want to talk to you about critical
options and looking at that in looking
at some of the definitions of options
decisions self-determination choice
preference desire I want to share
something with you that’s relative to
critical options because we all have
them in our lives and I want to ask you
a question what is the focus of your
life what is the focus of your life in
life you have a critical option you can
take a stand in your life or you can
follow the crowd see people who follow
the crowd their lives are not focused
they’re not immerse than anything people
who take a stand they’re living a life
that has some power a life of
achievement a life that has some meaning
people that taking a stand in life they
are consciously involved in a process to
design a life of substance people who
are following the crowd these the people
that they’re just doing what everybody
else is doing so that’s a crowded road
over there they’re following the
followers I want to talk to you about
taking a stand with your life and what
are some of the things we can do that
will enable us to give our lives up in a
way that has some purpose and meaning
that can be real for us that can give us
a sense of fulfillment of joy and
happiness and peace of mind see most
people are bored with life most people
feel that life isn’t worth the hassle
the life is just wearing me out it’s
boring it’s monotonous I have nothing to
look forward to here we go again another
Monday morning
TGIF day thank God it’s Friday
here we go girl oh boy you see what the
man meant but many people died aged 25
and don’t get burned until they’re 65
doing the same thing the same way every
day looking at these faces just walk
around I mean you got to be aware of
these faces they affect you you know try
to stay around Pleasant faces and if you
have an unpleasant face try and smile
more it’s good for your health
and there’s another dividend you look
better too so looking for a way in which
we can begin to give our lives some
special power number one
commit yourself to giving your best at
all times now that’s not easy see most
people and particularly those who are
working in corporations they’re finding
now they’ve got to change their behavior
we’re now involved in a world economy we
will never do business the way in which
we have done business in the past we
will never be able to in the American
workplace do just enough to get by now
the standards have been raised quality
and productivity has been increased
because of the competition and so now
average performance will not be enough
this is a new day competition is fierce
so people who just have been in locked
into a behavior pattern are working just
hard enough to keep from getting fired
a forced into early retirement it’s a
new game now so now more than ever it’s
about increased productivity now more
than ever it’s about superior quality
service now more than ever it’s about
creating a positive atmosphere in the
workplace and people that have that
competitive age people that are hungry
to make it so you got to be hungry now
you can’t just casually walk around well
I’ll get to it later on oh no no this
this is a new day right now committing
yourself to give your best at all times
regardless of the competition to do
otherwise all the influences of negative
people that will tell you hey look here
don’t push yourself too much now’s the
time to push yourself to always get in
the habit of giving the best that you
have to share thinking about a situation
where I had I had to give a lecture out
in Los Angeles California for Xerox
Corporation well part of what I do when
I my profession is doing corporate
training my passion is doing training
with kids so when I go someplace I
always try and arrange for a community
group they have a group of young people
together for me to work with them on a
volunteer basis in the evening so I
decided to go into an area of Los
Angeles to talk with someone about doing
that and they suggested that I come to
speak at a community center right
outside Los Angeles at Carson community
center and because of the the gangs in
Los Angeles one of the young men that
was coming there to organize it and his
mother he had a twin brother and he took
an interest in me because I have a twin
and his twin brother was the victim of a
gang ritual they brought in a new member
in a gang and he had to prove that he
was really whip them and committed and
his job was just to select anybody at
random and kill them and he did that as
this young guy was coming out of the
store so they told me mr. Brown would
you come over and talk to the teenagers
here there’s a lot of depression and
despair and hopelessness and people
feeling powerless about the gangs
and brings with you some handouts and
material so you can do a workshop and
parents will be involved too would you
be willing to do that I said well I’m
doing a full day seminar I’m usually
just physically exhausted afterwards how
many people you say you’re gonna have
the wig guarantee at least 4 to 500
people there I said ok I will come there
and work with them and take them through
this intensive it’s called Project
respect how to create a shift in the
community how to get young people
engaged in a process of creating
positive peer pressure rather than
buying into the negative peer pressure
instruments and techniques of how we can
provide ongoing coaching for young
people to begin to change how they see
themselves and their values and how to
resist negative peer pressure so I came
there after working in a seminar totally
exhausted in that Los Angeles traffic it
took over an hour to get there got there
they only had 7 people I had an attitude
I said you had me come all the way from
Los Angeles after working all day just
to talk to seven people you told me over
400 people were going to be aware the
parents only one parent here my time is
valuable I’ve got all this material that
we’ve copied to do a workshop and so I
went on and talked to those young people
that were in the room the seven that
were there and I just gave them a little
speech and then I left went back to the
hotel that night around 3:30 in the
morning the phone rang the minister that
invited me called me said mr. Brown I
got to ask for your attention for a
Kenyatta one of the young men who was
there want to talk to you he was a
brother of a guy that was killed he’d
like to talk to you he’s been here for
over now and I told him please don’t
call you but he insisted would you
please talk to him for a moment I said
yes put him on the phone Kenyatta what
can I do for you he said mr. Brown I’d
listen to your tapes for a long time
I’ve grown to love you and admire you
among the things that I heard on your
tapes that you said you must deal with
circumstances such as you find them you
came in this evening and I admit no we
did not have the numbers that you asked
for no we did not deliver as we had
promised we would but we were looking
for you the motivated to give us some
hope we were depressed and we don’t know
what to do we were looking for some
direction and you were so caught up in
pouting with your ego because we didn’t
have the place full you didn’t give us
your best I say excuse me I was laying
in bed I set up then wait a minute here
[Applause]
mr. Potter what won’t let us grow in
life is number one we identify when we
get feedback we start taking it personal
number two we start to justify so I
became defensive and I said wait a
minute
I worked all day I didn’t charge you all
a quarter for this I went carpet
material I came over there I was there
to give a training for the people and
you all y’all had to do was bring people
there if you don’t do it for me for the
next speaker that you have at least
provided audience for him to work with
he said are you through sir I said yes
mr. brown you said you must deal with
we went round and round for about 45
minutes because my ego and I can’t let
this young boy out debate me he was not
intimidated I used all the verbal
gymnastics and examples I could he would
not bulge and I said okay I’m sorry give
me a break
he said it takes a big man to say he’s
sorry that night after I finish that
young man I freed I stayed on the floor
by the day I said Lord if you ever give
me a chance to speak again I don’t care
if it’s one person in the audience I’m
gonna wear that one out I learned my
lesson
[Applause]
[Music]
I want to read something to you call the
Builder that kind of touched me because
when you start looking at giving your
best at all times that’s not easy but
when you are committing yourself to
doing something those are the standards
that you set for yourself because that’s
who you are if you’re working on a job
where you’re miserable they’re not
telling you what you’re worth you don’t
like to work you don’t like the people
and you’re dissatisfied if you have
decided to continue to take a paycheck
you owe it to yourself to give it your
best effort if you get in a habit of
being mediocre doing just enough to get
by you’re not hurting anybody but you
you’re cheating you the Builder there
was a man who was an efficient builder
he had worked for years in a large
company and had reached the age of
retirement his employer asked him to
build one more house it was to be his
last Commission the Builder took the job
but his hard was not involved
he used inferior materials timber was
poor and he failed to see the many
things that should have been clear to
him had he shown even his normal
interests in his work when the house was
eventually finished his employer came to
here’s the key it’s a present from me
the Builder immediately regretted that
he had not used the best materials and
engaged the most capable workers if only
he had known that the house was for him
whoa if he had made a commitment with
his life with his craft that I’m gonna
give my best at all time even if this is
my last job I’m gonna give it my best
shot because that expresses Who I am he
would have been more appreciative of
that gift would you imagine that I think
that makes a very good point the next
don’t try and get over in life don’t try
and cheat see a lot of people like to
try and cheat I was with a friend of
mine and we were went into a service
station to get some gas they gave me
back too much change
I discovered it down the road and I was
turning around going back guy said
you’re a fool hey man what when they
don’t give people enough change you
think they flagged the people down I
said I’m not responsible for them I’m
responsible for me I went back and I
told the guys scuse me sir you gave me a
$20 bill too much I gave it to the guy
guy just took it and walked away then
say thank you the guy in the car laughs
and I told you you fool I’ll accept that
I said I’m not responsible for his
attitude
I don’t care knowing that he would not
say thank you I would still give it back
to him because my image of myself says
hey you don’t take something that
doesn’t belong to you that’s the way my
mother raised me don’t try and cheat say
well do you know this little bit won’t
count everything counts a friend of mine
was on welfare after had going through a
bad experience someone wants you to
think she and her husband became ill
they couldn’t work for a while and they
went on welfare after they both became
physically well he said look here we
don’t ever have to go back to work we’re
making more money on welfare than we
made when we were working with all the
Medicaid benefits and and all of the
food stamps and everything she said no
she said we are not going to accept the
checks anymore he said I’m not going to
work now you can go to work if you want
to she went down to the welfare
department and said don’t send any more
checks to my house
ladies say excuse me
she’s an I’ve been working here 25 years
no one has ever come in here and said
don’t send any more checks here are you
sure you alright yes I am and she went
home and told her husband don’t look for
any more checks because I told him to
cut the check off now we’ve got to find
something to do and they started a paper
route and got over 1,500 customers and
were making money hand over fist in a
spirit of dignity and achievement not
ripping anybody off that was a critical
choice she could have very easily said
well everybody else is doing it why
don’t I do it but she decided not to
follow the cloud I like what um Whitaker
says what you think about me is none of
my spiritual business so when you are
keeping integrity with yourself you know
that’s going to bring you under a lot of
pressure the next thing is don’t try to
cut a bargain with life life is not
life will not give you any special deals
because you maintain a sense of
integrity anybody ever try to cut a deal
raise your hand please if you know top
cover if you try to cut a deal there are
no deals there are no deals you’ve got
to do what you do because not within
your tear your motives that you’re going
to get some special benefit or some
special treatment in the universe no
doesn’t mean that somebody might not
steal your car while you’re trying to do
some good for somebody no there won’t be
any special light around your car they
will take your car to all the good
people
you’re gonna go to you’ve got to do what
you do because that expresses who you
are and for no other reason they might
not have a banquet to recognize you or
give you a special old client and then a
dedicate a day in your name know do what
you do because that’s you the next thing
is dedicate your life to something
dedicate your life to a cause larger
than yourself
see if you dedicate your life to a cause
larger than yourself you’re not
following in the crowd see if your life
is not dedicated to something of value
and I like what Howard Thurman said who
was one of the mentors to dr. Benjamin
Mays who was a mentor to dr. Martin
Luther King he said the quality of life
is often determined by that to which the
individual is dedicated if the
dedication of the light is vague and
diffuse the quality is apt to be poor
and weak there is much to be said for
the intensity of light see most people
are not intense about living most people
are very casual about life they haven’t
found anything to become intense power
so when you dedicate your life you don’t
care anything about the art somebody
said when the dream is big enough the
odds don’t matter
see when you dedicate your life
you bring on a special power there’s a
power in you that people’s circumstances
events and I’m not talking about the
physical you I’m talking about the real
you the indestructible invincible
perfect essence of who you really are
that can bring a government to its knees
that can change the course of history
when you dedicate your life like a
Nelson Mandela who has decided to
sacrifice his freedom all he has to do
is say whatever the government wants him
to say and then let him go free and he
can go to a foreign nation and said I
just said that because I’ve been in
prison for over 20 years and nobody will
say well Nelson you solo no one would
say that they will say wait a minute
Nelson you gave over 20 years of your
life what more can we ask of you it’s
okay but because of his integrity with
himself and he’s dedicated his life to
break the back of apartheid and free his
people there was Benjamin Disraeli he
says nothing can resist the will of a
people that will stake even their
existence on the extent of their purpose
for good that when you dedicate your
life to something you bring on some
powers in the universe that works
through you to bring about changes that
you would never ever know unless you
have dedicated yourself
[Applause]
[Music]
so I say to you that there is a mother
Teresa in you that some work for you to
do I say to you that there is a Nelson
Mandela in you that that kind of
commitment that kind of spirit that kind
of personal power that kind of vision of
allowing yourself to be used by life is
in you that all of us came here to do
something to make a difference and in a
historical context the world will never
be the same again because you came this
way any time somebody asks behind ooing
I say I’m doing better than good and
better than most and sometimes even
better than that let me tell you where I
got that from when I was involved in
broadcasting I used to have the first
hour of my show as a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio
I used to give an inspiration of program
and there was the lady that used to call
me by the name of Audrey Pell Moore
Audrey worked at University Hospital
Audrey was an enthusiastic personality
that everybody liked her I mean she had
a radiant smile and she was just one of
those people you’ll meet one of those
people that everybody just liked it she
was one of those kind of folks
Audrey became stricken with muscular
sclerosis at a very young age and after
a while she became confined to a
wheelchair she had children and because
of her of physical deterioration she
could no longer take care of her
children and she had to be confined to a
nursing home Alum Creek nursing home on
Nelson Avenue in Columbus Ohio
Audrey used to have the nurses at the
hospital call the radio station and put
the phone to her ear and she would ask
for a certain request and I would ask
her to say a few words to the listening
audience one day while I was doing my
program I got a call from one of my
regular
call us young lady by the name of
Shirley Shirley in this particular day
there was a sound in her voice and I
detected that something was wrong and
she said to me it’s nice talking to you
less I’ll be seeing you and that’s the
wait wait hold a minute surely there’s
something wrong she says there’s nothing
wrong I said there is Shirley I know you
come on Shirley what’s wrong where
Shirley had been diagnosed as having
cancer the breast and they told her that
she had a 60/40 chance of not surviving
during the time that she had had a
medical examination her husband had
become distant through the pressure of
losing her husband and the illness she
just felt hey I’m not the kind of person
that can handle suffering and I rather
just end it quickly she was at a
critical point in her life and this is
the option that she decided to take I
did everything I could to discourage her
to give her a reason to want to go on
living I was trying to find something
that she can hold on to that would give
her a sense of hope some thread I then I
used Scripture and everything and one of
my fallback positions Lord grant me the
serenity to accept the things that I
cannot change the courage to change the
things that I can and the wisdom to know
the difference
and she didn’t budge that did not work
and I was out of my arsenal of what can
I do to hold on to her to get her to
change her mind to create a shift in her
thinking and the thought came to me I
said Shirley could you wait until
she waited for a long time before she
had answered she said why tomorrow I
said because if you wait until tomorrow
I’d like to take you by to see audrey
parramore you remember Audrey that I
talk about all the time on the air she
said yes I like her I would like to meet
her and she met me at the Alum Creek
nursing home and when we got there we
were both very silent because I’ve made
a talk with her that if this was not
enough to discourage her from taking her
life then I would honor our agreement
and I would just release her and I was
going to talk to somebody else to try
and get I didn’t tell her that as we
walked down the hall I did not know
exactly what to expect I had not seen
Audrey for some time when we walked in
the room there Audrey was all twisted we
physically deformed she had no voluntary
use of her arms she couldn’t even fan a
fly out of her face she couldn’t get up
and move around and we had to get
closest to her because her vision was
blurred and she can’t speak very loudly
and I’m hearing was somewhat impaired
and as we drew closer to her I said
Audrey this is les and I have a friend
with me named Shirley how you doing
Audrey and with what strength she had
she said better than good and better
and surely I know as the tears begin to
form in our eyes I know she had to be
thinking that here this woman is she’s
been on her back a prisoner in her body
for 17 years she can’t turn us up she
can’t get up and go to the restroom she
said to be less I’d love to be able to
get up and walk out of here with you I’d
love to be able to take care of my
children to be a mother to them to see
them graduate from high school she said
less I can’t do that and I’m doing
better than good and better than most
Shirley had to be saying within herself
what right do I have to feel sorry for
myself what right do I have to cry out
why me and she decided and left there
with a commitment that she wanted to
live with whatever time that she had
left that she had no right to cut the
time off she had no right to do that and
she left there with a new determination
a new spirit about her and that’s
something about what we have that you
have there sometimes your options are
frozen see Audrey can’t walk out of a
hospital she did not have a capacity to
take care of her children but she had a
freedom of stearic and that’s what we
have wherever we are whatever hand that
life has dealt us we have the freedom of
spirit we can go through life whining
and weeping or we can have the kind of
spirit that people will say hey there’s
a blessing to be around that person the
staff at the hospital used to go in her
room to be encouraged and inspired by
her because she didn’t feel sorry for
herself and she didn’t go through life
blaming everybody I’m reminded by a
young guy who was on a bus a little
young fellow and some kids were picking
at him some bigger guys and they kept on
thumping him on the head and hiding
their hands and so he got tired of them
doing that and he stood up so he would
not be around them out of their reach
and they took him and said sit down set
him down and he stood back up his I
don’t want to sit down he said sit down
didn’t we tell you they pushed him back
down I don’t want to sit down he said
sit down and they held him down
and he looked at him he said you might
hold me down but I’m standing up inside
myself
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
and what we have got to do is know that
there’s something about you there’s
something about us there’s a power in
you that regardless of what happens to
you you can stand up inside of yourself
I think that’s what the port meant when
it says out of the night that covers me
black as the pit from pole to pole I
thank whatever God’s there may be for my
unconquerable soul
something that George Bernard Shaw said
that I think has some power for us like
to shared with you he said this is the
true joy in life and one of the things
that he said I loved when he talked
about Man and Superman he said that we
should establish a tribunal where people
would be required to come once a year to
give a reason why they should be
permitted to go on living for the next
year can you imagine all the do nothing
sea hopping from one foot to the other
trying to give some justification why
they should be allowed to live for the
next year well what do you do
[Music]
I drink a little bit what are you
contributing to life I go to work every
day no no are you making a difference in
the universe why should we allow you to
continue to occupy this space can I come
[Applause]
this is a true joy in life the being
used for a purpose recognized by
yourself as a mighty one being a force
of nature instead of a feverish selfish
little claw of ailments and grievances
complaining that the world will not
devote itself to making you happy I am
of the opinion
George Bernard Shaw goes on to say that
my life belongs to the whole community
and as long as I live it is my privilege
my privilege to do for it whatever I can
I want to be thoroughly used up when I
die for the harder I work the more I
live I rejoice in life for its own sake
life is no brief candle for me it is a
sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a
whole love for the moment and I want to
make it burn as brightly as possible
before handing it on to future
generations
this is mrs. Mamie Browns baby boy
Leslie Calvin Brown Singh has been a
plump leaving pleasure as well as the
prisons thank y’all here [Music]
options and looking at that in looking
at some of the definitions of options
decisions self-determination choice
preference desire I want to share
something with you that’s relative to
critical options because we all have
them in our lives and I want to ask you
a question what is the focus of your
life what is the focus of your life in
life you have a critical option you can
take a stand in your life or you can
follow the crowd see people who follow
the crowd their lives are not focused
they’re not immerse than anything people
who take a stand they’re living a life
that has some power a life of
achievement a life that has some meaning
people that taking a stand in life they
are consciously involved in a process to
design a life of substance people who
are following the crowd these the people
that they’re just doing what everybody
else is doing so that’s a crowded road
over there they’re following the
followers I want to talk to you about
taking a stand with your life and what
are some of the things we can do that
will enable us to give our lives up in a
way that has some purpose and meaning
that can be real for us that can give us
a sense of fulfillment of joy and
happiness and peace of mind see most
people are bored with life most people
feel that life isn’t worth the hassle
the life is just wearing me out it’s
boring it’s monotonous I have nothing to
look forward to here we go again another
Monday morning
TGIF day thank God it’s Friday
here we go girl oh boy you see what the
man meant but many people died aged 25
and don’t get burned until they’re 65
doing the same thing the same way every
day looking at these faces just walk
around I mean you got to be aware of
these faces they affect you you know try
to stay around Pleasant faces and if you
have an unpleasant face try and smile
more it’s good for your health
and there’s another dividend you look
better too so looking for a way in which
we can begin to give our lives some
special power number one
commit yourself to giving your best at
all times now that’s not easy see most
people and particularly those who are
working in corporations they’re finding
now they’ve got to change their behavior
we’re now involved in a world economy we
will never do business the way in which
we have done business in the past we
will never be able to in the American
workplace do just enough to get by now
the standards have been raised quality
and productivity has been increased
because of the competition and so now
average performance will not be enough
this is a new day competition is fierce
so people who just have been in locked
into a behavior pattern are working just
hard enough to keep from getting fired
a forced into early retirement it’s a
new game now so now more than ever it’s
about increased productivity now more
than ever it’s about superior quality
service now more than ever it’s about
creating a positive atmosphere in the
workplace and people that have that
competitive age people that are hungry
to make it so you got to be hungry now
you can’t just casually walk around well
I’ll get to it later on oh no no this
this is a new day right now committing
yourself to give your best at all times
regardless of the competition to do
otherwise all the influences of negative
people that will tell you hey look here
don’t push yourself too much now’s the
time to push yourself to always get in
the habit of giving the best that you
have to share thinking about a situation
where I had I had to give a lecture out
in Los Angeles California for Xerox
Corporation well part of what I do when
I my profession is doing corporate
training my passion is doing training
with kids so when I go someplace I
always try and arrange for a community
group they have a group of young people
together for me to work with them on a
volunteer basis in the evening so I
decided to go into an area of Los
Angeles to talk with someone about doing
that and they suggested that I come to
speak at a community center right
outside Los Angeles at Carson community
center and because of the the gangs in
Los Angeles one of the young men that
was coming there to organize it and his
mother he had a twin brother and he took
an interest in me because I have a twin
and his twin brother was the victim of a
gang ritual they brought in a new member
in a gang and he had to prove that he
was really whip them and committed and
his job was just to select anybody at
random and kill them and he did that as
this young guy was coming out of the
store so they told me mr. Brown would
you come over and talk to the teenagers
here there’s a lot of depression and
despair and hopelessness and people
feeling powerless about the gangs
and brings with you some handouts and
material so you can do a workshop and
parents will be involved too would you
be willing to do that I said well I’m
doing a full day seminar I’m usually
just physically exhausted afterwards how
many people you say you’re gonna have
the wig guarantee at least 4 to 500
people there I said ok I will come there
and work with them and take them through
this intensive it’s called Project
respect how to create a shift in the
community how to get young people
engaged in a process of creating
positive peer pressure rather than
buying into the negative peer pressure
instruments and techniques of how we can
provide ongoing coaching for young
people to begin to change how they see
themselves and their values and how to
resist negative peer pressure so I came
there after working in a seminar totally
exhausted in that Los Angeles traffic it
took over an hour to get there got there
they only had 7 people I had an attitude
I said you had me come all the way from
Los Angeles after working all day just
to talk to seven people you told me over
400 people were going to be aware the
parents only one parent here my time is
valuable I’ve got all this material that
we’ve copied to do a workshop and so I
went on and talked to those young people
that were in the room the seven that
were there and I just gave them a little
speech and then I left went back to the
hotel that night around 3:30 in the
morning the phone rang the minister that
invited me called me said mr. Brown I
got to ask for your attention for a
Kenyatta one of the young men who was
there want to talk to you he was a
brother of a guy that was killed he’d
like to talk to you he’s been here for
over now and I told him please don’t
call you but he insisted would you
please talk to him for a moment I said
yes put him on the phone Kenyatta what
can I do for you he said mr. Brown I’d
listen to your tapes for a long time
I’ve grown to love you and admire you
among the things that I heard on your
tapes that you said you must deal with
circumstances such as you find them you
came in this evening and I admit no we
did not have the numbers that you asked
for no we did not deliver as we had
promised we would but we were looking
for you the motivated to give us some
hope we were depressed and we don’t know
what to do we were looking for some
direction and you were so caught up in
pouting with your ego because we didn’t
have the place full you didn’t give us
your best I say excuse me I was laying
in bed I set up then wait a minute here
[Applause]
mr. Potter what won’t let us grow in
life is number one we identify when we
get feedback we start taking it personal
number two we start to justify so I
became defensive and I said wait a
minute
I worked all day I didn’t charge you all
a quarter for this I went carpet
material I came over there I was there
to give a training for the people and
you all y’all had to do was bring people
there if you don’t do it for me for the
next speaker that you have at least
provided audience for him to work with
he said are you through sir I said yes
mr. brown you said you must deal with
we went round and round for about 45
minutes because my ego and I can’t let
this young boy out debate me he was not
intimidated I used all the verbal
gymnastics and examples I could he would
not bulge and I said okay I’m sorry give
me a break
he said it takes a big man to say he’s
sorry that night after I finish that
young man I freed I stayed on the floor
by the day I said Lord if you ever give
me a chance to speak again I don’t care
if it’s one person in the audience I’m
gonna wear that one out I learned my
lesson
[Applause]
[Music]
I want to read something to you call the
Builder that kind of touched me because
when you start looking at giving your
best at all times that’s not easy but
when you are committing yourself to
doing something those are the standards
that you set for yourself because that’s
who you are if you’re working on a job
where you’re miserable they’re not
telling you what you’re worth you don’t
like to work you don’t like the people
and you’re dissatisfied if you have
decided to continue to take a paycheck
you owe it to yourself to give it your
best effort if you get in a habit of
being mediocre doing just enough to get
by you’re not hurting anybody but you
you’re cheating you the Builder there
was a man who was an efficient builder
he had worked for years in a large
company and had reached the age of
retirement his employer asked him to
build one more house it was to be his
last Commission the Builder took the job
but his hard was not involved
he used inferior materials timber was
poor and he failed to see the many
things that should have been clear to
him had he shown even his normal
interests in his work when the house was
eventually finished his employer came to
here’s the key it’s a present from me
the Builder immediately regretted that
he had not used the best materials and
engaged the most capable workers if only
he had known that the house was for him
whoa if he had made a commitment with
his life with his craft that I’m gonna
give my best at all time even if this is
my last job I’m gonna give it my best
shot because that expresses Who I am he
would have been more appreciative of
that gift would you imagine that I think
that makes a very good point the next
don’t try and get over in life don’t try
and cheat see a lot of people like to
try and cheat I was with a friend of
mine and we were went into a service
station to get some gas they gave me
back too much change
I discovered it down the road and I was
turning around going back guy said
you’re a fool hey man what when they
don’t give people enough change you
think they flagged the people down I
said I’m not responsible for them I’m
responsible for me I went back and I
told the guys scuse me sir you gave me a
$20 bill too much I gave it to the guy
guy just took it and walked away then
say thank you the guy in the car laughs
and I told you you fool I’ll accept that
I said I’m not responsible for his
attitude
I don’t care knowing that he would not
say thank you I would still give it back
to him because my image of myself says
hey you don’t take something that
doesn’t belong to you that’s the way my
mother raised me don’t try and cheat say
well do you know this little bit won’t
count everything counts a friend of mine
was on welfare after had going through a
bad experience someone wants you to
think she and her husband became ill
they couldn’t work for a while and they
went on welfare after they both became
physically well he said look here we
don’t ever have to go back to work we’re
making more money on welfare than we
made when we were working with all the
Medicaid benefits and and all of the
food stamps and everything she said no
she said we are not going to accept the
checks anymore he said I’m not going to
work now you can go to work if you want
to she went down to the welfare
department and said don’t send any more
checks to my house
ladies say excuse me
she’s an I’ve been working here 25 years
no one has ever come in here and said
don’t send any more checks here are you
sure you alright yes I am and she went
home and told her husband don’t look for
any more checks because I told him to
cut the check off now we’ve got to find
something to do and they started a paper
route and got over 1,500 customers and
were making money hand over fist in a
spirit of dignity and achievement not
ripping anybody off that was a critical
choice she could have very easily said
well everybody else is doing it why
don’t I do it but she decided not to
follow the cloud I like what um Whitaker
says what you think about me is none of
my spiritual business so when you are
keeping integrity with yourself you know
that’s going to bring you under a lot of
pressure the next thing is don’t try to
cut a bargain with life life is not
life will not give you any special deals
because you maintain a sense of
integrity anybody ever try to cut a deal
raise your hand please if you know top
cover if you try to cut a deal there are
no deals there are no deals you’ve got
to do what you do because not within
your tear your motives that you’re going
to get some special benefit or some
special treatment in the universe no
doesn’t mean that somebody might not
steal your car while you’re trying to do
some good for somebody no there won’t be
any special light around your car they
will take your car to all the good
people
you’re gonna go to you’ve got to do what
you do because that expresses who you
are and for no other reason they might
not have a banquet to recognize you or
give you a special old client and then a
dedicate a day in your name know do what
you do because that’s you the next thing
is dedicate your life to something
dedicate your life to a cause larger
than yourself
see if you dedicate your life to a cause
larger than yourself you’re not
following in the crowd see if your life
is not dedicated to something of value
and I like what Howard Thurman said who
was one of the mentors to dr. Benjamin
Mays who was a mentor to dr. Martin
Luther King he said the quality of life
is often determined by that to which the
individual is dedicated if the
dedication of the light is vague and
diffuse the quality is apt to be poor
and weak there is much to be said for
the intensity of light see most people
are not intense about living most people
are very casual about life they haven’t
found anything to become intense power
so when you dedicate your life you don’t
care anything about the art somebody
said when the dream is big enough the
odds don’t matter
see when you dedicate your life
you bring on a special power there’s a
power in you that people’s circumstances
events and I’m not talking about the
physical you I’m talking about the real
you the indestructible invincible
perfect essence of who you really are
that can bring a government to its knees
that can change the course of history
when you dedicate your life like a
Nelson Mandela who has decided to
sacrifice his freedom all he has to do
is say whatever the government wants him
to say and then let him go free and he
can go to a foreign nation and said I
just said that because I’ve been in
prison for over 20 years and nobody will
say well Nelson you solo no one would
say that they will say wait a minute
Nelson you gave over 20 years of your
life what more can we ask of you it’s
okay but because of his integrity with
himself and he’s dedicated his life to
break the back of apartheid and free his
people there was Benjamin Disraeli he
says nothing can resist the will of a
people that will stake even their
existence on the extent of their purpose
for good that when you dedicate your
life to something you bring on some
powers in the universe that works
through you to bring about changes that
you would never ever know unless you
have dedicated yourself
[Applause]
[Music]
so I say to you that there is a mother
Teresa in you that some work for you to
do I say to you that there is a Nelson
Mandela in you that that kind of
commitment that kind of spirit that kind
of personal power that kind of vision of
allowing yourself to be used by life is
in you that all of us came here to do
something to make a difference and in a
historical context the world will never
be the same again because you came this
way any time somebody asks behind ooing
I say I’m doing better than good and
better than most and sometimes even
better than that let me tell you where I
got that from when I was involved in
broadcasting I used to have the first
hour of my show as a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio
I used to give an inspiration of program
and there was the lady that used to call
me by the name of Audrey Pell Moore
Audrey worked at University Hospital
Audrey was an enthusiastic personality
that everybody liked her I mean she had
a radiant smile and she was just one of
those people you’ll meet one of those
people that everybody just liked it she
was one of those kind of folks
Audrey became stricken with muscular
sclerosis at a very young age and after
a while she became confined to a
wheelchair she had children and because
of her of physical deterioration she
could no longer take care of her
children and she had to be confined to a
nursing home Alum Creek nursing home on
Nelson Avenue in Columbus Ohio
Audrey used to have the nurses at the
hospital call the radio station and put
the phone to her ear and she would ask
for a certain request and I would ask
her to say a few words to the listening
audience one day while I was doing my
program I got a call from one of my
regular
call us young lady by the name of
Shirley Shirley in this particular day
there was a sound in her voice and I
detected that something was wrong and
she said to me it’s nice talking to you
less I’ll be seeing you and that’s the
wait wait hold a minute surely there’s
something wrong she says there’s nothing
wrong I said there is Shirley I know you
come on Shirley what’s wrong where
Shirley had been diagnosed as having
cancer the breast and they told her that
she had a 60/40 chance of not surviving
during the time that she had had a
medical examination her husband had
become distant through the pressure of
losing her husband and the illness she
just felt hey I’m not the kind of person
that can handle suffering and I rather
just end it quickly she was at a
critical point in her life and this is
the option that she decided to take I
did everything I could to discourage her
to give her a reason to want to go on
living I was trying to find something
that she can hold on to that would give
her a sense of hope some thread I then I
used Scripture and everything and one of
my fallback positions Lord grant me the
serenity to accept the things that I
cannot change the courage to change the
things that I can and the wisdom to know
the difference
and she didn’t budge that did not work
and I was out of my arsenal of what can
I do to hold on to her to get her to
change her mind to create a shift in her
thinking and the thought came to me I
said Shirley could you wait until
she waited for a long time before she
had answered she said why tomorrow I
said because if you wait until tomorrow
I’d like to take you by to see audrey
parramore you remember Audrey that I
talk about all the time on the air she
said yes I like her I would like to meet
her and she met me at the Alum Creek
nursing home and when we got there we
were both very silent because I’ve made
a talk with her that if this was not
enough to discourage her from taking her
life then I would honor our agreement
and I would just release her and I was
going to talk to somebody else to try
and get I didn’t tell her that as we
walked down the hall I did not know
exactly what to expect I had not seen
Audrey for some time when we walked in
the room there Audrey was all twisted we
physically deformed she had no voluntary
use of her arms she couldn’t even fan a
fly out of her face she couldn’t get up
and move around and we had to get
closest to her because her vision was
blurred and she can’t speak very loudly
and I’m hearing was somewhat impaired
and as we drew closer to her I said
Audrey this is les and I have a friend
with me named Shirley how you doing
Audrey and with what strength she had
she said better than good and better
and surely I know as the tears begin to
form in our eyes I know she had to be
thinking that here this woman is she’s
been on her back a prisoner in her body
for 17 years she can’t turn us up she
can’t get up and go to the restroom she
said to be less I’d love to be able to
get up and walk out of here with you I’d
love to be able to take care of my
children to be a mother to them to see
them graduate from high school she said
less I can’t do that and I’m doing
better than good and better than most
Shirley had to be saying within herself
what right do I have to feel sorry for
myself what right do I have to cry out
why me and she decided and left there
with a commitment that she wanted to
live with whatever time that she had
left that she had no right to cut the
time off she had no right to do that and
she left there with a new determination
a new spirit about her and that’s
something about what we have that you
have there sometimes your options are
frozen see Audrey can’t walk out of a
hospital she did not have a capacity to
take care of her children but she had a
freedom of stearic and that’s what we
have wherever we are whatever hand that
life has dealt us we have the freedom of
spirit we can go through life whining
and weeping or we can have the kind of
spirit that people will say hey there’s
a blessing to be around that person the
staff at the hospital used to go in her
room to be encouraged and inspired by
her because she didn’t feel sorry for
herself and she didn’t go through life
blaming everybody I’m reminded by a
young guy who was on a bus a little
young fellow and some kids were picking
at him some bigger guys and they kept on
thumping him on the head and hiding
their hands and so he got tired of them
doing that and he stood up so he would
not be around them out of their reach
and they took him and said sit down set
him down and he stood back up his I
don’t want to sit down he said sit down
didn’t we tell you they pushed him back
down I don’t want to sit down he said
sit down and they held him down
and he looked at him he said you might
hold me down but I’m standing up inside
myself
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
and what we have got to do is know that
there’s something about you there’s
something about us there’s a power in
you that regardless of what happens to
you you can stand up inside of yourself
I think that’s what the port meant when
it says out of the night that covers me
black as the pit from pole to pole I
thank whatever God’s there may be for my
unconquerable soul
something that George Bernard Shaw said
that I think has some power for us like
to shared with you he said this is the
true joy in life and one of the things
that he said I loved when he talked
about Man and Superman he said that we
should establish a tribunal where people
would be required to come once a year to
give a reason why they should be
permitted to go on living for the next
year can you imagine all the do nothing
sea hopping from one foot to the other
trying to give some justification why
they should be allowed to live for the
next year well what do you do
[Music]
I drink a little bit what are you
contributing to life I go to work every
day no no are you making a difference in
the universe why should we allow you to
continue to occupy this space can I come
[Applause]
this is a true joy in life the being
used for a purpose recognized by
yourself as a mighty one being a force
of nature instead of a feverish selfish
little claw of ailments and grievances
complaining that the world will not
devote itself to making you happy I am
of the opinion
George Bernard Shaw goes on to say that
my life belongs to the whole community
and as long as I live it is my privilege
my privilege to do for it whatever I can
I want to be thoroughly used up when I
die for the harder I work the more I
live I rejoice in life for its own sake
life is no brief candle for me it is a
sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a
whole love for the moment and I want to
make it burn as brightly as possible
before handing it on to future
generations
this is mrs. Mamie Browns baby boy
Leslie Calvin Brown Singh has been a
plump leaving pleasure as well as the
prisons thank y’all here [Music]
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