Sharp Skills Taking Over The Radio This Weekend!!!

Your R.E.B.E.L., Sharp Skills, will be tearing up the air waves this weekend with interviews, new music, and freestyles. See what the R.E.B.E.L. has to say about; moving back to Cali, his outlook on hip hop today, the film “Takers”, married life, his run ins with the law, and what new projects he’s cooking up. If you are not in the city where these stations are broad casted, check them out online.

Saturday May 8, 2010
Talk 200, KLBC.org, KLBC 1610AM (Long Beach, CA)---10am-12am Pacific Time
-Sharp will be on around 11am

Sunday May 9, 2010
Inside The Music, Klay1180.org, KLAY 1180AM (Seattle, WA)---7:00pm-7:30pm Pacific Time
-Sharp will be on around 7:08pm

Ruler of Much When Faithful With Little (The Ant Principle)

A wise man once told me that the little things you do have the biggest impact in life. Doing the little things speaks of integrity and character. The grandiose things are the result of several successful little things leading up to that point. I myself procrastinate when it comes to doing the little things. Actions such as finishing up "additional" paperwork, ironing out the "little" details of a deal I'm working on, making phone calls, returning phone calls (hmmm...), picking up this little thing, and doing this little task, etc. Today I actually took the time to complete some of the little tasks that I needed to get done. And maaaaan, let me tell you, just that little bit of effort that I exerted led to some big results. Those big results are the things that I love doing, yet those results could not take place without the little ones. In honor of the NBA playoffs, I'll use a basketball analogy. It is that player that spent a little extra time after practice working on his game that shows up biggest in the actual game. Therefore we need to view the little things in our life as the preparation, practice, and foundation for our all star performance in life. I'll end this post with one of my favorite proverbs:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

Identity Theft: Don't Let Others Define You

Many people find themselves living life according to the way other people feel they should. This leaves us depressed, unfulfilled, dependent, and weak. People will always try to define who you are in order for them to fit you into their little boxes so they can manage you better. It is up to you to paint the internal picture of who you are and stay true to it even when others try to attack and mold your person into something else. Who you are created to be is a lifelong discovery process that belongs to only you and God. There may be a select few who are chosen to embark on the journey with you, but you are the captain of the ship and their affirmation should only be confirmations of who you already know you are. If you let others define you, you are giving up the power of pursuing your own destiny. It is tough not to buy into what family members, friends, bosses, pastors, teachers, spouses, and the media say about you. But you must develop an internal strength that resolves to be all you were made to be regardless of peoples opinions.

Take Charge of Your Life (Or It Will Take Charge of You)

Opinion: I am a person who believes that a lot of what happens to a person in their life is the result of decisions that they have made.
-Philip "Sharp Skills" Jacobs

Your locus of control level, meaning the degree to which you agree with the opinion above, will shade how you interpret this blog post. With that said, lets begin.

Life is full of external circumstances that are out of our control. Yet we can control how we react to these circumstances and what we let them shape us into. Notice I said "control", we do have a great degree of power in how our lives turn out. Whether disadvantaged or privileged, black or white, tall or short, rich or poor, this is a common gift that the Almighty has blessed us with,the gift of pro activity. We can be the catalyst in our own lives that helps us to experience all life has to offer, better yet all we have to offer (potential wise). But we must make a conscience effort to be this (day in and day out). Life can be full of hardships, turmoil, pain, and suffering. Yet we do not have to be the victim of it. I personally believe and have become convinced that through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, persistence, and dedication we can all have a high quality of life. Your definition of a high quality of life may differ from mine, but that is irrelevant. As long as you are in a place where you are at peace, you have achieved the high life.

Therefore, it is up to the individual to decide to take life by the horns and produce all that they were created to produce. Indecisiveness, too much partying, lack of focus, laziness, being irresponsible, and letting others think for us will lead to deep sorrow in the long run (though it may bring temporary pleasure now). People that have the greatest joy and fulfillment are those that take active roles in charting the course for their lives (though this may bring temporary pain now).

Growth is Pain (But turns to Strength)

The benefit of the end result is what most people envision and desire. We are motivated by reaching a better quality of life mentally, physically, spiritually, financially,relationally, etc. I could go on and on. The hard truth though is that we must undergo some pain to reach greater heights. The painful process involved in realizing our potential has the wonderful affect of making us humble, appreciative, and level headed (at least it should). Growth in any area of life makes us vulnerable and this is why most people are unable to grow. They don't want to go through the humiliation, confusion, sorrow, and loneliness (sometimes) that growth requires. It is human nature to run from pain and pursue pleasure. But there is no way we can escape experiencing pain in this life. Furthermore, no one could know real pleasure without going through pain. Think of a time that you overcame a painful time in your life. Didn't it make you stronger? Doesn't it give you greater confidence knowing that you overcame? Well then, a challenge I pose to you friends (as well as myself) is to attempt to embrace pain and realize that it is a fundamental and imperative component of our growth. I know it's easier said than done. Even as I write this, I shudder to think of having to undergo more painful experiences. But in the end friends, we will be as strong and beautiful as the oak tree, able to provide shelter, wisdom, and strength to those who look up to us that are also going through their growth process.

Man Up Soldier!!!

The old saying goes "You reap what you sow". Yet many people don't want to face the consequences of what they have planted. Or they don't want to sow what is necessary for future success. To be specific, there are many young men who get girls pregnant and don't want to take on the responsibility of raising the child. Further, there are people who love to shop with borrowed money, but do not want to deal with paying their debts back. The point is, we have to get to the point where we embrace accountability for the choices we have made and deal with them, rather than waiting on others to rescue us or choosing not to deal with them all together. One sign of maturity is being willing to accept the outcome of one's actions whether good or bad. We do ourselves and others a tremendous disservice when we refuse to take ownership of our choices. Proof of this is found in all of the single mother homes, failed relationships, failed business ventures, etc. We all at some point have to Man Up and face reality. Only when we do this, can we walk a higher path that is worth being emulated by others.

New Beginnings in Long Beach

Hey Friends, just wanted to give you guys a little update on what's going on in my neck of the woods. My wife and I just relocated to the beautiful city of Long Beach. We live downtown, right in the thick of it all, which is my cup of tea. Maybe some of you have been wondering why you haven't seen a blog or tweet from me for a minute, well now you know why. We are still settling in, so my communication may be a little slower over the next couple of months, but rest assured I got plenty of ideas and new inspiration to deliver to everyone when everything comes together. This is a very exciting time for me and it feels good to be closer to my origins. With that said, thanks for the love and support. Stay tuned.

R.E.B.E.L.