Farewell President Barack Obama

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President Obama’s Legacy:

It’s hard being the first of anything; the first to walk on the moon, the first to fly the speed of sound, the first to discover electricity or the first to graduate college in a family. It’s especially trying when you carry the mantle for what is perceived to be an entire race; the first black heavyweight champion of the world, the first black to play in major league, the first black at West Point and let alone, the first black President of the United States of America.

I remember election night in 2008. The most important image to me was Michelle’s mom, Ms Robinson sitting holding the Presidents-Elect’s hand. How powerful was that? Ms Robinson and the President-Elect knew what was coming.  My question is; how did they contain all the emotions that had to be running through their veins? I was shedding tears sitting in my living room.

America needed a special person because the country was in a real crisis. The financial system was crashing around us. The automobile industry was about to go under. Real estate was in a deep dive.  Unemployment was flirting with 8 percent and we had two ongoing wars. It was a dire situation. I can say that America set aside race at this crucial moment in our history and elected the best person.

Why the tears?

  1. The tears were for 400 years of slavery and oppression.
  2. The tears were for all the pain caused by poverty.
  3. The tears were for seeing Emmitt Till’s picture.
  4. The tears were for Malcolm and Martin and everyone who ever marched or resisted.
  5. The tears were for the Roots mini-series.
  6. The tears were for the college professor who didn’t believe I wrote my paper.
  7. The tears were for the college professor who told me I was just as smart as him.
  8. The tears were happy tears.
  9. The tears were prideful tears.
  10. The tears had some fear; but mostly, the tears screamed, “YES”.

After inauguration it was immediately clear, President Obama knew what he was doing. It was also clear he was not going to get much help.

He was methodical and, like a good doctor, had a prescription for each ailment facing the country. First he blocked the stock market. Then he screened the auto industry and tackled real estate. He brought our troops home before too many more were gone. Before long, unemployment started to make a positive turn after bottoming at nearly 10 percent.

He did it all with grace even in the face of blatant disrespect. He did it with hard work because obstruction grew tentacles with his every policy. He did it with smarts. He juggled powerful competing interests that each wanted it their way. He did it with dignity and integrity. There were no scandals or ethical violations.

He had ups and downs. He cried and carried the pain with the victims of mass shootings and their families. He tried to bring understanding that race does matter. He did get Osama.  He brought health care to 20 million more Americans. Unemployment is below 5 percent and the stock market has grown over 140 percent since he was inaugurated. That is what I call performance.

Michelle made us proud every day. She was so beautiful, so graceful, so vibrant and so free. She broke the mold on what a First obama-familyLady could be. She worked with the troops and encouraged us to eat our fruit. She danced and sang and even wore bangs. She always spoke from the heart and showed that everyone had a part.

These last few weeks finds everyone talking about what President Obama’s legacy will be. What will survive the onslaught of the new President and Congress?

I’m not really worried about his legacy because it’s time to put up or shut up. President Obama set the bar very high and whoever comes behind has to do even better. All those who voted for change didn’t vote based solely on hate or race, although it was kindling to spark the fire. Most voted for new results. Eight years of obstructionism highlighted by not passing an Infrastructure Bill or any other measures to spur better paying jobs; left large sections of America working nowhere near its full potential.  The result is pain.

Pain has a funny way of moving through the body. It may start in your knee; before long it will move to your back because you overcompensate for your knee. Cutting healthcare to 20 million people without a better solution is like moving knee pain to the back. Building a wall like it will be the magic pill that solves all our problems is the equivalent of putting an ace bandage on a compound fracture. It will cover the exposed bone so you don’t see it, but the pain is still there and soon infection will set in.

The one legacy President Obama will leave is that you have to do real work to solve real problems. If not, the pendulum will swing again and those nearly 3 million more votes Hillary received will be in the right congressional districts next time. And next time is in 2 years.

So don’t worry about President Obama’s legacy. His legacy is he worked and performed every day. More importantly, he and Michelle did it with a grace, passion and caring never seen before.

If I could have 100 dreams of what the first African-American President and First Lady of the United States of America should be; I would picture President Obama and First Lady Michelle each time.

We are “SO PROUD” of you President and Mrs. Obama for a job well done.

Thank you so much for being excellent role models and leaders for all of America!

 

 

Time to wake up from the Dream and Execute the Mission

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Time to wake up from the Dream and Execute the Mission

The “I Have a Dream Speech” was arguably one of the top five speeches ever spoken.  I love performing and experiencing it each time I do it. It just fills my heart and soul as it does for everyone else. No doubt, it has served its purpose for over 50 years.

However, just like the constitution is a living document that can be added to over time with amendments, I believe “I Have a Dream” can and should evolve too. That’s why I wrote “We Have a Mission”. It is an amendment, a direct descendant of “I Have a Dream”. It is targeted at what is needed in 2016 and beyond.

A “Dream” connotes vision and hope, something we desperately needed in 1963. Likewise, a Mission connotes vision and hope too. But, it also adds specificity, goals and requires action on the part of everyone who takes up the mission. I for one feel our community is in desperate need of specific, unifying, short term goals that will enable us to “get unstuck” so to speak.

The last 20-30 years we have just been lingering, resting on the work that MLK and past civil rights leaders did. We haven’t created one unifying goal, with the exception of electing President Obama twice, that we can speak to universally. We have taken up individualism as an art form, when we still know deep down that we are seen and treated in most cases as a group. Sometimes, I think we are the only people who don’t see ourselves as a group. See that we rise and fall together, in most cases.

This is America and individualism is fine and the American way. However, we must realize that our success individually can be multiplied significantly is we used our collective power more effectively.

That is where collective goal setting and action becomes important and essential for our community.

In “Steps to the Promised Land” I listed 4 goals to have a mission for:

  • Stop the school to prison pipeline; reduce jail and prison time
  • Make education the number 1 priority,
  • Reduce violence and murders by 75%
  • Make families whole again

These are not all encompassing, but they are a start. Our first emphasis would be to communicate and agree on these goals as a community. They would/should be the overriding focus that drives us individually and as a community. They should all be measurable. The success of each should be communicated regularly to the group.

It should almost be like the pledge of allegiance. They should be reviewed at our churches, community centers, sports leagues, etc. Every child should know them. Every teenager should know them. Every young adult should know them. We should celebrate our success toward reaching our goals regularly.

The hard part, which shouldn’t be, is agreeing on what are the goals. Those four or a variation of them would be a starting point. I would add one more on economic empowerment, or say, business creation.

Once our goals are set we then establish what I call “gates” or “passage points”. They are measurement points that you don’t pass unless you are on target. If not on target, we establish corrective actions to enact.

The Power of Goals is:

  • Everyone can participate
  • Everyone can take responsibility
  • Everyone can serve the community and themselves
  • We see improvement regularly
  • Success breeds more success
  • It becomes “down” for people to work for something

Follow my Facebook and Twitter pages and join the conversation.

How to Develop Your Own Personal Mission Statement

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How to Develop Your Own Personal Mission Statement

Your personal development and motivation is the key to a successful and happy life. If you want to feel fulfilled from day to day then you need to know what makes you tick and how to get it. You need to be able to meet your goals and even exceed them and with a personal mission statement, you will be that much closer to being in the position to do so.  Mission statements are a great way to make it known to yourself and others just where you want to be and what your goals really are. When you know your goal, you can be constantly working towards them. If you simply bumble through life, you will not stay on course with the same amount of steady ease. Everyone can benefit from a mission statement and if you want to get where you are going you will start writing your own today.

Why a Mission Statement

Your personal mission statement is not only about getting what you want out of work or the people around you, it is also about giving back to the world and your loved ones. Do you have a mission for your family and community?  This mission statement will help you to find out just where you stand in the world and help you to find out just what you should be doing for those around you. If you know that there is more that you could be doing for the entire world then this will help you to realize those dreams as well.

Your personal mission statement will help you to evolve into the person that you have always dreamed of becoming. If you are sick and tired of being the kind of person who simply lets things happen to them then a mission statement is for you. You will become a person to reckon with, a powerhouse of determination and skill. This statement is going to change your entire life for the better and it will begin to do so immediately. As soon as you take the step to start writing, it you are going to begin to grow and evolve in ways that you ever thought that you could.

How to Write a Mission Statement

Start with just a simple pen and paper. Sit down and write about the person that you are today. Do you like yourself? Do you think that there are areas in your personal life that you could improve? Write about it and write how you are going to change for the better and how you are going to do it. Focus also on your strengths and your abilities. Write how you want to change and in what areas of your life as well as about the goals that you want to see yourself meet over time. Which goals are short-term ones and which are long terms goals. Write down all of the personal things that you want to see happen and change in your life and you will change from that day forward.

Sample Mission Statement

 My mission is to stop the school to prison pipeline in the African-American community and make sure education is provided to all who seek it. My mission is to reduce violence and murder by 75% in our communities and to make families whole again.  

In the book and DVD, Steps to the Promised Land , I talk about how important it is for us to have a mission for our community, family and personal life. I hope this articles inspires you to sit down and write your mission statement. Need a speaker at your next event? Book Gregg Riley www.greggriley.com. 

Keep On Track with a Vision Statement

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What is a Vision Statement? It isn’t the vision or dream you have occasionally about the car or house or lifestyle you want to have. It is not part of your “wish” list that says; someday I would like to have, “_____”.  Psychologically you live in the present; you look at what you have, what you do and who you are in the “present” not in the future. You get up each morning and see where you live, what you drive, where you work and what you do each day and every week as it is right now.

To take advantage of your Dreams to Achieve Your True Worth you need to start seeing your life as it will be as you start living in your True Worth, your new lifestyle. However, how do you do this since you only see your life in its present tense? How do you use the power of your mind and start moving into the “YOU” you deserve to be?  The answer is to create your own personal “Vision Statement”. This statement is a statement of your new lifestyle, the things you deserve, such as the house, the car, the ability to assist others, the trips, the vacations, etc. Everything in this statement is in the present tense as if you already have them and are living them. Here is where your Dreams become present tense and active because you are living it TODAY and it is awesome.

“The surround sound system fills the interior of my _______ (type of vehicle) as I am driving back from the airport. My trip to ___________ was just as I had imagined it would be. After spending, that time on an airplane the smell of new leather in my _____________ is so refreshing. Just ahead, I see my two story home that some of my friends call my mansion in the middle of nowhere. It is surrounded by trees and the lush lawn just begs to be walked on with your bare feet…”

Embellish as much as possible with all the details of your new life. Describe in minute detail the exterior and landscaping of your home.  Describe the rooms and what is in each of them. Your daily routine as it will be and the things you plan to do next, (i.e. Trips, Vacations, visiting, learning, etc.) just everything you have ever dreamed of doing.

The greater the detail the easier it is for it to become part of you. The more you read it the more your posture and self-assurance will improve. As these improve your attitude will improve because you are becoming your Vision, you are the person that has and does all of these things because in your subconscious you are creating the You that you have always Deserved to be. Your self-confidence will increase and come to the top and you will feel so much better about yourself and your ability to improve your lifestyle.

Reading your Vision Statement every day is one way to begin this life enhancing experience.  What works even better is to record your Vision Statement so that you can listen to it at least once a day. Studies have shown that there are two voices that have the most profound influence upon someone’s life, your mother’s voice or your own voice.

Day after day of hearing your vision your subconscious will start believing and as it starts believing so do you. That starts the process and keeps things moving in your life towards your new direction. This replaces the negative self-talk you might be doing. Any time something negative comes up in your mind (self-talk) your daily listening to or reading of your Vision Statement will eventually replace it with positive self-talk. This might sound awkward to some, but it has had outstanding results for those that have committed and followed through with Visions, their goals and their action plans. When do you feel it is time to write your vision statement and start hearing your new life every day? No time like the present. Start Today!

I’m Glad He Didn’t Shoot Me

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Everyone should make it home every night – Black Men and Police Officers

 

After my freshman year of college, I returned home to the DC area for summer break. I got a summer job, made some new friends and I met a “Fine” young lady.  We struck up an instant friendship. She was my “Southern Girl” (look up Maze if you don’t know). We hung out together all the time. One night we were out we decided to stop in the park. I’m thinking it was Rock Creek Park (remember the song). We knew we weren’t supposed to be in the park after dark, but did it anyway. We were young and dumb; a combination I’m sure you can identify with.

So we stopped, talked, laughed and played. Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the entire car. Startled and scared, I drove off for a quick second. I looked back and saw it was the police. I stopped.

The policeman, a white officer, followed immediately in his car. I mean he was on me like white on rice, if you know what I mean. He came to the driver’s side of the car. I could see he was scared by the way he approached the car with his hand on his weapon. I rolled my window down and put my hands on the dashboard and was completely still. I told my girl to do the same. He asked for my license, registration and her ID. Then he asked what we were doing. We said; “nothing, just talking”. He asked if we had any drugs or alcohol on us. I quickly said; “no, we didn’t have any drugs or alcohol” in the best respectful voice I could find even though I was shaking on the inside.

He looked at me puzzled, went back to his car and I guess called it in and checked on my license. He came back to the car and proceeded to give me a good talking to or should I say lecture. Then, he simply said, “Son, take her home and then, you get your butt home”. I said, “yes sir” and did exactly that.

I was thinking if it happened today that would probably not be the outcome. The outcome could very well have ended up with me being shot and killed. Now, I would have had some wrong in it, the officer would have had some wrong and people would be debating it for a couple of weeks. There would probably even be some protesting for a few weeks.

But, I’m so glad he didn’t shoot me. If he had shot, I never would have graduated from college. If he had shot, I never would have been commissioned an officer in the US Army. If he had shot, I never would have married. If he had shot, I wouldn’t have two great sons. If he had shot, I never would have been able to hold my parents and brothers and sisters up when my baby brother, Reginald was shot and killed for no apparent reason. That still hurts our souls to this day and it was 26 years ago.  If he had shot, I wouldn’t have two beautiful granddaughters. If he had shot, I never would have made Colonel and retired. If he had shot, I never would have seen my parents reach 80 years old. If he had shot, I never would have lived.

The moral of the story – Everyone should make it home every night; Black Men and Police Officers. 

God Bless the families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, the Orlando victims, the Dallas and Baton Rouge Police Departments and the victims and families of violence throughout this country and the world.

Let’s get this thing right! I’m in, are you?

 

Thanks for following this series. Please like, share and continue to come back to my site. The support is fuel. For more solutions to the problems we face in our communities, read Steps to the Promised Land.

Starting change is the hardest part. Changing is easy!

Racism: We Have to be Vigilant During These Times

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This was written before the horrific Baton Rouge shootings of policemen.

The latest aberrations violence has taken on are the familiar spirits of racism, police brutality and revenge. It is dividing us along those fault lines. For the sake of honesty and brevity, let’s just admit that America has history and knows each of these negative reactions very well. In fact, we were one of the world’s leading experts in its practices. These relics of a time we should have apologized for and resolved are the ugly underbelly that initiates and justifies violence. By not formally apologizing and fully repairing the wrongs these caused we continue to give them life.

But, don’t get it twisted; these are only symptoms that fuel the hate that is violence and death. I mean, you may have the flu, but the symptoms are a runny nose, body aches and fever. You don’t only treat the symptoms, you treat the whole disease. And the disease, the addiction is violence. When you only treat the symptom, it may subside for a while but, sooner or later, the disease (flu) will come back with a vengeance, turn into pneumonia and probably kill you. So let’s stay focused on the disease, the addiction of violence in our recovery plan while we treat the symptoms.

The symptom of racism in America has its natural cousins: poverty, economic inequality, a superiority complex and paternalism. The thoughts that “they” are less worthy or it’s “their” fault preside to make some feel better. And, worst of all, the thoughts that if “they” “progress” then they are taking something from me. So we create this game of cause and effect. This attitude is purveyed constantly over the airwaves making people believe we are inherently different and as long as I and mine are okay, then life is good. Watch out for this message over and over this election cycle.

The problem with this thought process is that the world is interconnected now and events what happen 5000 miles away affect us immediately. And, we haven’t adjusted well. That’s why we see spikes in elicit, dangerous and negative activities in communities all across this county. Like the spike in opiate and methamphetamine use by Middle America. But, we still want to differentiate by saying this drug is different or worse than another drug. This forever keeps the superiority model alive and is costing lives.

Instead of realizing that the ties that bind us together are stronger than the forces that pull us apart we take our frustrations out on what’s different and what we fear for some reason. We arrest and jail black men disproportionately. We take away and limit needed resources. We participate in gerrymandering to dilute the power of entire voting blocks in order to remain in power. We gentrify entire communities in the name of progress.

These actions unfortunately cause those who continue to endure these powerful forces to turn on each other, and in some cases, just quit. You have the rise in high school dropout rates. You have the increase in gang membership which promotes havoc in communities by increasing drug wars, petty crimes and again, violence. On top of this is the extreme economic disparity that continues to persist. Is it any wonder that these communities don’t explode and erupt when there is a perceived unjustified police shooting? The feeling is, with all these other pressures, one should be able to depend upon the government, who they pay for, to show some kind of concern for their well-being.

It’s an ugly, unrelenting, powerfully negative cycle that we have to admit to and change before any progress can be made with race relations.

When I learned computers one of the first lessons was the function of the shift key. If the computer timed out, touching the shift key woke it up. It didn’t do anything to what you had been working on; it just put you back in the same place.

Now, we need a key that does something. We not only need to be awakened, we need to do something. What we really need is the space key. The space key moves us forward. We need to move forward. We need to bring understanding. We need to bring change.

So before we have a full-fledged eruption, I’m calling for calm. It’s time for leadership. Let’s stop the marching. All it’s going to do is lead to violence – the addiction. Someone or some organization that doesn’t really want change is going to provoke it. Let’s be smarter than that this time. This fight is not in the physical realm. We are going to talk this through and this country is going to change. It has no other choice. And, it knows it and wants to change. It just doesn’t know how and where to start. But, inciting violence now could postpone change another 10-20 years. Let’s not be manipulated!

When I was commissioned in the Army I pledged to defend this country against all enemies foreign and domestic. Violence and racism are domestic enemies and I’m going defend against them both. But, again that doesn’t mean we have to raise arms. We raise minds, we raise spirits, we raise peace, we raise love, we raise togetherness and we will win.

One of my favorite songs is America, The Beautiful by Ray Charles. Man, did he sing that song. My favorite verse is:

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

All this time I was thinking the meaning of shed his grace on thee was for God to bless America above all others.

That’s not what I think it means now.  I looked up the definition of grace and as a verb it means: to do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one’s presence.

Looking at it this way, I think about all the different races, ethnicities and religions that make up America. I think he was saying for us to honor our differences. Our ability to honor our differences is what makes and will keep us great.

To make this point even stronger, the next line says; “crown the hood with brotherhood from sea to shining sea”. So we are supposed to honor our differences and live as brothers and sisters from coast to coast. That is what will make us a stronger nation.

So let’s put the “G” back in race.  Then we will have “GRACE”!

 

 

VIOLENCE is our Addiction!

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The Hurt is the same. The Blood is the same. So, when do we realize we are the same?

This is the first installment of a 3-part series focused on providing solutions to violence and racism in America. It will run every three days this week. Please come back on join me for the entire series.

Part I

Violence

The last three weeks were mind numbing. It started with Orlando, next Baton Rouge, and then St Paul, and Dallas. All total, 60 deaths. That is not even counting Chicago over the 4th of July weekend and the countless other victims of violence, be it domestic or gang or simply, insane; that didn’t make national news. I’ve wrestled with this for long time and I’ve come to the hard conclusion that we are “ADDICTED” to violence! In America, we kill! We kill what we don’t like, we kill what is different, we kill what we don’t agree with, we kill for money, we kill for power, we kill for reputation, we kill what we don’t understand and we kill what we fear. We just kill.

We ask the same question after each incident, why? We try to understand, we want to place each in a category: domestic, gang related, hate, police brutality, terrorism, etc. But, the end result of each is loss of life. Something no other human should have the power to take unless in war (which should be the last resort at all times).

Addiction is a brain disease that is characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences. It is a condition that results when a person engages in an activity which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life and health. Those addicted may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others.

For America, this is not a new addiction. This addiction was always woven into the fabric of America, even if we don’t want to admit it. It masked itself in several other issues like racism or drugs or family issues, even business, workers’ rights and political initiatives. But, the bottom line is, violence was always riding shotgun in America’s journey. It’s just that with modern technology, it is in our faces immediately, unfiltered and without the ability for us to categories it as “them” over there; that group, those people. Technology is finally making us “Really” look at ourselves in the mirror.

And what do we see? We see that violence is our go to move. It is what we entertain ourselves with and it, along with other barriers is how we keep some kind of distorted order. We now see ourselves in living color daily on breaking news and on cell phone video. Who would have thought something made for talking would force us to see ourselves, finally.  A picture “IS” worth a thousand words. Hopefully, it will force us to seek recovery. It is far past the time we did just that.

So what do we do now?

I can tell you this; we are not going to change this with a heavy hand. Our old way of thinking and acting suggests violence can beat violence. Remember the war on drugs? Did it solve our drug problem? We can’t arrest our way out of it. We can’t jail our way out of it. We can’t deport our way out of it. We can’t build a wall our way out of it. There is only one answer: We have to “Change”! We have to “Love”, “Respect”, “Understand” and be “Just” to find our way out of it.

So what is the first step one must take when an addiction arises and you want recovery? The first step is admitting to oneself that you have a problem. No other person or group or nation can do that for us. America has to admit to itself that we have a violence addiction. Can we do that? How do we do that? How can a nation admit that? With Courage! With Leadership!

Start at our churches. Next are our community and civic organizations. Next are our schools; elementary through college and university. Next are our local governments. Next are media outlets, that includes radio, TV, music and the movie industry. Last, is the Big Boss – our National Government, which should be first.  But, as always, politics will get in the way. It may take another 20 years and countless more deaths before it balks and talks and lobbies and finances and filibusters its way to a solution.

So, the people will have to move first. And, we have to move now in order to save lives and our country. We must demand in this election season that both major parties add significant policies that address our violence addiction. If they don’t, throw them out from the local to the national level. This is the most important and immediate “POWER” step we can take over the next four months. We need an “INTERVENTION”!

Let’s implement a non-violence day once a month in each of these organizations. Talk about it openly, if only for one hour. We need this for the next 12 months at a minimum. That’s one sermon or bible study monthly on non-violence. That’s one meeting monthly to talk about non-violence. That’s one conference call monthly to talk about non-violence. That’s one webinar monthly to talk about non-violence. That’s one radio program monthly to talk about non-violence. Aren’t our lives and our country worth that? That won’t make us weak. It will make us stronger.

 

Check back next Thursday to hear my thoughts on racism in America. For more solutions to the problems we face in our communities, read Steps to the Promised Land.

About Fatherhood

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“The greatest gift I ever had came from God, and I call him Dad!”

How does one become a good father? What are the yardsticks by which we measure the goodness of a father?

This is a subject for discussion and application of thought. Who is the final judge about the goodness of the father? The mother? The children? Society? What qualities should a man possess to be called a good father? These questions generate a bigger debate.

Can a mother judge her husband about his goodness as a father? That judgment can depend on so many probabilities. What are her yardsticks? How was her father? What are her beliefs? Do these beliefs match those of her husband? How much does she love her husband and her children? If it comes to taking sides, whose side will she take? Will it be a well thought-out decision or one colored by many other factors?

Can the father judge his own goodness? What may be correct according to him, may be wrong according to her children? The man carries his psychological baggage and many times may be prejudging and expecting responses. Generation gap plays a bigger role. As the world progresses, priorities, tastes, values, everything undergoes change. Therefore a man himself cannot pronounce himself as a good father. Children will contest that, if he does not accept their beliefs. Which child will call his father a good father, if the father has different ideas about partying, relationships, studies, etc.

Can the children judge their father? The children surely wish for a father who not only agrees with their ideas, but supports them in all possible ways in enjoying life. What is to be thought about fatherhood and how does one become a good father? The best way, might be to accept the generation gap, listen to children before giving orders, have a fair debate on all important issues, and tell children exactly about values that will decide the final action. After doing all this, one should simply do one’s duty, do the best of his abilities and leave the rest to prayers. And before attempting to become a good father, one should first become a good man.
“One night a father overheard his son pray: Dear God, make me the kind of man my Daddy is. Later that night, the father prayed, Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.” – Anonymous

Gregg Riley is a motivational speaker, author, and retired U.S. Army Colonel. Invite him to speak at your next event. To book Gregg Riley, call 877-777-9019 or visit http://www.greggriley.com/contact/.

The Power of Taking Action

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This is something I think we all probably neglect. We all have good intentions and want our business or career to succeed, but we all tend to find an excuse for not doing what we should, when we should.  I am as guilty of this as anyone.  Remember, there is no such thing in business as “LUCK”.  All of the really “lucky” people I have met were successful in their business or career because they took action, not because they were lucky.  In other words, the more they worked, the more “luck” came their way. Said another way, “you have to be in motion”. Have you ever noticed in football how more successful plays are made when the offense puts a player in motion? That is because more energy is created at the point of attach; and more energy equals more opportunity.

The Power of Taking Action is undoubtedly an extremely important part of realizing and utilizing the unlimited potential that has been made available to you. In the center of every being, whatever its form, the power of taking action is present.  Joy is an emotion by which the body’s power of taking action is increased or assisted. Make joy an integral part of your everyday life. Take a few minutes each day to do something that you really enjoy doing. See the tremendous difference it makes in your ability to take action on the things you must do.

The vision of a “golden life” varies with each person. How essentially simple life is, and how we complicate it. Have you ever wondered how to make major changes in your life? Action assumes importance as you contemplate making changes. Most of what you have encountered in your life, so far, is the result of your beliefs. There are two great blessings in man’s life, thoughts and action. To change your life you must start by changing your habits of thought. “Impossible” and “can’t” must be removed from your thought processes. Science has proven that when you think you can do something that your mind will find a way to do it. Once the mind has found a way to accomplish what you desire, then action is required. Where there is action, there is life and creation. One of the turning points in your life will be when you discover the power of taking action, your power of action. Life has an amazing way of working out when you choose not to give up, but to harness your power of taking action.

Do you want to have a wildly successful business or career? For maximum effectiveness in life, love or business, it helps to have the right habits. Wisdom with the power of action is the true secret to success. One of the laws of success is that the universe rewards those who take action. Action is the foundation of success. You are programming yourself for greatness and success when you take action on your goals and ideas. Acting on your goals will bring success into YOUR life. There can be no success without it.

Awaken your potential knowing that the power of taking action is within you. The power of taking action is just like dropping a stone into a pond. The ripples continue outward affecting everything around you. Education is great. Knowledge is great. Experience is great. Planning is great. Ideas are great. But the power of action is gigantic. Without it the rest is useless. You must take action to get what you want.

Gregg Riley is a retired US Army Colonel who motivates people with his speeches on leadership and performance management. He authored a book called, Steps to the Promised Land which provides a message of equality and community empowerment. Learn more about Colonel Gregg Riley.

Celebrate Black History Month with Motivational Speaker Gregg Riley

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Black History Month is upon us and now is the perfect time to check out sought after motivational speaker, Gregg Riley. Gregg’s uncanny physical and voice resemblance to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, creates a one-of-a-kind unique experience for any audience.

His speech topics include Diversity, Non-Violence, Change Management, Teamwork, Leadership and Performance Improvement. He also speaks passionately about youth and community development.

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Gregg produces and stars in the much acclaimed one-man show “An Evening With Dr. King”. It is quintessential Dr. King like you have never seen him before. This is a must see for anyone who wants to get the full essence of how amazing and prophetic Dr. King’s message really was. It is the perfect show for an MLK Birthday event, Black History Month event or anytime you want to be inspired and learn the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement. See MLK Project http://www.greggriley.com/mlk-project/

Gregg currently has open availability to mesmerize and inspire your audience. Book Gregg Riley today.