Happy Here we go again with another great edition of the one and only The Beat Within. This OT reporting live to you from the thunderous storming and lightning skies of Managua Nicaragua.
Yes, we too have also been affected by the Hurricane Melissa. It’s been raining all week, and yesterday, boy, the lightning was roaring loud like a mad lion. The lightning flashing, quite apocalyptic, really. The lightning strikes sounded close by with every bang! But the echo was soooo loud that it was a bit scary. The streets were flooding, and yes it does flood out here.
The weather has been like this for the past I would like to say almost two weeks now. Now we did not get hit hard like Jamaica, or other parts of the Caribbean like Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, but it can still get dangerous out here.
I hope everyone around the world stays safe and let me go ahead and get into my message for the week! I was reading a lot of your great writing this week, and I want to go ahead and give my two cents on the topic about trigger. Triggers are both good and bad things, because as humans we act on impulse and sometimes our impulsive actions could be negative, disrespectful or harmful to ourselves and others. Therefore, leading to consequences, like jail.
Triggers often times comes with not exercising patience. I read a lot of pieces which many of young people wrote about things that get you angry, and that it makes you want to take “flight.” I understand that a trigger is exactly just that and it could set anyone off at any moment. Trust me, I know. I’ve been a hot-headed young person at one point in my life and even in my older age, I find myself getting triggered about things that I shouldn’t even pay any attention to.
What about to get into, is about having control. Control of yourself, your actions and most importantly your emotions. Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where we feel like we don’t have any options. Sometimes those situations can make us feel like we don’t have any control. Jail is probably the first thing that comes to mind for many of us just because many of us are in there or have been there already. But there are many of those who read this magazine and have never been to institutions like that.
That doesn’t mean that they also, haven’t felt what you felt, as far as not feeling control of your life. The reason for that is because control comes from within ourselves and having the confidence of knowing that whatever situation that arises, you will be able to overcome it.
When we feel like there’s something we can’t overcome, whether it be a hill too steep to climb, a test we can’t past, or a pushup total we can’t reach. Frustration starts seeping into our minds like the water the creeps into a sailboat, set a sail in the ocean during high winds and high tide.
When our privileges are taken away and we’re not allowed to see our friends or loved ones, let alone talk to them, it gets frustrating. Frustrations, anger, Sadness, hurt pain, love, happiness, these all are emotions that trigger an action without too much thinking. Let me tell you something about being in control. Being in control is of the utmost importance at all times. Many of you all talk about strength in the physical.
“I’m gone work out on my body.”
“I’m going to get buff, while I’m in here.”
“I’m getting into shape.”
“I’m gone read hella books.”
“I’m going to work on my credits.”
“I’m going to get my degree.”
Don’t get me wrong people these are all great goals. I’m not knocking you for it, at all. In fact, I’m saluting you! I wish I had that mentality at your age. Maybe, I wouldn’t have went to prison. Who knows? I was impressed that many of you were working on growing as a person. Many of you want to be better. You want to better for your family, for your sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and even some of you wrote for your community. That’s really looking at the bigger picture.
This shows me just how big of a heart many of you folks have. Honestly, it’s inspiring, and since you inspire me almost everyday, it’s a must that I must return the favor. So, this is why I must stress the importance of your emotional growth. It’s okay to get mad, sad, feel anger and depressed, but it’s how you choose to express your emotions that will determine whether you have matured and grown as a person.
I’m going to give you some very small examples. I’m forty years old, and I’m really laid back, but there are certain things that piss me off and trigger the “old me” and make me want to resolve things in ways that I know could have serious consequences. But I take a deep breath for like about fifteen to twenty seconds and all of sudden, I’m calm.
Guess what? I still feel mad, but happy and grateful that I’m alive to deal with this challenge. My trigger was pulled but I did’t snap. I stayed cool, calm and collected. When you let someone else trigger you by something they did or said, you are no longer control of your emotions and you’re handing over your power to someone else.
I used to get mad for every little thing, being here in this country of Nicaragua, you know far away from where I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Far away from my loved ones, my mom, my grandma, my aunt, my sister’s my daughters, my real homies, etc.
Like dang, I’m never going to visit Pier 39 again. I’m never going to see a 49ers game in person and go to Levi’s stadium. I’m never going to walk across the Golden Gate and see that beautiful view. All the things I took for granted, and I’m still mad, still complaining? I put myself here.
Then I think about the fact that I watch every Giants game, Every Warriors game, Every 49er’s game at home with my son. I see the bridge and the bay area on TV. I wake up everyday, so far in good health. I eat what I want. Listen to music when I want to. I talk to my loved ones on the phone and video call. I get to play with my son in the morning, in the afternoon and at night.
Being in control of your emotions means being humble. It means being grateful. You will appreciate the challenges that come your way. Even when you miss important dates, events, and even opportunities, if you allow yourself to breathe fifteen to twenty seconds (to think straight) you will make sure to seize the next one and appreciate it.
Don’t let your triggers, trigger you right away. Remember you can’t control your environment, certain situations or even where you’re at right now, but you can control your reactions. If you do, when you do, nothing or nobody can take your happiness away.
Dig deep within yourself. One love to everybody! OT signing off with the utmost love and respect! And The Beat keeps going and going. Long live David!