Letter to a Prince (To my 24-year-old self)

This is a letter to my 24-year-old self. 24 was the year I made a lot of bad decisions out of haste. It was the year I felt I needed to be married,  and I needed to start businesses I shouldn’t have started. 24 was supposed to be the beginning of, “Ulysses is about to emerge and make shit happen” phase, but instead,  it was the beginning of some of the most painful years of my life.

 My ego, my pride, and my plans had to die so that my destiny could live. 

Dear Ulysses, 

I know you are really anxious right now, but just breathe and relax. Also, I want you to know that it’s okay to let your heart hurt. I know you weren’t expecting her to leave you or the friendship, but it will make sense in time. 

Acknowledge that you miss her, and write her letter telling her that even though you didn’t work out, you love her, and she means the world to you. Don’t start another relationship trying to erase this one. You will create a lifetime of pain doing so. 

Also, your love for music and desire for your career to get better will happen over time. Just know you are about to experience a little detour, but it’s all part of your purpose. 

Take this time and tell your mother how much you love her, and tell her how strong she is because she is about to begin a battle with cancer, but assure her that she will beat it. As a matter of fact, life will be better for her after than it was before. 

Tell your sister she may feel that she has lost every material pleasure in life, but she won’t lose her mind. She will gain everything back that is necessary to her and her purpose. 

Your gift to listen to people and be there for them and help them though their problems is beautiful; just make sure that you aren't pouring while you are empty. Over time, if you continue, it will create a level of exhaustion within that will make you walk away from everything. 

Stay connected. Stay positive. Trust God, and everything will be okay. 

Life will exceed your wildest dreams and expectations. Keep working hard, and pursue integrity. There is no reason to sprint in a marathon. 

Prince, enjoy this stage of growth because soon you will be a King and have many responsibilities. 

Sincerely, 

Your Future

“Do U Laugh ?”

I remember sitting in my “man chair,” a while ago, and one of my exes said to me, “Ulysses, do you have fun? I mean, is everything just about work with you?”  I even had a friend say to me “I love your blogs, but do you laugh?”

It made me think.

I only laugh when I am in the company of my dear friends and family.  And my sister, Iris, gives me stomach pains from laughing so much because she is low-key a comedic genius. However, what was alarming about these questions, was that people assume that I don’t enjoy my life because they don’t see me laughing, or sense that I have the ability to laugh.

When I was a young kid, my mother used to say to me that I was a little old man.  She would say that I had an old soul. I am incredibly analytical and methodical, to a fault.  I’m telling you that I will find a way to analyze a bag of Skittles.  But, everyone in life is different, and the way we approach life has a lot to do with our perspective.

Since I was younger, I was always serious about music; then when I was in grade school I became serious about music and girls. Then in high school, I became serious about music, girls, and moving to New York City. In college, I became serious about New York City, Jazz, one particular girl and ministry. It goes on, and on!

One of the things I love about being in Florida is being surrounded by my family and friends, and that environment, produces much joy for my spirit. When I am in NYC, my friend Frederick says hello, and I immediately am in tears from laughing until I leave his house.

I guess that means for me, I choose when I allow myself to relax, which is something that I am starting to understand is just as pertinent as being serious. I know that I have a purpose, and that purpose has me in focus mode consistently. But I accept every question as a challenge, A challenge to know that I must seek to enjoy all facets of life with balance.

I will challenge myself to laugh more, and to let the joy that is within me, radiate more, so that the next time someone asks, “Do U Laugh?”, I can know that my life is full of laughter, and I might even be laughing at them, andtheir question.