The Definition of "13 Ways" (The Movement)

March 21, 2007. That is the day I joined MySpace. Nothing about that is life changing at all. After all a social networking website isn’t all that important when you measure the things that matter the most in life. It was what happened a month later that changed things and brought things out in me that were always there, but were buried inside of me.....
One of the most common questions I get is “What does “13 Ways” (The Movement) mean. Well it my screen name is more than a screen name because to me it’s a way of life. My first blog gave everyone a brief description of what “13 Ways” is. That blog was almost two years ago and about 500 friends ago as well. I know a lot of people thought I was on some sexual stuff, but that’s not the case at all. My first blog went something like this.....

1. I'm Living for God.
2. I'm Living to respect people.
3. I'm Living to love.
4. I'm Living to have fun!
5. I'm Living to be prosperous.
6. I'm Living by my word.
7. I'm Living by my actions.
8. I'm Living in the moment.
9. I'm Living for success.
10. I'm Living for change.
11. I'm Living for knowledge.
12. I'm Living for those who doubt me or doubted me.
13. I'm living to show people a man can do and be all things positive in a world that can build us up and tear us down. I'm willing to do what others won't do and despite the color of my skin or were I'm from I will achieve my goals.

Those meanings are the same, but now they mean so much more. Even though I love to write and it is truly my passion my writing and the lessons and experiences I have encountered in the past two years were full of sorrow. That sorrow brought out deep emotions inside of me and thus altered the way I thought and did things from those days forward.

Dealing with death is one thing; dealing with losing the woman that raised you is another. Being in love is one thing, not being loved in return the way you deserve is another. Through those two events happening to me ultimately changed me forever. When I say changed I don’t mean it has made me bitter because that’s not the case, but what it did do is give me a new outlook on life and it informed me of my worth as a man.

Sorrow, anger, and disappointment are all a part of life. I had to endure all three at once and then some. Instead of me closing myself off to the world, I opened the door and decided to give you a look into my world. Instead of drinking those lonely nights away wondering how I was going to make it, I prayed that God would keep me so I could make it. Instead of wasting my time with negative people, I surrounded myself with positive ones.

I decided that I wasn’t going to put hope into people anymore. When you hope that somebody will do this or hope that somebody will do that it’s like you’re asking that person to do something that they aren’t willing to do. It’s not because they aren’t capable they, but they just are not willing to do it. Like I hope this person will love me or I hope such and such calls or I hope stupid ass gets his shit together. As a result I don’t put hope in people because I have been disappointed too much. Instead I trust in God even more.

Hope to me is an attitude. Hope is the reason people still believe in marriage even though the divorce rate is over 50 percent. Hope is going to school in hope that your degree will pay off and you will earn a high paying job. Hope is the reason some attend church sometime because they hope God will show his mercy upon you in whatever situation you’re going through. Hope is the positive attitude of not giving up on what you want, but most importantly….what you deserve. I put hope in situations not in people. I know that may sound cynical, but that’s how I feel. ....
People also ask me, “What does The Movement represent?” Well The Movement represents effort. When I first began to blog I wrote blogs as a diary. After my mother passed I began to write with purpose. Then after that my writings became something bigger than me, they became a movement.

The Movement is about wanting to do better and being better in life. It is about loving you enough to not sell yourself short, even though from time to time we all do it. It is about loving harder, trying harder, and understanding the things that are really important at the end of the day. Family, real friends, and if your involved with the right person, your marriage or relationship.

We can get so caught up in life’s chase that sometimes we forget what really matters. We are too busy to stop our chase of money, career, and status that we forget what really matters sometime. Some people still haven’t figured it out, but trust me, they will.

The Movement ultimately about knowing you deserve all that life has to offer and trying your very best not to sell yourself short. Push the envelope in a positive way!

So you probably ask, “Has the meaning of “13 Ways” (The Movement) changed? The answer is no! It has evolved! Some have said that I'm an inspiration but at the end of the day I'm just like everybody else searching for the keys to unlock the doors of life. I introduce you to “13 Ways” (The Movement) as you should know it. God Bless!

1. Live for God. We are not perfect, but if we know that God is the head of our life and he controls everything we can do awesome things. He is everything!

2. Live to respect people. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Love people the way you want to be loved and give of yourself the way you would want someone to do for you.

3. Live to Love. Love family, friends, and significant others as unconditionally as you possibly can. Love is this world strongest emotion. Don’t be afraid to love people, most importantly, love yourself!

4. Live to have fun. Life isn’t a party, but isn’t a funeral either. Enjoy life and try to live everyday like it’s your last. Live freely and be fearless, but have restraint. Life is short, no matter how you cut it.

5. Live to be prosperous. Money is simply a wonderful tool. It has the ability to fix a lot of things. Be aware of the pros of it, the cons of it, and how to get it without hurting anyone.

6. Live by your word. All a person has at the end of the day is their word. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t just say things because they sound good. If you want to be taken seriously, keep your word!

7. Live by your actions. Talk is cheap! Be proactive. If you’re going to do something, do it (within reason). It’s about putting your words in effect and walking the walk!

8. Live in the moment. We can miss key moments in our lives that are important if we don’t pay attention. We don’t have a lot of time on this Earth, so learn to appreciate the moments that could become wonderful memories.

9. Live for success. Success is not always measured in dollars, but in how you have overcome, survived and how you have taken your experiences and learned from them. We all have the ability to make are mark in this world, it’s up to us to make a positive one.

10. Live for change. Change happens whether you want it to or not. Change signals evolution. Every year of your life you should evolve. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box sometime, but understand exactly how far to step out of it and when.

11. Live for knowledge. Knowledge goes beyond the classrooms of the world. They help, but life experiences+learned experiences=knowledge.

12. Live for those who doubted you. We all have been underestimated. Make it your duty to prove them wrong in what you do and how you handle yourself, not by what you say and most of all being humble about it.

13.Live for the world that can build us up and tear us down. Know what you can do and what you can do. Shoot for the stars and know that you deserve more. Know that you don’t owe the world anything and know that the only person you owe anything or have to prove yourself to is you and God. Even when life’s sorrows, troubles, and heartbreaks break you down, know that God will pick you up even quicker.


This definition is copyrighted under The Movement Expressed Writings Inc. 2008