These wisdom words are as powerful now as when Nana Kamau sent them…

Sent: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 04:39:33 PM CDT
Subject: BURDEN

This is an article I wrote for http://www.abibitumikasa.com

Burden: something oppressive or worrisome

Load: something that weighs down the mind or spirits <took a load off her mind> b: a burdensome or laborious responsibility the demand on the operating resources of a system the forces to which a given object is subjected definitions from webster’s on-line dictionary

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I talked with a 67 year old Brother last week, who recently retired from his job of roofing. It was obvious he had worked hard all his life and, at the same time, WOEFULLY, OVER THE YEARS, NEGLECTED HIS MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. It was easy to see his neglect, he had a huge beerbelly- he looked like he was getting ready to deliver triplets-could hardly walk, was quickly out of breath, and looked like he would not live thru the day.

Surprisingly, I saw him again today and noticed he was still in poor shape, as to be expected. However, what occurred to me when seeing him this time was that I saw his neglect of himSELF AS MAN not only in poor shape, but a man carrying the BURDENS OF LIFE. THE BURDEN(S) HAD REPLACED HIS AURA!! I quickly transferred his condition to the condition of most Afrikans, regardless of age or so-called socio-economic status.

It would be a great and accurate guess that just about every single Afikan is CARRYING SOME TYPE OF BURDEN THAT PREVENTS HER/HIM FROM “TRYING TO BE”:

A BURDEN CAN BE SUPERIMPOSED, EXTERNALLY, ONTO AN AFRIKAN BY THE SYSTEM OF wHITE DOMINATION BY TERROR (false traffic stops, bills, rent, mortgages, debt, comparing one’s SELF to white people and then feeling inferior for not matching up in comparison (to an artificial and fake standard)

OR

A BURDEN CAN BE GENERATED INTERNALLY (peer pressure from the same racial relative group) OR FROM WITHIN the person her/himSELF (psychological, emotional, cultural or…)

THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM IS THIS:

A BURDEN PREVENTS ONE FROM MAXIMIZING, IN A POSITIVE WAY, THE USE OF HIS/HER LIFE FORCE, ENERGY, INTELLECT AND PRODUCTIVITY

(YOU CAN LIST THREE MORE…..)

YOUR TASK IS TO

LIST 2 BURDENS, EXTERNAL/INTERNAL, YOU ARE CARRYING THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CARRY

LIST 2 BURDENS YOU ARE CARRYING, EXTERNAL/INTERNAL, THAT YOU MUST CARRY AND ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL, AT THE MOMENT, TO ELIMINATE

1.) LIST FIVE EXTERNAL BURDENS YOU ARE CARRYING: ( HOW DID YOU IDENTIFY THESE AS BURDENS?)

2.) LIST FIVE INTERNAL BURDENS YOU ARE CARRYING: ( HOW DID YOU IDENTIFY THESE AS BURDENS?)

3.) WHAT ARE TWO STRATEGIES YOU CAN USE TO GET RID OF AT LEAST THREE, IF NOT ALL, EXTERNAL BURDENS?

4.) WHAT ARE THREE STRATEGIES YOU CAN USE TO GET RID OF AT LEAST THREE, IF NOT ALL, INTERNAL BURDENS

5.) WHAT PRACTICAL ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER OTHER AFRIKANS ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND ELIMINATING BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL (GROUP AND SELF IMPOSED) BURDENS?