My Year in 2010.... by Suga Ray

Wow!!! What can I say??? Well I gotta start off by letting you guys know that for the first two weeks of 2010 I could not walk. Actually, I really couldn't walk from August 2009- January 2010. Mainly in bed, and times I did go out, I was driven here & driven there. It was getting really stressful. People kept telling me to get surgery, but I REFUSED to listen to ANYONE. So I stuck it out, and due to the My FAITH & TRUST in the TRUE HEALER, Father God, I have not had back problems since. A true blessing from the Father.

On January 15th I attended a press conference in Jamaica, Queens, where a few organizations were kicking off 'Peace Week'. I got wind of it due to Erica Ford, Co-Founder & President of Life Camp, A Non-Profit Organization geared to stop violence and engage youth in productive activity. At said press conference I met some great people and had a chance to meet for the first time a friend who we've been emailing back & forth about working together, Cheyenne Myers. Also, at the press conference I had the pleasure of meeting Salt, from Salt & Pepa, Ja Rule, Russel Simmons, Congressman Meeks, Governor David Patterson, and a young man who had talent beyond his years, Robbie Nova. Some were simply meet & greets and others I have developed a personal relationship with. Some closer than others, Such is life. Mind, you, this is only in January. LOL.

In February, I got my nephew, Kamahl Palmer, who goes by the name Naiqui (Na-ki), who is a musician and an actor, into a magazine called HHH (Hotties & Hunks of Hip-Hop). That was his first magazine spread. He was excited! As I was for him.

By this time, I was developing a pattern, a way of thinking, of doing things, a new way of LIVING... Living not for myself, but for others, and I was enjoying the feeling. The reward was simple; THEIR HAPPY, SMILING FACES!!! That was all the reward I needed & wanted. I was transforming into something, someone who I didn't recognize. At times I got scared and at times I wanted to retreat, but the SPIRIT would not allow... I had no choice. Had to keep pushing forward.

In this year, I was finally able to develop a good, healthy, communicatable relationship with my mother, who I am thankful for. We never had a great relationship, but as I grew in LOVE and became closer to God, I began to understand her and subsequently, was able to deal with her, and then we FELL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN. I LOVE MY MAMA!!!

As the summer grew the murder rate rose. Young men were being murdered at a rapid rate, and I felt hopeless, like there was nothing I could do. I cried and cried and prayed for the violence to stop, my soul knowing that it had to happen in order to shed light on the truth. So I began attending the funerals and attaching myself to some of the families. Being there for them, crying with them and ready to laugh when they were, was the only thing I could do. Well besides working even harder to try to spread a MESSAGE of LOVE!!!

As the summer went on, I met one man who helped and continues to help shape me into WHO I am BECOMING. That man is Mr. Geoffrey A. Davis, Co-Founder, along with his Late Brother, the Honorable James E. Davis, who was assassinated inside of City Hall back in 2003. Geoffrey Davis has shown me that there are people who still DEDICATE their WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE on SPREADING LOVE & STOPPING THE VIOLENCE, forgetting, or encompassing all talents around such messages...

Speeding forward, in this year, I had a magnificent pleasure of starring in a play, "Love Doesn't Hurt" which was about domestic abuse. I got that role due to a friend, Firan Chisolm, mentioning me. I went down for rehearsal and landed the role. Didn't last very long, the play that is, but we had fun and we touched lots of lives. People still talking about as of last night, 12/30. I also had the pleasure of leading, alongside Geoffrey Davis, the 'Love Yourself, Stop The Violence' Peace March, in front of THOUSANDS @ The West Indian Day Parade on Eastern Parkway, in Brooklyn, New York. To go along with that I was able to launch "THE SUGA RAY SHOW" on BlogTalk Radio. Had some great women put that together for me. Definitely a blessing. Oh yea, I forgot I received honors at International Men's Day!!! That was pretty cool as well, except for the fact that at the time I'm getting my award, my friend Derrick Moore was being buried after being murdered just a week before, for nothing of his own accord.Oh yea, and I was Baptized...  Did a lot this year...

Out of all of that, the BEST thing that happened to me in 2010 was developing a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FATHER (God In Heaven) and MY BIG BROTHER (Jesus Christ) and FINALLY UNDERSTANDING WHO I AM AND WHAT MY PURPOSE IS HERE ON EARTH!!!!!!!!

And in Knowing Myself and what my PURPOSE is on Earth, I was able to meet and become friends and fall in LOVE with some AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL INDIVIDUALS!!!!

PS
"My Journey Aint Done Yet, So Imma Continue To Deliver TRUTH!"  ~Suga Ray

Endless Success & Eternal Blessings To All,
Suga Ray

"GOD DON'T LET ME LOSE"

GOD don't let me lose my optimism... even though what the future holds is not happiness all the time...

GOD don't let me lose my will to live... even though I know life sometimes can be painful...

GOD don't let me lose my will to have good friends... even though that as the world turns they depart from our lives...

GOD don't let me lose my will to help other people... even though knowing a lot of them are incapable of recognizing my help...

GOD don't let me lose my equilibrium... even though I know that there are forces that want me to fail...

GOD don't let me lose the brightness of my sight... knowing that a lot of things I will see in this world, they will dim the light of the fire in my eyes...

GOD don't let me lose my rason... knowing that there are a lot of delicious temptations in life...

GOD don't let me lose the feeling for justice... knowing that I am the one who could be harmed by it...

GOD don't let me lose the happiness to see... even though tears will come from my eyes and run down my soul...

GOD don't let me lose the love for my family... knowing that a lot of times they will demand incredible efforts to keep harmony...

GOD don't let me lose the will to donate this enormous love I have in my heart... knowing that a lot of times it will be refused...

GOD don't let me lose the will to be BIG... knowing that this is a small world...

I will never forget that GOD'S love for me is endless, that a small grain of love & hope inside of us is capable of changing ANYTHING! That not a single leaf on a tree moves if it is not HIS will. What GOOD does it serve to LIVE if we do not know how to BREATHE? What GOOD does it serve to DREAM, if we are not capable to make those dreams come TRUE?

Live Life On Life's Terms and Understand That It Is YOU Who Are KING!

~Suga Ray

New YEAR. New DECADE. New BEGINNING.

 Now that 2009 is behind us I would first like to say GOD BLESS EVERYONE who made it to see 2010 and even more BLESSINGS to the souls who perished before the year started. We all lost people we loved, whether we knew them personally or they were someone who lived in the public eye. On that note, I would like to send a special Rest In Peace to the King of MUSIC, MICHAEL JACKSON!

 Now with that said, we also had GOALS, ASPIRATIONS and RESOLUTIONS last year that some of us fulfilled and some of us did not, for whatever reason. The key to MOVING FORWARD, SUCCEEDING and WINNING is to UNDERSTAND that EVERY FAILURE or MISHAP is only a CHANCE to do it AGAIN but this time BETTER! We have to realize that because we say things and do not fulfill them all, all of the time, that we are only human and so long as we CONTINUE to STRIVE to IMPROVE and be BETTER, that is the beginning of SUCCESS and becoming a WINNER! We cannot listen to friends and/or family who do not believe in our DREAMS and or RESOLUTIONS which we proclaim for ourselves. We have to find a spot within our own selves and LIVE, LOVE and LEARN to be ONE with that spot because when all is said and done, only YOU and GOD will know what's in your heart and what you could or could not do. And my people, there is NOTHING that CANNOT be done! Remember that!

 Furthermore, if you had a DREAM which you DEVELOPED into a PASSION and have been TRYING desperately to see that PASSION lead to SUCCESS and GREATNESS, just keep on keeping on. Your time is BEFORE you! We as GREATNESS or SUCCESS SEEKERS have to really BELIEVE that when we WORK and are DILIGENT in our FAITH, TRUST and CONFIDENCE in OURSELVES and our LORD that all it takes is one MOMENT, that's it. Our lives can DRAMATICALLY change in the blink of an eye. One phone call. One text message. One email or one knock at the door. THAT'S IT! When you DEDICATE yourself to your DREAM and ACT on your PASSION the WORLD will end up making room for you. Doors that you thought were locked will suddenly open. Doors that you didn't even know existed will suddenly open and you will hear your name being called. It's really that simple. But it does take WORK, DEDICATION, SACRIFICE, RESISTANCE, PERSISTENCE and the UNDYING YEARNING to ALWAYS want to be BETTER! Not better than any other being, but to always STRIVE to be BETTER than you were YESTERDAY, LAST YEAR, or even LAST DECADE.

 The best advice that I have ever given someone was letting them know that every single moment that you're alive is a moment to be better than you were in the moments before. You have to break it down to the simplest form. Heart beats. Each heartbeat is another chance at life. A chance to KNOW better. A chance to DO better. A chance to BE better. And with that said, many, many, many moments have passed since January 1, 2009 and if we are STILL here, there MUST be a reason for it. It is IMPERATIVE that we understand this and we sincerely seek out and find within ourselves what our our purpose for being is. Only then CAN we and only then SHALL we really begin to LIVE and ENJOY life to the BEST of its ABILITY! Do ya feel me?

"Every Second leads to a Minute, Every Minute turns into an Hour, Every Hours Ends up being a Day, Every Day counts as a week, Every Week births a Month, Every Month goes into a Year, Every Year is the formation of a Decade. And in Every Decade, Year, Month, Week, Hour, Minute and  even Down to Every Second, GREATNESS is being ACHIEVED. SUCCESS is being CLAIMED. CLAIM YOURS NOW!"

~Suga Ray

Be Original. Set Trends. Break Records. Make History. Be GREAT!

~Suga Ray

P.S.

In this New Year, more importantly, in this New Decade, I wish Each and Every Single Person in this World at least a shot at Success. We All Deserve it and we all have what it takes to Claim it. So LETS GET IT!

P.P.S

And if you lost someone close to you or someone you admired in any way has passed on to the other side, always remember that they are NEVER GONE from your life. They are and will always be in your heart, your mind and your soul. Live your life with that at the forefront always!

Eternal Blessings and Endless Success to All,

Suga Ray

"Always Blesed pt.2"

I went to sleep Blessed,
Woke up even more Blessed,
Blessed 4 yesterday,
Even more Blessed for today
Eternal Blessing Everyday,
And YES,
I will forever BE,
SUGA RAY!

Poem "Let Me Love You"

Let me love you
thru thick n thin
let me love u
from within
Girl I've loved u
from the start
Baby I'll love u
til the end
Let me love uu
the time is right
Let me love u
thru the night
Kissin touchin
everywhere
I love u more
Every year
So let me love u
thru ups & downs
I promise 4ever
I'll be around
I love u more
than life itself
to me u are
the greatest wealth
so let me love u
and don't say no
cuz if u leave
my heart will go

"The Price of Greatness"

 With GREATNESS, there's SKILL, TALENT, CREATIVITY, HUMILITY, FUN, and a STRONG SENSE of SELF. All good! But with GREATNESS there is a PRICE that many people do not like to PAY. That PRICE is called RESPONSIBILITY! And with GREATNESS, boy o boy there is a GREAT deal of RESPONSIBILITY! Let us first understand what the two words really mean individually.

GREATNESS (definition) the quality of being great,

distinguished, or eminent

RESPONSIBILITY (definition) A) the state of having a duty to

deal with something or of having control over someone.

B) a thing that one is required to do as part of a job, role,

or legal obligation.

C) a moral obligation to behave correctly toward or in respect of.

 Now as you see by the definitions alone, when you are BLESSED with a TALENT and BLESSINGS that allow you to become GREAT and achieve GREATNESS, there is a MORAL and LEGAL DUTY, to carry certain RESPONSIBILITIES, whether you LIKE them or NOT. Many people say, "Well I didn't ASK for this" or they say, "I have my OWN problems" and some even say, "I don't CARE about what other people or what they THINK of me." EVERY last one of these statements and points of view shouldn't even be spoken by people in certain positions, those who have achieved GREATNESS! The one, SIMPLE factor people who are at this level seem to FORGET, is that without your FANS, or people who have HELPED make you GREAT, you would be the ONLY one to know what you have. Maybe you and your four WALLS(LOL)! For real real though!

 And because of this PRICE called RESPONSIBILITY, for many people whom have achieved GREATNESS, their  personal lives sometimes been turned into a media frenzy. Do I agree? NO! But hey, that's what comes with GREATNESS! When you achieve GREATNESS, naturally people follow and it is your DUTY, and rightfully so, to uphold a RIGHTEOUS, HONEST, LAW ABIDING and FAITHFUL life, no matter whether you ASKED to be GREAT or NOT. It's is your MORAL RESPONSIBILITY...

 So people, really it's a fine line, but above all else the PRICE for GREATNESS is RESPONSIBILITY. RESPONSIBILITY to lead those who follow you, your fans, into a better life, a life where all is well and they have reasons to look up to their HERO!

"GREATNESS is the fruit of many things; SKILL, CREATIVITY, FAITH,

HARD WORK, DEDICATION and DETERMINATION. Yet I have 

come to believe that the single, most underlying factor, or cause of

GREATNESS is the WILLINGNESS to GO ON, to PROCEED

when there seems like there is NOTHING to be gained, 

NOTHING to CHEER about. I honestly believe that 

URGE, that YEARNING, is what separates the

GREAT from the AVERAGE or MEDIOCRE."

~Suga Ray

Believe in GOD. Believe in Yourself. Believe in Others. Just BELIEVE!

~Suga Ray

"Talent v.s Creativity:Is there a difference?"

 Talent & Creativity, Creativity & Talent! Soooo many of us possess them both and, YES, they are two beautiful BLESSINGS from GOD! AMEN! But while laying in bed, trying to sleep, I just couldn't stop going back and forth in my mind on whether or not there was a difference. Many questions surfaced: 1) If there was a difference, which one was greater and why? 2) Which 1 has the better chance in ensuring a successful future(remember success is deemed differently by each individual)? 3) Can 1 exist without the other? And so on and so forth. My brain was RATTLED, really! It was a beautiful debate, and here's what I came up with. First, let us explore TALENT!

 TALENT: (Definition)natural aptitude or skill 

 As you see from the definition, TALENT is natural, innate, you cannot hide or deny it(well some find a way to do that anyway-LOL). But having TALENT does not necessarily guarantee you a successful future or even that you will ever exposed or given a chance. All TALENT means is that you were born with a gift and that you have a NATURALLY better chance than others(although we ALL are born with some form of talent).

 TALENT in itself is a beautiful thing, sort of like a BEING of some sort. It has its own DIMENSIONS and without proper CULTIVATION it can, and WILL, lay DORMANT, and in some cases, NEVER being able to be REVIVED! YES people, not HARNESSING your INNATE ability can be DEADLY! It's just that serious!

 Now, let us explore, what I like to call, THE DEEP REALMS OF CREATIVITY!

CREATIVITY: (Definition) the use of imagination or original

ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

 WHEWWW! Now you already see that the definition itself is longer, so that should AUTOMATICALLY tell you something... For real though,it should! (LOL)

 But yea, CREATIVITY, to my intelligent belief, is INNATE as well, but what's better than that is that you can DEVELOP it more and it can do for you what NOTHING else in this world can do! That's the GENIUS of this beautiful gift which GOD bestows upon and within US! Because YES, we ALL have a certain amount of CREATIVITY, some of us just allow it to REST longer. But you know the saying, "If you REST, you RUST!" And I happen to be a firm believer in that myself.

 Check this out:

Creativity CRE-ATES Talent, whereas Talent does not necessarily

BIRTH Creativity!

EX:

There were 2 friends who wanted to DESPERATELY become WORLDWIDE entertainers:

  

 The first man was born with an IMMACULATE voice! He could sing to MILLIONS of people! His voice could be heard, clearly, and with no mic, throughout STADIUMS and ARENAS. But for 10yrs. he has been on the SAME level. Hasn't climbed the ladder, hasn't made any progress in any way. Why? Because he lacked CREATIVITY! He OWNED his GOD-GIVEN TALENT, but never HONED or DEVELOPED his CREATIVITY. So yea, he was TALENTED, very TALENTED indeed, he just wasn't very CREATIVE!

 Now the difference from that man, the man who was born with an AMAZING voice (TALENT) and the second man, born with a DEVELOPMENTAL THIRST for, and of his CREATIVITY is quite simple. Because he wasn't born with the GOD-Given voice to to touch millions, the gift to dance or ra, he had make his place in the world differently. He had to be, CREATIVE! So yea, he couldn't sing like his friend, but what he did, even his friend had to admit, was more BEAUTIFUL than what his NATURALLY IMMACULATE voice had ever done. He wrote lyrics that could be sung as a song, but he couldn't sing, so he spoke them as POETRY or SPOKEN WORD, he couldn't DANCE with his feet, so he EXPRESSED himself with his HANDS and he chose to let the WORDS FLOW THROUGH his SOUL, GRACE his HEART and EXPLODE out his MOUTH, as opposed to spitting them through a RHYME!

 YES, this man was the DIVINE example, the EPITOME of, CREATIVITY!

"When one is CREATIVE, he can supersede even the most INTELLIGENT,

KNOWLEDGEABLE and WISEST of men. Because quite frankly, they gain

their knowledge, intelligence and wisdom over TIME, through READING 

and life EXPERIENCES. But the CREATIVE mind doesn't necessarily 

have to EXPERIENCE the same thing or even  read the same books 

to be leveled with, or even BEYOND some of them GREAT MINDS! 

The thing he has in his corner, the FACTOR most people forget, 

is that there is nothing,

NOTHING even REMOTELY close to being able to, 

IMAGINE!"

~Suga Ray~

  

Own your Thoughts. Hone your Creativity. Dethrone your Ego. Be Alone with YOURSELF!

Suga Ray