Put God First
Welcome, incredible BookDuck fans. Are you in need of some motivation ? Then keep on listening as we discover the power of faith and the importance of it on our journey to success.
I know you're excited, but first, let’s learn about our motivational speaker. Denzel Washington, was once a young boy who dreamt of being a doctor but life had other plans for him. After overcoming many obstacles, he is now an award winning actor and filmmaker. Now, let’s see what he has to say at the Dillard University’s Commencement Ceremony about his journey.
According to him, there are three components which are crucial on your way to success.
Number One: Put God First
Washington emphasizes the importance of putting God first in everything we do. Every success he has experienced in his life to this day, he attributes it to the grace of God. God’s grace is a gift and everyone must acknowledge it. Now, let’s be honest with yourself, have you been acknowledging this gift?
He then continues with his personal life experience. From flunking out of college to a grade point average of 1.7, he speaks about his academic struggles. Now let’s try and not repeat his GPA. But, little did he know that an encounter with a stranger at his mom’s beauty parlor would change his life. She looked him in the eyes and predicted he is going to be successful, traveling, and known by many people. What seemed impossible at that time turned into a reality. Forty years later, he has traveled the world, is known by many and is standing as an award winning actor giving a motivational speech to graduates.
This experience taught him an important lesson to keep God in his life which led to protection and guidance in his journey. He is highlighting the importance of staying with God no matter what.
Number Two: Fail Big
You only live once so do what you really desire, take chances but remember, do it professionally. Remember the old IQ test was nine dots which had to be connected without lifting the pencil and the only way to do it was to go outside the box. So, think and go outside the conventional methods.
Make sure to set goals for yourself and not only dreams.
Did you know what dreams without goals lead to ? The answer is disappointment. With this said, dream big and have goals. They can be simple but have them. To achieve the goals you must have consistency and discipline. Work at it everyday. Successful people work hard. We may be doing a lot but it doesn't mean we got more done. Sometimes we confuse movement with progress. Always strive, have goals and make progress. The formula is that simple.
Number Three : You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse
Doesn’t matter how much money you have, unfortunately you can’t take it with you. Do you guys want to know what’s the most selfish thing that you can do? Well, it’s actually helping someone else. You’re probably wondering how that works. Well, because the good feelings that you get when helping someone are just priceless. No materialistic thing can replace that joy. So in reality you are doing something for yourself too when you’re helping someone else.
Last but not least, as you wake up each day, be thankful to God for what you have. It’s okay to say thank you in advance guys, trust me it’s okay.
I know you are feeling inspired more than ever now but let’s go over the three main principles necessary to live a successful and impactful life according to Denzel Washington. Put God first, fail big, and help others. Attribute your achievements to the grace of God. Embrace your failures and don’t be afraid to take risks. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box, set goals for yourself and achieve them, don't just dream about them. Lastly, remember it’s not only you, help others as well. If you have reached your success go back and grab someone's hand and pull them forward too. Material things come and go but who you are is what matters the most.
To sum up, we learned to be appreciative, believe in God’s power and lead a meaningful and faithful life leaving all the obstacles that get in our way behind us. Now that you know all of this, buckle up and chase your dreams.
