| Are you a black man or woman looking for the keys | | | | principals of developing a positive paradigm. Let's |
| to achieving the heights of unlimited potential that life | | | | examine the thought process of two different black |
| has to offer? Have you felt like there are unseen | | | | people with identical backgrounds and similar potential |
| forces keeping you from gaining what others have? | | | | interests to see which patterns will allow for the |
| Would you like to know the secret to black | | | | greatest level of success. |
| empowerment that will give you all you need to be as | | | | Person A Believes: |
| successful in life as anyone else? | | | | "I am responsible for what becomes of me and others |
| Look, I know how extremely difficult it is to overcome | | | | are not responsible for what happens to me." |
| the preset challenges we face daily as black people | | | | While Person B Believes: |
| throughout the world. People of African decent are | | | | "I am partly responsible for what becomes of me as |
| widespread living with deplorable conditions. On | | | | others/external factors have a strong bearing on what |
| average, we are plagued with low economical wealth, | | | | happens to me." |
| high unemployment, educational underachievement plus | | | | Person A Believes: |
| a historical negative labeling. | | | | "My past is past, today is a new day of opportunities." |
| It's extremely easy, knowing these statistics, to fall into | | | | While Person B Believes: |
| the mindset that this is just the way things are going to | | | | "My past is past, but it influences today and my |
| be and that there is nothing you can do about it. But I | | | | opportunities." |
| want to tell you that couldn't be further from the truth... | | | | Person A Believes: |
| As a matter of fact, the secret to black | | | | "If I fail, it doesn't mean I am a loser and a quitter, but I |
| empowerment is achievable but it would require us | | | | should learn from my mistakes and try again." |
| developing a 100% sold out commitment to our | | | | While Person B Believes: |
| dream-potential; as whether we realize it or not, there | | | | "If I fail it means that I may not be good at that thing, so |
| are subtle yet powerful preset challenges that | | | | I should consider quitting as I may be a loser in that |
| confront us as blacks living in the developed and | | | | area." |
| developing nations across the world. Not every black | | | | Person A Believes: |
| person experiences these challenges, but a very high | | | | "I believe that I can succeed in spite of being a black |
| and disproportionate percentage does, to varying | | | | person faced with preset challenges. I can overcome |
| degrees. | | | | them and achieve the potential success of which I |
| A fundamental attitudinal change that encourages a | | | | dream." |
| positive mindset is absolutely essential if we, as black | | | | While Person B Believes: |
| individuals, are to have any chance of succeeding and | | | | "Because I am black, I am unlikely to succeed past a |
| destroying the vicious cycle of non-achievement that | | | | certain point as there are too many preset challenges |
| tends to prevail within a family or community. | | | | standing in my way. I can't overcome all of them." |
| Here's one way that you can quickly and easily begin | | | | It's not hard to see how something as simple as a |
| the process of this change in thought and start to | | | | more positive outlook is going to allow Person A to |
| propel yourself to new heights: | | | | reach his potential and that the negative attitude of |
| You can only facilitate a change if you embrace the | | | | Person B will certainly keep him down. |