you’re not going to outwork me you might
have more talent than me you might be
smarter than me you might be sexier than
me you might be all of those things you
got it on me in nine categories but if
we get on the treadmill together right
there’s two things you’re getting off
first or I’m gonna die it’s really that
simple
you’re not going to outwork me it’s such
a simple basic concept is the guy who is
willing to hustle the most is gonna be
the guy that just gets that loose ball
you stay ready you ain’t gotta get ready
the separation of talent and skill is
one of the greatest misunderstood
concepts for people who are trying to
excel who have dreams that want to do
things talent you have naturally skill
is only developed by hours and hours and
hours of beating on your craft there’s
no easy way around it no matter how
talented you are your talent is going to
fail you if you’re not skilled you’re
not going to outwork me I want to
represent an idea i want to represent
possibilities I want to represent magic
right make a choice
like you just decide what is gonna be
who you’re gonna be how you’re gonna do
it just decide and then from that point
the universe is going get out your way I
want to represent
possibilities I want to represent the
idea that you really can make what you
wanted and grow up with the sense that
where we were was where we were going to
be you know we grew up with the sense
that where we were almost didn’t matter
because we were becoming something
greater greatness is not this wonderful
esoteric illusive godlike feature that
only the special among us will ever
taste you know something that truly
exists in simple this is what I believe
and I’m willing to die for it the road
to success is through commitment and
through the strength to drive through
that commitment when it gets hard and it
is gonna get hard and you’re gonna want
to quit sometimes but it’ll be colored
by who you are and more who you want to
be I’m not afraid to die my treadmill I
will not be out work period he who says
he can and he who says he can’t are both
usually right
the the way to improve lives is to
continually improve yourself good people
have to get out of the bed every day and
try to empty the ocean with a ladle to
have the level of success that I want to
have it’s difficult to spread it out and
do multiple things you know it’s in
order to to be world-class and I’ve made
a decision I want to be world-class and
it just it takes such a desperate
obsessive focus to to excel on a certain
on the level that I want to make movies
[Music]
we are who we choose to be
[Music]
I want you to think about your dream
because I’m in a room full of dreamers
think about your dream right now and
envision it and I want to share
something with you that has changed my
life but that dream that you’re holding
in your mind it’s possible that in the
process of working on your dreams you
are going to incur a lot of
disappointment a lot of failure a lot of
pain a lot of setbacks a lot of defeats
but in the process of doing that you
will discover some things about yourself
that you don’t know right now what you
will realize is that you have greatness
within you what you’ll realize is that
you’re more powerful than you can ever
begin to imagine what you will realize
is that you’re greater than your
circumstances that you don’t have to go
through life being a victim I was born
in Miami Florida area called Liberty
City in an abandoned building on a
hardened Olien floor with my twin
brother we were 6 weeks of age we were
adopted when I was in fifth grade of
identified as CMR labeled educable
mentally retarded put back from the
fifth grade into the fourth grade and
stayed in that category until I got out
of high school no one could have
convinced me but after just over six
years I would have my own book entitled
live your dreams just over six years I
will have five specials on public
television just over six years I’ve done
motivational speaking for ADT Procter
gamble McDonald’s Corporation Xerox IBM
just over six years
I will now have my own top kill that
will premiere on Monday Labor Day I’m
saying to you your dream is possible
don’t give up on your dream it’s a long
shot ladies and gentlemen from Liberty
City an abandoned building on applause
never knowing my mother or father it’s a
long shot being here with you today in
this Dome in Atlanta it’s a long shot no
college training labeled educable
mentally retarded but I kept running
toward my dream someone’s opinion of you
does not have to become your reality
[Music]
it’s not easy it’s hard changing your
life it was hard when just over three
years ago in the Penobscot building in
Detroit Michigan where I was operating
my business and I fell on some hard
times and I was sleeping in my office
it was hard coming into the lobby and
the security said scuse me mr. brown can
we see you for a moment this is an
office tower it’s not a hotel please do
not sleep in your office
and I just worked long hours in creating
my business I’m an entrepreneur and
right now things are bad for me but
they’re not going to be this way always
and it was hard coming through the lobby
and sometimes they would laugh at the
guy talking about becoming successful
and look at it he’s bathing in the
bathroom upstairs on the 21st floor he
sleeps on the floor him and two other
dreamers up there look at him
it was hardly coming to speak to people
and I was facing financial difficulties
in my own life I was behind on my bills
and my dreams and I’m saying to them you
can live your dream it was hardly a
gentleman it was very difficult to pick
myself up each day believing that I can
do it there was times that I doubted
myself it was very hard and here’s what
I want to say to you don’t give up on
your dream it’s possible that you can
live your dream that’s it’s necessary
that you’ll religious that you have a
plan of action that you are creative
people that are living their dream of
finding winners to attach themselves to
the people that are living their dreams
of a people that know that it’s if it’s
going to happen it’s up to them and
they’re resolving within themselves it’s
not over until I win it is not the
critic who counts
the strong man stumbles or where the
doer could have done them I don’t pay
attention what they say about me
but I don’t really pay no attention to
those rooms of box I’ve added pages to
the book of boxes I have this game as
such a thing now on to boxing promoters
can no longer afford my shows
sometimes the wheel did not do this
field sometimes a fellow’s bill is
stronger than the man is actually better
physically and the determination weakens
the other man just 2cm Synchron
[Music]
I’m not afraid to fail I’m not afraid to
fall over make a mistake that often time
cripples people on the onset of getting
too into anything the first time I ever
picked up a DJ decks was horrible
horrible now but I’m not afraid of that
I’m not afraid of that feeling it
actually propels me it works quite the
opposite like I can do 18 22 hours a day
easily it’s definitely one of those
components to me as a human being my
makeup my genetics that allows me to
actually keep
I’ve always admired people to have their
things together their lives together
always admired someone their business I
remember Richard Branson right was
fascinating to me a young age not him
but just affected he had a multi-faceted
business people talk about aiming for
the skies sometimes even aiming for the
skies is intimidating
just don’t give yourself boundaries your
sky and my sky might be different but
neither of us have touched the sky if we
give ourselves boundaries my parents
well it’s very hard came from you know
West Africa came into England with not
very much I wanted to to work as hard as
they did in my field achievement
achievement is inspirational to people
doing it some on that on Monday didn’t
know how to do this by Friday can do it
that is an inspiration to me keep your
head down you know keep your head down
like when I swim 25 laps guaranteed if I
look up and start counting those laps
I’m Pete it out by 15 if I put my head
down and keep working away and work a
technique work it internal rhythm work
it ooh I hit that name I don’t even know
what leg come on guarantee you I’ve
looked up in every twenty and two or
three more to go and that’s a very
simple device but I think people find
themselves incrementally checking how
far they’ve gone
I know you know when you compare to
anybody else or whatever it’s just a
it’s a recipe for disaster just keep
banging on any of it means nothing from
the happy about it
my imagination is always kept me going
you know just imagine myself collecting
awards just imagine myself you know been
getting big parts imagine myself working
with the greatest actors yeah when I see
myself driving that car one day and I
get that you know I mean that’s as part
of my inner magic is that actually if I
can see myself doing it I could probably
do it
he is crewed up as the next man
because that’s your petrol that’s your
fuel to get you moving if you don’t know
where you’re going what your targets are
you’re never gonna get there period
work hard sleepless a lot of people they
wish and they’re not willing to work you
see the thing about chasing a product
and what the product is the product is
money
the product is a house the product is a
car the thing about chasing a product
the product can always change
and if your performance is always based
upon the product what happened when the
product changed and you don’t take pride
on what you do but think about loving
the process everybody was surprised but
nobody loves the process champion but
nobody’s willing to put in the work that
takes to be a champion throwed up the
trophy and said man I get it but
nobody’s willing to put in the work that
they’re doing the process I love working
for what I want that burn me believe you
never supposed to wish for more than
willing to work for the expectations
never supposed to exceed yeah but a lot
of people they wish and they’re not
willing to work and the great thing
about right life has a funny way of
testing all of us and seeing how bad we
really want what it is that we say we
want because they know about people
people can talk to talk and people do it
very well but life is going to hit you
with a certain level of opposition like
just one edge or the circle of that
mercy and life is going to say to you
you said you wanted now let’s see how
bad you really want the process when
opposition in that pussy hits you
would’ve been free slit and using it not
really for yourself or you will use it
to make everybody do you stronger
because your vision has to be larger
than yourself and everything that you’re
doing test about doing for your personal
gain
something’s gonna come up against you
that’s gonna be a lot tougher than you
[Music]
I’m 29 years old
my mother got pregnant with me at 15
years old I grew up on the east side of
Atlanta about five minutes away from the
weather Atlanta Braves play and the
neighborhood by the name of Kirkwood
drugs gangs violence you need came up in
a two-bedroom 14 people and so as a kid
pretty quick to make a decision of what
I wanted to do with my life because in
that same house I had eight uncles or
eight of which they’re still going in
and out of prison till this day because
they sold drugs never engage and so I
looked at it it’s kind of like that
group that says learn from the mistakes
of other people because you can’t make
them more yourself and so I saw them
selling drugs out coming so I said I’m
not selling drugs I’m not joining a gang
because I see what that road leads to
he’s gonna end up better in prison I
said to my best batch maybe to go to the
inner and so I went to my cousin by the
name what you want I said listen man I
want to go to the NFL our family
deserves a better way of life
let’s work for you see most nights after
practice everybody will leave to go home
and I always had to sit in the park
because my mother works at winning and
my mother didn’t get off work till about
ten o’clock 10:30 Moshe night and I’ll
be sitting in the park and I loved it I
just want anybody to take me home
because when I was home I was sleeping
on the floor with roaches and rats and
so anytime I got in solitude the dream
any time I got inside the truth to think
about what I wanted to do for my family
my community I took advantage of it and
so most nights I’ll be sitting there in
the park and I’ll be looking up at the
lights and I’ll be a vision of myself
doing things in the NFL envisioning
myself doing things in my community and
just after lights would always go out my
mother she would pull up and shoot off
the old beards Reaper hubcaps off the
car seats throwing up the car was all
beat up and she would pull up and she
would put the car in park
about hugging the kiss I would say mommy
feed up line can you please sit back in
your car I have to do some extra drills
I have to go to the NFL she will never
have to work another day in your life
and I knew she would say sure and she
was shit back in that car those car like
we hit that fielder he got a semi old
kid doing back felling drills running
sprints running lap chasing his dream to
go to the NFL and just beyond those
quality I could always connect with my
mother’s eyes and so it made me dig a
little bit deeper it made me push myself
a little bit further made me work a
little bit harder I left by this thing
called the harder you work the harder it
is to surrender you see the reason
people quit they don’t take pride in
what they do
the harder you work so hard it is to
surrender not just talking about
business I’m talking about winning
simultaneously and every aspect of life
I’m not concerned with this person that
does well in one aspect of that right
and they get him that hat dance a man I
made a lot of money you made a lot of
money or public success but your profits
that week and one night my mother
couldn’t pick me up and she’s gonna go
straight just like coach I can’t make it
tonight can you please take inky on and
so he put me in about eight guys in the
back of his pickup truck and he said can
we drop your flat and so when he got to
my house I got it on the side walking
I’m standing in front of 125 Warren
Street not look back that go straight
and I said why why are you doing this
because why I came from people in just
help you know is i pat you on your back
you got a pat you on my back you got a
do this week I said why are you doing it
and he looked back at me in Sun Sun I
want to tell you something he said I
don’t want you to ever forget it he said
Sunday morning make sure that somebody
else’s life is okay always make sure
that your life and immediately I got the
light bulb went off I stopped being this
little selfish kid I stopped being like
my four-year-old son and for the first
time in my life I stopped thinking
everything was just about inky johnson
and I realized my existence on this
earth is a lot bigger than me I realized
me my lineage and my family when I step
outside of my door in the morning what I
represent is a lot bigger than men so
the things I have to understand every
day I woke up and everything that I was
a part of I first had to understand I
was representing a lot more than myself
I first had to start living my two words
I never like to see and what I mean by
honor and legacy you honor the ones that
paid the way for you and you leave the
legacy for the ones that’s coming behind
you we just have it right now while
we’re plotting something right now
somebody else came before us I made the
way and somebody will come after us and
so while we have it how can we do it in
such a way that we leave a legacy for
the ones that’s coming behind us and we
honor the ones that paid the wait Boston
so everything I did I took a certain
level of pride in it
people thought I just wanted to be a
great football player but they didn’t
understand about any jobs was this
I could have watched cars I guarantee
you I would have been the best part
washing it was in the world Pig does the
thing that understood I wasn’t just
representing myself it wasn’t just about
me everything that I did I just in my
mind said for me to week now I was
operating with a spirit of collective
character meaning it didn’t matter what
I did individually if I didn’t represent
my mother in the right way it didn’t
matter if I represent my lineage in the
right way and find represent my team in
the right way who cares what I did
individually I didn’t care if we won a
game and I scored 40 points individually
who cared I shipped it from me to we
and so everything I’ve started to do I
was thinking about my family I was
thinking about my community and I was
thinking about my friends in a different
way
and I would never forget I got to high
school and nobody in my family had ever
been to college they all dropped out
ending up in prison
[Music]
[Music]
to Tennessee and they looked at me when
I first said campus 135 pound kids
soaking wet in the SCC and the first
reporter he asked me he said inky
johnson do you even think you’re gonna
play at the university of tennessee he
said your 135 pounds I said not only am
I gonna play I’m gonna start say you
made a mistake I said see what you don’t
understand and this is what most people
do they base judgment off of what they
can see what they don’t understand the
moments that make you who you are the
moments that they can’t see you see
anybody can be on their best behavior
when somebody is standing over their
shoulder watching them seeing if they’re
gonna do it that’s supposed to do they
eat the seed I came from cream height we
can see I’m 235 pounds you can see i was
5-9 he can see all of the stats you can
see all of that but he never saw was
when I was in a funk of my mother when I
was seven years old she was sitting that
big Rico at 10:30 at night but he didn’t
see with every Saturday morning at 5:30
I was up running two miles to a fire
station and two miles back what he
didn’t say was every time I slept on
that floor with my cousins everyone went
to school and never made one excuse what
he didn’t see was all Christmas Eve
Winnicott when a guy came through me and
my cousin’s window he stuck the
nine-millimeter in a 45 M bonfire face
and took all of our Christmas gift and
we had to stand on the curb and I mother
told us y’all just be grateful he didn’t
see that
and those were the moments that made me
who I am and so now his opinion then
matter his opinion would never become my
reality and my freshman year late
special teams shop for season game broke
the starting lineup finally made it to
the point in my life where I felt as if
everything in my life was lining up
watching the California bears in my
defensive backs coach slavishly
came in the room he said inky johnson I
got some good news for you and I dropped
the clicker and I said coach what is it
he said son you’re a projected top 30
Drive face he said all you have to do is
play these next 10 football games you’re
automatically top million I ran out of
room I got on the phone I called my
mother my grandmother I said listen I
said after this season we were never
struck I said we would never miss
another middle so that this season our
lives are about to change and let her
down Elijah really wants to be a
champion but nobody’s willing to put in
the work that it takes to be a champion
everybody wants to hold up the trophy
and say man I get it but nobody’s
willing to put in the work that it takes
to do it I love the process I love the
thought of working for what I want
[Music]
there’s no secret to success there’s a
system to success this is the Chicopee
production and no matter what
organization you become a part of the
system works if you work it if you don’t
work it it won’t work but it works if
you work it and that’s one four-letter
word that most people don’t like they’re
not willing to work I wish I had not
waited 14 years somebody said if you
want to lose something lose money you
can get that back eight out of ten
millionaires have been financially
bankrupt Walt Disney filed bankruptcy
seven times had two nervous breakdowns
but don’t lose time there were 14 years
I sat on the sidelines 14 years I said I
don’t have an investor at me like Tony
Robbins 14 years that said I don’t have
an MBA or PhD and I can compete with
these guys I have the complexion of
rejection 14 years I silenced my Slough
[Music]
you will fail your way to greatness that
most people allow their fear of failure
80% allow their fear of failure talk–we
their desire to succeed when you’re
willing to fail again and again and
again when you make up your mind to
become unstoppable when you make up your
mind to become a no matter what person
then that will then give birth to a part
of yourself that you don’t know right
now I have a friend who invited me to
her brother’s house to help him to get
off drugs to introduce into a drug
program that can help him and and I said
these people can help you but you’ve got
to be willing to do the work and after
we finish he asked us to leave and I
never forget what she said as we were
going down the steps
she said lest I do apologize a waste of
your time but I realized when my brother
knew that it require work for him to get
off drugs that most people won’t
participate in their own rescue and
there are people who will be presented
with an opportunity who know that they
could be laid off at any moment who know
that there’s no such thing as job
security who know that them keeping
their job has nothing to do with how
good they are and yet and still they’re
going to work and have-nots and their
stomachs hoping when they open up an
email that they have not been told this
is your last day they’ll go to work
hoping there’s not a security guard
standing by their desk with a box and
say
your things in here and take them to the
front door and escort them to the
politic lot they go in there hoping it
doesn’t happen why because they don’t
want it to it’s an aversion to most
people still there are some people that
maybe if they’d heard my voice they
would not have turned to drugs if they’d
heard my voice their lives would have
taken a different direction and I can’t
get those 14 years back that haunts me
and me I think that drives me when I
speak with such energy I’m trying to
make up for that time but I can
[Music]
there’s no secret to success there’s a
system to success and no matter what
organization you become a part of the
system works if you work in if you don’t
work it it won’t work but it works if
you work it and that’s one four-letter
word that most people don’t like they’re
not willing this is the torah’
production
[Music]
you
have more talent than me you might be
smarter than me you might be sexier than
me you might be all of those things you
got it on me in nine categories but if
we get on the treadmill together right
there’s two things you’re getting off
first or I’m gonna die it’s really that
simple
you’re not going to outwork me it’s such
a simple basic concept is the guy who is
willing to hustle the most is gonna be
the guy that just gets that loose ball
you stay ready you ain’t gotta get ready
the separation of talent and skill is
one of the greatest misunderstood
concepts for people who are trying to
excel who have dreams that want to do
things talent you have naturally skill
is only developed by hours and hours and
hours of beating on your craft there’s
no easy way around it no matter how
talented you are your talent is going to
fail you if you’re not skilled you’re
not going to outwork me I want to
represent an idea i want to represent
possibilities I want to represent magic
right make a choice
like you just decide what is gonna be
who you’re gonna be how you’re gonna do
it just decide and then from that point
the universe is going get out your way I
want to represent
possibilities I want to represent the
idea that you really can make what you
wanted and grow up with the sense that
where we were was where we were going to
be you know we grew up with the sense
that where we were almost didn’t matter
because we were becoming something
greater greatness is not this wonderful
esoteric illusive godlike feature that
only the special among us will ever
taste you know something that truly
exists in simple this is what I believe
and I’m willing to die for it the road
to success is through commitment and
through the strength to drive through
that commitment when it gets hard and it
is gonna get hard and you’re gonna want
to quit sometimes but it’ll be colored
by who you are and more who you want to
be I’m not afraid to die my treadmill I
will not be out work period he who says
he can and he who says he can’t are both
usually right
the the way to improve lives is to
continually improve yourself good people
have to get out of the bed every day and
try to empty the ocean with a ladle to
have the level of success that I want to
have it’s difficult to spread it out and
do multiple things you know it’s in
order to to be world-class and I’ve made
a decision I want to be world-class and
it just it takes such a desperate
obsessive focus to to excel on a certain
on the level that I want to make movies
[Music]
we are who we choose to be
[Music]
I want you to think about your dream
because I’m in a room full of dreamers
think about your dream right now and
envision it and I want to share
something with you that has changed my
life but that dream that you’re holding
in your mind it’s possible that in the
process of working on your dreams you
are going to incur a lot of
disappointment a lot of failure a lot of
pain a lot of setbacks a lot of defeats
but in the process of doing that you
will discover some things about yourself
that you don’t know right now what you
will realize is that you have greatness
within you what you’ll realize is that
you’re more powerful than you can ever
begin to imagine what you will realize
is that you’re greater than your
circumstances that you don’t have to go
through life being a victim I was born
in Miami Florida area called Liberty
City in an abandoned building on a
hardened Olien floor with my twin
brother we were 6 weeks of age we were
adopted when I was in fifth grade of
identified as CMR labeled educable
mentally retarded put back from the
fifth grade into the fourth grade and
stayed in that category until I got out
of high school no one could have
convinced me but after just over six
years I would have my own book entitled
live your dreams just over six years I
will have five specials on public
television just over six years I’ve done
motivational speaking for ADT Procter
gamble McDonald’s Corporation Xerox IBM
just over six years
I will now have my own top kill that
will premiere on Monday Labor Day I’m
saying to you your dream is possible
don’t give up on your dream it’s a long
shot ladies and gentlemen from Liberty
City an abandoned building on applause
never knowing my mother or father it’s a
long shot being here with you today in
this Dome in Atlanta it’s a long shot no
college training labeled educable
mentally retarded but I kept running
toward my dream someone’s opinion of you
does not have to become your reality
[Music]
it’s not easy it’s hard changing your
life it was hard when just over three
years ago in the Penobscot building in
Detroit Michigan where I was operating
my business and I fell on some hard
times and I was sleeping in my office
it was hard coming into the lobby and
the security said scuse me mr. brown can
we see you for a moment this is an
office tower it’s not a hotel please do
not sleep in your office
and I just worked long hours in creating
my business I’m an entrepreneur and
right now things are bad for me but
they’re not going to be this way always
and it was hard coming through the lobby
and sometimes they would laugh at the
guy talking about becoming successful
and look at it he’s bathing in the
bathroom upstairs on the 21st floor he
sleeps on the floor him and two other
dreamers up there look at him
it was hardly coming to speak to people
and I was facing financial difficulties
in my own life I was behind on my bills
and my dreams and I’m saying to them you
can live your dream it was hardly a
gentleman it was very difficult to pick
myself up each day believing that I can
do it there was times that I doubted
myself it was very hard and here’s what
I want to say to you don’t give up on
your dream it’s possible that you can
live your dream that’s it’s necessary
that you’ll religious that you have a
plan of action that you are creative
people that are living their dream of
finding winners to attach themselves to
the people that are living their dreams
of a people that know that it’s if it’s
going to happen it’s up to them and
they’re resolving within themselves it’s
not over until I win it is not the
critic who counts
the strong man stumbles or where the
doer could have done them I don’t pay
attention what they say about me
but I don’t really pay no attention to
those rooms of box I’ve added pages to
the book of boxes I have this game as
such a thing now on to boxing promoters
can no longer afford my shows
sometimes the wheel did not do this
field sometimes a fellow’s bill is
stronger than the man is actually better
physically and the determination weakens
the other man just 2cm Synchron
[Music]
I’m not afraid to fail I’m not afraid to
fall over make a mistake that often time
cripples people on the onset of getting
too into anything the first time I ever
picked up a DJ decks was horrible
horrible now but I’m not afraid of that
I’m not afraid of that feeling it
actually propels me it works quite the
opposite like I can do 18 22 hours a day
easily it’s definitely one of those
components to me as a human being my
makeup my genetics that allows me to
actually keep
I’ve always admired people to have their
things together their lives together
always admired someone their business I
remember Richard Branson right was
fascinating to me a young age not him
but just affected he had a multi-faceted
business people talk about aiming for
the skies sometimes even aiming for the
skies is intimidating
just don’t give yourself boundaries your
sky and my sky might be different but
neither of us have touched the sky if we
give ourselves boundaries my parents
well it’s very hard came from you know
West Africa came into England with not
very much I wanted to to work as hard as
they did in my field achievement
achievement is inspirational to people
doing it some on that on Monday didn’t
know how to do this by Friday can do it
that is an inspiration to me keep your
head down you know keep your head down
like when I swim 25 laps guaranteed if I
look up and start counting those laps
I’m Pete it out by 15 if I put my head
down and keep working away and work a
technique work it internal rhythm work
it ooh I hit that name I don’t even know
what leg come on guarantee you I’ve
looked up in every twenty and two or
three more to go and that’s a very
simple device but I think people find
themselves incrementally checking how
far they’ve gone
I know you know when you compare to
anybody else or whatever it’s just a
it’s a recipe for disaster just keep
banging on any of it means nothing from
the happy about it
my imagination is always kept me going
you know just imagine myself collecting
awards just imagine myself you know been
getting big parts imagine myself working
with the greatest actors yeah when I see
myself driving that car one day and I
get that you know I mean that’s as part
of my inner magic is that actually if I
can see myself doing it I could probably
do it
he is crewed up as the next man
because that’s your petrol that’s your
fuel to get you moving if you don’t know
where you’re going what your targets are
you’re never gonna get there period
work hard sleepless a lot of people they
wish and they’re not willing to work you
see the thing about chasing a product
and what the product is the product is
money
the product is a house the product is a
car the thing about chasing a product
the product can always change
and if your performance is always based
upon the product what happened when the
product changed and you don’t take pride
on what you do but think about loving
the process everybody was surprised but
nobody loves the process champion but
nobody’s willing to put in the work that
takes to be a champion throwed up the
trophy and said man I get it but
nobody’s willing to put in the work that
they’re doing the process I love working
for what I want that burn me believe you
never supposed to wish for more than
willing to work for the expectations
never supposed to exceed yeah but a lot
of people they wish and they’re not
willing to work and the great thing
about right life has a funny way of
testing all of us and seeing how bad we
really want what it is that we say we
want because they know about people
people can talk to talk and people do it
very well but life is going to hit you
with a certain level of opposition like
just one edge or the circle of that
mercy and life is going to say to you
you said you wanted now let’s see how
bad you really want the process when
opposition in that pussy hits you
would’ve been free slit and using it not
really for yourself or you will use it
to make everybody do you stronger
because your vision has to be larger
than yourself and everything that you’re
doing test about doing for your personal
gain
something’s gonna come up against you
that’s gonna be a lot tougher than you
[Music]
I’m 29 years old
my mother got pregnant with me at 15
years old I grew up on the east side of
Atlanta about five minutes away from the
weather Atlanta Braves play and the
neighborhood by the name of Kirkwood
drugs gangs violence you need came up in
a two-bedroom 14 people and so as a kid
pretty quick to make a decision of what
I wanted to do with my life because in
that same house I had eight uncles or
eight of which they’re still going in
and out of prison till this day because
they sold drugs never engage and so I
looked at it it’s kind of like that
group that says learn from the mistakes
of other people because you can’t make
them more yourself and so I saw them
selling drugs out coming so I said I’m
not selling drugs I’m not joining a gang
because I see what that road leads to
he’s gonna end up better in prison I
said to my best batch maybe to go to the
inner and so I went to my cousin by the
name what you want I said listen man I
want to go to the NFL our family
deserves a better way of life
let’s work for you see most nights after
practice everybody will leave to go home
and I always had to sit in the park
because my mother works at winning and
my mother didn’t get off work till about
ten o’clock 10:30 Moshe night and I’ll
be sitting in the park and I loved it I
just want anybody to take me home
because when I was home I was sleeping
on the floor with roaches and rats and
so anytime I got in solitude the dream
any time I got inside the truth to think
about what I wanted to do for my family
my community I took advantage of it and
so most nights I’ll be sitting there in
the park and I’ll be looking up at the
lights and I’ll be a vision of myself
doing things in the NFL envisioning
myself doing things in my community and
just after lights would always go out my
mother she would pull up and shoot off
the old beards Reaper hubcaps off the
car seats throwing up the car was all
beat up and she would pull up and she
would put the car in park
about hugging the kiss I would say mommy
feed up line can you please sit back in
your car I have to do some extra drills
I have to go to the NFL she will never
have to work another day in your life
and I knew she would say sure and she
was shit back in that car those car like
we hit that fielder he got a semi old
kid doing back felling drills running
sprints running lap chasing his dream to
go to the NFL and just beyond those
quality I could always connect with my
mother’s eyes and so it made me dig a
little bit deeper it made me push myself
a little bit further made me work a
little bit harder I left by this thing
called the harder you work the harder it
is to surrender you see the reason
people quit they don’t take pride in
what they do
the harder you work so hard it is to
surrender not just talking about
business I’m talking about winning
simultaneously and every aspect of life
I’m not concerned with this person that
does well in one aspect of that right
and they get him that hat dance a man I
made a lot of money you made a lot of
money or public success but your profits
that week and one night my mother
couldn’t pick me up and she’s gonna go
straight just like coach I can’t make it
tonight can you please take inky on and
so he put me in about eight guys in the
back of his pickup truck and he said can
we drop your flat and so when he got to
my house I got it on the side walking
I’m standing in front of 125 Warren
Street not look back that go straight
and I said why why are you doing this
because why I came from people in just
help you know is i pat you on your back
you got a pat you on my back you got a
do this week I said why are you doing it
and he looked back at me in Sun Sun I
want to tell you something he said I
don’t want you to ever forget it he said
Sunday morning make sure that somebody
else’s life is okay always make sure
that your life and immediately I got the
light bulb went off I stopped being this
little selfish kid I stopped being like
my four-year-old son and for the first
time in my life I stopped thinking
everything was just about inky johnson
and I realized my existence on this
earth is a lot bigger than me I realized
me my lineage and my family when I step
outside of my door in the morning what I
represent is a lot bigger than men so
the things I have to understand every
day I woke up and everything that I was
a part of I first had to understand I
was representing a lot more than myself
I first had to start living my two words
I never like to see and what I mean by
honor and legacy you honor the ones that
paid the way for you and you leave the
legacy for the ones that’s coming behind
you we just have it right now while
we’re plotting something right now
somebody else came before us I made the
way and somebody will come after us and
so while we have it how can we do it in
such a way that we leave a legacy for
the ones that’s coming behind us and we
honor the ones that paid the wait Boston
so everything I did I took a certain
level of pride in it
people thought I just wanted to be a
great football player but they didn’t
understand about any jobs was this
I could have watched cars I guarantee
you I would have been the best part
washing it was in the world Pig does the
thing that understood I wasn’t just
representing myself it wasn’t just about
me everything that I did I just in my
mind said for me to week now I was
operating with a spirit of collective
character meaning it didn’t matter what
I did individually if I didn’t represent
my mother in the right way it didn’t
matter if I represent my lineage in the
right way and find represent my team in
the right way who cares what I did
individually I didn’t care if we won a
game and I scored 40 points individually
who cared I shipped it from me to we
and so everything I’ve started to do I
was thinking about my family I was
thinking about my community and I was
thinking about my friends in a different
way
and I would never forget I got to high
school and nobody in my family had ever
been to college they all dropped out
ending up in prison
[Music]
[Music]
to Tennessee and they looked at me when
I first said campus 135 pound kids
soaking wet in the SCC and the first
reporter he asked me he said inky
johnson do you even think you’re gonna
play at the university of tennessee he
said your 135 pounds I said not only am
I gonna play I’m gonna start say you
made a mistake I said see what you don’t
understand and this is what most people
do they base judgment off of what they
can see what they don’t understand the
moments that make you who you are the
moments that they can’t see you see
anybody can be on their best behavior
when somebody is standing over their
shoulder watching them seeing if they’re
gonna do it that’s supposed to do they
eat the seed I came from cream height we
can see I’m 235 pounds you can see i was
5-9 he can see all of the stats you can
see all of that but he never saw was
when I was in a funk of my mother when I
was seven years old she was sitting that
big Rico at 10:30 at night but he didn’t
see with every Saturday morning at 5:30
I was up running two miles to a fire
station and two miles back what he
didn’t say was every time I slept on
that floor with my cousins everyone went
to school and never made one excuse what
he didn’t see was all Christmas Eve
Winnicott when a guy came through me and
my cousin’s window he stuck the
nine-millimeter in a 45 M bonfire face
and took all of our Christmas gift and
we had to stand on the curb and I mother
told us y’all just be grateful he didn’t
see that
and those were the moments that made me
who I am and so now his opinion then
matter his opinion would never become my
reality and my freshman year late
special teams shop for season game broke
the starting lineup finally made it to
the point in my life where I felt as if
everything in my life was lining up
watching the California bears in my
defensive backs coach slavishly
came in the room he said inky johnson I
got some good news for you and I dropped
the clicker and I said coach what is it
he said son you’re a projected top 30
Drive face he said all you have to do is
play these next 10 football games you’re
automatically top million I ran out of
room I got on the phone I called my
mother my grandmother I said listen I
said after this season we were never
struck I said we would never miss
another middle so that this season our
lives are about to change and let her
down Elijah really wants to be a
champion but nobody’s willing to put in
the work that it takes to be a champion
everybody wants to hold up the trophy
and say man I get it but nobody’s
willing to put in the work that it takes
to do it I love the process I love the
thought of working for what I want
[Music]
there’s no secret to success there’s a
system to success this is the Chicopee
production and no matter what
organization you become a part of the
system works if you work it if you don’t
work it it won’t work but it works if
you work it and that’s one four-letter
word that most people don’t like they’re
not willing to work I wish I had not
waited 14 years somebody said if you
want to lose something lose money you
can get that back eight out of ten
millionaires have been financially
bankrupt Walt Disney filed bankruptcy
seven times had two nervous breakdowns
but don’t lose time there were 14 years
I sat on the sidelines 14 years I said I
don’t have an investor at me like Tony
Robbins 14 years that said I don’t have
an MBA or PhD and I can compete with
these guys I have the complexion of
rejection 14 years I silenced my Slough
[Music]
you will fail your way to greatness that
most people allow their fear of failure
80% allow their fear of failure talk–we
their desire to succeed when you’re
willing to fail again and again and
again when you make up your mind to
become unstoppable when you make up your
mind to become a no matter what person
then that will then give birth to a part
of yourself that you don’t know right
now I have a friend who invited me to
her brother’s house to help him to get
off drugs to introduce into a drug
program that can help him and and I said
these people can help you but you’ve got
to be willing to do the work and after
we finish he asked us to leave and I
never forget what she said as we were
going down the steps
she said lest I do apologize a waste of
your time but I realized when my brother
knew that it require work for him to get
off drugs that most people won’t
participate in their own rescue and
there are people who will be presented
with an opportunity who know that they
could be laid off at any moment who know
that there’s no such thing as job
security who know that them keeping
their job has nothing to do with how
good they are and yet and still they’re
going to work and have-nots and their
stomachs hoping when they open up an
email that they have not been told this
is your last day they’ll go to work
hoping there’s not a security guard
standing by their desk with a box and
say
your things in here and take them to the
front door and escort them to the
politic lot they go in there hoping it
doesn’t happen why because they don’t
want it to it’s an aversion to most
people still there are some people that
maybe if they’d heard my voice they
would not have turned to drugs if they’d
heard my voice their lives would have
taken a different direction and I can’t
get those 14 years back that haunts me
and me I think that drives me when I
speak with such energy I’m trying to
make up for that time but I can
[Music]
there’s no secret to success there’s a
system to success and no matter what
organization you become a part of the
system works if you work in if you don’t
work it it won’t work but it works if
you work it and that’s one four-letter
word that most people don’t like they’re
not willing this is the torah’
production
[Music]
you
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