what really matters what really matters
to you and what do you think about that
I don’t think your material possessions
matter that much I heard people crying
and and talking about they lost
everything and I wanted I was to say to
them through the television but you’re
still here you lost all your material
things but you’re still here I know
someone who has lost someone who meant
something to them in a storm and that’s
different than living losing everything
in your house that’s different when you
lose your material possessions so you
come outside and your car’s been picked
up from non-payment that’s different if
you’re still here if you’ve not suffered
some crippling disabling accident you’re
still here you still have your right
mind embrace that strengthen what’s left
and reflect and activate a spirit of
gratitude that you’re grateful be
thankful for what’s left take a deep
breath if you if you made it because
that’s important gratitude things that
we take for granted I’m thinking about
the challenge that I have when I was
speaking on stage from a wheelchair and
because of SATA campaign I couldn’t lift
up the weight of my body because of the
pain I couldn’t stand up on stage and
walk back and forth as I have been
accustomed to doing because of the pain
I couldn’t put myself in the bathtub and
get out I needed help to get in and to
get out and now things that I take for
granted
I’m thankful if I wake up and have a
pain-free
morning I’m thankful I’m grateful for
the ability to see to hear to move to to
be able to voice my dream and to inspire
and to motivate people I want you to
think about what is it as you reflect on
your life that you’re grateful for and
and I just started something that I’m
doing
I write down each day seven things that
I’m grateful for seven things the
relationships that mean something to me
the friendships that being something to
me the blessings that come my way
I met someone and the shopping mall and
he and I began to think his meant to
communicate in his name is Ray and I
really considered it a god moment I’m
wearing a shirt that says to boycott the
NFL the National Football League and in
in support of Colin copper dink and and
this guy he said I’m down with you
brother and he and I started a
conversation and it seemed like we have
known each other forever and we exchange
information and this is a new friendship
then I’m very grateful for who will be
able able to be a blessing to my
granddaughter his name is Ray has of
interesting websites go a ray at crime
by design scars I said that’s a bit
risky website but I’m beginning to focus
on things that I’m grateful for I’m
grateful that that I was able to survive
Irma and Hani and and and some of you
listening should be grateful that it
didn’t hit your city that you you did
not go through the devastation and what
Houston went through or the devastation
what other cities have been doing what
Miami and in Florida is going through
and so reflect on your life and think
about when you go through a challenge
whatever that might be because there are
all types of hurricanes in life
that you’re grateful for the next thing
is is to refocus marinating ourselves in
it and continuing to look back we can
become paralyzed and stuck and as fast
as we can we have to not only reflect on
what matters and what it is that we’re
grateful for but to refocus our mind
about what is it we want to do we don’t
know how much time we have left I was
going to reach out to a young man that I
met at Fox TV who lost his job and in
the process of reaching out to him I
heard the news that his son died as well
I mean to lose your job and then your
child dies it was in college Wow bam bam
back to back and I know what it is to
have back-to-back storms in your life
when my talk show was cancelled went
through a divorce from someone that I
loved very much if my mother was
diagnosed with breast cancer and passed
and my best friend boo was waiting on a
liver transplant and he died and during
that time that I was also diagnosed with
prostate cancer I got back to back blows
and and when you go through that that
it’s a time to get still and to reflect
and to strengthen what’s left and and
then as quick as you possibly can to
refocus your mind because you can get
stuck for a period of time I got stuck I
was ashamed and embarrassed that my show
had been cancelled I was shame and
embarrassed that I talked to people
about being successful and I I wasn’t
able to make my marriage work and and so
as as you look at your life and and look
at the things that you want to do that
refocusing when you’ve gone through
something is very important because if
you don’t
you continue to look back and and and
talk about it and focus on it it will
drain you emotionally and spiritually
and and it will it will draw all the
energy out of you you know the Helen
Keller says when one door closes another
door opens but most of us spend so much
time looking at the closed door that
that we don’t see the open door what are
those new opportunities that life is
presenting us that we can begin to
refocus our mind a time I energy and our
spirit and finding our purpose and new
meaning in life and the third thing is
it’s not only was we reflected on what
really matters and and and strengthen
that and and refocus our minds on on the
new chapters in our lives that we have
the power to write a new script but we
have to recalibrate we have to ignite
our spirit that when I went through my
divorce I parked for a while I parked
when my mother passed from breast cancer
I was another blow I park when when bull
died I was holding my best friend’s hand
and and saw him when he took his last
breath then and I remember the door in
the hospital room open and his mother
said come in Holy Spirit and take my boy
I rose and I talked and and those
back-to-back blows for a period of time
I couldn’t think about anything but them
to people that that cost me to be Who I
am my mother and my best friend rule
that we were together and inseparable
from second grade in elementary school
at Douglas Elementary School in Miami
Florida in Overtown and so it took me
some time to recalibrate to connect with
my energy it took me some time to find
my Center to find my strength I remember
and I’m just recalling an engagement I
had in Washington DC two weeks after I
had eulogized my mother and I thought I
was emotionally ready to handle it and I
lost it I lost it in the middle of my
message in the pulpit a Sunday morning
and I mentioned my mother and what are
the things I I train speakers never ever
tell a story that you don’t have the
emotional strip to handle because it it
that the the pulpit is not a place for
therapy or the stage and and so I
realized that I needed to do some more
internal work that that sometimes life
can slap you senseless and you don’t
know which way is up and so reflecting
refocusing and recalibrating those are
three steps I feel that will empower us
to recover from the hits of life because
they’re gonna happen I don’t care who
you are
look how beautiful you are I’ll give you
tithes every day or every Sunday I don’t
care if you pray all the time you will
not escape life is gonna happen to all
of us I remember asking God for a sign
if you are real if you are real give me
a sign I’ve never asked you this before
give me a sign let my mother live and
she died and and the only way that I was
to gather my strength and maintain my
faith I remember the story of Shadrach
Meshach and a bad knee grow excuse me
but anyhow I remember when they were
talking to Nebuchadnezzar and-and-and he
talked to them he wanted them to bow and
it said oh oh King listen you know we
will not violate you might kill us but
if it be so we still go bow you can do
whatever you gonna do whatever threats
you have whatever would kick is you’re
selling but we’re not going to bow and
that meant to me that I’m not going to
bow to what her hand that life has dealt
me that even though I wanted my mother
to live and I knew God had the power to
to give me that to grant me that request
I still will not bow to not having faith
I still will not bow to depression and
despair and feeling sorry for myself and
being angry I still won’t bow and and so
I feel that that as Willy jolly says
that a fed-up is a setback so a setback
is a setup for a comeback that we have
come back power that in in spite of what
we’ve gone through in spite of what we
are dealing with in spite of what we
have lost we have come back power in
spite of the defeats in spite of the
rejections in spite of the failures and
the devastation and and all the things
that life can throw at us Willy was
right setback is a setup for a comeback
we have come back power
must remember it’s easy to to say oh I
know you’ll never leave me nor forsake
me when I bills the paid the car hasn’t
been repossessed it and our home hasn’t
been foreclosed on and we have our help
and our children are healthy it’s easy
it’s easy to have faith in and say god
is good all the time and all the time
God is good yeah right but when life
knocks on the door yeah what you got to
say now what do you have to say now you
lose your job you lose your health you
prayed I remember sitting in the
University Hospital and they gave me an
MRI I remember the young man coming down
the hall to meet me the radiology and he
said you know and he had tears in his
eyes
yeah he said I was in a dark place and
you help me you help me and he said and
I was praying when I did your MRI I was
praying I didn’t see anything but just
you being cancer-free and he said I
don’t have good news and I said my
brother you just gave me some good news
number-one youth that my voice my story
helped you come out of a dark place and
and you were here and if there’s anyone
that I want to deliver this kind of news
to me it would be someone who I know
loves me who cares about me and who does
not just see me as another person here
and the place that I’m living my life is
judge not according to appearances that
Sheetz you holding in your hand does not
determine by prognosis it might reflect
diagnosis but God determines by
prognosis it is well all as well because
I know he’ll never leave me nor forsake
me and that’s where I stand in the end
and we both embrace each other with
tears that tears the gratitude that’s
apple cider I’m not surrendering to
disarm or kick cancers but trust me on
this I’m shining my shoes now and I
truly believe that life is a fight for
territory and we must fight a good fight
with whatever we go through I truly
believe that life is a fight for
territory and once you stop fighting for
what it is you want that’s peace of mind
that’s your health that’s your
relationship that’s your children that’s
your future your healing whatever you
stop fighting for what you don’t want
will automatically take over my mother
than raised a punk she raised a fighter
and I say to you it’s in your DNA
whether you realize it or not whether
you agree with me or not that there’s a
purpose there’s a power in you greater
is he that is is you that he’s it to the
world
the adversities the setbacks the defeats
the devastation yeah yeah yeah you got
it like that don’t let her not you’re
made in the likeness and image of God if
you beginner you’ve been given authority
and dominion over everything did say
something over everything now as my
mother would say put that in your pipe
you have something special you have
greatness in you reflect we focused
recalibrate recover that’s my story and
I’m sticking to it
Stacy that’s what baby brown would say
put that in your private focus I tell
you what you said your words have not
been smoking because you’re gonna go
through some things I just had to hold
my mu as one of my girlfriend’s mothers
would say when my website was hacked so
you know things all the crazy things
happen and you just put it all in
perspective and you do exactly what you
said reflect we focused calibrate and we
recover look see how they read
rejuvenate a break to rejuvenate after
some things happen because we live in a
life where as you said less we’re not
exempt but we have to choose to not stay
stuck in repeating the same old story in
our head and be able to move forward I
mean that’s a powerful word and as you
talked about Boehner posing that
question I had a few people just finding
it very difficult to deal with their
day-to-day life because they’ve been
watching the devastation and there’s
just so sucked into everything that they
wrap paralyzed said I can’t even I can’t
function I can’t work it’s just watching
people and their lives be destroyed and
I said well that’s not going to help
change but what you can do is organize
some relief efforts do take an action
and not just get stuck in the feeling of
being hopeless or thinking that you’re
hopeless and your message tonight is so
timely because a lot of people all
across this country are just in a state
of quandary and they need to know what
to do next and you just gave them no
more excuses
because there is always something to be
grateful for once there’s life there’s
hope and as you said people are still
alive you might lost lose property or be
displaced but you’re alive you’re
breathing you can rebuild but what we
can’t do is we create your life
absolutely and you know and and I want
to talk about refocus something just
came to me I found myself glued to the
television and obsessed with this crazy
man out of North Korea this this little
young chunk that happened because of
because of a sperm he was born in North
Korea had he not been the sperm from his
father he’d be a kid somewhere in a
basement playing video games but now
this little fat chump has his hands on
nuclear weapons and so I found myself
looking at and monitoring the the wolf
tickets between him and the President
and I and getting nervous thing are
these two people about to annihilate the
planet because with nuclear weapons you
know it doesn’t take much for a crazy
person to push a button and then I had
to ask myself what can you do about this
what can you do about how is this
serving you monitoring this reading what
the the head of North Korea saying and
what President Trump is saying does that
help you is it purposeful what meaning
and value is it bringing to you and I
found myself sucked in with all the
weather reports and I had to stop head
to back away and say well I’m going to
do what I can to preserve my mental
bandwidth that some
I just don’t need to let in there
certain thing I don’t watch violent
movies I don’t want to watch or hear
about any negative tragic things you
know there’s a member that play don’t
nobody don’t bring me no bad news you
know I was concerned about my my kids
and grandchildren and Jacksonville and
my sister it needs two nephew and and my
brother in in Miami and that’s natural
but I had to to begin to scale down my
exposure to negative news because it was
robbing me of my peace of mind and my
energy you can either live your dreams
or live your fears and I think the
majority of people actually are not
living their dreams but a living their
fears so I want to ask you a question
what are you afraid of what are you
scared of because we all have fears
don’t we we all have something that’s
blocking us that’s holding us back and
as we begin to look at life what we
realize is that the reason that most
people are not living out their true
potential and not doing all of the
things that they would really like to do
it’s because of fear some people called
fear false evidence or expectations
appearing real
I reminded of the story of a guy that
was living in an area where he had some
new neighbors and these neighbors had a
bulldog and when he came home every day
this Bulldog used to chase him about a
half a block from his house every day he
would have to streak home I mean he was
just run this bulldog be right on his
heels and so he just got tired of that
because he would go home at about a half
a block away from home he would look
around for this bulldog and he would see
and he would go walking casually long
and his bulldog come out of nowhere and
start chasing him here to run home so
this one day he just got tired and so
when the Bulldog was running after him
he started running he saw a rock and he
stopped to pick it up to throw out the
Bulldog and when the Bulldog got up low
on him he started barking you realized
the Bulldog don’t have any teeth it is
about the Bulldog could have done is gum
you know and so you know what most
people go through life running scared
running scared from things that have no
teeth in them because their false
expectations appearing real let’s see
we’re brilliant enough to scare
ourselves to death you realize that
there are some people actually who get a
kick out of scaring themselves to death
I remember the last frightening movie I
saw it was the Exorcist I will never
forget I was so frightened when I came
home
I’ll never forgot drove in the driveway
and I had already called my former wife
and said listen turn the lights on I was
coming in the driveway and I and I was
getting out of the car and all of a
sudden I couldn’t get out of stop blow
my horn I said ma’am when they got me
there Gabby she came to the kitchen with
his head take your seat belt loose fool
I was right out of my wits for there lot
of people who think you know for that
love I’m the person I are my brother is
a paratrooper my twin brother he’s in
the military career man I would love to
jump out of an airplane to parachute I’m
scared though I mean I really have my
brother brother for that I would really
love to be macho man like that what are
the things that you fear that’s been
keeping you from living your dream
that’s been keeping you from doing some
things that you would like to do just
think about those things and how do we
begin to handle that Abraham Maslow said
that the life is about growth and he
said you could either go back to your
comfort zone and there you won’t find
any growth or you must Willie be willing
to go forward and face your fears again
and again and again because you’re never
going to have a fear free existence I
mean some fear is acceptable and
legitimate there are some things that
you you really should be afraid of now
you shouldn’t allow it to immobilize you
you acknowledge it you take it into
account and you carry yourself
accordingly there are times that we
should proceed with caution but it’s the
difference between being stopped by fear
is the difference between having a fear
and the fear having you so what do we do
one acknowledging
and knowing that it’s okay don’t condemn
yourself for being afraid it’s perfectly
fine to have some fears you acknowledge
your fears you embrace those fears and
then you move on you act on whatever it
is that you fear because once you
embrace it see what you resist will
persist what you resist will persist so
one of the most important things is is
to begin to embrace your fear the fear
of bodily harm that’s legitimate when I
was a disc jockey in Columbus Ohio you
know I was young right 2223 thought I
was tough and I was on the air and Al
Green who was a great performer at that
time and still is now now singing gospel
music had a record his first hit record
was backup train so a guy came in the
town and was impersonating Al Green I
happened to know al green because I’d
already booked him and so when I found
out this guy was impersonating algorri I
came on the air and did an editorial
about it and I exposed it he was rather
big fellow and so he had the word out
that when I see this guy less from a
disc jockey I’m a knockin me mouth from
having a big mouth so I was driving down
Main Street in Columbus Ohio had my son
in a car and I always have this little
saying hey if anybody will put a threat
on me I’m gonna make him honor it so I
saw this guy on the street so I pull
around I say excuse me I’ll be right
back got out of the car hey man I heard
you said that you were looking for me
I’m les Brown he said you are say yeah I
said what is it I’m the one that said
that you were an imposter I said I want
to know what you’re gonna do about it he
opened his coat he had a gun there I say
but whatever I said to hurt your
acknowledge your fears carry yourself
accordingly and do what makes sense for
you
well one major fear I’ve always had is a
fear of dentists and this fear had me I
didn’t have that fear and what really
enforced it you got to watch things that
can feed your fear I saw a movie that
most people would not remember this
movie was starring Dustin Hoffman skal
the Marathon Man with Laurence Olivier
when he’s trying to get a confession out
of here
and he took this drill out let me tell
you someone he went in dunk my Hoffman’s
mouth with that drill I had a dollar
worth of popcorn that pop go with
everyone do you know I could not go to
the dentist for five years I left
broadcasting went to the Ohio
legislature had an impacted wisdom tooth
now that hurts and I would call and soon
as the people would answer the phone I
would hang up that’s how frightened
about dr. Hamlin office boom out here
then I got to the point where I could
just ask for an appointment hello and I
wouldn’t give my real name because I
knew I would go keep it
I’d give anybody’s name Joe jiggling Jim
it did better but pretty soon I got to
the point where I could give my name it
was about four years after that so my
name is les Ron then I would call back
and say look here due to my legislative
agenda I won’t be able to make it so the
lady finally said her phone said you’re
scared aren’t you I said no I’m not she
said then why don’t you come in that’s
she said you’re not coming in because
you’re scared I wish you just would not
waste our time and she hung up I said
you have no right to do that to people
like me you know
so finally it’ll make a long and short I
was hurting so bad it’s a way to man
I’ve got to do something and I said what
am I afraid of go there and handle
that’s it man I said dr. Hamill I just
can’t hear this drill I mean if you can
do whatever I just don’t I don’t need to
hear this drill this drill that sound
you know that’s to what gets me that
drill don’t pull that drill out on me he
said just calm down Conda and it wasn’t
really bad as I thought it was one of
the things you find out that when you
face your fears it’s not as bad as you
think it is and when people tell you I
just can’t do that I can’t handle I mean
really really I can’t handle it what
they’re envisioning is that they’re not
going to be if they’re gonna clock out
like you’re going to die guess what we
all that occasions when we confronted
our fears we had to do something we
thought uncomfortable with we didn’t
want to do it and we did not die then it
come take us and put us in a box
somewhere and all right so what we’ve
got to begin to do how do we handle that
what’s the process because it’s all up
in here one I think is imagine the
worst-case scenario I just imagined that
he went in my mouth and with this drill
then I imagine that’s the worst case
scenario then I had another technique I
used visualize yourself being more than
able and capable of handling it but I
used to have a tremendous inferiority
complex about speaking before people
that I felt we had more going for them
than I did because I’m not college
trained I used to feel that college
people were the most intelligent people
on the planet and there was nothing I
had to say for them and what would that
what will they listen to me for that’s
the way I felt and so I had to visualize
myself speaking before them speaking
before various audiences that had more
going for them than I did and realize
and appreciate my own value and that I
was a worthwhile person even though I
didn’t have all going for me I didn’t
have the money I didn’t have the
education that they had so part of the
process is seeing yourself being worthy
being capable having what you need to
make your worthwhile person and that
you’re more than able and that you
deserve to be listened to or you deserve
to have that dream and that passion and
whatever it is that you see and envision
there you’ve got to see it in your
mind’s eye and know that you’ve got what
it takes repeat after me please
I must see and my mind’s I see myself
confronting my fears handling my fears
I’m more than able shake somebody’s hand
on your right and left and say you got
so deciding as you look at your life
that you look into the future and say
what fears am i holding on to what fears
that I’m allowing to imprison me that’s
keeping me from breaking out that’s
keeping me from living up to my true
potential that’s keeping me from really
being happy that’s keeping me from
having a sense of adventure and
excitement in my life what’s what’s
keeping me from controlling my destiny
what fears and I’m giving that
permission to notice what I said that we
must give our permission to fear to
immobilize us because whatever
discomfort you experience whatever
challenges a difficulty that it is you
got to handle it got to go up in there
and wrestle with it will it be easy no
will it be challenging yes friend of
mine who’s going into recovery
he’s been addicted to crack cocaine for
years and alcohol he was talking about
how challenging it was and while he was
dreading going on going into cold turkey
I said what do you want me to tell you
that it’s going to be a picnic no it’s
not it’s gonna kick your butt yes it is
are you gonna want to die yes yes that’s
a part of it but that’s just what you
must go through in order to get where
you want to go and guess what you are
strong enough to do it you’re strong
enough and your life is worth whatever
you have to go through to get past this
addiction whatever you have to do this
dream you got whatever you want to do
will it be easy to just run out then do
it
no will happen overnight now will it be
a struggle yes
will there be times when you can’t make
ends meet yes that’s a part of it will
there be times you won’t know what to do
yes that’s a part of it will you have
some opposition will things go wrong
sometimes you will have many visits
Murphy now if you say well who’s Murphy
don’t worry
[Applause]
[Music]
somebody must have told us someplace
along the line I don’t know where but
somebody must have told people Oh life
is gonna be real easy if they told you
that I’ve got a special announcement I
don’t forget I had a special piece of
legislation I wanted to get passed and I
said to a guys lucky can I count on your
vote he said yes and look here if I
can’t count on to let me know this
another guy that owes midship and I can
call on that and I want need your vote
but I do need it if you say you’re going
to do it do it you say you can count on
it legislation came up he voted against
my bill my bill passed I went back to
hey I told you I needed the vote but if
you couldn’t give it up let me know I
would get somebody else and why did you
tell me is it all right I was in shock
how many of you that life just wore you
out that you didn’t expect that you
thought you’d go to school get good
grades get a job and you came out here
you’ll be able to get a job a little
they never told me you know that songs
that mama told me there’d be days like
tell us that you’re not something about
life is challenging I mean it’s some
stuff you get out of here you didn’t
read it in a book nowhere
didn’t nobody warn you that it was gonna
come down on you like this that’s called
life there are kind of challenges like
that so what’s the next piece is that
you accept yourself then you accept the
fear as a fact and not a force so when
you accept yourself and you accept fear
as a fact that means that it’s something
that happens it’s something that you’re
going to experience but it is not a
force to hold you back it doesn’t have
any special power other than that that
you give it so you accept the fact that
you are afraid and then you move on
anyhow you move on past it and you do
whatever you’ve got to do I was at a big
motivational rally for gentleman by the
name of Dexter Jaeger down in the
Carolinas
I was standing backstage and I had to go
out I was the last speaker on the
program it the first time I’d been in a
stadium of this size over 10,000 people
you couldn’t see the people because the
lights are just blaring in your eyes
called free enterprise day I was afraid
my heart was beating fast I’ll just
pacing back and forth and Dexter said
are you all right I said yeah so I say
wait a bit just calm down calm you said
holding the older it’s alright les it’s
alright alright just be as scared as you
can be
so after I say embrace that fear just
try and see how scared you can really
get and Sabri Medina so the guy came
back and said are you about to die so I
said no five but after I started
embracing it trying to make myself as
afraid as I can get and imagine what’s
the worst thing that I can go out there
[Music]
why start laughing at myself I started
talking about so say you know you scared
today and I said I just calmed myself
down and I went I then I cooked and
that’s what you got to do I had another
experience where I was at a major
corporation and I was it was one of my
first major presentations I was going to
do for this corporation and I had four
other presenters that had large firms
and one of the things that you’ve got to
do is you’ve got to watch your inner
conversation and discipline your
thinking and your imagination because if
you don’t your mind will take you on a
wild trip so my mind said hey les said
what these guys are gonna wipe you out
you can’t compete with them because I
heard these guys sitting over across
from me and they were talking about all
that they had going for them and so I
started doubting myself and I became
afraid and I was thinking well maybe I
shouldn’t go in there and so I knew then
and this is what I suggest to you
sometimes you got to talk to yourself
talking to yourself you know be a good
exercise might be the only intelligent
conversation you ever get so I got up
and I went the bathroom and I start
talking to myself said last time let me
tell you something what do you care
about these guys and their firms and all
their money you’ve got six children
you’ve got to feed you got a mama you
got to take care of home you ain’t got
I wouldn’t I really look the lost people
I said don’t you do nothing tell you
so when you have your lure itself
talking to you telling you what you
can’t do part of what you’ve got to do
is be your own motivator you can you
can’t talk casually to yourself you
can’t stay raw sit down you must calm
down now conscious man will hear that
you’ve got to have a good conversation
to you say hey and answer yourself to
don’t pity people in attention you
answer yourself hey what you wanna do
I’m going in get off all right very good
go and take care busy you’ve got to talk
to yourself and you build yourself up
and you’ll feel your energy level coming
up and people will feel that around you
see now if you go through life being
afraid people can sense that they can
pick up that fear so that’s why you’ve
got to stand up inside yourself I’m a
reminder of the little boy that was on a
bus and and some bigger fellows who were
picking at him you know and so he wanted
to move from by them they were thunking
you on the head and so he stood up just
to get from by them and they would push
him back down and he would stand up
again they’d push him back down and he
stood up again they pushed in on Helen
down he said you might hold me down but
see when you are not filling your life
with the things that you are capable of
doing so we all have some stuff that
we’ve been given and I don’t think that
it’s optional for us to sit on what we
have see if you’re sitting on what you
have what you’ve been given I think
everybody’s been given something to
bring to the planet that only you can do
that only you can perform that only you
can initiate that activity and if you
don’t do that if you’re not filling in
your life with your life work or your
mission then there are gaps in your life
and what we do when we’re not living out
our true identity we begin to fill the
gaps we fill the holes with garbage
alcohol drugs worry self-destructive
behavior so when you begin to look at
your life and you know that that you’re
not doing what you can do because you
have allowed yourself to be held captive
by your fears
now when you don’t have a true
appreciation and acceptance for who you
are and you allow yourself to be
immobilized by fear what happens in the
process is that you begin to abuse
yourself you begin to sabotage your life
you begin to sabotage your dreams you
begin to unconsciously work against
yourself you become your own worst enemy
so what do you do about that well you
you begin to realize that your dream and
your gifts have so much meaning and so
much value for you till your hunger for
them will begin to push you past the
fear your hunger to have them will give
you a special Drive as you work on
yourself as you begin to acknowledge
your true identity the true power that
you have the true capacity you have to
bring about change the miracle-working
power that you have within yourself to
do the things that you want to do when
you take them on I’m reminded of a man
who
this gentleman was doing a special study
of a special tribe in Africa headhunters
and he had difficulty in developing a
relationship with these tribesmen
because of the fact that he had fear he
had fear they take his head a day all
fears are bad that was a legitimate fear
that’s a good fear to give you a
headache so he worked there for a long
time with no effort no progress in
developing relationship and rapport and
being able to achieve a level of trust
so finally one night while he was in bed
he was thinking about said what what is
it that you came here to do what is your
life work as a missionary said I wanted
to study these tribesmen so what’s the
worst thing that they can do to you kill
you and he just decided hey this is what
I came here to do I know that there’s
some risk involved and I’m gonna do it
come what may he said I’m not gonna be
afraid of you he went back to the next
day and he started doing the work and
trying to talk to and interview many of
the members of this tribe and they began
to respond to him they threw out the
welcome mat to him and years later when
people came to see what his progress was
they asked him how were you able to do
this how did you convert the
relationship from being hostile to that
of being positive he said something I
think has value for all of us
he said when life can no longer threaten
you with death so what else is there
what else is there
and the majority of the fears that we
have are not life or death fears and not
those kind of fears but through our
imagination we blow them out of
proportion and we give them more power
than they actually have or deserve and
we permit them to govern our lives we
permit them to determine how far we can
stretch out on our dreams and
discovering our stuff and as we begin to
look at ourselves and begin to wait a
minute
Jeff’s getting to the point as you
assess yourself and begin to prove
yourself and just away hole admit Holman
I’ve been sweating this out what can
what’s the worst thing that can happen
to me on this will it kill me will I die
what why am I going through all of these
changes over this how much power does
this really have and am I the one that’s
feeding the power into it say a lot of
times we we allow ourselves to be fed
and to be programming to to being afraid
of you watch the news and read the
newspaper you’ll be scared to come out
the house am i right you’ll be afraid so
what kinds of things what kinds of
thoughts are you feeding your
consciousness what kind of things are
you putting in your mind that will
enable you to either move forward or to
justify why you’re staying where you are
another piece that I look at that when I
finally decided that I was going to go
to the dentist pain was so great I
couldn’t hold out any longer all of a
sudden the fear that matter
I can take me my sub people need fear
you know have a friend that that we told
him hey man you know you need to lose
some weight you gettin overweight and
out of shape and at our age we need to
have a regular program and bud said man
I’ve been fat since our low boy
you know I’m I’m big-boned I’ve never
seen a fat skeleton though yeah well bud
became ill how many of you ever seen a
fast kills Andrade yeah I don’t but
became ill passed out and I was there
and the doctor was talking to him and
but I think was gonna go right back to
say no eating habits and doing
everything you know there’s a look here
you are a diabetic
I said now here’s some of the side
effects you know you could go blind you
can become an amputee none of that
touched him he said you can become
impotent he said what did you say wait
every day he’s in the Body Sculpture II
48 years young he looks great
I can’t believe for just that one
statement made all the difference in the
world but is a new man today
so what is it that has to happen to you
some people don’t take corrective
measures to improve their health until
they get a pronouncement that they’re
about to die then they’re starting okay
all right I’m ready to do whatever you
want me to do but they won’t do that
they can see people drop it off like
flies around them well that’s them you
got to go from something we go through
life really blocking ourselves
constantly and fear is one of the the
greatest instruments that we could use
to stifle our true potential when you
begin to to look at your life you can
decide to to use fear as a blocker or
you can decide to use it as building
blocks but you decide hey look here I’m
going to move in this direction I’m not
going to allow anything to stop me from
doing what I want to do we shake
somebody’s hand on your right and left
see when you begin to understand and
acknowledge of fear and you go forth
anyhow you go forth in a spirit and
unknowing that there’s a way that you
can begin to handle this there’s a way
out here somewhere there’s a solution
what it is that you’re seeking that you
have the capacity to whatever comes up
to handle it to face it and rather than
feeling powerless you begin to feel
powerful see when all of the major
downsizings that are taking place around
this country there are a lot of people
who are biting their fingers and fear
that they might lose their jobs but
there are few people who have decided
within themselves I’m going to make it
some people aren’t waiting to be cut
some people are moving on their own
because they feel within themselves I’ve
got what it takes to make it they’re not
afraid about tomorrow because of how
they see themselves because of what they
feel that they deserve because of what
they feel that they can create for
themselves because these people have
decided as they look at the future as
they look at themselves there’s a way
where there’s a will there’s a way for
me to begin to create a way out of no
way and when you have that kind of
consciousness when you have that kind of
spirit nothing can stop you nothing
what would your life be like as you look
toward the future if you decided I’m not
going to allow my fears to stop me what
would your life be like what would your
future be like if you decided to to want
that which you desire so strongly that
it prepares you past your fears that you
experienced a fear as the one book says
feel the fear and do it anyway what
would your life be like and I’m saying
to you that all of us who have been in
tuned by fear have the capacity to
resurrect ourselves and to resurrect our
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
and you have is it easy no it’s not easy
can I do it yes what’s one of the ways
to get started some of us need somebody
to hold our hands sometimes we need
somebody to help us out be willing to
say I don’t know be willing to reach out
be willing to get some assistance to
take you to the next level of what great
athlete you never expect boxes to make
profound statements I think was Joe
Frazier who said this one he says all of
us are like the blind man at some point
in our lives standing on the corner
waiting for somebody to lead us across
so all of us at some point in our lives
need some help need someone to reach out
to us decide the Lifeline to help us go
cross some treacherous waters that we
couldn’t navigate by ourselves none of
us do it by ourselves all of us at some
point of our lives we need that kind of
help we need that kind of assistance
because we grow from the people we have
in our lives that can enrich our lives
personally professionally spiritually
and all the dimensions of our lives we
don’t grow in a vacuum so if you look at
yourself whatever fears you have that
maybe you need some help and
strengthening yourself in that area as
you assess your strengths and your
weaknesses as you begin to approve
yourself and your passions and your
dreams and your goals and the things
that you want if you decide to
experience all of your true potential as
you decide to manifest all of your
greatness as you decide wait a minute
what what else is available to me out
here if I decided to experience the fear
of rejection the fear of no the fear of
failure the fear of standing by myself
what else is available of taking a
chance of fear of losing it all what
else is available to me that will bring
some extra meaning and value
the fear of people not liking me you
know how many people do things they
don’t want to do because they want
everybody to like them everybody’s not
good at like you
excuse me special announcement
everybody’s not going to like you know
that’s it’s just not that kind of world
what but you know that a lot of people
who won’t take positions on issues who
won’t take a stand for things they
believe in who won’t speak up for
themselves because they don’t want to
make anybody mad oh it was Bill Cosby he
said I don’t know what the secret of
success is he said but here’s what I
know what the secret of failures is it
trying to please everybody you can’t
please everybody but they’re people who
have the fear of rocking the boat so
then just go alone and life just go
along well how do you feel well I don’t
really want to say how many of you know
people like that raise your head these
people are living life they’re not truly
experiencing life what do you really
want to do well I don’t like this but I
guess I’ll go ahead on and do know the
life is too short for that too short and
unpredictable moseying through not
trying to disturb anything not trying to
shake anything up not trying to make any
waves you see there are some people who
come through the universe in their level
of contribution and the level of energy
they manifest is so small so
inconspicuous that when they go you
won’t even know they left I mean they’re
people who died on jobs and and you same
where’s John Oh jump and dead six miles
you’re kidding I guess we did this but
there’s some people because of their
personality because of their
contribution because of their the
investment of their time and their
energy and the impact they have their
that when they go everybody will miss
them
so another Teresa checks out everybody
will know when Rosa Parks everybody will
know Nelson Mandela everybody will know
what because of their contribution see
but there’s some people because their
contribution is so small no one will
care some saying before you are boxed
and buried decide that you’re going to
box and bury your fears decide that
you’re going to begin to live life on a
new level seeking out new horizons that
you were to find more love and more joy
and more ways to give more to life
God said something I love this he says
everything a man does for himself guess
what
he takes with him but everything he does
for others
he leaves behind so when you begin to
say what is it that I want to leave what
contribution that I want to begin to
make what difference do I want to make
in life what is it that I want to do
with the rest of the life that I have
left what what chances I need to take
what risks do I need to begin to embrace
what fears do I need to step on what
areas of my life am i dead right now
what dream you can either live your
dreams or live your fears you have got
to get to a point where you say I’m sick
and tired of living like this there’s
got to be more
let’s see that’s when people go out and
strike out on their dreams that’s when
people get out of relationships where
they’re dying together rather than
growing together that’s where they leave
jobs so where you going
[Applause]
do you have another job no I don’t how
are you going to make it I don’t know
but I will see you will when you put
yourself in that kind of situation I’m
reminded of two frogs that that were
huffing down the road and they fell into
a bottle of milk and one was hopping up
and down for a while and he drowned he
just gave up but his other frog just
kept on kicking he wouldn’t give up he
just kept on kicking and pretty soon he
churned that milk into butter and he walked
to you and what do you think about that
I don’t think your material possessions
matter that much I heard people crying
and and talking about they lost
everything and I wanted I was to say to
them through the television but you’re
still here you lost all your material
things but you’re still here I know
someone who has lost someone who meant
something to them in a storm and that’s
different than living losing everything
in your house that’s different when you
lose your material possessions so you
come outside and your car’s been picked
up from non-payment that’s different if
you’re still here if you’ve not suffered
some crippling disabling accident you’re
still here you still have your right
mind embrace that strengthen what’s left
and reflect and activate a spirit of
gratitude that you’re grateful be
thankful for what’s left take a deep
breath if you if you made it because
that’s important gratitude things that
we take for granted I’m thinking about
the challenge that I have when I was
speaking on stage from a wheelchair and
because of SATA campaign I couldn’t lift
up the weight of my body because of the
pain I couldn’t stand up on stage and
walk back and forth as I have been
accustomed to doing because of the pain
I couldn’t put myself in the bathtub and
get out I needed help to get in and to
get out and now things that I take for
granted
I’m thankful if I wake up and have a
pain-free
morning I’m thankful I’m grateful for
the ability to see to hear to move to to
be able to voice my dream and to inspire
and to motivate people I want you to
think about what is it as you reflect on
your life that you’re grateful for and
and I just started something that I’m
doing
I write down each day seven things that
I’m grateful for seven things the
relationships that mean something to me
the friendships that being something to
me the blessings that come my way
I met someone and the shopping mall and
he and I began to think his meant to
communicate in his name is Ray and I
really considered it a god moment I’m
wearing a shirt that says to boycott the
NFL the National Football League and in
in support of Colin copper dink and and
this guy he said I’m down with you
brother and he and I started a
conversation and it seemed like we have
known each other forever and we exchange
information and this is a new friendship
then I’m very grateful for who will be
able able to be a blessing to my
granddaughter his name is Ray has of
interesting websites go a ray at crime
by design scars I said that’s a bit
risky website but I’m beginning to focus
on things that I’m grateful for I’m
grateful that that I was able to survive
Irma and Hani and and and some of you
listening should be grateful that it
didn’t hit your city that you you did
not go through the devastation and what
Houston went through or the devastation
what other cities have been doing what
Miami and in Florida is going through
and so reflect on your life and think
about when you go through a challenge
whatever that might be because there are
all types of hurricanes in life
that you’re grateful for the next thing
is is to refocus marinating ourselves in
it and continuing to look back we can
become paralyzed and stuck and as fast
as we can we have to not only reflect on
what matters and what it is that we’re
grateful for but to refocus our mind
about what is it we want to do we don’t
know how much time we have left I was
going to reach out to a young man that I
met at Fox TV who lost his job and in
the process of reaching out to him I
heard the news that his son died as well
I mean to lose your job and then your
child dies it was in college Wow bam bam
back to back and I know what it is to
have back-to-back storms in your life
when my talk show was cancelled went
through a divorce from someone that I
loved very much if my mother was
diagnosed with breast cancer and passed
and my best friend boo was waiting on a
liver transplant and he died and during
that time that I was also diagnosed with
prostate cancer I got back to back blows
and and when you go through that that
it’s a time to get still and to reflect
and to strengthen what’s left and and
then as quick as you possibly can to
refocus your mind because you can get
stuck for a period of time I got stuck I
was ashamed and embarrassed that my show
had been cancelled I was shame and
embarrassed that I talked to people
about being successful and I I wasn’t
able to make my marriage work and and so
as as you look at your life and and look
at the things that you want to do that
refocusing when you’ve gone through
something is very important because if
you don’t
you continue to look back and and and
talk about it and focus on it it will
drain you emotionally and spiritually
and and it will it will draw all the
energy out of you you know the Helen
Keller says when one door closes another
door opens but most of us spend so much
time looking at the closed door that
that we don’t see the open door what are
those new opportunities that life is
presenting us that we can begin to
refocus our mind a time I energy and our
spirit and finding our purpose and new
meaning in life and the third thing is
it’s not only was we reflected on what
really matters and and and strengthen
that and and refocus our minds on on the
new chapters in our lives that we have
the power to write a new script but we
have to recalibrate we have to ignite
our spirit that when I went through my
divorce I parked for a while I parked
when my mother passed from breast cancer
I was another blow I park when when bull
died I was holding my best friend’s hand
and and saw him when he took his last
breath then and I remember the door in
the hospital room open and his mother
said come in Holy Spirit and take my boy
I rose and I talked and and those
back-to-back blows for a period of time
I couldn’t think about anything but them
to people that that cost me to be Who I
am my mother and my best friend rule
that we were together and inseparable
from second grade in elementary school
at Douglas Elementary School in Miami
Florida in Overtown and so it took me
some time to recalibrate to connect with
my energy it took me some time to find
my Center to find my strength I remember
and I’m just recalling an engagement I
had in Washington DC two weeks after I
had eulogized my mother and I thought I
was emotionally ready to handle it and I
lost it I lost it in the middle of my
message in the pulpit a Sunday morning
and I mentioned my mother and what are
the things I I train speakers never ever
tell a story that you don’t have the
emotional strip to handle because it it
that the the pulpit is not a place for
therapy or the stage and and so I
realized that I needed to do some more
internal work that that sometimes life
can slap you senseless and you don’t
know which way is up and so reflecting
refocusing and recalibrating those are
three steps I feel that will empower us
to recover from the hits of life because
they’re gonna happen I don’t care who
you are
look how beautiful you are I’ll give you
tithes every day or every Sunday I don’t
care if you pray all the time you will
not escape life is gonna happen to all
of us I remember asking God for a sign
if you are real if you are real give me
a sign I’ve never asked you this before
give me a sign let my mother live and
she died and and the only way that I was
to gather my strength and maintain my
faith I remember the story of Shadrach
Meshach and a bad knee grow excuse me
but anyhow I remember when they were
talking to Nebuchadnezzar and-and-and he
talked to them he wanted them to bow and
it said oh oh King listen you know we
will not violate you might kill us but
if it be so we still go bow you can do
whatever you gonna do whatever threats
you have whatever would kick is you’re
selling but we’re not going to bow and
that meant to me that I’m not going to
bow to what her hand that life has dealt
me that even though I wanted my mother
to live and I knew God had the power to
to give me that to grant me that request
I still will not bow to not having faith
I still will not bow to depression and
despair and feeling sorry for myself and
being angry I still won’t bow and and so
I feel that that as Willy jolly says
that a fed-up is a setback so a setback
is a setup for a comeback that we have
come back power that in in spite of what
we’ve gone through in spite of what we
are dealing with in spite of what we
have lost we have come back power in
spite of the defeats in spite of the
rejections in spite of the failures and
the devastation and and all the things
that life can throw at us Willy was
right setback is a setup for a comeback
we have come back power
must remember it’s easy to to say oh I
know you’ll never leave me nor forsake
me when I bills the paid the car hasn’t
been repossessed it and our home hasn’t
been foreclosed on and we have our help
and our children are healthy it’s easy
it’s easy to have faith in and say god
is good all the time and all the time
God is good yeah right but when life
knocks on the door yeah what you got to
say now what do you have to say now you
lose your job you lose your health you
prayed I remember sitting in the
University Hospital and they gave me an
MRI I remember the young man coming down
the hall to meet me the radiology and he
said you know and he had tears in his
eyes
yeah he said I was in a dark place and
you help me you help me and he said and
I was praying when I did your MRI I was
praying I didn’t see anything but just
you being cancer-free and he said I
don’t have good news and I said my
brother you just gave me some good news
number-one youth that my voice my story
helped you come out of a dark place and
and you were here and if there’s anyone
that I want to deliver this kind of news
to me it would be someone who I know
loves me who cares about me and who does
not just see me as another person here
and the place that I’m living my life is
judge not according to appearances that
Sheetz you holding in your hand does not
determine by prognosis it might reflect
diagnosis but God determines by
prognosis it is well all as well because
I know he’ll never leave me nor forsake
me and that’s where I stand in the end
and we both embrace each other with
tears that tears the gratitude that’s
apple cider I’m not surrendering to
disarm or kick cancers but trust me on
this I’m shining my shoes now and I
truly believe that life is a fight for
territory and we must fight a good fight
with whatever we go through I truly
believe that life is a fight for
territory and once you stop fighting for
what it is you want that’s peace of mind
that’s your health that’s your
relationship that’s your children that’s
your future your healing whatever you
stop fighting for what you don’t want
will automatically take over my mother
than raised a punk she raised a fighter
and I say to you it’s in your DNA
whether you realize it or not whether
you agree with me or not that there’s a
purpose there’s a power in you greater
is he that is is you that he’s it to the
world
the adversities the setbacks the defeats
the devastation yeah yeah yeah you got
it like that don’t let her not you’re
made in the likeness and image of God if
you beginner you’ve been given authority
and dominion over everything did say
something over everything now as my
mother would say put that in your pipe
you have something special you have
greatness in you reflect we focused
recalibrate recover that’s my story and
I’m sticking to it
Stacy that’s what baby brown would say
put that in your private focus I tell
you what you said your words have not
been smoking because you’re gonna go
through some things I just had to hold
my mu as one of my girlfriend’s mothers
would say when my website was hacked so
you know things all the crazy things
happen and you just put it all in
perspective and you do exactly what you
said reflect we focused calibrate and we
recover look see how they read
rejuvenate a break to rejuvenate after
some things happen because we live in a
life where as you said less we’re not
exempt but we have to choose to not stay
stuck in repeating the same old story in
our head and be able to move forward I
mean that’s a powerful word and as you
talked about Boehner posing that
question I had a few people just finding
it very difficult to deal with their
day-to-day life because they’ve been
watching the devastation and there’s
just so sucked into everything that they
wrap paralyzed said I can’t even I can’t
function I can’t work it’s just watching
people and their lives be destroyed and
I said well that’s not going to help
change but what you can do is organize
some relief efforts do take an action
and not just get stuck in the feeling of
being hopeless or thinking that you’re
hopeless and your message tonight is so
timely because a lot of people all
across this country are just in a state
of quandary and they need to know what
to do next and you just gave them no
more excuses
because there is always something to be
grateful for once there’s life there’s
hope and as you said people are still
alive you might lost lose property or be
displaced but you’re alive you’re
breathing you can rebuild but what we
can’t do is we create your life
absolutely and you know and and I want
to talk about refocus something just
came to me I found myself glued to the
television and obsessed with this crazy
man out of North Korea this this little
young chunk that happened because of
because of a sperm he was born in North
Korea had he not been the sperm from his
father he’d be a kid somewhere in a
basement playing video games but now
this little fat chump has his hands on
nuclear weapons and so I found myself
looking at and monitoring the the wolf
tickets between him and the President
and I and getting nervous thing are
these two people about to annihilate the
planet because with nuclear weapons you
know it doesn’t take much for a crazy
person to push a button and then I had
to ask myself what can you do about this
what can you do about how is this
serving you monitoring this reading what
the the head of North Korea saying and
what President Trump is saying does that
help you is it purposeful what meaning
and value is it bringing to you and I
found myself sucked in with all the
weather reports and I had to stop head
to back away and say well I’m going to
do what I can to preserve my mental
bandwidth that some
I just don’t need to let in there
certain thing I don’t watch violent
movies I don’t want to watch or hear
about any negative tragic things you
know there’s a member that play don’t
nobody don’t bring me no bad news you
know I was concerned about my my kids
and grandchildren and Jacksonville and
my sister it needs two nephew and and my
brother in in Miami and that’s natural
but I had to to begin to scale down my
exposure to negative news because it was
robbing me of my peace of mind and my
energy you can either live your dreams
or live your fears and I think the
majority of people actually are not
living their dreams but a living their
fears so I want to ask you a question
what are you afraid of what are you
scared of because we all have fears
don’t we we all have something that’s
blocking us that’s holding us back and
as we begin to look at life what we
realize is that the reason that most
people are not living out their true
potential and not doing all of the
things that they would really like to do
it’s because of fear some people called
fear false evidence or expectations
appearing real
I reminded of the story of a guy that
was living in an area where he had some
new neighbors and these neighbors had a
bulldog and when he came home every day
this Bulldog used to chase him about a
half a block from his house every day he
would have to streak home I mean he was
just run this bulldog be right on his
heels and so he just got tired of that
because he would go home at about a half
a block away from home he would look
around for this bulldog and he would see
and he would go walking casually long
and his bulldog come out of nowhere and
start chasing him here to run home so
this one day he just got tired and so
when the Bulldog was running after him
he started running he saw a rock and he
stopped to pick it up to throw out the
Bulldog and when the Bulldog got up low
on him he started barking you realized
the Bulldog don’t have any teeth it is
about the Bulldog could have done is gum
you know and so you know what most
people go through life running scared
running scared from things that have no
teeth in them because their false
expectations appearing real let’s see
we’re brilliant enough to scare
ourselves to death you realize that
there are some people actually who get a
kick out of scaring themselves to death
I remember the last frightening movie I
saw it was the Exorcist I will never
forget I was so frightened when I came
home
I’ll never forgot drove in the driveway
and I had already called my former wife
and said listen turn the lights on I was
coming in the driveway and I and I was
getting out of the car and all of a
sudden I couldn’t get out of stop blow
my horn I said ma’am when they got me
there Gabby she came to the kitchen with
his head take your seat belt loose fool
I was right out of my wits for there lot
of people who think you know for that
love I’m the person I are my brother is
a paratrooper my twin brother he’s in
the military career man I would love to
jump out of an airplane to parachute I’m
scared though I mean I really have my
brother brother for that I would really
love to be macho man like that what are
the things that you fear that’s been
keeping you from living your dream
that’s been keeping you from doing some
things that you would like to do just
think about those things and how do we
begin to handle that Abraham Maslow said
that the life is about growth and he
said you could either go back to your
comfort zone and there you won’t find
any growth or you must Willie be willing
to go forward and face your fears again
and again and again because you’re never
going to have a fear free existence I
mean some fear is acceptable and
legitimate there are some things that
you you really should be afraid of now
you shouldn’t allow it to immobilize you
you acknowledge it you take it into
account and you carry yourself
accordingly there are times that we
should proceed with caution but it’s the
difference between being stopped by fear
is the difference between having a fear
and the fear having you so what do we do
one acknowledging
and knowing that it’s okay don’t condemn
yourself for being afraid it’s perfectly
fine to have some fears you acknowledge
your fears you embrace those fears and
then you move on you act on whatever it
is that you fear because once you
embrace it see what you resist will
persist what you resist will persist so
one of the most important things is is
to begin to embrace your fear the fear
of bodily harm that’s legitimate when I
was a disc jockey in Columbus Ohio you
know I was young right 2223 thought I
was tough and I was on the air and Al
Green who was a great performer at that
time and still is now now singing gospel
music had a record his first hit record
was backup train so a guy came in the
town and was impersonating Al Green I
happened to know al green because I’d
already booked him and so when I found
out this guy was impersonating algorri I
came on the air and did an editorial
about it and I exposed it he was rather
big fellow and so he had the word out
that when I see this guy less from a
disc jockey I’m a knockin me mouth from
having a big mouth so I was driving down
Main Street in Columbus Ohio had my son
in a car and I always have this little
saying hey if anybody will put a threat
on me I’m gonna make him honor it so I
saw this guy on the street so I pull
around I say excuse me I’ll be right
back got out of the car hey man I heard
you said that you were looking for me
I’m les Brown he said you are say yeah I
said what is it I’m the one that said
that you were an imposter I said I want
to know what you’re gonna do about it he
opened his coat he had a gun there I say
but whatever I said to hurt your
acknowledge your fears carry yourself
accordingly and do what makes sense for
you
well one major fear I’ve always had is a
fear of dentists and this fear had me I
didn’t have that fear and what really
enforced it you got to watch things that
can feed your fear I saw a movie that
most people would not remember this
movie was starring Dustin Hoffman skal
the Marathon Man with Laurence Olivier
when he’s trying to get a confession out
of here
and he took this drill out let me tell
you someone he went in dunk my Hoffman’s
mouth with that drill I had a dollar
worth of popcorn that pop go with
everyone do you know I could not go to
the dentist for five years I left
broadcasting went to the Ohio
legislature had an impacted wisdom tooth
now that hurts and I would call and soon
as the people would answer the phone I
would hang up that’s how frightened
about dr. Hamlin office boom out here
then I got to the point where I could
just ask for an appointment hello and I
wouldn’t give my real name because I
knew I would go keep it
I’d give anybody’s name Joe jiggling Jim
it did better but pretty soon I got to
the point where I could give my name it
was about four years after that so my
name is les Ron then I would call back
and say look here due to my legislative
agenda I won’t be able to make it so the
lady finally said her phone said you’re
scared aren’t you I said no I’m not she
said then why don’t you come in that’s
she said you’re not coming in because
you’re scared I wish you just would not
waste our time and she hung up I said
you have no right to do that to people
like me you know
so finally it’ll make a long and short I
was hurting so bad it’s a way to man
I’ve got to do something and I said what
am I afraid of go there and handle
that’s it man I said dr. Hamill I just
can’t hear this drill I mean if you can
do whatever I just don’t I don’t need to
hear this drill this drill that sound
you know that’s to what gets me that
drill don’t pull that drill out on me he
said just calm down Conda and it wasn’t
really bad as I thought it was one of
the things you find out that when you
face your fears it’s not as bad as you
think it is and when people tell you I
just can’t do that I can’t handle I mean
really really I can’t handle it what
they’re envisioning is that they’re not
going to be if they’re gonna clock out
like you’re going to die guess what we
all that occasions when we confronted
our fears we had to do something we
thought uncomfortable with we didn’t
want to do it and we did not die then it
come take us and put us in a box
somewhere and all right so what we’ve
got to begin to do how do we handle that
what’s the process because it’s all up
in here one I think is imagine the
worst-case scenario I just imagined that
he went in my mouth and with this drill
then I imagine that’s the worst case
scenario then I had another technique I
used visualize yourself being more than
able and capable of handling it but I
used to have a tremendous inferiority
complex about speaking before people
that I felt we had more going for them
than I did because I’m not college
trained I used to feel that college
people were the most intelligent people
on the planet and there was nothing I
had to say for them and what would that
what will they listen to me for that’s
the way I felt and so I had to visualize
myself speaking before them speaking
before various audiences that had more
going for them than I did and realize
and appreciate my own value and that I
was a worthwhile person even though I
didn’t have all going for me I didn’t
have the money I didn’t have the
education that they had so part of the
process is seeing yourself being worthy
being capable having what you need to
make your worthwhile person and that
you’re more than able and that you
deserve to be listened to or you deserve
to have that dream and that passion and
whatever it is that you see and envision
there you’ve got to see it in your
mind’s eye and know that you’ve got what
it takes repeat after me please
I must see and my mind’s I see myself
confronting my fears handling my fears
I’m more than able shake somebody’s hand
on your right and left and say you got
so deciding as you look at your life
that you look into the future and say
what fears am i holding on to what fears
that I’m allowing to imprison me that’s
keeping me from breaking out that’s
keeping me from living up to my true
potential that’s keeping me from really
being happy that’s keeping me from
having a sense of adventure and
excitement in my life what’s what’s
keeping me from controlling my destiny
what fears and I’m giving that
permission to notice what I said that we
must give our permission to fear to
immobilize us because whatever
discomfort you experience whatever
challenges a difficulty that it is you
got to handle it got to go up in there
and wrestle with it will it be easy no
will it be challenging yes friend of
mine who’s going into recovery
he’s been addicted to crack cocaine for
years and alcohol he was talking about
how challenging it was and while he was
dreading going on going into cold turkey
I said what do you want me to tell you
that it’s going to be a picnic no it’s
not it’s gonna kick your butt yes it is
are you gonna want to die yes yes that’s
a part of it but that’s just what you
must go through in order to get where
you want to go and guess what you are
strong enough to do it you’re strong
enough and your life is worth whatever
you have to go through to get past this
addiction whatever you have to do this
dream you got whatever you want to do
will it be easy to just run out then do
it
no will happen overnight now will it be
a struggle yes
will there be times when you can’t make
ends meet yes that’s a part of it will
there be times you won’t know what to do
yes that’s a part of it will you have
some opposition will things go wrong
sometimes you will have many visits
Murphy now if you say well who’s Murphy
don’t worry
[Applause]
[Music]
somebody must have told us someplace
along the line I don’t know where but
somebody must have told people Oh life
is gonna be real easy if they told you
that I’ve got a special announcement I
don’t forget I had a special piece of
legislation I wanted to get passed and I
said to a guys lucky can I count on your
vote he said yes and look here if I
can’t count on to let me know this
another guy that owes midship and I can
call on that and I want need your vote
but I do need it if you say you’re going
to do it do it you say you can count on
it legislation came up he voted against
my bill my bill passed I went back to
hey I told you I needed the vote but if
you couldn’t give it up let me know I
would get somebody else and why did you
tell me is it all right I was in shock
how many of you that life just wore you
out that you didn’t expect that you
thought you’d go to school get good
grades get a job and you came out here
you’ll be able to get a job a little
they never told me you know that songs
that mama told me there’d be days like
tell us that you’re not something about
life is challenging I mean it’s some
stuff you get out of here you didn’t
read it in a book nowhere
didn’t nobody warn you that it was gonna
come down on you like this that’s called
life there are kind of challenges like
that so what’s the next piece is that
you accept yourself then you accept the
fear as a fact and not a force so when
you accept yourself and you accept fear
as a fact that means that it’s something
that happens it’s something that you’re
going to experience but it is not a
force to hold you back it doesn’t have
any special power other than that that
you give it so you accept the fact that
you are afraid and then you move on
anyhow you move on past it and you do
whatever you’ve got to do I was at a big
motivational rally for gentleman by the
name of Dexter Jaeger down in the
Carolinas
I was standing backstage and I had to go
out I was the last speaker on the
program it the first time I’d been in a
stadium of this size over 10,000 people
you couldn’t see the people because the
lights are just blaring in your eyes
called free enterprise day I was afraid
my heart was beating fast I’ll just
pacing back and forth and Dexter said
are you all right I said yeah so I say
wait a bit just calm down calm you said
holding the older it’s alright les it’s
alright alright just be as scared as you
can be
so after I say embrace that fear just
try and see how scared you can really
get and Sabri Medina so the guy came
back and said are you about to die so I
said no five but after I started
embracing it trying to make myself as
afraid as I can get and imagine what’s
the worst thing that I can go out there
[Music]
why start laughing at myself I started
talking about so say you know you scared
today and I said I just calmed myself
down and I went I then I cooked and
that’s what you got to do I had another
experience where I was at a major
corporation and I was it was one of my
first major presentations I was going to
do for this corporation and I had four
other presenters that had large firms
and one of the things that you’ve got to
do is you’ve got to watch your inner
conversation and discipline your
thinking and your imagination because if
you don’t your mind will take you on a
wild trip so my mind said hey les said
what these guys are gonna wipe you out
you can’t compete with them because I
heard these guys sitting over across
from me and they were talking about all
that they had going for them and so I
started doubting myself and I became
afraid and I was thinking well maybe I
shouldn’t go in there and so I knew then
and this is what I suggest to you
sometimes you got to talk to yourself
talking to yourself you know be a good
exercise might be the only intelligent
conversation you ever get so I got up
and I went the bathroom and I start
talking to myself said last time let me
tell you something what do you care
about these guys and their firms and all
their money you’ve got six children
you’ve got to feed you got a mama you
got to take care of home you ain’t got
I wouldn’t I really look the lost people
I said don’t you do nothing tell you
so when you have your lure itself
talking to you telling you what you
can’t do part of what you’ve got to do
is be your own motivator you can you
can’t talk casually to yourself you
can’t stay raw sit down you must calm
down now conscious man will hear that
you’ve got to have a good conversation
to you say hey and answer yourself to
don’t pity people in attention you
answer yourself hey what you wanna do
I’m going in get off all right very good
go and take care busy you’ve got to talk
to yourself and you build yourself up
and you’ll feel your energy level coming
up and people will feel that around you
see now if you go through life being
afraid people can sense that they can
pick up that fear so that’s why you’ve
got to stand up inside yourself I’m a
reminder of the little boy that was on a
bus and and some bigger fellows who were
picking at him you know and so he wanted
to move from by them they were thunking
you on the head and so he stood up just
to get from by them and they would push
him back down and he would stand up
again they’d push him back down and he
stood up again they pushed in on Helen
down he said you might hold me down but
see when you are not filling your life
with the things that you are capable of
doing so we all have some stuff that
we’ve been given and I don’t think that
it’s optional for us to sit on what we
have see if you’re sitting on what you
have what you’ve been given I think
everybody’s been given something to
bring to the planet that only you can do
that only you can perform that only you
can initiate that activity and if you
don’t do that if you’re not filling in
your life with your life work or your
mission then there are gaps in your life
and what we do when we’re not living out
our true identity we begin to fill the
gaps we fill the holes with garbage
alcohol drugs worry self-destructive
behavior so when you begin to look at
your life and you know that that you’re
not doing what you can do because you
have allowed yourself to be held captive
by your fears
now when you don’t have a true
appreciation and acceptance for who you
are and you allow yourself to be
immobilized by fear what happens in the
process is that you begin to abuse
yourself you begin to sabotage your life
you begin to sabotage your dreams you
begin to unconsciously work against
yourself you become your own worst enemy
so what do you do about that well you
you begin to realize that your dream and
your gifts have so much meaning and so
much value for you till your hunger for
them will begin to push you past the
fear your hunger to have them will give
you a special Drive as you work on
yourself as you begin to acknowledge
your true identity the true power that
you have the true capacity you have to
bring about change the miracle-working
power that you have within yourself to
do the things that you want to do when
you take them on I’m reminded of a man
who
this gentleman was doing a special study
of a special tribe in Africa headhunters
and he had difficulty in developing a
relationship with these tribesmen
because of the fact that he had fear he
had fear they take his head a day all
fears are bad that was a legitimate fear
that’s a good fear to give you a
headache so he worked there for a long
time with no effort no progress in
developing relationship and rapport and
being able to achieve a level of trust
so finally one night while he was in bed
he was thinking about said what what is
it that you came here to do what is your
life work as a missionary said I wanted
to study these tribesmen so what’s the
worst thing that they can do to you kill
you and he just decided hey this is what
I came here to do I know that there’s
some risk involved and I’m gonna do it
come what may he said I’m not gonna be
afraid of you he went back to the next
day and he started doing the work and
trying to talk to and interview many of
the members of this tribe and they began
to respond to him they threw out the
welcome mat to him and years later when
people came to see what his progress was
they asked him how were you able to do
this how did you convert the
relationship from being hostile to that
of being positive he said something I
think has value for all of us
he said when life can no longer threaten
you with death so what else is there
what else is there
and the majority of the fears that we
have are not life or death fears and not
those kind of fears but through our
imagination we blow them out of
proportion and we give them more power
than they actually have or deserve and
we permit them to govern our lives we
permit them to determine how far we can
stretch out on our dreams and
discovering our stuff and as we begin to
look at ourselves and begin to wait a
minute
Jeff’s getting to the point as you
assess yourself and begin to prove
yourself and just away hole admit Holman
I’ve been sweating this out what can
what’s the worst thing that can happen
to me on this will it kill me will I die
what why am I going through all of these
changes over this how much power does
this really have and am I the one that’s
feeding the power into it say a lot of
times we we allow ourselves to be fed
and to be programming to to being afraid
of you watch the news and read the
newspaper you’ll be scared to come out
the house am i right you’ll be afraid so
what kinds of things what kinds of
thoughts are you feeding your
consciousness what kind of things are
you putting in your mind that will
enable you to either move forward or to
justify why you’re staying where you are
another piece that I look at that when I
finally decided that I was going to go
to the dentist pain was so great I
couldn’t hold out any longer all of a
sudden the fear that matter
I can take me my sub people need fear
you know have a friend that that we told
him hey man you know you need to lose
some weight you gettin overweight and
out of shape and at our age we need to
have a regular program and bud said man
I’ve been fat since our low boy
you know I’m I’m big-boned I’ve never
seen a fat skeleton though yeah well bud
became ill how many of you ever seen a
fast kills Andrade yeah I don’t but
became ill passed out and I was there
and the doctor was talking to him and
but I think was gonna go right back to
say no eating habits and doing
everything you know there’s a look here
you are a diabetic
I said now here’s some of the side
effects you know you could go blind you
can become an amputee none of that
touched him he said you can become
impotent he said what did you say wait
every day he’s in the Body Sculpture II
48 years young he looks great
I can’t believe for just that one
statement made all the difference in the
world but is a new man today
so what is it that has to happen to you
some people don’t take corrective
measures to improve their health until
they get a pronouncement that they’re
about to die then they’re starting okay
all right I’m ready to do whatever you
want me to do but they won’t do that
they can see people drop it off like
flies around them well that’s them you
got to go from something we go through
life really blocking ourselves
constantly and fear is one of the the
greatest instruments that we could use
to stifle our true potential when you
begin to to look at your life you can
decide to to use fear as a blocker or
you can decide to use it as building
blocks but you decide hey look here I’m
going to move in this direction I’m not
going to allow anything to stop me from
doing what I want to do we shake
somebody’s hand on your right and left
see when you begin to understand and
acknowledge of fear and you go forth
anyhow you go forth in a spirit and
unknowing that there’s a way that you
can begin to handle this there’s a way
out here somewhere there’s a solution
what it is that you’re seeking that you
have the capacity to whatever comes up
to handle it to face it and rather than
feeling powerless you begin to feel
powerful see when all of the major
downsizings that are taking place around
this country there are a lot of people
who are biting their fingers and fear
that they might lose their jobs but
there are few people who have decided
within themselves I’m going to make it
some people aren’t waiting to be cut
some people are moving on their own
because they feel within themselves I’ve
got what it takes to make it they’re not
afraid about tomorrow because of how
they see themselves because of what they
feel that they deserve because of what
they feel that they can create for
themselves because these people have
decided as they look at the future as
they look at themselves there’s a way
where there’s a will there’s a way for
me to begin to create a way out of no
way and when you have that kind of
consciousness when you have that kind of
spirit nothing can stop you nothing
what would your life be like as you look
toward the future if you decided I’m not
going to allow my fears to stop me what
would your life be like what would your
future be like if you decided to to want
that which you desire so strongly that
it prepares you past your fears that you
experienced a fear as the one book says
feel the fear and do it anyway what
would your life be like and I’m saying
to you that all of us who have been in
tuned by fear have the capacity to
resurrect ourselves and to resurrect our
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
and you have is it easy no it’s not easy
can I do it yes what’s one of the ways
to get started some of us need somebody
to hold our hands sometimes we need
somebody to help us out be willing to
say I don’t know be willing to reach out
be willing to get some assistance to
take you to the next level of what great
athlete you never expect boxes to make
profound statements I think was Joe
Frazier who said this one he says all of
us are like the blind man at some point
in our lives standing on the corner
waiting for somebody to lead us across
so all of us at some point in our lives
need some help need someone to reach out
to us decide the Lifeline to help us go
cross some treacherous waters that we
couldn’t navigate by ourselves none of
us do it by ourselves all of us at some
point of our lives we need that kind of
help we need that kind of assistance
because we grow from the people we have
in our lives that can enrich our lives
personally professionally spiritually
and all the dimensions of our lives we
don’t grow in a vacuum so if you look at
yourself whatever fears you have that
maybe you need some help and
strengthening yourself in that area as
you assess your strengths and your
weaknesses as you begin to approve
yourself and your passions and your
dreams and your goals and the things
that you want if you decide to
experience all of your true potential as
you decide to manifest all of your
greatness as you decide wait a minute
what what else is available to me out
here if I decided to experience the fear
of rejection the fear of no the fear of
failure the fear of standing by myself
what else is available of taking a
chance of fear of losing it all what
else is available to me that will bring
some extra meaning and value
the fear of people not liking me you
know how many people do things they
don’t want to do because they want
everybody to like them everybody’s not
good at like you
excuse me special announcement
everybody’s not going to like you know
that’s it’s just not that kind of world
what but you know that a lot of people
who won’t take positions on issues who
won’t take a stand for things they
believe in who won’t speak up for
themselves because they don’t want to
make anybody mad oh it was Bill Cosby he
said I don’t know what the secret of
success is he said but here’s what I
know what the secret of failures is it
trying to please everybody you can’t
please everybody but they’re people who
have the fear of rocking the boat so
then just go alone and life just go
along well how do you feel well I don’t
really want to say how many of you know
people like that raise your head these
people are living life they’re not truly
experiencing life what do you really
want to do well I don’t like this but I
guess I’ll go ahead on and do know the
life is too short for that too short and
unpredictable moseying through not
trying to disturb anything not trying to
shake anything up not trying to make any
waves you see there are some people who
come through the universe in their level
of contribution and the level of energy
they manifest is so small so
inconspicuous that when they go you
won’t even know they left I mean they’re
people who died on jobs and and you same
where’s John Oh jump and dead six miles
you’re kidding I guess we did this but
there’s some people because of their
personality because of their
contribution because of their the
investment of their time and their
energy and the impact they have their
that when they go everybody will miss
them
so another Teresa checks out everybody
will know when Rosa Parks everybody will
know Nelson Mandela everybody will know
what because of their contribution see
but there’s some people because their
contribution is so small no one will
care some saying before you are boxed
and buried decide that you’re going to
box and bury your fears decide that
you’re going to begin to live life on a
new level seeking out new horizons that
you were to find more love and more joy
and more ways to give more to life
God said something I love this he says
everything a man does for himself guess
what
he takes with him but everything he does
for others
he leaves behind so when you begin to
say what is it that I want to leave what
contribution that I want to begin to
make what difference do I want to make
in life what is it that I want to do
with the rest of the life that I have
left what what chances I need to take
what risks do I need to begin to embrace
what fears do I need to step on what
areas of my life am i dead right now
what dream you can either live your
dreams or live your fears you have got
to get to a point where you say I’m sick
and tired of living like this there’s
got to be more
let’s see that’s when people go out and
strike out on their dreams that’s when
people get out of relationships where
they’re dying together rather than
growing together that’s where they leave
jobs so where you going
[Applause]
do you have another job no I don’t how
are you going to make it I don’t know
but I will see you will when you put
yourself in that kind of situation I’m
reminded of two frogs that that were
huffing down the road and they fell into
a bottle of milk and one was hopping up
and down for a while and he drowned he
just gave up but his other frog just
kept on kicking he wouldn’t give up he
just kept on kicking and pretty soon he
churned that milk into butter and he walked
Please follow and like us: