The First Lady of New York City Talks About Mental Health

The First Lady of New York City Talks About Mental Health

Who is A.L. Cooper Written By A.L. Cooper

Thank you for visiting my personal blog and I am excited to share with you more about 

who I am.

Who is A.L. Cooper Written By A.L. Cooper

To begin, who I am can be summed up in three words; Happy, Creative, and Loud!

My mom told me that when I was born I was not like most babies; I did not come out crying she said that I came out happy, smiling, and full of life. And as of date, I have not stop being happy and smiling ever since. As crazy as it sounds, in my world there is nothing so stressful or unpleasant about life that is worthy of stealing my joy. If you are having a bad day, just call me and I promise that I will help you see the “Happy” in anything.

The next word that describes me is Creative. I have always followed the beat of my own drum and lived outside of the box. I am a self-taught abstract artist and love to create pieces that reflect emotions of love. My portfolio Love Is a Beast, The Modern Heart Collection is one of the creative fruits of my spirit that I am proudest of. If you were to visit my home you will not see any accent walls, or creative color schemes. What you will see that I have art on every wall and it makes my heart swell with pride to know that I painted some of the pieces on my wall as well.

The last word that would best describes me is Loud. Now when I say loud, I do mean volume but most importantly I mean personality. I will never forget a business trip to Dallas a few years ago. I was meeting with a client and when I walked in, she jumped up and exclaimed, I LOVE YOUR HAIR and I replied slightly startled, “thank you” and I asked her, “Do you don’t think that it’s too big???” She replied, “Heavens No! You’re in Texas and we believe, the bigger your hair the closer you are to Jesus.” That’s when I found my peace.

So to sum up who am I:

I am a Happily Loud and Creative Person that is passionate about life and lives it out loud. It has taken me years to embrace the Loud in me but I have and now I am complete. I invite you to explore the journey of my thoughts in my blog “The Truth According to A.L. Cooper. To learn more about my talk show “Talking Out Loud with A.L. Cooper, visit www.TalkingOutLoud.biz. To learn more about my art, visit www.TheModernHeartCollection.com.

Hungry Lame People By A.L. Cooper

In life you meet people who are hungry for power and money. The “Truth According to A.L. Cooper” is reflected in my written thoughts titled "Hungry Lame People."

Hungry Lame People

By: A. L. Cooper

Look at these Hungry Lame People scurrying around like this is their finest moment; always feeling superior to the ones who really don’t care. They leave behind family and foe just for a fixed game of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” They never realize that 9/11 showed us that the rich man and the poor man both had the same fate and at some point we will all be a headstone at the end of life.

Look at these Hungry Lame People, thirsting for the high of knowing that their life is complete; the high that God only blesses His special ones with. The high of discovering the real meaning of your purpose and the high of understanding your self-worth outside of the faux façade of a silver Mercedes and Gold Platinum Membership Card.

Look at these Hungry Lame People, preying off one another and committing every commandment known to man. Do they not think judgment has came, is coming or is here?

Hungry Lame People, look at your life, look at your families!

While you fly to another unnecessary meeting, your daughter is sucked into a Godless culture that glorifies the darkness of this world. And your son is counted among the dead; because, you have sold him to the evil one in exchange for your soul’s temporal success

Hungry Lame People, look at what your need for greed has done to you; your heart is hard and your desire is insatiable. Your moral conviction that once separated your thoughts from right and wrong has been buried to its death.

Hungry Lame People when will you learn?

Will it be when God’s wrath comes down, swallow you whole and spit you out into hell where there will fire and gnashing of teeth?

Or will it be when you stand before all you have worked for and see it set on fire and burned into ashes as quickly as it came?

Will it be when you stand before the throne, ashamed and alone?

Realizing that the game you played was all in vain

Because you and the homeless man that you passed everyday on your way to work have the same fate 

Which is…LIFE> DEATH>AND JUDGMENT

Tell me Hungry Lame People, will you learn NOW 

Or in the moment of death call TOO LATE?

Tell me Hungry Lame People when will you NOT

Be Hungry Lame People anymore.

Is He Really To Blame?????

Is He Really To Blame?

By: A. L. Cooper

Often times when a relationship ends, most women can successfully point out all the ways that the men in their lives help contribute to the demise of the relationship.  

I mean I have heard just about everything from the good, to the bad, and of course, no truly wronged woman would ever forget the last straw that broke the camel’s back ugly. I also have to admit that I have preached a sermon on how he wronged me before the congregation of women in my life.  So please understand, I am not writing this article as a narrow-minded insensitive woman. Instead, I am writing this as a woman who wrote, composed, and sang the Wronged Women’s Anthem for years. However, now as I sit back and take a second look, I have to ask myself…Is He Really to Blame? 

I started to ponder on that question a few years ago when I noticed a disturbing trend with my girlfriends.  Their cycle was the same, they would tell everyone about how they were verbally and physically abused.  Then go on to share about how their man cheated and was disrespectful. Yet regardless of the level of drama, they continuously ran back to the same men who disrespected them in the relationship.  

Now one story of such tales earned them my pity. Two or three warranted my sadness but more than ten tales of this disrespect made me questioned their sanity. It also forced me to take a hard look at why they kept going back. And I could only determine that it is because did not really know or understand their God given self-worth. I say that because knowing and owning who you are is the first step in discovering your self-worth.  A woman who has accepted who she is will not settle for anything less than the goodness the Father has given her.  We are all Queens and should require a level of respect that is not mixed with fights, lies, abuse, infidelity and negativity. Let us stop emulating the reality freak shows that the media feeds our minds and create a new sense of wholeness. We need to realize there is no greater love than the love we have for ourselves. Once we realize our value, we permit the fabulous spiritual gift of “goodbye” to grow strong within us.  We learn to let go of the fear of lacking love and allow the blessing of love to flow and usher in a new freedom of increase. 

  

I challenge my entire fellow female sisterhood to really grab hold of God’s word and digest the power in it. Then break free from the bondage of thinking that the kind of love that is given in an abusive relationship is proper and sufficient.  The bible says in 1Corin:13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

This, my sisters is real love. Which is perfect, complete, and not filled with any Friday night drama. It is the true definition of “real love” and should serve as a measuring stick for all of our relationships. 

So, to answer my question, is he really to blame; yes, he is to blame if is he is being physically, mentally or verbally abusive. Yes, he is to blame if he is disrespecting you in any manner. Yes, he is to blame if he is lying to you and committing adultery. However, it is not fair to solely blame him if you accept and stay in that abusive relationship when God has given you a way out of that same relationship?  I feel that just as he is responsible so are we as women. 

So, let us stand accountable and stop lowering our expectations of love; by starting or staying in a relationship that clearly is not what our Father intended for us.  Let us stand up in our righteousness and realize that Jesus Christ has made us worthy of the perfect love of God.  Let us require and expect in faith the love that our Father has promised in His word.  Let us honor God in our singleness by wearing robes of righteousness and walk confidently into healthy relationships knowing whose daughter we are. Lastly, let us always remember Proverbs 31:29, 30: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”.

Now let the church say Amen.

Why Are Black Women So Angry???

Why Are Black Women So Angry????

By: A. L. Cooper

Most black women have all heard the stereotype about us being the “angry black woman” and many of us have been insulted when it is mention.  As a black woman, I also become offended when I hear the stereotype.Then defend the subject by notating that angry is an emotion and is not limited to a particular class of people.  However, I must admit that lately I have been experiencing far too many unpleasant encounters with my fellow Nubian sistas and it has made me ask…...WHY ARE BLACK WOMEN SO ANGRY????? 

This question is not new and has always been a thorn in every black woman’s side for years.  And everyone seems to have an opinion to express.  Some say it is because of the drama created by the dynamics of being involved with certain types of black men.  I have heard it is because we have carried the weight of our culture for so long, that what may seem like anger is just deep-rooted self-made strength. Some have even suggested that we are angry because most of us are overweight and cannot get a man. Now, I cannot prove that these opinions are wrong and I cannot say that they are right.  What I can say is this, all black women are not angry but most of us do sometimes appear as though we are.  

Other races and even our own black men perceive us as angry, bitter, and difficult to get along with.  Our notorious attitude is consistently displayed on any given day with the new hype of reality television.  We celebrate our own stereotypes by supporting movies which portray us as loud mouth hell raisers.  We concrete others opinions when we refer to others and ourselves as a bad bitch.  Moreover, we openly reward indignant behavior with our sista slang…"Oh no they didn’t", "Gurl, you don’t owe them anything", "This is just how I am, they just hating"!!!    Maybe they are not hating, maybe we do appear angry, maybe we do need to develop better social skills and maybe just maybe we need to start breaking down generational walls and redefine the words "strong black woman" to include the word "kind."

In my opinion, social etiquette is something that we as black women struggle with and our inability to appear friendly confirms opinions about our “attitude.”

Recently I was standing in line and was behind two black women.  The line was long and eye contact was unavoidable.  When that faithful moment occurred where everyone eyes exchanged glances, I initiated the ritual of positive social behavior by displaying the peace smile, and waited for the basic pleasantry to be reciprocated. As I stood there, freezing the peace smile in place while waiting for an acknowledging gesture. I waited and waited and waited and I am still waiting.  Both black women simply assessed me, rolled their eyes and snarled. I passed it off as maybe they both were having a bad day but like I stated earlier, it seems as though most of my fellow Nubian sisters are having bad days every day. The bottom line is that we have to do better. Lacking simple social etiquette is not a part of our history and does not celebrate us as black women. 

Back in the early 1900’s black women prided themselves on being socially adept in all circles.  In 1916, "The Colored Girl Beautiful" was published by Emma Azalia Smith Hackley and is believed to be the first documented and widely circulated etiquette book targeted to Black women.

 Over the years, social etiquette has somehow eroded and what has emerged is a mentality that being rude, guarded and indignant is a display of strength, pride and acceptance of one’s self. 

Well, it is not and for those of us that have embraced that mentality, I hope that you renew your mind with the words of Mother Teresa 

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, and kindness in your smile."

Sistas let us remember those words and challenge ourselves to change the negative stereotypes about our attitudes by displaying positive social etiquette one smile at a time. And that is "The Truth According To A. L. Cooper!!!"

Now let the church say AMEN...

Success: How To Determine If You Have Achieved It By: A.L. Cooper

Success: How To Determine If You Have Achieved It 

By: A. L. Cooper

Every entrepreneur has an innate desire to be successful. Their ultimate goal is to get in the game and cross the finish line to be among the best. However, what is the measuring stick that they can used to determine if they have arrived? How can they truly know if they are successful? 

To explore this question let's take a look at Robert Kiyosaki’s “Cash Quadrant” from his book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.”

In his book, he has a basic model that breaks downs the four steps in the journey of a business owner which are: Employee, Self Employed, Business Owner, and Investor. 

Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Robert Johnson, Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki, Arthur Blank and Mark Zuckerberg, are just a few of the many iconic business leaders crossed the finish line of success. However, what unites them is not their successes; but it is their journey. To understand what makes each leader successful, we must first understand the definition of all four types of people listed in Robert Kiyosaki’s “Cash Quadrant” model. 

The first is “Employee”; an employee is best described as someone who works for someone else. “Self-Employed” is someone who owns his own job and is his own boss. “Business Owner” is someone who owns a business to make money and typically, the owner’s physical presence is not required. “Investor” is someone who is investing money in order to receive a larger income in the future.  

Each business leader followed the four steps and had the same beginning as most of us. They all started out as an earned income employee and each one made a decision to pursue the innate drive in their soul and become self employed.

In my opinion, it is that drive that kept them going no matter how discouraging it became. No matter what, they did not sit at the self-employed marker, they traveled on to the next step and became a Business Owner and untimely an Investor. 

They refused to accept the title of success, just because their financial lifestyle could well afford them to. Instead, they pressed on to reproduce the steps of their success by repeating the “Cash Quadrant” model. Each leader perfected the cycle by understanding that their successes came from starting over at step one when they achieved success.  

No matter how successful they were, they reset their mindset back to Step One:

"Employee" and let the trust and commitment from their employees be their boss.

 They worked harder and became more creative with every new venture because they were moving towards Step Two:

"Self-Employed" which would require them to keep the hunger and drive of one who is working for himself. 

They continued on to Step Three:

Business Owner" by embracing this mindset they fueled the economy by providing jobs for like-minded employees. 

Ultimately, they reached Step Four:

"Investor" and received the satisfaction of success. At this level they enjoyed the reward of diversifying their portfolio, by not just investing their money but also investing in people and the community. 

"The Truth According to A. L. Cooper" is this; true success is achieved when you can repeat, improve, and give back. So many of us get enthralled in the spell of being self-employed that once we reach the promise land of Business Owner and enjoy the land of milk and honey that is called Investing, we stop and claim the victory of success. However, true success is remembering the hard work of our journey and repeating it over and over to claim the real prize of investing in people, communities, and our on legacy over and over again. 

I am not sure if Robert Kiyosaki would agree that the Cash Quadrant model he wrote about was meant to be repeated. However, I personally feel that by repeating the steps, the true spirit of success can overflow in the lives of every freethinking entrepreneur, set a blue print for guaranteed success, and provide a return in other people’s lives through giving back.

So to answer my question, “Success, when do you know that you have achieved it?” I guess the answer is when you can rest easy knowing that you have repeatedly perfected your steps to success; and gave back enough to make a difference by changing lives.

Remember success was meant to be contagious; SO SPREAD IT!!!!!