Ray Barlow of Inner city of Atlanta on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Ray Barlow shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ray, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Between those 3 I would say integrity. Integrity signifies adherence to moral and ethical principles, encompassing honesty, trustworthiness, and a strong moral character. So, from my perspective I think energy is intertwined with integrity. And not just any energy but, specifically good energy. I also feel as integrity bringing good energy it will also attract that in many different ways such as knowledge from others that appreciate my ways and want to help enhance my knowledge.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ray De’Andre Barlow. A humanitarian, influence of good, public speaker, professional boxer with a winning record, great loving only son and only child from my mother, author of 6 books as of now, founder of the nonprofit organization The Barlow Foundation for a Better World inc.,HVAC technician.

What I feel makes me and everything tied to me unique is that I move always with pure intentions. So many people with so many misleading and manipulative masks it’s rare to come across people like me. I simply just feel it’s less of a hassle to be myself and to do things in a way that will bring me the least negative responses. Also the thing unique about me is the fact I was raised in area where the way I am isn’t come across too often. Well based off the narrative pushed to society. What I feel is even more interesting that I once was as many of the environment I come from. I just chose to change.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before I was pushed to be apart of a narrative I didn’t realize I was a happy go lucky, talk to every one, and always smiling type of kid . Basically who I am now. After breaking that chain. Something hit me while I was pretty young in my late 20s that things don’t have to be the way they are for me and neither do I have to be the way I was.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
A defining wound and how I healed from it I would say for me is that I went to prison at 18 years old. Many see this as a devastating thing. Young and a place with the worst grown men around. Yet, honestly, I think it was the best thing that happened to me. One thing how I see wounds is that once they are healed that part is tougher and more durable than once before. The tough part is the work that must be done to heal that wound.

It was the most defining for me because of the healing process I decided. Since it took me away from all the things that were at the time actually distractions was a big and major start of my healing process. Certain people, certain ways of perspective, and certain environments that influenced me into being in prison. In that time being away from those factors so young and mentally fresh I was able to develop a clear mind on how I want to actually think . Learning, reading, and imaging positive thoughts for me and my future.

It also helped me develop more of a sense of self discipline. I always had discipline thanks to my mom instilling good development skills in me like going to school everyday. Which it also helped me learn consistency . Yet it’s one thing to be told to do and another to want to do without being told. Which is what this wound of incarceration at an early age developed for me. Making my own productive routine and sticking to it regardless of the obstacles. Kind of like college how I see it. Minus the parties and women lol.

So that’s basically how I healed from it. By turning what many see as a negative into positives . Which in actuality is what prison in a sense supposed to do.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
What I think my closest friends would say really matter to me is being a free spirit not restricted by societies narratives of how a person is to be, feel, or think.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand that people who truly care about you will respect you the most when you are doing you unapologetically and purely. Many of people aim to please others to hope that the way others look at them satisfy what can only be satisfied by self. To be proud and in accepting of self.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abwbarlowfoundation.org/
• Instagram: Betterworld_universe & abw1
• Youtube: ABW Ray barlow