All We Gotta do.

Happy Sunday!

 

Everyone so focused on fitting in, I’m sad for you.
Myself and another actor sat as we watched 307 people pile into a room, and for a moment we felt as if we were left out. Eh… you know what, I don’t mind not getting lost in the stampede. Then she asked me “Why do you think that is, that they left you behind?”… I [jokingly] told her “They’re saving the best for last”.

After sitting for 9 hours, without getting any action… they called us in. Retouch makeup, and it’s time for my closeup.

No assistance from props, minor help from costume department..but they styled me in my own wardrobe. No wonder it feels so comfortable.

That not-so-awkward moment when standing out goes right.
Be yourself!!

What if I told you that there’s someone out there who would completely accept you for being yourself? What if I told you that you could leave all the diamonds and gold on the drawer, not drive the fancy car, wear the right watch not the bright watch, and still get the feature in the film?…still get the girl?…. still be completely comfortable as yourself?

I know it’s hard to believe so I guess you’re going to have to just sit back and watch.

There’s many people who don’t accept me for who I am, and that’s ok… I’m not trying to impress you. God is happy, I’m happy, the right people are happy.

Do a better job of being yourself, you’re already good at it. Be great at being you. It’s so much easier that way. There’s a reason why you feel so uncomfortable pretending to be other folks, there’s a reason why it feels inauthentic.

It’s then, when you least expect it, that life becomes better than ever.

“Be Myself” – India Shawn

“I ain’t gotta be a doctor to cure a patient, I ain’t gotta be the president to heal the nation…… I ain’t gotta have a certification to be a teacher, and I ain’t gotta be a teacher to school the children…. all I gotta do is be myself” <—- This woman is changing lives with her music. Keep at it India!!!

http://www.indiashawn.bandcamp.com

Amazed

I’ve had three amazing days in a row. I couldn’t have done it without all the support I’ve been receiving from those around me. God has put exactly the people I need in my life. I hope today “Thursday” is amazing as well… I simply cannot believe the opportunities that are presenting themselves to me. It’s a bit surreal. But this is exactly what I asked for, and I absolutely love it.

I love this new feeling that I’ve never before felt, to the point that I want to feel this forever. I’m inspired. I’m determined. I’m loved.

I’m still getting used to this.. It’s like, until I see it on the IMDB page it’s not real.

That being said: Resolve your unresolved issues so that you can get to your next level. You can only go as far as your willingness to reconcile issues in your life. Don’t allow the things that people project about you to be true, by responding to the things they are saying about you. Take the high road. (@Toureroberts)

Love only. Love always. Love forever.

Love is not hate.

I can’t listen to the intro track to Jay Z’s MCHG, I skip it. Why on earth would you let someone take the food out your mouth? Why would you let them take the air out your lungs? Curse my name and I letcha? NO. Shirt off my back…. ok maybe you can have that, but that’s where it stops. 

 

Don’t know if she’s coming or going? One day you’re here, one day you’re there… so unfair. 

 

“And I still dont know whyyyyyy I love you so badddd” – *Timberlake croons*

 

I’m sorry, but I need a better reason than “I don’t know”. How about “I love her because she doesn’t curse my name, but she holds it to the highest standard… and she’s proud to wear my name… she’s proud to say HIM… that’s MY man!”

 

How about “He wouldn’t dare take the air out of my lungs because he knows I have a moderate/severe case of asthma. Matter of fact he keeps my inhaler on deck.”

 

Give me better reasons than “I still don’t know why”… It’s probably that sauce that you’re lost in… that’s usually why. Don’t want to believe it huh? Take that sauce away… see if they still love you.

 

Newsflash: Sex isn’t love. 

 

I’m good man. I will completely pass on anyone who isn’t completely sure about how they feel about me. I don’t want to be so deep in love one day and fighting the next. That thin line between love and hate? Who does that? That’s for damaged people who aren’t completely sure on how they feel about themselves, so how can they be completely sure how they feel about another? How do you go from talking about baby names and planning your dream wedding to “I’m not sure” in less than 24 hours. How do we go from “Even when it got hard, we still made it through….Is it always easy? No, but I would rather be here with you than anyone else.” To… “I don’t want to be here” in a matter of days? I spent 30 days begging someone not to go and another 30 days begging to come back. No explanations. No shame in it, no bitterness. Only lessons learned… like this one: Whoever told you that’s how love works lied. 

 

That’s a love/ hate relationship. If you were wise? You would do anything in your power to avoid it, because when the stronger the love gets, the stronger the hate becomes, and the thinner that line is. Then I was blessed enough to encounter love without the hate… I didn’t even know it existed. But I can tell you that it’s my preference. I can tell you that type of love only afflicts the heart, not the wallet, not the status, not the things you can provide (rest haven). No, that love is reserved for the type of man or woman who loves you entirely, flaws and all. Trainwreck in the morning… 

 

Whoever told you that you could be in love with two people at once [Chris Brown/ Karreuche/ Rihanna] LIED… New Rule: Either you give me 100% of your love or none at all. I’m not interested in sharing, or secret lovers tucked away in the closet, or indecisiveness. I give you all, you give me all in return. Because here it is: There are no amounts to love. Only the presence or absence. How can you be here but not be here? That’s a waste of everyone’s time… next time just call in sick. I love myself enough that I don’t need the 50% from the next person to make up for what I lack.

 

Find you a partner, who is willing to go all the way with you. Who most importantly is completely satisfied with themselves. No amount of flattery will ever fulfill another person, only nurture and encouragement to continue to love themselves and remain comfortable with themselves. Work it out for whatever is fair and whatever works for the two of you. They SHOW you with their actions, you can keep all words to yourselves. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. Actions? Actions are unmistakable. 

 

 

I’m solely interested in love/ love relationships. You love me when I’m good AND you love me when I’m bad. You love me when I’m up AND you love me when I’m down. You love me when I’m in a Cadillac AND you love me when I’m on the train. You love me when I’m healthy AND you love me when I’m sick. No running to strangers telling them our secrets… Gossip says more about you than it does the person you’re speaking about. Loyalty on the other hand? Keeps the secrets just that, secret. No in between, no gray area…. that’s for suckers only. 

 

Shout out to women that are woman enough to stick by their man’s side through it all, no love for those who go looking elsewhere when things get tough. What part of loyalty is that? Ray Allen went to Miami to get a ring… yeah he got the ring and he hit the game winning shot too… but I wonder how well he sleeps at night knowing that he sold out the fans of Boston… or is his side of the story that Boston sold him out? The big 3 wasn’t cuttin’ it so he went to the bigger 3??

 

I get it, it’s just business. It’s not about friendship or camaraderie or loyalty, this is a game of dollars and cents for many. “What can you do for me?… What have you done for me lately?” It’s a game of love for few. 

 

 

*Jerry McGuire Voice*

Show me the love. 

You can’t handle the love. 

SHOW ME, THE LOVE.

 

YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE LOVE.

 

SHOW MEEEEEE THE LOVEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

 

 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

That’s it… that in itself is the love; I don’t see anything about hate. Can you handle it?

 

I need that on the run type… hold your heart and your gun (and your bible) type love. I need that push me, uplift me, support me, teach me, inspire me, LOVE ME for ME. 

 

Love ONLY. Love ALWAYS.

Keys to the City

Do you suffer from fear of greatness?

 

It’s ok, there’s so many people out there just like you. Terrified of the idea of being great. You think so lowly of yourselves, think that you must fit in with everyone else, become the failures of those who surround you. You allow your limitations to define you, instead of using them to elevate you. 

 

I’m just thinking out loud here… I wonder how the the first lock smith came about. I’d imagine he encountered a locked door, or lost his keys, or maybe even he was up to no good; yet still, that locked door did not stop him from reaping his reward. That’s how it is in life, so many of us see an obstacle, a locked door, and we turn and go home saying “The door was locked, it wasn’t mean to be”. 

 

How bad do you want it is the question????

 

Sometimes the door isn’t even locked, it’s just closed, but you’ll never know until you turn the handle. Sometimes you’ve got the key already on your keyring, but you never know until you try it. Sometimes you can be the locksmith, but you never know until you try it. 

 

Honestly? If it were me… and the only thing stopping me from getting to my legacy were a measly door…. I’m bringing out the key to the city.

 

Is this what comes to mind when you think key to the city?

 

 

That’s what I figured…

 

I’m talking about the militaristic Zero Dark 30 keys… breaching the door down. 

 

Nothing can stop me from being great. If God is for me, who can be against me? A locked door. **scoffs**

 

 

“Charge is checked… CLEAR”

**EXPLOSIONS**

 “How dare you get in my way you puny little door?”

Be persistent, be motivated, be encouraged. Stop making excuses for why you can’t be great. “Oh well the door was locked so it wasn’t meant to be” Replace those excuses for reasons why you can and will be great.

 

See that’s the difference between good and great, mice and men. Mice are going to come up with every reason why it’s not meant to be and why they can’t achieve. Why they’re not destined to be great. Why the situation or the relationship wont work. But men, like the man I wish to be, like the engineer that I am? I’m going to go get the C4 and blow that door of the hinges…. not even going to be polite about it. I’m going to come up with every possible way to make it work.

 

You are your own limitations. Your “can’t do” mindset is 99% of the time the only thing that’s stopping you. 

 

I wan’t to tell a funny story about how I made the varsity basketball team. Because I actually didn’t make the team. Honestly. I went to tryouts, I showed up on time, I’d played JV 3 years prior, my [pro basketball player] dad knew the coach, I worked my ass off, but when it came down to the 12 people that made the cut… I didn’t.

 

But I was damned determined to make the team. So when the list was posted… after the initial disbelief, I grabbed a pen and wrote on the [printed] sheet 

13. Craig Sutters

And surely enough I showed up to practice that day. And the next day. And the next day. The coach laughed at me… the players laughed at me… but yo…. I made that damn team and I got a jersey and I rode the bench, maybe averaged 2 points for the season. It’s not that I was “that bad” but our team was “that good”, ended up making it pretty far through the state finals. Until playing a team who [allegedly] had the ref’s on their side, on their home court… they shot 18 freethrows in a half… to our none. We couldn’t buy a foul. But oh well. Life happens.

 

Never let anyone tell you “no” when they don’t have the power to tell you “yes”

That’s how I live my life, that’s one of my golden rules. Most importantly, never have the self defeating mindset that you cannot achieve. Many times you don’t even know what you’re capable of. That’s why the #basicinstructions say “Walk by faith, not by sight”. There’s so many possibilities in this world that you couldn’t even fathom. Reason: You’re only able to think of things under your own understanding, based on the experiences that you’ve gone through, the knowledge that you currently possess. Dream big, then dream bigger, God will guide you to wherever you wish to go… through that door, over that obstacle. 

 

There’s a line out the door of people who told me I couldn’t do many of the things that I’ve done. I love you all. Your doubt is my inspiration. Someone told me I couldn’t work management at a Fortune 500 company without a degree. I love proving you wrong. Maybe, you’ll see that you can’t doubt me to death. Maybe the naysayers will spend their negative energy and use it as positivity in themselves. I mean negativity is primarily hurting the person that spews it out. 

 

Understand that your lack of faith in yourself is incapable of rubbing off on me. I’m going to always be that guy who will show you that I can set my mind to something and achieve. I’m going to kill you with kindness along the way.

 

Here’s another belief that I’d like to share, there’s negative energy and positive energy. You have so much time, effort, ability that you can exert in a given day. If you give 100% to positive, you’re so much more likely to succeed. All negativity is against you. Replace negativity with positivity. Reduce that drag. Imagine if you were in a car, you’re mashing the gas, but have your foot on the brakes at the same time. That’s what you’re doing when you thing negatively, you’re slowing yourself down, you’re keeping yourself from your full potential. You’re trying to win right? Why wouldn’t you mash the gas and use race fuel and have the spoilers set and windows rolled up to reduce drag and hit every shift perfectly? You’re trying to win right?

 

YOU’RE TRYING TO WIN RIGHT?!

YOU’RE TRYING TO WIN RIGHT?!

YOU’RE TRYING TO WIN RIGHT?!

 

The first step to winning is believing that you can win. The second step is to stop sabotaging yourself by holding back. The third and final step is to give it your all and win. How many people told Barack Obama he couldn’t be president? How many people told Steve Jobs he couldn’t change the world? These are Gods creations too. Believe it or not.

 

This is how I feel about everything in life, most certainly relationships. So when I ask you “Do you want to give it a shot?” don’t tell me “It might not work because….” that defeated thinking has already lost. We already broke up. If you go into it thinking every reason why it can and will work… then we’re already living happily ever after. If and when we do encounter setbacks and obstacles, we’re looking for ways to make it work, ways to win together. I know one… God. I mean God is love right?

 

I mean God is love right?

I mean God is love right?

I mean God is love right?

 

Everytime you say “What if…?” you’d better be saying it in the most positive light possible. “What if we stay together forever?… What if I DO get the job?…. What if I DO make it to the league?”

Damn the don’t.

Dare to be great. Dare to succeed. Dare to do things that have never done before.

 

Ask yourself with complete honesty: Are you more scared to fail or are you just scared to succeed?

 

Love only. Love Always.

Why do you care?

Trayvon

Why do you care?

Why do you care?

Why I pray everyday.

 

I was raised in the church like many of us were.

I strayed away around college age, like many of us did.

 But last October while sitting in a waiting room at the local clinic, I was reading a GQ interview with Denzel Washington. He said a very important piece that reminded me, being a God fearing man is still “cool” and highly respectable.

 

 

 

Yes, Frank Lucas… Alonzo.. Hurricane… Book of Eli Washington reads the bible and prays daily. Now so do I. 

 

Secondly, I appreciate that he used his platform to inspire and make someone better, rather than say… Lil Wayne?

It took me a while to accept that God is really the only way I want to go to reach success, love, legacy, peace, happiness.

Who are your idols? Who inspires you? What are you doing to become a better person? A more successful person?

 

BE VARY WEARY OF WHAT YOU FEED YOURSELF AND WHO YOU ALLOW TO INFLUENCE YOU. The laws of association are real. Surround yourself with positivity and people who expect more of themselves. 

 

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

 

I Also had the privilege to hear President Barack Obama speak, he went down the same course… “Remove excuses” was a major piece of his message as well as expect more of yourselves and make anyone who looks up to you expect more from themselves. 

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

REMOVE EXCUSES.

Replace excuses with solutions.

 

 

Here’s the excerpt and link to full interview. 

 

Also, what on earth do I have to do to be this Fresh???

Me and my tailor need to have a talk.

 

 

[New] Melody Ehsani :: “The Motto” Bangle Set

iRok Fashion

Always a huge fan of Melody Ehsani and each of her semi-eclectic accessory designs. Check out her new Motto Bangle Set.

The Motto Bangle Set: Love, Fearless, Original, and Ehsani color text finishes each of four gold plated bangle bracelets with logo detail. Adjustable. Sold as a set but can also be worn separately. Great for stacking!

More pics and purchase information when you read more.

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My first protest. My first camera.

 

 

Photo: Me holding Kodak Camera and wearing shirt

 

 

Photo: Lauren, Samantha, and my girlfriend at the time Lauren (I was somewhere in the front of the crowd if you’re wondering where all the people are)

 

“STAND FOR SOMETHING OR YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING.”

The year was 2007, September, I was a sophomore at Kettering University (General Motors Institute). This was my first time being in the world by myself and having the opportunity to take part in something. I was heavily involved in organizations on campus like National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and we organized a protest/ march right on the campus yard. 

The Jena Six were six black teenagers convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured in the assault by the members of the Jena Six, and received treatment for his injuries at an emergency room. While the case was pending, it was often cited by some liberal commentators as an example of racial injustice in the United States, due to a belief that the defendants had initially been charged with too-serious offenses and had been treated unfairly. Conservative commentators noted the breathless reporting of erroneous details by the media.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jena_Six

 

 

We organized under our own “Shade Tree”… The news crews came out, the neighborhood came out. We really felt “heard”. We marched up the street and down the street and around the block and down the block. “FREE THE JENA SIX”. We bought a bunch of T-shirts and markers and signs. For whatever reason I felt the need to be “different” and made my shirt in Portuguese “LIVRE O JENA SEIS”. I’m pretty sure I had just returned from a trip to Los Angeles where I fell in love with Brazilian Jazz, bossa nova, etc..  It was also a subtle statement that you didn’t have to be black to support these kids.

My grandfather preached and preached about his protesting days, back during the 60’s… and it never really stuck with me being such a young man. I never saw it effecting me, I never saw these things holding any importance. You kind of brush it off as “that was 40 years ago… things are different now”… We didn’t see the Alabama racism, out of sight out of mind right? When you’re younger, you don’t truly appreciate these things either. 

SN: The thing that pissed me off most was seeing those boys posting pictures flaunting the money that was raised on their behalf. Ignorance pure ignorance.

With comes time wisdom and with experience understanding. Now I look at the injustices in the case we’re now watching with Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen shot and killed at the hands of an adult white man. It hurts, deep inside my bones it hurts. But what made me feel so good, was so see people marching through the streets of Atlanta. What made me feel good was as my Grandfather starts getting on my case again about how I never did this and my generation never did that I had an answer for him “Actually sir, yes I have marched before. As the chapter secretary of the National Society of Black Engineers I helped organize and participated in……”

 

It was quite the fulfilling feeling. 

In addition to this story, this was the day that I officially caught the photography bug. If you look in that photo I was holding a superzoom point and shoot, it was a Kodak z712. It was quite an amazing camera, I snapped photos to document the day and the march (can’t find many of them currently). There was a running joke on campus that at any given party Craig would have you tagged on Facebook before you got home that night. There was some truth to that, there’s also some usefulness to that in the professional world of photography. 

It wasn’t the Kodak that did it though, nope. It was a good friend of mine Donald who had an SLR with a telephoto lens on it, a Canon Rebel. I remember him putting it in my hands and letting me snap a few shots. My thoughts something along the lines of “Now this is a camera!” I was permanently hooked, I loved the bulk of it. Without any hesitation I took my next refund check and bought a Nikon D40 basic kit, something like $450… I held onto that camera for 30 days before returning it and asking could I upgrade to a D80 approx $900. When I say hooked, I’m not playing! While I couldn’t see any profitable future in it that day, I definitely knew that I loved this thing and I would always love it. There was no turning back to anything less than a professional camera. Fast forward to 6 years later… http://www.cmacsutt.com

RIP Trayvon Martin

 Love Only. Love Always.