you can either live your dreams or live
your fears and I think the majority of
people actually are not living their
dreams but are living their fears so I
want to ask you a question what are your
fears what are you afraid of what are
you scared of because we all have fears
don’t we we all have something that’s
blocking us that’s holding us back and
as we begin to look at life what we
realize is that the reason that most
people are not living out their true
potential and not doing all of the
things that they would really like to do
it’s because of fear some people called
fear false evidence or expectations
appearing real a reminder of the story
of a guy that was living in an area
where he had some new neighbors and
these neighbors had a bulldog and when
he came home every day this Bulldog used
to chase him about a half a block from
his house every day he would have to
streak home I mean he was just run this
bulldog be right on his heels and so he
just got tired of that because he would
go home about a half a block away from
home he would look around for this
Bulldog that he would see and he would
go walking casually along and his
Bulldog come out of nowhere well it’s
not chancing here to run home so this
one day he just got tired and so when
the Bulldog was running after and he
started running he saw a rock and he
stopped to pick it up to throw out the
Bulldog and when the Bulldog got up on
him he started barking you realized the
Bulldog could have any teeth involved
then he’s not change the boat on him you
don’t get all the way from it the boat
the Moondogs gonna done is gum you know
and so you know what most people go
through life running scared running
scared from things that have no teeth in
them because they’re false expectations
appearing will but see we’re brilliant
enough to scare ourselves to death you
realize that there are some people
actually will get a kick out of scaring
themselves to death I remember the last
frightening movie I saw it was the
Exorcist I will never forget I was so
frightened when I came home I’ll never
got drove in the driveway and I had
already called my former wife and said
listen turn the lights on I was coming
in the driveway and I and I was getting
out of the car and all of a sudden I
couldn’t get out of someone my heart I
said mama they got me there Gaby she
came to the kitchen when I said take
your seat belt loose fool okay okay
I was striped out of my wits but there
are a lot of people who make you know
for that Hey look I’m the person up my
brother is a paratrooper my twin brother
he’s in the military
career man I would love to jump out of
an airplane the parachute I’m scared
though I mean I really admire our
brother for that I would really love to
be macho vampire one of the things that
you fear that’s been keeping you from
living your dream that’s been keeping
you from doing some things that you
would like to do just think about those
things and how do we begin to handle
that Abraham Maslow said that the life
is about growth and he said you can
either go back to your comfort zone and
there you won’t find any growth or you
must Willie be willing to go forward and
face your fears again and again and
again because you’re never going to have
a I’ll fear free existence I mean some
fear is acceptable and legitimate there
are some things that you you really
should be
wait up now you shouldn’t allow it to
immobilize you you acknowledge it you
take it into account and you carry
yourself accordingly there are times
that we should proceed with caution but
it’s the difference between being
stopped by fear it’s the difference
between having a fear and the fear
having you so what do we do one
acknowledging and knowing that it’s okay
don’t condemn yourself for being afraid
it’s perfectly fine to have some fears
you acknowledge your fears you embrace
those fears and then you move on you act
on whatever it is that you fear because
once you embrace it see what you resist
will persist what you’re resist will
persist so one of the most important
things is is to begin to embrace your
fear the fear of bodily harm that’s
legitimate when I was a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio you know I was young right
22 23 but I was tough and I was on the
air and Al Green who was a great
performer at that time and still is now
now singing gospel music had a record
his first hit record was backup train so
a guy came into town and was
impersonating Al Green I happened to
know al green because I’d already booked
it and so when I found out this guy was
impersonating outreach I came on the air
and did an editorial about it and I
exposed it he was rather big fellow and
so he had the word out that when I see
this guy let’s prime a disc jockey I
went knocking him out from having a big
mouth so I was driving down Main Street
in Columbus Ohio had my son in a car and
I always have this little thing hey if
anybody will put a threat on me I’ll
make him honor it so I saw this guy on
the street so I pull around I say excuse
me I’ll be right back got out the car
hey man I heard you said that you were
looking for me I’m les Brown he said you
are say yeah I said what is it I’m the
one that said that you are an imposter I
said I want to know what you’re going to
do about it he opened it’s going you had
a gun there
I say but whatever I said to hurt you
acknowledged of beer scare yourself
accordingly and do what makes sense for
you
well one major fear I’ve always had is a
fear of dentists and this fear had me I
didn’t have that fear and what really
important frosted you got to watch
things that can feed your fear I saw a
movie that most people would not
remember this movie was starring Dustin
Hoffman
called the Marathon Man with Laurence
Olivier when he’s trying to get a
confession out of here and he took this
drill out let me tell you someone he
went in dunk my Hoffman’s mouth with
that drill I had a dollar worth of
popcorn that part go with everywhere you
know I could not go to the dentist for
five years I left broadcasting went to
the Ohio legislature had an impacted
wisdom tooth now that hurts and I would
call and soon as the people would answer
the phone I would hang up as I fight
about dr. Hamlet office boom I’d hail
then I got to the point where I could
just ask for an appointment hello and I
wouldn’t give my real name because I
knew I would go keep it
I came anybody’s name Joe giggles here
mrs. Brattle supporting sari up to the
point where I could give my name it was
about four years after that so my name
is les bond then I would call back and
say look here due to my legislative
agenda I won’t be able to make it so the
lady finally federal function you’re
scared aren’t you
I said no I’m not then why
don’t you come in that’s none of your
business
she said you’re not coming in because
you’re scared I wish you just would not
waste our time and you hung up I said
you have no right to do that to people
like me you know so finally we’ll make
it long in short I was hurting so bad as
a way to I’ve got to do something and I
said what am I afraid of go there and
handle that’s it man that’s a dr. hammer
I just can’t hear this drill I mean you
can do whatever I just don’t I don’t
need to hear this drill this drill that
sound you know that’s the what gets me
that drill don’t pull that drill out on
me you could just calm down Conda and it
wasn’t really bad as I thought it was
one of the things you find out that when
you face your fears it’s not as bad as
you think it is when people tell you I
just can’t do that I can’t handle I mean
really really really I can’t handle it
what they’re envisioning is that they’re
not going to be if they’re going to
clock out like you’re going to die guess
what we all in occasions when we
confronted our fears we had to do
something we thought uncomfortable with
we didn’t want to do it and we did not
die they didn’t come take us and put us
in a box somewhere am i right so what
we’ve got to begin to do how do we
handle that what’s the process because
it’s all up in here one I think is
imagine the worst-case scenario I just
imagined that he went in my mouth and
with this drill and that I just croaked
out
then I imagine that’s the worst-case
scenario then I had another technique I
used visualize yourself being more than
able and capable of handling it but I
used to have a tremendous inferiority
complex about speaking before people
that I felt who had more going for them
than I did because I’m not college
trained I used to feel that college
people were the most intelligent people
on the planet and there was nothing I
had to say for them and what would that
what will they listen to me for that’s
the way I felt and so I had to visualize
myself speaking before them speaking
before various audiences that had more
going for them than I did and realize
and appreciate my own value and that I
was a worthwhile person even though I
didn’t have all going for me I don’t
have the money I didn’t have the
education that they had so part of the
process is seeing yourself being worthy
being capable having what you need to
make your worthwhile person and that
you’re more than able and that you
deserve to be listened to or you deserve
to have that dream in that passion and
whatever it is that you see and envision
it you’ve got to see it in your mind’s
eye and know that you’ve got what it
takes repeat after me please
I must see and my mind’s I see myself
confronting my fears handling my fears
I’m more than able shake somebody’s hand
on your right and left and say you’ve
got the right stuff
so deciding as you look at your life as
you look into the future and say what
fears am i holding on to what fears that
I’m aligned to imprison me that’s
keeping me from breaking out that’s
keeping me from living up to my true
potential that’s keeping me from really
being happy that’s keeping me from
having a sense of adventure and
excitement in my life what’s what’s
keeping me from controlling my destiny
what fears and I’m giving that
permission to notice what I said that we
must give our permission to fear to
immobilize us because whatever
discomfort you experience whatever
challenges a difficulty that it is you
got to handle it
you’ve got to go up in there and wrestle
with it will it be easy no will it be
challenging yes friend of mine who’s
going into recovery
he’s been addicted to crack cocaine for
years and alcohol he was talking about
how challenging it was and while he was
dreading going on going into cold turkey
I said what do you want me to tell you
that it’s going to be a picnic no it’s
not
it’s going to kick your button yes it is
are you going to want to die yes yes
that’s a part of it but that’s just what
you must go through in order to get
where you want to go and guess what you
are strong enough to do it you’re strong
enough and your life is worth whatever
you have to go through to get past this
addiction whatever you have to do this
dream you got whatever you want to do
will it be easy to just run out and do
it no will it happen overnight now will
it be a struggle yes
will there be times when you can’t make
ends meet yes that’s a part of it will
be times you won’t know what to do yes
that’s a part of it well you have some
opposition will things go wrong
sometimes you will have many visits
Murphy now if you’re saying well whose
mark and go
somebody must have told us someplace
along the line I don’t know where but
somebody must have told people Oh life
is going to be real easy
oh if they told you that I’ve got a
special announcement they lie I don’t
forget I had a special piece of
legislation I wanted to get passed and I
sent two old guys lucky can I count on
your vote
Ethan yes but look here if I can’t count
on to let me know this another guy that
owes midship and I can call on that and
I want need your vote but I do need it
if you say you’re going to do it do it
you say you can count on it legislation
came up he voted against my bill my bill
passed I went back to hey I told you I
needed the vote but if you couldn’t give
it up let me know and get somebody else
in
why are you tell me is it away I was in
shock how many of you that life just
were you out that you didn’t expect that
you thought you go to school get good
grades get a job and you came out here
you’ll be able to get a job a little
happily ever after if you say yes they
never told me you know that something
mom told me there’d be days like that
even tell us that you got something
about life is challenging I mean it’s
some stuff you get out here you didn’t
read it in a book though where then
nobody warned you that it’s gonna come
down on you like this it’s called life
there are kind of challenges like that
so what’s the next piece is that you
accept yourself then you accept the fear
as a fact and not a false so when you
accept yourself and you accept fear as a
fact that means that it’s something that
happens it’s something that you’re going
to experience but it is not a force to
hold you back it doesn’t have any
special power other than that that you
give it so you accept the fact that you
are play and then you move on anyhow you
move on pass it and you do whatever
you’ve got to do I was at a big
motivational rally for gentleman by the
name of Dexter Jaeger down in the
Carolinas I was standing backstage
age and I had to go out I was the last
speaker on the program it’s the first
time I’ve been in a stadium of this size
over 10,000 people you couldn’t see the
people because the lights are just
blaring in your eyes called free
enterprise day I was afraid my heart was
beating fast I just pacing back and
forth and Dexter said are you all right
I said you fastly wait a bit just calm
down calm yourself a little bit
it’s all right left it’s all right all
right just be as scared as you can be
you as I say embrace that fear just try
and see how scared you can really give
and stop breathing deeper so the guy
came back and said are you bout to die
well I said no fine but after I started
breaking it and trying to make myself as
afraid as I can get and imagine what’s
the worst thing that I can go out there
do my Michael Blake and I played on
stage the longer they gave you my jacket
so what I thought laughing at myself I
stopped talking about those they you
don’t you care today arrows that I just
calm myself down and I went out then I
cooked and that’s what you got to do I
had another experience where I was at a
major corporation and I was one of my
first major presentations I was going to
do for this corporation and I had four
other presenters that had large firms
and one of the things that you’ve got to
do is you’ve got to watch your inner
conversation and discipline your
thinking and your imagination because if
you don’t your mind will take you on a
wild trip so my mind said hey les I said
what this guy’s going to wipe you out
you can’t compete with them because I
heard these guys sitting over across
from me and they were talking about all
that they had going for them and so I
started doubting myself and I became
afraid and I was thinking well maybe I
shouldn’t go in there
and so I knew then and this is what I
suggest to you sometimes you got to talk
to yourself talking to yourself you’d be
a good exercise might be the only
intelligent conversation you ever get so
I got up and I went the bathroom and I
start talking to myself said last time
let me tell you something what do you
care about these guys and their firms
and all their money you’ve got six
children you’ve got to feel you got a
mama you’ve got to take care of home you
ain’t got nothing to lose
our normal up to those people I said
don’t you do nothing till you hear from
me and I got the contract
so when you have your Lord self talking
to you telling you what you can’t do
part of what you’ve got to do is be your
own motivator you can you can’t talk
casually to yourself you can’t stare uh
sit down you must calm down now no
that’s unconscious man well here that
you’ve got to have a good conversation
to you so hey and answer yourself to
don’t pity people in the attention you
answer yourself hey what you’re going to
I’m going in get off all right very good
go on then take care busy you’ve got to
talk to yourself and you build yourself
up and you’ll feel your energy level
coming up and people will feel that
around you see now if you go through
life being afraid people can sense that
they can pick up that fear so that’s why
you’ve got to stand up inside yourself
I’m reminded of the little boy that was
on a bus and and some bigger fellows who
were picking at him you know and so he
wanted to move from by then they were
thumping you on the head and so you
stood up just to get from by them and
they would push him back down he would
stand up again they’d push him back down
and he stood up again they pushed in on
held him down he said you might hold me
down but I’m standing up inside myself
and that’s what you gotta do
see when you are not filling your life
with the things that you are capable of
doing so we all have some stuff that
we’ve been given and I don’t think that
it’s optional for us to sit on what we
have see if you’re sitting on what you
have which you’ve been given I think
everybody’s been given something to
bring to the planet that only you can do
that only you can perform that only you
can initiate that activity and if you
don’t do that if you’re not filling in
your life with your life work or your
mission then they’re gaps in your life
and what we do when we’re not living out
our true identity we begin to fill the
gaps we fill the holes with garbage
alcohol drugs whirly self-destructive
behavior so when you begin to look at
your life and you know that that you’re
not doing what you can do because you
have allowed yourself to be held captive
by your fear now when you don’t have a
true appreciation and acceptance for who
you are and you allow yourself to be
immobilized by fear what happens in the
process is that you begin to abused
yourself you begin to sabotage your life
you begin to sabotage your dreams you
begin to unconsciously work against
yourself you become your own worst enemy
so what do you do about that
well you you begin to realize that your
dream and your gifts have so much
meaning and so much value for you till
your hunger for them will begin to push
you past the fear your hunger to have
them will give you a special drive as
you work on yourself as you begin to
acknowledge your true identity the true
power that you have the true capacity
you have to bring about change the
miracle-working power that you have
within yourself to do the things that
you want to do when you take them on I’m
reminded of a man who
this gentleman was doing a special study
of a special tribe in Africa headhunters
and he had difficulty in developing a
relationship with these tribesmen
because of the fact that he had fear
yeah beautiful pig is in jail all fears
are bad I was a legitimate deer I was a
good for you to give you headache so he
worked there for a long time with no
effort no progress in developing
relationship and rapport and being able
to achieve a level of trust so finally
one night while he was in bed he was
thinking about it what what is it that
you came here to do what is your life
work as a missionary said I wanted to
study these tribesmen so what’s the
worst thing that they can do to you kill
you and he just decided hey this is what
I came here to do I know that there’s
some risk involved and I’m going to do
it come what may he said I’m not going
to be afraid he went back the next day
and he started doing the work and trying
to talk to and interview many of the
members of this tribe and they began to
respond to him they threw out the
welcome mat to him and years later when
people came to see what his progress was
they asked him how were you able to do
this how did you convert the
relationship from being hostile to that
of being positive he said something I
think has value for all of us
he said when life can no longer threaten
you with death what else is this
[Music]
what else you see and the majority of
the fears that we have are not life or
death fear and not those kind of fears
but through our imagination we blow them
out of proportion and we give them more
power than they actually have or deserve
and we permit them to govern our lives
we permit them to determine how far we
can stretch out on our dreams and
discover now stuff and as we begin to
look at ourselves and and begin to wait
a minute just getting to the point as
you assess yourself in and begin to
prove yourself and just a weary whole is
Makonnen I’ve been sweating this out
what can what’s the worst thing that can
happen to nothing
will it kill me will I die what why am I
going through all of these changes over
this how much power this is really have
and am I the one that’s feeding the
power into it so a lot of times we we
allow ourselves to be fed and to be
programming to to being afraid of you
watch the news and read the newspaper
you’ll be scared to come out the house
am i right if we’re afraid so what kinds
of things what kinds of thoughts are you
feeding your consciousness what kind of
things are you putting in your mind that
will enable you to either move forward
or than justify why you’re staying where
you are another piece that I look at
that when I finally decided that I was
going to go to the dentist pain was so
great I couldn’t hold out any longer all
of a sudden it’s theater better
I can take me not some people need fear
you know have a friend that that we
tolling hey man you know you need to
lose some weight
you gettin overweight and out of shape
and at our age we need to have a regular
program and bud said man I’ve been fat
since I was little boy um you know I’m
big-boned
I’ve never seen a fat skeleton though
yeah well bud became ill how many of us
be the best guilting radii all right but
I became ill passed out and I was there
the doctor was talking to him and but I
think was going to go right back to say
no eating habits and doing everything
you know to look here you are a diabetic
and so now here’s some of the side
effects you know you could go blind you
can become an amputee none of that
testing he said you can become impotent
Ethan what did you say bob has lost
weight he exercises every day he’s in
the body sculpturing
forty-eight years ago he looks great I
can’t believe for just that once a bit
made all the difference in the world but
is a humanity so what is it that has to
happen to you some people don’t take
corrective measures to improve their
health until they get a pronouncement
that they’re about to die then they
start okay all right I’m ready to do
whatever you want me to do but they
won’t do that they can see people drop
it off like flies around there well
that’s them you got to go from something
we go through life really blocking
ourselves constantly and fear is one of
the greatest instruments that we could
use to stifle our true potential when
you begin to to look at your life you
can decide to use fear as a blocker or
you can decide to use it as building
blocks but you decide hey look here I’m
going to move in this direction
I’m not going to allow anything to stop
me from doing what I want to do we shake
somebody’s hand on your right
weapon say I’m unstoppable
[Music]
see when you begin to understand and
acknowledge your fear and you go forth
anyhow you go forth in a spirit and
unknowing but there’s a way that you can
begin to handle this there’s a way out
here somewhere there’s a solution what
it is that you’re seeking that you’ll
have the capacity to whatever comes up
to handle it to face it and rather than
feeling powerless you begin to feel
powerful see when all of the major
downsizings that are taking place around
this country there are a lot of people
who are biting their fingers and fear
that they might lose their jobs but
there are few people who have decided
within themselves I’m going to make it
some people aren’t waiting to be cut
some people are moving on their home
because they feel within themselves I’ve
got what it takes to make it they’re not
afraid about tomorrow because of how
they see themselves because of what they
feel that they deserve because of what
they feel that they can create for
themselves because these people have
decided as they look at the future as
they look at themselves there’s a way
whether the will there’s a way for me to
begin to create a way out of no way and
when you have that kind of consciousness
when you have that kind of spirit
nothing can stop you nothing what would
you like be like as you look toward the
future if you decided I’m not going to
allow my fears to stop me what would you
like be like what would your future be
like if you decided to to want that
which you desire so strongly that it
prepares you past your fears
but you experience the fear as the one
book says steal the fear and do it
anyway what would your life be like and
I’m saying to you that all of us who
have been in tuned by fear have a
capacity to resurrect ourselves and to
resurrect our dreams
and you have is it easy no not easy can
I do it yet what’s one of the ways to
get started some of us need somebody to
hold our hands sometimes we need
somebody to help us out be willing to
say I don’t know be willing to reach out
be willing to get some assistance to
take you to the next level of what great
athlete you never expect boxes to make
profound statements I think was Joe
Frazier said this one he says all of us
are like the blind man at some point in
our lives standing on the corner waiting
for somebody to lead us across so all of
us at some point in our lives need some
help need someone to reach out to us
before the Lifeline to help us go cross
and treacherous waters that we could
navigate by ourselves none of us do it
by ourselves
all of us at some point of our lives we
need that kind of help we need that kind
of assistance because we grow from the
people we have in our lives that can
enrich our lives personally
professionally spiritually and all the
dimensions of our lives we don’t go and
about you so as you look at yourself
whatever fears you have it maybe you
need some help and strengthening
yourself in that area as you assess your
strengths and your weaknesses as you
begin to approve yourself and your
passions and your dreams and your goals
and the things that you want if you
decide to experience all of your true
potential as you decide to manifest all
of your greatness as you decide wait a
minute what what else is available to me
out here if I decided to experience the
fear of rejection the fear of no the
fear of failure the fear of standing by
myself what else is available of taking
a chance of fear of losing it all what
else is available to me that will bring
some extra meaning and value the fear of
people not liking me you know how many
people do things they don’t want to do
because they want everybody to like them
everybody’s not going to
iq excuse me special announcement
everybody’s not going to like you know
that’s it’s just not that kind of world
what but you know that a lot of people
who won’t take positions on issues who
won’t take a stand for things they
believe in who won’t speak up for
themselves because they don’t want to
make anybody mad oh it was Bill Cosby he
said I don’t know what the secret of
success is he said but here’s what I
know what the secret of failures is it
trying to please everybody you can’t
please everybody
but they’re people who have a fear of
rocking the boat
so then just go alone and like just go
along well so how do you feel well I
don’t really want to say how many of you
know people I get raise your head these
people are living life they’re not truly
experiencing life what do you really
want to do well I don’t like this but I
guess I’ll go ahead on and do know the
life is too short for that too short and
unpredictable moving through not try to
disturb anything not trying to shake
anything up not trying to make any waves
you see there are some people who who
come through the universe in their level
of contribution and the level of energy
they manifest is so small so
inconspicuous that’s me when they go you
won’t even know they left I mean they’re
people who died on jobs and you save
where’s young oh just in there six five
you’re kidding no is that right yeah I
didn’t know well I guess we didn’t but
there are some people because of their
personality because of their
contribution because of their the
investment of their time and their
energy and the impact they have their
that when they go everybody will miss
them
so another Teresa checks out everybody
will know when Rosa Parks everybody will
know Nelson Mandela everybody will know
what because of their contribution see
but there’s some people because their
contribution is so small no one will
care something before you are boxed and
buried decide that you’re going to box
and bury your fears decide that you’re
going to begin to live life on a new
level seeking out new horizons that
you’re going to find more love and more
joy and more ways to give more to life
God said something I love this he says
everything a man does for himself
guess what he takes with him but
everything he does for others he leaves
behind so when you begin to say what is
it that I want to leave what
contribution that I want to begin to
make what difference do I want to make
in life what is it that I want to do
with the rest of the life that I have
left what what chances I need to take
what risk do I need to begin to embrace
what fears do I need to step on what
areas of my life am i dead right now
what three you can even live your dreams
or live your fears you have got to get
to a point where you say I’m sick and
tired of living like this there’s got to
be more let’s see that’s when people go
out and strike out on their dreams
that’s when people get out of
relationships where they’re dying
together rather than growing together
that’s where they leave John so where
you going away from here
do you have another job no I don’t what
were you going to make it I don’t know
but I will see you will when you put
yourself in that kind of situation I’m
reminded of two frogs that that were
huffing down the road and they fell into
a bottle of milk and one was hopping up
and down for a while and he drowned he
just gave up but his other frog has kept
all kick it he wouldn’t give up he just
kept on kicking and pretty soon he
churned that milk into butter and he
what
[Music]
your fears and I think the majority of
people actually are not living their
dreams but are living their fears so I
want to ask you a question what are your
fears what are you afraid of what are
you scared of because we all have fears
don’t we we all have something that’s
blocking us that’s holding us back and
as we begin to look at life what we
realize is that the reason that most
people are not living out their true
potential and not doing all of the
things that they would really like to do
it’s because of fear some people called
fear false evidence or expectations
appearing real a reminder of the story
of a guy that was living in an area
where he had some new neighbors and
these neighbors had a bulldog and when
he came home every day this Bulldog used
to chase him about a half a block from
his house every day he would have to
streak home I mean he was just run this
bulldog be right on his heels and so he
just got tired of that because he would
go home about a half a block away from
home he would look around for this
Bulldog that he would see and he would
go walking casually along and his
Bulldog come out of nowhere well it’s
not chancing here to run home so this
one day he just got tired and so when
the Bulldog was running after and he
started running he saw a rock and he
stopped to pick it up to throw out the
Bulldog and when the Bulldog got up on
him he started barking you realized the
Bulldog could have any teeth involved
then he’s not change the boat on him you
don’t get all the way from it the boat
the Moondogs gonna done is gum you know
and so you know what most people go
through life running scared running
scared from things that have no teeth in
them because they’re false expectations
appearing will but see we’re brilliant
enough to scare ourselves to death you
realize that there are some people
actually will get a kick out of scaring
themselves to death I remember the last
frightening movie I saw it was the
Exorcist I will never forget I was so
frightened when I came home I’ll never
got drove in the driveway and I had
already called my former wife and said
listen turn the lights on I was coming
in the driveway and I and I was getting
out of the car and all of a sudden I
couldn’t get out of someone my heart I
said mama they got me there Gaby she
came to the kitchen when I said take
your seat belt loose fool okay okay
I was striped out of my wits but there
are a lot of people who make you know
for that Hey look I’m the person up my
brother is a paratrooper my twin brother
he’s in the military
career man I would love to jump out of
an airplane the parachute I’m scared
though I mean I really admire our
brother for that I would really love to
be macho vampire one of the things that
you fear that’s been keeping you from
living your dream that’s been keeping
you from doing some things that you
would like to do just think about those
things and how do we begin to handle
that Abraham Maslow said that the life
is about growth and he said you can
either go back to your comfort zone and
there you won’t find any growth or you
must Willie be willing to go forward and
face your fears again and again and
again because you’re never going to have
a I’ll fear free existence I mean some
fear is acceptable and legitimate there
are some things that you you really
should be
wait up now you shouldn’t allow it to
immobilize you you acknowledge it you
take it into account and you carry
yourself accordingly there are times
that we should proceed with caution but
it’s the difference between being
stopped by fear it’s the difference
between having a fear and the fear
having you so what do we do one
acknowledging and knowing that it’s okay
don’t condemn yourself for being afraid
it’s perfectly fine to have some fears
you acknowledge your fears you embrace
those fears and then you move on you act
on whatever it is that you fear because
once you embrace it see what you resist
will persist what you’re resist will
persist so one of the most important
things is is to begin to embrace your
fear the fear of bodily harm that’s
legitimate when I was a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio you know I was young right
22 23 but I was tough and I was on the
air and Al Green who was a great
performer at that time and still is now
now singing gospel music had a record
his first hit record was backup train so
a guy came into town and was
impersonating Al Green I happened to
know al green because I’d already booked
it and so when I found out this guy was
impersonating outreach I came on the air
and did an editorial about it and I
exposed it he was rather big fellow and
so he had the word out that when I see
this guy let’s prime a disc jockey I
went knocking him out from having a big
mouth so I was driving down Main Street
in Columbus Ohio had my son in a car and
I always have this little thing hey if
anybody will put a threat on me I’ll
make him honor it so I saw this guy on
the street so I pull around I say excuse
me I’ll be right back got out the car
hey man I heard you said that you were
looking for me I’m les Brown he said you
are say yeah I said what is it I’m the
one that said that you are an imposter I
said I want to know what you’re going to
do about it he opened it’s going you had
a gun there
I say but whatever I said to hurt you
acknowledged of beer scare yourself
accordingly and do what makes sense for
you
well one major fear I’ve always had is a
fear of dentists and this fear had me I
didn’t have that fear and what really
important frosted you got to watch
things that can feed your fear I saw a
movie that most people would not
remember this movie was starring Dustin
Hoffman
called the Marathon Man with Laurence
Olivier when he’s trying to get a
confession out of here and he took this
drill out let me tell you someone he
went in dunk my Hoffman’s mouth with
that drill I had a dollar worth of
popcorn that part go with everywhere you
know I could not go to the dentist for
five years I left broadcasting went to
the Ohio legislature had an impacted
wisdom tooth now that hurts and I would
call and soon as the people would answer
the phone I would hang up as I fight
about dr. Hamlet office boom I’d hail
then I got to the point where I could
just ask for an appointment hello and I
wouldn’t give my real name because I
knew I would go keep it
I came anybody’s name Joe giggles here
mrs. Brattle supporting sari up to the
point where I could give my name it was
about four years after that so my name
is les bond then I would call back and
say look here due to my legislative
agenda I won’t be able to make it so the
lady finally federal function you’re
scared aren’t you
I said no I’m not then why
don’t you come in that’s none of your
business
she said you’re not coming in because
you’re scared I wish you just would not
waste our time and you hung up I said
you have no right to do that to people
like me you know so finally we’ll make
it long in short I was hurting so bad as
a way to I’ve got to do something and I
said what am I afraid of go there and
handle that’s it man that’s a dr. hammer
I just can’t hear this drill I mean you
can do whatever I just don’t I don’t
need to hear this drill this drill that
sound you know that’s the what gets me
that drill don’t pull that drill out on
me you could just calm down Conda and it
wasn’t really bad as I thought it was
one of the things you find out that when
you face your fears it’s not as bad as
you think it is when people tell you I
just can’t do that I can’t handle I mean
really really really I can’t handle it
what they’re envisioning is that they’re
not going to be if they’re going to
clock out like you’re going to die guess
what we all in occasions when we
confronted our fears we had to do
something we thought uncomfortable with
we didn’t want to do it and we did not
die they didn’t come take us and put us
in a box somewhere am i right so what
we’ve got to begin to do how do we
handle that what’s the process because
it’s all up in here one I think is
imagine the worst-case scenario I just
imagined that he went in my mouth and
with this drill and that I just croaked
out
then I imagine that’s the worst-case
scenario then I had another technique I
used visualize yourself being more than
able and capable of handling it but I
used to have a tremendous inferiority
complex about speaking before people
that I felt who had more going for them
than I did because I’m not college
trained I used to feel that college
people were the most intelligent people
on the planet and there was nothing I
had to say for them and what would that
what will they listen to me for that’s
the way I felt and so I had to visualize
myself speaking before them speaking
before various audiences that had more
going for them than I did and realize
and appreciate my own value and that I
was a worthwhile person even though I
didn’t have all going for me I don’t
have the money I didn’t have the
education that they had so part of the
process is seeing yourself being worthy
being capable having what you need to
make your worthwhile person and that
you’re more than able and that you
deserve to be listened to or you deserve
to have that dream in that passion and
whatever it is that you see and envision
it you’ve got to see it in your mind’s
eye and know that you’ve got what it
takes repeat after me please
I must see and my mind’s I see myself
confronting my fears handling my fears
I’m more than able shake somebody’s hand
on your right and left and say you’ve
got the right stuff
so deciding as you look at your life as
you look into the future and say what
fears am i holding on to what fears that
I’m aligned to imprison me that’s
keeping me from breaking out that’s
keeping me from living up to my true
potential that’s keeping me from really
being happy that’s keeping me from
having a sense of adventure and
excitement in my life what’s what’s
keeping me from controlling my destiny
what fears and I’m giving that
permission to notice what I said that we
must give our permission to fear to
immobilize us because whatever
discomfort you experience whatever
challenges a difficulty that it is you
got to handle it
you’ve got to go up in there and wrestle
with it will it be easy no will it be
challenging yes friend of mine who’s
going into recovery
he’s been addicted to crack cocaine for
years and alcohol he was talking about
how challenging it was and while he was
dreading going on going into cold turkey
I said what do you want me to tell you
that it’s going to be a picnic no it’s
not
it’s going to kick your button yes it is
are you going to want to die yes yes
that’s a part of it but that’s just what
you must go through in order to get
where you want to go and guess what you
are strong enough to do it you’re strong
enough and your life is worth whatever
you have to go through to get past this
addiction whatever you have to do this
dream you got whatever you want to do
will it be easy to just run out and do
it no will it happen overnight now will
it be a struggle yes
will there be times when you can’t make
ends meet yes that’s a part of it will
be times you won’t know what to do yes
that’s a part of it well you have some
opposition will things go wrong
sometimes you will have many visits
Murphy now if you’re saying well whose
mark and go
somebody must have told us someplace
along the line I don’t know where but
somebody must have told people Oh life
is going to be real easy
oh if they told you that I’ve got a
special announcement they lie I don’t
forget I had a special piece of
legislation I wanted to get passed and I
sent two old guys lucky can I count on
your vote
Ethan yes but look here if I can’t count
on to let me know this another guy that
owes midship and I can call on that and
I want need your vote but I do need it
if you say you’re going to do it do it
you say you can count on it legislation
came up he voted against my bill my bill
passed I went back to hey I told you I
needed the vote but if you couldn’t give
it up let me know and get somebody else
in
why are you tell me is it away I was in
shock how many of you that life just
were you out that you didn’t expect that
you thought you go to school get good
grades get a job and you came out here
you’ll be able to get a job a little
happily ever after if you say yes they
never told me you know that something
mom told me there’d be days like that
even tell us that you got something
about life is challenging I mean it’s
some stuff you get out here you didn’t
read it in a book though where then
nobody warned you that it’s gonna come
down on you like this it’s called life
there are kind of challenges like that
so what’s the next piece is that you
accept yourself then you accept the fear
as a fact and not a false so when you
accept yourself and you accept fear as a
fact that means that it’s something that
happens it’s something that you’re going
to experience but it is not a force to
hold you back it doesn’t have any
special power other than that that you
give it so you accept the fact that you
are play and then you move on anyhow you
move on pass it and you do whatever
you’ve got to do I was at a big
motivational rally for gentleman by the
name of Dexter Jaeger down in the
Carolinas I was standing backstage
age and I had to go out I was the last
speaker on the program it’s the first
time I’ve been in a stadium of this size
over 10,000 people you couldn’t see the
people because the lights are just
blaring in your eyes called free
enterprise day I was afraid my heart was
beating fast I just pacing back and
forth and Dexter said are you all right
I said you fastly wait a bit just calm
down calm yourself a little bit
it’s all right left it’s all right all
right just be as scared as you can be
you as I say embrace that fear just try
and see how scared you can really give
and stop breathing deeper so the guy
came back and said are you bout to die
well I said no fine but after I started
breaking it and trying to make myself as
afraid as I can get and imagine what’s
the worst thing that I can go out there
do my Michael Blake and I played on
stage the longer they gave you my jacket
so what I thought laughing at myself I
stopped talking about those they you
don’t you care today arrows that I just
calm myself down and I went out then I
cooked and that’s what you got to do I
had another experience where I was at a
major corporation and I was one of my
first major presentations I was going to
do for this corporation and I had four
other presenters that had large firms
and one of the things that you’ve got to
do is you’ve got to watch your inner
conversation and discipline your
thinking and your imagination because if
you don’t your mind will take you on a
wild trip so my mind said hey les I said
what this guy’s going to wipe you out
you can’t compete with them because I
heard these guys sitting over across
from me and they were talking about all
that they had going for them and so I
started doubting myself and I became
afraid and I was thinking well maybe I
shouldn’t go in there
and so I knew then and this is what I
suggest to you sometimes you got to talk
to yourself talking to yourself you’d be
a good exercise might be the only
intelligent conversation you ever get so
I got up and I went the bathroom and I
start talking to myself said last time
let me tell you something what do you
care about these guys and their firms
and all their money you’ve got six
children you’ve got to feel you got a
mama you’ve got to take care of home you
ain’t got nothing to lose
our normal up to those people I said
don’t you do nothing till you hear from
me and I got the contract
so when you have your Lord self talking
to you telling you what you can’t do
part of what you’ve got to do is be your
own motivator you can you can’t talk
casually to yourself you can’t stare uh
sit down you must calm down now no
that’s unconscious man well here that
you’ve got to have a good conversation
to you so hey and answer yourself to
don’t pity people in the attention you
answer yourself hey what you’re going to
I’m going in get off all right very good
go on then take care busy you’ve got to
talk to yourself and you build yourself
up and you’ll feel your energy level
coming up and people will feel that
around you see now if you go through
life being afraid people can sense that
they can pick up that fear so that’s why
you’ve got to stand up inside yourself
I’m reminded of the little boy that was
on a bus and and some bigger fellows who
were picking at him you know and so he
wanted to move from by then they were
thumping you on the head and so you
stood up just to get from by them and
they would push him back down he would
stand up again they’d push him back down
and he stood up again they pushed in on
held him down he said you might hold me
down but I’m standing up inside myself
and that’s what you gotta do
see when you are not filling your life
with the things that you are capable of
doing so we all have some stuff that
we’ve been given and I don’t think that
it’s optional for us to sit on what we
have see if you’re sitting on what you
have which you’ve been given I think
everybody’s been given something to
bring to the planet that only you can do
that only you can perform that only you
can initiate that activity and if you
don’t do that if you’re not filling in
your life with your life work or your
mission then they’re gaps in your life
and what we do when we’re not living out
our true identity we begin to fill the
gaps we fill the holes with garbage
alcohol drugs whirly self-destructive
behavior so when you begin to look at
your life and you know that that you’re
not doing what you can do because you
have allowed yourself to be held captive
by your fear now when you don’t have a
true appreciation and acceptance for who
you are and you allow yourself to be
immobilized by fear what happens in the
process is that you begin to abused
yourself you begin to sabotage your life
you begin to sabotage your dreams you
begin to unconsciously work against
yourself you become your own worst enemy
so what do you do about that
well you you begin to realize that your
dream and your gifts have so much
meaning and so much value for you till
your hunger for them will begin to push
you past the fear your hunger to have
them will give you a special drive as
you work on yourself as you begin to
acknowledge your true identity the true
power that you have the true capacity
you have to bring about change the
miracle-working power that you have
within yourself to do the things that
you want to do when you take them on I’m
reminded of a man who
this gentleman was doing a special study
of a special tribe in Africa headhunters
and he had difficulty in developing a
relationship with these tribesmen
because of the fact that he had fear
yeah beautiful pig is in jail all fears
are bad I was a legitimate deer I was a
good for you to give you headache so he
worked there for a long time with no
effort no progress in developing
relationship and rapport and being able
to achieve a level of trust so finally
one night while he was in bed he was
thinking about it what what is it that
you came here to do what is your life
work as a missionary said I wanted to
study these tribesmen so what’s the
worst thing that they can do to you kill
you and he just decided hey this is what
I came here to do I know that there’s
some risk involved and I’m going to do
it come what may he said I’m not going
to be afraid he went back the next day
and he started doing the work and trying
to talk to and interview many of the
members of this tribe and they began to
respond to him they threw out the
welcome mat to him and years later when
people came to see what his progress was
they asked him how were you able to do
this how did you convert the
relationship from being hostile to that
of being positive he said something I
think has value for all of us
he said when life can no longer threaten
you with death what else is this
[Music]
what else you see and the majority of
the fears that we have are not life or
death fear and not those kind of fears
but through our imagination we blow them
out of proportion and we give them more
power than they actually have or deserve
and we permit them to govern our lives
we permit them to determine how far we
can stretch out on our dreams and
discover now stuff and as we begin to
look at ourselves and and begin to wait
a minute just getting to the point as
you assess yourself in and begin to
prove yourself and just a weary whole is
Makonnen I’ve been sweating this out
what can what’s the worst thing that can
happen to nothing
will it kill me will I die what why am I
going through all of these changes over
this how much power this is really have
and am I the one that’s feeding the
power into it so a lot of times we we
allow ourselves to be fed and to be
programming to to being afraid of you
watch the news and read the newspaper
you’ll be scared to come out the house
am i right if we’re afraid so what kinds
of things what kinds of thoughts are you
feeding your consciousness what kind of
things are you putting in your mind that
will enable you to either move forward
or than justify why you’re staying where
you are another piece that I look at
that when I finally decided that I was
going to go to the dentist pain was so
great I couldn’t hold out any longer all
of a sudden it’s theater better
I can take me not some people need fear
you know have a friend that that we
tolling hey man you know you need to
lose some weight
you gettin overweight and out of shape
and at our age we need to have a regular
program and bud said man I’ve been fat
since I was little boy um you know I’m
big-boned
I’ve never seen a fat skeleton though
yeah well bud became ill how many of us
be the best guilting radii all right but
I became ill passed out and I was there
the doctor was talking to him and but I
think was going to go right back to say
no eating habits and doing everything
you know to look here you are a diabetic
and so now here’s some of the side
effects you know you could go blind you
can become an amputee none of that
testing he said you can become impotent
Ethan what did you say bob has lost
weight he exercises every day he’s in
the body sculpturing
forty-eight years ago he looks great I
can’t believe for just that once a bit
made all the difference in the world but
is a humanity so what is it that has to
happen to you some people don’t take
corrective measures to improve their
health until they get a pronouncement
that they’re about to die then they
start okay all right I’m ready to do
whatever you want me to do but they
won’t do that they can see people drop
it off like flies around there well
that’s them you got to go from something
we go through life really blocking
ourselves constantly and fear is one of
the greatest instruments that we could
use to stifle our true potential when
you begin to to look at your life you
can decide to use fear as a blocker or
you can decide to use it as building
blocks but you decide hey look here I’m
going to move in this direction
I’m not going to allow anything to stop
me from doing what I want to do we shake
somebody’s hand on your right
weapon say I’m unstoppable
[Music]
see when you begin to understand and
acknowledge your fear and you go forth
anyhow you go forth in a spirit and
unknowing but there’s a way that you can
begin to handle this there’s a way out
here somewhere there’s a solution what
it is that you’re seeking that you’ll
have the capacity to whatever comes up
to handle it to face it and rather than
feeling powerless you begin to feel
powerful see when all of the major
downsizings that are taking place around
this country there are a lot of people
who are biting their fingers and fear
that they might lose their jobs but
there are few people who have decided
within themselves I’m going to make it
some people aren’t waiting to be cut
some people are moving on their home
because they feel within themselves I’ve
got what it takes to make it they’re not
afraid about tomorrow because of how
they see themselves because of what they
feel that they deserve because of what
they feel that they can create for
themselves because these people have
decided as they look at the future as
they look at themselves there’s a way
whether the will there’s a way for me to
begin to create a way out of no way and
when you have that kind of consciousness
when you have that kind of spirit
nothing can stop you nothing what would
you like be like as you look toward the
future if you decided I’m not going to
allow my fears to stop me what would you
like be like what would your future be
like if you decided to to want that
which you desire so strongly that it
prepares you past your fears
but you experience the fear as the one
book says steal the fear and do it
anyway what would your life be like and
I’m saying to you that all of us who
have been in tuned by fear have a
capacity to resurrect ourselves and to
resurrect our dreams
and you have is it easy no not easy can
I do it yet what’s one of the ways to
get started some of us need somebody to
hold our hands sometimes we need
somebody to help us out be willing to
say I don’t know be willing to reach out
be willing to get some assistance to
take you to the next level of what great
athlete you never expect boxes to make
profound statements I think was Joe
Frazier said this one he says all of us
are like the blind man at some point in
our lives standing on the corner waiting
for somebody to lead us across so all of
us at some point in our lives need some
help need someone to reach out to us
before the Lifeline to help us go cross
and treacherous waters that we could
navigate by ourselves none of us do it
by ourselves
all of us at some point of our lives we
need that kind of help we need that kind
of assistance because we grow from the
people we have in our lives that can
enrich our lives personally
professionally spiritually and all the
dimensions of our lives we don’t go and
about you so as you look at yourself
whatever fears you have it maybe you
need some help and strengthening
yourself in that area as you assess your
strengths and your weaknesses as you
begin to approve yourself and your
passions and your dreams and your goals
and the things that you want if you
decide to experience all of your true
potential as you decide to manifest all
of your greatness as you decide wait a
minute what what else is available to me
out here if I decided to experience the
fear of rejection the fear of no the
fear of failure the fear of standing by
myself what else is available of taking
a chance of fear of losing it all what
else is available to me that will bring
some extra meaning and value the fear of
people not liking me you know how many
people do things they don’t want to do
because they want everybody to like them
everybody’s not going to
iq excuse me special announcement
everybody’s not going to like you know
that’s it’s just not that kind of world
what but you know that a lot of people
who won’t take positions on issues who
won’t take a stand for things they
believe in who won’t speak up for
themselves because they don’t want to
make anybody mad oh it was Bill Cosby he
said I don’t know what the secret of
success is he said but here’s what I
know what the secret of failures is it
trying to please everybody you can’t
please everybody
but they’re people who have a fear of
rocking the boat
so then just go alone and like just go
along well so how do you feel well I
don’t really want to say how many of you
know people I get raise your head these
people are living life they’re not truly
experiencing life what do you really
want to do well I don’t like this but I
guess I’ll go ahead on and do know the
life is too short for that too short and
unpredictable moving through not try to
disturb anything not trying to shake
anything up not trying to make any waves
you see there are some people who who
come through the universe in their level
of contribution and the level of energy
they manifest is so small so
inconspicuous that’s me when they go you
won’t even know they left I mean they’re
people who died on jobs and you save
where’s young oh just in there six five
you’re kidding no is that right yeah I
didn’t know well I guess we didn’t but
there are some people because of their
personality because of their
contribution because of their the
investment of their time and their
energy and the impact they have their
that when they go everybody will miss
them
so another Teresa checks out everybody
will know when Rosa Parks everybody will
know Nelson Mandela everybody will know
what because of their contribution see
but there’s some people because their
contribution is so small no one will
care something before you are boxed and
buried decide that you’re going to box
and bury your fears decide that you’re
going to begin to live life on a new
level seeking out new horizons that
you’re going to find more love and more
joy and more ways to give more to life
God said something I love this he says
everything a man does for himself
guess what he takes with him but
everything he does for others he leaves
behind so when you begin to say what is
it that I want to leave what
contribution that I want to begin to
make what difference do I want to make
in life what is it that I want to do
with the rest of the life that I have
left what what chances I need to take
what risk do I need to begin to embrace
what fears do I need to step on what
areas of my life am i dead right now
what three you can even live your dreams
or live your fears you have got to get
to a point where you say I’m sick and
tired of living like this there’s got to
be more let’s see that’s when people go
out and strike out on their dreams
that’s when people get out of
relationships where they’re dying
together rather than growing together
that’s where they leave John so where
you going away from here
do you have another job no I don’t what
were you going to make it I don’t know
but I will see you will when you put
yourself in that kind of situation I’m
reminded of two frogs that that were
huffing down the road and they fell into
a bottle of milk and one was hopping up
and down for a while and he drowned he
just gave up but his other frog has kept
all kick it he wouldn’t give up he just
kept on kicking and pretty soon he
churned that milk into butter and he
what
[Music]
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