William,
Welfare, I lived it.
Poverty, I knew it.
Food stamps, I had them.
Drug addict mom & dad, I loved them.
Dad not in the house, I accepted it.
Beatings & whoopings, I experienced it.
Fat, overweight kid, I was it.
Gang members in our family, I understood it.
Domestic violence a monthly occurrence, I felt it.
Cheated on every spelling test, I accomplished it.
Can’t spell worth a lick to this day, I am it.
2.0 high school GPA, I sought after it.
Death was eminent, I believed it.
Stories of uncle Larry, I remembered them.
Foster homes for my cousins, your uncles, I was scared of them.
Child Protective Services, I wanted them.
A pregnancy I didn’t want, I spoke it.
Divorce papers on the table, I deserved it.
Living paycheck to paycheck, I proclaimed it.
Two year deep depression, you don’t want it.
A day that turned my life around, I needed it.
The moment I decided I wasn’t a victim and nobody was going to save me but me, I had it.
Books on how to develop myself, I bought them.
Free development videos on youtube, I obsessed over them.
Mentors to help me, I searched for them.
Dreams of better days, I fantasized about them.
Being influential, a multi millionaire, a leader someday, I commanded it.
Knowing that the biggest limitations we have as Black men in America in 2020 is our own mindsets, I revealed it.
All things are possible.
We ARE NOT victims despite what others might try to convince us. Or what we try to convince ourselves. They tried to convince me of that too.
Know where it got me? Frustrated. Depressed. Bitter, and most egregious of all, hopeless.
We ARE children of God. We can do All Things. We are mighty warriors who are destined for greatness even given the deck of cards we started off with.
We CAN be anything we want to be even given our circumstances.
In life I’ve learned, it’s not what happens to you.
It’s how you choose to respond to what happens.
It’s what you DO about it.
It’s up to you.
It’s up to you.