I was recently asked by a friend to write about something that I am thankful for.  And so I write:

I woke up this morning with the sun shining on my face and ready for a crack at life again.  I’ve always been thankful for the sun but I used to have problems with being thankful for this face that it shines upon and my life. 

Growing up in the mean streets, inner city of Dallas,Texas in the 70’s and 80’s taught me a lot about dealing with struggle and adversity.  My environment and the people in it started to rub off on me and I eventually began to believe that my complexion would hold me back from connection and achieving my goals and dreams.  I believed that being a poor, inner city black male gave me one extra thing to contend with in this life, so for that reason I was not very thankful. 

But thank God my story doesn’t end there, that was just the beginning.  As I grew in stature I also grew in knowledge and wisdom and started to realize that it’s not about the hand we’re dealt in this life, it’s about having the ability to play our hand well. 

Eventually I started to pursue developing myself personally by reading good books and listening to uplifting and empowering tapes and CD’s and intentionally surrounding myself with positive people who were doing the same.  It wasn’t long before I eventually had a complete mental “about-face” and turn-around.  Now my complexion makes me smile and I am indeed grateful for the God-given ability to play my hand well in this life.

If there’s something in our life that we want to change for the better, it starts with making ourselves better.  Let’s stay committed to working on the most important factor that makes our life what it is, which is, “YOU”.  Congratulations in advance to you who choose not to settle for those unwanted things in your life. 

My bold statement to my creator for this weekend is, “Thank you for your gift of ‘free will’ and the opportunity to make this life GREAT!”  Let’s all choose to play our hand well and MAKE IT GREAT!!!

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J ust a friendly reminder today that life is short and unpredictable and we only get one time through with no do-over. With every breath we breathe we move one breath closer to our last breath, so let’s live and love like we’re a breath away from our last because one day we’ll be right.  

The greatest men and women of our past had to pass this way too.  They breathed the same air, walked under the same sun and slept under the same moonlight, but what made the truly great ones so great was their ability to endure hardships and not settle for anything less than the desired result. 

It is for this reason I say to you today, if you believe that greatness and significance is truly an option for you in life, then how dare you settle for good.  Pursue greatness in this life and don’t make the big mistake of taking life too seriously and end up stuck with a dill-pickle face in your old age.  Laugh, smile and say “Hi” often.  Make a point to enjoy this life.  After all, you only get one, so make it GREAT!

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A  few years ago after my wife and I had just realized our dream of designing and building our multi-million dollar, riverfront dream-home in the hills of Bakersfield,California.  I remember being in the master bedroom suite lying on my back on our black leather sleigh bed staring up at the ceiling.  Suddenly out of nowhere a random thought came to my mind that resulted in me developing a fear that took precedence over all others. This fear gripped me the very moment I awakened to the possibility of what could happen.  This fear became as real to me as the very air I breathe.  What is this fear?  It’s the fear of dying after living a life that didn’t really matter for making the world better and enriching the lives of others.

Looking back over my life after building a massively successful business with my wife and all the other major accomplishments and goals I had achieved up to that point, I honestly couldn’t say that I had created anything that would be able to withstand the wind, the rain and the other elements of this world and live on indefinitely in my absence.  So, it was that day my journey to creating a life of meaning, memories, significance and legacy began.  

That day I began to focus on what was most important in this life and began to, in the words of the song written by the group Point of Grace, “Turn Up The Music.” I made a promise to myself and my creator that I would be a willing conduit to deliver a message of Hope, Inspiration, Motivation, Encouragement, Empowerment and Education to others world wide.  I vowed that I would give this mission my best efforts and the highest and utmost priority in my life and create positive written and spoken content that will outlive my grandkids, grandkids, grandkids.  I committed to make the M&M’s (money & material) of life no longer my main priority.

I’m now happy to say that I am no longer afraid, for I know my life does matter for the world because of many of you who have shared your hearts with me.  The many of you who have expressed your appreciation of something you’ve read or heard me say at one of my events that has inspired you to do something different and better in your life.  And the many of you who continue to tune in daily to see what encouragement you can glean from a few words on an electronic page that I have been so privileged to capture and articulate. 

No more fear of death here my friends, for I now know that all the content I created yesterday, today and tomorrow will never die.  Can you say the same today?  Are you creating “positive-passion-fruit” that will endure through the ages or are you primarily driven by the M&M’s of life?  Are you living a life that will truly matter for making this world a better place even in your absence?  No need to answer out loud or raise your hand, just hear and understand and make your plan if you can friend.   Turn up the music and remember it’s never too late to make it GREAT!

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As I stumble through this thing called life I have become more and more intentional about continuing to increase my network of positive, upward mobile people who are looking to better themselves. My positive association attraction-meter knows no bounds and I like it that way.  As a result, the companion of my companion is my companion and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  My Enemy is called “Average” and “Mediocrity“.If you too are striving to be better today than you were yesterday or working to create or do something significant and bigger than yourself, let me be the first to give you a big high-five and call you “friend“.  We fight for a life that matters in the grand scheme of things and are unwilling to settle for anything less than that which we seek.

Stay focused and be encouraged today and know that all you do when no ones looking is not in vein.  Press-on friend for someone needs to be inspired by your story of how you overcame “average” and “mediocrity” a became something special.  So let’s make it GREAT!

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I  created a new term a while ago called, “Weirdism“.  This term is defined as the state of being considered weird by others when you start to talk and act differently as a result of engaging in positive personal development activity regularly. 

If you’re going through a changing process whereas you’re reading, listening and participating in positive stuff that is designed to improve yourself personally, spiritually, mentally and physically, you may start to say and do things that others may consider as “weird”.   Please take this as a good sign that you are indeed on the right track and headed in the direction of becoming something special, so keep going. 

Be encouraged this week and know that the greatest men and women this side of the universe were no-doubt considered “weird” at one time or another because of the words they used and their thought patterns and daily activities.  So, welcome the “weirdism” and know that you’re on your way to Making it GREAT!    GREAT WEEK!!!

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