Kansas City Barbecue

Today. 

It's a weird day. 

Lunchtime.

Monday.

No energy, no thought, no expression.

No care in the world

Know hopelessness, guilt, train tracks.

Hot. Hot. Hot. 

Loud. 

Walking down 12th & Imperial — along the green lines. 

Vending machine broken.

This machine does not store cash. 

Please do not vandalize.

Kansas City Barbecue & 

A blue umbrella outside.

Everything looks flat to me. 

It's like I'm walking through space 

but nothing's happening. 

When those phone calls 

And inbox gets started, shining, blinking 

SafeTran Systems Corp. & murals

Decorate the boulevard.

And I'm safe from the tracks. 

Meditation blocks my rage. 

The afternoon.



Freedom, Oppression, Distraction

What are my thoughts now?

Stream of consciousness. 

What makes me happy?

What makes me sad now?


The heart, mind, and soul

are but a concept

that exists in mind.


Those who try and squelch

the mind are the opposition.


My greatest fear is to

be in a position,

or a circle,

or job,

or marriage

that would rather see

me quiet then express

my thoughts. 


Pure freedom is the

ability of expression

and the opportunity

to push the boundary.               


Oppression is a 

real danger, but it

is never swift.


Distraction is what

allows the guard down.

When we appeal to

this societal concept

--of happiness

--we lose our notion

of what constitutes

expression.


Sometimes, the homeless

man screaming on the 

corner

is not so crazy,

after all.


Though random are his

thoughts,

it is his pure

expression

— and he is absolutely 

free.



-2014

#34 Why So Angry? Podcast: Positive Thinking & Anger Management

 

Eric and Alex continue their conversation series of mental & emotional wellness awareness. The mind is a powerful thing, one at which can shape your reality and experience. Positive thinking as a way to manage our anger is a practice that sometimes seems more the destination rather than the journey. We go into what it takes and our experience trying to navigate the stresses of life.

Twitter/IG: @AlexAntonio0
Instagram: @WhySoAngryPod

The Face of Death and a Single Life

 



What we forget is almost certainly what we will regret. The lessons of the past cannot leave us. Everything exists in a cycle -- and to ignore this truth is subhuman. Do not forget those who have turned you to who you are. The good and the bad. Those who forgot you. Those who did not choose you. Those who rejected you for something better will soon come to realize your strength and how your influence upon life is far greater than could have ever imagined.


A message to those who use others for self-indulgence or self-importance: they all will soon become victims of their own selfishness. Do not toil in other's emotions or less become lost in spirit in wandering a wasteland searching for meaning -- unable to understand the love of others. To be cast aside and written off is the best motivation anyone could ask for. For it can only fortify one's own emotional structure. Only the walls that have withstood the heat of battle can truly deem itself worthy; hang in the pocket; weather the storm; keep moving, for the story does not end. It is the beginning. The part of the story where legend begins.


Old souls remember the darkest moments and the times that truly define their character. We see true achievement. Greatness is not an entitlement but a testament of overcoming. We will always be tested. It's a matter of remembering.


The cause. The end. The passion.


Not everyone is privileged to understand this. You are special and possess a gift that few will take the courage to seek out and pursue. The only guarantee is that tomorrow is not guaranteed. In the face of death and a single life, nothing else can compare in importance, except meaning. Meaning to one's true life and true calling -- where want and need become the same. Just as the Moon is set to light the darkness, we are in balance. We are tasked to understand where that balance lies.


#33 Why So Angry? Podcast: The American Dream and Cancel Culture

 



Alex and Jonathan discuss Noam Chomsky's feature documentary about the concentration of wealth in Requiem for the American Dream. Also, the beloved Ellen DeGeneres is now the target of the new Era Rage. Will she be the next to get cancelled?

Twitter: @AlexAntonio0
Instagram: @AlexAntonio0

#32 Why So Angry? Podcast: Mental Health and the Battlefield of the Mind




This podcast is ultimately about mental health and this week we take it head on. Eric joins the channel as we delve into the mental challenges of managing the day. The journey continues as we break the stigma and try to break through these glass chambers and put a spotlight on those who are suffering in broad daylight.  

Twitter: @AlexAntonio0
Instagram: @AlexAntonio0
www.captivatedmind.com