ADVICE
They have provided an essential foundation for my life
My grandmother was about as wise as a person could get. She died in 1998, but the lessons and messages that she instilled in me continue to shape and guide my life.
Here are five timeless lessons that she taught me that were life-changing.
1. Clothes Don’t Make the Man
When my classmates were mocking me in grade school for wearing my grandfather’s outdated clothes, it humiliated me. My grandmother later explained that clothes, nor any other materialistic thing define a person. Their character does, and I still live by that.
2. One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show
My aunt was furious with me for eating too much of her legendary spaghetti. My…
LIFE LESSONS
It must be sincere for it to work
Sometimes a goal can feel impossible to achieve. The more you think about it, the more you become discouraged.
It usually happens with something that seems too big to happen, but faith can make impossibility a reality.
Years ago, I desperately wanted to get hired by a sales organization that was ranked as the top workplace in the state.
I aced the interview and the background check and all that was left was to pass the licensing exam. It seemed simple enough; I just had to score a minimum of 70 to make my goal a reality.
I struggled mightily…
LIFE LESSONS
It takes the right focus
Instead of looking for a quick fix or begging others for advice, I found that your own self-awareness can destroy bad habits.
Yes, I know. It’s a bigger shock than finding out that R. Kelly should be banned from recess — but it’s true. I became a curious consumer of alcohol back in 2000, and within months, I was hooked.
But the allure of drinking wasn’t the taste, which was absolute garbage. Actually, I never could pinpoint what was so compelling about getting hammered to the ceiling from brewskis and hard liquor.
Until last year.
I challenged myself to go…
SPORTS LEGENDS
Five games into his comeback produced a masterpiece
The Setup
Michael Jordan’s famous two-word fax, released to the world on March 18, 1995, was simple in its audacious declaration that the seminal basketball giant was ending his 17-month retirement to return to playing in the NBA.
However, the “I’m Back” fax was a bit misleading in the fact that MJ’s timing was off in the first few games and his shooting was nightmarish.
In other words, he was on the court, but he wasn’t actually “back.”
That is until he showed up in New York City.
The Perfect Setting For a Grand Performance
26 years ago today, Jordan immortalized the term “double nickel” with a signature 55…
OPINION
The iconic golfer was raised as a robot
After watching HBO’s riveting two-part documentary on Tiger Woods, I came away awestruck and shocked. I have long known the general details of his historic rise up the ranks of professional golf; how he made a boring sport dominated by old white men into a cool ass event that tons of black people couldn’t wait to watch.
I knew about his father Earl and the obsession he had in molding his only son into a global phenomenon. …
THOUGHTS
The man is a massive inspiration
I have been aware of Al Sharpton for at least 25 years. I don’t ever think about his politics or even his controversies throughout his long career. But I absolutely admire him because of his dramatic physical transformation and his ongoing dedication to maintain that.
There was a moment in 1996 when I asked my aunt to put a perm in my hair because Michael Jackson was wearing his hair that way at the time. …
ADVICE
It is not for the faint of heart
Introduction
I just completed my 140th workout in a span of 180 days. Who knew that changing your life would suck so damn bad?
Maybe you can relate. I hope so, because in the midst of the “sucking,” it’s also a fascinating journey of self-discovery. Turns out, you don’t know yourself as well as you thought.
I’m still in the very early stages of a massive life upgrade. Here are three things I learned during the past six months that you will be smart to remember while changing your life.
1. Throw Your Feelings in the Trash
Any good personal development book will tell you that you’ll never…
NBA HISTORY
Looking back on the legend’s shocking comeback
The Setup
As my “F” riddled senior year at Glenville High School stretched into its final few months, I was one distracted guy.
Distracted from even caring about my piss poor academic performance and the nearly guaranteed first failure of a grade in my entire school career.
This was March 1995 and the guy who was dominating television and my thoughts practically 24/7 was “The Brentwood Slasher.”
Yes, O.J.
But out of nowhere, I started hearing vague reports on television and radio that Air Jordan, as in the retired Michael Jordan was considering a return to pro basketball!!!
And ditching his minor…
SPORTS LEGENDS
The once-controversial ex-boxer has surprisingly become a role model
For many years, I observed Mike Tyson from afar, not really as a fan but I was definitely aware of his legendary status in the world of boxing. I had also known about the many controversies and transgressions in the man’s life, but still, I never paid him much attention.
Something changed in recent years with regard to my own perception of him, and I can now call myself a fan. This is because of the unbelievable life that he has lived, heavy in the spotlight the past 35 years, but everything that came before that shaped who he was…
SPORTS LEGENDS
He doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his career postscript
Introduction
When Michael Jordan announced that he was coming out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards, I was conflicted. On the one hand, it really intrigued me that I would get to see the greatest basketball player in history (my all-time favorite)back in uniform. On the other hand, the year was 2001 and I knew that Mike would be turning 39 years old in a few months, which was ancient for a sports star.
During his historic career with the Chicago Bulls, I had learned to never count MJ out. The smart money was always on him, and he…
