Garbage In, Garbage Out
7:18pm Saturday, Jul 7
Since day one as a computer science major/student, I learned a very key rule that I will always live with... "Garbage In, Garbage Out". Distinctly, I remember wrestling with computer code on many late weeknights and weekends trying to get my programs to work correctly. The one consistent thing I found was that no matter how sophisticated or simple the code, if you put in bad data, you were 'guaranteed' bad output. The same applies to what you feed your mind, and the resulting output that manifests in your life. Read on and feel me on this.
I thought about this rule as I lay with a cold, changing tv channels. Coincidentally, I landed on B.E.T. (a channel I haven't watched for a full hour for more than 4 or 5 years). I decided to give it a shot for a sec, and left it there to see what's on these days (since I'm so not in tune with the new trends and songs). And I realized something! The rap game is the most environmentally friendly industry on earth. Why you ask? Simple, it's the one industry recycling garbage over and over and over and over again. How many ways can you talk about absolute bullshit (detached from reality) telling "me" how I'm not a pimp like "them", or how I'm not paid like "them", or how my ice don't shine like "them", or how many guns "they" tote or drugs "they" slang, and how all the bitches and hoes -pop, lock, and drop it- for "them" b/c of the big 26 inch rims. As I approached minute 10 of watching, I felt certain cells in the back half of my brain begin to decay... but still I persisted... there must be something empowering on this channel right??? - how disappointed I was (now I remember why i banned my siblings from watching that mess, and put them on reading assignments). So... at minute 17, I changed the channel back to my normal CNBC programming like "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer".
Then I delved into deep thought which I call my 'forward- and back-tracking' states, where I isolate myself, disengage from today's stresses (a.k.a. bills, work, etc.) and think back on life and think about the future. And as far as I can reach back, the B.E.T. bullshit never did anything for me (but corrupt my image of women and -self); and I looked into the future... B.E.T. has no major role in the accomplishments to be realized. Then I thought about what did help along the way... well...
1) keeping progressive friends around,
2) investing time reading on relevant materials to my aspirations,
3) humbling myself to the wisdom of elders and spending time with them
4) and being aggressive about what I wanted (- a way out of the rat race). The more I read books like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and spent time with wise elders... the sharper my focus became and continues to be.
Think back a bit, and think about where you're spending most of your time, and now think about today and tomorrow. If you're not happy, figure out what you need to do to get the output you want. You don't get back the time you pass, so use it wisely.
I share this experience to ask the question, "What are you feeding your mind?" Remember... Garbage In, Garbage Out.
*To all the BET lovers... I really feel this way about BET. I don't like it and won't apologize for it.