Sit Down, Be Humble

Kendrick Lamar is one of the most socially conscious artists of our time. Awhile back, he dropped a song titled – Humble. And I love it. I think his work is incredible and Humble is a reminder to people who are full of themselves, to chill. Kendrick Lamar is great at this. One of the things I admire about him is although he probably knows he’s dope, he doesn’t have to go around bragging about it. See where I’m going with this?

If you don’t, go listen to Humble a handful of times and you may get the picture.

Whenever someone’s paid me a compliment, most of the time, I usually say thanks or please, stop lol but I’m mindful not to let myself get too carried away or grow a massive ego, because I’m very much aware of the consequences of doing so. Most people who usually, “Have it going on” don’t talk too much about their accomplishments, what they do for a living, or how amazing they are. It’s not that they don’t know these things, it’s just that they’re not caught up in the praise, crowds, or what other people think. After all, the truly great never have to tell others how great they are. It just shows.

Unfortunately, I see a lot of people letting compliments, careers, opportunities, or status go to their heads and ultimately experience an avoidable downfall had they opted to sit down and be humble. There’s nothing wrong with being confident, but never get confidence twisted with arrogance. Besides, humbleness is attractive. At least I think so.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

Dear Young Black Professionals

As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...

Making Waves