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 what is it that you
could love doing seven days a week
that’ll bring a smile to your face
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 you know every
year I used to say this is my year but
ladies and gentlemen one good year won’t
be enough for me how many of you can use
a good decade raise your hands please
fantastic all right now here’s what I
want to do I want to share with you how
you can begin to make this your decade
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
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 and I leaned
over to the guy next to me I said how
much do they pay him to do that he said
five thousand dollars I said I know I
can do that and I admired him 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
let’s Brown you can’t do that you don’t
have a college education less 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 month I want to ask
you a question how many of you 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 it’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 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 or live up to their true
potential one is fear and there are only
two kinds of fears that we are born with
the fear falling and the fear of a loud
sound all of the fears we learn like the
fear of failure the next is the fear
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 that a
lot of people become comfortable they
stop growing they stop wanting anything
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
was killed by the female spider the
moment he had succeeded in his courtship
and his goals 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 they can 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 I’m
reminded of a friend of mine who talked
about the
that one day he was walking by this
house and some people sitting on a porch
and there was a dog on the porch and
this dog was just moaning and groaning
so he was curious in the osteon it said
why is his dog moaning and groaning and
the owner said because he’s laying on a
nail if they why doesn’t he get off it
is not hurting bad enough for him to get
off how many of you know people come
moan and groan and complain about life
all the time all right
they might moan and groan about that job
I’m sick of this job I’m sick of you 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 are 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 at a
time that I did not see something in
myself and then
to forget being in this 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’ve well I’m 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 it 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 going to
experience a breakthrough some of you
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 it back out there
how are 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 and 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 full rich life means to you what is it
that you could love doing seven days a
week that will bring a smile to your
feet
think about that and all the areas of
your life your professional life your
personalized your family life your
spiritual eyes 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 to decide that
you deserve that repeat after me please
I deserve the best that life has to
offer
I deserve define my purpose in life
shake somebody’s down on your right and
do you know by actively pursuing your
purpose 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 as a result of
obesity or smoking cigarettes or high
cholesterol or 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 have I started speaking
just to elementary school kids because I
knew they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave y’all kind of better
ways we like you yeah 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 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 timeframe
however after this timeframe when we
have a downsizing you might be among the
people cut
and you will lose all of the benefits
that we’re talking about right now and
the most you can get is two weeks
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 either going to ask for
your check listen Marvin told me to get
is checking ball with his mama I would
have taken that money so quick and and
had other people check and say let’s got
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 hello you can’t get
out of life alive so there’s no safe
position you can die in the bleacher go
you can die on the field you might as
well come out of the field hey I’m a
so if you want to make this your decade
you’ve got to decide to be bold so you
got to be bold in life you got to take
life one 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 guy 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
guy doesn’t have any credentials we have
an advantage here we’ve got two PhDs
between us I got up and I win the
bathrooms start talking to myself I said
let’s Brown what do you care about
they’re 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 selling do it 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 hello so you’ve 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 oh 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 start 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
something that 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
handy was so nigga where the hell with
you they’re waiting with it they just
don’t have a job today don’t burn your
bridges we had you don’t talk about the
guys mama come on
all right oh now here the last me 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 the
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 javi and I wanted to become
involved in broadcasting and I loved the
disc jockeys that were on the air and I
wanted to become a disc jockey and mr.
Washington said something to me that
I’ll never forget who was my mentor in
high school
repeat this Whitney Young is his quote
it’s better to be prepared for an
opportunity and not have one then 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 just just
dislodge that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of a 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 mr.
Belvoir 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 Beresford
Tipton hi my name is Michael Anthony I
have a check for 1 million dollars how
many remember that plug all right the
millionaire that was my favorite program
on television you know if this is my
fantasy you know and every time we would
drive reminded beach I would fantasize
so that’s the house and I give them
million I would buy my mother that home
over there so that’s my fantasy sigh
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 experience if you don’t give
me the opportunity
I’ve been practicing a lot sir is that
I’m sorry we don’t have any job 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 Fong I
know your name did not just see you here
yesterday I say yes sir I say y’all have
any jobs here didn’t I tell you I didn’t
have a job yes sir but I thought maybe
somebody got fired or resigned I don’t
know so I went the next thing how you
doing mr. butterball he said yes and I
just didn’t take a person how you doing
so y’all have any jobs here did not 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
didn’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 haven’t even 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 I wouldn’t would 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 in the disc jockeys
cars I didn’t have any driver’s license
finally one day I was at the radio
station and a guy by the name of Rock
was drinking while he was on there it
was a Saturday afternoon I was the only
one there none of the other jocks were
available and I was looking at him
through the control room window saying
drank rock draining great Rock
I don’t want to get into morbid African
grave Rock pretty soon the phone rang
with the general managers at hello if
unless this is mr. Clyde I said I know
if that rock can’t finish his program I
said I know he said would you call one
of the other DJ’s that come in I said
yes sir
I hung the phone up I said now he must
be think I’m crazy I called my mom and
my girlfriend Cassandra said y’all come
out on the front porch and turn up the
I waited for about 20 minutes I call him
back I said mr. Klein I can’t find
nobody he say young boy do you not have
segue the records I said yes sir he said
going in don’t sit down here I said yes
I couldn’t wait to get behind those
controls I put the headphones on I said
look out this is me lb Triple P let’s
find your platter playing papa there
were none before me and there will be
none out to be therefore that makes me
the one and only young man singing I
love to mingle certified bona fide
indubitably qualified to bring you
satisfaction whole lot of action look
[Music]
and that you feel better when you are
able to have charge of your destiny
government gives you a good feel you can
get you give you choices you can do more
things 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 you home and you won’t have to go to
work every day you won’t have to work
you just sit down mama she was getting
up getting dressed to go to M&M
cafeteria that’s now just following her
around I said watch mama one day you
won’t have to leave you 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 and fix me
sweet potato pie my momma fix the
counter sweet potato pie you can’t eat
with your shoes on you have to take your
shoes off so you can wiggle your toes
all right 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 seat belt
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 going to get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you go 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 mean times you put it in your
heart and that’s when you discover who
so find five reasons that empower you
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
blindside 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 bus the
Duggars that fought in the last fight
was not the Buster Douglas that fought
Mike Tyson – the Buster Douglas that got
knocked down while fighting Mike Tyson
had God not an alcohol Recovery Center
his mother had died his wife was ill
with a terminal illness he was
considered a nothing of balm 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
and I don’t worry why get hurt
no why’d you leave the food somebody’s
about to get hurt me so you’ve got to
have some reasons that when life knocks
you down that’s going to hello 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 lie to you and
that’s going to happen if those 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 going to happen when life
collapse on you and catch you on the
Blind Side it drop you to your knees
without choking you you got a dream
though I got no dream and that’s what
happened
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 you live it knock 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 have I’m doing
this because all my life I’ve been told
I’d be a loser that I would make it all
my life I heard people said maybe take
him 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
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 are very important Nietzsche
said if you know the why for living you
can endure almost any how so find out
the reasons that 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 it’s
against you or don’t believe in your
number line 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 but they end up
saying you can’t do it and they become
members of the discouragement 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 that man like you
mama I can’t go back to see I did I
can’t do I got to be my own boss I I
can’t do that I mean you know it’s
ladies and gentlemen you know when 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 going to 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
work stuff 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 so they’re paying
her just not to keep her from quitting
and she’s worked just hard enough just
to keep from getting fired how many of
you know people like that raise your
hand
why do you didn’t raise your hand you
the one look
I’ll just ease without your seat but all
right
here’s nothing else make a commitment to
be happy
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
and look at home lit side of the game
sometimes we take life too seriously
oh no make a commitment to be happy find
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
oh no I’ll be happy when I get by the
balls oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children God oh no no you want to be
happy now see there are no guarantees no
one’s saying you’re going to be here two
three or four years from now so you want
to be happy right now in the moment
repeat after me I must make a commitment
to be happy right now
right now is all I got
take somebody’s hand on your riding
make a commitment to be happy because
life now has new meaning for you just
enjoying this 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 will
want to go than with one around your
neck so there are two kinds of
relationships that 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 a whole barrel one negative
integrator energy drainer can spoil your
whole life I know people who Liza then
run 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
ask this question of yourself 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 is 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 run
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 Peale the Zig
Ziglar the Dwayne dyers I want 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 will 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 tried 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 easy 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
I’m there in 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 insuk 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
so you begin to look toward making this
your decade as you begin to look to what
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 toward 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 us me please if you want to keep
on getting what you’re getting keep on
doing what you’re doing see 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 being what is it that you’ve been
doing to produce this so you’re the
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 or 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
bankers 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 saying 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 complaining don’t try and
get on talk shows to tell everybody how
life is done you wrong here’s what’s
happening in the audience
all right so so will you know that your
garage took growl you know what they did
to me who cares get away from me before
at a friend of mine that said something
very important he said hey it doesn’t
matter what happens to you the only
thing matters what are you gonna do
about it that’s all that matters okay
life knock you down what do you wanna do
about how long have you go sit there
think you know what they did to me come
on who wants to hear that racket use
that energy to get up from then move on
and get on with your life you got to
learn to let the past go so you can grow
many people never act on their dreams
because they allow their past
experiences to determine what their
possibilities are whatever you’ve done
in the past that’s not a reflection of
your possibilities that’s just a
reflection of your consciousness that’s
just a reflection of your development
and your growth the future is unfolding
for you right now the future is
unlimited for you right now
no one knows where you can go no one
knows what your path what you’re capable
of what’s possible for you you don’t
even know that I had no idea ladies and
gentlemen no one could have convinced me
that I was able to do this I never
forget I was speaking and Detroit in a
high school friend of mine saw me
afterwards he was backstage he said I
can’t believe it’s the same person and I
thought for a moment and I said it’s not
the person you know you go you never
live anymore we have a power to change
our personal history changing the
direction of our lives
changing our thoughts changing where we
want to go exploring new horizons so you
begin to look at this decade and
affirming that this is your decade as
you set goals that will make you stretch
that will bring out the best in you as
you begin to remove the negative toxic
people from your life as you decide to
take some chances in life and that’s one
of the things that’s very important this
God said if you’re not willing to risk
you cannot grow and if you cannot grow
you cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you cannot be
happy and if you can’t be happy then
what else is there I’ll never forget
when I reach my first major goal of
buying my mother let home I never forget
what it was like and you’re going to
have this experience when you reach some
major goal when I drove up to the house
and I got out and I gave mama the key
and I said mama this is for you
I’ll never forget the look on her face
she said she said oh my god no one could
have convinced me when I adopted y’all
at this what happened she saw thank you
she said and you who called me so many
how would you 1oq had a lot of energy
but no I know what I was going to become
well as the was I’m a great philosopher
Goethe he said look at a man the way
that he is he only becomes worse but
look at him as if he were what it could
be then it becomes what he should be and
what mr. Washington did was he looked
beyond my thoughts and saw my needs and
he said I see something in you and I was
there hope god I hope he’s right and I
want to live up to his expectations he
no one rises to low expectations
finally here’s one last thing I like to
leave with you want to make this your
decade find some cause that you believe
in see this is my profession but my
greatest joy in life is working with
young kids every Monday I fly up to
Chicago to work with 600 young kids in
Christ Universal Temple Church working
with them to develop a sense of purpose
in direction with their lives we develop
a training program if they’re addicted
to drugs or alcohol we help them to get
into a permanent recovery program if
they’re not we help them to develop a
vision of themselves where drugs and
alcohol does not fit I love it when I go
into the Cook County Jail and see the
look on these young men faces the anger
and the self-hatred and then when we
leave there see the difference in them
as we begin to touch a spark in them as
mr. Washington touched in me and there’s
new can not put a dollar price on that
that’s my reason for being what is it
that you would like to give the planet
what is it that you’d like to leave here
see someone paid a price for us to be
here I believe that we live in the
greatest country in the world it gives
us an opportunity to make a difference
in life we are blessed to have been
dropped off on this part of the planet a
friend of mine was in Manila and saw a
bumper sticker say Yankee go home and
take me with you
so as you begin to look at your life
decide what kind of legacy do I want to
leave what kind of statement do you want
to make with your life what three things
you want said when you die what
contribution do you want to make I don’t
know what you want to do
I don’t know what you want to achieve
with your life here’s what I know about
you and about you and about you and
about you that you have greatness within
you that you have things and gifts and
talents that you’ve been destroyed with
but as you work consciously making a
conscious deliberate determined effort
to cultivate and bring them out and
develop a sense of purpose in knowing
that your life can make a difference you
decide to make and leave a legacy with
your life I say to you that the planet
will never be the same again because you
showed up as you begin to look toward
the future and affirm that this is your
decade this is what I’d like to leave
with you that I’m known by it’s become
my motto and it says simply this what do
you want to do my goal is to be the best
son that I can be to my mother my goal
is to be the best father that I can be
to my children and my goal is to create
a drug-free America be the best
motivator that I can be whatever your
goal is this is what I like to leave
with you there’s simply this that if you
want to think bad enough to go out and
fight for it to work day and night for
it to give up your time your peace in
your sleep point if all that your dream
and scheme is about it and life seems
useless and worthless without it if you
gladly sweat for it and fretboard and
plan for it and lose all your terror of
the opposition for it and if you simply
go after this thing that you want with
all of your capacity strengthens or
gastly Faith Hope and confidence and
stern pertinacity if neither cold
poverty famish your go sickness of pain
of body and brain can keep you away from
a thing that you want if dogged and grim
you besieged and beset it with the help
of God you’ll get it this is mrs. Mamie
Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown
saying it’s been a plum pleasing pleasure as well as a Christmas
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 what is it that you
could love doing seven days a week
that’ll bring a smile to your face
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 you know every
year I used to say this is my year but
ladies and gentlemen one good year won’t
be enough for me how many of you can use
a good decade raise your hands please
fantastic all right now here’s what I
want to do I want to share with you how
you can begin to make this your decade
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
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 and I leaned
over to the guy next to me I said how
much do they pay him to do that he said
five thousand dollars I said I know I
can do that and I admired him 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
let’s Brown you can’t do that you don’t
have a college education less 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 month I want to ask
you a question how many of you 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 it’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 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 or live up to their true
potential one is fear and there are only
two kinds of fears that we are born with
the fear falling and the fear of a loud
sound all of the fears we learn like the
fear of failure the next is the fear
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 that a
lot of people become comfortable they
stop growing they stop wanting anything
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
was killed by the female spider the
moment he had succeeded in his courtship
and his goals 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 they can 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 I’m
reminded of a friend of mine who talked
about the
that one day he was walking by this
house and some people sitting on a porch
and there was a dog on the porch and
this dog was just moaning and groaning
so he was curious in the osteon it said
why is his dog moaning and groaning and
the owner said because he’s laying on a
nail if they why doesn’t he get off it
is not hurting bad enough for him to get
off how many of you know people come
moan and groan and complain about life
all the time all right
they might moan and groan about that job
I’m sick of this job I’m sick of you 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 are 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 at a
time that I did not see something in
myself and then
to forget being in this 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’ve well I’m 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 it 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 going to
experience a breakthrough some of you
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 it back out there
how are 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 and 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 full rich life means to you what is it
that you could love doing seven days a
week that will bring a smile to your
feet
think about that and all the areas of
your life your professional life your
personalized your family life your
spiritual eyes 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 to decide that
you deserve that repeat after me please
I deserve the best that life has to
offer
I deserve define my purpose in life
shake somebody’s down on your right and
do you know by actively pursuing your
purpose 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 as a result of
obesity or smoking cigarettes or high
cholesterol or 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 have I started speaking
just to elementary school kids because I
knew they didn’t know what I was talking
about and they gave y’all kind of better
ways we like you yeah 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 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 timeframe
however after this timeframe when we
have a downsizing you might be among the
people cut
and you will lose all of the benefits
that we’re talking about right now and
the most you can get is two weeks
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 either going to ask for
your check listen Marvin told me to get
is checking ball with his mama I would
have taken that money so quick and and
had other people check and say let’s got
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 hello you can’t get
out of life alive so there’s no safe
position you can die in the bleacher go
you can die on the field you might as
well come out of the field hey I’m a
so if you want to make this your decade
you’ve got to decide to be bold so you
got to be bold in life you got to take
life one 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 guy 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
guy doesn’t have any credentials we have
an advantage here we’ve got two PhDs
between us I got up and I win the
bathrooms start talking to myself I said
let’s Brown what do you care about
they’re 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 selling do it 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 hello so you’ve 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 oh 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 start 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
something that 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
handy was so nigga where the hell with
you they’re waiting with it they just
don’t have a job today don’t burn your
bridges we had you don’t talk about the
guys mama come on
all right oh now here the last me 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 the
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 javi and I wanted to become
involved in broadcasting and I loved the
disc jockeys that were on the air and I
wanted to become a disc jockey and mr.
Washington said something to me that
I’ll never forget who was my mentor in
high school
repeat this Whitney Young is his quote
it’s better to be prepared for an
opportunity and not have one then 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 just just
dislodge that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn’t exist they need to take it out
of a 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 mr.
Belvoir 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 Beresford
Tipton hi my name is Michael Anthony I
have a check for 1 million dollars how
many remember that plug all right the
millionaire that was my favorite program
on television you know if this is my
fantasy you know and every time we would
drive reminded beach I would fantasize
so that’s the house and I give them
million I would buy my mother that home
over there so that’s my fantasy sigh
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 experience if you don’t give
me the opportunity
I’ve been practicing a lot sir is that
I’m sorry we don’t have any job 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 Fong I
know your name did not just see you here
yesterday I say yes sir I say y’all have
any jobs here didn’t I tell you I didn’t
have a job yes sir but I thought maybe
somebody got fired or resigned I don’t
know so I went the next thing how you
doing mr. butterball he said yes and I
just didn’t take a person how you doing
so y’all have any jobs here did not 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
didn’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 haven’t even 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 I wouldn’t would 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 in the disc jockeys
cars I didn’t have any driver’s license
finally one day I was at the radio
station and a guy by the name of Rock
was drinking while he was on there it
was a Saturday afternoon I was the only
one there none of the other jocks were
available and I was looking at him
through the control room window saying
drank rock draining great Rock
I don’t want to get into morbid African
grave Rock pretty soon the phone rang
with the general managers at hello if
unless this is mr. Clyde I said I know
if that rock can’t finish his program I
said I know he said would you call one
of the other DJ’s that come in I said
yes sir
I hung the phone up I said now he must
be think I’m crazy I called my mom and
my girlfriend Cassandra said y’all come
out on the front porch and turn up the
I waited for about 20 minutes I call him
back I said mr. Klein I can’t find
nobody he say young boy do you not have
segue the records I said yes sir he said
going in don’t sit down here I said yes
I couldn’t wait to get behind those
controls I put the headphones on I said
look out this is me lb Triple P let’s
find your platter playing papa there
were none before me and there will be
none out to be therefore that makes me
the one and only young man singing I
love to mingle certified bona fide
indubitably qualified to bring you
satisfaction whole lot of action look
[Music]
and that you feel better when you are
able to have charge of your destiny
government gives you a good feel you can
get you give you choices you can do more
things 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 you home and you won’t have to go to
work every day you won’t have to work
you just sit down mama she was getting
up getting dressed to go to M&M
cafeteria that’s now just following her
around I said watch mama one day you
won’t have to leave you 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 and fix me
sweet potato pie my momma fix the
counter sweet potato pie you can’t eat
with your shoes on you have to take your
shoes off so you can wiggle your toes
all right 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 seat belt
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 going to get there it’s
there but you’ve got to go through this
phase here this is how you go 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 mean times you put it in your
heart and that’s when you discover who
so find five reasons that empower you
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
blindside 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 bus the
Duggars that fought in the last fight
was not the Buster Douglas that fought
Mike Tyson – the Buster Douglas that got
knocked down while fighting Mike Tyson
had God not an alcohol Recovery Center
his mother had died his wife was ill
with a terminal illness he was
considered a nothing of balm 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
and I don’t worry why get hurt
no why’d you leave the food somebody’s
about to get hurt me so you’ve got to
have some reasons that when life knocks
you down that’s going to hello 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 lie to you and
that’s going to happen if those 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 going to happen when life
collapse on you and catch you on the
Blind Side it drop you to your knees
without choking you you got a dream
though I got no dream and that’s what
happened
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 you live it knock 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 have I’m doing
this because all my life I’ve been told
I’d be a loser that I would make it all
my life I heard people said maybe take
him 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
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 are very important Nietzsche
said if you know the why for living you
can endure almost any how so find out
the reasons that 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 it’s
against you or don’t believe in your
number line 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 but they end up
saying you can’t do it and they become
members of the discouragement 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 that man like you
mama I can’t go back to see I did I
can’t do I got to be my own boss I I
can’t do that I mean you know it’s
ladies and gentlemen you know when 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 going to 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
work stuff 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 so they’re paying
her just not to keep her from quitting
and she’s worked just hard enough just
to keep from getting fired how many of
you know people like that raise your
hand
why do you didn’t raise your hand you
the one look
I’ll just ease without your seat but all
right
here’s nothing else make a commitment to
be happy
see you know I have you’re laughing a
lot see life is too short going through
and look at home lit side of the game
sometimes we take life too seriously
oh no make a commitment to be happy find
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
oh no I’ll be happy when I get by the
balls oh no don’t I’ll be happy with the
children God oh no no you want to be
happy now see there are no guarantees no
one’s saying you’re going to be here two
three or four years from now so you want
to be happy right now in the moment
repeat after me I must make a commitment
to be happy right now
right now is all I got
take somebody’s hand on your riding
make a commitment to be happy because
life now has new meaning for you just
enjoying this 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 will
want to go than with one around your
neck so there are two kinds of
relationships that 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 a whole barrel one negative
integrator energy drainer can spoil your
whole life I know people who Liza then
run 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
ask this question of yourself 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 is 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 run
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 Peale the Zig
Ziglar the Dwayne dyers I want 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 will 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 tried 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 easy 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
I’m there in 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 insuk 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
so you begin to look toward making this
your decade as you begin to look to what
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 toward 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 us me please if you want to keep
on getting what you’re getting keep on
doing what you’re doing see 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 being what is it that you’ve been
doing to produce this so you’re the
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 or 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
bankers 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 saying 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 complaining don’t try and
get on talk shows to tell everybody how
life is done you wrong here’s what’s
happening in the audience
all right so so will you know that your
garage took growl you know what they did
to me who cares get away from me before
at a friend of mine that said something
very important he said hey it doesn’t
matter what happens to you the only
thing matters what are you gonna do
about it that’s all that matters okay
life knock you down what do you wanna do
about how long have you go sit there
think you know what they did to me come
on who wants to hear that racket use
that energy to get up from then move on
and get on with your life you got to
learn to let the past go so you can grow
many people never act on their dreams
because they allow their past
experiences to determine what their
possibilities are whatever you’ve done
in the past that’s not a reflection of
your possibilities that’s just a
reflection of your consciousness that’s
just a reflection of your development
and your growth the future is unfolding
for you right now the future is
unlimited for you right now
no one knows where you can go no one
knows what your path what you’re capable
of what’s possible for you you don’t
even know that I had no idea ladies and
gentlemen no one could have convinced me
that I was able to do this I never
forget I was speaking and Detroit in a
high school friend of mine saw me
afterwards he was backstage he said I
can’t believe it’s the same person and I
thought for a moment and I said it’s not
the person you know you go you never
live anymore we have a power to change
our personal history changing the
direction of our lives
changing our thoughts changing where we
want to go exploring new horizons so you
begin to look at this decade and
affirming that this is your decade as
you set goals that will make you stretch
that will bring out the best in you as
you begin to remove the negative toxic
people from your life as you decide to
take some chances in life and that’s one
of the things that’s very important this
God said if you’re not willing to risk
you cannot grow and if you cannot grow
you cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you cannot be
happy and if you can’t be happy then
what else is there I’ll never forget
when I reach my first major goal of
buying my mother let home I never forget
what it was like and you’re going to
have this experience when you reach some
major goal when I drove up to the house
and I got out and I gave mama the key
and I said mama this is for you
I’ll never forget the look on her face
she said she said oh my god no one could
have convinced me when I adopted y’all
at this what happened she saw thank you
she said and you who called me so many
how would you 1oq had a lot of energy
but no I know what I was going to become
well as the was I’m a great philosopher
Goethe he said look at a man the way
that he is he only becomes worse but
look at him as if he were what it could
be then it becomes what he should be and
what mr. Washington did was he looked
beyond my thoughts and saw my needs and
he said I see something in you and I was
there hope god I hope he’s right and I
want to live up to his expectations he
no one rises to low expectations
finally here’s one last thing I like to
leave with you want to make this your
decade find some cause that you believe
in see this is my profession but my
greatest joy in life is working with
young kids every Monday I fly up to
Chicago to work with 600 young kids in
Christ Universal Temple Church working
with them to develop a sense of purpose
in direction with their lives we develop
a training program if they’re addicted
to drugs or alcohol we help them to get
into a permanent recovery program if
they’re not we help them to develop a
vision of themselves where drugs and
alcohol does not fit I love it when I go
into the Cook County Jail and see the
look on these young men faces the anger
and the self-hatred and then when we
leave there see the difference in them
as we begin to touch a spark in them as
mr. Washington touched in me and there’s
new can not put a dollar price on that
that’s my reason for being what is it
that you would like to give the planet
what is it that you’d like to leave here
see someone paid a price for us to be
here I believe that we live in the
greatest country in the world it gives
us an opportunity to make a difference
in life we are blessed to have been
dropped off on this part of the planet a
friend of mine was in Manila and saw a
bumper sticker say Yankee go home and
take me with you
so as you begin to look at your life
decide what kind of legacy do I want to
leave what kind of statement do you want
to make with your life what three things
you want said when you die what
contribution do you want to make I don’t
know what you want to do
I don’t know what you want to achieve
with your life here’s what I know about
you and about you and about you and
about you that you have greatness within
you that you have things and gifts and
talents that you’ve been destroyed with
but as you work consciously making a
conscious deliberate determined effort
to cultivate and bring them out and
develop a sense of purpose in knowing
that your life can make a difference you
decide to make and leave a legacy with
your life I say to you that the planet
will never be the same again because you
showed up as you begin to look toward
the future and affirm that this is your
decade this is what I’d like to leave
with you that I’m known by it’s become
my motto and it says simply this what do
you want to do my goal is to be the best
son that I can be to my mother my goal
is to be the best father that I can be
to my children and my goal is to create
a drug-free America be the best
motivator that I can be whatever your
goal is this is what I like to leave
with you there’s simply this that if you
want to think bad enough to go out and
fight for it to work day and night for
it to give up your time your peace in
your sleep point if all that your dream
and scheme is about it and life seems
useless and worthless without it if you
gladly sweat for it and fretboard and
plan for it and lose all your terror of
the opposition for it and if you simply
go after this thing that you want with
all of your capacity strengthens or
gastly Faith Hope and confidence and
stern pertinacity if neither cold
poverty famish your go sickness of pain
of body and brain can keep you away from
a thing that you want if dogged and grim
you besieged and beset it with the help
of God you’ll get it this is mrs. Mamie
Brown’s baby boy Leslie Calvin Brown
saying it’s been a plum pleasing pleasure as well as a Christmas
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