Lewis Colson’s his 10 Selves Concept that helped him beat the odds of Stage 4 prostate cancer.

The 10 Selves Concept

By Lewis Colson

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In 2009, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer and given at most two years to live. I will never forget the day the doctor delivered the news to me.  As you might expect, I was devastated. But I decided to take a new approach to life, one that I call the 10 Selves Concept.  I have been able to stay strong by changing the way I live. Every day, I create a check list for myself that helps me keep my life balanced between 10 crucial areas, such as emotional and mental health, physical health and engagement with social groups. As part of this process, I monitor my stress levels daily, exercise and meet with church groups and community clubs. Using these concepts to guide my daily actions has helped me lead a healthier, more balanced lifestyle and kept me moving forward despite my diagnosis. Contrary to my doctors’ predictions, it has now been five years since my diagnosis and I am still going strong.

These concepts have also come to guide the way I teach young men about the importance of cancer prevention. Though I knew there were signs I was unwell, I didn’t face the facts early enough and waited too long to seek out a diagnosis. I have now dedicated myself to educating young men so they don’t make the same mistake. Through Project: Better Man, an effort I’m leading through a BMe grant, I teach male college students the facts about prostate cancer and prevention. I train them to become mentors to children grades K-12 and deliver the message that prostate cancer is preventable. Through the 10 Selves Concept, I strive to guide these young men to lead healthy, balanced lives.

Today, on World Cancer Day, I want to encourage everyone to be proactive about their health, especially my fellow black men. Prostate cancer disproportionately affects us as a community. Of the 300,000 American men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, nearly twice as many of these men are black men than white men. Approximately 27,000 black men die each year from prostate cancer. More research is needed to understand and change this disparity.

I know from experience how maintaining balance can change the course of your life. I know from extensive research and learning that prostate cancer is preventable. And I have realized the urgent importance of focusing on cancer research. Together, we can raise our voices to support cancer research* and prevention, and help people work toward leading healthy, balanced lives.
*Project: Better Man, Inc. is a non-profit organization and will accept contributions/donations. Donations made to, Reach Project, Inc., Project: Better Man collaborative partner, are tax-deductible, and should be designated to Project: Better Man, Inc. Please mail checks and/or membership applications to PBMI 17531 Pennington Drive-Suite 2, Detroit, MI 48221-2616.

The Person Who Inspires Me The Most

Throughout my life there have been several people who have served as sources of great inspiration. These are people who have inspired me to grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Through their courageous, humble and giving spirits they encouraged me to become the best father, writer, mentor, teacher and man possible.

When I think inspirational people, I think of iconic figures like Oprah Winfrey whose humanitarian efforts stretches across the Atlantic ocean reaching into villages in remote places. Through her philanthropic efforts not only has she given hundreds of Africa’s daughters a school to call their own she has also given them the tools to erect a future for their country. I think of President Barack Obama who stands as a living testament to the power and audacity of hope. In a country with a storied history of racism, slavery, and discriminatory practices against our ancestors he dared to dream of a better tomorrow. Carrying on the tradition of the many black men and women who fought to have their voices heard he ran two of the most innovative presidential campaigns in history. After winning back to back elections he inspired change in millions of people from a variety of backgrounds. Despite the far-reaching accomplishments of the aforementioned people there is one person who has been a beacon of light in my life from the day I entered the world and that person is my father James C White.

Get To Know Brandon T. Jones (5 Questions, Inspiring features every week!)

BMe: Who/what inspired you to be the man you are today/do the work you do?

Brandon T. Jones: My biggest inspiration for doing the work I do are my children and my parents. God has brought me a long way.

BMe: What is something that people would be shocked to learn about you

Brandon T. Jones: Something that people would be shocked to learn about me is that I used to stutter real bad up until 8th grade
BMe:  Do you have any talents? If so what are they?
Brandon T. Jones:  Being an independent recording artist as well as a Brand consultant
BMe:  If you could have dinner with anyone in the world from any era who would it be?
Brandon T. Jones: If i could have diner with anyone in the world it would be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X and President Barack Obama

BMe:Do you have any talents? If so what are they?

Brandon T. Jones: My best talents are motivating the hopeless via motivational Speaking, acting, directing and music

Connect with Brandon T Jones

Facebook: Dowwjones

Twitter: Hoodpoliticsts

Instagram: Doww jones

Get To Know Ronald “Pop” Brown (5 Questions, Inspiring features every week!)

BMe: Who – inspired me to be the man I am to day and do the work I do?
Ronald Brown: I’ve always been inspired by my mothers’ two brothers as a father figure in my life. My parents got divorced when I was five years old. My oldest uncle (Bill) always put importance on education and my other younger uncle (Harold) was very sports minded. The best part about them both was that they always encouragement to do my very best at what ever I was trying to do, be it educational or sports. They both always gave me sound advise as I learned. Playing sports in high school surely attracted the girls and I always kept ever present in my mind about what uncle Bill said about the fact that” GIRLS DON’T LIKE NO DUMB DUDES” and I kept my grades up and played my best at sports.
BMe: What – inspired me to do the work that I do today?
Ronald Brown: I will have to take you back ten Years in my life, when my youngest son (Ivan) was the victim of a violent street crime ( June 4, 2003 ) in South West Philadelphia (the case still remains unsolved ). The killing was neither drug nor gang related. After receiving such tragic news, I prayed to the Lord for the answer ” WHY” but I got a more urgent and important message, concerning how was I going to keep my other four sons and one daughter from going out there in the streets seeking STREET JUSTICE for their baby brother. The I.P.B.M.F.Inc. became the answer, with family and friends uniting to form his Foundation. To take a tragedy such as this and turn it into something that will benefit the youths of today and tomorrow is not CLOSURE but maybe, our deeds can save someone else the pain and agony.
BMe: What is something that people would be shocked to know about me?
Ronald Brown: I’m 73 years old and my wife (Rebecca ) and I have been married 53 years. We have twenty grand daughters, three grand sons and five great grand daughters.

BMe: What are My hobbies;

Ronald Brown: All sporting events, football, basketball, boxing and track & field.

BMe: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world from any era who would it be?
Ronald Brown: If I could have dinner with anyone in the world from any era, who would  it be? Dr. Martin L. King, would be my choice, some of his actions and teachings gave me inspirations to form and act out Picks’ Foundation these ten years – Saying no to violence- and- yes to life.

BMe: What are your talents;
Ronald Brown: I use to Doo- Woop, back in the day – no more, I still like to dance and I was 45 years old when I stopped playing basketball.

Get To Know Russell A. Hicks (5 Questions, Inspiring features every week!)

BMe: Who/what inspired you to be the man you are today/do the work you do?
Russell: My Fathter, who established work ethic, leadership, honesty and responsibility.

BMe: What is something that people would be shocked to learn about you?
Russell: That I’m an introvert and a private person.

BMe: What are your hobbies?
Russell: Traveling and planning tourism in Brazil for groups and individuals, fantasy football and fashion design

BMe: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world from any era who would it be?
Russell: Deepak Chopra, Oprah, Barack Obama, Van Jones, Tony Robbins and Marie Forleo

BMe: Do you have any talents? If so what are they?
Russell: Dancing, Event Planning and Motivating Others
Follow Russell on Social Media

www.facebook.com/ebonysuns | Ebony Suns Enterprises  fan page EbonySuns | @EbonySuns on Instagram @Ebonysuns

Get To Know Alex Peay (5 Questions, Inspiring features every week!)

BMe: Who/what inspired you to be the man you are today/do the work you do?
Alex: My family, especially my Uncle Kenny. Before he passed away, he was a singer, pianist, and started his own mentoring program called the Chosen Few. It was a community choir group for boys in Queens New York.

BMe: What is something that people would be shocked to learn about you?
Alex:  I like to do imitations and dance in public when a good song is playing.

BMe: What are your hobbies?
Alex:  Writing, working out, cooking, traveling.

BMe: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world from any era who would it be?
Alex:  My Uncle Kenny, I want to know he feels about where I am in my life right now.

BMe: Do you have any talents? If so what are they?
Alex:  I like to perform as an emcee, act, and host events

Find Alex on Social Media

Instagram: risingofason
twiter: @alpeay

Get To Know Kwasi (5 Questions, Inspiring features every week!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BMe: Who/what inspired you to be the man you are today?
Kwasi: The watershed moment, or should I say period, in my life that led me to becoming who I am today was the 12 years in prison for black on black crime. Going to prison wasn’t itself the motivating factor. I think it was having an opportunity to pause and reflect upon my life, that is, how I had ended up in prison in first place. It led me to evaluating my family life, my community life, and the harsh realities of prison life. As an introvert, I thought deeply about my reality and began to explore further through intense reading and research. Although many like to think of such changes as products of prison, they fail to acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of black men in prison do not make the conscious transformation that is needed.

BMe: What are you doing, or do you do to change your community?
Kwasi: I am two things, a business person and community activist. For me, both play a role in the uplift of the black community. The business component serves as an example of self-determination, whereas my community activism demonstrates that the quality of life of our community will be commensurate with the involvement of its members. Currently, I am involved with Trades for Teens, an intensive, hands-on mentoring initiative that transfers skills to young black males that they learn to work with their hands and develop the basic tools for becoming self-determined individuals. The initiative matches young black males with black males with learned skills in a variety of trades. The mentor relationship ultimately aims to teach young black males ways of earning money using their hands, whether it is through welding, painting, screenprinting, engine repair, roofing, or in other industrial/mechanical fields.

BMe: Name one thing that people would be shocked to learn about you?
Kwasi:  Most people, upon meeting me for the first time, are shocked that I’ve been to prison. Despite the ever growing numbers of incarcerated black men, and increasingly black women, many people still have stereotypical notions about crime, criminals, how they look, and find change and transformation as difficult notions to process. Of course, such stereotypical notions play a major role in defeating change in the community, discouraging involvement, and prevents the recognition of crime and criminals not originating on street corners.

BMe: How old were you the first time you served the community and in what capacity?
Kwasi:  I have two “first times” to share: My very first time serving the community was in prison when I began to organize/educate prisoners around issues of oppression and injustice; this morphed into an effort to help guide the transformation of incarcerated black men that upon release they’d become assets to the community as opposed to liabilities. The second time was a few months after I returned to the community and helped launch Helping Our Prisoners Elevate (H.O.P.E.), a books to prisoners initiative that aimed to help guide transformation of incarcerated black men and to bridge the gap between the community and the growing black prisoner population. It is a deeply held belief of mine that a major part of prisoner transformation originates in the community; there has to be an embrace of persons released from prison if we expect for them to play a healthy role in community life.

BMe: What example/Legacy do you want to leave?
Kwasi: I would be fulfilled to know that I left a legacy that found my good works outweighed any bad that I have done in my lifetime. I would want people to know that despite any flaws I have as a human or any mistakes made, that I have always been genuine and sincere in my efforts at improving myself and the community wherein I reside, and have lived a life of constant personal growth. Indeed, if we are not growing, we are decaying.
Follow Kwasi on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kwa kwamu
instagram: http://instagram.com/kwakwamu