Tag: life

The Evolutionary Shift – The fear of losing our identity

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
–  Leon C. Megginson

It’s truly amazing thing to see how life – the world – has been redefined over the years. As we not only observe but also witness and experience its changes, we explore the endless opportunities of where life can take us and just where we as a race fits into the evolutionary curve. When you take time to reflect, you will be hit with an obvious but still surprising realization which is the fact that the world has been in a primitive state longer than it has been in this advanced age – as far as we know of. This in itself shifts our perspective and understanding on what life is, what can life can become what are the boundaries of evolution.

The world and life itself, can no longer be simply defined by the present, for the rate that progression has accelerated has proven that the future is only as far as the now. What this means is that at present we can no longer measure progress, set goals or anticipate developments in decades, for evolutionary breakthroughs are being realized within a lustrum – a 5 year span. It’s a remarkable but yet confrontational era, one where we must embrace the reality of how time itself has transitioned into a new dynamic, allowing us to exist in the present but just as much live in the future as everything unfolds so instantaneously.

I’d like to give you a little exercise: take a minute, close your eyes and imagine life 50 years ago. (1 min pause) Now, simply try to compare then to now and imagine all that happened within that period, how much we’ve achieved since then, and ask yourself: does it feel like 50 years? To think that 50 years ago is a reality so close but yet so far, simply because of how much our development has impacted the relativity of time itself through evolution. This is an indication that time is truly relative, for to people 50 years ago, 50 years ahead may have not seemed so far because they couldn’t imagine the world transforming at such a scale. But to people 50 years ahead [in the now], 50 years ago seems forever because you are not only traveling back in time but you’re also traveling back, away towards a less advanced reality. Now, don’t stop imagining just yet. I want you to think a bit more on life back then. Think on how people lived their lives on a day-to-day basis, think about their feelings and reactions to being introduced to ideas they had no understanding of nor did their minds ever dared to explore. Imagine living in a time where people dared not to share ideas, people dared not to think beyond, people dared not to dream. Back then, people dared not to, and today we’re living the dreams of the silent. Our reality is the fantasy of a few loud people but a whole lot of silent, for example: we now drive cars that run on a battery source – cars that no longer need gas, and we walk around with a device so small that it fits in our pockets but yet so strong it connects us to all the information and people in the world. Today, this is what normal means to us because this is what we know, but imagine being born into a time when there was no indication or inspiration to even imagine such things. Taking time to reflect should allow you perspective on how impressive it is to see just how far we’ve come. And it’s not that we were less intelligent than we are now, it’s simply that our imagination lacked the freedom to imagine. During that era, the thought of creating such tools, systems, technologies, and inventions were as limited as the rate that technology itself was progressing but also the space to dream loudly. People 50 years ago could never imagine what seemed unimaginable, and even if they could they probably thought that breakthroughs on such a magnitude would only be possible in decades. lifetimes and some even thought never.

50+ years ago the world was driven by limited imagination, one that reflected the world’s limited technological capabilities. Because of that, growth was slower and progress was experienced less excitable, as most people eliminated the possibility that the development would be in their lifetimes which impacted motivation. But obviously, since then things have changed, in a rather dramatic way (one can argue positive or negative). On April 30th, 1993, life took an exaggerated leap when the World Wide Web was introduced to the public and everyone was now able to have access to an open and universal global knowledge resource. This shift has impacted humans in so many ways, for as I earlier mentioned, “our imagination was/ is simply a reflection of the world’s technological limitations and advancements”. The Internet & the World Wide Web have become the gateway to limitless possibilities in our lives, and in turn, the gateway to awakening our limitless imagination as humans. We are no longer chained to what the eyes can see, the limitations set by our households, communities or social groups. We are now free to explore thoughts that doesn’t make sense today but has a possibility of making sense tomorrow. For that, we are now free to dream with our eyes wide open, we we are free to let our once tamed minds run as wild as it can possibly be.

There’s a timeless saying that resonates on this topic very much, and that is: “with great power comes great responsibility”, and this is because with great power there can be great consequences. We’ve seen just how much the lack of power [technological advancements] has an impact on human life and its development. But just as a lack of power has consequences, having the power also has an impact. As technology continues to develop, development on a whole becomes more fluid, almost happening instantaneously. Just look at how easy and fast we can find a solution for every problem that occurs, we can create new ways to feed our pleasures. This puts us in a tricky loop where we can no longer sit idle in boredom, when we experience stagnation to any extent, we begin to explore our boundaries, and as a result, we are capable of hacking our learning curve, influencing a more intelligent generation of humans. With great power, we must ask ourselves: at what cost? What are the consequences of having this much power? What are the consequences of our actions? Are we compromising for the benefit of our future or some? But of all the question, the trickiest one remains: are we as humans accelerating our own development at the same rate that we are developing technology? Are we able to understand, process and sustain the limitless factors that we’re exposing ourselves to? For as advanced as technology has become, as reliant as we can be on these advancements, we too need to be sure that we are developing to the point that we can consume more, understand more, process more and be more.

The reality is, we’re at an evolutionary curve in life where we’ve taken comfort in the world evolving around us, even if that means without us. We praise evolution, and take pride in its growing prowess as its a reflection and result of our own influence, no longer having the same ambition for ourselves. As humans, we now feel accomplished setting goals that are achieved once we can develop something successfully, even with us being excluded. This is highly evident in our social systems around the world. Many people see the tools that we use as an extension of who we are, a supporting element in our lives to make tasks “easier”. But what we are missing is the direct impact that it has on us, our kids, our community and our future. Technology is nothing but a tool, but a tool can be used for any and everything. We are so hyper-focused on developing these tools that we forget that we need to just as rapidly ensure that the people who use them are capable of using them effectively and being able to minimize the negative consequences of them. More and more we see the effects of adapting our education curriculum to the current trends. People no longer strive to develop their processing skills nor their thinking skills because their reliance on these tools. One consequence is the fact that we have fewer people challenging themselves, fewer people pushing their boundaries, and fewer people being able to use their brains to process, analyze and make decisions based on their own thoughts. Where we once focused on physical, cognitive, social, emotional and moral development, we now solely focus on technological development. And while we may see technology as a positive supporting tool in our lives, we must strive to maintain our own development before we lose our independent identity, becoming nothing without these tools.

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Trapped in Logic

There are many theories on what life is, what evolution is, and how these aspects apply to us and influences our capacity to learn and grow. All these theories, regardless of perspective, are governed by a concept that we refer to as logic. Every thought, every idea, every decision, and every action, all our own but yet far from our own.

This piece is meant to be an illogical perspective that triggers discomfort which I hope will force you to embrace a direction that logic prevents you from thinking in. I believe that our quest for deeper understanding of life, realization of our evolution, and awareness of our possibilities are closer than we think. For how can we acknowledge the limitless capabilities of our minds but yet limit it? Let’s take this walk together through our minds as I help to open up a door that could unfold the parts that we keep from ourselves.

Now, what if I told you that 1+1=3? Would you think that I’m “crazy” because I live by a different logic than we’ve been taught? Chances are, an overwhelming majority would label me that way. And it’s not because I am but because that I think differently; I think by a standard that is not recognized by our societies. The thing is, everything we do, the way we think, and the way our lives operate, is all based on logic. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, logic means: a particular way of thinking, especially one that is reasonable and based on good. And I emphasize, “A particular way of thinking”! How can you dare think that you are allowing your mind room to grow to its full potential if you are conditioning it to be used in a particular way? Don’t get me wrong, logic works as a means to ensure alignment and uniformity, but isn’t it still limitations? How can a plant grow bigger than a room it is placed in? How can a fish swim further than the walls of an aquarium? How can an animal run beyond the gates of a zoo? This is what logic does to us, logic places us in a room, in an aquarium…in a zoo. Logic tames us and confines us to a world that strips away our potential to illogically create limitless possibilities and unimaginable realities.

One of the most (unconscious) discussions that tests our limitations is the question: “Did the chicken come before the egg or did the egg come before the chicken? The most likely answers are: (1) The chicken came before the egg, and (2) The egg came before the chicken. These are programmable answers, the only options and the only answers that you can possibly come to using logic. Logic forces us to accept that there are specific ways to life, and that every aspect of life must be explainable and understood in order for it to be. We no longer think of a 3rd possible answer or an option B, C, D, etc. I am not saying that logic doesn’t bring you to answers, all I’m saying is that logic is simply 1 answer and should never be our ONLY answer.

I believe that as universal beings we were meant to think creatively, applying different methods of thinking dependent on specific situations. Nowadays we’ve regressed into using creativity as our last means to think, solve and act. There’s no doubt that we were once on the path to evolving, but somewhere along the way we lost ourselves in our own growth. We’ve become greedy, hungry, eager, too much of all the bad things that inevitably caused us to regress, down a different path that we evolved on. This process of regression has been ongoing for 100s of years and so unconsciously that we do not realize. Why you ask? It’s simply because we’re now in an era where we’ve become too lazy to work and too superior to grow.  We’ve become dependent on technology which in turn makes us less reliant on ourselves and the need to fully use and push our minds. Sadly enough, to us, this is the direction of the future – technology -, blinded by convenience that we no longer wonder just how far our minds can go and how great we can be. Logic has already taught us that all these tangible advancements are results of are true growth and potential. It taught us that our path to creating a digital world on the foundation of tech is the more sustainable way of living which translates to our path of evolution. Logically this all makes sense of course because we were taught to think logically, but what if we can evolve in a different direction that involves the growth of our minds? How can we ever think of such a possibility if logics limits us to think there are no other possibilities?

This read is just to open your mind to the possibilities beyond the possibilities that you think you have. I’m simply trying to point you in a direction that you may not have discovered as yet. I want to remind you that just as your smartphone, your laptop or any tech product you may have, your mind is just as smart, just as advanced, but with so much more possibilities to grow (upgrade).

What I would like to recommend just to spark your mind is for you to conduct some research of various wonders of the world that were made before advanced technology existed – before machines, tools, or any form of proper building support. I want you to take a look at the detail of the designs, of the precision, of the accuracy, and of the logical impossibilities. For example, the pyramids and the entirety of its structure. There is no logical explanation as to how these pyramids could’ve possibly been built, but yet there they stand for thousands of years. My guess? Creativity! Not logic. Giving your mind the freedom to be allowed them to discover limitless ideas and possibilities that the brain can dare imagine. Just as animals adapt to their environment; iguanas living on coastal islands has now adapted to becoming marine iguanas which allows them now to hold their breath for over 30 minutes and swim to depths of 10 meters to find food; elephants are now growing without tusks to adapt to the conditions of being poached for so many years for their tusks; and many other animals adapt, we as universal beings also adapt the same way. We’ve adapted in our own way, we’ve adapted past creativity and limitless possibilities that our brains can tap into, to limited thinkers and realistic dreamers based on a structure. And even worse, now that we’re regressing (which some thinks is evolving) and becoming more dependent on technology, our brains are constantly shrinking, metaphorically speaking.

Just as our bodies, without exercise or training, it becomes weak, nimble and fades away quickly.

You are a brilliant being, but just imagine knowing, believing and exploring just how limitless than brilliance is. I hope that you caution yourself with becoming a logical thinker. Again, it’s okay to think logical, but let it be a way to think and not THE way to think. You are alive to question things, to explore ideas,  to dream, and to constantly evolve into whatever is next. Do not let logic trap you into being only the first stage of who you can be.

For what if there was no beginning and there is no end, but only everything that happens in between which do have beginnings and ends?

Become a thinker again, no matter how wild or crazy logic tells it sounds. Let your mind free, let your mind dream, let your mind discover, and let your mind grow!

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BREATHE

Powerrrr

I – can’t – breathe,

As the air leaves my lungs in such a hurry,

My mind, my soul, my body – shook!!!

Because…,

I – can’t – believe,

We’re fighting to survive against viruses, nature AND human-beings,

I’m tired – tired of fighting, but how can I survive when…,

There’s – no – relief…

In a world where words have more power than actions,

Except in moments when we’re fed up and we start to give them a reaction,

To the injustice against discrimination,

And what they do? They feed us bullshit news as a distraction…

See how easy it is, for human-rights to lose traction…?

 

But, I hope that you – see,

No longer will we sit back and watch our world become your world,

Talking about land of the free?

Who are you to tell me what’s free when this world also belongs to me?

Yes, ME!

 

I can see you’re scared because you can no longer put my voice on silent,

So what you do is label me as violent…

But fuck you and your labels,

Too long we’ve been on the wrong side of the table!

Too long we’ve been listening to them preach,

To their masses, to their asses, to their uneducated social media conditioned generation who supports the system that has divided us in classes.

But we’re done describing what the past is,

And we’re done leaving shit pass us…

Our pain, our suffering, our history,

400+ years of slavery,

We’re way past paying unfair taxes!

 

So NO, I won’t let you keep us down,

Not figuratively, nor physically!

I’ll be damn if I let you break my energy…

So as I stand up and take a deep breath,

I will show you that…

I – WILL – BREATHE!

In this world, MY world,

 

So when I rise…

I rise with the pain of my ancestors, a fury you DO NOT want to see!

 

Trust me…

I WILL BREATHE!

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What IF

What if…

She wanted more,

A lot more.

Beyond what we saw,

Beyond what we felt;

What we thought was a life full of happiness and wealth.

What if…

She wanted more,

A lot more,

Because what she saw was all a dream

A life that existed as a cover to hide what was real.

What if…

She showed the world what it wanted to see?

Her life – your entertainment, and it was all for free.

What if…

What she showed the world was all a lie?

And the only strength she had, she used not to break down and cry…?

What if…

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She was not just a woman, but she was the one wearing the cape,

And the idea of a superMAN was all so fake?

What if…

She wasn’t the one in need of saving,

And respect was the only things she’s been craving.

What if…

She could share her pain with the world and not be judged?

Ms. Misunderstood just wants to be Ms. Understood.

What if…

She was seen for who she is, and not who we told her to be?

Another one of us; a person like you… a person like me.

What if…

She could just let go, LIKE US

Show weakness, LIKE US

Be vulnerable LIKE US

Stop fighting for one day… LIKE US

And feel alive

Feel what it means to smile

Feel what it means to not be empty inside

Feel the climax of happiness like a roller-coaster ride…

What if…

She could be her own person

Create her own life

Set her own rules

Be her own self!

What if…

We didn’t have to ask what if!!

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Kids Hungry For Love

I need to tell you about my day today. Today was such an amazing day, shared with amazing people, creating amazing cherished memories.

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So today a group of us, me along with other exchange students, went to a city in the Philippines called Antipolo City to assist the FEED Philippines Organization. “Their work focuses in organizing feeding and nourishment programs in public schools and the poorest of poor communities in the country”. The community that we went to today was a former dump site in the city of Antipolo. Despite the unsanitary conditions and excess amount of garbage being on the location, families who could not afford different living conditions made this site their home.

Before going to this community, we were briefed by some of the members of the organization on what to expect; like what they do, living conditions of the families and also the amount of children that they help. It was so emotionally overwhelming having to take in all of that reality. It’s just sad to think, to know, to hear that there are people…..CHILDREN living under such unfortunate conditions. You know, it’s one of those things in life that you know happens, you see it happens, but its just not something you can get used to. But as they continued to tell us about the work that they do, it also formed a good feeling because you also hear the positive impact that they are having on the different communities and with all of the children. We were really educated today on the life in different parts of the Philippines. It’s was really good being able to hear the different insights of the life in the country.

Just in case you were wondering, it wasn’t only story time. Each of us were occupied by helping prepare the meal that the kids were gonna eat for the day. Some focused on the rice, some on the chicken and some on the eggs. So while our ears were occupied listening, our hands were just as occupied. We were so many that the cooking process took little to no time, so it didn’t take long before it was time to meet the kids!

As we entered the area walking the streets, we were immediately approached by many of the kids and greeted by so many people. It felt as though they were so amazed and happy to see us in the community, not knowing WE were the amazed and excited ones to be able to be there and share our love with them. It was so comforting being immediately hit by such kind and positive energy. All of the kids were so open, so friendly and soooooooooooooooooo energetic hahahahaha. Before we got into the church yard of the community, we were already fully engaged with the kids, playing random games and making jokes with them.

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While in the streets we thought the kids that were already playing with us were all of the kids for the day, but as the gate for the church opened up we realized that we were wrong. There were so many more kids waiting, and joining in on the fun. There were kids everywhere; kids on both arms, on both legs, and your back, and yet more still wanted to jump on the kids that were already hanging on you hahahaha! Sadly, we had to tone the fun down a bit, just for a short bit. Just to formally start the day off we had an assembly where we prayed first, then the kids were informed why we were there, and then we each introduced ourselves to the kids so that they could be more familiar with who we are. The kids we so open to us, so happy to meet us, to hear us say hello, to say our names, just to have our company. Although they seem interested in us introducing ourselves, they seemed more interested in playing with us. So we made that introduction part short because who has time to talk all day when we can be outside playing right?! Hahahaha. During the remainder of the day we actively engaged with ALL of the kids. We set up different groups and played different games with them such as; duck duck goose, musical chairs, red light – green light – stop. These were just some of the games we played, and of course we joined in on the fun and participated in each game. It was so heartwarming to see the beautiful smiles on each of their faces. To have a day filled with laughter, joy and love, that is what I call a perfect day! But even perfect days come to an end, sadly that end came for us too quick. It took us so long to leave because we couldn’t stop saying goodbye and having fun with the kids, and they weren’t ready to let us go either. It was a bitter sweet ending of our day. The kids followed us as far as they could just smiling and waving while we did the same. Heavy goodbyes to kids who made our day and filled us with smiles!!!

These kids may be living a poor life according to the standards of society, but as living proof they prove that money isn’t the source of happiness. These are kids that don’t have the luxury of having guaranteed meals everyday but yet their stomachs isn’t all they’re looking to fill. These kids showed me today that LOVE is enough to keep you going, LOVE is meant to be shared. They are all hungry for love, and I am grateful that today we were able to fill not only their stomachs, but their hearts.

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Everywhere you are in the world there will be children who are living a less fortunate life than you. Helping them out, making them happy doesn’t require anything more than showing that you care. If you can, I urge you to connect with an organization or someone who can take you to see kids who are hungry for love. By sharing love you will be amazed by how fulfilling you yourself will feel too.

 

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I’m Gone To Fill-A-Peen?

Who would’ve thought that I would end up here?? 

Like seriously, I’m in the PHILIPPINES!!

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It’s already been about 2 months that I’ve been in Asia, in the Philippines to be exact, and I can still feel the excitement each and every day. To be honest, before being presented with the opportunity to come to the Philippines, I never thought that I would ever end up here. Even when the opportunity presented itself I never thought that I would actually jump at it, but here I am! It’s crazy how life unfolds, crazy how life changes, crazy how unexpected life can be. Where I am right now, this feeling, this experience, it’s all so surreal.  Somebody pinch me, a matter fact please don’t, because if this is a dream then I don’t wanna ever wake up!

Question: Why the Philippines? “Why NOT? I’ve always wanted to take a trip to Asia, the Philippines just happened to be the place that the universe placed me”. 

When I arrived in Manila I could already feel a change in the atmosphere. For me personally, someone’s look, facial expression and body language says a lot. While on the airport, walking through the terminal I could feel eyes following me everywhere, but these eyes weren’t judgmental eyes, they were welcoming eyes. Friendly eyes accompanied by friendly smiles, which made me immediately feel that I made the right decision coming here. Luckily and happily, these eyes followed me throughout the entire Philippines.

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My experience so far has been such a calming, relaxing and adventurous one. The FILIPINOS…….listen, these are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met in the world, and I’m saying this from both a subjective and objective stand point. I feel grateful that I can be surrounded by positive vibes and positive energy each and every day. The culture here is one that brings out the best in you. I know that most people have heard of the harsh and cruel acts of the President, but he doesn’t represent who the people are. While he may be hateful and cruel, the people are gentle, friendly and kind. I’ve been to different parts of the country and the friendliness remains consistent. Thinking about how friendly the culture is here and how friendly the people are, as refreshing as it is to experience, it’s sad to think that I can be surprised by this. The world has become such a negative place to live in that being surrounded by such positive and happy people feels like it’s all a dream. But I’m happy to see, to know and to experience that there’s still hope in this world.

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Question: How is life in the Philippines? “Different, absolutely different. It’s hard for me to describe in words and translate my experience, I just wish you could one day experience it for yourself”. 

Of all my experiences in the Philippines, creating new friendships is the most worthwhile one. I’ve met so many people since I’ve been here. From day 1 up until day TODAY I’ve been meeting new people on a constant. I’ve made new friends from Europe, America and of course from Asia, ranging from exchange students, to regular students, to locals. It’s been such a pleasure thus far creating memories that will stick with me forever. Learning about new cultures, new FOOOOOOOOOOOOD, being able to party in a new environment, being able to play VOLLEYBALL with a new team that welcomes me and makes me feel at home, learning a whole new lifestyle, seeing new places……WOW! I’m so happy and thankful for it all and for the people who are making this journey forever memorable! It’s been a great ride so far, I’m looking forward to every tomorrow!!!

Stay tuned for more insights on my journey…..!!!

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She Just Wants To Live

……..what is she to do?

Growing up in a world where she’s judged by everything assumed, but nothing that’s true.

Her person, her character, her actions……HER LIFE,

All that she is, taken away from her by HIS words.

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She wakes up everyday just as everyone does,

Happy and confident…

….until she remembers how yesterday was.

She’s haunted….traumatized….

By the reality…..

Not HER reality, but the reality of the society she lives in.

 

No one knows her but herself,

No one understands her but herself.

Her life is an open book, every page filled with words,

But yet when HE reads her, who she is cannot be heard.

He erases her story and writes HIS own,

Smudged ink stains all over, scratching away all of her that she’s known.

 

HE tries to devaluate the human that she is, the woman that she is!

 

WOMAN! A word that holds a magnitude of meaning,

A word that is being misinterpreted for no reason.

This woman isn’t trying to be better than him,

But yet his insecurities needs satisfaction with a win…

That’s why he forces her to compete…

…..in a system that bets against her, the same one that labels her inferior and incomplete.

 

Such ignorant labels given to her by this “strong” man……

He calls himself that, hiding and cowering behind who he truly is……..WEAK!

So you tell me!

How can you blame her for being traumatized?

 

When, as she leaves her home, she’s being followed by judgmental eyes,

She’s being accused and singled out by bias, justified by systematic lies.

Being twisted and bent not to test her flexibility,

But to reach the breaking point of her entirety.

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She’s not hopeless, she just hopes less….

She wants as much fun as he has,

She wants the same opportunities that he gets,

She works just as hard as he does……

But yet it’s still not enough.

 

……what is she to do when…?

He explores all corners of his imagination and gets a pat on the back,

But if she dares to explore all corners of her room, her reputation is attacked.

 

Fuckin’ double standards….

Fuckin’ coward……

Fuckin’ WEAK!

 

But despite this,

Despite knowing what she knows,

Despite these intolerable acts against her,

She gets up every morning, gets dressed and faces the world!

………she refuses to let him win even when the odds are against her.

She’s a survivor….NO…she LIVES!

Because she has the strength of a WOMAN!!

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The Systematic Life

system

I thought I was born into a world,

But I realized I was born into a system,

A system that is controlled by the people born in the world that exist in THE system,

So I hope by now you understand the mechanics and you’re able to see the symptoms.

You see, it doesn’t function because of man’s acquired wisdom,

Money and power, those are the fuel and blocks laid out to maintain this kingdom.

 

You know what’s the most frustrating part of it all?

We built it, both you and I.

Blood, sweat and tears, it fuckin’ hurts to hear,

YES….BOTH YOU AND I!

 

Trapped with THAT purpose, be aware that I didn’t say “A PURPOSE”,

Because if I did, that would be suggestive that you were meant for something great and fulfilling.

 

What kind of purpose do you think you serve living in such depths?

Layers upon layers, so many obstacles created to burden us with commas of debt,

Commas ‘till death,

Loss of respect,

Lots of neglect,

No need to shout or scream, you’re just wasting your breath.

 

Or at least that’s what they want you to think…

They throw laws and policies they created at you hoping you’ll flinch…

Hoping you’ll blink,

And lose sight of what’s real while they force you to the brink…to the edge!

 

Slavery is over? Shut the fuck up!

If you think for a second that slavery ended, I’ll repeat, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

How conditioned are you to be completely oblivious to the mental constraints placed upon us?

Illusions placed in front of you and I so we can fight and fuss.

Trust me, this isn’t lust,

As strong as the system’s desire is to FUCK……US.

 

Close your eyes and open your mind,

We’re enslaved to our own kind.

Enslaved to what we eat, where we sleep, what we wear, what we hear….

We’re enslaved by life.

Not the life that we deserve or desire,

But the life that the system requires….of us

To keep functioning……

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The HAN-Stoppables

Warning: All activities performed on this day were executed by professionals. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. No, I’m just kidding, all activities were performed by just average students and average staff members of the HAN, so feel free to join in during the next ABS athletics event!!

After reading the title you may be thinking to yourself that this may be a bit exaggerated, but do NOT kid yourself, it is NOT. I believe the title is well fitting for the occasion and the accomplishment by not only us the students, but also by members of the faculty of the ABS.

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On Sunday April 22nd 2018, 4 students (Tolke Plieth, Melanie Schafer, Man-kit Lee & Riegmar Valies) and 2 faculty members of the ABS (Niek van Hees & Thijs van den Broek), participated in a mini triathlon right here in Arnhem. This triathlon consisted of 3 activities which were; swimming, cycling and running (in that exact order). For us, the students, this was our first time participating in a triathlon but we were ready!!! Luckily for us though, Niek & Thijs had prior experience and were able to give us some really good tips and tricks.

Sunday morning we all rounded up at the triathlon location, me at 8:26 a.m, some 8:37 a.m and others maybe a few minutes before 9. Hahaha, who’s keeping record? The point is, we all agreed to meet up at the location before 9 o’clock so that we could register the teams and get our respective participation numbers. After registering, we went up to put our bikes in the stalls and sit at the pool-side observing the earlier competitors category as we waited for our start-time. So yes, we were basically there 2 hours in advance. All I could think on was, “man, I could’ve slept a bit longer!”. Lol. But we were there, the weather was beautiful and the vibes were just right. We were all nervous but excited at the same time as we watched the clock countdown and we saw team after team dive into the pool and began their turn.

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First team to begin was Niek & Thijs, which was quite good because we got the extra boost seeing them push through their laps in the pool. Despite us wanting to beat their time and show them that the students are here to win, we still supported each other and shouted words of encouragement as they made their laps. At one point Thijs was even able to take a pose mid-swimming, which was quite cool. Hahahaha. When they finished and went on to the next activity, it was about time for team 2 (Tolke & Melanie) to head out, followed by team 3 (Mankit & I). IT WAS ON!!!!

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Before the real race challenge started no one mentioned the pre-challenge, which was getting into that pool filled with cold water!! They measured it at 21.5 degrees celcius but WOW, it was COLD!! COLDD!! At least up until the point when we began to actually swim, then it becomes quite soothing. The real challenge began which was indeed a challenge. If you’re not a frequent swimmer, the resistance lap after lap takes a toll on your arms, shoulders and legs. Talk about having spaghetti arms. Right after completing such a challenge and you feel the relief, it lasts only a few minutes. Those few minutes is the time you have to get to your bicycle, change and head out on the cycling challenge. Just as the body was put to work during swimming, it was put to work overtime to cycle and then double overtime for the final stretch which was running. I won’t even lie to you, it was definitely exhausting. The best part of it all was after all that swimming, cycling and running, nothing was more pleasurable at that moment than crossing the finish line. The triathlon was over…..we made it……..WE ACCOMPLISHED!

To be honest, this was definitely a worthwhile experience. I recommend all students to take the opportunity if they have a chance. I will be joining ABS athletics for another event.

I would like to thank the Arnhem Business School for the opportunity to participate in this triathlon. I would like to specifically thank Niek van Hees & Thijs van den Broek for their support through the process before and during the triathlon. I would definitely like to send a huge thanks to Niek Wessels who assisted with getting the team ready and organizing the team for the triathlon. Also a thank you to our amazing supporters and photographers: Jair Frank & Dasha Surovtseva.

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There’s No Place Like Home

Home is where the heart is.

He’s drifting away…….! Far beyond what he knows, far beyond where he wants to be and even further beyond where his thoughts can take him. He’s lost beyond words can explain, lost beyond his own understanding, so far gone that he can feel insanity clenching while he’s still trying to keep a tight grip on his sanity.

He’s almost lost beyond the point of no return but he refuses to admit it out loud or to himself, he refuses to accept that he’s lost his way! Too much pride and too much sadness, he clings to what little hope he has  bottled up and powers through what seems to be HOPELESSNESS! As his brain fights to grab hold of the words, they manage to slip between the grasp and everything that clouds his mind remains unheard.

BUT he’s still determined and trying to get back home…..

To a place of comfort, to a place of security; to a place of trust, to a place where he’s free. Free from the sadness, free from loneliness, free from the burden and free from this journey that seems to have no destination. You see, he knows where home is or where it’s supposed to be, but he just doesn’t know how to get there. He’s a homeless man walking a path with no map, no compass and no plan but getting there.

Man In The Rain

There’s a well known quote that says “when it rains it pours”. This quote resonates so much with him because it’s just those nights, those rainy nights a temptation begins to overwhelm him, a temptation that whispers to him, “young man it’s cold outside, just knock on the door of one of these beautiful houses and seek shelter”. He’s only human so he considers the option. He considers how tired his feet are and how cold & wet outside has been. He considers how tough it has been walking streets night after night and alone. Regardless of it all, his HOPE and DESIRE to be HOME allows him to walk past all of these open doors without setting foot on the doorstep.

He isn’t guided by the obvious instruments that are granted to us to see, he uses what not even eyes can see and that’s the DESTINATION. Now, close your eyes and open your heart: The home that he seeks isn’t a structure nor is it a building, it’s a place where his mind, body and soul can live and feel fulfilled, for fulfillment is part of what he seeks.

Despite what I just told you, the home he seeks, HIS home that he is seeking is surrounded by walls. These walls stretch long and tall, as tall as Jericho’s and just as those, he is determined they too will fall.

You see, he’s not intimidated by any obstacle that stands in his way, as long as he finds himself on the right side of them. In most cases he prefers to be on the outside of walls, but in this case he seeks comfort on the inside. He’s a man seeking shelter and comfort, so all he really wants is to be trapped in a place he calls home!

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He just wants to be trapped in your love..........
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