BACKlikeWEneverLEFT

What’s going on good people, guess who’s back!!  It appears we took an extended amount of time off and trust we’ve been catching all the flack.   I, personally, have let a few amazing topics slide out of my grips.  Of course, I want to thank everyone who continued to press me and ask for more.  I also appreciate the people who have been on the site, tell others about the site, and refer back. That means we’re really saying something worth reading.  Don’t stop challenging us here at BLWNL.com we need that.   With that being said, I stumbled across some motivation recently listening to the new Slaughterhouse mixtape.  Slaughterhouse is a rap group formed of four members from different areas across the country, the most recognizable name being Joe Budden.  He has a song entitled “Trade It All”, which really caught my attention and got me back in the labs again.   It’s crazy how a small spark can start a full fire.

The  verse goes,

“here’s a little something, I would like to know,   would you trade it all, would you put a price on your soul? Are you more about the OUTCOME or the INCOME, would you give up dreams to feel like you’re  living in one… when faced with decisions would you ignore intuition… trade in whatever drives for your keys to a better ignition ?”  A very great verse in my opinion, touches on the thought of what means more to you. The song basically dances around the concept of would you stay true and follow your dreams, or would prefer to follow the money instead.  As I thought about this question and continued to listen to the lyrics, I really became captivated  by this notion.   I began to take a look at society, my life, and so-called ‘celebrities’ and thought about the things people give up and the things people chase.   I often wrap my mind around the way life evolves and ponder about the paths we travel.  Some of us choose fame or notoriety when others stay true to their passion.   What really moves you? Do you have a passion  or are you looking for a quick fix?   In a society where being famous is more important than making a difference, do you concede or do you create your own path.  Years ago we were told cash rules everything around us,  now it appears this statement fuels the masses.

Let’s break down the verse, the question of ‘would you trade it all, would you put a price on your soul?’ implies that you are open to being bought. Of course, nobody is willing to say their soul has a price, but when life hits you, things begin to take its course.  We as people live good until offered something more than we imagined or until times get extremely hard.  At the time of need or unforeseen possibility, who are you really going to become?  Ask yourself, do your morals and values matter or does the concept of having money mean more.  Second line ‘are you more about the outcome or the income? would you give up your dreams to feel you are in one?’  A tough question to answer since the dream is what motivates us.  What if you were given the chance to own your dream car, live in your dream house; but were told you had to do something against your beliefs or morals.   Would you still welcome the opportunity?

I was recently engaged in an interesting argument pertaining to this matter.   The conversation encompassed the thought of conforming to move forward in life.   That being said, my argument became how conforming in any aspect can lead to conforming in all aspects, eventually leading to compromising and ultimately trading your soul, which ties into the direction of my post.   Imagine working in a place where your physical appearance matters; the leaders of the company bring you on board based off your output, but you realize that your input is getting you no where ( I’m sure that doesn’t happen).  Suppose you approach your superiors to discuss your next steps and they inform you of how well you have been doing and how great things can be in the near future.   However, they tell you in order to move forward you need to cut your locs off, trim your beard down, perm your hair, wear a couple more heels.  Would you oblige?  Interestingly enough many of us would say no in an uproar and feel completely disrespected.  In retrospect, that answer can change if the right amount of money is tossed in your direction.  Would you concede? Or stay true to self. Conforming is not viewed as harsh as selling you soul, but my question during this conversation became, what would stop you from conforming on your morals if you give in for the required “look”?

There is no easy way around this situation, there is no clear answer.  However understanding what your goals, morals and values consist of determines what you will never bend on.   Often times we tend to lose sight of what matters to us and the things our future holds, so we become open to being persuaded.  Everything is not negotiable, and understanding that concept will allow us to navigate through life better.  In my quest to reach the next level, I have an understanding of what matters and the morals I will not bend on moving forward.  Everybody becomes engulfed in the concept of what makes dollars and tend to lose sight of how sense should matter before cents.   Pay attention to the conversations you have with superiors ask yourself are you putting a price on your soul?   Just keep in mind that when the money comes and you prove you can be bought, you also show that you can be sold.  On that note, I’m about to go read my contract and whose work I’m really doing.  Currently I’m not making real cents, let’s hope I was able to make a little sense though.  I’ll Holla