Sunday, December 16, 2012

Learning how to play music sharpens...

Learning how to play music sharpens your intellect, but learning how to hear the music inside will take you to a higher plane. Reginald Smith



"The only reason some people get lost...

"The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory." - Paul Fix



Monday, November 5, 2012

W.A.R.

The Reginald & Dionne Smith Foundation (RDSF) is taking a different approach to ending the AIDS epidemic by reaching out to those "affected" by HIV & Hep. Follow us at RISE4WAR and ReggieSmith770.com
  
  
  
  



God's Guidance


“Our Higher Power is accessible to us at all times. We receive guidance when we ask for knowledge of God’s will for us.”

Basic Text, p. 95

––––=––––

It’s not always easy to make the right decision. This is especially true for addicts learning to live by spiritual principles for the first time. In addiction, we developed self-destructive, anti-social impulses. When conflict arose, we took our cues from those negative impulses. Our disease didn’t prepare us to make sound decisions.

Today, to find the direction we need, we ask our Higher Power. We stop; we pray; and, quietly, we listen within for guidance. We’ve come to believe that we can rely on a Power greater than ourselves. That Power is accessible to us whenever we need it. All we need do is pray for knowledge of our God’s will for us and the power to carry it out.

Each time we do this, each time we find direction amidst our confusion, our faith grows. The more we rely on our Higher Power, the easier it becomes to ask for direction. We’ve found the Power we were lacking in our addiction, a Power that is available to us at all times. To find the direction we need to live fully and grow spiritually, all we have to do is maintain contact with the God of our understanding.

––––=––––

Just for today: My Higher Power is a source of spiritual guidance within me that I can always draw upon. When I lack direction today, I will ask for knowledge of my Higher Power’s will.

Copyright © 1991-2012 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Welcome - Pulse Holistic Health

Holistic healthcare maximizes the body's own natural ability to heal by treating the root of the condition to alleviate symptoms and provide long-term freedom from illness. Also check out our collection of delicious and healthy Recipes or read articles about Nutrition.���Read more



WNBA's Wiggins raises awareness about HIV - U.S. news ...

" We are greater than AIDS. There are so many ways that we can all identify with how we are affected by HIV. Sharing honestly about how we have been emotionally and tangibly impacted by this disease will help create an atmosphere that is conducive to healing. "

Cause Celeb talks with WNBA player Candice Wiggins about her efforts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and how her father's death from the disease has influenced her.���Read more



Hip-Hop Culture and HIV Awareness - SAMHSA News

What You Need To Know. National Action Alliance Convenes. Breaking the Silence. Suicide Prevention Resources. National Guard Trains Providers.���Read more



Friday, August 17, 2012

ABOUT RISE 4 WAR - The Multimedia Magazine


ABOUT RISE 4 WAR - The Multimedia Magazine

“It is imperative that we participate in our own survival, because if we do not do so, we will most certainly be complicit in our own demise” Reggie Smith – Editor-in-chief

Now is the time for us to raise our consciousness about our responsibility for our own wellness.  There is very little, if anything, preventing us from heightening our awareness about how we can recover from the multitude of maladies that are plaguing minority communities.  Data overwhelmingly supports the need, and desire for information and resources that will help to create an atmosphere for healing. The Affordable Care Act is ushering in a shift in the paradigm as it pertains to wellness care.  Among low-income patients, access to primary care is associated with better preventive care, better management of chronic conditions, and reduced mortality.

RISE” multimedia news and education magazine will be delivered in an interactive format, which includes audio, and video interviews, featured articles, and reported information concerning local individuals and organizations in the wellness arena.

 “RISE” – multimedia news and education magazine will provide the following opportunities for promotional consideration to those select products, services and businesses that fit into the vision and format we have created:

  • Community awareness through cross promotional campaigns

  • Direct access to a niche market of expanding demographic
     
  • Hypertext brand logo placement used in email campaigns using individual segments 

  • Hypertext brand logo placement used in websites
  • Hypertext brand logo placement used in online TV programs
     
  • Product placement opportunities
  • Access to comprehensive campaign analytics
Join us as we “RISEfor Wellness, Awareness & Recovery (WAR) from HIV, Hepatitis, Diabetes, Addictions, and many of the other maladies that plague our community! 

We intend to be entertaining, informative and interactive. 

We plan to provide resources that you can use to enhance the quality of your life. 

We hope you enjoy and egage with us…here in “RISE”!
  


RISE 4 WAR on Facebook -...

RISE 4 WAR on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/rise4war-The-Multimedia-Magazine/206888082221



Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Positive Attitudes � A 12 Step Program For HIV Affected Persons by Reggie Smith


Positive Attitudes – A 12 Step Program For HIV Affected Persons




I have personally benefited from using the principles of this 12-step program for those of us who acknowledge that we are affected by HIV.  I say “those of us who have acknowledged” because most, if not all of us, have been affected by HIV.  Not everyone has come to terms with it, or has identified just how they are affected.  Let’s explore some of the scenarios with which YOU may be included in this demographic first, and then discuss whether this program may right for you.



The program has been called HIV Anonymous for over 10 years, but because the stigma of HIV would not allow many people to get past the idea of being associated with, seen around, or connected to anything with HIV in the name or title, the name of the program is now “Positive Attitudes”.  Many people are affected because they have yet to deal with the trauma of lost loved one’s.  That is especially true for those whose families have been stigmatized to the point of hiding the fact that those loved one’s were HIV+ prior to death.



Of course, if you are sexually active, you are eligible to become a host for HIV.  The mere fact that sexually active people need to navigate the minefield of truth and reconciliation, with self and partners, is reason enough to be involved in a support group.  What I have found is that our individualistic nature is something the HIV retrovirus is counting on in it’s quest to make YOU a host for HIV.  The Positive Attitudes program is an answer to the question, “what is out there for the uninfected person?”.  Where can we all go to discuss the spiritual, emotional and mental issues and behaviors that make us humans such fertile ground for manifesting HIV?







Positive Attitudes is a twelve- step support program adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a global network that offers unbiased support to people infected with, affected by, or at risk for HIV.  There is a dire need to remove the stigma and face the fears and ignorance surrounding HIV & AIDS. This fellowship is helping to reduce the prejudice and discrimination against HIV-affected individuals.  They are a fellowship of men and women who are committed to a way of life that will help fight the spread of HIV.







Positive Attitudes is a fellowship of persons who have found that living with a potentially terminal illness and/or affected by this illness is a major challenge. They are individuals who meet regularly as a group, assisting one another in this new way of life.  They have no outside affiliations.  Your past is kept in confidence within the group. They don’t thrive on your past, but concentrate on what we want for today and our future.  For many, the realization of their present conditions left them feeling dejected and depressed. They could no longer live life to its fullest. They became disoriented, and their peace of mind was displaced by uncontrollable emotions.



The folks involved in Positive Attitudes support groups are not there to change you. They are not there to segregate or impose a particular belief system upon you. However, if you feel remorse that you have transmitted HIV to another person, or if you are concerned that your behavior could spread HIV, or maybe you just want to fellowship with other people who are living in balance and harmony with HIV and AIDS, then Positive Attitudes is for you.















There are thousands of sources telling you what to do—and what not to do. Some sources claim that HIV causes AIDS and others claim that it does not. The folks at Positive Attitudes avoid getting caught up in scientific contention. We have experienced much suffering. We have seen too many broken hearts and too many people die to take one side in an unresolved scientific debate. They also emphasize Prevention for Positives, which includes prevention challenges specific to people already infected with HIV, such as re-infection with resistant strains of HIV, co-infection with hepatitis, TB, and STD’s, denial of risk, health issues, and psychosocial issues. The choice to take medication for HIV or AIDS is a decision that each individual must make.



If you have seen yourself or a loved one in your minds eye wile reading this information, then your spirit is telling you that you read it for a reason.  Do yourself a favor and start (or continue) listening to your spirit.  Reach out to these folks to let them know they are on the right track as they are working to make this program available for you.  They have a sister site for Hepatitis C with a bulletin board that is very active with treatment experienced people sharing their strength, hope and experience.



www.hivanonymous.com       www.hcvanonymous.com       Phone: 949-264-4170     HIVAspotw:vo



http://rise4war.com/







 


  



LIVING JUST A LITTLE, LAUGHING JUST A LITTLE (AIN�T EASY) by Reggie Smith


    LIVING JUST A LITTLE, LAUGHING JUST A LITTLE (AIN’T EASY)



by Reggie Smith



 



I get tired of taking meds!!  I know that is not the politically correct position to take, but if you have been taking meds for any period of time, as I have, you might just get tired of taking medications every day too!!  Adherence means having to be disciplined enough to take medications EVERY day, in some cases two or three times a day.  That is not an easy thing to do, even if it is the difference between good and bad health, or as we have been told and have sometimes experienced, the difference between life and death.



Why should I be any different than most humans I know?  After all, adherence is the flip side of prevention, right?  The fact that I am in this position of having to take these HIV meds is because I was not disciplined enough to wear a condom, so what makes me think that all of a sudden I am going to be disciplined enough to maintain this new lifestyle perfectly every day!  Furthermore,  I have been addicted to other things in my life, and I have worked very hard to break those addictions so that I could be the thing my heart yearns for…FREE!  Now I find myself strung out on other drugs that I better not stop taking if I want to feel good and protect those whom I love.



Well, for those of us who are hosts to the HIV virus, we need to know that our situation is way beyond just how we feel.  The virus is not a morale issue, nor is our well being contingent on what we think about how we got HIV.  It is bigger than our often natural desire to be undisciplined and inconsistent.  The fact is that experience is showing us that those who take these medications to suppress the HIV virus in our systems seem to benefit the most.  I remember when there were no medications at all, and very little if any hope for those of us who fought valiantly to enjoy the best quality life we could.  We had to do so without the option of the “lifesaving” medicines that we now find ourselves sometimes taking for granted.  How else could we explain the evolution of attitudes about HIV, and how the attitudes about living with the virus has gone from hopelessness to recklessness?



People think that it is easy to just take the medications if they catch the virus, but like I always try to share with those who are still HIV negative, it’s easier to wear a condom than it is to get and take medications every day for the rest of your life.  When I ask people about their addictions to things like cigarettes, sugar, fried chicken, soda, etc., most say that they do not have the discipline to stop using those substances, even with the knowledge that they may be harmful to their health.  Many have said “I can’t think about living without my ____”!!  So clearly the threat of bad health is not the ultimate motivation to live a disciplined life.  What is it that will get folks to change their behaviors? 



I have been sick and at deaths door.  When you have had that kind of experience, or if you have lived as long as many of us who are long time survivors have, the motivation to adhere to our medicine regimens is rooted in gratititude.  I try to remember what it was like being sick and how much more enjoyable my life is when I am feeling physically well.  Life is so much more sweeter, and I am so much more of a productive human being when I am not consumed with how to overcome sickness.  Besides, many of us longtime survivors are now grandparents, so the curiosity of how my grandchildren will look and be as they grow up is keeping me going too!  I mean, my children are still a part of my motivation to be well, but my grandchildren are even more intriguing, and watching them grow will take more time, so if the meds will help me achieve that, I guess I will do my best to adhere to the regimen as prescribed.  The best thing I can do along with that is to make sure that I drink enough water and do the other things that I can to try to keep my organs (i.e., liver, kidneys, heart, etc.) as healthy as I can!



So, even though I am tired of taking meds, and I want to be free of even the addiction to medications that are legal and beneficial; and even though I can use my humanity as an excuse to not take meds all the time because I am not perfect…I am way too grateful and nosy about what life has to offer to NOT take them.  There are too many who have died as a result of either side of the arguments of the scientific debate.  I chose to err on the side of caution for now.  Actually that has been working out pretty well for me.  After being sick in 2005, I have been taking the antiretroviral combination that has kept my virus at undetectable levels, and allowed me to enjoy really good health.  With God’s grace, and enough desire to live well, I have been able to adhere pretty well to this regimen.  My oldest granddaughter was 2 years old at the time.  Now she is nine, and I have two other grand daughters, a grandson, and a set of boy/girl twins due in months!  I play softball and golf, take flying lessons, I am of service to my community, and I am blessed to share my experience and hope with you.  I think that the benefits to adhering to this regimen of medicines is bigger than what I might be feeling about being tired.



There are probably a lot of politically correct things that could be said to try to encourage people like you and me to adhere to taking our medications religiously, but for me it’s best that I remember that it is easier to try to stay healthy than it is to try to get well!!  I have seen the fruits of being alive and well, and I will try to remain grateful for every day that I can have this wonderful life.  If part of the price for being able to share life and love, while protecting my wife, who is HIV negative from any greater danger, than I need to be unselfish enough, and willing enough to give it my very best shot.  There are plenty of things that we can do to try to understand ourselves and our addictions better.  Twelve step programs like HIV Anonymous (www.hivanonymous.com) have been very helpful on both accord.  So I suggest we do our best to make the right choice on a daily basis so that we can enjoy watching the adventure of life unfold!



---



Here in "RISE", we are always seeking to share encouragement and information, as well as resources in the community where we might find support for our healing.  We hope that you will be uplifted by the stories of these young women living with HIV, and are as encouraged as we are about the great potential of loves healing power!



http://rise4war.com/



  



Saturday, August 11, 2012

We know there is homophobia. We should...

We know there is homophobia. We should recognize that in the area of HIV stigma, there is also heterophobia. Do you know someone Read more



Thursday, August 9, 2012

I think I am going to hit a bucket of...

I think I am going to hit a bucket of golf balls. All work and no play...



Friday, July 27, 2012

I'm leaving the International AIDS...

I'm leaving the International AIDS Conference 2012 energized and refocused! Thanks to all with whom I shared! It's clear there is Read more



Monday, July 23, 2012

Fact and truth are great! They raise...

Fact and truth are great! They raise consciousness, especially when applied with at least as much compassion as there is Read more



Sunday, July 22, 2012

If your feelings are never hurt, no one...

If your feelings are never hurt, no one is telling you the truth.



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Recovering from addictions requires the...

Recovering from addictions requires the acknowledgment Of the pattern in which we are stuck. Everyone should be recovering from something.

Posted via email from Reggie Smith 770's Blog by SocialNetGate

Monday, March 5, 2012

Not On The Outside, But Inside's Strong

Anyone who has experienced death in a personal way has probably come to this one conclusion...we are all spiritual beings having a human experience.  I had always thought this to be the case, but it became most evident when I looked at the remains of my father in his casket.  I had known the spirit that had inhabited his body, and it was clear that the energy that was my father no longer "lived" in the body that lay before me.

Death is the most extreme example of  how our humanity is an energetic reality.  Pain seems to cause the kind of suffering that is causing many of my friends to arrive at this same conclusion.  Many of my peers are experiencing health challenges.  As a result, they are looking for healing solutions.  Because many of them know about the diseases (HIV/HEP-C) that I have lived with for so long, and the holistic practices I have incorporated in my lifestyle, they come to me for answers and suggestions.

When I was blessed with the opportunity to recover from active drug and alcohol addiction back in 1985, I realized that anything is possible with faith and desire.  Pain and suffering were certainly the motivation for my desire and willingness to have faith.  Shame and hopelessness plagued my mind and spirit, and I had to learn how to heal both  mind and spirit if my human body was going to ever thrive again.

The same process of healing the mind and spirit can be used to treat the physical maladies.  “Sickness” seems to be the logical result of the addictive behaviors that many of us have consciously and unconsciously bought into.  Whether it is sugar, salt, nicotine or stress, the manifestations have ranged from ADHD to diabetes, cancer to any number of immune disorders.

I think that having become a living host for the HIV retrovirus has been a wonderful opportunity to gain the kind of experience that can serve myself, my family, and my community!  I know that sounds radical, but if all of us who have been "chosen" to have this learning experience uses it as a blessing, we will then be living in the spirit, and that is where we need to be in order to heal the humans we are being.

So when they ask me how I have attained my freedom from the chains of addiction to all of those things that were killing my body, I always have to begin with my surrender to a higher power.  It is evident from my experience, and the experiences of millions, that healing the spirit is the most effective way to heal the body. 

I know it may seem counterintuitive to the uninitiated, but faith, by definition, is believing in things unseen.  As Daddy Rich said in the movie “Carwash” – “you gotta believe in something…why not believe in me”.  Seriously though, try finding a way to tap into the spirit within if you want to heal the body.

Yes, we will discuss actual healing solutions in this blog, like the benefits of drinking lots of water, or the need to be less acidic.  When we do share these thoughts and ideas it will be as much a reminder for me as it is possibly helpful for you.  No matter what we talk about as it pertains to healing, I have to always remember that it begins in the spiritual realm.  After all, we are truly spiritual beings having a human experience.

Posted via email from Reggie Smith 770's Blog by SocialNetGate

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Inner-View with author Denise Stokes

Host of "RISE" Reggie Smith talks with the vivacious, irrepressible author/activist Denise Stokes about issues she writes about in her new book "From the Crack House to the White House".

  

Posted via email from Reggie Smith 770's Blog by SocialNetGate