see ladies and gentlemen life is too
short trying to play it safe how many of
you know within yourself if you ask
yourself the question have I done all
that I’m capable of doing or being and
living up to my potential how many of
you have to really add answer no I have
not done all that I can do raise your
hands please okay very good
now here’s what we know that people
don’t do what they know in life but what
they do is they operate within the
context of the vision they have of
themselves so what I want to share with
you is how to begin to get a larger
vision of yourself and how to begin to
make this your decade because in order
to do that it’s going to be very
challenging it’s going to require a lot
of work on your part an ongoing process
of personal and professional self
mastery and it’s going to require that
you begin to see yourself worthy of the
requirements in terms of effort in terms
of commitment in terms of action in
terms of preparation or whatever it is
that you need to do in order to take
your life where you want to take it so
one of the first things I ask you to do
is I want you to look at your life right
now and think about something that’s
important to you something that gives
your life a sense of value think about
something that you’d like to have or
something you’d like to create for you
or your family or for society once you
hold this thought in mind now one of the
first things I want you to do is don’t
worry about the inner conversation that
you’re going to have don’t worry about
how you’re going to do it that’s going
to come you’re going to develop a plan
of action you will find the way you’ll
become the kind of person that can
attract the people the resources and
everything you need in order to make
that become reality but I want you to be
mindful of your inner conversation I
remember once I was sitting in an
audience and Zig Ziglar who I consider
one of the greatest motivational
speakers on the planet he was giving a
speech and I was out of the audience and
I saw him going back and forth and
within myself I said I’d like to do that
I can do that
[Music]
and then on the way home when I was
driving from Tampa Florida back to Miami
Florida my inner conversation kicked in
and it said Les Brown you can’t do that
you don’t have a college education Les
Brown you can’t do that you don’t have
the money you don’t have the contacts
you’ve never worked for a major
corporation what makes you think that
you can make more in one hour talking
and you’ve made working for a whole
how many of you have ever thought about
something you wanted to do and you
talked you out of it raise your hand
please that inner conversation ladies
and gentlemen is the reason that most
people take their greatness take their
ideas to the Graveyard with them you
know the wealthiest place on the planet
of minister said recently and it was so
true there’s not the gold mines in the
various areas of the world or the
diamond mines the wealthiest place on
the planet is the graveyard because in
the graveyard we will find inventions
that we never ever were exposed to ideas
dreams that never became a reality hopes
and aspirations that were never acted
upon because most people allow that
inner conversation for whatever reason
to keep them from ever pursuing their
goals so let us begin to look at what’s
required in order to to make this out
decade why is it that most people don’t
ever reach their goals they live up to
their true potential one is fear and
there are only two kinds of fears that
we’re born with the fear of falling and
the fear of a loud sound all of the
fears we learn like the fear of failure
the next is the fear of success that’s
one of the major challenges I had to
deal with I was working on a major
project and after it began to grow and
it was extremely successful I panicked
and I walked away from it and gave it to
someone else because I didn’t believe
that I could handle it the other thing
that keep most people from reaching
their goals
is that a lot of people become
comfortable they stop growing they stop
wanting anything they
they become satisfied they stop looking
at ways in which they can approve
themselves they stop putting things in
front of them I was reading something by
a great man George Bernard Shaw and he
said something to the effect that to
have succeeded as to have finished one’s
business on earth like the male spider
who was killed by the female spider the
moment he has succeeded in his courtship
and he goes on to say I like a state of
continual becoming with a goal in front
and not behind
I remember after giving a speech at a
major corporation a gentleman came up to
me he was up in years and he said you
know that’s real great motivation for
you young guys but I’ve done all my work
there’s nothing else for me to do I said
oh yes you’ve got a lot to give you have
a lot to offer the fact that you’re
still here means that your business is
not through yet the other thing that
keeps us from reaching our goal is not
feeling worthy that’s where a lot of
people get stuck because see when you
don’t feel worthy of your goal you’ll
begin to unconsciously engage in
self-destructive behavior like
procrastinating constantly putting
things off squandering your time and
that’s what life is made of something
else that keeps us from reaching our
goal and that is many times because we
spend so much time complaining and
blaming everybody or everything and they
just moan and groan and complain all the
time and never do anything about it they
haven’t got to the point where they’re
sick and tired of being sick and tired
they just have enough energy to complain
about it and they consider that in fact
they believe that that’s equivalent to
doing something about it just
complaining no I can’t get you where you
want to go that cannot create your
reality for you the other thing that
keep most people from realizing their
true greatness and their true potential
circumstances their environment there
are many people who believe because of
where they’re born because of the
area where they are in life and where
they find themselves that’s all they
know given my circumstances ladies and
gentlemen I shouldn’t be doing what I’m
doing right now
see I know something about you even not
knowing you that you’ve got greatness
within you you have the ability to do
things that you can’t even begin to
imagine you have talents and skills in
you that you haven’t even began to reach
for yet no one could have convinced me
given my circumstances given my
background that I would be doing what
I’m doing right now I was born in
Liberty City on a floor in 62nd Street a
twin brother and me when we were six
weeks of age we were adopted when I was
in fifth grade I was identified as EMR
labeled educable mentally retarded and
put back from the fifth grade into the
fourth grade and stayed in that category
until I got out of high school I have no
college training but here’s what
happened I had an intervention in my
life a man who saw something at me in a
time that I did not see something in
myself I never forget being in his class
one day waiting on a friend of mine who
was there to rehearse for a play he did
not show up and he asked me to go up to
the board and write something on the
board and I said I can’t do that sir he
said why not
I said I’m well on I’m in a special
education class he said what do you mean
I said go up to the board and write what
I’m about to tell you I said I can’t do
that sir why not I’m educable mentally
retarded and he came from behind his
desk he said don’t ever say that again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality and that changed
my life who was Oliver Wendell Holmes
who said that once a person’s mind is
expanded with an idea or concept it can
never be satisfied – going back to where
it was so some of you are going to
experience a breakthrough some of you’re
going to go back and look at your dreams
and brush them off some of you’re going
to begin to look at yourself and say hey
look here I know I have not done all
that I can do whatever goal that you
have in mind I want that to be a goal
that will challenge you something that
will make you stretch it was Osbourne
who said unless you attempt to do
something beyond that which you’ve
already mastered you will never grow
what is it that you looked at at some
point in time and you decided that you
couldn’t do it that you talk yourself
out of it whatever it is bring
back out there how you going to do it
that will come to you in due time so you
don’t get in life what you want ladies
and gentlemen you get in life what you
are not what you want you see the good
news is that we can always become more
by working to develop ourselves so the
first process of making this your decade
you’ve got to begin to take a look at
your life and look at where are you
right now what are your strengths what
are your weaknesses what gives your life
a sense of fulfillment a sense of joy
what does a fool which life means to you
what is it that you could love doing
seven days a week that’ll bring a smile
to your face think about that and all
the areas of your life your professional
life your personal life your family life
your spiritual life what is it that
you’d like to have once you begin to
determine that that takes you to the
next step and that is once you decide
what it is that you want now you’ve got
it could perhaps extend your life the
number one killer in this country of all
the diseases we have heart disease it’s
the number one killer and if you ask
most people when is it that that the
majority of people have their first
major heart attack some people will tell
you at the result of obesity or smoking
cigarettes or high cholesterol a high
blood pressure and all of those are
contributing factors however the truth
of the matter is that most people don’t
realize that the majority of people
suffer their first major heart attack on
Monday morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
people getting ready to go to jobs that
they don’t like jobs that are making
them sick you see when you’re not
pursuing your goal you are literally
committing spiritual suicide when you
have some goal out here that you’re
stretching forward and reaching for that
takes you out of your comfort zone
you’ll find out some talents and
abilities you have that you didn’t know
you had I started speaking just to
elementary school kids because I knew
they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave the archivist an
image we like you again then I graduated
up to junior high school and then the
senior high school and then to various
community groups in church groups and
civic associations and then to colleges
into businesses now I’m traveling across
the country and then traveling
nationally and internationally but I
never would have discovered what I’m
able to do right now if I wasn’t willing
to take a trac chance and you’ve got to
be willing to do that you’ve got to
believe in yourself I was doing work for
a major corporation and they were having
a major downsizing just another
terminology for major firings and so the
people that were working there they
approached them and said listen you are
eligible for early retirement we will
give you a buyout package of $300,000 if
you take it within this time frame
however after this timeframe when we
have the downsizing you might be among
the people cut and you will lose all of
the benefits that we’re talking about
right now
you can get his two-week severance pay
ladies and gentlemen only 50% of the
people that were eligible took this let
me tell you something if I’d been there
I’d go on to ask for your check see
ladies and gentlemen life is too short
trying to play it safe it’s too short
and unpredictable being miserable it’s
too short for that here’s the thing
there’s no safe position in life let me
tell you why it’s a quiet secret that
most people don’t realize you can’t get
out of life alive so you got to be bold
in life you got to take life on I
remember I was at a major corporation I
had to give a presentation and there
were two guys sitting across from me and
the guys said to the other fellow
looking at the last two finalists and
that involved my firm and their firm
said listen looking at the credentials
this guy doesn’t have any credentials we
have an advantage here we’ve got two
PhDs between us I got up and I went in
the bathroom start talking to myself I
said let’s try what do you care about
their two PhDs you have six children and
I’m mama to take care and I went in that
meeting and first of all I went out
walking Bowl looking good feeling good
and smelling good
all right and I said across that table
we start negotiating and I operate in a
spirit of absolute certainty I looked at
them as if the only reason that they
were born was to give me that contract
they survived one out of nine million
sperms to carry out this transaction
and I got the contract so you got to
decide to be bold most people go through
life trying to creep no no no trying to
be casual about it no no no you go for
life being casual you’ll end up a
casualty no you’ve got to be bold in
life you’ve got to take life on now
here’s something else you must be
positive see a lot of people when things
don’t happen when they want it want it
to happen they become negative and they
turn out and stop projecting a lot of
negative energy
no no you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to be
positive because see when you know
within yourself things are going to work
out for you when you know within
yourself that someway somehow you’re
going to make it and this is just some
of these are just some of the hoops
you’ve got to flip through in order to
get there it’s okay have a friend who
went to get a job and the people in
jaime was so negative had to hell with
you then they just don’t have a job
now here’s the last thing if you want to
reach your goal and have a competitive
edge you’ve got to be hungry a lot of
people love me to tell this story when I
got out of school you know my first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
and my hero in broadcasting was Paul
Harvey and I want to become involved in
broadcasting and I love the disc jockeys
that were on the air and I wanted to
become a disc jockey mr. Washington said
something to me that I’ll never forget
who was my mentor in high school repeat
this Whitney Young is this quote it’s
better to be prepared for an opportunity
and not have one than to have an
opportunity and not be prepared see so I
started working to develop my
communication skills and expand my
vocabulary I started visualizing myself
being a disc jockey I saw myself on
there having a talk show and playing
records and people listening to me that
was my vision that was my dream I held
that in mind constantly and I would
practice all the time practice makes
what absolutely not this this just
dislodge that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of the dictionary it doesn’t it doesn’t
exist
practice only makes improvement you can
always better your best you have not
done your best work yet long as you’re
here you have a chance to transcend
yourself so don’t believe in perfection
it doesn’t exist it only makes
improvement so I would practice practice
practice every day every day every day
and finally I went over to this radio
station asked a guy for a job and mr.
bodewell and I said how you doing sir
I’d like to get a job I was working on
Miami Beach yet at the Fontainebleau
Hotel at the time the Jackie Gleason and
a June Taylor dancers were famous and my
favorite program on television most
people would not remember John Barris
poor Tipton hi my name is Michael
Anthony I have a check for 1 million
dollars how many of you remember that
program all right
the millionaire that was my favorite
program on television you know it’s a if
this is my fantasy you know and every
time we would drive from Miami Beach I
would fantasize oh that’s the house when
I get my million on what buy my mother
that home over there so that’s my
fantasy I went up to mr. butterball and
he said you have any radio experience I
said no sir you have any background in
journalism I said no sir I say but I can
never get expirience if you don’t give
me the opportunity I’ve been practicing
a lot sir he said I’m sorry we don’t
have any
for you I say thank you sir he didn’t
know my reasons for being there my
reason I want to use radios of means to
earn the money to buy my mother home I
went back to the radio station again I
say how you doing mr. butterball my name
is les Vaughn I know your name did not
just see you here yesterday I say yes
sir I say y’all have any jobs here did
not tell you else they wouldnt have a
job
yes sir but I thought maybe somebody got
fired or resigned I don’t know sure I
went the next day how you doing mr.
butterball he said yes and I just didn’t
take it person how you doing so y’all
have any jobs here didn’t I just tell
you yesterday and the day before we
didn’t have any work well I thought
maybe somebody died sir I didn’t know I
don’t know I went the next day showed up
like nothing was wrong like I’ve saw him
for the first time how you doing mr.
butterball y’all having here he said boy
make yourself useful go get me some food
I said yes sir see many times when you
want more you’ve got to be willing to
pay your dues so I became their errand
boy why wouldn’t we get their lunch in
there their dinner and all kind of food
for them after a while I would take the
food to them in the control room and I
would not leave until they would ask me
to and I’d watch them working the
controls and I’ve memorized their hand
movements and pretty soon they would
trust me with their cars to go pick up
entertainers that came into town
entertainers like Sam Cooke I’m Donna
Ross and The Supremes The Four Tops and
the temptations I would drive them all
over Miami Beach see my first major goal
was to buy my mother home I feel like
Abraham Lincoln who said all that I am
and all that I ever hope to be I owe to
my mother and I said to my mama one day
said mama
when I become a man I’m gonna buy your
home and you won’t have to go to work
every day you won’t have to work you
just sit down she was getting up getting
dressed to go to M&M cafeteria that’s
now just following her around I say
watch mama one day you won’t have to
leave here to go to work no more raining
outside you won’t have to go to work in
the rain you just do what you want to do
like stay home with fix me sweet potato
pie
my mom will fix the kind of sweet potato
pie you can’t eat with your shoes on you
have to take your shoes off so you can
wiggle your toes
but that was my dream that was my
passion I saw that and that drove me
that was my reason for being so one of
the things in order to make this your
decade in order to reach your goals
you’ve got to find some reasons that
make you strong some reasons that will
make you hang in there when times get
rough because they’re going to get rough
it’s going to be very challenging
whenever you decide that you want to
grow whenever you decide that you want
to go to another level all hell will
break loose everything that will happen
the brother that can happen will happen
and at the worst possible moment they
call it Murphy’s Law see whenever you
decide that you want to go to another
vibration it’s like when you get into an
airplane the first thing they tell you
to do is do what fasten your seatbelt
because you’re going to experience some
turbulence when you’re going up and some
of you are already experiencing that
turbulence don’t be frightened by that
so whenever you decide you want to go to
another level
you’ve got to fasten your psychological
your mental in your spiritual seatbelt
because they’re going to be a while
before you experience a comfortable
altitude you’re gonna get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you grow this is
how you develop see life is like a
roller coaster sometimes you up
sometimes you down sometimes things go
well sometimes they don’t go well but in
the down moments that’s when you
discover who you are during the down
moment see in this prosperous time you
put it in your pocket in the lean times
you put it in your heart and that’s when
you discover who you are why is it that
you deserve your goal what are the five
reasons that you won’t give up when life
catch you on the Blind Side when the
messenger of misery visits you what are
you going to do what will keep you in
the game when life knocks you to the
canvas see the Buster Douglas that
fought in the last fight was not the
Buster Douglas that fought Mike Tyson
see the Buster Douglas that got knocked
down while fighting Mike Tyson had
gotten out an alcohol recovery center
his mother had died his wife was ill
with a terminal illness
he was considered a nothing a-bomb so
when he got knocked down Buster Douglas
had a reason to get back up because he
said I’m dedicating this fight to the
memory of my mama but when he fought the
last fight that he had and he got
knocked down and he had a guaranteed 24
million dollars in his pocket where he
got up enough he just said hurry up and
count me out so you’ve got to have some
reasons that when life knocks you down
and it’s gone to hell oh it’s going to
knock you down when people disappoint
you and that’s going to happen when they
betray you and that’s going to happen
when they lied to you and that’s going
to happen when they say oh you can count
on me and they won’t show up and that’s
going to happen when you want to throw
in the towel and give up yourself and
that’s gonna happen when life collapse
on you and catch you on the Blind Side
it drops you to your knees to start
shoking you you got a dream no I got no
dream and that’s gonna happen what
reason can you remember that you can
call on that you can reach on that can
make you get back up find that reason
because your life would lock me down I
say life I’m doing this because I want
to make my momma proud of me I’m doing
this because I want my children to have
a better life than what I had I’m doing
this because all my life I’ve been told
I’d be a loser
that I wouldn’t make it all my life I
heard people said made me take them back
to the welfare department I’m doing this
to make them a la I believe like Frank
Sinatra he said the best revenge in life
is massive success I’m doing this so I
can become massively successful and with
that kind of courage with that kind of
affirmation and reason to empower me I
got a saying that when life knocks you
down try and land on your back because
if you can look up you can get up so
when you run out of money when things
don’t work out for you when things
happen that you could not anticipate
what are the reasons that you can think
of that can keep you strong that can
keep you in the game that will be your
rod and staff to comfort you that can be
your bridge over troubled waters those
reasons a very important Nietzsche said
if you know the why for living you can
endure almost any how so find out the
reasons
you do what you do find out the reasons
that will make you strong that will make
you walk by faith and not by sight that
will make you pursue your dream and
everybody is against you or don’t
believe in you’re no more and let me
tell you something that’s a lonely
feeling it’s a lonely feeling
particularly people that you’re doing it
for or people that stand to benefit the
most or people who should be the number
one members in the encouragement Club
when they end up saying you can’t do it
and they become members of the
discourage me Club oh it hurts very
badly I know what that’s like
have people that you love close to you
and look at you with that look and say
why don’t you try something else
why don’t you give up I said but this is
my life I have got to do this less you
had a good job at Sears bad man like you
mama I can’t go back you see I get I
can’t do I got to be my own boss I I
can’t do that I mean you know it’s it’s
ladies and gentlemen you know and you
work on a job that’s dead in you can see
the ceiling already it’s like going in
the middle of a movie and after you’ve
seen the movie sitting back through that
over again there’s something missing you
know the hero’s not gonna die you know
what the outcome is already and so
that’s why a lot of people lady was
telling me she said when she went to
works bub like a refrigerator fell on
her shoulder as soon as she stepped in
because she knew she could she had gone
as far as she could go see they’re
paying her just enough to keep her from
quitting and she’s worked just hard
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
and looking horribly tired ugly
sometimes we take life too seriously oh
no make a commitment to be happy fine
little things just to get tickled about
and laugh find ways to be happy in the
moment a lot of people say well I’ll be
happy when I pay off all my bills I’ll
be happy when I get my divorce
oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children god oh no no you want to be
happy now see there’s no guarantees no
one’s saying you’re gonna be here two
three or four years from now so you want
to be happy right now in the moment make
a commitment to be happy because life
now has new meaning for you just
enjoying the sunset or just looking at
life looking at nature going for a walk
it’s the little things in life that
counts here’s something else that you
want to begin to do in order to make
this your decade you want to begin to
get all the toxic people out of your
life hello
energy drainers get them out of your
life see ladies and gentlemen it takes a
lot of energy to reach your goal takes a
lot of emotional mental and spiritual
energy to reach your goal and you can
run faster with a hundred who want to go
then with one around your neck so there
are two kinds of relationships it’s
Simon talks about this nourishing
relationships and toxic relationships
nourishing relationships are the
relationships that inspire you they
motivate you they bring the best out of
you
toxic relationships are relationships
with people that always criticize you
all they can do is find fault all they
can do is just exploit your weaknesses
all they can do is remind you of the
mistakes that you’ve made in the past
these people are bad for your health
toxic people can run your blood pressure
up one apple can spoil the whole barrel
one negative energy or energy drainer
can spoil your whole life
I know people who lives have been ruined
because somebody wasn’t good for them
see there are some people that aren’t
good for you
hello they aren’t good for you got to
get them out of your life see a lot of
people put up with a lot of foolishness
because they don’t want to die by
themselves here’s what I believe I
believe in a 1/2 a box theory make a
list of who you communicate with most
and ask yourself the question what kind
of person am i becoming because of this
relationship does it helping me to grow
mentally and emotionally and spiritually
am i becoming a better person because of
this relationship do they bring out the
best in me do they inspire me do they
encourage me to develop my greatness do
they make me stretch so you got to look
at the people in your life and find out
what kind of person are you becoming
because of that relationship my mother
used to say birds of a feather flock
together you run around with losers you
will end up a loser
unconsciously unconsciously you will
pick up their ways you’ll pick up their
habits you’ll pick up most importantly
their attitude about life
if you around cynical negative people
all the time you will become cynical and
negative so you’ve got to watch yourself
many of us are living out the lives of
other people living out their
conclusions living out of their
consciousness the other thing is that
you begin to look at looking at your
life and looking at what it is that you
want to achieve another crucial thing
that you must do is align yourself with
powerful people align yourself with
people that can encourage you people
that can empower you people that you can
learn from people that you can grow from
that’s very important so if you have
people around you that can contribute to
your growth when I want to become a
speaker I join the National Speakers
Association I wanted to be around the
doctor Norman Vincent appeals the zig
Zigler the Dwayne dyers this is I wanted
to be around people that were doing what
I wanted to do I want to learn from them
and you want to do that too you want to
align yourself with people who think
like you people who dream like you
people who want more out of life people
that are stretching and searching and
seeking some higher ground in life as
opposed to the majority of people
somebody said always strive to get on
top in life because it’s the bottom
that’s overcrowded and so you don’t want
to be on the bottom see it’s easier to
be on the bottom it doesn’t take any
effort to be a loser doesn’t take any
motivation any Drive in order to stay
down there on a low level but it calls
on everything in you ladies and
gentlemen you have to harness your will
to say I’m going to challenge myself
sometimes I have to pull myself out of
mythic come on les things I know I
should do I don’t do things I shouldn’t
do I do I found that the biggest enemy
you have to deal with is yourself
there’s an old African proverb that says
if there’s no enemy within the enemy
outside can do us no harm you begin to
look toward making your life different
if you begin to look at yourself you got
to redefine yourself who are you right
now and who must you become in order to
create what you want what has to change
about you what is it that you’re doing
right now that would be a liability for
you as you begin to look to
the future and take inventory of
yourself what is it about you right now
that you’ve got to leave this behind
because this no longer fits looking at
where you want to go and the kind of
person that you must become the kind of
standards that you have for you what is
it that you must do differently repeat
out to me please if you want to keep on
getting what you’re getting keep on
doing what you’re doing that doesn’t
take an Einstein for that all right it
makes sense unless you change your
pattern unless you change the way you’re
thinking unless you change your behavior
you’re going to continue to produce the
results in your life see all of us the
winners but some of us are producing
results that we don’t want and so all
you have to look at your game plan look
at your strategy how is it that you have
been B what is it that you’ve been doing
to produce this so you have a director
you are the producer you’re writing the
script you’re the star of your life and
as you begin to look at your life you
can decide whether or not it’s a smash
and whether or not it’s a flop that’s in
your hands
look at your life look at where you want
to go don’t worry about your
circumstances don’t worry about your age
have a friend who’s up in age over 70
and she wanted to build a multi-million
dollar complex the name is dr. Johnny
Coleman lenders and Baker’s say you
can’t do that you’re too old she ignored
them that building now stands ladies and
gentlemen a multi-million dollar
structure but there are a lot of people
who would have listened to that a lot of
people that would not have even gotten
to that point they were talk themselves
out of even going down to the bank to
ask for it because they’ve already said
no to themselves see it’s time now if
you want to make this your decade you’ve
got to start saying yes to your life
you’ve got to start saying yes to your
dreams yes to your unfolding future yes
to your potential as opposed to say no
see 87% of our self talk is negative so
you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to say yes
to your dreams why not why not me don’t
spend time like most people going
through life complain
you [Music]
short trying to play it safe how many of
you know within yourself if you ask
yourself the question have I done all
that I’m capable of doing or being and
living up to my potential how many of
you have to really add answer no I have
not done all that I can do raise your
hands please okay very good
now here’s what we know that people
don’t do what they know in life but what
they do is they operate within the
context of the vision they have of
themselves so what I want to share with
you is how to begin to get a larger
vision of yourself and how to begin to
make this your decade because in order
to do that it’s going to be very
challenging it’s going to require a lot
of work on your part an ongoing process
of personal and professional self
mastery and it’s going to require that
you begin to see yourself worthy of the
requirements in terms of effort in terms
of commitment in terms of action in
terms of preparation or whatever it is
that you need to do in order to take
your life where you want to take it so
one of the first things I ask you to do
is I want you to look at your life right
now and think about something that’s
important to you something that gives
your life a sense of value think about
something that you’d like to have or
something you’d like to create for you
or your family or for society once you
hold this thought in mind now one of the
first things I want you to do is don’t
worry about the inner conversation that
you’re going to have don’t worry about
how you’re going to do it that’s going
to come you’re going to develop a plan
of action you will find the way you’ll
become the kind of person that can
attract the people the resources and
everything you need in order to make
that become reality but I want you to be
mindful of your inner conversation I
remember once I was sitting in an
audience and Zig Ziglar who I consider
one of the greatest motivational
speakers on the planet he was giving a
speech and I was out of the audience and
I saw him going back and forth and
within myself I said I’d like to do that
I can do that
[Music]
and then on the way home when I was
driving from Tampa Florida back to Miami
Florida my inner conversation kicked in
and it said Les Brown you can’t do that
you don’t have a college education Les
Brown you can’t do that you don’t have
the money you don’t have the contacts
you’ve never worked for a major
corporation what makes you think that
you can make more in one hour talking
and you’ve made working for a whole
how many of you have ever thought about
something you wanted to do and you
talked you out of it raise your hand
please that inner conversation ladies
and gentlemen is the reason that most
people take their greatness take their
ideas to the Graveyard with them you
know the wealthiest place on the planet
of minister said recently and it was so
true there’s not the gold mines in the
various areas of the world or the
diamond mines the wealthiest place on
the planet is the graveyard because in
the graveyard we will find inventions
that we never ever were exposed to ideas
dreams that never became a reality hopes
and aspirations that were never acted
upon because most people allow that
inner conversation for whatever reason
to keep them from ever pursuing their
goals so let us begin to look at what’s
required in order to to make this out
decade why is it that most people don’t
ever reach their goals they live up to
their true potential one is fear and
there are only two kinds of fears that
we’re born with the fear of falling and
the fear of a loud sound all of the
fears we learn like the fear of failure
the next is the fear of success that’s
one of the major challenges I had to
deal with I was working on a major
project and after it began to grow and
it was extremely successful I panicked
and I walked away from it and gave it to
someone else because I didn’t believe
that I could handle it the other thing
that keep most people from reaching
their goals
is that a lot of people become
comfortable they stop growing they stop
wanting anything they
they become satisfied they stop looking
at ways in which they can approve
themselves they stop putting things in
front of them I was reading something by
a great man George Bernard Shaw and he
said something to the effect that to
have succeeded as to have finished one’s
business on earth like the male spider
who was killed by the female spider the
moment he has succeeded in his courtship
and he goes on to say I like a state of
continual becoming with a goal in front
and not behind
I remember after giving a speech at a
major corporation a gentleman came up to
me he was up in years and he said you
know that’s real great motivation for
you young guys but I’ve done all my work
there’s nothing else for me to do I said
oh yes you’ve got a lot to give you have
a lot to offer the fact that you’re
still here means that your business is
not through yet the other thing that
keeps us from reaching our goal is not
feeling worthy that’s where a lot of
people get stuck because see when you
don’t feel worthy of your goal you’ll
begin to unconsciously engage in
self-destructive behavior like
procrastinating constantly putting
things off squandering your time and
that’s what life is made of something
else that keeps us from reaching our
goal and that is many times because we
spend so much time complaining and
blaming everybody or everything and they
just moan and groan and complain all the
time and never do anything about it they
haven’t got to the point where they’re
sick and tired of being sick and tired
they just have enough energy to complain
about it and they consider that in fact
they believe that that’s equivalent to
doing something about it just
complaining no I can’t get you where you
want to go that cannot create your
reality for you the other thing that
keep most people from realizing their
true greatness and their true potential
circumstances their environment there
are many people who believe because of
where they’re born because of the
area where they are in life and where
they find themselves that’s all they
know given my circumstances ladies and
gentlemen I shouldn’t be doing what I’m
doing right now
see I know something about you even not
knowing you that you’ve got greatness
within you you have the ability to do
things that you can’t even begin to
imagine you have talents and skills in
you that you haven’t even began to reach
for yet no one could have convinced me
given my circumstances given my
background that I would be doing what
I’m doing right now I was born in
Liberty City on a floor in 62nd Street a
twin brother and me when we were six
weeks of age we were adopted when I was
in fifth grade I was identified as EMR
labeled educable mentally retarded and
put back from the fifth grade into the
fourth grade and stayed in that category
until I got out of high school I have no
college training but here’s what
happened I had an intervention in my
life a man who saw something at me in a
time that I did not see something in
myself I never forget being in his class
one day waiting on a friend of mine who
was there to rehearse for a play he did
not show up and he asked me to go up to
the board and write something on the
board and I said I can’t do that sir he
said why not
I said I’m well on I’m in a special
education class he said what do you mean
I said go up to the board and write what
I’m about to tell you I said I can’t do
that sir why not I’m educable mentally
retarded and he came from behind his
desk he said don’t ever say that again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality and that changed
my life who was Oliver Wendell Holmes
who said that once a person’s mind is
expanded with an idea or concept it can
never be satisfied – going back to where
it was so some of you are going to
experience a breakthrough some of you’re
going to go back and look at your dreams
and brush them off some of you’re going
to begin to look at yourself and say hey
look here I know I have not done all
that I can do whatever goal that you
have in mind I want that to be a goal
that will challenge you something that
will make you stretch it was Osbourne
who said unless you attempt to do
something beyond that which you’ve
already mastered you will never grow
what is it that you looked at at some
point in time and you decided that you
couldn’t do it that you talk yourself
out of it whatever it is bring
back out there how you going to do it
that will come to you in due time so you
don’t get in life what you want ladies
and gentlemen you get in life what you
are not what you want you see the good
news is that we can always become more
by working to develop ourselves so the
first process of making this your decade
you’ve got to begin to take a look at
your life and look at where are you
right now what are your strengths what
are your weaknesses what gives your life
a sense of fulfillment a sense of joy
what does a fool which life means to you
what is it that you could love doing
seven days a week that’ll bring a smile
to your face think about that and all
the areas of your life your professional
life your personal life your family life
your spiritual life what is it that
you’d like to have once you begin to
determine that that takes you to the
next step and that is once you decide
what it is that you want now you’ve got
it could perhaps extend your life the
number one killer in this country of all
the diseases we have heart disease it’s
the number one killer and if you ask
most people when is it that that the
majority of people have their first
major heart attack some people will tell
you at the result of obesity or smoking
cigarettes or high cholesterol a high
blood pressure and all of those are
contributing factors however the truth
of the matter is that most people don’t
realize that the majority of people
suffer their first major heart attack on
Monday morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
people getting ready to go to jobs that
they don’t like jobs that are making
them sick you see when you’re not
pursuing your goal you are literally
committing spiritual suicide when you
have some goal out here that you’re
stretching forward and reaching for that
takes you out of your comfort zone
you’ll find out some talents and
abilities you have that you didn’t know
you had I started speaking just to
elementary school kids because I knew
they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave the archivist an
image we like you again then I graduated
up to junior high school and then the
senior high school and then to various
community groups in church groups and
civic associations and then to colleges
into businesses now I’m traveling across
the country and then traveling
nationally and internationally but I
never would have discovered what I’m
able to do right now if I wasn’t willing
to take a trac chance and you’ve got to
be willing to do that you’ve got to
believe in yourself I was doing work for
a major corporation and they were having
a major downsizing just another
terminology for major firings and so the
people that were working there they
approached them and said listen you are
eligible for early retirement we will
give you a buyout package of $300,000 if
you take it within this time frame
however after this timeframe when we
have the downsizing you might be among
the people cut and you will lose all of
the benefits that we’re talking about
right now
you can get his two-week severance pay
ladies and gentlemen only 50% of the
people that were eligible took this let
me tell you something if I’d been there
I’d go on to ask for your check see
ladies and gentlemen life is too short
trying to play it safe it’s too short
and unpredictable being miserable it’s
too short for that here’s the thing
there’s no safe position in life let me
tell you why it’s a quiet secret that
most people don’t realize you can’t get
out of life alive so you got to be bold
in life you got to take life on I
remember I was at a major corporation I
had to give a presentation and there
were two guys sitting across from me and
the guys said to the other fellow
looking at the last two finalists and
that involved my firm and their firm
said listen looking at the credentials
this guy doesn’t have any credentials we
have an advantage here we’ve got two
PhDs between us I got up and I went in
the bathroom start talking to myself I
said let’s try what do you care about
their two PhDs you have six children and
I’m mama to take care and I went in that
meeting and first of all I went out
walking Bowl looking good feeling good
and smelling good
all right and I said across that table
we start negotiating and I operate in a
spirit of absolute certainty I looked at
them as if the only reason that they
were born was to give me that contract
they survived one out of nine million
sperms to carry out this transaction
and I got the contract so you got to
decide to be bold most people go through
life trying to creep no no no trying to
be casual about it no no no you go for
life being casual you’ll end up a
casualty no you’ve got to be bold in
life you’ve got to take life on now
here’s something else you must be
positive see a lot of people when things
don’t happen when they want it want it
to happen they become negative and they
turn out and stop projecting a lot of
negative energy
no no you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to be
positive because see when you know
within yourself things are going to work
out for you when you know within
yourself that someway somehow you’re
going to make it and this is just some
of these are just some of the hoops
you’ve got to flip through in order to
get there it’s okay have a friend who
went to get a job and the people in
jaime was so negative had to hell with
you then they just don’t have a job
now here’s the last thing if you want to
reach your goal and have a competitive
edge you’ve got to be hungry a lot of
people love me to tell this story when I
got out of school you know my first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
and my hero in broadcasting was Paul
Harvey and I want to become involved in
broadcasting and I love the disc jockeys
that were on the air and I wanted to
become a disc jockey mr. Washington said
something to me that I’ll never forget
who was my mentor in high school repeat
this Whitney Young is this quote it’s
better to be prepared for an opportunity
and not have one than to have an
opportunity and not be prepared see so I
started working to develop my
communication skills and expand my
vocabulary I started visualizing myself
being a disc jockey I saw myself on
there having a talk show and playing
records and people listening to me that
was my vision that was my dream I held
that in mind constantly and I would
practice all the time practice makes
what absolutely not this this just
dislodge that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of the dictionary it doesn’t it doesn’t
exist
practice only makes improvement you can
always better your best you have not
done your best work yet long as you’re
here you have a chance to transcend
yourself so don’t believe in perfection
it doesn’t exist it only makes
improvement so I would practice practice
practice every day every day every day
and finally I went over to this radio
station asked a guy for a job and mr.
bodewell and I said how you doing sir
I’d like to get a job I was working on
Miami Beach yet at the Fontainebleau
Hotel at the time the Jackie Gleason and
a June Taylor dancers were famous and my
favorite program on television most
people would not remember John Barris
poor Tipton hi my name is Michael
Anthony I have a check for 1 million
dollars how many of you remember that
program all right
the millionaire that was my favorite
program on television you know it’s a if
this is my fantasy you know and every
time we would drive from Miami Beach I
would fantasize oh that’s the house when
I get my million on what buy my mother
that home over there so that’s my
fantasy I went up to mr. butterball and
he said you have any radio experience I
said no sir you have any background in
journalism I said no sir I say but I can
never get expirience if you don’t give
me the opportunity I’ve been practicing
a lot sir he said I’m sorry we don’t
have any
for you I say thank you sir he didn’t
know my reasons for being there my
reason I want to use radios of means to
earn the money to buy my mother home I
went back to the radio station again I
say how you doing mr. butterball my name
is les Vaughn I know your name did not
just see you here yesterday I say yes
sir I say y’all have any jobs here did
not tell you else they wouldnt have a
job
yes sir but I thought maybe somebody got
fired or resigned I don’t know sure I
went the next day how you doing mr.
butterball he said yes and I just didn’t
take it person how you doing so y’all
have any jobs here didn’t I just tell
you yesterday and the day before we
didn’t have any work well I thought
maybe somebody died sir I didn’t know I
don’t know I went the next day showed up
like nothing was wrong like I’ve saw him
for the first time how you doing mr.
butterball y’all having here he said boy
make yourself useful go get me some food
I said yes sir see many times when you
want more you’ve got to be willing to
pay your dues so I became their errand
boy why wouldn’t we get their lunch in
there their dinner and all kind of food
for them after a while I would take the
food to them in the control room and I
would not leave until they would ask me
to and I’d watch them working the
controls and I’ve memorized their hand
movements and pretty soon they would
trust me with their cars to go pick up
entertainers that came into town
entertainers like Sam Cooke I’m Donna
Ross and The Supremes The Four Tops and
the temptations I would drive them all
over Miami Beach see my first major goal
was to buy my mother home I feel like
Abraham Lincoln who said all that I am
and all that I ever hope to be I owe to
my mother and I said to my mama one day
said mama
when I become a man I’m gonna buy your
home and you won’t have to go to work
every day you won’t have to work you
just sit down she was getting up getting
dressed to go to M&M cafeteria that’s
now just following her around I say
watch mama one day you won’t have to
leave here to go to work no more raining
outside you won’t have to go to work in
the rain you just do what you want to do
like stay home with fix me sweet potato
pie
my mom will fix the kind of sweet potato
pie you can’t eat with your shoes on you
have to take your shoes off so you can
wiggle your toes
but that was my dream that was my
passion I saw that and that drove me
that was my reason for being so one of
the things in order to make this your
decade in order to reach your goals
you’ve got to find some reasons that
make you strong some reasons that will
make you hang in there when times get
rough because they’re going to get rough
it’s going to be very challenging
whenever you decide that you want to
grow whenever you decide that you want
to go to another level all hell will
break loose everything that will happen
the brother that can happen will happen
and at the worst possible moment they
call it Murphy’s Law see whenever you
decide that you want to go to another
vibration it’s like when you get into an
airplane the first thing they tell you
to do is do what fasten your seatbelt
because you’re going to experience some
turbulence when you’re going up and some
of you are already experiencing that
turbulence don’t be frightened by that
so whenever you decide you want to go to
another level
you’ve got to fasten your psychological
your mental in your spiritual seatbelt
because they’re going to be a while
before you experience a comfortable
altitude you’re gonna get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you grow this is
how you develop see life is like a
roller coaster sometimes you up
sometimes you down sometimes things go
well sometimes they don’t go well but in
the down moments that’s when you
discover who you are during the down
moment see in this prosperous time you
put it in your pocket in the lean times
you put it in your heart and that’s when
you discover who you are why is it that
you deserve your goal what are the five
reasons that you won’t give up when life
catch you on the Blind Side when the
messenger of misery visits you what are
you going to do what will keep you in
the game when life knocks you to the
canvas see the Buster Douglas that
fought in the last fight was not the
Buster Douglas that fought Mike Tyson
see the Buster Douglas that got knocked
down while fighting Mike Tyson had
gotten out an alcohol recovery center
his mother had died his wife was ill
with a terminal illness
he was considered a nothing a-bomb so
when he got knocked down Buster Douglas
had a reason to get back up because he
said I’m dedicating this fight to the
memory of my mama but when he fought the
last fight that he had and he got
knocked down and he had a guaranteed 24
million dollars in his pocket where he
got up enough he just said hurry up and
count me out so you’ve got to have some
reasons that when life knocks you down
and it’s gone to hell oh it’s going to
knock you down when people disappoint
you and that’s going to happen when they
betray you and that’s going to happen
when they lied to you and that’s going
to happen when they say oh you can count
on me and they won’t show up and that’s
going to happen when you want to throw
in the towel and give up yourself and
that’s gonna happen when life collapse
on you and catch you on the Blind Side
it drops you to your knees to start
shoking you you got a dream no I got no
dream and that’s gonna happen what
reason can you remember that you can
call on that you can reach on that can
make you get back up find that reason
because your life would lock me down I
say life I’m doing this because I want
to make my momma proud of me I’m doing
this because I want my children to have
a better life than what I had I’m doing
this because all my life I’ve been told
I’d be a loser
that I wouldn’t make it all my life I
heard people said made me take them back
to the welfare department I’m doing this
to make them a la I believe like Frank
Sinatra he said the best revenge in life
is massive success I’m doing this so I
can become massively successful and with
that kind of courage with that kind of
affirmation and reason to empower me I
got a saying that when life knocks you
down try and land on your back because
if you can look up you can get up so
when you run out of money when things
don’t work out for you when things
happen that you could not anticipate
what are the reasons that you can think
of that can keep you strong that can
keep you in the game that will be your
rod and staff to comfort you that can be
your bridge over troubled waters those
reasons a very important Nietzsche said
if you know the why for living you can
endure almost any how so find out the
reasons
you do what you do find out the reasons
that will make you strong that will make
you walk by faith and not by sight that
will make you pursue your dream and
everybody is against you or don’t
believe in you’re no more and let me
tell you something that’s a lonely
feeling it’s a lonely feeling
particularly people that you’re doing it
for or people that stand to benefit the
most or people who should be the number
one members in the encouragement Club
when they end up saying you can’t do it
and they become members of the
discourage me Club oh it hurts very
badly I know what that’s like
have people that you love close to you
and look at you with that look and say
why don’t you try something else
why don’t you give up I said but this is
my life I have got to do this less you
had a good job at Sears bad man like you
mama I can’t go back you see I get I
can’t do I got to be my own boss I I
can’t do that I mean you know it’s it’s
ladies and gentlemen you know and you
work on a job that’s dead in you can see
the ceiling already it’s like going in
the middle of a movie and after you’ve
seen the movie sitting back through that
over again there’s something missing you
know the hero’s not gonna die you know
what the outcome is already and so
that’s why a lot of people lady was
telling me she said when she went to
works bub like a refrigerator fell on
her shoulder as soon as she stepped in
because she knew she could she had gone
as far as she could go see they’re
paying her just enough to keep her from
quitting and she’s worked just hard
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
and looking horribly tired ugly
sometimes we take life too seriously oh
no make a commitment to be happy fine
little things just to get tickled about
and laugh find ways to be happy in the
moment a lot of people say well I’ll be
happy when I pay off all my bills I’ll
be happy when I get my divorce
oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children god oh no no you want to be
happy now see there’s no guarantees no
one’s saying you’re gonna be here two
three or four years from now so you want
to be happy right now in the moment make
a commitment to be happy because life
now has new meaning for you just
enjoying the sunset or just looking at
life looking at nature going for a walk
it’s the little things in life that
counts here’s something else that you
want to begin to do in order to make
this your decade you want to begin to
get all the toxic people out of your
life hello
energy drainers get them out of your
life see ladies and gentlemen it takes a
lot of energy to reach your goal takes a
lot of emotional mental and spiritual
energy to reach your goal and you can
run faster with a hundred who want to go
then with one around your neck so there
are two kinds of relationships it’s
Simon talks about this nourishing
relationships and toxic relationships
nourishing relationships are the
relationships that inspire you they
motivate you they bring the best out of
you
toxic relationships are relationships
with people that always criticize you
all they can do is find fault all they
can do is just exploit your weaknesses
all they can do is remind you of the
mistakes that you’ve made in the past
these people are bad for your health
toxic people can run your blood pressure
up one apple can spoil the whole barrel
one negative energy or energy drainer
can spoil your whole life
I know people who lives have been ruined
because somebody wasn’t good for them
see there are some people that aren’t
good for you
hello they aren’t good for you got to
get them out of your life see a lot of
people put up with a lot of foolishness
because they don’t want to die by
themselves here’s what I believe I
believe in a 1/2 a box theory make a
list of who you communicate with most
and ask yourself the question what kind
of person am i becoming because of this
relationship does it helping me to grow
mentally and emotionally and spiritually
am i becoming a better person because of
this relationship do they bring out the
best in me do they inspire me do they
encourage me to develop my greatness do
they make me stretch so you got to look
at the people in your life and find out
what kind of person are you becoming
because of that relationship my mother
used to say birds of a feather flock
together you run around with losers you
will end up a loser
unconsciously unconsciously you will
pick up their ways you’ll pick up their
habits you’ll pick up most importantly
their attitude about life
if you around cynical negative people
all the time you will become cynical and
negative so you’ve got to watch yourself
many of us are living out the lives of
other people living out their
conclusions living out of their
consciousness the other thing is that
you begin to look at looking at your
life and looking at what it is that you
want to achieve another crucial thing
that you must do is align yourself with
powerful people align yourself with
people that can encourage you people
that can empower you people that you can
learn from people that you can grow from
that’s very important so if you have
people around you that can contribute to
your growth when I want to become a
speaker I join the National Speakers
Association I wanted to be around the
doctor Norman Vincent appeals the zig
Zigler the Dwayne dyers this is I wanted
to be around people that were doing what
I wanted to do I want to learn from them
and you want to do that too you want to
align yourself with people who think
like you people who dream like you
people who want more out of life people
that are stretching and searching and
seeking some higher ground in life as
opposed to the majority of people
somebody said always strive to get on
top in life because it’s the bottom
that’s overcrowded and so you don’t want
to be on the bottom see it’s easier to
be on the bottom it doesn’t take any
effort to be a loser doesn’t take any
motivation any Drive in order to stay
down there on a low level but it calls
on everything in you ladies and
gentlemen you have to harness your will
to say I’m going to challenge myself
sometimes I have to pull myself out of
mythic come on les things I know I
should do I don’t do things I shouldn’t
do I do I found that the biggest enemy
you have to deal with is yourself
there’s an old African proverb that says
if there’s no enemy within the enemy
outside can do us no harm you begin to
look toward making your life different
if you begin to look at yourself you got
to redefine yourself who are you right
now and who must you become in order to
create what you want what has to change
about you what is it that you’re doing
right now that would be a liability for
you as you begin to look to
the future and take inventory of
yourself what is it about you right now
that you’ve got to leave this behind
because this no longer fits looking at
where you want to go and the kind of
person that you must become the kind of
standards that you have for you what is
it that you must do differently repeat
out to me please if you want to keep on
getting what you’re getting keep on
doing what you’re doing that doesn’t
take an Einstein for that all right it
makes sense unless you change your
pattern unless you change the way you’re
thinking unless you change your behavior
you’re going to continue to produce the
results in your life see all of us the
winners but some of us are producing
results that we don’t want and so all
you have to look at your game plan look
at your strategy how is it that you have
been B what is it that you’ve been doing
to produce this so you have a director
you are the producer you’re writing the
script you’re the star of your life and
as you begin to look at your life you
can decide whether or not it’s a smash
and whether or not it’s a flop that’s in
your hands
look at your life look at where you want
to go don’t worry about your
circumstances don’t worry about your age
have a friend who’s up in age over 70
and she wanted to build a multi-million
dollar complex the name is dr. Johnny
Coleman lenders and Baker’s say you
can’t do that you’re too old she ignored
them that building now stands ladies and
gentlemen a multi-million dollar
structure but there are a lot of people
who would have listened to that a lot of
people that would not have even gotten
to that point they were talk themselves
out of even going down to the bank to
ask for it because they’ve already said
no to themselves see it’s time now if
you want to make this your decade you’ve
got to start saying yes to your life
you’ve got to start saying yes to your
dreams yes to your unfolding future yes
to your potential as opposed to say no
see 87% of our self talk is negative so
you’ve got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to say yes
to your dreams why not why not me don’t
spend time like most people going
through life complain
you [Music]
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