Money and Fame

I have heard people say many times that it is not about the money or fame, but instead that it is about love, compassion, peace, changing lives, etc. But is that really the case? We live in a superficial society where social acceptance seems to take the place of many things that we claim to be more important. Same also applies to money. If fame and money are not that important, then why do you make it that important? Many decisions that we make (or don’t make) are based on money. We spend our lives looking for acceptance and to be noticed. Is that not wanting fame itself, just on a smaller scale?

 

Money is not important…

 

…but we are always trying to get more

…but we let it deter us from fulfilling our lives

…but we allow it to break up our marriages

…but we allow it to damage our friendships

…but it is necessary to survive

…but we are taught to find someone who can provide

…but we don’t want to spend it on other people

…but we clamp on to it and hold it tightly

 

I’m going to tell you why money is important, and it is all laid out in this little excerpt I read “In the end, the time we spend on this planet equals life. Most people would agree that a human life is sacred and carries higher value than almost anything else on earth. Since we trade our time – our very lives – for money or capital, I conclude that capital equals life. If that is the case, then capital, like life, is sacred and should be treated as such.”

 

It is important because we trade all of our time for the almighty dollar.

 

Fame is not important…

 

…but we share our every moment on Facebook

…but we do the same on twitter, pinterest, instagram, youtube

…but we look for acceptance from others

…doctor ourselves up to get noticed

 

The list can go on and on.

 

I think it is safe to say that money and fame are important in our daily lives due to the amount of emphasis that we place on both of them. I like money (enjoy making it, spending it, etc.) and a little notoriety, but the important thing is to not let it control our lives.

 

I believe that we should accept the role that these things have in our lives while having the understanding not to let it be the driving force in our lives. Some people like the spotlight and some people love the “dough”, however, it is how you handle them that is really important.

Why are we ashamed of our greatness?

Last Friday, I had the privilege of speaking at an awards ceremony for a local charter school in the greater Atlanta area. After I had spoken, during which the students were receiving their awards, I noticed something that bothered me. The students didn’t want to come up on stage to get their awards, and when they did come up they either turned around and walked back down the stairs or they walked sluggishly across stage, embarrassed as if they had done something wrong. The other students teased and laughed at the other students who were recognized for their good deeds.

But were these students doing something wrong? By the standards of their environment, yes. It wasn’t cool. Acceptance came with being the brashest and the “hardest” student. My thought was, “what was even the point in them going to school.” I felt as if I was in a real-life Lean on Me movie.

A few facts: the school is an all boys school, in the heart of the Bankhead community. The school is 98% African-American and many of the students come from low-income families.

After this disturbing sight, I asked the principal if I could say but just a few more words, and I began to talk about showing pride when someone is recognizing their greatness instead of running from it. I talked about taking ownership of their stage and walking with head up. I spoke on competing with each other to be better, and not competing against each other to bring down. From the looks of the audience, I truly felt as if the message resonated until a few minutes later when I sat back down, I saw one of the recipients get up, take off his medal, and square up to fight another student.

I thought to myself that it is funny that we live in a society where we are ashamed of our greatness but are not ashamed to display our ignorance.

So, then I ask, “Why are we afraid of our greatness?” Is it because we are surrounded by a lot of destroyers in our lives and not builders? Is it because there is too much pressure on being great? Are we not just doing a good enough job as parents, teachers, and citizens of our communities to stop this way of thinking?

Regardless of the reason, it is a sad sight to see. I worry about our children, especially my African-American children, who are blinded from their greatness.

 

For all people who are hiding in the shadows of despair, inferiority and ignorance, let us appear out of the darkness and show our greatness. We all have it in us.

 

God Bless

Why are you not the go-to person?

It is funny how conversations with people can have you asking yourself questions on an even deeper level when the conversation is over. Well this happens to me quite often where as I am either questioning myself or pondering the reasons for other people's actions.

We all know and can agree that it is human nature to either start a conversation or eventually turn a conversation into one about someone else. Right? - the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the coworker, the superstar etc. So, it was not too far from this statement that I was involved in a conversation in which another person was the topic of discussion. This talk was no different from many other talks that I had on occasions where as people feel like they are always playing the role of counselor, bank, advisor, minister, cheerleader, shoulder to cry on or whatever else you can think of mentioning.

But if you are not this person, have you ever asked yourself why? Have you ever asked yourself why you are not the person that people call to pick up from the airport? Have you ever asked why people don't share their most intimate secrets with you? Have you asked why you do not play some of the most important roles in people lives? You may consider it a blessing that you weren't asked to pick someone up from the airport or that you weren't called when someone was going through something. It may just be saying more about you than you think. You may not be as dependable as you believe you are in the eyes of others. You may show more that you dont care than you do. If you ask yourself these questions, maybe then you will understand why you are considered destructive to someone's team and not constructive.

Why am I not moving up at my job? Why don't they give me the important projects? These questions may be the just the answers that you need to reflect on your own life.

Instead of raising deflective questions, you should start asking reflective questions. Am I dependable? Am I punctual? Do I care? Do I work hard?

This post may not matter to some, but it should matter to all. We can't be everyone's everything for every moment. You shouldn't allow yourself to be taken advantage of, but take this moment to ask yourself, "what does it say about me" when people don't come to you.

Give me your thoughts.

God Bless

Harnessing that Energy

How many of you are people watchers? I can admit (as many can) that I enjoy sitting back and watching, listening, and paying attention to people. Sometimes, you catch people in their innocent, natural states; and other times, you may observe someone putting on an act. But if you pay careful attention, you will understand that there is a lot to be learned about people; or maybe even yourself and life. You can understand why people are where they are in life or why you may not be succeeding in your own life.

If you pay attention to the people around you, will notice that there is a lot of time and energy being wasted. As matter of fact, on average we waste more of our time being unproductive than productive. We spend more time worrying about what other people are doing, than doing the things that we need to do.

Imagine where we would be if we used the time to rant and release our frustrations on FB as an opportunity to channel that energy into something productive, creative, or beneficial. Where would we be if we harnessed the energy that is wasted worrying about why other people are successful, and in turn spend it on taking steps to experience our on successes. Where would be in life if, instead of marveling at other people's talents, we used that time and energy to perfect our own crafts and hone in our own skills.

When we waste our energy on things that do not deserve our energy, we drain ourselves and are stuck with a dead battery.

I know how I feel when I waste energy on things that are not worthy of it. And when energy is wasted it is gone along with the time and opportunity that accompany it.

Harness that energy and use it for something good. You will definitely see the difference in your life.

God Bless

Height is Revealing

As I was sitting around, thinking about my fear of heights and all of the things that I try to do to overcome it, I asked myself, "Why do people fear heights?" The obvious answers of "falling" and "death"came to mind. Then I began to think to myself that it all makes sense because whether it is physically, emotionally, financially, mentally, or spiritually, people do not like to or  want to fall. The thought of it is frigthening.

Afterwards, I thought about my first time on an airplane, my first skydive attempt and my hike in the Andes mountains of Peru, and I remember how nervous I was being so high up. But there was another thing I noticed. I saw that at such high altitudes, I was able to see everything. I was able to view things farther than I ever imagined. Everything was so beautiful. My thoughts took me back to the man who successfully skydived from the stratosphere, and I marveled at the view that he had of Earth. It was absolutely amazing!!! (Sometimes our fear of heights causes us to miss out on things).

Then, I took my thought one step further. Maybe, just maybe, people are afraid of heights because it is revealing. The very fact that it reveals the vastness of his or her surroundings is intimidating. It can make one feel insignificant. But it also can make one feel vulnerable and that is where it hit me.

Maybe a person is afraid of reaching certain heights in his or her life because it reveals things about their respective lives. Height exposes you to things about yourself because it separates you from the confusion and allows you to see your life from a different vantage point. It gives you a "birds eye" view  of your life and confronts you with the complexities of your life if you are not where you need to be. It shows where you are at and where you need to be.

Being at a high point in life can be intimidating, because it feels more comfortable on the ground opposed to the instability on top. You don't have to see farther than you need to or, better yet, want to. Many succesful people falter because though they aspire to be on top, it is  naturally more comfortable to settle at the bottom. So, they act recklessly to bring themselves back to their state of comfort.

But there is beauty that is revealed when you reach the high limits of life. All it takes is for you to:

• push yourself to ascend to the top
• confront your fears, setbacks and disappointments
• take action to change your life

Aim to get a better view so that you can see "all" the possibilities that are to be revealed. Set your goals high to allow your VISION to see farther. Dont view height as "exposing to weaknesses" but as "exposure to greatness."

God Bless

The Mindset Starts with You

Next time you take a shower, look in the mirror and determine what you see. You may ask, "What is the meaning of looking into a steam-fogged mirror?" Frankly, there is much more to that clouded mirror than you think. That mirror represents the way we see ourselves.

"But wait a minute! I can't  see myself at all in the foggy mirror."

Voila! The foggy mirror represents us placing the veil over our eyes when it comes to examining our own lives. In order to see yourself, you must wipe the mirror of the mist that has accumulated.

When we are afraid to wipe the mirror clean, we cannot accurately examine ourselves. It doesn't allow us to see clearly. Our vision is obscured and the perception is distorted. Maybe the fear arises from disappointment in your life, or you may not even feel that you are the problem.

I am here to tell you that you are the problem. But, you are also the answer. The mindset begins with you - and always you.

We must realize that in order to make a difference in other peoples lives, it is imperative we have the right mindset and ability to make a difference in our own lives.

God Bless

Why is a healthy mindset relevant?

Why is a healthy mindset relevant?

"I wanted to shoot people because that's what I saw growing up."

I read this quote in the USA Today given by young man from Camden, New Jersey - a city known for its high crime rate. The relevancy of a healthy mindset is directly pointed at such a statement as this because, in many instances, it is a reflection of the mentality of the people who are influenced by their social environment.

I am not saying that every person wants to shoot another person because of the environment they live in, but the effect of a person's environment is crucial to their develpoment. This effect is not limited to impoverished communities, however the affect that it has in such environments is disheartening.

In my book Mindset: Awareness and Action, I mentioned "the deprivation of hope is not only in the communities, schools, and families; but also in the eyes of the people." When there is no hope in the eyes of the people, how are we to expect hope for the future. This is why I spend my time (and encourage people to help in) preaching  the message of developing a healthy mindset.

When children from Camden haven't even been across the bridge to Philly, how are we to expect them to have a broad and healthy outlook on the world? When our youth's heroes are gang members, how are we to decrease the crime rate in violence-ridden communities?

A healthy mindset is relevant because I do not want anybody shooting me because that is what they saw growing up.

God Bless