Today’s H2H Heartbeat post is submitted by Mr. Rand J D. Jackson, a writer/student in the Prison Journalism Project. Mr. Jackson is an incarcerated student in Mississippi. H2H DC volunteered to teach a class about blog posting and invited students to submit a post if they wished. What follows is an excerpt from Mr. Jackson’s unpublished manuscript.t. If you want to know more about the work of the Prison Journalism Project, check them out here.
Be humble and never think that you are better than anyone else. The seasons do change. Let your days be filled with great of happiness. Laughter is medicine; the soul longs for each day. We should let our smiles change the world. It’s good to be curious about the future, but don’t let this change your smile. Be good enough for yourself, we can do anything if we just believe in our self and put our minds to it. Education is very important to any human being. We need a platform for greater opportunities. I could not understand how powerful education can be. I’m on a continuing quest to be better in every area of my life. I developed a lifelong habit of exercising and eating good. I now have much more knowledge about the world I live in now. I spent a lot of my time trying to figure out who I was. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. My confidence as a black man had to develop. I learned to love who I am. A valuable life lesson.
Patience with self is hope and patience with GOD is faith. The body benefits from movement and rest. The mind benefits from stillness. Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try it. Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun moon or the stars. They all shine when it’s their time. Our smiles are like electricity and our brain is a battery. When we are happy the battery gets charged that activates the feelings of love. Spiritual health, activities, loyalty to family, independence, responsibility, financial prosperity, privacy, humility, are true concerns for others and the environment. Good things comes to those who are patient and the best things come to those who don’t give up. Being strong is a mind-set. If GOD brings you to it GOD will bring you through it. Never judge people by their past; people learn, people change, people move on. Change is the end. So, if someone really loves you, no matter how many others they meet ,their feelings for you shouldn’t change. A real love can’t be stolen.
I appreciate that the Spirit of GOD wouldn’t let me settle into misunderstanding. No good thing GOD will withhold from those whose walls are upright. GOD is calling for all of our hearts to love one another. Stop worrying because it only blind and can’t: discern the future. GOD always have great plans for your life we just mess things up. We’re human beings but GOD desires better things for us. I was able to share some specific things that GOD has shown me about fighting the forces of evil and how to give place to the unrighteous attacks. GOD has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise. GOD has chosen the things of the world to put to shame the mighty. Give your time to someone who needs it, like a youth in need of a mentor. Make a point to travel somewhere you have never been before. Apologize to people who have wronged you. Do this just to clear the air so you can move forward. Love your body. Move around until you sweat. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits. These are wonderful health experiences that life has to offer that brings true wealth to the body. Your success can be defined by being happy in all aspects of your life. Learn to give people what they need and also learn the value of being solo. Learn to let go of bad friends and embrace people that have your best interest at heart. Be in control and go wherever GOD takes you. Keep faith and family first. Learn how to save young people’s lives by inspiration. Imagining the future allows your mind to roam free while relaxing. A total mind, body and soul wellness is the key to good health and anti-aging. The healing revitalizes your body spiritually.
GOD saved my life from an early death. These stories, however, are what I want to share with others, my four children, grandkids one day, along with other children, teenagers, and adults. Maybe I can help make a difference in someone’s life or save a child from a very bad tragedy in their future effort to greatness in their growth development. Our children are our future. We are the apple of our children’s lives. The apple don’t fall far from the tree. We’re the shining lights in their world. The rays from the sun that are high in the clear blue skies have no limits in outer space of their future, so don’t ask why? Only GOD knows what our life’s journey holds ahead. We only know that this life will come to an end. I will try to make some good paths through history by writing my life story, whether it be by preaching or teaching. The lesson from GOD will be my testimony put together from a Webster’s dictionary.
I used to study in my school days giving me a fresh start to brand new beginning. I have to lay the platform and foundation to build off of in becoming a person who wonders GOD’S light, blazing the trail of righteousness remembering the rainbows after the rain as spring turns to summer and fall turning into winter. In the stillness of my mind intelligence can blossom as flowers beyond human smells. The end of one year is the beginning of another. Start off fresh; inspire, encourage, and motivate. Black men, be unapologetic and be confident about your blackness. Never be ashamed to claim it. This is GOD’S doing. The black man knows the struggle from ashy to classy. The black man-hood can be hard work and a dangerous occupation in North America. A lot of other races steal the life we have created and make a profit off of it. Can there be codes that we learn to help us navigate around the world? Do we need to keep our money in mind and stay on top of our finances? We budget by saving and wisely investing. Take ownership of your past, present and future if you can. Keep pride in check. Don’t get caught-up in thinking about what other people think of you, this will have us living for others and not true to self. Stay focused on climbing the ladders of success. Stop shunning good advice and map out your potential. Many times, there will be people who will lay out the plan for you so put your pride to the side and ask for help. Sometimes we just have to open the door and don’t let our ego stand in the way. Learn to network beyond your normal comfort like weathering the storm in any season. Many seek to the light but only to face darkness of drugs and alcohol usage. If you find me wrong, educate me and don’t belittle me. When I can’t, GOD can. I know that my words will either attract a strong mind or offend a weak one. I realize that GOD has a plan for me than I have for myself. Sometimes our growth development happens outside of our comfort zone in life. Be humble be teachable and always keep learning.
May the light of the universe that shines in and through you illuminate your path forever. Always be honest. Count your blessings. Forgive and forget. Be supportive of one another. Be kind and tenderhearted. Keep your promises. Comfort one another. Love one another. If you find someone who makes you smile, checks up on you, and wants the very best for you, then don’t let them go, keep them close and don’t take them for granted, people like them are hard to find. Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. Laugh at your mistakes but learn from them. Joke over your troubles but gather strength from them. Have fun with your difficulties but overcome them. GOD designed us, created us, blesses us, heals us, defends us, forgives us and most of all loves us. I learned that our future is created by what we do today with our time and look for tomorrow. We give the ones that we love wings to fly with roots to come back and reasons to stay. Sometimes no words can explain what’s going on in our minds and hearts. This is the time to give our loved-ones room to breathe fresh air. Life has many different chapters for us. One bad chapter doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the book. Sometimes all that you need is someone to be there and just listen, not to tell you what to do but to show that they care. That makes all the difference in the world. Great relationships aren’t great because they have no problems; they’re great because both people care enough about each other to find a way to make it work. Don’t let your emotions be your decision maker. Stop and pray. Let GOD lead you. GOD can change everything. When praying becomes your habit, miracles will become your lifestyle. Never give up on prayers no matter what comes your way. Be there for others but never leave yourself behind. To lead people ,walk behind them. Never waste your time trying to explain who you are to people who are not committed to understanding you. I will no longer allow the negative things in my life to spoil all of the good I have. Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired. There will be obstacles, doubters ,and mistakes but with hard work, there is no limits. We have one heart to love and one mind to use. Don’t let the both of them go to waste. GOD can help support our visions in making a difference in people’s lives today and tomorrow. Value loving and care with a compassionate behavior.
Remember, never forget even during your darkest moment GOD still has a plan for you to shine bright. Don’t lose faith we are always on GOD’S mind spiritual. Every day GOD looks after us. Every minute GOD looks after us. Every minute GOD cares for us because every second GOD loves us. Intelligence, empowerment, progression, self-esteem, economic independence and strong a wise person can always relate to one. A weak man can always be found in a crowd. There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that once unleashed it can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality. The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
