you have an uncomfortable soul and
looking at that in looking at some of
the definitions of options decisions
self-determination choice preference
desire I want to share something with
you that’s relative to critical options
because we all have them in our lives
and I want to ask you a question what is
the focus of your life what is the focus
of your life in life you have a critical
option you can take a stand in your life
or you can follow the crowd see people
who follow the crowd their lives are not
focused they’re not immerse than
anything people will take a stand
they’re living a life that has some
power a life of achievement a life that
has some meaning people that taking a
stand in life they are consciously
involved in a process to design a life
of substance people are following the
crowd these are people that they’re just
doing what everybody else is doing so
that’s a crowded road over there they’re
following the followers I want to talk
to you about taking a stand with your
life and what are some of the things we
can do that will enable us to give our
lives up in a way that has some purpose
and meaning that can be real for us that
can give us a sense of fulfillment of
joy and happiness and peace of mind see
most people are bored with life most
people feel that life isn’t worth the
hassle the life is just wearing me out
it’s boring it’s monotonous I have
nothing to look forward to here we go
again another Monday morning
TGIF they thank God it’s Friday how we
go girl oh boy
you see the demand met but many people
died age 25 and don’t get burned until
there are 65 doing the same thing the
same way every day looking at these
faces just walk around I mean you got to
be aware of these faces they affect you
you know try to stay around Pleasant
faces and if you have an unpleasant face
try and smile more it’s good for your
health
and there’s another dividend you look
better too
so looking for a way in which we can
begin to give our lives some special
power
number one commit yourself to giving
your best at all times now that’s not
easy see most people and particularly
those who are working in corporations
they’re finding now they’ve got to
change their behavior we’re now involved
in a world economy we will never do
business the way in which we’ve done
business in the past we will never be
able to in the American workplace do
just enough to get by now the standards
have been raised quality and
productivity has been increased because
of the competition and so now average
performance will not be enough this is a
new day competition is fierce so people
who just have been in locked into a
behavior pattern are working just hard
enough to keep from getting fired
they’re being laid off
a forced into early retirement it’s a
new game now so now more than ever it’s
about increased productivity now more
than ever it’s about superior quality
service now more than ever it’s about
creating a positive atmosphere in the
workplace and people that have that
competitive age people that are hungry
to make it so you got to be hungry now
you can’t just casually walk around well
I’ll get to it later on oh no no this
this is a new day right now committing
yourself to give your best at all times
regardless of the competition to do
otherwise or the influences of negative
people that will tell you hey look here
don’t push yourself too much now’s the
time to push yourself to always get in
the habit of giving the best that you
have to share thinking about a situation
where I had I had to give a lecture out
in Los Angeles California for Xerox
Corporation well part of what I do when
I my profession is doing corporate
training my passion is doing training
with kids so when I go someplace I
always try and arrange for a community
group they have a group of young people
together for me to work with them on a
volunteer basis in the evening so I
decided to go into an area of Los
Angeles to talk with someone about doing
that and they suggested that I come to
speak at a community center right
outside Los Angeles at Carson community
center and because of the the gangs in
Los Angeles one of the young men that
was coming there to organize it and his
mother he had a twin brother and he took
an interest in me because I have a twin
and his twin brother was the victim of a
gang ritual they brought in a new member
in a gang and he had to prove that he
was really whip them and committed and
his job was just to select anybody at
random and kill them and he did that as
this young guy was coming out of a store
so they told me mr. Brown would you come
over and talk to the teenagers here
there’s a lot of depression and despair
and hopelessness that people feeling
powerless about the games and brings
with you some handouts and material so
you can do a workshop and parents will
be involved too would you be willing to
do that I said well I’m doing a full day
seminar I’m usually just physically
exhausted afterwards how many people you
say you’re gonna have the wig guarantee
at least four to five hundred people
there I said okay I will come there and
work with them and take them through
this intensive it’s called Project
respect how to create a shift in the
community how to get young people
engaged in a process of creating
positive peer pressure rather than
buying into the negative peer pressure
instruments and techniques of how we can
provide ongoing coaching for young
people to begin to change how they see
themselves in their values and how to
resist negative peer pressure so I came
there after working in a seminar totally
exhausted in that Los Angeles traffic it
took over an hour to get there got there
they only had seven people I had an
attitude
is that you had me come all the way from
Los Angeles after working all day just
to talk to seven people you told me over
400 people were going to be aware the
parents only one parent here my time is
valuable I’ve got all this material that
we’ve copied to do a workshop and so I
went on and talked to those young people
that were in the room the seven that
were there and I just gave him a little
speech and then I left went back to the
hotel that night around 3:30 in the
morning the phone rang the minister that
invited me called me said mr. Brown I
got to ask for your attention for a
moment I said what what is it Kenyatta
one of the young men who was there want
to talk to you he was a brother of a guy
that was killed he would like to talk to
you
he’s been here for over an hour I told
him please don’t call you but he
insisted would you please talk to him
for a moment I said yes put him on the
phone
Kenyatta what can I do for you he said
mr. Brown I’d listened to your tapes for
a long time I’ve grown to love you and
admire you among the things that I heard
on your tapes that you said you must
deal with circumstances such as you find
them you came in this evening and I
admit no we did not have the numbers
that you asked for no we did not deliver
as we had promised we would but we were
looking for you the motivator to give us
some hope we were depressed and we don’t
know what to do we were looking for some
direction and you were so caught up in
pouting with your ego
because we didn’t have the place full
you didn’t give us your best I say
excuse me I was laying in bed I sit up
in wait a minute here mr. Potter what
won’t let us grow in life is number one
we identify when we get feedback we
start taking it personal number two we
start to justify so I became defensive
and I said wait a minute
I worked all day I didn’t shot y’all a
quarter for this I went carpet material
I came over there I was there to give a
training for the people and you all
y’all had to do was bring people there
if you don’t do it for me for the next
speaker that you have at least provided
audience for him to work with he said
are you through sir I said yes mr. brown
you said you must deal with
circumstances such as you find there
we went round and round for about 45
minutes because my ego Arnall I can’t
let this young boy out debate mean he
was not intimidated I used all the
verbal gymnastics and examples I could
he would not bulge and I said okay I’m
sorry give me a break
he said it takes a big man to say he’s
sorry that night after I finish that
young man I prayed I stayed on the floor
by the bed
I said Lord if you ever give me a chance
to speak again I don’t care if it’s one
person in the audience I’m gonna wear
that one out I learned my lesson
I want to read something to you call the
Builder that kind of touched me because
when you start looking at giving your
best at all times that’s not easy but
when you are committing yourself to
doing something those are the standards
that you set for yourself because that’s
who you are if you’re working on a job
where you’re miserable they’re not
telling you what you’re worth you don’t
like to work you don’t like the people
and you’re dissatisfied if you have
decided to continue to take a paycheck
you owe it to yourself to give it your
best effort if you get into a habit of
being mediocre of doing just enough to
get by you’re not hurting anybody but
you you’re cheating you the Builder
there was a man who was an efficient
builder he had worked for years than a
large company and had reached the age of
retirement his employer asked him to
build one more house it was to be his
last Commission the Builder took the job
but his hard was not involved
he used inferior materials timber was
poor and he failed to see the many
things that should have been clear to
him had he shown even his normal
interest in his work when the house was
eventually finished his employer came to
him and said the house is yours
here’s the key it’s a present from me
the Builder immediately regretted that
he had not used the best materials and
engaged the most capable workers if only
he had known that the house was for him
whoa
if he had made a commitment with his
life with his craft that I’m gonna give
my best at all time even if this is my
last job I’m gonna give it my best shot
because that expresses Who I am
he would have been more appreciative of
that gift would you imagine that I think
that makes a very good point the next
thing is live each day with integrity
don’t try and get over in life don’t try
and keep see a lot of people like to try
and cheat I was with a friend of mine
and we were winning to a service station
to get some gas they gave me back too
much change
I discovered it down the road and I was
turning around going back I said you a
fool hey man what when they don’t give
people enough change you think they
flagged the people down
I said I’m not responsible for that I’m
responsible for me I went back and I
told the guys kills me sir you gave me a
$20 bill too much I gave it to the guy I
just took and walked away didn’t say
thank you the guy in the car laughs and
I told you you fool I’ll accept that I
said I’m not responsible for his
attitude I don’t care knowing that he
would not say thank you I would still
give it back to him
because my image of myself says hey you
don’t take something that doesn’t belong
to you
that’s the way my mother raised me don’t
try and cheat so well do you know this
little bit won’t count everything counts
a friend of mine was on welfare away
after going through a bad experience
someone what’d you think she and her
husband became ill they couldn’t work
for a while and they went on welfare
after they both became physically well
he said look here we don’t ever have to
go back to where we’re making more money
on welfare than we made when we were
working with all the Medicaid benefits
and and all of the food stamps and
everything she said no she said we are
not going to accept the checks anymore
he said I’m not going to work now you
can go to work if you want to she went
down to the welfare department and said
don’t send any more checks to my house
lady said excuse me
she’s had not been working here 25 years
no one has ever come in here and said
don’t send any more checks here are you
sure you all right yes I am and she went
home and told her husband don’t look for
any more checks because I told him to
cut the check off now we’ve got to find
something to do and they started a paper
route and got over 1,500 customers and
were making money hand over fist in a
spirit of dignity and achievement not
ripping anybody off that was the
critical choice she could have very
easily said well everybody else is doing
it why don’t I do it but she decided not
to follow the crowd I like what um
Whitaker said what you think about me is
none of my spiritual business
so when you are keeping integrity with
yourself you know that’s going to bring
you under a lot of pressure the next
thing is don’t try to cut a bargain with
life life is not Donald Trump life will
not give you any special deals because
you maintain a sense of integrity
anybody ever try to cut a deal raise
your hand please if you know top cover
if you try to cut a deal there are no
deals there are no deals you’ve got to
do what you do because not within your
tear your motives that you’re going to
get some special benefit or some special
treatment in the universe no doesn’t
mean that somebody might not steal your
car while you’re trying to do some good
for somebody now there won’t be any
special light around your car they will
take your cartoon
all the good people you’re gonna go to
you’ve got to do what you do because
that expresses who you are and for no
other reason they might not have a
banquet to recognize you or give you a
special plaque and then I dedicate a day
in your name know do what you do because
that’s you the next thing is dedicate
your life to something dedicate your
life to a cause larger than yourself
see if you dedicate your life to a cause
larger than yourself you’re not
following in the crowd see if your life
is not dedicated to something of value
and I like what Howard Thurman said who
was one of the mentors to dr. Benjamin
Mays who was a mentor to dr. Martin
Luther King he said the quality of life
is often determined by that to which the
individual is dedicated if the
dedication of the light is vague and
diffused the quality is apt to be poor
and weak there is much to be said for
the intensity of life see most people
are not intense about living most people
are very casual about life they haven’t
found anything to become intense power
so when you dedicate your life you don’t
care anything about the odds somebody
say when the dream is big enough to arms
don’t matter
see when you dedicate your life you
bring on a special power there’s a power
in you that people’s circumstances
events and I’m not talking about the
physical you I’m talking about the real
you the indestructible invincible
perfect essence of who you really are
that can bring a government to its knees
that can change the course of history
when you dedicate your life like a
Nelson Mandela who has decided to
sacrifice his freedom all he has to do
is say whatever the government wants him
to say and then let him go free and he
can go to a foreign nation and say
I just said that because I’ve been in
prison for over 20 years and nobody will
say well Nelson Youth solo no one would
say that they will say wait a minute
Nelson you gave over 20 years of your
life what more can we ask of you it’s
okay but because of his integrity with
himself and he’s dedicated his life to
break the back of apartheid and free his
people it was Benjamin Disraeli he says
nothing can resist the will of the
people that will stake even their
existence on the extent of their purpose
for good that when you dedicate your
life to something you bring on some
powers in the universe that works
through you to bring about changes that
you would never ever know unless you
have dedicated yourself
so I say to you that there is a mother
Teresa in you that some work for you to
do I say to you that there is a Nelson
Mandela in you that that kind of
commitment that kind of spirit that kind
of personal power that kind of vision of
allowing yourself to be used by life is
in you that all of us came here to do
something to make a difference and in a
historical context the world will never
be the same again because you came this
way
anytime somebody asked me how I’m doing
I say I’m doing better than good and
better than most and sometimes even
better than that let me tell you where I
got that from when I was involved in
broadcasting I used to have the first
hour of my show as a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio I used to give an
inspiration of program and there was a
lady that used to call me by the name of
Audrey Pell Moore Audrey worked at
University Hospital Audrey was an
enthusiastic personality that everybody
liked her I mean she had a radiant smile
and she was just one of those people
you’ll meet one of those people that
everybody gets like me she was one of
those kind of folks already became
stricken with musculus chlorosis at a
very young age and after a while she
became confined to wheelchair she had
children and because of her of physical
deterioration she could no longer take
care of her children and she had to be
confined to a nursing home Alum Creek
nursing home on Nelson Avenue in
Columbus Ohio
Audrey used to have the nurses at the
hospital called the radio station and
put the phone to her ear and she would
ask for a certain request and I would
ask her to say a few words to the
listening audience one day while I was
doing my program I got a call from one
of my regular callers young lady by the
name of Shirley Shirley in this
particular day there was a sound in her
voice and I detected that something was
wrong and she said to me it’s nice
talking to you les I’ll be senior that’s
the wait wait hold a minute surely
there’s something wrong she says there’s
nothing wrong I said there is Shirley I
know you come on Shirley what’s wrong
where Shirley had been diagnosed as
having cancer the breast and they told
her that she had a 60/40 chance of not
surviving during the time that she had
had a medical examination her husband
had become distant through the pressure
of losing her husband and the illness
she just felt hey I’m not the kind of
person that can handle suffering and I
rather just ended quickly she was at a
critical point in her life and this is
the option that she decided to take I
did everything I could to discourage her
to give her a reason to want to go on
living I was trying to find something
that she can hold on to that would give
her a sense of hope some thread and then
I used Scripture and everything and one
of my fallback positions lord grant me
the serenity to accept the things that I
cannot change the courage to change the
things that I can and the wisdom to know
the difference
and she didn’t budge that did not work
and I was out of my arsenal of what can
I do to hold on to her to get her to
change her mind to create a shift in her
thinking and the thought came to me I
said Shirley could you wait until
tomorrow
she waited for a long time before she
answered she said why tomorrow I said
because if you wait until tomorrow I’d
like to take you by to see audrey
parramore
you remember Audrey that I talk about
all the time on the air she said yes I
like her I would like to meet her and
she met me at the Alum Creek nursing
home then when we got there we were both
very silent because I’ve made a pact
with her that if this was not enough to
discourage her from taking her life then
I would honor our agreement and I would
just release her and I was going to talk
to somebody else to try and get I didn’t
tell her that as we walked down the hall
I did not know exactly what to expect I
had not seen Audrey for some time when
we walked in the room there Audrey was
all twisted physically deformed she had
no voluntary use of her arms she
couldn’t even fan a fly out of her face
she couldn’t get up and move around and
we had to get closest to her because her
vision was blurred and she can’t speak
very loudly and I’m hearing was somewhat
impaired and as we drew closer to her I
said Audrey this is less and I have a
friend with me named Shirley how you
doing Audrey and with what strength she
had she said better than good and better
than most
[Music]
and surely I know as the tears begin to
form in our eyes I know she had to be
faking that here this woman is she’s
been on her back a prisoner in her body
for 17 years she can’t turn us up she
can’t get up and go to the restroom she
said to be less I’d love to be able to
get up and walk out of here with you I’d
love to be able to take care of my
children to be a mother to them to see
them graduate from high school she said
less I can’t do that and I’m doing
better than good and better than most
Shirley had to be saying within us up
what right do I have to feel sorry for
myself what right do I have to cry out
why me and she decided and left there
with a commitment that she wanted to
live with whatever time that she had
left that she had no right to cut the
time off she had no right to do that
and she left there with a new
determination a new spirit about her and
that’s something about what we have but
you have there sometimes your options
are frozen the Audrey can’t walk out of
a hospital she did not have the capacity
to take care of her children but she had
a freedom of stearic and that’s what we
have wherever we are whatever hand that
life has dealt us we have the freedom of
spirit we can go through life whining
and weeping or we can have the kind of
spirit that people will say hey there’s
a blessing to be around that person the
staff at the hospital used to go in her
room to be encouraged and inspired by
her because she didn’t feel sorry for
herself and she didn’t go through life
blaming everybody I’m reminded by young
guys who was on a bus a little young
fellow and some kids were picking at him
some bigger guys they kept on thumping
him on the head and hiding their hand
and so he got tired of them doing that
and he stood up so he would not be
around I’m out of their reach and they
took him and said sit down shut him down
and he stood back up so I don’t want to
sit down I said sit down
didn’t Johnny pushed him back down I
don’t want to sit down he said sit down
held him down and he looked at him he
said you might hold me down but I’m
standing up inside myself
and what we have got to do is know that
there’s something about you there’s
something about us there’s a power in
you that regardless of what happens to
you you can stand up inside of yourself
I think that’s what the pork meant when
he says out of the night that covers me
black as the pit from pole to pole I
thank whatever God’s there may be for my
unconquerable soul
you have an uncomfortable soul
[Music]
you
[Music]
looking at that in looking at some of
the definitions of options decisions
self-determination choice preference
desire I want to share something with
you that’s relative to critical options
because we all have them in our lives
and I want to ask you a question what is
the focus of your life what is the focus
of your life in life you have a critical
option you can take a stand in your life
or you can follow the crowd see people
who follow the crowd their lives are not
focused they’re not immerse than
anything people will take a stand
they’re living a life that has some
power a life of achievement a life that
has some meaning people that taking a
stand in life they are consciously
involved in a process to design a life
of substance people are following the
crowd these are people that they’re just
doing what everybody else is doing so
that’s a crowded road over there they’re
following the followers I want to talk
to you about taking a stand with your
life and what are some of the things we
can do that will enable us to give our
lives up in a way that has some purpose
and meaning that can be real for us that
can give us a sense of fulfillment of
joy and happiness and peace of mind see
most people are bored with life most
people feel that life isn’t worth the
hassle the life is just wearing me out
it’s boring it’s monotonous I have
nothing to look forward to here we go
again another Monday morning
TGIF they thank God it’s Friday how we
go girl oh boy
you see the demand met but many people
died age 25 and don’t get burned until
there are 65 doing the same thing the
same way every day looking at these
faces just walk around I mean you got to
be aware of these faces they affect you
you know try to stay around Pleasant
faces and if you have an unpleasant face
try and smile more it’s good for your
health
and there’s another dividend you look
better too
so looking for a way in which we can
begin to give our lives some special
power
number one commit yourself to giving
your best at all times now that’s not
easy see most people and particularly
those who are working in corporations
they’re finding now they’ve got to
change their behavior we’re now involved
in a world economy we will never do
business the way in which we’ve done
business in the past we will never be
able to in the American workplace do
just enough to get by now the standards
have been raised quality and
productivity has been increased because
of the competition and so now average
performance will not be enough this is a
new day competition is fierce so people
who just have been in locked into a
behavior pattern are working just hard
enough to keep from getting fired
they’re being laid off
a forced into early retirement it’s a
new game now so now more than ever it’s
about increased productivity now more
than ever it’s about superior quality
service now more than ever it’s about
creating a positive atmosphere in the
workplace and people that have that
competitive age people that are hungry
to make it so you got to be hungry now
you can’t just casually walk around well
I’ll get to it later on oh no no this
this is a new day right now committing
yourself to give your best at all times
regardless of the competition to do
otherwise or the influences of negative
people that will tell you hey look here
don’t push yourself too much now’s the
time to push yourself to always get in
the habit of giving the best that you
have to share thinking about a situation
where I had I had to give a lecture out
in Los Angeles California for Xerox
Corporation well part of what I do when
I my profession is doing corporate
training my passion is doing training
with kids so when I go someplace I
always try and arrange for a community
group they have a group of young people
together for me to work with them on a
volunteer basis in the evening so I
decided to go into an area of Los
Angeles to talk with someone about doing
that and they suggested that I come to
speak at a community center right
outside Los Angeles at Carson community
center and because of the the gangs in
Los Angeles one of the young men that
was coming there to organize it and his
mother he had a twin brother and he took
an interest in me because I have a twin
and his twin brother was the victim of a
gang ritual they brought in a new member
in a gang and he had to prove that he
was really whip them and committed and
his job was just to select anybody at
random and kill them and he did that as
this young guy was coming out of a store
so they told me mr. Brown would you come
over and talk to the teenagers here
there’s a lot of depression and despair
and hopelessness that people feeling
powerless about the games and brings
with you some handouts and material so
you can do a workshop and parents will
be involved too would you be willing to
do that I said well I’m doing a full day
seminar I’m usually just physically
exhausted afterwards how many people you
say you’re gonna have the wig guarantee
at least four to five hundred people
there I said okay I will come there and
work with them and take them through
this intensive it’s called Project
respect how to create a shift in the
community how to get young people
engaged in a process of creating
positive peer pressure rather than
buying into the negative peer pressure
instruments and techniques of how we can
provide ongoing coaching for young
people to begin to change how they see
themselves in their values and how to
resist negative peer pressure so I came
there after working in a seminar totally
exhausted in that Los Angeles traffic it
took over an hour to get there got there
they only had seven people I had an
attitude
is that you had me come all the way from
Los Angeles after working all day just
to talk to seven people you told me over
400 people were going to be aware the
parents only one parent here my time is
valuable I’ve got all this material that
we’ve copied to do a workshop and so I
went on and talked to those young people
that were in the room the seven that
were there and I just gave him a little
speech and then I left went back to the
hotel that night around 3:30 in the
morning the phone rang the minister that
invited me called me said mr. Brown I
got to ask for your attention for a
moment I said what what is it Kenyatta
one of the young men who was there want
to talk to you he was a brother of a guy
that was killed he would like to talk to
you
he’s been here for over an hour I told
him please don’t call you but he
insisted would you please talk to him
for a moment I said yes put him on the
phone
Kenyatta what can I do for you he said
mr. Brown I’d listened to your tapes for
a long time I’ve grown to love you and
admire you among the things that I heard
on your tapes that you said you must
deal with circumstances such as you find
them you came in this evening and I
admit no we did not have the numbers
that you asked for no we did not deliver
as we had promised we would but we were
looking for you the motivator to give us
some hope we were depressed and we don’t
know what to do we were looking for some
direction and you were so caught up in
pouting with your ego
because we didn’t have the place full
you didn’t give us your best I say
excuse me I was laying in bed I sit up
in wait a minute here mr. Potter what
won’t let us grow in life is number one
we identify when we get feedback we
start taking it personal number two we
start to justify so I became defensive
and I said wait a minute
I worked all day I didn’t shot y’all a
quarter for this I went carpet material
I came over there I was there to give a
training for the people and you all
y’all had to do was bring people there
if you don’t do it for me for the next
speaker that you have at least provided
audience for him to work with he said
are you through sir I said yes mr. brown
you said you must deal with
circumstances such as you find there
we went round and round for about 45
minutes because my ego Arnall I can’t
let this young boy out debate mean he
was not intimidated I used all the
verbal gymnastics and examples I could
he would not bulge and I said okay I’m
sorry give me a break
he said it takes a big man to say he’s
sorry that night after I finish that
young man I prayed I stayed on the floor
by the bed
I said Lord if you ever give me a chance
to speak again I don’t care if it’s one
person in the audience I’m gonna wear
that one out I learned my lesson
I want to read something to you call the
Builder that kind of touched me because
when you start looking at giving your
best at all times that’s not easy but
when you are committing yourself to
doing something those are the standards
that you set for yourself because that’s
who you are if you’re working on a job
where you’re miserable they’re not
telling you what you’re worth you don’t
like to work you don’t like the people
and you’re dissatisfied if you have
decided to continue to take a paycheck
you owe it to yourself to give it your
best effort if you get into a habit of
being mediocre of doing just enough to
get by you’re not hurting anybody but
you you’re cheating you the Builder
there was a man who was an efficient
builder he had worked for years than a
large company and had reached the age of
retirement his employer asked him to
build one more house it was to be his
last Commission the Builder took the job
but his hard was not involved
he used inferior materials timber was
poor and he failed to see the many
things that should have been clear to
him had he shown even his normal
interest in his work when the house was
eventually finished his employer came to
him and said the house is yours
here’s the key it’s a present from me
the Builder immediately regretted that
he had not used the best materials and
engaged the most capable workers if only
he had known that the house was for him
whoa
if he had made a commitment with his
life with his craft that I’m gonna give
my best at all time even if this is my
last job I’m gonna give it my best shot
because that expresses Who I am
he would have been more appreciative of
that gift would you imagine that I think
that makes a very good point the next
thing is live each day with integrity
don’t try and get over in life don’t try
and keep see a lot of people like to try
and cheat I was with a friend of mine
and we were winning to a service station
to get some gas they gave me back too
much change
I discovered it down the road and I was
turning around going back I said you a
fool hey man what when they don’t give
people enough change you think they
flagged the people down
I said I’m not responsible for that I’m
responsible for me I went back and I
told the guys kills me sir you gave me a
$20 bill too much I gave it to the guy I
just took and walked away didn’t say
thank you the guy in the car laughs and
I told you you fool I’ll accept that I
said I’m not responsible for his
attitude I don’t care knowing that he
would not say thank you I would still
give it back to him
because my image of myself says hey you
don’t take something that doesn’t belong
to you
that’s the way my mother raised me don’t
try and cheat so well do you know this
little bit won’t count everything counts
a friend of mine was on welfare away
after going through a bad experience
someone what’d you think she and her
husband became ill they couldn’t work
for a while and they went on welfare
after they both became physically well
he said look here we don’t ever have to
go back to where we’re making more money
on welfare than we made when we were
working with all the Medicaid benefits
and and all of the food stamps and
everything she said no she said we are
not going to accept the checks anymore
he said I’m not going to work now you
can go to work if you want to she went
down to the welfare department and said
don’t send any more checks to my house
lady said excuse me
she’s had not been working here 25 years
no one has ever come in here and said
don’t send any more checks here are you
sure you all right yes I am and she went
home and told her husband don’t look for
any more checks because I told him to
cut the check off now we’ve got to find
something to do and they started a paper
route and got over 1,500 customers and
were making money hand over fist in a
spirit of dignity and achievement not
ripping anybody off that was the
critical choice she could have very
easily said well everybody else is doing
it why don’t I do it but she decided not
to follow the crowd I like what um
Whitaker said what you think about me is
none of my spiritual business
so when you are keeping integrity with
yourself you know that’s going to bring
you under a lot of pressure the next
thing is don’t try to cut a bargain with
life life is not Donald Trump life will
not give you any special deals because
you maintain a sense of integrity
anybody ever try to cut a deal raise
your hand please if you know top cover
if you try to cut a deal there are no
deals there are no deals you’ve got to
do what you do because not within your
tear your motives that you’re going to
get some special benefit or some special
treatment in the universe no doesn’t
mean that somebody might not steal your
car while you’re trying to do some good
for somebody now there won’t be any
special light around your car they will
take your cartoon
all the good people you’re gonna go to
you’ve got to do what you do because
that expresses who you are and for no
other reason they might not have a
banquet to recognize you or give you a
special plaque and then I dedicate a day
in your name know do what you do because
that’s you the next thing is dedicate
your life to something dedicate your
life to a cause larger than yourself
see if you dedicate your life to a cause
larger than yourself you’re not
following in the crowd see if your life
is not dedicated to something of value
and I like what Howard Thurman said who
was one of the mentors to dr. Benjamin
Mays who was a mentor to dr. Martin
Luther King he said the quality of life
is often determined by that to which the
individual is dedicated if the
dedication of the light is vague and
diffused the quality is apt to be poor
and weak there is much to be said for
the intensity of life see most people
are not intense about living most people
are very casual about life they haven’t
found anything to become intense power
so when you dedicate your life you don’t
care anything about the odds somebody
say when the dream is big enough to arms
don’t matter
see when you dedicate your life you
bring on a special power there’s a power
in you that people’s circumstances
events and I’m not talking about the
physical you I’m talking about the real
you the indestructible invincible
perfect essence of who you really are
that can bring a government to its knees
that can change the course of history
when you dedicate your life like a
Nelson Mandela who has decided to
sacrifice his freedom all he has to do
is say whatever the government wants him
to say and then let him go free and he
can go to a foreign nation and say
I just said that because I’ve been in
prison for over 20 years and nobody will
say well Nelson Youth solo no one would
say that they will say wait a minute
Nelson you gave over 20 years of your
life what more can we ask of you it’s
okay but because of his integrity with
himself and he’s dedicated his life to
break the back of apartheid and free his
people it was Benjamin Disraeli he says
nothing can resist the will of the
people that will stake even their
existence on the extent of their purpose
for good that when you dedicate your
life to something you bring on some
powers in the universe that works
through you to bring about changes that
you would never ever know unless you
have dedicated yourself
so I say to you that there is a mother
Teresa in you that some work for you to
do I say to you that there is a Nelson
Mandela in you that that kind of
commitment that kind of spirit that kind
of personal power that kind of vision of
allowing yourself to be used by life is
in you that all of us came here to do
something to make a difference and in a
historical context the world will never
be the same again because you came this
way
anytime somebody asked me how I’m doing
I say I’m doing better than good and
better than most and sometimes even
better than that let me tell you where I
got that from when I was involved in
broadcasting I used to have the first
hour of my show as a disc jockey in
Columbus Ohio I used to give an
inspiration of program and there was a
lady that used to call me by the name of
Audrey Pell Moore Audrey worked at
University Hospital Audrey was an
enthusiastic personality that everybody
liked her I mean she had a radiant smile
and she was just one of those people
you’ll meet one of those people that
everybody gets like me she was one of
those kind of folks already became
stricken with musculus chlorosis at a
very young age and after a while she
became confined to wheelchair she had
children and because of her of physical
deterioration she could no longer take
care of her children and she had to be
confined to a nursing home Alum Creek
nursing home on Nelson Avenue in
Columbus Ohio
Audrey used to have the nurses at the
hospital called the radio station and
put the phone to her ear and she would
ask for a certain request and I would
ask her to say a few words to the
listening audience one day while I was
doing my program I got a call from one
of my regular callers young lady by the
name of Shirley Shirley in this
particular day there was a sound in her
voice and I detected that something was
wrong and she said to me it’s nice
talking to you les I’ll be senior that’s
the wait wait hold a minute surely
there’s something wrong she says there’s
nothing wrong I said there is Shirley I
know you come on Shirley what’s wrong
where Shirley had been diagnosed as
having cancer the breast and they told
her that she had a 60/40 chance of not
surviving during the time that she had
had a medical examination her husband
had become distant through the pressure
of losing her husband and the illness
she just felt hey I’m not the kind of
person that can handle suffering and I
rather just ended quickly she was at a
critical point in her life and this is
the option that she decided to take I
did everything I could to discourage her
to give her a reason to want to go on
living I was trying to find something
that she can hold on to that would give
her a sense of hope some thread and then
I used Scripture and everything and one
of my fallback positions lord grant me
the serenity to accept the things that I
cannot change the courage to change the
things that I can and the wisdom to know
the difference
and she didn’t budge that did not work
and I was out of my arsenal of what can
I do to hold on to her to get her to
change her mind to create a shift in her
thinking and the thought came to me I
said Shirley could you wait until
tomorrow
she waited for a long time before she
answered she said why tomorrow I said
because if you wait until tomorrow I’d
like to take you by to see audrey
parramore
you remember Audrey that I talk about
all the time on the air she said yes I
like her I would like to meet her and
she met me at the Alum Creek nursing
home then when we got there we were both
very silent because I’ve made a pact
with her that if this was not enough to
discourage her from taking her life then
I would honor our agreement and I would
just release her and I was going to talk
to somebody else to try and get I didn’t
tell her that as we walked down the hall
I did not know exactly what to expect I
had not seen Audrey for some time when
we walked in the room there Audrey was
all twisted physically deformed she had
no voluntary use of her arms she
couldn’t even fan a fly out of her face
she couldn’t get up and move around and
we had to get closest to her because her
vision was blurred and she can’t speak
very loudly and I’m hearing was somewhat
impaired and as we drew closer to her I
said Audrey this is less and I have a
friend with me named Shirley how you
doing Audrey and with what strength she
had she said better than good and better
than most
[Music]
and surely I know as the tears begin to
form in our eyes I know she had to be
faking that here this woman is she’s
been on her back a prisoner in her body
for 17 years she can’t turn us up she
can’t get up and go to the restroom she
said to be less I’d love to be able to
get up and walk out of here with you I’d
love to be able to take care of my
children to be a mother to them to see
them graduate from high school she said
less I can’t do that and I’m doing
better than good and better than most
Shirley had to be saying within us up
what right do I have to feel sorry for
myself what right do I have to cry out
why me and she decided and left there
with a commitment that she wanted to
live with whatever time that she had
left that she had no right to cut the
time off she had no right to do that
and she left there with a new
determination a new spirit about her and
that’s something about what we have but
you have there sometimes your options
are frozen the Audrey can’t walk out of
a hospital she did not have the capacity
to take care of her children but she had
a freedom of stearic and that’s what we
have wherever we are whatever hand that
life has dealt us we have the freedom of
spirit we can go through life whining
and weeping or we can have the kind of
spirit that people will say hey there’s
a blessing to be around that person the
staff at the hospital used to go in her
room to be encouraged and inspired by
her because she didn’t feel sorry for
herself and she didn’t go through life
blaming everybody I’m reminded by young
guys who was on a bus a little young
fellow and some kids were picking at him
some bigger guys they kept on thumping
him on the head and hiding their hand
and so he got tired of them doing that
and he stood up so he would not be
around I’m out of their reach and they
took him and said sit down shut him down
and he stood back up so I don’t want to
sit down I said sit down
didn’t Johnny pushed him back down I
don’t want to sit down he said sit down
held him down and he looked at him he
said you might hold me down but I’m
standing up inside myself
and what we have got to do is know that
there’s something about you there’s
something about us there’s a power in
you that regardless of what happens to
you you can stand up inside of yourself
I think that’s what the pork meant when
he says out of the night that covers me
black as the pit from pole to pole I
thank whatever God’s there may be for my
unconquerable soul
you have an uncomfortable soul
[Music]
you
[Music]
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