Being a professional - Being positive

1 Corinthians 16:13-14  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

"Why try to fit in when you're a stand out." - Joe Budden

My mother always told me that God does not like ugly. Somewhere in the Bible, it states that God knows us through our spirit. He knows who we really are. In his eyes, we are transparent. Thus regardless of our socioeconomic status, clothing, degrees, social status, etc., we cannot disguise ourselves from our Creator. 

That is refreshing to know. However, some people possess ugly attitudes, personalities, and traits. They think negatively, thus they act negatively towards others. This is evident in the work place. There is something about the work place that breeds envy, jealousy, negativity, and pessimism. 

That negativity is shared through human interaction. As company representatives interact with consumers, interactions get ugly. This fact is on display during the busy holiday season as shoppers show their frustration in the process of attempting to save money on various products. 

During this holiday season, it is understandable that workers are emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. Mandatory overtime hours combined with a lack of work-life balance leads to frustration. That frustration boils out in interactions with coworkers, consumers, and relatives. 

However, as we strive towards excellence. The onus is our responsibility to live like no one else. Living like no one else requires responding positively no matter how negative someone is. It requires responding not reacting.

Falling for Christ, I owe it to my brother Corey (part 1)

Corey Scott on the left, me on the right

"When Corey died, my mama called trying to comfort me/ That night I did not sleep/ I sat alone, tears in the dark/ It's been years, still hold a broken heart/ Don't know where to start, just trying to make my brother proud/ He looks down on me high from a sea of clouds..." - My Song Cry on my 2008 hip-hop mixtape Necessary Evilz

 7 years ago... I experienced a typical college day for a student. My morning consisted of several classes at Tennessee State University. After my last class meeting, I stepped outside; the sun illuminated the wet blades of Nashville grass. Here I stood searching for something meaningful in life. 22 years of age, 600-miles away from friends, family, and comfort. Comfort. I can't recall exactly where I heard the following statement. I was reading a book and I came across a powerful truth "With comfort, there cannot be greatness." Thus, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to find something greater, something meaningful. 

That search for greatness was redefined on an October afternoon. At Dillards, I checked my Facebook account and noticed a message from one of my best friends, Robert Croston aka Rob C. As I read his message, I reread the words over and over. My heart dropped to the floor. If this was a nightmare, I was eager to awake. Unfortunately, I wasn't sleeping.

Twenty minutes later, I was leaving Dillards. Speeding down Interstate 65, I didn't have the strength to restrain the tears from pouring down my face. My mind flooded with images of debate competitions, basketball practices, outings at fast food restaurants, SummerFest, Milwaukee Bucks' games, and more. As I entered my apartment, I crawled up the stairs to reach my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I collapsed to my knees near my bed. In a midst of tears, I cried out to God. I felt anger, confusion, and bitterness. After my nerves calmed, I prayed to God again. This time I thanked God for allowing me to have such a genuine friend in my lifetime. 

Belonging to something greater than myself visual

Copyright belongs to Leonard Andre Wilson, Jr., author of My Flexibility Manifesto

Some of my old music for socially observant souls

The wealth gap widens

A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

When the government lowers taxes, they strategically do so for corporations. In turn, those businesses are expected to hire workers. On the contrary, companies tend to proceed cautiously by freezing hiring. Thus, we have 14 percent black unemployment and 12 percent Hispanic unemployment. This is a significant proportion of our society that is not able to improve their financial circumstances or increase their career opportunities. Subsequently, high unemployment causes the economic gap to widen between whites and minorities (not including Asian Americans). According to the Economic Policy Institute, the “top 1 percent” of wealthy Americans are 288 times richer than the rest of the country. How’s that possible? The average median household income is $57,000 versus over $16 million for the “top 1 percent.” For a country self-labeled as the “land of opportunity,” the “American Dream” appears deferred for many Americans. 

Interestingly, the current presidential election unveils the question of economic uncertainty. How much of an impact does the president of the United States or federal government have over unemployment and the creation of jobs?

Another book giveaway of My Flexibility Manifesto, rated five stars via Amazon

Goodreads Book Giveaway

My Flexibility Manifesto

by Leonard Wilson Jr.

Giveaway ends September 26, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win