TO MY GRANDSON
MATTHEW MARTINEZ THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY…
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PUBLISHED BY NUBIAN VOICES COPYRIGHT 2009 BY ALBERTO O. CAPPAS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE SELECTIONS FROM THIS BOOK OR TO ORDER BULK COPIES, WRITE TO AN EDUCATIONAL PLEDGE ATTN. ALBERTO O. CAPPAS PO BOX 581, TRIBORUGH STATION NEW YORK, NY 10035 OR VISIT OUR WEB SITE WWW.EDUCATIONALPLEDGE.COM
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FIRST PRINTING ISBN-13: 978-1-4414-0310-0 ISBN-10: 1-4414-0310-0
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DEDICATION TO ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE BOX, HOPING TO SEE A STOP TO THE VIOLENCE AND VIOLATIONS FACED AT HOME OR IN “HOOD” SETTINGS, LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT TO BRING MEANING TO ONE’S LIFE.
THIS BOOK WILL PROVIDE YOU THE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO BECOME STRONGER AND DEVELOP INTO THE PERSON YOU WERE DESTINED TO BECOME.
THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU!
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ABOUT THIS BOOK THE AUTHOR “DID” TIME IN JUVENILE CORRECTIONS, AND DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH A GENERAL DIPLOMA. THIS BOOK IS BASED ON THE AUTHOR’S DISCOVERY OF SPIRIT AND HIS ABILITY TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND CHALLENGES, AND ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT; AND HE WANTS TO SHARE THE MAGIC WITH YOU. THIS BOOK GIVES YOU THE KEYS YOU NEED TO OPEN EACH DOOR TO MAKING IT IN LIFE, AND MOVING ON WITH YOUR REASON AND PURPOSE FOR BEING BORN. THERE IS NO LESSON PLAN TO WRITE DOWN, OR METHODOLOGY TO MEMORIZE OR TO FOLLOW . THAT IS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR TEACHERS! THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK IS TO GET YOU OUT OF THE BOX, AND
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MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY OUT OF THE BOX, UNLESS IT IS YOUR OWN CREATED BOX. IT IS NOT THE AUTHOR’S INTENTION TO GET YOU OUT OF A BOX TO PUT YOU IN HIS BOX. THE INTENTION IS CLEAR! BY READING THIS BOOK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO YOUR OWN REALIZATION FOR BEING HERE, RECOGNIZING YOUR PURPOSE. LIFE IS A SERIES OF STEPS, KNOWN AS CHOICES AND DECISIONS THAT WE TAKE TO NAVIGATE OUR JOURNEY ON THIS PLANET. WITH PROPER STEPS, WE CAN HAVE A LIFE FULL OF ENJOYMENT AND EXCITEMENT. THE CHOICE AND DECISION ARE YOURS TO MAKE! START BY READING THIS BOOK – THIS IS YOUR FIRST KEY TO UNDERSTANDING YOU! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT THE DISAPPOINTMENTS! YOU HAVE THE POWER IN YOUR HANDS TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
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LESSONS FOR MYSELF
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The Box “An extension of ignorance and personal apathy An invisible but powerful force A system of mental traffic signs Directing and pushing you in Different directions Without your full Awareness or approval”
Alberto O. Cappas
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GET OUT OF THE BOX! Before you were born as a human being, you were first a spiritual being (and still continue to
be
one),
and
when
the
opportunity came for you to travel to this planet, you knew the reasons for coming. You were aware
of
your
mission
and
purpose on this planet.
For example, you came to fulfill some of the following career and business options: Attorney, CEO, Doctor, Pilot, Sports Announcer, Nurse, Police Officer, Fireman, Politician,
School
Teacher,
College Professor, Real Estate
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Agent, Poet, Writer, Sanitation Worker, Porter, Artist, Movie Star, Engineer, Owner, Musician,
Doorman,
Business
Company
President,
Mayor,
Governor,
University
President,
Commissioner, and United States President. Perhaps, you may be here to change the world in a big, big way.
And I say in a big way because everyday we all play a role in changing the world, in little ways, pushing the energy of the planet as we make hundreds of choices and decisions each day, from the moment
we
wake-up
in
the
morning, to the moment we go to
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bed at night, a never-ending human event. And regardless of the mission or purpose, your presence
on
this
planet
is
supposed to be positive, directing you in a positive journey.
However, the minute that you were transformed into an embryo, and developed into a human being within nine (9) months of your spiritual travels, you came into this world with no recollection of the transformation from spirit to the physical. However, you came with the ability to think and explore, and find your way to your mission and purpose. The minute you left the body of your
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selected
mother,
you
were
exposed to the beginning of the game,
the
beginning
of
the
journey and here is where the challenge begins.
Believe in the trinity of your spiritual composition
By now, you forgot that you are a spiritual being. You see yourself as one-dimensional, a human being, an orientation from a physical
point
of
reference,
overlooking the inside of your body, paying too much attention to how good you look or want to look on the outside.
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And most important of all, you are no longer making choices or decisions based on your mission and journey. Your choices and decisions are made for you by mass
advertisement
commercials,
your
and
immediate
friends, family influence, rappers, popular music, sport figures, and other influences interfering with your journey.
By now, unfortunately, you are off-track and you need to get back on the right track in order to complete
your
mission
and
journey, especially if you are up to the challenge; and remember
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that you are a spiritual being, so have faith in divine intervention.
However, before you can get back on track, try to understand the following:
Number
One:
You
must
remember that you are first and foremost, a spiritual being here on Earth to experience life as a human being.
Number Two: To succeed in the game of life, and to pursue a positive journey, you must be able to channel, manipulate and balance three (3) very important elements as a human being:
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Emotion: This element gives you the ability to feel, to want, and much more! Too much emotion will
make
you
insecure
and
jealous, and you won’t be able to appreciate the true value of love and caring. That is the reason that some unfortunate individual will go and harm his love one if he “can’t have her, no one will.” This is a complete imbalance of the emotional section. You need to have a balance of emotion, able to use it as an instrument to help in your journey. Don’t let it become an obstacle.
Mind over Matter / Intellectual Capacity: This element gives
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you the ability to think, to make choices and decisions. Without balance, you will use your mind without thinking which always leads to the wrong direction, and you get lost in your journey. One cannot
make
appropriate
decisions without having proper information. The more education you have, the better position you place yourself in to maintain control of the external forces coming at you. This is the reason why Education is one of the most vital Keys in the game of life and in your journey.
Physical: The physical element is the infrastructure and temple of
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your body in human form. You need to treat your body as the temple of your home. Make sure to eat the proper foods and lots of fruits and vegetables and take the time to exercise the body. Keep your temple in healthy condition.
Too much food and drinking will interfere with the health of our body. Your spirit needs a healthy body to be able to move around successfully on the planet. Don’t handicap your spirit by ignoring the body.
The
Key
to
a
successful
journey in the game of life is
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balance and harmony between the emotion, the mental, and the physical. Properly balanced, the three elements work together as a team to ensure that your mission, purpose, and journey stay on target and focused. you
can
learn
to
If
discipline
yourself to maintain this balance, you
will
definitely
have
a
meaningful and productive life experience on this planet. We must bring balance between the three in order to make it work.
Never sell yourself short! You truly are a gift of nature, and you are a member of the spiritual presence in the universe. Don’t
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lose
your
balance
by
falling
completely into the physical!
You are here to leave positive footprints. Become the person you are supposed to be, not what someone else wants you to be. Explore
and
ask
yourself
questions, such as Who Am I, and where do you want to be or see yourself in the next ten to fifteen years?
However, to make the Dream a reality, you must take two very critical
and
important
steps.
These two steps will give you all the power and magic you need to
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make the Dream come true, but you must take the steps!
Education and a Plan – The perfect combination! Make sure to work on your education and a plan on how you will get to your dreams and aspirations.
How will you climb the stairs to your successful journey?
Hope
alone won’t get
you
there.
You must Plan-Plan-and-Plan; and part of that plan should be EDUCATION.
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It is very simple! All you need to make a positive dream come true is an Education and a Plan. You don’t need to hit the Lotto!
Education is not what many people tell you it is. For example, school is not solely to prepare you or train you for a job when you graduate. An Education is a journey! It is a lifetime trip you take as a human being. You meet new friends who look different than you and think differently than you, friends with different ideas and opinions; and some will dress
different
and
speak
a
different language than you.
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If you keep your mind open, and if you understand what you are hearing, and seeing, your education becomes a magical journey.
An
education
is
a
preparation and a stepping stone for enjoying life, to open your mind to all the options available to you.
Education gives you a real vision to what you may like or dislike. Education will prepare you for a job, prepare you to handle your own business; to become a consumer where you work for someone, or to become a provider where you have your own company and have people
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working for you. You can decide to
be
a
worker,
supervisor,
manager, president of your own company, and much more.
An Education introduces you to the world of possibilities and options. It gives you a realistic image and mental tools to work with. To have an Education is to have a system of values and standards;
and
you
will
be
prepared to face and handle hard and difficult challenges; as well as the ability to think and make right choices and decisions.
With an Education, you can develop the discipline to have a
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plan to navigate your Dream. The plan is a roadmap of proper choices and decisions to get to your Dream, step by step.
Life is that simple, as well as magical and fun.
Life stops being magical and fun when you bypass and ignore the Dream and the Plan. Without a Plan, you make choices and decisions that have nothing to do with your purpose, thus you get lost in the world.
Just
take
a
good look
and
observe people around you. You can see all the lost souls, people
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without a mission, purpose, led astray from their true journey in life. While they are losing the game of life, always remember that it is never too late for you to make a u-turn and discover your true purpose and journey.
You must plan, not wish or hope. Once you have a plan in place, you can wish and hope, which means that you are adding spiritual energy to the plan; but without
a
plan,
wishing
and
hoping, is useless.
Education and a Plan provides you the opportunity to appreciate and
understand
the
spiritual
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value of your presence on this planet, and you will be able to take better care of your body and live much longer as a healthy human being.
Enjoy the game of life, and remember that life is not a destination. Life is a journey based on getting on and off different
stops,
working
on
making appropriate decisions to get to your place of destination for that day or occasion, but the journey continues.
Here are essential keys for your spiritual
awareness
and
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understanding, leading to your successful journey on this planet:
1. Understand that when it rains, there is purpose why it rains. Learn to turn your scars into stars; 2. If you have summer, you must also have winter. Learn to appreciate the teamwork and harmony of the seasons; 3. Strangers can become good friends; 4. A Family should serve as a cushion for you to feel safe until you develop your wings and are ready to fly on your own; 5. If you can’t see the Moon, you will see the Sun; 6. Value your true Friends, but value yourself first;
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7. Disappointment is a test in the game of life; 8. Money can never buy you happiness, especially if you don’t understand the nature of the instrument; 9. Learn to understand and appreciate the difference between a provider and a consumer; 10. Know that it was your experience with sadness that provides you an opportunity to appreciate the value of Joy; 11. Love is great; don’t be afraid to love yourself; 12. To truly laugh, you must be willing to cry; 13. Dying is not the end, but another beginning; 14. If you have to get inside a box, create your own box;
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15. Don’t overlook the of your hobbies. It the answer to your and your independence;
potential may be purpose financial
16. Learn to listen to your own inner-music; 17. Learn to see obstacles as challenges and opportunities; 18. Use the mirror as a magic tool to explore your insights, not the physical form; 19. Balance is living your true purpose on the planet; 20. Learn the language of your inner voice.
And may the lights of the Pledge of Education be with you! -- Next page…
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An Educational Pledge I pledge to maintain A healthy mind and body Staying away from the evil of drugs I pledge always to try my best to understand The importance of knowledge and education Painting a positive picture of where I plan to be tomorrow Not allowing obstacles to stop the growth Of my plans for the future I pledge to seek answers to questions Understanding that the answers to questions Sometimes lead to other discoveries I pledge to work hard With the awareness and confidence That hard work today will serve
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As the seeds for my strong tree tomorrow A tree no one will ever be able to tear dow n I pledge to learn proper languages Beginning with the language of my mother Always prepared to appreciate others I pledge to gain a better understanding Of myself By understanding my cultural roots To fully accept me as a human being A rainbow of many cultures and colors I pledge to overcome any personal misfortunes Becoming stronger from such misfortunes Always striving to become A wise person
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TOOLS FOR YOUR JOURNEY
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WORDS AND MEANING TO HELP YOU IN YOUR SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY
From Webster’s Dictionary
Character: the set of qualities that make somebody or something distinctive; especially somebody’s qualities of mind and feeling; qualities that makes somebody or something interesting or attractive; somebody’s public reputation… Choice: option; alternative; selection; preference; pick; picking; the power; chance or ability to choose between different things; a decision to choose one thing; person; or course of action in preference to others… Clue: sign; hint; evidence; inkling; suspicion; trace; indication; something that helps to solve a mystery; an explanation or reason for
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something that understand.
is
difficult
to
Concept: something that somebody has thought up; or that somebody might be able to imagine; a broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle; such as one that determines how a person or culture behaves; or how nature; reality; or events are perceived; a method; plan; or type of product or design. Conceptual: coming from or belonging to the concepts; ideas; or principles something is based on. Education: the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning; especially at a school or similar institution; the knowledge or abilities gained through being educated; training and instruction in a particular subject; for example; political science…
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Decision: choice; result; verdict; pronouncement; judgment; resolution; evaluation; something that somebody chooses or makes up his or her mind about; after considering it and other possible choices; the ability to choose or decide about things in a clear and definite way without too much hesitation or delay; the process of coming to a conclusion or determination about something… Individual: a particular person; distinct from others in a group; strikingly personal; unusual; or distinctive… Language: the speech of a country; region; or group of people; including its diction; syntax; and grammar; the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system; a system of communication with its own set of conventions or special words; the verbal style by which people express themselves…
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Pledge: a vow, a promise one makes, a word of honor… Principle: an important underlying law or assumption required in a system of thought; a standard of moral or ethical decision-making; the basic way in which something works… Religion: beliefs and worship; people’s beliefs and opinions concerning the existence; nature; and worship of a God or Gods; and divine involvement in the universe and human life; a particular institutionalized or personal system of belief and practices relating to the divine; a set of strongly-held beliefs; values; and attitudes that somebody live by. Soul: nonphysical aspect of the person; the complex of human attributes that manifests as consciousness; though; feeling; and will; regarded as distinct from
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the physical body; the spiritual part of a human being that is believed to continue to exist after the body dies; somebody’s emotional and moral nature; where the most private thoughts and feelings are hidden; the deepest and truest nature of a people or a nation; or what gives somebody or something a distinctive character… Spiritual: Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; as, a spiritual substance or being; Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual; Of or pertaining to the moral feelings or states of the soul, as distinguished from the external actions; reaching and affecting the spirits. Standard: level of quality or excellence; level of quality accepted as norm; principles or values that govern somebody’s
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behavior; the level of quality or excellence attained by somebody or something… System: complex body; a combination of related elements organized into a complex whole; set of principles; a scheme of ideas or principles; for example; for classification or for forms of government or religion… Value: worth; importance; price; cost; charge; rate; assessment; the worth; importance; or usefulness of something to somebody; to regard somebody or something as importance or useful; to estimate or determine the value of something… Understanding: the ability to perceive and explain the meaning or the nature of somebody or something; somebody’s interpretation of something; or a belief or opinion based on an interpretation of or inference from
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something; an agreement; often an unofficial or unspoken one; able to comprehend the sense or meaning of something….
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TIPS TO STAYING STRONG ON YOUR MISSION
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NURTURING THE HUMAN BEING FROM WITHIN
The key is to maintain Balance: 1. Spiritual: solid believe system in what you do not see; 2. Mental/Intellectual: an ability and willingness to think clearly; 3. Emotional: an ability to control the measurement of your feelings; 4. Physical: respect for your temple of your body; Each of your inner components (above) must work together in harmony to ensure that you are maintaining a Balance helpful to your growth and development as a human being on this planet. Without Balance, you will face a difficult time on the journey.
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Another key is to look at Obstacles as challenges: An important key is to get stronger, focused, and determined whenever you are challenged by adversity or obstacles, for example: 1. Pregnancy: Never use the excuse of pregnancy as reason to stop pursuing your journey; and if the pregnancy was not planned, learn from it, embrace the good, and stay on the positive path. 2. Rejection: One should never allow Rejection to be a reason to stop living or pursuing the journey. 3. Finance: Don’t place so much interest or focus on money that you forget your purpose.
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4. Age: Young or old, age is not an excuse to stop you from pursuing your purpose – Don’t fall into the trap of “life has passed you by.” 5. Risk-taking: when faced with the decision between a positive opportunity and a positive risk, take the risk; but know that “risk” is not impulse. It is the choice we make based on the truth we want to live. 6. Community Environment: Don’t follow the hood; let the hood learn from you. Show them the light! 7. Disappointment: Learn from your disappointments, see them as lessons – and continue to move forward…
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8. Association: Stay away from people who always see the glass half empty and only ignite negative energy. Always work on the mindset to see the glass half-full. And last but not least, always remember that the face of adversity and obstacles are key elements in the journey toward your growth and development as a human being. They are there to stimulate and test you to determine if you have what it takes to move forward in your journey. The key is to see adversity and obstacles as an opportunity to grow in your quest.
- End But the Beginning of your new YOU!
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About AOC
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ALBERTO O. CAPPAS Alberto O. Cappas is the proud father of two daughters, three granddaughters, and one grandson. His life journey has provided him six levels of enjoyment, first as a Teenager, exploring the ups and down of being a member of the human race, his reason for being; As a Father, an opportunity to share his love and joy with his love ones; Poet/Writer, to share his literary footprints with the next generation and their families; Public Servant, work as a government employee and manager, applying all the skills and lessons learned as a young person; Businessman, to transform his hobbies into business opportunities, bringing new concepts and products into the market place; Husband/family member, married to Mayra Vega-Cappas, working together in their journey; with more footprints to create in the journey.
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Books by Alberto O. Cappas Lessons for Myself Never too late to make a U-Turn Doña Julia & Other Selected Poems Abandoned Echoes Disintegration of the Puerto Ricans Echolalia, Verse & Vibrations Milagros: A Love Story The Pledge
Write to the poet:
[email protected]
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LEARN MORE ABOUT ALBERTO O. CAPPAS
WWW.EDUCATIONALPLEDGE.COM
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