[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
if
why
[Music]
[Music]
for
[Music]
greatness is a decision but it’s okay
did not be okay on your journey to
greatness when I was three years old I
decided that I want to be a star that I
want to be great I didn’t know how I was
going to do it but I knew I was going to
do it I wanted to be great and greatness
as a decision so often people get lost
in the notion that others are meant for
greatness others were made for success
and others have the opportunities that
they themselves were never given I’ve
come from a background that you would
not imagine me dancing all over the
world on So You Think You Can Dance when
I was accepted on the show I was
homeless and that’s not a foundation for
greatness
my mom and I traveled to the show we
didn’t have enough money to actually be
able to go but I put all my stress in a
box and I refused to deal my reality
because I made the decision to be great
on my journey I realized that others
aren’t special it doesn’t matter if you
have rock star DNA or if you have
special gene coats those who like myself
are able to live a great life of
greatness are able to experience life in
what many would consider surreal ways
are doing so because they made a
decision even though my circumstances
could have easily overwhelmed me and
some days it did I made the decision to
be great even when I wasn’t okay to be
great you have to decide to be great no
one becomes great by accident greatness
requires time effort patience and
strength but it begins with the decision
to become great what’s that decisions
made the game changes the hustle is
different the determination the
focus the willingness to make sacrifice
I missed Christmas I didn’t have a lot
of presents because my present was dance
my sacrifices are the price I pay for
dishes and I made to be great even if I
was dancing with Debbie Allen or Chris
Brown my journey dancing has been
dreamlike the people I’ve met the places
I have gone the dance opportunities the
joy the pleasure the stress the days
when I just wasn’t okay so I had to be
okay when I wasn’t okay
because experiences on my journey to
greatness and my determination as molded
me into the person who I worked like a
champion and during like a queen I could
taste my greatness and a bitter sweet
savory flavor to be great you have to
simply make a decision to stop listening
to the junk in your head choose to
continue with your journey even when it
gets rocky in the storms crack your
foundation you have to weather every
storm every road bump and every obstacle
will persistence consistency and
dedication and anyone has the ability to
make the choice but the thing is not
everyone will it doesn’t matter if you
have advanced education or advanced
training when greatness is your standard
you do everything to the best of your
ability there’s no downside to the
decision even when it seems like it is
staying with the host family being away
from my grandpa and my mom seems like a
downside but I have the opportunity to
attend one of the top performing arts
schools in Los Angeles which will
prepare me for better opportunities on
my journey I made the decision to be
great and I give my mom hugs and kisses
when I see her on the weekends the world
is full of people who accept mediocrity
as their standard not deciding to be
great puts you on the masses of just
being average I was not born to be
average it puts you on the easy road not
the hard road choose the road to
greatness even when it’s not ok with
what it takes to get there to be great
you have to decide to be happy happiness
is a choice not a pursuit I say this
because I personally know that to be
true on this journey there are many days
that I made the decision to be happy
because at age 13 I had to be
professional and I expect just
expectations were placed on me to be
happy the camera was rolling and there
was no one to be sad
Jeff Thacker producer of so you think he
dance used to always say that you chose
to be here so you should always be happy
most people chase the things that they
think will make them happy like a new
phone or dance award or whatever they
don’t realize happiness is a decision at
any moment you can choose to be happy no
matter what your circumstances are when
I was being judged because I wasn’t a
Nome dancer or I didn’t have the
intention in like my other co-stars or
even the
that I wasn’t a popular person I could
have been sad about those things but I
made the decision to be great so I made
the decision to be happy
many things in my personal and
professional life could have torn me
down but I made the decision and my
decision was to be great even when I was
not okay I realized early on that my
decisions are what created or prevented
the outcome called happiness positive
decisions lead to positive outcomes
negative decisions lead to negative
outcomes a positive mindset is
foundational the positive decision
making I chose to communicate positively
with myself during my tough days on So
You Think You Can Dance I had to act
myself are you your greatest critic or
are you you greatest cheerleader I made
the decision to be happy which allowed
me to be create create a positive outset
for most times i unlock my greatness I
talked to myself like a champion because
I am a champion
life has not felt me the story but cars
to play this thing called life but the
cards I dealt don’t matter how I play
the game is what counts to be great you
have to decide to get coached we all
know that having a mentor or coach we
all have the opportunity to be better
when we were yesterday by making the
decision we get dealt coached being a
coach or a mentor propels your greatness
they hold you accountable to the
commitment and empower you to move
forward receiving coaching shortened
your slurred learning curve by helping
you avoid mistakes you would otherwise
switch your time energy and resources
making a coach will show you how to do
things right dramatically improving your
results in the shorter period of time
with the guidance of having someone who
has already traveled to path you are on
you can accomplish in five years while
others have accomplished in twenty
decide to be great even when you’re not
okay greatness is not an event it is a
process a series of small steps repeated
daily improving yourself leads to
greatness focus on improving every area
of your life a little bit every day if
you keep that consistent for long enough
eventually you enjoy the greatness that
is byproducts of sacrifice
it’s constant and never-ending
improvement join me on this journey to
be great even when you’re not okay
because it’s okay to not be okay when
you are great
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music]
if
why
[Music]
[Music]
for
[Music]
greatness is a decision but it’s okay
did not be okay on your journey to
greatness when I was three years old I
decided that I want to be a star that I
want to be great I didn’t know how I was
going to do it but I knew I was going to
do it I wanted to be great and greatness
as a decision so often people get lost
in the notion that others are meant for
greatness others were made for success
and others have the opportunities that
they themselves were never given I’ve
come from a background that you would
not imagine me dancing all over the
world on So You Think You Can Dance when
I was accepted on the show I was
homeless and that’s not a foundation for
greatness
my mom and I traveled to the show we
didn’t have enough money to actually be
able to go but I put all my stress in a
box and I refused to deal my reality
because I made the decision to be great
on my journey I realized that others
aren’t special it doesn’t matter if you
have rock star DNA or if you have
special gene coats those who like myself
are able to live a great life of
greatness are able to experience life in
what many would consider surreal ways
are doing so because they made a
decision even though my circumstances
could have easily overwhelmed me and
some days it did I made the decision to
be great even when I wasn’t okay to be
great you have to decide to be great no
one becomes great by accident greatness
requires time effort patience and
strength but it begins with the decision
to become great what’s that decisions
made the game changes the hustle is
different the determination the
focus the willingness to make sacrifice
I missed Christmas I didn’t have a lot
of presents because my present was dance
my sacrifices are the price I pay for
dishes and I made to be great even if I
was dancing with Debbie Allen or Chris
Brown my journey dancing has been
dreamlike the people I’ve met the places
I have gone the dance opportunities the
joy the pleasure the stress the days
when I just wasn’t okay so I had to be
okay when I wasn’t okay
because experiences on my journey to
greatness and my determination as molded
me into the person who I worked like a
champion and during like a queen I could
taste my greatness and a bitter sweet
savory flavor to be great you have to
simply make a decision to stop listening
to the junk in your head choose to
continue with your journey even when it
gets rocky in the storms crack your
foundation you have to weather every
storm every road bump and every obstacle
will persistence consistency and
dedication and anyone has the ability to
make the choice but the thing is not
everyone will it doesn’t matter if you
have advanced education or advanced
training when greatness is your standard
you do everything to the best of your
ability there’s no downside to the
decision even when it seems like it is
staying with the host family being away
from my grandpa and my mom seems like a
downside but I have the opportunity to
attend one of the top performing arts
schools in Los Angeles which will
prepare me for better opportunities on
my journey I made the decision to be
great and I give my mom hugs and kisses
when I see her on the weekends the world
is full of people who accept mediocrity
as their standard not deciding to be
great puts you on the masses of just
being average I was not born to be
average it puts you on the easy road not
the hard road choose the road to
greatness even when it’s not ok with
what it takes to get there to be great
you have to decide to be happy happiness
is a choice not a pursuit I say this
because I personally know that to be
true on this journey there are many days
that I made the decision to be happy
because at age 13 I had to be
professional and I expect just
expectations were placed on me to be
happy the camera was rolling and there
was no one to be sad
Jeff Thacker producer of so you think he
dance used to always say that you chose
to be here so you should always be happy
most people chase the things that they
think will make them happy like a new
phone or dance award or whatever they
don’t realize happiness is a decision at
any moment you can choose to be happy no
matter what your circumstances are when
I was being judged because I wasn’t a
Nome dancer or I didn’t have the
intention in like my other co-stars or
even the
that I wasn’t a popular person I could
have been sad about those things but I
made the decision to be great so I made
the decision to be happy
many things in my personal and
professional life could have torn me
down but I made the decision and my
decision was to be great even when I was
not okay I realized early on that my
decisions are what created or prevented
the outcome called happiness positive
decisions lead to positive outcomes
negative decisions lead to negative
outcomes a positive mindset is
foundational the positive decision
making I chose to communicate positively
with myself during my tough days on So
You Think You Can Dance I had to act
myself are you your greatest critic or
are you you greatest cheerleader I made
the decision to be happy which allowed
me to be create create a positive outset
for most times i unlock my greatness I
talked to myself like a champion because
I am a champion
life has not felt me the story but cars
to play this thing called life but the
cards I dealt don’t matter how I play
the game is what counts to be great you
have to decide to get coached we all
know that having a mentor or coach we
all have the opportunity to be better
when we were yesterday by making the
decision we get dealt coached being a
coach or a mentor propels your greatness
they hold you accountable to the
commitment and empower you to move
forward receiving coaching shortened
your slurred learning curve by helping
you avoid mistakes you would otherwise
switch your time energy and resources
making a coach will show you how to do
things right dramatically improving your
results in the shorter period of time
with the guidance of having someone who
has already traveled to path you are on
you can accomplish in five years while
others have accomplished in twenty
decide to be great even when you’re not
okay greatness is not an event it is a
process a series of small steps repeated
daily improving yourself leads to
greatness focus on improving every area
of your life a little bit every day if
you keep that consistent for long enough
eventually you enjoy the greatness that
is byproducts of sacrifice
it’s constant and never-ending
improvement join me on this journey to
be great even when you’re not okay
because it’s okay to not be okay when
you are great
[Applause]
Please follow and like us: