people should fucking stop complaining
right people should figure out all the
fuck they are good call people should
not listen to America propaganda of
fixing the shit they suck at they should
be tripling down and what they’re good
at they should be competent in certain
areas but you’re not gonna become
Beyonce or you know like your bone
structure is a certain way like you’re
not gonna solve everything your IQ can
get a little bit better but don’t worry
about the incremental figure out what
you fucking put you on fire and your
halfway decent at if you’re lucky enough
right now to be listening and you’re
good at what you like become Tunnel
fucking vision because there’s way too
many voices telling you what and how and
here’s the other thing and this is the
big one job because you have a humongous
audience the biggest thing that I’ve
seen dividends from have the
conversation with the person that’s
holding you back the reason most people
who listen right now are not doing that
thing is they’re worried about the
opinion of somebody usually their mother
usually their father and the reality is
is that your spouse may be the person
holding you back and you have to have
that conversation
cut them off we have to get to a place
where you’re doing you because the
number one thing that scares the fuck
out of me is regret and you’re gonna sit
there at 72 and you say I wish I wish I
wish
and whether that’s money or spend more
time with your family there’s a million
ways to do this
our whole wives are guided moments
moment by the state red learning how to
change your state not bullshit not fake
but to go from pissed-off frustrated
freaked out to back in your Center
while creative or determined or
something that’s gonna move you forward
it’s gonna create a better quality of
life for you and others that’s a
critical skill set so what would the
moment in life’s control by our state’s
yeah you know if you’re an angry state
you respond differently to feeling
playful but what controls those states
long-term as your model the world
everyone’s different goals and dreams
and desires but as I travel around the
world 100 countries I started going the
shouldn’t see the same problems once
underneath it at the Embassy that there
are these same six human needs that we
all have the same needs we all have a
need for certainty that we can avoid
pain and we can have some pleasure some
comfort
we all need uncertainty we need variety
or we feel dead inside you’re totally
certain your board if you have total
variety you look freaked out and it’s
not a balance it’s learning which of
these you need more as a person
everyone’s developed a different set of
values that are um need of the need for
significance to feel unique special
important need to feel well the need to
grow and the need to contribute some
people value certainty at the top of
their list that’s their Center their
target I don’t want to do anything less
I know it’s gonna work I don’t do
anything unless it’s the same if you
change anything they freak out if you’re
driven by love first you want certain
you do that love is higher you’re gonna
behave very differently than if you’re
driven by significance I have to be the
one the two that most people have 90
percent of the planet if you said of all
these needs which one do you really
focus on most day-to-day everybody wants
love what do you focus on most people
focus on being significant we live in a
Facebook world where people fake their
life put new filters make it look
different than it really is tell stories
that you know are totally full of it to
make himself look good because we live
in this kind of false world where
significance is more important than love
and it separates us whenever you look at
somebody that’s been successful do not
allow yourself to make them
extraordinary at your expense you’re
capable of whatever it is that they are
capable of but it comes down to the
mental constructs that you’re going to
have to build and leverage in your own
mind in order to do something great so I
switch my self-esteem from being right
being smart to being the learner who was
always willing to admit that he was
wrong identify the right answer give
credit to the person who thought of it
and put more energy behind it than
anyone else and that became my driver
people getting ready to go to jobs that
they don’t like jobs that are making
them sick what is it that you could love
doing seven days a week that would bring
a smile to your face
you’ve got to start saying yes to your
life you’ve got to start saying yes to
your dreams yes to your unfolding future
yes to your potential you know every
year I used to say this is my year but
ladies and gentlemen one good year won’t
be enough for me how many of you can use
a good decade raise your hands please
fantastic all right now here’s what I
want to do I want to share with you how
you can begin to make this your decade
how many of you know within yourself if
you ask yourself the question have I
done all that I’m capable of doing or
being and living up to my potential how
many of you have to really add answer no
I have not done all that I can do raise
your hands please
okay very good now here’s what we know
that people don’t do what they know in
life but what they do is they operate
within the context of the vision they
have of themselves so what I want to
share with you is how to begin to get a
larger vision of yourself and how to
begin to make this your decade because
in order to do that it’s going to be
very challenging it’s going to require a
lot of work on your part an ongoing
process of personal and professional
self mastery and it’s going to require
that you begin to see yourself worthy of
the requirements in terms of effort in
terms of commitment in terms of action
in terms of preparation or whatever it
is that you need to do in order to take
your life where you want to take it so
one of the first things I ask you to do
is I want you look at your life right
now and think about something that’s
important to you something that gives
your life a sense of value think about
something that you’d like to have or
something you’d like to create for you
or your family or for society once you
hold this thought in mind now one of the
first things I want you to do is don’t
worry about the inner conversation that
you’re going to have don’t worry about
how you’re going to do it that’s going
to come you’re going to develop a plan
of action you will find the way you’ll
become the kind of person that can
attract the people the resources and
everything you need in order to make
that become reality but I want you to be
mindful of your inner conversation I
remember once I was sitting in an
audience and Zig Ziglar who I consider
one of the greatest motivational
speakers on the planet he was giving a
speech and I was out of the audience and
I saw him going back and forth and
within myself I said I’d like to do that
I can do that and I lean over to the guy
next to me I said how much do they pay
him to do that he said five thousand
dollars I said I know I can do that and
I admired him and then on the way home
when I was driving from Tampa Florida
back to Miami Florida my inner
conversation kicked in and it said Les
Brown you can’t do that
you don’t have a college education Les
Brown you can’t do that you don’t have
the money you don’t have the contacts
you’ve never worked for a major
corporation what makes you think that
you can make more in one hour talking
and you’ve made working for a whole
month I want to ask you a question
how many of you have ever thought about
something you wanted to do and you
talked you out of it raise your hand
please that inner conversation ladies
and gentlemen is the reason that most
people take their greatness take their
ideas to the Graveyard with them you
know the wealthiest place on the planet
of minister said recently and it was so
true it’s not the gold mines in the
various areas of the world or the
diamond mines the wealthiest place on
the planet is the graveyard because in
the graveyard we will find inventions
that we never ever were exposed to ideas
dreams that never became a reality hopes
and aspirations that were never acted
upon
because most people allow that inner
conversation for whatever reason to keep
them from ever pursuing their goals so
let us begin to look at what’s required
in order to to make this out decade why
is it that most people don’t ever reach
their goals that live up to their true
potential one is fear and there are only
two kinds of fears that we’re born with
the fear falling and the fear of a loud
sound all of the fears we learn like the
fear of failure the next is the fear of
success that’s one of the major
challenges I had to deal with I was
working on a major project and after it
began to grow and it was extremely
successful I panicked and I walked away
from it and gave it to someone else
because I didn’t believe that I could
handle it the other thing that keep most
people from reaching their goals
they stop growing they stop wanting
anything they become satisfied they stop
looking at ways in which they can
approve themselves they stop putting
things in front of them I was reading
something by a great man George Bernard
Shaw and he said something to the effect
that to have succeeded as to have
finished one’s business on earth like
the male spider was killed by the female
spider the moment he has succeeded in
his courtship and he goes on to say I
like a state of continual becoming with
a goal in front and not behind
I remember after giving a speech at a
major corporation a gentleman came up to
me he was up in years and he said you
know that’s real great motivation for
you young guys but I’ve done all my work
there’s nothing else for me to do I said
oh yes you’ve got a lot to give you have
a lot to offer the fact that you’re
still here means that your business is
not through yet the other thing that
keeps us from reaching our goal is not
feeling worthy that’s where a lot of
people get stuck because see when you
don’t feel worthy of your goal you’ll
begin to unconsciously engage in
self-destructive behavior like
procrastinating constantly putting
things off squandering your time and
that’s what life is made of something
else that keeps us from reaching our
goal and that is many times because we
spend so much time complaining and
blaming everybody or everything I’m
reminded of a friend of mine who talked
about the fact that one day he was
walking by this house and some people
sitting on a porch and there was a dog
on the porch and this dog was just
moaning and groaning so he was curious
in the osteon he said why is his dog
moaning and groaning and the owner said
you say well why doesn’t he get off he’s
not hurting bad enough for him to get
off how many of you know people can moan
and groan and complain about life all
the time alright
they might moan and groan about that job
I’m sick of this job I’m sick of you and
they just moan and groan and complain
all the time and never do anything about
it they haven’t got to the point where
they’re sick and tired of being sick and
tired they just have enough energy to
complain about it and they consider that
in fact they believe that that’s
equivalent to doing something about it
just complaining no that can’t get you
where you want to go that cannot create
your reality for you the other thing
that keep most people from realizing
their true greatness and their true
potential circumstances their
environment there are many people who
believe because of where they’re born
because of the area where they are in
life and where they find themselves
that’s all they know given my
circumstances ladies and gentlemen I
shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right
now
see I know something about you even not
knowing you that you’ve got greatness
within you you have the ability to do
things that you can’t even begin to
imagine you have talents and skills in
you that you haven’t even began to reach
for yet no one could have convinced me
given my circumstances given my
background that I would be doing what
I’m doing right now I was born in
Liberty City on a floor in 62nd Street a
twin brother and me when we were six
weeks of age we were adopted when I was
in fifth grade I was identified as EMR
labeled educable mentally retarded and
put back from the fifth grade into the
fourth grade and stayed in that category
until I got out of high school I have no
college training but here’s what
happened I had an intervention in my
life a man who saw something at me in a
time that I did not see something in
myself I never forget being in his class
one day waiting on a friend of mine who
was there to rehearse for play he did
not show up and he asked me to go up to
the board and write something on the
board and I said I can’t do that sir he
said why not I said well I’m I’m in a
special education class he said what do
you
I said go up to the board and write what
I’m about to tell you I said I can’t do
that sir why not
I’m educable mentally retarded and he
came from behind his desk he said don’t
ever say that again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality and that changed
my life it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who
said that once a person’s mind is
expanded with an idea or concept it can
never be satisfied – going back to where
it was so some of you going to
experience a breakthrough some of you’re
going to go back and look at your dreams
and brush them off some of you are going
to begin to look at yourself and say hey
look here I know I have not done all
that I can do whatever goal that you
have in mind
I want that to be a goal that will
challenge you something that will make
you stretch it was Osbourne who said
unless you attempt to do something
beyond that which you’ve already
mastered you will never grow what is it
that you looked at at some point in time
and you decided that you couldn’t do it
that you talk yourself out of it
whatever it is bring it back out there
how you going to do it that will come to
you in due time so you don’t get in life
what you want ladies and gentlemen you
get in life what you are not what you
want and see the good news is that we
can always become more by working to
develop ourselves so the first process
of making this your decade you’ve got to
begin to take a look at your life and
look at where are you right now what are
your strengths what are your weaknesses
what gives your life a sense of
fulfillment a sense of joy what does a
full rich life means to you
what is it that you could love doing
seven days a week that will bring a
smile to your face think about that and
all the areas of your life your
professional life your personal life
your family life your spiritual life
what is it that you’d like to have once
you begin to determine that that takes
you to the next step and that is once
you decide what it is that you want now
you’ve got to decide that you deserve
that repeat after me please I deserve
the best that life has to offer
I deserve define my purpose in life
shake somebody’s down on your right and
do you know by actively pursuing your
purpose it could perhaps extend your
life the number one killer in this
country of all the diseases we have
heart disease that’s the number one
killer and if you ask most people what
is it that that the majority of people
have their first major heart attack
some people will tell you at the result
of obesity or smoking cigarettes or high
cholesterol a high blood pressure and
all of those are contributing factors
however the truth of the matter is that
most people don’t realize that the
majority of people suffer the first
major heart attack on Monday morning
between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. people getting
ready to go to jobs that they don’t like
jobs that are making them sick you see
when you’re not pursuing your goal you
are literally committing spiritual
suicide when you have some goal out here
that you’re stretching for and reaching
for that takes you out of your comfort
zone you’ll find out some talents and
abilities you have that you didn’t know
you have I started speaking just to
elementary school kids because I knew
they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave me all kind of
standards we thank you again then I
graduated up to junior high school and
then the senior high school and then to
various community groups in church
groups and civic associations and then
to colleges into businesses and I’m
traveling across the country and then
traveling nationally and internationally
but I never would have discovered what
I’m able to do right now if I wasn’t
willing to take a chance and you’ve got
to be willing to do that you’ve got to
believe in yourself I was doing work for
a major corporation and they were having
a major downsizing it’s just another
terminology for major firings and so the
people that were working there they
approached them and said listen you are
eligible for early retirement we will
give you a buyout package of $300,000 if
you take it within this timeframe
however after this timeframe when we
have the downsizing you might be among
the people cut and
you will lose all of the benefits that
we’re talking about right now and the
most you can get is two weeks severance
pay
ladies and gentlemen only 50% of the
people that were eligible took this let
me tell you something if I’d been there
either going to ask for your check
listen Marvin told me to get his check
I would have taken that money so quick
and it had other people checks its
unless got your check see ladies and
gentlemen life is too short
trying to play it safe it’s too short
and unpredictable being miserable it’s
too short for that here’s the thing
there’s no safe position in life let me
tell you why it’s a quiet secret that
most people don’t realize you can’t get
out of life alive hello you can’t get
out of life the line so there’s no safe
position you can die in the bleachers or
you can die on the field you might as
well come out on the field and have a
[Music]
so if you want to make this your decade
you’ve got to decide to be bold so you
got to be bold in life you got to take
life on I remember I was at a major
corporation I had to give a presentation
and there were two guys sitting across
from me and the guys said to the other
fellow looking at the last two finalists
and that involved my firm and their firm
said listen looking at the credentials
this guy doesn’t have any credentials we
have an advantage here we’ve got two
PhDs between us I got up and I went in
the bathroom start talking to myself I
said let’s Rob what do you care about
they’re two PhDs
you have six children and I’m mama to
take care and I went in that meeting and
first of all I went out walking Bowl
looking good feeling good and smelling
good all right
[Applause]
[Music]
and I said across that table we start
negotiating and I operate in a spirit of
absolute certainty I looked at them as
if the only reason that they were born
was to give me that contract they
survived one out of nine million sperms
to carry out this transaction and I got
the contract so you’ve got to decide to
be bold most people go through life
trying to creep no no no trying to be
casual about it no no no you go for life
being casual you’ll end up a casualty no
you’ve got to be bold in life you’ve got
to take life on now here’s something
else you must be positive see a lot of
people when things don’t happen when
they want it want it to happen they
become negative and they turn out and
stop projecting a lot of negative energy
no no you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to be
positive because see when you know
within yourself things are going to work
out for you when you know within
yourself that someway somehow you’re
going to make it and this is just so
these are just some of the hoops you’ve
got to flip through in order to get
there it’s okay have a friend who went
to get a job and the people in Heim he
was so negative hell with you there they
just don’t have a job today don’t burn
your bridges behind you don’t talk about
[Applause]
now here’s the last thing if you want to
reach your goal and have a competitive
edge you’ve got to be hungry a lot of
people love me to tell this story when I
got out of school you know our first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
and my hero in broadcasting was Paul
javi and I want to become involved in
broadcasting and I love the disc jockeys
that were on the air and I wanted to
become a disc jockey and mr. Washington
said something to me that I’ll never
forget who was my mentor in high school
repeat this Whitney Young it’s this
quote it’s better to be prepared for an
opportunity and not have one than to
have an opportunity and not be prepared
see so I started working to develop my
communication skills and expand my
vocabulary I started visualizing myself
being a disc jockey I saw myself on
there having the talk show and playing
records and people listening to me that
was my vision that was my dream I held
that in mind constantly and I would
practice all the time practice makes
what absolutely not this this just
dislodged that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of the dictionary it doesn’t it doesn’t
exist practice only makes improvement
you can always better your best you have
not done your best work yet long as
you’re here you have a chance to
transcend yourself so don’t believe in
perfection it doesn’t exist it only
makes improvement so I would practice
practice practice every day every day
every day and finally I went over to
this radio station asked a guy for a job
and mr. bodewell and I said how you
doing sir I’d like to get a job I was
working on Miami Beach at at the
Fontainebleau Hotel at the time the
Jackie Gleason and a June Taylor dancers
were famous and my favorite program on
television most people would not
remember John Barris for Tipton hi my
name is Michael Anthony I have a check
for 1 million dollars how many of you
remember that program all right the
millionaire that was my favorite program
on television you know it’s that if this
is my fantasy you know and every time we
would drive from Miami Beach I would
fantasize so that’s the house when I get
my million I’m gonna buy my mother that
home over there so that’s my fantasy I
went up to mr. butterball and he said
you have any radio experience I said no
sir you have any background in
journalism I said no sir I say but I can
never get experience if you don’t give
me the opportunity
I’ve been practicing a lot sir he said
I’m sorry we don’t have any job for you
I say thank you sir he didn’t know my
reasons for being there my reason I
wanted to use radios of means to earn
the money to buy my mother home I went
back to the radio station again I say
how you doing mr. butterball my name is
les Vaughn I know your name didn’t I
just see you here yesterday I say yes
sir I say y’all have any jobs here did
not tell you Elsie wouldn’t have a job
yes sir but I thought maybe somebody got
fired or resigned I don’t know so I went
the next day how you doing mr.
butterball he said yes and I just didn’t
take it person how you doing so y’all
have any jobs here did not just tell you
yesterday and the day before we didn’t
have any work well I thought maybe
somebody died sir I didn’t know I didn’t
know I went the next day showed up like
nothing was wrong like I’ve saw him for
the first time how you doing mr.
butterball y’all having there he said
well make yourself useful go get me some
food I said yes sir
see many times when you want more you’ve
got to be willing to pay your dues so I
became their errand boy I wouldn’t would
get their lunch in there their dinner
and all kind of food for them after a
while I would take the food to them in
the control room and I would not leave
until they would ask me to and I’d watch
them working the controls and I’ve
memorized their hand movements and
pretty soon they would trust me with
their cars to go pick up entertainers
that came into town entertainers like
Sam Cooke I’m Donna Ross and The
Supremes The Four Tops and the
temptations I would drive them all over
Miami Beach in the disc jockeys cars I
didn’t have any driver’s license but
finally one day I was at the radio
station and a guy by the name of Rock
was drinking while he was on there it
was a Saturday afternoon I was the only
one there none of the other jocks were
available and I was looking at him
through the control room when they’re
saying drank rock draining break rock
I don’t want to get him some more feet
asked me to be brave Rock
pretty soon the phone rang was the
general manager I said hello
he said les this is mr. Clyde I said I
know he said Rock can’t finish his
program I said I know he said would you
call one of the other DJ’s that come in
I said yes sir I’ll hung the phone up I
said now he must be think I’m crazy I
called my mom and my girlfriend
Cassandra said y’all come out on the
front porch and turn up the radio I’m
I waited for about 20 minutes not
calling back I said mr. Klein I can’t
find nobody he say young boy do you not
have said great the records I said yes
sir he said going and don’t say nothing
here I feel yeah I couldn’t wait to get
behind those controls I put the
headphones on I said look out this is me
lb Triple P Les Brown your platter
playing papa
there were none before me and there will
be not have to be therefore that makes
me the one and only young and single and
loved Domingo certified bonafide
indubitably qualified to bring you
satisfaction hold out of action look out
[Applause]
you feel better when you are able to
have charge of your destiny doesn’t it
gives you a good feel you can give you
gives you choices you can do more things
see my first major goal was to buy my
mother home
I feel like Abraham Lincoln who said all
that I am and all that I ever hope to be
I owe to my mother and I said to my mama
one dancing mama when I become a man I’m
gonna buy you home and you won’t have to
go to work every day you won’t have to
work you just sit down mama she was
getting up getting dressed to go to M&M
cafeteria that’s now just following her
around I say watch mama one day you
won’t have to leave here to go to work
no more raining outside you won’t have
to go to work in the rain you just do
what you want to do like stay home a
fixed-rate sweet potato pie my mama fix
the county sweet potato pie you can’t
eat with your shoes on you have to take
your shoes off so you can wiggle your
toes
but that was my dream that was my
passion I saw that and that drove me
that was my reason for being so one of
the things in order to make this your
decade in order to reach your goals
you’ve got to find some reasons that
make you strong some reasons that will
make you hang in there when times get
rough because they’re going to get rough
it’s going to be very challenging
whenever you decide that you want to
grow whenever you decide that you want
to go to another level all hell will
break loose everything that will happen
the door other that can happen will
happen and at the worst possible moment
they call it Murphy’s Law see whenever
you decide that you want to go to
another vibration it’s like when you get
into an airplane the first thing they
tell you to do is do what fasten your
seat belt because you’re going to
experience some turbulence when you’re
going up and some of you are already
experiencing that turbulence don’t be
frightened by that so whenever you
decide you want to go to another level
you’ve got to fasten your psychological
your mental in your spiritual seatbelt
because they’re going to be a while
before you experience a comfortable
altitude you’re gonna get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you grow this is
how you develop see life is like a
rollercoaster sometimes you up sometimes
you down sometimes things go well
sometimes they don’t go well but in the
down moments that’s when you discover
who you are during the down moment see
in this prosperous time you put it in
your pocket
in the lean times you put it in your
heart and that’s when you discover who
so find five reasons that empower you
why is it that you deserve your goal
what are the five reasons that you won’t
give up when life catch you on the
blindside when the messenger of misery
visits you what are you going to do what
will keep you in the game when life
knocks you to the canvas see the Buster
Douglas that fought in the last fight
was not the Buster Douglas that fought
Mike Tyson see the Buster Douglas that
got knocked down while fighting Mike
Tyson had gotten out of an alcohol
recovery center his mother had died his
wife was ill with a terminal illness he
was considered a nothing a bum so when
he got knocked down Buster Douglas had a
reason to get back up because he said
I’m dedicating this fight to the memory
of my mama but when he fought the last
fight that he had and he got knocked
down and he had a guaranteed 24 million
dollars in his pocket
where he got up enough he just said
and I don’t blame you
why get hurt say no why’d you leave so
soon somebody’s about to get hurt me so
you’ve got to have some reasons that
when life knocks you down and it’s gone
to hell oh it’s going to knock you down
when people disappoint you and that’s
going to happen when they betray you and
that’s going to happen when they lied to
you and that’s going to happen when they
said oh you can count on me and they
won’t show up and that’s going to happen
when you want to throw in the towel and
give up yourself and that’s going to
happen
when life collapse on you and catch you
on the Blind Side it drops you to your
knees to start showing you you got a
dream though I got no dream and that’s
gonna happen what reason can you
remember that you can call on that you
can reach on that can make you get back
up find that reason does in life it
knocked me down I said life I’m doing
this because I want to make my momma
proud of me
I’m doing this because I want my
children to have a better life than what
I have I’m doing this because all my
life I’ve been told I’d be a loser that
I wouldn’t make it all my life I heard
people said made me take them back to
the welfare department I’m doing this to
make them Allah I believe like Frank
Sinatra he said the best revenge in life
is massive success I’m doing this so I
can become massively successful and with
that kind of courage with that kind of
affirmation and reason to empower me I
got a saying that when life knocks you
down try and land on your back because
[Music]
so when you run out of money when things
don’t work out for you when things
happen that you could not anticipate
what are the reasons that you can think
of that can keep you strong that can
keep you in the game that will be your
rod and staff to comfort you that can be
your bridge over troubled waters those
reasons a very important Nietzsche said
if you know the why for living you can
endure almost any how so find out the
reasons that you do what you do find out
the reasons that will make you strong
that will make you walk by faith and not
by sight that will make you pursue your
dream and everybody it’s against you or
don’t believe in your number all right
and let me tell you something that’s a
lonely feeling it’s a lonely feeling
particularly people that you’re doing it
for or people that stand to benefit the
most or people who should be the number
one members in the encouragement Club
when they end up saying you can’t do it
and they become members of the
discouragement club oh it hurts very
badly I know what that’s like have
people that you love close to you and
look at you with that look and say why
don’t you try something else
why don’t you give up I said but this is
my life I have got to do this less you
had a good job at Sears that man like
you mama
I can’t go back you see I get I can’t do
I got to be my own boss I I can’t do
that I mean you know it’s it’s ladies
and gentlemen you know and you work on a
job that’s dead in you can see the
ceiling already it’s like going in the
middle of a movie and after you’ve seen
the movie sitting back through that over
again there’s something missing you know
the hero’s not going to die you know
what the outcome is already and so
that’s why a lot of people lady was
telling me she said when she went to
works bub like a refrigerator fell on
her shoulder as soon as she stepped in
because she knew she could she had gone
as far as she could go see they’re
paying her just enough to keep her from
quitting and she’s worked just hard
enough just to keep from getting fired
how many of you know people like that
raise your hand
wonder you didn’t raise your hand you
the world
I’ll just feed without your speed
alright here’s something else make a
commitment to be happy
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
a look at home lit tired ugly sometimes
we take life too seriously
oh no make a commitment to be happy fine
little things just to get tickled about
and laugh find ways to be happy in the
moment a lot of people say well I’ll be
happy when I pay off all my bills
oh I’ll be happy when I get my divorce
oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children god oh no no you want to be
happy now see there are no guarantees no
one say you’re gonna be here two three
or four years from now so you want to be
happy right now in the moment repeat out
to me I must make a commitment to be
happy right now right now he’s all I got
take somebody’s hand on your riding
make a commitment to be happy because
life now has new meaning for you just
enjoying the sunset or just looking at
life looking at nature going for a walk
it’s the little things in life that
counts
here’s something else that you want to
begin to do in order to make this your
decade if you want to begin to get all
the toxic people out of your life
hello energy drainers get them out of
your life see ladies and gentlemen it
takes a lot of energy to reach your goal
takes a lot of emotional mental and
spiritual energy to reach your goal and
you can run faster with a hundred who
want to go then with one around your
neck so there are two kinds of
relationships that Simon talks about
this nourishing relationships and toxic
relationships nourishing relationships
are the relationships that inspire you
they motivate you they bring the best
out of you toxic relationships are
relationships with people that always
criticize you all they can do is find
fault
all they can do is just exploit your
weaknesses all they can do is remind you
of the mistakes that you’ve made in the
past these people are bad for your
health
toxic people can run your blood pressure
up one apple can spoil a whole barrel
one negative imagery or energy drainer
can spoil your whole life
I know people who lives have been ruined
because somebody wasn’t good for them
see there are some people that aren’t
good for you
hello they aren’t good for you got to
get them out of your life see a lot of
people put up with a lot of foolishness
because they don’t want to die by
themselves here’s what I believe I
believe in a 1/2 a box theory
[Applause]
[Music]
ask this question of yourself make a
list of who you communicate with most
and ask yourself the question what kind
of person am i becoming because of this
relationship is it helping me to grow
mentally and emotionally and spiritually
am i becoming a better person because of
this relationship do they bring out the
best in me do they inspire me do they
encourage me to develop my greatness do
they make me stretch so you got to look
at the people in your life and find out
what kind of person are you becoming
because of that relationship my mother
used to say birds of a feather flock
together you run around with losers you
will end up a loser
unconsciously unconsciously you will
pick up their ways you’ll pick up their
habits you’ll pick up most importantly
their attitude about life if you around
cynical negative people all the time you
will become cynical and negative so
you’ve got to watch yourself many of us
are living out the lives of other people
living out their conclusions living out
of their consciousness the other thing
is that you begin to look at looking at
your life and looking at what it is that
you want to achieve another crucial
thing that you must do is align yourself
with powerful people align yourself with
people that can encourage you people
that can empower you people that you can
learn from people that you can grow from
that’s very important see if you have
people around you that can contribute to
your growth when I wanted to become a
speaker I joined the National Speakers
Association I wanted to be around the
dr. norman vincent peale the zig Zigler
the dwayne dyers this is I wanted to be
around people that were doing what I
wanted to do I want to learn from them
and you want to do that too you want to
align yourself with people who think
like you people who dream like you
people who want more out of life people
that are stretching and searching and
seeking some higher ground in life as
opposed to the majority of people
somebody said always strive to get on
top in life because it’s the bottom
that’s overcrowded and so you don’t want
to be on the bottom see it’s easy to be
on the bottom it doesn’t take any effort
to be a loser doesn’t take any
motivation any Drive in order to stay
down
they’re on a low level but it calls on
everything in you ladies and gentlemen
you have to harness your will to say I’m
going to challenge myself sometimes I
have to pull myself out of mentok come
on les
things I know I should do I don’t do
things that shouldn’t do I do I found
that the biggest enemy you have to deal
with is yourself there’s an old African
proverb that says if there’s no enemy
within the enemy outside can do us no
harm
so think about
so you begin to look toward making this
your decade as you begin to look toward
making your life different if you begin
to look at yourself you got to redefine
yourself who are you right now and who
must you become in order to create what
you want what has to change about you
what is it that you’re doing right now
that would be a liability for you as you
begin to look toward the future and take
inventory of yourself what is it about
you right now that you’ve got to leave
this behind because this no longer fits
looking at where you want to go and the
kind of person that you must become the
kind of standards that you have for you
what is it that you must do differently
repeat out to me please if you want to
keep on getting what you’re getting keep
on doing what you’re doing see that
doesn’t take an Einstein for that all
right it makes sense unless you change
your pattern unless you change the way
you’re thinking unless you change your
behavior you’re going to continue to
produce the results in your life see all
of us the winners but some of us are
producing results that we don’t want and
so all you have to look at your game
plan look at your strategy how is it
that you have been being what is it that
you’ve been doing to produce this so you
have a director you are the producer
you’re writing the script you have a
star of your life and as you begin to
look at your life you can decide whether
or not it’s a smash or whether or not
it’s a flop that’s in your hands look at
your life look at where you want to go
don’t worry about your circumstances
don’t worry about your age have a friend
who’s up in aged over 70 and she wanted
to build a multi-million dollar complex
the name is dr. Johnny Coleman lenders
and Baker’s say you can’t do that you’re
too old she ignored them that building
now stands ladies and gentlemen a
multi-million dollar structure but there
are lot of people who would have
listened to that a lot of people that
would not have even gotten to that point
they were talk themselves out of even
going down to the bank to ask for it
because they’ve already said no to
themselves see it’s time now if you want
to make this your decade you’ve got to
start saying yes to your life you’ve got
to start saying yes to your dreams yes
to your unfolding
future yes to your potential and
supposed to say no see 87% of our
self-talk is negative so you’ve got to
make a conscious deliberate determined
effort to say yes to your dreams why not
why not me don’t spend time like most
people going through life complaining
don’t try and get on talk shows to tell
everybody how life has done you wrong
here’s what’s happening in the audience
all right so so you know that you’re
gonna come proud you know what they did
to me who care get away from me before
I had a friend of mine that said
something is very important he said hey
it doesn’t matter what happens tell you
the only thing matters what are you
gonna do about it
that’s all that matters okay life knock
you down what do you wanna know about
how long are you gonna sit there say you
know what they get to be how long who
wants to hear that racket use that
energy to get up from there and move on
and get on with your life you got to
learn to let the past go so you can grow
many people never act on their dreams
because they allow their past
experiences to determine what their
possibilities are whatever you’ve done
in the past that’s not a reflection of
your possibilities that’s just a
reflection of your consciousness that’s
just a reflection of your development
and your growth the future is unfolding
for you right now the future is
unlimited for you right now no one knows
where you can go no one knows what you
Apollo what you’re capable of or
what’s possible for you you don’t even
know that I had no idea ladies and
gentlemen no one could have convinced me
that I was able to do this I never
forget I was speaking and Detroit and a
high school friend of mine saw me
afterwards and he was backstage he said
I can’t believe it’s the same person and
I thought for a moment and I said it’s
not the person you know you go he
doesn’t live anymore we have the power
to change our personal history changing
the direction of our lives changing our
thoughts changing where we want to go
exploring new horizons so you begin to
look at this decade and affirming that
this is your decade as you said goals
that will make you stretch that will
bring out the best in you as you begin
to remove the negative toxic people from
your life as you decide to take some
chances in life and that’s one of the
things that’s very important this card
said if you’re not willing to risk you
cannot grow and if you cannot grow you
cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you cannot be
happy and if you can’t be happy and what
else is there I’ll never forget when I
reach my first major goal of buying my
mother let home I never forget
what it was like and you’re gonna have
this experience when you reach some
major goal when I drove up to the house
and I got out and and I gave mama Turkey
and I said mama this is for you
I’ll never forget the look on her face
she said she said oh my god
no one could have convinced me when I
adopted y’all that this would happen she
said thank you she said you caused me so
I was just what I was given had a lot of
energy but no one know what I was going
to become well it was a great
philosopher Goethe he says look at a man
the way that he is he only becomes worse
but look at him as if he were what he
could be then it becomes what he should
be and what mr. Washington did was he
looked beyond my thoughts and saw my
needs and he said I see something in you
and I was there oh god I hope he’s right
and I want to live up to his expectation
see no one rises to low expectations
finally here’s one last thing I’d like
to leave with you want to make this your
decade find some cause that you believe
in see this is my profession but my
greatest joy in life is working with
young kids every Monday I fly up to
Chicago to work with 600 young kids in
Christ Universal Temple Church working
with them to develop a sense of purpose
in direction with their lives we’ve
developed a training program if they’re
addicted to drugs or alcohol we help
them to get into a permanent recovery
program if they’re not we help them to
develop a vision of themselves where
drugs and alcohol does not fit I love it
when I go into the Cook County Jail and
see the look on these young men faces
the anger and the self-hatred and then
when we leave there see the difference
in them as we begin to touch a spark in
them as mr. Washington touched in me and
there’s no you cannot put a dollar price
on that that’s my reason for being what
is it that you would like to give the
planet what is it that you’d like to
leave here see someone paid a price for
us to be here I believe that we live in
the greatest country in the world that
gives us an opportunity to make a
difference in life we are blessed to
have been dropped off on this part of
the planet a friend of mine was in
Manila and saw a bumper sticker say
Yankee go home and take me with you so
as you begin to look at your life decide
what kind of legacy do I want to leave
what kind of statement do you want to
make with your life what three things
you want said when you die what
contribution do you want to make I don’t
know what you want to do
I don’t know what you want to achieve
with your life here’s what I know about
you and about you and about you and
about you that you have greatness within
you that you have things and gifts and
talents that you’ve been bestowed with
but as you work consciously making a
conscious deliberate determined effort
to cultivate and bring them out and
develop a sense of purpose in knowing
that your life can make a difference and
decide to make and leave a legacy with
your life I say to you that the planet
will never be the same again because you
showed up as you begin to look toward
the future and affirm that this is your
decade this is what I like to leave with
you that I’m known by it’s become my
motto and it says simply this what do
you want to do my goal is to be the best
son that I can be to my mother my goal
is to be the best father that I can be
to my children and my goal is to create
a drug-free America be the best
motivator that I can be whatever your
goal is this is what I like to leave
with you says simply this that if you
want a thing bad enough to go out and
fight for it to work day and night for
it to give up your time your peace and
your sleep for it
if all that your dream and scheme is
about it and life seems useless and
worthless without it and if you’re
gladly sweat for it and fret for it and
plan for it
and lose all your terror of the
opposition for it and if you simply go
after this thing that you want with all
of your capacity strengthens orgastic
Faith Hope and confidence and stern
pertinacity if neither cold poverty
famish your gold sickness of pain a body
and brain can keep you away from a thing
that you want if dogged and grim you
beseech and beset it with the help of
God you’ll get it this is missus Mamie
Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown
saying has been a plum pleasing pleasure
as well as a prison [Applause]
right people should figure out all the
fuck they are good call people should
not listen to America propaganda of
fixing the shit they suck at they should
be tripling down and what they’re good
at they should be competent in certain
areas but you’re not gonna become
Beyonce or you know like your bone
structure is a certain way like you’re
not gonna solve everything your IQ can
get a little bit better but don’t worry
about the incremental figure out what
you fucking put you on fire and your
halfway decent at if you’re lucky enough
right now to be listening and you’re
good at what you like become Tunnel
fucking vision because there’s way too
many voices telling you what and how and
here’s the other thing and this is the
big one job because you have a humongous
audience the biggest thing that I’ve
seen dividends from have the
conversation with the person that’s
holding you back the reason most people
who listen right now are not doing that
thing is they’re worried about the
opinion of somebody usually their mother
usually their father and the reality is
is that your spouse may be the person
holding you back and you have to have
that conversation
cut them off we have to get to a place
where you’re doing you because the
number one thing that scares the fuck
out of me is regret and you’re gonna sit
there at 72 and you say I wish I wish I
wish
and whether that’s money or spend more
time with your family there’s a million
ways to do this
our whole wives are guided moments
moment by the state red learning how to
change your state not bullshit not fake
but to go from pissed-off frustrated
freaked out to back in your Center
while creative or determined or
something that’s gonna move you forward
it’s gonna create a better quality of
life for you and others that’s a
critical skill set so what would the
moment in life’s control by our state’s
yeah you know if you’re an angry state
you respond differently to feeling
playful but what controls those states
long-term as your model the world
everyone’s different goals and dreams
and desires but as I travel around the
world 100 countries I started going the
shouldn’t see the same problems once
underneath it at the Embassy that there
are these same six human needs that we
all have the same needs we all have a
need for certainty that we can avoid
pain and we can have some pleasure some
comfort
we all need uncertainty we need variety
or we feel dead inside you’re totally
certain your board if you have total
variety you look freaked out and it’s
not a balance it’s learning which of
these you need more as a person
everyone’s developed a different set of
values that are um need of the need for
significance to feel unique special
important need to feel well the need to
grow and the need to contribute some
people value certainty at the top of
their list that’s their Center their
target I don’t want to do anything less
I know it’s gonna work I don’t do
anything unless it’s the same if you
change anything they freak out if you’re
driven by love first you want certain
you do that love is higher you’re gonna
behave very differently than if you’re
driven by significance I have to be the
one the two that most people have 90
percent of the planet if you said of all
these needs which one do you really
focus on most day-to-day everybody wants
love what do you focus on most people
focus on being significant we live in a
Facebook world where people fake their
life put new filters make it look
different than it really is tell stories
that you know are totally full of it to
make himself look good because we live
in this kind of false world where
significance is more important than love
and it separates us whenever you look at
somebody that’s been successful do not
allow yourself to make them
extraordinary at your expense you’re
capable of whatever it is that they are
capable of but it comes down to the
mental constructs that you’re going to
have to build and leverage in your own
mind in order to do something great so I
switch my self-esteem from being right
being smart to being the learner who was
always willing to admit that he was
wrong identify the right answer give
credit to the person who thought of it
and put more energy behind it than
anyone else and that became my driver
people getting ready to go to jobs that
they don’t like jobs that are making
them sick what is it that you could love
doing seven days a week that would bring
a smile to your face
you’ve got to start saying yes to your
life you’ve got to start saying yes to
your dreams yes to your unfolding future
yes to your potential you know every
year I used to say this is my year but
ladies and gentlemen one good year won’t
be enough for me how many of you can use
a good decade raise your hands please
fantastic all right now here’s what I
want to do I want to share with you how
you can begin to make this your decade
how many of you know within yourself if
you ask yourself the question have I
done all that I’m capable of doing or
being and living up to my potential how
many of you have to really add answer no
I have not done all that I can do raise
your hands please
okay very good now here’s what we know
that people don’t do what they know in
life but what they do is they operate
within the context of the vision they
have of themselves so what I want to
share with you is how to begin to get a
larger vision of yourself and how to
begin to make this your decade because
in order to do that it’s going to be
very challenging it’s going to require a
lot of work on your part an ongoing
process of personal and professional
self mastery and it’s going to require
that you begin to see yourself worthy of
the requirements in terms of effort in
terms of commitment in terms of action
in terms of preparation or whatever it
is that you need to do in order to take
your life where you want to take it so
one of the first things I ask you to do
is I want you look at your life right
now and think about something that’s
important to you something that gives
your life a sense of value think about
something that you’d like to have or
something you’d like to create for you
or your family or for society once you
hold this thought in mind now one of the
first things I want you to do is don’t
worry about the inner conversation that
you’re going to have don’t worry about
how you’re going to do it that’s going
to come you’re going to develop a plan
of action you will find the way you’ll
become the kind of person that can
attract the people the resources and
everything you need in order to make
that become reality but I want you to be
mindful of your inner conversation I
remember once I was sitting in an
audience and Zig Ziglar who I consider
one of the greatest motivational
speakers on the planet he was giving a
speech and I was out of the audience and
I saw him going back and forth and
within myself I said I’d like to do that
I can do that and I lean over to the guy
next to me I said how much do they pay
him to do that he said five thousand
dollars I said I know I can do that and
I admired him and then on the way home
when I was driving from Tampa Florida
back to Miami Florida my inner
conversation kicked in and it said Les
Brown you can’t do that
you don’t have a college education Les
Brown you can’t do that you don’t have
the money you don’t have the contacts
you’ve never worked for a major
corporation what makes you think that
you can make more in one hour talking
and you’ve made working for a whole
month I want to ask you a question
how many of you have ever thought about
something you wanted to do and you
talked you out of it raise your hand
please that inner conversation ladies
and gentlemen is the reason that most
people take their greatness take their
ideas to the Graveyard with them you
know the wealthiest place on the planet
of minister said recently and it was so
true it’s not the gold mines in the
various areas of the world or the
diamond mines the wealthiest place on
the planet is the graveyard because in
the graveyard we will find inventions
that we never ever were exposed to ideas
dreams that never became a reality hopes
and aspirations that were never acted
upon
because most people allow that inner
conversation for whatever reason to keep
them from ever pursuing their goals so
let us begin to look at what’s required
in order to to make this out decade why
is it that most people don’t ever reach
their goals that live up to their true
potential one is fear and there are only
two kinds of fears that we’re born with
the fear falling and the fear of a loud
sound all of the fears we learn like the
fear of failure the next is the fear of
success that’s one of the major
challenges I had to deal with I was
working on a major project and after it
began to grow and it was extremely
successful I panicked and I walked away
from it and gave it to someone else
because I didn’t believe that I could
handle it the other thing that keep most
people from reaching their goals
they stop growing they stop wanting
anything they become satisfied they stop
looking at ways in which they can
approve themselves they stop putting
things in front of them I was reading
something by a great man George Bernard
Shaw and he said something to the effect
that to have succeeded as to have
finished one’s business on earth like
the male spider was killed by the female
spider the moment he has succeeded in
his courtship and he goes on to say I
like a state of continual becoming with
a goal in front and not behind
I remember after giving a speech at a
major corporation a gentleman came up to
me he was up in years and he said you
know that’s real great motivation for
you young guys but I’ve done all my work
there’s nothing else for me to do I said
oh yes you’ve got a lot to give you have
a lot to offer the fact that you’re
still here means that your business is
not through yet the other thing that
keeps us from reaching our goal is not
feeling worthy that’s where a lot of
people get stuck because see when you
don’t feel worthy of your goal you’ll
begin to unconsciously engage in
self-destructive behavior like
procrastinating constantly putting
things off squandering your time and
that’s what life is made of something
else that keeps us from reaching our
goal and that is many times because we
spend so much time complaining and
blaming everybody or everything I’m
reminded of a friend of mine who talked
about the fact that one day he was
walking by this house and some people
sitting on a porch and there was a dog
on the porch and this dog was just
moaning and groaning so he was curious
in the osteon he said why is his dog
moaning and groaning and the owner said
you say well why doesn’t he get off he’s
not hurting bad enough for him to get
off how many of you know people can moan
and groan and complain about life all
the time alright
they might moan and groan about that job
I’m sick of this job I’m sick of you and
they just moan and groan and complain
all the time and never do anything about
it they haven’t got to the point where
they’re sick and tired of being sick and
tired they just have enough energy to
complain about it and they consider that
in fact they believe that that’s
equivalent to doing something about it
just complaining no that can’t get you
where you want to go that cannot create
your reality for you the other thing
that keep most people from realizing
their true greatness and their true
potential circumstances their
environment there are many people who
believe because of where they’re born
because of the area where they are in
life and where they find themselves
that’s all they know given my
circumstances ladies and gentlemen I
shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right
now
see I know something about you even not
knowing you that you’ve got greatness
within you you have the ability to do
things that you can’t even begin to
imagine you have talents and skills in
you that you haven’t even began to reach
for yet no one could have convinced me
given my circumstances given my
background that I would be doing what
I’m doing right now I was born in
Liberty City on a floor in 62nd Street a
twin brother and me when we were six
weeks of age we were adopted when I was
in fifth grade I was identified as EMR
labeled educable mentally retarded and
put back from the fifth grade into the
fourth grade and stayed in that category
until I got out of high school I have no
college training but here’s what
happened I had an intervention in my
life a man who saw something at me in a
time that I did not see something in
myself I never forget being in his class
one day waiting on a friend of mine who
was there to rehearse for play he did
not show up and he asked me to go up to
the board and write something on the
board and I said I can’t do that sir he
said why not I said well I’m I’m in a
special education class he said what do
you
I said go up to the board and write what
I’m about to tell you I said I can’t do
that sir why not
I’m educable mentally retarded and he
came from behind his desk he said don’t
ever say that again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality and that changed
my life it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who
said that once a person’s mind is
expanded with an idea or concept it can
never be satisfied – going back to where
it was so some of you going to
experience a breakthrough some of you’re
going to go back and look at your dreams
and brush them off some of you are going
to begin to look at yourself and say hey
look here I know I have not done all
that I can do whatever goal that you
have in mind
I want that to be a goal that will
challenge you something that will make
you stretch it was Osbourne who said
unless you attempt to do something
beyond that which you’ve already
mastered you will never grow what is it
that you looked at at some point in time
and you decided that you couldn’t do it
that you talk yourself out of it
whatever it is bring it back out there
how you going to do it that will come to
you in due time so you don’t get in life
what you want ladies and gentlemen you
get in life what you are not what you
want and see the good news is that we
can always become more by working to
develop ourselves so the first process
of making this your decade you’ve got to
begin to take a look at your life and
look at where are you right now what are
your strengths what are your weaknesses
what gives your life a sense of
fulfillment a sense of joy what does a
full rich life means to you
what is it that you could love doing
seven days a week that will bring a
smile to your face think about that and
all the areas of your life your
professional life your personal life
your family life your spiritual life
what is it that you’d like to have once
you begin to determine that that takes
you to the next step and that is once
you decide what it is that you want now
you’ve got to decide that you deserve
that repeat after me please I deserve
the best that life has to offer
I deserve define my purpose in life
shake somebody’s down on your right and
do you know by actively pursuing your
purpose it could perhaps extend your
life the number one killer in this
country of all the diseases we have
heart disease that’s the number one
killer and if you ask most people what
is it that that the majority of people
have their first major heart attack
some people will tell you at the result
of obesity or smoking cigarettes or high
cholesterol a high blood pressure and
all of those are contributing factors
however the truth of the matter is that
most people don’t realize that the
majority of people suffer the first
major heart attack on Monday morning
between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. people getting
ready to go to jobs that they don’t like
jobs that are making them sick you see
when you’re not pursuing your goal you
are literally committing spiritual
suicide when you have some goal out here
that you’re stretching for and reaching
for that takes you out of your comfort
zone you’ll find out some talents and
abilities you have that you didn’t know
you have I started speaking just to
elementary school kids because I knew
they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave me all kind of
standards we thank you again then I
graduated up to junior high school and
then the senior high school and then to
various community groups in church
groups and civic associations and then
to colleges into businesses and I’m
traveling across the country and then
traveling nationally and internationally
but I never would have discovered what
I’m able to do right now if I wasn’t
willing to take a chance and you’ve got
to be willing to do that you’ve got to
believe in yourself I was doing work for
a major corporation and they were having
a major downsizing it’s just another
terminology for major firings and so the
people that were working there they
approached them and said listen you are
eligible for early retirement we will
give you a buyout package of $300,000 if
you take it within this timeframe
however after this timeframe when we
have the downsizing you might be among
the people cut and
you will lose all of the benefits that
we’re talking about right now and the
most you can get is two weeks severance
pay
ladies and gentlemen only 50% of the
people that were eligible took this let
me tell you something if I’d been there
either going to ask for your check
listen Marvin told me to get his check
I would have taken that money so quick
and it had other people checks its
unless got your check see ladies and
gentlemen life is too short
trying to play it safe it’s too short
and unpredictable being miserable it’s
too short for that here’s the thing
there’s no safe position in life let me
tell you why it’s a quiet secret that
most people don’t realize you can’t get
out of life alive hello you can’t get
out of life the line so there’s no safe
position you can die in the bleachers or
you can die on the field you might as
well come out on the field and have a
[Music]
so if you want to make this your decade
you’ve got to decide to be bold so you
got to be bold in life you got to take
life on I remember I was at a major
corporation I had to give a presentation
and there were two guys sitting across
from me and the guys said to the other
fellow looking at the last two finalists
and that involved my firm and their firm
said listen looking at the credentials
this guy doesn’t have any credentials we
have an advantage here we’ve got two
PhDs between us I got up and I went in
the bathroom start talking to myself I
said let’s Rob what do you care about
they’re two PhDs
you have six children and I’m mama to
take care and I went in that meeting and
first of all I went out walking Bowl
looking good feeling good and smelling
good all right
[Applause]
[Music]
and I said across that table we start
negotiating and I operate in a spirit of
absolute certainty I looked at them as
if the only reason that they were born
was to give me that contract they
survived one out of nine million sperms
to carry out this transaction and I got
the contract so you’ve got to decide to
be bold most people go through life
trying to creep no no no trying to be
casual about it no no no you go for life
being casual you’ll end up a casualty no
you’ve got to be bold in life you’ve got
to take life on now here’s something
else you must be positive see a lot of
people when things don’t happen when
they want it want it to happen they
become negative and they turn out and
stop projecting a lot of negative energy
no no you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to be
positive because see when you know
within yourself things are going to work
out for you when you know within
yourself that someway somehow you’re
going to make it and this is just so
these are just some of the hoops you’ve
got to flip through in order to get
there it’s okay have a friend who went
to get a job and the people in Heim he
was so negative hell with you there they
just don’t have a job today don’t burn
your bridges behind you don’t talk about
[Applause]
now here’s the last thing if you want to
reach your goal and have a competitive
edge you’ve got to be hungry a lot of
people love me to tell this story when I
got out of school you know our first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
and my hero in broadcasting was Paul
javi and I want to become involved in
broadcasting and I love the disc jockeys
that were on the air and I wanted to
become a disc jockey and mr. Washington
said something to me that I’ll never
forget who was my mentor in high school
repeat this Whitney Young it’s this
quote it’s better to be prepared for an
opportunity and not have one than to
have an opportunity and not be prepared
see so I started working to develop my
communication skills and expand my
vocabulary I started visualizing myself
being a disc jockey I saw myself on
there having the talk show and playing
records and people listening to me that
was my vision that was my dream I held
that in mind constantly and I would
practice all the time practice makes
what absolutely not this this just
dislodged that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of the dictionary it doesn’t it doesn’t
exist practice only makes improvement
you can always better your best you have
not done your best work yet long as
you’re here you have a chance to
transcend yourself so don’t believe in
perfection it doesn’t exist it only
makes improvement so I would practice
practice practice every day every day
every day and finally I went over to
this radio station asked a guy for a job
and mr. bodewell and I said how you
doing sir I’d like to get a job I was
working on Miami Beach at at the
Fontainebleau Hotel at the time the
Jackie Gleason and a June Taylor dancers
were famous and my favorite program on
television most people would not
remember John Barris for Tipton hi my
name is Michael Anthony I have a check
for 1 million dollars how many of you
remember that program all right the
millionaire that was my favorite program
on television you know it’s that if this
is my fantasy you know and every time we
would drive from Miami Beach I would
fantasize so that’s the house when I get
my million I’m gonna buy my mother that
home over there so that’s my fantasy I
went up to mr. butterball and he said
you have any radio experience I said no
sir you have any background in
journalism I said no sir I say but I can
never get experience if you don’t give
me the opportunity
I’ve been practicing a lot sir he said
I’m sorry we don’t have any job for you
I say thank you sir he didn’t know my
reasons for being there my reason I
wanted to use radios of means to earn
the money to buy my mother home I went
back to the radio station again I say
how you doing mr. butterball my name is
les Vaughn I know your name didn’t I
just see you here yesterday I say yes
sir I say y’all have any jobs here did
not tell you Elsie wouldn’t have a job
yes sir but I thought maybe somebody got
fired or resigned I don’t know so I went
the next day how you doing mr.
butterball he said yes and I just didn’t
take it person how you doing so y’all
have any jobs here did not just tell you
yesterday and the day before we didn’t
have any work well I thought maybe
somebody died sir I didn’t know I didn’t
know I went the next day showed up like
nothing was wrong like I’ve saw him for
the first time how you doing mr.
butterball y’all having there he said
well make yourself useful go get me some
food I said yes sir
see many times when you want more you’ve
got to be willing to pay your dues so I
became their errand boy I wouldn’t would
get their lunch in there their dinner
and all kind of food for them after a
while I would take the food to them in
the control room and I would not leave
until they would ask me to and I’d watch
them working the controls and I’ve
memorized their hand movements and
pretty soon they would trust me with
their cars to go pick up entertainers
that came into town entertainers like
Sam Cooke I’m Donna Ross and The
Supremes The Four Tops and the
temptations I would drive them all over
Miami Beach in the disc jockeys cars I
didn’t have any driver’s license but
finally one day I was at the radio
station and a guy by the name of Rock
was drinking while he was on there it
was a Saturday afternoon I was the only
one there none of the other jocks were
available and I was looking at him
through the control room when they’re
saying drank rock draining break rock
I don’t want to get him some more feet
asked me to be brave Rock
pretty soon the phone rang was the
general manager I said hello
he said les this is mr. Clyde I said I
know he said Rock can’t finish his
program I said I know he said would you
call one of the other DJ’s that come in
I said yes sir I’ll hung the phone up I
said now he must be think I’m crazy I
called my mom and my girlfriend
Cassandra said y’all come out on the
front porch and turn up the radio I’m
I waited for about 20 minutes not
calling back I said mr. Klein I can’t
find nobody he say young boy do you not
have said great the records I said yes
sir he said going and don’t say nothing
here I feel yeah I couldn’t wait to get
behind those controls I put the
headphones on I said look out this is me
lb Triple P Les Brown your platter
playing papa
there were none before me and there will
be not have to be therefore that makes
me the one and only young and single and
loved Domingo certified bonafide
indubitably qualified to bring you
satisfaction hold out of action look out
[Applause]
you feel better when you are able to
have charge of your destiny doesn’t it
gives you a good feel you can give you
gives you choices you can do more things
see my first major goal was to buy my
mother home
I feel like Abraham Lincoln who said all
that I am and all that I ever hope to be
I owe to my mother and I said to my mama
one dancing mama when I become a man I’m
gonna buy you home and you won’t have to
go to work every day you won’t have to
work you just sit down mama she was
getting up getting dressed to go to M&M
cafeteria that’s now just following her
around I say watch mama one day you
won’t have to leave here to go to work
no more raining outside you won’t have
to go to work in the rain you just do
what you want to do like stay home a
fixed-rate sweet potato pie my mama fix
the county sweet potato pie you can’t
eat with your shoes on you have to take
your shoes off so you can wiggle your
toes
but that was my dream that was my
passion I saw that and that drove me
that was my reason for being so one of
the things in order to make this your
decade in order to reach your goals
you’ve got to find some reasons that
make you strong some reasons that will
make you hang in there when times get
rough because they’re going to get rough
it’s going to be very challenging
whenever you decide that you want to
grow whenever you decide that you want
to go to another level all hell will
break loose everything that will happen
the door other that can happen will
happen and at the worst possible moment
they call it Murphy’s Law see whenever
you decide that you want to go to
another vibration it’s like when you get
into an airplane the first thing they
tell you to do is do what fasten your
seat belt because you’re going to
experience some turbulence when you’re
going up and some of you are already
experiencing that turbulence don’t be
frightened by that so whenever you
decide you want to go to another level
you’ve got to fasten your psychological
your mental in your spiritual seatbelt
because they’re going to be a while
before you experience a comfortable
altitude you’re gonna get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you grow this is
how you develop see life is like a
rollercoaster sometimes you up sometimes
you down sometimes things go well
sometimes they don’t go well but in the
down moments that’s when you discover
who you are during the down moment see
in this prosperous time you put it in
your pocket
in the lean times you put it in your
heart and that’s when you discover who
so find five reasons that empower you
why is it that you deserve your goal
what are the five reasons that you won’t
give up when life catch you on the
blindside when the messenger of misery
visits you what are you going to do what
will keep you in the game when life
knocks you to the canvas see the Buster
Douglas that fought in the last fight
was not the Buster Douglas that fought
Mike Tyson see the Buster Douglas that
got knocked down while fighting Mike
Tyson had gotten out of an alcohol
recovery center his mother had died his
wife was ill with a terminal illness he
was considered a nothing a bum so when
he got knocked down Buster Douglas had a
reason to get back up because he said
I’m dedicating this fight to the memory
of my mama but when he fought the last
fight that he had and he got knocked
down and he had a guaranteed 24 million
dollars in his pocket
where he got up enough he just said
and I don’t blame you
why get hurt say no why’d you leave so
soon somebody’s about to get hurt me so
you’ve got to have some reasons that
when life knocks you down and it’s gone
to hell oh it’s going to knock you down
when people disappoint you and that’s
going to happen when they betray you and
that’s going to happen when they lied to
you and that’s going to happen when they
said oh you can count on me and they
won’t show up and that’s going to happen
when you want to throw in the towel and
give up yourself and that’s going to
happen
when life collapse on you and catch you
on the Blind Side it drops you to your
knees to start showing you you got a
dream though I got no dream and that’s
gonna happen what reason can you
remember that you can call on that you
can reach on that can make you get back
up find that reason does in life it
knocked me down I said life I’m doing
this because I want to make my momma
proud of me
I’m doing this because I want my
children to have a better life than what
I have I’m doing this because all my
life I’ve been told I’d be a loser that
I wouldn’t make it all my life I heard
people said made me take them back to
the welfare department I’m doing this to
make them Allah I believe like Frank
Sinatra he said the best revenge in life
is massive success I’m doing this so I
can become massively successful and with
that kind of courage with that kind of
affirmation and reason to empower me I
got a saying that when life knocks you
down try and land on your back because
[Music]
so when you run out of money when things
don’t work out for you when things
happen that you could not anticipate
what are the reasons that you can think
of that can keep you strong that can
keep you in the game that will be your
rod and staff to comfort you that can be
your bridge over troubled waters those
reasons a very important Nietzsche said
if you know the why for living you can
endure almost any how so find out the
reasons that you do what you do find out
the reasons that will make you strong
that will make you walk by faith and not
by sight that will make you pursue your
dream and everybody it’s against you or
don’t believe in your number all right
and let me tell you something that’s a
lonely feeling it’s a lonely feeling
particularly people that you’re doing it
for or people that stand to benefit the
most or people who should be the number
one members in the encouragement Club
when they end up saying you can’t do it
and they become members of the
discouragement club oh it hurts very
badly I know what that’s like have
people that you love close to you and
look at you with that look and say why
don’t you try something else
why don’t you give up I said but this is
my life I have got to do this less you
had a good job at Sears that man like
you mama
I can’t go back you see I get I can’t do
I got to be my own boss I I can’t do
that I mean you know it’s it’s ladies
and gentlemen you know and you work on a
job that’s dead in you can see the
ceiling already it’s like going in the
middle of a movie and after you’ve seen
the movie sitting back through that over
again there’s something missing you know
the hero’s not going to die you know
what the outcome is already and so
that’s why a lot of people lady was
telling me she said when she went to
works bub like a refrigerator fell on
her shoulder as soon as she stepped in
because she knew she could she had gone
as far as she could go see they’re
paying her just enough to keep her from
quitting and she’s worked just hard
enough just to keep from getting fired
how many of you know people like that
raise your hand
wonder you didn’t raise your hand you
the world
I’ll just feed without your speed
alright here’s something else make a
commitment to be happy
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
a look at home lit tired ugly sometimes
we take life too seriously
oh no make a commitment to be happy fine
little things just to get tickled about
and laugh find ways to be happy in the
moment a lot of people say well I’ll be
happy when I pay off all my bills
oh I’ll be happy when I get my divorce
oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children god oh no no you want to be
happy now see there are no guarantees no
one say you’re gonna be here two three
or four years from now so you want to be
happy right now in the moment repeat out
to me I must make a commitment to be
happy right now right now he’s all I got
take somebody’s hand on your riding
make a commitment to be happy because
life now has new meaning for you just
enjoying the sunset or just looking at
life looking at nature going for a walk
it’s the little things in life that
counts
here’s something else that you want to
begin to do in order to make this your
decade if you want to begin to get all
the toxic people out of your life
hello energy drainers get them out of
your life see ladies and gentlemen it
takes a lot of energy to reach your goal
takes a lot of emotional mental and
spiritual energy to reach your goal and
you can run faster with a hundred who
want to go then with one around your
neck so there are two kinds of
relationships that Simon talks about
this nourishing relationships and toxic
relationships nourishing relationships
are the relationships that inspire you
they motivate you they bring the best
out of you toxic relationships are
relationships with people that always
criticize you all they can do is find
fault
all they can do is just exploit your
weaknesses all they can do is remind you
of the mistakes that you’ve made in the
past these people are bad for your
health
toxic people can run your blood pressure
up one apple can spoil a whole barrel
one negative imagery or energy drainer
can spoil your whole life
I know people who lives have been ruined
because somebody wasn’t good for them
see there are some people that aren’t
good for you
hello they aren’t good for you got to
get them out of your life see a lot of
people put up with a lot of foolishness
because they don’t want to die by
themselves here’s what I believe I
believe in a 1/2 a box theory
[Applause]
[Music]
ask this question of yourself make a
list of who you communicate with most
and ask yourself the question what kind
of person am i becoming because of this
relationship is it helping me to grow
mentally and emotionally and spiritually
am i becoming a better person because of
this relationship do they bring out the
best in me do they inspire me do they
encourage me to develop my greatness do
they make me stretch so you got to look
at the people in your life and find out
what kind of person are you becoming
because of that relationship my mother
used to say birds of a feather flock
together you run around with losers you
will end up a loser
unconsciously unconsciously you will
pick up their ways you’ll pick up their
habits you’ll pick up most importantly
their attitude about life if you around
cynical negative people all the time you
will become cynical and negative so
you’ve got to watch yourself many of us
are living out the lives of other people
living out their conclusions living out
of their consciousness the other thing
is that you begin to look at looking at
your life and looking at what it is that
you want to achieve another crucial
thing that you must do is align yourself
with powerful people align yourself with
people that can encourage you people
that can empower you people that you can
learn from people that you can grow from
that’s very important see if you have
people around you that can contribute to
your growth when I wanted to become a
speaker I joined the National Speakers
Association I wanted to be around the
dr. norman vincent peale the zig Zigler
the dwayne dyers this is I wanted to be
around people that were doing what I
wanted to do I want to learn from them
and you want to do that too you want to
align yourself with people who think
like you people who dream like you
people who want more out of life people
that are stretching and searching and
seeking some higher ground in life as
opposed to the majority of people
somebody said always strive to get on
top in life because it’s the bottom
that’s overcrowded and so you don’t want
to be on the bottom see it’s easy to be
on the bottom it doesn’t take any effort
to be a loser doesn’t take any
motivation any Drive in order to stay
down
they’re on a low level but it calls on
everything in you ladies and gentlemen
you have to harness your will to say I’m
going to challenge myself sometimes I
have to pull myself out of mentok come
on les
things I know I should do I don’t do
things that shouldn’t do I do I found
that the biggest enemy you have to deal
with is yourself there’s an old African
proverb that says if there’s no enemy
within the enemy outside can do us no
harm
so think about
so you begin to look toward making this
your decade as you begin to look toward
making your life different if you begin
to look at yourself you got to redefine
yourself who are you right now and who
must you become in order to create what
you want what has to change about you
what is it that you’re doing right now
that would be a liability for you as you
begin to look toward the future and take
inventory of yourself what is it about
you right now that you’ve got to leave
this behind because this no longer fits
looking at where you want to go and the
kind of person that you must become the
kind of standards that you have for you
what is it that you must do differently
repeat out to me please if you want to
keep on getting what you’re getting keep
on doing what you’re doing see that
doesn’t take an Einstein for that all
right it makes sense unless you change
your pattern unless you change the way
you’re thinking unless you change your
behavior you’re going to continue to
produce the results in your life see all
of us the winners but some of us are
producing results that we don’t want and
so all you have to look at your game
plan look at your strategy how is it
that you have been being what is it that
you’ve been doing to produce this so you
have a director you are the producer
you’re writing the script you have a
star of your life and as you begin to
look at your life you can decide whether
or not it’s a smash or whether or not
it’s a flop that’s in your hands look at
your life look at where you want to go
don’t worry about your circumstances
don’t worry about your age have a friend
who’s up in aged over 70 and she wanted
to build a multi-million dollar complex
the name is dr. Johnny Coleman lenders
and Baker’s say you can’t do that you’re
too old she ignored them that building
now stands ladies and gentlemen a
multi-million dollar structure but there
are lot of people who would have
listened to that a lot of people that
would not have even gotten to that point
they were talk themselves out of even
going down to the bank to ask for it
because they’ve already said no to
themselves see it’s time now if you want
to make this your decade you’ve got to
start saying yes to your life you’ve got
to start saying yes to your dreams yes
to your unfolding
future yes to your potential and
supposed to say no see 87% of our
self-talk is negative so you’ve got to
make a conscious deliberate determined
effort to say yes to your dreams why not
why not me don’t spend time like most
people going through life complaining
don’t try and get on talk shows to tell
everybody how life has done you wrong
here’s what’s happening in the audience
all right so so you know that you’re
gonna come proud you know what they did
to me who care get away from me before
I had a friend of mine that said
something is very important he said hey
it doesn’t matter what happens tell you
the only thing matters what are you
gonna do about it
that’s all that matters okay life knock
you down what do you wanna know about
how long are you gonna sit there say you
know what they get to be how long who
wants to hear that racket use that
energy to get up from there and move on
and get on with your life you got to
learn to let the past go so you can grow
many people never act on their dreams
because they allow their past
experiences to determine what their
possibilities are whatever you’ve done
in the past that’s not a reflection of
your possibilities that’s just a
reflection of your consciousness that’s
just a reflection of your development
and your growth the future is unfolding
for you right now the future is
unlimited for you right now no one knows
where you can go no one knows what you
Apollo what you’re capable of or
what’s possible for you you don’t even
know that I had no idea ladies and
gentlemen no one could have convinced me
that I was able to do this I never
forget I was speaking and Detroit and a
high school friend of mine saw me
afterwards and he was backstage he said
I can’t believe it’s the same person and
I thought for a moment and I said it’s
not the person you know you go he
doesn’t live anymore we have the power
to change our personal history changing
the direction of our lives changing our
thoughts changing where we want to go
exploring new horizons so you begin to
look at this decade and affirming that
this is your decade as you said goals
that will make you stretch that will
bring out the best in you as you begin
to remove the negative toxic people from
your life as you decide to take some
chances in life and that’s one of the
things that’s very important this card
said if you’re not willing to risk you
cannot grow and if you cannot grow you
cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you cannot be
happy and if you can’t be happy and what
else is there I’ll never forget when I
reach my first major goal of buying my
mother let home I never forget
what it was like and you’re gonna have
this experience when you reach some
major goal when I drove up to the house
and I got out and and I gave mama Turkey
and I said mama this is for you
I’ll never forget the look on her face
she said she said oh my god
no one could have convinced me when I
adopted y’all that this would happen she
said thank you she said you caused me so
I was just what I was given had a lot of
energy but no one know what I was going
to become well it was a great
philosopher Goethe he says look at a man
the way that he is he only becomes worse
but look at him as if he were what he
could be then it becomes what he should
be and what mr. Washington did was he
looked beyond my thoughts and saw my
needs and he said I see something in you
and I was there oh god I hope he’s right
and I want to live up to his expectation
see no one rises to low expectations
finally here’s one last thing I’d like
to leave with you want to make this your
decade find some cause that you believe
in see this is my profession but my
greatest joy in life is working with
young kids every Monday I fly up to
Chicago to work with 600 young kids in
Christ Universal Temple Church working
with them to develop a sense of purpose
in direction with their lives we’ve
developed a training program if they’re
addicted to drugs or alcohol we help
them to get into a permanent recovery
program if they’re not we help them to
develop a vision of themselves where
drugs and alcohol does not fit I love it
when I go into the Cook County Jail and
see the look on these young men faces
the anger and the self-hatred and then
when we leave there see the difference
in them as we begin to touch a spark in
them as mr. Washington touched in me and
there’s no you cannot put a dollar price
on that that’s my reason for being what
is it that you would like to give the
planet what is it that you’d like to
leave here see someone paid a price for
us to be here I believe that we live in
the greatest country in the world that
gives us an opportunity to make a
difference in life we are blessed to
have been dropped off on this part of
the planet a friend of mine was in
Manila and saw a bumper sticker say
Yankee go home and take me with you so
as you begin to look at your life decide
what kind of legacy do I want to leave
what kind of statement do you want to
make with your life what three things
you want said when you die what
contribution do you want to make I don’t
know what you want to do
I don’t know what you want to achieve
with your life here’s what I know about
you and about you and about you and
about you that you have greatness within
you that you have things and gifts and
talents that you’ve been bestowed with
but as you work consciously making a
conscious deliberate determined effort
to cultivate and bring them out and
develop a sense of purpose in knowing
that your life can make a difference and
decide to make and leave a legacy with
your life I say to you that the planet
will never be the same again because you
showed up as you begin to look toward
the future and affirm that this is your
decade this is what I like to leave with
you that I’m known by it’s become my
motto and it says simply this what do
you want to do my goal is to be the best
son that I can be to my mother my goal
is to be the best father that I can be
to my children and my goal is to create
a drug-free America be the best
motivator that I can be whatever your
goal is this is what I like to leave
with you says simply this that if you
want a thing bad enough to go out and
fight for it to work day and night for
it to give up your time your peace and
your sleep for it
if all that your dream and scheme is
about it and life seems useless and
worthless without it and if you’re
gladly sweat for it and fret for it and
plan for it
and lose all your terror of the
opposition for it and if you simply go
after this thing that you want with all
of your capacity strengthens orgastic
Faith Hope and confidence and stern
pertinacity if neither cold poverty
famish your gold sickness of pain a body
and brain can keep you away from a thing
that you want if dogged and grim you
beseech and beset it with the help of
God you’ll get it this is missus Mamie
Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown
saying has been a plum pleasing pleasure
as well as a prison [Applause]
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