>WHAT ARE YOU DEDICATED TO?

I'm dedicated to living in such a way that when my life is over, the world will have been made a better place WITH me (in whatever small or big way) than it would have been had i not existed. I'm dedicated to following the direction of my God and to doing everything in my power to reflect truth, common sense, and fairness. I'm dedicated to learning and trying to broaden my horizon in such a way that i never allow my circumstances to define my actions or destiny.

>HOW DOES THIS MANIFEST IN YOUR
>LIFE?

Through the seeking of knowledge (i honestly believe you can learn SOMETHING from everything), and outwardly by doing my best to make whatever i feel is the right decision at every given moment.

>WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS?

in my life i've learned that every moment is a blessing, to me the key is to allow those blessingsto be used to generate blessings for others (letting the blessings flow THROUGH me as opposed to just TO me).

>What's the story behind it?

way too long to go into here.

>WHAT HELPS YOU?

God.

>What qualities of heart and mind
>serve you best in this
>work?

Balance and perspective. Remembering that everything we do (as I stated before) comes from our relative reactions to our perceptions.

>Who or what,
>external to you, has helped
>you to perform this work
>or dedicate yourself to this
>goal?

Way too much to mention (again). Since childhood every experience I've had (as well as the experiences of my ancestors, elders, and peers) has helped shape me into whatever it is that i am today.

>WHAT GETS IN THE WAY?

see above. the same thing holds true.

>WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SO FAR?

that there is always more to learn. and that lessons learned in the past oftentimes have to be re-learned.

>What lessons has this dedication brought
>you?

mainly the realization that i don't live in a vaccuum. everything i do has some effect, i want the effect to be postive rather than negative.

>WHAT IS THE GREATEST JOY?

joy comes from within (as opposed to happiness which relies on external happenings), my source of joy is the knowledge that the future is an open book.

>What is the best part of
>your dedication? What makes
>you go on, even when
>it's hard?

there was once a song by the winans and anita baker which said "ain't no need to worry, what tonight is gonna bring. it'll be all over in the morning." that sums it up. as well as a sentiment expressed by ice cube: "they ain't gona call me a nigga when i get to heaven"

>WHAT IS THE GREATEST SORROW?

lessons learned the hard way.

>How has your heart been broken
>in your work?

yup. too many times to share here, but ultimately i relize that most of the pain i've suffered is my own fault.

> What
>makes it worthwhile anyway, or
>is it?
>WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
>What nourishes you in your dedication?
> Where do you find
>your inspiration to continue?
>What do you do to
>prevent burnout? How do
>you nurture yourself?

i think i already answered these.

>WHAT'S NEXT?

keep doing the best i can with what i have, all the rest will work itself out

>Is there a natural next step
>that you see?

life is short. to me the "natural" next step is to keep progressing forward with due diligence.

>Know that by sharing your experiences
>with us, good and bad,
>you can make a difference.
> We are separated by
>miles and the anonymity of
>the internet, but we have
>commonalities and your story will
>support someone else.
>
>Peace.

that was a pretty good public service announcement. :-) you should have added, a mind is a terrible thing to waste at te end....

------QUOTE STARTS HERE------
BooDaah-OkayActivist Moderator
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