I Got Issues

By Aileen Imana

I GOT ISSUES is a stream of consciousness piece that allows you to have a subliminal conversation with me about every problem I have encountered with the world, myself included. My experiences of the past have taught me lessons which I can apply to my present and the future and I invite the reader to do the same. With musical, spiritual, and political messages, I will show you the significance of basic old wisdom in these current times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477160442

Aileen Imana

Born of a religiously militant background and ancestry, April 4, 1985, Aileen Imana Muhammad Lassiter was the youngest of 12 sibling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and she was raised in various cities in North Carolina. Finishing high school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Aileen pursued and successfully completed undergraduate studies at North Carolina A & T State University with a B.A. in English. Actively involved in raising awareness on the campus of her HBCU, Aileen Imana was determined to speak out through poetry. Inspired by the work of the great British literary figures and African/African-American female writers, Aileen decided to embark on the journey of using her own literary voice. As a young adult and single mother, Aileen Imana has made it her personal mission to bring awareness to the lives of the youth around the world from the position of a Nichiren Buddhist Practitioner of the Soka Gakkai Interntational (SGI)- USA.

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Copyright © 2012 by Aileen Imana.

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CONTENTS

INFLUENCE

CONCEPTS OF ISSUES REVEALED

ITS NOT JUST ABOUT CRIBS

SUPPORT SELF, SUPPORT OTHERS

POTENTIAL STRUGGLES, POTENTIAL WINNINGS

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF

KNOWING YOURSELF

HOW DO WE GET TO PEACE?

IT IS TIME TO CHANGE

DON’T WORRY, YOU AREN’T ALONE

DESTINATION REVEALED

NOW WHAT?

PEACE IN THE BODY

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

FACING ROADBLOCKS To PEACE

I PRAY

I ASK

MY SISTERS

TO MY BROTHERS

TO THE YOUTH

Dedicated to Grandmother Aileen surrey Jefferson, a living, breathing optimist. For my fortune and grace of God, saudia Naima. Dedicated to the unborn waiting to be delivered at the right time. To my mother, Aileen Muhammad, and late father Emmanuel Muhammad who instilled light and faith into me from the beginning. To all of my sisters and brothers and whole family I appreciate you for your encouragement and support. To every young mother, father, and fighter, this book is dedicated to you, please don’t give up on your dreams. I thank those who are on the mission for change, human happiness, and world peace. To every artist, rich or poor, I thank you for inspiring me in some way. Let’s change this world, one person at a time.

11/17/09

INFLUENCE is A tender thing. My dreams and fantasies, realities and consequences came alive all at once, and millions of messages transmitted through each section of my brain. My mind was clearly on the go.

Almost four years ago, it was 2006. And all was lost, and all was found. seeking direction, truth, guidance, love, and most of all my destiny, I began to write. What was this that had come over me? What functions served to enlighten me? Was it the newly-found motherhood? or was it the simplicity of change?

Thoughts and feelings followed my dreams. I heard them both say two nights in a row in my dreams, that I am ready and they support me. My mother was wrapped in indigo, beautiful as can be, and I said, Mother I am not yet ready for you to leave. Then I was compelled to arise and view the vision board that has provided me all of my desires on two huge pieces of poster board. one clipping in my vision board asks the question, What about the mothers? I keep asking myself that question. Who will answer it for me? What must be done? I am not. I may not be who you think I am. Yet some may know me as (and it’s true) a woman, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a niece, an aunt. v I am a courageous bodhisattva. I am a courageous mother. I have ambitions. What are they?

INFLUENCE

IN THE SUMMER of2006, the nature of woman and my maternal instincts, influenced me. My daughter was born and I found abundant support in life. Faith pushed me forward. stability allowed me to think about what it was that I wanted. A time that should have been college graduation for me, was a time for saudia to be freed from my womb. saudia graduated into life on Earth, free from the umbilical cord. Family embraced her with full force. And I was ready to tell the story to the world. so I began writing.

"07/31/06

So much changes in one day. Just yesterday, I would have never thought I would be writing my life story in this fashion. Fashion. What is it really? Style, culture, art? I believe fashion is the way one handles their shit. Holding it in, letting it out, pushing for their dear life: FASHION! And my dear sisters of America have helped me realize the importance of classy fashion and not tacky or trashy fashion, because there is a big difference. "

Inspired by music I wrote pages and pages of my thoughts, searching for something deeper. Potential had me chasing my destiny. A force moved me to search. And what they say is seek and you will find. Discovery is an endless journey. Why not allow yourself to be accompanied by a muse or two along the way?

Ruby Dee said The greatest gift in life is not being afraid to question. And so I ask (among many other questions), what makes a man walk upright? Is it the confidence that the stroke of one simple chord, the beat of one drum, the ringing of one bell, or the blow of one horn will help you stand taller? What happens when the music stops, when the I-Pod juice runs out? What happens when the party is over? Do you stop celebrating life? Does your inspiration stop? Now the depth of this notion is that answers will come. Isn’t that what we want?

What brought me to this point where I sit inside my car hours before August 1, 2006 bumping my stereo to the freshest production I’ve heard in a while? What has brought me to this point is my daughter and her father, P. His music puts me in a trance that makes me feel like I’m getting there, arriving. His music makes me move, sweat, cum, and cry even when it’s not playing.

Back then, my driving force was music. I called myself a Muslim, but music seemed to be my religion. I worshipped the Divine Force, Allah, inside of me, but I followed the Music. As I became amazed by this drive to write, I spoke out. I wanted everyone to know what I was doing. I found myself unstoppable. seeing the vision so brightly, I decided that I would create my fame; I would reach my destiny. The wise women in my family, being my mother and aunt, told me my muse had come. I believed them.

Now with the pen and satin-bound book of empty pages in front of me, I went to work. I went to work at work. I went to work while saudia slept. I went to work while she ate and played. I wrote and wrote until I had nothing left to say. And that’s when the struggles came.

Looking back I see that I influenced myself to write to you. observing the philosophies I developed through meditation and a seeking spirit, and standard schooling, I set the standards that I should live by; and this is where the journey truly began. Like any great epic journey where the hero finds himself overcoming great obstacles and going great lengths to own what it is he is searching for, I wanted to find myself. I wanted to find my purpose. I did not want to read the books, I wanted to write the books. I didn’t want to follow the philosophies of society’s leaders, I wanted to live by my own. A true rebel is what I am and what I was. It takes a rebel to cause a revolution. A close friend of mine told me to pray to change so that my environment would change. This prayer was what I manifested years before it was put into words. This prayer was put into action subconsciously the moment I decided for myself that I had a destiny in which I would arrive. That destiny is what I am fighting for now. And though this process has called for faith and action, wisdom and experience, love and self-love and I am proud to deliver the humble beginnings to you.

As I began to change my thinking, my actions no longer coincided with my beliefs. Now I had something that I believed in and I expected change to occur immediately. This experience does not just involve me, but the environment I am in. For instance, as my thoughts began to influence me, they traveled to like minds and vice versa. When I started this piece of work, President George W. Bush was in office. As I am completing this work, President Barack Obama is in office. Change is happening. Thoughts are manifesting.

The mind has the power to influence. Thoughts have the power to influence. Faith has the ability to influence.

People write books on the power of influence to influence you to be an influence on others. Books are written on the law of attraction to help humankind improve their feelings and thoughts, and to attract more positive experiences into our lives.

Spirit influenced me to embark on this journey. Spirit enlightened and attracted me to enter this journey.

I always wanted to write a book about my life, and always felt the need to tell my story to the world in hopes that other people like me would rise up and we could connect and change it into the world we want to see.

That is happening right now.

"I’m writing today to express what happened yesterday. I’m trying to discover who it is I really am throughout this work. Now, some things I say may really throw you off, especially if you don’t know me but you think you do. I will tell you that there is no one in this world