If survival is your goal, then you will do things that lead to survival... it's that simple. I can imagine that this statement is a very simple one to understand. There is no hidden meaning behind these words. There is no hidden agenda behind me writing these words. The purpose is to show the reader how simple it is to comprehend this logic regarding survival. Even the most closed minded individual cannot deny this logic even if he chooses to involve his emotions as a way of trying to complicate it. Now comes the difficult part that I will put here for you in the form of a question... Is survival your goal?

This may appear to be a simple question, but really it is not if you choose to answer it honestly. Because if you say yes to this question, you will be forced to first look into your life, to look at your lifestyle, to look at your habits, to look at the vices you are attached to, to look at your health and so on and so on... Only then will you be able to answer this question honestly. Even after this self inventory is done, many of us will find it difficult to admit that we are not doing things that will lead to survival individually or as a people. It is a sort of mental defense mechanism that will keep one in a state of denial concerning this topic, as if admitting this failure will leave a scar on the image we feel the need to portray to the world, a world that does not care whether you exist or not, a world that sees you only as an object to be exploited and thrown away when you are no longer useful in carrying out the plan it had for you since your birth. Ironically, it is because of this same "plan" that we were not taught or exposed to the things, ways, and means that will ensure our survival. This is another aspect that makes my initial question difficult to answer, even honestly, because if we only know what we are exposed to and we have not been exposed to what will allow us to have a future, then how can we know whether we are doing things that will lead to our survival?

The only way to know where to step is by knowing not only which path to follow, but also who set the path for you. In other words, the way to know if you are doing things that will lead to your survival is by first learning the ways, wisdom, and knowledge of your ancestors and compare that to the lifestyle and goals that were set for you by the society in which you now live. When we look back at the history of people of color, we will not find most of the societal ills that plague the world today. You will find the difference, by comparison, shocking if nothing else. Our history does not reveal that hundreds of thousands of our people were dying from heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Our history does not reveal that we were committing massive acts of suicide. Our history does not reveal that we were killing our unborn children because we were not willing to do whatever it took to raise them. Neither does our history reveal that we murdered and slaughtered others to steal the resources of their lands. Additionally, although many of the drugs that are destroying the lives of millions are naturally grown around the world (heroine, cocaine, marijuana), I have yet to discover a history of drug addiction, being that most of these "drugs" are considered to be medicines that were used ceremoniously by our ancestors. These are just some aspects of our culture that clearly show the difference between what we have become now and what we come from. The determining factor simply relies on the goal that the society sets for us.

So what is the goal of this current society here in America? Is it set for its people to survive? The implications are truly staggering. But what is even more profound is the fact that we, as a people, can clearly see the traps that have been set for us, but we still choose to take the bait. Basically, we have a reactionary tendency to justify our own destruction. Although this behavior can honestly be seen as a mental retardation, it stems from the absence of a culture that was suppressed many generations ago by the hands of colonialism.

To say we have been lucky to survive all that has been aimed at us to bring our demise will be an insult to our ancestors, because it is only the powers of the ancestral spirit that has allowed us to endure these atrocities that we face. We cannot take credit for our lives, being that we are being made weaker on a daily basis by our society. I can only imagine then the effect it would have on our lives and what it would mean for our future survival if we acknowledged and honored our ancestors for the role they have played in our survival. Through building and strengthening our relationships with the ancestors, we are then able to give our children and grandchildren the opportunity to be survivors as well. This concept of the ancestral spirit is a very real one. If you, the reader, are unaware of this aspect of your culture, then you will not know how to benefit from the same blood that is flowing through your veins. Take the time to investigate the content within these words. Doing so may entail going outside of what your current values are, but unless it is the same values of your ancestors, you truly have nothing to lose. But if you choose not to investigate... you have already lost.