March 29.

Finding Your Inner Peace.

Life is full..FULL of surprises.
At times, I find it hard to make it through.
I know I'm not alone in this.
I'm sure each and every one of you has your own
trials and tribulations that have broken you down,
but the key is to get back up.

During rough times, it's best to find peace.
To ignore all that is going on, and find comfort within thyself.

So to help my readers
out I've compiled a list of steps to finding your inner peace:

1.) Have Faith:
-If none of the other steps help, this is the most
important one. Faith is ESSENTIAL.
You've got to put ALL of your trust in the Lord,
and KNOW that he will fix whatever it is you're going through.

2.) Evaluate the situation:
Is it really worth the stress?
Is worrying going to make it better?
Will stressing out make it go away?
The answer is NO. Stressing won't make it better,
so save yourself the pain. Besides, STRESS leads
to serious strain on your body. That's not good.

3.) Meditate:
It's amazing how helpful quiet, alone time can be.
Even if you can't be alone, at least close your eyes
and take your self to another place, mentally.
Countdown from a hundred if you have to.
Focus on positive things.

4.) Buy a stress ball :)
They don't make em for nothing!
Seriously, if you're pissed, take it out on the ball.
Don't do something you'll end up regretting.

5.) Finally, treat yourself.
Bad days can always be fixed with something.
Whether it be ice cream or a trip to the lake.
Everyday doesn't have to be all work.
You've got to ENJOY life.
Get out of the books and hang w/ friends.
At least once or twice a week.
It's only right!



Twitter? Tweet? T...what?

Am I late?
Am I the only person in the world not Twitter-ing yet?
Jesus Christ!

I have my little icon on my page over there ====>
for the Twitter and all but I don't even have one.
It looks so..simple to be so...addictive.
-sigh.

I dunno about this one guys.
Twitter might not be for me.


Rilllllll Fly.

Brand New section.
Just something I think should be featured on here,
so eh.
Check em out.
It's Floetry.
Throwback.
Only if you get into poetry/neo-soul.





Hmm. Too bad they broke up eh?

Speaking of breaking up,
I'm starting a new series this week,
focusing on relationships.

Your input is vital.

Til next time my people.

-alwaysRIL

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Quick Life Lesson.

With age should come wisdom.

Watch how you carry yourself.

Worrying about the next person,

Won't do a thing for you.

Why waste your time.

We're getting OLDER people. Time to act our age, not our shoe size (classic).

-alwaysRIL

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Refreshed.

Ha Haaaa.

And you thought I was slacking.
It's true.
I was but you have to admit, the new site looks niceeee.

It'll be getting improved as time goes on but for now I'm beat.
This took forever.
I was frustrated a whole bunch, and I apologize if I came off a bit rude (Be. Hughes).

But I'm back readers.

Changes have been made.
It's now a one-man show.
Yep. Ril is just "Ric" now.
Keeping the name though.

So, I need a cool acronym now.
Really, I'm Living?
Retro, Intelligent Life?
Lol. Idk yet but I'll think of something.

I thank each and every one of you for
your continuous support.
Jamie.
Jeremy.
Nikonie.
Natoyah Rae.
Be <3
Umm.. Sorry If I'm forgetting your name.

So. Tell me what you think?
Most of you hit me up on Facebook as if
the COMMENT box below doesn't work :|
Ha.

I've got a few ideas of what I want to do next.
Hmm.
What do I have up my sleeve?
Only one way to find out.

P.S. My girl Jamie Jefferson is one fly chick.
Be looking out for tips from her.
I dig her style.

I gotta get some rest.
Show me Love.
Ril Love of course.

-alwaysALWAYSSSRIL

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Updateeeeee

Dear Faithful readers of this blog,
I keep saying I'm gonna do better
and gosh darn it I am.

New topics.
New Layout.
New Ril-ness.

Ha.
By the way, I think I'm gonna start updating
every other night at exactly 10 o clock.
K?

-alwaysRIL

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Being....

G R A T E F U L:
-Ric.

Hil and I decided to do our own thing on this go round.
So we decided to pick topics and go for it.
Ya know?
Share our feelings about a particular subject.
I chose: gratefulness.

Warning: I am NOT about to preach. Trust me:)

I'm 20. A fairly decent age. Young to most,
but eh, still considered 20 years OLD.
Still I will have to say that out of all these past 20
years, the hardest thing for me to learn was being grateful.
I grew up....poor, to say the MOST.
Living in the projects (Beacon) with 3 siblings
and a single parent (Mom), should have humbled
me more than it did. But no. I was always comparing what
I had to everybody else. Always bickering about
dinner, or refusing to wear off-brand clothes, and
even going so far as to disown where I lived, and who my family was.
Ashamed would be the most common word used but
UNGRATEFUL is more appropriate. True enough,
the basis of my argument was : I didn't ask to be here,
you laid down to have me.
Looking back, I don't see how my mother managed to love
an undeserving soul like myself. She never responded.
Always continued doing her work but now,
I know the pain she must have felt hearing her own son,
disrespect her in such a manner.
I can't even type this without getting teary eyed.
I was a selfish little bastard.

Fast forward to today, and all I can do is apologize.
I can't take back my words nor can I take back my actions.
My mother has long since forgiven me.
And it took me until recently, to forgive myself.

Readers, if at any point in your life, you feel as if,
there's nothing to be thankful for,
stop what you're doing, inhale, exhale,
and then be grateful the Lord allowed you to take that breath.
Still, if that does not make you a believer, stand up,
and take a few steps, then thank the Lord for allowing you to walk.
But wait, some of us are hard headed, so do one final test,
notice your surroundings. Notice you can feel this keyboard,
you can hear your keystrokes, and you can see the monitor,
now shout praises. Now you know you've got something to be grateful for.

There are people in this world who are blind,
deaf, mute, nor can they walk.
There are some who are mentally retarded
and emotionally unstable.
There are children, CHILDREN, that have not
had a bite to eat this week and there are some children
that won't see the end of this week b/c they will starve to death.
There are famished and impoverished families all across this world,
and it's time we stop worrying about what we DON'T HAVE
and be GRATEFUL for what we do.

I'm not speaking of something I've heard about,
I'm talking from experience.
When I signed up for this blog, I never agreed
that I was a perfect person who did no wrong.
I am HUMAN. Some days, I'll complain about the weather
and get aggravated b/c my car won't work,
or even cry a little bit b/c I'm sick. But no more

I’m determined to appreciate the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me thus far.

Friends, what I’m trying to say is,no matter how hard life gets, find the good and be thankful.

This road of life is long, bumpy, full of unsuspected hitchhikers and sometimes

it seems as if you’re riding down a dark road with no headlights. But as long

as Jesus is your driver, you’re headed in the right direction.

Gratefully Yours,

Ricardo H.

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We've been neglecting you...

And we're sorry.


But we're back.
We've got a lot to tell you guys. Plenty of posts
coming, plenty of updates.

:) Stay with us people,

We're going places!

-alwaysRil

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BLACK OUT?

No. Black IN.

-sigh-
What's ril-ly good my people (when I say MY people, I mean GOD'S people do not get
it twisted.)?

We've been slacking.

Our blog has gone weeks without a post.
In both of our defenses, we've been battling demons.
Yet that does not excuse our obligation to our love, alwaysRil.

It's February.
2nd month of the year.
Shortest month of the year.
Still, the very month nationally honored as BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
It's a time to remember, recollect, & rejoice.
Most of our readers are African American (a term that gives me shivers) college
students.
I, Ric, know most of you personally and I am intrigued by your
wisdom and brilliance.
However, when is the last time you stopped in the middle of
your campus and thought, just 50 or so short years ago,
it would've been IMPOSSIBLE for me to be here?

It seems generic to say it now, but we've come so far.
From the field workers, to sharecroppers, from marching in
the streets, to building dreams on the corners.
We've come a long way my people, a MIGHTY long way.

With this being said, it saddens me deeply that so few
of us, including myself, are so quick to attend a (singular)
black history program and consider it enough.
Enough?!
ENOUGH?!!!
People were viciously attacked by dogs, yet we're doing enough.
Families woke up to burning crosses in their lawn, but we're doing enough.



-My eyes are watering as I stroke each key.-
We
are
NOT
doing
enough.

It makes me smile though, to see so many of my peers
succeeding in life. Their drive, courage, and determination
are ALL qualities of the very people who paved the way for us.
My friends, it is our month.
Let us rejoice.

And if March gets here, and you find yourself still celebrating,
then by all means, continue.
Don't settle.
Don't ever think its ENOUGH.
Do more than ENOUGH.
Take it upon yourself to be the change you want to see in this world.

I hope I don't lose any readers by saying any of this,
but if you disagree with the TRUTH, then you were reading
the wrong blog in the first place.

We, my people, are the EMBODIMENT of the very thing those people died for.

See, I believe people read the word "die" and take it as an ordinary word.
BUT, if one stopped and really thought about the meaning of this one syllable
idiom, it would humble them.

When one dies, he ceases to exist.
His breathing is stopped.
His life is no more.
Those people D-I-E-D.
They did not wake up the next day.
They did not enjoy the fruit of their labor.
They marched, protested, and demonstrated KNOWING that
they may be killed, ALL for US.
All for us to be able to enjoy the same rights as others.
Its not like these people had no lives.
They were husbands, wives, children, aunts, and uncles.
They were preachers, deacons, teachers, and friends.
Yet, they exhibited the utmost form of selflessness by
sacrificing their lives for you and I.

I've heard students say "Black History Month is getting old".
Old? Old?!
The arrogance that some of today's society displays is utterly disgusting.
It is unimaginable for them NOT to be living in "Wayne's World",
attending public school with white people, and fathering/birthing
at LEAST one child before the age of 20.

I am not trying to lecture.
I am not trying to make anyone feel uncomfortable,
but this needs to be said.
Not by someone older, but by someone of our generation.
It has to start with us.
I am SICK & Tired of our youth & their notion of what it
is to be black.

Being black is not the RIGHT to call each other NIGGA.
Being black is not being able to exclusively listen to rap.
Being black is not bragging on welfare.
Being black is not blaming everything on white people.

-sigh-

-takes a sip of water-

My people, we have GOT to redefine WHAT it means to be black.

I took the liberty of asking a few people what it means to be black to them.
Enjoy.

Zakiya says:
To me, being a young lady of African American race is an honor. I have the gift of rhythm, dance, and natural beauty. My cultural background has a huge influence on my life. My ancestors are of the Swahili tribe of Kenya. People of the Swahili tribe are known for their music and dance styles and techniques. Knowing that explains to me my love for dance and music, and why I am well at it. Being Black has taught me to take pride in myself. To carry myself with dignity and respect. Living in this society where Blacks are still looked down on, has taught me to be strong. Being Black to me means I have the God-given privilege to be someone in life. Being Black to me means I am a child of the original people of the world. Being Black to me means I have the honor of carrying on my ancestors customs as a dancer, singer, and an all around individual. Being Black means that I am, I can, and I will. That’s what being an African American, Black, Negro child…means to me…Zakiya Jaleès Nakoa Anyaso Bookert.

Brittany says:


What it means to be black is an ongoing manifestation of profound truth. And tomorrow I may have learned something even deeper. Our roots are so vast. But for now, I say that being black means being born with odds against you, limitations before you, a nation that isn't catered for your needs. It means persevering. It means giving this world something so soulful, it cannot be found anywhere else. "Swag," grace, strength--that's us. Being black is remembering that the world's first, most glorious, richest civilization is that of Africa. Black is not about being gangstas and pimps, bitches and hoes, but about being Kings and Queens, Dreamers and Pros. It's about being proud of who we are, where we've come, what we've become and what we will ultimately be because people have spent their entire history tellin' us what we're not and what we can't be.

It may seem like these are things just ANYBODY could say, but we have a story unlike anything else on this earth.


_____________________________________________________

AlwaysRil started celebrating late.
So, with all due respect, we will ,
more than likely, continue our
Black History Pieces throughout next month.

We've got treats in store.
Jackson Harlem
&
T. Hearn.

Hmph. Two men you should have known
a year ago.
Extraordinary & Black.
That's all we'll say about them.
For Now.

Do us a favor though, tell us what it means to be black
to you.

Until Next time,

alwaysRIL.

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