Happy New Year to all you Beat Within readers! Knowing that most of you are separated from your families, we hope you enjoyed the holiday season as best you could. The Beat is so thrilled to start off 2025 in partnership with you again this year. We look forward to inspiring and uplifting each other through in person workshops and also through sharing our written stories with each other in The Beat Within magazine. We can all relate to the experiences of others, maybe on a slightly different level, but it can all contribute to our true understanding and personal growth. Happy New Year and thank you to OT for giving us some inspiration to start the 2025 New Year.
Reporting live to you from the city the shakes, quakes with the sun that bakes me like a cupcake with some very hot and tropical temperatures, it’s OT! While I’m writing this ed’s note I’m currently with all the ceiling fans turned on letting the fresh air slap my face and body trying to keep cool. So first and foremost, ladies and gentlemen, Happy New Year.
I will be the first to tell you that many New Year’s in the past, didn’t have that much significance. Like many of you sitting down reading this in an institution I’ve spent my fair share of New Year’s locked up drinking coffee with my cellie, cracking jokes and telling stories, reminiscing and having that anxiety of wanting to be free and being at home with my loved ones.
It’s the start of a new year, a new day, a new week, or maybe it’s just a plain day for many of you. I must admit that the celebratory moods that people are in, the countdown, the fireworks, the confetti, and then you wake up the next day and everything feels like a normal day. But no matter what situation you find yourselves in, if you’re reading this editorial and this awesome publication, then you should feel blessed. You’re alive and breathing. That is something to be thankful for.
Be sure to let everyone you love know just how much you love them and appreciate them every chance you get. I know that when we’re locked up, there’s a lot of emotional support that’s needed, even financial support is needed to make your time a little smoother but remember your loved ones in the free world needs your support too. They are also suffering from the loss of your presence at home.
Remember it’s a two way street. Your parents’, sons’, daughters’, Aunts’, Uncles’, Nephews’, Nieces’, Grandparents are hurting too, not just you. So, always keep that in mind, especially during these challenging times, that there is someone out there that loves you and misses you deeply. I was watching an interview earlier, on a podcast I watch sometimes called DJVlad. Some of you may know him, he’s a lightweight famous DJ originally from Berkeley, Ca.
He has now become a famous podcaster that interviews the most famous of celebrities, rappers, actors, athletes, you name it. I randomly watch things on Youtube, but I am a big fan of watching podcasts in which people are allowed to tell their stories. This is what fascinates me so much about The Beat Within so much. I love hearing people’s stories, it is inspiring to hear how they grew up, what challenges they faced, and how they overcome adversities in life.
Through other people’s lives, you learn a lot. You can’t learn everything firsthand. You have to learn from other people’s mistakes if you really want to grow exponentially. For example, you don’t want to make financial mistakes and mismanage your money. You probably seen examples of that from people, anywhere from major celebrities, NFL stars, etc. to even our own parents, siblings and friends.
You may learn something from them and not want to make the same mistakes because after all, money is important, and no one wants to throw away their money. But it doesn’t have to necessarily involve money. Learning from other people’s mistakes will allow you to be a better brother, and better sister, a better son and daughter, to your parents, and when you have some kids of your own one day, you will be a great mother and father.
Anyways, I was watching the interview on “Freeway” Rick Ross. For those of you who haven’t heard about him he was a famous drug lord from the 1980’s with a vast drug empire that he established in Los Angeles, Ca. He was sentenced to life in Prison but his sentenced was shortened on appeal and he was released in 2009. Since he has been out, he has been able to share an abundance of positive things, give back to his community and try to help people steer away from a life of drugs, gangs and violence.
He said in an interview, “If you’re not helping someone out, then you’re not doing nothing.”
First off, I agree with this quote to a certain extent, and it’s a part of my message. I feel the same way. I wake up every day and I help out a ton of people. Whether that’s my girl, her four other sisters, her mom, her grandma that just recently passed away (rest in peace) my sister, my other sister, my nieces my nephews, my mom, my uncle, my aunt, or some random stranger in the street that may need directions or maybe a or a bottle water or a plate of food.
I wake up every day with the thought in mind of how I can help my loved ones and even those I don’t even know. But before you get to this part in your life, you have to help yourself first.
Starting today, right now, the actions you take today, will affect your future. Making better and healthier decisions daily will produce more positive results in your weeks, months, and years. You may not know how much time you may get, but when you do find out, take it in stride. Use that time to focus on yourself, so you can mature and grow into a better you. Many of you talk about helping out your family and your kids, and even other people that are in your same situation and that’s beautiful to read. It shows that your heart is in the right place.
So, don’t let this mistake define you my beautiful brotha’s and sisters, ladies and gentlemen. Let this be your bounce back year where you come out stronger, wiser, and humble. Even if it is just another day, enjoy it, relish the moment, read a book, listen to your favorite song and sing out loud.
Every day is a blessing. Remember all those who are no longer here that would’ve loved to have this chance. Help yourself get to where you need to be, so you can turn around and help others that may cross your path, and may need a little advice, encouragement and positive direction in their life. Life is precious.
One love to everybody! Much love and blessings to you all and your loved ones. Happy New Year! OT is signing out and The Beat keeps going and going…Strong! Long live David Inocencio!
Thank you again to The Beat Within community and family. You all help to carry on the legacy of David Inocencio and the legacy of The Beat Within. We are so proud to share the journey and share your stories and creative expressions with the community. As OT shares, we can all learn something from each other. We will never know how much impact any part of your story might have on someone reading it but be sure that there is impact. As surely as there are ripples on the water, you will never know how far the ripples of your story might travel.