Virtue, morality, choosing to do the right things, being courteous and treating people with respect. These are qualities that often get overlooked, but if cultivated and implemented, can provide lasting changes of improvement in your life. It starts with simply choosing to make the right decisions consciously and consistently. I’ve decided to get back to the basics. I like to call it “going old school” where we called each other on the phone instead of social media. The days where we said hello to each other in public when passing. Instead of being consumed with our phones and distracted, getting back to practicing common courtesy. I now realize that if you be present for people, listen to what they have to say, allow them to open up to you. You can make the most meaningful connections that last a lifetime. Righteousness, for me, is just deciding to do what’s right no matter what and having principles that you uphold, which will benefit your life in many ways.

I’m grateful to have grown up in a family where taught at a young age about rights and wrongs, also learning that there are consequences for your actions as well, some through trial and error. Most of the work that provides lasting change will be internal. It is often the most difficult because we sometimes get set in our ways. But when you begin that work, you will realize that it is beneficial to your life and others. It all starts with your mind, how you think, and what you feed it. You have to cultivate an environment of optimism and positivity. Then you have to take responsibility and get rid of the victim mindset. You have no control over what happens, but you have full control over how you respond. Next, you create principles that you’re going to live by and never let up. The principles that you put in place have to support your purpose so that everything is in alignment. It will allow you to achieve success in every endeavor that you choose.

Decide today to treat others with respect and dignity. Focus on the present so that you can make meaningful connections with people. Implement principles in alignment with your purpose, and also cultivate the characteristics of virtue, righteousness, and morality. I believe that if you make these changes you will become light and a beacon of hope that others can follow. Until next time, may your day be filled with an abundance of love and prosperity. Be you. Be great.

There was a time in my life where I was searching for meaning and purpose. I just generally felt unfulfilled and became dependent on external sources for validation and happiness. I knew that there was more to life than what I was currently experiencing. That was the moment when I began the self-improvement journey. They tell you to be yourself, be confident, and add value. To be yourself, you first have to know who you are and what you want out of life. You might have to lose yourself first to find yourself later. That was the path I took when I went through various addictions and made it out. Most people think that you are born confident or, some people have confidence, naturally. That may be true for some. For others, you have to build it up over time through self-improvement. The characteristics of courage, self-discipline, drive, ambition, and the resiliency that you develop, while on your self-improvement journey make you a person of value and more confident.

As you may know already, I tend to talk about self-discipline a lot. The reason being, I believe it’s one of the most important attributes a person can develop. It’s the glue that holds it all together. It’s hard to practice self-discipline initially because of the various temptations one may experience. The key is to create habits that take discipline to maintain. Some are eating healthy, working out, optimistic thinking, and meditation. The main thing to understand is that with the practice of self-discipline, you may not see results initially for the amount of work your putting in. Stick with it because it will take some time to adjust to delayed gratification, and you will begin to develop resiliency as a result.

It takes a lot of courage to decide to do something different and change your habits for the better. As you begin to make better choices, and when you start seeing the results, you will feel good and begin to have a general sense of well-being. During this time, if you stay dedicated and determined to stick with each habit you create, your confidence will increase because your accomplishing goals regularly. If you take time and look deep within yourself, you will realize that we are creative beings with unlimited potential. If we harness that creativity and use it productively, our value and confidence is limitless. We all have a purpose in life to fulfill, and that purpose is what will give you true happiness as you see your dreams come true. It is up to you to find out what you want from your life and actively pursue it. That’s how you create confidence and value. Until next time, may you be encouraged to chase your dreams. Just believe in yourself, and anything is possible. Be you. Be great.

As I ponder over my life and reflect on my early childhood, I often found myself asking the question of why a lot as a kid. My mind would wander, and would I would end up daydreaming after one thought. I began to realize that I was very introverted and would internalize everything, the good and the bad. Once I began to read about mindfulness, awareness, and meditation. I was able to slow my mind down and organize the thought process, which allowed me to expand my consciousness and get more connected with life in general. There are many benefits to this practice, and if implemented, you can expect growth in many areas of your life.

We are born into this life in a hurry to grow up, so we can hang out with the older kids to be cool. What we don’t realize is that with old age comes responsibility, and hanging out with the cool kids is often overrated. Then we rush through school thinking about graduation so we can leave the house and go to college, to be on our own. What we have to realize is that life conditions us to be in a hurry all the time in everything we do. At some point, if you don’t take notice and slow down, you will be forced to slow down by many illnesses and ailments where rest is the only cure. Meditation allows you to slow the mind down and create an environment where mindfulness can evolve. Mindfulness is being consciously aware at times of what you’re doing. If you are washing the dishes, you focus only on the task and nothing more. Once your mind begins to become distracted by other thoughts, you immediately come back to the present and focus again. The goal of mindfulness is to get to a state where you’re aware of everything you do.

As you practice mindfulness and meditate, your consciousness expands, and you begin to realize how amazing it is to be alive, to experience nature and its beauty, and to connect with people through conversation. You become grateful for the small things in life because you’re present enough to notice and appreciate them. As you go through life, remember to understand how precious your mind is and protect it. Slow down and take notice of all that you have and be grateful. Until next time, may you begin to experience the prosperous nature of life and live more in mindfulness. Be you. Be great.

We often see the wealthy businessman, the celebrity actor, or the professional athlete and marvel at their success and achievement. On TV, the media highlights the fame, the fortune, the fancy cars, and homes. What we don’t see is the sacrifices they made and the hard work it took to get there. Or the vision to pursue their dreams no matter what. I realize now that success is not a destination; it’s the journey. As you navigate that path, you will have to create a vision of your future, make sacrifices, and stay focused.

I’m beginning to realize that the pursuit of your dreams isn’t going to be easy. We often get inspired and create plans for what we want to accomplish. Then you decide to quit your job and pursue your dreams. You expect that everything is going to work now that you’ve found your purpose. What I now understand is that you are going to have to sacrifice some things in pursuit of that dream. Some sacrifices you will have to make will be financial, being away from friends and family, or maybe going without food and shelter. Many people may not be willing to go without it. What we must understand is that the difficulties we face will equip us with the tools we will need for our purpose and dreams, as long as we continue to be courageous and never give up.

People aren’t going to see your vision. Don’t expect them to. The reason they can’t see it is that it belongs to you. You were born with it, and you must follow it no matter what. Don’t get distracted while on your purpose. Stay focused and determined to see it through. It’s going to be hard at times, and you will also begin to doubt yourself and wonder if you made a mistake. Understand that everything that happens is a part of the journey, the good and the bad. Continue to believe in yourself and only make decisions that support your dreams and purpose. As long as you don’t give up, you’re not a failure. Until next time, do whatever it takes to see your dreams come true, it will be worth it in the end I promise. Be you. Be great.

In life, we have moments where we get tested mentally, physically, and spiritually. We experience financial difficulties, health problems, and this creates a downward spiral into many vices that we lean on to cope. You often hear many people say be courageous, be resilient, face your fears. I must admit I say these things a lot as a form of motivation. What I realize now it is often easier said than done. I believe we have to go through the difficult times to develop the courage needed to face our fears. We also have to overcome the many setbacks of life to create the resiliency you need to persevere.

My own life has been a series of highs and lows, ups and downs, and triumphs and setbacks. I am grateful for every one of the moments that I experience but, believe or not, I appreciate the bad times as well. During the difficult times, It gives us a chance to slow down and find out what truly matters and what doesn’t. We also begin to notice vices and unresolved issues that are holding us back. If we decide at that moment to change and start to put in the work on ourselves, we become more courageous and resilient as we continue to move forward in self-improvement.

It takes a lot of strength and determination to keep going when things aren’t working out the way you imagined they would. As you continue to be resilient and courageously press onward amid your difficult circumstances, continue to believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid of hitting rock bottom. It might be the wake-up call, and foundation you need to take off and navigate this world of uncertainty. Until next time, may you be encouraged to chase your dreams and never give up. Be you. Be great.

Gratitude, acknowledgment, appreciation are qualities that can instantly make you feel better. Just letting a person know that you appreciate them can make them feel good. As you become more grateful, your happiness increases as well. We often save thankfulness for thanksgiving and other holidays that show we care for others, and we take for granted what we already have every day of our lives. Often at times, we experience setbacks or the ups and downs of life, get down and start to feel bad. During these times, if we would take a look around and see the family, friends, food, and housing that we have and decide to be grateful and show appreciation for them, it would improve our lives for the better.

There are many benefits to being grateful which include, better mood, an increase in finances, and a sense of wellbeing. I realize that it can be hard to implement daily because of marketing and advertising that makes us want what we don’t necessarily need. The key is to be happy with what you already have. Then continue to distinguish between a need and want daily. Your finances will begin to improve as well since you’re not spending money on things you do not need. I think the main reason why we experience unhappiness is that we place our focus on the things that we do not have. When you begin to focus on what you do have and be grateful for the little things, you can’t help but experience happiness and joy.

We are all here for a time, and it will fly by. Slow down and take a look around you. Then start to pick out things that you can be grateful for now. Tell the people in your life that you love and care about them. Don’t be afraid to show love. As we begin to build the love within our selves and then share that love with others, I believe we are expressing our true nature. Hold your family and friends close in appreciation, and be kind to anyone you encounter. Until next time, may you experience unconditional love and an abundance of joy. Be you. Be great.

The path of self-fulfillment is arduous. It is a trek filled with many hills and valleys. As soon as you start climbing that mountain of success, you get tripped up by many unseen rocks of setbacks, although difficult, the journey of greatness is the path that I choose to take on. As I reflect on my life and think about the characteristics that help people achieve success, perseverance, courage, self-discipline, focus, determination, resiliency are a few that come to mind. We often believe that once you make it to the mountain top, you will have achieved success. What I realize now is that success is the journey, not the destination. You have to experience the ups and downs of life to develop the mental fortitude and the characteristics that help you achieve greatness.

It starts with your mind and your belief in yourself. I have struggled my whole life with this because of self-doubt and anxiety. It wasn’t until I began to focus on finding ways to overcome my insecurities that I started to see improvement. How you think shapes your perception and behavior, which is one of the many keys to success and greatness. You have to believe it in your mind that you will be successful first before you see any evidence of that fact. Next, you have to change your behavior and begin to put in the necessary work on your craft day in and day out. I can admit I get frustrated at times because I focus too much on the results and not the process. We must stay patient during the process on this journey. Then begin to shift your focus to those things that are in your control. Which are the effort you put in, the mindset you create, and the way you perceive the things that happen.

When one becomes inspired and motivated, we often get filled with so much ambition and drive. Then out of nowhere, right as we are starting to gain momentum, it seems like we get blindsided by setbacks like lack of funds, health issues, fees, and other delays. These are all part of the journey of success because you are going to struggle at times. I have experienced struggles at various stages of my life since I was a child. I now realize that to appreciate the good times, you will have to go through the difficult times. Hold on, be encouraged, and continue to stay focused on your goals and endeavors. Although it may seem like nothing is happening, things are going to work out for your good. Until next time, may you gain a newfound motivation to help you achieve and believe. Anything you want to accomplish is possible! Be you. Be great.

We are all born with creative ability. Some realize that and begin to work and cultivate it early. Others don’t start working on creativity until later on in life. It is our choices, mindset, habits, and hobbies the either expand or constrict our creativity. I am grateful that I was able to get involved in music at an early age. It gave me the foundation to expand my awareness and make conscious decisions. I began to play the drums at church and eventually started to take classes and joined the jazz and pep band at school. Once I got to college, my creativity continually began to improve with the different books I read, and the classes I attended. Once I started to read books on the Self and enlightenment and began to look within for validation. I realized that we are born with the ability to change our reality, once we look within and begin to cultivate our creativity.

The journey to find yourself is a path that everyone faces at some point, whether we realize it or not. I think the vices we choose to lean on, the habits that we create, and the mistakes we make are all part of that path. Some wake up and decide to make changes. Others don’t and end up learning the hard way in life. I believe that during any self-improvement journey, you come to realize that you have a choice. You can choose to take control of your life and create the world you want. You can choose your occupation. You can create a business. You can pick the location where you want to live. It begins with you creating a plan of action, deciding what you want out of your life, then working persistently toward the goals that you have put in place.

As you begin to look within and ask yourself questions, it can become uncomfortable at times. The reason being you start to uncover traumatic experiences that you have buried under the different vices that you have. I’ve been there, and I know what it’s like to go into that dark place. I’m glad that I chose to because I now realize that those experiences, the dark times, the vices were all part of the path to find out who I am. Continue to move forward in your life. Begin to look within and choose habits that cultivate your creativity. Decide what you want out of life and take action. Don’t feel guilty for the mistakes that you have made in the past. Realize that it was all for your betterment, for you to become your best. It’s all part of the plan, the plan where you find you. Until next time, may you experience enlightenment and alignment. Be you. Be great.

You have a gift inside of you that nobody can do better than you. You have to look within to find it. Then you must begin to cultivate and develop that gift. Most people are often afraid to express their talents because they care about what other people may think. I remember when I was younger, I was waiting to play the drums for a talent show. As I think back, I recall being so nervous before I was going to play that I went downstairs and hid because I started to have so much anxiety about how I was going to play. One thing I remember about that night was my cousin Wesley, may he rest in prosperity, came downstairs and found me. He told me that I was up next and they were about to call my name. I eventually found enough courage to play and ended up winning the talent show. Looking back, I realize now that the reason for the nervousness and anxiety was because I hadn’t developed the belief in myself and the ability to be carefree.

We’re born into this world with the question, why are we here? I believe we are here to find our purpose. That purpose is to cultivate our gifts and talents and perfect our craft. Then use that ability to provide service and help for others. It’s going to take patience to develop, and you will have to stay disciplined. Always remember that anything that takes patience to develop is God-given. The gifts that we have were given to us by God, and we must use those gifts wisely. Begin to start creating healthy habits in your life. The self-discipline you create by staying diligent with those habits will give you the belief in yourself that you need.

Believe in yourself! You are intelligent, creative, unique, and gifted. You have an ability, unlike any other. Once you believe it in your mind, it’s already done. There are going to be times when you don’t feel like doing what you must. You have to persevere and continue to move forward. Time is valuable, and we only have so much. Make sure you take advantage of the time that you have and do something worthwhile. Until next time, may you be enriched with determination and confidence. Be you. Be great.

I owe my parents everything for putting me in sports at an early age. My fondest memories were playing basketball, football, and baseball for the Eastside Boys & Girls Club. It was during this time I learned about the value of fitness. One can learn a lot during the practice of organized sports. You begin to build perseverance, a work ethic, reliability, strength, and determination. The values you learn once you establish a fitness routine and stay consistent with it can help you in other areas of your life.

During the beginning stages of any fitness lifestyle, you may experience many difficulties and setbacks. It is during this time many people often give up. Keep in mind that when you begin any new habit, it is often hard initially, but eventually, it gets easier. The key is to stay consistent with it. There are many benefits, as you may know already, which include stress relief, mental clarity, endorphin release, and overall wellbeing. Exercise has been a part of my life since day one. Although I can admit when I was in high school, I wouldn’t run to save my life. Eventually, I developed the habit of running during my college years, which was a benefit and helped me relieve a lot of stress that I had from class and tests.

Begin today and decide that you’re going to take control of your health and create a fitness routine and stick with it. What you do with what you have makes you who you are. The saying goes, “health is wealth.”Why not buy some self-improvement stock in the lifestyle of fitness. Then protect your investment by staying resilient when you’re sore, persevering when you don’t feel like working out, and patient when you don’t see any results initially. I just wanted to share some inspiration with you on some of the values of fitness. Until next time, may you begin to feel invigorated and take control of your health. Be prosperous. Be you. Be great.