Where Do We Go From Here?

We’ve been talking about the “Cycle Breaker” movement and the specifics of what it takes to be a “Cycle Breaker.”  This discussion is important in the wake of the Trayvon Martin tragedy because, as a Cycle Breaker, I find it necessary to discuss surviving and thriving in this country.  After the verdict, I had the opportunity to conduct an open community discussion entitled “Where Do We Go From Here?,” where we explored the Trayvon Martin story as well as solutions for moving forward. 

This conversation was an addition to the regularly scheduled life skills training I conduct at the East Cleveland Municipal Court.  Why do I conduct life skills trainings during my personal time?  Why did I feel the need to discuss moving forward after the Trayvon Martin decision?  The answer is summed up in the following quote: 

“ Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why. - Bernard Baruch.  

My calling as Judge is to ask why and to search for the answers.  Though I extended an open invitation to the Cleveland community and though I received many “likes” about the event on FaceBook, my Courtroom was not filled to capacity.  I wasn’t surprised by the low attendance because the tendency in the Black community is to rise up when either our emotions are triggered or when someone or something else is the focus but not when we have to change ourselves.  We showed up at the rally’s to elect President Obama, we show up at entertainment events and we showed up to march while demanding justice for Trayvon Martin.  However, we fail to show up when the subject is personal responsibility, accountability or self-improvement.  

In addition to the programs that I offer at the East Cleveland Municipal Court, people are doing exciting things in every community that help to give us empowerment and education.  However these events are not the popular events.  Let’s ask ourselves, how many people show up at the local high school graduations to encourage the students to continue on their path of success?  How many people show up when a hospital is closing in the community?  How many people show up when a local Judge takes time out of his personal life to hold a conversation on surviving and thriving in our community?  The answer is “Not Many.”

  When the focus is on our personal accountability, responsibility and growth, we change the subject.  When the focus is on obeying the law so that you don’t find yourself or your family in my Court, we change the subject.  When the focus is on touchy subjects like drug use, alcoholism or unwed pregnancies and how they place challenges on parent’s and children's lives, we change the subject.  When the focus is on delayed gratification as opposed to sacrificing for a positive future, we change the subject.  In order to be a “Cycle Breaker,” and improve the fabric of our communities, we have to show up and have these hard discussions.  We have to show up when the benefit of the gathering is self reflection and education.  It’s great to rally and march for the larger causes, but when are we going position ourselves for the betterment of our own lives and the betterment of our communities?

The next component of being a CYCLE BREAKER, as set out in my manual 12 Things You Can Do Now to Be a Cycle Breaker, available on www.judgedawson.com, is making a decision to stop or break the cycle. 

• After identifying the negative situation you must make the decision to stop the cycle in your life or help end the cycle in your family, community or world. “Get Up, Get Out & Do Something.”

To look at yourself and identify your own negative situations takes courage.  The next step is to make the decision, the commitment to break the cycle. Marching is effective and has its place but if we are going to really improve our community the change must start with us.  After the media attention dies down and the rally’s have ended, what are we going to do to keep the movement alive?  I suggest that we all continue to improve the lives that are nearest to us.  Take the personal initiative to get up, get out and to do something!

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  

To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by: 

judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com

www.teamfinishfirst.com

www.Judgedawson.com

We Need To Re-Sensitize Our Consciousness

Cycle Breaker Pt.3

We Need to Re-Sensitize Our Consciousness

In my quest to be a Cycle Breaker, I am constantly reading, researching and studying criminal behavior and self improvement.  I recently listened to a presentation where a man analyzed some of the issues in the Black community.  The speaker gave the following assertions: 

1. Blacks have been killed at higher rates than any other group of people in America; 
2. Blacks have committed murders at higher rates than any other group in America;
3. Blacks have the highest population in our prisons;  
4. Blacks are the highest number of people infected with STD’s in America; 
5. Blacks infect people with STD’s more than any other group in America; 
6. Blacks have more unwanted pregnancies and abortions than any other group in America.  

In summary, Black people are 1/8th of the population but 4/8ths of the murder victims, 1/8th of the population but 5/8ths of the killers, 1/8th of the population but 4/8ths of the prisoners. 1/8th of the population but 5/8ths of those infected with STD’s.

I must admit that I feel very uncomfortable with these facts.  I feel uncomfortable because first, these are the same statistics that I have heard my entire life.  Though the Black community has made many advances, our negative and destructive behavior has increased.  To be honest, I felt most uncomfortable with these assertions because the person giving this presentation was a White Male. 

In the last article I discussed that, to be a Cycle Breaker, we have to take a look at ourselves and our community to identify changeable negative situations and circumstances.  I also mentioned that when other people analyze us we naturally go into defense mode. The presentation that I listened to was an analysis of the negativity and destruction that we know exists in our community and, though it was the truth, it was hard to hear.

Here is the Cycle Breaker big picture: the reason that these statistics exist in our community, the reason that we commit crimes at a higher rate, the reason that we go to jail as a natural occurrence, the reason that we have unwanted pregnancies and all other negative and destructive behavior is because we have lowered the standards in our community.  One thing that every one of us can do to avoid the travesty that was Trayvon Martin is to raise the bar of how we respect ourselves and then demand that everyone else raise the bar in their respect for us.  When we accept negative and destructive behavior in our community we are adding to the problem.  

I often discuss the issues of our community with people in my court and I have come to the conclusion that we allow ourselves to get distracted with the distractions. Meaning, the things we barely control become our focus while we ignore the controllable issues that devastate our lives.  I compare it to being concerned about the food burning on the grill when, behind you, the house is on fire.  We have become blind to the fires burning in our community, the negative and destructive behavior, but we get outraged at the issues or events that are subtopics to our major story.  Our major story is to work to better the lives of ourselves and our communities.  

People, we are asleep at the wheel while our cars are heading for the cliff.  We spend so much time in the club, buying clothes, getting our hair done, going on date nights etc. but little to no time helping change our community.  Yet at the first chance we get, we point our fingers at “racism” or the “ghetto people” as a source of the problems we face.  When are we going to take action on the second step of the “Cycle Breaker” system and take a long hard look at ourselves to determine if we are part of the change we want to see, part of the problem or just sitting on the sidelines watching? 

Let me shed some light on one thing, of many, that I’m doing through the East Cleveland Municipal Court to raise the bar of what we expect from ourselves and our community.  First, I started by sentencing people to come to my life skills program “Finish First” aimed at stopping negative interaction with the legal system. Then I started teaching about “Emotional Intelligence” and “How to Be a Cycle Breaker.”  Now I give out a pre-sentence worksheet where I have people discover and identify their values.  These exercises are aimed at getting offenders in my court to re-sensitize their consciousness.  Once we are able to identify our values, we will set our behavior and expectations in line with those values. When we live up to our values, our behavior, expectations and the activity that we allow to occur in our lives will change.  When we change our community and raise our standards not only will everyone have to raise their level of respect for us, we will saves lives.

To look at yourself and identify your own negative situations takes courage. See 12 Things You Can Do Now to Be a Cycle Breaker, available on www.judgedawson.com.  However, it’s even harder to swallow when other people analyze what’s wrong with you, either way, to live your best life, change the community and be a Cycle Breaker, we must all take a look within.

Over the next few articles I will further define and break down the principles of what it takes to be a Cycle Breaker.  These articles will highlight the instructions I set out in the manual, 12 Things You Can Do Now to Be a Cycle Breaker, available on www.judgedawson.com. I believe that with the right focus and direction we can all pursue the greatness that lies within us.    

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  

To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by: 

judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com

www.teamfinishfirst.com

www.Judgedawson.com

Being a Cycle Breaker Part 1.

The East Cleveland Municipal Court is on a mission to be a team of  “Cycle Breakers.”  In fact, my life is dedicated to the calling of being a “Cycle Breaker.”   My vision as a Judge is to use this position to help empower people to become the leaders that they are destined to be, but it takes work. Everyday that I sit on the bench as Judge of the East Cleveland Court I am dedicated to using this opportunity to help people change their lives and be the best that they can be.  I am proud to say that I developed this desire as early as my days as a student at Kent State University when I wrote these words on my mirror: “My mission it to positively change lives and affect policy.”  Though my mission has been adjusted over the years, the underlying purpose is the same, helping people live their best lives, or as my mother used to say, help people to “Better Their Lives.”  It is with that background that I began my mission as a “Cycle Breaker.” 

Over the next few articles I will define and break down the principles of what it takes to be a Cycle Breaker.  These articles will highlight the instructions I set out in my recently created  manual for the community, 12 Things You Can Do Now to Be a Cycle Breaker, available on www.judgedawson.com. I believe that with the right direction we can all pursue the greatness that lies within us.    

What is a Cycle Breaker?  I first heard the phrase “breaking cycles” from State Senator Nina Turner.  That one phrase not only defined my life’s journey but also my life’s purpose.  After meditation and prayer I came up with the following statement that I presented to my staff and then incorporated in my training material: "If you help and inspire people to better their lives, you are a Cycle Breaker. It doesn't matter how much you do or how long you’ve been doing it. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been helping change lives for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just help and Inspire people to Break Cycles." This quote comes directly from the manual, 12 Things You Can Do Now to Be a Cycle Breaker.

It’s from this statement that I will begin to define Judge Dawson’s “Cycle Breaker” movement.  

Inspiring People to Better Their Lives.  We are all born to be leaders.  I will discuss leadership in detail in later columns but for now take my word for it. Furthermore, there is a distinct difference between “a born leader” and people who are “born to be a leader.”  The distinction is important because so many people in the African American and other minority communities believe that to be a leader you have to belong to a club that is exclusive to the rich, famous and the well educated. When I hear the position that some people are born as leaders I firmly reject it.  We ALL are born to be leaders but to reach that potential we must work to become that leader.  We have to purposely develop the character and qualities of a leader.  

One quality of a leader is the ability to inspire people to live their best lives.  In fact, if you think you are a leader but you are not inspiring people then you are not truly leading.  You may be a dictator or a pretender but you are not a leader.  Inspiration is a key to leadership and once you become a leader, you will naturally inspire the people around you.  The next level, once you inspire people to better their lives, is becoming a Cycle Breaker.  Keep in mind that breaking cycles can also be a personal effort.  For example, If you recognize that drug abuse has been an issue in your family but you decide to change that behavior, you are a Cycle Breaker.Whether you are inspired to break cycles in your own life or in the lives of others, you are a Cycle Breaker.    

"If you help and inspire people to better their lives, you are a Cycle Breaker.”

In the upcoming columns I will further break down the principles to become a Cycle Breaker.

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  

To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by: 

judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com

www.teamfinishfirst.com

www.Judgedawson.com

Real Talk with Judge Dawson - When Greatness Shows Up!

The NBA finals, game 6 was outstanding.   The commentators mentioned that LeBron James came out to practice his shooting two hours before the game.  When LeBron was done, Dwayne Wade came out and began his practicing.  These are the moments that separate the winners in life from those who just get by.  It wasn’t enough that they had won a championship before.  It wasn’t enough that they made it to the finals.  They still wanted to win and they were willing to do whatever it took to get there.  That’s when greatness shows up.   The level of competition in Game 6 was on a higher level and the players gave it their all.  In the end LeBron James and the Miami Heat showed a resilience that took them over the top.  In fact, their will to win was on display as they utilized that last few minutes of the game to stage a come back win.

Then on to the last game.  Game 7 was another example of greatness.  LeBron James, once again, solidified himself as the absolute best basketball player in the world.  Here are the take aways from the Miami Heat’s second straight championship:

When Greatness shows up it is a result of hard work.  Hard work starts in the dark.  What I mean by that statement is that the hard work, to move yourself to greatness, is the work you do when no one is looking.  It’s the times that you are working on your craft or studying when all your friends are having fun.  It’s the dedication to disciplines when every one else is used to unreserved fun and indulgence.  When you put in the hard work, your greatness will develop.

When Greatness shows up it is humble.  When LeBron won the championship this time around, there was a mixture of celebration and humble reflection.  The one statement that plays in the heart and mind of so many people was when LeBron said that he is blessed because he is “just a boy from Ohio....I’m not supposed to be here.”  That is the essence of being humble, always realizing that success can be a short lived event, but to know where it all began and to respect the fact that it can easily be taken away is that humbleness needed for longterm happiness.  How can being humble lead to happiness?  One way is that when the lights go out, when the titles go away, the fact that you chose not to focus on the labels and you chose to be humble, will put you in the position where you can deal with the ups and downs with out letting the current situation control you.  

When Greatness shows up it is full of confidence.  If you watched the entire NBA finals series you would have witnessed the great play of former Cleveland Cavaliers  Danny Greene.  Danny broke the all time record for the number of three pointers in a NBA finals.  I was so impressed that I thought that he had surely positioned him self to be a highly paid player in the upcoming season.  However, all this changed when the series went into Game 6 & 7.  Danny was not able to perform well at all.  I won’t spend the time trying to analyze what he did wrong and the possible reasons for the melt down.  I will say that when LeBron James had his back against the wall and the game was on the line, LeBron continued to shoot the ball whereas Danny Greene couldn’t get a single shot to go in.  That leads to my point on greatness, when greatness shows up it walks through the door with confidence.  LeBron is so confident in his abilities that even when he’s going through a slump he will keep shooting.  For us to be great, we have to stay in the game and keep shooting even when the times get hard.

When Greatness shows up its a result of continuous focused growth.

The way that any person or team achieves maximum potential, or the definite way to stay out of jail, is to be focused and intentional about your growth.  Teams don’t win championships by chance.  It’s the dedication to the cause, the dedication to being the best that you can be, the dedication to winning that gives them the talent to rise to the level of champion.  I previously wrote about LeBron James spending countless hours in the gym during his summer vacation so that he could master new skills.  Even in our everyday lives we have to continue to be focused and dedicated to growth.  We should master the latest skills in our area of choice so that we can be the best that we can be.

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission is to use every ounce of his body to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by: 

judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com

www.teamfinishfirst.com

www.Judgedawson.com

The Truth Shall Set You Free!

In my years as Judge I have come across some of the most amazing situations.  Some are joyous, like when a person completes my Cycle Breaker / Finish First System comes to Court and publicly thanks me for the program and I can actually see the change in them.  Some are sad, like times when the same people are in and out of my Court for the same offenses.  One thing that remains constant for both of those situations is that the “Truth Shall Set You Free.”  Being truthful with yourself and others will set you free from discouragement, failure and further legal problems. 

There was a man in my Court charged with having an open container, crack stem and being disorderly.  He was well spoken and very forthright with all that he did, taking full responsibility for his arrest.  While discussing his situation he mentioned that there was a time when the Veterans Association offered to help him with his drinking problem.  I inquired further so that I could determine if this case should be transferred to the special docket handled by a neighboring court or if I could offer him help for his addiction.  This man looked directly at me and told me that the VA tried to help him but he walked away from it.  He said, “to be honest Judge, I don’t want any help.  I am an alcoholic and I want to die an alcoholic.”  

I’ve witness resistance to change before.  I’ve experienced people who struggle with staying in the programs aimed to help effect change, but this was a different situation.  I came face to face with a person I wanted to help but simply did not want to help himself.  We looked at each other for a few seconds with silence, and that time of silence felt like several minutes, until I said, “O.K. you are surely grown enough to make your own decisions.”  I advised him that this type of behavior, if repeated, will cause him to spend time in jail.  He told me that he understood, thanked me for understanding his position and went on his way.

What did I learn from this candid yet sad situation?  I learned that “the truth will set you free.”  Meaning, it is better to face your truth and deal with it so that you are free from the burden of carrying a lie.  Had this man accepted my attempt to find him treatment, he would have been forced to act out a lie and it would have been difficult for him to avoid jail time when his compliance with my terms would determine his fate.  Instead, the truth set him free.  

Being a Cycle Breaker requires that you know when to hold them, when to fold them and when to walk away.  Not everyone can be saved.  Not every one can benefit from the compassion that I have for my people. There are groups of us who will continue to spiral out of control.  There are groups of youth who will fail to understand the value of education based on their generational experiences.  Their are young people who will make the adult choice to have a child regardless of the number of times they are advised to wait.  

My mission as a Cycle Breaker, with over 13 years of experience in studying human behavior and predictable patterns of action, is to give people the tools to live an extraordinary life.  However, once I pass the blessing, it’s up to the receiver to utilize the information.  If you and I both act in this manner, giving people the tools, advise and resources to make better decisions, and they still act in opposition to their best self, we have spoken our truth and performed like Cycle Breakers because we know that Cycle Breakers Finish First.

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission is to use every ounce of his body to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by: 

judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com

www.teamfinishfirst.com

www.Judgedawson.com

Success or Failure is in the Inches

By now you know that I’m a sports guy.  To be specific, I enjoy watching people performing at their highest level.  I enjoy watching athletes and people being and doing their best.  So this is my take away from Game 1 of the 2013 NBA finals where the Miami Heat are being challenged by the San Antonio Spurs.  (I am fully aware that Miami won Game 2 in a dominating style, but this article is still relevant).  Success and Failure is in the Inches.  During Game 1 the Spurs were down for much of the second, third and fourth quarter.  However this all changed when the Spurs turned up the intensity and eventually the game was sealed for the spurs when Tony Parker went for a jump-shot right as the shot clock (time to make the shot) was about to expire.  The replay indicated that Parker made the shot and had his hands off the ball with in seconds from the clock expiring.  The ball was only inches off of his hands as the clock expired.  It was the inches that determined his success or failure! 

This has a direct application to staying out of jail, navigating the legal system and living your best life.  If you look at your life you’ll see that most of your SUCCESSES were from positive disciplines practiced everyday for many years. You graduated from school because you made sure you attended and studied everyday.  You were able to get that dream job because you made sure you worked years toward having qualifications to make sure you were ready.  Being successful over the long run requires hard work.  To put in the hard work you have to be disciplined.  Being disciplined means doing the work every day toward your long term goals.  On the other hand, your FAILURES were from errors in judgment made every day for many years.  for example, most people don’t wake up weighing 300 pounds. That type of weight is usualaly a result of daily errors in judgment or failures of discipline made everyday over long periods of time. Another example if going to jail.  You didn’t just wake up one day to find yourself in jail.  Most likely there was a negative thought in your mind, was an error in judgment.  This thought was brought to life when an opportunity presented it self.  This opportunity was birthed when there was a decision to act.  Based on these series of errors in judgment, later on down the line, even years later, you found yourself in jail.  That’s the road that many events we call failures take, it’s the little negative things, repeated daily, that add up to the big failures. Where as positive disciplines practiced everyday will lead to your success.

It’s just like taking a trip.  On your road of life, if you are trying to get to California from Ohio you’d better use the proper map and then make sure you stay on course.  It may take a while to get there but as long as you are disciplined with positive steps you will reach your destination.  However, if you start going south, inch by inch, making a short stop in Cincinnati and then to Alabama, if you don’t get going in the right direction you will never reach your goal.  The worst part about the inches is that you will end up in the wrong position or destination and not even know why.  When I was in the Shaw High School Mighty Cardinal Marching Band we took pride in our field show and making sure we were in perfect sync.  I recall learning a new routine where I’d try to march and play drums at the same time.  There were times when I would pay too much attention to the drumming instead of the marching.  Whenever this happened, sure enough, I would look up and be a little off the line.  To me it was no big deal, but to the overall goal of having a perfect formation, I messed up.

When you choose success over failure, when you choose to use discipline everyday instead of making and accepting errors, you are a Cycle Breaker.  Being a Cycle Breaker means you understand that the inches in your life are important.  The inches of making sure your children respect education.  The inches of making sure parents don’t exemplify bad behavior in front of the children.  The inches of going to work on time and giving a 100% effort.  The inches of not putting yourself at risk of loosing your license.  The inches of not being around any person who will cause you to go to jail.  All of those actions take discipline.  Practice discipline everyday.  If you want to be a Cycle Breaker know that daily errors will lead to failure but daily disciplines will lead to your success.



East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission is to use every ounce of his body to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by:
judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com
www.Judgedawson.com

LeBron James Changed His Shoes!!!

Real Talk with Judge Dawson


It was Game 5 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference finals, the Indiana Pacers where continuing to give the Miami Heat a very challenging night.  Most people who watched the game agree that the Pacers “should’ve” been up by at least 10 points before the half time.  However, due to mistakes, missed shots and fouls the game was close.  In the third quarter of the game LeBron, once again, showed that he is still a focused and determined young man by scoring or assisting in 25 of the Miami Heat’s 30 points for that quarter.  Following are the three things that LeBron James did to turn that game around and act like a Cycle Breaker.   As you will see, we can apply these same actions to our lives to be the best that we can be and avoid negative interaction with the legal system.

LeBron engaged in serious reflection and analyzation.  Specifically, LeBron shared choice words with his team that included cursing as well as encouragement.  When we are faced with challenging situations.  When life is not going in the direction that we want it to go, it’s time for serious reflection and analyzation.  I tell people in my Court everyday that going to court, going to jail or getting in trouble should not be a regular part of your life.  These situations should not become normal.  If they are normal to you then its time to go in different direction.  The first step in going in different direction is to do what LeBron did, engage in serious reflection and analysis.  You don’t have to curse anyone out but you have to take a hard look at your situation and expect better for yourself.

LeBron went into the locker room and changed his shoes.  LeBron took the ceremonial step of changing his shoes.  Now of course the story from the media was that his other shoes were defective in some way, but that’s not how I saw it.  In fact, after watching LeBron play for many years in Cleveland, I knew that he was engaging in a ceremonial yet motivational action.  By changing his shoes, he was releasing himself from the person he was or performance that he gave in the first half.  He was telling himself that this is a fresh start, a new beginning and a new opportunity to be extraordinary.  For us, we need to ceremonially change our shoes.  It can be a change in our environment, or changing our telephone number so that he/she can’t call us anymore.  When you take the physical step to disconnect from something that you want to walk away from, you are setting yourself up to win.

LeBron gave it 100% and took full responsibility for the outcome.  In a post game interview LeBron said that his teammates seemed like they were “waiting” for something to happen.  So in order for the team to achieve their greatness he had to put the team on his back and carry them to the win.  In our lives we must take 100% responsibility for the situation that we find ourselves in.  You can always blame someone else, but you can not control the other person.  The only person who you can control is you.  Therefore, it’s a waste of time blaming someone else when you can not do anything about them.  I know from experience how it is sometimes hard to take responsibility.  I know a person who was fired based on poor performance but convinced himself that the employer discriminated against him.  That person will never change or better himself because he is in denial about his problem area.  By taking 100% responsibility, you are forcing yourself to change the only thing that you can - YOU.  Then, after you take 100% responsibility, give it everything that you’ve got.  Work hard toward achieving your goals.  Put it all on yourself.  Make it so that if you don’t win, you can only blame yourself.

LeBron James came out in the third quarter of game 5 and turned it on.  He tapped into his greatness when he 1. reflected & analyzed his situation, 2. ceremonially changed his shoes and 3. took 100% responsibility for where he was and decided to put his goals on his back and work to achieve his desired outcome.

Being a Cycle Breaker, thereby changing your life, your family and your community takes hard work and dedication.  You deserve better than going to jail and being caught in the legal system.  Stay in the game and remember that Cycle Breakers Finish First.

East Cleveland Municipal Court’s Judge William L. Dawson is on a mission is to use every ounce of his body to help people to Finish First, live their best lives and be Cycle Breakers!  To receive a copy of his newsletter reach out by:
judgewilliamdawson@gmail.com
www.Judgedawson.com