if you aim at nothing in life you hit
nothing dead on the head I’ve been
looking at my life and reflecting on my
life because ten years ago I was
diagnosed with prostate cancer I stand
before you because of God’s grace and
mercy and faith and knowing that as we
work together as we believe in the
possibilities of the fact that healing
takes place first within then without
the possibility is unlimited of what we
can do I’m going to do a national tool
call you are more powerful than cancer
one of the things I think doctors should
never tell anyone they’re terminally ill
I think what they should say is that my
knowledge and ability to help you has
terminated my PSA ten years ago was 110
as I stand before years it’s 270
wonderful men you know that’s normal and
PSA stands for prostate specific antigen
but to me PSA stands for positively
staying alive I was reflecting on my
life during the time when I received 238
radiation seed implants and as I looked
at my life I asked myself a question and
I want to ask you a question how many of
you know if you had your life to live
over again you could have done more than
what you’ve done thus far raise your
hands please now that proves the point
of what we do what we accomplish what we
produce in life is only a tip of the
iceberg of what’s possible for us I want
you to think about some major goal that
gives your life a sense of meaning right
now and as you’re thinking about that I
want you to shake someone’s hand on your
right and your
and around you look them in the eyes and
say with conviction you have something
special do that quickly now please tell
if you have something special yes so now
I want you to join me right now I want
you to think about some major gold that
you’d like to achieve something that
gives your life a sense of meaning
something that will give your life a
sense of purpose and direction my first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
that was important to me I’m adopted
I was born in a poor section of Miami
Florida called Liberty City an abandoned
building on a floor with a twin brother
and when we were six weeks of age were
adopted by mrs. Mamie Brown my mother
was 46 years of age she only had a third
grade education but she had a PhD in
mother wit I feel like Abraham Lincoln
who said all that I am and all that ever
hope to be I owe to my mother I saw a
sign once I said God took me out of my
biological mother’s womb and placed me
in the heart of my adopted mother so my
goal in dream was to buy my mother a
home to take care of my mother my mother
was a domestic worker in Miami Beach and
and she would go to work in many days
she would take us with her and we ate
the food leftover from the families that
my mother cooked for they were very kind
and generous people they would say Mamie
whatever food is left over after you
cook you can pack it up and take it home
to the children the food that’s left
over after we eat and feed those seven
children that you have adopted because
of their generosity many nights we did
not go to bed hungry because they were
so kind and so giving we wore the
hand-me-down clothes of the children
that mama kept fit they were too small
mama cook so she would let them out if
they were too lot she would take them in
and my mother was a great Baker she
could bake the cake she could bake a
sweet potato pie so
you couldn’t eat it with your shoes off
you had to take your shoes off so you
could wiggle your toes and I used to say
looking at the beautiful mansions that
she used to clean I would say my mom she
said what is it boy when I become a man
I’m gonna buy something like this for
you I’m gonna buy your home one day she
said Leslie you don’t have to do that I
said I know mama but I want to I’m going
to one day and she didn’t know and she
was curious where was I getting those
thoughts for him I used to work and take
care of mr. sidarsky
he was a very demanding man very
meticulous God you say Leslie I said yes
sir come here yes sir you did not clean
this ashtray I’m sorry sir I do
apologize not clean the ashtray look at
this dust and look at this dust I’m
sorry sir
now what mr. sidarsky did not know was
that I deliberately didn’t clean certain
things because I wanted him to call me
into his office because when he was in
his office he would listen to
motivational messages by a guy by the
name of Earl Nightingale so series
called the strangest secret in the world
we become what we think about all of us
are self-made but only the successful
will admit it and as I heard those words
they begin to program my mind and and
begin to affect my thinking and it
changed how I saw myself and my vision
of myself began to expand listening to
Bob Procter talking early about
awareness and how important it is he
most certainly is right because I had
the awareness at that point in time as a
result of being exposed to those
messages that I could do more than I was
now experiencing even since I’ve been
associated with working with peak
potential my level of awareness has
banded Robert Rio pail and and Roxanne
and and Gail Kingsley it began to expand
all of the people that I’ve interacted
with life is about expansion see
expansion that Robert Schuller said
success is never ending and I want you
to think about some goal that will give
your life a sense of meaning of meaning
and value and and whatever it is I don’t
want you to limit it I want you to
expand it I’ve found that most people
fail in life not because they aim too
high and miss no most people have been
like me most people aim in life too low
and they aim too low and hit I did that
for many years and many don’t aim at all
so I want you think about goals in three
areas some personal go that you’d like
to achieve something that gives your
life meaning right now and some career
goals some financial goal that you’d
like to achieve and your social
contribution cars man said we should be
ashamed to die until we’ve made some
major contribution to humankind my
mother was a 22-year breast cancer
Conqueror so before I leave the planet
my goal is to reduce the number of women
who die from breast cancer in honor of
my mother how many men are over 40 raise
your hands please as a twin there’s a
10-year prostate cancer conquer my goal
is to decrease the number of men who die
from prostate cancer encouraging you to
get your PSA test if you haven’t done so
now your digital rectal examination and
I’ll be glad when they can check out
prostate by looking in our ears it’s got
to be a better way I’m turning red as I
talk about it but you can’t see it
friend of mine he’s a urologist I used
to play the alignment for Ohio State
University
he’d say at last let me give you a free
rectal so nobody you too motivated oh we
don’t roll like
my goal before leaving the planet is to
reduce the number of kids that are
impacted by autism to find a cure for
autism to work to raise money to raise
awareness to eradicate it from the
planet before I leave here what’s your
goal what’s your dream what is it you
want to do with your life
dr. Joelle Maude you said something that
I loved she said what would the world be
like if everybody lived their dream
here’s what I found about life it’s not
as complicated as I used to make it I
think that life is about dreams and
stories everything that exists the world
at one time was barren but everything
that exists hotels please they weren’t
here everything that we see every day
computers all of the things that we see
someone had a dream someone had a dream
of a person standing on stage and that
voice being amplified so they don’t have
to scream and yell and can be heard by
thousands someone had that dream of how
to transport us from one place to the
other quickly and safely the clothes you
have on where you’re now seated Oh came
out of somebody’s dream the world’s
greatest achievement what is your dream
I said that you have something special I
didn’t say that just to be kind I said
it because it’s true you were God’s
chosen vessel you were chosen one out of
four hundred million sperm you have
something in you that when you were
chosen when you showed up there’s
something in you that if you don’t do it
all of us will suffer repeat after me
please live full died empty let’s that
again live full
die empty dr. Howard Furman one of the
mentors of dr. Martin Luther King jr.
and Albert Schweitzer and Mahatma Gandhi
it was a very brilliant writer he wrote
some things it really grabs me he hero
deep is to hunger the voice of the
genuine the centering moment during the
time after receiving 238 radiation seed
implants I was reflecting on his words
and and these words kept me up that
night he said the ideal situation for a
man a woman to die is to have family
members praying with them as they cross
over he said but imagine if you will
being on your deathbed and standing
around your bed the ghost of the dreams
the ideas the abilities the talents
given to you by life and that you for
whatever reason you never went after
that dream you never acted on those
ideas you never use those talents you
never use those gifts and there they are
standing around your bed looking at you
with large angry eyes saying we came to
you and only you could have given us
life and now we must die with you
forever
and the question is if you die today
what dreams what ideas what talents what
books what music what leadership what
voice will die with you
mouths Monroe great orator and speaker
said the wealthiest place in the planet
it’s not enough for East where there’s
oil in the ground it’s not a South
Africa where the diamond lies is that
the wealthiest place on the planet is
the cemetery but you there you’ll find
greatness that we’ve never seen there
you find talent in genius and potential
never actualized
perhaps that’s why Henry David Thoreau
wrote the words Oh God to reach the
point of death only to realize that
you’ve never lived maybe that’s why some
unknown writer wrote the words what if
you live your whole life only to
discover that it was wrong that it was
wrong that you were chosen to do
something else and you didn’t do it
repeat as we please live full died empty
I want you to take some Milton to things
and I want you to think about your goals
and dreams in the three categories that
I mentioned personal professional and
your social contribution
how many be serious about your goals and
dreams raise your hands please thank you
very much how many of you don’t want to
take your dreams to your grave with you
raise your hands please
very good shake someone’s hand on your
right and left look them in the eyes and
say get out of your head and step into
your greatness do that right now please
say get out of your head and step into
your greatness I want you to write this
down let us say together as you think
about your goals and dreams let us say
together it’s possible together please
yes write that down see you ladies and
gentlemen as an entrepreneur I’ve been
an entrepreneur for 20 years it’s my
21st year I could have been speaking and
training for 34 years
but for 14 years I was living in my head
for 14 years I stopped myself for 14
years I used to go see Zig Ziglar that I
considered a number-one motivational
speaker on the planet Zig Ziglar and
Tony Robbins they’re the best on the
planet Bob Procter they are the best of
the planet Jack Canfield Mark Victor
Hansen TR Beckett I would go and see
them and then I would leave in my
conversation with myself was my heart
would say I can do that and then my mind
would ask how how would you do that Les
Brown see when I was in fifth grade I
was identified as EMR labeled educable
mentally retarded put back from the
fifth grade to the fourth grade I failed
again when I was in the eighth grade
I have no college training and a man
changed my life and I’ll never forget
its name mr. Leroy Washington he’s in
his 80s now and and he’s blind from
glaucoma but he he gave me a different
vision of myself I was in his class
waiting on another student he came in
and said young man go to board to work
this problem up for me I said oh sir I
can’t do that said why not I said I’m
I’m not one of you students said look at
me yes sir go to the board and work the
problem on anyhow I said Sarah
do that he said why is it sir because
I’m a gigolo mental retarded sir I’m in
special education and the students
started laughing they said that’s Leslie
that’s not Wesley he’s DT Wesley it’s
the spot when he said what does DT stand
for she said um I’m the dumb twin sir
and as the students laughed at me he
came from behind his desk he looked at
me and he said don’t you ever say that
again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality on the one hand I
was humiliated but on the other hand I
was liberated because he looked at me
with the eyes of Goethe who said look at
a man the way that he is he only becomes
worse but look at him as if he were what
he could be then it becomes what he
should be and so we developed a
relationship and one of the things that
I can just tell you as you think about
your goals and dreams all of us can say
in the spirit of integrity that it’s
possible that if anybody’d any point in
time live their dream then it’s possible
that I could live mine and what I did
was I made a mistake I looked at my
goals and dreams and my mind said how
will you do that I went from my heart to
my mind and I stayed up there for 14
years 14 years
I can’t bring those 14 years back those
years are gone and I’ve made a mission
in my life to help people to stop
putting it off and procrastinating how
many ever thought about something you
wanted to do and you procrastinate you
talk yourself out of it raise your hand
please
there’s a proverb that says if there’s
no enemy within the enemy outside can do
us no harm and so as you look at your
goals and dreams every day we must
convince ourselves we must sell
ourselves on that it’s possible every
seminar every workshop every book that
ever in every speaker that I’ve ever
heard it interrupted what I was
believing about myself everything that
you do everything matters as you go
through each day I know now as I look
back at age 63 looking at my life
everything matters
t harv is right how you do anything is
how you do everything and I realize that
the choices I was making was based upon
how I saw myself let us say together
it’s necessary write that down
it’s necessary as you look at your goals
or your dreams it’s necessary that you
have a strategy in a game plan to change
the story that you believe about
yourself and that’s an ongoing process I
discovered and many people have that
what we do what we accomplish what we
produce as a result of the story we
believe about ourselves my favorite book
says biggie and I conformed to this
world being transformed by the renewing
of your mind and so as I began to work
on myself I realized that I’m getting
out of one story and stepping into
another story if I become aware of some
things if still some things I’m not
aware of so I still I’m still growing
I’m still developing I’m like the lady
who said Lord a what a wannabe eight
what I’m going to be but thank God I
show eight what I was but I realized
that that you have to work on yourself
on a regular basis and write this out
for mental mindset for mental mindset
and stamina because things are going to
happen to you I don’t believe I believe
that the reason that most people go to
their graves where their talents and
abilities and skills in in them is
because of the fact that were one minute
like me they didn’t know that they did
know and thought they knew I thought I
knew myself and I really didn’t know
myself as well as I thought I’ve
discovered that sometimes people can
take you to a place within yourself that
you can’t go by yourself the other
reason is I was afraid and never worked
for a major corporation I want to speak
for corporations I was afraid I would I
would be exposed because I don’t have a
college education I
inferior because of the fact that I
don’t have a college education I allowed
at that level of fear of failure to stop
me and because I never had an experience
in it I assumed that I could not do it
I was paralyzing myself by believing and
assuming the limited part of myself as
opposed to believing that I had
something special you have something
special there’s something you want to do
because you don’t know how to do it
doesn’t mean that you can’t learn I like
something that I heard you don’t have to
be great to get started but you have to
get started to be great with it up you
please lead and grow your wings on the
way down see the people that will live
their dreams the 2% that will do that
these are and write this out become a
risk-taker they’re risk takers they
don’t mind failing they don’t mind
making mistakes they’re willing to take
life on take life in the collar this cop
said if you’re not willing to risk it
cannot grow and if you cannot grow you
cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you can’t be
happy and if you can’t be happy then
what else is there I like what Helen
Keller said she said life is short and
unpredictable eating the dessert first
[Applause]
[Music]
here’s something else write this down
make it important to become financially
independent you know people say money
won’t make you happy but everybody want
to find out for themselves friend of
mine and Rita Davenport said money is
not important but it’s right up there
with oxygen and let me tell you
something fellas even if you as homely
as I am you got some money some women
will find something cute on you
oh he’s got eyelashes like Tom Cruise
he’s got to walk like Denzel Washington
yeah I used to be so broke out walk past
a bank and tripped the alarm
creditors would call a house and my
children would ask their fathers they’re
my daddy’s they eat that old repeatedly
please I’ll never be broke again
never never never
yes he ladies and gentlemen makes a
difference the only time I really
appreciated having money was when my
mother became ill I was a state
legislator in Columbus Ohio from the
twenty-ninth house district Whitehall in
the upper linden area and my brother
called me and said Leslie yes mom has
been sick and we’re going to put her in
a nursing home I said wait a minute
Wesley we can’t do that get Margaret in
on the phone sheets on the phone get
Linda and Leonard they are all here what
Leslie listen to me mama used to work in
a nursing home she said she never wanted
to go into one
I promised her when I was ten that I
would take care of her we would do
whatever was necessary to take care of
her I said he said we knew you would
feel like that and this is why we did
such a thorough job interviewing the
various nursing homes and we have found
the one that’s ideal and mama would love
them I said hold it hold it just a
minute she didn’t clean their behinds
she took care of us see I had a problem
I couldn’t understand how one woman
third grade education 46 domestic work
on Miami Beach can raise seven children
who couldn’t take care of themselves but
seven children couldn’t take care of one
woman I had a problem with that I had a
problem with that so I resigned from the
Ohio legislature and I went back to
Miami to take care of mama and I’ll
never forget taking her to Jackson
Memorial Hospital and when we went in
the receptionist said as she looked at
my mother looked at me she didn’t say
how you doing are you uncomfortable are
you in any pain my mother at that time
she was in her 70s the lady just said
what kind of insurance do you have and I
step forward I said she has Les Brown
unlimited give my mother what she needs
I could write a check for
[Music]
[Applause]
it gives you choices it determines the
difference in life and death the ability
to afford health care the quality of
education that you can provide for your
children the ability to make a
difference in the community I’m doing
training with young people at an area of
Chicago called Englewood where more
young men have been killed in angle wood
than in the iraqi wall teaching them how
to develop their minds how to develop
their communication skills how to dress
like a prospect rather than a suspect
how to stay away from negative people
and develop the skills to make it in a
global economy
what it makes it possible for me not to
have depend upon some government and
agency to make that happen so as you
look at yourselves make it important
that you find some way to use your
talents and gifts to generate the income
that allow you to control your destiny I
read something that said either you
control your destiny or someone else
will here’s the other thing repeat after
me please take care of myself yes you
got to take care of yourself I’m 63 I
can do 140 pushups non-stop after
warming up I couldn’t do that when I was
20 years old and the reason that I do
that the exercise reduces the
possibility of cancer reoccurring by 32%
while spreading by 30% it helps to
reverse the aging process and keeps you
younger keeps your mind shopper and
allow me to take care of my temple so I
can continue to do my work so that you
can continue to do the good work that
you were sent here to do so you got to
make it important to take care of
yourself put that at the top of the list
because you can’t do well it can’t do
good work if you don’t feel good you
don’t want to be like the man who said
if I’d known I’d live this long I’d have
taken better care of myself here’s
something else repeat after me please o
QP only quality people yes look at your
relationships and ask yourself the
question Jim Ron would ask this question
what is this relationship doing
to me 7014 wrote a book called the
measure of a man I loved the tapes
because I loved his voice he said when
you go for a walk with someone something
happens without being spoken he said
either you adjust just to their pace or
they adjust to your pace whose pace have
you adjusted to MIT did a study and the
study indicated that you earned within
two to three thousand dollars of your
closest friends and associates earn
who’s impacted me who’s in your ear what
influence do they have on you
dr. Dennis Kimbrell said if you’re the
smartest one in your group you need to
get a new group so practice the
principle of oqp only quality people and
somebody’s saying less can I change them
no it’s a full-time job changing
yourself some people are so negative
they’re walking to a dark room and begin
to develop my family members and friends
call me crazy for going to seminars
spending money on books and tapes and
going to similar when are you going to
stop going I said when I die
[Music]
that’s when I’ll stop when does a man a
woman died when their dreams died when
are we done when we stop developing
ourselves expanding our minds
challenging ourselves raising the bar on
ourselves the best thinking that that I
had at that point in my life had
produced his life that I have I need
some help on where Einstein was he said
the thinking that has brought me this
far has created some problems that this
thinking can’t solve I applaud you for
investing in yourself for coming here
flying thousands of miles investing
money in yourself I can tell you based
upon my own experience you have
something special you have greatness
within you what you’re doing is
different you represent only 2% of the
planet one great American said I choose
not to be a common man it’s my right to
be uncommon if I can I’ll seek
opportunity not security I do not wish
to be a kept citizen humbled and dull by
having the state look after me I want to
take the calculated risk to dream and to
build to fail and to succeed I refuse to
live from hand to mouth I prefer the
challenges of life to the guaranteed
existence the thrill of fulfillment to
the still calm of utopia
I will never cower before the master nor
been to any fair it’s my heritage to
stand erect prouder and afraid the face
of world boldly and say this I have done
that’s what it means to be a part of
peak potentials your unquenching desire
and uncommon desire to manifest your
greatness give yourselves a round of
applause
[Applause]
thank you the other thing that you look
at your goals you look at your dreams
repeat out to me please I will fail my
way to success
yes part of the reason why we have to
continue to work on ourselves and
surround ourselves with quality people
is because you’re gonna have a lot of
failures you can have a lot of
disappointments Maya Angelou said it’s
true I found her in my case that most
people go so far in life and then they
park they stop dead in their tracks why
because they take some hits when you
have a goal and dream think it not
strange that you’re face to Fiery
Furnaces of this world you will have
tribulation things are going to happen
to you I was in pursuit of my dream and
all of a sudden I got hit a person that
I thought I would be with for the rest
of my life I thought was my soulmate I
went through a divorce I was embarrassed
I was humiliated how can I teach people
how to live their dreams and I wasn’t
able to make my marriage work I
questioned myself it took another hit my
mother was diagnosed with breast cancer
then I was diagnosed with prostate
cancer then my best friend from the
second grade
Alexander Wims he was diagnosed with
cancer of the liver I took a hit and
life staggered me and I parked and I
didn’t turn on my emergency lights
because I didn’t want to call attention
to myself I didn’t want anybody coming
say hey do you need a job no I don’t
need a job I’m not out of gas my battery
is not dead my heart is beating I’m
parked leave me be I’m Park I was in my
comfort zone I was doing just enough to
get by working on a job they paid me
just enough to keep me from quitting and
I work just hard enough to keep from
getting fired how many know people like
that blink your eyes did you understand
what I’m talking about I was parked I
knew I could do more when when my mama
died it took something out of me when I
went through a divorce it took something
out of me when and my best friend died
it took something
out of me iPod
and
somebody said that life is like an onion
you have to peel it one layer at a time
and sometimes you cry life’s going to
happen to you when you have a dream
you’re gonna get slapped around and
don’t take it personal don’t ask why did
this have to happen to me why not you
who would you suggest you want to give
us some name some email addresses and
don’t tell everybody 80 percent don’t
care and 20 percent glad is you it’s
called life suck it up and move on get
over it
[Applause]
it happens to everybody
here’s the other thing is you look at
your goals and look at your dreams when
you’re going through some stuff repeat
out to be pleased when things go wrong
don’t go with them yes write that down
when things go wrong don’t go with them
when you’re working on a business deal
you’re counting on some money someone
said you will get the loan and it falls
through you have an event and the people
that you thought would be there and
support you they don’t come through but
someone turns against you or you get
ripped off it’s going to happen to you
happen to me
so one stole all my products my database
over a hundred and eighty thousand names
and addresses it’s not personal
it’s gonna happen to everybody it does
eight out of ten millionaires have been
financially Phaedra Walt Disney at seven
he for filed bankruptcy seven times and
had two nervous breakdowns it’s called
lying but I got a saying that life
knocks you down try and land on your
back because if you can look up you can
get up you’ve got the power in you to do
that you’ve got something special you’ve
got come back power here’s the other
thing let us say together it’s possible
it’s necessary it’s me yes right there
down it’s me take ownership for your
life nobody can live your dream for you
but you nobody’s gonna take care of your
business like you stop coming up with
excuses don’t give yourself permission
to continue to live a small life you
can’t fit a big dream into a small life
give yourself permission to go for it to
test yourself to challenge yourself to
live fool like the saying always strive
to get on top of life because it’s the
bottom that’s overcrowded the reason
you’re here is because there’s something
in you that says I can do more
this just can’t be it there’s something
in you there’s a calling on your life
there’s something in your heart that
costs you to get dressed and and spend
the money to go to seminar after seminar
listen to message after message and
speaker after speaker because there’s
something in you that tells you this is
not it for you you have not peaked in
there’s more in you that you are
expressing is not seen here is not her
nose enter to man heart of mankind
what’s in store for you if you challenge
yourself if you persist and persevere if
you take ownership for your life George
Bernard Shaw said the people that make
it in this life they look around from
the circumstances that they want and if
they can’t find them they create them
create what you want you have the power
you to do the more than you can ever
begin to imagine to control your destiny
to make a difference in our children to
make a difference on the planet to make
an impact let us say together it’s me
and let us say together it’s hard said
like you know it’s it’s hard ladies and
gentlemen it’s hard that people who have
seen their retirements taken away from
them by the corporations that they work
for they were within two or three years
of retiring and they had it taken from
them the number one entrepreneurs in
this country now a senior citizens the
number one employer number two
McDonald’s and Walmart and there’s
nothing wrong with those jobs I
guarantee you those people did not have
a plan to end up living their lives at
the end of life with those types of jobs
and they didn’t have a plan like you
have and why are you investing in
yourself not to and it’s hard their
people making choices between purchasing
prescription drugs or paying for gas or
mortgage note it’s hard are you working
on a job for twenty years thirty years
give them some good years
and then they come in and tell you we’ve
downsized in other ways other words
you’re fired
and then you have to start all over
again how many of you know it’s hot
raise your hands please it’s hard and
it’s not fair one of the things I like
about t hoff is he talks about work and
investing in yourself it’s not fair but
people are blowing up against that kind
of stuff to tell them just faint
positive and be enthusiastic and
everything will work out alright
ain’t that kind of party it’s hard life
will put some nuts on your head I bought
my first home for my mother I was
rushing didn’t know what I was doing and
I bought a home that had a lien against
it
and they called me mr. Brown yes as a
lien against your property we need fifty
five thousand dollars if you’re going to
stay there wait a minute sir I just
bought this home the guy told me there
were no liens against it I’m not the one
that owe you the money you should have
checked that out of mr. Brown come on I
called my attorney we followed up yes
less Selena gets the property but he
told me there were no liens
he lied obviously oh my god he told me
he wanted to help me because he admired
the fact that I was buying this home for
my mother and that he was adopted and he
he identified with me less he suck at
you he played you man
so what well would they take payment
arrangements can I
what about $5,000 a month they want all
the money less they want all the money
or you’re gonna have to get out of the
houses going up for chef sale do you
have it
no I I don’t have them can they give me
some time tell him to give me give me
three months please give me three month
i my mother is in her 70s man she has a
bad heart don’t do this to me this is
not dream don’t do this man please let
me talk to him less I’m talking to their
attorney they don’t want to talk to you
I’ve got to talk to you the attorneys do
you have the money no will they give me
three months no what about two months no
less they want the money in seven days
oh my god let me call you back I’m not
sure and I walked the floors thinking
God how could this happen to me I gotta
figure this out huh
I gotta figure this out and seem like
the days are just ticking off ticking
off Thursday I had to call them and let
them know they call me less do you have
the money no I don’t Friday you have to
leave the sheriff will be there you’ll
have to leave less they’re gonna take my
house what about my down payment you
lost it less you lost it okay I gotta go
yes
I prayed lord please if you show me that
you’re real if if it’s if you’re really
real you think Paul work for you you you
haven’t seen anything don’t let me lose
this house and watch what I’ll do for
you I was trying to cut a deal have you
ever tried to cut a deal it’s amazing
how spiritual you get when you get in
trouble you don’t leave what I was
diagnosed with prostate cancer I was
going this bed with them with the Bible
and the Holy Quran and science of mind
and Joel goldsmith everything I get
fired I was being
Jesus Yahweh no casler dick everybody I
was calling on everybody it’s amazing
and and here I was walking the floor
three o’clock in the morning and I had
to go and wake my mother up I got on my
knees and I said mama I said I need you
to wake up she said what’s wrong Leslie
I can I can hear you walking back and
forth I’m not sleep son I said there’s
something I need to tell you she said
your eyes are red why your eyes red
because I feel so stupid town why we got
to move tomorrow
why’d Leslie there’s a lien against a
property and they want fifty five
thousand dollars and I don’t have it and
we’re going to be set out tomorrow we
have to go back to Liberty City
so she said it’s okay I don’t like this
house anyhow I said why she said because
of my arthritic knees it helps it hurts
my knees when I go up the steps I said
it why didn’t you tell me because you
were so happy I just said it because you
were happy I’ll live in a shack with you
boy I love you it’s not the house I love
you I love all my children I said thank
you mama thank you
[Music]
[Applause]
and the next day the next day when we
were in the truck going back to Liberty
City and we pulled out 68 terrorists the
neighbors came out and said well maybe
maybe you’re coming back are you back
yes what happened to the home you bought
bought for you those boys you adopted
Leslie didn’t do a title search he made
a mistake and boy I was I was so
humiliated how many ever made a mistake
that you could just accumulated a chance
I was devastated I was taking the
furniture off the truck and my mother
came and I was crying and she said boy I
said yes ma’am she said hold your head
up I said mama I can’t she said hold
your head up I said what look what I’ve
done she said it’s okay it’s okay you
are gonna make a lot of mistakes in life
young man you’re gonna fail your way to
success you have nothing to be ashamed
of keep your head up and take that
furniture back in the house I said yes
ma’am and I learned something for that
if you ever go through something hold
your head up if you ever make a mistake
hold your head up if you ever do
something that everything goes wrong
like catch you on the Blind Side hold
your head up it’s not over
Goethe said that which does not kill you
will make you stronger hold your head up
shake someone’s hand on your right and
left and say hold your head up
here’s something else ladies and
gentlemen repeat after me please
you got to be hungry everybody together
you got to be hungry I never forget mr.
Washington said mr. Brown yes sir what
do you want to do with your life young
man I said sir I want to be a duck disc
jockey said mr. Brown I said yes sir
he said you got to be hungry I said what
do you mean by that is that people that
are hungry are willing to do the things
a day others won’t do in order to have
the things tomorrow others won’t have
people that are hungry are willing to
invest in themselves people that are
hungry will go to seminars and workshops
people that are hungry always searching
always seeking higher ground so how do
you want to make it I said I want to be
a disc jockeys it’s good here’s what to
do he said I want you to read 10 to 15
pages of something positive every day he
said you don’t get in life what you want
you get in life what you are
you must program yourself to success is
that what you listen to around
Nightingale and Zig Ziglar listen faith
comes by hearing and hearing and hearing
said I want you to change your
relationships and I don’t want you to
ever lose your hunger I said what do you
mean by that he’s a deeper that are
hungry unstoppable
people that are hungry a no matter what
people they make it happen no matter
what is I want you to listen to Paul
Harvey who is he he’s the world’s
greatest communicator success leaves
Clues young man always listened and
follow people who are doing what it is
you want to do at the level you want to
do it and learn from them until t-hub
when we’re standing by the stage and
said hey man I want to work more with
you I want you to coach me I want to
learn from you so I found you never too
old to learn and you’re never too young
to teach always to have a thirst for
learning so I listened to Paul Harvey
every day on the radio while in school I
would go out and listen in his car he
gave me his keys
I was working to develop myself
and I continue to listen to motivational
messages and he would take me to see the
late nor dr. norman vincent peale who
wrote the book the power of positive
thinking I toured with him before he
passed you you have something special
you have greatness within you don’t
allow your circumstances to determine
who you are don’t allow your negative
thoughts to hold you back you you have
something special you can do more than
you can ever begin to imagine dr. Peale
was an incredible man I I admired he
when he spoke he gave me goose couples I
can feel him and my heart and and I
never forget we were coming back to the
school and mr. Washington said mr. Brown
yes sir when dr. Peale’s spoke you
didn’t move and he spoke you were
hanging on every word he need when he
spoke we didn’t have to tell you to sit
down and be quiet why I said sir I could
I could feel and when he talked I felt
like he was talking to me sir he said he
was I said but he doesn’t know me but he
was speaking to you did you feel him in
your heart I said yes sir he said most
people filled him in their head if you
felt him in your heart he said listen to
him to follow him learn from him and I
would go to seminars and workshops
anywhere I would find where dr. Peale
was I would be in the audience
I’ve tried two and three hundred miles
just to hear him speak and my dream and
vision was was to share the stage with
him I thought about it what is your goal
what is your vision I want you to hold
it in mind his some power in that
because when I became involved in
speaking I never forget I got a call
from our man Dino who wrote the book the
greatest salesman in the world he said
last I’m stuck in Philadelphia need to
be in Kankakee dr. Norman Vincent Fields
appearing I can’t make it hurt you’re in
Chicago I said yes I am
can you go and open for me I said yes
man oh my god dr. Peale I said yes I’d
love to do it and I went there and I
came by said hi I’m I’m les brown he
said you’re not the Bandari now and I
said no
I’m mrs. Mamie Browns baby boy I’m here
to speak it’s a gun backstage and his
wife Martha was there and she said Papa
Les Brown is here the speaker and he
said that’s ground Les Brown shoot for
the moon because even if you miss you’ll
land among the stars that’s it sir
that’s my quote I wrote you when I was
in the 11th grade I was a part of a
special special education class project
that’s Mike Ortiz and I know I in all my
speeches with that globe
[Applause]
and dr. hill had a great sense of humor
young man is backstage and I had so many
questions to ask him in my mind froze up
and young guy said dr. pill how old are
you and he was up in age he’s at Sonny
I’m I’m 92 young man looked at him said
I don’t know if I want to live to get 92
he says because you’ve never been 91
so I did the things that mr. Washington
suggested I listen to motivational tapes
on a regular basis I would go to
seminars and workshops whenever Zig
Ziglar and dr. Denis Waitley and Jim
Rhon would come to town and I said sir I
said what do you want me to do now he
said mr. Brown I’ve given you everything
that I can give you he said develop your
mind put your money where your mouth is
continue to learn how to be an effective
communicator because once you open your
mouth you tell the world who you are and
always surround yourself with oqp only
quality people so I went to apply for a
job on Miami Beach
WM B M radio station Milton butterball
Smith was the program director
hello mr. butterball how are you sir my
name is les francais I like to be a disc
jockey he said young man you have any
journalism in your background that’s oh
no sir I don’t you have an experience in
broadcasting I said no sir but I
practice all the time sir let me
audition for you sir let me show you how
good I am all I need is a shot sir he
says no we don’t have any job for you
I’ve never been rejected raise your
hands please I was devastated I went
back and I told mrs. wash I said mr.
Washington they said no he said don’t
take it personally most people are so
negative they have to say no seven times
before they say yes is that you got to
be hungry make know your vitamin go back
again I said yes sir
hello mr. butterball how are you sir my
name is les brown sir I like to be a
disc jockey young man weren’t you here
yesterday yes sir I was didn’t I tell
you no yesterday yes sir you did then
why are you back today well sir I didn’t
know whether or not somebody was laid
off and somebody was fired sir
nobody was laid off a fire now get on
out of here
I came back the next day hello mr.
butterball how are you sir
my name is les brown sir I like to be a
disc jockey I know what your name is
weren’t you here the last two days yes I
was and I tell you no the last two days
yes sir you did why you back well sir I
didn’t I don’t know where not someone
got sick and someone died sir no one got
sick of died no one that’s laid off a
fine I don’t you come back here again
I came back the next day talking loud
looking happy like I was seeing him for
the first time as they’re all mr.
butterball how are you
he looked at me with rage and says go
get me some coffee I said yes sir my
favorite book says the greatest among
you will be your servant how many of you
serious about your goals and dreams
raise your hands very good write this
down provide more service than you get
paid for provide more service than you
get paid for I go to a lot of seminars
and workshops and one of the things I
know about Teja Eckhart and I was
sitting in the class of Robert Roy Appel
and all of the other presenters they
hold themselves to high standards and
they provide more information than
anybody else in the industry bar none
they hold nothing back because their
commitment is for your success and when
you hold yourself to high standards
write this down impact drives income
that’s why you here because the training
the seminars been making a difference in
your life if there did not have impact
two or three hundred people would be
here if that amount impact drives income
so I became the Erin part for the disc
jockeys I would go get their lunch in
their dinner and I would bring it to
them in the control room not watch them
working the control boards knowing my
time will come write this down
I expect to reach my goal yes you want
to operate with a spirit of expectation
I expect to reach my goal
so I started preparing for the next
position never forget one quote that I
heard as you look at your life we look
at your goals and dreams it’s better to
be prepared for an opportunity and not
have one than to have an opportunity and
not be prepared
if you expect to reach your goal prepare
yourself nah and so then pretty soon the
guys at the station they begin to take a
liking to me write this down build
relationships as you aware people deal
with people that they know like and
trust and so they would say Leslie yes
sir come here yes
come outside who did this Oh your car
yes who cleaned my car I did sir
I would wax their cars in the weekend
inside and out how much do you charge oh
nothing sir I just sworn to help out I
was providing more service than I got
paid for I was building relationships I
said wow look here Donna Ross and The
Supremes are coming to town The Four
Tops and the temptations here hurt my
car keys pick him up for me take him to
the fountain blue hotel on Miami Beach
I said yes sir I would drive them all
over Miami Beach in the big long
Cadillacs I didn’t have any driver’s
license but I’ll Drive it like I had
some
[Applause]
then one day it was a Saturday afternoon
a disc jockey by the name of rock and
Roger was drinking while he was on the
air it was a Saturday afternoon and I
was the only one there
rock and Roger got so drunk he could not
complete the show
he started slurring his words he’s about
to fall off the chair and then I was
looking at infant for control room
window walking back and forth young
ready and hungry
I will send drink rock drink drink Rock
gotta go and get him some more feet
asked me to then pretty soon the phone
rang it was the general manager and I
answered the phone said hello is that
young boy this is mr. Klein I said I
know he said Rock can’t finish his
program I said I know he said would you
call one of the other DJ’s in I said yes
sir I said to myself he must be think
I’m crazy I called my mom and my
girlfriend Cassandra said y’all come out
on the front porch and turn up the radio
I’m bout to come on there
[Applause]
I waited for about 20 minutes then I
call him back
I said mr. Klein I can’t find nobody he
said young boy you’re not at work the
controls I said yes sir he said going in
sag made the records but don’t say
nothing here I said yes sir I couldn’t
wait to get a rock out of the way I put
on a fast record I said look out this is
me LD triple P let’s brown your platter
playing papa there were none before me
and there will be none out to me
therefore that makes me the one and only
young and sanguine love Domingo
certified bona fide DubLi qualified to
bring his satisfaction and a whole lot
of action look out baby I’m your love
man I was hungry
I was hungry get old man a round of
applause I was hungry I was hungry
you got to be hungry shake someone’s
hand on your right and left all around
you and say you got to be hungry you got
to be hungry to get those dreams out of
your head and step into your greatness
you got to be hungry to get those ideas
that talent that gift out of your system
you got to be hungry to get up off the
campus of life and understand what Willy
jolly meant that a setback is a setup
for a comeback you got to be hungry
people that are hungry willing to do the
things that they others won’t do in
order to have the things tomorrow others
won’t have how many of you got value out
of what you’ve heard thus far raise your
hands please
very good I would like to leave this
with you I don’t know what your goals
are I don’t know what you want to do
here’s what I know about you you have
greatness within you here’s what I know
about you I can help you to live full
and to die empty I can show you what
I’ve learned if anybody told me that I
would be doing what I’m doing now I
leave here today I’d go to New Orleans
and speak there then I’ll be flown to
Barcelona if anybody told me given my
circumstances born an abandoned building
on a fall of poor section of Miami
Florida called Liberty City but both my
birth parents stood up and said hello
son I would not know either one being
labeled educable mentally retarded put
back from the fifth grade to the fourth
grade fail again when I was in the
eighth grade
no college trading anybody told me the
principles that I would teach you that
they would have the impact that it has
had on my life this less problem that
you see I did not know he existed and I
tell you that you have greatness within
you you have the ability to do more than
you can ever begin to imagine come into
the room with me and I guarantee your
life will never be the same again I like
to leave this with you I don’t know what
your goals are mine is to find a cure to
artisan mine is to find a cure to breast
cancer to prostate cancer mine is is to
work with our youth and to reduce the
recidivism rate in our prisons and help
young people learn how to become an
asset to our society rather than a
liability mine is is to train speakers
to become great communicators to speak
from their heart not their heads and
teach them how to impact and create a
new conversation so people can see the
possibilities of life and overcome the
possibility blindness that held me
hostage for 14 years I don’t know what
your goals are but here’s what I know
about you and I don’t know you
you’ve got greatness within you and I
like to leave this with you something my
mother used to love to hear me say
Leslie yes ma’am momma say that thing
for me boy that makes me feel good I
dedicate this to you to the greatness in
you and to the dream that you showed up
on the planet to produce and it’s simply
this
if you want a thing bad enough to go out
and fight for it to work day and night
for it to give up your time your peace
and your sleep for it if all that you
dream and scheme is about it and life
seems useless and worthless without it
and if you gladly sweat for it in
fretboard and plan for it and lose all
your terror of the opposition for it and
if you simply go after that thing that
you want with all of your capacity
strength and sagacity Faith Hope and
confidence and stern pertinacity if
neither cold poverty famine adult
sickness of pain a body and brain can
keep you away from the thing that you
want if dogged and grim you beseech and
beset it with the help of God you’ll get
it god bless you god bless your dream
god bless peak potentials god bless
america
thank you very much
you
[Music]
nothing dead on the head I’ve been
looking at my life and reflecting on my
life because ten years ago I was
diagnosed with prostate cancer I stand
before you because of God’s grace and
mercy and faith and knowing that as we
work together as we believe in the
possibilities of the fact that healing
takes place first within then without
the possibility is unlimited of what we
can do I’m going to do a national tool
call you are more powerful than cancer
one of the things I think doctors should
never tell anyone they’re terminally ill
I think what they should say is that my
knowledge and ability to help you has
terminated my PSA ten years ago was 110
as I stand before years it’s 270
wonderful men you know that’s normal and
PSA stands for prostate specific antigen
but to me PSA stands for positively
staying alive I was reflecting on my
life during the time when I received 238
radiation seed implants and as I looked
at my life I asked myself a question and
I want to ask you a question how many of
you know if you had your life to live
over again you could have done more than
what you’ve done thus far raise your
hands please now that proves the point
of what we do what we accomplish what we
produce in life is only a tip of the
iceberg of what’s possible for us I want
you to think about some major goal that
gives your life a sense of meaning right
now and as you’re thinking about that I
want you to shake someone’s hand on your
right and your
and around you look them in the eyes and
say with conviction you have something
special do that quickly now please tell
if you have something special yes so now
I want you to join me right now I want
you to think about some major gold that
you’d like to achieve something that
gives your life a sense of meaning
something that will give your life a
sense of purpose and direction my first
major goal was to buy my mother a home
that was important to me I’m adopted
I was born in a poor section of Miami
Florida called Liberty City an abandoned
building on a floor with a twin brother
and when we were six weeks of age were
adopted by mrs. Mamie Brown my mother
was 46 years of age she only had a third
grade education but she had a PhD in
mother wit I feel like Abraham Lincoln
who said all that I am and all that ever
hope to be I owe to my mother I saw a
sign once I said God took me out of my
biological mother’s womb and placed me
in the heart of my adopted mother so my
goal in dream was to buy my mother a
home to take care of my mother my mother
was a domestic worker in Miami Beach and
and she would go to work in many days
she would take us with her and we ate
the food leftover from the families that
my mother cooked for they were very kind
and generous people they would say Mamie
whatever food is left over after you
cook you can pack it up and take it home
to the children the food that’s left
over after we eat and feed those seven
children that you have adopted because
of their generosity many nights we did
not go to bed hungry because they were
so kind and so giving we wore the
hand-me-down clothes of the children
that mama kept fit they were too small
mama cook so she would let them out if
they were too lot she would take them in
and my mother was a great Baker she
could bake the cake she could bake a
sweet potato pie so
you couldn’t eat it with your shoes off
you had to take your shoes off so you
could wiggle your toes and I used to say
looking at the beautiful mansions that
she used to clean I would say my mom she
said what is it boy when I become a man
I’m gonna buy something like this for
you I’m gonna buy your home one day she
said Leslie you don’t have to do that I
said I know mama but I want to I’m going
to one day and she didn’t know and she
was curious where was I getting those
thoughts for him I used to work and take
care of mr. sidarsky
he was a very demanding man very
meticulous God you say Leslie I said yes
sir come here yes sir you did not clean
this ashtray I’m sorry sir I do
apologize not clean the ashtray look at
this dust and look at this dust I’m
sorry sir
now what mr. sidarsky did not know was
that I deliberately didn’t clean certain
things because I wanted him to call me
into his office because when he was in
his office he would listen to
motivational messages by a guy by the
name of Earl Nightingale so series
called the strangest secret in the world
we become what we think about all of us
are self-made but only the successful
will admit it and as I heard those words
they begin to program my mind and and
begin to affect my thinking and it
changed how I saw myself and my vision
of myself began to expand listening to
Bob Procter talking early about
awareness and how important it is he
most certainly is right because I had
the awareness at that point in time as a
result of being exposed to those
messages that I could do more than I was
now experiencing even since I’ve been
associated with working with peak
potential my level of awareness has
banded Robert Rio pail and and Roxanne
and and Gail Kingsley it began to expand
all of the people that I’ve interacted
with life is about expansion see
expansion that Robert Schuller said
success is never ending and I want you
to think about some goal that will give
your life a sense of meaning of meaning
and value and and whatever it is I don’t
want you to limit it I want you to
expand it I’ve found that most people
fail in life not because they aim too
high and miss no most people have been
like me most people aim in life too low
and they aim too low and hit I did that
for many years and many don’t aim at all
so I want you think about goals in three
areas some personal go that you’d like
to achieve something that gives your
life meaning right now and some career
goals some financial goal that you’d
like to achieve and your social
contribution cars man said we should be
ashamed to die until we’ve made some
major contribution to humankind my
mother was a 22-year breast cancer
Conqueror so before I leave the planet
my goal is to reduce the number of women
who die from breast cancer in honor of
my mother how many men are over 40 raise
your hands please as a twin there’s a
10-year prostate cancer conquer my goal
is to decrease the number of men who die
from prostate cancer encouraging you to
get your PSA test if you haven’t done so
now your digital rectal examination and
I’ll be glad when they can check out
prostate by looking in our ears it’s got
to be a better way I’m turning red as I
talk about it but you can’t see it
friend of mine he’s a urologist I used
to play the alignment for Ohio State
University
he’d say at last let me give you a free
rectal so nobody you too motivated oh we
don’t roll like
my goal before leaving the planet is to
reduce the number of kids that are
impacted by autism to find a cure for
autism to work to raise money to raise
awareness to eradicate it from the
planet before I leave here what’s your
goal what’s your dream what is it you
want to do with your life
dr. Joelle Maude you said something that
I loved she said what would the world be
like if everybody lived their dream
here’s what I found about life it’s not
as complicated as I used to make it I
think that life is about dreams and
stories everything that exists the world
at one time was barren but everything
that exists hotels please they weren’t
here everything that we see every day
computers all of the things that we see
someone had a dream someone had a dream
of a person standing on stage and that
voice being amplified so they don’t have
to scream and yell and can be heard by
thousands someone had that dream of how
to transport us from one place to the
other quickly and safely the clothes you
have on where you’re now seated Oh came
out of somebody’s dream the world’s
greatest achievement what is your dream
I said that you have something special I
didn’t say that just to be kind I said
it because it’s true you were God’s
chosen vessel you were chosen one out of
four hundred million sperm you have
something in you that when you were
chosen when you showed up there’s
something in you that if you don’t do it
all of us will suffer repeat after me
please live full died empty let’s that
again live full
die empty dr. Howard Furman one of the
mentors of dr. Martin Luther King jr.
and Albert Schweitzer and Mahatma Gandhi
it was a very brilliant writer he wrote
some things it really grabs me he hero
deep is to hunger the voice of the
genuine the centering moment during the
time after receiving 238 radiation seed
implants I was reflecting on his words
and and these words kept me up that
night he said the ideal situation for a
man a woman to die is to have family
members praying with them as they cross
over he said but imagine if you will
being on your deathbed and standing
around your bed the ghost of the dreams
the ideas the abilities the talents
given to you by life and that you for
whatever reason you never went after
that dream you never acted on those
ideas you never use those talents you
never use those gifts and there they are
standing around your bed looking at you
with large angry eyes saying we came to
you and only you could have given us
life and now we must die with you
forever
and the question is if you die today
what dreams what ideas what talents what
books what music what leadership what
voice will die with you
mouths Monroe great orator and speaker
said the wealthiest place in the planet
it’s not enough for East where there’s
oil in the ground it’s not a South
Africa where the diamond lies is that
the wealthiest place on the planet is
the cemetery but you there you’ll find
greatness that we’ve never seen there
you find talent in genius and potential
never actualized
perhaps that’s why Henry David Thoreau
wrote the words Oh God to reach the
point of death only to realize that
you’ve never lived maybe that’s why some
unknown writer wrote the words what if
you live your whole life only to
discover that it was wrong that it was
wrong that you were chosen to do
something else and you didn’t do it
repeat as we please live full died empty
I want you to take some Milton to things
and I want you to think about your goals
and dreams in the three categories that
I mentioned personal professional and
your social contribution
how many be serious about your goals and
dreams raise your hands please thank you
very much how many of you don’t want to
take your dreams to your grave with you
raise your hands please
very good shake someone’s hand on your
right and left look them in the eyes and
say get out of your head and step into
your greatness do that right now please
say get out of your head and step into
your greatness I want you to write this
down let us say together as you think
about your goals and dreams let us say
together it’s possible together please
yes write that down see you ladies and
gentlemen as an entrepreneur I’ve been
an entrepreneur for 20 years it’s my
21st year I could have been speaking and
training for 34 years
but for 14 years I was living in my head
for 14 years I stopped myself for 14
years I used to go see Zig Ziglar that I
considered a number-one motivational
speaker on the planet Zig Ziglar and
Tony Robbins they’re the best on the
planet Bob Procter they are the best of
the planet Jack Canfield Mark Victor
Hansen TR Beckett I would go and see
them and then I would leave in my
conversation with myself was my heart
would say I can do that and then my mind
would ask how how would you do that Les
Brown see when I was in fifth grade I
was identified as EMR labeled educable
mentally retarded put back from the
fifth grade to the fourth grade I failed
again when I was in the eighth grade
I have no college training and a man
changed my life and I’ll never forget
its name mr. Leroy Washington he’s in
his 80s now and and he’s blind from
glaucoma but he he gave me a different
vision of myself I was in his class
waiting on another student he came in
and said young man go to board to work
this problem up for me I said oh sir I
can’t do that said why not I said I’m
I’m not one of you students said look at
me yes sir go to the board and work the
problem on anyhow I said Sarah
do that he said why is it sir because
I’m a gigolo mental retarded sir I’m in
special education and the students
started laughing they said that’s Leslie
that’s not Wesley he’s DT Wesley it’s
the spot when he said what does DT stand
for she said um I’m the dumb twin sir
and as the students laughed at me he
came from behind his desk he looked at
me and he said don’t you ever say that
again
someone’s opinion of you does not have
to become your reality on the one hand I
was humiliated but on the other hand I
was liberated because he looked at me
with the eyes of Goethe who said look at
a man the way that he is he only becomes
worse but look at him as if he were what
he could be then it becomes what he
should be and so we developed a
relationship and one of the things that
I can just tell you as you think about
your goals and dreams all of us can say
in the spirit of integrity that it’s
possible that if anybody’d any point in
time live their dream then it’s possible
that I could live mine and what I did
was I made a mistake I looked at my
goals and dreams and my mind said how
will you do that I went from my heart to
my mind and I stayed up there for 14
years 14 years
I can’t bring those 14 years back those
years are gone and I’ve made a mission
in my life to help people to stop
putting it off and procrastinating how
many ever thought about something you
wanted to do and you procrastinate you
talk yourself out of it raise your hand
please
there’s a proverb that says if there’s
no enemy within the enemy outside can do
us no harm and so as you look at your
goals and dreams every day we must
convince ourselves we must sell
ourselves on that it’s possible every
seminar every workshop every book that
ever in every speaker that I’ve ever
heard it interrupted what I was
believing about myself everything that
you do everything matters as you go
through each day I know now as I look
back at age 63 looking at my life
everything matters
t harv is right how you do anything is
how you do everything and I realize that
the choices I was making was based upon
how I saw myself let us say together
it’s necessary write that down
it’s necessary as you look at your goals
or your dreams it’s necessary that you
have a strategy in a game plan to change
the story that you believe about
yourself and that’s an ongoing process I
discovered and many people have that
what we do what we accomplish what we
produce as a result of the story we
believe about ourselves my favorite book
says biggie and I conformed to this
world being transformed by the renewing
of your mind and so as I began to work
on myself I realized that I’m getting
out of one story and stepping into
another story if I become aware of some
things if still some things I’m not
aware of so I still I’m still growing
I’m still developing I’m like the lady
who said Lord a what a wannabe eight
what I’m going to be but thank God I
show eight what I was but I realized
that that you have to work on yourself
on a regular basis and write this out
for mental mindset for mental mindset
and stamina because things are going to
happen to you I don’t believe I believe
that the reason that most people go to
their graves where their talents and
abilities and skills in in them is
because of the fact that were one minute
like me they didn’t know that they did
know and thought they knew I thought I
knew myself and I really didn’t know
myself as well as I thought I’ve
discovered that sometimes people can
take you to a place within yourself that
you can’t go by yourself the other
reason is I was afraid and never worked
for a major corporation I want to speak
for corporations I was afraid I would I
would be exposed because I don’t have a
college education I
inferior because of the fact that I
don’t have a college education I allowed
at that level of fear of failure to stop
me and because I never had an experience
in it I assumed that I could not do it
I was paralyzing myself by believing and
assuming the limited part of myself as
opposed to believing that I had
something special you have something
special there’s something you want to do
because you don’t know how to do it
doesn’t mean that you can’t learn I like
something that I heard you don’t have to
be great to get started but you have to
get started to be great with it up you
please lead and grow your wings on the
way down see the people that will live
their dreams the 2% that will do that
these are and write this out become a
risk-taker they’re risk takers they
don’t mind failing they don’t mind
making mistakes they’re willing to take
life on take life in the collar this cop
said if you’re not willing to risk it
cannot grow and if you cannot grow you
cannot become your best and if you
cannot become your best you can’t be
happy and if you can’t be happy then
what else is there I like what Helen
Keller said she said life is short and
unpredictable eating the dessert first
[Applause]
[Music]
here’s something else write this down
make it important to become financially
independent you know people say money
won’t make you happy but everybody want
to find out for themselves friend of
mine and Rita Davenport said money is
not important but it’s right up there
with oxygen and let me tell you
something fellas even if you as homely
as I am you got some money some women
will find something cute on you
oh he’s got eyelashes like Tom Cruise
he’s got to walk like Denzel Washington
yeah I used to be so broke out walk past
a bank and tripped the alarm
creditors would call a house and my
children would ask their fathers they’re
my daddy’s they eat that old repeatedly
please I’ll never be broke again
never never never
yes he ladies and gentlemen makes a
difference the only time I really
appreciated having money was when my
mother became ill I was a state
legislator in Columbus Ohio from the
twenty-ninth house district Whitehall in
the upper linden area and my brother
called me and said Leslie yes mom has
been sick and we’re going to put her in
a nursing home I said wait a minute
Wesley we can’t do that get Margaret in
on the phone sheets on the phone get
Linda and Leonard they are all here what
Leslie listen to me mama used to work in
a nursing home she said she never wanted
to go into one
I promised her when I was ten that I
would take care of her we would do
whatever was necessary to take care of
her I said he said we knew you would
feel like that and this is why we did
such a thorough job interviewing the
various nursing homes and we have found
the one that’s ideal and mama would love
them I said hold it hold it just a
minute she didn’t clean their behinds
she took care of us see I had a problem
I couldn’t understand how one woman
third grade education 46 domestic work
on Miami Beach can raise seven children
who couldn’t take care of themselves but
seven children couldn’t take care of one
woman I had a problem with that I had a
problem with that so I resigned from the
Ohio legislature and I went back to
Miami to take care of mama and I’ll
never forget taking her to Jackson
Memorial Hospital and when we went in
the receptionist said as she looked at
my mother looked at me she didn’t say
how you doing are you uncomfortable are
you in any pain my mother at that time
she was in her 70s the lady just said
what kind of insurance do you have and I
step forward I said she has Les Brown
unlimited give my mother what she needs
I could write a check for
[Music]
[Applause]
it gives you choices it determines the
difference in life and death the ability
to afford health care the quality of
education that you can provide for your
children the ability to make a
difference in the community I’m doing
training with young people at an area of
Chicago called Englewood where more
young men have been killed in angle wood
than in the iraqi wall teaching them how
to develop their minds how to develop
their communication skills how to dress
like a prospect rather than a suspect
how to stay away from negative people
and develop the skills to make it in a
global economy
what it makes it possible for me not to
have depend upon some government and
agency to make that happen so as you
look at yourselves make it important
that you find some way to use your
talents and gifts to generate the income
that allow you to control your destiny I
read something that said either you
control your destiny or someone else
will here’s the other thing repeat after
me please take care of myself yes you
got to take care of yourself I’m 63 I
can do 140 pushups non-stop after
warming up I couldn’t do that when I was
20 years old and the reason that I do
that the exercise reduces the
possibility of cancer reoccurring by 32%
while spreading by 30% it helps to
reverse the aging process and keeps you
younger keeps your mind shopper and
allow me to take care of my temple so I
can continue to do my work so that you
can continue to do the good work that
you were sent here to do so you got to
make it important to take care of
yourself put that at the top of the list
because you can’t do well it can’t do
good work if you don’t feel good you
don’t want to be like the man who said
if I’d known I’d live this long I’d have
taken better care of myself here’s
something else repeat after me please o
QP only quality people yes look at your
relationships and ask yourself the
question Jim Ron would ask this question
what is this relationship doing
to me 7014 wrote a book called the
measure of a man I loved the tapes
because I loved his voice he said when
you go for a walk with someone something
happens without being spoken he said
either you adjust just to their pace or
they adjust to your pace whose pace have
you adjusted to MIT did a study and the
study indicated that you earned within
two to three thousand dollars of your
closest friends and associates earn
who’s impacted me who’s in your ear what
influence do they have on you
dr. Dennis Kimbrell said if you’re the
smartest one in your group you need to
get a new group so practice the
principle of oqp only quality people and
somebody’s saying less can I change them
no it’s a full-time job changing
yourself some people are so negative
they’re walking to a dark room and begin
to develop my family members and friends
call me crazy for going to seminars
spending money on books and tapes and
going to similar when are you going to
stop going I said when I die
[Music]
that’s when I’ll stop when does a man a
woman died when their dreams died when
are we done when we stop developing
ourselves expanding our minds
challenging ourselves raising the bar on
ourselves the best thinking that that I
had at that point in my life had
produced his life that I have I need
some help on where Einstein was he said
the thinking that has brought me this
far has created some problems that this
thinking can’t solve I applaud you for
investing in yourself for coming here
flying thousands of miles investing
money in yourself I can tell you based
upon my own experience you have
something special you have greatness
within you what you’re doing is
different you represent only 2% of the
planet one great American said I choose
not to be a common man it’s my right to
be uncommon if I can I’ll seek
opportunity not security I do not wish
to be a kept citizen humbled and dull by
having the state look after me I want to
take the calculated risk to dream and to
build to fail and to succeed I refuse to
live from hand to mouth I prefer the
challenges of life to the guaranteed
existence the thrill of fulfillment to
the still calm of utopia
I will never cower before the master nor
been to any fair it’s my heritage to
stand erect prouder and afraid the face
of world boldly and say this I have done
that’s what it means to be a part of
peak potentials your unquenching desire
and uncommon desire to manifest your
greatness give yourselves a round of
applause
[Applause]
thank you the other thing that you look
at your goals you look at your dreams
repeat out to me please I will fail my
way to success
yes part of the reason why we have to
continue to work on ourselves and
surround ourselves with quality people
is because you’re gonna have a lot of
failures you can have a lot of
disappointments Maya Angelou said it’s
true I found her in my case that most
people go so far in life and then they
park they stop dead in their tracks why
because they take some hits when you
have a goal and dream think it not
strange that you’re face to Fiery
Furnaces of this world you will have
tribulation things are going to happen
to you I was in pursuit of my dream and
all of a sudden I got hit a person that
I thought I would be with for the rest
of my life I thought was my soulmate I
went through a divorce I was embarrassed
I was humiliated how can I teach people
how to live their dreams and I wasn’t
able to make my marriage work I
questioned myself it took another hit my
mother was diagnosed with breast cancer
then I was diagnosed with prostate
cancer then my best friend from the
second grade
Alexander Wims he was diagnosed with
cancer of the liver I took a hit and
life staggered me and I parked and I
didn’t turn on my emergency lights
because I didn’t want to call attention
to myself I didn’t want anybody coming
say hey do you need a job no I don’t
need a job I’m not out of gas my battery
is not dead my heart is beating I’m
parked leave me be I’m Park I was in my
comfort zone I was doing just enough to
get by working on a job they paid me
just enough to keep me from quitting and
I work just hard enough to keep from
getting fired how many know people like
that blink your eyes did you understand
what I’m talking about I was parked I
knew I could do more when when my mama
died it took something out of me when I
went through a divorce it took something
out of me when and my best friend died
it took something
out of me iPod
and
somebody said that life is like an onion
you have to peel it one layer at a time
and sometimes you cry life’s going to
happen to you when you have a dream
you’re gonna get slapped around and
don’t take it personal don’t ask why did
this have to happen to me why not you
who would you suggest you want to give
us some name some email addresses and
don’t tell everybody 80 percent don’t
care and 20 percent glad is you it’s
called life suck it up and move on get
over it
[Applause]
it happens to everybody
here’s the other thing is you look at
your goals and look at your dreams when
you’re going through some stuff repeat
out to be pleased when things go wrong
don’t go with them yes write that down
when things go wrong don’t go with them
when you’re working on a business deal
you’re counting on some money someone
said you will get the loan and it falls
through you have an event and the people
that you thought would be there and
support you they don’t come through but
someone turns against you or you get
ripped off it’s going to happen to you
happen to me
so one stole all my products my database
over a hundred and eighty thousand names
and addresses it’s not personal
it’s gonna happen to everybody it does
eight out of ten millionaires have been
financially Phaedra Walt Disney at seven
he for filed bankruptcy seven times and
had two nervous breakdowns it’s called
lying but I got a saying that life
knocks you down try and land on your
back because if you can look up you can
get up you’ve got the power in you to do
that you’ve got something special you’ve
got come back power here’s the other
thing let us say together it’s possible
it’s necessary it’s me yes right there
down it’s me take ownership for your
life nobody can live your dream for you
but you nobody’s gonna take care of your
business like you stop coming up with
excuses don’t give yourself permission
to continue to live a small life you
can’t fit a big dream into a small life
give yourself permission to go for it to
test yourself to challenge yourself to
live fool like the saying always strive
to get on top of life because it’s the
bottom that’s overcrowded the reason
you’re here is because there’s something
in you that says I can do more
this just can’t be it there’s something
in you there’s a calling on your life
there’s something in your heart that
costs you to get dressed and and spend
the money to go to seminar after seminar
listen to message after message and
speaker after speaker because there’s
something in you that tells you this is
not it for you you have not peaked in
there’s more in you that you are
expressing is not seen here is not her
nose enter to man heart of mankind
what’s in store for you if you challenge
yourself if you persist and persevere if
you take ownership for your life George
Bernard Shaw said the people that make
it in this life they look around from
the circumstances that they want and if
they can’t find them they create them
create what you want you have the power
you to do the more than you can ever
begin to imagine to control your destiny
to make a difference in our children to
make a difference on the planet to make
an impact let us say together it’s me
and let us say together it’s hard said
like you know it’s it’s hard ladies and
gentlemen it’s hard that people who have
seen their retirements taken away from
them by the corporations that they work
for they were within two or three years
of retiring and they had it taken from
them the number one entrepreneurs in
this country now a senior citizens the
number one employer number two
McDonald’s and Walmart and there’s
nothing wrong with those jobs I
guarantee you those people did not have
a plan to end up living their lives at
the end of life with those types of jobs
and they didn’t have a plan like you
have and why are you investing in
yourself not to and it’s hard their
people making choices between purchasing
prescription drugs or paying for gas or
mortgage note it’s hard are you working
on a job for twenty years thirty years
give them some good years
and then they come in and tell you we’ve
downsized in other ways other words
you’re fired
and then you have to start all over
again how many of you know it’s hot
raise your hands please it’s hard and
it’s not fair one of the things I like
about t hoff is he talks about work and
investing in yourself it’s not fair but
people are blowing up against that kind
of stuff to tell them just faint
positive and be enthusiastic and
everything will work out alright
ain’t that kind of party it’s hard life
will put some nuts on your head I bought
my first home for my mother I was
rushing didn’t know what I was doing and
I bought a home that had a lien against
it
and they called me mr. Brown yes as a
lien against your property we need fifty
five thousand dollars if you’re going to
stay there wait a minute sir I just
bought this home the guy told me there
were no liens against it I’m not the one
that owe you the money you should have
checked that out of mr. Brown come on I
called my attorney we followed up yes
less Selena gets the property but he
told me there were no liens
he lied obviously oh my god he told me
he wanted to help me because he admired
the fact that I was buying this home for
my mother and that he was adopted and he
he identified with me less he suck at
you he played you man
so what well would they take payment
arrangements can I
what about $5,000 a month they want all
the money less they want all the money
or you’re gonna have to get out of the
houses going up for chef sale do you
have it
no I I don’t have them can they give me
some time tell him to give me give me
three months please give me three month
i my mother is in her 70s man she has a
bad heart don’t do this to me this is
not dream don’t do this man please let
me talk to him less I’m talking to their
attorney they don’t want to talk to you
I’ve got to talk to you the attorneys do
you have the money no will they give me
three months no what about two months no
less they want the money in seven days
oh my god let me call you back I’m not
sure and I walked the floors thinking
God how could this happen to me I gotta
figure this out huh
I gotta figure this out and seem like
the days are just ticking off ticking
off Thursday I had to call them and let
them know they call me less do you have
the money no I don’t Friday you have to
leave the sheriff will be there you’ll
have to leave less they’re gonna take my
house what about my down payment you
lost it less you lost it okay I gotta go
yes
I prayed lord please if you show me that
you’re real if if it’s if you’re really
real you think Paul work for you you you
haven’t seen anything don’t let me lose
this house and watch what I’ll do for
you I was trying to cut a deal have you
ever tried to cut a deal it’s amazing
how spiritual you get when you get in
trouble you don’t leave what I was
diagnosed with prostate cancer I was
going this bed with them with the Bible
and the Holy Quran and science of mind
and Joel goldsmith everything I get
fired I was being
Jesus Yahweh no casler dick everybody I
was calling on everybody it’s amazing
and and here I was walking the floor
three o’clock in the morning and I had
to go and wake my mother up I got on my
knees and I said mama I said I need you
to wake up she said what’s wrong Leslie
I can I can hear you walking back and
forth I’m not sleep son I said there’s
something I need to tell you she said
your eyes are red why your eyes red
because I feel so stupid town why we got
to move tomorrow
why’d Leslie there’s a lien against a
property and they want fifty five
thousand dollars and I don’t have it and
we’re going to be set out tomorrow we
have to go back to Liberty City
so she said it’s okay I don’t like this
house anyhow I said why she said because
of my arthritic knees it helps it hurts
my knees when I go up the steps I said
it why didn’t you tell me because you
were so happy I just said it because you
were happy I’ll live in a shack with you
boy I love you it’s not the house I love
you I love all my children I said thank
you mama thank you
[Music]
[Applause]
and the next day the next day when we
were in the truck going back to Liberty
City and we pulled out 68 terrorists the
neighbors came out and said well maybe
maybe you’re coming back are you back
yes what happened to the home you bought
bought for you those boys you adopted
Leslie didn’t do a title search he made
a mistake and boy I was I was so
humiliated how many ever made a mistake
that you could just accumulated a chance
I was devastated I was taking the
furniture off the truck and my mother
came and I was crying and she said boy I
said yes ma’am she said hold your head
up I said mama I can’t she said hold
your head up I said what look what I’ve
done she said it’s okay it’s okay you
are gonna make a lot of mistakes in life
young man you’re gonna fail your way to
success you have nothing to be ashamed
of keep your head up and take that
furniture back in the house I said yes
ma’am and I learned something for that
if you ever go through something hold
your head up if you ever make a mistake
hold your head up if you ever do
something that everything goes wrong
like catch you on the Blind Side hold
your head up it’s not over
Goethe said that which does not kill you
will make you stronger hold your head up
shake someone’s hand on your right and
left and say hold your head up
here’s something else ladies and
gentlemen repeat after me please
you got to be hungry everybody together
you got to be hungry I never forget mr.
Washington said mr. Brown yes sir what
do you want to do with your life young
man I said sir I want to be a duck disc
jockey said mr. Brown I said yes sir
he said you got to be hungry I said what
do you mean by that is that people that
are hungry are willing to do the things
a day others won’t do in order to have
the things tomorrow others won’t have
people that are hungry are willing to
invest in themselves people that are
hungry will go to seminars and workshops
people that are hungry always searching
always seeking higher ground so how do
you want to make it I said I want to be
a disc jockeys it’s good here’s what to
do he said I want you to read 10 to 15
pages of something positive every day he
said you don’t get in life what you want
you get in life what you are
you must program yourself to success is
that what you listen to around
Nightingale and Zig Ziglar listen faith
comes by hearing and hearing and hearing
said I want you to change your
relationships and I don’t want you to
ever lose your hunger I said what do you
mean by that he’s a deeper that are
hungry unstoppable
people that are hungry a no matter what
people they make it happen no matter
what is I want you to listen to Paul
Harvey who is he he’s the world’s
greatest communicator success leaves
Clues young man always listened and
follow people who are doing what it is
you want to do at the level you want to
do it and learn from them until t-hub
when we’re standing by the stage and
said hey man I want to work more with
you I want you to coach me I want to
learn from you so I found you never too
old to learn and you’re never too young
to teach always to have a thirst for
learning so I listened to Paul Harvey
every day on the radio while in school I
would go out and listen in his car he
gave me his keys
I was working to develop myself
and I continue to listen to motivational
messages and he would take me to see the
late nor dr. norman vincent peale who
wrote the book the power of positive
thinking I toured with him before he
passed you you have something special
you have greatness within you don’t
allow your circumstances to determine
who you are don’t allow your negative
thoughts to hold you back you you have
something special you can do more than
you can ever begin to imagine dr. Peale
was an incredible man I I admired he
when he spoke he gave me goose couples I
can feel him and my heart and and I
never forget we were coming back to the
school and mr. Washington said mr. Brown
yes sir when dr. Peale’s spoke you
didn’t move and he spoke you were
hanging on every word he need when he
spoke we didn’t have to tell you to sit
down and be quiet why I said sir I could
I could feel and when he talked I felt
like he was talking to me sir he said he
was I said but he doesn’t know me but he
was speaking to you did you feel him in
your heart I said yes sir he said most
people filled him in their head if you
felt him in your heart he said listen to
him to follow him learn from him and I
would go to seminars and workshops
anywhere I would find where dr. Peale
was I would be in the audience
I’ve tried two and three hundred miles
just to hear him speak and my dream and
vision was was to share the stage with
him I thought about it what is your goal
what is your vision I want you to hold
it in mind his some power in that
because when I became involved in
speaking I never forget I got a call
from our man Dino who wrote the book the
greatest salesman in the world he said
last I’m stuck in Philadelphia need to
be in Kankakee dr. Norman Vincent Fields
appearing I can’t make it hurt you’re in
Chicago I said yes I am
can you go and open for me I said yes
man oh my god dr. Peale I said yes I’d
love to do it and I went there and I
came by said hi I’m I’m les brown he
said you’re not the Bandari now and I
said no
I’m mrs. Mamie Browns baby boy I’m here
to speak it’s a gun backstage and his
wife Martha was there and she said Papa
Les Brown is here the speaker and he
said that’s ground Les Brown shoot for
the moon because even if you miss you’ll
land among the stars that’s it sir
that’s my quote I wrote you when I was
in the 11th grade I was a part of a
special special education class project
that’s Mike Ortiz and I know I in all my
speeches with that globe
[Applause]
and dr. hill had a great sense of humor
young man is backstage and I had so many
questions to ask him in my mind froze up
and young guy said dr. pill how old are
you and he was up in age he’s at Sonny
I’m I’m 92 young man looked at him said
I don’t know if I want to live to get 92
he says because you’ve never been 91
so I did the things that mr. Washington
suggested I listen to motivational tapes
on a regular basis I would go to
seminars and workshops whenever Zig
Ziglar and dr. Denis Waitley and Jim
Rhon would come to town and I said sir I
said what do you want me to do now he
said mr. Brown I’ve given you everything
that I can give you he said develop your
mind put your money where your mouth is
continue to learn how to be an effective
communicator because once you open your
mouth you tell the world who you are and
always surround yourself with oqp only
quality people so I went to apply for a
job on Miami Beach
WM B M radio station Milton butterball
Smith was the program director
hello mr. butterball how are you sir my
name is les francais I like to be a disc
jockey he said young man you have any
journalism in your background that’s oh
no sir I don’t you have an experience in
broadcasting I said no sir but I
practice all the time sir let me
audition for you sir let me show you how
good I am all I need is a shot sir he
says no we don’t have any job for you
I’ve never been rejected raise your
hands please I was devastated I went
back and I told mrs. wash I said mr.
Washington they said no he said don’t
take it personally most people are so
negative they have to say no seven times
before they say yes is that you got to
be hungry make know your vitamin go back
again I said yes sir
hello mr. butterball how are you sir my
name is les brown sir I like to be a
disc jockey young man weren’t you here
yesterday yes sir I was didn’t I tell
you no yesterday yes sir you did then
why are you back today well sir I didn’t
know whether or not somebody was laid
off and somebody was fired sir
nobody was laid off a fire now get on
out of here
I came back the next day hello mr.
butterball how are you sir
my name is les brown sir I like to be a
disc jockey I know what your name is
weren’t you here the last two days yes I
was and I tell you no the last two days
yes sir you did why you back well sir I
didn’t I don’t know where not someone
got sick and someone died sir no one got
sick of died no one that’s laid off a
fine I don’t you come back here again
I came back the next day talking loud
looking happy like I was seeing him for
the first time as they’re all mr.
butterball how are you
he looked at me with rage and says go
get me some coffee I said yes sir my
favorite book says the greatest among
you will be your servant how many of you
serious about your goals and dreams
raise your hands very good write this
down provide more service than you get
paid for provide more service than you
get paid for I go to a lot of seminars
and workshops and one of the things I
know about Teja Eckhart and I was
sitting in the class of Robert Roy Appel
and all of the other presenters they
hold themselves to high standards and
they provide more information than
anybody else in the industry bar none
they hold nothing back because their
commitment is for your success and when
you hold yourself to high standards
write this down impact drives income
that’s why you here because the training
the seminars been making a difference in
your life if there did not have impact
two or three hundred people would be
here if that amount impact drives income
so I became the Erin part for the disc
jockeys I would go get their lunch in
their dinner and I would bring it to
them in the control room not watch them
working the control boards knowing my
time will come write this down
I expect to reach my goal yes you want
to operate with a spirit of expectation
I expect to reach my goal
so I started preparing for the next
position never forget one quote that I
heard as you look at your life we look
at your goals and dreams it’s better to
be prepared for an opportunity and not
have one than to have an opportunity and
not be prepared
if you expect to reach your goal prepare
yourself nah and so then pretty soon the
guys at the station they begin to take a
liking to me write this down build
relationships as you aware people deal
with people that they know like and
trust and so they would say Leslie yes
sir come here yes
come outside who did this Oh your car
yes who cleaned my car I did sir
I would wax their cars in the weekend
inside and out how much do you charge oh
nothing sir I just sworn to help out I
was providing more service than I got
paid for I was building relationships I
said wow look here Donna Ross and The
Supremes are coming to town The Four
Tops and the temptations here hurt my
car keys pick him up for me take him to
the fountain blue hotel on Miami Beach
I said yes sir I would drive them all
over Miami Beach in the big long
Cadillacs I didn’t have any driver’s
license but I’ll Drive it like I had
some
[Applause]
then one day it was a Saturday afternoon
a disc jockey by the name of rock and
Roger was drinking while he was on the
air it was a Saturday afternoon and I
was the only one there
rock and Roger got so drunk he could not
complete the show
he started slurring his words he’s about
to fall off the chair and then I was
looking at infant for control room
window walking back and forth young
ready and hungry
I will send drink rock drink drink Rock
gotta go and get him some more feet
asked me to then pretty soon the phone
rang it was the general manager and I
answered the phone said hello is that
young boy this is mr. Klein I said I
know he said Rock can’t finish his
program I said I know he said would you
call one of the other DJ’s in I said yes
sir I said to myself he must be think
I’m crazy I called my mom and my
girlfriend Cassandra said y’all come out
on the front porch and turn up the radio
I’m bout to come on there
[Applause]
I waited for about 20 minutes then I
call him back
I said mr. Klein I can’t find nobody he
said young boy you’re not at work the
controls I said yes sir he said going in
sag made the records but don’t say
nothing here I said yes sir I couldn’t
wait to get a rock out of the way I put
on a fast record I said look out this is
me LD triple P let’s brown your platter
playing papa there were none before me
and there will be none out to me
therefore that makes me the one and only
young and sanguine love Domingo
certified bona fide DubLi qualified to
bring his satisfaction and a whole lot
of action look out baby I’m your love
man I was hungry
I was hungry get old man a round of
applause I was hungry I was hungry
you got to be hungry shake someone’s
hand on your right and left all around
you and say you got to be hungry you got
to be hungry to get those dreams out of
your head and step into your greatness
you got to be hungry to get those ideas
that talent that gift out of your system
you got to be hungry to get up off the
campus of life and understand what Willy
jolly meant that a setback is a setup
for a comeback you got to be hungry
people that are hungry willing to do the
things that they others won’t do in
order to have the things tomorrow others
won’t have how many of you got value out
of what you’ve heard thus far raise your
hands please
very good I would like to leave this
with you I don’t know what your goals
are I don’t know what you want to do
here’s what I know about you you have
greatness within you here’s what I know
about you I can help you to live full
and to die empty I can show you what
I’ve learned if anybody told me that I
would be doing what I’m doing now I
leave here today I’d go to New Orleans
and speak there then I’ll be flown to
Barcelona if anybody told me given my
circumstances born an abandoned building
on a fall of poor section of Miami
Florida called Liberty City but both my
birth parents stood up and said hello
son I would not know either one being
labeled educable mentally retarded put
back from the fifth grade to the fourth
grade fail again when I was in the
eighth grade
no college trading anybody told me the
principles that I would teach you that
they would have the impact that it has
had on my life this less problem that
you see I did not know he existed and I
tell you that you have greatness within
you you have the ability to do more than
you can ever begin to imagine come into
the room with me and I guarantee your
life will never be the same again I like
to leave this with you I don’t know what
your goals are mine is to find a cure to
artisan mine is to find a cure to breast
cancer to prostate cancer mine is is to
work with our youth and to reduce the
recidivism rate in our prisons and help
young people learn how to become an
asset to our society rather than a
liability mine is is to train speakers
to become great communicators to speak
from their heart not their heads and
teach them how to impact and create a
new conversation so people can see the
possibilities of life and overcome the
possibility blindness that held me
hostage for 14 years I don’t know what
your goals are but here’s what I know
about you and I don’t know you
you’ve got greatness within you and I
like to leave this with you something my
mother used to love to hear me say
Leslie yes ma’am momma say that thing
for me boy that makes me feel good I
dedicate this to you to the greatness in
you and to the dream that you showed up
on the planet to produce and it’s simply
this
if you want a thing bad enough to go out
and fight for it to work day and night
for it to give up your time your peace
and your sleep for it if all that you
dream and scheme is about it and life
seems useless and worthless without it
and if you gladly sweat for it in
fretboard and plan for it and lose all
your terror of the opposition for it and
if you simply go after that thing that
you want with all of your capacity
strength and sagacity Faith Hope and
confidence and stern pertinacity if
neither cold poverty famine adult
sickness of pain a body and brain can
keep you away from the thing that you
want if dogged and grim you beseech and
beset it with the help of God you’ll get
it god bless you god bless your dream
god bless peak potentials god bless
america
thank you very much
you
[Music]
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