Hi, my name is.....(Chicka Chicka) Slim Shady

Hi kids, do you like violence? 

He is controversial and certainly not afraid to speak his mind. He is also one of my greatest inspirations and one of the most profound writers of all-time. Some of the greatest lessons on success and picking yourself up when you fall, come from the lyrical genius, Eminem….or as he calls himself….Chicka Chicka Slim Shady. Here are a few of my favorites:

I will not fall,

I will stand tall,

Feels like no one can beat me.

Eminem recognizes that power of confidence. The power of self-belief and recognizing the success that lies deep within you. Even if things are not going your way, stand tall and do not give any energy to the potential competitors.

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity

To seize everything you ever wanted. One moment

Would you capture it or just let it slip?

You must have an opportunistic mindset. You must look for opportunities and be ready to take action when they present themselves. Often times, opportunities are disguised as catastrophic failures and setbacks.

I’ve been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage

But I kept rhyming and stepped right into the next cypher

Best believe somebody’s paying the pied piper

Everyone fails. Everyone gets beat once in a while. You can give up or you can stay focused on the things that are in your control. Keep paying "the pied-piper" and stay productive. Work your way out of a slump. Keep facing your challenges head on.

You can do anything you set your mind to, man

Simply put, recognize the power of your mind. Recognize the power of transmuting your dreams into reality. They are dreams for a reason. They have deeply rooted reasoning and emotional connections that are imbedded internally.

I’m a man, I’ma make a new plan

Time for me to just stand up, and travel new land

Time for me to just take matters into my own hands

Once I’m over these tracks man I’ma never look back

When things do not work out the way you expected do no sit and sulk. Get back to work. Make new plans and keep moving forward with total relentlessness.

I got every ingredient, all I need is the courage

Like I already got the beat, all I need is the words

This is the best lesson of all. Wherever you are at, you have everything you need to be all that you want. There is no need to wait for better circumstances. They will never come. The time is now. Courageously face the world and fearlessly go after your dreams.  

Greatness Bowing to Greatness

If anyone saw last night’s Thursday Night Football game, they are probably aware that Devin Hester broke Deion Sander’s “returned touchdowns” record. He surpassed Deion, aka PrimeTime with his 20^th touchdown on a 62-yard punt return. Records were made to broken, right?

If you have ever watched Deion Sanders play the game of football, he is an absolute bad-ass. He was one of the cockiest players in the league and took the first punt return he ever touched, to the house. He was more commonly known as PrimeTime for his performances under the lights on “PrimeTime” television. He played professional baseball AND professional football. He was absolutely one of the greatest cornerbacks and football players of all-time. He previously held the record with 19 returned touchdowns…..before Devin Hester came along.

Deion said, several years ago, that Devin Hester was the best return man of “all-time”. He said he was even better than himself in his “prime”… (pun intended) He recognized the potential of Devin Hester and was committed to mentoring this young kid to the top at the beginning of his career. He sure did a hell of a job.

There is nobody that could refute the greatness of Deion Sanders as a football player. He was absolutely electric to watch. So what really makes him so great?

What makes him so great, is that he was rooting for Devin Hester to break his record. A lot of players would congratulate someone who broke their record, secretly hoping that they would fail. Not Deion. Devin Hester told Deion in an interview last night that he really appreciated all of the encouraging texts that he received before football games over the last few years. Deion was constantly encouraging Devin to go out, do great things, and break his own record. That is true greatness. That is a man who is a true leader in this world. A man who roots for advancement and progress. A man who roots for someone better to come along. It doesn’t take away from the greatness of Deion Sanders – it adds to it.

Deion Sanders just proved to the world his greatness – again, and in a different capacity. I have always been a huge fan of Deion as a football player and I just became an even bigger fan of Deion Sanders – the man. The ultimate success in life is in mentoring and coaching people to become better than yourself. Rooting FOR people to break your records. That’s advancement. That’s progress. That is life.

My hat goes off to Deion Sanders. All the greatness in the world should bow to his greatness, just as he did to Devin Hester. Deion Sanders – you are the greatest of all-time. Thank you for your inspiration, self-esteem and for leading the world by example. 

The Little Girl and Her Dog

The other day I saw a little girl, about 4 years old, walking her dog. The dog was about 4 times as big as her, so the dog was really walking her. Anyways, she was totally elated. For no apparent reason. She was genuinely happy. Her dog was happy. They didn’t have a care in the world other than enjoying each other’s company. She ran down the sidewalk and looked up at me and gave me, a complete and total stranger, the biggest smile I have ever seen. I could not help but smile back. It made me very genuinely happy. Her happiness was infectious. It was probably one of the most adorable things I have ever seen.

That little girl made me think. We have all been carefree and happy like that before. I remember being a kid and all I cared about was playing outside. It didn’t matter if it was football, basketball, street baseball or creating chalk masterpieces on the driveway with my little sister. It was true happiness. How often do we adults just smile at each other for no reason? I catch myself paying no attention to people I pass on the streets. Occasionally, I’ll even shoot a disingenuous half-smile, but nothing like the smile that little girl gave me. As adults we are consumed with other things. We are stressed out. We are worried if we say “hello” and smile at a stranger, we might not get a response. That little girl couldn’t have cared less if I smiled back or not. Her happiness did not come from my response. Her happiness was internal. Her happiness was more powerful than anything I have ever seen before.

It still blows my mind how much power a little girl could possess. This little girl possesses the secret to riches and a lifetime of happiness. I hope she never loses that infectious enthusiasm. That enthusiasm will carry her to great heights. It will inspire others to be happier and more loving and caring. She can do amazing things by just holding onto her true-self. By not allowing others to convince her to be something other than herself. To follow her heart in all that she does. To maintain her authenticity at all cost. That’s what’s funny about the world and the law of attraction. We all want to be like people who are genuinely themselves – people who are authentic. You don’t need a reason to be happy. You don’t have to justify it. It doesn’t have to be difficult; it’s just a choice we all make every morning when we wake up. Wake up every day like the little kid inside of you wants you to. Be happy for no apparent reason. They always say, “When you smile at the world, the world smiles back at you.” Give the world your biggest and brightest smile – just like that little girl, and see who smiles back at you. J