It is laughable and annoying that me, myself and I, chanced upon Les Brown just the other day. Just the other day!!
Through facebook, a friend recommended that I watch the 2011 commencement speech by Denzel Washington on Youtube. It is in the course of his speech that Denzel quotes the wise words of Les Brown.
Intrigued, I launch into a search of Les Brown on Youtube and to my complete amazement and amusement, discover that Les Brown is considered to be the greatest motivational speaker that this world has ever seen and heard. To this moment, I ask myself whether I am a part of this world.
I have been interested in personal development for a long, long time and yet somehow, I had not heard of this magnetic passion that oozes out of Les Brown . I had not felt that tinkling sensation that cause one to dig deep, deep into ones soul and scope out pure magic.
The first Youtube posting that I watched is called, live full and die empty. It was exciting. It was inspirational. It lifted me and made me float in the air. When I finally obeyed the laws of gravity, I had gone through a very rich collection of his postings on Youtube.
If, like me, you have not yet heard of this man, you had better find him and listen to him. He does make common words fly in the face of all that you think you know.
Born on the floor of a housing project, adopted with his twin brother at six weeks, regarded as mentally retarded by the educational system, Les Brown had no hope of ever being anything in life until a teacher inspired him to burrow deep into his being to discover his gift.What a gift he has!!
Live full, die empty is a two minute and forty nine second video of a longer seminar. The segment begins by him quoting Ambrose Redmoon: Courage is not the absence of fear, courage is the judgement that what you want is more important than your fear.
I elect to resist the temptation of giving you a blow by blow account of what happens next, knowing that you will surely find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaKlAAY130c I am also sure that you will draw your own conclusions from it. I also do hope that you will share your conclusions.
My humble view is that we are unable to take ourselves to the next level because in our estimation, this level provides the kind of comfort that permits us to survive. You and I know that life is not just about surviving.
Fear is a constant in life and to live fully, we must constantly battle fear, and we must win. We must be able to see beyond fear. To see the arena littered with trophies. The trophy of a fitter you. The trophy of a more religious you. The trophy of a richer you; a successful you; a world travelled you; an adventurous you: a risk taking you; a you that is true to the God that created you...
That is what must propel us to summon all the courage and energy that resides in us. We must form a resolute fist that will strike a fatal blow to the fear that has encapsulated us for this long.
As that river of frustration begins to build in you, let this question guide you: What is it that will make it worth it for you to face your fear?
May that river flow into a lake and into an ocean. May it meet with the forces of nature and form into a tsunami that will finally break down your wall of fear.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Fear will die.
Fear is a funny thing. It can make a grown man lose control of his most important orifice. It can cause an eloquent lady to suddenly begin to mumble a lot of mambo jambo.
To those who live on the edge, fear is the starters gun that propels them forward and causes them to jump over the cliff of the known, into a dark bottomless pit that may or may not hold any promise.
The lack of satisfaction will drive you into the arms of a witch doctor. While showering you with the blood of a black lamb and spitting his slimy, smelly saliva into the palms of your hands, he will read the patten of your veins. He will stifle a chuckle. He will suffocate the laugh that is struggling to force itself out of his fat padded throat. In a voice that is foreign to his being, he will declare that you have inherited the fear of your fore fathers. That, your clan has long produced non achievers. That your situation is doomed by the hand of fate. Whatever you do will result in the failure that is the bane of your existence.
You will trudge home and head to the bathroom wondering about the blood that pulsates in your veins. As you pass that mirror on the wall you notice something about your eyes. There is this intense look that betrays your hunger for more out of life.
As you ponder on this seemingly insurmountable issue called fear, your heart beats to a different sound. Slowly, ever so slowly, your eureka moment hits you with the force of a thousand watts. The fear that you fear resides in your mind. Maybe that professor was right.
It matters not. What matters now is the realisation that you are the creator of your fear. You give birth to it; you nurture it. When it overwhelms you, you suffocate yourself and you die to your true potential.
Like that man of old, you want to ran naked in the streets, proclaiming to all and sundry that you now have the answer: Fear resides in me for as long as I give it sustenance.
That is the profound realisation that you come to. The soothing voice of Mark Twain floats in the air:Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.
We must summon the courage to face our fears otherwise we shall timidly go through life. Life was meant to be faced with boldness.
There is magic in boldness. when you approach life with boldness, doors will open and the you in you will live a full and happy existence.
Prepare your mind for the greatest battle known to man. Husband your troops.Study the battle field and declare war on fear. Let the battle cry echo in the arena. Death to fear!!! Death to fear!!!!!
Fear will die!
To those who live on the edge, fear is the starters gun that propels them forward and causes them to jump over the cliff of the known, into a dark bottomless pit that may or may not hold any promise.
To those who are comfortable in the confines of the tried and tested, fear is an immobilising agent. They get stuck in the rut. They are more than willing to complain passionately about their situation, but are unable to bring themselves to open that door into the unknown. The word 'evolution' is as strange to them as a chicken's urine is, to a poultry farmer.
What does this four letter word mean? A professor of psychology will tell you that it has something to do with your sub-conscious mind. That your mind is capable of playing tricks on you so that you begin to amplify an otherwise minute problem into a mountain of fear. She might even bring in the element of your childhood and tell you that you are fixated and are therefore unable to adventure into the dark.
The lack of satisfaction will drive you into the arms of a witch doctor. While showering you with the blood of a black lamb and spitting his slimy, smelly saliva into the palms of your hands, he will read the patten of your veins. He will stifle a chuckle. He will suffocate the laugh that is struggling to force itself out of his fat padded throat. In a voice that is foreign to his being, he will declare that you have inherited the fear of your fore fathers. That, your clan has long produced non achievers. That your situation is doomed by the hand of fate. Whatever you do will result in the failure that is the bane of your existence.
You will trudge home and head to the bathroom wondering about the blood that pulsates in your veins. As you pass that mirror on the wall you notice something about your eyes. There is this intense look that betrays your hunger for more out of life.
As you ponder on this seemingly insurmountable issue called fear, your heart beats to a different sound. Slowly, ever so slowly, your eureka moment hits you with the force of a thousand watts. The fear that you fear resides in your mind. Maybe that professor was right.
It matters not. What matters now is the realisation that you are the creator of your fear. You give birth to it; you nurture it. When it overwhelms you, you suffocate yourself and you die to your true potential.
Like that man of old, you want to ran naked in the streets, proclaiming to all and sundry that you now have the answer: Fear resides in me for as long as I give it sustenance.
That is the profound realisation that you come to. The soothing voice of Mark Twain floats in the air:Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.
We must summon the courage to face our fears otherwise we shall timidly go through life. Life was meant to be faced with boldness.
There is magic in boldness. when you approach life with boldness, doors will open and the you in you will live a full and happy existence.
Prepare your mind for the greatest battle known to man. Husband your troops.Study the battle field and declare war on fear. Let the battle cry echo in the arena. Death to fear!!! Death to fear!!!!!
Fear will die!
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Unshackle your imagination
In you, is an imagination well that is waiting to be unleashed into the world. The education you have received thus far pales in comparison to that rich, limitless oil field that rests in your soul. In fact, you are what you are because of the education that you received in the confines of the four walls. Just imagine if your education was tweaked to include the limitless freedom of the soul. The results would be nothing short of astounding and fantastic.
Do all human beings have the capability to imagine? Well, such a well intentioned question from a well intentioned human being can best be answered by the question: Do all human beings breath? I know you are now asking yourself, how can a question answer a question? In this world of possibilities, anything is possible.
Now that we are agreed that we can all breath and therefore imagine, we need to commit to being imaginative in all the areas of our daily today lives. This will be the only door through which we shall enjoy a roller coaster of excitement in our lives. Imagination invites the prospect of excitement. It invites that inexplicable feeling of confusion and exhilaration that accompanies the butterflies that flutter in our stomachs.
Our world is a better place because it was once home and continues to be a dwelling place to those who went against the tide of the known. They choose to delve into the depths of their imagination and give to the world an orgasmic excitement: Albert Einstein, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Florence Nightingale, Issac Newton,Walt Disney, Christopher Columbus, Galileo, Shaka Zulu, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King,Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Okot P' Bitek, Pele, Steve Jobs, Barcelona FC ad infinitum.
In all fields of human endeavour, there are individuals who, because they choose to act different from what was known, preached and encouraged, have left and continue to leave foot prints in the sands of time.
You need to talk to that individual in the mirror and urge him/her to let the you in you shine. Once that you is unleashed, you will go on to perform feats that can only compare to Olympic grandeur.
It is important that you set fire to your comfort zone. Imagination cannot be held in the suffocating confines of a secure life. It is fed with risk and daring. It is fired by enthusiasm. It is oiled by the human need to be the best that there can be. While security is a feature of the safety zone, freedom is the hallmark of imagination.
When you set fire to your bottom, you will be propelled to leave the known. Do you need to go to that extreme? Yes. Otherwise you will never gather the critical mass of anger and hunger that is critical for your imaginative juices to flow.
As you step out, with baby steps, into the new world, consider the words of Albert Einstein and let them comfort you and reassure you:
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand.
Unshackle your imagination and be the best you that you know,
Do something new,
Walk the untrodden path.
The world will follow your footsteps.
Do all human beings have the capability to imagine? Well, such a well intentioned question from a well intentioned human being can best be answered by the question: Do all human beings breath? I know you are now asking yourself, how can a question answer a question? In this world of possibilities, anything is possible.
Now that we are agreed that we can all breath and therefore imagine, we need to commit to being imaginative in all the areas of our daily today lives. This will be the only door through which we shall enjoy a roller coaster of excitement in our lives. Imagination invites the prospect of excitement. It invites that inexplicable feeling of confusion and exhilaration that accompanies the butterflies that flutter in our stomachs.
Our world is a better place because it was once home and continues to be a dwelling place to those who went against the tide of the known. They choose to delve into the depths of their imagination and give to the world an orgasmic excitement: Albert Einstein, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Florence Nightingale, Issac Newton,Walt Disney, Christopher Columbus, Galileo, Shaka Zulu, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King,Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Okot P' Bitek, Pele, Steve Jobs, Barcelona FC ad infinitum.
In all fields of human endeavour, there are individuals who, because they choose to act different from what was known, preached and encouraged, have left and continue to leave foot prints in the sands of time.
You need to talk to that individual in the mirror and urge him/her to let the you in you shine. Once that you is unleashed, you will go on to perform feats that can only compare to Olympic grandeur.
It is important that you set fire to your comfort zone. Imagination cannot be held in the suffocating confines of a secure life. It is fed with risk and daring. It is fired by enthusiasm. It is oiled by the human need to be the best that there can be. While security is a feature of the safety zone, freedom is the hallmark of imagination.
When you set fire to your bottom, you will be propelled to leave the known. Do you need to go to that extreme? Yes. Otherwise you will never gather the critical mass of anger and hunger that is critical for your imaginative juices to flow.
As you step out, with baby steps, into the new world, consider the words of Albert Einstein and let them comfort you and reassure you:
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand.
Unshackle your imagination and be the best you that you know,
Do something new,
Walk the untrodden path.
The world will follow your footsteps.
Friday, 20 April 2012
The passionate morning kiss...
I tore myself out of bed this morning. For the first five minutes, my thoughts were on the warmth that I was leaving behind and the cold that was about to embrace me as I trudged through the morning mist.
I fought hard with the blanket and threw it aside, found my running gear and resolutely headed for the road before my body was fully awake. Each heavy step forward activated my system as the warmth that was generated was more than enough answer to the cold all around me. My steps became lighter and lighter and I was soon in fluid motion, enjoying the breeze that was kissing my face.
My mind was in full mode and I could not help but think of the power of the human mind. The mind is the one thing that you can control. You can decide to use it so that it brings you nought but joy. In my case, I was happy that I had tuned it away from the warmth in the bed towards facing the cold .
In emphasising the power of thought,Marcus Aurelius said: The universe is change; Our life is what our thoughts make it. At any given time, your life is what you are thinking and if you think it often enough you will establish a pattern and before you know it you have a habit. Choose to think positive and uplifting thoughts.
When you give the misty morning cold, a chance to embrace you, she will engage you in a kiss whose effects will last you a whole day. Give her a chance: you will wear that smile throughout the day.
I fought hard with the blanket and threw it aside, found my running gear and resolutely headed for the road before my body was fully awake. Each heavy step forward activated my system as the warmth that was generated was more than enough answer to the cold all around me. My steps became lighter and lighter and I was soon in fluid motion, enjoying the breeze that was kissing my face.
My mind was in full mode and I could not help but think of the power of the human mind. The mind is the one thing that you can control. You can decide to use it so that it brings you nought but joy. In my case, I was happy that I had tuned it away from the warmth in the bed towards facing the cold .
In emphasising the power of thought,Marcus Aurelius said: The universe is change; Our life is what our thoughts make it. At any given time, your life is what you are thinking and if you think it often enough you will establish a pattern and before you know it you have a habit. Choose to think positive and uplifting thoughts.
When you give the misty morning cold, a chance to embrace you, she will engage you in a kiss whose effects will last you a whole day. Give her a chance: you will wear that smile throughout the day.
Pick Yourself Up
It has been said that all challenges have an inbuilt opportunity waiting to be realised. It is well when a challenge is thrust into the face of someone you do not know. What happens when you are in the whirlwind of a testing situation?
Thomas Fuller points out that 'A wise man turns chance into fortune.' The core issue here is that one must read the challenge as a 'chance' that is spelt out as an opportunity instead of a problem. To do that, you require a sober mind.
You should be able to see through the emotions that are swelling up in your brain. All that throbbing and heart racing, finger twitching and finger pointing must be brought under control. Once your heart is beating normally and you have complete control of all your faculties, you then look for the 'chance' that can turn into 'fortune'
The first thing that you should do is to ask yourself how you got into this particular situation. Chances are that your behaviour over the days gone by is responsible for your current state of mind. If you continue along the same thinking, your 'challenge' will persist.
The challenge has therefore afforded you with the opportunity to reflect on yourself. Grab this chance with both hands and use it to 'look' at yourself through a microscope.
If you are folded up in self doubt, low esteem and generally hate yourself, then you need to slap yourself hard on the face. That will open your mind to the fact that you brought yourself to this situation and YOU need to bring yourself OUT of this situation.
The fortune that Fuller talks about is right where you are. In fact you are the fortune and the fortune is you. There is no situation that you cannot overcome if you set your mind to it.
All that is needed in any situation is for you to claim responsibility of your circumstance; to think through the thought process that brought you to 'this' moment. Once you change that thought process, you will witness a different result.
Once you have acknowledged that you are the source of your troubles, you will be able to get up, dust yourself off and move on.
You are the only person on earth who has 100% responsibility for ALL your actions. You choose to fall. You choose to stay down. You choose to get up. You choose to forge ahead. It is all up to you.
As you dwell on your responses, be aware of the undeniable fact that you were created to be better that your circumstances. You can overcome.
Thomas Fuller points out that 'A wise man turns chance into fortune.' The core issue here is that one must read the challenge as a 'chance' that is spelt out as an opportunity instead of a problem. To do that, you require a sober mind.
You should be able to see through the emotions that are swelling up in your brain. All that throbbing and heart racing, finger twitching and finger pointing must be brought under control. Once your heart is beating normally and you have complete control of all your faculties, you then look for the 'chance' that can turn into 'fortune'
The first thing that you should do is to ask yourself how you got into this particular situation. Chances are that your behaviour over the days gone by is responsible for your current state of mind. If you continue along the same thinking, your 'challenge' will persist.
The challenge has therefore afforded you with the opportunity to reflect on yourself. Grab this chance with both hands and use it to 'look' at yourself through a microscope.
If you are folded up in self doubt, low esteem and generally hate yourself, then you need to slap yourself hard on the face. That will open your mind to the fact that you brought yourself to this situation and YOU need to bring yourself OUT of this situation.
The fortune that Fuller talks about is right where you are. In fact you are the fortune and the fortune is you. There is no situation that you cannot overcome if you set your mind to it.
All that is needed in any situation is for you to claim responsibility of your circumstance; to think through the thought process that brought you to 'this' moment. Once you change that thought process, you will witness a different result.
Once you have acknowledged that you are the source of your troubles, you will be able to get up, dust yourself off and move on.
You are the only person on earth who has 100% responsibility for ALL your actions. You choose to fall. You choose to stay down. You choose to get up. You choose to forge ahead. It is all up to you.
As you dwell on your responses, be aware of the undeniable fact that you were created to be better that your circumstances. You can overcome.
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