Family,

Believe it or not, I’m far from perfect.  I know that may come as a shock to most of you (wink wink), but I can assure you it’s the truth (..pause for reaction..).  As a matter of fact, it’s the consequences of the many of the mistakes and poor choices I’ve made in life that have humbled me and that provided me with the wisdom you’re all able to benefit from.  I made many a stupid decision in my day for purpose of paying the price so that you can learn from my mistakes without having to commit them yourselves.

And, when it comes to the practice of maintaining my overall health, I will be the first to say, I need to and WILL do better.  I have no excuses for the mistreatment and neglect I’ve put my body through the past few years, in terms of diet, lack of sleep, lack of stress management, and lack of physical activity.

Between my day job and the self-appointed job/mission I’ve committed myself to for the past several years, my line of work involves many late nights, processed foods (because I don’t have a lot of time to cook), having to deal with stressful deadlines and issues, and sitting in a chair typing for hours on end (lack of physical activity).  And, in certain instances, those kinds of sacrifices are necessary if I want to accomplish certain professional and social goals, but they shouldn’t be a constant way of life.  There is no commitment important enough to justify my less-than-stellar health habits, particularly over the course of the last 3 years.

I not only MUST do better, but I WILL do better starting right here and right now.

Now you might be wondering why I chose to share such a declaration with the family, and, no, I’m not using this platform as some kind of confessional booth or anything.  I wanted to make this declaration in front of you all because, firstly, I want us as a people to get in the habit of both recognizing, admitting, and owning up when we made mistakes or poor choices.  We also need to get in the habit of taking on the responsibility of correcting the effects our mistakes or poor choices caused. 

We need to be a people who are collectively in the habit of reconciling things we’ve messed up, despite what this wicked system has conditioned us to do especially when it comes to wrongs we do against each other as a people. Because, sadly enough, we’re REAL quick to forgive other non-black people quick, fast, and in a hurry even when they murder our loved ones.

I just wanted to lead by example by sharing an instance where I’ve dropped the ball and where I’m committing myself to fixing it.  And I’m saying it in front of everyone as to be held accountable for it.  I can’t, in good faith, give instructions on how to eradicate systemic injustice if I myself am not doing everything in my power, holistically, to become the most effective weapon possible against it, mind, body, and soul.  Also, I can’t, in good faith, really give you any health advice I’m not following to the letter myself.

Secondly, I wanted to share this proclamation for purpose of getting my people to understand, if you expect to be effective on any level at permanently slaying this rabid and vicious animal that has plagued the entire planet for centuries, called white supremacy, you’re going to have to put in a full-fledged, daily, effort to be on top of your game in all areas of life, including your health. 

Family, all too often, we subscribe to feel-good epithets such as “the black woman is god,” “strong black kings,” “we’re the descendants of royalty,” and “magically melanin” or what have you, and there’s no doubt we’re an exceptional people.  There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging and appreciating the monumental feats we’ve managed to accomplish, even while living under this system of social booby traps, pitfalls, and landmines.

Where the problem comes in is when we start forgetting, if we want to accomplish such greatness to its highest level and that if we wish to sustain that greatness for as long as possible, self-maintenance on a personal level IS required. 

Just because we’re an exceptional people doesn’t mean we’re finite, and you can’t do anything constructive in the fight for justice if you’re tired and sluggish all the time from not working out, if you’re hungover, if you’ve got gallstones or a heart condition because you eat like crap, or if you can’t think clearly and concisely because you don’t take the need for sleep seriously.

I’m not coming at the family from a high horse.  That’s why I wanted to start off my commentary with me confessing to my own sins, and I expect everyone to hold me accountable to my commitments of reconciliatory action.  We as a people should not only hold each other accountable, but we should equally encourage one another in a positive manner. 

Part of the reason we need to be open about the bad choices we’ve made and what we intend to do to fix them is so that others can motivate and support us in our efforts to evolve into better human beings.  That is what a FAMILY is supposed to do, and, under the system of white supremacy, we’re all the family we’ve got.

Far too many of us have bought into social media culture, where we only post and talk about the best parts of our lives or where we just fake entire parts of our lives altogether.  It’s too late in the day when it comes to our fight for survival as a people to engage in that kind of time-waisting, superficial, dishonest, and childish behavior.

Instead, let’s establish a culture where we own up to what we’ve done, where we commit ourselves to rectifying our wrongdoings, where we hold each other accountable, and where we encourage each other to subscribe to excellence in all we do in our daily lives.  This includes the area of health and wellness.

Under systematic racism, we already have enough obstacles working against us.  Let’s not add chronic diseases and years taken off our lives to that list.

One Love & One Justice,