The Valley
Hello everyone! How are you this
month? I KNOW you were eagerly anticipating the fifth and final
installment of the “How To Mack” series, but we have bigger fish to
fry. We will finish off that series in December.
This month, November, the month of
Thanksgiving, Papi needs 2 reach out and touch a few people dear and
special to him. I know of many people who have a hard time during
this time of year due to personal loss. I also know people who are
currently facing challenging times,
including my wonderful editor Raqui,
and I want to show my love and support.
Aside from this column, I send out
two weekly emails. One on Mondays entitled Motivational Monday
consists of a motivational story, positive, uplifting, interesting,
and/or related quotes, and my thoughts on that Monday’s topic. The
one on Fridays is called Feel Good Friday and is a newsletter
including jokes, news, jobs, websites, books, gossip, celebrity
birthdays, a motivation, my peace and some poetry. If U R interested
in getting a taste of Papi on a weekly basis,
send an email request to
subscribe@thankmymomma.com.
Well, this months Papi’s Peace draws
from Feel Good Friday - September 15, 2006. I hope you enjoy it and
I hope it reaches and uplifts you.
Life is supposed to be a series of
peaks and valleys. The secret is to keep the valleys from becoming
grand Canyons. - Bern Williams
You work for the same goals in sports
and life, and sometimes you don't win. But you can learn that you
can go through some deep valleys and return to the mountain top. -
Van McCloud
Life is like topography, Hobbes.
There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring
routine, and valleys of frustration and failure. - Calvin & Hobbes
The river of human life meanders
along, through many a valley, leaps over many a cliff, loses itself
in many a marsh and seeks to empty itself in the ocean of Divine
Grace. - Atharva Veda
Life is a roller coaster. There are
ups, there are downs, there are hills, there are valleys, peaks, and
so on. - Martin Landau
I think this season was such a good
one because it was a reflection of life. Life's going to have peaks
and valleys. If you can stay in between, not let your highs be too
high or lows be too low, you can survive. That's just life. - Rhonda
Brown
If we never go through any valleys
how will we know when we've reached a mountain top? How will we know
if the mountain is even any good if all our lives we stay up on the
mountain and never experience any valleys? I know we'd all like to
avoid those "valleys" at all costs, but the most growth for anything
happens during adversity. - Kim Bloomer
Adversity causes some men to break,
others to break records. - William A. Ward
In every adversity there lies the
seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing
you how to win the victory next time. - Robert Collier
There is no better than adversity.
Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed,
its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time. -
Og Mandino
Adversity is a fact of life. It can't
be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it. - Unknown
This Is Not The Time To Give Up! by Jewel Diamond Taylor
We cry, point fingers, can't sleep,
feel hopeless, angry, close our eyes not wanting to see or know the
truth and become paralyzed with fear. That is what the enemy wants
us to do when change and pain show up in our lives. Get up! We can
be angry at what has happened to us or others, without abandoning
our faith, praise, hope and gratitude. We can recognize our anger at
life's unfairness. We can learn to see our instinctive compassion at
seeing people suffer as coming from God who teaches us to be angry
at injustice and to feel compassion for the hurting. There are so
many lessons we can learn from our personal setbacks and from
witnessing the human suffering of others.
What a marvelous time to truly go
beyond talking our faith and now to walk it, live it, show it and
share it. Every demonstration of kindness, courage, prayer and
giving counts.
Every moment you decide to get up and
overcome the paralysis of fear, the isolation of shame and
hopelessness and take action, you have victory. Small victories lead
to big victories. Small steps lead to progress. As we keep the Gulf
Port area in our hearts through action, prayers and deeds, we can
learn from them how to be resilient, caring, strong and create a
sense of community. Life is sending us messages to make a paradigm
shift from greed, individualism, war, excess, materialism,
inadequate and dishonest leadership to a nation of love, faith,
caring, integrity, community, personal strength and political
intelligence.
You could be facing unemployment,
divorce, sickness, grief, financial struggle and feeling lost and
displaced. Only the strong survive! Our national tragedy from the
hurricane is a great reminder for us to get strong spiritually,
mentally, physically, financially, emotionally and in our
relationships with others. Whether you are facing minor or major
changes and challenges in your life, gospel singer Marvin Sapp
inspires us through his song, "this is not the time and this is not
the place for giving up."
Lyrics to Marvin Sapp's song: This is
not the time for giving up. This is not your place where you should
be. You got to hold on, you got be strong.
This is not the time to question your
faith. This is not your place of destiny. It's not the time or the
place to throw in the towel. You gotta hold on. You you gotta be
strong. Sometimes you win.
Sometimes you lose.
It's apart of life that everyone goes
through. Sometimes there's joy, sometimes there's pain. That's apart
of God's plan. It is His own plan. This is not the time (not the
time not the place). Just believe in the faith.
Gotta learn how to wait. There's
still hope for the hopeless. There's still life for the lifeless.
God is a friend to the friendless. He'll give you peace and
sweetness. There's help for the helpless. There is a home if you're
homeless. He will mend your broken pieces and cause you to live and
be blessed, this is not the time or the place. Gotta learn how to
wait. Don't give up.
Papi's Peace
Your Valley
There is strength in the valley.
Although we all enjoy
the peaks and the highs in life . . .
It is when we encounter a valley that
we learn who we are.
What we are made of.
How strong we can be.
We gain strength, wisdom, and
determination from climbing out of those valleys in life.
So when you get low, or find yourself
caught deep in one of lifes valleys . . . know that this is
a part of your development.
Know that this is going to
help you in the future.
But most importantly know this . . .
You are not alone!
"The Valley"
- Papi
As ALWAYS, today's topic is not new.
U can go 2 several old issues, including the Feel Good on 07/07/06
(The Frog That Never Gave Up/Never Give Up On Your Dreams). This is
yet another installment that is written 4 the times where U battle
yourself. The times that U allow frustration, anger, obstacles,
setbacks, and drama 2 affect U. The times when U question things U
should NOT B questioning. Times when U think of throwing in the
towel or giving up . . . giving in. Today we are discussing when U R
trapped in a valley.
I formed my "Valley" concepts from
Iyanla Vanzant. she has a series of Valley books that are written
geared for African-American women, but can be used for anyone or
everyone that has ever gone through a thang. She says, "Valleys are
purposeful. They open our eyes, strengthen our minds, teach us
faith, strength, and patience . . . In the valley, we change because
we are forced to grow . . ." I learned a lot reading much or her
writings, but this is one of the most powerful concepts I have
encountered.
Let's remember 3 things about the
valleys in our life: They are unavoidable and should be embraced.
They are positive and not negative experiences. They are not
forever.
Valleys in life happen everyday. To
everyone. U R not the only person who has failed, who has faced
hardships, who has been broke, who has been homeless, who has lost
their job, who has gotten their heart broken. It happens ALL the
time. And whatever U R going through someone else is going through
the SAME thing at a LARGER degree, for LONGER and with MORE stuff
with it. I GUARANTEE that. I don't say that 2 take joy in someone
else's misfortunes. I say that so U realize it could B worse. There
are people worse off. U should be thankful. Grateful. Count your
blessings. I tell U all the time about your mental state. It is not
about the problems U have, it is about how U face the problems U
have. When U have a valley moment, don't get in a funk . . . become
renewed and revitalized so U can prepare 2 dig yourself out. Sitting
and moping and feeling sorry 4 yourself will do nothing but set you
back and affect those closest 2 U. Don't allow it 2 happen. Flip it.
Only U control your attitude!
A Valley should not B viewed in a
negative light. Valleys are learning experiences. They teach U how 2
combat adversity. They teach U how 2 channel energies. They teach U
how 2 use inner strength. Think of a Valley as training. When U lift
weights, U grow stronger. When U run laps, U build endurance. When U
jump rope, U increase agility. When U face obstacles and problems
and U solve them, conquer them, defeat them, U gain experience. And
we all know that is the best teacher. This is one conquered Valley 2
put on your scorecard. If U ever face this one again, U can knock it
outta the box. Piece of cake. The more U face, the more U R prepared
for. The more U encounter, the stronger U become. The more you
endure, the more enlightened U become. So, the next time U see a
Valley, tighten your belt and smile!
A Valley is a temporary event. It is
not forever. Even in Seattle it doesn't rain everyday. The sun
eventually comes out. The sun ALWAYS comes out. U will escape your
Valley. U will eventually be freed from whatever situation has U in
a choke hold. Yes, while U R in these situations, it may seem like
4ever. But think back 2 ALL of your Valleys. Were they forever?
Didn't U eventually get out? Some things take time. Sometimes U were
destined 2 learn a lesson. Learn from that lesson. Know that life
sometimes does not follow our timetable. Ja Rule said he may not B
there when she called, but he was always on time. Very Biblical from
a gangsta rapper. But it is true. In time, U will B delivered.
Iyanla likes 2 liken it 2 a complete day. There are 12 hours of
darkness and then 12 hours of light. When U R in that dark valley,
KNOW that the light will soon shine.
So, the next time U find yourself in
a Valley, know that U R supposed 2 B there, know that there is a
reason U R there, and know that U will not always B there. Now that
U have a new attitude towards your Valleys in life, let's see if
your life doesn't change because of it.
I hope U have a WONDERFUL and
prosperous weekend.
Please keep Papi in your prayers as U
will B in mine.
I love U!
Peace
