As I reflect on my 43 years of life. I think back to how easily things could have been different. I was born to a mother who suffered from mental illness and a father who took his frustration out on the world by him beating my sister and me, but this isn't a sad Donald Goines' tale or a Robert Beck's tale where I am surrounded by villains of the ghetto. I am here to tell you no matter how bad things get, fight! When she leaves! When you lose your job, when a loved one passes, fight! I was diagnosed, denied, and denigrated. I chose to fight because I refused to believe what people thought about me or what people told me. I sought after knowledge, I embraced self-discipline. I used self-control as a comforting blanket. It secured me, it matured me. To all my brothers going through hard times, learn to condition your mind and tell yourself "This is part of the process." Adopt self-will. Learn the methods of Sun Tzu, learn The Art of War , learn how to use energy...
