Cell block society post-release master plan: protecting life first 18 months re-evaluation

Brookshire, Levert, III (Sékou)

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Cover Page: Working title: Post release master plan Sub~title: Protecting life first 18 months re-evaluatioluation · Using discipline to stick to my health and wellness management program in order to stave off illness, medication and dependency. · Avoiding unhealthy living habits, hostile environments and confrontational people is a choice. ·Turning my past setbacks, learning experiences, mistakes into opportunities to produce income. .Accumulate all of the official credentilas as possible to authenticate my self-education and background. .More research to be done on the following: Capella University.edu Penn Foster College.edu AIU Online.edu Flat Iron School.edu/.com Legal disclaimer: I, Levert Brookshire who is the sole author of this essay and authorize full-legal consent to APWA editors to make any/all necessary edits, corrections or re-adjustments they can do in order to help make this meet their proper standdards and standards of the publishing industry. Working Title: Cell Block Society Post-Release Master Plan Author: Levert Brookshire Protecting Life First 18 Months Re-evaluation Protecting life must start with following daily rituals and keeping up with my own personal health and wellness through a healthy diet and fitness program. Sustaining life has to become our number one priority and purpose, each and every day while inside prison or outside. Without having life, no other goals can ever be achieved. In order for me to sustain my life in a stress-free, healthy way, I've decided to simulate what I've done for years and years while inside prison fences. By creating schedules for myself and charts, entirely planned out daily, weekly and monthly, diets/meals, which adapted to my daily, weekly and monthly exercise schedule, every other month or so they would all be rotated around as a cycle would be. I called this my personal development program while inside prison. It included my reading time and my research/studying time even my time to write or hone my journalling skills. Every morning starts at 4:45 a.m. each and every day, beginning with a brief, 15 minute yoga/stretching ritual to start the day off. Since morning is the most quiet time of the entire day, inside prison. This is the best time to start my reading or writing, which begins after breakfast gets served, so depending on when that happens, usually at around 5:30 a.m. or 6:30 a.m.. It varies at times. So, reading/writing will normally begin at around 7:00 a.m. lasting for at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half, that all depends' At sometime during the day, I'll sort through what I have been given for my meal, put together an assortment of different food items consisting of various processed meats, cookies, and artificially sweetened snacks, something in high demand among the entire prisoner population where I'm always able to find those who are willing to trade me, for their fruits and vegetables. Then, once 1:30 p.m. comes around, by that time all of the prison has long been awakened, the quiet is no longer. I start my daily exercise rituals, in include muscle conditioning, cardio, calisthenics and strength training, flexibility. Going into this 2nd year of being outside prison, I want to maintain this healthy eating and regular exercise, with writing and reading into my everyday routine outside. For continual development of my overall wellness and peace of mind. this will help me to sustain my health, develop my self-discipline, strengthen my will power and maintain structure in my life. Something I know works for me. I've come to recognize how important keeping everything calculated, measured out and organized in my life really means to me. Eliminating unnecessary clutter, and confusion, keeping chaos and calamity as far away as possible. Protecting my life also demands that measures are taken to avoid potential hostile confrontations, unnecessary threatening situations or dangerous environments, lifestyles, etc. Having regular medical check ups, monitoring my health on a strict schedule while, even aa I'm working hard eveyday, attending classes, re-building strained relationships and pursuing my goals. I will always be compelled to keep myself disciplined to follow a very strict nutritional and fit way of life. Staying the course outside of prison, as I've managed to do inside. It's the one thing from prison, I'm hoping to take "outside" with me, as I'm released. Something I've come to term as, my (wellness management program). Using a model from my prison days, I will obviously have to adapt my dietary plans and exercise plan, to whatever other obligations I've got going also. Then, along with my dietary and exercise plans, I've got to adapt my writing and reading time into my (wellness management program), as well. What I've learned over the years, maintaining wellness is alot more than maintaining a health diet and regular exercise. Maintaining wellness is also managing our minds too. Stress management. Wellness management for me is all about a totally healthy body and mind. Wellness is a lifestyle for me. A health body and healthy mind should be a pair, one in the same. It's not what we do for awhile that counts, but what we do on a consistent, ongoing basis, which makes the real difference. It is these consistent, continuous actions ultimately they are what determine who we become and where we go in life. That's why what I was doing in my past life, over and over again, continuously, and consistently, powerfully influenced my life, and ultimately led me to a prison cell, over and over again. We can't always be in control of events taking place in our lives. but we will always be in control of how we respond or react to them. We decide the actions we take in every event. In order of me to have the healthiest and most peaceful life I can have outside of prison. I really have to think about the decisions I'm going to make, in society, and practice, practice, and practice. There aren't any failures, just the result of our decisions. When I make good and sound decisions, I have good, sound results. It all comes down to responsibility. It takes me a long time to finally get it right. There's no excuse for that. Think about the possible outcomes first before hand. Now that I've already squandered away all of my youth and young adulthood years, going through the crash course, lessons to learn this simple truth about life. I want to use these remaining years towards keeping up my health and trying my best, to extend my years further out. Giving myself a second chance to make good on some of the wrong I've done in my younger years. In order to achieve my goal of optimum health while entering my fifties it's a must that I make good, sound decisions about my overall health and well being, and then act on them My last 18 years have been spent surrounded by institutional 'cinderblock walls,' tall electrified prison fences, remotely controlled sliding doors on tracks, granting me access inside or outside depending all on the discretion of who is controlling the 'buttons' and 'keys' at the time, surrounded by others who controlled every fundamental aspect of my life, making all important decisions for me, what to feed me, when to feed me and where. Deciding what clothes I will wear, how I will wear them, even when and where. I've been having others control my life in ever way for 18 years straight now: shaping me and programming me to conform my life, to a life of institutional, 'controlled' living. Everything down to when, where and how my dirty laundry gets cleaned, then delivered back to me, and what, when and how I get to watch TV. What I've come to adapt to, and be socialized to has to now become reversed without any systems or programs went up in place to help me through this. How I've come to do this is by myself. By focussing on what I want, opposed to where I've been the past 18 years. Instead of allowing my fears, insecurities and dependency on others to provide all of my daily needs, control my activities and establish boundaries, for me. I have to resist that 'psychological' hold over me and keep taking my mind in the direction I want to go. Releasing that institutional hold over my thinking. Re-programming my own mind to think about a new life, a life that I desired living outside for the entire 18 years they controlled me inside. My desire, goals, and plans, never went away. For years, I thought long and hard playing them out inside my mind, imagining myself as I pursued every desire and goal I wanted. Now, I get that opportunity to do exactly that. I'm so glad that in true passion and commitment to keeping and saving these desires, protecting these personal goals that, I made it my life's work to sit down and start recording it all. through discipline and persistence I wanted to be certain that what I came to depend on during that long 18 year period of institutionalized, controlled living. This wasn't going to program my thinking to become dependent on this kind of life in order to be functional and content with dysfunctional and discontent outside. Before I ever came to know anything about proper dietary needs and daily nutritional requirements, how my body metabolized and absorbs food, calories, and how my digestive system functions, before i knew how many calories I burned off doing specific kinds of exercises, which areas of my anatomy should be exercised for burning more or fewer calories. Before I knew how much muscle-mass I was using for every exercise activity, which food group was most beneficial to which are of my anatomy. Before I ever understood the importance of staying well rested and hydrating my body every day, I had to first find the time, make an effort to pick up a book and read. I couldn't have learned all that I've come to know and understand about our human anatomy, nutritional requirements, exercise physiology and the science of exercise as a whole. It's because of my decision to make the time for reading and studying, that I'm able to create and afford a practical and meaningful way of becoming and staying healthy far into my fifties and sixties and beyond. For this reason, I have to keep making the time for myself to read and continue studying, learning, educating myself. Not just so I can stay in top physical form, for my age. But to help me break the 'psychological' programming of 18 years, long-term institutional living. Making time to read and do necessary research, will become an invaluable assistance to my transitioning back into society again; short, periodic steps throughout the week for personal research, updates or study time, for no more than one hour and one half, three times a week. This is how I will become current about particular subject, find accurate information needed for important planning or even decisions I have to make. All of which will lead to outcomes and consequences that directly impact my life, my freedom and my legacy. Keeping up my reading ritual will be my strength. At this stage of my transition into civil society I would like to be stable enough to introduce and adapt my (wellness management program) into my everyday routines. Adapting strict dietary rituals, food groups, recipes and even meals to be adapted and practiced in my daily, weekly, monthly program. To include in my daily breakfast, lunch and dinner with the exception of Saturday and Sunday to be designated as my only 'meat consumption' days. Keeping Monday through Friday exclusively designated as 'meatless' days. Exclusively for fruits, veggies, dairy products, breads, nuts, beans, eggs, grains, carbs, pastas and natural sweeteners/natural oils only. Limited to no additives or preservaties will be in any of my food supplies, at all. No processed fish/meat will be consumed, even on Saturday and Sunday. 80% of diet will consist of carbohydrates for my body's fuel source, 10% of diet will consist of proteins for muscle development, 5% of diet will consist of fiber for digestive tract system, 5% of diet will consist of zinc, iron, potassium, beta carotene and omega 3's for brain development/nourishment and cellular health with at least 8 (twelve ounce) cups of water daily for my daily hydration requirements. More specifically, at 195 lbs. up to 200 lbs. I'm required to have a 2,800 to 3,000 calories a day for energy fuel supply, with 30 grams of fiber and 25 grams of protein, all in a single day. Health, fitness and overall wellness takes ongoing study and research to perfect it. I will be doing further research on the subjects as I go along. Reading more from M.D. Amy Meyers who authored the book titled "Plant Based Diets", studying more Haylile Pomroy who wrote "Fast Metabolism Revolution", or Marco Rorges who has written "the 22 day diet", following up my research with the "High Performance Nutrition" by Susan M. Kleiner, continuing study of "The Nutrition Almanac" by John Kirchman, along with Chefbrad.com "Fusion Grain Cooking", even the health food chart at my pyramid.com. This is the way that I pull myself away from 18 years of having a system of institutions making important health decision for me, the time is now for me to make own own, personal, important health decisions for myself. It is the 'mind', that will break free of the shackles, chaining me to the ways of institutionalized 'trained' living. It is the 'mind' that makes 'good' of 'ill', makes 'happiness' of 'sadness' and makes 'rich' out of 'poor.' Keeping myself stress-free, healthy, and with a positive outlook about life, is going to be key during my transitional time. Even as I languished inside of institutions for long periods of time, I relied on my 'mind' to keep visioning, imagining the days I'll get to implement this 'wellness managing program' into effect once I'm outside. Imagining it, visioning it is what helped me to get through all the long, arduous and tormenting years of psychological an spiritual challenges. One of the things that I've come to learn through my studies, how the human mind and spirit together can endure any level of trauma, torture or anguish, thrown at us. No obstacle, or problem, challenge or pain is too much to bare. Of course, everyone is different. We aren't all equally prepared to respond, exactly the same way in every situation. But some people, as myself are more inclined to see obstacles, problems, challenges and painful experiences, as merely a call for us to strengthen and deepen our resolve. The same way I'm choosing to use all of these years living inside 'controlled' institutions, going through years upon years of disappointment, loneliness, anguish and psychological torment. I've learned 'how to turn it around', changing a tragedy into opportunity, using all of it as fuel to drive and motivate me, even more so. Making me want to get out of prison, so I can prove I've finally made it up and over the learning curve required. In order for someone to make it outside of institutions, making important decisions for myself, instead of others. The very first important decision I've decided to make for myself is this. Once I've managed to establish myself a firm enough foundation to stand on, having a clearly solid enough base in order to move forward with my life. I want to get started with guarding my life, taking my health very seriously. Eating right, excercising and managing my stress levels. All of which to be practiced and carried out through a strict, daily, program what I've come to term as my "Wellness Management Program". Taking full control of the standards and habits that will in fact, preserve my life in a healthy, practical way. Exercising personal control over what I'll be eating, what I'll be drinking, when, where and how I'll be doing it, while following a strict diet, avoiding processed foods like sugars, meat/fish and other foods treated with toxic chemical preservatives and additives. Reducing the amount of harmful, carcinogenic deposits into my body. I won't eliminate fish or meat entirely from my diet, but I won't be eating any processed meats or fish, only fresh meat and fresh fish. Which, will only be something reserved for Saturday/Sunday only. All meats/fish/poultry will be off limits Monday through Friday. Keeping myself disciplined and limited to a healthy list of nutritional food groups that I will rotate around, in a cycle, making every effort to use each food group, in every meal in order to meet my daily nutritional requirements, seven days a week. Connecting all three areas together: diet, fitness and stress management, in order to maintain overall health during my remaining years alive. At this stage of my freedom, eighteen months of being outside of prison my newest dietary, fitness and stress managing rituals by now, should have become habits for me. I must be disciplined and committed enough to sustain the "wellness management program". Monday: 4:15 a.m. to 5:30 am (45 minute jog) - cardio, 700 calories burned: 5:45: (15 minute stretching) Tuesday 4:15 am to 5:30 am (45 minute jog) - cardio, 700 calories burned 5:45 (15 minute stretching) Wednesday: 4:15 am to 5:30 am (45 minute jog) - cardio 700 calories burned 5:45 (15 minute stretching) Thursday: 4:15 am to 5:30 am (45 minute jog) 700 calories burned (cardio) 5:45 am (15 minute stretching) Friday: 4:15 am - 5:30 am: (45 minute jog) 700 calories burned cardio Saturday: 4:15 am - 5:30 am (45 minute job) 700 calories burned cardio 5:45 am Muscle conditioning 300 calories Strength training 450 calories Flexibility 275 calories Sunday 4:15 am (off day) Food Group List, Organic First 18 months re-evaluation (Entire diet Monday - Friday) is totally meatless recipes) (Meat and fish, poultry will be consume Sat., Sunday only) Meat 'detox' will be done, every other week using kale, lemon juice 100% pure mixed with cayenne pepper Weekly diet (7 days per week) will include the following: Natural sweeteners, xagave, honey Cooking oils: virgin olive oils, coconut oils, fish oils, flax oils Virgin Vinegar - fig vinegar, lemon dill Pastas - flour, eggs, yeast noodles (chefbrad.com) recipes Grains: brown rice, white rice, whole grain, wheat, oats, rolled oats, granolas, teff, oatmeal, corn meal, grits, etc. Nuts: cashews, pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, macedamian nuts, etc. Flour: King Arthur Whole Wheat, rolling pin, pizza stone with Bosch food processor/mixer, parchment paper, baking tins for bread Vegetable: cabbage, romaine and iceburg lettuces, spinach, okra, collard greens, mustard greens, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, Idaho spuds, avocados, cucumbers, olives, mushrooms, beans, peas, corn, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, bell peppers, green peppers, red peppers, artichokes, green onions, pesto sauce, tomato sauce. Poultry: chicken, turkey, hen, goose Fish/Seafood - salmon, trout, red snapper, whitey, shrimp, crab, clams, squid, oyster, and sardines. Breads, toasts, pizza dough, hoagie bun, pastries, biscuits Cheeses: feta cheese, parmesan, ricotta, havarti, munster, goat cheese, provolone, asago, bleu cheese, cream cheese, american cheese, cheddar, mozzarella cheese. Fruits: Pineapples, figs, apples, pears, bananas, grapes, raisins, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, lemons, peaches Eggs: egg omelette, egg salads, boiled eggs, deviled eggs Pizza dough, sour dough starter, flour, enhanced yeast, 3 cups hot water, roasted peppers, tablespoon of salt, olive, oil, xuave. Salads: fruit salad, golden teff, lemon oil, fig vinegar, flax oil, agave, fruit salad strawberries, pineapples, bananas, cashews, walnuts. Protecting life will be a long-term plan of mine of courage, from here on out. All requiring input and expertise from several different areas of professional fields. Nobody call possibly know it all, which will make it necessary to make a base of friends, experts, and hand-picked professionals, to create my own personal network of 'health', career, and 'life' coaches that I can consult with for counsel and insight whenever needed, learning how to put aside my pride and ego whenever I'm conflicted or unsure about something, I'll be able to reach out to others who might be able to help me with difficulties I'm facing. We learn from either 'first-hand' experience, or by others that have been there and done that already themselves and have told us their experiences by writing books for us or by telling us themselves in person, from their own mouth. Most of my own personal growth and thinking transformation came about, from reading other peoples' advice, experiences and insight, uncovered in books, literature, writings, etc. What valuable thought and expertise has helped me in remarkable ways, to change my own thinking patterns which has in turn, led me to change my behavior. Because of this, I've been able to save my own life, optimizing my life's potential. I've come to be very heavily inspired by many others. People that have been willing to share their advice with me, offering expertise and have answered many of my questions. After being released from prison, transitioning back into civilized society again by the time I've reached this 18th month of being out I would like to have already either been enrolled in one of many vocational trades, technical training or career certification schools, or approaching/near final completion/grade, graduations. Having been so inspired by others, who have heavily influenced me towards change, now I've come to the decision, I would like to 'pay it forward' and perhaps use my experiences and background, education as an asset to help others, like those who have helped me along the way. I would like to use what I've gone through and experienced in my youth, my younger adulthood years and even now, as my reservoir of first-hand education, which cannot be obtained from textbooks, only real life, true, hands on, up close and personal, education, can give us turning my tragedies into opportunity. For me, this seems to be the very smartest way to make use of this otherwise wasted period of my time in my life, my past personal experiences and harsh lessons can be used for something productive and beneficial, helping others. Offering insights, counseling, expertise, to others who are either struggling themselves, wrestling with similar difficulties or helping those who work inside of the social services field, addressing these ares of social, or behavioral problems there are some areas of social work, where I felt my background of experiences and personal, hands on, expertise would best fit into a professional career. That choice for me would have to be substance abuse counseling or either behavioral health technicians, just to name a few. Opening a new chapter in my life, helping other people for a change, instead of focusing on satisfying myself only. Today, moving forward I'm looking to embrace the new changes in my thinking patterns, the new purpose for living that I've adopted, as I've come to mature and grow mentally and spiritually. While I developed these well thought out, well researched plans, trying to document and highlight as many ways as possible for me to break free of my past 'criminal' behaviors, and institutional programming, looking to use these plans as my best tools to break free and stay free, creating the master plan became my way of waking up every morning, coming up with another healthy and legitimate way to give my life purpose and a legal means of support to sustain self. With my own background, combined with a formal training and specified educational focuses in Behavioral Health Psychology, I can then become a certified/licensed, substance abuse counselor or employed as a professional Behavioral Health Technician. Someone who actually works within the social services field, helping those that are in need of healthy alternative solutions, insight, or counseling support, helping others through social work services by teaching them different ways to deal with problems in their personal lives. Creating legal alternative options for supporting myself, is a vitally important step towards protecting my life, keeping my new life self-sufficient and heading in the right direction. To do this, it's important to go back into my life and tap into what I can use for expertise, credibility or assets. Just as I'm able to go back and tap into that past lifestyle of the streets, criminal activities and prison, in order to turn it into something of an asset I can use in my newest career options. So to, can I tap into my past history of spending decades in prisons keeping myself in perfect health and top physical condition, with daily exercises and strict physical fitness routines. There are many options available to me which would in fact allow me to use this past background in physical fitness, again, to be combined with a formal training, specialized education course in fitness training to become certified or even licensed in a sports medicine field, physical therapy as well, in just a few short months, I can be employed as an expert, using everything I already know, plus more updated technician and specialized training. These are only two of the eight career options I've chosen with extensive life experience to work with, either of which I can tap into as legitimate means to become completely self-sufficient in my new life. The other remaining six, career options I've chosen - software writing, or what is known to be termed as code, writing/code has been a "growing" industry, with expanding areas for computer sciences along with the information technology I.T. market, the qualified number of people who can actually fill up these open positions are in a constant shortage. This has created a big demand for people who are trained in the area of software writing or coding. This 'skill' doesn't require any long, extensive, or very complicated training to acquire. I've had some brief exposure to what it consists of exactly. The entire training process in order to learn everything, there is to know, takes no more than a year, before getting a certification in computer coding/software writing. Once certified, there's no shortage of work, or jobs in this particular area, starting pay begins at $35K to $40: a years. Also, there's a culinary arts or gourmet chef school here in AZ. Something that I've always had a passion for is good food either cooking or eating it. Certified, trained chefs are always sought after, either by cruise ship lines, five star restaurants, private country clubs or catering companies, etc with very nice, comfortable income starting at $30K to $80K every year. I've also listed TV and Film production assistant to be considered because of the background experience I've got from my work on other TV and production products, where I was an active apprentice who was studying under the expertise of Lata Wilson 'Talon' who partnered with me and several other 'street' captains from my hometown of San Bernardino, CA. in 2000 to produce the 'underground' independent short movie and soundtrack 'A Better Day', and later on my involvement with the IG classic video and CD "Inland Swangin'" which can begin as my first of many products to come, something I loved to be doing, and working on the whole time and I learned so much. Also listed on my list is commercial, long haul truck driver, which I've always wanted to be, ever since I can remember, since I was a young boy, looking outside the rear windows of our car, driving along the side of eighteen-wheelers aside their long box trailers going the California Freeways, I've always wanted to become a commercial, long-haul truck driver. After watching the move, 'Convoy', with Kris Kristofferson in 1978, it became an obsession for my remaining youth. I even told my father that is what I wanted to be when I grew up. But eventually, somewhere between boyhood dreams and my adolescence, gang bangin, petty crimes, delinquency and self-destructive behaviors , it seemed easier to reach than the boyhood dream of driving trucks. Now, maybe I'll finally get that opportunity, they have truck driving training schools offering 9 - 10 months long training courses, which would issue me a commercial drivers license or EDL within a year, starting income $50K to $70K every year, long, long, grueling hours, minimum 12 hour shifts, poor sleeping/resting hours, very difficult to manage any healthy lifestyles. Another career choice of mine is paralegal clerk or legal investigator, who is responsible for conducting all of 'legal' statutes or laws to be used by an attorney on a specific case. A paralegal clerk's help is invaluable to attorneys on a specific case. A paralegal clerk's help is invaluable to attorneys, because paralegals are assigned to do the 'grunt work' for lawyers and they look up 'case law', organize arguments and prepare legal briefs, motions to be filed and other legal documents for attorneys or law firms, legal investigators. Locate witnesses to get statements, document crime scenes, process evidence chain of custody, etc. I've been dealing with the criminal justice system since I was a thirteen years old, 1981. All the way up til now, 2016. I also exercised my constitutional right to self-representation, preparing my own motions, and preparing my own arguments, even negotiating directly with the assistant deputy district attorney and the US Assistant Attorney in Federal Courts, in order to have a maximum of 63 total amount of years negotiated to a reduced sentence of 21 years. By challenging evidence and proving prosecutorial misconduct that resulted in One Federal Bank Robbery charge to be dismissed. I've had 'real-life', hands on education, which would help me breeze through any formal paralegal school or certification course, once I've completed, in 9 months to 12 months, I could begin working for any corporate law firm, commercial law firm, or private attorned right away, making a starting income of $25K to $50K, depending upon which law firm employs me. Either way, I could see myself doing this also. Lastly on my list of certification careers to be seriously looked at, and considered, for my long-term livelihood and means of income, becoming a certified/licensed home inspector or home appraiser. Some they contact whenever a home is being looked at/considered/or an offer is being made on purchasing a home, there is an inspection that haa to be complete. First, in order to find any 'hidden problems' or defects with the home before any transfer of ownership can happen, so if anything is discovered early or documented before the transfer of title can occur, this will allow for the owner selling and the buyer to resolve these defects and problems, before the final transaction can take place. And a Home Appraiser calculates the market value with the unique feature value and added comfort values of a home then determines the overall value of a home's worth, for buyers and sellers. With my past experience buying/investing and selling Real Estate, this allowed for me to see each of these professions work in the home building and selling (processing) area. It was interesting and something I could easily be doing after 6 to 9 months of certification courses, well on my way to earning $35K to $65K per year. Enough income for any single, middle aged man to sustain himself. the amount of income isn't the most important thing for me, focussing on the highest amount of money I can earn doesn't motivate me at all, what is important to me is that I'm capable of earning a sufficient amount of income, enough to sustain a modest, affordable, middle-class lifestyle. Not a consumer-driven, materialistic, flashy or 'Keeping up with the Joneses" lifestyle. But one that I can afford and have a comfortable way of living, not stressing over financial matters or worrying about the most basic conveniences of life, while affording to enjoy and spending reasonable amounts of money that puts some smiles on my kids' and grandkids' faces, with perhaps, inexpensive surprises every so often. Creating our very own, unforgettable moments. It doesn't take alot of money to achieve this, but there will come a time or two when it will take, at least some money to cover expenses, and I'd like to be in a position to do that without any kind of stress or anxiety because I lack the funds to do so. All of which will in fact be contingent on how the economy is by the time I've reached my 18th month of being out. Why I've come to understand the way society gauges and calculates dangers in the economy, unemployment 'indicators', so I can follow where the job market is at. The same way that I've got to protect my own life, and make decisions that do just that. Protecting my own freedom has to be a personal decision as well. I myself take seriously every day by doing things to secure my financial independence and be able to support myself through legitimate means, that don't put my freedom at risk in any way. No matter how the job market and economy is. Whatever is happening in my external world, won't cause me to lose the structure I've created to manage my stress levels in my internal world. Keeping myself out of prison starts with my own thinking. Staying free, has more to do with staying stress-free than anything. Having a way to manage my difficult pressures, not panicking or over-reacting to problems when they surface, keeping myself composed and steady is the key to protecting my freedom at difficult times that could make me frustrated, 'think' about taking risks, or 'think' about options which would jeopardize my freedom again. 'Financial' difficulties have been the strongest and most powerful motivating force ever, to throw me off course, sending me into an uncontrollable tailspin. Today, I've come to figure out more creative, effective ways to respond to 'financial' difficulties and challenges when they do turn up, and they definitely will. But whenever they do, I won't react in the same ways as before. Instead of triggering a type of thinking towards 'criminal' options to take the 'financial' pressure off. I've reprogrammed myself not to ever consider crime as an option anymore. Demanding that I increase my education level to approach my 'financial' challenges, which are sure to come now with all new legitimate, good, sound alternatives to crime. Today I've discovered ways to respond to my financial crisis without putting my freedom in jeopardy again. Surely, this is a test, to see how well all of my hard work to re-program myself, has paid off? Protecting my freedom depends on it now. Breaking the cycle of my past criminal thinking habits starts by changing my options. Giving myself other, practical choices and alternative to choose from, opposed to crime has unchained me from the 'psychological' shackles of institutions, the 'subliminal', unconscious habits. Formed inside prisons. Changing my options keeps institutional living from being planted inside my thoughts as being an 'acceptable' consequence for me. For my alternative options, I've put together a well picked, well researched, selection of 'several' kinds of legal hustles. These are legitimate hustles that can easily be implemented and adapted to my daily rituals, as low-impact, low-maintenance, and part-time, activities, yet they could supplement my primary income, as separate, independent streams of income, on the side. I'm not delusional or lost on the fact, my most youthful, energetic and peak years for my body and its most productive years have unfortunately come and gone, wasting away as I've had to sit still, for decades, without being able to benefit from any of it, while locked inside cells for the entire time, where I've not been able to use my body's youthful energy reserves to do something beneficial, to contribute anything or accomplish anything for anyone, during these youthful, energetic years. During that time when I should've been using my youthful, energetic body to produce work and build a quality of life for myself to live off of. Instead of capitalizing on my most productive years, taking advantage of the young man's body that I had for the years it lasted, opposed to having it contained and kept stored away, held back, locked in cells, eventually years of containment, decades of being subdued, stored-away, youthful energy is drained, younger years are replaced by older ones, energetic, productive bodies are soon less energetic and less productive. As the saying goes, "You don't know who your are until everything you've got in life, has been taken away, stripped, pulled away from your control". Only then, do you find out who you really, truly are? My youthful years, my post productive time in life, my body's peak period has been wasted away, a consequence of my dysfunctional past ways of thinking. Decades of youth have been taken away from me, stripped from me. Because of poor choices I've made in my younger years. Choices which caused me to forfeit my best and most productive years in lifetime, years that are meant to be spent building up and creating meaningful, lasting contributions, with my body's hard working energy reserves. Now, at this age, my body won't ever be as naturally energetic, strong and productive ever again, it's just a fact of life. The best time in life, for my body to work the hardest, produce the most out of it, become my greatest asset, has come and left. I can no longer depend on my body anymore as I did once before, today this is temporary. It's not something I can now depend on, for the long-term, my body can't be my most valued, most dependable asset to support me through these later years. It's not my body that will get me through the likes of paying my cost of living expenses. While in fact it's true, as I've aged behind fences, with my youthful strength and my body's natural energy supply slowly and gradually on the decline every year. Quite the opposite has occurred for my mental health and mental abilities. Now, what I've come to use in my age and body, I've come to make up for in my "brainpower", which I've come to depend on more and more, over these passing years. Realizing that it won't be the hard working sweat and laboring of my body anymore, when I'm finally set free that I will depend on, to produce an income I can life off of in my 50s and 60s or beyond. Any income produced from my body's labor, won't be for the long haul, only temporary. My body just won't be up for that kind of work, at these ages, back-breaking, strenuous, manual labor to support myself is just plain unrealistic and out of the question. This is why I've taken the time I've had to spend behind fences and invest the years I've had to be kept inside cells, to increase my mental strength by researching, studying, learning how to make my life experiences become of use to me, in this new life, why let my past mistakes, and lessons go to waste, when there are ways out there for me to use them to my benefit, ways to make my life better. Take for example, the social services field doing work, providing a service to others who are in need, offering behavioral health treatment, substance abuse treatment or a wide range of other social services. Counseling, as a means to produce a legitimate income for myself, to sustain my 'quality of life', my brain will replace laboring body. Becoming my 'newest, most valuable asset'. It will be my brain that will make up the difference, pick up the slack, from any decline in revenue, after my body has been retired, although age has now become a factor, taking its toll on my youthful strength and energy. What my body may lack in both strength and energy supplies over these passing years, I've come to make up for it in my brain with my life experience and self-education over these years An asset that I've become more and more familiar with now than anytime before. Coming to terms with the harsh reality, that it won't be my back-breaking, strenuous, hard working toiling labor that I'm left depending on to get myself by and help to support me in my transition, as I'm adapting to civil society again. This isn't what I will depend on to produce an income for myself to live on, in my 50s and 60s. any revenues or legitimate sources of income that I'm able to produce for myself will have to be produced what what I know, what I've taught myself, and learned through my own life experience, what I carry inside my brain, is all that I need in life from now on. To be well positioned and modestly taken care of, my brain is enough to become my only source of primary income to live on from now on, even going into my retirement years. Even with such late start securing professional certifications and licenses in these eight optional fields of study/training. I'm realistic about the facts, by the time I've completed the certification/training courage of any one of these eight professions that I've listed. The truth is there's not enough time left for me, to find work somewhere, stay at that place of employment for some 20 plus years before eligibility for retirement benefits could be met. It's not my plan to expect this to happen, when I'm starting out so late in life. I've got alternatives already lined up and planned out for my future. It also depends on my abilities to capitalize on my past. I will take full advantage of my past life experiences, taking what I've seen first hand, mistakes and lessons alike, then I'll transition all of it, sort it out, organize it and make plans with it all, that which I decide to be worth using. Taking a fresh look at everything happening in my life today, calculating and measuring out what is in my financial resources, at this very moment, who do I have in my group of friends, business associates, mentors and consultants to counsel with and come up with new, creative, legitimate ways for me to start other revenue streams for myself. Tapping into all that I've come to experience and learn, over my life again. All of this now becoming worth its weight in gold now. Using all of it to sustain myself as a contributing member of society, taking what I've come to know and using it to deliver productive results for myself for a change. In some cases, using what I know to benefit others' financial assets and resources, will in turn become a benefit to my own as well. For example, stock trade consulting, real estate concierge, auto auctioneer finders-fee, and other several money making legitimate business opportunities, than can be used to support myself also. All of which based solely on my brain and what I know, not on the strength, energy or the age of my body. With my life experience, combined with my self-education, in the areas of business, finance, economics, trade laws, international banking, government, politics, psychology, social sciences, history, computer sciences, and many, many other fields of disciplines and studies, I'm very confident today going forward into my retirement age that, I have enough to keep myself well taken care of with a legitimate source of revenue, along with whatever income I can produce out of a recognized, 'official', formal certification. Right along with my own personal lilfe experience, this can take me where I need to go in life, becoming an established, adjusted citizen, with the means to support myself, with today's technology, new doors have opened up for education, there's even online college campuses now, landless schools, where they offer entire classes, training courses, in every field of study, imaginable, there are many which issue certifications, AA, BA, Masters and Doctorate degrees, for 'life experience.' These are new options, that are going to open doors for me, when I'm no longer able to depend on my youthful strength and abundant energy level, any longer. Tapping into my past life experiences in the city streets, my socialization into the whole criminal street gang sub-culture, of southern California, leading me into California's Criminal Colleges founded and established inside the prison system. Where my formal education in crime began. All of which makes me an authority to speak about it all in motivational speaking platforms, seminars or group counseling, something which I can use in a career involving criminology, criminal psychology, or sociology. Perhaps being of service to professionals who need to be consulted or seek out my expertise about the many complexities surrounding this life. Whether that is the case or not, helping others to solve their own social problems as I came to do is my most reasonable option available, especially now that the U.S. government has officially allocated and set aside a multi-million dollar grants for all states, to be used specifically for mental health services, rehabilitation and substance abuse counseling/treatment and behavioral health services, surely areas that I've got extensive and proven life experience with going as far back as 35 years altogether. Information is 'currency' to empowerment, life experience is 'tuition' to college. Both information and life experience are the keys to freedom, something that, I happen to possess and carry around with me inside my brain, everywhere I go, each and every day. All will be important and crucial in "protecting my freedom." Optimal thinking will be necessary in order to hold on to my freedom from now on, requiring the hands on life experience of my past with the expertise and professional advice and guidance from those who have counseled me face to face in person, imparted knowledge on to me through their literature and writings, or their teaching lessons, many of which I've been fortunate to meet through reading, while inside of cells. Information is information for our brains, to sort through, process, and store for us to use later in life, no matter our whereabouts when we acquire the information. I've had many questions answered, I've solved many problems, solved when applying the advice, expertise and information of other people. Releasing me from mental bondage. I must continue to keep the mental shackles off by continuing to seek out professional and personal advice, reading other peoples' writings and taking up online study courses as well. All of this will help me to break the cycle and stay 'unshackled', free, and liberated from institutional living, enjoying life outside prisons. There are some books which inspired me so much, I must remember to put them inside my personal library, for later references, plus the literature I've still got to read. Online study courses I must enroll into, professional credentials, certifications I must secure, in order to make my extensive past, life experience into a legitimate, reliable source of revenue, adding another layer of security and protection over my freedom, arming myself with as much information and past life experience as possible will keep me independent and completely self-sufficient, self-reliant and self-empowered, able to 'respond' in the proper manner, to any situation I'm presented with, opposed to 'reacting' or 'rushing' to make any decisions. I've been given the proper information needed, had the proper amount of time needed in order to calculate and adapt the most practical solution, for the situation in question at the time. Being equipped with all of the right information and expertise 'inside my brain', ready to be called upon at a moment's notice, will be my best protection for freedom, I could ever have. Civilized society demands for our experience, education and expertise to come documented and shown on some form of diploma or formal certificate with an official seal and transcript to prove its place or origin and authenticity. Because of this, I've set out to establish my official credibility and expertise records through these following soucres: Sources: 1. Penn Foster College Substance Abuse Counselor Course Studies: 1-800-572-1685 2. Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School for chef certification 1-800-906-3100 3. ETS-GED Records, Concord, CA. 4. Pioneer College Construction Tech, Holbrook, AZ CA State Board of equalization resale license, Riverside, CA 5. Office of Vital Statistics Birth Certificate, Sacramento, CA 6. Adams State College Legal Investigator/Sociology/Paralegal 719-587-7671 Paralegal Institutte - 806-283-9406 7. College of America.edu 623-242-5692 8. International Sports Services Assoc. 877-889-7544/Sports Fitness Insurance Card 800-844-0556 9. Everest College.edu 1-800-844-0604 10. Try US Trainer.com 11. AIU online.edu/Capella University.edu/pshcyology 12. Universal Life Chjurch.org 13. Eden Press.com 1-8--538-8484 order # w/prices 14. How to find work w/federal government #852 $15.00 15. Medical Consultant #270 $5.00 16. International Pharmaceuticals # 19, $20.00 17. Become a Male Excort # 72, $10.00/ special services,408KG, 6278 Federal Highway Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 333078 18. Your Lucky Day #250, $5.00 19. Resumes, applications, cover letters #189, $5.00 20. How to Get the Job You Really Want #99, $15.00 21. Get Your College Degree, #523, $15.00 22. Home Inspector Service, #106, $10.00 23. Real Estate Investing For Profit, #585, $10.00 24. Get Rich From Real Estate You Don't Own, #294, $5.00 25. National Sellers List, #196, $5.00 26. Profit From Foreclosures, #878, $15.00 27. Government Giveaways, #868, $10.00 28. Private Investigators Secrets, #98, and #677, $20.00 29. U.S. Government Auto Auctions, #197, $5.00 30. U.S. Government Auction Sales Insiders Guide, #886, $10.00 31. Auto Detailing Expert, #529, $20.00 32. Import/Export #878, $15.00 33. Business Consulting, #94, $1.00 34. Degrees by Mail, #971, $20.00 35. Getting Started in TV., Theatre, Movies, #856, $12.00

Author: Brookshire, Levert, III (Sékou)

Author Location: Arizona

Date: October 15, 2016

Genre: Essay

Extent: 26 pages

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