-Nicholas, Sonoma Pride to the sun, to the wind in my lungsOh, wretched man I am, I have a lack of prideOh, how the deeds I could have doneWould have been great, but I fell victimTo my thoughts in the days I felt grey.The days I couldn’t cure, that’s why prideTo the moon, to the sun, to the stars,Because through everything I’ve lived,I’ve seen pride through my eyes allBut from within, for I was tempted with sin,Oh, wretched man I am.Pride to my father, my brother, my mother,How proud I am to those who loved me,My acts too little to
Continue ReadingA Strong Foundation
-JDC, Albuquerque I’m proud of my mom. It’s easy to be proud of a parent just because they’re your parent, but my mom has been through hell itself. I watched her from a young age struggle with her mental health. I know that if I struggled, I would try and give up. She never tried to give up but instead found ways to cope and still be the best mom I could’ve asked for. She implanted strong morals in all of her children. It might not have made sense back then, but the more I grew up, I realized I
Continue ReadingHow Does the Vicious Cycle Work?
-Hu, California Health Care Facility in Stockton, CA It has been said that two wrongs will not make it right. As long as a victim has been left with the ugly poison of resentment caused by a tragic act of evil, they may struggle to change their attitude of anger. They may carry this burden into their relationships with others, limiting their humanness. They may become so bitter that they act out in aggression or with the intentions of inflicting injury upon others vindictively. Evil cannot effectively be changed by evil. Evil must be weakened by the power of love.
Continue ReadingNot Well Directed
-C, California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, CA Why am I here?Because I was not well directed in lifeOr disciplined or loved when I was young.I was growing, veered off to the right or leftRather than going straight,Didn’t hear the right guidance.I know I shouldn’t blame myself.
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Volume 30.11/12
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 30.11/12
Greetings to our Beat Within community near and far! We’re happy to have you with us, and to be promoting your stories, thoughts, and opinions in our one-of-a-kind publication. For this issue’s editorial note, we have our longtime friend and colleague Omar (OT) joining us, where he reflects on the progress of our world at large and what it takes to keep pushing and striving to reach our fullest potential. We appreciate OT as always for sharing his perspective and experiences with us! We welcome you readers back to another double-dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within.
Continue ReadingYou Are Important and Loved
-A, San Bernardino Feeling worthy can be hard for some people, and personally for me as well. Sometimes other people or situations can make you question your worth. You should always remember you are important and loved. Just because a minor situation happened, you should never think low of yourself. Be kind to yourself and have self-respect. Knowing your worth will help you gain confidence and not let anyone walk all over you. Always think about how much you matter before saying, doing, or thinking something negative about yourself!
Continue ReadingArt and Architecture
-Ryder, San Francisco Ever since I was very young, I’ve had a love for art. Unfortunately, there are not too many careers that pay well in the art fields. I never really considered working an art related job until my sophomore year of high school. I was in a drawing and design class, and we had a one month unit on architecture. I fell in love with the process of drawing buildings and then even more so the process of designing them. The summer after that school year, I took a college class on architecture and knew I wanted to
Continue ReadingIt Is the Light
-Tasha, California Institution for Women in Chino, CA It isn’t the darkness that I’m afraid of, it’s the light. Light illuminates parts of ourselves that we bury because we find them unacceptable. That self lives inside because we are afraid to confront who we might really be; like how we become overachievers trying to cover up low self-esteem, so a false self becomes like an SPF to shield our ego from the sometimes blinding light of truth. This is where under the cloak of darkness, jealousy, pride, boastfulness, rudeness, hate, and apathy hide. It’s cool to inflict injury upon others
Continue ReadingIt’s the Intention That Matters
-Maria, Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, CA Kindness comes in many forms. There are times that the greatest acts of kindness come from the smallest forms. It’s the intention that matters. Being a mentor here I do what I can do to be available for others, to the point when there are times, I feel depleted. I go through challenges myself and I choose to wear a brave face. The greatest act of kindness comes when that one person comes along and actually stops long enough to really see past my smile. They take a second to ask,
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