Synopsis
Without question life can be difficult and challenging. But what if all the challenges in your life were really just stepping stones to living the life of your dreams?
Join Coach Michael Taylor as he shares how he was able to overcome being a high school dropout, a divorce, depression, bankruptcy and foreclosure and is now living his dream as an entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker and radio & TV show host.
In this book you will learn that adversity really is your greatest ally and when you learn to accept this fact you can create the life of your dreams.
Adversity is your Greatest Ally Website
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Excerpt
Back in 1977 (I was 17 at the time) a friend and I were hanging out late one night and decided we would go check out a movie. Neither of us knew what movie we wanted to see, so we began looking at the movie posters in the theater. I then noticed a poster for a new sci-fi movie that had recently been released and based on the poster it looked pretty interesting. We decided to go and check it out, even though we knew nothing about the movie.
From the very beginning of the movie I knew it was going to be special. I was instantly transported into outer space and the story, actors, visuals, and soundtrack were all out of this world. By the time the movie was over, I had been on an amazing journey that I didn’t want to end. I loved the movie so much that I convinced my friend to go back the following night to see it again.
During that summer I ended up watching the movie more than twenty times in the theater. I couldn’t stop watching it. Each time I watched it I discovered something new, and after each viewing I couldn’t wait to see it again.
It may sound a little odd, but the movie somehow changed my life. It gave me a new perception of reality, and as a result of watching it so many times my attitude changed about the Universe and my place within it.
The movie was Star Wars and even today it is my all-time favorite movie. I still watch it once or twice a year.
The most intriguing concept of the movie was “The Force”, which was defined as a universal energy that is within all things and controls all things. The primary character of the movie was Luke Skywalker, and the movie follows him as he learns how to access The Force within him and how he ultimately uses it to save humanity from an evil character named Darth Vader, who used The Force for evil unlike Luke, who used the force for good.
What really caught my attention after the movie came out was the amount of religious leaders who were using the movie to promote their religion and were actually referring to “The Force” as a metaphor for their God. During this time I was more of an agnostic and I really didn’t believe in God; it was the non-religious message in the movie that actually attracted me. I really resonated with the idea that every human being has access to this Force and you didn’t have to be religious to connect with it. You simply had to learn how to access it and believe in it and it would become a source of amazing abilities and powers.
I had been doing some research about science and physics and there were some very interesting ideas that I had been exposed to that seemed to confirm what The Force in the movie was actually talking about. It reminded me of a famous quote from Albert Einstein (my favorite scientist) in which he stated, “Everything is energy that’s just the way that it is. Match the frequency of the reality that you want to create and there is no way that you can’t create that reality. It can be no other way. This isn’t philosophy, this is physics.”
Guest Post
I’d like to welcome Michael Taylor to StoreyBook Reviews today. When I read his message that he wrote for us today, all I could think was “he gets it!”. I cannot agree more with turning off the media (am I considered media with this blog?!) and making your life what you want it to be because only you have that power and it doesn’t matter if you are black, white or purple! I’ll stop now and share Michael Taylor’s words with you.
Is There Reason For Optimism For Black America?
If you pay attention to our media you may have concluded that the future is bleak for Black America. We are constantly inundated with stories and images of police shootings, incidents of racism, black on black crime statistics and a myriad of other challenges that currently plague our communities. With this over proliferation of negative media it’s no wonder that a large segment of this country is pessimistic about the future for black people.
But is this pessimism warranted? Should black people be worried about the future? Are things really getting worse? Are there any reasons for optimism?
Contrary to negative media generated news reports; I personally believe that black people are positioned to experience unprecedented levels of success in America today. As a matter of fact, I fervently believe that there has never been a better time to be alive in this country than right now.
Without question my way of thinking is in the minority. Most people will say that I am in denial of the obstacles and challenges facing black people and that in some way I am selling out black people by being so optimistic. I have been attacked, vilified and condemned because of my optimism, but never the less, I am absolutely positively optimistic about the future.
But how can I be so optimistic about the future when so many people are filled with such negativity and pessimism? It’s actually pretty simple. I am optimistic because I believe in facts versus what the media would have you believe.
Facts do not lie although some people may deny them. Here are a few facts that are the reasons for my optimism.
Fact #1. Despite the unnecessary police killings of black men, violence by police and violence in general has been seeing a steady decline over the past few decades. This doesn’t excuse police brutality or other unnecessary violence. It is a verifiable fact that overall violence is actually on the decline in this country.
Fact #2. The black male incarceration rate has decreased by 23% over the last decade and with the recent focus on overhauling our criminal justice system I believe that number will continue to decline.
Fact #3. The total number of black males and females who are receiving college degrees has been steadily increasing for the past decade or so. More and more black males are graduating high school than ever before and there has never been more black men in prison than in college despite the media reports to the contrary.
These three facts fuel my optimism but they pale in comparison to the fact that this country and the world at large is currently changing very rapidly for the better. The media would have you believe that it is black against white or us against them when the fact is it isn’t us against them. We are all in this together and more and more people are beginning to accept this idea and are beginning to work together.
After some racially motivated killings President Obama stated; “As painful as the week has been, I fully believe that America is not as divided as people have suggested.” I strongly concur with his statement. I do not deny the challenges this country still has to face in regards to race, but, as a child of the 60’s I remember the segregation, anger and hatred that I experienced simply because of the color of my skin and though there are still obvious incidents of racism, in comparison to what I experienced approximately 50 years ago, I believe we are on a trajectory to heal this country of racial issues within the next few decades.
With the advances we are making in technology, like artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and flying and self-driving cars, there are lots of things to be optimistic about. When it comes to health, people are living longer, diseases are being cured and more and more people are choosing healthier lifestyles. In addition, we are making incredible strides with environmental issues like cleaning up the environment, moving to solar power and green energy and making a conscious effort to reduce pollution and heal the planet.
The truth is there are a lot more things that are right in the world than things that are wrong with it. It all depends on what you choose to focus your attention on. I choose to focus my attention on the positive things and therefore I believe there are lots of reasons for optimism regardless of your race.
The key is to turn off the media and get engaged with doing something that changes the world for the better. And remember: “No one can do everything but if everyone did something everything would get done.”
Let’s do something together!
About the Author
Coach Michael Taylor is an entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker and radio show host who has dedicated his life to empowering men and women to reach their full potential. He knows firsthand how to overcome adversity and build a rewarding and fulfilling life and he is sharing his knowledge and wisdom with others to support them in creating the life of their dreams. He is the author of Adversity Is Your Greatest Ally, Black Men Rock, A New Conversation with Men, and Brothers, Are You Listening?
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