#takecareofyourown

[navvohra-realty]

Washing your hands may seem like a no-brainer, but its importance cannot be overstated. 🥇

[sowingseedsandshootinghoops]

Take One Step Towards God and He Takes Two Towards You: The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Note on the text: The Autobiography of Malcolm X written by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. Published by Ballantine Books in 2015. 

I am spending many hours [telling my life story] because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, that I had sunk to the bottom of the American white man’s society when- soon now in prison- I found Allah, and the religion of Islam, and it completely transformed my life (153).

Malcolm X’s autobiography is a powerful book. Powerful for a variety of reasons. Powerful as an indictment of the racism which he witnessed and fought against, and powerful as a testimony to just how much a person can change over the course of their life. Malcolm wrote this book towards the end of his life, and in fact he was assassinated before it was published, and in it he reflects on how his experiences shaped him and his ideology. It is, as much as anything else, a philosophical-autobiography. It isn’t just a story of a man’s life, it is the story of a man looking back at his life and is finally able to see how it all fit together. Not many people have the ability, much less the courage, to look back at their life in such a penetrating, honest, way. 

The truth is that we are all influenced by the things that we experience around us, whether we can admit it or not. Most of the philosophies that we have about the world and ourselves are shaped by what he experience. By writing this autobiography, Malcolm is able to see how and why God put certain things, people etc into his life. Malcolm lived an intense life. He was, at different times, a hustler, a pimp, a drug dealer, a prisoner, a Christian, a Muslim, a high school dropout, and a scholar among other things. Although he could not see this at the time, having such a wide experience of life meant that he knew the way that a lot of different people thought, and that meant that he was able to speak to myriads of people in ways that they would understand and accept. Malcolm talks in his book about how he “learned early on [in his career as an activist] one important thing [which was] to always [talk to people in ways that they could understand]” and that not everyone knew how to do that as well as he did (225). He knew for example how to speak to Christians in ways that would invite them into the conversation as opposed to turning them off. Same with hustlers, college students, etc. He knew how to modulate his approach depending on who his audience was largely because of the experiences he had over the course of his life. He knew how to speak to high school drop outs because he was one, he knew how to speak to drug dealers because he was one, he knew how to speak to other black men because he was one. Looking back at his life allowed him to see the different ways in which God had been molding him to become the person that he was today. There’s an Islamic saying that he keeps referencing throughout the book: “If you take one step towards Allah, he takes two steps towards you” (159). At every step of his life he was simply trying to do the best he could in that moment, but God was using all those moments of his life as a way to prepare him to actualize his potential, even if he did not know it at the time. 

The seeds that would become his racial philosophy were sown early in his life. The racism that he experienced, even as a child, made a deep impression on him. He talks about how one of the defining moments of his life was when he told his teacher, Mr Ostrowski, about how he wanted to become a lawyer. Mr Ostrowski replied that it was unrealistic for a black boy like Malcolm to become a lawyer and how he needed a dream that was more realistic. However Mr Ostrowski always encouraged Malcolm’s classmates, who were all white, to pursue their dreams even though their grades were not nearly as good as Malcolm’s were: “I had never thought about it [this] way before, but I realized that whatever I wasn’t, I was smarter than nearly all those white kids. But apparently I still was not intelligent enough, in their eyes, to become whatever I wanted to be [emphasis in the original]” (38). As he grew up, he kept seeing the same pattern play itself out over and over again, talented black men and women were constantly being denied the respect and the opportunities that their white counterparts had. People like his friend “West Indian Archie” who although he had a gift for math never got the opportunity to do more with it other than run numbers in a local gambling spot: “I’ve often reflected upon such black [war] veteran numbers men [like] West Indian Archie. If they had lived in another kind of society their exceptional mathematical skills might have been better used. But they were black” (120). 

So it wasn’t really surprising that he concluded that blacks would be better off if they created their own society that was separate from white society. It’s understandable, especially given his experience, how he could conclude that integration with whites was impossible, not because blacks were not good enough but simply because whites would never accept them: “A thousand ways every day, the white man is telling you ‘you can’t live here, you can’t enter here, you can’t eat here, drink here, walk here, work here, you can’t ride here, you can’t play here, you can’t study here’. Haven’t [you] seen enough to see that he has no plans to unite with you?” (259). Is that really such an illogical conclusion?

Now what it would mean for blacks to create their own society and split off from white society, and how they should do it, changed dramatically over the course of Malcolm’s life. When he was young his father belonged to a group of Baptists that were lead Marcus Garvey who believed that “freedom, independence, and self respect could never be achieved by the Negro in America and that therefore the Negro should leave American to the white man and return to his African land of origin” (2). Obviously this tactic was impractical for a variety of reasons, including the fact that for most blacks America was their home. But it’s possible that having been exposed to this type of thinking as a child made Malcolm more susceptible and likely to accept the type of economic emancipation that Elijah Mohammed and the Nation of Islam proposed. Elijah Mohammed believed that the black man could achieve equality with their white counterparts by developing an “economic structure” that existed outside of the white person’s economic system. To that end the Nation of Islam, including Malcolm himself, encouraged African Americans to own and operate their own business which could then serve as “examples to help black people see what they could for themselves by hiring their own kind and trading with their own kind and thus quit being exploited by the white man” (209).

His pilgrimage to Mecca brought on the final evolution of his racial philosophy. Every good Muslim is supposed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, called Hajj, at least once in their life and that’s why in 1964 he decided to make the trip. Remember the saying that was quoted above? You take one step towards Allah and he takes two steps towards you? Malcolm was only doing this trip because it was his religious duty and he wanted to get closer to God, and as a result God was going to take two very big steps closer to him. Going to Mecca would change his life forever. First of all, it was the first time he had seen so many black people in positions of power, whether they were heads of state or simply important members of their communities. Secondly, he saw that black and whites could live together as equals. As a result of this he no longer saw white people as the enemy, but as allies that could help black people take down the racist institutions which had oppressed them for so long. As he told a group of reporters when he returned from Mecca: 

My trip to Mecca has opened my eyes. I no longer subscribed to racism. I have adjusted my thinking to the point where I believe that whites are human beings. . . . I’m not a racist, I’m not condemning white people for being white but for their deeds. I condemn what whites have done collectively to our people collectively” (420).    

This in turn lead to Malcolm’s final ideas regarding how whites and blacks can work together to build a more just society, the final twist on the idea of how blacks can learn how to support themselves and not rely on “the system” to help them: 

I tell sincere white folks, ‘work in conjunction with us-each of us working among his own kind’. Let sincere white individuals find all [the]other white individuals they can who feel as they do and let them form their own all white groups to work to try and convert other white people who are thinking and acting so racist. . . . We will completely respect our white co-workers. We will give them every credit. We will meanwhile be working among our own kind, in our black communities, showing and teaching black men in ways that only other black men can- that the black man has got to help himself. Working separately, the sincere white people and sincere black people will actually be working together (384).

As a white man myself, I will never fully understand the black experience. So it’s not up to me to tell the black men and women out there how they should or should not feel about what has happened to them. What I can do though is listen to them when they talk about their experiences  and show sympathy. Show them that I am their brother, that I have an open heart and am willing to both listen and, even though it still seems strange to actually have to say this, believe them when they talk about what they have experienced. Only once I have done that can I do things like go back to my white brothers and sisters and communicate to them everything that I have learned and find a way to bring the two sides together. 

As a kid, all Malcolm had to do was be the best kid that he knew how to be. Even though he dropped out of high school, when the time came he was able to tap into his abilities as a scholar to fulfill his destiny. As a hustler, he did the best he could and as a result he was able to communicate with other hustlers in ways that were meaningful and impactful. As a member of the Nation of Islam he did the best he could to be an effective civil rights activists, and as a result he slowly got to see just how powerful the black community is. Finally as a practicing Muslim who was simply fulfilling his religious obligation to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, he was able to learn that we are all God’s children that we need to learn how to love each other more and learn how to live with each other. At every stage all Malcolm had to do was make the smallest step towards God by trying to the best that he could in that situation and God did the rest.  

In the Bible, when David is about to meet Goliath, everyone tells David that he is crazy for taking on that challenge. But David responds by telling the people that God has been training him all his life for this moment. That every lion, bear, and wolf he ever faced as a shepherd trained for this fight with Goliath. It was the same for Malcolm X. God was training him his whole life on how he could actualize the potential that God knew was in him when it was time for that potential to be actualized, even if he did not know that that was what God was doing at the time. “If you take one step towards Allah, he takes two steps towards you”. We are not responsible for the future. All we are responsible for is doing the best we can right now. If we can do that, we will have done our job and God will handle the rest. 

[empuls]

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Been training with firearms for 30+ years and today was my forst experience with a 10MM pistol.. Sent about 3 mags worth and yes, I am obsessed. I want one. #rhinolions #armandarmdefensestation #protectyourself #takecareofyourown #ccadv #itov #ittakesourvillage #citizenscommitteeagainstdomesticviolence (at Leesburg, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqP7SFnNd8/?igshid=1lo8bqo2u2c91

[thegildedmirror]

Keep your ass at home and enjoy the blossoms in your own yard 😛

[umisays519]

"Azucar!" That was Sergio's catchphrase for the day! This brother was happy! He lightened the mood. Very beautiful also despite the circumstances. I had to capture him. I asked for the photo and he obliged. . . . . #umisays #urbansophicate #iamumi #blackcool #umifeeds #morethanjustfood #homelessness #doinggood #dogood #homelessinmiami #philanthropy #umifeedsmiami #womensupportingwomen #friendship #miami #bekind #makeadifference #nonprofit #hunger #povertyinamerica #poverty #socialgood #socialentreprenuer #lovewhatyoudo #nourishment #takecareofyourown #feedthedeed #bethechange #alifeofintention #smallacts (at Miami, Florida)

[mankindthepodcast-blog]

When Donald Trump said on Friday March 13th that he “doesn’t take responsibility at all” for his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he violated one of the key attributes necessary for any leader to effectively lead: #ownership. Further, when he denied any knowledge of his administration’s dismantling of the Pandemic Response Team, he again violates this fundamental truth of what constitutes a strong leader. 

 In his book, “Extreme Ownership”, former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink explains that a “#leader bears full responsibility for explaining the strategic mission, developing the tactics, and securing the training and resources to enable to the team to properly and successfully execute.” Nowhere in his response to the recent outbreak has Trump exemplified this. Instead, he passes the buck to Dr. Anthony Fauci, “Tony”, as he affectionately refers to him, “do you know anything about that?” He passes the buck and ultimately blames the circumstances and a defunct system for the lack of expert response. He actually goes on to pat himself on the back for the measures he and he alone have taken to stop the spread of this coronavirus. 

When we as citizens of the United States are led by someone with such a lack of #humility and #empathy, we feel distanced, isolated, and unable to meet the challenges head on. What Trump should be doing instead, is accept responsibility, transparently explain the situation we’re in, and provide a clear plan for further action. Instead, we’re left to follow whatever advice our news outlets give us, be they biased or misinformed. 

With that said, I am personally trying to figure out what my role in all this is. What is needed of me right now? I’ve been asked to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus so my options are somewhat limited. I’m not a trained professional, such as the nurses and doctors who are on the front lines of this war, so what impact can I make that might be helpful? 

Maybe I should do what one of my heroes, Matthew McConaghey eloquently suggests in one of his recent instagram posts: “take care of my own, so you can take care of your own”. As I sit on my front porch of my South Pasadena home on this idyllic Spring morning, I’m doing my best to make sense of this situation and “take care of my own”. 

My fiancé recently said to me, “Scoot, you know, I’m really relying on you here. I see you as a leader in this situation.” I’m glad she mentioned that, otherwise I wouldn’t have realized the very important role I have been fulfilling for her in this very uncertain time. “What specifically have I been doing that you find helpful?”

When our power went out suddenly yesterday, I immediately called the Edison Company to determine the nature of the outage. When Summer had developed a rash on her back, I immediately called a dermatologist to setup an online appointment. When our microwave had been acting up, I called the company and asked them to come over at their next convenience. These were swift, decisive measure I took. In other words, I owned the problem. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to work for one of the best leaders I have ever encountered, Hans Luttman, one of the Managing Partners and all-around badass behind Rossoblu, a five star Italian restaurant in the heart of Downtown LA. Since I started working there, Hans has exemplified leadership to its very core. Every night of work is a masterclass is gracious leadership. 

Whenever a guest complaint arises, he owns the problem. He doesn’t pass the buck onto one of his subordinates, a server, or a guest. It becomes his problem and he immediately does anything and everything in his power to correct the issue. When a change in plan is enacted from the management, he immediately and transparently conveys the need for the given change, and stands behind it throughout the entire duration of its execution. I’ve been lucky to be in the same radius as this pivotal example of leadership for over two years now. 

During this time of statewide #lockdown, he and Chef Steve Samson have been providing “employee meals” for the dozens of families of our restaurant employees affected by the closure. It’s a remarkable gesture of generosity and further exemplifies Hans’ desire to take care of his employees, another cornerstone of strong leadership. As I am served so generously by these exemplary leaders, I ask myself: What can I do to rise to the challenge? How can I be a leader?

Take care of my own. The well-being of my fiancé is first and foremost. Beyond that, I’m taking steps to learn new skills. In my role as an actor, I have engaged more heavily with casting directors via their online resources. Bonnie Gillespie has given numerous free online webinars where she explains the nature of the industry shifts from her vantage point. In my role as a creative thinker and artist, I’ve looked to the advice and guidance offered by leadership mentor Lewis Howes by enrolling in several of his online webinars. 

Its time to “pivot and shift” as Howes put it in a recent statement. The world around us is changing and it’s up to us on both an individual and collective level to meet the changes. The buck stops with me. I must become the leader that is being asked of me. How are you meeting the challenge? 

[jaaamzjournal]

🗯 IF YOU HAVE FAMILY OR ANYONE THAT CARES FOR YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU START TO SECURE YOUR FUTURE NOW! I’M SEEING A LOT OF GOFUNDME, COLLECTIONS ETC. FOR THOSE WHO’VE PAST. GET LIFE INSURANCE NOW!!!! DON’T WAIT TIL TOMORROW, NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH! MY HUSBAND AND I PAY LESS THAN $200 A MONTH FOR LIFE INSURANCE! WE CAN SLEEP SOUND KNOWING THAT GOD FORBID IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO US OUR KIDS ARE GOOD! THE MINUTE YOU READ THIS CALL FOR A QUOTE TODAY!!!! EVEN IF ITS FOR JUST YOUR FUNERAL EXPENSES! DON’T LEAVE THAT BURDEN ON ANYONE!! DO IT NOW‼️ #lifeinsurance #justdoit #dontbeselfish #takecareofyourown #noexcuses https://www.instagram.com/p/Brk0T3cnWSQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ax26l8h14ykq

[geniuslifeforever-blog]

Since the #mainstreammedia won't talk about it... And there is no #facebook #filter for you to #pray about it or cover your face with their #flag Many may not know, but on last Monday the #African country of #SierraLeone was devastated when continued rained caused a massive #mudslide claiming the lives of over 500. 150 (at last count) were #children There are still hundreds missing. People have reported losing ENTIRE generations of their #families in this massacre and we have NOT heard or seen this #WhiteHouse mention it...send #aid or #military to assist. Starting today 5% of our daily sales for the next 4 months will go to assisting the #people of Sierra Leone. Please Help Us Aid them. #TakeCareOfYourOwn #prayersforsierraleone #weallwegot #GeniusLife Shop www.agallday.com

[paintedladypaigeturner]

#dogmom #furbaby #daisyisagirlsbestfriend #filltheworldwithlove #takecareofyourown #lookatthatsmile #sweetdaisy #staycoal #mustlovedogs (at Parkdale, Toronto)

[thesouthjerseymovement]

#acongoodmorningamerica #over30000000views #respect #keepthepeaceinacchallnge #✌ #realtalk💯 #takecareofyourown #ib #🔥 #🔥 #🔥 #impossibleisnothing #talentedindependentmusic #thesouthjerseymovement #global🌐

[storm-monsta]

justabi92: This is so painful to watch.. Please repost and share. Idk who this man is cuz I received this in my WhatsApp, but the message being given needs to go out! #houston #texas #blackpeople #rescue #boats #help #takecareofyourown

[empuls]

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1st time out with my new red dot sight, reflex sights and flashlight [useless during the day, Im aware] with 5.56FMJ's [usually just run .223 but felt special today].. Showed off the accessories a bit before running through the remainder of a magpul 30.. https://youtu.be/guBCLlPfufg #rhinolions #armandarmdefensestation #protectyourself #takecareofyourown #ccadv #itov #ittakesourvillage #citizenscommitteeagainstdomesticviolence [part two] (at Leesburg, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqK0cjnR9A/?igshid=1ivqan8gzpnby

[thetailofthecat]

Turned a glass bottle I found at the beach today into something beautiful with som fresh picked flowers from around the yard and garden. #salvage #fromtheocean #tableflowers #flowers #reuse #glassbottle #yup #youmightsaythinkIamcrazy #lifematters #takecareofyourown #lifeupdates #changeispossible #beautyoutofwreckage #dontbeafraid #dontstomponyourfresh

[umisays519]

While Umi Feeds was in Miami hosting "Soulful Sunday Looking Like Big Momma's", around the same time my other sister friends were hosting Umi's Mobile Market. This weekend was a big weekend for Umi Feeds! I was getting calls and messages to pick up food in addition to delivering food. With me being in Miami I wasn't able to take on all that was offered. However, when you have the support that I have things get done! I am so thankful for these sisters and brother right here! We had four food pickups and they were able to make it all happen! A special thanks go out to you Nyemay, I don't know what I would do without you! You ALWAYS make it happen, even when you're not physically there! I sincerely thank you! Sister Omi, ever since I met you a few months ago, you were down for the cause. I appreciate it and you! Martha, another one that since I met you the amount of support you have shown Umi Feeds is tremendous! I am completely thankful to you! Brother Calvin, Buddy, thank you for stepping in and doing what is necessary to get things done! I also thank you, Jamie, for your continuous support and for sharing Umi Feeds with your friends and family. I love you all for it. I got a last minute request to bring food to a family in need. Of course, the request would come while I was out of town! I sent the message to the group and Nyemay made it happen! They packed a large box of food and delivered it to this particular family. I got a message letting me know how grateful she was. I am eternally thankful and grateful for the supportive team that I have. I am fortunate. . . . . #umisays #urbansophicate #iamumi #blackcool #umifeeds #morethanjustfood #ubuntu #suburbanpoverty #doinggood #dogood # #philanthropy  #womensupportingwomen #friendship #bekind #support #makeadifference #nonprofit #hunger #povertyinamerica #poverty #socialgood #socialentreprenuer #lovewhatyoudo #nourishment #takecareofyourown #feedthedeed #bethechange #alifeofintention #smallacts (at Atlanta, Georgia)

[uacboo]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-group-home-investigations-cila-met-20161117-htmlstory.html

Disgusting. Source:chicagotribune.com

[tychesmile]

Tôi nhận ra mình có chút thích anh là khi luôn tìm kiếm bóng anh trong vô thức, hay là khi chỉ thoáng thấy anh cũng làm tim tôi loạn nhịp. Là khi luôn luôn tự hỏi giờ này anh đang làm gì, với ai. Ấy thế nhưng có lẽ cũng phải từ bỏ. Vì anh ấy có quá nhiều người theo đuổi nên chắc sẽ chẳng đến lượt tôi. Vì anh ấy có rất nhiều mối quan tâm , cũng chẳng liên quan đến tôi. Vì tôi sợ... sợ có một ngày anh cũng giống người đó, sẽ có người thương và người thương của anh không phải là tôi. Sợ rằng mình sẽ yếu đuối, sẽ bực bội một cách xấu xa. Có lẽ tôi quá nhút nhát để bày tỏ nên phải tự nhận lấy thôi. Nhưng cái não ích kỉ của tôi không cho phép mình cứ luôn suy nghĩ về một người mà chẳng biết có đang nghĩ về tôi không. Tôi sợ vì anh, tôi sẽ bỏ lỡ nhiều điều còn lại. Vậy nên tôi bỏ lỡ anh... Tạm biệt anh,chàng trai Thiên Bình và cũng tạm biệt tình yêu này. Xin lỗi mày vì trái tim đã không thắng nổi trí óc.