Standouts - The Beat Within

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Page 65
The BEat Beat Without
What The Pen Did To Me
Angry at the world
Tired of defeat
Robbed of a childhood
Faster than I could blink
Violence – the option I chose
Never allowed myself to stay composed
Cried, yelled, fought
Denied that there existed a Lord
Hadn’t yet met the pen
Comfortable using the sword.
Didn’t chase success
Yet I wanted to be the best
Equality wasn’t enough, so I didn’t accept stalemate
To me, life was always a game
‘Till I became somebody’s cellmate
The sword gave me plenty of pleasure
Though the size of my heart was still too small to measure.
Began to read
Was easily hooked
Never did I think
I would come to love books
Sustaining Change
Dear Beat Within:
Hey how are you all! I hope blessed. It’s been a hot minute since
I wrote and spilled some knowledge to your publication. So here I am
to spread the love and wealth of enlightenment. This article is on:
“Sustaining Change.”
The road of life is a pot hole filled journey, full of highs that make
you feel happy to be alive, in the era of today. And then there are the
lows, you filter through that ‘cause you to feel depressed or stop and
think why was all the tragedy fell upon your plate.
Life is just like that. There’s hardly a middle ground. So we gotta
take an equal share from the good and the bad and shape this into the
fuel that keeps us moving. There’s something to learn even from the
biggest setbacks. The key is to set your emotions or better feelings
aside and take a serious look at all angles of the situation. And figure
out how to improve on it or avoid making the same mistakes twice.
There are some instances that befall us that we have no control over. In
those cases great courage and faith are required. As much as you may
feel things will never improve, well, they will. It just takes life a little
time to get back to you.
In the meantime, it’s you who must draw on your own strengths
and start making the right adjustments to effect a change toward
positivity. For me to say start making the right decisions, probably falls
dull on your ears. The right moves are often baby steps. You can start
in many ways, such as: practice not cursing so much. Mentally check
yourself when you get a bad thought or reflex decision to do something
you know will only bring you more harm than good. Before you act on
something negative think of how your mother or close relative would
feel to witness you do such a thing and how much it would pain their
heart. Compliment yourself when you do something right, notice
JCL cont.
The Beat Witout
One day I was mad
So I picked up some ink
Began to jot down
These thoughts that I think.
A writer soon to be
Little did I know it
Not just an ordinary writer
I title myself as a poet
I still find myself angry
But mostly in bits
My heart’s gained some pounds
I no longer throw fits
Traded in my sword
Devoted to a pen
Looking forward to the moment
I can use it again
This I won’t deny
It’s a feeling of pride
No longer catch me with the sword
But the pen at my side.
Volume 17.01/02
The thing about the change is, a journey in itself to
get there and well worth it. And it’s also very easy
to slip back into your old way of thought.
Alex Diaz
We welcome back to the pages of The Beat our friend and teacher,
Alex Diaz. Alex steps up with a very inspirational piece on change. We
welcome his input, knowing his words will touch you readers to look
at yourself in a better light, especially as we begin the new year. Alex
writes us from the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, CA.
that little changes in your attitude toward circumstances and or people
who’ve crossed your path. Don’t’ give the next person the satisfaction
of making you upset or angry. Let it roll off your shoulder because that
person does not deserve to rent that much space in our mind. When
you make a positive choice, stick to it, be proud of your good choices
and most of all don’t let yourself down. These are all little things you
can do. One step at a time, in no particular order, to start a change
in you. Once you do you’ll realize how much better you feel about
yourself. About your direction in life and about how much happier you
are unstressed. And being about something more than a gang or some
tuff image. You can relax, confident in who you are.
The thing about the change is, a journey in itself to get there and
well worth it. And it’s also very easy to slip back into your old way of
thought. The solution to this is not to become all discouraged or upset
when you hit a wall in your path. Look at that wall as a test in your new
found positive outlook. Use the new skills you possess, to tackle the
obstacles in your way.
Change is the process of developing a new “you”. And with this
reinvented you will come a set of different views and morals. Embrace
them and don’t overlook the places you’ve come from or how you got
to where you are today. Be proud of your change ‘cause where you were
before in life was only leading to more hardship, and where you are now
is an evolution of yourself. Burn all those negative bridges in your past
and form new meaningful pathways for your own future – one love