A 2023 Message To All

As we are about to embark on another year, I would like to share a message with you all. As 2023 begins, we are not sure what this year holds.   But we are positive and optimistic that this new year will be better than the year that has just passed. Since 2020, a lot has transpired and continues to take place before our very eyes.  The world gets crazier and more absurd as the clock ticks and ticks.  It is very important that we never succumb to the craziness that is unraveling before our very eyes, but instead stay sober in mind and thought and keep fighting. As we enter the new year, I would like to share a message for all in 2023 and encourage each and everyone with the following advice.  

Be True and Stay True to Yourself

There is a certain quote that I strive to live by: “This above all, to thine own self be true.” If you cannot recall where this famous line is from, it comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act I, Scene III, where King Claudius’ chief minister, Polonius delivers a speech where he is giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice for entering university. Since 2020, I have gone through a change in myself that I never thought I would have. From questioning the Covid-19 pandemic to a change in my political thoughts and beliefs (I may explain more of this in-depth in another article for another day), I have gone through a change that has cost me relationships with some close friends.  But at the same time, I have found and secured a myriad of new ones thanks to a newfound community of like-minded people. Looking back on this up to now, I can say that I do not regret the change I have gone through as I have been unapologetic in my beliefs and have been able to communicate with others who share both similar and different beliefs, even to respectful disagreement. 

To stay true to yourself is to stand up for what you believe in, against all odds, despite what people say or think about you. It is easy to cave to the mob when they criticize and disapprove of what you do, say or believe, but it takes real courage and integrity to stand firm on your convictions. You don’t need to be in a box or have a label, just be you, and don’t allow others to place labels or descriptions on you, especially when they are not accurate of who you are. When you are true to yourself, you don't worry about pleasing other people; living by someone else's standards or rules, or being afraid of who you’ll lose. Be you and don’t be anything less because, at the end of the day when it's all said and done, there will be people that hate you and people that love you, but only you and God can judge yourself. Stand strong in your convictions, and never let pressure from outsiders cause you to flip your stance because some people think differently.

Stay United and Together

From my experiences since 2020, one thing that I have learned is that we live in a society that easily politicizes issues.  When engaging with folks who are different from me whether it be skin color, beliefs, looks, etc. I learned that while I may have some differences in opinion with folks I am engaging with (in person and online), we actually have more in common than we think. For example, back in 2021: I met a fellow friend and rapper Zuby, as he held a meetup in NYC around August-September. While I was there, I was engaging with people who had different beliefs, but at the same time despite our differences in opinion, we actually had more in common than we thought.  We were all against the vaccine mandates that were implemented in NYC and being segregated due to vaccination status.  We were questioning the Covid narrative and believed in free speech, and other topics. Because of this, this brought us all together, as we all were in accord on certain topics that affected our everyday lives. 

As long as MSM and DC politics plays a role in our lives, then that is where the division comes into the picture. Media and politicians have one thing in common and that is to divide the common people and to have us see each other as enemies when we really see each other as friends. The media, politicians, and others at play do not have our best interest at heart and as long as they are doing their job, not only do they sow seeds of division, but they fill their pockets monetarily at the same time. As long as we do not play their game, then they have nothing to profit from. Just remember: Together we are stronger and with our strength in unity, there is not an entity that can stop us.

Seek the Truth and Avoid Deception and Deceit 

Since my change, I have been on a journey to seek the truth no matter what area it is. As 2023 begins one thing is for sure, the lies and deceit whether it be Covid or our politicians, new fads in the cultural realm will continue to get stealthier and we must not fall into the lies and deception of those who are promoting certain agendas and narratives. In the Bible, Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:3: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” Despite the fact that Paul was talking strictly to the church at the time and even to the church to this day, this also applies to what we see today as certain fads and certain beliefs have now been accepted in our society despite how absurd they are for those who are sober and sound in mind and thought. 

We must always accept and seek the truth, no matter what society does. I think back to a song by B.o.B. called “Bombs Away.”   Morgan Freeman was featured in the introduction of the song and opened the song with this line: “As the war between light and darkness continues, heroes and villains become harder to identify.” With this line, it is important to recognize not only are we in a fight against good and evil, but it will be harder to decipher who is friend and foe.  And with deception and deceit running rampant, it will contribute to making it harder to identify friend and foe. Always stand for the truth, even if it’s the unpopular thing to do in this society. 

I wish you all a prosperous 2023 New Year and continue to challenge the status quo in thinking. Be who you are, stay united on all fronts, and always stand for truth amidst the world of deception and deceit. God Bless.

“Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”

-Winston Churchill