LIVE A LIFE OF PURPOSE – Les Brown

Intro

Good morning. Good morning, good morning, good morning. I have a message for you today, and this is a time that I think that we need to have a message that deals with personal empowerment, things that we can do mentally, and emotionally, and spiritually to create the kind of life that we want. Because this is a new season. I mean, this is like the third day. I didn’t get up and say, “What happened today? What did he do today?” This is a brand new day to take advantage of this time, this place we’ve been delivered. You remember that. So, Leannd’Andrea, Lord, deliver me. We have been delivered. Now what? Because we are so grateful, and because we’ve gone through some stuff. We’ve gone through some stuff, and this is the “now what” moment. This is the now what moment, okay? Your prayers have been answered. Now what are you gonna do, okay? Because a lot of people are going back to sleep. No, this is a time to work your gift. This is time to work your gift. People ask me, “What is it that you would suggest that I do, given the unemployment situation, given the delay on all of the types of things that people have been looking forward to in terms of the relief check, and just the economy bouncing back? What are the things that people can do in the meantime, in between time?” Well, this is a brand new day. This is a different economy. A lot of stuff has been happening and going on that we have not heard about yet. A wrecking ball has been put in place for four years, and we still have not seen all of the stuff that has taken place that we’re not even aware of. So, one of the most important things that we can do is to begin to work and to take advantage of this new space where we are. This is a fresh start. It’s a fresh start, and I’m looking for some people who are looking for a fresh start. One of the things that I’m doing is working with people who are ready to take their goals and their dreams to the next level. This is a time for people with ideas, people that are creative, people that have products, people that can create products, people who want to create their own job. Believe that every tub should stand on its own bottom. That’s what Mrs. Mimi Browns taught you. Yes, mama did. Every tub should stand on its own bottom. I want you to wake up this morning being grateful. When I wake up, I said, “Lord, thank you. All things work together for good for those who love God and for those who are called according to his purpose.” I don’t know you. I can’t see you, but here’s what I know about you. You have greatness in you. You have the ability to do more than you could ever begin to imagine. And I’m looking for some people who are hungry, because if… Here’s what we know. There are over 70 million people that don’t want you to live your dream. Hello, over 70… As some people say, over 70 that will be working against you. You don’t know who they are, where they are, okay? And so, what we have to do is be more determined to live our dreams than the people who are just consumed with stopping us. That’s what we have to do. We have to put up a good fight. So, this is a time, and I’m going to share some steps with you that’s very important because when I became a speaker and I started my business and several other businesses, it was against all odds. You hear me? Against all odds with no college education and nobody who looked like me that was doing what I’m doing now. But now, you see motivational speakers everywhere. Everybody’s here. “I’m a motivated person. If you were to help people, you would say, ‘Well, the only thing I could do if I want to help people become a preacher.’ But then when I start doing this, now there are people who say, ‘Wait a minute, there’s another option. There’s another way.’ See, what we have to do now is we are in a creative mode. Everything that happens is for our good. All things work together for good for those who love God and for those who are called according to his purpose. If you don’t know anything else, you know that. You know that when we look at what has taken place and where we are right now, this is a fresh start. And we want to take advantage of this. This is no time to relax and say, ‘We did it.’ No, we did not. This is a fresh start. This is a new beginning. This is the time to build legacies. This is a time to be motivated, get the family involved, get the kids involved, and get focused on what your goal and what your dream is and what… What is it that you’re going to do now that we’re in this place? What is it that you’re going to do with your talent? This is a time to work your talent. I remember when I decided, Wesley, Margaret Ann, Leonard, Angelo, listen to me. Listen to me, Sharon. I’m gonna buy my mother a home. I’m going to do that. Are you guys going to join me? “What are you talking about?” I said, “

Intro

Good morning, good morning, good morning. I have a message for you today, and this is a time that I think that we need to have a message that deals with personal empowerment, things that we can do mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to create the kind of life that we want. Because this is a new season, one… I mean, this is like the third day. I didn’t get up and say, “What happened today? What did he do today?” This is a brand new day to take advantage of this time, this place we’ve been delivered. You remember that. So, Leanne D’Andrea, Lord deliver me. We have been delivered. Now what? Because we are so grateful and because we’ve gone through some stuff. We’ve gone through some stuff, and this is the “now what” moment. This is the “now what” moment. Okay, your prayers have been answered. Now what are you gonna do? Okay, because a lot of people are going back to sleep. No, this is a time to work your gift. This is time to work your gift. People ask me, “What is it that you would suggest that I do given the unemployment situation, given the delay on all of the types of things that people have been looking forward to in terms of the relief check and just the economy bouncing back? What are the things that people can do in the meantime in between time?” Well, this is a brand new day. This is a different economy. A lot of stuff has been happening and going on that we have not heard about yet. A wrecking ball has been put in place for four years, and we still have not seen all of the stuff that has taken place that we’re not even aware of. So, one of the most important things that we can do is to begin to work and to take advantage of this new space where we are. This is a fresh start. It’s a fresh start, and I’m looking for some people who are looking for a fresh start.

Seizing Opportunities

One of the things that I’m doing is working with people who are ready to take their goals and their dreams to the next level. This is a time for people with ideas, people that are creative, people that have products, people that can create products, people who want to create their own job. Believe that every tub should stand on its own bottom. That’s what Mrs. Mimi Brown taught you. Yes, Mama did. Every tub should stand on its own bottom. I want you to wake up this morning being grateful. When I wake up, I say, “Lord, thank you. All things work together for good for those who love God and for those who are called according to His purpose.” I don’t know you. I can’t see you. But here’s what I know about you. You have greatness in you. You have the ability to do more than you could ever begin to imagine. And I’m looking for some people who are hungry because, here’s what we know, there are over 70 million people that don’t want you to live your dream. Hello? Over 70. As some people say, over 70 that will be working against you. You don’t know who they are, where they are. Okay. And so what we have to do is be more determined to live our dreams than the people who are just consumed with stopping us. That’s what we have to do. We have to put up a good fight. So, this is a time, and I’m going to share some steps with you that’s very important because when I became a speaker and I started my business and several other businesses, it was against all odds. You hear me? Against all odds, with no college education and nobody who looked like me that was doing what I’m doing now. But now you see motivational speakers everywhere.

Everybody’s here. I’m a motivated person. If you were to help people, you would say, “Well, the only thing I could do if I want to help people become a preacher.” But then when I start doing this, now there are people who say, “Wait a minute, there’s another option. There’s another way.” See, what we have to do now is we are in a creative mode. Everything that happens is for our good. All things work together for good for those who love God and for those who are called according to His purpose.

If you don’t know anything else, you know that. You know that when we look at what has taken place and where we are right now, this is a fresh start, and we want to take advantage of this. This is no time to relax and say, “We did it.” No, we did not. This is a fresh start. This is a new beginning. This is the time to build legacies. This is a time to be motivated, get the family involved, get the kids involved, and get focused on what your goal and what your dream is and what… what is it that you’re going to do now that we’re in this place? What is it that you’re going to do with your talent? This is a time to work your talent. I remember when I decided, “Wesley, Margaret Ann, Leonard, Angelo, listen to me. Listen to me, Sharon. I’m gonna buy my mother a home. I’m going to do that. Are you guys going to join me?” “What are you talking about?” I said, “I’m going to buy our mother a home. Are you going to join me?” “Yeah, we’ll help you.” You know, and they did what they could do, but I was the lead guy. Okay. And so, we give it up what each person would do. Margaret Ann, she bought the groceries. I paid the bills. Wesley was in Vietnam fighting for our country and got a purple heart. Yes. See, when you have a new chance, see, life is cyclic. It’s like a roller coaster. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. Sometimes things go well, sometimes they don’t go so well. So, this is a period.

This is a new season. Listen here. This is a new season in your life, in my life, in our life. And now we want to work. We don’t want to work your gift, not just be a part of somebody else’s dream, but this is a time to think and come up with some new ideas. What is it that you’re going to do now in this new place, in this new season? See, there’s never a shortage of money, just a shortage of ideas. That’s a shortage of thinking. When these foreclosures, when these various restrictions that will be lifted, and they will be eventually, all the stuff that’s happening right now, what we have to do, it’s better to have a plan and not need it than to need it and not have it. And I’m saying to you, find something that’s you. Find something that you write this down. Your voice is your superpower. Your voice is your superpower. No matter what business you’re going to go into, your voice is your superpower. If you understand that, if you believe that, just put yes in the comment section. Yes in the comment section. Your voice is your superpower. If you’re involved in

Personal Reflection and Humor

Those three things are very important, and so with the first one, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to go to hungrytospeak.com because there you’re going to find some medicine for the mind, some power for the mind, and it’s called “Choosing Your Future.” It’s a series that I recorded, and at the time I got through with that, that’s when I made my first million. That’s when I made my first million. People say, “What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever done?” Making a million dollars? No. The most difficult thing I’ve ever done? To believe that I could do it given my circumstances. Bought an abandoned building on a floor, not knowing my birth parents, being a foster child and then adopted, being labeled educable mentally, put back from the fifth grade at Douglas Elementary School into the fourth grade and failing again at Booker T. Washington High School. To overcome being in a culture where you are marginalized, where you have the complexion of rejection, to believe that I had the ability to do it.

I remember there was a program when I was a kid, millennials don’t know about that, they weren’t here then. They used to have a program called “The Millionaire,” and John T. Tipton would give Michael Anthony a million dollars to give it to a particular family. And after the program, somebody come to the house and knock on the door. I would jump up and run to the door. Mama say, “Where you going, boy?” I said, “I was checking to see if that’s the man with a check.” She said, “If you don’t set your behind, if he had a million-dollar check, somebody’d bust him in.” You know what? We got a fresh start. This is dramatic. God has been in the midst of all this stuff, and now we want to take advantage of it. Now we want to milk it. This is our time. This is the time to get it done in ’21. And part of that process is what’s going to be different about you? What’s going to be different?

Reflections on Aging and Gratitude

This is a time to take it up, to step it up. This is the time to take your performance, to take your focus to the next level. What’s going to be different about you? See, the people that are going to maximize this, the people that are going to capitalize on this, the people that’s going to make this year ’21 the year to get it done are the people that are hungry. You got to be hungry. When people are working against you, when there are systems and things in place that are designed to hold you back, you got to be hungry. Things have not changed that much that you can’t be hungry. If you’re not hungry, if you don’t feel that your goal and your dream is necessary, your dream will end up a casualty. And so you got to get up each day. The people that are hungry, they’re the first ones to get up in the morning and last ones to go to sleep at night. People that are hungry, they have an agenda for their life of what they want to get out of the day. People that are not hungry, they are part of somebody else’s agenda. They just are trying to go through the day and don’t mess with them. Don’t criticize them, leave them alone.

My mother had a sign always talk about it on her mirror. “Oh, Lord, help me keep my nose out of other people’s business.” So, I’m talking to you this morning because as much as I’m talking to you about this, I’m talking to myself about this. I’m 75. You know, you get 75, let me share something with you. All kinds of stuff start happening to you. You wake up one morning, you start moving up. I used to wonder if Mama said, “Oh, Arthur’s bothering Mama.” “Who’s Arthur?” “Don’t worry, boy. You live long enough, you’ll find out.” Well, I know where Arthur is now. He’s on my right hip, and he’s been giving me a fit. Oh, my God. Take your time. She’s talking about arthritis. Thank the Lord for waking me up in my right mind this morning. Mama, why do y’all say that every Sunday? Why do you say that? “Don’t worry, boy. You live long enough, you’ll find out.” I went to Cancer Centers of America. I lost my passport. I left my identification there at the hospital. I got home from the city. “Hey, did you see it, John Leslie?” “No,” said Daddy. “Do you know where I put it?” “No, sir, Daddy. Who’s 75 here? You 36? I’m the 175. You should be watching me.” You know, I mean, oh, my God. I mean, just little aches and pains coming from everywhere. You say, “Wait a minute, what’s going to come next? I didn’t do nothing to deserve this.” Oh, my God. Oh, I have to take my time going down the steps. My mind is young and vibrant and energetic, but the body said, “You better take your time. You better take your time, Mr. Motivator, for you behind fall down these steps. You might be faking young and motivated, but you better positively take your time going down the steps.”

Getting older, it’s so humbling, and so humbling. That’s why I think Paul says, “Pray unceasingly.” This is a fresh start. But this is a fresh start. This is a time to be excited. This is the time to get with some people that you know that’s going in the direction of where you’re going, that’s grateful that they’re still here because of God’s grace and mercy, and to brainstorm about what we are going to do next. That’s what I’m doing with my sons, with my daughters. These are my children here. Yeah, that’s just half of them. Lord said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” I took him seriously. I got five girls and five boys. I smile at you. You’ll feel a rabbit test. Millennials don’t know anything about a rabbit test. I know they’re saying, “What does he mean by that? What’s a rabbit test?” Don’t worry, baby, that’s okay. He’s a little off. Don’t worry about that.

Embracing Gratitude and Creativity

We got to be grateful and celebrate and have a spirit of gratitude that we are still here, that we are victorious, that we have accomplished some things, and have created an opening so we can work our gifts. That’s what we’ve done. That’s what we’re fighting for, to be in position so we can do that which we are called to do. And trust me, this place where we are, this is not any time for people who are just looking for getting another job, who’ve been eliminated from the job market because of the coronavirus or because of artificial intelligence. No, no, no, no, no. This is a time to create. We were created by the Creator to create, create something for yourself, something

that you, something that’s in your heart, something that’s your calling. A job you get paid for, a calling is what you’re made for. And I decided I had a goal. What’s your goal now? What? What is it you’re going to do? People that don’t have goals die sooner than people who have goals. Why? They have no reason to get up in the morning. They need an alarm clock. But when you have a goal, you don’t need an alarm clock. No, you don’t. You’ll get up. And trust me on this, when there’s a reason for your life, reasons are empowering. Reasons, they bring something out of you. Reasons allow you to rise and face whatever life throws at you because it’s going to throw some stuff at you. You will have tribulation. It’s not strange that you face the fiery furnaces of this world. You will, no matter if you give ten percent of your earnings, you will, no matter if you’ve been real good, you will, no matter if you’re speaking unknown tongues, you will have tribulations. You will, if you’ve been real good, yeah, you will have tribulation. Stuff’s going to happen to you. What? As to where it’s set up, I have gone through so much stuff. I’m here to Cancer Centers of America, and they gave me a CT scan. The CT span stand, I mean, scan. You have to drink the solution, and then they scan your body. And they said, “Oh, we see a little presence of something here.” I said, “Lord, look here. Don’t you have anybody else? Can you pass this cup to somebody else?” “Oh, come on, what are you talking about?” “Well, you need to come back, and we’re going to give you an MRI.” “Oh, my goodness. I don’t like in my eyes.” “Hello, y’all. Y’all should be calling an MRI talking to people in places where I’ve been, where they gave me an MRI. The last MRI I had, I left them a little gift in there. And now that machine, that MRI machine is on the side of the building.” Oh, my God. They didn’t give me this.

Conclusion

But let’s embrace this fresh start. Let’s embrace the challenges and the joys that come with it. Let’s be grateful for every moment, for every opportunity, and let’s use our creativity and our determination to carve out our path, to chase our dreams, and to make the most of this new season in our lives. So, here’s to being hungry, being grateful, and being unstoppable. Let’s make ’21 the year to get it done.

Medication and MRI Experience

I’m sorry Tyroma, I’ll be through in a minute. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. Yeah, they, you know, I mean come on, they put a mask on my face and then they strapped my face down, and then they put straps over my arms and everything and my body, and pushed me in and they closed the door. And then they went out the room and said just relax and breathe deeply and they turn the light off and they say when we, when we push this button we tell you to hold your breath, hold your breath. Are you all right? No, and tell you what I did. Homie can’t do this, no, no. I scooted out, y’all got to give me something, y’all got to give me stuff. I’m claustrophobic. Yeah, when I was a kid they were playing and locked me in a refrigerator and I had recalls about all that kind of stuff, maybe the word got out so they strapped me down this time, they strapped me down and pushed me in. The Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer and Coping Mechanisms

Hmm, I called the whole gate, give me the script, not the strength, give me the script. I had to handle this, I was trying to say the Lord’s prayer. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” I had known the 23rd psalm since I was a kid, all I could remember was when that light went off when they closed that door, all I could remember was “The Lord is my shepherd, I showed that war, and lost my ship, and I shall.” Life is coming for you. It’s amazing if you’ve never had an MRI, you have no idea what I’m talking about. Hey, all I’m saying is, life is coming for you. Why? I didn’t do nothing, I understand, it’s coming for you. And so, therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day that having that all to stand. And so as you think about yourself and think about where we are right now, we got a fresh start.

Capitalizing on Fresh Starts and Toughness

And we want to capitalize on this, we want to maximize this, we want to get everything we can out of this, we want to milk this time until it expires. You know what Robert Schuller said? He said tough times never last, but tough people do, and he was right, and we are still here, we are tough. Now we got to do what we have to do until, until this expires. Nothing stays the same, everything must change, nothing stays the same. Listen, Quincy Jones flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you but by heavenly father which art in heaven, we got a fresh start, it’s time to get serious. What is it you want to do? What’s in your heart? What is it that you’d like to do before you check out?

Pursuing Goals and Building Legacies

My goal is to train entrepreneurs, my goal is to teach people how to use their voice and how to promote their business, to promote themselves, to promote their ideas, to promote their products, to create a new chapter in their lives, to live a larger life, a larger life because we can, we got it like that. You think God spared us so we can live a small life? No, no, no, no. We are here to do the greater work, build a legacy. So, what does that look like for you? We’re here to build a legacy for our children and our children’s children, and do you realize that most men when they die they leave a liabilities rather than a legacy?

Maximizing Life and Expectations

They’re not even thinking about it. See when you are in survival mode it’s one thing to live versus surviving. When you made an enlightened image of God and you know that and you’ve been given authority and dominion over everything on the face of the earth and you live from that place of power rather than have that just be lip service rather than life service, you’re able to create. What are you creating? How much time do you have left? The journey that has brought me this far is much longer than the journey that I have left, so my goal is to maximize it, my goal is to finish strong.

Commitment and Self-Improvement

How many of you are ready to finish strong so that you can live full and die empty as Miles Monroe would say? Most people go to their graves with their talents, their abilities, their dreams in them. You have to get to a place where you say to yourself, I’m not going out like this. I have a friend of mine who, he lived a criminal life, in and out of jail, in and out of jail, and the last time he got out of jail he went to the hospital. One of the children that he had impregnated a woman with, he was there at the hospital when the baby was born, his son, and when the baby opened his eyes, he said that was his rehabilitation. He said he decided in that moment that was a turning point, in that moment he would no longer live a criminal life.

Conclusion and Encouragement

What will it take for you? Paul said, “I must die daily.” What will it take for you to die to who you have been? Now that we have a fresh start, what will it take for you to die to who you’ve been to have a fresh start on this day? To honor your commitment to yourself, to get off all your medication, to exercise, and now I’m talking to myself, and do the things that you know you need to do, Mr. Brown, Mr. Motivator, that will keep you here on the planet longer. So you’ve got to do some things so you can be here, being here is not a given, you have to work at it. So what’s your game plan for being here, for improving your life and putting more life into your years?

When that young sister runs who announced her candidacy at the inauguration, what are you going to do differently? See, it’s one thing to say I want to be here at 90. You’re 75 now. I want to be here now. But it’s something else when you say I expect to be here. See, once shows up in conversation, expectation shows up in behavior. Hmm, wow, oh my goodness, if the shoe fits, wear it. And if it doesn’t fit in this yo shoe, wear it anyhow. Oh no he didn’t go there, yes he did. You have something special, you have greatness in you.