see you are part of an equation and you
are needed part of why we should begin
to look at how we give up our lives as
that we’ve got to begin to see what is
it that I’m supposed to do what is my
life work and then give ourselves to
that because as we do that ladies and
gentleman I guarantee you as you begin
to take on this new era that we’re in if
you decide that I’m going to begin to
start living life I’m going to start
giving more of myself I’m going to start
putting out more contributing more to
life here’s what’s going to happen
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
that life will take on a whole new
meaning for you I guarantee you that
life takes on a whole new dimension but
you’ll be happier
you have a greatest sense of happiness
and fulfillment in life but now you will
begin to take off on to new paths to
some new horizons that you’ll begin to
see life totally different than most
people I don’t care how good you are to
care how talented you are
I don’t care how much you work on
yourself there sometimes and things
aren’t going to go right they just I’m
not going to go right there are times
with anything that can’t happen will
happen Murphy’s Law will be knocking at
your door
I don’t know that’s called life and you
have to deal with it sometimes your life
will be in a slump just like sports some
of the best shooters can’t hit baskets
different times and games they get in a
slump do they sit on the sidelines and
say you know I just did hit a basket
today
no they continue to execute I suggest to
you that if you are facing a challenge
don’t stop stay busy work your plan
continue to do those things that you
know that work for you after you have
evaluated yourself in the situation
continue to move stay busy stay busy
stay busy repeat out to me have somebody
and help yourself because what you give
is what you get find somebody that you
can help so you can forget about you for
a moment see sometimes the best thing to
do is to be sometimes you have to just
back up and go within yourself a bow and
arrow you you can’t take a boat and just
push it out an hour you just can’t push
the Aral out you have to pull it back
and then release it sometimes you have
to back up and go within and pray and
meditate and recharge your batteries go
away clear your head and then come back
and look at it from a different vantage
point don’t operate while you are under
the spell of the effect of what’s going
on
next thing is that you’ve got to
activate the faker in you don’t allow
your emotions to control you we are
emotional but you want to begin to
discipline your emotion if you don’t
discipline and contain your emotions
they will use you your mind goes on
automatic just like a guard you know I
love reading the book call has a man
fainted by James Allen he uses the
analogy of a mind being like a garden
you know weeds don’t have to have any
encouragement to grow you don’t have to
water them they don’t have to get
sunshine they don’t have to have fur
ground they will grow through the cracks
of a sidewalk am i right but if you want
to grow orchids or roses or any kind of
exotic flowers there are special
processes and procedures you must go
through well by the same token you don’t
have to fuss yourself or motivate
yourself to think negatively to be
depressed to hate somebody to want
revenge you want to get back at somebody
to beat yourself up over the head to
feel loaded with guilt you don’t have to
make any effort to do that your mind is
on automatic it will do that by itself
but if you want to begin to move into
your own personal greatness if you want
to begin to really enjoy a happy
successful healthy life you’ve got to be
willing to go against the tide you’ve
got to be willing to harness your will
and say in spite of this I’m in control
here I’m not gonna let this get me down
I’m not gonna let this destroy me I’m
coming back
and I’ll be stronger and better because
of it you have got to make a declaration
this is what you stand for you’re
standing up for your dreams you’re
standing up for peace of mind you’re
standing up for health you want it and
you’re gonna go all out to have it it’s
not going to be easy when you want to
change it’s not easy if it were in fact
easy everybody to do it but if you’re
serious you’ll go all out yes I’m going
to turn this situation around I’m not
going to sit back and moan and cry over
what happened and what went wrong and
who did what I’m going to do something
about this situation the next thing that
is important is that expect things to
get better for you because they are
their life is cyclic you know whatever
experience you’re having right now it
has not come to stay it has come to pass
not to stay just to pass it’s just going
through the biggest challenges is to
know what’s happening this is a part of
this thing we call life this too shall
pass and maintaining perspective putting
it in perspective I was doing the
training at a college and it was a
two-day training during orientation and
in the training that I provide I’m a
motivational speaker but I conduct
processes and personal dynamics where
people began to go through changes that
stimulate the right and left hemisphere
of the brain enabled them to see
themselves differently I conducted this
particular simulation with each young
kid 17 and 18 years of age so that they
would begin to see how they make
decisions and how they would survive in
this particular simulation process we
gave them we have to do it individually
and then collectively over 30% of them
wrote down as a first option in order to
survive they would commit suicide
first thing they wrote down suicide
among young people has increased 300%
over 5,000 will successfully take their
lives this year why why did he do that
they defense it I was so shocked I said
what do you mean well at least we would
not suffer and then they had the nerve
to write down all of the other things
they were going to do after they
I say listen cut Dumbo
now when you when you come up with a
permanent solution for a temporary
problem that’s it games over that’s it
you’re not gonna do anything anybody
wrote suicide at the top you can put
your pencil down see a lot of us because
of our limited vision of ourselves a lot
of us who begin to focus on problems and
enable them to overwhelm us we begin to
think that we have no options we begin
to believe that there’s no way out
repeat after me there’s always a way
where there’s a will there’s a way
shake somebody’s hand on your right or
you’ve got to make those kind of
declarations to yourself I’m unstoppable
this will not get me down and if I get
knocked down I’m gonna be like leopa sky
you said you’re gonna have some little
moments in life but when you do you will
have high lows when you work on yourself
what are some of those things that you
can do during this period of time go for
walks do some things for you just go for
a stroll so you can engage in some
reflective thinking on life on yourself
looking and enjoying the universe
smelling the roses along the way listen
to upbeat music music that inspired you
I have Olli but goodies I have
strategies that I engage in to recharge
my batteries I’m preparing for that
because I know things are going to
happen that I cannot anticipate very
good friend of mine died the other day I
had a program for myself I have books
that I read that inspire me tapes that I
listen to that fire me up because you’re
gonna have sometimes low moments when
you won’t want to get out of bed you
just want to stay there the times you
won’t want to come out of the house the
times you’ll be feeling bad and don’t
know what was wrong I don’t know just
why did I happen I don’t know it’s
the other thing is take full
responsibility for your life except
where you are and the responsibility
that you’re going to take yourself where
you want to go so once that we have two
primary choices in life we can either
accept conditions as they exist or we
can take the responsibility to change
them see a lot of people want to exempt
themselves from taking responsibility
all they want to do is talk about the
problem every time you see them they’ll
tell you their story over and over and
over and over again no no you want to
take responsibility for your life
I got me here I can get me out of this
and I’m getting out I’m not going to be
a volunteer victim George Bernard Shaw
said there are two kinds of people in
life you know he said those that make
things happen those that watch things
happen and those that don’t know what
happened and he said the people that get
along in this life look around for the
circumstances that they want and if they
can’t find them they make up they
creator so part of beginning to get
unstuck you’ve got to decide that the
behavior pattern that you have adopted
doesn’t work for you you’ve got to
change your strategies and changing your
recreating you and you have the power to
do that you can decide that you’re going
to change that you’re not going to be a
you can decide that you’re going to
stand up to life
you can decide that I’m going to live
each day as if it were my last you can
you have the power to make that decision
you can decide I’m going to work on
myself and develop myself I’m going to
empower me and all of these things that
are happening to me right now
they’re just temporary inconveniences
they’re not stronger than I am I’m in
charge here the valuable commodity I
whatever you give it’s going to come
back now all of us hear the saying as
your sow so shall you reap and we
usually we use that in a negative
context but let’s look at the positive
side of that but if you sow some good
stuff out here if you make it your
business how you give your life to give
the best that you have to give love to
give encouragement to give help to give
support if that’s what your life is
about whatever you put out here ladies
and gentlemen I guarantee you it’s going
to come back now the reason that most
people don’t give is because they
operate out of a consciousness of
scarcity they don’t believe that there’s
enough to go around they can’t see
themselves having the capacity to give
they don’t believe that they have
anything to offer they don’t see
themselves as an opening for the
universe to work through so if you begin
to look at this new era that we’re in
begin to see yourself as an opening for
the universe to move through to work
through to make a difference in life see
yourself being used by life to improve
the quality of life to expand and to
grow most people have a very limited
view of themselves in a very limited
view of the universe do not see their
relationship to the universe and cannot
see how energy and things can flow
through them I love Gibran and the
Prophet then said a rich man speak to us
of giving and he answered you give but
little when you give of your possessions
but is when you give of yourself that
you truly give Gibran goes on to say
there those who give little of the much
which they have and they give it for
recognition and their hidden desire
makes their gifts unwholesome and we
know people who give only to be
recognized I love that old saying judge
a man not by what he does but by that
that he doesn’t have to do and to judge
the true quality of a man is what do you
do when nobody’s looking
Gibran goes on to say something else
important he says and there are those
who have little and give it all these
are the believers in life and the
bounty of life see most people don’t
give ladies and gentlemen because they
don’t believe in life most people don’t
give because they don’t understand the
abundance in life and so they go through
life holding back holding back on life
not understanding this also that what
you hold back from life life holds back
from you so most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen not giving and
we’re cheating ourselves and you’re also
cheating life see I believe that that
all of us have some work to do I
strongly believe that that each one of
us showed up to do something that each
one of us showed up to contribute
something to life and that if we don’t
do it it will not be done see no one is
going to give Les Brown speech no one is
going to write your book see if you’ve
been given something to do and if you
don’t do it what you’re doing is
short-circuiting the flow of the
universe see if just imagine if you
please we had a circle and people are
standing around in this circle and let’s
say we were given a bucket of love and
then I pass it to the person to the
right and they pass it to somebody else
in a passage to somebody else they pass
it to somebody else in they pass it to
somebody else and it comes back to me
one of the great things about giving is
that as you give you’re going to receive
what we want to do is keep the flow
going keep the flow going if anybody
gets the bucket of luck in stops and
holds it there all of us suffer
they’ve short-circuited the flow that
stopped what was going on the energy
that was going around see you are part
of an equation and you are needed part
of why we should begin to look at how we
give up our lives that we’ve got to
begin to see what is it that I’m
supposed to do what is my life work and
then give ourselves to that because as
we do that ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you as you begin to take on
this new era that we’re in if you decide
that I’m going to begin to start living
life generously I’m going to start
giving more of myself I’m going to start
putting out more contributing more to
life here’s what’s going to happen
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
that life will take on a whole new
meaning for you I guarantee you that as
you begin to give more of yourself in
your work give more of yourself in your
marriage give more of yourself in your
relationships with your families and
friends give more of yourself to your
talent to your vocation to your job or
your business as you begin to set high
standards for giving that which you have
been given to share in the universe I
guarantee you that life takes on a whole
new dimension but you’ll be happier you
have a greater sense of happiness and
fulfillment in life now that doesn’t
mean you’re not going to have some
challenges that doesn’t mean that you’re
not going to have some problems that
you’ll be dealing with on a day-to-day
basis no that doesn’t mean any of that
no that will not exempt you from that
but what it does mean that now you will
begin to take off onto new paths to some
new horizons that you’ll begin to see
life totally different than most people
I think that’s what Henry David Thoreau
meant when he said most men live in
quiet desperation but most of us go
through life because we’re not using
that which we’ve been given that we are
punished that we’re going through life
getting up in the morning with no reason
to get up see once you find out your
purpose in life and once you decide that
you’re going to live a life of sharing
and giving and contributing to life you
don’t need an alarm clock to get up that
you move differently you have more life
in you but most people are walking
around dead most people are looking
lifeless most people find it a hard
effort to smile
most people are building themselves with
alcohol and drugs and evading their own
greatness and and holding back on
themselves for years I was cheap myself
for years I could have been doing
exactly what I’m doing right now but I
was afraid I didn’t feel I was worthy
and I didn’t want to recognize that
which I had been given I had a limited
view of me and I was literally running
away from me I mean light sometimes
chases and I said no no no we want you
to do some great no not me go get
somebody else no no
no you’re not talking about me no no no
you don’t know what I’ve been doing no
no no no we want you we can just groom
Ian and train you and and get you ready
mean yeah you showed me yeah no no not
me no I just I’m just down no I won’t do
that see and then shall I just get tired
of chase a come over here come over here
you ain’t got enough sense to come just
come over and shut up and straighten up
they just whip you so hard after a while
you say okay okay okay ladies and
gentlemen one of the reasons that we
should begin to give mores because we
owe a debt reading a book John Paul well
I’m afraid to tell you who I am because
you might not like me and that’s all
I’ve got
line in there I I love to quote we are
made by those who love us and by those
who refuse to love us as I talk to you
right now you looking at a lot of people
up here ladies and gentlemen it’s not
just Les Brown standing here a lot of
people have contributed to make me who I
am right now and none of us are here
because of our own doing all of us have
had a life to contribute to us many
times complete strangers so we all have
cookie people in our lives what do you
mean by cookie people cookie people and
chicken soup people as I call them when
I do my workshops cookie people of
people like Miss Lillian when my mother
used to whip me as a kid now was it bad
too and always getting in trouble
miss let you in here be screaming and
after momma would get through was
leading would come over to the house and
and milk and my you know my mama said
what you doing back Lee and I’m just
giving him some cookies made me and she
said here you are Leslie even though
you’re bad little boy I bought you some
cookies
so cookie people are people who even
when you are bad England when you’re not
being who you really are they look
beyond your faults and see your needs
even if you’re a moody person and curse
them out and dog about sometimes these
cookie people love you unconditionally
how many of you’ve ever had cookie
people in your life alright so we all
have had cookie people but the universe
is put in our lives to contribute to us
the other people are the chicken soup
people chicken soup people are people
that you can call at two o’clock in the
morning to say I got a flat tire will
you come help me or my battery is not
running would you come give me a jump or
I need some help
would you come get me out of jail your
life you better get so but these are
people that you can always call on to
help you out so I’m encouraging you to
give a letter of appreciation to some of
the cookie people in your life some of
them might have already made that
transition write some letters to some
people who were a leg up for you some
people who contribute it to you being
who you are and just say I was just
thinking over the years I know you know
I love you and appreciate everything
you’ve been to me but I just wanted to
drop you this letter how do you think
they feel to fake it that just out of
nowhere just want to thank you for how
you have enriched my life you might not
have thought much of it but because of
the help and assistance you gave me on
that particular day that was a turning
point in my life why should we give well
giving creates a vacuum and as we know
nature abhors a vacuum
see when you give you create a vacuum
you are now in a position to receive see
if I have my arms closed holding on to
everything I’ve got nothing is available
to come in but if I’m
but if I created a vacuum there by
giving and keeping the flow going the
stuff in the universe is going to come
back to me ladies and gentlemen it’s
going to come back whatever you give
whenever I go into a room and give a
speech to inspire people to help them to
develop their greatness if you get 10%
of what I get
because as Bach says we teach that which
we need most I’m not wearing any crown I
need it as much as I’m sharing it I’m
still growing I’m still unfolding I’m
still seeking to discover my greatness
and if you get 10% of what I get when I
walk out of your seat there will be a
different man walking out of here than
who came in here and as I give them the
more I give to you the more I get most
people don’t understand that that’s a
law of life do you know that we can
literally eliminate poverty overnight we
can eliminate hunger and homelessness
overnight if people understood the
concept of what giving means and the
power in it how about the difference
that it can make in our lives I care if
you go to any rundown neighborhood and
interview the people there evaluate
their lifestyles and what they’re doing
and what they’re contributing to life
and then go in a wealthy neighborhood
and talk to those people and evaluate
them and check out what they’re doing
with their energy and their time and
what they’re contributing to life here’s
what you’re going to discover with Earl
Nightingale said he said our success in
life is directly related to the quantity
and the quality of the service that we
give our guarantee you that you will
find that people who have more people
that are living the abundant life are
the contributors to life ladies and
gentlemen they are the people that are
giving more and the people who are
operating out of scarcity and poverty
consciousness these are the people that
are down and out these are the people
that are complaining these are the
people that are blaming the world and
everybody for where they are but if they
took that same energy and begin to
invest and give something back to life I
was in New Jersey and I had to give a
political presentation to a group there
that we’re trying to organize the
community to begin to revitalize that
particular community and the guy was
telling me very proudly as we were
walking through a housing project he
said the city is about to give fifty
five million dollars to renovate these
housing projects I said what a waste he
said why would you say that I said let
me ask you something and the person that
was standing next to him I said do you
live in this building he said yes I said
how many families live here is it six
families I said we walked in the door
and we can smell the stench of urine
does it take a genius to go down to the
store and perhaps sacrifice buying three
packs of cigarettes and buy some tired
of soap and water and come back here and
wash this stench out of here does it
take a genius to get a can of paint and
paint over the graffiti and repair the
mailbox does it take a genius for that I
say to you you pour the money in these
housing projects and you don’t change
the people that are living in the
projects before you have completed their
if it is sustained and I’m not saying
that there aren’t situations where
people need some help and assistance but
people must be allowed to contribute I
say they should pay for the paint I say
they should pay for the mailboxes to be
repaired and the windows to be broken
and I guarantee if the children go
outside throwing the ball they say don’t
you hit that window you fool you know
how much I paid for that window makes a
difference people need to be given the
opportunity to contribute and invest in
life and in life is appreciated but if
we just give and you don’t want just
give you want to give to people who are
out there struggling and making it and
trying to make impact in the universe
I’d rather give to a man who is already
doing it than somebody over here doing
nothing and trying go over there man why
don’t you get up and do something hey
listen if you have to go over there and
get them up you’ll have to do that for
the rest of your life
so do it with those who are doing it
[Applause]
so you want to keep the flow going by
working with people who are contributors
to life leave the dead people alone that
are taking away from life there’s a
scripture when I heard it I couldn’t
understand it I say how cold he that
hath shall get and he that hath not even
that that he has shall be taken away
I said not that’s not fair ladies and
gentlemen that is fair he that hath what
becomes the key he that hath a generous
view of life he even has courage he that
hath initiative he that hath
resourcefulness shall get but if you’re
like the guy that I was in a hotel and
asked him I said look here I said I’m
you know he was a bellman I said you
know I need to get my shoes shadow I
don’t see shine shoes oh how long you
been working here about three months
what were you doing before then
oh I just got other joint yeah you don’t
shine shoes that’s beneath you but it
was okay to steal that’s not beneath you
huh see save another guy’s ex-offender I
was telling my had a job from what kind
making an honest living not worried
about somebody knocking on your door in
the middle of the night if it’s cleaning
toilets you ought to be happy
she’s a taker ladies and gentlemen you
think that somebody’s just gonna come
give him something out here in life it
doesn’t happen that way no it doesn’t
happen that way here’s something else
you’ve been discovering giving something
that’s very important
give thanks giving thanks creates power
give thanks for your house give thanks
for your apartment for your car for your
family for your health
for your relationships for what you have
when we focus on something it expands
when you’re giving thanks when you’re
sharing the spirit of gratitude for what
I got not that you’re satisfied with it
but you’re grateful for what you got
whatever you focus on that’s what you’re
going to continue to multiply and expand
in your life but if you focus on what
you don’t have if all you can do is
point out the negative things in your
life whatever you focus on your going to
expand that some people all they can do
is complain that’s all they can do they
can’t find anything to say good about
life and about anybody else every time
they open their mouth that’s what their
minds are consumed with and that’s all
they’re producing in their lives and
these are people that you don’t want to
be around develop a spirit of gratitude
I’m thankful for life I’m thankful to be
an American I’m thankful to be on this
part of the planet I’m thankful to see
another day know things on what I want
him to be no I don’t have all the things
I want to have but I’m thankful that I’m
still here I have another opportunity
another day to live another chance to
contribute another chance to make a
difference in life so begin to give
thanks for what you have whatever you
focus on remember now you want to become
aligned with the universe if you have
scarcity in your life it’s because you
have a consciousness of scarcity as you
begin to become thankful for what you
have but the abundance that you now know
is coming your way that you’re
attracting to you for the good really
ship that is coming your way right now
it will begin to create incredible
opportunities for you to begin to
improve your life and the quality of
life of people around you giving is also
ladies and gentlemen for giving give
forgiveness many of us do not realize
that we cannot grow that we are blocking
ourselves we are blocking out good in
the universe we’re literally standing in
the way of the flow of what life has to
us because we haven’t learned how to
forgive we haven’t learned how to let
things go so we can get on with our
lives
when we forgive ladies and gentlemen
it’s not for the other person
oh no it’s for you it’s not for them not
because they deserved it all they earned
it you’re forgiving all the people first
of all you’ve got to forgive yourself
but when you forgive other people it is
mentally and spiritually healthy to
forgive to let that luggage go as Paul
said forgetting those things which are
behind reaching forward to those things
which are before oh we hear it but it’s
hard to do it’s hard what you have is
enough whatever you have to give and the
more you get the more you realize you
have to give and we all have to hear
people who made the supreme sacrifice
for us to enjoy freedoms that we take
for granted Oh none of us none of us can
feel that we have nothing to give back
next thing is giving empowers you it
makes you more powerful see the more you
give to life the more you’re able to get
from life see most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen feeling that we
don’t have enough to share feeling that
we will be depleted if we give of our
resources because we don’t see ourselves
connected to the abundance of life I
feel very strongly that we can make an
incredible difference in life Phyllis
Marx said giving empowers you because
taken to its ultimate what you are
really giving is love love is
the motivating force behind the infinite
supply of universal energy love truly
makes the world go around and as with
anything circular it’s going keep coming
back Phyllis is right so as she
continues to give love and hope to these
people she receives love and hope for
herself and helping to begin to
restructure and redesign the kind of
life that she wants we all have had
experiences in our lives that if we
permit these experiences to do so we
will allow them to weigh us down if we
permit them to do so there will be
luggage that will be dragging through
life holding us down stifling our
potential to give and to contribute life
if we continue to carry all of these
things we can never be open to the love
and the abundance and the opportunity
that life has to offer us because we’re
so full of at what we’ve got I’m
thinking about an exhibition that was
held in Africa where they were trying to
catch the monkeys that were the very
rare species and because they were so
fast so agile and and very fragile they
did not want to harm them and and
catching them they did not want to hurt
them physically so what they did in
order to catch them they found that
these monkeys were very fond of a
certain kind of nut that grew in that
particular area of Africa and what they
did was that they put these nuts inside
of bottles and put a rope on the bottle
and held the Rope from a distance and so
the monkeys would come and being curious
see the nuts inside the bottle would
reach in and pick the nuts up now what
happened was that they couldn’t pull
their hands out with the nut still in
and so then the exhibition errs the
hunters would come while the monkeys are
there just jump around all they have to
do now is let the next goal that’s all
they got to do is yet let they just
dance it all round all they have to do
is let it go and they can be free and
run they hold it on to the DA certain
people come against you and a lot of us
that life is kicking our butt and all we
have to do
[Music]
ladies and gentlemen giving creates
energy in ourselves and in others have
you ever helped a blind person go across
the street or help a senior citizen or
give somebody some help you know just
you know held a door for somebody to an
elevator I mean don’t you have a good
feeling inside like I’ve done good I may
be good a good feeling is that what you
do something good for somebody see we’re
really giving to ourselves see that’s
really the law when you are giving you
are giving to your self that’s all
you’re giving – so you want to give
yourself some good gifts there’s a
principle underlying the concept of
giving the energy flowing through us as
we do that love generates abundance in
our lives and we are able to reap so
much from life as a result of our giving
how are you giving up your life do you
know to the degree that you are giving
to that degree determines how much you
enjoy life how meaningful your life is
the things ladies and gentlemen I used
to do I can’t do now that it’s
unbecoming for the role that I have
selected with where I am at my life and
what I want to contribute to life it is
inconsistent I can’t do it even if I
desire to do it I can’t do it no because
it doesn’t fit because of my vision of
myself in the contribution that I want
to make to life because it’s not enough
to give the message you must also be the
message
[Music]
[Applause]
next thing is that we must give out of a
sense of Orton Asst Emmanuel Con in the
book called critique of Pure Reason a he
says sometimes we must give out of a
sense of Altis that the certain things
that happen that we just say something
ought to be done about this a policeman
in Washington DC was working one of his
patrol areas and he came up to a car and
a park and a car was running and he saw
a figure slumped over the steering wheel
he got there looking in with a
flashlight and he saw a fourteen year
old boy with a bullet through the back
of his head and he said oh no he has a
son himself that could have been inside
he says something ought to be done we’re
losing too many young people and so this
man went home he had like several
thousand dollars worth of exercise
equipment and his basement he rented a
place he started bringing the kids in to
get them involved in taking care of
their bodies and physical exercise and
athletic activity
he now has expanded that to getting them
involved in entrepreneurial ventures
saying that this is a free enterprise
system and the more enterprising you are
the freer you are and all these kids
have started their own business they
have a little shopping center that they
run they operate they are managing and
they have commercials on radio and I’m
going to be going there doing some
training with them so he decided because
of that event that I ought to do
something now some of the things that’s
going to happen when you look out and
see what can I contribute you what can I
give I guarantee you ladies and
gentlemen you’re going to have a voice
as saying it’s just no use this it’s
it’s out of control now there will be a
voice telling you that you’ll be wasting
your time and wasting your energy and
wasting your effort I say don’t listen
to it listen to that still small voice
that says I can do something and I ought
to do it
we ought to do it the Israeli said this
nothing can resist the will of a people
that will stake even their existence
on the extent of that purpose for good I
strongly believe that as we begin to
look to off the future and that as each
day we get up in the morning and be it
that you’re going to give to make the
environment safer for everybody on the
planet be it that you’re going to do
things to help the sick of the
physically disabled or recovering crack
cocaine addicts be it but you want to
help and contribute to you or do
something for the homeless whatever you
want to do if you get up in the morning
out of a sense of otters and decide that
I am an opening for the universe that
life can work through and use me as a
channel and as a instrument for change
and each day we get up we make it our
personal business to make a difference
in those areas that we’re concerned
about how are we going to do it we don’t
know but we know that we can make a
difference and we might not be here to
see the results of our efforts we might
not be here as many of the people who
before us made sacrifices that they did
not live the seed or reap the benefits
of James Weldon Johnson Stoney the road
we trod bitter the chesaning rod felt in
the days when hope unborn had died yet
with a steady beat have not our weary
feet come to the place for which our
fathers died we’ve come over a wave and
with tears has been watered we’ve come
treading a path through the blood of the
slaughtered when we came here somebody
paid the price for us to be here and as
we begin to look toward the future we
all have an obligation to give something
back
a lot of us don’t give more because of
the fact that we allow ego
to get it away
I’m thinking of a man that was
well-dressed walking through a
neighborhood one day and a lady came to
the door and she said hey you he stopped
he said very politely yes ma’am she said
come here he came to her yes what may I
do for you ma’am she said I want you to
cut my wood he said yes ma’am he took
his coat off and he took the axe that
she had there and he cut the wood she
said won’t you take some around the back
and put some in the fireplace
he said yes ma’am and he did that
and after he finished she said what do
all you he said nothing man
thank you for the opportunity to serve
him she said okay and he left and he was
walking down the street with his coat
over shoulder and her maid came up she
said do you know who that was
and the lady she work for said no she
says that’s the great Negro educator
Booker T Washington
she looked out the window she said is
that right
she said sell for him
and that lady
that boogity washington went in and cut
the wood for contributed several million
dollars to his dream of building an
institution of higher learning to Stiggy
institute that is standing today
[Music]
cut your wood don’t even come up in here
you [Music]
are needed part of why we should begin
to look at how we give up our lives as
that we’ve got to begin to see what is
it that I’m supposed to do what is my
life work and then give ourselves to
that because as we do that ladies and
gentleman I guarantee you as you begin
to take on this new era that we’re in if
you decide that I’m going to begin to
start living life I’m going to start
giving more of myself I’m going to start
putting out more contributing more to
life here’s what’s going to happen
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
that life will take on a whole new
meaning for you I guarantee you that
life takes on a whole new dimension but
you’ll be happier
you have a greatest sense of happiness
and fulfillment in life but now you will
begin to take off on to new paths to
some new horizons that you’ll begin to
see life totally different than most
people I don’t care how good you are to
care how talented you are
I don’t care how much you work on
yourself there sometimes and things
aren’t going to go right they just I’m
not going to go right there are times
with anything that can’t happen will
happen Murphy’s Law will be knocking at
your door
I don’t know that’s called life and you
have to deal with it sometimes your life
will be in a slump just like sports some
of the best shooters can’t hit baskets
different times and games they get in a
slump do they sit on the sidelines and
say you know I just did hit a basket
today
no they continue to execute I suggest to
you that if you are facing a challenge
don’t stop stay busy work your plan
continue to do those things that you
know that work for you after you have
evaluated yourself in the situation
continue to move stay busy stay busy
stay busy repeat out to me have somebody
and help yourself because what you give
is what you get find somebody that you
can help so you can forget about you for
a moment see sometimes the best thing to
do is to be sometimes you have to just
back up and go within yourself a bow and
arrow you you can’t take a boat and just
push it out an hour you just can’t push
the Aral out you have to pull it back
and then release it sometimes you have
to back up and go within and pray and
meditate and recharge your batteries go
away clear your head and then come back
and look at it from a different vantage
point don’t operate while you are under
the spell of the effect of what’s going
on
next thing is that you’ve got to
activate the faker in you don’t allow
your emotions to control you we are
emotional but you want to begin to
discipline your emotion if you don’t
discipline and contain your emotions
they will use you your mind goes on
automatic just like a guard you know I
love reading the book call has a man
fainted by James Allen he uses the
analogy of a mind being like a garden
you know weeds don’t have to have any
encouragement to grow you don’t have to
water them they don’t have to get
sunshine they don’t have to have fur
ground they will grow through the cracks
of a sidewalk am i right but if you want
to grow orchids or roses or any kind of
exotic flowers there are special
processes and procedures you must go
through well by the same token you don’t
have to fuss yourself or motivate
yourself to think negatively to be
depressed to hate somebody to want
revenge you want to get back at somebody
to beat yourself up over the head to
feel loaded with guilt you don’t have to
make any effort to do that your mind is
on automatic it will do that by itself
but if you want to begin to move into
your own personal greatness if you want
to begin to really enjoy a happy
successful healthy life you’ve got to be
willing to go against the tide you’ve
got to be willing to harness your will
and say in spite of this I’m in control
here I’m not gonna let this get me down
I’m not gonna let this destroy me I’m
coming back
and I’ll be stronger and better because
of it you have got to make a declaration
this is what you stand for you’re
standing up for your dreams you’re
standing up for peace of mind you’re
standing up for health you want it and
you’re gonna go all out to have it it’s
not going to be easy when you want to
change it’s not easy if it were in fact
easy everybody to do it but if you’re
serious you’ll go all out yes I’m going
to turn this situation around I’m not
going to sit back and moan and cry over
what happened and what went wrong and
who did what I’m going to do something
about this situation the next thing that
is important is that expect things to
get better for you because they are
their life is cyclic you know whatever
experience you’re having right now it
has not come to stay it has come to pass
not to stay just to pass it’s just going
through the biggest challenges is to
know what’s happening this is a part of
this thing we call life this too shall
pass and maintaining perspective putting
it in perspective I was doing the
training at a college and it was a
two-day training during orientation and
in the training that I provide I’m a
motivational speaker but I conduct
processes and personal dynamics where
people began to go through changes that
stimulate the right and left hemisphere
of the brain enabled them to see
themselves differently I conducted this
particular simulation with each young
kid 17 and 18 years of age so that they
would begin to see how they make
decisions and how they would survive in
this particular simulation process we
gave them we have to do it individually
and then collectively over 30% of them
wrote down as a first option in order to
survive they would commit suicide
first thing they wrote down suicide
among young people has increased 300%
over 5,000 will successfully take their
lives this year why why did he do that
they defense it I was so shocked I said
what do you mean well at least we would
not suffer and then they had the nerve
to write down all of the other things
they were going to do after they
I say listen cut Dumbo
now when you when you come up with a
permanent solution for a temporary
problem that’s it games over that’s it
you’re not gonna do anything anybody
wrote suicide at the top you can put
your pencil down see a lot of us because
of our limited vision of ourselves a lot
of us who begin to focus on problems and
enable them to overwhelm us we begin to
think that we have no options we begin
to believe that there’s no way out
repeat after me there’s always a way
where there’s a will there’s a way
shake somebody’s hand on your right or
you’ve got to make those kind of
declarations to yourself I’m unstoppable
this will not get me down and if I get
knocked down I’m gonna be like leopa sky
you said you’re gonna have some little
moments in life but when you do you will
have high lows when you work on yourself
what are some of those things that you
can do during this period of time go for
walks do some things for you just go for
a stroll so you can engage in some
reflective thinking on life on yourself
looking and enjoying the universe
smelling the roses along the way listen
to upbeat music music that inspired you
I have Olli but goodies I have
strategies that I engage in to recharge
my batteries I’m preparing for that
because I know things are going to
happen that I cannot anticipate very
good friend of mine died the other day I
had a program for myself I have books
that I read that inspire me tapes that I
listen to that fire me up because you’re
gonna have sometimes low moments when
you won’t want to get out of bed you
just want to stay there the times you
won’t want to come out of the house the
times you’ll be feeling bad and don’t
know what was wrong I don’t know just
why did I happen I don’t know it’s
the other thing is take full
responsibility for your life except
where you are and the responsibility
that you’re going to take yourself where
you want to go so once that we have two
primary choices in life we can either
accept conditions as they exist or we
can take the responsibility to change
them see a lot of people want to exempt
themselves from taking responsibility
all they want to do is talk about the
problem every time you see them they’ll
tell you their story over and over and
over and over again no no you want to
take responsibility for your life
I got me here I can get me out of this
and I’m getting out I’m not going to be
a volunteer victim George Bernard Shaw
said there are two kinds of people in
life you know he said those that make
things happen those that watch things
happen and those that don’t know what
happened and he said the people that get
along in this life look around for the
circumstances that they want and if they
can’t find them they make up they
creator so part of beginning to get
unstuck you’ve got to decide that the
behavior pattern that you have adopted
doesn’t work for you you’ve got to
change your strategies and changing your
recreating you and you have the power to
do that you can decide that you’re going
to change that you’re not going to be a
you can decide that you’re going to
stand up to life
you can decide that I’m going to live
each day as if it were my last you can
you have the power to make that decision
you can decide I’m going to work on
myself and develop myself I’m going to
empower me and all of these things that
are happening to me right now
they’re just temporary inconveniences
they’re not stronger than I am I’m in
charge here the valuable commodity I
whatever you give it’s going to come
back now all of us hear the saying as
your sow so shall you reap and we
usually we use that in a negative
context but let’s look at the positive
side of that but if you sow some good
stuff out here if you make it your
business how you give your life to give
the best that you have to give love to
give encouragement to give help to give
support if that’s what your life is
about whatever you put out here ladies
and gentlemen I guarantee you it’s going
to come back now the reason that most
people don’t give is because they
operate out of a consciousness of
scarcity they don’t believe that there’s
enough to go around they can’t see
themselves having the capacity to give
they don’t believe that they have
anything to offer they don’t see
themselves as an opening for the
universe to work through so if you begin
to look at this new era that we’re in
begin to see yourself as an opening for
the universe to move through to work
through to make a difference in life see
yourself being used by life to improve
the quality of life to expand and to
grow most people have a very limited
view of themselves in a very limited
view of the universe do not see their
relationship to the universe and cannot
see how energy and things can flow
through them I love Gibran and the
Prophet then said a rich man speak to us
of giving and he answered you give but
little when you give of your possessions
but is when you give of yourself that
you truly give Gibran goes on to say
there those who give little of the much
which they have and they give it for
recognition and their hidden desire
makes their gifts unwholesome and we
know people who give only to be
recognized I love that old saying judge
a man not by what he does but by that
that he doesn’t have to do and to judge
the true quality of a man is what do you
do when nobody’s looking
Gibran goes on to say something else
important he says and there are those
who have little and give it all these
are the believers in life and the
bounty of life see most people don’t
give ladies and gentlemen because they
don’t believe in life most people don’t
give because they don’t understand the
abundance in life and so they go through
life holding back holding back on life
not understanding this also that what
you hold back from life life holds back
from you so most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen not giving and
we’re cheating ourselves and you’re also
cheating life see I believe that that
all of us have some work to do I
strongly believe that that each one of
us showed up to do something that each
one of us showed up to contribute
something to life and that if we don’t
do it it will not be done see no one is
going to give Les Brown speech no one is
going to write your book see if you’ve
been given something to do and if you
don’t do it what you’re doing is
short-circuiting the flow of the
universe see if just imagine if you
please we had a circle and people are
standing around in this circle and let’s
say we were given a bucket of love and
then I pass it to the person to the
right and they pass it to somebody else
in a passage to somebody else they pass
it to somebody else in they pass it to
somebody else and it comes back to me
one of the great things about giving is
that as you give you’re going to receive
what we want to do is keep the flow
going keep the flow going if anybody
gets the bucket of luck in stops and
holds it there all of us suffer
they’ve short-circuited the flow that
stopped what was going on the energy
that was going around see you are part
of an equation and you are needed part
of why we should begin to look at how we
give up our lives that we’ve got to
begin to see what is it that I’m
supposed to do what is my life work and
then give ourselves to that because as
we do that ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you as you begin to take on
this new era that we’re in if you decide
that I’m going to begin to start living
life generously I’m going to start
giving more of myself I’m going to start
putting out more contributing more to
life here’s what’s going to happen
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
that life will take on a whole new
meaning for you I guarantee you that as
you begin to give more of yourself in
your work give more of yourself in your
marriage give more of yourself in your
relationships with your families and
friends give more of yourself to your
talent to your vocation to your job or
your business as you begin to set high
standards for giving that which you have
been given to share in the universe I
guarantee you that life takes on a whole
new dimension but you’ll be happier you
have a greater sense of happiness and
fulfillment in life now that doesn’t
mean you’re not going to have some
challenges that doesn’t mean that you’re
not going to have some problems that
you’ll be dealing with on a day-to-day
basis no that doesn’t mean any of that
no that will not exempt you from that
but what it does mean that now you will
begin to take off onto new paths to some
new horizons that you’ll begin to see
life totally different than most people
I think that’s what Henry David Thoreau
meant when he said most men live in
quiet desperation but most of us go
through life because we’re not using
that which we’ve been given that we are
punished that we’re going through life
getting up in the morning with no reason
to get up see once you find out your
purpose in life and once you decide that
you’re going to live a life of sharing
and giving and contributing to life you
don’t need an alarm clock to get up that
you move differently you have more life
in you but most people are walking
around dead most people are looking
lifeless most people find it a hard
effort to smile
most people are building themselves with
alcohol and drugs and evading their own
greatness and and holding back on
themselves for years I was cheap myself
for years I could have been doing
exactly what I’m doing right now but I
was afraid I didn’t feel I was worthy
and I didn’t want to recognize that
which I had been given I had a limited
view of me and I was literally running
away from me I mean light sometimes
chases and I said no no no we want you
to do some great no not me go get
somebody else no no
no you’re not talking about me no no no
you don’t know what I’ve been doing no
no no no we want you we can just groom
Ian and train you and and get you ready
mean yeah you showed me yeah no no not
me no I just I’m just down no I won’t do
that see and then shall I just get tired
of chase a come over here come over here
you ain’t got enough sense to come just
come over and shut up and straighten up
they just whip you so hard after a while
you say okay okay okay ladies and
gentlemen one of the reasons that we
should begin to give mores because we
owe a debt reading a book John Paul well
I’m afraid to tell you who I am because
you might not like me and that’s all
I’ve got
line in there I I love to quote we are
made by those who love us and by those
who refuse to love us as I talk to you
right now you looking at a lot of people
up here ladies and gentlemen it’s not
just Les Brown standing here a lot of
people have contributed to make me who I
am right now and none of us are here
because of our own doing all of us have
had a life to contribute to us many
times complete strangers so we all have
cookie people in our lives what do you
mean by cookie people cookie people and
chicken soup people as I call them when
I do my workshops cookie people of
people like Miss Lillian when my mother
used to whip me as a kid now was it bad
too and always getting in trouble
miss let you in here be screaming and
after momma would get through was
leading would come over to the house and
and milk and my you know my mama said
what you doing back Lee and I’m just
giving him some cookies made me and she
said here you are Leslie even though
you’re bad little boy I bought you some
cookies
so cookie people are people who even
when you are bad England when you’re not
being who you really are they look
beyond your faults and see your needs
even if you’re a moody person and curse
them out and dog about sometimes these
cookie people love you unconditionally
how many of you’ve ever had cookie
people in your life alright so we all
have had cookie people but the universe
is put in our lives to contribute to us
the other people are the chicken soup
people chicken soup people are people
that you can call at two o’clock in the
morning to say I got a flat tire will
you come help me or my battery is not
running would you come give me a jump or
I need some help
would you come get me out of jail your
life you better get so but these are
people that you can always call on to
help you out so I’m encouraging you to
give a letter of appreciation to some of
the cookie people in your life some of
them might have already made that
transition write some letters to some
people who were a leg up for you some
people who contribute it to you being
who you are and just say I was just
thinking over the years I know you know
I love you and appreciate everything
you’ve been to me but I just wanted to
drop you this letter how do you think
they feel to fake it that just out of
nowhere just want to thank you for how
you have enriched my life you might not
have thought much of it but because of
the help and assistance you gave me on
that particular day that was a turning
point in my life why should we give well
giving creates a vacuum and as we know
nature abhors a vacuum
see when you give you create a vacuum
you are now in a position to receive see
if I have my arms closed holding on to
everything I’ve got nothing is available
to come in but if I’m
but if I created a vacuum there by
giving and keeping the flow going the
stuff in the universe is going to come
back to me ladies and gentlemen it’s
going to come back whatever you give
whenever I go into a room and give a
speech to inspire people to help them to
develop their greatness if you get 10%
of what I get
because as Bach says we teach that which
we need most I’m not wearing any crown I
need it as much as I’m sharing it I’m
still growing I’m still unfolding I’m
still seeking to discover my greatness
and if you get 10% of what I get when I
walk out of your seat there will be a
different man walking out of here than
who came in here and as I give them the
more I give to you the more I get most
people don’t understand that that’s a
law of life do you know that we can
literally eliminate poverty overnight we
can eliminate hunger and homelessness
overnight if people understood the
concept of what giving means and the
power in it how about the difference
that it can make in our lives I care if
you go to any rundown neighborhood and
interview the people there evaluate
their lifestyles and what they’re doing
and what they’re contributing to life
and then go in a wealthy neighborhood
and talk to those people and evaluate
them and check out what they’re doing
with their energy and their time and
what they’re contributing to life here’s
what you’re going to discover with Earl
Nightingale said he said our success in
life is directly related to the quantity
and the quality of the service that we
give our guarantee you that you will
find that people who have more people
that are living the abundant life are
the contributors to life ladies and
gentlemen they are the people that are
giving more and the people who are
operating out of scarcity and poverty
consciousness these are the people that
are down and out these are the people
that are complaining these are the
people that are blaming the world and
everybody for where they are but if they
took that same energy and begin to
invest and give something back to life I
was in New Jersey and I had to give a
political presentation to a group there
that we’re trying to organize the
community to begin to revitalize that
particular community and the guy was
telling me very proudly as we were
walking through a housing project he
said the city is about to give fifty
five million dollars to renovate these
housing projects I said what a waste he
said why would you say that I said let
me ask you something and the person that
was standing next to him I said do you
live in this building he said yes I said
how many families live here is it six
families I said we walked in the door
and we can smell the stench of urine
does it take a genius to go down to the
store and perhaps sacrifice buying three
packs of cigarettes and buy some tired
of soap and water and come back here and
wash this stench out of here does it
take a genius to get a can of paint and
paint over the graffiti and repair the
mailbox does it take a genius for that I
say to you you pour the money in these
housing projects and you don’t change
the people that are living in the
projects before you have completed their
if it is sustained and I’m not saying
that there aren’t situations where
people need some help and assistance but
people must be allowed to contribute I
say they should pay for the paint I say
they should pay for the mailboxes to be
repaired and the windows to be broken
and I guarantee if the children go
outside throwing the ball they say don’t
you hit that window you fool you know
how much I paid for that window makes a
difference people need to be given the
opportunity to contribute and invest in
life and in life is appreciated but if
we just give and you don’t want just
give you want to give to people who are
out there struggling and making it and
trying to make impact in the universe
I’d rather give to a man who is already
doing it than somebody over here doing
nothing and trying go over there man why
don’t you get up and do something hey
listen if you have to go over there and
get them up you’ll have to do that for
the rest of your life
so do it with those who are doing it
[Applause]
so you want to keep the flow going by
working with people who are contributors
to life leave the dead people alone that
are taking away from life there’s a
scripture when I heard it I couldn’t
understand it I say how cold he that
hath shall get and he that hath not even
that that he has shall be taken away
I said not that’s not fair ladies and
gentlemen that is fair he that hath what
becomes the key he that hath a generous
view of life he even has courage he that
hath initiative he that hath
resourcefulness shall get but if you’re
like the guy that I was in a hotel and
asked him I said look here I said I’m
you know he was a bellman I said you
know I need to get my shoes shadow I
don’t see shine shoes oh how long you
been working here about three months
what were you doing before then
oh I just got other joint yeah you don’t
shine shoes that’s beneath you but it
was okay to steal that’s not beneath you
huh see save another guy’s ex-offender I
was telling my had a job from what kind
making an honest living not worried
about somebody knocking on your door in
the middle of the night if it’s cleaning
toilets you ought to be happy
she’s a taker ladies and gentlemen you
think that somebody’s just gonna come
give him something out here in life it
doesn’t happen that way no it doesn’t
happen that way here’s something else
you’ve been discovering giving something
that’s very important
give thanks giving thanks creates power
give thanks for your house give thanks
for your apartment for your car for your
family for your health
for your relationships for what you have
when we focus on something it expands
when you’re giving thanks when you’re
sharing the spirit of gratitude for what
I got not that you’re satisfied with it
but you’re grateful for what you got
whatever you focus on that’s what you’re
going to continue to multiply and expand
in your life but if you focus on what
you don’t have if all you can do is
point out the negative things in your
life whatever you focus on your going to
expand that some people all they can do
is complain that’s all they can do they
can’t find anything to say good about
life and about anybody else every time
they open their mouth that’s what their
minds are consumed with and that’s all
they’re producing in their lives and
these are people that you don’t want to
be around develop a spirit of gratitude
I’m thankful for life I’m thankful to be
an American I’m thankful to be on this
part of the planet I’m thankful to see
another day know things on what I want
him to be no I don’t have all the things
I want to have but I’m thankful that I’m
still here I have another opportunity
another day to live another chance to
contribute another chance to make a
difference in life so begin to give
thanks for what you have whatever you
focus on remember now you want to become
aligned with the universe if you have
scarcity in your life it’s because you
have a consciousness of scarcity as you
begin to become thankful for what you
have but the abundance that you now know
is coming your way that you’re
attracting to you for the good really
ship that is coming your way right now
it will begin to create incredible
opportunities for you to begin to
improve your life and the quality of
life of people around you giving is also
ladies and gentlemen for giving give
forgiveness many of us do not realize
that we cannot grow that we are blocking
ourselves we are blocking out good in
the universe we’re literally standing in
the way of the flow of what life has to
us because we haven’t learned how to
forgive we haven’t learned how to let
things go so we can get on with our
lives
when we forgive ladies and gentlemen
it’s not for the other person
oh no it’s for you it’s not for them not
because they deserved it all they earned
it you’re forgiving all the people first
of all you’ve got to forgive yourself
but when you forgive other people it is
mentally and spiritually healthy to
forgive to let that luggage go as Paul
said forgetting those things which are
behind reaching forward to those things
which are before oh we hear it but it’s
hard to do it’s hard what you have is
enough whatever you have to give and the
more you get the more you realize you
have to give and we all have to hear
people who made the supreme sacrifice
for us to enjoy freedoms that we take
for granted Oh none of us none of us can
feel that we have nothing to give back
next thing is giving empowers you it
makes you more powerful see the more you
give to life the more you’re able to get
from life see most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen feeling that we
don’t have enough to share feeling that
we will be depleted if we give of our
resources because we don’t see ourselves
connected to the abundance of life I
feel very strongly that we can make an
incredible difference in life Phyllis
Marx said giving empowers you because
taken to its ultimate what you are
really giving is love love is
the motivating force behind the infinite
supply of universal energy love truly
makes the world go around and as with
anything circular it’s going keep coming
back Phyllis is right so as she
continues to give love and hope to these
people she receives love and hope for
herself and helping to begin to
restructure and redesign the kind of
life that she wants we all have had
experiences in our lives that if we
permit these experiences to do so we
will allow them to weigh us down if we
permit them to do so there will be
luggage that will be dragging through
life holding us down stifling our
potential to give and to contribute life
if we continue to carry all of these
things we can never be open to the love
and the abundance and the opportunity
that life has to offer us because we’re
so full of at what we’ve got I’m
thinking about an exhibition that was
held in Africa where they were trying to
catch the monkeys that were the very
rare species and because they were so
fast so agile and and very fragile they
did not want to harm them and and
catching them they did not want to hurt
them physically so what they did in
order to catch them they found that
these monkeys were very fond of a
certain kind of nut that grew in that
particular area of Africa and what they
did was that they put these nuts inside
of bottles and put a rope on the bottle
and held the Rope from a distance and so
the monkeys would come and being curious
see the nuts inside the bottle would
reach in and pick the nuts up now what
happened was that they couldn’t pull
their hands out with the nut still in
and so then the exhibition errs the
hunters would come while the monkeys are
there just jump around all they have to
do now is let the next goal that’s all
they got to do is yet let they just
dance it all round all they have to do
is let it go and they can be free and
run they hold it on to the DA certain
people come against you and a lot of us
that life is kicking our butt and all we
have to do
[Music]
ladies and gentlemen giving creates
energy in ourselves and in others have
you ever helped a blind person go across
the street or help a senior citizen or
give somebody some help you know just
you know held a door for somebody to an
elevator I mean don’t you have a good
feeling inside like I’ve done good I may
be good a good feeling is that what you
do something good for somebody see we’re
really giving to ourselves see that’s
really the law when you are giving you
are giving to your self that’s all
you’re giving – so you want to give
yourself some good gifts there’s a
principle underlying the concept of
giving the energy flowing through us as
we do that love generates abundance in
our lives and we are able to reap so
much from life as a result of our giving
how are you giving up your life do you
know to the degree that you are giving
to that degree determines how much you
enjoy life how meaningful your life is
the things ladies and gentlemen I used
to do I can’t do now that it’s
unbecoming for the role that I have
selected with where I am at my life and
what I want to contribute to life it is
inconsistent I can’t do it even if I
desire to do it I can’t do it no because
it doesn’t fit because of my vision of
myself in the contribution that I want
to make to life because it’s not enough
to give the message you must also be the
message
[Music]
[Applause]
next thing is that we must give out of a
sense of Orton Asst Emmanuel Con in the
book called critique of Pure Reason a he
says sometimes we must give out of a
sense of Altis that the certain things
that happen that we just say something
ought to be done about this a policeman
in Washington DC was working one of his
patrol areas and he came up to a car and
a park and a car was running and he saw
a figure slumped over the steering wheel
he got there looking in with a
flashlight and he saw a fourteen year
old boy with a bullet through the back
of his head and he said oh no he has a
son himself that could have been inside
he says something ought to be done we’re
losing too many young people and so this
man went home he had like several
thousand dollars worth of exercise
equipment and his basement he rented a
place he started bringing the kids in to
get them involved in taking care of
their bodies and physical exercise and
athletic activity
he now has expanded that to getting them
involved in entrepreneurial ventures
saying that this is a free enterprise
system and the more enterprising you are
the freer you are and all these kids
have started their own business they
have a little shopping center that they
run they operate they are managing and
they have commercials on radio and I’m
going to be going there doing some
training with them so he decided because
of that event that I ought to do
something now some of the things that’s
going to happen when you look out and
see what can I contribute you what can I
give I guarantee you ladies and
gentlemen you’re going to have a voice
as saying it’s just no use this it’s
it’s out of control now there will be a
voice telling you that you’ll be wasting
your time and wasting your energy and
wasting your effort I say don’t listen
to it listen to that still small voice
that says I can do something and I ought
to do it
we ought to do it the Israeli said this
nothing can resist the will of a people
that will stake even their existence
on the extent of that purpose for good I
strongly believe that as we begin to
look to off the future and that as each
day we get up in the morning and be it
that you’re going to give to make the
environment safer for everybody on the
planet be it that you’re going to do
things to help the sick of the
physically disabled or recovering crack
cocaine addicts be it but you want to
help and contribute to you or do
something for the homeless whatever you
want to do if you get up in the morning
out of a sense of otters and decide that
I am an opening for the universe that
life can work through and use me as a
channel and as a instrument for change
and each day we get up we make it our
personal business to make a difference
in those areas that we’re concerned
about how are we going to do it we don’t
know but we know that we can make a
difference and we might not be here to
see the results of our efforts we might
not be here as many of the people who
before us made sacrifices that they did
not live the seed or reap the benefits
of James Weldon Johnson Stoney the road
we trod bitter the chesaning rod felt in
the days when hope unborn had died yet
with a steady beat have not our weary
feet come to the place for which our
fathers died we’ve come over a wave and
with tears has been watered we’ve come
treading a path through the blood of the
slaughtered when we came here somebody
paid the price for us to be here and as
we begin to look toward the future we
all have an obligation to give something
back
a lot of us don’t give more because of
the fact that we allow ego
to get it away
I’m thinking of a man that was
well-dressed walking through a
neighborhood one day and a lady came to
the door and she said hey you he stopped
he said very politely yes ma’am she said
come here he came to her yes what may I
do for you ma’am she said I want you to
cut my wood he said yes ma’am he took
his coat off and he took the axe that
she had there and he cut the wood she
said won’t you take some around the back
and put some in the fireplace
he said yes ma’am and he did that
and after he finished she said what do
all you he said nothing man
thank you for the opportunity to serve
him she said okay and he left and he was
walking down the street with his coat
over shoulder and her maid came up she
said do you know who that was
and the lady she work for said no she
says that’s the great Negro educator
Booker T Washington
she looked out the window she said is
that right
she said sell for him
and that lady
that boogity washington went in and cut
the wood for contributed several million
dollars to his dream of building an
institution of higher learning to Stiggy
institute that is standing today
[Music]
cut your wood don’t even come up in here
you [Music]
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