by Chad “Get Right” Fitzpatrick, Moose Lake, Minnesota
In one of my other writings titled “opportunities” that I sent to The Beat Within, I talked about an Old School named R.M. (R.I.P) who on my 3rd day in prison as a 22 year old with a 24 year sentence to do, gave me a positive run down of how to do prison life and take advantage of all the opportunities available to us behind these walls.
Which brings me to this quote that a teacher here at my facility I’m at said:
“Self-improvement is not just checking off boxes or piling up certificates. Self-improvement is about “becoming” not just about changing. What we do, but truly changing who we are is never easy, and if it is, then I’m hesitant to believe that there is any really change going on.”
Are you working on getting your GED? Taking college classes? Taking other classes that are offered to you where you are locked up at? Maybe some of those things are even mandatory for you to be involved in.
Okay, so now what? What are you going to do? What does that quote above mean to you? Why are you doing those things?
Are you doing them to better yourself? To change your life around, to help yourself from getting locked up again and being away from your family and loved one? Or are you simple just going through the motions so you have to have something to do and it may get you out of your cell more. Maybe you think it will impress the judge the next time you go before him/her, maybe your P.O. Maybe the staff at the facility you’re at and maybe your family and loved ones.
But don’t you think those people can see bull shhh when they see it? I’m sure you do learn some necessary skills to be successful but it all comes down to your mindset and the questions of, do you really want to change? Are you ready to change?
True change is internal and external process. Internal is you are gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to help you change and external is using that knowledge and skills in your life and bodying so people will see the change that you’ve made even if it’s a very small change.
So I leave you with this: everybody is capable of changing. It’s just up to us as to when. How much effort we are willing to put into it. What sacrifices are we willing to make to change our lives around.
What kind of change do you want to make? Just remember just like anything else in life it’s going to take time and dedication. So, until pen meets paper again keep expressing yourself, keep writing and keep being you.