You know,
My family was poor
So I know what it’s like
Not to have much ...
Folks I grew up
In a neighborhood
Where I constantly
Had  to fight
For my meal
Fight for
What’s mine ...
No doubt
I lived a bleak existence
But with a little bit of luck
And a little bit of help from above
 Education saved my life
Love gave me life
Faith changed my life
And
Let me be blunt
Ladies and Gentleman
I’m the type of man
That puts life into
Perspective everyday  
And everyday I come
To the same conclusion
That I’m blessed
Beyond measures
I’ve reached a point of time
Where all the dust has settled
Wise enough to separate
The  real from the fakes
And allow my mind’s eye
To see through the nonsense
Called hate
And to be honest
For the craziness that I went through in my life
It is evident that God has chosen me
To still be here
But let me tell you this
Like everything else
In life
It wasn’t an easy road
For life has it’s ups and downs
Highs and lows...
Imagine
Living in roach infested apartments
Landlords with no care
For human dignity
Dodging bullets on a daily basis
Days without a solid diet
Thugs around the neighborhoods
Nonestop harassment
The American dream
Was nowhere to be found
Let alone having any hope
But strong enough to never
Allowed hope to die
So I pushed harder
And harder with all I had
Graduated High School
Worked two jobs
Put myself through college
In the hope that one day I would be enjoying the life that I’m living today
Cross my heart hope to die
I didn’t write this to brag
Just want to get my point across
Today in many neighborhoods in NJ and Florida
I manage to put a small dent
In the Real Estate industry
Earning my keep
Self made
Self employed
Crib on the hill
No mortgage needed
Yes indeed,
The American dream
Finally realized.
But
I tell my story
To simply say This ,
Never to be ashamed of your past
For it can inspire others
Because it’s not what happened to you
But how you react to it
That truly matters.
And
Without a doubt in my mind
I Believe in the desires of your heart and your ability to make it happen. But believe me when I tell you this , It will take nothing less than everything to make your dreams come to live. But believe me when I tell you that truer words have never been spoken
It will be worth it.

And
it doesn’t matter
If you’re
Black
Or
White
Alien
Or
The
Beast
You and only you
Can make it happen!