some poetry on a friday....

Word Power ©
Suzanne Daniels

I carry so much weight,
politicians throw me around in superficial debates
i wait,
until just the right time,
and release literal spiritual vibrations when my masters let me fly
i've caused people to die both literally and metaphorically,
but i can also build people up spontaneously
i cut like ginsu knives when strive to make others cry
and sometimes i form the skeleton of a lie,
i can seduce a woman like the sweetest lullabye and
i can annihilate manhood in the blink of an eye
i'm passed along through generations
i was spoken when ancestors poured libations
when multiplied on paper i form policy
and my strength even influences history
i can shock and cause catastrophe
many a life has been lost because of me
when you speak me i promote endless possiblities
choose me carefully and never carelessly
i form the outcome of people's lives you see
along with my cousins Thought and Deed
people try to twist me, but i always come back ferociously
when i'm all dressed up, i sound quite lovely
but most times that i'm dressed, people are using me selfishly
i can be a form of therapy, but cowardly people are scared of me
when used effectively i can serve as spiritual weaponry
my meanings vary contextually and i can control weak minds like puppetry
artists lay me on their melodies, and then they sex me musically,
alot of people spit me out, and afterwards their through with me,
i'm inscribed on people's graves and spoken at their eulogies
i form the meat of prophecy and manifest unstoppably
never underestimate me
for my power stands unshakeably
and every time you speak me, i lend you power freely
so choose me very carefully, for i do create your destiny,
word power...

The Great Escape

A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with one of my close friends about actress Maia Campbell and the unfortunate situation she has found herself in as of late. A while back a video was circulating of her in a Los Angeles neighborhood, sitting in a parked car and devouring Doritos, while clearly tweeking off the drugs that were ravaging her body and soul. A more recent photo of her, resembling a mug shot, was also posted by a fellow Facebook friend. The deterioration, spiritual despair, and obvious physical toll of her habit was so overwhelmingly evident that it could only spark feelings of sympathy and compassion. This once beautiful and talented young woman has become a mere shell of her former self. I'm sure she never imagined that her life would spiral downward the way it has. Her desire to escape reality through the doorway of drugs has cost her much more than she ever bargained for.

So my friend and I began exploring this issue of escapism and what drives people to it. She posed this pointed question, "Why are people afraid to be sober? It's tragic when people go through life using superficial things and artificial substances to self-medicate. There is an answer and a way out. Life is better lived with eyes wide open." Wow. Maia Campbell's story is just one example of how compounded grief, wounds, and other emotional scars can easily be the catalyst to a person's "Great Escape" which really isn't an escape at all, but rather a journey into bondage. It might be the death of a loved one that one never fully recovered from; the emotionally or physically absent father who left his son with a gaping hole in his heart; the shadow of anger that haunts the life of a woman who was abused as a young girl; or, the despair of someone who has no vision and doesn't know their purpose in life. Add to the equation the fact that some people have addictive personalities and a propensity toward being more vulnerable to certain behaviors and the issue gets even more complicated.

When I thought about my friend's question, "Why are people afraid to be sober?" My first answer was, because the reality of some people's lives is too much for them to bear without some sort of temporary numbing agent. Consequently, they are always in search of something to take the pressure off, even if just for a moment because it is in those moments that the pain is dulled, to a degree, and they are able to get to the next moment. Unfortunately, the moments of a life of self-medication will begin to merge together into days, weeks, months, and years. Before long, time has passed and the only result is a wasted life. Depression, whether blatantly obvious, or subtly lurking beneath the surface of the soul is almost always a factor in why people turn to any and everything outside of God for relief. Some people use drugs as their way of escape, while others use sex and/or relationships to distract them from the painful issues going on inside. Food, work, and even the exaltation of "self" are just a few of the other escape routes people use to try to control their lives when they really feel out of control on so many personal levels. The one common denominator I have seen, regardless of who it is, or what their "drug" of choice, is a real sense of pain on the inside about something that has yet to be dealt with in full. Layers of fear, insecurity, and abiding sadness are often present. Being at the mercy of a self-destructive habit, without the ability to find the brakes has to be scary.

Thankfully, the latter part of my friend's statement is the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Recognizing 1) God is the way of escape that leads to lasting peace and joy unspeakable, and 2) the realization that life is indeed better lived with eyes wide open. Why go through life in a clouded haze of superficial, fleeting pleasure that is ever elusive, when there is the opportunity, every day in God, to live with complete clarity, satisfaction, and fulfillment? The question is, will we trust in our Creator more than we do our own way of doing things? Will we hand all our issues, pain, emotional wounds, and grief over to Him, and allow Him the opportunity to do surgery in our souls? Just like a patient who is recovering in the hospital, there will be some discomfort, but in the end, every open wound will close and the pain will go away. Instead of trying to administer our own medication, let's allow the One who knows us better than we know ourselves to deliver His special brand of medicine - He is guaranteed to deliver.

Vision and Purpose: Prerequisites to a Fulfilled Life

I was recently having a discussion with my husband and some friends about people we know who are literally in the same situation they were in 10, 15 years ago, and how progression has been minimal in their lives. Our friend was sharing about how every time he goes home to L.A. to visit his boys (now in their 30s), they can be found at the same spot, doing the same thing, every day - blowing chronic in the middle of the afternoon and playing video games at the house. Year after year, without fail, he could find them there, seemingly oblivious to the fact that life was passing them by with each wasted moment. It was an image that stuck in my head long after the conversation was over and it got me thinking about the reasons why people remain paralyzed where their progress is concerned, seemingly never able to move out of the land of average. What kept coming up in my mind was - a lack of vision and no sense of purpose. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that when you don't have vision for your life, and you don't know your purpose, every day is just another day to be wasted.

Without a vision, it's like you're lost at sea, and as a result, you'll be open to all kinds of suggestions, relationships, and endeavors that are only designed to sidetrack you from your real purpose in life. I call them 'worthless pursuits'. They are the ideas YOU come up with but that have no lasting value. They are the endeavors YOU conjure in your own mind, without considering if they really will make an eternal impact. They are the relationships YOU choose that fit the convenience and comfort of the moment because, well, that's all you're living for, the moment. As a result, you end up wasting time, money, and energy on things, people, and pursuits that keep you going in circles. But when you know where you're going, everything and everyone that doesn't somehow contribute to that progress becomes a weight holding you back. Your focus won't allow you to waste time with things that aren't helping you get to the next level.

Having a vision for yourself is like a blueprint for your future that keeps you moving toward your goal. But sometimes it takes removing yourself from what is comfortable and familiar to you in order to see beyond where you currently are. It may mean changing up your associations or even your locale. Even if you can connect with just one person who can spark the flame of vision in you, that's all you need. The desire to do more and be more can increase just by making one simple adjustment. The people we spend the most time with are affecting us in major ways that either build strength and purpose in us, or drain it. Getting in the company of people who are going somewhere,and who have tangible results to back it up, is vital to your own success.

I believe true God-given vision will always support the purpose and reason you were put on the Earth. And when it's a God-given vision, it will always somehow tie in to improving the quality of other people's lives on some level. When it's all about you, most likely it's something you came up with, but when your focus becomes, "How can this vision become a means to the end of being a blessing in someone else's life?" not only will it become all consuming for you, but doors will open and the resources and provision you need to carry it out will show up. If you find you never get any results in something you are continuing to push, it could be you need to get a new vision.

A great place to start is by brainstorming all the things you are really good at and think about what ignites passion in you. For me, drawing, writing, and helping people grow spiritually are things I could do all day, even if I never got paid to do them. These are my top three passions, and so I have incorporated them all in my personal vision. I KNOW my God-given purpose involves these, among other gifts, interests, and talents. What are yours? It could be artistic ability, teaching, the gift of gab, music, sports, being able to give good advice, etc. Whatever it is you do with ease and that you love, should be incorporated into your personal vision. Write it down and come up with action steps. Pray and ask God to open doors for you but most importantly, take action. Visions of grandeur without execution = nothing changing. You have to DO something, and that's completely on you.

God-given vision will take you into arenas where you will be able to be a light to other people so keep that in mind. When you experience what it feels like to allow your gifts to be used to bring joy and positivity in someone else's life, you'll know what living really is. That's when vision and purpose meet to provide ultimate fulfillment and lasting prosperity and success...

What Do You Do When You're In a Holding Pattern?

Have you ever felt as if you were in a holding pattern in your life? I'm not talking about being unproductive necessarily, but just a time or season when it seemed as if you were waiting for the next move, instruction, or directive, and all you could do was, well, wait. I like the illustration of the holding pattern because it really communicates the fact that one of the most important things we can and must learn to develop in our lives is patience, especially when we just want to "get there."

I can think of a few times when I was on a plane and the pilot informed the passengers that we would be in a holding pattern until the path was clear to land at our designated spot. For whatever the reason, a landing was not possible at the time and we had no choice but to comply with the pilot's announcement. As frustrating as it was, there was nothing we could do personally to land any faster or get to our destination any quicker. The pilot was the one controlling the plane, not us. So, while I was in the "waiting room" anticipating my descent, I just continued to do what I had been doing for the past 4 hours - reading, writing, thinking, and planning. I kept looking out my window, observing the beauty of the clouds, the sky, the sun. I stayed in the moment and I became grateful for the moment in which I found myself.

Someone once told me, "Your focus is the process" and, more and more, I realize the potent truth in this statement. Sometimes we get so concerned with reaching the destination that we forget to enjoy the journey, and we should because there are alot of cool things to see along the way. The holding pattern didn't mean we weren't moving, and it also didn't mean I couldn't be productive, right there in that space. I had the power to choose how I would spend my time during the wait, whether I would complain, or whether I would use those moments wisely. I had the power of thought and a pen, which for me means productivity, regardless of where I find myself.

Patience is remaining consistently, constantly the same, no matter what is going on around you. In the day-to-day reality of life, that means being steadfast in what you currently have on your plate while you're waiting, doing it to the best of your ability, perfecting yourself, reviewing what you thought you knew, renewing what needs to be renewed, learning more, and squeezing the juice out every single "now" moment in anticipation of what is to come. The pilot? God. And when it seems we're in a holding pattern, He could very well be clearing the path for us to land at the most opportune time. What we do when we're on the plane is what makes the difference.

the bleeding pen

Does it Profit?

I've heard it said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results; and as I began to take inventory of my own life, particularly as I prepared to embark upon a new year, new decade, and new journey in life, naturally I started to locate areas I realized I needed to change. But in 2010, I didn't want to do the cliched "New Year's Resolution" spiel and rattle off a long list of resolutions, overwhelming myself with empty promises that were more for others' benefit than my own. I decided to do what I did last year and focus on one major theme for the entire year, which is -- "Does it Profit?"

People have different definitions of "profit" and to most, the idea of financial increase is predominant when profit is mentioned. However, to me it transcends the financial realm. Webster's second definition of it is, "financial return after all business expenses have been met" but I also like definition number 1, "an advantage gained: benefit." Of course finances are a part of the package; after all, who doesn't want to come out of 2010 with a stronger financial portfolio, a bank account that is well stocked with Benjamins, and the ability to do whatever, whenever, without having to think about it and with no repercussions like debt or living beyond your means? But even more than the money, the profit I'm looking for involves an expansion of my spiritual influence on the world and those in my circle. It means people coming in contact with me and experiencing the undeniable vibrancy, love, and wisdom that makes them say, "there's something about her." And that something is designed to point them in God's direction. Real profit is having a renewed mind, changed thinking, and knowing how to use the creative power of words to frame your world. True profit will always upgrade the quality of your life, spirit, soul, and body.

So I entered this intense process of looking at every detail of my life with a magnifying glass and examining every relationship, habit, thought, word, activity, pursuit, and plan with scrutiny. Why? Because these are the things that have the potential to profit me or not. I'm getting real picky because I have to. My destiny depends on it. I now ask myself the question, "Does it profit?" Is this taking my life to the next level? Is this getting me where I need to go? Is this adding to my life? Is this taking away? Is this multiplying? Is this relationship growing or stagnating? Is this causing me to expend energy that could be used for a more profitable result? Has this situation run its course? What is this doing for me? Am I most productive here? Do I need to let that go? Is this relationship inspiring me, bringing out my gifts, taking me to another level, whatever that level may be? Or is it just something to do out of habit and familiarity? Sometimes it's the small foxes that spoil the vine -- those seemingly unimportant details that are actually causing us to remain average and continue to run the hamster wheel in vain. I'm after superabundance, expansion, and real results.

I'm only five days into the new year and the answers are unfolding. Not only that, but I'm making the adjustments. Letting God cut the unproductive things away can be painful, but it is necessary. Some things just won't make the cut. There are those who won't understand. That's okay. Because at the end of the day, at the end of the year, at the end of my life, when it's all said and done, I'm only looking for one thing ---profit.