My Life’s Journey

 

Last week, I turned 45 years old. I am so grateful to be able to say that. Especially, since, a lot Black males in America barely get to live to see the age of 25. 

In fact, when, I was 15 years old, my school counselor told my mother in front of me, that, I wouldn’t to live to see the age of 25 because of the rate I was going.

I can remember his words like it was yesterday and he probably would had been right. He was nearly right and I had some close encounters!! I started banging when I was 13 years old.

From the age 13 until I joined the Nation of Islam when was I was 19. It looked like I was heading either two directions…. Juvenile/Prison or to that grave!!

As it is written in the Holy Qur’an, Allah (God) is the best of planners. He had and have something different in stored for me. I am truly thankful that He guided me to the right path.

Even though, I am far from perfect but I am better than I was and could had been. If…. You hear anything negative about me and it might be true (smile). Ask the person or people do they know how I was before I joined the Nation of Islam?

I was not no O-Dog or Nino Brown but I was D – Holmez and I am totally different to how I was. This is why I am so passionate about striving to help to save our youth from heading the wrong direction. Particularly our male youth because I know the direction I was heading. I know the direction that some of my homeboys, homegirls, and some of my family members took.

So, I am using my life’s journey as a testimony to help Allah (God) to guide our youth and adults to the right path so they can be thankful and grateful to celebrate another year of their lives!!

 

Know Your Worth

 

When I was little, I played Pop Warner football for Valencia Park and one of my all-time favorite coaches was coach Sharp, he used to tell us, “To Be The Best, You Have To Think You Are The Best!!” He used to run laps with us and make us say it. He installed that into our brains.

Coach Sharp, probably lead his team to the Q bowl (Quest bowl) more than any other coach from Valencia Park. Some of the best players played under him and some even went on to play in the NFL. To name two: J. J. Stokes and Terrell Davis.

He was such a great coach!! Players would stay back instead of going up to the next team. I was one of them. I lost weight on purpose to be a older but lighter and both years I played for him we went to the Q bowl. We lost both years but we still went!!

My point of sharing this story of coach Sharp, he gave us confidence, he made us believe in ourselves. In the business world, he showed us “What We Are Worth!!”

Over the years, I turned down jobs because of pay and this is before I went back college to get my degrees. I believe in myself and I know my worth!! Some jobs offered me decent pay but the workload was going to be heavy and I believe in…. “Work Smarter Not Harder.” All money is not good money and if I have to work myself to death for it, I don’t want it!!

I know people say, “You Got To Do, What You Got To Do.” True!! But, we can also do what want to do…. As, I shared previously in one of my blogs. I received my master's degree in Management. I went on a couple of interviews. Some jobs, I was very much interested but the pay wasn’t what I expected. Then there were jobs, the pay was decent but the workload wasn’t worth it.

One day, after an interview, I went to visit my spiritual father at his place of business and we were talking about the interview I had. I told him about the pay, the amount of employees that was going to be under me, and the requirements (duties/responsibilities). My spiritual father said, "it’s not worth it!!"

He said, “with all those requirements, (duties/responsibilities) you should get paid more!!” I said, I tried to tell them but since, I didn’t have experience in that position they wasn’t listening to me. He said, “if you take that position, they are still not going to listen to you.”

He went on to say, “you do have the experience and you should know your worth.” He said, “when I used to work for other people and when I went out to interviews. I didn’t allow them to tell me how much they are offering me. I told them what I wanted because I know my worth.”

So, I end up not taking that job and stayed with my current employer. I end up getting promoted with my current employer and making more than these other companies were offering me. I reminded my current employer how I been dedicated to them and I went back to college and further my education. And I deserve a promotion because I know “my worth!!”