#THOUGHTSWITHACIGAR

#THOUGHTSWITHACIGAR, Think of this as a thread post. Here you will see an ever-growing list of thoughts—not necessarily right or wrong. The truth is, I smoke cigars, and while smoking those cigars, I have a lot of thoughts. Many in which I consider 'deep'. This is where those thoughts get posted. So, ideally, every time you visit this page, this thread will likely be at the top of the page because it's constantly updated and will have a new thought—one that I had while smoking a cigar. Enjoy!

- We have to stop putting such a negative connotation on lying. No matter how you put it, lying is a form of protection. Whether it's yourself or someone else, we lie to protect something or somebody. I have never heard anyone say that protection was negative. The irony of it all is that lying does the exact opposite; in the end, it always inflicts pain on something or somebody, whether that something or someone is the very thing we were trying to protect in the first place. That is why it will NEVER be okay. THAT is the lesson that needs to be learned.

- I was taught and conditioned not to need or want anything from anyone. Look at my life! If I need a mountain moved, I move it myself. I've seen my mother do that my entire life. I ultimately learned that that was not the case even for her, but it is still the lesson I learned from watching her life. It's not a bad thing either. While it's not the only way to do or get things, it's still the most reliable way.

Devil's Lake

These pictures are almost exactly four years apart. The picture on your left had so much going on! First and foremost, COVID, which we all went through, but on my personal journey, at that moment, who knew the storm I was about to endure? I was on the road for work, losing the woman I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I had a ring💍, ready to propose, too. I would have my amazing daughter and I would get the job offer of my dreams, only to lose it because of the color of my skin.

The picture on the right is me now hair longer, beard is gone. Again four years later, after a 17-month legal battle to get my dream job back, now I'm two years into living my dream, living my purpose-driven life of serving each and every one of you, and through the storms of my personal life, this place hasn't changed! 4 years ago the tears here was of surrow and pain. Today it's tears of joy, it's tear of relief, and strength I didn't even know I had. I have a few places in this world, like this, that I consider very sacred places. I challenge you to find a few of your own. It don't have to be in Wisconsin or anywhere other than the place you live in now, find Sacred places that you visit every so often that feed your spirit! Places that remain consistent and remind you that, even though you go through storms in your life, as we all do, if you hang on and persevere, the journey, man, it is bittersweet and worth it 👌🏾 💫

From then until now, there have been many people who hate me for who and what I am. I am fine with that, at least I am not trying to be someone I am not.