maybe you give it’s going to come back
now all of us hear the saying as your
sow so shall you reap and we usually we
use that in a negative context but let’s
look at the positive side of that but if
you saw some good stuff out here if you
make it your business how you give your
life to give the best that you have to
give love to give encouragement to give
help to give support if that’s what your
life is about whatever you put out here
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
it’s going to come back now the reason
that most people don’t give is because
they operate out of a consciousness of
scarcity they don’t believe that there’s
enough to go around they can’t see
themselves having the capacity to give
they don’t believe that they have
anything to offer they don’t see
themselves as an opening for the
universe to work through so if you begin
to look at this new era that we’re in
begin to see yourself as an opening for
the universe to move through to work
through to make a difference in life see
yourself being used by life to improve
the quality of life to expand and to
grow most people have a very limited
view of themselves in a very limited
view of the universe do not see their
relationship to the universe and cannot
see how energy and things can flow
through them I love Gibran and the
Prophet then said a rich man speak to us
of giving and he answered you give but
little when you give of your possessions
but is when you give of yourself
that you truly give Gibran goes on to
say there those who give little of the
much which they have and they give it
for recognition and their hidden desire
makes their gifts unwholesome and we
know people who give only to be
recognized I love that old saying judge
a man not by what he does but by that
that he doesn’t have to do and to judge
the true quality of a man is what do you
do when nobody’s looking
Gibran goes on to say something else
important he says and there are those
you have little and give it all these
are the believers in life and the bounty
of life see most people don’t give
ladies and gentlemen because they don’t
believe in life most people don’t give
because they don’t understand the
abundance at night and so they go
through life holding back holding back
on life not understanding this also that
what you hold back from life life holds
back from you so most of us go through
life ladies and gentlemen not giving and
we’re cheating ourselves and you’re also
cheating life see I believe that that
all of us have some work to do I
strongly believe that that each one of
us showed up to do something that each
one of us showed up to contribute
something to life
and that if we don’t do it it will not
be done see no one is going to give Les
Brown speech no one is going to write
your book see if you’ve been given
something to do and if you don’t do it
what you’re doing is short-circuiting
the flow of the universe see if just
imagine if you please we had a circle
and people are standing around in this
circle and let’s say we were given a
bucket of love and then I pass it to the
person to the right and they pass it to
somebody else and they pass it to
somebody else they pass it to somebody
else they pass it to somebody else and
it comes back to me one of the great
things about giving is that as you give
you’re blind to receive what we want to
do is keep the flow going keep the flow
going if anybody gets the bucket of luck
and stops and holds it there all of us
suffer
they’ve short-circuited the flow that
stopped what was going on the energy
that was going around see you are part
of an equation and you are needed part
of why we should begin to look at how we
give up our lives that we’ve got to
begin to see what is it that I’m
supposed to do what is my life work and
then give ourselves to that because as
we do that ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you as you begin to take on
this new era
we’re in if you decide that I’m going to
begin to start living life generously
I’m going to start giving more of myself
I’m going to start putting out more
contributing more to life here’s what’s
going to happen ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you that life will take on a
whole new meaning for you I guarantee
you that as you begin to give more of
yourself in your work give more of
yourself in your marriage give more of
yourself in your relationships with your
families and friends give more of
yourself to your talent to your vocation
to your job or your business as you
begin to set high standards for giving
that which you have been given to share
in the universe I guarantee you that
life takes on a whole new dimension but
you’ll be happier you have a greater
sense of happiness and fulfillment in
life now that doesn’t mean you’re not
going to have some challenges that
doesn’t mean that you’re not going to
have some problems that you’ll be
dealing with on a day-to-day basis no
that doesn’t mean any of that no that
will not exempt you from that but what
it does mean that now you will begin to
take off onto new paths to some new
horizons that you begin to see life
totally different than most people I
think that’s what Henry David Thoreau
meant when he said most men live in
quiet desperation that most of us go
through life because we’re not using
that which we’ve been given that we are
punished that we’re going through life
getting up in the morning with no reason
to get up once you find out your purpose
in life and once you decide that you’re
going to live a life of sharing and
giving and contributing to life
you don’t need an alarm clock to get up
that you move differently you have more
life in you
but most people are walking around dead
most people are looking lifeless most
people find it a hard effort to smile
most people are building themselves with
alcohol and drugs and evading their own
greatness and and holding back on
themselves for years I was cheating
myself for years I could have been doing
exactly what I’m doing right now but I
was afraid I didn’t feel I was worthy
and I didn’t want to recognize that
which I had been given I had a limited
view of me and I was literally running
away from me I mean life sometimes
chases and I said no no no we want you
to do some great no not me go get
somebody else No
no no no you’re not talking about me no
no no you don’t know what I’ve been
doing no no no no we want you we can
just groom you in and train you and and
get you ready mean yeah
you showed me yeah no no not me no I
just I’m just down no I won’t do that
see and then still I just get tired
chase a come over here come over here
you ain’t got enough sister come just
come over and shut up and straighten up
they just whoop you so hard after a
while you say okay okay okay ladies and
gentlemen one of the reasons that we
should begin to give Mars because we owe
a debt reading a book John Powell well
I’m afraid to tell you who I am because
you might not like me and that’s all
I’ve got a line in there I love to cook
we are made by those who love us and by
those who refuse to love us as I talk to
you right now you’re looking at a lot of
people up here ladies and gentlemen it’s
not just Les Brown standing here a lot
of people have contributed to make me
who I am right now and none of us are
here because of our own doing all of us
have had life to contribute to us many
times complete strangers so we all have
cookie people in our life what do you
mean by cookie people cooking people and
chicken soup people as I call them when
I do my workshops cookie people of
people like Miss Lillian when my mother
used to whip me as a kid now was this
bad too and always getting in trouble
miss Lilly won’t hear me screaming and
after momma would get through this lady
would come over to the house and give me
some cookies
and milk and my you know my mama said
what you doing back Lillian I’m just
giving him some cookies mainly and she’d
say here you are Leslie even though
you’re bad Lupo I brought you some
cookies
so cookie people are people who even
when you are bad Indian when you’re not
being who you really are they look
beyond your faults and see your needs
even if you’re moody person and curse
them out and dog about sometimes these
cookie people love you unconditionally
how many of you have ever had cookie
people in your life all right so we all
have had cookie people but the universe
is put in our lives to contribute to us
the other people are the chicken soup
people chicken soup people of people
that you can call the two o’clock in the
morning say I got a flat tire will you
come help me or my battery is not
running would you come give me a jump or
I need some help
would you come get me out of jail people
in your life you better get so but these
are people that you can always call on
to help you out so I’m encouraging you
to give a letter of appreciation to some
of the cookie people in your life some
of them might have already made that
transition write some letters to some
people who were a leg up for you some
people who contribute it to you being
who you are and just say I was just
thinking over the years I know you know
I love you and appreciate everything
you’ve been to me but I just wanted to
drop you this letter how do you think
they feel if they get that just out of
nowhere just want to thank you for how
you have enriched my life you might not
have thought much of it but because of
the help and assistance you gave me on
that particular day that was a turning
point in my life why should we give well
giving creates a vacuum and as we know
nature abhors a vacuum
see when you give you create a vacuum
you are now in a position to receive see
if I have my arms closed holding on to
everything I’ve got nothing is available
to come in but if I’m
if I created a vacuum there by giving
and keeping the flow going the stuff in
the universe is going to come back to me
ladies and gentlemen it’s going to come
back whatever you get whenever I go into
a room and give a speech to inspire
people to help them to develop their
greatness if you get 10% of what I get
because as Bach says we teach that which
we need most I’m not wearing any crown I
need it as much as I’m sharing it I’m
still growing I’m still unfolding I’m
still seeking to discover my greatness
and if you get 10% of what I get when I
walk out of your seat there will be a
different man walking out of here than
who came in here and as I give them the
more I give to you the more I get most
people don’t understand that that’s a
law of life do you know that we can
literally eliminate poverty overnight we
can eliminate hunger and homelessness
overnight if people understood the
concept of what giving means and the
power in it about the difference that it
can make in our lives I get if you go to
any rundown neighborhood and interview
the people there evaluate their
lifestyles and what they’re doing and
what they’re contributing to life and
then go on a wealthy neighborhood and
talk to those people and evaluate them
and check out what they’re doing with
their energy and their time and what
they’re contributing to life here’s what
you’re going to discover what Earl
Nightingale said he said our success in
life is directly related to the quantity
and the quality of the service that we
give I guarantee you that you will find
that people who have more people that
are living the abundant life are the
contributors to life ladies and
gentlemen they are the people that are
giving more and the people who are
operating out of scarcity and poverty
consciousness these are the people that
are down and out these are the people
that are complaining these are the
people that are blaming the world and
everybody for where they are but if they
took that same energy and begin to
invest and give something back to life I
was in New Jersey and I had to give a a
political presentation to a group there
that we’re trying to organize a
community to begin to revitalize that
particular community and the guy was
telling me very proudly as we were
walking through a housing project
he said the city’s about to give fifty
five million dollars to renovate these
housing projects I said what a waste he
said why would you say that I said let
me ask you something and the person that
was standing next to him I said do you
live in this building he said yes I said
how many families live here is it six
families I said we walked in the door
and we can smell the stench of urine
does it take a genius to go down to the
store and perhaps sacrifice buying three
packs of cigarettes and buy some tired
of soap and water and come back here and
wash this stench out of here does it
take a genius to get a can of paint and
paint over the graffiti and repair the
mailbox does it take a genius for that I
say to you you pour the money in these
housing projects and you don’t change
the people that are living in the
projects before you have completed that
be right back to where they were before
[Applause]
if it is to Stan and I’m not saying that
there aren’t situations where people
need some help and assistance but people
must be allowed to contribute I say they
should pay for the paint I say they
should pay for the mailboxes to be
repaired and the windows to be broken
and I guarantee if the children go
outside throwing a ball they say don’t
you hit that window you fool you know
how much I paid for that window makes a
difference people need to be given the
opportunity to contribute and invest in
life and bin life is appreciated but if
we just give and you don’t want just
give you want to give to people who are
out there struggling and making it and
trying to make impact on the universe
I’d rather give to a man who’s already
doing it than somebody over here doing
nothing and trying go over that man why
don’t you get up and do something hey
listen if you have to go over there and
get them up you’ll have to do that for
the rest of your life
so do it with those who are doing it
[Applause]
so you want to keep the flow going by
working with people who are contributors
to life leave the dead people alone that
are taking away from life there’s a
scripture when I heard it I couldn’t
understand it I say how cold he that
hath shall get and he that hath not even
that that he has shall be taken away
I said now that’s not fair ladies and
gentlemen that is fair he that hath what
becomes the key he that hath a generous
view of life
he even has courage he even has
initiative he that hath resourcefulness
shall get but if you’re like the guy
that I was in a hotel and asked him I
said look here I said I’m getting he was
a bellman I said you know I need to get
my shoes shadow I don’t see shine shoes
oh how long you been working here
oh about three months what were you
doing before then oh I just got other
joint yeah you don’t shine shoes that’s
beneath you but it was okay to steal
that’s not beneath you huh see I save
another guy’s ex-offender I was telling
I had a job from what kind is it what do
making an honest living not worried
about somebody knocking on your door in
the middle of the night if it’s cleaning
toilets you ought to be happy see the
taker ladies and gentlemen you think
that somebody’s just going to come give
him something out here in life it
doesn’t happen that way no it doesn’t
happen that way here’s something else
you’re gonna discover and giving
something that’s very important give
thanks giving thanks creates power give
thanks for your house give thanks for
your apartment for your car for your
family for your health for your
relationships for what you have when we
focus on something it expands when
you’re giving thanks when you’re sharing
the spirit of gratitude for what I got
not that you’re satisfied with it but
you’re grateful for what you got
whatever you focus on that’s what you’re
going to continue to multiply and expand
in your life but if you focus on what
you don’t have if all you can do is
point out the negative things in your
life whatever you focus on you’re going
to expand that some people all they can
do is complain that’s all they could do
they can’t find anything to say good
about life and about anybody else every
time they open their mouth that’s what
their minds are consumed with and that’s
all they’re producing in their lives and
these are people that you don’t want to
be around develop a spirit of gratitude
I’m thankful for life I’m thankful to be
an American I’m thankful to be on this
part of the planet I’m thankful to see
another day know things on what I want
them to be no I don’t have all the
things I want to have but I’m thankful
that I’m still here I have another
opportunity another day to live another
chance to contribute another chance to
make a difference in life so begin to
give thanks for what you have whatever
you focus on remember now you want to
become aligned with the universe if you
have scarcity in your life it’s because
you have a consciousness of scarcity as
you begin to become thankful for what
you have but the abundance that you now
know is coming your way that you’re
attracting to you for the good
relationship that is coming your way
right now
it will begin to create incredible
opportunities for you to begin to
improve your life and the quality of
life of people around you giving is also
ladies and gentlemen for giving give
forgiveness many of us do not realize
that we cannot grow that we are blocking
ourselves we are blocking our good in
the universe we’re literally standing in
the way of the flow of what life has to
us because we haven’t learned how to
forgive we haven’t learned how to let
things go so we can get on with our
lives
when we forgive ladies and gentlemen
it’s not for the other person oh no it’s
for you it’s not for them not because
they deserved it all they earned it
you’re forgiving all the people first of
all you’ve got to forgive yourself but
when you forgive other people it is
mentally and spiritually healthy to
forgive to let that luggage go as Paul
said forgetting those things which are
behind reaching forward to those things
which are before are we here but it’s
hard to do it’s hard what you have is
enough whatever you have to give and the
more you give the more you realize you
have to give and we all have to hear
people who made the supreme sacrifice
for us to enjoy freedoms that we take
for granted Oh none of us none of us can
feel that we have nothing to give back
next thing is giving empowers you it
makes you more powerful see the more you
give to life the more you’re able to get
from life see most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen feeling that we
don’t have enough to share feeling that
we will be depleted if we give of our
resources because we don’t see ourselves
connected to the abundance of life I
feel very strongly that we can make an
incredible difference in life Phyllis
Marx said giving empowers you because
taken to its ultimate what you are
really giving is love love is the
motivating force behind the infinite
supply of universal energy
love truly makes the world go around and
as with anything circular it’s going
keep coming back Phyllis is right so as
she continues to give love and hope to
these people she receives love and hope
for herself and helping to begin to
restructure and redesign the kind of
life that she wants we all have had
experiences in our lives that if we
permit these experiences to do so we
will allow them to weigh us down if we
permit them to do so there will be
luggage that will be dragging through
life holding us down stifling our
potential to give and to contribute life
if we continue to carry all of these
things we can never be open to the love
and the abundance and the opportunity
that life has to offer us because we are
so full with what we’ve got
I’m thinking about an exhibition that
was held in Africa where they were
trying to catch the monkeys that were
the very rare species and because they
were so fast so agile and and very
fragile they did not want to harm them
and in catching them they did not want
to hurt them physically so what they did
in order to catch them they found that
these monkeys were very fond of a
certain kind of nut that grew in that
particular area of Africa and what they
did was that they put these nuts inside
of bottles and put a rope on the bottle
and held the Rope from a distance and so
the monkeys would come and being curious
see the nuts inside the bottle would
reach in and pick the nuts up now what
happened was that they couldn’t pull
their hands out with the nut still in
and so then the exhibition errs the
hunters would come while the monkeys are
there just jump around all they have to
do now is let the nuts go that’s all I
got to do is yet let they just dance it
all around all they have to do is let it
go and they can be free and run they
hold it on to the dancer the people
coming catch you and a lot of us that
life is kicking our butt and all we have
ladies and gentlemen giving creates
energy in ourselves and in others have
you ever helped a blind person go across
the street or helpless senior citizen or
give somebody some help you know just
you know held a door for somebody to an
elevator I mean don’t you have a good
feeling inside like I’ve done good I
mean if you got a good feeling it’s that
would you do something good for somebody
see we’re really giving to ourselves see
that’s really the law when you are
giving you are giving to yourself that’s
what you’re giving too so you want to
give yourself some good gifts there’s a
principle underlying the concept of
giving the energy flowing through us as
we do that love generates abundance in
our lives and we are able to reap so
much from life as a result of our giving
how are you giving up your life do you
know to the degree that you are giving
to that degree determines how much you
enjoy life how meaningful your life is
the things ladies and gentlemen I used
to do I can’t do now that it’s
unbecoming for the role that I have
selected with where I am at my life and
what I want to contribute to life it is
inconsistent I can’t do it even if I
desire to do it
I can’t do it no because it doesn’t fit
because of my vision of myself in the
contribution that I want to make to life
because it’s not enough to give the
message you must also be the message
[Music]
next thing is that we must give out of a
sense of Orton Asst Emmanuel Con in the
book called critique of Pure Reason a
sometimes we must give out of a sense of
authors that the certain things that
happened that we just say something
ought to be done about this a policeman
in Washington DC was working one of his
patrol areas and he came up to a car and
a park and the car was running and he
saw a figure slumped over the steering
wheel he got there looking in with a
flashlight and he saw a
fourteen-year-old boy with a bullet
through the back of his head and he said
oh no he has a son himself that could
have been inside he says something ought
to be done we’re losing too many young
people and so this man went home he had
like several thousand dollars worth of
exercise equipment and his basement he
rented a place he started bringing the
kids in to get them involved in taking
care of their bodies and physical
exercise and athletic activity he now
has expanded that to getting them
involved in entrepreneurial ventures
saying that this is a free enterprise
system and the more enterprising you are
the freer you are and all these kids
have started their own business they
have a little shopping center that they
run they operate they are managing and
they have commercials on radio and I’m
going to be going there doing some
training with them so he decided because
of that event that I ought to do
something now some of the things that’s
going to happen when you look out and
see what can I contribute to what can I
give I guarantee you ladies and
gentleman you’re going to have a voice
is saying it’s just no uses it’s it’s
out of control now there will be a voice
telling you that you’ll be wasting your
time and wasting your energy and wasting
your effort I say don’t listen to it
listen to that still small voice that
says I can do something and I ought to
do it
we ought to do it Disraeli said this
nothing can resist the will of a people
that will stake even their existence on
the extent of that purpose for good I
strongly believe that as we begin to
look to off the future and that as each
day we get up in the morning and be it
that you’re going to give to make the
environment safer for everybody on the
planet be it that you’re going to do
things to help the sick of the
physically disabled or recovering crack
cocaine addicts be it but you want to
help and contribute to youth or do
something for the homeless whatever you
want to do if you get up in the morning
out of a sense of authors and decide
that I am an opening for the universe
that life can work through and used me
as a channel and as a instrument for
change and each day we get up we make it
our personal business to make a
difference in those areas that we’re
concerned about how are we going to do
it we don’t know
but we know that we can make a
difference and we might not be here to
see the results of our efforts we might
not be here as many of the people who
before us made sacrifices that they did
not live to see or reap the benefits of
James Weldon Johnson Stoney the road we
trod bit of the chesaning rod felt in
the days when hope unborn had died yet
with a steady beat have not our weary
feet come to the place for which our
fathers died we’ve come over a wave and
with tears has been watered we’ve come
treading a path through the blood of the
slaughtered when we came here somebody
paid the price for us to be here and as
we begin to look toward the future we
all have an obligation to give something
back
a lot of us don’t give more because of
the fact that we allow ego
to get it away
I’m thinking of a man that was
well-dressed walking through a
neighborhood one day and a lady came to
the door and she said hey you he stopped
he said very politely yes ma’am she said
come here he came to her yes what may I
do for you ma’am she said I want you to
cut my wood he said yes ma’am he took
his coat off and he took the axe that
she had there and he cut the wood she
said won’t you take some around the back
and put some in the fireplace
he said yes ma’am and he did that and
after he finished she said what do I owe
you he said nothing now thank you for
the opportunity to serve
she said okay and he left and he was
walking down the street with his coat
over shoulder and her maid came up she
said do you know who that was
and the latest she work for said no she
says that’s the great Negro educator
Booker T Washington
she looked out the window she said is
that right
she said send for him
and that lady
that boogity washington went and and cut
the wood for contributed several million
dollars to his dream of building an
institution of higher learning to Stiggy
institute that is standing today
[Applause]
[Music]
cut your wood don’t even come up in here with that kind of stuff
now all of us hear the saying as your
sow so shall you reap and we usually we
use that in a negative context but let’s
look at the positive side of that but if
you saw some good stuff out here if you
make it your business how you give your
life to give the best that you have to
give love to give encouragement to give
help to give support if that’s what your
life is about whatever you put out here
ladies and gentlemen I guarantee you
it’s going to come back now the reason
that most people don’t give is because
they operate out of a consciousness of
scarcity they don’t believe that there’s
enough to go around they can’t see
themselves having the capacity to give
they don’t believe that they have
anything to offer they don’t see
themselves as an opening for the
universe to work through so if you begin
to look at this new era that we’re in
begin to see yourself as an opening for
the universe to move through to work
through to make a difference in life see
yourself being used by life to improve
the quality of life to expand and to
grow most people have a very limited
view of themselves in a very limited
view of the universe do not see their
relationship to the universe and cannot
see how energy and things can flow
through them I love Gibran and the
Prophet then said a rich man speak to us
of giving and he answered you give but
little when you give of your possessions
but is when you give of yourself
that you truly give Gibran goes on to
say there those who give little of the
much which they have and they give it
for recognition and their hidden desire
makes their gifts unwholesome and we
know people who give only to be
recognized I love that old saying judge
a man not by what he does but by that
that he doesn’t have to do and to judge
the true quality of a man is what do you
do when nobody’s looking
Gibran goes on to say something else
important he says and there are those
you have little and give it all these
are the believers in life and the bounty
of life see most people don’t give
ladies and gentlemen because they don’t
believe in life most people don’t give
because they don’t understand the
abundance at night and so they go
through life holding back holding back
on life not understanding this also that
what you hold back from life life holds
back from you so most of us go through
life ladies and gentlemen not giving and
we’re cheating ourselves and you’re also
cheating life see I believe that that
all of us have some work to do I
strongly believe that that each one of
us showed up to do something that each
one of us showed up to contribute
something to life
and that if we don’t do it it will not
be done see no one is going to give Les
Brown speech no one is going to write
your book see if you’ve been given
something to do and if you don’t do it
what you’re doing is short-circuiting
the flow of the universe see if just
imagine if you please we had a circle
and people are standing around in this
circle and let’s say we were given a
bucket of love and then I pass it to the
person to the right and they pass it to
somebody else and they pass it to
somebody else they pass it to somebody
else they pass it to somebody else and
it comes back to me one of the great
things about giving is that as you give
you’re blind to receive what we want to
do is keep the flow going keep the flow
going if anybody gets the bucket of luck
and stops and holds it there all of us
suffer
they’ve short-circuited the flow that
stopped what was going on the energy
that was going around see you are part
of an equation and you are needed part
of why we should begin to look at how we
give up our lives that we’ve got to
begin to see what is it that I’m
supposed to do what is my life work and
then give ourselves to that because as
we do that ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you as you begin to take on
this new era
we’re in if you decide that I’m going to
begin to start living life generously
I’m going to start giving more of myself
I’m going to start putting out more
contributing more to life here’s what’s
going to happen ladies and gentlemen I
guarantee you that life will take on a
whole new meaning for you I guarantee
you that as you begin to give more of
yourself in your work give more of
yourself in your marriage give more of
yourself in your relationships with your
families and friends give more of
yourself to your talent to your vocation
to your job or your business as you
begin to set high standards for giving
that which you have been given to share
in the universe I guarantee you that
life takes on a whole new dimension but
you’ll be happier you have a greater
sense of happiness and fulfillment in
life now that doesn’t mean you’re not
going to have some challenges that
doesn’t mean that you’re not going to
have some problems that you’ll be
dealing with on a day-to-day basis no
that doesn’t mean any of that no that
will not exempt you from that but what
it does mean that now you will begin to
take off onto new paths to some new
horizons that you begin to see life
totally different than most people I
think that’s what Henry David Thoreau
meant when he said most men live in
quiet desperation that most of us go
through life because we’re not using
that which we’ve been given that we are
punished that we’re going through life
getting up in the morning with no reason
to get up once you find out your purpose
in life and once you decide that you’re
going to live a life of sharing and
giving and contributing to life
you don’t need an alarm clock to get up
that you move differently you have more
life in you
but most people are walking around dead
most people are looking lifeless most
people find it a hard effort to smile
most people are building themselves with
alcohol and drugs and evading their own
greatness and and holding back on
themselves for years I was cheating
myself for years I could have been doing
exactly what I’m doing right now but I
was afraid I didn’t feel I was worthy
and I didn’t want to recognize that
which I had been given I had a limited
view of me and I was literally running
away from me I mean life sometimes
chases and I said no no no we want you
to do some great no not me go get
somebody else No
no no no you’re not talking about me no
no no you don’t know what I’ve been
doing no no no no we want you we can
just groom you in and train you and and
get you ready mean yeah
you showed me yeah no no not me no I
just I’m just down no I won’t do that
see and then still I just get tired
chase a come over here come over here
you ain’t got enough sister come just
come over and shut up and straighten up
they just whoop you so hard after a
while you say okay okay okay ladies and
gentlemen one of the reasons that we
should begin to give Mars because we owe
a debt reading a book John Powell well
I’m afraid to tell you who I am because
you might not like me and that’s all
I’ve got a line in there I love to cook
we are made by those who love us and by
those who refuse to love us as I talk to
you right now you’re looking at a lot of
people up here ladies and gentlemen it’s
not just Les Brown standing here a lot
of people have contributed to make me
who I am right now and none of us are
here because of our own doing all of us
have had life to contribute to us many
times complete strangers so we all have
cookie people in our life what do you
mean by cookie people cooking people and
chicken soup people as I call them when
I do my workshops cookie people of
people like Miss Lillian when my mother
used to whip me as a kid now was this
bad too and always getting in trouble
miss Lilly won’t hear me screaming and
after momma would get through this lady
would come over to the house and give me
some cookies
and milk and my you know my mama said
what you doing back Lillian I’m just
giving him some cookies mainly and she’d
say here you are Leslie even though
you’re bad Lupo I brought you some
cookies
so cookie people are people who even
when you are bad Indian when you’re not
being who you really are they look
beyond your faults and see your needs
even if you’re moody person and curse
them out and dog about sometimes these
cookie people love you unconditionally
how many of you have ever had cookie
people in your life all right so we all
have had cookie people but the universe
is put in our lives to contribute to us
the other people are the chicken soup
people chicken soup people of people
that you can call the two o’clock in the
morning say I got a flat tire will you
come help me or my battery is not
running would you come give me a jump or
I need some help
would you come get me out of jail people
in your life you better get so but these
are people that you can always call on
to help you out so I’m encouraging you
to give a letter of appreciation to some
of the cookie people in your life some
of them might have already made that
transition write some letters to some
people who were a leg up for you some
people who contribute it to you being
who you are and just say I was just
thinking over the years I know you know
I love you and appreciate everything
you’ve been to me but I just wanted to
drop you this letter how do you think
they feel if they get that just out of
nowhere just want to thank you for how
you have enriched my life you might not
have thought much of it but because of
the help and assistance you gave me on
that particular day that was a turning
point in my life why should we give well
giving creates a vacuum and as we know
nature abhors a vacuum
see when you give you create a vacuum
you are now in a position to receive see
if I have my arms closed holding on to
everything I’ve got nothing is available
to come in but if I’m
if I created a vacuum there by giving
and keeping the flow going the stuff in
the universe is going to come back to me
ladies and gentlemen it’s going to come
back whatever you get whenever I go into
a room and give a speech to inspire
people to help them to develop their
greatness if you get 10% of what I get
because as Bach says we teach that which
we need most I’m not wearing any crown I
need it as much as I’m sharing it I’m
still growing I’m still unfolding I’m
still seeking to discover my greatness
and if you get 10% of what I get when I
walk out of your seat there will be a
different man walking out of here than
who came in here and as I give them the
more I give to you the more I get most
people don’t understand that that’s a
law of life do you know that we can
literally eliminate poverty overnight we
can eliminate hunger and homelessness
overnight if people understood the
concept of what giving means and the
power in it about the difference that it
can make in our lives I get if you go to
any rundown neighborhood and interview
the people there evaluate their
lifestyles and what they’re doing and
what they’re contributing to life and
then go on a wealthy neighborhood and
talk to those people and evaluate them
and check out what they’re doing with
their energy and their time and what
they’re contributing to life here’s what
you’re going to discover what Earl
Nightingale said he said our success in
life is directly related to the quantity
and the quality of the service that we
give I guarantee you that you will find
that people who have more people that
are living the abundant life are the
contributors to life ladies and
gentlemen they are the people that are
giving more and the people who are
operating out of scarcity and poverty
consciousness these are the people that
are down and out these are the people
that are complaining these are the
people that are blaming the world and
everybody for where they are but if they
took that same energy and begin to
invest and give something back to life I
was in New Jersey and I had to give a a
political presentation to a group there
that we’re trying to organize a
community to begin to revitalize that
particular community and the guy was
telling me very proudly as we were
walking through a housing project
he said the city’s about to give fifty
five million dollars to renovate these
housing projects I said what a waste he
said why would you say that I said let
me ask you something and the person that
was standing next to him I said do you
live in this building he said yes I said
how many families live here is it six
families I said we walked in the door
and we can smell the stench of urine
does it take a genius to go down to the
store and perhaps sacrifice buying three
packs of cigarettes and buy some tired
of soap and water and come back here and
wash this stench out of here does it
take a genius to get a can of paint and
paint over the graffiti and repair the
mailbox does it take a genius for that I
say to you you pour the money in these
housing projects and you don’t change
the people that are living in the
projects before you have completed that
be right back to where they were before
[Applause]
if it is to Stan and I’m not saying that
there aren’t situations where people
need some help and assistance but people
must be allowed to contribute I say they
should pay for the paint I say they
should pay for the mailboxes to be
repaired and the windows to be broken
and I guarantee if the children go
outside throwing a ball they say don’t
you hit that window you fool you know
how much I paid for that window makes a
difference people need to be given the
opportunity to contribute and invest in
life and bin life is appreciated but if
we just give and you don’t want just
give you want to give to people who are
out there struggling and making it and
trying to make impact on the universe
I’d rather give to a man who’s already
doing it than somebody over here doing
nothing and trying go over that man why
don’t you get up and do something hey
listen if you have to go over there and
get them up you’ll have to do that for
the rest of your life
so do it with those who are doing it
[Applause]
so you want to keep the flow going by
working with people who are contributors
to life leave the dead people alone that
are taking away from life there’s a
scripture when I heard it I couldn’t
understand it I say how cold he that
hath shall get and he that hath not even
that that he has shall be taken away
I said now that’s not fair ladies and
gentlemen that is fair he that hath what
becomes the key he that hath a generous
view of life
he even has courage he even has
initiative he that hath resourcefulness
shall get but if you’re like the guy
that I was in a hotel and asked him I
said look here I said I’m getting he was
a bellman I said you know I need to get
my shoes shadow I don’t see shine shoes
oh how long you been working here
oh about three months what were you
doing before then oh I just got other
joint yeah you don’t shine shoes that’s
beneath you but it was okay to steal
that’s not beneath you huh see I save
another guy’s ex-offender I was telling
I had a job from what kind is it what do
making an honest living not worried
about somebody knocking on your door in
the middle of the night if it’s cleaning
toilets you ought to be happy see the
taker ladies and gentlemen you think
that somebody’s just going to come give
him something out here in life it
doesn’t happen that way no it doesn’t
happen that way here’s something else
you’re gonna discover and giving
something that’s very important give
thanks giving thanks creates power give
thanks for your house give thanks for
your apartment for your car for your
family for your health for your
relationships for what you have when we
focus on something it expands when
you’re giving thanks when you’re sharing
the spirit of gratitude for what I got
not that you’re satisfied with it but
you’re grateful for what you got
whatever you focus on that’s what you’re
going to continue to multiply and expand
in your life but if you focus on what
you don’t have if all you can do is
point out the negative things in your
life whatever you focus on you’re going
to expand that some people all they can
do is complain that’s all they could do
they can’t find anything to say good
about life and about anybody else every
time they open their mouth that’s what
their minds are consumed with and that’s
all they’re producing in their lives and
these are people that you don’t want to
be around develop a spirit of gratitude
I’m thankful for life I’m thankful to be
an American I’m thankful to be on this
part of the planet I’m thankful to see
another day know things on what I want
them to be no I don’t have all the
things I want to have but I’m thankful
that I’m still here I have another
opportunity another day to live another
chance to contribute another chance to
make a difference in life so begin to
give thanks for what you have whatever
you focus on remember now you want to
become aligned with the universe if you
have scarcity in your life it’s because
you have a consciousness of scarcity as
you begin to become thankful for what
you have but the abundance that you now
know is coming your way that you’re
attracting to you for the good
relationship that is coming your way
right now
it will begin to create incredible
opportunities for you to begin to
improve your life and the quality of
life of people around you giving is also
ladies and gentlemen for giving give
forgiveness many of us do not realize
that we cannot grow that we are blocking
ourselves we are blocking our good in
the universe we’re literally standing in
the way of the flow of what life has to
us because we haven’t learned how to
forgive we haven’t learned how to let
things go so we can get on with our
lives
when we forgive ladies and gentlemen
it’s not for the other person oh no it’s
for you it’s not for them not because
they deserved it all they earned it
you’re forgiving all the people first of
all you’ve got to forgive yourself but
when you forgive other people it is
mentally and spiritually healthy to
forgive to let that luggage go as Paul
said forgetting those things which are
behind reaching forward to those things
which are before are we here but it’s
hard to do it’s hard what you have is
enough whatever you have to give and the
more you give the more you realize you
have to give and we all have to hear
people who made the supreme sacrifice
for us to enjoy freedoms that we take
for granted Oh none of us none of us can
feel that we have nothing to give back
next thing is giving empowers you it
makes you more powerful see the more you
give to life the more you’re able to get
from life see most of us go through life
ladies and gentlemen feeling that we
don’t have enough to share feeling that
we will be depleted if we give of our
resources because we don’t see ourselves
connected to the abundance of life I
feel very strongly that we can make an
incredible difference in life Phyllis
Marx said giving empowers you because
taken to its ultimate what you are
really giving is love love is the
motivating force behind the infinite
supply of universal energy
love truly makes the world go around and
as with anything circular it’s going
keep coming back Phyllis is right so as
she continues to give love and hope to
these people she receives love and hope
for herself and helping to begin to
restructure and redesign the kind of
life that she wants we all have had
experiences in our lives that if we
permit these experiences to do so we
will allow them to weigh us down if we
permit them to do so there will be
luggage that will be dragging through
life holding us down stifling our
potential to give and to contribute life
if we continue to carry all of these
things we can never be open to the love
and the abundance and the opportunity
that life has to offer us because we are
so full with what we’ve got
I’m thinking about an exhibition that
was held in Africa where they were
trying to catch the monkeys that were
the very rare species and because they
were so fast so agile and and very
fragile they did not want to harm them
and in catching them they did not want
to hurt them physically so what they did
in order to catch them they found that
these monkeys were very fond of a
certain kind of nut that grew in that
particular area of Africa and what they
did was that they put these nuts inside
of bottles and put a rope on the bottle
and held the Rope from a distance and so
the monkeys would come and being curious
see the nuts inside the bottle would
reach in and pick the nuts up now what
happened was that they couldn’t pull
their hands out with the nut still in
and so then the exhibition errs the
hunters would come while the monkeys are
there just jump around all they have to
do now is let the nuts go that’s all I
got to do is yet let they just dance it
all around all they have to do is let it
go and they can be free and run they
hold it on to the dancer the people
coming catch you and a lot of us that
life is kicking our butt and all we have
ladies and gentlemen giving creates
energy in ourselves and in others have
you ever helped a blind person go across
the street or helpless senior citizen or
give somebody some help you know just
you know held a door for somebody to an
elevator I mean don’t you have a good
feeling inside like I’ve done good I
mean if you got a good feeling it’s that
would you do something good for somebody
see we’re really giving to ourselves see
that’s really the law when you are
giving you are giving to yourself that’s
what you’re giving too so you want to
give yourself some good gifts there’s a
principle underlying the concept of
giving the energy flowing through us as
we do that love generates abundance in
our lives and we are able to reap so
much from life as a result of our giving
how are you giving up your life do you
know to the degree that you are giving
to that degree determines how much you
enjoy life how meaningful your life is
the things ladies and gentlemen I used
to do I can’t do now that it’s
unbecoming for the role that I have
selected with where I am at my life and
what I want to contribute to life it is
inconsistent I can’t do it even if I
desire to do it
I can’t do it no because it doesn’t fit
because of my vision of myself in the
contribution that I want to make to life
because it’s not enough to give the
message you must also be the message
[Music]
next thing is that we must give out of a
sense of Orton Asst Emmanuel Con in the
book called critique of Pure Reason a
sometimes we must give out of a sense of
authors that the certain things that
happened that we just say something
ought to be done about this a policeman
in Washington DC was working one of his
patrol areas and he came up to a car and
a park and the car was running and he
saw a figure slumped over the steering
wheel he got there looking in with a
flashlight and he saw a
fourteen-year-old boy with a bullet
through the back of his head and he said
oh no he has a son himself that could
have been inside he says something ought
to be done we’re losing too many young
people and so this man went home he had
like several thousand dollars worth of
exercise equipment and his basement he
rented a place he started bringing the
kids in to get them involved in taking
care of their bodies and physical
exercise and athletic activity he now
has expanded that to getting them
involved in entrepreneurial ventures
saying that this is a free enterprise
system and the more enterprising you are
the freer you are and all these kids
have started their own business they
have a little shopping center that they
run they operate they are managing and
they have commercials on radio and I’m
going to be going there doing some
training with them so he decided because
of that event that I ought to do
something now some of the things that’s
going to happen when you look out and
see what can I contribute to what can I
give I guarantee you ladies and
gentleman you’re going to have a voice
is saying it’s just no uses it’s it’s
out of control now there will be a voice
telling you that you’ll be wasting your
time and wasting your energy and wasting
your effort I say don’t listen to it
listen to that still small voice that
says I can do something and I ought to
do it
we ought to do it Disraeli said this
nothing can resist the will of a people
that will stake even their existence on
the extent of that purpose for good I
strongly believe that as we begin to
look to off the future and that as each
day we get up in the morning and be it
that you’re going to give to make the
environment safer for everybody on the
planet be it that you’re going to do
things to help the sick of the
physically disabled or recovering crack
cocaine addicts be it but you want to
help and contribute to youth or do
something for the homeless whatever you
want to do if you get up in the morning
out of a sense of authors and decide
that I am an opening for the universe
that life can work through and used me
as a channel and as a instrument for
change and each day we get up we make it
our personal business to make a
difference in those areas that we’re
concerned about how are we going to do
it we don’t know
but we know that we can make a
difference and we might not be here to
see the results of our efforts we might
not be here as many of the people who
before us made sacrifices that they did
not live to see or reap the benefits of
James Weldon Johnson Stoney the road we
trod bit of the chesaning rod felt in
the days when hope unborn had died yet
with a steady beat have not our weary
feet come to the place for which our
fathers died we’ve come over a wave and
with tears has been watered we’ve come
treading a path through the blood of the
slaughtered when we came here somebody
paid the price for us to be here and as
we begin to look toward the future we
all have an obligation to give something
back
a lot of us don’t give more because of
the fact that we allow ego
to get it away
I’m thinking of a man that was
well-dressed walking through a
neighborhood one day and a lady came to
the door and she said hey you he stopped
he said very politely yes ma’am she said
come here he came to her yes what may I
do for you ma’am she said I want you to
cut my wood he said yes ma’am he took
his coat off and he took the axe that
she had there and he cut the wood she
said won’t you take some around the back
and put some in the fireplace
he said yes ma’am and he did that and
after he finished she said what do I owe
you he said nothing now thank you for
the opportunity to serve
she said okay and he left and he was
walking down the street with his coat
over shoulder and her maid came up she
said do you know who that was
and the latest she work for said no she
says that’s the great Negro educator
Booker T Washington
she looked out the window she said is
that right
she said send for him
and that lady
that boogity washington went and and cut
the wood for contributed several million
dollars to his dream of building an
institution of higher learning to Stiggy
institute that is standing today
[Applause]
[Music]
cut your wood don’t even come up in here with that kind of stuff
Please follow and like us: