Tag Archives: Journey

Profound Hip Hop Quote: Week #3

22 Jan

“Life ain’t meant to come around twice. Yeah, that’s why I gotta get it right!
They say I got it honest; now I gotta give it light. But sleep on it; that’s why God give you night!”

—Lupe Fiasco, “Real”


It was about four years ago that I heard Lupe Fiasco’s CD Food & Liquor. I was enlightened and found many of his lyrics to be thought-provoking. Specifically, “Real” encompasses so many profound lines, but the ones I resonated with the most were about life and God’s role in our lives.  Regardless of your religion, if you believe in heaven, hell, or reincarnation, you are who you are in this life for a distinctive reason.  Actually, I don’t know the reason why I am who I am or why I am here; perhaps you don’t either. Nevertheless, we must all make wise choices and be cognizant in our day-to-day actions. Nobody is perfect, including me of course. But I am constantly thinking about how my decisions and actions not only impact my life but the lives of others and try to conduct myself accordingly, which is not always the easiest feat.  Do you think before you speak or act?  Do you consider how what you are doing today may not just impact your tomorrow but may impact your next week or possibly next year or even the next week or next year of someone else’s life?

Lupe Fiasco also addresses what he “got honest” from God and sharing it with others by giving “it light.” Do you think about the gifts God has blessed you with and how you are utilizing them for the greater good?  Think about it…today only comes around once…bringing us all one day closer to the end of our lives on Earth.  I want to make sure that I am sharing my gifts and talents with the world  and hope to leave it better than when I first got here.  How about you?

Life is a journey for us all, and as much as we would like to get it right, we might have some missteps along the way.  Perhaps what we consider to be missteps are actually leading us in the right direction.  Wow, that’s something to ponder!  Regardless of where you are presently, all hope is not lost; focus on the positive as the story and journey of your life unfolds.  I’m right there with you on my journey too.  As Lupe Fiasco says, “But sleep on it; that’s why God gives you night!”

Please feel free to share your thoughts

~Anonomz

Bonus English Lesson:

Lupe Fiasco’s line “That’s why God give you night” is an example of incorrect subject verb agreement. It actually should be “God gives…”Oftentimes in rap lyrics and in many types of creative writing, the writer may employ grammatical errors because it is the vernacular of the writer or the persona or it has a better flow or sound because of the syllables or meter in the line.  Keep in mind that many rappers who are well-versed and considered lyricists tend to familiarize themselves with the standard grammar rules prior to breaking the rules in their lyrics.

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Profound Hip Hop Quote: Week #2

15 Jan

“Swallow your pride before you choke on your issues.”
—Murs, “Everything”


How often do you say, “My pride won’t allow me to do ‘X’ or ‘Y’ even if it might be the appropriate action to take? Maybe ‘X’ it is forgiving a person who wronged you, or ‘Y’ is accepting help from someone when you really need it.  This line from Murs’ (If you’ve never heard of him, he’s released a few top notch CDs with Ninth Wonder) rap song really struck a chord with me. Even though I do make a conscious effort to practice forgiveness and do not consider myself to be prideful, I do often struggle with swallowing my pride when it comes to asking for help.  I convince myself that I can do it all alone or sometimes feel too ashamed to ask for help or that I am having difficulties if I underestimated how much work something would take because I brought it all on myself.

To use an analogy derived from Murs’ line, perhaps I struggle with reaching out for help because I hear my mother’s voice  from childhood saying, “You asked for all of that food, and you’re not going to leave this table until you’ve cleaned your plate!”   We’ve all got to eat to survive, but it most instances it is the swallowing of the food with the proper nutrients, not the junk, that sustains us.  As an adult, I have learned that forcing myself to eat because I can’t admit that I put too much on my plate  may not only cause me to choke but may also make me sick on the stomach resulting in everything else I enjoyed or managed to eat to come right back up.  This is a scene I don’t want to envision for myself nor for my family and friends who may be in a similar predicament.

Do you struggle with pride?  Has it hindered you, the progress of your relationships or success in anyway?  I know it has for me occasionally and probably will in the future. Sometimes it is best to swallow our pride…isn’t it?

Please feel free to share your thoughts

~Anonomz

Bonus English Lesson:

Murs’ line is an example of an idiom because it is a common phrase made up of words that cannot be understood by their literal meaning.  People cannot really swallow their pride…can they?

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Profound Hip Hop Quote: Week #1

8 Jan

“Never lookin’ back or too far in front of me
The present is a gift, and I just wanna be…”
—Common, “Be (Intro)”


How often do you dwell too much on the past or focus too relentlessly on the future without acknowledging what is going on presently? This is something that I have constantly struggled with until I heard Common put it so simple yet so eloquently.  Of course, it is important to evaluate my past to avoid making the same mistakes again.  Yes, considering future goals and aspirations is necessary in order to establish a game plan and be successful.  However, I know that I must take time to live in the moment and appreciate my present accomplishments.

Where are you presently?  Is it where you want to be?  If not, then it might be pertinent to examine what you have done in the recent past and plan to do in the near future so that everyday will be a present or gift for that matter.  Were you inspired by the same line or a different line in this song?  Please feel free to share.

~Anonomz

Bonus English Lesson:

Even though Common does not utilize the word  “present”  in an indelicate way, it is a good example of  a double entendre because present presents some ambiguity with two meanings: “a gift” and “related to time.”

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Ten Things I’ve Got Planned for 2011

1 Jan

Tanya Harris' Vision Board1. Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the ideal body.  Therefore, I will keep working out four to five days a week to be nicely toned for the summer of 2011.

2. My intellectual, spiritual and creative journey is essential for my well-being, and I will be sure to submit a blog entry at least once a week.  Stop by when you can to check out my new entries.

3. I have many gifts, and writing poetry is one of them, so I will relentlessly assert myself to become synonymous with the spoken word and poetry slam circuit.  Who knows, I may complete enough poems to publish a chapbook or have some choice entries in major publications.

4. People often say, “It’s a small world,” but many of us have yet to leave our own neighborhood, city, or state, let alone the country or continent for that matter.  I plan to travel more extensively this year and hope to visit outside of the country…perhaps for a destination wedding.

5. Everybody is busier than ever and cannot spare a moment for family and friends even though vast amounts of technology are supposed to help people get more done and have more time,.  I will make a more conscious effort to reach out to family and friends and demonstrate my appreciation and love for them the” Old fashioned” way: the occasional phone call, letters, visits and tokens of my appreciation.

6. I love writing and refuse to die with my many stories being left untold; as a result, I will begin working on and brainstorming about  other literary ventures such as colorful stories and children’s book ideas and see where it takes me…maybe to the best seller’s list one day!

7. Health is necessary for longevity.  To continue  improving my financial, physical and spiritual health, I will conduct research and keep working on the economical game plan, exercise regularly and meditate , and read and apply spiritual and motivational literature on a frequent basis.

8. “You should be an actor!” is what family, friends and even my students tell me.  I used to act when I was younger and loved being on stage, so I will explore my theatrical abilities by taking a college level acting class in the spring 2011 semester starting January 10.  It’s going to be interesting potentially being in class with some of my own students, but it will be fun I’m sure.

9. As a person who  has finicky eating habits, family and friends jokingly say, “A fancy restaurant for her is a place that serves pizza, chicken or turkey burgers.”  I enjoy fine dining and feel guilty that people are limited in their restaurant selections when going out with me. In an attempt to break out of this habit, I will try at least one new food item every other month…once a month if the mood strikes me.

10.  Lastly, in recent years I’ve learned that I cannot be everything to everyone, but year after year I still try to make family, friends, students, and colleagues happy sometimes at my own expense: monetarily, physically and emotionally.  To use an analogy, I love filling up their glasses of water, but I have to make sure my pitcher of water remains filled too in 2011.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

All the best in the new year,

Tanya

What things do you have planned for the new year?  Please feel free to share.

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Split Ends: Time for a Trim

23 Dec

Tanya HarrisThat’s it!

That’s it!

Really, I mean it this time.

I’ve had enough!

Matter of fact, you’re about to get cut off

if you don’t straighten up

there’s some issues I need to straighten out.

I get it…really I do.Tanya Harris

You’re tired of being manipulated

with my inability to be satiated

With whom you are…naturally that is.

I love you…really I do.

No, it’s not fair to you

that my love is far from unconditional,

But it’s not intentional…

Really it’s not.

It’s just that it’s difficult

Tanya Harriswhen I’ve been conditioned to be a certain way.

Well, the both of us have

This process…this process

Is conducive to my ambivalence

A split decision: I’m beyond disoriented.

Just relax for a minute or two.

Is that too much to ask?

Curled up so tightly,Tanya Harris

Why must you spite me?

That’s it!

That’s it!

I really mean it this time.

By Anonomz aka Tanya Harris


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Give Me a Minute

23 Dec

Meditation

The luminescent candle fills the room

difficulties with the lotus posture

still aggravatingly inflexible.

Back once more to the crossed leg position

Relax, relax; inhale the energy

exhale any distractions of the day.

Countless emails: I still need to respond

you know what, I forgot to call my mom

got to get that mac and cheese recipe.

Remember: wash clothes when this is over

Agh! Brain chatter is overwhelming me

gently intensifying with each breath.

Focus is what I must be doing now

permeate my pupil flickering glow.

Outside distractions: I mustn’t listen.

Take a deep breath in. Take a deep breath out.

Convince myself that I’m doing really well

meditating for about a minute.

by Anonomz aka Tanya Harris


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Embarking on a Journey!!

21 Dec

Tanya HarrisHave you ever wondered why you are who “you are” or if you are doing what you “should” be doing with your life.  This is a pondering I have all too often.  I truly believe one of the best ways to address these questions is to utilize the gifts God has blessed me with in search for the answers.  I’ve always enjoyed writing poetry, short stories, teaching, acting, rapping, designing, basically anything that has to do with the creative arts.  This blog will be a forum for my many philosophical and spiritual musings and creative aspirations.

Please feel free to join me as I embark on this journey down the yellow brick road  to see the wizard as I know it will take multiple intelligences, a gracious heart and relentless courage.

Best regards,

Tanya Harris aka Anonomz

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