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Les Brown: WHEN YOU ARE HOPELESS | Les Brown Motivation


so every day you have to sell yourself
and get out of your mind those old
thoughts that old belief system every
day you’ve got to sell yourself on that
it’s possible that you got to put a new
mind in you you got to get out of your
mind you got to begin to restructure
your thinking every day you’ve got to
begin to recondition your mind see many
of us go through life making choices
thinking it’s our choices and it’s not
what do you mean by that a reminder of
the great anthropologist Margaret Mead
she was in a restaurant in Europe and a
waiter saw her and said oh how are you
I’m so glad to see you he said there are
several other Americans here tonight and
she said is that right he said yes he
said when you served in dessert let me
know and I’ll tell you exactly how many
are here he said that’s not possible
she said let me know after you serve
dessert when he served dessert he came
back and he told her she got up she
walked around and she looked and she
observed and she said you have exactly
65 Americans here he checked the guest
list and he was amazed he said how did
you know that she said because in Europe
when you eat a slice of pie or cake you
eat it from the back toward the tip in
America when we eat a slice of pie or
cake we eat it from the tip toward the
back how many of you when you eat a
slice of pie a cake you eat it from the
tip toward the back raise your hands
please good now what else is in your
mind what else are you doing
unconsciously that you don’t even know
I’m going to say something and I want
you to answer it after it I want you to
end it for me Winston tastes good like
what how many of you don’t even smoke
Winston but know it raise your hands
please now that commercial been off the
air for
years 30 years see let me share
something with you the easiest thing
I’ve ever done was to earn a million
dollars the most difficult thing I’ve
ever done was to believe it could happen
to me
that was the most difficult part to
believe that given my circumstances if
my birth parents came down this aisle
right now I would not know either one if
my daddy came up here but my mother came
up here given the fact that I was born
an abandoned building on a floor being
labeled educable mentally retarded not
having any college trading I used to
feel all my life but people who had
college degrees were more intelligent
than me I remember going to see the late
dr. norman vincent peale the author of
the book the power of positive thinking
and I used to look at him up on stage
and I said I could do that I would love
to talk to people I’d love to talk to
people and I said I could do that but
then when I started going back to my car
my mental conditioning activated itself
and it said let’s Ron you can’t do that
you don’t have a college education let’s
find you can’t do that you don’t have
the training you’ll never work for a
major corporation you can do that what
makes you think you can earn 5 10 15 20
thousand dollars in an hour you don’t
earn that not working for two or three
months what makes you think that you can
speak for AT&T Proctor and Gamble
McDonald’s Corporation General Electric
needs of clients I have that you’ve
never even worked for them how many you
ever thought about something you wanted
to do and you talk yourself out of
iteration hand if you know what I’m
talking about that inner conversation is
what’s gonna haunt you after standing
here and saying I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me I have
to sing that again and again we are more
than conquerors that inner conversation
will cost you when you leave here to go
back leading a life of mediocrity
leading a life of on
duck tivity leading a life of poverty so
I’m going to share with you how to break
I want to share with you how to reach
your goals I think the Bible’s greatest
motivational book ever been written now
I want you to repeat after me please we
got to recondition our minds first let
us say together good things that’s
yeah write that down I want you to say
that to yourself every day see we live
in a world where we believe that bad
things are supposed to happen to us I
remember it a part of my life Bishop
when things are going good for me and I
said this is too good to be true
something is bound to happen
guess what it did thou shalt decree a
thing that shall be established unto you
and shall accomplish that way in – it
has been sent watch your words
watch what you say about yourself about
your affairs be conscious of that on a
daily basis why because your words are
powerful in the beginning was to where
life and death is in the tongue watch
what you say never say I’m broke
claim what you want not what you don’t
want so affirm good things that suppose
to happen to me and begin to believe
that began to expect that now I was
talking to my oldest son Calvin we’re
going for a walk and I said Calvin do
you want to be successful he said yes i
dad so okay we kept on walking then I
stopped and I looked him in the eyes
this is my namesake my junior and said
Calvin we’re looking at each other eye
given the fact that you are a single
parent of two kids given the fact that
you decided not to go to college to
further your education given the fact
that you are very talented but you’re
behind on your dreams and your bills do
you expect based upon your performance
based upon what you produced at this
point in time in your life do you expect
to be successful and Calvin got quiet
but you see if you ask those people at
the manpower conference do you want to
be successful do you want to live a life
of productivity do you want to live a
life of contribution do you want to be a
better father do you want to have your
own business other dreams you want
everybody will say yes but see Warren
shows up in conversation expectation
shows up in behavior say I can tell what
you expect by what you do that’s why the
Bible says judge it’s a tree by the
fruit it bears not the proof that it was
not the fruit that it talks about not
the fruit that it claims
but by what you are doing see what you
do when you leave here when the music
stops when the shouting dies down your
behavior how you conduct yourself
writing your goals down deciding to
enroll in school to get a GED deciding
to sit in the class with children young
enough to be your grandchildren decide
to find some product some idea of some
service that you can provide so that you
can begin to create some value for
yourself so you can create well and let
me tell you something ladies and
gentlemen it’s very important that we
begin to learn how to create well I’m
not talking about loving money so I
believe that a lack of money is the root
of all evil people are steal for money
people have killed for money people go
to jail for money every time the
unemployment goes up in those areas
where the unemployment is high that’s
where you have the highest incidence of
crime and violence whenever the
unemployment goes up 1% in our community
10,000 children and women are better
what money makes a difference in your
life I never wanted to be rich
all I’ve ever wanted to do was to be
comfortable how many of everyone to be
comfortable raise your hands then I
realize not to be comparable you got to
no friend of mine Zig Ziglar said people
say money won’t make you happy but
everybody want to find out for
rita davenport save money and important
put it right up there with oxygen and
let me tell you some fellas even if you
as homeless i am if you got some money
[Applause]
money makes a difference I used to be so
broke when creditors would call the
house my children would answer the phone
and say bye daddy say I was on broke at
one time my life I walked by bacon
tripped the alarm
[Laughter]
I’d say you poverty sucks you hear me
repeat after me please I’ll never be
yes write that down I affirm that I’ll
never be broke again never never will I
ever be broke again let me tell you what
money does number one it gives you
control over your life
write that down number two it gives you
options three it allows you to live a
life of contribution to contribute to
things that you feel strongly about like
this ministry and the work a project mm
we’ll be doing the change the lives of
young people
Bishop Jake’s vision is if we can have
little league football teams and
baseball teams and basketball teams then
we can have little league dermatologists
and cardiologists and endocrinologist so
he is now establishing an institution
project mm to give our young people the
methods of the techniques to reinvent
themselves as we go into the next
millennium and this era that Peter
Drucker calls the era of a three C’s
accelerated change overwhelming
complexity and tremendous competition so
here’s the first step to accumulating
wealth if you expect to do it write this
down you must be willing to do the
things today others won’t do in order to
have the things tomorrow others won’t
have that’s why the book of life said
the road to life is straight and narrow
and few there be that find it because
fuel there will be that are willing to
do the things today others won’t do in
order to have the things tomorrow others
won’t have what are the things that
others won’t do
number one make discipline a major force
in your life how many of you know if
you’d have been more disciplined you’d
be further along to reach your goals
right now
Socrates said the undisciplined life is
an insane life the road to life is
straight and narrow because few there be
that are willing to discipline
themselves here’s something else that
most people won’t do make it okay to
fail a lot of people 85% of people allow
their fear of failure to outweigh their
desire to succeed repeat after me please
anything that’s worth doing
[Music]
is worth doing badly
yes anything is worth doing is worth
doing right as we have been taught if
you know how to do it but if you don’t
know how to do it is worth doing badly
until you get it right I bet you and I
wasn’t there I bet you that when Bishop
TD jakes first stood up to preach when
he gave his trial sermon he did not have
a command he did not have the mastery he
did not have the confidence he did not
have the depth he did not have the
capacity to translate and milk scripture
like he did last night when he first
started out now write this down you
don’t have to be great to get started
but you have to get started to be great
[Applause]
the first time I set up the speak I
stood up and my mind set down I looked
at the audience and I panicked I had to
introduce a play at school we’ll pumped
we about the spoon ran off mr.
Washington mr. Brown where you going on
mr. wash and I I can’t think I don’t
know did you rehearse yes I did well
what’s wrong why did you say you’re Liza
I don’t know sound I just I’ve got it
then I looked at them and everything let
me let me do it another day please sir
no go back out there mr. Bob mr.
Washington how miss a fleece earth
though don’t don’t don’t send me out
there now I’ll mess up mr. Brown if you
run now you will always be running
anything that’s worth doing it’s worth
doing badly until you get it right why
are you moving right yeah I got to go to
the bathroom sir mr. brown go back out
there yes sir we start a play called 12
Angry Men directed by mr. Leroy
Washington now ran off the next day hey
alfalfa
they dogged me out they talked about me
so bad
the next time another event came up mr.
Washington mr. Brown you were up
I said no mr. Washington everybody says
no not him I said there right mr.
Washington not me he said mr. Brown
you’re up yes sir and I went out and
pretty soon when people laughed at me
didn’t bother me they would throw paper
and I can catch it without losing my
and then one day I came out and a hush
went across the audience because it must
have been something about me that
indicated that I had come to myself and
mr. washing had been practicing with me
to give a presentation and I looked at
the audience and I said I choose not to
be a common man it’s my right to be
uncommon if I can
I seek opportunity not security I do not
wish to be a kept citizen humbled and
dull by having the state look after me I
want to take the calculated risk to
dream and to build to fail and to
succeed I refuse to live from hand to
mouth I prefer the challenges of life to
the guaranteed existence but from a
fulfillment to the still calm of utopia
I will never cower before any master nor
been to any threat it’s my heritage to
stand erect proudly unafraid the face to
wear boldly and say this I have done
girl stood up say that’s my boyfriend
honey
unlikely some left for a baby but I
didn’t start off like that you have
something special you have talents and
abilities in you that you don’t even
know so how do we begin to create wealth
let me give you some some ideas number
one write this down knowledge what
knowledge that you have in this economy
part of what we need that people willing
to pay you for that next is talent what
Deon’s talents playing football I don’t
have that as a talent
my talent is talking to me that my
definition of success is doing what you
love to do and find somebody to pay you
to do it so I find people to pay me to
talk I talk I bought a game to this you
to this country called beard whisk that
I invented and as I talk I shoot pool I
signify I make you tap your cards break
your cue stick because I talk a lot of
trash I throw you off
you’ve never been to Boston out take you
there so I learn how to signify I talk
trash all right so I make a living
talking trash to AT&T I make more in one
hour than 90% of the American public
aren’t working for a whole year doing
what I love to do that I’ve developed my
talent you want to master your talent
find out what it is that you love to do
I love to talk scripture is another key
that says to us of what we need to do to
begin to develop ourselves
Luke 1234 where your treasure is there
will your heart be also
so what do you love to do and then
explore ways in which you can earn a
living doing that cooking writing
painting working with numbers working
with people the other thing is not only
must you have knowledge talent some
skill but the other thing that’s
important faith to act on whatever your
dream is see if you don’t believe in
yourself how many people you know that
have a lot of talent lot of abilities
but they don’t believe in
selves raise your hands cf faith is very
important so the faith to act on those
dreams those desires here scripture that
I that I like very much
proverbs 16 16th chapter third verse
commit thy works unto the Lord and I
thoughts shall be established commit
means to carry into action deliberately
commit means to make it happen no matter
what commitment the difference between
next time you have bigger names the
chicken was involved the pig was
committed he had to give it all up
that’s gonna take a minute to sink in
all right see when you make a commitment
I’m going to become wealthy when you
make it important when you decide I’m
gonna do it no matter what life changes
for you see most people don’t keep their
commitments to their commitments that’s
why they lead lives of poverty lives of
misery lives of unhappiness Socrates
said the uncommitted life isn’t worth
living so part of what you must do
whatever commitment or whatever covenant
you make with God while you’re here to
go back to be a better father to go back
to make a difference in the community to
go back to change your life to decide
not to ever to use drugs or alcohol
again to decide to bid that you’re going
to begin to recreate yourself that
you’re going to be reborn to a new state
of consciousness whatever commitment
that you make keep your commitment to
your commitment no matter what if it’s
hard then do it hard or keep your
commitment to your commitment and then
it says thy works see now most people
look at that commit that works most
people look at activity that one engages
in to achieve a predetermined objective
but works commit thy works it PluralEyes
as an S then learned this for Bishop you
got to watch these things in Scripture
just can’t go on the surface there’s an
S then
commit that work whatever task whatever
talent would ever steal whatever
knowledge you have and begin to make
money doing that making a difference
impacting people’s lives but commit that
work so there’s two kinds of work
there’s external work activity that
you’re engaged in and there is internal
work now why is that important
Pharisees said to Jesus when she’ll the
kingdom of God come that came of God
coming not by observation they shall say
it’s neither low very low here behold
the kingdom of God within you it’s
within you seek ye first the kingdom and
all these things will be added unto you
wealth good relationship peace of mind
good health better community whatever
you want to desire a more powerful
ministry so the work is internal as well
as external so therefore number one is
first step is you got to live your
calling you got to decide what is it you
love second thing is you’ve got to work
on yourself
write this down and the work on yourself
you don’t get in life what you want you
get in life what you are you have a
ministry and you have 300 people that’s
a reflection of you you have 2,000
that’s a reflection of you you have a
job you’re generating 1200 dollars a
year or two thousand dollars of five
hundred thousand dollars whatever you
earn whatever you’re producing in your
life is reflection of you that’s why
says Judge a tree by the fruit it bears
I can look at what you’re producing and
I can tell you a lot about who you are
and if you look at people who are living
below their potential and sinning and
sin and the Aramaic language means
falling short of the mark I asked a
question earlier how many of you have
goes the raise your hands how many of
you know if you had your life to live
over again you can do more than what
you’ve done the majority of us raised
our hands then that was an indication
that was testimony to reflect the fact
that you are palade operating below your
potential that’s a sin
here in my father glorified that ye bear
much fruit then just say fruit much
fruit see when you leave here you’ve got
to make a commitment to be more fruitful
buddy to be more productive to make
greater impact so what will allow you to
do that you got to spend time working on yourself
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