It’s May!

It’s May 9th, 2011. I’m feeling pretty good, I have a BIG show at the end of next week. I don’t think I have stepped up to the plate enough. I’m reminded of something Pastor Toure Roberts said about walking in boldness in THIS season. It’s time I step up and stop waiting on people to make things happen for me. I know, sounds odd coming from me, but sometimes even subconsciously, we wait on other people to make the first move to see what they’re going to do. I know there are people looking at me in that same way. Funny, huh. But when I think about how creatively dope I am, and my reason or purpose behind my actions– I HAVE to go HARD! It’s a must! and I certainly can’t afford to wait on other people.

So, I look forward to stepping into my TRUE role. Hopefully, I can forgive myself long enough to get this done and move on.

Forgive myself for what you ask? For waiting! #nomore. Now LETS GOOOOOO !

I have been cooking!

YES! I have been in the TRAP! Cooking, working out, working—all that! I think I’ve come up with a solution to streamline my efforts and help me focus. First things first— writing the blogs—is a no go! I get enough writing in, dealing with scripts all day! & I don’t want to sit in front of a camera talking all day either—so I’ve decided I’ll video blog, but I’ll keep it to a minimum of 2 minutes per blog, unless it’s more episodic. I’ll have only 3 REAL websites—classybrown.com, virtugyrl.com, and moguliciousmedia.com. All the other sites will basically be landing pages for my projects, but they’ll all direct you back to my personal site, my business site, or my organization! Sounds like a good plan. Let’s try it out!

Wooowwwsers !

So its been awhile, but I’ve been hand writing in my journal. Not too much is new, I wake up in the mornings wondering if “today” will be the day ! The day that I get an undeniable force of energy to change my life. Not that my life is bad, it’s pretty sweet, but I definitely want more. The hardest part is putting your head down to do what’s required.

 

I think today will be THAT day.

WHOA!

Ok, so it’s been a minute. #dontjudgeme! ;o) I’m picking Relentless for Millions back up! It’s been awhile, a lot has taken place. But it’s ALL good. I’m in a really good creative space right now, so I figured it’s the perfect time to pursue R4M! I have 7 strong projects and 3 sidelines to complete in 9 weeks! #LETs GO. Instead of categorizing them all, I’ll just blog on them as I’m working. Cool? Cool.

Tonight, I’m reading over information from the Red Cross for a speech I have to give next week on their progress in Haiti. I’m excited to be getting my behind back out. I took time off, because essentially, I needed it.

#random: It’s funny how people tend to think they know what’s best for you, but more often than not- if I don’t ask for your opinion, I probably don’t want it. Twice today, people are volunteering information. If I’m complaining or nagging to you about any one thing, then yeah.. offer your opinion and shut me up. But if I haven’t said anything, I’m obviously in a place of peace and contentment about the situation. Therefore “informate before you spectate” LOL #FREELILTUNECHI. Random thoughts as I was interrupted about some nonsense.

The awesome thing about growth and change, is that no one can do it for you. Live your own life. Even through much trial and error—as long as you’re living, you don’t have to worry about reaching your destiny. To live, your life.. is to live in your destiny! Don’t discount any of your experience! Your life was pre-destined. You feel off-course, you’re not. Embrace it. Learn. Grow. Change. Make a Difference. Live! Your.. life.

#thatsallfornow

IDENTIFIED.

Artist, who write, sing, produce, and manage. Actors, who write, sing, produce, manage, act, and direct. Painters, who paint, draw, write, act, and sing. You get my point. Creative people do a lot, and that’s normal. I’m never surprised when I meet an actor who also pursues music, and fashion. I’m never surprised when I meet creative people period, because I am one.  *sigh* How much do we love telling people what we do? Personally, I call myself a professional get my life together-er.  If you can’t take what I really do seriously, take that.  I think  Creative people aren’t taken seriously because people tend to think that because you are not in the spotlight or because you are not making  big bucks, that you ain’t sh*t. (excuse my french)

Well, I CAME TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY! (lol) Hold your head up, and BE. You should never be ashamed of your dreams. So what if they’re common. So what if a lot of people don’t make it. YOU WILL! From  this moment, don’t allow friends, family, or PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW to judge you! Be happy and content with your decision to live out your dreams. 

So even if you don’t MAKE IT (whatever that means) you at least know that you came and you tried. BUT IM 100% CERTAIN that if you make up in your mind to PURSUE, and I mean REALLY PURSUE, with PASSION… you will CONQUER. Even if you’re not talented but you work hard,  you’ll still succeed.

And when you find yourself in a tough spot, alone. Know that you are not alone. There are a million of us out here that have experienced or is experiencing the same thing! So try to find comfort that whatever you’re doing has already been done before, it’s your job to do it BETTER! #thatisall

Okay…

This rain is getting to me! I’m waiting on UPS to deliver my package, thinking about life and what it entails. You know that’s always a joy! I’m thinking about my plays, my organization, and everything else. Ready to go—higher. I’ve been mulling and dragging my feet over what to do with the magazine, as well as my production company. Far as the name goes. I wasn’t very satisfied, and I wanted something less personal. But the more I think about it, and think about it… I’m happy being Classy.

With that said… I’m re-launching my website www.classybrown.com I will still blog here! But I’m going to open up a forum there for conversation. So… while I wait on UPS, I’m working on some other loose ends, and then I’ll start to work on that!

-Classy Brown

Do Books Change Lives?

I had a pretty good evening, Bible Study— good word, Borders—TWO books! Ah, that place annoys me, like seriously, why do they have to have sooo many great books to choose from? It’s really ridiculous. Lucky me, I’m on a 15$ a day max spending plan, today was the first day—I spent two days. Go figure   … But I got two really good books, one is Trump: Think Like a Billionaire and the other is by Catherine Black of Hearst. Ironically, I was just talking about her literally days  ago, I’ve been an admirer since 2004 when I first developed an interest for magazine publishing. So why these books out of the thousands? Well, someone poised a question to me about my ultimate career goal, and my response was to develop brands such as Hearst and Trump. Hmm, I wonder how long it will take. That’s when I got to thinking about the power of books. Do they really have the power to transform your life? My ignorant answer is no. A person must first desire to change, and then they need an even stronger will power to actually make the change. Books, are good for educational purposes, gaining knowledge, taking advice of people who’ve already “been there, done that”, but the  book alone, in your hand, is not going to change your life. It’s what you take from the book and actually APPLY to your life that will foster the change. Just my two cents.

So, since I spent my 15$ for today, and tomorrow… I will be in writing, and reading. I hope to have these two books completed by Sunday. That way, I can buy two more! They’re calling me! Next on the list is the Trump Card by Ivanka, recommended by my friend Maria, and a Piano Tutorial.

Anyway, full day, I’m tired. I’ll blog on my nonprofit, film and theater adventures tomorrow.

ps. Bible study was off the chain.. Pastor says people who say money can’t buy happiness have been buying the wrong things! Money can buy happiness, but it can’t buy Joy. Joy is a permanent state of being.

This Joy, that I have! The world  didn’t give it, the world can’t take it away. Come on!

Who Will Hold You Accountable?

New Year(s) always bring great energy. At least until the holidays are good and gone, and the same problems we faced before the extended weekend reoccur, with no new way to solve them. 

At some point, things must change.  This is what we tell ourselves before the New Year begins, and for a few weeks after. 

My point is this, after you’ve written down what you will do, what you won’t, what you will not tolerate, and what you will change, hold to it. Chances are, everything on your list was probably there last year, and the reason that they’re still there is because no one held you accountable, you did not hold yourself accountable.

The only real resolution is to be more responsible, and hold yourself accountable for you. Regardless of what you do, this basic principle of responsibility will take you far beyond your dreams.

Sometimes we do need help, so if you want to share, feel free to connect with me. Maybe we can hold each other accountable.

Happy New Year!

 

xoxo

a recollection of the past.

So in college I wrote and produced a few shorts… Destani’s

Groove…speaking of…those who know about it- ya’ll have to check out

the footage…funniest thing ever… Anyway, so I was thinking about how

my mom passed.. and then how my dad passed… it’s really dramatic- but

if you meet anyone who’s parents have passed and it wasn’t

dramatic…let me know. So anyway, Destani’s Groove- was basically my

character, but of course all the things I wanted to change about myself

at that time, situations included- I changed. That’s why I love the

ability to create…So tonight, I couldn’t sleep. It’s only 9:30, but I

was trying to go to bed early so I could stay up all night, as I have

alot of work to finish before going home tomorrow.

So I’m lying there crying… I couldn’t figure out if it was because I

missed my mom, or because of my desire to be so much like her. Then my

eyes weld up, and I literally felt a tear, just one. Lately, I’ve been

having a very low tolerance for bullshit and I only seek the truth. So

when I felt the tear hit my skin, at that moment it was nothing more

real to me than that. So no matter where the pain derived from, it was

there. And all I could hear my mom saying was that you will always need

a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and shoes on your feet. Now

I can sit here and tell you all day long how I spent over 250,000$ in a

year and a half.. (I wish I would’ve bought my Range) darn it! But more

importantly, I almost feel special- like I know that God has a perfect

plan for my life, and the best things in life are free. It’s so true.

But anyway, I’ve been broke before, I’ve been homeless before, and I

never want to go back down that route again. Wisdom is the principle

thing. So moving forward, as I’m sitting there crying- I remember her

motivation for my name to be in the credits. She ALWAYS told me, "Now

when I watch tv or movies, I watch the credits, I can see your name

being there"… and that has stuck with me all this time. I’m thankful,

even though I’ve lost both of my parents- if God intended for me to meet

any two people in the world I’m so glad that it was them… for many

many reasons, I won’t attempt to name. So anyway, I’m sitting

there…thanking God for the opportunity to have even known them,

thinking about how similiar their deaths were. When my dad passed I was

12, I remember leaving the hospital the night before telling him I’d be

back. We were walking out the door to go pick him up the next day when

the phone rang. My mom knew something was wrong. My aunt came…with the

news that Daddy wouldn’t be coming back home. again. ever. Now in my

youth youth I was way closer to my dad than I was to my mom- I loved her

of course, but I was indeed Daddy’s little girl.. so when he passed, I

naturally held on to my mother for dear life. I always remember my

reaction to the news, but I never thought about what my mom felt. I

can’t possibly imagine what it was like being told Easy Money, your

husband, your best friend, your soul-mate- of 12 years just died.

Leaving you to raise two young girls by yourself. My dad was a hustler,

that’s why they called him Easy Money….but make no mistake, he earned

it the good old fashioned way! WORK! "Don’t nothing come to a sleeper

but another dream"….that’s how he lived, that’s how he provided…

but anyway… he was 32 when he died….and who would’ve known approx.

10 years later, my mom would pass too. So…I had made the drive home

from Baltimore to Birmingham when I got the news my mom was in the

hospital…

I’m there, at the hospital, but I had to go back to school to take care

of some stuff, but I was coming right back… I was like "Mama, I’ma be

right back"….I know she knew because she kinda didn’t want me to go,

but I felt like I had to, and I KNEW that I’d be right back, prepared to

stay with her… so I’m in North Carolina- on my way back to Maryland

now… "Tye, turn around, you need to come back now… All I said was

OK, let me talk to her…so I guess they put me on speaker phone and I

had everybody in tears, but all I said was "Mama hold on, I’m

coming….Wait for me…please…" Now she was barely breathing, and I

just knew God was getting ready to perform a miracle or

SOMETHING…cause he told me he would heal her… now I don’t need your

condolences, or your "his thoughts are not our thoughts, his ways are

not our ways"…matter of fact…DON’T SAY SHIT… just listen… that’s

how I felt at that time anyway…. listen for his still small voice…to

comfort me, cause I need it right now…I don’t need you trying to tell

me you understand when you have no clue…. I made it home in about

three or four hours…by the time I had gotten there, she was

gone…They always said they wanted to be millionaires by the time they

turned 40. So I guess now they have a mansion up in the sky- Hey Luther

gave a concert the other day.

So I guess it’s alright. But my parents died of cancer. Different types,

different forms, different times….but it was Cancer… DESTANI is the

name..and she was a CANCER. (hey my birthday is July 19th…what does

that make me?) DARN right!!

Everybody get on up!

So I’m at the library, I have a s* load of items to complete between now and now. (i know right) I’m a little behind, I had been feeling a little under the weather for like the past 5 days. So yeah, I’m ready now though! I’m thinking when I leave here, I’m going to head to Z Pizza, buy one get one free @ the slices? Seeing as though I’m a little hungry, I had a sandwich waaay earlier at like 9. Anyway, doing some work for VirtuGyrl and the Urban Youth Alliance, preparing for a re-launch of the magazine. I have a few other projects going.. getting organized and getting it done. If you don’t hold yourself accountable for your actions, who will? Exactly. Sometimes when you want things done, you have to do them yourself. If you can’t depend on you, don’t expect anyone else to! Alright, back to work.