Month: February 2011

This was a great week for me. I did something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now; speak in a university setting. Not since I left the University of Michigan have I had the courage to step foot on a college campus to speak. I will admit that I was very scared. You see, I have some unfinished business with my academic career (just a mere two semesters away from my Bachelor’s) and I often wondered who’d take advice from me in such an environment.

The truth of the matter, I was tired of school at that time. I was tired of trying to impress other people, whose opinions of me would determine whether or not I’d make it in life. Well, so I thought at least. Now, I’m in a brilliant position, I get to go back to college and encourage people at that critical point: the point just before the breakthrough. I can tell students that it is okay to do what it is that you truly love. In fact, doing what you love will bring you long term happiness in such a way, that it is worth EVERY sacrifice that you WILL have to make for it.

I am a praying man and I strongly believe that God speaks to me. In that still, small voice through which He gives us guidance, He let me know ten years ago that He wanted me to be a motivational speaker. That was during my sophomore year at the University of Michigan. He even gave me a mentor and role model in Mr. Gregory Harden, who now serves as an Associate Athletic Director at the University. Mr. Harden personally counseled and coached the likes of Tom Brady and Desmond Howard, whom both of which he still mentors today.

He also had his private practice as a speaker, and he is a great one might I also add. I helped him sometimes with his events and he tutored me along the way. However, one thing was always prevalent: I was scared out of my mind to fully launch out. As a direct result of Mr. Harden’s guidance, my leadership skills began to flourish. I became the president of many different student organizations on campus, but I still didn’t step out like I know that I could. I could remember clear as day hearing the voices of people telling me that I was stupid for thinking that I could be successful as a speaker. I had begun to let dream killers eat away at my promise. It became so intense, that I really started losing my courage and confidence as a student.

Alot of my biggest critics were friends and family. Let me go on to tell you that it is the job of those who claim to love you to try to protect you at all cost. Sometimes, they don’t realize that the very thing that they seek to protect (you), they can destroy. Don’t hold it against them, love them anyway and let God be your strength.

So this goes back to everything that I started. It is your right, it is your right, it is your God-given right to be the person of your dreams. Doubt from doubters can breed fear. However, I encourage you to face fears head on! When you challenge your fears by passionately pursuing your very raison d’etre, you make use of your Infinite provision from Source. When a person has decided to move full steam ahead with their Divine calling, you get Divine weapons to rip the heads off of your fears. All sorts of resources and assistance become available to you. Grants, benefactors, helpers, you name it and will begin to manifest for you.

Walking on that beautiful campus took me way back to the beginning of the dream. I could see the vision of a younger me, wondering if this vision were possible. When I came back around, I now realized that dreams can come true. As I walked in the room where I would deliver the speech, I became extremely nervous, so I walked out. I took a minute to recollect my thoughts and composure and proceed back into that room. I prayed that God would give me boldness, courage, power, and clarity as I spoke. When I did finally get up to speak, I was calm and confident that I would deliver. I told my audience that their time had come and that their time was NOW to be dominant student and leaders. To my utter amazement, they were receptive to what I had to say. I had a photographer come in and took pictures of the event. Even in the still pictures, you can see a captivated audience being taught by a man who had squarely faced his fears head on and WON!

Don’t ever give up, don’t ever quit on your dreams! The world needs you to be all that you can be and all that you were meant to be. Face your fears head on with great decisiveness, tenacity, and passion. Like Mr. Les Brown told me, “you’ll win if you don’t quit!” Your time has come, your time is NOW! Face your fears head on! May God bless you and may success embrace you!

© 2007 Myles W. Miller for Lion Heart Enterprises
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