Relax to Survive to Thrive

Life’s ups and downs will come and go as they please

One day you’re on the top of a mountain and the next you’re wheezing to breathe

With COVID 19 so prevalent, this metaphor is now reality for some

Many have been forced to take a break from fun

Some have embraced this challenge, picked up a hobby and run

Relax to Survive is all about living with balance and embracing life’s challenges

Life can’t always be high or low so maintaining balance is like a self imposed allowance

It’s necessary to devote time to your mental health, even as you’re worrying about wealth

How can you succeed at work if you’re unhappy or unstable?

Being rooted in adaptable ideals allows you to acknowledge what’s real

Compared with worrying about situations that you make up in your head 

Savor the positives like freshly baked bread

Slowing down and interrupting life’s obstacles allows you to think clearer then hurrying 

And scurrying through the days. Instead of falling asleep at night filled with dismay in your

mind, we encourage you to be kind, and allow yourself time to unwind 

Activities that stimulate your body and brain to help enhance these ideals

Giving you the space  to acknowledge how you feel

Easier said than done when you get caught in the flow of life and work

Which can drive you berserk if you never stop to be mindful of your health, physically and

mentally. Being mindful will help you improve your mindset and mental health exponentially 

Take time to reflect and figure out what you’re neglecting 

And take action. Sometimes life feels like you’re slipping, and can never gain traction

Writing helps me reflect on my current state and free my mind of negative energy

We hope that our mantra will encourage you to take time to focus on yourself mentally 

Which will help make life feel heavenly through your mindset, transcendentally 

Reactions from 1/6/2021

You’re not a real boss if you can’t take a loss

If you really care about this country, accept your fate and help the transition

Instead you say the election was stolen from you, and your faithful white supremacists listen

I expected a retaliation, but this is a revolt from your cult

They storm the capitol building, yet they go unharmed?

If they were black or brown, they would’ve been swarmed and most likely killed

As they broke and entered, they look psychotically thrilled, 

With their white privilege serving as a shield 

This gave me chills, the sad and embarrassed kind

It’s never been clearer that white hate groups and police are one in the same

Do you think a cop would’ve taken a selfie with a black guy during a crime?

That man would either be arrested and do time or would be staring at the barrel of a nine

On a day where Georgia stepped up and flipped the senate

This mob dubbed “protesters” showed there’s no limit to White Privilege

I’m embarrassed to be white today, disturbed by unvalidated violence that may never fully die

They may hide in plain sight eventually, but how are people of color supposed to ignore them mentally?

Hate passed down through generations giving them some sick sensation

The same sensation that their grandpappy's felt on their plantations

It’s still the same nation that enforced segregation 

You would think people would evolve over time and get better like wine

I used to think things would change in due time

Sadly today proved that things aren’t fine and that hate will always course through human kind

My Initial Thoughts of Being in Quarantine

Uncertainty prevails

As new details come out daily

Death tolls spike and cities are epicenters 

Everyone still has to pay bills, landlords and renters

Will our government actually help

Or will they just “do the best they can” based on the cards they are dealt

The wealth gap is apparent and is enhanced during this situation

As many have lost their occupation and now have to deal with false proclamations

from our ignorant president, who originally compared this to the flu

He knew the same amount about it in reality, nothing, like me and you

As time goes by, now he says it’s serious

Thousands become delirious as this mysterious virus causes morgues to fill

All we can do is sit still and hope this passes sooner than later

Unemployment is backed up, lots of unemployed waiters and others who are now helpless

A few are stepping up with donations, at least some are selfless

Others are soon to be wealthless 

Living off savings, watching it dwindle down

As children are restless at home, misbehaving

Nurses and doctors are on the front line, braving this invisible enemy 

Help is on the way, apparently 

As this open ended quarantine goes on, 

Hopefully this won’t be my swan song

And this will end soon, proving pessimists wrong

A new time and era will dawn

And our spawn will learn from this and be cautious

Unlike this ignorant orange currently in office 

Global Oration in a Fragmented Nation

3 more months at least of Quarantine, what do you mean?

Thoughts of a world that’s clean remain distant, like a view that’s serene

Trying to ease back into the world while it’s still not safe

Is like smelling mace, hoping you won’t get a trace 

Trying to get back to normal when the world isn’t ready 

Creates a medley of problems and not solutions

I try to look at the positives, like lack the lack of pollution 

While others seek restitution or quote the constitution

Demanding to work because “this is america”

But this is global issue, Billy and you look real silly

Saying this isn’t a big deal and “make america great again” as its racist connotations attempt to be concealed. A black man can’t even go for a jog these days

Without some good old boys following closely with dismay

Many sadly said hurray when this innocent man was slayed

Bringing up bigger issues and deep seeded hate 

This quarantine should make you appreciate what you have and how we can all relate 

To each other, as brothers, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers

And look out for one another, instead of critiquing differences 

Things can clearly change in an instant 

What better time than the present to continue to learn and grow

And not just be content with what you already know

What if what you know is wrong, like the lyrics to that song

That you can’t get right but think is tight 

Why is peace and tranquility not as cool or masucline like a good fight

We’re more focused on being entertained then being sustained

Social ignorance now brings pain and it’s up for us, white people 

To not refrain from holding back at telling our fellow race what’s wrong

They’d rather not hear a swan song

But I’d rather tell the truth and stand with the unjust 

We have to acknowledge what’s wrong to gain trust

And stand up for things that disgust us, like the racism still alive

Trump’s position now allows those hate groups to thrive  

Someone is going to have to stand up and demand his demise

It isn’t easy taking down a bully

As many understand that fully, and keep quiet 

Some will riot while others will sit silenced

Intrigued yet not saddened by this unprecedented violence 

Focusing on their diet and other simple tasks

While grab asses still call the shots 

Something I can’t grasp

BLM & Relax to Survive

I’ve taken the last couple weeks to intentionally reflect and continue to learn about what it’s like to be black in America. I know I will never fully understand what it’s like, but I stand with Black, Brown, and Indiginous people and the BLM movement. I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things I cannot accept. Racism and violence towards Blacks has been going on for 400 hundred years and it’s up to us (white people) to acknowledge that and stop that hatred and violence from continuing today.

 I also acknowledge the privilege that my skin color provides. I've been privileged in many ways to have relationships with amazing people of different races, religions, ethnicities, backgrounds, and places of origin. Because of these relationships, I thought I understood race. I now realize that I can never fully understand.  I was privileged enough to grow up in a diverse neighborhood in New Jersey and some of my first friends and teammates were Black. Before, I told myself that I did not see their color, but I stand corrected. Seeing color is important, it is part of an acknowledgement that Black, Indigenous people of color have been constantly reminded to be vigilant about the color of their skin to survive.  

I know that I can do more and continuing to educate myself and others around me is just the start to making a difference.  I need to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony Mcdade and other countless individuals who have fallen victim to the system that is corrupt and supports white supremacy to the highest degree. I need to demand criminal justice reform including defunding police departments and putting money back into education, mental health and community services.

The “Relax to Survive” brand and I personally stand in solidarity with all Black, Indigenous people of color. People of color have had to consciously think about “surviving” in this country for over 400 years and counting. I acknowledge that my privilege has granted me a metaphorical shield because I do not have to wake up everyday thinking about surviving through a day of hatred or danger. I pledge to continuously educate myself on the issues at hand, and represent the voices of Black Indigenous people of color in Relax to Survive’s content. I hope that “Relax to Survive” will resonate with you as you fight to disrupt white supremacy within yourself and in the world around you. Remember to take those small moments of relaxation as we continue to fight for the survival of Black and Brown lives.