Gang past:Do Not Let Your Past Dictate Your Future -- in Work, Life Or Anything Else

Feb

Do Not Let Your Past Dictate Your Future — in Work, Life Or Anything Else

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Today’s post was inspired by someone who emailed in for help this past week. This one is for you.

If I were to speak to the hundreds of thousands of gang members in the country, I would say one thing: You did not deserve to be born into the world you were in. You didn’t ask to be a little baby brought into whatever situation you may have been. It wasn’t your fault that you may have grown up hungry, afraid, hurt, abused, lost, ignored or whatever else may have happened. You were meant to matter, to go on to doing great and big things. And those who raised you didn’t know any better. They were as hurt and broken as you may be today. You deserve your hurts and pains from your past to be acknowledged, because they were and are very real. And you need to understand those things made you become as much as you are today as anything. I do not believe that anybody chooses a life of pain, suffering, despair, violence — I believe every bad thing humans do comes from a place of pain. If you have not realized this and acknowledged this in your life, and about yourself, then you must spend a minute doing so today. The first step to change is healing, and you deserve to heal too. Most of all, as you sit there hoping for a better life, or hoping for change, you need to know that you deserve that too. If you keep reaching, it will come. We live in a world of second, third, fourth, fifth and even tenth chances — or more — because that is the way God operates. The Bible says, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” If God himself gives us endless chances to try again, get it right, etc. then you will find people in this world who will do the same.

As you go out to find legitimate work, and to create a life for yourself outside of gangs, you need to look at your past as God does: The past, a mistake. My mom always says God put our eyes in the front of our heads for a reason — so that we look to what is before us, not behind us. I believe it. This is the mindset and the truth you need to hang onto as you take the steps towards change. You were born to matter, to do great and wonderful things. Even with any past you’ve had, that has not changed. When you are ready to reconnect with what you were meant to become, it will be there waiting. Life is hard whether you live legitimately or you live in violence and crime — there are no easy routes either way. But, if you move towards something, it’ll move towards you — whether the steps you take are positive or negative. Keep taking the steps towards what is positive, no matter how hard it is, how scared you are or how bleak the situation may be. Because when you do, doors will open, the world around you will shift. Hundreds of people who were once in the same situation you are in are proof.

When you are speaking with prospective companies regarding jobs, communicate these things. You made a mistake. You went the wrong way because you didn’t know, you weren’t aware, but you are now and things — including you — are different. In time, someone will believe in you and they will give you that break, and within a few years, your past — and whatever may have happened — will become less and less of a factor to what you have and can do in the future. I have seen living proof of this in endless amounts of cases. It will be hard for some companies to trust you, it’ll be hard for some people to believe that you are not who you were, but don’t let it affect you because for each of them, there will be others who are the opposite and believe you have changed. The more that you live a legitimate life, the less the past will play a factor in everything. In time, not only will you likely find that the past doesn’t have an affect on what you can have, you will find it will matter less and less.

If you are in the process of changing your life, or desire to, these are the steps to take:

1. Accept the path and the role you did NOT play (childhood abuse, trauma, etc.) and the one you did (bad choices, actions, etc.) and then MOVE ON. Acknowledge it and let it go. It is meant to be left behind. It has no purpose or place to where you are going. Leave it.

2. Seek God and what is within yourself to find your purpose. God doesn’t want you to just work at some XYZ job — He wants you to do far greater, bigger things. If you have never dreamed before, or never looked within yourself to what you really deep down wish you could do or be, you must do this today. The bible says, “Write the vision and make it clear” — if you are not clear on what you really want, it will be harder. Find it today.

3. Get support. We ALL need support — and that includes you. There are so many people trying to help people like yourself. Find them. They are your new family. They will lift you up when the going gets tough, they’ll help you and support you. This website is devoted to helping — email and ask. You will find it there. Also seek out other gang members who may have changed — Google examples and reach out to them via email. They know your fight, and they can help be a support as you do it.

4. Get moving. It is so fun to dig up your path and find your way once you’re on it, you are going to be empowered and charged up about it. Make a list of what you think you need to do if you are not sure, and start moving. If it is finding a job to get by now, work on it. If it is to better your income or to move onto a specific career path, do it. Every single thing in life requires taking steps — no matter what happens, keep moving on yours. You might stumble at first, or even fall, but in time if you keep at it, you’ll run swiftly and smoothly like everybody else.

5. Help others do the same. Nothing is more fulfilling or rewarding than giving back. Pay it forward by being the support to someone else that you once needed.

Now I know it’s going to be hard — believe me, but if you do the above, you will not be sorry.

Gangs & Street Gangs

Do Not Let Your Past Dictate Your Future — in Work, Life Or Anything Else

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