While sitting in Central Park one day after a great meeting, with my signature high water pants and colorful socks, I begin to embrace all that I see around me. From a group of foreign friends speaking their native language while taking in the city sites, to a man taking a long walk after what seems like a long day at work, to the Caucasian woman power walking and is suddenly alarmed by her cell phone ringing with Dr. Dre’s classic song, “The Next Episode” as her ringtone. I could not help but laugh as she manages to clutch her bag fast enough to silence the phone before the beat dropped. With all that was going on around me, only one question continued to come to mind, how can you not enjoy life? Contrary to the joy I felt while watching people pass me by in the park, I only witnessed a few seconds of their life, and I will be nothing more than an extra in their movie called life. Yet despite my small role in their life, I am the lead in my own movie. As the Nike commercial says, “we have no control on how our life starts, or the conditions we are placed in, or even who our parents may be but we do have control on how it will finish. In your movie called life, you are the lead role and how your live will determines if you life will be a hit or a bust.
Despite what the world may tell you, you don’t have to be making a million dollars or speaking to an arena full of people for your life to matter. The key to making a life that matters is to not make it all about you. There are people in your life who need you more than you need you. Every great movie has a great supporting cast but the supporting actors can only flourish if the lead plays his or her part. Can I be honest with you? You may be the only good a person may ever come across in life. You may be the closest thing a person can come to getting to know God and finding their true self. Actors do not know all the people who are watching their movies, all they know is that someone is watching. Some people you may have a major effect on, you already know are watching you; while others you may not know they are watching at all.
What I want you to do today and for the rest of your life is stop trying to be the director and just do your part! God is the Director for our life but too many of us want to roll the credits during the tough scenes. Do not quit, I have been inspired by a myriad of movies in my life and the thing that moved me most was the ending! Go get it until you reach your ending. The best way to push through to your ending is to have a reason why you cannot quit. “With a big enough why, the how does not matter.” I know some of you are saying, “Mike you do not understand my life, there is no turning back.” I do understand but what you do not understand is that no matter how big the mess you are in, God can still turn it into a message but the key to the Director turning your bust into a hit is YOU! Not your parents, not your environment, or your education; it is you but you have to believe that it can happen for you. That is what makes life amazing and fun; allowing God to take what seems impossible and making it possible. Here’s how my movie started; single parent home, I went to eight high schools, and I was on junior varsity as a junior with the hopes of playing college basketball. I graduated with a less than 2.0 GPA and it took me five years to graduate high school; now you talk about a messed up beginning but my story became better. Now I am not going to lie to you and say that I did it on my own because I didn’t. If it were not for the prayers and faith of those around me who saw my potential when I did not see it myself, I probably would have never made it. You may or may not have those kind of people in your life until now because I am praying for you. I am praying God will show Himself in a major way in your life, send the right people, and give you direction and purpose.
I am going to need you to do three things to go along with my prayers: pray, believe, and act. If you don’t like how your life’s movie is going, you can change it, and you can be better. Don’t stick to the world’s script or how you may be feel about your situation. I do not care what anyone in your family has done, what obstacles you are facing or what your past looks like; all I know is that you are great.
The reason why I keep going is because I have a son and I promised him when he was born that I will be there for him and that I will do my best to provide. The reason why I keep going because I promised my grandmother when she died that I will be a man, make her proud and take care of the family. The reason why I keep going is because I know there is someone out there who does not believe in themselves and all they need to know is that they can do it and that they matter. The reason why I keep pushing is because I promised you I will be there. How could I end my movie before its time when I made promises like that? Now I may not know the ending but I know that God will work it out for my good (see Romans 8:28).
What are some reasons why you cannot quit? Take some time in a quite area and talk to God about your life. Do not be frustrated by where you are standing now; rejoice in the fact that the ending is going to exceed your current situation. Be patient; if God gave it to you now, you will probably mess it up. Focus on becoming a better person, not getting the prize. Pray for purpose, pray for understanding and wisdom. God did not send anyone here without a purpose (see Jeremiah 29:11). Before you tell the Director, “CUT,” cut making it about you. Your family needs you, your city needs you, and you need you. There is someone out there who may not be moved by my story but yours will move him or her to see pass their situation. Stop being the villain in your movie and take the lead! Les Brown once said, “ The richest place in the world is the graveyard.” People die with gifts and ideas that were better than Steve Jobs, Oprah, and Walt Disney but they let fear, doubt, or maybe even their own self get in the way. Don’t go to the grave with the gifts that God has given you because unlike “The Next Episode” ringtone that startled the woman in her walk, we do not get another episode at life. Live your best life today! Love you. See you next week.
With Love,
Big Bro Mike