The Autobiography of Malcolm X, A Love Story, Part II

What I think is the beginning of this manifestation, as described in the book, is Malcolm’s last stint in jail, when his brother comes to visit and artfully plants the seed of transformation in his mind as he describes in full the Nation of Islam and Its principles as he had mentioned in a letter he had sent to him earlier. From this I fully realized that:

1. Love Begins in the Beginning

There is no exact time, place or perfect situation for you to begin to turn the wheels in your mind, to begin to think critically about yourself for the betterment of yourself. That very willingness to change for the better is the light of love piercing the fabric of your existence. The openness and hunger he displayed in his quest to get closer to God, Allah, was beautiful in its reflection of how much he wanted to care for himself more, whether that was plainly obvious or not. As the book goes on Malcolm is released from prison. It is then he truly begins on his amazing journey and growth through his religion. I was completely impressed by his lack of worry and complete faith in both others and himself. Even more so, I was in awe at his non-judgment of those not on his path. His immense compassion for people who like himself had found themselves lost and loveless on the streets, in jail, on drugs or all three and more. At this point I realized:

2. Love is Loving Others

Malcolm’s ability to remain humble even as he awoke from the slumber of his ignorance is inspiring. Someone that can look into the eyes of a drug addict, felon, broken woman, lost child, anybody and see in their eyes the light of goodness and love is truly someone who’s self-love is beginning to overflow. As he believed in himself he was able to believe in others. Could you imagine someone who, not but five or ten year’s prior would have robbed or killed the same person he is now loving and ministering to! As I read on I became troubled that although he had found a religion that inspired and motivated his positive changes in life, he still seemed lost. I want to state this here and let people who may not be familiar with him as a civil rights activist and important leader in the minority community that he has been painted as a man of hate. I don’t believe, and neither would you after critically reading his biography, that he was ever a hateful man in any sense after finding the Nation of Islam. What he was, even after finding Islam, was still ignorant of the diversity of cultures across the world and the true transcendent qualities of the love that was growing inside of him. His final transformation occurs on his journey to mecca. As he travels the world he is introduced to people of many colors and backgrounds all rallied behind the same beliefs, loving and accepting all who chose to follow along. This was when I learned that:

1. Love is an Expansion

Once a positive seed is planted and cultivated all it can do is GROW! Self-love and positivity flourish in one who is ready and willing to accept the love inside of them. Beautifully, his life’s journey lead him to the true love, acceptance and non-judgment (a principle indicator of true love) that transcended both race and religion. All the while he was still able to maintain his vision for a better life for those who were oppressed that he so strongly fought for until his untimely death.

This book reminds you that it is never too late to change, never too late to love. We all have the ability to work toward a better self regardless of the path you find to take you there. Malcolm found Islam, I found yoga, someone else has found Buddha, another vegetarianism and another meditation, Christianity etc. the list could go on! The paths are unlimited with many diverse travelers and the destination certainly worth the trip. So, yes, The Biography of Malcolm X is nothing short of a true love story.

 

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What’s Holding You Back?

One of the greatest troubles I have faced on my journey to self-love is staying motivated. As a person who has greatly struggled with depression and insecurity I found it increasingly difficult to stay motivated when I came to college. In high school I had a lot of structure. I played a sport every season. I was in a myriad of clubs and choirs, student council etc. All of these things I stayed involved in allowed me to stay on top of my workload. I had coaches, teachers, advisors and directors at every step of the way. One of the main reasons I stayed so involved in high school was that very attention which I felt I lacked elsewhere.  For college I moved eight hours from home. In a new city with a vastly different culture than the modest mid-western one I was so comforted by, I lost focus quickly. As time went on, I found it increasingly difficult to keep up in class and maintain some type of social life. I had almost zero motivation to get things done. I made excuse after excuse. I would tell myself how I would do this or that but I’m not smart enough or I will finish this later, I don’t have time or even at the height of my being lost, tell myself that my romantic relationship was more important than anything. I dodged internship opportunities, homework, friendships you name it! I was not motivated to stick to anything that wasn’t hurting me. I had become addicted to failure and irrational thinking. Here I want to point out what I find to be the top 3 killers of motivation.

1. FEAR (This is MAJOR!)

The greatest killer of motivation is FEAR! Most things never get done because you’re afraid you can’t do it, don’t have the time or resources to do it or the fear of judgment if you actually did.

How many times have you been defeated before even taking on a task or challenge because of the overwhelming unknown of whether or not it’s going to be executed to your (or someone else’s) high expectations? You will NEVER know the outcome if you don’t start. Procrastination does not pay. In addition, other people’s opinions or expectations have absolutely nothing to do with you. Every task you want to accomplish is totally on your terms. Don’t try and get it perfect, try and get it done.

2. A Lack of Clear Goals

If you don’t know where you’re going, then that’s exactly where you will never be. You have to decide what your ultimate goal is and how you plan to make it a reality. With no goals, there is no direction.

3. Poor Health

A healthy mind and body is essential in getting anything done. After starting my journey to a completely plant-based diet I discovered how eating better nearly transformed my entire mindset. My mind was clear and I had more energy than ever. A plant-based diet may not be a part of your journey but just eating healthier in general and adding some physical activity into each day can make a huge difference in both your overall disposition and your motivation to accomplish goals.

Do you feel like you lack the motivation to move forward in life? Comment below with your thoughts and suggestions for building and maintaining motivation.

Article Inspired by; Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Mastery of Love, Don Miguel Ruiz, and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

 

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The Four Agreements, A Book Review

I think we can all get lost in the sea of self-help books out there. There seems to be one to tackle every emotional issue you could encounter. I have personally read many, self-help books. Surprisingly or not I think they all spread a very similar message, positivity is power. We can radically change our circumstances with a both grateful and positive attitude towards life. Recently I found a book which I had heard rave reviews about called, “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom”, by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book impressed me, firstly, because it stayed on the New York Times Bestsellers list for over 7 years and was featured as one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things”. Endorsers of the book also include Ellen DeGeneres and countless individuals across the world who have read, enjoyed, and implemented Ruiz’s unique wisdom in their lives.

I, personally, loved this book! It was insightful and very simplistic in its approach. What I found most refreshing was its emphasis on loving yourself with zero regard to the outside world. Other peoples’ opinions of you are theirs, and none of your business! Ruiz leads us to a wisdom that asks us as individuals to manifest the power of the self and the power of love. Loving ourselves first is a basis for making all of these new agreements in life. Ruiz suggests, and rightly so, that we have all been indoctrinated as children with a set of beliefs that are grounded mostly in lies and others opinions of us and we reflect these ‘truths’ onto ourselves creating a very unhealthy and harmful cycle of judgment and punishment. When we don’t live up to the ideals set up for ourselves by others we suffer.  Below are Ruiz’s four simple agreements. Take a moment to review and believe me, as someone who works diligently on improving their character for themselves by themselves, just by adopting one of these four agreements your life will be transformed!

1. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of the word in the direction of truth and love.

2. DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement you can completely transform your life.

4. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Want to learn more about Don Miguel Ruiz or The Four Agreement? Click here!

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