Tolerance and Progress

For Audio Click Here

Three guys walk into a bar, one’s a Jew, one’s a Muslim and one’s a Christian. Now remove the word bar and input the word basketball court and you actually have a snapshot of my daily life. Every evening around 7pm I meet up with my friends and we play basketball. Normally, we only like to play on each other’s team and if there were ever any altercations on the court, we are the first to step up for each other. This unspoken bond is an example of tolerance and progress at its best.

We are an eclectic bunch of gentlemen and even though we have differences, we embrace our similarities. We don’t need to speak about the years of fighting known as the crusades, which would have people of our religions fighting each other upon sight. We don’t need to speak about the holocaust, which shines a dark light on our history and unnecessary persecution. We don’t even speak about the fear some people have that comes from the perception of the Muslim religion. See these things are divisive and in order for us to keep winning on the basketball court and in our friendship, we need to stand together.

Even though we make jokes about each other’s differences, it’s all in good fun because we know that our differences are only important enough to laugh at. We are only serious when the basketball game is on the line and we need to score the winning basket. In life we believe that in order for everyone to progress we must recognize our differences but embrace our similarities. This is the untold bond that we all subconsciously agreed to when we decided to be friends.

I accept my friends for who they are but I do find time to question them on their religious beliefs as well as give them my perspective on religion. These fact-finding sessions are usually just informal moments when we just ask each other questions to learn even more. We seem to thrive and grow the more we know about each other and therefore the bonds grow stronger.

This is much more then I ever expected in life since I grew up around people who were like me and never had the opportunity to embrace others who weren’t like me. I went to church with only people who shared my beliefs so I could never ask other people why they believed what they believe. I only associated with people who did the things I did therefore I never had the opportunity to ask other people what they like to do. This is the best of embracing my new friends because they are so different from me but share the best similarity in basketball. Therefore, let me retell my joke the correct way. Three guys walk onto a basketball court, one’s a Jew named Reid, one’s a Muslim named Rasheed, and one’s a Christian named J. Success. Welcome to Tuesday night, it’s 7pm and it’s time to play some basketball.

Today matters

For audio click here

What do you plan to do today? What will happen in your life today that was different from yesterday? Does today even matter to you or is it just a day in the way of the weekend? In the constant pursuit of what we are to become, what we are purposed to achieve and what we see as our destiny, we often lose sight of what's right in front of us. We get so focused on the frame that we don't see the picture.

You know that you are destined for greatness in the future but today looks so bleak. Therefore we don't want to look at what appears different then what we want to see. If we took a look at the bigger picture and saw the transformation and progression that's taking place then we would see things quite differently. In a previous article titled "Why Me" I wrote:

When you look at the successful future that you know you are going to walk in, you only seem to want to see the final steps of the journey. When we look at the successful people we only desire the end of the road blessings, no one wants the journey lessons that make you into the successful person that you are to become. For example, no one looks at comedian Steve Harvey and says “I know he's rich but I wish I could live in my car for two years so that I can be rich like him”. No one looks at Writer/Producer/Actor Tyler Perry and say “I know he's rich now but I wish I could have my first few plays tank and then get evicted and lose everything so that I can be rich like him.” Everyone wants the glory of crossing the finish line but no one wants to run the race. No one wants to endure falling during the race, scrape their knees, crying profusely only to realize that you have to wipe your own wounds and dry your own tears. We seem to forget that every successful person endured their hardest times right before their breakthrough.

The best example of the perfect mindset to take and appreciate today would be Joseph. Joseph dreamed a dream that his father and brothers would one day bow down to him. After that dream he was thrown into a pit by his brothers, became a slave, falsely accused of rape, thrown in jail, become a part of the kings court and eventually became a major figure in Pharaoh’s court. Never did we hear Joseph complain about his circumstances, never did he not take advantage of each day knowing that every step he took got him closer to his destiny and never did we see Joseph give up and complain that he was not going to be anything in life.

Today is the only day that you can use to take steps towards the great future you see. Yesterday is gone forever and tomorrow never comes, it’s always today. When we start to realize that time is the most important resource that we have in life, then we appreciate today more because the minute we are born our lives are on a countdown. Carpe Diem is the French term for “seize today”. Remember, today is the beginning of the rest of your life, today is the best day of your life.

Victors vs Victims

For audio click here

Many times in life we hear there are two types of people, winners and losers, givers and takers, starters and finishers, watchers and doers and the variety of other categories of two types. Now I don't believe there are only two types of people in the world, I believe there are many types. I also believe that of those many types, victor or victim is a type that can be added to the list. Victors and victims define not only where people are in life but where they are going. Now of course there aren't many people that will say they live their life like a victim, therefore we won't ask the question of whether you are a victor or victim. It's much easier to look at their actions, listen to their words and analyze where they are trying to go in life.

First, lets look at the definition of victor and victim.

Victor a person who has overcome or defeated an adversary a conqueror a winner in any struggle or contest.

Victim a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency; A person who suffers injury, loss, or death as a result of a voluntary undertaking. A person who is tricked, swindled, or taken advantage of

Based on the definitions we see that victors always overcome, victors conquer any situation or obstacle that gets in their way and victors are winners no matter what. On the other hand, victims are always being taken advantage of, continually lose and are unable to even overcome their emotions or ignorance. Victors have potential, victims are pitiful. Victors are conquerors, victims deal with consequences. Victors always win, victims hope they win. Victors control their life, victims let life control them. Many people desire to live a life of victory but their situations and words are those of victims. How many times have you heard people say, well thats just how I am? That's just how I am is a victim statement, it's an excuse to not have to change, progress or overcome a situation so they would rather be a victim of the situation or their ignorance of the benefits of change. How many times have you seen people mock, deride or pull someone down who wants to better themselves. Victims don't want to see others who were like them become victors because victors expose the weaknesses of victims and their desire to complain but do nothing to change.

Victors are always in control even when the situation appears out of control. Have you ever wondered why some people are able to keep their cool no matter what's going on around them? Have you ever wondered why some people don't let anything get to them and even when it appears they are about to crack they seem to still hold it together? Victors receive their victory from within, they have tapped into that inner peace and inner joy that surpasses all understanding. Victors have found a source of victory that seems to convince them that they will win no matter the situation, circumstance or odds. Victors realize that no matter what they will win because for some reason they have accepted victory as the only option, so even when it looks like they are going to lose, they still win. See the source of this victory that I am speaking of, that gives joy to the victor before the battle is done or the obstacle is overcome, well that source goes by the name of Jesus.

When Opportunity Knocks

For audio click here

If you had the opportunity to change your life and step into a new existence, what would you do? If opportunity came and knocked at your door and said, come with me, would you pack up and go? If an opportunity to have what you've never had meant that you had to do what you've never done, would you do it? Most people would say yes to these question because everyone is looking for an opportunity to do better but I believe that many people are comfortable right where they are at. They believe that opportunities come to the lucky or only to those who already have everything going right for themselves. Opportunities come to those who have their eyes open to see them and the courage to act upon it. But let's focus on what an opportunity is first.

The definition of opportunity is as follows:

An appropriate or favorable time or occasion.

A situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.

A good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

A chance for progress or advancement.

According to the definition, an opportunity has a variety of favorable attributes that lead( s) to a successful outcome. The main attribute of an opportunity is the focus on progress towards a goal. Many opportunities come across our plates everyday, as a matter of fact I once heard a rich man say ; "We all come across a million dollar opportunity once a day". Now I don't know about you, but a million dollar opportunity is definitely progress towards a goal. Another important attribute of an opportunity is a favorable time and situation. When divine opportunities become available to you, somehow you must realize that the time is right to prosper and therefore understand how favorable the situation is for you.

On the other hand, we all know people that continually speak or complain about missed opportunities. We all know people that say how much they could achieve if they had the chance, but when opportunity knocks they don't want to leave the comfort of their bed so they don't answer. Many people would love to have the opportunity to better their lives but they live only hoping that opportunity falls in their lap. They become comfortable with a life that (s) just good enough and let their dreams continue to be put on hold. The reality is that many people are scared to leave the comfort zone of their current life because that could possibly propel them to a level of existence that they might not believe they deserve. Then again maybe the best line from the movie Coach Carter starring Samuel Jackson sums it up, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlighten ing about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

When the opportunity came for me to relocate from Chicago to Los Angeles, I had to take a real good look at myself and figure out if I was really ready to take my life and family to another level. I had to realize the true meaning of divine timing, progress towards success and seizing the day. In Chicago I was living a life that was good for the moment but the path to get to the great future I had was never clear. I was very comfortable in my present existence but God always showed me visions of a great future and how I would impact many people with my gifts, talents and abilities. Now we all know that in order to walk in greatness we must take advantage of great opportunities and moving to California provided a great opportunity. It would get my wife back near her family which she greatly loves, it would give me the opportunity to experience year round summer (I really don't like cold weather) and it would give me an opportunity to showcase my abilities to people that could help me gain exposure. Within a week of arriving we had all we needed including income, daycare, transportation, lodging and contacts for me to network. See when God gives you an opportunity He makes sure it goes smooth and according to His plan so that He can get the glory when you testify about how it all came to pass. So today look at the opportunities in front of you and attempt to pursue one to the fullest and live the life that exceeds just settling.