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dreams are the seedlings of realities
your vision is the promise of what you
shall one day be your ideal is the
prophecy of what you shall at last
unveil your circumstances may be
uncongenial but they shall not long
remain so if you but perceive an ideal
and strive to reach it into your hands
will be placed the exact results of your
own thoughts you will receive that which
you've earned no more no less
whatever your present environment may be
you will fall remain or rise with your
your ID whatever the mind can conceive
and believe the mind can achieve
keyphrase faith is the ability to see
things that don't yet exist and that's
how things exist start looking into the
future of what you would like to
accomplish where you would like to go
the person you would like to be and see
if you can't get a better picture of the
finished objective see yourself there
see yourself in possession of decide
what you want and then act as if you
already have it but you have to keep
yourself focused on whatever your
ultimate goal is there stumble there
stumbling blocks all the way people get
laid off you have a bad game you get
traded from the team
you don't want to be with but if your
goal and your focus remains the same
that hey this is gonna happen and I know
I have the skills and I have the
knowledge and have the instincts to dig
myself out of this hole you will dig
yourself out of the hole you have to
control the situation and don't let the
situation control you no matter how bad
it is or how bad it gets I'm going to
make it a man should conceive of a
legitimate purpose in his heart and set
out to accomplish it he should make this
purpose the centralizing point of his
thoughts but whichever it is
he should steadily focus his thought
forces upon the object which he has set
before him he should make this purpose
his supreme duty even if he fails again
and again to accomplish his purpose as
he necessarily must until weakness is
overcome the strength of character
gained will be the measure of his true
success and this will form a new
starting-point for future power and
triumph in all human affairs there are
efforts and there are results and the
strength of the effort is the measure of
the result chance is not
gifts powers material intellectual and
spiritual possessions are the fruits of
effort they are thoughts completed
objects accomplished visions realized
the vision that you glorify in your mind
the ideal that you enthrone in your
heart this you will build your life this
you will become
look yourself in the mirror and ask
yourself what do I want to do every day
for the rest of my life do that stop
lying and just keep customer ever and
that's what you need to do
success is really nothing more than the
progressive realisation of a worthy
ideal this means that any person who
knows what he's doing and what he's
going as a success any person would have
gold on which is working is a successful
person get your butt up and make you
happy
if you wanted to have me rise and grind
how many of you know people have moan
and groan and complain about life all
the time alright
they might moan and groan about that job
I'm sick of this job I'm sick of you and
they just moan and groan and complain
all the time and never do anything about
it they haven't got to the point where
they're sick and tired of being sick and
tired they just have enough energy to
complain about it and they consider that
in fact they believe that that's
equivalent to doing something about it
just complaining no I can't get you
where you want to go that cannot create
your reality for you the other thing
that keep most people from realizing
their true greatness and their true
potential circumstances their
environment there are many people who
believe because of where they're born
because of the area where they are in
life and where they find themselves
that's all they know given my
circumstances ladies and gentlemen I
shouldn't be doing what I'm doing right
now
see I know something about you even not
knowing you that you've got greatness
within you you have the ability to do
things that you can't even begin to
imagine you have talents and skills in
you that you haven't even began to reach
for yet no one could have convinced me
given my circumstances given my
background that I would be doing what
I'm doing right now I was born in
Liberty City on a floor in 62nd Street a
twin brother and me when we were six
weeks of age we were adopted when I was
in fifth grade I was identified as EMR
labeled educable mentally retarded and
put back from the fifth grade into the
fourth grade and stayed in that category
until I got out of high school I have no
college training but here's what
happened I had an intervention in my
life a man who saw something at me at a
time that I
not see something in myself I never
forget being in his class one day
waiting on a friend of mine who was
there to rehearse for play he did not
show up and he asked me to go up to the
board and write something on the board
and I said I can't do that sir he said
why not
I said I'm well on I'm in a special
education class I said what do you mean
I said go up to the board and write what
I'm about to tell you I said I can't do
that sir why not I'm educable mentally
retarded and he came from behind his
desk he said don't ever say that again
someone's opinion of you does not have
to become your reality and that changed
my life it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who
said that once a person's mind is
expanded with an idea or concept it can
never be satisfied to going back to
where it was so some of you are going to
experience a breakthrough some of you're
going to go back and look at your dreams
and brush them off some of you're going
to begin to look at yourself and say hey
look here I know I have not done all
that I can do whatever goal that you
have in mind I want that to be a goal
that will challenge you something that
will make you stretch it was Osbourne
who said unless you attempt to do
something beyond that which you've
already mastered you will never grow
what is it that you looked at at some
point in time and you decided that you
couldn't do it but you talk yourself out
of it whatever it is bring it back out
there how are you going to do it that
will come to you in due time so you
don't get in life what you want ladies
and gentlemen you get in life what you
are not what you want and see the good
news is that we can always become more
by working to develop ourselves so the
first process of making this your decade
you've got to begin to take a look at
your life and look at where are you
right now
what are your strengths what are your
weaknesses what gives your life a sense
of fulfillment a sense of joy what does
a full rich life means to you what is it
that you could love doing seven days a
week that'll bring a smile to your face
think about that and all the areas of
your life your professional life your
personal life your family life your
spiritual life what is it that you'd
like to have once you begin to determine
that that takes you to the next step and
that is once you decide what it is that
you want
now you've got to decide that you
deserve that repeat after me please I
deserved the best that life has to offer
I deserve define my purpose in life
shake somebody's hand on your right and
left and say find your purpose
do you know by actively pursuing your
purpose it could perhaps extend your
life the number one killer in this
country of all the diseases we have
heart disease that's the number one
killer and if you ask most people when
is it that that the majority of people
have their first major heart attack some
people will tell you at the result of
obesity or smoking cigarettes or high
cholesterol a high blood pressure and
all of those are contributing factors
however the truth of the matter is that
most people don't realize that the
majority of people suffer the first
major heart attack on Monday morning
between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. people getting
ready to go to jobs that they don't like
jobs that are making them sick you see
when you're not pursuing your goal you
are literally committing spiritual
suicide when you have some goal out here
that you're stretching for and reaching
for that takes you out of your comfort
zone you'll find out some talents and
abilities you have that you didn't know
you have I started speaking just to
elementary school kids because I knew
they didn't know what I was talking
about and they gave the are kinda steady
wage we lack here yeah then I graduated
up to junior high school and then the
senior high school and then to various
community groups in church groups and
civic associations and then to colleges
into businesses and I'm traveling across
the country and then traveling
nationally and internationally but I
never would have discovered what I'm
able to do right now if I wasn't willing
to take a trac chance and you've got to
be willing to do that you've got to
believe in yourself I was doing work for
a major corporation and they were having
a major downsizing just another
terminology for major firings and so the
people that were working there they
approached them and said listen you are
eligible for early retirement we will
give you a buyout package of $300,000 if
you take it within this timeframe
however after this timeframe when we
have the downsizing you might be among
the people cut
and you will lose all a benefits that
we're talking about right now and the
most you can get is two weeks severance
pay
ladies and gentlemen only 50% of the
people that were eligible took this let
me tell you something if I'd been there
I'd have gone to ask for your check
listen Marvin told me to get his check
he's all with his mama
[Applause]
I would have taken that money so quick
and it had other people checks its
unless got your check see ladies and
gentlemen life is too short
trying to play it safe is too short and
unpredictable being miserable it's too
short for that here's the thing there's
no safe position in life let me tell you
why it's a quiet secret that most people
don't realize you can't get out of life
alive hello you can't get out of life
the line so there's no safe position you
can die in the bleachers or you can die
on the field you might as well come out
on the field and have a good time
so if you want to make this your decade
you've got to decide to be bold so you
got to be bold in life you got to take
life on I remember I was at a major
corporation I had to give a presentation
and there were two guys sitting across
from me and the guy said to the other
fellow looking at the last two finalists
and that involved my firm and their firm
said listen looking at the credentials
this guy doesn't have any credentials we
have an advantage here we've got two
PhDs between us I got up and I went in
the bathroom start talking to myself I
said let's rock what do you care about
they're two PhDs you have six children
and I'm mama to take care and I went in
that meeting and first of all I went out
walking Bowl looking good feeling good
and smelling good all right
[Applause]
and I said across that table we start
negotiating and I operate in a spirit of
absolute certainty I looked at them as
if the only reason that they were born
was to give me that contract they
survived one out of nine million sperms
to carry out this transaction and I got
the contract so you got to decide to be
bold most people go through life trying
to creep no no no trying to be casual
about it no no no you go through life
being casual you'll end up a casualty No
you've got to be bold in life you've got
to take life on now here's something
else you must be positive see a lot of
people and things don't happen when they
want it want it to happen they become
negative and they turn out and start
projecting a lot of negative energy
no no you've got to make a conscious
deliberate determined effort to be
positive because see when you know
within yourself things are going to work
out for you when you know within
yourself that someway somehow you're
going to make it and this is just some
of these are just some of the hoops
you've got to flip through in order to
get there it's okay have a friend who
went to get a job and the people in
jaime was so *** with her to hell with
you they're they just don't have a job
today don't burn your bridges behind you
don't talk about the gas
now here the last thing if you want to
reach your goal and have a competitive
edge you've got to be hungry
a lot of people love me to tell this
story when I got out of school you know
my first major goal was to buy my mother
a home and my hero in broadcasting was
Paul Harvey and I wanted to become
involved in broadcasting and I love the
disc jockeys that were on the air and I
wanted to become a disc jockey and mr.
Washington said something to me that
I'll never forget who was my mentor in
high school
repeat this Whitney Young is this quote
it's better to be prepared for an
opportunity and not have one than to
have an opportunity and not be prepared
see so I started working to develop my
communication skills and expand my
vocabulary I started visualizing myself
being a disc jockey I saw myself on
there having a talk show and playing
records and people listening to me that
was my vision that was my dream I held
that in mind constantly and I would
practice all the time practice makes
what absolutely not this this just
dislodge that from your mind practice
only makes improvement perfection
doesn't exist they need to take it out
of the dictionary it doesn't it doesn't
exist practice only makes improvement
you can always better your best you have
not done your best work yet as long as
you're here you have a chance to
transcend yourself so don't believe in
perfection it doesn't exist it only
makes improvement so I would practice
practice practice every day every day
every day and finally I went over to
this radio station asking God for job
and mister Bava and I said how you doing
sir I'd like to get a job I was working
on Miami Beach yet at the Fontainebleau
Hotel at the time the Jackie Gleason in
a June Taylor dancers were famous and my
favorite program on television most
people would not remember a John Berra
sport tipton hi my name is Michael
Anthony I have a check for 1 million
dollars how many of you remember that
all right the millionaire that was my
favorite program on television you know
it's a if this is my fantasy you know
and every time we would drive from Miami
Beach I would fantasize oh that's the
house when I get my million I'm gonna
buy my mother that home over there so
that's my fantasy I went up to mr.
butterball and he said you have any
radio experience I said no sir you have
any background in journalism I said no
sir I said but I can never get
experience if you
give me the opportunity I've been
practicing a lot sir he said I'm sorry
we don't have any job for you
I see thank you sir he didn't know my
reasons for being there my reason I want
to use radios of means to earn the money
to buy my mother home I went back to the
radio station again I say how you doing
mr. butterball my name is les brown I
know your name didn't I just see you
here yesterday I say yes sir I say y'all
have any jobs here did not tell you else
they wouldn't have a job yes sir but I
thought maybe somebody got fired or
resigned I don't know so I went the next
day how you doing mr. butterball he said
yes and I just didn't take it person how
you doing so y'all have any jobs here
didn't I just tell you yesterday and the
day before we didn't have any work well
I thought maybe somebody died so I
didn't know I don't know I went the next
day showed up like nothing was wrong
like I've saw him for the first time how
you doing mr. butterball y'all having
there he said make yourself useful go
get me some food I said yes sir
see many times when you want more you've
got to be willing to pay your dues so I
became their errand boy I wouldn't would
get their lunch in there their dinner
and all kind of food for them after a
while I would take the food to them in
the control room and I would not leave
until they would ask me to and I'd watch
them working the controls not memorize
their hand movements and pretty soon
they would trust me with their cars to
go pick up entertainers that came into
town entertainers like Sam Cooke I'm
Donna Ross and The Supremes The Four
Tops and the temptations I would drive
them all over Miami Beach in the disc
jockeys cars I didn't have any driving
license but I Drive it like I had
finally one day I was at the radio
station and a guy by the name of rock
was drinking while he was on there it
was a Saturday afternoon I was the only
one there none of the other jocks were
available and I was looking at him
through the control room window saying
drank Rock draining
[Applause]
I don't want to get into more feet asked
me to be brave Rock
pretty soon the phone rang was the
general manager I said hello
he said les this is mr. Clyde 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 that come in
I said yes sir
I'll hung the phone up I said now he
must be think I'm crazy I called my mom
and my girlfriend Cassandra I said y'all
come out on the front porch and turn up
the radio I'm about to come on the air
[Music]
I waited for about 20 minutes not
calling back I said mr. Klein I can't
find nobody he said young boy do you not
have said great the records I said yes
sir he said going there don't sit down
here I said yes
I couldn't wait to get behind those
controls I put the headphones on I said
look up this is me lb Triple P let's buy
on your platter playing papa
there were none before me and there will
be none after B therefore that makes me
the one and only young and saying I love
to mingle certified bona fide
indubitably qualified to bring you
satisfaction whole out of action look
out baby I'm your love man I was hungry
[Applause]
you feel better when you are able to
have charge of your destiny doesn't it
gives you a good feel you can get you
gives you choices you can do more things
see my first major goal was to buy my
mother home
I feel like Abraham Lincoln who said all
that I am and all that I ever hope to be
I owe to my mother and I said to my mama
one dancing mama when I become a man I'm
gonna buy you home and you won't have to
go to work every day you won't have to
work you just sit down mama she was
getting up getting dressed to go to him
and him cafeteria that's now just
following her around I say watch mama
one day you won't have to leave you to
go to work no more raining outside you
won't have to go to work in the rain you
just do what you want to do like stay
home with fixme sweet potato pie
my mama fix the counter sweet potato pie
you can't eat with your shoes on you
have to take your shoes off so you can
wiggle your toes all right but that was
my dream that was my passion I saw that
and that drove me that was my reason for
being so one of the things in order to
make this your decade in order to reach
her goals you've got to find some
reasons that make you strong some
reasons that will make you hang in there
when times get rough because they're
going to get rough it's going to be very
challenging whenever you decide that you
want to grow whenever you decide that
you want to go to another level all hell
will break loose everything that will
happen the brother that can happen will
happen and at the worst possible moment
they called it Murphy's Law see whenever
you decide that you want to go to
another vibration it's like when you get
into an airplane the first thing they
tell you to do is do what fasten your
seatbelt because you're going to
experience some turbulence when you're
going up and some of you are already
experiencing that turbulence don't be
frightened by that so whenever you
decide you want to go to another level
you've got to fasten your psychological
your mental in your spiritual seatbelt
because they're going to be a while
before you experience a comfortable
altitude you're gonna get there it's
there but you've got to go through this
phase here this is how you grow this is
how you develop see life is like a
roller coaster sometimes you up
sometimes you down sometimes things go
well sometimes they don't go well but in
the down moments that's when you
discover who you are during the down
moments
in this prosperous time you put it in
your pocket in the lean times you put it
in your heart and that's when you
discover who you are
[Applause]