'conscious idea of the week' archives

• 20 june 2004
  be revolutionary. revolution is change--more specifically, reform. to reform is to improve something by correcting bad habits. a revolutionary is one who reforms. a revolutionary reforms his/her mind, body, family and friends, community, environment, nation, world. every second is an opportunity to reform. every second is a potential revolution, and everyone is a potential revolutionary. question everything, and make changes as necessary. be a revolutionary.

• 13 june 2004
  be patient. patience is a virtue, especially for one who seeks social reform. reform takes time. don't confuse patience with inaction. never be satisfied with just "knowing"; act according to this knowledge. it takes time before you can enjoy the fruits of your labour. be patient.
  
  
• 6 june 2004
  plan your work and work your plan. _no one_ is going to change your life or your world. _you_ have to get up and do it. _you_ have to choose your path. _you_ have to make your world. _you_ have to set goals, make plans, and carry them out. governments, priests, businesses or loved ones don't change your life; you have to do it. get up and change your life. start with a plan laid out with knowledge, then carry out this plan one level at a time. never expect automatic change in your life; you have to fight for change and fight for freedom.

• 30 may 2004
  don't just talk the talk--walk the walk. be brave. don't get nervous. talk to strangers. say what you have to say. start identifying and grasp a hold of opportunities where you can further this mental revolution. don't procrastinate; walk the walk right now. right now. right after reading this, read guevara's _guerrilla warfare_ or malcolm x's autobiography. _educate yourself_ to walk the walk. action speaks much louder than words. set the example in everything that you do. i've learned that people will look upon your actions for guidance once they have noticed that you're a conscious person. organise community groups for action. within these groups, discuss how reform can be achieved. build a strong base with conscious and determined people. finally, mobilise. get up and demand your rights from the government and big businesses that are always encroaching them. get together in great numbers and demand your rights. demand that more libraries be built and stocked with books desired by the people. demand that poverty and illiteracy be eradicated before we build cricket stadiums to impress "first-world" countries. demand that omai be investigated annually to assess the damage they are doing to our environment. actually, demand that omai get out of guyana. demand that every single intersection has traffic control mechanisms like stop signs or traffic lights. guyana is a rich country and we do have the money for all of this. we just need to get it out of the government's pockets and into the welfare of the people. believe me, these demands will be met swiftly as long as we organise ourselves forcefully. but to evolve to this point, we have to start walking the walk _now_.
  
  
• 23 may 2004
  stay strong. listen to encouraging music, read inspiring books, keep motivating images and insignias close by, contemplate the movement with your supportive comrades. actively seek sources of mental fuel. indeed, no man is an island, and two heads _are_ better than one. unite with your countrymen and countrywomen. along with sharing knowledge, share your sources of inspiration. be an inspiration to others; set the example. find and keep things that help you stay strong.

• 16 may 2004
  you're beautiful. you are a beautiful person even though you look different from the people on the cinema screens. adjust your mentality to _know_ this. live this. whatever the colour of your skin, the texture of your hair, the shape and size of your nose and eyes--you are beautiful. we're all kings and queens of the world. don't chase any standard of beauty set by others--including the blonde-haired, blue-eyed standard set by north american and european media machines. there is no "standard" of beauty, we're all beautiful in our magnificently individual ways. beauty is independent of time. beauty is not bought; it isn't given or received. we are born with immense beauty, but many people are not capable of seeing their own innate beauty or that of others. let go of superficial, temporary fads and trends. abandon the false precepts that you must look like everyone else to look nice. let your natural beauty shine. you are beautiful.

• 9 may 2004
  produce more than you consume. be productive. save more; spend less. seek out opportunities to create; avoid unnecessary destruction. be an independent producer instead of a dangerously dependent consumer. production can be very extensive, but even if it's minor, this remains crucial as it allows for economic self-sufficiency and mental independence. ideally, we would produce all or most of what we need, but right now, at the very least, more than fifty percent of the things we use should be produced locally. in other words, if you're not in a position to produce for yourself, at least support your fellow countryperson who _does_ produce. don't just say that buying local is good for the nation. make the choice to buy local and actually do it. set the example.

• 2 may 2004
  don't overdo the do. do everything in moderation. be happy; don't be hedonistic. too much of _anything_ is bad for you. as i am an agnostic, i'm not suggesting zealous, unquestioning puritanism, but rather, contemplated, self-imposed responsibility. i'm suggesting discipline--a defining characteristic of the revolutionary. use common sense to construct limits. cease destructive habits altogether. as usual, encourage others to be responsible. learning to be disciplined is part of the educate phase in educate, organise, mobilise. we have to be able to control ourselves before we can control our destiny.

• 25 apr. 2004
  be artistic. be creative. be inspirational. be innovative. i believe that a suppressed people, upon acquiring mental and physical freedoms, can experience a release of unprecedented creativity and productivity. probably the best example of this creativity today is the african-in-american musical genre hip hop (that is, _real_ hip hop). i consider art to be deliberate and designed expression, so to be artistic is to be expressive. if you have nothing to express, then you must be dead. we've all got something to say and it's time we say it. we have to spend more time finding and expressing who and what we really are, and spend less time (...no time) mimicking the folks on tv. be artistic.

• 18 apr. 2004
  buy local. and i don't mean banks beer or kfc made locally. local is the street-corner shop. it is the market vendor. it is the walking salesman. local is the honest guyanese entrepreneur. support the shopkeeper instead of the shrewd fast food corporation. besides the economic reasons, buying locally is the healthy and environmentally-friendly choice since most local foods come in biodegradable skins and packages like paper. buy local foods; fresh and healthy fruits and fruit beverages instead of deep-fried chicken muscles and liquid candy cola. buy local hardware; opt for local materials, parts and tools like guyanese-made bolts, hammers, buckets and rope. buy local services; use the post office to send non-urgent letters instead of using e-mail. support locally-based businesses that use local materials in their products and services. be constantly aware of all your purchases. encourage the "buy local" attitude. plan ahead, find or create alternatives, make sacrifices. support your own. you strengthen your own national pride and declare economic unity with others when you do so.

• 11 apr. 2004
  though it's a cliche of fancy commercials cajoling you to buy things you don't need, be who you are. be yourself. in the past, when i focused more on guyanese in america, i challenged those who pretentiously behaved american for various reasons, but mainly for social comfort. i've come to see that the problem isn't people trying to be _american_ (though this is the statistical mode), it's people not being _themselves_. i believe that one of the best indictors of mental slavery (if not the most telling itself) is when an individual fakes the ways of others. don't pretend to be something you're obviously not. preserve your integrity. if not now, then after knowledge you'll realise just how magnificently beautiful you are, you'll be proud as lions, and you'll resent the people who made you feel ugly. you don't have to walk, talk or look like someone else for social validation. be proud of your skin, your eyes, your hair. be proud of every cell in your body.

• 4 apr. 2004
  reuse as much as possible. recycle. waste not; want not. be aware of the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality and overcome it--you can throw indecomposable wastes like plastic bottles and metal corks out of your sight, but it still lands on your country. be responsible and consume items that can easily be reused or decompose quickly. this is an added advantage (besides the health benefits) of purchasing fresh fruits in their biodegradable skins, instead of greasy junk food in man-made packages. where reuse is difficult or impossible, boycott the offending items like styrofoam food boxes, glass beverage bottles and plastic straws. with a little effort, you'll be surprised at how thoughtful and creative recycling can get. however, consume intelligently and you won't have to spend time recycling.

• 28 mar. 2004
  spend your dollars wisely. you may live in a material world but you don't have to be material boys and girls. a penny saved is a penny earned. don't pay for something that you can (legally) get for free. don't pay for a product's popularity; pay for it's quality. don't waste your money on nike's child-labour sneakers or kfc's deep-fried chicken muscles; buy local hand-made leather shoes, and fresh fruits from bourda. invest your money in truly profitable things like education and land. how you spend your dollars is how you use your power as a consumer, so be aware of this power and use it wisely.

• 21 mar. 2004
  leave no guyanese behind. obviously, we don't all come into the world under the same circumstances, but we can share whatever we have and give what we can afford to help others. the idea of not leaving a single guyanese behind is different from the idea of helping guyanese by itself because instead of helping them _just enough_, you're helping them reach your standard of living. offer your hand to help guyanese catch up. the most valuable forms of assistance are not monetary. if one guyanese lacks, we all lack. we're as strong as the weakest guyanese, so ensure that all are strengthened.

• 14 mar. 2004
  be happy, "even though we got mad things to deal with, happiness is all in the mind, let's unwind, and find a reason to smile..." (dead prez, "happiness"). happiness comes from the inside, out; not the other way around. we're faced with enormous challenges, but it's important to be happy whenever possible. be able to find happiness in even the simplest and smallest of things, and at the worst of times. the pursuit of freedom is, in part, the pursuit of happiness, and since we already have certain freedoms, we can enjoy some happiness. keep a global perspective and bask in the honour of the worldwide fight for freedom. surround yourself with sources of happiness (books, music, films, people). be happy about every sunrise and every sunset. be happy about the possibilities of the future and the wonderful things of the present. absorb happiness. radiate happiness.

• 7 mar. 2004
  be optimistic. change is continually taking place all around us. the wind blowing and the rain falling cause change. but the right conditions must exist to produce wind or rain. likewise, if we create the necessary conditions for a mental revolution in guyana, that revolution will unfold. to know the conditions necessary for this revolution, education (the first phase of "educate, organise, mobilise") is needed. this first phase is the toughest, but it is possible. all over the world, people have strived and are still striving for freedom. even in america there are millions who are fighting the government for freedom. feel a connection with your global and local brothers and sisters, past and present who are struggling with you. reach out to them mentally if you can't do so physically. remember that sources of knowledge (books, music, films, people) provide support. be optimistic my comrades.

• 29 feb 2004
  don't litter guyana. the land belongs to you and if you don't keep it clean, who will? encourage others to keep guyana clean and soberly correct people who abuse the land. never stop setting the example. forget the bureaucratic reasons for keeping guyana clean; that it encourages tourism and american dollars. you're not keeping guyana beautiful for foreign vacationers, you're keeping it clean for you and yours; for the people. guyana doesn't belong to the ppp or pnc, it belongs equally to all guyanese, so let's keep our land uncontaminated, beautiful, respected and productive. a cleaner environment is a healthier and happier environment, thus allowing for a higher standard of life.

• 22 feb 2004
  guyanese in america: send home books. send home knowledge. although the ideal would be to actually return permanently to guyana, one of the best ways to help guyanese is by making as many donations as possible to educational causes in guyana. if you want to help a people, give them access to knowledge. practically, donating books to libraries and schools would be the most effective and economical way to do this. (vacationing in guyana and indulging in the tourist resorts _do not_ help guyanese. it only helps the select rich. don't believe that by spending your american dollars in guyana you're doing guyanese a great and selfless favour.)

• 15 feb 2004
  help each other. "man sharpens man and steel sharpens steel." guyanese sharpens guyanese. help the child read his text; help the old man cross the road. help the blind; help the ignorant. help others wholeheartedly without expectation of reward. offer help before it's requested. _defend_ the helping of others if necessary. a little help goes a long way for those in need. many of us can afford to freely give help, so let's do so.

• 8 feb 2004
  there is great power in numbers. two heads are better than one. whether you're planning a protest or learning a new skill, a congregation is very effective. sharing of knowledge, grit, stamina and morale soars when in groups. involve neighbours so that everyone will be prepared and willing to quickly unite for an urgent cause. on the street corners and in the corner shops, explain to your comrades why the ability to organise and mobilise when the need arises is important--because it is a formidable show of power and presence. demanding a new light post to replace a dangerously leaning one will yield successful results much faster when the complaining force is one hundred people instead of one person.

• 1 feb 2004
  set ideals and strive for them. ideals give direction and focus. strive for the ideal. progress requires time and hard work. don't be discouraged by shortcomings; learn from them. take pride in striving for the ideal. every accomplishment counts. every step taken makes the journey easier for our children and our children's children. they will be closer to the ideal when we pass on our arms to them.

• 25 jan 2004
  always exercise and be aware of your human right to protest, to raise questions. silence is defeat. questioning a system and demanding answers make that system stronger. encourage and train your fellow guyanese to exercise their right to protest any system, any government or business that has done harm to them, their community or their environment. refuse american-like brainwashing that equates inquisition, criticism and explicit protest against a government as unpatriotic, when these actions are really the tools of a patriot. lead by example.

• 18 jan 2004
  knowledge is power. share knowledge; share power. share the basics of reading and writing to the complexities of politics, history, electronics, and medicine. share knowledge and skills that help guyanese earn a living _and_ fight for freedom. share engineering, share law. each one teach one. see this, point #3. never miss an opportunity to educate and arm your comrade. be wary to give help, and to receive it. do not turn a blind eye to ignorance or its by-products like racism or exploitation. we learn until we die.

• 11 jan 2004
  boycott businesses that destroy the environment to make products that destroy the body and mind, and during the destructive production and consumption only the business owners get rich. as a consumer, you have the power to fatten or starve irresponsible and greedy business people. boycotts are effective because they can silently strangle a business that exploits the community. be aware that the government can also be boycotted.

• 4 jan 2004
  it's simple, but exercise your mind and body every day. read and run. ponder and push-ups. maths and muscle-building. a strong mind with a strong body is a powerful combination. prepare yourself for self-defense on both the mental and physical fronts.