Over the weekend a business icon passed away. If you live in Detroit, Michigan you have no doubt heard of Don Barden, He was the first African American to own a Las Vegas casino and the first to own a major cable TV franchise. Mr. Darden was 67 at the time of his death. Upon hearing this news, I was shocked; I remember reading about Mr. Darden in a Black Enterprise magazine that he donned the cover some years ago.
I was impressed with his story of success from meager beginnings, to the great success he achieved in his life. But on that day I read about his passing, that number 67 stuck out to me.
It is said that life at it’s longest is far too short, I whole heartily agree. So my question for you today, Are You Living Are Just Existing?
I want you this week to examine your life and ask yourself a few questions. Along with the first question, I want you to ask yourself, am I living a life that if I died today, I lived it to the fullest. Next I want you to ask yourself, in the last few days, few hours of my life, can I look back with a smile.
No longer can you live someone else’s desires for you, you can’t afford to wake up everyday and be miserable. I’m not suggesting you quit your job today, or leave a relationship. But what I am saying, ask yourself what is necessary for me to live the life I will enjoy. Start charting out a course that will lead you there. If it is a career change, start planning for it this week. Your relationships need some adjustments, then get the help to make it happen.
Decide today that you are not just going to exist, but you are going to live life to the fullest and explore the best in life.
Expand your mind to what is possible. Grab a magazine about exotic places today and start dreaming. Stop telling yourself you can’t afford to live a better life; you can’t afford not to live a better life.
This week plan to meet new people that can open you to new experiences. Go somewhere new, eat somewhere new. Every Sunday when you review your week, I want you to be able to point out one memorable thing you did that past week. Whether it was a call to an old friend, a walk on the beach, a special time with your family, don’t allow another week to go by unlived.
Let’s get to living, not just existing!!!
Think Better, Live Better
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
DOES ANYONE CARE?
I crew up in Compton, Ca in what some described as one of the roughest neighborhoods in America. The sound of gun shots was a normal occurrence during the night. Loud sounding police alarms and ambulance were common place. Hearing that someone had gotten shot or were killed was so usual that it had no affect on the community, only on those who were directly affected were moved.
We live in such a day where even the most horrible news doesn’t move us anymore. I can remember when I was in the Army, I was sent to Bosnia to intervene in their war. We were told that land minds were all over the place, so when you drive make sure you drive in the middle of the road. Gun shots sounded off each evening, my senses where on high alert. But after some time, even the sounds of gun shots and the fear of land minds became normal. Just like when I was in Compton, it became a way of life, and I learned how to live within this hostile environment.
This morning I woke up to the news of yet another young man gunned down in Inglewood, Ca. From my understanding, he was an entertainer, a rapper who was becoming very popular. I heard about it via Twitter, not the local news.
But what I did hear on the local news was stories about the cast of Jersey Shore going to Italy, a story of a young man who was not allowed to go to his prom and the millions of Tweets, Face Book post that were made in support for him to go to the prom.
My heart melted, because we are giving more attention to things that don’t matter, rather than crying out for things that are worthy. But we have become so numb to the news of another young male gunned down. It reminds me of the commercials that use to run when I was a young child about the starving children of Africa. Well they are still starving and we have just moved on.
There is a serious problem going on in America and I wonder does anyone care, or have we just become numb to it all.
The violence that is going on in America in the inner city is as worse as the prejudice that occurred in the last century. I think it is time for a Life Rights Movement, similar to the Civil Rights Movement. We need to get angry in a positive way, just as it was not acceptable for segregation and slavery; we have to feel the same way about our young men and women being gunned down.
I wonder does anyone feel that the genocide that is occurring in the inner city will have the same result as we felt racism, segregation and slavery would have on America’s future.
Remember,
THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER!!!
We live in such a day where even the most horrible news doesn’t move us anymore. I can remember when I was in the Army, I was sent to Bosnia to intervene in their war. We were told that land minds were all over the place, so when you drive make sure you drive in the middle of the road. Gun shots sounded off each evening, my senses where on high alert. But after some time, even the sounds of gun shots and the fear of land minds became normal. Just like when I was in Compton, it became a way of life, and I learned how to live within this hostile environment.
This morning I woke up to the news of yet another young man gunned down in Inglewood, Ca. From my understanding, he was an entertainer, a rapper who was becoming very popular. I heard about it via Twitter, not the local news.
But what I did hear on the local news was stories about the cast of Jersey Shore going to Italy, a story of a young man who was not allowed to go to his prom and the millions of Tweets, Face Book post that were made in support for him to go to the prom.
My heart melted, because we are giving more attention to things that don’t matter, rather than crying out for things that are worthy. But we have become so numb to the news of another young male gunned down. It reminds me of the commercials that use to run when I was a young child about the starving children of Africa. Well they are still starving and we have just moved on.
There is a serious problem going on in America and I wonder does anyone care, or have we just become numb to it all.
The violence that is going on in America in the inner city is as worse as the prejudice that occurred in the last century. I think it is time for a Life Rights Movement, similar to the Civil Rights Movement. We need to get angry in a positive way, just as it was not acceptable for segregation and slavery; we have to feel the same way about our young men and women being gunned down.
I wonder does anyone feel that the genocide that is occurring in the inner city will have the same result as we felt racism, segregation and slavery would have on America’s future.
Remember,
THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER!!!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Lessons On Success: What We Can Learn from The Lakers Loss
I often tell people you learn more from failing then you do from winning. No one really studies what happens when they win, no watching film, no reasons given really for the win. But when you lose or fail, the microscope comes out, the fingers are pointing and answers, solutions are demanded.
What happened to the Lakers is what usually happens to many people who experience success on a constant basis. They relied on their past success, they became stagnate, they took the competition for granted and they stop improving.
I remember when I was in high school, running track; I had a degree of natural speed. Many of the races I won with no effort, but what I fail to realize was that everyone that I beat had instant motivation to beat me the next time they would race me. I returned to practice thinking I didn’t have to work that hard, because I already beat them.
I didn’t create a reason to work harder; I didn’t feel I needed to. I would just rely on my past success.
So what can we learn from the Lakers. Success is temporary. Every one you beat has instant motivation to work harder. Don’t live off past success, create the necessary motivation and desire to keep improving.
The Lakers our a successful organization, they have a long history of success, so I have no doubt that they will learn, correct the issues and be back on track.
But let’s all learn from them, and hopefully we can avoid the embarrassment the Lakers suffered by an opponent they took for granted.
Don’t allow your past success, to be your last success!!!
Remember,
THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
LEADERSHIP & THE LAW OF RESPECT
The subject of leadership is a personal passion of mine and has been for over a decade. I try to read, listen and watch anything on leadership. It as been said that everything raises and falls on leadership. I think I love the topic of leadership so much because it really does control all aspects of our lives.
Now when I talk about leadership, you may be thinking I am talking about a person with a glorified position, someone like the President, a CEO of a company or maybe a ruler of a nation. But I need you to broaden your perspective on who is a leader. In its simplest definition, a leader is anyone with influence. With this definition in mind, the playing field just got a little wider.
So if a leader is anyone with influence, that means mothers and fathers, big brothers and sisters, teachers, lawyers, doctors and so on are leaders. Many people don’t think of themselves as leaders, because they don’t think they have influence. But as a parent, how many times have you told an older sibling not to do something because their younger sibling was watching them. You were really saying, you are a leader and I need you to set a good example.
When we understand that we are all leaders, it is then imperative that we realize that no matter the size of influence we have, we have influence. We must guard that influence and use it wisely.
I understand that for my eight year old daughter I have a great degree of influence, and that influence is multiplied beyond just her. Let me give you an example. If I tell my daughter something, or speak about someone to my daughter, she will repeat it to others, and who every she has influence over will repeat what was said and so on.
Since moving back to the United States, I have noticed that there is a great deal of disrespect for leadership in this country. Whether it is disrespect for parents, police, or just those in positions of authority. From how elected officials talk about each other to how the media speaks against the President.
There is always a penalty when leadership at any level is disrespected; the solution I believe is to return to a healthy respect for leadership. To do this, it takes everyone realizing they are leaders and they have influence.
No family, organization, community or nation will survive without a healthy respect for leadership…………………LEADERSHIP IS A NECESSITY, NOT AN OPTION !!!
As always,
THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER!!!
Now when I talk about leadership, you may be thinking I am talking about a person with a glorified position, someone like the President, a CEO of a company or maybe a ruler of a nation. But I need you to broaden your perspective on who is a leader. In its simplest definition, a leader is anyone with influence. With this definition in mind, the playing field just got a little wider.
So if a leader is anyone with influence, that means mothers and fathers, big brothers and sisters, teachers, lawyers, doctors and so on are leaders. Many people don’t think of themselves as leaders, because they don’t think they have influence. But as a parent, how many times have you told an older sibling not to do something because their younger sibling was watching them. You were really saying, you are a leader and I need you to set a good example.
When we understand that we are all leaders, it is then imperative that we realize that no matter the size of influence we have, we have influence. We must guard that influence and use it wisely.
I understand that for my eight year old daughter I have a great degree of influence, and that influence is multiplied beyond just her. Let me give you an example. If I tell my daughter something, or speak about someone to my daughter, she will repeat it to others, and who every she has influence over will repeat what was said and so on.
Since moving back to the United States, I have noticed that there is a great deal of disrespect for leadership in this country. Whether it is disrespect for parents, police, or just those in positions of authority. From how elected officials talk about each other to how the media speaks against the President.
There is always a penalty when leadership at any level is disrespected; the solution I believe is to return to a healthy respect for leadership. To do this, it takes everyone realizing they are leaders and they have influence.
No family, organization, community or nation will survive without a healthy respect for leadership…………………LEADERSHIP IS A NECESSITY, NOT AN OPTION !!!
As always,
THINK BETTER, LIVE BETTER!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
