HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF

STOP ALL CRITICISM. Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
DON'T SCARE YOURSELF. Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure and immediately switch your scary thought to thoughts of pleasure.
BE GENTLE, KIND, AND PATIENT. Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really love.
BE KIND TO YOUR MIND. Self-hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.
PRAISE YOURSELF. Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.
SUPPORT YOURSELF. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong enough to ask for help when you need it.
LOVING TO YOUR NEGATIVES. Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill a needs, so lovingly release the old negative patterns.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.
MIRROR WORK. Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking in the mirror. Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them to. At least once a day say "I love you. I really love you."
LOVE YOURSELF. Begin it now. Do the best you can.

ROADBLOCKS TO COMMUNICATION

Ordering: You must.....You have to.....You will.....
Threatening: If you don't then..... You had better or else......
Preaching: It is your duty to.....You should......You ought.....
Lecturing: Here is why you are wrong..... Do you realize......
Providing Answers: What I would do is..... It would be best for you......
Judging: You are bad....lazy!......Your hair is too long.....
Excusing: You'll feel better........It's not so bad......
Diagnosing: You're just trying to get......I know what you need....
Prying: Why?.....Why?....What?.....How?......When?......

What Can You Do?---AWARD

Most people will joke and tell you not to have sex or wear a condom, be safe out there, and other on demand simple useless answers. I suppose this will anger some more people. Oh well. What we can do has to be a complete and total purge of the weak element of our society. Bridges burnt and mine fields laid out. The most powerful ability humans have is communication and those who lack self respect will only attempt to spread poison in the forms of hate and deceit. They will perpeturate ignorance and attempt to destroy knowledge because they feel as if they're already without hope. They believe you don't deserve the best. That you should settle for less.
They are friends, teachers, coworkers, pastors and parents. We must attack ourselves in a cultural civil war waged within the minds of ourselves and the following generations. You must educate in every exchange of communication. You must remove yourself from all negative people and places. Any person in a negative situation is solely responsible for themselves. There is something they haven't learned yet and they will continue to drag themselves through the mud until they learn their lesson in this life or the next. You can help them but you should not support them. Give them knowledge, give them power.
The battleground for the freedom of tomorrow is to be fought within our bodies, over our blood, no knife, no rims, or bunch of friends. If you stole your significant other from another person then in turn they'll probably be stolen from you. If you have a friend that steals from others then they'll steal from you. If you lie to others then you're going to lie to yourself. If you know someone committing negative acts, then eventually that person will act against you once it becomes in their best interest.
If you love this person even more than you love yourself, then you must let them go, let them see you grow. Be inspiration to another person. I push over ladders and burn bridges on a daily basis. All I need to keep me company is my faith in The Most High and my determination to succeed. So find a group. Make allies, map out goals and strategies. Leave the deadbeat behind. Tomorrow is waiting to behold your legacy.

Children Learn What They Live

IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH CRITICISM,
THEY LEARN TO CONDEMN.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH HOSTILITY,
THEY LEARN TO FIGHT.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH FEAR,
THEY LEARN TO BE APPREHENSIVE.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH PITY,
THEY LEARN TO FEEL SORRY FOR THEMSELVES.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH RIDICULE,
THEY LEARN TO BE SHY.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH JEALOUSY,
THEY LEARN WHAT ENVY IS.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH SHAME,
THEY LEARN TO FEEL GUILTY.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH ENCOURAGEMENT,
THEY LEARN TO BE CONFIDENT.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH TOLERANCE,
THEY LEARN TO BE PATIENT.
IF CHILDREN WITH PRAISE,
THEY LEARN TO BE APPRECIATIVE.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH ACCEPTANCE,
THEY LEARN TO LOVE.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH APPROVAL,
THEY LEARN TO LIKE THEMSELVES.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH RECOGNITION,
THEY LEARN THAT IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A GOAL.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH SHARING,
THEY LEARN ABOUT GENEROSITY.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH HONESTY AND FAIRNESS,
THEY LEARN WHAT TRUTH AND JUSTICE ARE.
IF CHILDREN LIVE WITH FRIENDSLINESS,
THEY LEARN THAT THE WORLD IS A NICE PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE
IF YOU LIVE WITH SERENITY,
YOUR CHILD WILL LIVE WITH PEACE OF MIND.

7 Things To Ponder

1. Every man is limited by three things which are the knowledge in his mind, the strength of his character and the principles upon which he is building his life.

2. The words you speak are the most important aspect of life changing behavior, for words spoken into the mind become ideas, and ideas held become attitudes and attitudes held and maniested become behavior.

3. Physical hunger is to the body as spiritual hunger is to the mind or intellect. True success is to the spiritual harmony as healthy food is to a sound body. As appetite precedes eating, spiritual development precedes accomplishments.

4. If you have an appetite for true success, you must focus on education, attitude and time. "EAT" for success.

5. Once belief in self is attained, the problem is 50% solved because the greatest obstacle in solving problems is the psychological barriers you create from past failures.

6. To develop life-sustaining attitudes and thoughts that are developed into positive action, we must police and discipline the words we speak and hear.

7. Development of self, not material gain or self-aggrandizement, must be the ultimate quest of every individual.

Alabama

The Alabama Ethics Commission has five members with jurisdiction for ethics oversight for all state and municipal elected officials. The members are nominated by the Governor, Lt. Govenor and the Speaker of the House and confirmed by the Senate. The Commisssion must include one member who is African American. Public official, candidates and lobbyists are not eligible to serve on the commission. Members serve a five year term and cannot serve a second consecutive term. The commission has the authority to launch investigation and determine administative sanctions where warranted. Findings of potential criminal violations are referred to the Attorney General. Complaints can be filed by "anyone with knowledge." Complaints filed against any of the commissioners are reviewed by a three judge panel appointed by the state Supreme Court. Ongoing investigations are kept confidential, but all final decisions, whether sancitons were made or the case was dismissed, are made public. Of of the 224 complaints filed, the commission referred nine to the Attorney General, issued 12 administrative sanctions, and dismissed the rest.

Study finds drug rehab effort beats jail

Pilot carrot-and-stick program hailed for success in Brooklyn

By: Devlin Barrett
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON--A pilot program to take nonviolent drug dealers out of prison and put them into rehabilitation and job training programs has a much higher success rate and costs far less then throwing them behind bars, a new study has found.
The program was begun in the Brooklyn borough of New York City in 1990 after the 1980s epidemic of crack cocaine and other drugs deluged the court system with drug suspects.
A five-year study by Columbia University's Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found the rehabilitation-job training program is a far more productive and less expensive way than jail time to reduce drug activity.
"It makes a phenomenal difference," said Joseph Califano, chairman of the Columbia center. "What it shows is you don't have to write anybody off. Given the right carrots and sticks, it will work with people even as deeply into drugs as these people are."
The Columbia study released today, compared 280 program participants with 130 drug offenders who served prison terms. It found those dealt with under the Brooklyn program were 67 percent less likely to return to prison.
Graduates also were 3 1/2 times more likely to have a job after they went in, the study found.
The program, known as Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison, was developed by District Attorney Charles Hynes and made available to addicts who have repeatedly sold drugs but have committed no violent crimes. The concept is to force addicts to see treatment through, with the ever-present threat of being sent back to jail if they fail out of the program.
More than 1,700 addicts have gone through the program. Its average student has been arrested five times and served about four years in prison. Suspects can be eligible if they have sold drugs repeatedly have not been convicted of a violent crime and are facing mandatory prison time. The 15- to 24-month program includes treatment, counseling and job training in a strict environment designed to instill self-discipline in its students.
To enter the program, a prospect much plead guilty to a felony, knowing that dropping out of the program removes the guilty plea from the participant's record. The cost of placing an offender in the Brooklyn program runs about half that of incarceration, the Columbia Center found.

From Chaos to Order

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."--Nicolo Machiavelli



There's an ominous cloud hanging over Madison County District Six. This cloud precedes the Commissioner being forced out of office! We've constructed our determination with a sustained effort, controlled attention, and concentrated energy and dedicated our actions to an unswering singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusander so he and his supportere beware! There can be no fairness and equity in District Six as long as this man stays in office. Im going to tear his political machine to shreds! Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison fits the profile of a leader in trouble: 1. Has a poor uderstanding of people. 2. Lacks imagination. 3. Passes the buck. 4. Will not take a risk. 5. Has no team spirit. 6. Fights change. 7. Feels secure and satisfied. 8. Flies into rages. 9. Is insecure and defensive. 10. Stays inflexible. The Commissioner is not an effective leader. To be an effective leader of people authentic leaders must first discover the purpose of their leadership. If they don't they are at the mercy of their egos and narcissistic impluses. This is exactly what happened in the case of the commissioner. Authentic leaders know the "true north" of their moral compass and are prepared to stay the course despite challenges and disappointments. Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison is lost. Authentic leaders are more concerned about serving others than they are about their own success or recognition.

Message To The Grassroots!

The problems that we face in this community can only be solved from the bottom up. This solution has been offered in talks, sermons and personified by grassroots activists and community voices who speak out against corruption and all forms of "isms." Obama stated from the beginning of his run to the White House that change happens from the bottom up. Those of us at the grassroots level are engaged in this continuous fight to uplift our people while at the same time dealing with blacks in power who have forgotten where they came or "Safe Negros" as their actions define them. It's not enough to just register to vote. Young people should run for office if not the "old corrupt guard" will continue to decide behind closed doors who will lead us. It's time to take action because almost all our local organizations refuse to change. When I say change I mean giving the youth a bigger voice and training of how to lead and to have forward thinking. One the things that need to change is the way Alabama A&M University conducts itself when it comes to the election cycle. Every 4 years A&M students have done a good job of helping the community by voting and these candidates fight for these votes not just at A&M but all local colleges. Local politicians continue to fool students into thinking they will bring them into the political process. By the term(4 years) a politician's repeat the lie only because the majority of them will have graduated and thus allowing these outdated politicians to repeat the lie.

From Chaos To Order

There's an ominous cloud hanging over Madison County District Six. This cloud precedes the Commissioner being forced out of office! We've constructed our determination with a sustained effort, controlled attention, and concentrated energy and dedicated our actions to an unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader so he and his supporters should beware! There can be no fairness and equity in District Six as long as this man stays in office. I'm going to tear his political machine to shreds! Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison fits the profile of a leader in trouble: 1. Has a poor understanding of people. 2. Lacks imagination. 3. Passes the buck. 4. Will not take a risk. 5. Has no team spirit. 6. Fights change. 7. Feels secure and satisfied. 8. Flies into rages. 9. Is insecure and defensive. 10. Stays inflexible. The Commissioner is not an effective leader. To be an effective leader of people authentic leaders must first discover the purpose of their leadership. If they don't they are at the mercy of their egos and narcissistic impulses. This is exactly what happened in the case of the commissioner. Authentic leaders know the "true north" of their moral compass and are prepared to stay the course despite challenges and disappointments. He's lost! Authentic leaders are more concerned about serving others than they are about their own success or organization.

Robert "Bob" Harrison (How Did This Happen?)

In 2004 I was a member of the Alabama New South Coalition/Madison County chapter. I was part of the screening committee that endorsed Peter Proctor, Jr. in 2004. The leaders of Alabama New South Coalition at the time met a couple of days later where they brought in members that I never seen before to overturn the "screening committee's endorsement." On that night the hand (ANSC) that held the dagger struck it into the back of democracy! It's this type of underhanded crookedness that propelled him into office. In December of that same year ANSC had another trick: Membership increased with college students and others with the idea of changing the guard. ANSC changed it's voting day to after over 12 new Alabama A&M University students went home for Christmas Break. This is a FACT that ANSC Madison County Chapter can't hide from. This African-American organization is unfit to represent the people so I quit. Alabama New South Coalition can be bought just like Speakin Out Newspaper!

Message To The Grassroots

The problems that we face in this community can only be solved from the bottom up. This solution has been offered in talks, sermons and personified by grassroots activists who came together to stop the fleecing of District Six. Obama our new president stated from the begining that change happens from the bottom up and not the top down. These local African-American leaders would have us think that if we only just elect them then our problems will be solved. It's not enough to register to vote. Young people should run for office if no the "old corrupt guard" will continue decide behind closed doors who leads us. It's time for those of us in the grassroots to take actions because our outdated organizations refuse to change. Many but not all of our local African-American leaders feel a sense of entitlement. When a common person or young person tries to speak out or seek office they quickly start efforts to silence that voice. I've been a part of the local African-American structure. I saw the corruption first hand. I know all the political players who're protecting those who hold us back.The local grassroots movement have been hijacked by the same voices that proclaim to fight on the behalf of and its clear. The result is some have inferred that they shouldn't think for themselves. The Commissioner is like a bucket of cold water that's dampened enthusiasm and drowned the fire of activism. I'm the spark that the Commissioner can't extinguish! I'm a political and journalistic mercenary on the hunt for those who our community. I'm on a mission and no corrupt black organization, lying two-faced local politician or street thug going to get in my way! No Damn Retreat, No Damn Surrender!

Change Has Arrived

There's hope after all. These political prostitutes will be: 1. Smoked out 2. Put on the run 3. Brought to political justice! This old guard will not go down without a fight. Some things they've been accused of or might try are but certainly not limited to: Payoffs, financial threats, physical threats, blame game, racial tension, etc. This local political phenomenon is the direct result of our black organizations refusing to change. District Six will change at the moment we decide that we will no longer hold onto ineffective leadership! It's time for change District Six and that starts with getting Robert "Bob" Harrison out of office! I'm the voice that will not go away!

Commissioner Harrison Has Let Us Down

The Commissioner is trying every trick in the book to stay in his seat. This desperate attempt is useless once the citizens demand that he explain himself. The Commissioner can't spread rumors this time that someone is doing this for the white man. That is so ridiculous! Commissioner Harrison should address what he has done to hurt the taxpayers of his district. When will District Six get real leadership and not be a political dumping ground for the Robert "Bob" Harrison types? Bob Harrison should know that I'm not going away. He will not outlast my grassroots pressure! He must consider the toll this is having on the district and beyond. The Commissioner is corrupt from his thin outer shell down to the marrow that's in his bones! This is a grassroots movement against corruption and it will proceed with a PURPOSE! District Six had become like a dirty diaper and all I did was try to change that $#!# for the people.