On tonight’s motivational call that I make every Sunday, I started the call by playing a John Mayer song called “Waiting for the world to change.” This song and the recent US presidential election results really inspired me to write this article.
At the beginning of the song, in the first verse, Mayer says: “Now we see everything that is going wrong in the world and those who lead it, we just feel that we do not have the means to overcome it and overcome it, so keep waiting for the world change “. He then goes on to say, “It’s hard to beat the system when we’re at a distance, so we keep waiting for the world to change.”
So many people in our society, in general, feel so inferior that they do not believe that their personal contribution can make a difference in the world in which we live. This reality leads me to one of my favorite quotes: “People are so eager to change their situation, yet they are not willing to change themselves!” For your life to change, it has to change. For your life to improve, you must improve.
As the song says, we keep waiting for the world to change. Like a natural progression of time, life progresses. If you don’t change, the people around you or above you can, which may have little influence on your lifestyle and reality. The daily activities of your life can remain the same. The amount of money in your bank account can remain the same. The people in your life and your relationships can remain the same. But the only thing that can change and inspire you to change is your perception of the event or person that changed the course of history.
History was made on November 4, 2008 when Barack Obama was the first African American elected to the office of President of the United States of America. Although this event did not change the financial situation of most people immediately or change their social status immediately, it did change the way people perceive our country, not just within the US, but throughout the world! world! This achievement was not only a great achievement for African Americans, but I think it was a HUGE achievement for Americans in general. It took this event to happen to inspire people to believe that change in their lives is also possible.
Change is something that is a gradual process of conversion from one state to another. It is amazing how different individuals in history have forced us to change the way we view our country, the world, and ourselves, because of their personal achievements. Here are some other accomplishments before Obama was elected president of our country that helped shape the views of people seeking continued change and development.
In 1823, Alexander Lucius Twilight was America’s first African-American college graduate from Middlebury College. He became the first black to hold a seat as an elected state official as a Vermont legislature in 1836. With all the racial divide in our country during that time, who would have thought that a black person could walk away? Go to college, graduate, and then become an elected official in a state legislature over a majority white population? Twilight obviously did.
In 1837, James McCune Smith became the first black to graduate with a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Glasgow.
In 1870, Joseph Rainey became the first black American representative from the state of South Carolina. Although his election to this seat met with much opposition, he was reelected 4 times.
Also in 1870, Hiram Revels became the first black American senator from Mississippi. This state was also known for widespread racial division. Ironically, there have only been a total of 5 black US Senators in US history since 1870. Barack Obama became the fifth in 2005 and a great chance that Jesse Jackson, Jr. will take his place as the sixth US Senator. black. replacing Obama’s seat in Illinois since Obama was elected to the presidency of the United States.
Who would have ever thought that a black man would play Major League Baseball, because after all, there was a Negro League for that? In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black player to play in the Major Leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In his initial contract to play, he said that he could not retaliate if someone spat on him as a result of racism. Despite many obstacles, Robinson broke records and also became the first black to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
In 1967, Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. was the first black astronaut, but he died in a plane crash during a training flight and never made it to space. Despite this great tragedy in 1983, Guion Bluford continued the dream and became the first black astronaut to travel to space.
In 1910, Sarah Breedlove Walker (also known as Madame CJ Walker) became the first black millionaire and the first woman millionaire in the United States. In 2001, Robert “Bob” Johnson (the founder of BET) became the first black billionaire. Currently, there are only 3 black billionaires in the United States. Oprah, Bob and his divorced wife, Sheila.
In 2001, Colin Powell was the first black elected to be the US Secretary of State, which is the highest ranking position behind the US Vice Presidency.In the line of succession to the US Presidency. .
There are many other accomplishments worth noting that we don’t have time to cover here. The point I’m trying to make is that there were different events in our history that made us see our world differently. Whether a black became a doctor, the first black elected to political office at the state or national level, the first black to play a professional sport, or the first black millionaire or billionaire ever registered. Each achievement of an African American here only inspired another African American or American to pursue their American dream.
I have no doubt that if Alexander Lucius Twilight never decided to go to college, deal with challenges and adversity, and graduate from these tests, many of these other accomplishments may never have taken place. It took these great individuals, one after another, to recognize the opportunities seized by others before them to light the fire in their ambitions to pursue their dreams. This is how change evolves, a progression over time towards a more desired destination.
To change your life, you must start from somewhere. Maybe reading a book once or twice a year. Maybe it’s something as simple as saying a prayer when you wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. Maybe it’s telling your spouse that you love them every day. Maybe it’s creating a plan to pay off your debt. Maybe it’s creating a game plan so your business really works to gain time and financial freedom! Whatever change you are looking for in your life, it has to start somewhere.
I think it says a lot about our country that an African American is elected president. If an African American can go from not being able to have a seat in a restaurant for dinner, some 40 years ago, to occupying the highest position in the United States government today, what kind of limits does someone in this country have?
The answer is: NONE!
Barack Obama, like the others mentioned before, did not wait for someone else to achieve their achievements, they were the first to do so. Despite all the odds, despite the challenges, despite the unbelievers, these people believed and fulfilled their ambitions. Most of our country is waiting for someone else to do something to give them the inspiration to do it. But today I challenge you to change your situation and make history for yourself and your family by taking the initiative to make this happen for yourself! I hope to hear about all your success!
God bless you and good luck in your endeavors!
Reco McDaniel
