Week 17
Week in Review
Monday July 31, 2017
Hello Journal. We started off our day with our Toastmasters International class, where we worked on our 7-12 minute pitches. Some of us have learned our pitches and some of us are still working on them. It gets hard at times but we help each other out by giving one another positive feedback and constructive criticism. I am not going to lie: it has been hard for us, but we have endured the trials and tribulations, and all of us have come a long way since the beginning of this PEP journey.
As men, we are all different. It was Edgar Cayce who said, “Humanity is at all times the total of what they have been and done, what they have fought and defended, and what they have hated and loved. In the three-dimensional consciousness of every human, in every atom of the human body, is a reflection of the soul and a crystallization of their individuality. Their emotional and nervous structures, their mental abilities, aptitudes, aversions, preferences, fears, follies, ambitions, and character, are the sum of what humans have done with their free will. This makes every personality, as the earthly ‘cloak’ of an individuality, is different from every other personality.”
In other words, we all have our own different ideas and personalities, but the main thing is that we are all striving to make positive changes in our lives. So I’ll leave you with this: don’t count the days, make the days count. God bless you!
Eric A. (a.k.a. Buttercup (from the Power Puff Girls))
Tuesday August 1, 2017
Today started the same way every other day starts out, almost … the only difference was that more people than usual woke up for breakfast. This usually happens on days when Phase One has class. After breakfast, several of us in Phase Two started studying for our Crime and Punishment test until Phase One left for class. This time is awesome because the pod is empty, so it’s a good time to catch up on studying and exercising with some of my brothers. At 8:30 a.m. we returned to the dayroom. Johnathan, PEP’s In-Prison Manager came and got Phase One to return to class to complete their curriculum for the day. All of us in Phase Two studied and watched tornadoes on television while waiting to eat lunch.
At 12:30 p.m. Phase One returned and those of us in Phase Two turned out. We entered the PEP room, found our seats, prayed in and showed some love. After this, we took our test on Crime and Punishment. Bryan K. gave us a few words of wisdom, and then we watched a video of a speech he gave. Afterwards we listened to a couple of guys give their business pitches while they set up for Jesse B. Jr.’s pray-out (a video that will be sent to him to encourage him along his way while he reintegrates into society). A few of us had to go to the computer lab and fill in the blank spots in our business plans. After his pray-out, Jesse B. Jr. gave us some words of encouragement and then we prayed out and left. Upon returning to the pod we talked about the test for a few minutes, then back to our normal routines: studying, playing chess, and hanging out on the “front porch” as we call it on L-Pod (or watching television). All the rec warriors were ready to eat dinner and go to the gym. This is a brief summary of what happened in our day.
Michael B. (a.k.a. Barbara Bush)
Wednesday August 2, 2017
Today was a very slow day for my PEP brothers and me. We went to the computer lab today and checked on our business brochures. They looked good, and it was nice to see how my logo was coming along. David D. made sure that we were satisfied with our brochures – David and the graphics team did a great job. I was really impressed and complimented them on their performance. After I left the computer lab I went back to the housing area, where my fellow peers were studying for tomorrow’s Chapter 14 test. I decided to sit and join the group Rolando V., Christopher K. and Adrian P. were in. We have been on this journey together, and it has paid off. After finishing our studies for about an hour, I worked on my pitch for the upcoming Pitch Day event. I have to admit that having to memorize a 7-12 minute pitch over our business is difficult. But the extra practice and repetition is helping us learn. We will be ready for the pitch panel when the day comes. That day is fast approaching, but it’s only a hurdle we have to cross before we reach the finish line. We have come a long way, and our hard work will pay off. I am proud of my brothers, as well as myself. It has not been a cake walk, but it is sweet to accomplish something we have worked for. PEP enforces a no-wiggle room policy, and Pristine ‘17 has stood strong throughout the class. One day at a time.
Andy C. (a.k.a. 7-11)
Thursday August 3, 2017
Let me start by first introducing myself: my name is Armando, proud founder and owner of Auto Heaven, “where our auto parts will bring your car back to life.” Today is Thursday August 3, 2017 and I can honestly say it was a good day. We are close to the end of our class and gradation is approaching quickly. We took our last test in our entrepreneur book and now I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. It has been eight long months and after a lot of hard work and studying, we can now see how PEP has impacted our lives. When we first arrived at PEP, we still had lots of prison negativity. PEP has helped us wash off all of the prison mentality. We are in Phase Two and helping the new class participants in Phase One come out of their shells. We can see the transformation in ourselves, and looking back we can see how much we have changed and matured. We are now practicing our 7-12 minute business plan pitches. We have an event coming up on Friday called “Pitch Day” in which we will present our business pitches to a panel of volunteer executives and entrepreneurs, just like the television show “Shark Tank.” This is a rehearsal for the Business Plan Competition in September.
I have stepped up in leadership by taking a position in the PEP room as a “door man,” accounting for the movement of my peers in the classroom, as well as also becoming an accountability leader helping others succeed in areas they may need improvement. PEP does a good job at sorting out the ones who are not PEP material. We can honestly say that PEP has helped us not only with the business part but also with our character and morals. PEP has given us a value system to go by and has shown us some tools we can apply to our everyday lives so we can be successful. All this time in prison has been a big reality check, and I joined PEP because I was tired of the way I was living and not happy with the outcomes I kept getting. Now I am a man of integrity who wants to do the right thing even when no one is looking. I have grown from a kid to a man. The man I am today is not who I was before. I am a changed man and a better person than when I came to prison. I want to thank PEP for believing in me and giving me this chance and opportunity to make these changes in my life.
Armando C. (a.k.a. “Ronda Rousey”)
Expressions
“I don’t believe dreams have deadlines; I have tremendous faith in me.”
- LL Cool J
People often find themselves disappointed when things don’t happen as fast as they would like them to. It is human nature to want what we want when we want it, but it takes hard work and time to reach your goals. It takes a lot faith to keep pushing when you encounter some obstacle that delays your success. Through these obstacles I have discovered that we all have character flaws, and that they can prevent our dreams from coming true. But when we continually work to develop our character, identifying the blind spots that hinder us from making forward progress and begin getting closer to making the dreams we have come true, we can accomplish whatever we set our hearts and minds to. And this is true for anything. No matter if that dream is a nice family or a car or a lucrative career or becoming a rock-star, it is our character alone that determines whether or not we achieve our dreams. Of course education is also a requirement, but even the smartest people I know have failed to reach their goals due to flaws in their character. Keep pushing, keep working on yourself and no matter how long it takes, just remember that “dreams don’t have deadlines.”
Brandon C. (a.k.a. Momma Cat)