There’s a quote that says, “Find something you love so much that you don’t need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.”
For me, that’s my baby daughter. I don’t even need an alarm clock anymore because my daughter will find a way to wake me up.
It could be through crying or babbling. Either way, I know she’ll wake me up nice and early. I love that girl! LOL.
In the book I read, “Freakonomics,” it discussed how children who didn’t read during the summer returned to school with lower proficiency compared to their peers who did.
The study also revealed that these children experienced a widening achievement gap compared to their reading counterparts.
It’s a simple task with a significant impact on a child’s life, and I believe what’s good for the geese is good for the gander. If children should devote themselves to reading and learning during the summer, I feel that adults should also continue to read, learn, and grow throughout their lives, not just in the summer or during their time in school, such as college.
Just like the children, imagine how different we would be as individuals if we read more or actively pursued learning and mastery in our passions. We are all lifelong learners, but some choose to halt their progress at a certain point, while others perpetually strive to acquire knowledge. So, don’t stop.
You never have to accept something with which you’re not happy.
If you’re struggling to lose weight, consider trying a different approach. Don’t simply accept the current weight and resign yourself to it; believe that you can change.
If you’re unhappy in a relationship, seek to identify what needs to be altered to find happiness or consider ending the relationship.
If you aren’t content with your current life situation, make the necessary choices to create a new life.
Regardless of what aspect you wish to change, all it requires is belief, intentional actions, and consistency. Taking the easy way out is to simply accept things as they currently are.
Having a baby is amazing because it feels like a clean slate.
Your baby loves you unconditionally. They have no idea about your past and naturally love you for being their parent. They don’t ask for a resume to be their parent or perform a background check. They aren’t materialistic; it’s just pure love.
Conversely, the parents’ love for the baby is exactly the same. It’s a new and fresh life, in which you deeply love from day one. Both of you have clean slates. You can teach your kid anything and help them become anything they want to be.
I believe self-improvement is key because a child learns most from your actions. It’s important to try to eliminate your bad habits or anything you wouldn’t want your child to do. It’s truly the circle of life because your kids grow as you grow.
If you don’t grow, you can expect your child never to grow and develop in that area either. You already have a clean slate, so the best thing you can do for your child is to strive to be the best version of yourself.
Also, have patience with your child because many of the traits they need to fix and improve in life, they inherited from you.
Even if your relationship with your parents wasn’t good, that’s fine. Perhaps they never received the correct traits and nurturing from their parents, and so on. The good thing is you can break the cycle right now and show your children something different.
One should always compose oneself and watch one’s temper, but there are many times when it’s okay to be upset.
You might have righteous rage, which is feeling angry about unfairness or injustice and wanting to make things right.
Or you might be upset about something in your life. This could mean you’ve found something that you’re passionate about and would like to change.
That’s the key. The feeling of upset should lead to a positive change. So if you are upset about something, embrace it and use that energy to make a difference.
The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.
Anything that I’ve already achieved in life was deliberate, and I had the vision way before it came into fruition. I just had to come up with the proper plans and steps to get there.
There are a lot of unfortunate situations that I’ve been in that I created myself as well. I may not have had these tough situations in my vision, but I still may have unknowingly followed the steps to get in that position.
Don’t complicate things in life. It’s easier than you think to achieve what you want to do. It may take some time, work, and faith, but it’s possible. So monitor your actions and think about what type of future they are creating.
“The one-eyed man is king in the land of the blind.”
Even someone with limited knowledge or abilities can appear superior or be in a position of power when surrounded by others who have even less knowledge or ability.
There are times when we are the blind and do not even realize it. There are also times when we are the one-eyed person with limited expertise or understanding, yet we falsely believe or are considered highly knowledgeable or skilled. Sometimes, we are unaware of our own blindness because we have never known or experienced anything different.
As I grow in life, experience new things, travel, and learn, I realize how “blind” I was in certain areas. I also understand that I am still blind in certain aspects. The key is to understand that and be willing to grow and “see.” It also takes a person with vision to point out someone else’s blindness, or even one-eyed perspective.
Moreover, even if you have the vision, it requires a certain type of communication and trust to help the blind understand their blindness and to follow your lead.
Obviously, it’s a metaphor, but such is life.
The other day, while scrolling on social media, I came across a video of a baby falling and bumping their head. The gist of the video was that depending on how the parents act, it decides how the baby will react to the situation. In the video, instead of reacting alarmed or super concerned when the baby hit their head, the parents reacted lightheartedly and laughed as if the small bump wasn’t much. The baby, in return, laughed and did not cry at all.
Yesterday, I had a similar situation. My baby rolled from her stomach to her back, something we have been practicing for a while and encouraging her to do. It was a rough roll, and she kind of bumped into a few toys and other things surrounding her. Instead of reacting all alarmed and frightened, my wife and I clapped and congratulated my baby for rolling over. She, in return, smiled, and you could tell she was proud of herself. Had we reacted differently, she may have cried.
The same goes for us and how we live life. We might experience a few bumps and bruises along the way on our journey of life. We may experience shortcomings or even witness someone experience some kind of shortcoming or “bump” their head. It’s how we respond to those situations that matters the most. It’s key to keep a positive attitude. We can’t change what happened, but we can decide how we respond. How we respond decides how we learn and move on from that situation.
The same goes for when we are supporting others. It’s crucial to make sure our response to others’ situations is positive and supportive. Many parents need this reminder when dealing with their kids who are now young adults or adults. You should want the best for your kid, and of course, you never want anything bad to happen. But when problems do arise, make sure you are supporting them in a productive way that will give them confidence to continue pushing in life. Also, provide a sense of security so that when the next problem arises, they feel comfortable coming to you again for help and guidance.
It is crucial to strive for self-integration, where your thoughts, actions, and words align cohesively.
When your beliefs, intentions, and actions synchronize, you present a more authentic version of yourself. Inconsistencies in these areas can lead to problems.
Personally, when my actions don’t match my words, I feel uneasy. The same applies when my thoughts and actions aren’t in harmony. I observe others in the same way, checking if their thoughts, words, and actions align when something feels off.
In sports, when a player takes shortcuts or doesn’t give their full potential, the common advice is, “You’re only cheating yourself.” While it may sound cliché, it is indeed true. Cheating yourself in sports and training hinders progress and potential for growth.
This principle extends to life as well. When your words and actions aren’t aligned, or when you pretend they are, you’re only cheating yourself. Stay true to yourself and focus on fully integrating your thoughts, words, and actions. It is possible.
When I was a kid, my dad would take me to the public library and show me old newspaper articles from when he played basketball in high school and junior college.
He was a talented player, and those articles served as proof of his skills. While some may view this as dwelling in the past or being a “fallen star,” I am grateful for that experience as it was crucial for my own success in sports.
Knowing our history is key to being prepared for the future, having pride, and understanding our roots. Learning about my dad’s athletic achievements instilled confidence in me and showed me what was possible. It made me appreciate the athletic genetics I inherited and the rewards of hard work.
Now, I do the same with my teenage nephew, sharing my own sports accomplishments and stories about his parents’ athletic abilities. I believe this knowledge will give him a sense of pride and confidence.
It is important to learn our history, not just within our family but within our entire race, and to reflect on our own achievements in life. Recognizing the positive things said about us, the goals we have accomplished, big or small, serves as a reminder of our potential.
Learning our history is invaluable, and no one should take that away from us. The more we learn, the better we will be in the future.
FLY, BLACK BOY 