer to anything you need to know, but never knew to ask. Honesty is a flashlight that casts away the darkness of the lies that are right in front of our face while truth is a blinding light that takes any shadow of a lie that is all around us.

In talking to people and hearing how others handle situations and their daily lives, I can fathom that we all want to receive honesty and most of us try to be honest. When our parents, family, significant others, friends, or anyone else talks to us, we generally and genuinely want them to be honest with us. If we ever find out that those we are dependent on for honesty lie to us, we actually get hurt, upset, or at the very least...disappointed. But this is the extent of honesty; it can only be directed directly at us or we can only give it to others.

The truth, however, is far reaching. In other words, the people in Australia see the same sun that the people in Utah see and the truth is the same and just as relevant whether it's discovered in Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan or China. The biggest difference between the truth and honesty is how we handle it and how we relate to it.

When someone is honest with us, even if the honesty hurts, we eventually deal with it. We deal with it because the honesty is something that we wanted to know about, and it's always a little easier to swallow what you asked for in the first place. On the other hand, when we find out about the truth, there's an entirely different spectrum of possible feelings. The first thing most of us do is to deny what we've been given is the truth. Many times, we don't want to believe it which can also lead us to being angry about the truth or even wanting to "shoot the messenger" just for giving us the truth.

I believe that(and this is my opinion) we deny the truth and we get angry about the truth because we know that once it's brought to our attention, things are never the same afterwards. Granted, some of us ignore what we've learned and try to go back to living the lie we knew before the truth was presented to us. But no matter how hard we try to go back to the ignorant lie, and no matter how hard we try to forget the truth, we're still responsible and held accountable for the truth. Don't believe me? When your parents told you what right and wrong was, did they hold you accountable anytime you ignored them and did wrong? For those of us who have cars, most of them can go over 100 m.p.h., but if we ignore enough speed limit signs, what happens to us?

I write this not only to give the difference between honesty and truth, but to also urge anyone who reads this to always seek the truth. I know the truth isn't always pretty and it isn't always what we want to know, but it is always what we need to know and "the truth shall set you free". Free from living the lies we did or didn't know we were living, free from having to worry about covering up the truth because we'd be living proof of it, and free from the suspecting eyes of others because no matter how hard anyone else could try, they would have nothing on us because we would be walking in truth.

Asking for a spot does NOT mean I want you to work out with me

Just to state for record's sake, I don't go to the gym to:

1) Dress in the latest sports attire and model for everyone
2) Flirt with the women
3) Talk to everybody instead of working out

With that being said, I do go to the gym because I want to stay in good physical condition while eating whatever I please and I want to get stronger than I already am. The keywords there are "stronger than I already am". This means that I have limits and weaknesses that I'm trying to overcome, but I can only do that by pushing myself to those limits.

Just to make sense of this, when I ask someone for a spot in the gym, I am asking for someone to assist me. If I am on the bench press, that may mean "breaking" the weight by removing it from the bar, and then watching me to make sure that I don't let the bar loaded with weight crush my chest. That's it! I don't ask for a spot so the person can do the exact opposite of what I do and can get a workout in too.

When I'm on the bench press, I don't want the person spotting me to pull the bar up as I'm trying to push it up. Why? Because if someone else is pulling all the weight, what kind of workout am I getting and if someone else is doing all the work, then I'm not getting any stronger.

You may or may not be into fitness, but I hope this point hits home for you...if someone else is doing all the work for you or taking the "weight" of the world off your shoulders, then not only are you living a sheltered life, but you're also not getting stronger. So when that "spotter" or that "yes" man isn't around anymore, an actual problem will crush your weak self. Just remember that it's always good to ask for assistance, but never ask for a crutch.

What is the point of an idea?

The second most important lesson any of us can ever learn is that our minds are the playground where any and everything we want to happen can happen. I know that at one time, the people reading this wanted to be spacemen, princesses, firemen, and probably a few of you who wanted to be president. I'm sure that somewhere along the line, you told your ideas and your dreams to someone else, and they said something to the effect of, "That will never work." So in just four simple words, it's possible to crush an idea even before it's attempted. But this raises the bigger question, what is the point of an idea?

Ideas are a construct of our minds & often, the difference between its success or failure depends on if we use that idea or not. Nothing you use or buy has ever or will ever magically appear. The television you watch...started out as an idea, the computer you use...started out as an idea, and even the websites you visit were just ideas in a person's head until they decided to try them. The next big thing that everyone will want is an idea in someone's head right now.

Ideas need plans, and plans need ideas. It's a basic symbiotic relationship. You may have an idea that you decide to share with your friends and family. They may tell you that it's a great idea and you might even share it with people you meet on twitter or facebook. The setback for you now is that unless you come up with a plan of action, the only thing that you have is an idea. From here, there's one of two conclusions: either your idea is wasted and it profits you nothing, or someone else thinks of your idea or steals your idea and uses it. In the last scenario, you become one of the people who inevitably say, "Aww, I had thought of that. If only I had done something with it."

The last thing to bring up is what is the value of an idea? Every idea is both priceless to the person who thought of it, and worthless to everyone else until that idea has a physical breakthrough. So for those of you with ideas running through your heads now, I hope you start a plan for your idea so that you can make it a reality for the rest of us.

Thank you 9/11 first responders, and screw congressional bureaucrats

There was a moment in my life when I was involved in a car accident that was so severe that my head was split open and I was knocked unconscious. I could not help myself, and if it were not for the grace of God, onlookers, policemen, firemen and emergency medical technicians(first responders) who airlifted me to a hospital, I would have died. For one second, I want you to think about a moment where you, a loved one, or even just someone you know owes their life to the unselfish and ever alert actions of a first responder.

With that thought in your mind, it is beyond my political comprehension that any man or woman, Democrat or Republican could have the nerve to vote no on a bill for health care for 9/11 first responders. Why, in God's name would Republicans vote "no" to this bill? Because, "the bill would pay for itself by closing a tax loophole on foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries." In other words, multinational corporations that are exempt from U.S. taxes would no longer have that exemption. And, Republicans aren't in agreement with that.

But the health care bill received a majority vote which would have passed it, but Democratic representatives enacted a special voting procedure which required that the bill get at least a 2/3 majority vote in order to be passed. Why? Because the Democrats felt the Republicans might "try to kill the bill with amendments". What kind of message does this send to every American who is a first responder and even Americans who are simply good Samaritans? First responders get paid for their job, but they take the classes and get the necessary training for their jobs by their own choice. So it seems that the men and women of congress are telling them that they made a poor choice in judgment because of congress's unwillingness to help our own even though the first responders are helping us.

But this isn't a rant. This is a request for you to use your political power to help influence your congressmen. Write your representative by going here. Once you get the address, mail your congressman a letter and ask, no demand that they revive the Zadroga act and then to vote yes. If you don't want to mail a letter, call them instead. We were all so happy to "rock the vote", so here's a chance to make more real change for the people who help keep us alive.

Collaboration makes money, collaborating makes sense

Collaboration(n.) - The act of working together or cooperating to achieve a common interest or goal.

ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY

A friend mentioned that phrase to me recently, and she's dead on. This is the thing that people live for, die for, and some even plot and connive for. Just for the chance to have an opportunity. I mention this now because I have learned through ups and downs that the access to the opportunity that we seek is 10,000 times easier when we work together.

First and foremost, for any sports fan, name one championship team(NFL, NBA, MLB or otherwise). Now name one championship team that won by only having one player on the field or on the court. No matter how long you think about it, you can't name one because every winning team has reached the top because individuals were willing to collaborate for the sake of becoming a championship team.

Secondly, in 2009, Bill Gates held a super moguls secret summit in New York. Oprah was there, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner and many other billionaires came together to discuss common interests and work towards common goals. In 2010, Bill Gates hosted a CEO summit in Seattle which included guests like Dana White and U.S. Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. So my question to you is if these wealthy athletes and high powered moguls know enough about the power of teamwork to collaborate, why don't you do the same?

Don't let anyone fool you, but the days of the "self-made" individual are done! The people who get ahead get there because a group or army of individuals are behind them pushing them forward. Some people would rather work on their own, others feel that working in a group is a waste of time and then there are those that would rather cut down, discriminate, or simply hate other individuals instead of working with them. Some of these people can be helped while others are doomed to keep the attitudes that will do nothing but hold them back as the rest of the world progresses.

The bottom line is that with collaboration...we all get ahead faster.

Get Out of Your Cage(Thank You Katt Williams)

I find inspiration in all places, and as funny as Katt Williams is to me(and a lot of others), he said an analogy which really hit home with me. When you watch this clip, be prepared for explicit language, but if you listen to everything he's saying, hopefully you'll truly understand the joke/analogy.

Just like you have at least one big, bold, beautiful dream that you want to accomplish, so do I. Personally, I want to produce and direct my own movies and television shows. Just like you have planned for your dream, so have I. I have scripts and screenplays, and I'm mailing letters and sending e-mails to any production company I can find. Now, just like you, I run into negatives, and people who say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

This is where the cage comes into play. We've all heard that we are destined for greatness, and the truth is that we are, but sometimes we start doubting and even denying that truth when we get bombarded by the negatives. I say we because I know that I've been guilty of that as well. I can also say that just like the people who pass by the tiger's cage at the zoo and take pictures of a captive tiger, there are people in our lives who look at us like captured tigers, except instead of throwing peanuts at us, they throw insults just to try to make us feel low.

Keep this analogy in mind when it comes to realizing your dream, because just like Katt said, all it takes is one opportunity and your dream will become reality. I also want you to keep in mind that if your dream was easy to obtain, then it wouldn't be a dream, it would just be an errand. You are a tiger, you were born free, and I just swiped the zookeeper's key so let's go!

You can move mountains

Hopefully I won't get too wordy with this and if you take away one thing, make sure it's this:

The world will never be right, but we were never meant to conform to the world

Now I do want you to understand that this isn't a doom and gloom tirade because along with fact, I am also stating my testimony. I have learned and we all know that there are just as many people in the world that want to see you fail as there are people who want to be the ones to cause your failure. There are people who don't like you or even hate you and they don't even know you. I'm not sorry to be the one to say this, but I do pray for these intolerant ones.

On the flipside, I'm proud to say that peace and righteousness are not foreign things no matter what part of the world you live in. I know that I can say if you choose not to fall victim to an unfeeling world, not only will you accomplish greatness, but you will inspire greatness as well. Please understand that I don't necessarily mean greatness as in money or power, but greatness is always overcoming hardships, bigotry, and evil. The Little Rock Nine, Mohandas Gandhi, and Mother Teresa are all shining examples of achieving greatness in spite of circumstances, but there are so many more examples if you choose to seek them or be them.

The bottom line is that there is more than enough problems in the world to criticize, but criticism and anger does nothing. Rather than cry for change, be the change you want to see in the world. Even if you don't see yourself moving mountains, just by moving your neighbor to be that positive change as well, you have just moved humanity one step closer to achieving greatness.

The difference between God and my words

I write a LOT of words. You can see them here, on Twitter, and on sites like Brotherspeak and Hubpages. No matter where you find my words, you can see and read them as much as you like, but we can't see God. He could be standing next to me or sitting next to you right now and we wouldn't know it.

Now here's the kicker...no matter how hard I try or how hard you try, you can't feel my words, but every day God's presence can be felt. I feel God's presence every morning I wake up because I know there was no other way I was able to open my eyes but because of Him. When I hear about someone miraculously surviving a car wreck or going through some ordeal that others haven't or wouldn't survive, I feel God's presence. And every time a baby is born, God's presence is felt. Science does its best to explain birth, life and genetics because science can not and never should deal with anything that's unseen.

Yet as wonderful and beneficial as science is, nobody can fully explain who we are and where we came from because it took God to make us. I'm a writer and through my words, I have created alternate realities and I've used my words to give my commentary on the world and how I see it. God is a creator and he created the world we live on, us, and everyone around us.

The bottom line is that my words express who I was and who I am, so they serve as my own personal testimony. I know that God's presence can be felt by anyone, but it's up to you to feel it for yourself. I can only tell you what he's done for me.

The sad state of affairs in Hollywood and how I'm going to change it

I know that with the ending of Lost, Hollywood is desperate to find the show that could possibly be Lost part 2. I have one thing to say about that...

STOP DOING THAT!

Whether you liked it or not, Lost drew in tens of millions of viewers every week just to see some characters trying to deal with being on a deserted island. There will NEVER be another show like that, yet Hollywood producers and mogul types are trying to do that, but it's not going to work.

I used to be embarrassed to say that I am a t.v. addict, but my very existence is to be a writer, and as a writer I love seeing and reading other writer's creations. So as a lifelong t.v. addict I have some room to say what can and can't work right now. Flashforward being canned is proof that a Lost type show won't be well received and with the cancellation of Numbers and Miami Medical, we the people are saying we're tired of seeing 20 new medical and/or police dramas every television season.

Apparently Hollywood isn't getting this message so I'm going to do the one thing I can. I alone(at least for now) am coming for Hollywood and I am armed to the teeth with television treatments, show bibles, and scripts for shows that have never been put on television, but need to be seen. Honestly, I do want to see my name on the screen as executive producer, but more importantly, I want to keep the line of GOOD television going. Shows like Burn Notice, Grey's Anatomy, Fringe, and even Glee won't be around forever so I'm going to put my ideas and my work into enough people's hands until I get to the right hands that will work with me and put these shows on the t.v. So if you're reading this and you know somebody who just happens to work with or know one of these Hollywood types...you let them know that I'm coming for them and this determined man will not be stopped.

My life as a spy - January 2006

Just how long does it take to forget having a gun drawn on you? Apparently somewhere between a day and 4 months, because by January some guy named Tomás who got the jump on me when I wasn't ready was a forgotten memory. That is until he got the jump on me again at my gym. I hadn't ask anyone for a spot on the bench, but Tomás took it upon himself to be helpful that day. After I got up, my first instinct was to punch him, but after thinking about what happened last time, I decided I'd hear him out one last time.

Once we got in the steam room, he started going on about this matter of "national security" that his "company" needed my help with. He kept blabbering, but the more he talked, the more he sounded like a cheap remake of some spy movie. I told him that I had enough, and got up to leave. Before my right hand completely wrapped around the door handle, he said 4 simple words, "Think about the money." My right hand dropped to my side as I turned and faced my would be employer. So how much money does it take for a person to want to risk their life for an unknown reason...somewhere around $100,000, because when Tomás said that number, the only thing I could say was, "When do we leave?" A hundred grand may not sound worth risking your neck for, but when you're 19 years old, $100,000 is a key to cars, clothes, and girls.

The next day, I met Tomás at noon at Peachtree Plaza and we took off in a black Lexus. Tomás offered me a glass of champagne to "celebrate" as he put it, but sometime later, he was waking me up. The funniest part about it was that we were in another gym. Not like the one I went to, but about the same kind of set up. I joked with him by asking if this was where I'd learn kung fu and all of that, but he just smiled and said kung fu was for Hollywood. The next thing I know, this tall, lanky middle eastern guy comes out. He said his name was Amzi and then he started talking about something called Krav Maga. When I asked him if was lethal, he smiled, and then took me down with one kick and a punch. He said he could teach it to me, so I asked him when we would get started. "Right now." he replied.

If you like what you're reading and want me to keep telling my story, just type yes in the comments...if you don't want to read anymore...forget what you've already read

My life as a spy - September 2005

I haven't always been a writer, but ever since I was a little boy, there's always been a part of me that's wanted to save the world. I didn't get that opportunity to try until I was 18 years old. To this day, there's still some things that my company won't let me talk about, then there are things that I've forgotten as they've become jumbled thoughts in my head, but for everything that I can talk about and remember, I will.

I remember it was a cloudy morning on campus at Morehouse that September day, and for some reason I felt a chill in the air. I couldn't quite place my finger on why it was cold and what was weirder was the fact that I felt like I was being watched. My dad always used to call me paranoid so I tried to shrug off the feeling, but it just kept nagging at me. Around 3 o'clock, I promised myself that I would never ignore my gut again because that's when I met him.

He approached me as I was coming out of the library and told me that he needed to have a word with me. At first, I protested, but the black Beretta 92FS he flashed under his jacket quickly changed my mind about a quick getaway. Once we got to a secluded area, the man with the gun became Mr. Chatty Cathy. He called himself Tomás and told me that the people he represented had work for me. I told him I already had a job, and that's when he sucker punched me, and whipped out his gun.

Fancy parlor tricks or not, I told him I don't work for guys like him, and that's when he gave me a bio of my life. He started naming off the charges for pickpocketing, aiding and abetting, grand theft auto, and resisting arrest that I racked up from 11-17. I told him that wasn't my life anymore and he blabbered off my new life and how my 3.5 GPA, 1450 SAT score and a little computer hacking got me into Morehouse in the first place. This guy was really starting to piss me off, but it's hard to argue with a man holding a gun. I asked him what he wanted and he threw a card at me and said he'll be in touch.

If you like what you're reading and want me to keep telling my story, just type yes in the comments...if you don't want to read anymore...forget what you've already read