Staying Positive

Some say the brighter side of life

Ain't worth seeing, so when you

See me smiling, know I did not

believe'em; You see, I always chose

The roads with less pavement, the

Paths with more gravel; Grass and

Dirt ensured the way would be much

Narrow.

My focus on heights, sparrows

Weren't the only catch of my eye;

There are eagles who taught their

young the foundations of flights;

I...without sight, chose wisdom as

my guiding light; focused on its

Lighthouse, doused in pain, passion

And pressure, to weather any "whatever"

The present may bring; realizing the

Future ain't meant to be seen.

Still I dream...still I desire...for more;

My life demands soreness, the

Results of relentless determination;

Driven through frustration, my talent is

Nothing if I...only dream...if I only

Desire...for more...the world needs what

I have...in...store...I...just need...to walk

Through the door.

If Not For Adversity...

When I was young and began to speak
in full sentences, it was clear
my mind functioned on a heightened
level of consciousness. So many
thoughts, ideas, and concepts were
developing and maturing at an
extremely high rate...faster
than my brain could control my muscles
to speak...and so...without notice, in the
excitement of having fully formed
thoughts to express and contribute
to any conversation, I began to stutter.
My family and I worked diligently to
improve my speech impediment.
And now, I'm an educator...having logged
countless hours of public speaking in
undergraduate and graduate classes
and extra curricular activities.

By the time I was 6 years old, my
parents divorced; our family as I knew
it was over. Maybe it was my youth
that enabled me to create certain
realities or distortions of reality over
the years, but as the curtain rose, the
smoke cleared, and the dust settled,
my days and nights over the years
blended together as a dark blur of
time that I have difficulty, as an adult,
to remember vaguely. Ironically, when
giving advice or looking for words to
inspire students, friends, family or loved
ones, I feel a fire of passion that I'm
sure burns from the same place that
helped me through those blurred years.

Upon reflection as an adult, it is safe to
conclude that the dynamics of every
relationship I have ever attempted
have been directly affected by
those years of blurred thoughts and
experiences. To explain this to
a young lady I haven't known for an
extended time was inconceivable, thus
creating a cycle of heartache,
headache and sleep deprivation. As
a man approaching his mid 30's, I
have achieved and received clarity
on many issues that have plagued,
construed and Blessed my life, yet,
I'm wise enough to know that I still
have much to learn.

I consistently make conscious
efforts to maintain and increase a
positive mind frame and a vibrant
beat of hope in my heart. I do this
because this is how I want to live,
so this is how I choose to live. I accept
Adversity as an ally, not an
Adversary. If not for adversity,
how would we learn,
grow and become better?

Believe in Yourself, No Matter What

Everyday presents opportunities that may never
occur again. I'm sure you have heard this before, in a
variety of ways--clever sayings, quotes by the famous,
infamous, and the intellectual. Interestingly enough,
decades have passed in my life and this same idea, this
statement, this knowledge is still being repeated. To my
understanding, the reason why things are repeated,
re-worded or reiterated is because some still haven't
grasped the concept. There must have been a failure in
communication, the first, third or three-hundredth time
it was expressed. Whether it was the fault of the presenter
or if it fell on deaf ears, the point is still clear:

In order to be successful, we must be ready.

How do we get ready?

Direction, Preparation and Faith.

Once we have direction, we must prepare. Another blog
will touch on these two, but I want to talk about having
Faith. According to the Bible, Faith is the hope of things
that are yet to be seen (pardon the paraphrase).

Whatever your religion, we should definitely have
Faith in ourselves. This isn't to say that we throw our
belief system out of the window and put all of our trust
in our own talents, thoughts and abilities. What this
means is that we combine our spiritual Faith with a
Faith in our talents, thoughts, abilities and hope of
what we want to achieve or acquire.

This can be applied to careers, family life or personal
life. I'm sure you have seen, known, or
heard of those who have amazing talents. Some
you may have envied, "Oh, man if I could sing like that;
if I could remember things like her; if I could speak in
front of people like that," etc. Yet, some who have
these abilities or talents, in your opinion, seem to
squander them (it may even piss you off a little). Now,
I'm not saying this is a fact for most, but the reason
for the squandering may very well be their lack of
Faith in themselves has left them with
this potential seemingly unfulfilled. I would also like
to add that everyone's passions are different and
just because we have a talent or ability doesn't mean
we have a passion to pursue it to higher levels--hence
the phrase potential seemingly unfulfilled.

Sure, setbacks happen. Sure, some may plot against
us. Sure, adversity can come within a split second...
and continue, seemingly forever. But I have seen
unlikely success stories, those who remained
steadfast in their position, determined to
overcome whatever lay in their path.

My cousin, John, told me,

"determination will beat talent any day."

Just imagine if you were a determined,
talented individual...

In closing I would like express, with all of my being,
one last thing:

Believe in yourself, no matter what!
Who are you to stand in the way of greatness?!