15005 - 14637

We’re at a place and time where we should recognize ourselves as artists. Do the things that we love the most.  Baking cakes or buttering toast. Turning hobbies into our happiness is where our contribution lies. Understand that money is the tie that binds and the tie that blinds. It takes a lot of confidence to step away from that world and out of the system. It takes self awareness and self love.  It takes a selfless perspective.  When you’re able to do this, you spread love and share your positive energy with the world. Provide more value to others than you ask in return and watch how the universe opens up.  True art is a selfless act, but has selfish ramifications. It’s a paradox. The paradox of love. By giving of your true self unselfishly, the universe reassesses you with more. Truth comes from down inside.  You have to dig deep to pull the best out. And as you open up, you pull the rest out.

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14997 - PHLOTE as art

How do you bring a luxury experience to a chat?

How do you bring the full personality out of the collective?

How do you make it feel like a fun destination/party?

How do you get someone to ultimately say, I fuck with your stuff, as if you wrote an underground hit?

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14995 - 💫

I’ve now had a day to process the news of Kobe’s passing. It’s still unreal. For a long time I thought of Kobe as an imaginary rival.  It feels like I’ve always “competed” with him, maybe because I felt we shared strong similarities. We both grew up just outside of Philly at the same time. Kobe is 4 months older, but was a year ahead of me in high school. Like him, I dreamed of being a star recruit, playing in front of coaches who would one day recruit me out of small town New Jersey and down to the ACC.  And like his, my biological father’s last name is Bryant, so in some tucked away part of my subconscious, I thought there was a chance we were distant relatives.

But I loved hoops and religiously studied the high school game.  Every year, I’d tape the McDonalds All American game, memorize the Street & Smiths high school player rankings, and dream of being on those lists. I wanted to be the #1 High School player in the country and at 13, thought with hard work, it might be attainable.  So I worked.

About a year later, I started hearing about but this kid on the other side of Philly who was starting to make noise. He was tall, athletic, handsome, intelligent, global and was considered the best player in his high school class. He represented everything I self identified with and more. He was actually THE guy.  The local news routinely reported his high school games. He took Brandy to his prom. I hated him.  

I subconsciously vowed to never let him take the crown from MJ as the best player of all time. I would dock him for biting MJ’s style, thinking he was unoriginal.  “He even took MJ’s coach!” I would often argue.  While that all may be true, many before Kobe were deemed to be “baby Jordan”.  None of them become the champion, sports icon, and legend that Kobe became. He mirrored Jordan so close that he became him and in the process developed a will to win that was unmatched.  Unlike the others, Kobe was willing to do the work.

We all remember the highlights and there were many. Surprisingly, many current and ex-players say that separated Kobe was his mastery of the fundamentals. His footwork was impeccable. He continued to add skills and evolve his game every season.  His mentality had a character of its own.  And now he is gone.

In his death he continues to teach us how to live, showing us how precious is the time we have here. The warm blanket of envy that I long wore for Kobe is now gone. And I am exposed.

Twenty five years after being introduced to Kobe Bryant, I can no longer say that he is who I would have been had I given the same effort.  Now, I can use what taught me and the example he set, to join him as one of the best of our generation.

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14994 - LA @ SUNSET

He is where I would have been if I was him, mentality,

Today marked the untimeliest of ends, and now I see. 

During his life, his representation of intent was intentional

And in his death, he’s shown me even more. 

A.P.C., LA @ SUNSET, 2020

A.P.C., LA @ SUNSET, 2020

14992 - Religion vs Natural Law

Is religion a communication tool that would bring world peace? If not, what will accomplish this? Perhaps it’s a movement supported by universal laws that are not born by man, but born by GOD herself. Something that’s inclusive, allowing the entire world to believe and be “born again”.

It has to be bigger than earth. Whoever has that position has the power of culture. Has the power of influence. Whoever has it can continue to hold that power, directing it to whomever is listening. To a lesser extent fame is religion.

The “ruling majority” will use all avenues (media and government) to maintain their influence. They will operate above and below ground and continuously deploy their advantage. There is a large barrier to entry and an extreme first mover advantage in the religious arena. But universal/natural truths hold higher power and the potential to reach higher levels because they are actually how we really are.

Are Catholics the ultimate yes men? They’ve boarded and have set sail on the titanic. Its not exciting, but it’s what all the “winners” have done. It’s the biggest ship. The safest path. The most exclusive. Where there has been definite proven benefit because these are the people with influence.

But religion does it in a shady way. It’s not transparent. It’s laws don’t work and it’s philosophies leave more questions than answers. There are broken hypotheses and loopholes. Those who hold power break these rules, so no one knows how the game really works? Despite these problems, many people have dedicated their lives on these philosophies, and for generations. They will want to give these beliefs up easily, even if they clearly see all of the contradictions. They’ll become defensive. They’ll dig in. And this will cause them to fight, like they have done throughout history.

Believers will believe with more conviction, especially when faced with the potential of loosing their influential privilege. Their power of belief is powerful beyond imagination. But it is ultimately based in fear. And so it has a weakness.

The real movement, the movement that takes us buck to nature, must start with so much energy that the momentum cannot be unwound. It’s has to be so ubiquitous that no one could question its worth. So easy, that no child can not understand it. It’s bulletproof like water is bulletproof. It can take any form easily and simply and cleanly.

Those who taste it have to go into immediate shock, so much so, that they won’t be able to speak. They’ll just see this magnificent light that is truth, that is love, that is honesty. They won’t be able to utter a single word. They will stare. Standing in amazement. And then before they realize what’s happening, they’ll start lifting. They’ll start lifting off the ground, almost imperceptibly at first, as a feather might lift in a gentle breeze. For some, this feeling of lightness will be refreshingly new in a way that will exhilarate. They’ll feel lighter as if lightly repelled by the earth’s now same positive charge. In fact, that may be what’s happening. This will be pleasant vibration. Others will have been weighed down with additional baggage and spring up like a jackrabbit might do in May. Others may have been down under much longer and feel like they had doffed a whole suite of armor. Then we walk on water

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14988 - New Beginning

Today feels like a new day. A new dawn. There’s been a shift. And now I have more clarity. While the overall mission may not be clear. I know what steps to take today. Then let’s see what options there are. New beginning.

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