Don Savant - I'm Different

State of Mind Address

We live in a world today where males that can dance like Beyonce are celebrated more than males that graduate high school, college, and go through life without being incarcerated. We live in a world where people are more fascinated and amazed by a female twerking, than a female that is working her way to the top of her field. Babies are still having babies, and grandmas under 30 are becoming the "norm". We live in a time where there is more education available than ever before but we still choose to be ignorant about the decisions we make. We'd rather spread our business, then tell people to stay out of it than to take care of business and make something out of ourselves. We'd rather point and laugh at those who are struggling than to do what we can to help them out of it. We expect that since we were strong enough to overcome things in our lives that everyone else should have that same strength and pull themselves out of the hole they are in. We have so much hatred for our fellow man that we'd watch someone starve or thirst to death while we watch them, holding our own plates of food and glasses of drink. So many messages of love are lost in translation because real love has been misconstrued to the point where it's no longer recognized. We call the people in our lives fake because they don't do what we do the way we do it, or because they disagree with us in some sort of way. We no longer say exactly how we feel in order to get whatever it is off of our chests. Instead, we simply say that we're feeling "some type of way". We have all but lost the ability to think for ourselves because we listen to and believe each and everything we're told instead of finding the real truth for ourselves. We push the people that love us away, then cry about being alone. We date people who we know we shouldn't over and over again then make proclamations that there are no more good men/women left. We fail to take responsibility for the things in our lives that we have the power to change, and we do it all knowing that we can absolutely do better.

We want to claim change and a new "me" in the new year when those very changes should have been made a long time ago and at the end of this coming year, we'll be sitting here saying the exact same thing we're saying now.

What are we going to do?

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Post by Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire.

Seasons of Change (Healthy New You)

November is sitting at our doorsteps waiting to get in. This is the time of year when we begin to reflect on where we are versus where we feel we should be. This is the time where we usually start to proclaim that some changes need to be made in our lives and that in the coming year those changes will be applied. The things is though... If you recognize that something needs to be changed, why wait until you say Happy New Year to do it, when you can begin a Healthy New You right now? Don't drop the ball while waiting for the ball to drop. Change now!

A Message from Don Savant

Vasectomy

This is a poem I wrote yesterday for a new collection of poetry that I'm calling Naked Thoughts.

Vasectomy

We are
Constantly losing our manhood
Continually being
Emasculated as
Our strength
And our purpose
Is slowly being stripped away

We are
Beginning to
Lose our ability
To be who we are
Through
A seemingly staged identity crisis

Our pants are
Hanging lower
Than ever before
Exposing bits and pieces of us
That were never meant to be seen

Our passion for life
And our
Willingness to love
Feels like more of
An afterthought
Than the prominent
Stand out features
That used to
Promote who we are…

The vasectomy
That the world is performing on us
Is
Stunting our growth
And keeping us
From being
The brothers
The fathers
The sons
The uncles
The husbands
And the men
That God Himself
Ordained us to be
Through our birth
And
Through the death
Of His
Only begotten Son

Reclaim your manhood

©2013 Don Savant

Change

With every mistake I make I become more ashamed of myself. Why? Because I know that I know better. I know that I cannot use being an imperfect human being as an excuse to mess up over and over again without correcting the things I continue to get wrong.  There must be point where I understand that these are teachable moments that I must hold on to for the reason of growth, and that when the situation arises once again, I will know better how to navigate it.  I know it all starts with me, yet I do not apply that knowledge as often as I should.  Change...

Attitude Reflects...

Sometimes we see or interact with people and we leave them wondering why they act the way they do. I've done this many times myself. It happens most often in my field of work. People say things, do things, and act in ways that I'll never understand but at some point, I've come to realize that it's not about how they act towards me, it's how I react and act towards them. My personality has always has not so subtle hints of sarcasm and I've often used it to my advantage in certain O.T.J. situations. However, it always leaves me questioning myself, asking if that was the right way to handle it. If I can't say yes immediately, then I know what the answer is. I know that I must be careful of how I treat people because honestly, there's no telling what they've been through, or may be going through and you never know the circumstances that surround why they are the way they are. It just goes to show how imperfect this world and the people that inhabit it really are. Greet everyone with a smile, make sure it is sincere and keep it available in your heart always.

The Return of Don the Blogger

Hello everyone,

I've had so many thing on my mind lately that it's been sort of driving me crazy. I've laughed, I'm cried, smiled and I'm sat in reflection. I've been praying for myself and others, more-so others than myself. Today, as I was in the middle of my thoughts, it occurred to me that I still have a blog and that I haven't posted anything new since August. For that I apologize. I promise that from now moving forward I will use this blog more often. I will empty my head of the thoughts that plague me, be they good, bad or ugly. Keep me in prayer, and I will do the same for you.

Love,

-Don Savant

Live and Learn

This week I learned something life-changing. It's something that I saw coming but I didn't really believe it could happen. I will not go into detail about the revelations that have unfolded over the last seven days but I will say that it has been eye-opening for me and that from now moving forward, things will change.

I've learned that no matter how nice you are to people or how hard you work, if those people don't appreciate you while you're doing what you do, odds are they never will. Now I'm not planning on discontinuing my nice guy persona or slacking off in my work but, now that I truly know that all of my hard work has gone and will continue to go unnoticed and unrewarded, I am shifting my focus.

I am digging deeper into my dreams. I am beginning now to live the life that God has in store for me. I will follow His path closer than I ever have before because working hard day in and out, sacrificing your heart, soul and pouring out sweat and tears without any form of recognition is a losing battle.

Follow your dreams ladies and gentlemen. Don't be a slave to someone else's time clock all of your life. Doing that will only help someone else's dream continue to come true.

I'm going to follow the path that God laid out for me. What about you?

-Don Savant

Showing Love To One Of My Talented Friends

If you've never heard Kerry Palmer sing, you've been missing out on what I believe to be one of the most naturally talented individuals God ever blessed with vocal chords. This man right here has a real and true gift and the best thing about it is that he doesn't mind thanking God for it. This is a video of him just playing around with Let's Stay Together in his bathroom. Imagine what he will do in an arena. God has really blessed this man.

Life Lesson 8-9-2013

Today I learned a lesson in patience. For a while I've considered myself a patient person but in the past, I can admit to having a very short fuse when it comes to certain things. There was a gentleman I spoke with before today that I sort of started losing my patience with because I couldn't understand what he was saying. He spoke low and his words didn't come out as clear as I thought they should.

Today as I approached my station, that same gentleman was sitting there and I stopped short, but something pushed me towards him. Before I even spoke to him, something came over me and I began to smile.

During our conversation, I found out that this man has survived a stroke, a heart attack and prostate cancer. He's been through all of that and with every word he spoke, he still smiled. That's a man who truly has joy and it made my heart feel good to stand there talking to him. This is the same man that I wrote off before and put in the "don't want to talk to" column until now. Now I will be more than willing to converse with him because I could see God all over him.

Sometimes we lose focus when things don't go as we plan but we have to stop and realize that it's not our plan that we need to put our all into, it's God's plan.

Suddenly, my problems don't seem so big anymore and I have yet another reason to praise Him for everything He's done for me. Whenever you need perspective in your life, talk to someone who's been through more than you have and still smiles and still thanks God for it. I guarantee that you will feel better and act better.

I hope all of you have a blessed weekend.

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

The Collected Works of Don Savant

A lot of hard work goes into being what you were created to be. Unless you're doing it yourself, no one can really gauge how much work, dedication, how many hours of sleep are lost, how much blood, sweat and tears you've shed or how many nights you dwell in a spirit of frustration in order to get the best out of yourself. When it's all said and done though, it's all worth it and seeing that finished product is the fuel that keep me going.

This video represents what I've done so far. Trust me though, I've only just begun!!!



Thanks for all of the love and support!!!

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

Work For It...

In life we want things. We have ideas, dreams, and expectations. Everything we do, buy, visit, and participate in was someone's dream at some point in their life. There was a decision made that they were going to make that dream a reality. This is how things are introduced into our society. Everything starts with an idea. What happens with that idea is dependent upon how badly you want it realized. It depends on how hard you're willing to work to get it done.

We have a habit of sitting around wishing. We wish we had this or that; we wish we were this person or that person. It's time to stop wishing and start doing. Whatever it is you want, you must put in the necessary work to achieve it. You are the link between wishing, wanting and having.

Work for it...

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinare.

What If???

We walk around angry, holding grudges, seeking vengeance against others. We lie, we cheat, we steal and we manipulate. Why? What is it that brings those things from within us? Why do we allow ourselves to be controlled by those things?

We call ourselves "Christians", we say we're "saved" but when others call us on the things we do, we curse them out then in the midst of it all we holler out "Only God Can Judge Me". I'm not saying that I'm perfect. In fact, I'm far from it. None of us are perfect and honestly, that's the way it's supposed to be. He made us imperfect for a reason. The thing I don't get is that when given a choice, we almost always choose the most negative way possible. We breed negative things in our lives and we sit around wondering why things aren't going right for us.

There is so much power in the things we say and do. There is so much influence behind positive words and sentiments. As a people, we will follow those things and people that we are attracted to one way or another. If we carry around negative vibes and feelings, we will follow those that present and project those things. If we carry around positivity, then that's what we will attract ad what we will produce.

What are you a product of?

What are you learning from those that came up before you?

What are you teaching those who are coming up behind you?

Where does God fit in your life?

These are questions that demand an answer from all of us. We are here for reasons that we have to have a certain mindset to understand. Those of us that have that understanding are the ones that truly get to experience life the way God intended. It's still not easy to go through but the thing is, when we do as He says, it creates in us a spirit of preparation that helps to guide us through the things that try to hinder us.

When will we learn? No, I have an even better question, why do we refuse to learn?

Each one of us needs to speak, to live, and to be as if the last thing we say and do will be the last things we say or do. Put that anger and bitterness behind you and speak love. Speak positivity because none of us know when our last words will be spoken. None of us know when our last duty will be performed. None of us know the last person we will ever have the opportunity to touch and how what we've said or done will affect them.

What if we decided to be what we're supposed to be?

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

Where Did Feminity Go?

I'm a man. With that said, I may not be the most masculine guy in the bunch. I'm not going to act tough, start fights, curse and drink to prove my manhood. You won't see me walking around holding myself, walking as if I may tip over with every step I take in the name of "swag" or mean-mugging everyone that crosses my path. I consider myself to be just a regular guy.

When it comes to women, however, I am a man to the core. I love women. God created them the way He did because He know we would love them. From the way they look, to the way they smell and dress. The way they talk, the way they walk and just who they are in the name of purpose.

I've noticed for years a steady decline in feminine or "lady-like" behavior amongst females. This scares me because I again, I love women and I love for my woman to act, to talk, to smell, to walk like and to be a woman. It may sound a little neanderthal but I love to see women in nice clothing that fits just right...not too loose and not too tight. I love to see women in sundresses walking as if their feet never touch the ground. I love when a woman walks by me and after that two second delay, her fragrance surrounds me and causes me to pause just for a moment to collect my thoughts on what I just experienced.

I like a woman to greet me by saying hello or hi, not "what's up" followed by a head nod. I like for a woman to greet me with a hug, not a handshake. When we part ways, don't "throw up the deuces", wave goodbye.

Men we need to step up and reclaim our roles in this world. We've been absent for so long that our women are becoming what we're supposed to be and that's a problem. It's a problem because there are more women sitting in the chairs at the barber shop. There are more women buying our jeans, wearing our fitted caps and using our lingo. There used to be a gender line that was never crossed. Now that line is either blurred beyond recognition or even worse, non-existent.

Ladies, embrace your femininity. Be emotional, be flirty, be coy. Smile and hug. Carry yourselves the way a woman ought to. You don't have to conform to the world's definition of beauty because God has already designed and created you as such. You are the most amazing and wonderful gift that man could ever receive. You are the reason the phrase "opposites attract" exists. Many believe that it means opposite personalities, but I feel it's much deeper than that.

I know that a lot of you have had to take on different responsibilities in your lives, that times are much different now but don't let the differences of the world make a difference in you. Let your hair down from time to time and just be...woman. In every proper sense of the gender. I love y'all.

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

Independence Day

They fought for our independence. There were lives lost and some very difficult decisions had to be made. Here we are though. We are here and we are free. To me that has more than one meaning. We are free. We are independent. When I think of this day, I can't help but think about God and how He sacrificed His only son Jesus to die so that we can be free. He paid the ultimate price for our freedom, yet some of us are still bound. Some of us are still not independent. We live our lives afraid to live, afraid to be who we were created to be. We depend on the world to tell us who we are, how we should dress, what we should say and what we should do. That is in no way how we are supposed to live. It's time we let go and let God guide us through any and everything that comes our way. It's time that we begin to thank Him for all that He's done and will do. It's time for us to truly have our Independence Day...free from bondage, free from sin, free from the world...led by God into the greatness He planned for us.

Let's start now!!!

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

A Word About Paula Deen

I think it's sad that we still live in a world where race is so prevalent. There is far too much separation between us based on it and too many that are stuck in the mindset that says that one race is better than another. The truth of the matter is, we were ALL created in the image of God. He didn't created us to be unequal and to judge, bully, ridicule and fight one another over superiority. He created us to rule over this land, not one another.

I do not in any way condone the things that Ms. Paula Deen has said and done. However, I make no judgment upon her for one because it is not my place and two, the culture she was raised in says that type of thing is okay. Is she old enough to know better? Of course. Is she perfect though? No. None of us are. I am confident that each one of has has said or done something in our past whether recent or not that would completely embarrass us if it were ever brought to light.

I've watched Ms. Deen on television for years and that person, that personality is the one I will always remember. The one that has been brought to light right now will soon be an afterthought and while we move forward, she will be left to ponder what she is going to do for the rest of her life.

Mistakes are as common as breathing. We all make them and we should all see forgiveness for them. The thing about human beings though is that we are quick to want to be forgiven but it would take an act of congress for us to forgive someone. A lot of us ask why she would do and say such things but the bigger question in this is what do we do to fix it? How do we change this culture of race and class? How do we move forward when we are clearly so deeply damaged that we cannot move from where we've always been?

Someone somewhere has to make a decision to embrace this situation and use it as an opportunity to grow and for the change that we need in this world amongst ourselves to take place. Guess where that starts? With YOU!!! With US!!! With God at the head of all we do, leaving all burdens for Him to bare we can endure all things and what someone says or does will have absolutely no bearing on who we are and what we have said or done.

The bottom line is, we have all done something that we need to be forgiven for so let me end this by saying, Ms. Paula, I love you and I forgive you. Now let's heal and begin our forward progression.

Amen?

-Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire

Hello World!!!

It's been a while since I've shared any thoughts here but I plan to do so more frequently from here on out. I have a word today that just hit me. We have all struggled with something at some point in our lives. Don't let your struggles bring you to a point where you feel as if it's your life. Our struggles are meant to strengthen, to allow us the ability to be grateful for the things that we will be blessed with after the struggle passes. Once it passes, and things are good, those times will return but you must used what you learned from the previous struggle to bring you through it once again.

Make sure you thank God for everything in your life, whether it's good bad, or in between.

I love y'all.

Be Blessed and positive,

Don Savant

Insomnia

These moments right here, when i'm lying wide awake, tossing and turning with sleep not coming easily, are the moments when I think about you the most.

Get Up And Go Get It!!!

Life never came with any guarantees. No one can ever tell you truthfully that you will be here tomorrow because the truth is, no one knows. Things can happen so quickly, especially in today's world. That's why it's important to do all that you can every single day to make something out of yourself.

What are you doing right now in this moment to make tomorrow better if you're able to see it?

You can't try and give up when things don't go as you expected...you either have to try it again, try it a different way or try something else altogether. There is no such thing as overnight success...there's is a lot of work behind the scenes that takes place. if you're not willing to put in the work, then honestly, you're not the man for the job.

In order to get somewhere, you have to go somewhere and can't nobody get it like you.

What are you waiting on? Tomorrow?

Go get it!!!

My Dream

I dream of a day when I can wake up and smile at the beauty lying in bed next to me. When I can say, "get some more sleep honey, I'll get the kids up and ready".

I long for the day when I can plan out our date night, when I can use my mind to come up with creative things to do for her "just because".

I ache for the day when I can tell her I love her and she replies with "I love you too" and know with all my heart that she means it just as much as I do if not more.

I'm a husband without a wife...

Google Yourself

Every now and then I find it entertaining to google myself and see if anything new or interesting pops up. I've decided to share some of the link that come up when I google Don Savant...

Here goes!!!

Linkedin

Don Savant, Poet Extraordinaire on facebook

Don Savant (Causes) on facebook


Twitter

Blog

Myspace

Goodreads

Google Books

Google+

Amazon

Pinterest

The POV Lounge

Mingle City

Zazzle

Lulu.com

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Soundcloud

American Author

Powell's

Check me out!!!!

Question of the Day January 3rd, 2013

The world we live in seems to have become one where a lot of us pride ourselves on doing illegal things. It makes me wonder if things were reversed, how different it would be. For instance, if drugs were legal, would there be more people doing them or less? If you take the thrill away, no one wants to do it anymore.

I said all that to ask this...

If supporting someone in their endeavors were made illegal, would more people support people like myself out here trying to make a name for themselves?

Something to think about.

Question of the Day January 2nd, 2013

If confidence was legally available in pill for with a prescription would you go through a mandated doctor's 4 hour mental exam in order to obtain that prescription?

Happy New Year!!!!

Good morning ladies and gentlemen!!! Somebody thank God this morning for waking you up to see the first day of a brand new YEAR!!! Take advantage of the opportunities that God places before you. Don't second guess yourself because you're really second guessing Him when you do. He knows exactly what you're capable of because He's the one that made you capable of it!!! Reach out and grab your purpose right now!!! Don't let it be on the verge of 2014 and you're making the same empty promises to yourself that you are now. It's time to MOVE!!! Dream it, do it, visualize it, vocalize it, get it and see how much you grow in God!!!! Let's GO!!!!




Right Now

(Poetic Theme for 2013)

opportunities come...
they go
then they come again...
and we watch them pass us by

we stand there waiting
with
excuse after excuse
as to why
it wasn't the right time
to move

we say
we're waiting on God while...
God wonders
what we're waiting on

He knows
your goals
and your dreams...

He knows
your purpose
because
He
Created you for it

now is the time
right now...
not
in a minute or
in a
little while but
right now...

in this moment right here
is your time to
find yourself

it's your time to
find your purpose

it's your time to
discover
the things that God has
placed within you

it's time to
get the play
and the fear out of your mindset
and go DO
what it is your were
created to do...

it's time to GET
what God
has for you and only you

it's time to GROW
to LEARN
to MOVE

it's time to realize that...
a DREAM
in an awakened mind state
is a VISION
waiting for you
to put into ACTION

the time is NOW...