Likes Aren't = Love
 
Hello everyone and I hope you all are offended and or want to change how you approach life after reading this post. Who am I to judge? I am absolutely no one that should judge anyone and this is not a judgmental post but a post that I hope gets you to living and appreciating the “moment” more.
 
What is the purpose of social media? Social media - websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. The previous sentence is the definition that populates when you google the definition of social media. My definition of social media, based on what I have seen and experienced is much different. Social media is a platform for individuals that need attention to receive attention. Now ask yourself what does it mean to you? What do you use the websites and or apps for and why use social media? Is there direction and purpose behind the use of social media for you? Has likes become LOVE for you? The one most important thing in life that every human being seeks and needs is love. Love trumps all. Love is wanted more than money, material things, and any other thing that you could think of that I can’t. Why is it part of your DAILY life? Why is it a priority? Can you go to an event and not update social media with where you are? Can you go a full day and not pick up a device to see what others have posted? The average person will spend nearly two hours (approximately 116 minutes) on social media every day, which translates to a total of 5 years and 4 months spent over a lifetime. No one can afford to lose 5 years of their life doing absolutely nothing. This second to television, which we spend 7 years and 8 months watching in a lifetime. I just took 13 years of your life away from you. You can’t waste that much time and expect to be of any substance to yourself or the people around you.
 
Most millennials turn to social media for love and care when they need it. I think it’s good to prevent devastating things from happening but it should be the last place you turn to for love. Likes doesn’t mean love. It is a button people click or double tap when something peaks their interest. This does not mean that they care for you and damn sure doesn’t mean they love you. Stop giving it more power than it should have in your life. It has become a necessary evil for the majority of the world and that is understood. The things that I have witnessed with my eyes have been remarkable. Why is your break-up happening because of social media and on social media? I shouldn’t know what time you arrive at work, where you work, what time you take lunch, where you go for lunch, and what time your work day ends. I shouldn’t know where your entire family lives including you. You have to keep something for yourself, I mean SOMETHING for you. Not everyone can be a social media comedian or star. We all get it, you are a gangsta and you have all the guns and drugs.  I won’t touch on the social media models, that is enough for a post of its own. Give something more than likes and views. Sale something, market something, inspire and or motivate, inform and educate, or just spread positivity and

LOVE. We must do more than what is being done.
This post is to have all evaluate the current time and cherish the current time. It is too short to waste it doing things of no value to yourself. Life shouldn’t be too serious but it shouldn’t be thrown away either. Create a healthy balance to change your life and others around you. Don’t do away with social media but utilize it wisely and timely. 

​Written By: Ronald Anthony Wilson.

Bet on Yourself has been a saying for a very long time but there is a man by the name of Emory “Vegas” Jones that is living and breathing this quote. It is not something he just live by but it’s something he is giving to the world. Emory is a great friend of Mogul Shawn Carter, but he is far more than that. His spirit and laid-back energy surprisingly separates him from just that connection and has become great inspiration for myself. I sent him a message on IG to thank him for what he is doing and the energy he gives to the world and he responded with the praying emoji hands. That little emoji meant a lot to me and that small gesture says a lot about his character as well.
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How many of us bet on ourselves? Do we believe in ourselves or are we looking for others to do that for us? The quote “Bet on yourself” speaks volumes and touches all, not just hip hop, African Americans, or people from the culture. It is telling you to be confident in yourself and love yourself. I see many people looking for validation from some one else. This validation may never happen and keep you from going after what it is that you want. Some people will not go on to the next step unless their parents approve of the person. I have seen people not move far in their chosen career path because their mentor didn’t approve of their work. When you are gambling, and you’re in Vegas at that blackjack table and you are betting, it’s just you, taking those chances with your money. If you lose it all then you just lost your money, but if you win it all then you have friends and companions all around. This life is a gamble and your decisions can sometimes cost you significant things in life. You can lose friends, family, money, and TIME. When you bet on yourself the loses don’t matter. Losing comes with the territory of gambling. You can’t win everything and if you did Las Vegas wouldn’t exist, HAHAHA. I know that if I gamble I want the reward to be great. The sad part about great reward is that the risk must be just as great. I know you’re thinking well “What about the lottery”? The chances are slim of you ever winning and no one wins on the first try. I have known people to play the lottery weekly for decades and have never won. So, if someone pays $25 a week and has been playing the lottery for 30 years and finally wins on the 31st. This person has invested $39,000 in lottery tickets. I don’t know about you but to me that is a significant amount of money to gamble on a not sure thing.
 
You must be sure of yourself when you bet on yourself. You must be secure in who you are and the decisions that you make. You can only gain this confidence in yourself with experience in life. You should see the world, interact with others, and discover yourself. Now this doesn’t seem like it’s a bet if you are sure of yourself. Well a sure thing is always the best thing to bet on. The likelihood of you winning is greater and the reward is just as great. Take a chance on yourself and go after your dreams and goals. Know that you are smart enough and creative enough to make it happen for yourself. No one will be as confident in you as you are in yourself. No one will by into you if they don’t feel you are confident in yourself. Life is a blackjack table and you have a million dollars in chips, are you going all in? You know your hand and you know the odds. I’m letting it all ride with no reservations. 

Written By: Ronald Anthony Wilson.