That truly is the question! The decision to BE is totally up to each and everyone of us. The decision to be great or to Lie dormant missing out on everything that you know deep in your heart you were called to do, is a decision that lies solely in the lap of the dreamer.
Growing up I had so many obstacles that told me that I was less than, that I just didn’t measure up. I had a lot of cards stacked against me now that I look back however, I can remember always wanting so hard to be great! Practically begging for attention, knowing that deep on the inside of me I felt so strong, confident and relevant but it didn’t translate on the outside. It seems I was always the slowest, the clumsiest and practically voted less likely to succeed. That’s the real reality and although it hurt, that was my reality.
Flunking the first grade didn’t help! I wasn’t a super fast learner and looking back I was more of a person who learned by doing. Sort of a hands-on type of learner. In the 70s there wasn’t much patience for a different “learner.” So I found myself in intermediate classes and meeting with the school psychologist’s to see if I had a mental issue. That put a mark on me as, “trouble.” People would say all the time how bad I was and I went through a lot of ridicule at home for different situations and not learning as fast as my siblings.
I guess I heard it so much I started to believe it and then my actions followed or Vice versa ? however It happened I ended up with a bad rap that led me to moving out at 14 years old into the streets of Detroit and living up to my name “no good” that’s what they called me. Before I knew it, I had brought to my reality what everyone else thought of me, I bought into it, hook line and sinker?
I went through life for years narrowly escaping situation after situation with my life. Drug selling, human trafficking and a few other things I won’t name. I believe I had become what everyone else thought me to be. Looking back I’m so grateful for the love I had for music, the love I had for rap and wanting to be an artist more than anything else. I believe now this is what kept me from breaking! Music is what gave me confidence even though everyone else lacked it in me.
The ability to be able to formulate words and make them rhyme into a distinct descriptive and detailed story was a gift I realized I had at the age of nine. Regardless of what people thought of me I would sit and daydream for hours and hours of being famous. Picturing myself on stages in front of thousands of people rapping and entertaining.
My mind saw nothing else. I had one dream and one dream only, and that was to make it big in the rap industry. My twin brother was one of my greatest supporters and provided the beat behind my flows most of the time??????
This built confidence in me, I didn’t realize at the time but it was also developing the stage presence, perfect word pronunciation and energy I needed to move into my calling later on in life.
“Funny how things work” ?????
Long story short through a lot of mentoring and help from a few key people I was able to develop the skills that I needed to change my life. It all started when I realized that my mind will draft whatever it believes most. So I started to submerge myself with positive reinforcements and talks. Started to listen to people and read books like Earl Nightingale, Les Brown, Brian Tracy etc.
I had to break down all the negative beliefs that I had built up over the years, from listening to all the negative feedback in my life. I decided that I wanted to be great and I went out and did it. Regardless of what people tell you; “to be great or not to be great” is a decision that is totally up to you.
Now go be great???????