9 Ways to MASTER 2023!!

Photo Credit: Alana Adetola Arts Photography

     First and foremost I want to acknowledge those whom we lost this year. This has been and continues to be a tough year for many of us. It is my will that we honor them by walking with the best part that they shared with us. By allowing their knowledge and wisdom to live through us, others can understand who they were and are! Reflecting upon 2022, I just wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts with all of you regarding being successful in our undertakings. Whether we make New Year Resolutions or not, striving to be resolute in all that we say and do is important, regardless of when we choose to make that decision. In part, this is what “word is bond, bond is life and I will give my life before my word shall fail” means to those of us who are Five Percenters. This phrase is not simply something to recite. It is a declaration of being resolute and it highlights the integrity, fortitude, and consistency to follow through with our word. In fact, when our word is truly a bond we will not be broke, or broken...

   Despite the challenges of this year, there were a number of things that I accomplished; from helping coordinate some amazing Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center projects to being featured in a United Nations Short Doc, speaking at the United Nations, and filming two documentaries that will be released in 2023. What I am most proud of is the completion of the renovation project and receiving the official license to open our Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters!! As one of our cultural ambassadors, I take great pride in knowing that positive contributions such as this continue to expand the global footprint of our Five Percent Nation. This means nothing if I am unwilling and unable to show others how to also be successful in their undertakings. There are certain things that I have done, and continue to do without fail, that has allowed me to take my ideals from knowledge to born, from inception to conception. In this article here are 9 Ways to MASTER 2023:

1. Although it is your personal idea, our idea should be something that improves your quality of life with the intent/consideration of making you a greater resource to others and the world that we share. Life is interdependent and there is a constant process of giving and receiving. This intent/consideration ensures that our idea is in tune with the universal order and is something that is sustainable -because we are actively providing a service (and/or products) that others, and the world, need. If all we are thinking about is what we can get (keep), and not what we are able to consistently give, what we get (keep) will eventually run out. If you don't believe this, try it with your breath. Keep it to yourself and see how long it takes for your oxygen to run out... It is all about reciprocity.

2. Make sure your idea is real and obtainable. It is less likely that we are going to change EVERYTHING at once so it is important to work on what we can change, one goal at a time. Also, take things one day at a time. It took a while to create habits/routines and it is going to take time to change them. The smaller goals we accomplish serve as steppingstones; helping us build confidence and gain the tools and experience that are necessary to reach our larger goals. And with any goal, one of the most important steps we need to take, and habits we need to create, is to “get our day underway with a positive, productive attitude.” That attitude sets the stage for our altitude. This is one reason for asking ourselves, and other members of my Nation, “What is Today's Mathematics?” and “What is Today’s Degree?” It orientates us with higher-order thinking and enables us to get our day underway with a positive, productive attitude. Whatever your cultural worldview or religion is, start your day considering the positive principles that your worldview and religion share. Our attitude sets the foundation of our altitude.

3. Make your goals specific. Instead of saying something ambiguous like, “I’m going to read more” say something more specific like, “I am going to read one book every month.” This is called Specificity. Specificity helps you better focus on your goals and encourages you to be more responsible and committed to those goals. If you were to say, “I want to be healthier in 2023” there is no sense of ambition or plan of action to take that idea from knowledge to born. Now if you said, “I am going to only eat baked chicken once a week and go to the gym three times a week for 1 ½ hours after work” that has a sense of ambition and provides part of a plan of action to achieve your goal of being healthier in 2023. If it is not clear, our path will not be cleared. When we learn about being ‘right and exact’, Specificity is what ‘exact’ means.

4. Set a projected time/date for your goals. Setting a time/date creates a sense of urgency, responsibility, and accountability to meet your goals. If you don’t meet your time/date then set another one. Without setting a time/date then we are saying that our goals are not really a priority (important). Why? Because under these circumstances they can happen any time and any day; that is not resolute. If you don't have a time/date, you are creating the possibility that there will never be a time/date. Keep in mind that “one day” or “someday” are not days on a calendar. This is especially important for those Five Percenters who still have not knowledged 120. Apply yourself and make a serious commitment to getting your degrees on cap. Set a reasonable time/date when you want to be complete and don’t procrastinate. We need you, especially our youth!

5. Write down your ideas. I have known people who had challenges with organizing their day, appropriating their time, and focusing on achieving their goals. One of the solutions I shared with them was writing down their goals on index cards or signs and posting them in visible places around their home. Not necessarily for everyone to see, it is for you to see! This helped reinforce and remind them of their goals so they would not allow themselves to get lost in the hustle & bustle of each day. Committing your ideas to paper is the understanding of knowledge and wisdom. How? Because it is outside evidence that allows you to physically see what you thought [knowledge] and spoke [wisdom] about. Understanding is often referred to as the child or the best part. This is one reason that Creatives often refer to their projects, such as their paintings, literature, or music as ‘their baby.’

6. Only share your ideas with those who have shown themselves to be supportive of you fulfilling them. If they are not there to help you, they are only going to hinder you. If they are not an asset, they are a liability. If they are not in your life to build, they will destroy. This also includes the nice folks with pleasant attitudes. Just because they have a happy disposition, it does not mean that they can automatically help. Again, our idea is likened to a baby and a baby must be nurtured, respected, loved, protected, and educated. That baby must build its immunity to repel the bacteria and viruses that could compromise its health, growth, and development. It is unwise to let any and everybody touch your baby. It is equally unwise to expose your idea to any and everybody.

7. Look into networking with people/organizations that will help you fulfill your physical and mental health goals. That is why our social equality is important and the reason some keep us apart from their own social equality. Our network is a prime indicator of our net worth. Take care of yourself and connect with those who are invested in doing the same. There are no ideas when we don't have your health!

8. Speaking of health; strive to maintain a positive outlook! Some days it will be easy to maintain a level of positivity and other days you need fellowship with others who share the same goals and are just as resolute about achieving goals. This means investing the time to build with others and being present to learn as much as you can about the positive principles/values they are sharing with you. 

9. Your idea is not the end all be all. Some people live to have a wedding while others strive to be married in the mind, have a family, and etc.  While the wedding is a place, being married in the mind is a state. So although your ideas may help you arrive at a place, the ultimate goal should be to achieve a state of existence. And this state of existence should set the stage to help you achieve even higher and greater goals! It is all about constant growth and elevation, not stagnation. Life is constantly changing and evolving and so should the living.

PLUS DEGREES: 

"Be a shark, not a peacock" as one of my homegirls would say. When a peacock walks into a room with its feathers fanned out everyone can see it. It is not necessary to be showy and strive to get attention. You also attract predators that way. Sharks move in silence and by the time you see their dorsal fin it is too late. In many cases staying below the radar and not revealing what you're doing until it's actually done is a sure way to be successful in your undertaking. Be a fine mist that the naked eye can hardly detect. When we talk a lot we are also subject to the expectations of others which are usually unrealistic. If you tell people you are writing a book and you know that you don't even have a manuscript yet, people may assume you are going to be publishing a three-hundred-page book next week and expect it. Now when you obviously don't deliver, people begin to look at you like the boy/girl who cried wolf. Always remember that light travels 186,000 miles per second and sound only travels 1,200 feet per second. People will see what you are doing before they can hear what you are saying so your reputation precedes you. So talk less in 2023 and let your work speak for you.

*Just say “NO.” Sometimes we put too much on our plate because we don't know how to tell people “NO” and we feel guilty about it when we do. Here's the thing: if you don't have the time, you don't have to agree to do it. Let time be the reason that you cannot commit to something. It is unreasonable for someone to expect you to create more than twenty-four hours in a day. Just. Say. NO.

   In closing, I will that every one of you and your families have a positive and productive 2023 and that is adds more beauty to our families, community, and environment.

Peace,

Saladin 

Goddess Mathematics... and a whole vibe

     For some time now there has been an idea floating around dudes who say that the black woman is God, or who call women a Goddess, are emasculated simps pandering for sex. There is also the idea that women who call themselves a Goddess are maneaters; disappearing Delilahs who throw yoni egg-like smoke bombs after snatching a man's soul. Actually, those are just some of the colorful images that I envision when I hear the Goddess mythos. If you ask some folks, this mythos has created more destruction within our family units than the crack era. Why? Well let's examine it.

       If God is truly omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent how can you add to that? What is there to know beyond being all-knowing? What power exists beyond all-power? What can be present beyond that which is all-present? The word Goddess implies that there is a knowing, power and presence beyond the all-knowing, all-power and all-present capacity of God. It suggests that there exists a "feminine" domain of all-knowing, all-power and all-presence that a Goddess uniquely inhabits. While you would be hard pressed to find this seemingly contradictive idea reconciled within our classical and indigenous societies, there is a place for it within Greek Mythology, along without many other ideas..., among the Twelve Olympians. For example, this idea of an actual God not being truly omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent is illustrated by Hades being a limited God who rules the underworld, Athena as a limited Goddess who rules wisdom and warfare and the limited God Poseidon ruling the water. Zeus, the so-called king of Gods and ruler of Mount Olympus, is also limited in his power; a monster [Typhon], child of Gaea, was capable of puttin' hands on him. So when I see and hear so-called Gods [or Goddesses] simultaneously claiming omniscience and ignorance, omnipotence and flaws, righteousness and debauchery I know exactly where these contradictions come from.

Mythology is the story of our Social Psychology

    When you study the psychodrama within Greek Mythology and struggles between the Twelve Olympians, with titans, monsters and humanity, it becomes clear that their idea of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence is not the same as we taught it within our classical and indigenous societies. Even when the Greeks defined a deity as such, there always existed some Achilles' heel. Even though Greek philosophers saw and studied glimpses of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence from the Khemetians [Egyptians], under their own Grecian power they never evolved the capacity to arrive at our conclusions or conceptualize a Monotheistic view of the world on their own. What this shows is Greek society, and their western society progeny, were not and have not been invested in the same self-knowledge pursuit as our ancestors. Their pursuits have been primarily colonial, imperial and material. Mostly external, segregative and limited in scope. This is why their history, and the history of their western progeny, is traditionally written as a bloody timeline of war, violence and conquests. Study the history of any European society and America. The most significant events that tell the psychodramatic story of that nation are dates of warfare, conquest and destruction. That timeline not only defines the overarching mythos of that nation but it also defines the collective psychology of its people. While there are many great things to learn about Greek Mythology and its society, its illustrations of deity is one of the most dysfunctional mythos we have ever learned.  

     It is important that I briefly expounded upon this because many of us have unknowingly adopted Grecian and other Eurocentric mythos without critically examining them. Without this scrutiny, many of us have just superimposed Five Percent, Khemetic, Moorish, Christian, Hebrew, Muslim, Yoruba and other ideas over the top of Grecian and other Eurocentric principles and values that we fundamentally embrace. Outwardly we may wear the clothes, speak the language, eat the foods and even choose partners that appear to represent the black/brown culture we claim, yet inwardly we are not that person. As a Five Percenter, this is why some of us could make misogynist-toned statements like, "women can't rise above equality" or "a woman don't have a mind" as if we are measuring one another vertically... Sadly, this is also why some Five Percenters have jumped on the Kevin Samuels bandwagon, faithfully "liking" and repurposing his rhetoric as if their knowledge degree in the Student Enrollment now reads, "Who is the Original High Value Man?" 

     As men and women we are congruent and complimentary, not conflicting and competitive. A woman represents our equality, and equality has two words in it; equal and quality. When you are of equal quality this means that you are "of the same nature [value]." That is not a vertical assessment of a woman's relationship to a man, it is a parallel or even assessment. By nature we are one and our oneness is necessary to create life and the future of humanity. What is greater than that essential bond? Think about the mindset of a woman who believes that she is more or less than that shared essence. Think about the mindset of a man who believes that he is more or less than that shared essence. Consider how a "battle of the sexes" perspective negatively influences our sense of self-worth and shapes the psychodrama in our relationships, families and community. 

     When women refer to themselves as a Goddess I have always wondered what they actually mean and why their body cast archetype is rarely expressed as Hottentot Venus or women with a Lizzo WHR [waist-hip ratio]. They seem to be based upon Gal Godot... You would also think that a Goddess uniquely does something that a female, woman, grandmother, auntie, mother, wife, daughter, Queen and the Earth cannot do. The word "Goddess" is an honorific title prefixing a woman's quality/characteristic. It is used to represent the deification or divine expression of qualities that females, women, grandmothers, aunties, mothers, wives, daughters, Queens and the Earth already possess. In other words, there is no Goddess in and of herself. It must be a divine expression of some quality or characteristic; such as a Goddess of Wisdom, a Goddess of Motherhood, a Goddess of the Hunt, a Goddess of Death and etc. More often than not, the everyday woman uses the word "Goddess" cosmetically and absent of any real substantive function or qualities, especially on social media. And yes, the same can be said about Gods. Many of us know an ignorant a** dude named Knowledge, a foolish Wise or a criminologist named Power. In both instances some of these lofty titles just sound and look good yet lack any real expression of divine qualities and characteristics.       

     Within our Five Percent language and worldview there is no word or concept of Goddess. We recognize the divinity of women without the need to Grecianize her. For years there have been some Five Percenters, men and women, who have strived to campaign for its acceptance. Some have even tried to canonize a sarcastic comment that Allah once made when he said a young sister was a Goddess because she was more of a God than the young brothers who were around him. Some folks took that literally. However, this Goddess push among small pockets of people has never gained any real traction within the Five Percent Nation. Those advocates either find themselves on the fringes of the Five Percent quietly keeping these sentiments to themselves or boldly sharing these acultural ideas online. 

A throne on a "dais"; an elevated 

platform where important people sit

   As Five Percenters we have various words and concepts that divinely express what females, women, grandmothers, aunties, mothers, wives, daughters, Queens and the Earth already are. Historically, yes "his"-storically, some men have misogynistically sought to destroy divine expressions of women. Some women have taken on the same crusade and promote misandry. There are those who are very deliberate and calculated about this and some who are simply blind, deaf and dumb to how divisive these ideas are. Whether deliberate or ignorant, none of these separatist outlooks are in the best interest of our people and the human family as a whole. If someone chooses to call themselves a God or Goddess, my perspective is, "show and prove it." Not to me personally, show and prove it IN, not to, the world. Don't tell us that you are the God this or the Goddess that. Do something with these so-called divine expressions -which does not include posting shallow videos/images/quotes online. If we are who we say that we are, that would truly be a benefit to our families, communities and environment.           

Peace,

Saladin

Are Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet Related?

 

In this 73rd Episode of Atlantis Build Talk Radio I discuss the science of our Supreme Mathematics and its relationship to our Supreme Alphabet.

Atlantis Build Talk Radio · Episode 73 -Are The Supreme Mathematics & Supreme Alphabet Related?

Also, please SUPPORT and SHARE my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Renovation Project. I am renovating a property to establish a cultural enrichment early childhood learning center and after school program:

DONATION LINK HERE

PayPal: atlantisbuild@gmail.com

CashApp: $SaladinAllah

Animation Series: Student Enrollment [1-10]

 

In this Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation episode we share the Student Enrollment AKA 1-10 or knowledge to knowledge cipher.

Please SUPPORT and SHARE my Atlantis School Renovation Project. I am renovating a property to establish a cultural enrichment early childhood learning and after school program:

Website: Atlantis School Renovation Project

PayPal: atlantisbuild@gmail.com

CashApp: $SaladinAllah

Peace,

Saladin

NEW BOOK RELEASE: The Map IS NOT The Terrain

Purchase HERE

     My twentieth book, "The Map IS NOT The Terrain" describes the relationship between Five Percenter culture as an object and a representation of that object as the culture. 

   In a series of insightful essays, this book explores Five Percent principles, values and customs as a conceptual territory [a map] and their practical application in every day life [the terrain].

     "The Map IS NOT The Terrain" and my other nineteen titles directly support the Atlantis School Renovation Project and can be purchased at Quanaah Publishing. I appreciate your support!

Peace,

Saladin

Political Analyst Angela Rye Endorses Atlantis School

 

Political Commentator and Analyst Angela Rye recently endorsed the Atlantis School Renovation Project and encouraged people worldwide to support this initiative.

Angela Rye (born October 26, 1979) is an American Attorney and the Principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, a political advocacy firm in Washington, DC. She is a liberal political commentator on CNN and an NPR political analyst. She served as the executive director and general counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus for the 112th Congress.

The Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters is a private institution established in Niagara Falls, NY. Its Mission is to teach and train youth in the growth, development and control of their powers through important projects, programs and initiatives. We are currently undergoing a renovation project for a recently acquired property that will allow us to centralize our projects, programs and initiatives for at-risk communities. You can support our project at this link: Atlantis School Renovation Project

Peace,

Saladin

2019 Universal Pre-Kindergarten School Year Ends!!

    On the Summer Solstice, Friday, June 21st 2019, my Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program concluded our school year with a beautiful Graduation Celebration for our parents and guardians. It is always bittersweet for me and I would like to THANK my Executive Director Patricia L. Barone, Director Tomorrow Allen-Collins and all of the Doris W. Jones Family Resource Center Staff for their support in helping make this school year a success! On one hand I look forward to seeing my students grow into their purpose. On the other hand I know that it will be rare that my students will meet another black male teacher in their educational career. However, I am thankful to be entrusted with this opportunity to help set our youth on a trajectory of purpose. 

     Throughout my work in early childhood development one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is meeting youth where they are, striving to understand as opposed to expecting being understood. My teaching styles begins with doing accurate need assessments of my students in order to help me meet their requirements. Because my students come from diverse cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic circumstances, there is not a “one size fits all” methodology that supports their social emotional development and/or provides them with positive guidance. This is something that many teachers, and their core curriculum standards, often overlook and in overlooking the uniqueness of our youth some of them end up falling through educational system cracks.

       In my preschool class I promote intrapersonal development by exploring and teaching my students about what “Self” is through activities and challenging ideas that limit or stereotype one’s identity and ability. There are many components to what makes us who we are and it is important for our children to learn this early. In a social sense, I challenge the word “can’t” and show them ways that they can through the use of scaffolding; the support needed to help students achieve their learning goals. Helping my students recognize that they are infinite potential is vital to developing their sense of awareness, pride and self-confidence to authentically express themselves. It is also an investment in their sense of Antifragility; which enables them to absorb and redistribute the energy from attacks on their identity like Black Panther's bulletproof suit. Effective intrapersonal development sets the stage for interpersonal development because how we relate to Self will influence how we ultimately relate to others. 

     The basis of my Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program is to establish and maintain an early childhood safe-space that fosters optimum health and a positive interactive learning environment that encourages my students to think critically and creatively about the world around them. Below is a video I shared for my parents and guardians featuring some clips of my students school year which also includes some of my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation Series. 

Peace,
Saladin

The 49th Annual Show & Prove: What Did You Miss?

G.O.D. [Gold, Oil, Diamonds] Album by AZ

   Every second weekend in June we [the Five Percent Nation] hold our Annual Science and Educational Show & Prove at the Harriet Tubman School in Harlem, NY [Public School 154]. June 9th, 2019 marked our 49th Annual Event. 

   The first Show & Prove took place on June 13th, 1971 at Harlem Prep following a December 4th, 1970 dance that was organized six months earlier in Queens, NY [AKA: The Oasis in the Desert]. I mention this dance because it was the first collective gathering of Five Percenters since the assassination of The Father [Allah] one year earlier on June 13th, 1969 and the spark to ignite the Science and Educational Show & Prove. This annual youth-centric event was established to celebrate The Father's legacy through showcasing the contributions and accomplishments of our family members who are building upon this legacy. Founded by several young Five Percenters such as Allah B, Prince Allah, God Supreme, Dumar, Gykee, Takesha, LuAsia and others, the Show & Prove highlighted a youth science and educational fair and has expanded over the years to include a marketplace, food vendors, speeches, performances, and a Meet & Greet/Cook Out the day before. The largest single gathering of Five Percenters each year, the first Show & Prove on June 13th, 1971 was said to have over 2,000 people, most of them youth, in attendance. The first Show & Prove I attended was 22 years ago in 1997. In addition to our annual science fair and market place, this year's event added a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, and Youth Olympics!

   As I've mentioned above, our Annual Science and Educational Show & Prove is the largest single gathering of Five Percenters each year. It's an opportunity for us to congregate, network, support our businesses and build. By "build" I don't mean talking. Five Percenter concepts such as "building" has become common to many people. It, among other concepts, were adopted by Hip Hop culture and have since taken on the generic meaning of "talking." This concept is now as empty as the glossed over eyes of a Millennial rocking a box with no knowledge of who Big Daddy Kane is. Talking is not its original interpretation. Five Percenters are scientists of life and building is the oral presentation of one's work/research to other members of our scientific community for peer review. And just like any scientist, upon review of that work/research, if something needs to be added on or taken away, we go back to the lab and make the appropriate adjustments. 

   One of the thoughts I shared with someone upon my return from our event is that I appreciate getting an opportunity to hear others feedback or peer review of what I've been doing over the last year. I am so engrossed in what I do I rarely come up for air to check or even celebrate what many others would deem as accomplishments. Upon my arrival to the Show & Prove that Sunday morning the first person I randomly ran into while walking down 125th street was a brother who recognized me, introduced himself and reminded me of the articles I used to write for a United Kingdom publication over twenty years ago. It is experiences such as this that remind me of the work I've done and continue to do to positively impact the lives of others.

   In addition to our youth activities, one of the other highlights of this year's Show & Prove was the official book release of the revised edition of The True History of ALLAH and His 5%. Highlighting the authentic narratives of more than forty-five Five Percenters, this book is a primary source on some of our nation's chronology as told through the life experiences of Gods and Earths who were there in its formative years. This is very different than other books that have tried to tell, and sell, what is allegedly our story. Other books are typically written by one person with an agenda in mind about what they want you to think, or believe. The True History of ALLAH and His 5% does not take that politicized approach. It contains the direct words from those who were around during the early years of our nation and within those words are various perspectives and experiences, as it should be. Showing that sense of diversity, a shared voice, and no hierarchy, is important. You can purchase a paperback, hard cover or e-book HERE.

Peace,
Saladin

9 Ways To Master 2019!!

Reflecting upon how positive and progressive 2018 has been for me and looking towards 2019, I just wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts with all of you. First I want to THANK all of you who invested time in reading these articles, researching the links/information I share via my Facebook Page, checked out and subscribed to my Youtube Channel (A.S.I.A. TV) and Radio Show (Atlantis Build Talk Radio), purchased my literature/music (Quanaah Publishing) and connected with me in whatever capacity we were able to. It is very much appreciated!! The numerous dialogues, testimonials, emails, messages, questions and constructive advice I receive on the daily lets me know that what I do is not in vain. It is serving my intended purpose; inspiring, empowering and educating people. There are some of you I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time this year and others I’ve had the opportunity to build/rebuild relationships from all over the world. None of us are in each others lives by chance and I look forward to what these bonds continue to positively produce for the future. I also want to THANK all of you for staying in tune with the renovation of the Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters, the creation of my Animation Series that is now available worldwide on Amazon Direct and Boys As Allies Rights of Passage Program!! As far as Resolutions are concerned, I don’t have any. I am a work in progress so I am always exploring ways to improve myself so that I can be a greater resource to others. Living a way of life that includes the phrase ‘striving for perfection’ as a part of its fundamental principles is the essence of any/all Resolutions. Therefore, I will continue being as resolute as I have been.

Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation Series

   For those of you who making Resolutions for 2019, here are 9 Ways To Master this upcoming year:

1. Although it is your personal Resolution, your Resolution should be something that improves (progresses) you with the intent/consideration of making you a better resource to others and this world we share. Life is interdependent, we all play a role in how the world turns and there is a constant process of giving and receiving. This intent/consideration ensures that our Resolution is in tune with the universal order and is something that is sustainable -because we are actively providing a service (and/or products) that others, and the world, needs. If all we are thinking about is what we can get (keep), and not what we are able to consistently give, what we get (keep) will eventually run out. If you don't believe this, try it with your breath. Keep it to yourself and see how long it takes for your oxygen to run out...

2. Make sure your Resolution is real and obtainable. It is less likely that we are going to change EVERYTHING at once so it is important to work on what we can change, one goal at a time. Also, take things one day at a time... It took a while to create habits/routines and it is going to take time to change them. The smaller goals we accomplish serve as stepping stones; helping us build confidence and gain the tools and experience that are necessary to forge our larger goals. And with any goal, one of the first and most important steps we need to take, and habits we need to create, is to "get our day underway with a positive, productive attitude." That attitude sets the stage for our altitude.

3. Make your goals specific. Instead of saying something murky like, "I’m going to read more" say something more specific like, "I am going to read one book every month." This is called Specificity. This helps you better focus on your goals and encourages you to be more responsible and committed to those goals. If you were to say, "I want to be healthier in 2019" there is no sense of ambition or plan of action to achieve that goal. Now if you said, "I am going to only eat baked chicken once a week and go to the gym three times a week for 1 ½ hours" that has a sense of ambition and provides part of a plan of action to achieve your goal of being healthier in 2019. If it's not clear, our path won't be cleared. 

4. Set a projected time/date for your goals. Setting a time/date creates a sense of urgency, responsibility and accountability to meet your goals. If you don’t meet your time/date then set another one. Without setting a time/date then we are saying that our goals are not really a priority (important) -because under these circumstances they can happen any time and any day. That is not resolute, and if you don't have a time/date, there will probably never be a time/date. Keep in mind that "one day" or "someday" are not days on a calendar.

5. Write down your Resolutions. I have known people who had challenges with organizing their day, appropriating their time and focusing on achieving their goals. One of the solutions I shared with them was writing down their goals on index cards or signs and posting them in visible places around their home. This helped reinforce/remind them of their goals so they would not allow themselves to get lost in the hustle & bustle of each day.

6. Only share your Resolutions with those who have shown themselves to be supportive of you fulfilling them. If they are not there to help you, they are only going to hinder you. If they are not an asset, they are a liability. If they are not in your life to build, they will destroy. This includes the nice folks with the pleasant attitudes also. Just because they have a happy disposition it does not mean that they can automatically help. As cool as some people are, without sharing your vision they can become a cool obstruction.

7. Look into networking with people/organizations that will help you fulfill your physical and mental health goals. If you want to cut back on the substances you’ve been using like drugs/alcohol, or have some mental health issues going on, reach out to any local, regional, national organizations that specifically deal with drug/alcohol abuse and mental health. There are no Resolutions when we don't have your health!

8. Keep a positive outlook! Some days it will be easy to maintain a level of positivity and other days you need ‘social equality’ (fellowship) with others who share the same goals and are just as resolute as you are about positivity. This means, whatever religious, cultural, or secular organization you are a member of or affiliated with, invest the time to be there and learn as much as you can about the positive principles/values they are sharing with you. This is part of your foundational network and will help you maintain a positive outlook when you need the support, which we all do.

9. Your Resolution is not the end all be all. Some people live to have a wedding while others strive to be married, have a family and etc.. While the wedding is a place, a marriage is a state. So although your Resolutions may help you arrive at a place, the ultimate goal should be to achieve a state of existence. And this state of existence should set the stage to help you achieve even higher/greater goals! It’s all about constant growth and elevation, not stagnation. Life is constantly changing & evolving, and so should the living.

PLUS DEGREES: 
*"Be a shark, not a peacock" as one of my homegirl's would say. When a peacock walks into a room with its feathers fanned out everyone can see it. It's not necessary to be showy and strive to get attention. You also attract predators that way. Sharks move in silence and by the time you see their fin it's too late. In many cases staying below the radar and not revealing what you're doing until it's actually done is a sure way to be successful in your undertaking. When we talk a lot we're also subject to the expectations of others which are usually unrealistic. If you tell people you're writing a book and you know you don't even have a manuscript yet, they may assume you're going to be publishing a 300 page book next week and expect it. Now when you obviously don't deliver, people begin to look at you like the boy/girl who cried wolf. Always remember that light travels 186,000 miles per second and sound only travels 1,200 feet per second. People will see what you're doing before they can hear what you're saying so your reputation proceeds you. So talk less in 2019 and let your work speak for you!

*Just say "NO." Sometimes we put too much on our plate because we don't know how to tell people "NO" and we feel guilty about it when we do. Here's the thing, if you literally don't have the time, you don't have to agree to do it. Let time be the reason that you are literally not able to commit to something. It's unreasonable for someone to expect you to create more than twenty-four hours in a day. Just. Say. NO.

   In closing, I want to will every one of you and our families a very safe, happy, healthy and productive 2019! I also will that while reflecting on this past year, we consider those negative things we have held fast to that has not only destroyed our ability to unify with others but undermined our ability to accomplish anything significant on our own. Begin your new Gregorian calendar year with the right mindset, on the right foot and making the right decision to move forward. We’ve all had challenges within ourselves, and with others, this past year, and I will that 2019 is much more positive and progressive for us all!

Peace,
Saladin

The 46th Annual Show and Prove

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   Every second weekend in June we [the Five Percent Nation] hold our Annual Science and Educational Show and Prove at the Harriet Tubman School in Harlem, NY [Public School 154]. June 11th, 2017 marked our 46th Annual Event. The first Show and Prove took place on June 13th, 1971 at Harlem Prep following a December 4th, 1970 dance that was organized six months earlier in Queens, NY [AKA: The Oasis in the Desert]. I mention this dance because it was the first collective gathering of Five Percenters since the assassination of The Father [Allah] one year earlier on June 13th, 1969 and the spark to ignite the Science and Educational Show and Prove. This annual youth-centric event was established to celebrate The Father's legacy through showcasing the contributions and accomplishments of our family members who are building upon this legacy. Founded by several young Five Percenters such as Allah B, Prince Allah, God Supreme, Dumar, Gykee, Takesha, LuAsia and others, the Show and Prove highlighted a youth science and educational fair and has expanded over the years to include a marketplace, food vendors, speeches, performances, and a Meet & Greet/Cook Out the day before. The largest single gathering of Five Percenters each year, the first Show and Prove on June 13th, 1971 was said to have over 2,000 people, most of them youth, in attendance. The first Show and Prove I attended was 20 years ago in 1997. Since that time some things have changed and some things have remained the same. Some for the better, and some for the worst.

   Because I usually travel to the Show and Prove the night before I'm often the first person to arrive at the Allah School In Mecca in the morning. When an Elder God arrived to open up the school he recognized me immediately and informed me that I could sit behind the desk and answer any incoming phone calls. "I know you're more than qualified to sit there" he said, as he walked through the rest of the school to check it out. As others began to arrive I was given a tour of our current storefront renovations by Cee Aaquil Allah who is managing the project and also serves on the Show and Prove Organizing Committee as the event's lead organizer. From what I've seen thus far these modern updates are going to be an excellent addition to support our school and the surrounding community. Next I had an opportunity to build with the God Unique who coordinates the computer lab. He has a background in computer science and shared with me a program he built that instructs its user in our cultural curriculum using integrated audio, images and eventually video. For example, a child can click on our 1st degree in the Student Enrollment "Who is the Original Man?" and a pre-recorded voice will then recite the question and answer of that lesson. That pre-recorded audio file could be that child's voice or another Five Percenter's voice -such as an elder Unique had the opportunity to record who is no longer with us. I was honored to archive my voice reciting the 5th degree in the 1-14's; the lesson where I got my righteous name 'Saladin' from. I spoke extensively with the God on its current and potential applications in relationship to my work in early childhood development and pre-teen/teen programming and look forward to using it as a resource at my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters. After building with a few brothers/sisters who began to arrive I walked around the corner to the Harriet Tubman School to meet back up with Cee Aaquil and other volunteers to help prepare for the Show and Prove.

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   When I became more publicly active as a Five Percenter I began to travel to the Show and Prove each year to volunteer. This experience has given me a unique perspective of what we can do to enhance the event. At the top of that list is VOLUNTEERS! We need more people who are willing and able to do more to add-on. A call is put out every year from the Show and Prove Organizing Committee for VOLUNTEERS and not enough people have been adding on. Willfully more people will be available to assist next year and in the future!

   Although many people come for the celebrity performances, our marketplace has become one of the focal points of the Show and Prove and a potential garden bed for our Nation's economic development. Because I'm an author, people always ask me if I brought any books to sell and encourage me to bring them next year if I didn't. Although I appreciate that support, I inform them that I just came to help out. I've just always seen the Show and Prove in its traditional sense; a youth-centered science and educational fair, not a personal money making opportunity. Now don't get me wrong, the inclusion of a marketplace is an excellent "addition" to our event yet it should not be the primary reason some of us come there. Some people use the motto, "we need to support each other" as their reasoning for selling or buying something during this event. I can understand that because as I mentioned, this is the largest single gathering of the Five Percent each year. I also understand that this opportunity to truly "support each other" requires more than a "I sell something and you buy it" business model. 7-Eleven and Walmart also sells us something and we buy it, so how are we any different? We need to ask ourselves: How do any of these financial transactions mutually empower both parties? As entrepreneurs we must consistently ask ourselves: What are we doing to show people that we're not just digging in their pockets like 7-Eleven and Walmart? Is our business consistently known for doing giveaways for our products/services? Are we known for donating money and/or our sweat equity to support programs, projects and initiatives? Are we actually employing people making a livable wage? 

   In my article Cultural Capital in a Post Obama America I explained our economy based upon Cultural Capital: "a network of relationships and resources rooted in shared customs, principles and values that mark a people's way of life. It's defined by reciprocity, trust and the cooperation of group members who systematically share and maintain the same resources and cultural interests. Thus this system of shared resources and cultural interests existed before money and is ultimately rooted in our relationships." What this economy looks like in a Jewish Community is a Jewish man being given store credit by the Jewish store owner and being told to pay for the groceries when he gets paid since he didn't have enough money right now. What this looks like in an Chinese Community is a Chinese woman receiving interest-free loans from three neighbors to help start her business instead of going to a bank. What this looks like in an Italian Community is Italian business owners consistently purchasing sports team uniforms, donating back to school supplies and giving away scholarships to youth. In all of these examples it's not about the money, it's about how people treat one another. Some may argue that they don't have enough to even do this or they're just a small business. Keep in mind that some of the examples of cooperative economics and collective work and responsibility I shared above were done during the Great Depression and other times in America when people had a fraction of what many of us have today. While many Five Percenters who operate a business are fair and understand that the highest value lies in our relationships, I've heard horror stories of some of us taking pre-order money for products/services and then giving people the runaround or a nasty attitude because they inquired why their order still hadn't arrived in over a month. To add insult to injury, these customers were not even offered anything for the poor service and inconvenience. This is completely unacceptable and this westernized mentality of capitalizing off of people, especially our people, must stop if we're ever going to build an economy that supports national consciousness, community control and peace. 

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   Something I've also noticed at the Show and Prove is the growing number of street vendors setting up outside of the Harriet Tubman School to sell their products/services instead of vending inside of the event. If we want to vend outside of the Show and Prove event then I think it's appropriate to contact a member of our Show and Prove Organizing Committee to inquire about a street vendor fee; a donation that will help support the services at the Allah School In Mecca. Whether vending inside or outside, to support true economic development we need to change a hand to mouth trajectory of trying to get individually paid. Again, some of us think that we have so little that we really can't give like that. Keep in mind that when we each give a little, we will all have a lot. This sense of collectivism, self sacrifice and protecting ones cultural interests has allowed other people to survive and thrive under similar circumstances. Next year I would love to see more youth vendors and a commitment from inside and outside adult vendors to have a youth vending with them. I'd also love to see more youth oriented products/services for sale at our marketplace. Lastly, I would like to see adults committing to a donation that goes towards an Annual Show and Prove Youth Scholarship and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash prize for youth participating in the science and educational fair. I think that it's a fair investment in our future generations.

   

Out of all of the years I've attended the Show and Prove, this is the first year I felt an overwhelming sense of genuine support and acknowledgement for what I've been doing to publicly represent our culture. I've felt it in the past yet this year was different. It made me feel very proud that old and young alike look upon the work I do as some evidence of what we are. All of the support I received let me know that I'm appreciated and it encouraged me to do even more to make sure that our national activity, narrative and image remains right and exact. So I want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you whom I had an opportunity to meet and reconnect with. 

Peace,
Saladin