“And [remember, O Muḥammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allāh plans.
And Allāh is the best of planners.”
- Quran 8 : 30
February 4th, 2024
10 : 12 PM
6. #EasyWayOut : All Within Reach
Please don’t shell up when you read this …
— For an understanding
Of the meaning of “shelling up”
Please reread :
19. #LifeIntoExistence : Quiet Luxury and Being Unbothered (OSHO) —
This week,
I had a conversation
With my mentor
And we scheduled a meeting
With his friend who lives in Beverly Hills
When I land in Las Vegas …
When I meet people for the first time
I like to treat them to a meal
As a token of my appreciation
And as a kind gesture of
Hoping the bond deepens …
I love to be around people who are better than me.
It gives me something to strive towards
As I truly enjoying learning …
What could a stubborn,
Complacent person possibly teach me?
So, I like to be around those
Who deeply believe
That nothing is beyond their reach …
This is how his friend responded :
”We’ll have to find a nice cafe
— It would be hard to find a decent restaurant
That is within his budget —
I won’t eat at a sushi restaurant
If it is less than one hundred dollars …”
I loved every word of that sentence …
I promise to delve deeper at the end …
But as for the moment
Flashback with me …
— High School : 2007 —
”White boy … Sell Out … Nerd …
Geek … Uncle Tom … Cracker …
Oreo …Dweeb … Square …”
And these insults were from my “friends”.
In 2007, I was entering 10th grade
The summer after completing 9th Grade
I met my mentor at the boarding school
Northfield Mount Hermon
At a program called Upward Bound
And he said these words that still resonate with me :
”Kibbs, you’re going to go places
Where people won’t know what Springfield is
— Let alone locate it on a map —
But you have to be comfortable
Going to these places alone.
Your friends probably do not have these visions …”
And he was right.
Even though I was talkative
And told jokes during class
I always completed my work
And excelled in all of my classes …
Because my parents are conservative Haitians
Who would have killed me if I had failed …
”You’re going to have to cut off these friends.
You need to take only Honors and Advanced Placement classes.
In every class, you’ll be sitting in the front row.
This will prevent you from being a distraction
… To your peers, the teacher, but most importantly …
A distraction for yourself and visions.
From now one, you’re no longer going to
Watch TV or play video games.
You’re going to spend your free time reading …”
And he handed me several books :
”Anthem” by Ayn Rand
”Native Son” by Richard Wright
”Wild Seed” by Octavia E. Butler
”The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
I read them all before
Starting 10th grade
My mind was opened to a new world
And once my horizon widened
I had no interest in the bare minimum
I wanted to be excellent …
— Needed to be excellent —
I wanted to be just as
Intelligent, poised, confident
Wise, compassionate, independent
Clever, witty, articulate
And absolutely fearless
As the authors I had read …
I wanted to be great.
And I wanted to be challenged
To see if I truly deserved it.
— Because even back then I knew I deserved it —
That’s why I am so passionate
About mentoring these young men
And providing them
With a meaningful vision …
Because there are very few spaces
That are widening their horizon …
Remember in my last post titled :
5. #EasyWayOut : Investments and Emotional Intelligence
Where I wrote about being labeled an
”Arrogant, Condescending, Know-It-All” …
My Sophomore experience
Is where that identity stemmed from …
I needed to be mentally strong
Because I was going against the grain …
I had a very specific vision
Of the result of my transformation …
And no one …
And I truly mean no one …
In my surroundings could see the same …
So, once I started taking
Honors and Advanced Placement courses
That’s when the insults began
From my friends
Who were trailing behind …
I was not considered “black enough”
I was viewed as a “sell out”
I was called an “Oreo” …
I think you get the picture.
Being black was not associated
With being excellent when
I was a high school student …
But, even back then,
I had no time to pay attention
To what those below me
Could possibly think …
”Arrogant, Condescending, Know-It-All”
So, it is fair to call me arrogant
I absolutely hate
— And I truly mean despise —
Being the smartest one in the room …
How would I grow?
— O Ya : Another Dream —
Dear reader
Allow me to share a beautiful story
And also an invitation
Which I am hoping will please …
With all of these dreams that are written
You are more than welcome to join me
I write this sincerely …
I am always looking for new adventures
Always looking to carve new paths on the journey
So, if you are also a valorous soul
Then you’re more than welcome to join me …
I’m serious :
Phone number : +1 413 - 867 - 4700
Email : KibbsFortilus@gmail.com
Whenever I am crafting a dream
I ask myself :
How will it look like?
How will it feel like?
How will it sound like?
I visualize the scenery intimately
And eventually it unfolds before me …
Inshallah …
After Ramadan
I am planning a trip to Boston
— Open invitation, dear reader —
I will treat myself
At the restaurant O Ya
Read this lovely description …
”While Boston is better known for its clam chowder and lobstah by the pound, James Beard Award-winning chef Tim Cushman is making very elegant — and very modern — sushi, at his little restaurant tucked away in the Leather District. Here, $285 will get you a grand omakase that includes both sushi and composed dishes, like the “Fabergé” Onsen Egg: black river ossetra caviar, gold leaf, dashi sauce, and green onion.”
I’ll be wearing the fancy clothes
That I will purchase in Las Vegas
Before the evening
I will spray myself with
WAKENING WOODS OF SCANDINAVIA
Be picked up by a Tesla
— Ideally a Rivian —
And enter this lovely space
With only high vibration conversations …
Discussions about the next idea
Closing a multi-million dollar deal
Completing the most recent project
And how we can have the most impact …
Dear reader …
You may think I am materialistic.
From one perspective
You’re absolutely correct.
On the other hand
I believe that the material world
Is only a reflection of
The standards and values we hold
And what we believe is attainable …
Join me on a quick tangent …
I remember a friend of mine
Told me that I would lose
My abs once I hit my thirties …
”You just have a slower metabolism.
It happens to everyone.”
I don’t settle for what everyone else does.
So, to prove a point
I remained in shape.
I fasted when necessary
And I work out often
— Whether that be walking, boxing, or biking —
I am always active
Because I value my body.
And I expect to be in shape.
That may sound superficial
— And you are absolutely correct.
It is.
But, to me, my body is connected to
How much I have disciplined myself
How structured my life is
And how much order I have crafted
In a schedule that is always packed
With incredible adventures …
I won’t settle for the excuse that
It is now okay to be out of shape
Because I am thirty three
Or because I teach
Or because I have more responsibilities …
I try very hard to not lie to myself.
So, just as I have removed
All excuses and set high expectations for my body
I now do this financially.
Nothing is beyond reach.
Unshackled Expectations.
All is within reach.
So, I begin behaving as such
I isolate myself to see myself differently
And purge myself of any insecurity
That blocks me from my blessings …
That prevents me from crafting this reality …
And just the high school me
Knew I would be where I am currently
Where I enter planes effortlessly
And travel as easily as the winds do breeze …
I settle confidently
Into these financial dreams …
And openly embrace them
If they are truly meant for me …
Inshallah …
- K.S. Fort
————————
This is the series to the next poetic phase, “#EasyWayOut : Isolated to Inspired”.
Be aware, this series will have several breaks. One break will occur when I head to Las Vegas for a week. Another break will occur during Ramadan when I will be completely offline.
For those interested in books written in the past, feel free to read the Google Documents at this link.
Lastly, for those who want to support my journey financially (please remember, I do have a fur baby), purchase the Kindle books at this link.
Enjoy the journey and live with intention …
Below is my inviting a college friend of mine to come Bungee Jumping with me in May :
This is a kind response from a student when I told her I would go Wing Walking :