Bono's Acceptance Speech at NAACP Awards

If you haven't seen this, please watch it now. Even if you have, watch it again. This is very inspiring!

Training Problem Solvers

Young people need direction. Only through exposure can dreams form. Young people need support and encouragement, both emotionally and monetarily, to succeed in life. Achieving self-expression is the difference between having a productive or counter-productive life. Young people need to belong. Community hinges on the wisdom and care bestowed upon young people. As designers are stewards of objects and messages, young people must be taught humility and responsibility, understanding that true creativity is shared for the benefit of others.

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What do Oprah, Russell Simmons, & Jay-Z Have In Common?

I know a lot of things came to mind when you read the title. You’ll probably say that they’re all rich, famous, influential, and adored by millions of people around the world. Then you’ll say what connects them is that they own clothing lines, restaurants, TV shows, and magazines. And you’d be right!

But that’s not what I’m talking about today.

What if I told you that what they have in common is INCONSISTENCY, PROCRASTINATION, CARELESSNESS, LAZINESS, LACK OF FOCUS, and NOT PLAYING TO THEIR STRENGTHS? Would you believe that?

No, I don’t buy that either.

Those words are the qualities of people who don’t achieve the level of greatness that they want. They describe people who never really live a purposeful life. They describe people who end up living mediocre lives – at best. They sound like people who are frustrated, discouraged, and who give up on themselves.

So ask yourself if any of those words represent you. Be honest. Ask yourself what it is that you really want. What do you think you are capable of? What will it take to get there?

Do those words in bold caps a few paragraphs up come to mind when you think of the people you admire? No way. No how. Not even close.

In a minute I’m going to get down to the essence of what makes Oprah and company who they are. I’m going to talk about a disorder that affected me. If you’re a person with a lot of ideas, it has probably affected you, too.

The word that I want to talk about is SCATTEREDNESS. Do you have a lot of ideas? Do you find that everyday, week, or month you want to do something new? If so, you suffer from a disease called scatterbrainiousness.

But, wait! There is a cure for it called focusyourenergyononethingous. It can cure you of scatterbrainiousness because it makes you choose one thing that you’re going to be great at. Then it takes your energy and galvanizes that one thing.

Before Oprah had a magazine, restaurant, and a school she focused her energy on creating the best morning talk-show of all-time. Before Russell Simmons had a clothing line, marketing company, and became an activist he focused his energy on making Def Jam Records the most powerful hip-hop music label in the world.

Do you see the process? They became the standards in their respective industries then created spin-off businesses that were just natural extensions of themselves and their brands.

There’s nothing wrong with having a lot of ideas. Just don’t pursue them all at once. Keep a journal and write them down.

Then, after you’ve established yourself, take a look at your list. You might find that you have some viable ideas that may work.

Or you might look at the list and say, “Man, what the heck was I thinking with that idea!”
If you try every single idea you have at once or if you don’t give your “one thing” an opportunity to flourish you’re only going to be average – at best.

At worst you’re attempts will falter, you’ll lose a lot of money, and you’ll be unhappy. Is that what you want?

To your greatness at one thing first,
Derek

Don't Let the Past Hurt Your Future!

Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it. - William Durant, founder of General Motors

There was a period of about 5 years where it seemed like nothing I tried worked the way I wanted it to.

Nothing was working in business. Nothing working in my education. Relationships went bad.
I would look at those "failures" and assume that anything coming to me in the future in these areas wouldn't work.

I sabotaged my future success by focusing on the things that went wrong in the past.
As my pastor, Rev. Kenneth Phelps, said in a recent sermon, "You have to create a new story for yourself."

It's true that whatever you focus on expands and grows larger in your life. The events of the past can, if you let them, become a huge 10 ton weight on the back of your neck.

So here are my tips for helping you release your past negatives and create a positive future.
The past is not a physical place. You can't buy a plane ticket and travel there. You can only get there in your mind.

Negative thoughts are similar to bad habits. You can only get rid of them by replacing them with something positive.

Don't sit at home on your couch or at work at your desk and think about all the bad stuff from your past. That will only drain your energy, lower your self-esteem, and kill your purpose.
Get moving! Get assertive in creating the life you want! Who wants to see you dragging around the office or your house wearing a robe in a funk?

Is that what you want? I may not know you personally, but I know that you want to feel CONFIDENT! I know that you want PEACE. I know that you want GREATNESS!

You have to allow all that you want to come into your life. You have to unblock it's flow into your life.

I believe that an ungrateful heart is what kept my in a slump. Complaining about my situation and feeling sorry for myself.

So what did I do differently? I started being grateful for where I was that day. I began to thank God for the good in my life. I was thankful for the strength I had been given to pursue my passions.

You can do the same. I BELIEVE IN YOU!

To your future,
Derek