Round 3

Earlier this year as I sat down with myself and looked at where Phreedum was going and where I wanted it to go, I decided that Phreedum was only going to be as phree, or successful, as it’s owner. Me. So, I decided to start another journey, another type of freedom. But, just say you know, spring 2012, fingers gnarled, the two freedoms/phreedums will meet.
You see as I have embarked n the personal freedom journey I have discovered some things that are inherently and uniquely me. I can’t and won’t waste any more time trying to hide theses characteristics down play them, or curse them. And as I have come to not only accept, but revel in these attributes, each has gotten a graphic, one that will be a part of the spring 2012 collection.
One of the attributes I came up with is fighter. It’s funny because every time I think of myself as a fighter I am reminded of the story my mother told me about me as a baby. Shortly after my birth and my parents were adjusting to having a new little girl with a disability the doctor encouraged them by sharing “She’s a fighter. Don’t worry.” I think he meant it to encourage my parents that I wouldn’t let my ability define me and that I wouldn’t resign myself to being judged by my abilities or lack thereof. He was spot on. But I don’t think he knew that I would also be one to fight despite life circumstance that had nothing to do with my ability, but at times my skin color, my age, my gender, my beliefs, my own self esteem. Those are all of the things that at some point I have had to fight in order to sit at my kitchen table and continue to plan to pursue phreedum.
But recently I read about another fighter- Dewey Bozella. In case you haven’t heard, Bozella was wrongfully convicted of a murder of an upstate New York woman in 1983 and was incarcerated for 26 ears in Sing Sing before being phreed. Before being imprisoned he was pursing a dream, to be a boxer. While in prison, sentenced for 20 years to life, he continued to work on his skill because he was convinced his conviction would be overturned. He was convinced if he kept fighting his dream, things would pan out. In 2009 he was released from Sing Sing and on October 15th, 2011 he got in the ring with Bernard Hopkins. He got in the ring to fight his dream.
There are a lot of resources that are so necessary to being a healthy successful person, let alone entrepreneur. One is honesty. It is crucial to make sure that you are consistency being honest with yourself about yourself. The second is resolve or being a fighter. The ability to fight for and hold on what you know to be true about yourself and your goals is what will ultimately get you to your goals.
When I read Bozella’s story I thought, “this is phreedum. “ Despite that which is stacked against you, you take what you know and you use it to go for the goal. You use it until there is nothing left to use. You use it until you walk away from a 20 years to life sentence after being wrongfully convicted. You use it despite your upbringing, race, gender, or ability. You use it because you refuse to lose it.
Whatever it is you are pursuing, just be resolved to fight for it. Be resolved to go round for round, blow for blow, until you’ve got a TKO.