All too often
within our communities and within our neighborhoods, we have gotten away from the
essence of being neighborly, sharing, and caring. There is so much going on
around us, to the point that trust has become the exception, rather than the
rule. Anything seems to go at anytime.
Things around
you seem so convoluted that I am sure that many times you don’t know which way
to turn, whom to believe or what to believe. And the lies; they too, seem to
have become the norm rather than the exception. The sad part about it is that
people believe they can tell you anything and you are supposed to believe it. They
believe they can piss on your head and tell you it’s raining! As a matter of
fact, you have to realize that a lie doesn’t care who tells it.
We are living
in very tumultuous times. Each and everyday you awaken to the news of one
tragedy after another. People treat you inferiorly on a daily basis. You are constantly
being judged by your race, your religion, your sexual orientation, your income,
your social status, where you live, what you drive, and anything else the
system can find in order to hold you back. Politics is so thick in your place
of worship, on your job, in the educational system, in your neighborhood, and
in places you probably would never imagine. Educational an organizational funds
designated for helping children, families, and the poor are being negotiated
and misappropriated; corruption has become an expectation; crime is at an all
time high; police are killing African-American males without provocation or
cause, at will; Black-on-Black crime has risen to mass proportion; innocent
police officers have become the target of the rage and frustration of everyday
citizens; there are stories of kickbacks and kick ups, while nonprofits are making
more hidden profits than for profit organizations. And where is the money? The
NRA, along with many Republicans have closed heir eyes to the need for gun
control, and our president of the free world, President Barack Obama is
disrespected by congress and many others in the Republican community. And what
do you say about any of this? What have you done about any of this?
There is no accountability,
and too often, the wrong person gets the top leadership position, holding you
and others like you down, holding you back, throwing up road blocks and other
barriers, while sometimes cutting you completely out of the picture. You see
these issues playing out live, right before your eyes, but what are you doing
about them? You probably talk about these issues in secret, but how often do
you speak out about them and against with others or in a public forum? As a
matter of fact, have you thought about what you can do about these situations
and what are you willing to do about them?!
The
aforementioned issues are games being played and ideals being perpetrated by
those in powerful positions (not all powerful people, but too many), at your
expense and at the expense of others. The problem is that you have not been
afforded the rules of the games or updated when the rules change. Even more so
than ever, it has much more to do with who you know, rather than what you know!
Trust is more of a joke than a reality! Yes, you are right! It’s just what you
have been thinking; IT’S A RACKET…at your expense and at the expense of others!
The good news
is, all hope is not lost! There is some great news about the bad news! If there
was a way into a situation, there has to be a way out of the situation. And if
you don’t see a way, it is time for you to make a way! You have the ability to
deal with the bad news and the bad deeds that you see, that you hear, and that
you read about on a daily basis. There is something that can be done about most
of the negativity. It starts with you!
How often are
you aware of the inequities taking place around you and sometimes with you? How
often are you a witness to improprieties, the incompetence, the negative
treatment of others, the abuse, the misuse of people, the corporate and public
misuse and mishandling of funds, the nepotism, the poor customer service, the increased
domestic situations, the increased theft, the infiltration of drugs into our
communities (which is nothing new), etc.? Not only are you aware of what’s
going on, how often do you stand by saying absolutely NOTHING, while doing absolutely
NOTHING about what’s going on?
Am I talking
about you, am I talking to you? Yes I AM! Marvin Gaye asked the question “What’s Going On” in his 1971 song. The
sad issue is that forty-five years later, we are still asking the same
question…what IS going on?
You can break
through the racket. You can reverse much of the maltreatment and mistreatment
of others. You can stop the pilfering of funds from your educational
institutions and other systems, as you eradicate racism, sexism and the other
isms from our society, while returning your communities to one of safety and
respect. You are probably asking me, ‘how can I do this Dr. Joyce?’ And my
reply to your question is, BY TAKING A STAND!! Too often, we sit idly by,
watching stuff happen, without saying anything and most of all, without doing
anything. Either you stand for something, or you will fall for anything!
Taking a stand
has more to do with you accepting you as well you taking responsibility for being
you. And if you don’t know who you are and what it takes to just be you, you
have a problem. In all actuality, there is no way that you can stand for what’s
right without being knocked down and rolled over, unless you are confident in
who you are. This confidence encompasses your belief in and for what’s right,
who’s right, and not backing down, compromising, or standing with and for those
who are wrong, as well as what is wrong. Remember, two wrongs don’t and won’t
make a right!
Not taking stand
for what and who is right can only indicate you falling for what’s wrong, allowing
you to fall for any and everything, completely out of the realm of truth that
you have been taught and the truth that has guided your belief system. At some
point, it becomes difficult and almost impossible for you to keep walking in
and standing on the footprints of others. These footprints are probably too
small or too large for you to fit. However, as long as you keep sitting with
blinders on, watching your girlfriend be plummeted mentally, physically, and
emotionally by her mate, while turning your head, closing your eyes, and
keeping your mouth shut, you are standing in and on the footprints of the
perpetrator. In other words, you are just as guilty! If he is wrong and you say
nothing, that means both of you are wrong, and there is no right until you take
a stand and make it right!
Yes, it’s good
to have e job. You are no different from anyone else; everyone needs to make money.
But how much of you are you willing to compromise in order to get and keep a
job? Whose head are you willing to step on or stand on in order to keep you job
or position? How many lies and how many dastardly deeds are you willing to
engage in, in order for you to climb the ladder of nowhere, believing that you
are going somewhere, at the expense of others? And how long will you sit idly
by, completely aware that your colleague has been mistreated, maltreated, and
done completely wrong? But, you are willing to sit, not stand, and keep your
mouth shut. As a matter of fact, you have sometimes been a part of the equation
to do someone else in, not recognizing that if your colleague, your friend, or
family member is done wrong, who do you think will be next? That hole that you
helped to dig for someone else will often fit two. If he/she was taken down
today, there is always the take down for you tomorrow. Either you stand for
something or you will keep falling for anything, at your expense and the
expense of others.
One of the
reasons that you might not take a stand, even when you see the truth and behold
the truth, has much to do with your own insecurity, your low self-esteem, and
your fear of not belonging. The truth of the matter is, when you believe you
have to compromise your beliefs and your values, falling for hose things, those
circumstances, and those people who are causing you or forcing you to reframe
your reality, you will live a lie, tell a lie, and become a lie, falling for
anything.
No matter how
you try to fit, no matter how much you seek prestige, power, and position,
while trying to be political, until you find the truth, recognize the truth, see
the truth, accept the truth, stand on the truth, and stand for the truth, you
will keep falling for lies and being disingenuous. You might believe that you
are fitting in with others by closing your eyes, your ears, your mind, your
heart, and your mouth, and sometimes selling your soul to the truth, but once
you are used up, you will be put out! Sadly, the same people you met on your
way to the top, you will have to meet them in a completely different vein
during your fall to the bottom.
And what are
you afraid of by taking a stand for what and who is right; that you won’t
belong any more or that you will be ostracized, put out of the group, not be
politically correct? The bottom line is and the truth is, you never really fit
and you never did belong in the first place. As a matter of fact, you have been
perpetrating a fraud of fitting and belonging. The people you thought you were fitting
with were only misusing you and others, to keep what they have and to continue
to rise to their own heights. As they move on, you will be moved down or aside.
It’s time for you to take a stand!
Anytime you
are perpetrating frauds, you are holding onto untruths, standing by and
standing for situations and people that are not for or indicative of who you
are, as well as people that are not standing for your good, nor for the good of
others as a whole, you truly have a problem! But, you can correct your problem,
starting today!
It is time for
you to release your fears, recognizing that you ARE your brother’s keeper and
you ARE your sister’s keeper. It is time for you to accept the fact that your
ability to help others to recognize their inner freedom and inner peace is
predicated on their willingness to work tirelessly to take a stand to return
their communities to a place of love, hope, faith, and compassion, instead of
fear, despair, anguish, helplessness, and hopelessness.
As you recognize
that you have a chance to improve any and all situations of your life and in
the lives of others, and the fact that you have choices in life by using your
voice, you will move past seeing yourself as a snitch and not be afraid to make
your pitch for truth and righteousness! It is also essential that you do not
allow yourself to become bamboozled by the political wrangling and fears being
put forth by some of our political candidates, who disrespect, annihilate, and
humiliate others, because of their differences and statuses. Your vote is your
voice and your stand. You must be willing to take a stand for something or
someone, or fall for anything! If you have to stand alone for what you KNOW is
right, it’s okay! It’s better to stand-alone for what and who is right, rather
than fall in line with and for others who are wrong! Two wrings DON’T make a
right!
©2016;
J. Morley Productions, Inc, P.O. Box 1745; Decatur, GA 30031; (770) 808-6570;
www.doctorjoyce.com
