one of the first things I want you to
begin to do right now is to take a brave
look at your life look at your life
right now where it is so let me ask you
some questions as you begin to look out
on the future look how tan on this year
let’s take personal inventory what has
brought you here as you begin to look at
the things that took place this past
year did you get out of it what you
wanted but you achieve the goals that
you set out to achieve what part of your
life well what things that you do that
you don’t want to be a part of your life
are there any people as you begin to
look at your life and look at where you
want to go and what you want to do are
there any people that might be some dead
weight that you need to think about
unloading because what you have found
through that relationship that it’s more
toxic than it is nourishing is more
debilitating than it is empowering and
so now you’ve got to make a decision see
of many of us won’t be able to move
forward because we’re not taking true
inventory of our lives as you begin to
look at your emotional your spiritual
and intellectual development how many
books did you read how many seminars did
you attend how many classes that you
take to begin to develop yourself
professionally to improve your craft or
your skill how many new things that you
learn just take some personal immaterial
just thinking just thinking just
thinking beginning to know yourself one
of the things about your past that has
influenced you right now what’s your
philosophy of life what are you beliefs
things that you feel very strongly about
what are some of the things that you
have picked up along the way that you’ve
been doing them for so long you think
that they’re you that you need to begin
to re-examine them and perhaps get them
out of your life see a lot of things
we’re doing we do unconsciously because
we picked it up somewhere in life a
friend of mine out of Chicago named
Maria Steele I was at her house to have
dinner Andrea who was born in Chicago
has a tremendous Southern drawl after
I’ve met her mother I said where did
real get her Southern drawl from she
said my sisters came up from Kentucky
and they used to be her babysitter
and she picked it up while in their
presence Andrea still has that drawl
what is it that you picked up somewhere
in life that made it me might be a
liability to you what fear what beliefs
that you’re holding on to tenaciously
that’s no longer allowing your life to
work
that’s not enabling you to produce the
results that you want to produce in your
life and you’re still clinging to them
see as we go into new world there’s some
old behaviors that just won’t fit what
are the events what are the
circumstances what are the people that
have shaped you just thinking just
thinking one of the things that you need
to let go some things that have cost you
pay that’s stifling your growth and
development what are those things as you
begin to look at your profession or your
career what is it that you need to do to
begin to upgrade your skills of your
knowledge to continue for you to be
competitive in the marketplace as you
begin to look at yourself and ask some
of these questions what is something
that you’re good at are you living your
passion are you living your dream what
do you regard is your greatest personal
achievement what is the one thing that
other people can do to make you most
happy let’s think about these things
what would you do if you had one year to
live and guaranteed success in anything
what would you do with your life if you
had it to live over getting to know
yourself what is one value one deep
commitment from which you would never
bulge what is one cause that you would
like to become involved in to make a
difference on the planet I work in the
Cook County Jail in Chicago it gives my
life a great deal of joy and fulfillment
have you found something like that in
your life that you could enjoy doing
working with people I have a friend
that’s working with physically
handicapped people she said it’s been
the most rewarding experience she’s ever
had she used to be a constantly
depressed individual always feeling
sorry for herself it has changed her
life she’s a grateful person she’s found
something that she’s lost herself in
what is your biggest setback failure or
defeat of the past year what is it about
you if someone who really knew they
wouldn’t get into a relationship with
you
now don’t go tell it but once you
acknowledge what that is then start
working on and changing it change that
it’s easy to blame the other person but
start taking ownership for where you are
are you proud of how you have been
living your life have you explored your
natural talents your gifts by
enthusiastically trying a variety of
activities ladies and gentlemen a lot of
us have so much talent and abilities we
just put them back on the back burner
just left them aside some please never
did anything with them never brought
them out here used to do them extremely
well in high school or college or just
had a natural gift and never did
anything with it what are you sitting on
what gifts are you sitting on have you
resign yourself to life feeling that
nothing can be done to change your
future or your circumstances have you
been afraid to try something different
because you’re afraid of how people will
react to you or what they will think
those are some of the things that I
suggest that you begin to answer
yourself now here are some things that I
suggest that you begin to look at
working on to develop your character
some things that will give you some
personal strength Webster says character
building activities he says character
the pattern of behavior of personality
found in an individual or group morals
strength
self-discipline fortitude that’s what’s
going to be required in order to begin
to manifest your greatness now looking
at yourself one of the things I’m
suggesting you look at what is it that
you need to be in the process of doing
more of a less of like being more direct
so I used to have a problem of not
telling people what I actually thought
because I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s
feelings
saying no without feeling guilty more
focused so I used to be the jack of all
trades and master of none just do a lot
of things one year I decided to do one
thing well I looked at all of my talents
and I decided the strongest one my
ability is a speaker that’s the one
I’m going to focus on but I’m capable of
doing a lot of other things but only
when I decided to focus that I began to
reap the rewards of my talent and then
after you do that you can begin to
expand and use the other talents that
you have deciding to keep your word if
you just decide I’m going to keep my
word if I say something I’m going to do
it regardless being more considerate
more trusting more discipline being less
fearful being more adventurous find
something that you can look at your life
that you say hey I know I’ve got a
problem in this area being late I need
to take care of that procrastinating I
need to deal with that not taking care
of business being seriously not serious
creating an imbalance in my life where
I’m spending more time looking at
television or having social fun and not
spending enough time working on me see
most people ladies and gentlemen spend
more time working on their jobs and
they’d spend working on themselves they
work harder on their jobs and they work
on themselves and whatever we achieve in
life whatever we create whatever were
able to manifest comes out of the human
mind now I want you to think about five
things as if you had the courage to do
them it will give you a feeling of
satisfaction and self-respect think of
five things that if you had the courage
to do those things you will feel a
tremendous feeling of satisfaction
take the time to write those things down
whatever they might be to you it might
be in your personal life it might be in
your your friendships your family
relationships might be in your business
I was negotiating with a friend of mine
that I admire a great deal and this
person went back on their agreement and
I did not challenge them on it number
one because of my admiration for her
number two because I really wanted the
business and I think she sensed that so
I didn’t want to seem too picky and I
was nervous about it and I was cowardly
because I should have said listen that’s
not what we agreed to
I should have called her on that but I
didn’t want to look bad or to appear to
be negative or risk losing the business
look at five things that if you had the
courage to do those things that you
would do those things a lot of people
say well I’ve been like this all my life
I just can’t change her this is the way
I am dr. Harrell Griswold a psychologist
and author of direct decision therapy
said something he says when someone says
I can’t change some part of them wants
to change but the payoffs for his
present behavior are greater than the
payoffs for a changed behavior or his
fear of change is too great ladies and
gentlemen it takes courage to live your
dreams it takes courage to manifest your
greatness it takes courage to decide to
live to decide to bring out all of your
talents and abilities to decide to
stretch out desire to take a chance it
takes courage to be happy just to be you
I saw a friend who I hadn’t seen for a
long time her whole personality has
changed she was an extroverted assertive
person but because her husband has a
fragile ego when she’s around him she
caught on to him
she plays to him she’s very silent she
doesn’t express herself her feelings and
there are many things she wants to do
but before she even make a decision of
what she wants to do she checks you know
how will he handle this how will he see
this will this be disruptive in our
relationship a lot of us readjust our
behavior and we end up not being who we
really are in deference to relationships
men and women looking at the word
courage Webster says the attitude of
facing and dealing with anything
recognized as dangerous difficult or
painful instead of withdrawing from it
as you begin to look at where you want
to go and take personal inventory it’s
going to be very uncomfortable that’s
why most people don’t do it it’s very
painful to admit your shortcomings to
admit your weaknesses it’s very painful
to do that it’s much easier to withdraw
from that and just ignore it he goes on
to the courage of one’s convictions the
courage to do what one thinks is right
as you begin to look at yourself and
look at where you want to go with your
life it’s very important for you to ask
yourself a question as you look at
various areas of your life is what you
are doing right now is it giving you
what you want if it’s not giving you
what you want it’s going to take courage
to decide to do something differently it
takes courage to enjoy yourself what are
some of the self-defeating behaviors
that we become involved in that prevent
most people from enjoying themselves
some people develop the what’s the use
attitude
why bother some people have the I really
don’t care and they convince themselves
that they don’t care and they don’t feel
anything and after a while they really
don’t feel anything the lives are empty
some people say well it’s really not
worth the hassle
just too hard it doesn’t bother me
anymore
the fact that I’m not living out my
dream the fact that I’m capable of doing
more and I’m not doing it the fact that
I’m content but I’m not fulfilled the
fact that I’m not living my dream Tom
Ruskin Randi read in a book call I want
to change but I don’t know how said
people go through life many times
playing it safe he says that’s the
secret hope that they say to themselves
if I never let myself feel too good
maybe I’ll never get hurt too badly a
lot of people don’t ever do the things
they’re capable of doing because they
allow themselves to go along with the
crowd following the crowd many people
have things they want to do and and they
find themselves in relationships with
people who are addicted to mediocrity
and they allow their behavior to
influence their behavior following the
crowd many people don’t do it because of
the fact that they allow their lack of
self-confidence to immobilize them I
remember when I wanted to go into
business for years that was an agonizing
thought in my mind I wouldn’t try
because I didn’t believe that I could
make it of the five things that you
would like to do if you had the courage
to do I want you to pick one thing pick
one and here’s how to set it up for
yourself that will help free you and get
you unstuck what is the worst thing that
could happen if you do it so what’s the
worst thing that can happen let’s say
going into business for yourself or
changing careers or getting a divorce
taking some kind of chance of something
that you’ve always thought about doing
but you just haven’t done it for
whatever reason what’s the worst thing
that can happen do the worst case
scenario now when you do the worst case
scenario you write those things down the
worst things that you fear would happen
when you name your fears that put you in
control what are you afraid of name it
write it out so you can look at it
confront that fear what is it I’m afraid
that things might work
what else last night well I’ve never
been in business okay what else less
time well I don’t have all the help I
need okay good what else less well I
don’t have enough money all right good
what else less what I don’t have a
college degree uh what else I’m not as
good as those other guys that I’ve seen
up there speaking okay what else well
that’s all I can think of right now okay
good now that takes you to the next step
what are the benefits one of the
benefits of you’re acting courageously
taking life on well part of what
happened was that I felt better within
myself and I had a strong sense of
self-respect going into business for
myself I made a lot of mistakes
sometimes I was down on myself I felt
stupid I felt dumb because people who
were in business said why would you do
something like that well I didn’t know
boy boy were you really dumb and I used
to chime in with him yes I guess I was I
didn’t know any better but the other
thing is I had to say to myself but I
did it I did even if I made a flop of it
I did it I took the chance I took the
leap one of the benefits of your acting
courageously whatever it is that you’ve
identified right the benefits down and
then focus on them focus on the benefits
not on the liabilities not on your fears
focus on the benefits that which you
hold in consciousness tends to manifest
itself think about how good you feel
think about the level increased
self-respect the sense of self-worth
that you’ll feel how good you feel
getting up in the morning looking
yourself in the mirror because you’re
taking life on the other thing is
acknowledge your fears and then go into
action this book it’s called feel the
fear and do it anyway
that’s it see I believe anybody who’s
ever done anything who’s ever taken a
chance doesn’t mean that they are not
afraid
courageous does not mean being the
absence of fear I think that being
courageous is willing to do it because
that’s what you feel and you’re gonna do
it anyhow regardless you’re not going to
be immobilized by your fears or your
doubts you admit okay I’m scared to
death now okay what is it that I must
choose to do go ahead on experience that
fear but don’t let that fear and
mobilize you in what you’ve done with
your life thus far is it giving you what
you want is it giving you what you want
when you look toward the future when you
look at all this going on out here is
there some place within yourself you say
hey I know I need to be out there in
that arena I know I can do more than
what I’ve been doing I know there’s some
great music that I have within me that I
haven’t brought out here
is that something that you begin to look
at within yourself so I used to do that
and I used to go to big rallies and see
guys up speaking when I wasn’t
courageous enough to go out there and
say hey my name is Lester I’m the
motivator made me a browsable I want to
talk I would never do that I just was I
just be back there looking at of it want
to get the autograph it would say can I
can I meet you mr. mr. Wiggly or miss
can I meet mr. Zig Ziglar please tell
him who are you let’s Brown because
that’s not within myself I wasn’t over I
want to go talk to these guys and go get
their autographs I’d like to do what you
do see I say if you look at your life
and if you’re not getting what you want
you owe it to yourself to do something
differently you are if you’re on a job
85% they say of Americans go to jobs
that they’re unhappy if you’re doing
something eight hours a day that you
don’t like it’s not giving you what you
want it’s not giving you a strong
feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment
you’re miserable you hate to go there
you’re depressed just thinking about it
you’re saying they thank God it’s Friday
song every week it’s giving you
headaches just thinking about it on
Sunday afternoon after the football game
goes off if that’s what it is you owe it
to yourself to start strategically
working to change directions see but you
know what most people will do most
people will resist change
most people will fight change as if
change would be worse than what they’re
experiencing see they know this they’re
familiar with this most people will not
challenge the unknown they won’t just
step out there see this well see there
certain things has got to be in place
they got to see it all together and like
this and like that that’s not how you
grow so as you look at your life you’re
saying I’m not getting what I want as
you begin to look toward the future
begin to know that whatever it takes for
you to create that you got that in you
you got that you’ve got genius in you
you’ve got goodness in you you’ve got
creativeness in you if you decide to
take the initiative to change the
current quality of your life I say to
you that you will find that the universe
is on your side that life is on your
side now will it be turbulent yes would
it be easy no no well you have some
opposition yes will I make a lot of
mistakes yes will I get hurt
yes yes see a lot of people won’t try
anything different in life because they
don’t want to get hurt let me tell you
something it’s too much pain to doc pain
is everywhere you can hide under here it
will come where you are
I’m really if I go back here pay to come
hey les come on out it will come it’s
everywhere Viktor Frankl calls it
unavoidable suffering you can’t duck it
but most people spend their life not
wanting to deal with the pain of
rejection the pain of defeat the pain of
being disappointed the pain of losing
the pain of failure the pain of being
criticized the pain of not being liked
the pain the pain the pain that’s called
life life is full of pain it’s
everywhere but guess what there’s no
gain without pain now if you’re gonna
because it’s the pain of regret that’s
your experience if I had it to do over
again that’s a pain don’t you know that
some when you know I was in a seminar
once and this ladies stood up if I had
my life to live over again she talked
about all of the things that she would
do and you can feel the pain of regret
in her voice the pain of regret
she still experienced pain she was
trying not to experience the pain of
defeat the pain of disappointment the
pain of loss the pain of lack of support
and she still experienced pain it was
right there we can’t get around it
most people are governed by their habits
the fears and the opinions of others a
lot of people never try anything
differently because they have been
convinced by people in their lives that
they value that they can’t do it they’re
living within the context of the
opinions that other people have of them
the low expectations many people doubt
themselves because when they thought
about doing something at some critical
point in their life somebody they
respected and honored somebody they
believed in somebody that they loved
someone they trust it said you can’t do
that and they accepted that that’s why I
didn’t go off to college I had an
instructor that I believed who said
you’re not college material mr. Brown
you’re not as smart as your brother
Wesley or your sister Margaret Ann
you’re not college material why don’t
you try and get you a job at the post
try and do something with your hand or
go down to the Miami city sanitation
department see can you get a job there
why don’t you try and go into the army I
took that test mr. Tillis already what
happened I fail I told you anybody
so I went down to the Sanitation
Department to try and get a job because
that’s what I believed was possible for
me as you look at your life ask yourself
the question what would your life be
like what would your life look like if
you decided not to care what people
thought of you what would your life be
like if you decided to give up some of
your fears what would your life be like
if you decided to become courageous what
would you like feel like if you decided
to act on your dream if you did what you
felt in your heart you know what
courageous means tom ruskin and randy
reid said they said that courage comes
from a french word which means of the
hard that how does it feel to you he
says such courage you know it takes
courage to live since most people go
through life not allowing themselves to
step out because they don’t want to let
go they don’t want to be blown around
they don’t want to be moved the courage
to face life swirling wind of
contradictions the courage to love
yourself the courage to love for years I
was afraid to love the courage to take a
he says courage isn’t for somebody else
for metals applause immoral debts
courage is what at that moment feels
most right for you
not just situational ethics but what
feels right in your heart the word of
the heart what feels right in your heart
one great philosopher says cowards die
many times before their deaths
the valiant never taste of death but
once what does that mean the valiant
people aren’t afraid no no no it means
that they experience that fear and they
move forward they move forward any how
many people are dead now many people
allowing their dreams to die
many people applying the ideas to lie
dormant and collect dust
many people have all this talent and
ability that they are lying to be
embedding side of them that they will
take with them to their graves because
they didn’t have the courage to be who
they are and I say as you begin to look
to all the future and manifesting your
greatness it’s going to take everything
in you everything in you that your life
deserves the concentrated effort to
begin to look at how is it that I can
express more of me how is it that I can
bring my ideas out here now how is it
and start living with a sense of urgency
because you’re here today you’re gone
today life is unpredictable it’s
uncertain there’s no guarantees no
guarantees out here at all so holding
back what are you waiting on ask
yourself what’s the benefit of your
waiting what’s the benefit of your not
living your dream what’s the benefit of
not listening to yourself
oh please listen to yourself you know
the feelings if you start listening to
the feelings in your heart and I’m doing
it now more every day I find that my
feelings I can trust them and I say to
you that as you look toward the future
you look at life on a daily basis if
there’s something that you have been
given if you’ve heard something within
yourself that you know that that what
you’re doing now doesn’t fit for you it
doesn’t work
you it’s not giving you what you want
and there’s something else that you want
to do don’t allow that inner doubt in
you to talk you out of it to build a
case on why you can’t have it to tell
you why you’re not good enough you
ignore that in a voice and all of the
external voices don’t judge the
possibilities for what you can do based
upon the circumstances because the
circumstances won’t determine who you
are don’t determine what you’re able to
do based upon your resources don’t
determine what’s possible for you based
upon where your life is right now where
your life is right now is not you that’s
just what it is right now but the
possibilities for you are unlimited if
you’re in a rebuilding process it’s
unlimited if you’re coming back from
adversity and devastation it’s unlimited
of what you can do that’s the capacity
of human beings it doesn’t matter how
many mistakes you’ve made doesn’t matter
how many flops you’ve had doesn’t matter
how much money you’ve lost in fact I see
it only as an investment what you learn
from life not losses but investments of
what’s possible for you and I say to you
that once you start listening to
yourself and as you begin to act on your
dream as you start just trying to find
your way doing what you can what you
have you will start seeing things
opening up for you start attracting
people you say where’d it come from
things will start coming together
clicking for you say whoa you start
brainstorming ideas will come out of
nowhere as you focus on it the key to it
is to begin to focus on what it is you
want to do why less why is that
important because as you focus on that
which you want to do that which we focus
on that which we give our energy to it
will begin to multiply it will begin to
expand it will begin to develop your
consciousness and out of that comes your
greatness out of that comes a commitment
out of that comes a passion for life out
of that comes a special power that you
have in you that you haven’t even called
on yet see the the powers that we have
will never reveal themselves if we don’t
challenge them if we don’t put ourselves
in a position where we have to use them
so one of the most important things is
reading a book that’s a really
interesting book called instant
millionaire and the guy said put
yourself in a position where you can’t
retreat where it’s do-or-die sink or
swim
here’s what you’ll find out you’ll
develop incredible swimming skills or
swallow half the pool of life you’ll
find yourself stroking on like you’ve
ever seen before through the inspiration
of desperation you’ll become more
creative than ever before so what is it
how do we handle that whole piece throw
your whole self into it see most people
go at it tentatively they don’t give all
their stuff they don’t concentrate they
don’t put everything they’ve got in them
one guy wrote a book called all you can
do is all you can do and all you can do
is enough but he said make sure you do
all you can do and if we honest this
evening we know that we haven’t done all
we can do so as we look at the future we
can decide that from this day forward as
I look at my personal relationships if I
look at my professional relationships if
I look at my family relationships if I
look at all the dimensions of my life
looking at myself mentally emotionally
and spiritually I’m going to do all I
can do to develop me to bring my talent
out here to make a contribution to life
I don’t know what you want to do
here’s what I know about you you got
greatness within you as you look toward
the future and developing your greatness
begin to know that your life is worth
the effort is the easy no is it worth it
yes yes your life is worth it
and so it is this is mrs. Mamie Brown’s
baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown saying it’s
been a plum pleasing pleasure as well as a privilege thank y’all yeah
begin to do right now is to take a brave
look at your life look at your life
right now where it is so let me ask you
some questions as you begin to look out
on the future look how tan on this year
let’s take personal inventory what has
brought you here as you begin to look at
the things that took place this past
year did you get out of it what you
wanted but you achieve the goals that
you set out to achieve what part of your
life well what things that you do that
you don’t want to be a part of your life
are there any people as you begin to
look at your life and look at where you
want to go and what you want to do are
there any people that might be some dead
weight that you need to think about
unloading because what you have found
through that relationship that it’s more
toxic than it is nourishing is more
debilitating than it is empowering and
so now you’ve got to make a decision see
of many of us won’t be able to move
forward because we’re not taking true
inventory of our lives as you begin to
look at your emotional your spiritual
and intellectual development how many
books did you read how many seminars did
you attend how many classes that you
take to begin to develop yourself
professionally to improve your craft or
your skill how many new things that you
learn just take some personal immaterial
just thinking just thinking just
thinking beginning to know yourself one
of the things about your past that has
influenced you right now what’s your
philosophy of life what are you beliefs
things that you feel very strongly about
what are some of the things that you
have picked up along the way that you’ve
been doing them for so long you think
that they’re you that you need to begin
to re-examine them and perhaps get them
out of your life see a lot of things
we’re doing we do unconsciously because
we picked it up somewhere in life a
friend of mine out of Chicago named
Maria Steele I was at her house to have
dinner Andrea who was born in Chicago
has a tremendous Southern drawl after
I’ve met her mother I said where did
real get her Southern drawl from she
said my sisters came up from Kentucky
and they used to be her babysitter
and she picked it up while in their
presence Andrea still has that drawl
what is it that you picked up somewhere
in life that made it me might be a
liability to you what fear what beliefs
that you’re holding on to tenaciously
that’s no longer allowing your life to
work
that’s not enabling you to produce the
results that you want to produce in your
life and you’re still clinging to them
see as we go into new world there’s some
old behaviors that just won’t fit what
are the events what are the
circumstances what are the people that
have shaped you just thinking just
thinking one of the things that you need
to let go some things that have cost you
pay that’s stifling your growth and
development what are those things as you
begin to look at your profession or your
career what is it that you need to do to
begin to upgrade your skills of your
knowledge to continue for you to be
competitive in the marketplace as you
begin to look at yourself and ask some
of these questions what is something
that you’re good at are you living your
passion are you living your dream what
do you regard is your greatest personal
achievement what is the one thing that
other people can do to make you most
happy let’s think about these things
what would you do if you had one year to
live and guaranteed success in anything
what would you do with your life if you
had it to live over getting to know
yourself what is one value one deep
commitment from which you would never
bulge what is one cause that you would
like to become involved in to make a
difference on the planet I work in the
Cook County Jail in Chicago it gives my
life a great deal of joy and fulfillment
have you found something like that in
your life that you could enjoy doing
working with people I have a friend
that’s working with physically
handicapped people she said it’s been
the most rewarding experience she’s ever
had she used to be a constantly
depressed individual always feeling
sorry for herself it has changed her
life she’s a grateful person she’s found
something that she’s lost herself in
what is your biggest setback failure or
defeat of the past year what is it about
you if someone who really knew they
wouldn’t get into a relationship with
you
now don’t go tell it but once you
acknowledge what that is then start
working on and changing it change that
it’s easy to blame the other person but
start taking ownership for where you are
are you proud of how you have been
living your life have you explored your
natural talents your gifts by
enthusiastically trying a variety of
activities ladies and gentlemen a lot of
us have so much talent and abilities we
just put them back on the back burner
just left them aside some please never
did anything with them never brought
them out here used to do them extremely
well in high school or college or just
had a natural gift and never did
anything with it what are you sitting on
what gifts are you sitting on have you
resign yourself to life feeling that
nothing can be done to change your
future or your circumstances have you
been afraid to try something different
because you’re afraid of how people will
react to you or what they will think
those are some of the things that I
suggest that you begin to answer
yourself now here are some things that I
suggest that you begin to look at
working on to develop your character
some things that will give you some
personal strength Webster says character
building activities he says character
the pattern of behavior of personality
found in an individual or group morals
strength
self-discipline fortitude that’s what’s
going to be required in order to begin
to manifest your greatness now looking
at yourself one of the things I’m
suggesting you look at what is it that
you need to be in the process of doing
more of a less of like being more direct
so I used to have a problem of not
telling people what I actually thought
because I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s
feelings
saying no without feeling guilty more
focused so I used to be the jack of all
trades and master of none just do a lot
of things one year I decided to do one
thing well I looked at all of my talents
and I decided the strongest one my
ability is a speaker that’s the one
I’m going to focus on but I’m capable of
doing a lot of other things but only
when I decided to focus that I began to
reap the rewards of my talent and then
after you do that you can begin to
expand and use the other talents that
you have deciding to keep your word if
you just decide I’m going to keep my
word if I say something I’m going to do
it regardless being more considerate
more trusting more discipline being less
fearful being more adventurous find
something that you can look at your life
that you say hey I know I’ve got a
problem in this area being late I need
to take care of that procrastinating I
need to deal with that not taking care
of business being seriously not serious
creating an imbalance in my life where
I’m spending more time looking at
television or having social fun and not
spending enough time working on me see
most people ladies and gentlemen spend
more time working on their jobs and
they’d spend working on themselves they
work harder on their jobs and they work
on themselves and whatever we achieve in
life whatever we create whatever were
able to manifest comes out of the human
mind now I want you to think about five
things as if you had the courage to do
them it will give you a feeling of
satisfaction and self-respect think of
five things that if you had the courage
to do those things you will feel a
tremendous feeling of satisfaction
take the time to write those things down
whatever they might be to you it might
be in your personal life it might be in
your your friendships your family
relationships might be in your business
I was negotiating with a friend of mine
that I admire a great deal and this
person went back on their agreement and
I did not challenge them on it number
one because of my admiration for her
number two because I really wanted the
business and I think she sensed that so
I didn’t want to seem too picky and I
was nervous about it and I was cowardly
because I should have said listen that’s
not what we agreed to
I should have called her on that but I
didn’t want to look bad or to appear to
be negative or risk losing the business
look at five things that if you had the
courage to do those things that you
would do those things a lot of people
say well I’ve been like this all my life
I just can’t change her this is the way
I am dr. Harrell Griswold a psychologist
and author of direct decision therapy
said something he says when someone says
I can’t change some part of them wants
to change but the payoffs for his
present behavior are greater than the
payoffs for a changed behavior or his
fear of change is too great ladies and
gentlemen it takes courage to live your
dreams it takes courage to manifest your
greatness it takes courage to decide to
live to decide to bring out all of your
talents and abilities to decide to
stretch out desire to take a chance it
takes courage to be happy just to be you
I saw a friend who I hadn’t seen for a
long time her whole personality has
changed she was an extroverted assertive
person but because her husband has a
fragile ego when she’s around him she
caught on to him
she plays to him she’s very silent she
doesn’t express herself her feelings and
there are many things she wants to do
but before she even make a decision of
what she wants to do she checks you know
how will he handle this how will he see
this will this be disruptive in our
relationship a lot of us readjust our
behavior and we end up not being who we
really are in deference to relationships
men and women looking at the word
courage Webster says the attitude of
facing and dealing with anything
recognized as dangerous difficult or
painful instead of withdrawing from it
as you begin to look at where you want
to go and take personal inventory it’s
going to be very uncomfortable that’s
why most people don’t do it it’s very
painful to admit your shortcomings to
admit your weaknesses it’s very painful
to do that it’s much easier to withdraw
from that and just ignore it he goes on
to the courage of one’s convictions the
courage to do what one thinks is right
as you begin to look at yourself and
look at where you want to go with your
life it’s very important for you to ask
yourself a question as you look at
various areas of your life is what you
are doing right now is it giving you
what you want if it’s not giving you
what you want it’s going to take courage
to decide to do something differently it
takes courage to enjoy yourself what are
some of the self-defeating behaviors
that we become involved in that prevent
most people from enjoying themselves
some people develop the what’s the use
attitude
why bother some people have the I really
don’t care and they convince themselves
that they don’t care and they don’t feel
anything and after a while they really
don’t feel anything the lives are empty
some people say well it’s really not
worth the hassle
just too hard it doesn’t bother me
anymore
the fact that I’m not living out my
dream the fact that I’m capable of doing
more and I’m not doing it the fact that
I’m content but I’m not fulfilled the
fact that I’m not living my dream Tom
Ruskin Randi read in a book call I want
to change but I don’t know how said
people go through life many times
playing it safe he says that’s the
secret hope that they say to themselves
if I never let myself feel too good
maybe I’ll never get hurt too badly a
lot of people don’t ever do the things
they’re capable of doing because they
allow themselves to go along with the
crowd following the crowd many people
have things they want to do and and they
find themselves in relationships with
people who are addicted to mediocrity
and they allow their behavior to
influence their behavior following the
crowd many people don’t do it because of
the fact that they allow their lack of
self-confidence to immobilize them I
remember when I wanted to go into
business for years that was an agonizing
thought in my mind I wouldn’t try
because I didn’t believe that I could
make it of the five things that you
would like to do if you had the courage
to do I want you to pick one thing pick
one and here’s how to set it up for
yourself that will help free you and get
you unstuck what is the worst thing that
could happen if you do it so what’s the
worst thing that can happen let’s say
going into business for yourself or
changing careers or getting a divorce
taking some kind of chance of something
that you’ve always thought about doing
but you just haven’t done it for
whatever reason what’s the worst thing
that can happen do the worst case
scenario now when you do the worst case
scenario you write those things down the
worst things that you fear would happen
when you name your fears that put you in
control what are you afraid of name it
write it out so you can look at it
confront that fear what is it I’m afraid
that things might work
what else last night well I’ve never
been in business okay what else less
time well I don’t have all the help I
need okay good what else less well I
don’t have enough money all right good
what else less what I don’t have a
college degree uh what else I’m not as
good as those other guys that I’ve seen
up there speaking okay what else well
that’s all I can think of right now okay
good now that takes you to the next step
what are the benefits one of the
benefits of you’re acting courageously
taking life on well part of what
happened was that I felt better within
myself and I had a strong sense of
self-respect going into business for
myself I made a lot of mistakes
sometimes I was down on myself I felt
stupid I felt dumb because people who
were in business said why would you do
something like that well I didn’t know
boy boy were you really dumb and I used
to chime in with him yes I guess I was I
didn’t know any better but the other
thing is I had to say to myself but I
did it I did even if I made a flop of it
I did it I took the chance I took the
leap one of the benefits of your acting
courageously whatever it is that you’ve
identified right the benefits down and
then focus on them focus on the benefits
not on the liabilities not on your fears
focus on the benefits that which you
hold in consciousness tends to manifest
itself think about how good you feel
think about the level increased
self-respect the sense of self-worth
that you’ll feel how good you feel
getting up in the morning looking
yourself in the mirror because you’re
taking life on the other thing is
acknowledge your fears and then go into
action this book it’s called feel the
fear and do it anyway
that’s it see I believe anybody who’s
ever done anything who’s ever taken a
chance doesn’t mean that they are not
afraid
courageous does not mean being the
absence of fear I think that being
courageous is willing to do it because
that’s what you feel and you’re gonna do
it anyhow regardless you’re not going to
be immobilized by your fears or your
doubts you admit okay I’m scared to
death now okay what is it that I must
choose to do go ahead on experience that
fear but don’t let that fear and
mobilize you in what you’ve done with
your life thus far is it giving you what
you want is it giving you what you want
when you look toward the future when you
look at all this going on out here is
there some place within yourself you say
hey I know I need to be out there in
that arena I know I can do more than
what I’ve been doing I know there’s some
great music that I have within me that I
haven’t brought out here
is that something that you begin to look
at within yourself so I used to do that
and I used to go to big rallies and see
guys up speaking when I wasn’t
courageous enough to go out there and
say hey my name is Lester I’m the
motivator made me a browsable I want to
talk I would never do that I just was I
just be back there looking at of it want
to get the autograph it would say can I
can I meet you mr. mr. Wiggly or miss
can I meet mr. Zig Ziglar please tell
him who are you let’s Brown because
that’s not within myself I wasn’t over I
want to go talk to these guys and go get
their autographs I’d like to do what you
do see I say if you look at your life
and if you’re not getting what you want
you owe it to yourself to do something
differently you are if you’re on a job
85% they say of Americans go to jobs
that they’re unhappy if you’re doing
something eight hours a day that you
don’t like it’s not giving you what you
want it’s not giving you a strong
feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment
you’re miserable you hate to go there
you’re depressed just thinking about it
you’re saying they thank God it’s Friday
song every week it’s giving you
headaches just thinking about it on
Sunday afternoon after the football game
goes off if that’s what it is you owe it
to yourself to start strategically
working to change directions see but you
know what most people will do most
people will resist change
most people will fight change as if
change would be worse than what they’re
experiencing see they know this they’re
familiar with this most people will not
challenge the unknown they won’t just
step out there see this well see there
certain things has got to be in place
they got to see it all together and like
this and like that that’s not how you
grow so as you look at your life you’re
saying I’m not getting what I want as
you begin to look toward the future
begin to know that whatever it takes for
you to create that you got that in you
you got that you’ve got genius in you
you’ve got goodness in you you’ve got
creativeness in you if you decide to
take the initiative to change the
current quality of your life I say to
you that you will find that the universe
is on your side that life is on your
side now will it be turbulent yes would
it be easy no no well you have some
opposition yes will I make a lot of
mistakes yes will I get hurt
yes yes see a lot of people won’t try
anything different in life because they
don’t want to get hurt let me tell you
something it’s too much pain to doc pain
is everywhere you can hide under here it
will come where you are
I’m really if I go back here pay to come
hey les come on out it will come it’s
everywhere Viktor Frankl calls it
unavoidable suffering you can’t duck it
but most people spend their life not
wanting to deal with the pain of
rejection the pain of defeat the pain of
being disappointed the pain of losing
the pain of failure the pain of being
criticized the pain of not being liked
the pain the pain the pain that’s called
life life is full of pain it’s
everywhere but guess what there’s no
gain without pain now if you’re gonna
because it’s the pain of regret that’s
your experience if I had it to do over
again that’s a pain don’t you know that
some when you know I was in a seminar
once and this ladies stood up if I had
my life to live over again she talked
about all of the things that she would
do and you can feel the pain of regret
in her voice the pain of regret
she still experienced pain she was
trying not to experience the pain of
defeat the pain of disappointment the
pain of loss the pain of lack of support
and she still experienced pain it was
right there we can’t get around it
most people are governed by their habits
the fears and the opinions of others a
lot of people never try anything
differently because they have been
convinced by people in their lives that
they value that they can’t do it they’re
living within the context of the
opinions that other people have of them
the low expectations many people doubt
themselves because when they thought
about doing something at some critical
point in their life somebody they
respected and honored somebody they
believed in somebody that they loved
someone they trust it said you can’t do
that and they accepted that that’s why I
didn’t go off to college I had an
instructor that I believed who said
you’re not college material mr. Brown
you’re not as smart as your brother
Wesley or your sister Margaret Ann
you’re not college material why don’t
you try and get you a job at the post
try and do something with your hand or
go down to the Miami city sanitation
department see can you get a job there
why don’t you try and go into the army I
took that test mr. Tillis already what
happened I fail I told you anybody
so I went down to the Sanitation
Department to try and get a job because
that’s what I believed was possible for
me as you look at your life ask yourself
the question what would your life be
like what would your life look like if
you decided not to care what people
thought of you what would your life be
like if you decided to give up some of
your fears what would your life be like
if you decided to become courageous what
would you like feel like if you decided
to act on your dream if you did what you
felt in your heart you know what
courageous means tom ruskin and randy
reid said they said that courage comes
from a french word which means of the
hard that how does it feel to you he
says such courage you know it takes
courage to live since most people go
through life not allowing themselves to
step out because they don’t want to let
go they don’t want to be blown around
they don’t want to be moved the courage
to face life swirling wind of
contradictions the courage to love
yourself the courage to love for years I
was afraid to love the courage to take a
he says courage isn’t for somebody else
for metals applause immoral debts
courage is what at that moment feels
most right for you
not just situational ethics but what
feels right in your heart the word of
the heart what feels right in your heart
one great philosopher says cowards die
many times before their deaths
the valiant never taste of death but
once what does that mean the valiant
people aren’t afraid no no no it means
that they experience that fear and they
move forward they move forward any how
many people are dead now many people
allowing their dreams to die
many people applying the ideas to lie
dormant and collect dust
many people have all this talent and
ability that they are lying to be
embedding side of them that they will
take with them to their graves because
they didn’t have the courage to be who
they are and I say as you begin to look
to all the future and manifesting your
greatness it’s going to take everything
in you everything in you that your life
deserves the concentrated effort to
begin to look at how is it that I can
express more of me how is it that I can
bring my ideas out here now how is it
and start living with a sense of urgency
because you’re here today you’re gone
today life is unpredictable it’s
uncertain there’s no guarantees no
guarantees out here at all so holding
back what are you waiting on ask
yourself what’s the benefit of your
waiting what’s the benefit of your not
living your dream what’s the benefit of
not listening to yourself
oh please listen to yourself you know
the feelings if you start listening to
the feelings in your heart and I’m doing
it now more every day I find that my
feelings I can trust them and I say to
you that as you look toward the future
you look at life on a daily basis if
there’s something that you have been
given if you’ve heard something within
yourself that you know that that what
you’re doing now doesn’t fit for you it
doesn’t work
you it’s not giving you what you want
and there’s something else that you want
to do don’t allow that inner doubt in
you to talk you out of it to build a
case on why you can’t have it to tell
you why you’re not good enough you
ignore that in a voice and all of the
external voices don’t judge the
possibilities for what you can do based
upon the circumstances because the
circumstances won’t determine who you
are don’t determine what you’re able to
do based upon your resources don’t
determine what’s possible for you based
upon where your life is right now where
your life is right now is not you that’s
just what it is right now but the
possibilities for you are unlimited if
you’re in a rebuilding process it’s
unlimited if you’re coming back from
adversity and devastation it’s unlimited
of what you can do that’s the capacity
of human beings it doesn’t matter how
many mistakes you’ve made doesn’t matter
how many flops you’ve had doesn’t matter
how much money you’ve lost in fact I see
it only as an investment what you learn
from life not losses but investments of
what’s possible for you and I say to you
that once you start listening to
yourself and as you begin to act on your
dream as you start just trying to find
your way doing what you can what you
have you will start seeing things
opening up for you start attracting
people you say where’d it come from
things will start coming together
clicking for you say whoa you start
brainstorming ideas will come out of
nowhere as you focus on it the key to it
is to begin to focus on what it is you
want to do why less why is that
important because as you focus on that
which you want to do that which we focus
on that which we give our energy to it
will begin to multiply it will begin to
expand it will begin to develop your
consciousness and out of that comes your
greatness out of that comes a commitment
out of that comes a passion for life out
of that comes a special power that you
have in you that you haven’t even called
on yet see the the powers that we have
will never reveal themselves if we don’t
challenge them if we don’t put ourselves
in a position where we have to use them
so one of the most important things is
reading a book that’s a really
interesting book called instant
millionaire and the guy said put
yourself in a position where you can’t
retreat where it’s do-or-die sink or
swim
here’s what you’ll find out you’ll
develop incredible swimming skills or
swallow half the pool of life you’ll
find yourself stroking on like you’ve
ever seen before through the inspiration
of desperation you’ll become more
creative than ever before so what is it
how do we handle that whole piece throw
your whole self into it see most people
go at it tentatively they don’t give all
their stuff they don’t concentrate they
don’t put everything they’ve got in them
one guy wrote a book called all you can
do is all you can do and all you can do
is enough but he said make sure you do
all you can do and if we honest this
evening we know that we haven’t done all
we can do so as we look at the future we
can decide that from this day forward as
I look at my personal relationships if I
look at my professional relationships if
I look at my family relationships if I
look at all the dimensions of my life
looking at myself mentally emotionally
and spiritually I’m going to do all I
can do to develop me to bring my talent
out here to make a contribution to life
I don’t know what you want to do
here’s what I know about you you got
greatness within you as you look toward
the future and developing your greatness
begin to know that your life is worth
the effort is the easy no is it worth it
yes yes your life is worth it
and so it is this is mrs. Mamie Brown’s
baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown saying it’s
been a plum pleasing pleasure as well as a privilege thank y’all yeah
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