Each year, Writers in Baltimore School recruit middle and high school students into a one- week summer reading and writing program to help promote proficient reading and writing skills within Baltimore City Urban youth. To end their annual closing ceremony this year, the student’s mentors and writing coaches encouraged students to read projects they worked on throughout the summer to their family and friends a Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse on North Avenue.
Students took turns performing front and center at Red Emma’s mic to recite their best work on various topics. Beautiful and thought-provoking pieces on subjects such as love, respect, and inspiration. Some students even opened up to sharing their thoughts on deeper topics like heartbreak, death, and injustice. These youngsters showed their versatility with words.
The students of Writers in Baltimore School let their listeners in on what’s happening in their heads. While listening to this talented group’s thoughts, I had to take a step back and admire what these kids were contributing. As adults, we can easily overlook what these students care about. We forget that the decisions that our society makes affects them, as well. Hearing the stories and poems of how these students felt about their communities and culture stuck with me.
Our children’s future matters. They’re our decision-makers for how we will live later down the line. So what happens in our society should make enough sense for them to understand because they live in cohabitation with the rest of us. I sometimes wonder how these kids end up getting the short end of the stick from the adults who make the decisions for them? To think when we make decisions to discontinue grading homework in our Baltimore County Schools or when we abolish after school programs and recreational centers because of lack of funding, how it can do more harm, than good. Writers In Baltimore School programs bring us back full circle in reminding us that the youth is who matters.
Writer’s In Baltimore’s mission as stated on their Facebook page states:
“WBS seeks to provide middle school students with a vibrant environment for literary development through in-school, afterschool, and summer creative writing workshops taught by Baltimore writers and college students. Compared to higher income peers, the reading assessment scores of low-income Baltimore students drop significantly between grades 5-8. WBS believes that by supplementing low-income students’ middle school language arts learning with an intensive program in literary reading and creative writing, these students can enter high school with a renewed interest in literature. WBS steps in where the traditional language arts classroom falls short by giving students a smaller, more participatory setting to hone reading and writing skills.”
It could be cliché for me to say this quote, but I can wholeheartedly attest there is truth behind the phrase, “Reading is fundamental.” Reading can take a person places they’ve never been. It can make people experience things they’ve never done, and provide opportunities once someone unlocks knowledge from the pages read. While listening to the students talk of the summer books they read, and of the short stories and poems they wrote, I learned what each individual had experienced personally. I believed their summer classes changed them in a way that helped them grow. The experience was fundamental.
Writers In Baltimore Schools hold a variety of workshops; in-school, after school, song-writing, and theater themes. Would you say programs like WBS are helping our community and youth? Share your thoughts below.
Self-starter journalists from around the Baltimore and DC Metropolitan area came together for a 3-day weekend conference to share knowledge and resources at the first annual When The Press Link Up event at the University of District of Columbia in Washington, DC. The event was held as a networking gathering for underground media to come together and share tips for how they create content, share stories, and build a brand following.
The event was hosted and organized by journalist and owner of PRWiz, LLC, Mindy Jo. According to the event’s website:
“The purpose for When the Press Link Up is for aspiring and current social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to gather, network, and engage in dialogue. An opportunity to learn new techniques through educational workshops, awhile enhancing current creative content productions. The goal of When the Press Link Up is to establish a scholarship fund to aid Media Arts students in the United States, along with assisting Teach for Madagascar nonprofit education program.”
The conference was a very resourceful opportunity that Doc’s Castle Media took part in. I was the welcomer for Saturday’s festivities. So I opened the event greeting everyone and sharing my thoughts on the current climate in Baltimore since the death of Freddie Gray, and since charges been dropped in his case in late July. I also shared a few words about Baltimore’s new addition to police brutality victimization, Korryn Gaines.
Attending When The Press Link Up was an eye-opening experience. It brought me to the realization that though we all come from different places, there are similar problems occurring in our neighborhoods. We must work together to try to report a truth that will bring positive change. Most journalists in attendance were chasing stories off pure passion and weren’t getting compensated for any of it. That tells me most journalists that attended are like me. It’s good to know that I’m not the lone wolf working to make a change simply through writing about it. There are more people willing to go above and beyond to share all sides of a story, rather than the side that’ll gain profit.
Events like When The Press Link Up brings us together to brainstorm ways of resolving community issues. Days prior to the conference, a victim of police brutality Korryn Gaines was killed in Baltimore County, Maryland. During When The Press Link Up, underground media discussed meetup spots in Baltimore where they could get involved with what was happening to help her family and friends protect her story. Most importantly, the journalist discussed how to listen out for clues to tackle stories by large media outlets who provide us with information. We learned to determine the difference between having information fed through mass media to represent “fact” versus being shared to form an opinion within the community. We networked and congregated on our perceptions of what we believed to be true journalism. The event seemed to have met its mission purpose.
I was a little disappointed in the turnout. There weren’t enough people there that registered for the conference who wasn’t already a creator or entrepreneur of their own brand. Everyone I met already knew the basics of building a social media brand. Similar to my early years of blogging when I saw nothing but the performers in venues with a small audience, the conference room that housed When The Press Link Up was as deserted as open mic night at local Baltimore arts venue on Charles Street The Depot. Yet again, I was at another event where there’s a lack of support from the community? It did nothing but bring my frustrations towards a society that does not support what’s going on around them because of their lack of community awareness. It’s always the events that have the potential to bring societal change that gets overlooked.
According to PRWiz, LLC, this will not be the only time When The Press Link Up will happen. The event will be held again in the future for more media entrepreneurs to share their experience in media. I hope that I’ll be invited to the next one, and there’ll be a larger audience yearning to gain new knowledge of what it takes to be an underground social media journalist.
Do you follow any social media journalist on your social media sites? List a few that you know in the comments below.
Everything that happens has a reason and a cause. That’s why I won’t knock the knowledge I’ve learned since the death of Korrynn Gaines, the 23-year black woman who was gunned down by police officers earlier this August in front of her 5-year-old son and the comfort of her own home.
Photo From Korryn Gaines Social Account
Since Korrynn’s death, there’s are numerous questions about what truly happened during her 6-hour standoff with the Baltimore County Police Department. For several days, the general public was left in the dark about whether the police kicked her apartment door in while entering her apartment or if they obtained a key, and questions on whether she fired her shotgun at police first or if the police did.
Hearing so many questions regarding this shooting can make someone question if the people we put our trust in to protect and serve us are really honest in their dealings. It caused me to do a little more research about policy.
Previous to Korrynn’s most recent encounter with the Baltimore County Police Department, there was another incident with county police in March. The police interrogated the Korryn for 20 minutes for driving around with cardboard tags instead of Maryland state tags on her car. When asked to provide documentation for her vehicle, she repeatedly refused to present her driver’s license, tags, and registration. Some articles on the Internet state Korryn was pulled over while practicing sovereign law. Take a look at this footage as she refused to provide identification for police officers in March while she was pulled over for a traffic violation.
Delegation of Authority: What does it mean?
Like many of us that have a growing curiosity for something we desperately want an answer to, I went to YouTube for a quick definition. I came across a lot of videos that gave good definitions. But there was one particular journalist named Andrew Westmoreland who gave me the best explanation to what delegation of authority meant in the sense of its use in law enforcement. I also found websites that further explained how it is used to delegate orders to people of the law. Though I can’t say what Westmoreland is saying is the fact, he does make a few valid points that I cannot look past, like people not being aware of their laws and policies as it relates to current events with cases about police brutality.
With Korryn Gaines, lots of people may have jumped to conclusions too quickly about her character by saying she’s crazy or mental. There is obviously something more. According to what is observed in her encounter with the addition to learning more about delegation of authority, Korryn had a genuine concern about how she dealt with law enforcers. She was a smart and strong-willed woman. She truly stuck to what she believed was her due to rights. To her, there is a correct way of doing things. She literally died for what she believed.
Would you believe Korryn’s notion to ask the police for delegation of authority was justified after watching journalists explain what it means? Leave your comments below.
America is in chaos with continuous brews of police brutality cases arising throughout the country. With two newly found communities added to the growing list, Baton Rouge, Missouri, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, I would highly suggest our American government consider finding SOLUTIONS to our countries problems now.
Who likes waking up to someone getting shot multiple times on a live stream through Facebook? Not I.
I’m sure many people did not elect to have that option when choosing to sign up for Facebook or Twitter. But as technology has a plethora of triumphs to be proud of, blatant murder witnessed by the eyes of billions of people on more than numerous occasions should not be one of them.
In Baltimore, another city to fall victim to police brutality has taken another hit. Late July, the highest-ranking police officer to be charged in relation to the death of Freddie Gray was found NOT guilty of charges. Not too long afterward, the judge ordered that all further trials in his case be dropped. That news does not fall pleasantly amongst native Baltimore citizens ears as Freddie Gray’s death was ruled as a homicide, and of all officers to be tried, none have been convicted of criminal charges.
Some people feel overwhelmed with current events, which brings me to share five ways of protecting your mental during times of racial unrest. The Internet, which was once a place of leisure, has become a place I now take breaks from; a place I have to escape every once in a while because of its censorship towards black people’s death sentences. As a young black woman, I can share with you a few things that help me remain level headed when stories, like Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philandro Castile, and more recently Korynn Gaines strike our media. These are things I’ve got in the habit of doing since the death of Trayvon Martin. Will my list grow longer? Who knows but hopefully I can help the next black person feel better when it comes to these incidents.
One: Sign out of your social media accounts.
First advice I can give you to help protect your mental is to unplug from your social media pages. Those negatively charged digital words that appear on your screens are not worth you draining any of the positive energy you may already have to carry on with your day.
Facebook is the ultimate boxing match for even the most simple and childish debates. If you don’t believe racism exist, you have never read any of the comments on most posts that go viral. Next time you watch a video on Facebook, visit the comment section. Count how many trolls appear down its list. Sometimes even reading those negative comments from the trolls can get your blood boiling.
Signing offline is easier said than done since Facebook has permanently made homage in our lives. It gives us our daily news, connects us to our loved ones, and provides us with our entertainment. But to protect our mental health, I deem it necessary to sign off for maybe just a few hours as we focus on searching for a better way to live in peace while we find solutions for injustices. When debates turn into hateful slurs, time to turn off your screens. That is not loving.
Two: Allow yourself time to be angry only for the day. Then be constructive with your energy when the time calls for it to be useful.
I don’t want to promote anger that could fuel more hate. But when I feel defeated by something like this, which is larger than I am, I allow myself to release any demons that are inside me at the time.
When all charges were dropped in the case of Freddie Gray, I was pissed. Though majority of my emotions could be labeled as sadness and disappointment, sitting in one spot crying and shaking my head at what I don’t understand countless times can easily turn into anger and insanity because of it’s frequency. I’m exhausted there isn’t any accountability for any of the cases around our country involving brutal police actions. Gray wasn’t the first or second to be killed by police. His number is unknown and that is a problem.
For families to be left without explanations and ignored by a government meant to serve them, there should be no expectation from any authority to expect these families to let whatever happened just go. This is the same for every citizen that can relate to feeling hurt by these cases. Expecting anyone to ignore what happened and to let these victims’ murderers get away without any ounce of blame is the biggest slap in the face known to humankind. I give you the permission to be mad, but not for long. After you mope around in your grief enough, you gather your thoughts and fight back!
Three: Get creative.
Many ways you can fight back against police brutality is by turning your anger into something beautiful and fighting a negative with a positive.
During times like these, new artists are born. History has proven that issues like these are windows to large movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Panther Movement, and today, Black Lives Matter. Over the weekend, the Korryn Gaines Pop Art Show, an art exhibit organized by Karl Keels, best known as Karlito Freeze of Strong Way Radio, and Milly Vanderwood of Give & Take: An Artistic Experience has open doors for many pro-black artists to show their love and support for beautiful and powerful black women who stood for everything that she believed in. Proceeds from the show were donated to Korryn Gaines’ family.
Photo of Korryn Gaines
Getting creative can be the medicine not only to your needs but it can heal onlookers as well. People who can relate to what you create make themselves available to support when they feel a passion behind your cause. That’s why your anger has to be embraced. It is the passion to drive the change this nation needs.
Four: Find people who share the same interests and think like you.
This fourth tip, I cannot say more than enough. Associating with people who do not relate to who you are can be draining. Their negativity is distracting and can hold a person back from being the best person they can be. To get out of these ruts we must rise out of these dark rabbit holes and find people who can be that medicine to our depression.
Many African American organizations, like Hands Up United, the Black Women in Sisterhood for Action (BISA), and the National Action Network, were formed by people who think the same as their peers. These organizers come together because they were affected by inequality, social injustice, and systemic racism in some way. They work as a family and strategically towards saving their communities. Each group’s mission is to create a better future for minorities in hopes of stopping injustices. This week there’s a similar discussion being formed to talk about the injustices that occurred towards Korryn Gaines.
Once you’ve found people who you share common interests and goals, they’ll become the people that’ll be your support system through making a change in your life and community. When multiple minds come together for a better purpose, great outcomes are its results. In the 1960s, black people united to get the civil rights act passed. Today, black people come together to rise above other civil issues, as well. It’s the circle of life.
Five: Realize that showing support for a fellow brother or sister can be the start to change.
What’s currently happening in the black community can be traced back to the idea that blacks lack support for one another. There is a divide in the black community that Black people must overcome. Racism is the root of that divide. The only way to overcome that obstacle is by acknowledging racism to be that the true reason and to unite through supporting one another.
People all over the country are experiencing the same struggles. We see this all over the news. Lots of people are in their moment of adversity. Times have shown during moments of adversity, black people undergo a period of liberation and develop a “new hope.” When things get tough, they march, sing, worship, and praise together. Often in their hour of liberation, change is adopted. Great things happen and the world’s burdens don’t seem so bad. If all this goes on from adversity, we already know that supporting one another is a huge factor in helping create change. Let’s take that step to make a difference.
These five steps have brought me closer to a reality that many other black Americans are experiencing, as well. It’s time to stop encouraging the hate by continuously condoning it and not doing anything about it. To relieve our stress from all these killings we need to first stop accepting it when we watch it. We have to turn the computer off the next time we watch someone die. With fewer views, I believe there will be less for us to see. We need to put things in place to replace those images, and we have to stick together so it can all work. This can be achieved by considering these five tips.
So what do you say? Would you agree that these five tips can be the start of a cultural healing? Leave your comments below.
Title: Free Comic Book Day: Go Visit Collectors Corner Now! (A #DCM Recap)
Feel free to enjoy this lovely surprise every year and partake in the festivities of Free Comic Book day with Collectors Corner.
Each year comic book stores throughout the state of Maryland participate in the largest celebration for comic book fans in the mid atlantic region. Free Comic Book Day is a day dedicated to the celebration of the illustrators and writers who give us the best pieces of their imagination.
This weekend I grabbed me a plethora of free books. I already read them all, and proclaimed my favorite to be Bob’s Burgers out of the bunch. That was predestined, of course. I swear I’m glued to the screen each chance I get to watch the Bob’s Burgers television series. To hear that there was a comic book simply sealed the deal.
Bob Burgers 2016 Free Comic Book
As I learned about Free Comic Book Day at the very last-minute, I’m glad I crawled out of bed that Saturday morning because I witness a special part of each comic book’s universe in the span of an hour. My comic knowledge excelled from knowing about only two universes to now knowing of eight. I use to think there was only Marvel and DC. Now I can categorize characters into universes such as Springfield, MacFarlane, Tintin, and Hanna-Barbera. I always could, but now I know I can.
Collectors Corner is an awesome store to venture to if you want to literally feel like you are a part of a new world. The store is set up into sections, where a customer can easily find their favorite world to get lost in. Apparently, I got lost eyeing the Pop Collector Vinyl figures section, astonished by the fact a John Oliver, host of HBO comic review series “Last Week Tonight,” has an official Pop figure.
The event also sponsored tickets to see the new Captain America film Civil War. The first 100 people to arrive at 9 am for the event were giving free tickets to see the movie.
Every person in attendance received five free comic books, and if you didn’t want to accept the comics offer specified for the day, Collectors Corner managed to rally up some classics. Lines grew very long circling the entire store, as the most important offer available was of twenty comic books given to the ultimate lovers of comics.
I am not ashamed to say I did not get in that line
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People also took the time to dress up as their favorite superheroes and villains.
Free Comic Book Day 2016 was the 15th annual event. With all those years to attest, I’m certain they’ll be yet another great Free Comic Book Day in 2017.
Who’s your favorite comic book character? Leave a comment below.
It was around this time a year ago when Black Baltimore Youth decided to take a stand against social injustice as a result of death to Baltimore native Freddie Gray. One year ago, the city was at unrest as media from around the world had their cameras focused on the city’s reaction.
2015 Baltimore Uprising Protest
First at an uproar, then later turned uplifting, the riots became like a light switch flicked on gaining the attention of billions. Baltimore had all eyes on them as its citizens showed the world what’s truly happening in the city while public officials, like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings – Blake, left the citizens with “space to destroy.” Many have wondered would it be this be time for a revolution; will there be a change in the fight against systematic racism?
During the 2015 Baltimore Uprising Protests, people gathered at the historical intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue with a mission to show whoever watching the truth. Hundreds of people met with the same purpose against police brutality and social injustices. It was in front of the burning CVS Pharmacy, we designated a landmark for many of the Uprising’s protests. On the corner of Penn North Station, a revolution was sparked but is the flame for Black deliverance still lit?
A year later, there still remains an urgent call of attention to those same social injustices. Every day, there are signs that let people in on these still prevalent social needs. There are activists continuing on the search for ways to fight for funding towards a corrupt Baltimore City education system. By December of 2015, crime rates skyrocketed way past the usual records leading to more than 300 homicidal deaths throughout the year. There remain blocks-upon-blocks of vacant homes untouched since the riots in Baltimore during 1968. The homeless continue to be pushed out of tourists friendly areas in shame to prevent an unwelcoming presence for visitors. The city is the same.
At least once once a year I’ll do these trendy post about what’s happening in Baltimore that’s catching the bulk of attention. Last year, I wrote an opinionated piece about the unrest presented in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, victim in 2015 grand jury case that sparked the fight against injustice and systemic racism in Baltimore City. The year before, I wrote on the social trend of people taking to social media to share their best representing picture they’d like to share if murdered unjustly by police brutality in honor of the death of Michael Brown. Also, let’s not forget about the #ImSoBaltimore hashtag that sweep the Internet for an entire day.
What’s popular this past week was the sudden appearance of memes inviting tourist to visit Baltimore. Only a week after Baltimore’s Light The City event took place in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, someone, who still remains anonymous, took to social media to share a few places that wouldn’t be considered the average tourist attraction.
I assume the Internet couldn’t wait to make Baltimore the butt of the joke, as the funniest photographs of famous and some historical landmarks act as the punchline for city natives familiar with the area. The locations to some places mentioned aren’t your typical call for luxurious vacationing. But who’s ready to visit Murry’s Steak House with me?!
Whoever made these memes are simply awesome!
If you’re not from Baltimore, some of these pictures may be questionable. Why would anyone want to visit Owings Mills where there’s nothing worth sight seeing if we go by what we see in the memes? To see boarded houses that have been that way for years? Oh, what joy!
These memes can be taken in many ways, even political. As we approach the near anniversary of last year’s Baltimore Uprising, I can see someone choosing to make a statement of what still hasn’t changed in Baltimore. The city granted programs and funding to the youth, but as people may visit the areas mentioned in these memes, you’d see the same old’ rusted, dingy, and dusty Baltimore.
Being a Baltimorean, I know of conversations that take place during this city’s unrest addressing the concerns people have about city and state officials calling the National Guard to protect Baltimore tourist areas instead of areas that took majority impact during 2015 riots. There’s also conversations about media outlets around the world showing a city that physically displays the outcome of constant budget cuts from our government. We need answers. We need understanding for why outsiders know only of Canton, Fells Point, or Federal Hill, but not Sandtown, Pennsylvania Avenue, or Station North.
Hmm, does this have to do with racism?
Anyway let’s not get carried away. I just think these pictures are funny and extremely left field. Pictures speak a thousand worlds and I love it. So if these were created as pure comedy, that’s fine with me too. Haha.
It’s not real! I want to assure the people who aren’t from Baltimore that. Don’t let them get their panties in a bunch trying to explore the unknowns of Lexington Market or Shake n Bake. If you truly want to know, come visit and find out. I bet you’d laugh too.
As promised before in my blog A Life Brand New, one of my goals for 2016 is to write more inspirational posts. By sharing more about myself and allowing my readers in on more about my life, I hope to inspire more people to look within themselves to becoming better people. I want more people to do more to live fulfilling lives. So my first blog to inspire will be sharing one secret about myself that I have which I believe contributes to majority of my successes throughout life.
I am a “chronic journalist,” and I love it!
What is Chronic Journaling?
Chronic journaling is the act of writing in a journal or notebook on a consistent and very regular basis. It’s like leaving your very own breadcrumbs to finding a better plan for tackling issues, both big and small, in your life. It’s the busy mind’s way of thinking out loud, except it’s done on record and makes it easier to remember things.
There are so many benefits to keeping a personal notebook to write in on a daily basis. If someone was to take on the hobby of chronic journaling, life could turn into a routine, and easier to navigate to new task or goal. Dreamchasers could learn how to better organize by creating series of lists; like shopping lists, to do lists, or brainstorming lists. The journal could be used to hold new business ideas for the ambitious individual. It could be used for seizing boredom giving someone something to occupy their mind while they’re on idle from their most daunting duties. Some people even carry journals to collect pictures and quotes that inspire and motivate. Journals are used as your personal assistant and can be the tool to harper so much more potential for yourself.
Journaling Is A Big Part of Me
Journaling matters a lot to me because of the backstory of how I started making it into a hobby. I started doing it as mimicking behavior from watching my favorite 90s cartoons keep journals. I watched shows like Hey Arnold, Doug, and As Told By Ginger-all shows who main characters had diaries- and thought how awesome it would be to read about my life someday, reminiscing about memories. I started my diary entry phase in elementary school while I was young, very shy and quiet. Those were my days of literally talking about what I did throughout the day. You could only imagine how boring those entries were. Who’d want to listen to an 8 year old talk about getting grounded for going outside when their parents wasn’t home when they specifically told her to stay in? Not even me.
Glad I outgrew that phase.
As I’ve matured onto my puberty years, my writings had more meaning and purpose. The pages in my books developed more meaning because of new surroundings. During those years, my Journaling became a getaway from friends who had various types of personalities. Most of my friends were very dominant and outspoken kids, whose ideas were the height of the era. I didn’t think my thoughts mattered to others back then. I was more comfortable being observant and reserved as I learned more about people and how they communicated. I wasn’t sure of my own ideas and feelings, and I’ve always had that notion to wait until I was certain about my thoughts or how I felt before I decided to speak. Journals helped me to sort out my problems and how to tackle my daily little life struggles.
I have journals of all sorts from sketch, composition, notepads, diaries, pocket books and blogs.
It wasn’t until I’ve gotten older that I realized that what I loved to do was common amongst the world’s greatest thinkers, as well. There are many successful people who are known to carry a journal to write down their most precious ideas, savoring them for later opportunities to pull whenever life shows it’s ready for the next bright idea. While reading a blog from Art of Manliness, I learned of many famous people who turned to their trusty pocket notebooks for an outlet to brainstorm for great works. Famous people like Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, George Lucas, and so many more used their books to harper their greatest ideas. Some of those ideas were used to change how we did things and our entire way of life.
Journaling Saved My Life
Now as an adult, I consider my journal habit as a chronic habit I’m unable to quit without there being repercussions for delaying my routines. It’s not a bad thing to have such a habit. It contributes to a lot of my success. But what I enjoy the most about it is its ability to give me a proud feeling whenever I look back to it’s pages and find that I’ve finally completed something I’ve planned on for months, or sometimes years. Even while going through something emotional and I’ve used my journal to help grieve, it feels great to look back and know that I’m no longer feeling that pain anymore. I’ve found a way to turn my hurt into something beautiful.
Journaling helped me get through my best and more importantly worse of times. Journaling brought me to blogging, which kept me out of trouble as I’ve always had a hard time choosing the correct friends to hang with. Blogging was my escape from the drama and gossip that my peers took an interest in. Instead of indulging in continuing gossiping with the people around me, I focused my mind on learning how to journal online by creating Doc’s Castle Media. It’s why you’re reading this today.
Journaling has never been a stressful task to do. I’ve always loved it. I loved having a moment to myself to meditate with my own thoughts. It makes me more aware of me and that’s a capability many people lack. I take pride in it. From experience I know journaling should be introduced to the youth because helps to gain self-awareness. In a world that’s becoming too busy by its inhabitants to teach their children in public schools systems the power of getting to know oneself, journaling becomes a great self educator. I attest to it, and if there ever was a time a class could be taught on journaling, I’d love to help teach it. I’m waiting for that day.
Conclusion
My only goal for each journal I’ve started was to fill the pages with my thoughts because this is how I see myself being heard. When I write, people listen. This is how I’ve always gained respect. It’s how I’ve always gotten people to notice me. Through writing, I believe I can live forever because even when I’m gone, people will still be able to hear my thoughts. I always thought when you found that thing that could make you feel like you can live eternally, you’ve found a passion and a gift.
To me, It’s not enough to write on your own, or whenever the time is right. My journals became the window of success through frequent follow up observations. Any dreamchaser would allows their blueprints to become their motivator, organizer, or friend. By literally writing anything that comes to mind and faithfully sticking to it, I’ve allowed my books to become my blueprints to lead a more successful life. I would encourage anyone to take up this hobby because it’s therapeutic. Every page filled makes you feel good that you’ve gotten a thought out of your mind and on “concrete” paper. To be a chronic journalist, it keeps me and the people working around me in order. I thank my habit and others do as well.
I am a chronic journalist. #MyThoughtsMatter.
Would you consider chronic journaling as a good way to help accomplish some of your goals? What helps you to achieve? Tell me about your habits. Leave in the comments below.
Would you like to learn how to become a chronic journalist? Be sure to come back to learn tips for how to become a chronic journalist on Doc’s Castle Media.
The year 2015 was very rocky. Before the year’s end, by mid-December, I felt like I reached 50 years old through experiencing so much internal suffering and empathy for all the tragedies happening throughout 2015, in addition to the little struggles I’ve experienced within my own life. I thought I was going to explode.
The year was a killer, literally.
But I cannot get over all the ignorance I’ve seen from humanity last year. I’m disappointed in the human race. My heart aches from seeing man become such a disgrace in the most recent blunders of current events. From the increasingly publicized stories of police brutality and racism to acts of horrendous terrorism from ISIS, humanity has orchestrated a very effective visual of what selfishness looks like. It’s so saddening and makes me feel that there is little hope for what our world will become in the next few years. Will it get better or worse?
In the wake of how terrible last year has made me felt towards man, I’ve come up with lots of questions about compassion, sympathy, love, generosity, and anything that could be considered humanly traits that make a man be considered human and not a vicious, self-seeking, destroyer of the living robot. I want to observe what love is. I want know why people can’t give compassion to another. Why is it so hard to give another person a piece of happiness.
#PrayForLove is not just a hashtag I’ve adopted just to post on all my social accounts each time I have a new picture, meme, or status to share.
#PrayForLove is my call for attention for people to mind to what’s happening around them. It’s a one woman movement where I’m spending my days recording my thoughts of what’s happening around me. We as a people are losing touch with our spiritual selves. People aren’t awake or aware of anything worth being proud of. We all just seem to be getting by.
Pray for Love is something I hope will start with Doc’s Castle Media, along with all my other social sites, a call to action to possibly influence other people to learn to love themselves and everyone around them, regardless of what’s happening in the world or in their personal lives.
I want to make a difference in the hearts of many. I want the world to focus on the positive and not feed into the world’s demons and devils working to destroy a sense of peace. My post is here to provoke thought; to create a second for someone to think before they act. Though biology may beg to differ, humanity is not a bunch of animals without the capability to overcome hate. As the most developed species to walk this earth, we do not often act as such because of selfish intentions. Not to say ignore what you want, but people should learn to be more considerate and mindful of choosing to not harm another through their words and actions.
As you read this blog, I challenge you not to only #PrayForLove but to notice the areas in your life where love is needed. Ask yourself, what can I do to change the world around me? Does your elderly neighborhood need someone to help with shoveling their sidewalk? Does your boss seem like they need a word of encouragement after having to discipline an unreasonable coworker? Do you need a moment to yourself to distress from constant turmoil? Let’s learn to love through pulsing and considering what is best.
What do you believe can be done to spread love? Name one thing you can tribute to this movement in the comment below.
As I enter into every new year, I like to reflect on my past experiences. It helps me to discover the next steps needed to excel to a higher level of self. I usually start with a list of goals I hope to accomplish before year’s end. There’s no limits to how few or many goals I may set. I just write out a list of things I want to do. The next thing I know, I’m forming a sense of happiness as I scratch off tasks as time surpasses.
But last year in 2015, I didn’t do what I always set out to do. Instead, I wanted to try something new by focusing on one word for the entire year, rather than lists. The word chosen was “self-discipline,” and I wouldn’t say that I’ve done a good job with remaining focused on living up to its meaning, which left me quite disappointed in myself. But I can’t beat myself up in 2016 for it.
There were incidents in 2015 that will remain unspeakable. For the first time in my life, I’ve done something I’ve regretted, and this year I’ve come up with a plan to never put myself in such a position where I’m ashamed of something I’ve done. So I’m going to remain focused on this one word. I’ll just make sure to incorporate my habits of listing things so I can keep my eyes on my success.
I first want to start of with the word’s meaning.
Self-Discipline means to have a level of control over yourself.
Self Discipline is all about having self-control. It requires you to be focused on the direction you see as best for yourself. It requires you to have a plan. It requires you to ignore your lazy impulses. It requires you to strive for the better.
Last years failure resulted from not continuing to keep up with my usual habits that help keep me focused. It was my mistake at the beginning of 2015 to not carry on with what I already know that helps me. This year will be different.
I know I can take this same word and create a brighter year in 2016. But as I’m getting older, I’m learning the habits I have which I shouldn’t break that were already helping me and making me proud. Creating lists is what I am good at so let me tell you my list of plans for my upcoming days.
My 2016 Goals List
Learn How to Cook. (HaHa!)
Move into my own place.
Complete two things from my bucket list.
Complete my first manuscript for my first book.
Provide more professional services under Doc’s Castle Media brand.
Expand my knowledge by reading at least one book a month.
Seek more opportunities to inspire others.
Make Myself Proud, again.
Create and Follow an Accomplishment Box.
I thought about explaining more on why I have all of these specific goals. But I thought of how sometimes when I share things with people they start to expect it, and if I don’t follow through with it they’ll become disappointed. Well, for the sake of those type of people, I’ll rest my pretty little fingers. I rather I not disappoint myself, let alone others, by talking about it too much.
I do plan to blog more of my successes. So be on the lookout for a better explanation as I foreshadow those successes being goals from my 2016 Goals List.
I hope that everyone is preparing themselves to becoming better people this year, as well. I’d love to hear your dreams. Leave your what awesome goals you plan on achieving in 2016 below.
I didn’t have a list of goals for 2015 but I sure did accomplish quite a bit in 2014. I also made sure I kept up with completing tasks on my bucket list. To see what I’ve done, read “Bucket Listing It Up” on Doc’s Castle Media.
