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    “There are no mistakes in life, only lessons.  There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow, learn and advance along the road of self-mastery.  From struggle comes strength.  Even pain can be a wonderful teacher.” ~ Robin S. Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

    Poem from Jamesy Boy – A Young Man’s Resolve to Keep Moving Forward in Spite of Incredible Life Challenges

      Poem from Jamesy Boy

      In my mind, there’s a boy who exists in chains.

      Inside a cold, dark room of painful solitude is where he will remain.

      Behind these walls, the sorrow is inevitable, as relentless as the passage of time.

      Mentalities corrupt and dark, brainwashed, and hopelessly blind.

      Prisons are packed with crowded spaces, lifers and guards with hollow faces.

      Shackled hearts afraid of changes, and weakened wills become complacent.

      Yet, I maintain with patience, time can limit but not shatter my will, strength blazed across my chest as solid as penitentiary steel.

      But the silence speaks, it tells me all I need to hear, it confirms my beliefs and its promises I have to fear.

      It reminds me that without freedom, I’m alone.

      And these whitewashed walls don’t make up for blackened souls.

      I’ve given 95% of my boys a handshake than a pound, before they were either locked down or buried off in cemetery grounds.

      What I’ve done is who I am, but who I am is what I do now.

      I won’t let up or cease to fight.

      Just time, I plan on doing it right.

      And what’s right lies within me.

      I’m learning to appreciate my struggle for it would be hard to find the joy of accomplishment without it.

      We live and we learn.

      We rise and we fall.

      Like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant, with bittersweet dreams.

      Stay up, never down.

      —— —— ——

      More:  Poems  //  Resources on Starting Fresh

      Watch:  Jamesy Boy [2014]

        “When I am heavy with heartache I shall console myself that this too shall pass; when I am puffed with success I shall warn myself that this too shall pass.  When I am strangled in poverty I shall tell myself that this too shall pass; when I am burdened with wealth I shall tell myself that this too shall pass. Yea, verily, where is he who built the pyramid?  Is he not buried within its stone?  And will the pyramid, one day, not also be buried under sand?  If all things shall pass why should I be of concern for today?  I will laugh at the world.” ~ Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

          “When things get tough or uncomfortable, we tell ourselves: it’s OK to quit, it doesn’t matter, we’ll do it next time, we’re not disciplined enough, we suck at this, we can’t do it, it’s too hard, it would be nice to take a break, life is too short to struggle, we deserve a reward, just this once won’t matter, we’re going to fail, it’s better to fail quietly, we just don’t feel like it right now, let’s not think about this, hey a squirrel!  So what can we do if our story is working against us?  Change the damn story. Create a song to sing about yourself at the epic hero of your dreams. Sing this song daily, and be proud of it. Go after the dream, fight the forces of distraction and dullness and self-doubt, rise up to be your best self. You are the writer of your story, the composer of your song, and every moment is a chance to rewrite it, a new draft ready to be crafted into something better.” ~ Leo Babauta, Blog

            “The healing of the spirit has not been completed until openness to challenge becomes a way of life.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

              “Yet it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning.  Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure.  Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom.  It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually.  When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve.  It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn.  As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Those things that hurt, instruct.’  It is for this reason that wise people learn not to dread but actually to welcome problems and actually to welcome the pain of problems.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

                “Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.” ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross