The Company You Keep

A while back, my sister sent me an email with the message below, and now more than ever it's making perfect sense...and for those people in my life that I have to step away from, please know that I still got love for you, but in order for me to grow, I cannot continue to be around you.  Hopefully, y'all can understand.

The Company You Keep

It is better to be alone than in the wrong company.

Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.
If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl.

But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.
A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.
The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate for the good and the bad.
The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.
An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.
As you grow, your associates will change.
Some of your friends will not want you to go on.
They will want you to stay where they are.
Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl.
Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream.
Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:

• Never receive counsel from unproductive people.
• Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always the first to tell you how.
• Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.
• You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
• Don't follow anyone who isn't going anywhere.
• With some people you spend an evening; with others you invest it.
• Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.
• Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.

                                                                                         ~ Source Unknown

Be blessed and stay encouraged,

                                K. WiLL

It Hurts to Learn the Hard Way...

Hey y'all, I know it's been a minute since I last posted but I can only speak when the inspiration comes and unfortunately, as of late, I've been quite distracted.  With that being said, here are some thoughts on where I'm at right now regarding some of the people in my life.

 I'm running circles in my head

Unsure of my next move

Ending up right where I started,

Starting back where I began

Empty associations I chose to deal with

In hopes of bringing light

Giving insight to those who requested

Preventing my own dreams from taking flight 

Sharing laughter and good times

But rarely going past the surface

Often teaching, at times even preaching

Yet they never seemed to care

If you read this and it stings,

And you don't quite understand

Why friendship I'll no longer offer

Until you choose to become a better man.

~K. WiLL

                                                                                          

The Strange Comfort in Discomfort

Why is it easier to deal with the bad than it is to expect the good?  Why do we choose to believe that where we are right now is where we'll always be?  Why is it so difficult to believe that where we are right now is merely a stepping stone toward a greater ending?

Even though I consider myself to be a pretty optimistic person, I've noticed in some areas of my life that I've chosen to accept the status quo.  Somewhere along the way I became comfortable with expecting less and having less.  No more.  My Father promised me more; I know He wants nothing less than the best for me.  So from this day forward I'm taking on a new attitude.

Today may not be what I want it to be but I won't let it rob me of the hope that tomorrow brings new possibility...

~ K. WiLL

Don't Let Your Past Determine Your End...

It's very easy to focus on the mistakes we've made in our past and to beat ourselves up about decisions that, if we could go back in time, we definitely wouldn't have made.  But if we could go back in time would we really want to change those decisions?  Are we not who we are today because of the mistakes, failures and disappointments we've endured in our lives?  Would we have learned the needed lessons if we had made the "right" decisions at that particular place and time?

I've made many mistakes in my life that I'm not proud of and for a long time I found it hard to forgive myself for these mistakes.  I'd let the situation run through my mind over and over again asking myself how could I do such a thing?  How could I be so foolish?  Didn't I know what was at stake?  Didn't I realize the consequences of my actions?  See, that was the problem.  I was looking at the action itself instead of focusing on the lessons that I learned from it.  And I learned some great lessons.  In making these mistakes I was able to learn the true meaning of friendship, perseverance, forgiveness and unconditional love.       

No one is perfect except the Most High and if He can see our faults and still choose to forgive us then why is it so hard to forgive ourselves?  In closing I'll leave you with these words...

Don't let your past determine your end

So what you made mistakes

Forgive yourself and start again

Victory's reserved for those who persevere

Take time to learn the lessons

The ones that brought you here 

 © K. WiLL

 I am the man I am today because of those mistakes I made along the way...

My Misconception of Perfection

For several years I didn't actively pursue music as a career with everything I had because I didn't feel that I was good enough.  I felt I needed to be perfect in order to make my mark.  My voice had to be perfect.  Every performance had to be perfect.  There was no room for error.  These were the thoughts that went through my head each time I considered pursuing my dream.  As you might suspect, placing such pressure on oneself would cause almost anyone to become discouraged and to stop trying altogether.  With these thoughts I dismissed myself from the game before it even began.

Fortunately, as of late I've come to the understanding that I do not have to be perfect in order to begin.  As long as I'm learning along the way I will continue to enhance my craft.  I've recognized that my talent is indeed a gift and it must be shared with others.  Those negative voices in my head that often told me I just wasn't good enough aren't as loud as they used to be and no longer do they cut as deep.  I feel most alive when I sing and I'm finally noticing that I have the ability to effect people with my voice.  I refuse to allow fear and doubt to keep me from the stage.

In my opinion, perfection is reserved for the Most High.  We weren't made to be perfect; for if we were, we'd have no need for each other and no reason to learn from one another.  We must use the gifts we were given to help each other.  I encourage you all to chase the desires of your heart and never stop.  Don't let your feelings of inadequacy deter you; let your spirit move you and enjoy the journey...

~ K. WiLL

What's the Rush??

I've noticed in this life we often rush into relationships instead of allowing things to progress naturally. I understand we all want to love and be loved but at what expense? If we would just step back for a min, allow the lust factor to fade a bit and look past the face and the body we might realize that the person we're chasing may be too much of what we want and not a bit of what we need. If we did this more often we'd save ourselves from a lot of unnecessary drama and hurt feelings. What's meant to be will be. Ain't nothin' wrong with taking things slow; fall back and be easy. What's real always comes to the surface sooner or later...

Welcome...

Hey what's goin on?  Thanks for visiting.  Allow me to introduce myself... my name is Kevin aka K. Will.  I was born in a suburb of Chicago but have been living in NYC for over 9 yrs now.  I graduated from Columbia University back in '05 with a degree in sociology; however, music is my true passion and I've finally decided to pursue singing as a career.  This blog will be a place where I can share the lessons I've learned and the observations I've made thus far in my life.  Hopefully these lessons will be a blessing for those who choose to read on.  I'm learning more and more that life is indeed a journey and it's the lessons we learn and the experiences we have along the way that make the journey worth taking.  So I'm asking you to come along with me...I think you'll enjoy the ride...

Stay tuned...