DE X DE Vol. 1 (ePub)

Good day, good people. This was written by me as an introspective blessing, lesson, and understandings that I have grown to embody. It is written with the perspectives in mind, meant to inspire growth. These works contain gems I have gathered from my teenage self that I wish I would have known as a youth. These messages also apply to my adult self and appear to have been timeless in my life. I didn't write this as personal therapy but to assist anyone who may need it.

Each poem was written with the understanding that to make it from poverty, you can feel like you are climbing out of an endless hole, especially as a kid who is still trying to understand what life is about. This was written with the thought to preserve that hope when it is hard; you have to be willing and keep the faith. I understand I do not have all the answers, and everything I say will always because I'm just figuring out. I'm human like everyone else. I just try to remember it's okay to be human. I just hope we all grow to understand it is okay to embrace your imperfections, work on your flaws, and celebrate growth throughout the process.

I hope some will Identify and connect this is. I hope this pushes you to keep going regardless of age, race, creed, color, orientation, or any other characteristic of life. This is why I am destined by determination. I understand and will only be able to succeed, but the Lords will or whatever higher power you believe. I am not a religious person, but I am spiritual, and I understand the power of faith. You will wind up stagnant without some sort of belief system.

I am also aware that it is up to us to be willing to grow. It is rather easy to stunt your growth in some situations. There's a bunch of factors that play a part that people don't pay attention to.

A lot of things can happen that people don't necessarily notice or understand. In life, you should always be learning. If you're not learning, you're not living.

That's what this is all about!

Some kids have responsibilities and no one sees them. Things that will affect your success and spread to different areas in life. It's human to have hurt in your upbringing, that and be unaware. These issues may carry through life, and without being checked, can be disastrous to growth or general mental health. As a young Black male raised in the inner city, options feel more limited than they really are. When our viewpoint is restricted, we assume we see things clearly. When you don't know, you really have a clue and you will be in denial for quite some time.

I wrote this is to show that it is possible to make it out. This is also written with the perspective that we get in our own way. I've gotten in my own way too many times to count. I have broken down, failed, and felt lost too many times to count. I have also been blessed and learned countless lessons. When we are in our own way, it is often because we may stand firm in toxic beliefs. We also may not ensure that our actions actually align with our beliefs.

Sometimes we do not admit the existence of our pain. We will deny our own drama and the part we played in it. We will put ourselves in positions that we do not need to be in and justify bad behavior for ego and pride. I had a habit of acting like things are okay when they were not remotely Okay. So much so I convinced myself things were acceptable that were not. I wrote this to address those things so that I can hopefully help others improve. Doing better is definitely not easy, but if you are open, aware, and put in the work, you can, Lord Willing!