As always, thank you for taking the time out of your crazy schedule to check in on what’s up with us. Let’s keep it REAL about family. When we think about family, we can’t help but feel love. That’s what family is all about. REAL talk, we are nothing without family. We are going to provide a cultural perspective about family, recognizing the significance family has on the progression of our culture and why it’s so important to recognize and appreciate family values.
Yo, we get it, we all have those family members who we can’t figure out how they’re related to us, but at the end of the day, family is family. We know family can hurt sometimes too. That’s cool though because there’s always growth after pain, especially when we realize that REAL family never really wants anything but the best for us. The REAL Family embodies this. We don’t share the same blood, but we all share the same love for each other. REAL talk, family means more to us than blood. We show love every chance we get, through appreciation, praise and/or accountability. If you’ve read our previous blog (thank you) then you understand who we are. Now we want you to understand our values and how we operate.
We believe every family is grounded in a set of values that create the foundation for how that family lives. We will discuss our values using chess pieces. Disclaimer: Sorry to our readers who are not familiar with chess. Hopefully we will explain it to you in a way that you will understand, so stay with us! Here’s a tutorial by Bobby Fischer, who some say is the greatest chess player to have ever lived. We believe that if you can understand the game of chess then you can understand the game of life. To get you started if you’re new to this, here’s a chess set for beginners that includes instructions and even some tips on perfecting your chess strategy. Lastly, if you have not seen the movie Fresh, we highly recommend it. That movie will help you understand chess through the lens of our culture as well as how this can apply to your own life. Now let’s get into our values!
The King is honesty. On a chessboard, the king can move to one open square in any direction. Our family believes in always keeping it REAL. Not only do you have to be honest with yourself about who you are, but honesty should always be shared. We must protect this piece because without honesty our other values are meaningless. The Queen is loyalty. On a chessboard, the queen can move to any open square in any direction. The REAL family stays loyal to each other regardless; we never fold. Without loyalty, honesty is lost. Stay with us. The Bishop is effort. On a chessboard, the bishop can move to any open square diagonally. For people unfamiliar with chess, consistent hard work over a long period will eventually pay off. Hard work will always keep you alive and in the game. If you are familiar with chess, then you know people sleep on the bishop. It’s one of those pieces people forget about until it’s too late. The Knight is wisdom. The knight can move in the shape of the letter L. Wisdom can be defined as knowledge gained through experience. This is the finesse piece. We use wisdom to finesse our current situation into a better one. Wisdom is a key part of our values because this is how we learn from failures or mistakes and apply them to the next experience. The Rook is belief. The rook can move to any open square in a straight direction forward, backward, to the left and to the right. Having a strong belief in the culture as well as yourself can be a very powerful piece toward our success. If we believe in each other, we will do what’s necessary to uplift our culture. If we believe in ourselves, we will all become leaders in our own way and set examples of positive role models for our family’s next generation. Finally, the pawn is appreciation. On a chessboard, the pawn can move forward one square at a time. Unlike the other pieces, the pawn is the only piece that moves in a different direction (diagonally one space) to take the place of an opposing piece. Let’s keep it REAL, most people think this piece is the weakest, but we believe it’s one of the strongest and most important pieces. It also outnumbers every other piece on the board. Also, when it finds its way to the other side of the board, the pawn transforms into any piece you want it to be. In life, there are so many things we can appreciate. We can use all these things to help us achieve our goals. If you use what you appreciate to your advantage and take this mindset one day at a time, your life will eventually transform into whatever you want it to be, just like when a pawn gets across the board.
Just like chess, REAL families provide something nobody else can genuinely give: support. Yes, most people can tell you “good job” but there’s a deeper level of support when it comes from family. Let’s keep it REAL, as family, we should be able to let each other know what’s REAL. This includes praise for each others’ accomplishments, encouragement when we get knocked down and holding each other accountable when necessary. We promise you, that if you take the time to listen to family, they usually have your best interest in mind. If not, they’re obviously not REAL family so of course you shouldn’t listen to them.
At the end of the day, the legacy we choose to leave is up to us. We are a culture that plans to leave a positive impact on our future leaders. We choose to live by our values: honesty, loyalty, effort, wisdom, belief and appreciation. We are passionate about the legacy we want to leave because this is how we make an impact on our future, regardless of how long we live in our bodies. Regardless of blood, we can continue to grow our family and build this movement in a way that will continue for generations to come. Thank you for checking in on us and if you haven’t read our first blog about who we are and our mission, take some time to check it out!
Keep It REAL.
Recognize Education And Learning 