[Music]
how you going to see me thank you very
much how you feeling this evening
whenever somebody’s asked me how I’m
doing always say better than good and
better than most and that’s what I like
for you to say how you doing
shake somebody’s hand on your right and
left and say you’re doing better than
all right
you know I’d like to say that because I
believe that we are we have a lot of
things going for us that many of us
don’t realize and and many of us really
never use all the things that we have
going for us and ever act on the things
that we’d like to act on and
consequently most of us go through life
sleepwalking never really discovering
our true potential
never enjoying life to its full extent
and so therefore I think that there are
some things that we need to begin to do
to take charge of our destiny how many
of you like to take charge of your
destiny
raise your hand please very good all
right so we’re going to do that and you
know one of the things that really
stimulated this house with a friend of
mine we were riding back after I’ve
spoken to her company and they had a
major downsizing now they call it right
sizing when companies reduce the
workforce for economic reasons well at
any rate when we were on the plane and
she said you know I’m no longer going to
be with the company and I said no I said
why she said well my division has been
eliminated
I said well you do have another plan
don’t you and she said no this is it but
didn’t they have something of this
nature about a year ago she said yes I
said but did you start thinking that
maybe perhaps you need to prepare to do
that which you really wanted to do
because this person that I’ve known for
a long time always wanted to be involved
in fashion design so I said haven’t you
been doing something on your your
fashion designing career she said no I
said but what have you been doing she
says hoping that nothing happened to me
I said but hoping is not a process it’s
not a method you know and you know a lot
of people go through life like that now
that wasn’t really what she wanted to do
but I do it’s the training summit on one
of the things we asked what would you do
if the unthinkable happened to you what
would you do if you had an accident or
you lost your job or you were laid off
or you became ill how would you provide
for yourself if the unthinkable happens
to you and it doesn’t always happen to
the other person it can happen to me it
can happen to you
most of us go through life thinking that
well just maybe it won’t happen to me
that we just read about somebody else
that will happen to us talking to a
friend of mine by the name of Maria who
is wheelchair-bound and she said that
she had an experience in her life that
taught her that she’s not immune from
life because she was diagnosed as having
muscular dystrophy at age 15 and she
figured that was try a tragic enough but
two years ago because of a
malfunctioning wheelchair she fell out
of a van struck her head and suffered a
closed head injury had blood on her
brain and they said that she perhaps
might go blind or she have loss of
memory or concentration and I said how
did you handle that she said less it was
the best thing that could have happened
to me I said why she said because on
that day I woke up and I realized that
life is about today living today that
whatever I want to do I do it right now
she said I enjoy getting up in the
morning looking out of the window just
looking at the grass she said because I
could have lost my vision she said I’m
appreciative of just the little things
shake somebody’s hand on your right and
left and say be thankful for the little
there’s not important but we’ve got to
begin to learn how to become thankful
for the little things and live in life
right now so I want you to think about
your ideas all of us have ideas and
things that we have not acted on I want
you to just think about them right now
al Simpson said that an idea should be
like a pen you know that a pen that you
sit on and you jump up right away to do
something with it so I don’t want you to
just think about it
I won’t will you leave here I want you
to jump and do something with it all
right now
so think about this idea what does it
take to be in charge of your destiny
well you got to begin to develop some
skills and you got to ask yourself a
question what do you have going for you
what is it that you have going for you
right now that’s a real plus for you
what is it that you have going against
you what kind of training training do
you require what is it that you need to
learn see you you make money only one of
three ways in an economy of this nature
you have to have a skill like I’ve
developed the skill to become a speaker
or have some specialized knowledge or
have a particular product that or
service that you can provide for the
public Johnnie’s Johnson of Ebony
magazine said something very important
he says there is no defense against an
excellence that meets a pressing public
need so any idea that you have it must
fulfill a need for somebody once you
think about it now here’s the next step
don’t worry about the fact that you
don’t have all the things you need in
order to make it happen decide that
you’re going to do something about it
become an active force in your life see
you’ve got some talents and abilities
right now you have that if you don’t
challenge yourself to use those talents
and abilities you never ever discover
the full effect that they can have on
achieving all the things that you want
to achieve most people go through life
never using the power they have you have
enormous power to begin to create all
the things that you want in your life
experience that most people go through
life never using I travel a lot speaking
around the country and I was out of
Detroit for around two months I came
back to the airport
went in the parking lot put my key in
the ignition turn the key can anybody
tell me what happened
now can you tell me why the car did not
get started
the battery was dead why was it dead I
had not been using it repeat after me
please if you don’t use it you lose it
see ladies and gentlemen if you don’t
use your talents if you don’t use this
power this force that you have within
you you’re going to lose it if you have
the ability to write and if you don’t
write you’re going to lose the ability
to write as well as you do right now if
you have the ability to play an
instrument the world’s greatest set but
if I miss a week of practice I know it
and never miss two weeks
the critics know it enough amiss three
weeks my audience knows it if you have
the ability to to draw well and if you
don’t use that talent eventually you’re
going to lose it if I don’t speak often
and I one time at one point in my life I
miss speaking for around six months and
when I came up before an audience I was
rusty I could not get my thoughts
together I could not have the power
that’s the kind of confidence that I
need in order to make it happen so
whatever you want to do whatever idea
that you have the longer that you’re
sitting on that idea you either creating
or you are disintegrating if you’re not
using it your skills are diminishing
every day and there goes a second there
goes another second and life is
happening right now but less what a mean
get your butt out of the way so many
people have gone to their graves never
discovered their true potentials because
they allow their butts to stop them like
but I don’t know what to do no that’s
not really true I was on a television
program the other day lady called in and
she said there’s something I like to ask
you and I said what is it she said well
I have this this thing I want to do but
I’ve been unemployed I lost my job for
two years I haven’t been able to find a
job I don’t have the money and I don’t
have the contacts and I really don’t
know what to do I say excuse me I said
the fact that you don’t have the money
of the context really is not the issue I
say what’s the real issue she said what
do you mean I said what’s stopping you
from doing what you want to do she said
well I I don’t know I said but if you
did know what would your answer be
she said well
I think maybe I’m afraid I said what are
you afraid of maybe I might fail see a
lot of people allow fear to stop them
from living their dream answer your
calling whatever you’re called to do
don’t count yourself out don’t say I
can’t do that many of us go through life
saying no and you don’t even know what
you’re saying no to you don’t know what
you cannot do if you’re not willing to
challenge yourself whatever it is that
you don’t know how to do right now you
can learn I did not know how to speak
for major corporations I didn’t know how
to do that but I decided to become a
student if you do your research if you
do your homework if you make the
commitment that I’m going to learn when
you look at what do I have going for me
and drop your buckets where you are
decide I’m going to work and get myself
together
Gandhiji once said if you develop your
gifts you’ll give so take you places
that you’ll never begin to imagine and I
decided to do one thing all my life I’ve
been a jack-of-all-trades the best of
none I mean I did a little of everything
I was a disc jockey I was a state
representative I used to be an MC I used
to do public relations work I used to do
door-to-door sales I did a whole lot of
things but I decided that I was going to
do one thing and I would master that and
after mastering the art of speaking then
I would become a trainer and after doing
that then I self must become a business
man just find one thing and just decide
that you’re gonna work with it until it
gives you the blessing that you want and
don’t let up on it just keep right on
working it and working it and working it
and knowing that whatever you do you can
better your best that you can get better
at it that whatever you are achieving
right now it’s only a tip of the iceberg
of what’s possible for you now here’s
something else that you do when you
start working on this dream give it
everything you got
so you put your heart in it most people
when they’re working on dreams they
don’t give it everything they have I
heard a guy say in a book the title of
it was all you can do is all you can do
and all you can do is enough well see
most people don’t do all they can do
most people go through life holding back
have you ever had the experience of
starting your car and
you mash down on the accelerator in the
copy room
wait I made a hold of inertia it’s not
mashing again and it was not moving it
was very hot and all of a sudden you
realized that you had the emergency
brakes on how many you ever had that
experience range an hour then your
release the emergency brakes and then a
car move boom unencumbered most of us go
through life with our emergency brakes
people might talk about me her I don’t
have enough money I don’t have enough
[Music]
taking about his hat on your riding love
and say what you have is enough see you
know there two kinds of people people in
life they’re winners and whiners you
know those people go through life just
whining I have a duck buddy I didn’t
life is not about that see the major key
to your taking charge of your destiny is
you I mean if you have the credit of
Ross Perot that will help all right if
you got somebody to co-sign for you that
will help if you happen to be handsome
that will help you know if you have
people who will support you that will
help but all of those things are
secondary the major key to your taking
charge of your destiny is you it’s you
and even though you might not have all
the things going for you that you would
like you have the power within you as
you begin to develop your consciousness
as you hold the vision of what it is
that you want to do as you decide to
enter this small voice within you
because as you respond to this voice
that’s telling you you ought to do this
the way will come ideas will come to you
you will begin to attract things you
need and things that you don’t even know
that you need right now you will develop
the skills in the process as you look at
yourself finding out what is it you need
to do what kind of adjustments you need
to make what new strategies that you
need to begin to implement to make it
happen but if you don’t put yourself out
here if you don’t become actively
involved in life if you hold back on
yourself and continue to procrastinate
when I saw a speaker who I said I know
if this guy can do this I know I could
do that that was years after I had made
a decision to do it I was holding back
on myself I kept building up all kind of
reasons and excuses to justify why I
wasn’t acting on my dream most people go
through life as volunteer victims they
go through life volunteering to be
victims giving excuses and why they’re
not pursuing their greatness
giving excuses on why they’re not doing
the things that they want to do putting
it off again and again and again wasting
valuable time
life is very valuable ladies and
gentlemen time is very valuable and it’s
very fragile you’ve got to decide to do
what you can right now and don’t delay
live your you living your life like a
sense of urgency
repeat this please and tell somebody on
your right and left live your life now
be happy now this is not a dress
this is your Superbowl do you know there
are people who put more emphasis and
more energy into a sporting event or
dancing or entertainment than they do on
their dreams they have more interests
and who want a particular game then
where they are in relationship to their
goals and their ambitions and developing
themselves so you want to begin to get
your priorities in order
ask yourself the question the people in
my life right now I’m are they
contributing to my growth of development
I’ve been making me a better person what
I’m doing right now is it nursing me
does it empower me is it giving me what
I need out of my life right now is it
challenging to me is it making me
stretch mentally and emotionally and
spiritually is it getting the best out
of me see this is the only life you’ve
got so you don’t want to squander it
doing something you don’t want to do
feeling you can’t do any better you can
do better you should do better you
deserve to do better you’re entitled to
that that is your right to do better so
resolve that within yourself make it
something in your life that you just
won’t compromise on see it is important
to me that I’ll be able to provide for
my mother that is not optional to be
able to provide for my children there’s
a standard of living that I’m going to
enjoy it is not optional it’s not
something that I would like to see
happen it’s not something that it’ll be
okay it’s something that I’ve value and
as you begin to look at your life draw
the line and say hey what is it that I
need that can give me a sense
fulfillment what is it that I need right
now that I would enjoy that will give my
life some music and some power decide
that because you deserve that but if you
don’t decide that and decide to make
that happen it will never happen for you
it will never happen for you I did a
training years ago and after this
particular seminar never forget a lady
who was 85 years old she stood up and we
asked a question anybody has anything
braids to share and she said yes she
said this was a very enriching seminar
for me it really opened my eyes
she said I’m 85 years old she said all
my life she said I sacrificed my dreams
for everybody else for my family for my
husband for my children she said I’ve
really not never done anything for me of
value of the things that I really find
important she said I say to you young
people you won’t be in my situation
right now if you decide to live your
life now she said if I had my life to
live over I would do things differently
she said but I don’t have it to live
over and when I go home I got news for
[Applause]
so repeat after me please I’m gonna live
my life down I deserve that
okay now here’s something else I want
you to realize things are going to
happen you’ve just got to handle it
my goddaughter Nikko Williams who lives
in Columbus Ohio just his past week
three children in her neighborhood that
she went to school with was sitting in a
car talking an intoxicated driver lost
control of its vehicle and ran into that
car and killed those three kids the
children that they went to school with
experienced pain and grief and shock but
they came became actively involved and
putting together the funeral services
and I talked with her I said how you
doing Andy cuz she said I miss him she
said but there’s something that I
realized that many of the relationships
we have in life we take casually and we
don’t say all the things that we really
should say and do all the things with
people that mean something to us that we
really should do and she said I’m gonna
miss them but has really alerted me
about how unpredictable life is and so
now she’s going to become a very sharing
person more so than ever before and all
of the other young people that were
involved but they were handling it and
as you begin to look at your life decide
to handle things when you decide that
you want to begin to take control of
your destiny there going to be some
sacrifices that you’re going to have to
make there’ll be things that you’re
gonna have to decide I got to give this
up I’ve got to let this go many times
you will have problems in your personal
relationships when I decided to become a
motivational speaker I was going
sometimes for weeks when I left home
before coming back and I’ll never forget
I did a big major rally for a guy by the
name of Dexter Jaeger a big amway rally
called free enterprise day and after
speaking people were chanting we want
the motivator we want the motivator well
I was excited so I ran back to the phone
after I came off stage and I call the
young lady that I was dating then I said
look I said I
waketa Bob they love me they’re saying
we want to motivate and listen they’re
saying we want the motivated we want the
motivator
so she said les I need to tell you
something I said what and I heard a
voice in background said hurry up and
tell him I said was that she said les
you’ve been gone so long I said yeah she
has I’ve been working on a dream and I’m
sorry the relationship is over what you
gotta be kidding us and hang up I say
wait miss ed mister motivator come on I
said wait okay okay I went outside and I
looked at the people I said you got to
have a dream that will be
[Applause]
and say sometimes things will happen to
you then we’ll get you on The Blind Side
and bring you to your needs I went back
to the hotel but they had to put me on
stage now that listen you’ve got to have
a larger vision you got to be hungry
they probably all buys it and you got to
stay motivated
hey come on motivated they were turning
the lights off the janitors were to go
home I wanted to keep raw for me they
took me to the hotel they gave me my
check and I was walking the route trying
to find a Gideon Bible and lonely was
sitting on the bed see how’s your
positive attitude eyes your larger
vision now I’m telling you when this
happens they get not strange you’re
going to cry people gonna get bad with
you we’re gonna start working against
you you’ll make us go get upset with you
where you going I got your dream here
going know it people just start going
crazy on you becoming jealous and
envious that’s a part of the program
understand that see that’s why a lot of
people said no after I pass all the
dream that’s up I just keep on biting my
nails hoping that don’t happen but it’s
it’s an experience that that opposition
those obstacles that you will encounter
that’s how you grow that’s how you
now will there be some tight moments
will there be some times that you want
to give up yes here’s something I was
reading that that Harriet Beecher Stowe
says she said when you get into a tight
spot and everything goes against you
until it seems that you cannot hold on
for a minute longer
never give up then but that is just the
place in time that the tide will turn
never give up then and that is so
important when you’re working on doing
the things you want to do in fulfilling
your dream and things happen there are
times and your energy feels so depleted
that you want to give up bet it looks
just totally impossible and I can tell
you from my own personal experience
don’t give up then that’s when you’ve
got to fall forward when life is kicking
dirt in your face don’t give up then
that’s when most people turn back most
people have tucked their tails between
their legs and they will run in the
opposite direction and say that’s
alright like I don’t want this alright
no no if you’ve decided that this is
what you want to do you’ve got to become
courageous to stand up within yourself
to face it and step forward and ladies
and gentlemen that is what gives your
life meaning that those things will
begin to strengthen you like you can
never begin to imagine and I tell you
one of the most painful experiences I
had in my life was also one of the most
enriching because they say that pain
opens the space in the heart for joy and
because I did not buy into something
because I caught myself at a critical
point and was able to back up and look
at it
I was able to become free of the effects
of what could have been a tragic
situation for me and move on and do
something about it but I learned in the
process that I had to learn to surrender
and give certain things up see in life
everything that happens to you there’s a
lesson in it there’s a lesson in it for
you if you look at it whatever happens
to you just look at and view like that
you’re a student of the universe and say
what’s in here for me to learn one of
the most tragic things that that
happened to me that could have been a
tragedy
was when I wanted to buy my mother home
and I did that and in my haste and it
was the first major purchase a property
that ever made in my life and so I was
naive and so when we were sitting there
at the closing the attorney said have
you done a title search and I said
what’s a title search and she said well
that’s when you check to see whether or
not there any liens against a property
before you purchase it so that you don’t
inherit any financial obligations of the
previous owner so the guy interrupted
said look here he said the only reason
that I’m selling you this house and I’m
doing it out of loss I can actually make
more money but the only reason I flew
here from Philadelphia to sell you the
house specifically is because I admire
the fact that you’re adopted and you
want to buy this home for your mother
and he said there are no liens on the
property I just want to help you so I
looked at my attorney I said I believe
she said less this is business I’m not
questioning his integrity but I advise
you not to sign the contract now I
looked at him he said if you’re not
going to do it man I’ll just go ahead on
and make the money that I was gonna make
I said okay no no I want to do it I said
I’ll do it so she said okay she said
this is not the last house in the world
I signed the contract after being in the
house around two months I received a
notice that I had to pay a lien of
$25,000 or I had to get out of the house
I call the attorney I said look here sir
I said my name is les Ron I’m the new
owner of this property I said I bought
this home for my mother I said she’s 80
years old I said she has a bad heart a
serious condition I said and I just
cannot give up this home and I just
exhausted all of my resources to buy the
house it’s all I have I said can we work
out some kind of monthly payments I
don’t know how much I can get but if you
can work with me I guarantee I’ll give
you my word I want to keep this home
I’ll pay you back
he said we want the money in six weeks
or you have to get out of the house it’s
going to go into action block I said oh
I said but I bar it everywhere I could
just to get the twelve thousand dollars
to put down
he said mister that’s not my problem you
should have had a title search done so I
went back home and I worried for weeks I
lost around 23 pounds I would go home to
catch the mail so my mother would get it
they put a listing in the newspaper
people were driving around wanting to
come in the house to look at it so I put
a sign out front saying that the
newspaper article was an error saying
the house up for sale and finally when
they were coming for the day they were
going to auction it on the courthouse
steps I knew the moment of truth had
come I had to tell my mother so I walked
all night that night around two o’clock
in the morning the children would sleep
a mother would sleep I said Lord I said
why did this have to happen to me I said
I’m trying to do the right thing I want
to provide for Mama I’m not out stealing
and robbing or to provide my children I
said why does it have to happen to me I
was personalizing not feeling like a
victim and so finally I had to go and
then I’d had to tell my mama so I
kneeled by the bed I said mama got
something to tell you she said what I
said we’ve got to move out the house she
said why I said well because of the fact
that I made a mistake and I signed a
contract when I should have had a title
search done and I can’t pay the $25,000
I was standing leaned against it
she said good I don’t like this house
anyway
I said what you told me you did she said
I just said that for you because she
liked you so much she said this
two-story babe in the Arthritis I can’t
climb the steps but you told me you
could mama oh I just did that for you I
walked up the steps and I was in the
room say that fool crazy with this house
I said oh mama so I’ll never forget when
we had to pack up and go back to the old
house we had moved out on in Liberty
City right down the street from Miami
northwestern high school and the
neighbors were out looking his name is
born they coming back I was so
embarrassed I mean I was you know I
turned red but could nobody see it you
know what so my sister came over she
didn’t get any better she mixed the big
time won’t get no job going around and
running your mouth yeah you got a dream
to get mama home now you back where you
belong here we came in the house of the
and as I was taking furniture off the
truck I was so hurt and humiliated I
felt beaten and I began to cry and I
held my hair down and my mama said hold
your head up boy
I said mom I just can’t mama she said
hold your head up you have nothing to be
shamed you did the best you could hold
your head up I said yes ma’am my phone
so I was carrying the furniture in and I
had to give a lecture that week on
and I can’t talk about anything unless
I’m doing it myself
and I had to forgive and forget let it
go so that I could grow it took me time
to work through that but I did and I was
able to give a lecture and to this day I
can’t even remember the guys name but
because I let it go and I begin to focus
my energy in the now later I got a
bigger and better home for my mama
[Music]
here’s what I learned from that that was
not the last home in the world there
were other rooms if I had just been
willing to just let it go he who cares
less wimps
the guy called him say you got to get
out of there and this is what happened I
could have I mean through worry and
stress I could have had a heart attack
over a house that my mother didn’t even
like do you follow what I’m saying so I
realized hey so many things and it’s
okay they are replaceable
I lost everything except my spirit and
except the love of my mother and her
respect and the respect of my children
sure people talked about me did they
laugh yes did I feel humiliated for a
while yes I did embarrassed yes
and that’s a part of it but I didn’t
stay there see sometimes you just you
can wallet in it you don’t want to get
but you put somebody pull you out
feeling good no I want to go back in
here no no don’t wallow in self-pity and
there are people who will help you you
call them up and then give you a pity
party all right
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
I talked the other night about some
explorers that were in Africa and they
saw these two little boys who were
playing with some what appeared to be
marbles and they went up to these little
guys and say here let me give you some
candy for that little fellas ate the can
in like this they can have some more
said yes but would you give me what you
are playing with and they said yes and
they gave these shiny little rocks so to
speak to the explorers and explorers
taking them back and examining them
discovered they were large sized uncut
diamonds
they had a fortune the little boys had a
fortune in their hands but they didn’t
know they did not know repeat after me
please if we knew better we would do
better you see there are many of us we
work for for people and sometimes put in
60 and 70 hours a week why because we
have the ability the talents and the
skills to contribute to the long-term
growth and development and profitability
of the company do we do that for
ourselves oh no whoa we said well I’ve
got security there’s no such thing it’s
an illusion in your mind
we go through life creating these
illusions for ourselves but doesn’t mean
that you can’t strategically work on
something else on the side develop some
hobby or passion and find ways that you
can begin to create some alternative
methods of providing wealth for yourself
see you know money is not important to
me like but Rita Davenport’s it is right
up there with oxygen but it is important
to me that it not be important I got
that from real steel that’s important it
is important to me that it not be
important make it important to you to
live your dream see how many of you fly
airplanes you’ve been an airplane raise
your hand right now how many of you ever
lost your luggage raise your hand please
vision all right very good now how many
of you have you knew your chances of
getting to your next destination were as
good as
luggage would you still get an airplane
no no hands went up you know why you
know why you can get on the airplane
where your luggage is supposed to go and
you show up and your luggage this not
sure because the airline has made human
cargo getting to the destination
important more important than the
luggage aren’t you glad yeah so as you
began to look at life as you begin to
look at the things you want to do decide
that you’re going to become the active
force in your life decide that you’re
not going to go through life feeling
like a victim decide that when things
become challenging and they are that
you’re not going to personalize it that
you’re going to look at it and you do
whatever you must do in order to work
things out and learn from it learn from
it that’s the key I like what Charles
Udall said he says in life you will
always be faced with a series of
god-ordained
opportunities brilliantly disguised as
problems and challenges if you’ve lost
your job don’t say that I’ve been laid
off just say I’ve been given an
opportunity by the universe to find my
life work
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
so if you view all of the things that
happen to you as an opportunity now
you’re taking it from a different
perspective now you become an active
force in your life now you are the one
rather than running from things as they
begin to change you become a change
driver because you know that you’ve got
the power within you to make the
difference this forced this power this
energy that you have that’s more
powerful than anything that can ever
happen to you you’re more powerful than
your circumstances or anything that you
can experience right now decide that
you’re going to commit yourself to act
on your ideas to become happy commit
yourself to live your dream commit
yourself to become the architect of your
future there’s something that I heard
that Goethe wrote that I love very much
and it really as you began to to operate
out of this consciousness you began to
experience a different level of living
in terms of commitment he says until one
is committed there is hesitancy the
chance to draw back always
ineffectiveness see until you are
willing to jump out there somebody asks
me how do I do that I said no no no you
don’t need any answers now you need to
make the commitment once you make a
commitment then life will give you some
answers you can’t decide just go and sit
on the side of the pool and just stick
your toe in no you’ve got to be willing
to make the leap most people don’t want
to do that they want to sit on the side
and and say tell me is it cold out there
is it rough out there come on out and
see see no you want to decide to commit
that commitment because then that’s when
you begin become involved in the
learning process
he said concerning all acts of
initiative and creation there’s one
elementary truth the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans
that the moment one commits oneself then
Providence moves to all sorts of things
occur to help one that would never have
otherwise occurred he said whatever you
can do or dream you can do beginning
boldness has genius power magic in it
begin it now I read a book by dr. Johnny
Coleman that says it works if you work
it
and as you begin to look at your life
decide that you’re going to start
working on that dream you’re gonna work
in nurture that idea now there will be
people that will criticize you there
will be a people that won’t see it for
you
but I say to you don’t let them turn you
around shake somebody’s hand on your
right and left and say don’t let nobody
that’s key because people will try and
turn you around hello people will try
and turn you around but when I heard Bob
Mays out of Chicago sing that song don’t
let nobody turn you around that’s real
because that’s why most people don’t act
on their dreams and ideas that’s why
most people when I’m talking with kids
that are in institutions and I said what
happened why did you give up working
hard and making good grades well they
started teasing me and they allowed that
peer pressure to cause them to scale
down their dreams and their ambitions
they started following the crowd that’s
why many people don’t do the things they
want to do friend of mine he wanted to
become an actor all his life he let
someone convince him you can’t become an
actor you got the Hollywood there
swallow you of his two competitive
thousands of unemployed people out there
but then another friend of mine Sheila
Hall and she decided at age 42 I’m going
to live my dream her son graduated from
high school she decided to make the
plunge to go to Hollywood quiet person
never had any experience in the area and
because she decided to make the
commitment she is not working on a
one-woman show and she’s been getting
support from everywhere because she was
willing to make the commitment this
other guy is far more talented and
skillful but he wasn’t willing to make
the commitment so he goes to work every
day to a job that’s making him sick
because he doesn’t have the guts or the
boldness to stand up in life and say I
am going to live my dream I’m going to
commit myself to live out what’s in me I
heard dr. Johnny Youngblood say I must
live what’s in me I said why do you do
this he said I got to do it I got to do
it I’m saying find something in your
life that you say hey it might not work
out but I got to do this why hey it’s
the one thing I love it’s my piece it’s
my thing you don’t understand it it’s
all right
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you don’t need anybody to understand it
you don’t need anybody to approve you
you don’t need anybody say go ahead I
ought to do it if you get that that’s
fantastic if you get that encouragement
that’s great but I say stand up within
yourself boldly and say this is my life
I’m controlling my destiny this is mrs.
Mamie Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin
Brown saying it’s been a plum pleasing
pleasure as well as a privileged thank
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause] [Music]
how you going to see me thank you very
much how you feeling this evening
whenever somebody’s asked me how I’m
doing always say better than good and
better than most and that’s what I like
for you to say how you doing
shake somebody’s hand on your right and
left and say you’re doing better than
all right
you know I’d like to say that because I
believe that we are we have a lot of
things going for us that many of us
don’t realize and and many of us really
never use all the things that we have
going for us and ever act on the things
that we’d like to act on and
consequently most of us go through life
sleepwalking never really discovering
our true potential
never enjoying life to its full extent
and so therefore I think that there are
some things that we need to begin to do
to take charge of our destiny how many
of you like to take charge of your
destiny
raise your hand please very good all
right so we’re going to do that and you
know one of the things that really
stimulated this house with a friend of
mine we were riding back after I’ve
spoken to her company and they had a
major downsizing now they call it right
sizing when companies reduce the
workforce for economic reasons well at
any rate when we were on the plane and
she said you know I’m no longer going to
be with the company and I said no I said
why she said well my division has been
eliminated
I said well you do have another plan
don’t you and she said no this is it but
didn’t they have something of this
nature about a year ago she said yes I
said but did you start thinking that
maybe perhaps you need to prepare to do
that which you really wanted to do
because this person that I’ve known for
a long time always wanted to be involved
in fashion design so I said haven’t you
been doing something on your your
fashion designing career she said no I
said but what have you been doing she
says hoping that nothing happened to me
I said but hoping is not a process it’s
not a method you know and you know a lot
of people go through life like that now
that wasn’t really what she wanted to do
but I do it’s the training summit on one
of the things we asked what would you do
if the unthinkable happened to you what
would you do if you had an accident or
you lost your job or you were laid off
or you became ill how would you provide
for yourself if the unthinkable happens
to you and it doesn’t always happen to
the other person it can happen to me it
can happen to you
most of us go through life thinking that
well just maybe it won’t happen to me
that we just read about somebody else
that will happen to us talking to a
friend of mine by the name of Maria who
is wheelchair-bound and she said that
she had an experience in her life that
taught her that she’s not immune from
life because she was diagnosed as having
muscular dystrophy at age 15 and she
figured that was try a tragic enough but
two years ago because of a
malfunctioning wheelchair she fell out
of a van struck her head and suffered a
closed head injury had blood on her
brain and they said that she perhaps
might go blind or she have loss of
memory or concentration and I said how
did you handle that she said less it was
the best thing that could have happened
to me I said why she said because on
that day I woke up and I realized that
life is about today living today that
whatever I want to do I do it right now
she said I enjoy getting up in the
morning looking out of the window just
looking at the grass she said because I
could have lost my vision she said I’m
appreciative of just the little things
shake somebody’s hand on your right and
left and say be thankful for the little
there’s not important but we’ve got to
begin to learn how to become thankful
for the little things and live in life
right now so I want you to think about
your ideas all of us have ideas and
things that we have not acted on I want
you to just think about them right now
al Simpson said that an idea should be
like a pen you know that a pen that you
sit on and you jump up right away to do
something with it so I don’t want you to
just think about it
I won’t will you leave here I want you
to jump and do something with it all
right now
so think about this idea what does it
take to be in charge of your destiny
well you got to begin to develop some
skills and you got to ask yourself a
question what do you have going for you
what is it that you have going for you
right now that’s a real plus for you
what is it that you have going against
you what kind of training training do
you require what is it that you need to
learn see you you make money only one of
three ways in an economy of this nature
you have to have a skill like I’ve
developed the skill to become a speaker
or have some specialized knowledge or
have a particular product that or
service that you can provide for the
public Johnnie’s Johnson of Ebony
magazine said something very important
he says there is no defense against an
excellence that meets a pressing public
need so any idea that you have it must
fulfill a need for somebody once you
think about it now here’s the next step
don’t worry about the fact that you
don’t have all the things you need in
order to make it happen decide that
you’re going to do something about it
become an active force in your life see
you’ve got some talents and abilities
right now you have that if you don’t
challenge yourself to use those talents
and abilities you never ever discover
the full effect that they can have on
achieving all the things that you want
to achieve most people go through life
never using the power they have you have
enormous power to begin to create all
the things that you want in your life
experience that most people go through
life never using I travel a lot speaking
around the country and I was out of
Detroit for around two months I came
back to the airport
went in the parking lot put my key in
the ignition turn the key can anybody
tell me what happened
now can you tell me why the car did not
get started
the battery was dead why was it dead I
had not been using it repeat after me
please if you don’t use it you lose it
see ladies and gentlemen if you don’t
use your talents if you don’t use this
power this force that you have within
you you’re going to lose it if you have
the ability to write and if you don’t
write you’re going to lose the ability
to write as well as you do right now if
you have the ability to play an
instrument the world’s greatest set but
if I miss a week of practice I know it
and never miss two weeks
the critics know it enough amiss three
weeks my audience knows it if you have
the ability to to draw well and if you
don’t use that talent eventually you’re
going to lose it if I don’t speak often
and I one time at one point in my life I
miss speaking for around six months and
when I came up before an audience I was
rusty I could not get my thoughts
together I could not have the power
that’s the kind of confidence that I
need in order to make it happen so
whatever you want to do whatever idea
that you have the longer that you’re
sitting on that idea you either creating
or you are disintegrating if you’re not
using it your skills are diminishing
every day and there goes a second there
goes another second and life is
happening right now but less what a mean
get your butt out of the way so many
people have gone to their graves never
discovered their true potentials because
they allow their butts to stop them like
but I don’t know what to do no that’s
not really true I was on a television
program the other day lady called in and
she said there’s something I like to ask
you and I said what is it she said well
I have this this thing I want to do but
I’ve been unemployed I lost my job for
two years I haven’t been able to find a
job I don’t have the money and I don’t
have the contacts and I really don’t
know what to do I say excuse me I said
the fact that you don’t have the money
of the context really is not the issue I
say what’s the real issue she said what
do you mean I said what’s stopping you
from doing what you want to do she said
well I I don’t know I said but if you
did know what would your answer be
she said well
I think maybe I’m afraid I said what are
you afraid of maybe I might fail see a
lot of people allow fear to stop them
from living their dream answer your
calling whatever you’re called to do
don’t count yourself out don’t say I
can’t do that many of us go through life
saying no and you don’t even know what
you’re saying no to you don’t know what
you cannot do if you’re not willing to
challenge yourself whatever it is that
you don’t know how to do right now you
can learn I did not know how to speak
for major corporations I didn’t know how
to do that but I decided to become a
student if you do your research if you
do your homework if you make the
commitment that I’m going to learn when
you look at what do I have going for me
and drop your buckets where you are
decide I’m going to work and get myself
together
Gandhiji once said if you develop your
gifts you’ll give so take you places
that you’ll never begin to imagine and I
decided to do one thing all my life I’ve
been a jack-of-all-trades the best of
none I mean I did a little of everything
I was a disc jockey I was a state
representative I used to be an MC I used
to do public relations work I used to do
door-to-door sales I did a whole lot of
things but I decided that I was going to
do one thing and I would master that and
after mastering the art of speaking then
I would become a trainer and after doing
that then I self must become a business
man just find one thing and just decide
that you’re gonna work with it until it
gives you the blessing that you want and
don’t let up on it just keep right on
working it and working it and working it
and knowing that whatever you do you can
better your best that you can get better
at it that whatever you are achieving
right now it’s only a tip of the iceberg
of what’s possible for you now here’s
something else that you do when you
start working on this dream give it
everything you got
so you put your heart in it most people
when they’re working on dreams they
don’t give it everything they have I
heard a guy say in a book the title of
it was all you can do is all you can do
and all you can do is enough well see
most people don’t do all they can do
most people go through life holding back
have you ever had the experience of
starting your car and
you mash down on the accelerator in the
copy room
wait I made a hold of inertia it’s not
mashing again and it was not moving it
was very hot and all of a sudden you
realized that you had the emergency
brakes on how many you ever had that
experience range an hour then your
release the emergency brakes and then a
car move boom unencumbered most of us go
through life with our emergency brakes
people might talk about me her I don’t
have enough money I don’t have enough
[Music]
taking about his hat on your riding love
and say what you have is enough see you
know there two kinds of people people in
life they’re winners and whiners you
know those people go through life just
whining I have a duck buddy I didn’t
life is not about that see the major key
to your taking charge of your destiny is
you I mean if you have the credit of
Ross Perot that will help all right if
you got somebody to co-sign for you that
will help if you happen to be handsome
that will help you know if you have
people who will support you that will
help but all of those things are
secondary the major key to your taking
charge of your destiny is you it’s you
and even though you might not have all
the things going for you that you would
like you have the power within you as
you begin to develop your consciousness
as you hold the vision of what it is
that you want to do as you decide to
enter this small voice within you
because as you respond to this voice
that’s telling you you ought to do this
the way will come ideas will come to you
you will begin to attract things you
need and things that you don’t even know
that you need right now you will develop
the skills in the process as you look at
yourself finding out what is it you need
to do what kind of adjustments you need
to make what new strategies that you
need to begin to implement to make it
happen but if you don’t put yourself out
here if you don’t become actively
involved in life if you hold back on
yourself and continue to procrastinate
when I saw a speaker who I said I know
if this guy can do this I know I could
do that that was years after I had made
a decision to do it I was holding back
on myself I kept building up all kind of
reasons and excuses to justify why I
wasn’t acting on my dream most people go
through life as volunteer victims they
go through life volunteering to be
victims giving excuses and why they’re
not pursuing their greatness
giving excuses on why they’re not doing
the things that they want to do putting
it off again and again and again wasting
valuable time
life is very valuable ladies and
gentlemen time is very valuable and it’s
very fragile you’ve got to decide to do
what you can right now and don’t delay
live your you living your life like a
sense of urgency
repeat this please and tell somebody on
your right and left live your life now
be happy now this is not a dress
this is your Superbowl do you know there
are people who put more emphasis and
more energy into a sporting event or
dancing or entertainment than they do on
their dreams they have more interests
and who want a particular game then
where they are in relationship to their
goals and their ambitions and developing
themselves so you want to begin to get
your priorities in order
ask yourself the question the people in
my life right now I’m are they
contributing to my growth of development
I’ve been making me a better person what
I’m doing right now is it nursing me
does it empower me is it giving me what
I need out of my life right now is it
challenging to me is it making me
stretch mentally and emotionally and
spiritually is it getting the best out
of me see this is the only life you’ve
got so you don’t want to squander it
doing something you don’t want to do
feeling you can’t do any better you can
do better you should do better you
deserve to do better you’re entitled to
that that is your right to do better so
resolve that within yourself make it
something in your life that you just
won’t compromise on see it is important
to me that I’ll be able to provide for
my mother that is not optional to be
able to provide for my children there’s
a standard of living that I’m going to
enjoy it is not optional it’s not
something that I would like to see
happen it’s not something that it’ll be
okay it’s something that I’ve value and
as you begin to look at your life draw
the line and say hey what is it that I
need that can give me a sense
fulfillment what is it that I need right
now that I would enjoy that will give my
life some music and some power decide
that because you deserve that but if you
don’t decide that and decide to make
that happen it will never happen for you
it will never happen for you I did a
training years ago and after this
particular seminar never forget a lady
who was 85 years old she stood up and we
asked a question anybody has anything
braids to share and she said yes she
said this was a very enriching seminar
for me it really opened my eyes
she said I’m 85 years old she said all
my life she said I sacrificed my dreams
for everybody else for my family for my
husband for my children she said I’ve
really not never done anything for me of
value of the things that I really find
important she said I say to you young
people you won’t be in my situation
right now if you decide to live your
life now she said if I had my life to
live over I would do things differently
she said but I don’t have it to live
over and when I go home I got news for
[Applause]
so repeat after me please I’m gonna live
my life down I deserve that
okay now here’s something else I want
you to realize things are going to
happen you’ve just got to handle it
my goddaughter Nikko Williams who lives
in Columbus Ohio just his past week
three children in her neighborhood that
she went to school with was sitting in a
car talking an intoxicated driver lost
control of its vehicle and ran into that
car and killed those three kids the
children that they went to school with
experienced pain and grief and shock but
they came became actively involved and
putting together the funeral services
and I talked with her I said how you
doing Andy cuz she said I miss him she
said but there’s something that I
realized that many of the relationships
we have in life we take casually and we
don’t say all the things that we really
should say and do all the things with
people that mean something to us that we
really should do and she said I’m gonna
miss them but has really alerted me
about how unpredictable life is and so
now she’s going to become a very sharing
person more so than ever before and all
of the other young people that were
involved but they were handling it and
as you begin to look at your life decide
to handle things when you decide that
you want to begin to take control of
your destiny there going to be some
sacrifices that you’re going to have to
make there’ll be things that you’re
gonna have to decide I got to give this
up I’ve got to let this go many times
you will have problems in your personal
relationships when I decided to become a
motivational speaker I was going
sometimes for weeks when I left home
before coming back and I’ll never forget
I did a big major rally for a guy by the
name of Dexter Jaeger a big amway rally
called free enterprise day and after
speaking people were chanting we want
the motivator we want the motivator well
I was excited so I ran back to the phone
after I came off stage and I call the
young lady that I was dating then I said
look I said I
waketa Bob they love me they’re saying
we want to motivate and listen they’re
saying we want the motivated we want the
motivator
so she said les I need to tell you
something I said what and I heard a
voice in background said hurry up and
tell him I said was that she said les
you’ve been gone so long I said yeah she
has I’ve been working on a dream and I’m
sorry the relationship is over what you
gotta be kidding us and hang up I say
wait miss ed mister motivator come on I
said wait okay okay I went outside and I
looked at the people I said you got to
have a dream that will be
[Applause]
and say sometimes things will happen to
you then we’ll get you on The Blind Side
and bring you to your needs I went back
to the hotel but they had to put me on
stage now that listen you’ve got to have
a larger vision you got to be hungry
they probably all buys it and you got to
stay motivated
hey come on motivated they were turning
the lights off the janitors were to go
home I wanted to keep raw for me they
took me to the hotel they gave me my
check and I was walking the route trying
to find a Gideon Bible and lonely was
sitting on the bed see how’s your
positive attitude eyes your larger
vision now I’m telling you when this
happens they get not strange you’re
going to cry people gonna get bad with
you we’re gonna start working against
you you’ll make us go get upset with you
where you going I got your dream here
going know it people just start going
crazy on you becoming jealous and
envious that’s a part of the program
understand that see that’s why a lot of
people said no after I pass all the
dream that’s up I just keep on biting my
nails hoping that don’t happen but it’s
it’s an experience that that opposition
those obstacles that you will encounter
that’s how you grow that’s how you
now will there be some tight moments
will there be some times that you want
to give up yes here’s something I was
reading that that Harriet Beecher Stowe
says she said when you get into a tight
spot and everything goes against you
until it seems that you cannot hold on
for a minute longer
never give up then but that is just the
place in time that the tide will turn
never give up then and that is so
important when you’re working on doing
the things you want to do in fulfilling
your dream and things happen there are
times and your energy feels so depleted
that you want to give up bet it looks
just totally impossible and I can tell
you from my own personal experience
don’t give up then that’s when you’ve
got to fall forward when life is kicking
dirt in your face don’t give up then
that’s when most people turn back most
people have tucked their tails between
their legs and they will run in the
opposite direction and say that’s
alright like I don’t want this alright
no no if you’ve decided that this is
what you want to do you’ve got to become
courageous to stand up within yourself
to face it and step forward and ladies
and gentlemen that is what gives your
life meaning that those things will
begin to strengthen you like you can
never begin to imagine and I tell you
one of the most painful experiences I
had in my life was also one of the most
enriching because they say that pain
opens the space in the heart for joy and
because I did not buy into something
because I caught myself at a critical
point and was able to back up and look
at it
I was able to become free of the effects
of what could have been a tragic
situation for me and move on and do
something about it but I learned in the
process that I had to learn to surrender
and give certain things up see in life
everything that happens to you there’s a
lesson in it there’s a lesson in it for
you if you look at it whatever happens
to you just look at and view like that
you’re a student of the universe and say
what’s in here for me to learn one of
the most tragic things that that
happened to me that could have been a
tragedy
was when I wanted to buy my mother home
and I did that and in my haste and it
was the first major purchase a property
that ever made in my life and so I was
naive and so when we were sitting there
at the closing the attorney said have
you done a title search and I said
what’s a title search and she said well
that’s when you check to see whether or
not there any liens against a property
before you purchase it so that you don’t
inherit any financial obligations of the
previous owner so the guy interrupted
said look here he said the only reason
that I’m selling you this house and I’m
doing it out of loss I can actually make
more money but the only reason I flew
here from Philadelphia to sell you the
house specifically is because I admire
the fact that you’re adopted and you
want to buy this home for your mother
and he said there are no liens on the
property I just want to help you so I
looked at my attorney I said I believe
she said less this is business I’m not
questioning his integrity but I advise
you not to sign the contract now I
looked at him he said if you’re not
going to do it man I’ll just go ahead on
and make the money that I was gonna make
I said okay no no I want to do it I said
I’ll do it so she said okay she said
this is not the last house in the world
I signed the contract after being in the
house around two months I received a
notice that I had to pay a lien of
$25,000 or I had to get out of the house
I call the attorney I said look here sir
I said my name is les Ron I’m the new
owner of this property I said I bought
this home for my mother I said she’s 80
years old I said she has a bad heart a
serious condition I said and I just
cannot give up this home and I just
exhausted all of my resources to buy the
house it’s all I have I said can we work
out some kind of monthly payments I
don’t know how much I can get but if you
can work with me I guarantee I’ll give
you my word I want to keep this home
I’ll pay you back
he said we want the money in six weeks
or you have to get out of the house it’s
going to go into action block I said oh
I said but I bar it everywhere I could
just to get the twelve thousand dollars
to put down
he said mister that’s not my problem you
should have had a title search done so I
went back home and I worried for weeks I
lost around 23 pounds I would go home to
catch the mail so my mother would get it
they put a listing in the newspaper
people were driving around wanting to
come in the house to look at it so I put
a sign out front saying that the
newspaper article was an error saying
the house up for sale and finally when
they were coming for the day they were
going to auction it on the courthouse
steps I knew the moment of truth had
come I had to tell my mother so I walked
all night that night around two o’clock
in the morning the children would sleep
a mother would sleep I said Lord I said
why did this have to happen to me I said
I’m trying to do the right thing I want
to provide for Mama I’m not out stealing
and robbing or to provide my children I
said why does it have to happen to me I
was personalizing not feeling like a
victim and so finally I had to go and
then I’d had to tell my mama so I
kneeled by the bed I said mama got
something to tell you she said what I
said we’ve got to move out the house she
said why I said well because of the fact
that I made a mistake and I signed a
contract when I should have had a title
search done and I can’t pay the $25,000
I was standing leaned against it
she said good I don’t like this house
anyway
I said what you told me you did she said
I just said that for you because she
liked you so much she said this
two-story babe in the Arthritis I can’t
climb the steps but you told me you
could mama oh I just did that for you I
walked up the steps and I was in the
room say that fool crazy with this house
I said oh mama so I’ll never forget when
we had to pack up and go back to the old
house we had moved out on in Liberty
City right down the street from Miami
northwestern high school and the
neighbors were out looking his name is
born they coming back I was so
embarrassed I mean I was you know I
turned red but could nobody see it you
know what so my sister came over she
didn’t get any better she mixed the big
time won’t get no job going around and
running your mouth yeah you got a dream
to get mama home now you back where you
belong here we came in the house of the
and as I was taking furniture off the
truck I was so hurt and humiliated I
felt beaten and I began to cry and I
held my hair down and my mama said hold
your head up boy
I said mom I just can’t mama she said
hold your head up you have nothing to be
shamed you did the best you could hold
your head up I said yes ma’am my phone
so I was carrying the furniture in and I
had to give a lecture that week on
and I can’t talk about anything unless
I’m doing it myself
and I had to forgive and forget let it
go so that I could grow it took me time
to work through that but I did and I was
able to give a lecture and to this day I
can’t even remember the guys name but
because I let it go and I begin to focus
my energy in the now later I got a
bigger and better home for my mama
[Music]
here’s what I learned from that that was
not the last home in the world there
were other rooms if I had just been
willing to just let it go he who cares
less wimps
the guy called him say you got to get
out of there and this is what happened I
could have I mean through worry and
stress I could have had a heart attack
over a house that my mother didn’t even
like do you follow what I’m saying so I
realized hey so many things and it’s
okay they are replaceable
I lost everything except my spirit and
except the love of my mother and her
respect and the respect of my children
sure people talked about me did they
laugh yes did I feel humiliated for a
while yes I did embarrassed yes
and that’s a part of it but I didn’t
stay there see sometimes you just you
can wallet in it you don’t want to get
but you put somebody pull you out
feeling good no I want to go back in
here no no don’t wallow in self-pity and
there are people who will help you you
call them up and then give you a pity
party all right
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
I talked the other night about some
explorers that were in Africa and they
saw these two little boys who were
playing with some what appeared to be
marbles and they went up to these little
guys and say here let me give you some
candy for that little fellas ate the can
in like this they can have some more
said yes but would you give me what you
are playing with and they said yes and
they gave these shiny little rocks so to
speak to the explorers and explorers
taking them back and examining them
discovered they were large sized uncut
diamonds
they had a fortune the little boys had a
fortune in their hands but they didn’t
know they did not know repeat after me
please if we knew better we would do
better you see there are many of us we
work for for people and sometimes put in
60 and 70 hours a week why because we
have the ability the talents and the
skills to contribute to the long-term
growth and development and profitability
of the company do we do that for
ourselves oh no whoa we said well I’ve
got security there’s no such thing it’s
an illusion in your mind
we go through life creating these
illusions for ourselves but doesn’t mean
that you can’t strategically work on
something else on the side develop some
hobby or passion and find ways that you
can begin to create some alternative
methods of providing wealth for yourself
see you know money is not important to
me like but Rita Davenport’s it is right
up there with oxygen but it is important
to me that it not be important I got
that from real steel that’s important it
is important to me that it not be
important make it important to you to
live your dream see how many of you fly
airplanes you’ve been an airplane raise
your hand right now how many of you ever
lost your luggage raise your hand please
vision all right very good now how many
of you have you knew your chances of
getting to your next destination were as
good as
luggage would you still get an airplane
no no hands went up you know why you
know why you can get on the airplane
where your luggage is supposed to go and
you show up and your luggage this not
sure because the airline has made human
cargo getting to the destination
important more important than the
luggage aren’t you glad yeah so as you
began to look at life as you begin to
look at the things you want to do decide
that you’re going to become the active
force in your life decide that you’re
not going to go through life feeling
like a victim decide that when things
become challenging and they are that
you’re not going to personalize it that
you’re going to look at it and you do
whatever you must do in order to work
things out and learn from it learn from
it that’s the key I like what Charles
Udall said he says in life you will
always be faced with a series of
god-ordained
opportunities brilliantly disguised as
problems and challenges if you’ve lost
your job don’t say that I’ve been laid
off just say I’ve been given an
opportunity by the universe to find my
life work
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
so if you view all of the things that
happen to you as an opportunity now
you’re taking it from a different
perspective now you become an active
force in your life now you are the one
rather than running from things as they
begin to change you become a change
driver because you know that you’ve got
the power within you to make the
difference this forced this power this
energy that you have that’s more
powerful than anything that can ever
happen to you you’re more powerful than
your circumstances or anything that you
can experience right now decide that
you’re going to commit yourself to act
on your ideas to become happy commit
yourself to live your dream commit
yourself to become the architect of your
future there’s something that I heard
that Goethe wrote that I love very much
and it really as you began to to operate
out of this consciousness you began to
experience a different level of living
in terms of commitment he says until one
is committed there is hesitancy the
chance to draw back always
ineffectiveness see until you are
willing to jump out there somebody asks
me how do I do that I said no no no you
don’t need any answers now you need to
make the commitment once you make a
commitment then life will give you some
answers you can’t decide just go and sit
on the side of the pool and just stick
your toe in no you’ve got to be willing
to make the leap most people don’t want
to do that they want to sit on the side
and and say tell me is it cold out there
is it rough out there come on out and
see see no you want to decide to commit
that commitment because then that’s when
you begin become involved in the
learning process
he said concerning all acts of
initiative and creation there’s one
elementary truth the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans
that the moment one commits oneself then
Providence moves to all sorts of things
occur to help one that would never have
otherwise occurred he said whatever you
can do or dream you can do beginning
boldness has genius power magic in it
begin it now I read a book by dr. Johnny
Coleman that says it works if you work
it
and as you begin to look at your life
decide that you’re going to start
working on that dream you’re gonna work
in nurture that idea now there will be
people that will criticize you there
will be a people that won’t see it for
you
but I say to you don’t let them turn you
around shake somebody’s hand on your
right and left and say don’t let nobody
that’s key because people will try and
turn you around hello people will try
and turn you around but when I heard Bob
Mays out of Chicago sing that song don’t
let nobody turn you around that’s real
because that’s why most people don’t act
on their dreams and ideas that’s why
most people when I’m talking with kids
that are in institutions and I said what
happened why did you give up working
hard and making good grades well they
started teasing me and they allowed that
peer pressure to cause them to scale
down their dreams and their ambitions
they started following the crowd that’s
why many people don’t do the things they
want to do friend of mine he wanted to
become an actor all his life he let
someone convince him you can’t become an
actor you got the Hollywood there
swallow you of his two competitive
thousands of unemployed people out there
but then another friend of mine Sheila
Hall and she decided at age 42 I’m going
to live my dream her son graduated from
high school she decided to make the
plunge to go to Hollywood quiet person
never had any experience in the area and
because she decided to make the
commitment she is not working on a
one-woman show and she’s been getting
support from everywhere because she was
willing to make the commitment this
other guy is far more talented and
skillful but he wasn’t willing to make
the commitment so he goes to work every
day to a job that’s making him sick
because he doesn’t have the guts or the
boldness to stand up in life and say I
am going to live my dream I’m going to
commit myself to live out what’s in me I
heard dr. Johnny Youngblood say I must
live what’s in me I said why do you do
this he said I got to do it I got to do
it I’m saying find something in your
life that you say hey it might not work
out but I got to do this why hey it’s
the one thing I love it’s my piece it’s
my thing you don’t understand it it’s
all right
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you don’t need anybody to understand it
you don’t need anybody to approve you
you don’t need anybody say go ahead I
ought to do it if you get that that’s
fantastic if you get that encouragement
that’s great but I say stand up within
yourself boldly and say this is my life
I’m controlling my destiny this is mrs.
Mamie Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin
Brown saying it’s been a plum pleasing
pleasure as well as a privileged thank
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
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