Blogs

  • Nurturing Faith and Character: The Impact of Church Visits

    I love bringing my daughter to church every Sunday.

    The music, lights, all the people, and the entire environment stimulate her overall cognitive and social-emotional development. Most importantly, it’s building a good foundation for her faith and relationship with God.

    Some of my earliest memories are of me going to church with my mom at a very young age. I went on to spend a lot of my adolescent time in the church.

    I’m grateful for this because it built a good foundation for me, something that has helped me time and time again throughout my life. It helped shape who I am, my morals, my values, and my character. The teachings from the Bible got me through many trials, tribulations, and times of uncertainty. It’s a blessing to be able to do the same things for my daughter now.

    Make sure you are putting yourself and those around you in environments that allow you all to grow into something beneficial and something you’re proud of. Every church visit (or anywhere else you choose to go) matters.

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  • Transformative Giving: Purpose

    What is the one thing in life that truly brings you a sense of purpose and fulfillment?

    For me, it’s helping others. I have always loved serving others, just as Jesus did and as we are all called to do.

    Each of us possesses unique gifts, talents, and skills, and it is important to utilize them in assisting others. Success can be found in helping others, as it often forms the basis of many jobs and businesses—identifying problems and providing solutions.

    The principle of “to whom much is given, much is required” resonates with me deeply. I have been fortunate to receive numerous blessings, acquire valuable lessons, and develop skills that can benefit others. Thus, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to give back in any way possible.

    I firmly believe that happiness and fulfillment lie in helping others, whether it involves simple acts of kindness like holding a door or more significant endeavors. Ensuring that our life’s purpose revolves around assisting others is crucial.

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  • Belief, Action, Achievement

    Beware of self-limiting beliefs.

    Many times, we cut ourselves short before even trying. When you can’t do something or are hesitant to do something, reflect and make sure it’s not your own thoughts holding you back.

    For me, I think I’ve broken so many thresholds in life and accomplished so many dreams that I know anything is possible. When doubt, uncertainty, or negativity kicks in, I have to hurry and check myself and change my mindset.

    I’ve posted a blog for over 200 consecutive days. I had my website domain for over a year before I even started, though. Imagine if I had started when I first wanted to—I’d be close to day 900.

    There’s something you haven’t started or pursued yet because you have some type of self-limiting belief. Know that it’s possible and go get it.

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  • Path to Success: Choices

    Life is as easy or as hard as you make it.

    If you follow the laws of success, you are guaranteed to succeed. If you follow the laws of failure, you are guaranteed to fail.

    Playing in the NFL, you realize that everyone has different backgrounds and upbringings, but we all followed the same laws of success to get there. Everyone is resilient, has a strong desire, determination, and work ethic. We then learned how to be professionals.

    All of these things were enforced as well. You get fined if you’re late for meetings, expected to know all the plays and study on your own, catch every ball, make every tackle, and do your assignment, all while being a good teammate. If you don’t, you don’t last long.

    Every person I’ve seen follow the laws of failure has failed. I’ve seen guys with great potential in football and beyond not reach their full potential because they chose to follow the laws of failure. Some broke actual laws and went to prison. Some chose not to take school seriously and flunked out or weren’t eligible to play sports. Some did drugs and weren’t able to pass drug tests or limited their physical ability.

    We often blame others for our failures or think God isn’t on our side, but if you think of any “failure” that you faced in your life, I bet you can pinpoint what it was that caused you to fail. The same goes for all the successful moments in our lives. You can probably pinpoint all the things you did to succeed.

    Whenever I gain weight and get out of shape, I’m never confused as to why. I know exactly why. I also know what it takes to lose weight and get in shape, so I’m never too concerned.

    Sometimes we get into negative situations and don’t know how we got there. We must find out to learn from our mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again. Sometimes we even have successful moments and don’t know how it happened. That’s bad because we don’t know how to do it again.

    Learn the steps and tasks it took to succeed in that area, and do it again. Learn from others’ mistakes as well as learn from others’ success.

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  • Maximizing Success Through Relationships

    We often have many resources right in front of us to help us get to where we want to go in life but don’t use them. Often, those resources are people we know, such as family members, friends, or acquaintances.

    The problem is that we often don’t ask for their help, or they aren’t willing to offer it. Sometimes it may be a little bit of both.

    Think of those you know who have found success in a particular area of their life. Have you ever asked them for advice? Have you ever sought their mentorship or tried to tap into their knowledge?

    We all possess unique advantages that we should utilize to get ahead in life, and many times, those advantages come from the people we know. Let’s make use of and learn from them…if they are willing to help.

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  • Power Up: Achieve Success

    When your “why” gets stronger, the “how” gets easier.

    A lot of times, the thing between us and our goals and dreams is ourselves. We often have self-limiting beliefs and give every reason why we can’t do something. We think of every obstacle that might come along the way.

    Don’t forget to think of your “whys” either. Think about who you’re doing it for. Think about all the positive outcomes that will come if you bunker down, be resilient, and follow through with your goals, dreams, and ideas. That will make things easier.

    It’s all about ability and attitude.

    They say the future isn’t ahead of you; it’s within you. You already have the abilities to achieve what you want. You have the skills and the gifts. Make sure your attitude is right as well.

    Make sure you believe in yourself. Make sure you’re thinking of all the positive things that can happen, as opposed to the negative. Think of your “why” and let that fuel you. Like the saying goes, it never gets easier; you just get better.

  • Transit Triumph: Embracing Humility

    There was a long span growing up when my family didn’t have a car. As early as 6th grade, I had to catch the city bus to school. My mom was a nurse and had to take the city bus to work every day.

    It was something that used to embarrass me. I didn’t want anyone to see me waiting at the bus stop. However, my mom would catch the bus as if it was nothing. Then, I would be embarrassed again that my mom had to take the bus too.

    As I got older, I realized that was just my ego talking. There’s nothing wrong with public transportation. Even being able to catch the city bus is a blessing.

    When I got to college, I never got a car. I took the bus to school every day for 4 years. There were times when I could have used my Pell Grant money to buy a car, but I never did. I was the star player on the football team, but still used public transportation. Some of my teammates thought I was crazy. I did it to stay humble and hungry. I had to keep my ego in check.

    Many times, it’s our own ego that holds us back from what needs to be done or from blessings and opportunities. Even now, when I’m reluctant to do something, I check to make sure it’s not my ego talking. Many times, it is.

    Don’t let your ego come between you and what you’re obligated to do or what’s necessary to do. Once we put our egos aside, things become more objective and easier to accomplish.

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  • Embrace Your Truth: Empowering Growth

    We are all who we are for reasons. We are shaped by a combination of things that have happened to us and choices we have made.

    Sometimes, we are even unconsciously a certain way and don’t even realize it. It’s important to learn about yourself, though. Find out why you are a certain way. Why do you have the insecurities that you have? Why do you treat relationships a certain way? What makes you upset, etc.?

    Reflect on your life and embrace all those things that have shaped who you are now. Listen to others who may see things in you that you may not see. Embrace your past and own it. Own your truth.

    We all have testimonies. Remember, embracing your past and being true to yourself can empower you to make progress in your life and positively impact others.

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  • Divine Communication: Mastering Listening

    I believe that God speaks to all of us if we truly listen.

    He can use people as vessels or those gut feelings we experience, or even the synchronicities that occur in our lives. He may also speak to us through learning from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others.

    Regardless of the method, God communicates with us. So, if there are times when we feel the opposite, perhaps we aren’t listening. Maybe we need a comprehension skill, similar to what we require for reading. Just like reading comprehension, listening to God is a skill we can develop.

    No matter what you believe God is saying to you, ensure that you listen and take appropriate action. Blessings await.

  • Unlocking the Power of Dreams: Dreaming Bigger and Pursuing Multiple Goals

    No matter what your biggest dream is, dream even bigger. In fact, have multiple big dreams.

    One of my most significant dreams and goals was to play sports professionally, whether it was football, basketball, or track. And that dream did come true. And honestly, it wasn’t difficult. I simply had to make the choices necessary to reach my desired destination. This makes me wonder what I could achieve if I dream even bigger.

    Sometimes, I think that when I was striving to achieve my goal of playing a professional sport, I had tunnel vision to a fault. And honestly, it wasn’t entirely my fault. When you have a natural talent for something, people often try to pigeonhole you. They may have good intentions, but their support is often limited to what they think is best for you. For me, and many athletes, that was football.

    When you excel at football, society makes life easier for you. It becomes easier to progress in school, gain acceptance into college, and even face consequences for mistakes. They confine you within this artificial world. That’s why many players struggle with identity issues when they’re done playing football and have no idea what to do in life afterwards.

    I never had that problem. Football was always just a sport I loved to play, nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t invest my entire identity in it, and it wasn’t the foundation of my life. God was and still is. That’s why I didn’t have a mental challenge transitioning to other things after football.

    I had God before football, during, and after. I’m grateful that I attended Sunday school and Wednesday Bible study during my childhood. It helped shape me.

    There are numerous other dreams I had (and still have) in life that were put aside for football. I wish I had pursued them at an earlier age. But, as I mentioned, I was often confined to a box, focused solely on sports.

    Some kids, like myself, manage to break free from that box and find their own path. I always had wisdom and academic intelligence. However, some children are the opposite. They get trapped in that box and are simply pushed along, often lacking other qualities such as academic intelligence or the right morals and values. So, once football or whichever dream they were pursuing is over, they feel lost. They don’t have the tools to pursue their other dreams and goals. Even worse, they were never shown that they could have other dreams and goals.

    Therefore, I ask you, what is one dream or goal that you have always had but have been hesitant to pursue? What steps can you take today to move closer to realizing that dream or goal?

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