Thought of the Week 9/13-9/19

Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world.
--Miguel de Cervantes

If you can find a way to master yourself, the rest of the issues of the world will be no problem! Take some stock in knowing you... It will be one of the best investments you will ever make! -- O

Thought of the Week 8/23-8/29

“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.”-- John Wesley

I've heard this saying before, but it is ringing more true for me everyday as I take off with my speaking business. Bringing enthusiasm to the table attracts people to you like a moth to a flame. I am trying to harness this and take it to my everyday life. What could you change in your life with enthusiasm? It doesn't require any money or skill, just plain old effort. Be enthusiastic today!

Thought of the Week 8/16-8/22

"Accepting the past and being flexible with the future gives us more freedom to live our lives in the present"-- Linus Chang 3rd Place in TM International Speech Contest


I had the most humbling experience in California this past weekend. I will write a full thought about it when I get home tonight, but these past 5 days have been amazing.

Thought of the Week 8/9-8/15

"Strength is moving forward even when you know there are trials ahead"-- O

For some reason, that thought made me think of the Serenity Prayer...God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.

Strength and courage are related heavily and are definitely needed to achieve in this hectic life that we live. If we can have some faith and be strong we can make it.... Have a productive week! -- O

Thought of the Week 8/2-8/8

The things you merely possess can be lost or taken from you in an instant. Yet the things that you become will be a part of you always.-- Ralph Marston

We all know the old saying, you are what you eat. Well I feel like you become what you think. Thoughts are things and we must control them, or else we will end up becoming something that we don't even recognize in the mirror. Control your thoughts and start the achievement process today! --O

Thought of the Week 7/19-7/25

"The most grueling battle is not physical, its mental. Winning the mental battle is the key to winning the war. Stay Strong!" -- Oginga Carr

I have to remember this thought every moment of every day. I am at a crossroads in my life where it is vital to fight and win the mental battle. It is a taxing, difficult, fight and I am praying my way through each moment. Keep fighting the mental battle. Stay strong. The payout is tremendous! --O

Thought of the Week 7/12-7/18

"The most effective people always start with the end in mind, then they move towards that picture!"-- Stephen Covey

Visualize and attack. That is the move. You have to have a reason that you are doing something in life, and if you can truly see your goal, it will motivate you to push hard. Dream Big. Work Big. Have a great week!--O

Thought of the Week 7/5-7/11

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."-- Maya Angelou

I a feeling a renewal today. This quote does it for me because it is paramount to change the things you can change in your life, and change your mindstate about the things you can't change. That means that in all situations movement is possible. Take out the things you have control over in your life and adjust yourself vs the things that you do not control. Have a great Week! --O

Thought of the Week 6/21-6/27

"

Accomplishment depends not on what you intend to do, but on what you actually get done" -- Ralph Marston

I guess I needed to be slapped in the face this morning, and this thought did exactly that! In reality life is results oriented. We can have the best of intentions, but if we do not finish our tasks we will have accomplished nothing. I have to remember that this week, and I hope that you will too! Have a great week! --O

Thought of the Week 6/14-6/20

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of Power and Love and of a Sound Mind"-- II Timothy 1:6

The Word spoke to me today. I am built from Power, Love, and a Sound Mind. I must remember this the next time I feel fearful. Fear is not of God. Confusion is not of God. The next time you are battling these emotions remember this verse. I will! Have a great Week!--O

Sunday Video Blog

Just a short thought... Like Craig Valentine says, Your Dream is not for Sale...

Thought of the Week 6/7-6/13

If you never have challenges, you can never find out just what you're capable of.--Willie Jolley

I am living this thought right now in my life. The challenges that are being placed before me continue to improve my capabilities. As rough as the sea gets, I realize that I am still here and still succeeding. Take that in your heart this week. Know that these issues that are being placed before you only give you the opportunity to really know what you are capable of... Have a great week! -- O

Thought of the Week 5/31-6/6

"The weak are blind; champions visualize their dreams and aspirations and will not stop at seeing them realized"-- Oginga Carr

I thought about this week that true champions are visionaries. When you recognize someone as a champion, you always see great vision as a trait. You have to see your goal, feel your goal, know your goal, so that when you get there, it feels familiar. By seeing yourself already having what it is you want, you have made half the journey. So take a moment this week and really visualize a goal. Have a great week!--O

Thought of the Week 5/24-5/30

"There is no stimulus like that which comes from the consciousness of knowing that others believe in us."
Orison Swett Marden

It is really a common Human need to have someone believe in us. When times are rough if you can think back to just one person that believes in you and your dreams, it will make you go that extra mile. Why not be that person for someone else? Listen to their dreams and support them in any way you can. Being successful yourself is not true greatness, you are truly great when you can help others achieve success.-- O

Thought of the Week 5/17-5/23

" Greatness will never manifest until it's first perceived then released by the one who holds it."--Yolanda Presley

Its just like the old saying, "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can acheive it". That saying is definitely true. The most wonderful dreams of man first started with a tiny thought in one person's mind. We all have greatness within us. It is up to us to know that and act on that. Take a moment today to listen to that tiny voice inside of you. It might be directing you to greatness... Have an awesome week! --O

Thought of the Week 5/10-5/16

" No one in the world was ever you before, with your particular gifts and abilities and possibilities. It's a shame to waste those by doing what someone else has done." -- Joseph Campbell

God has given us specific abilities that apply expressly to us. Why follow someone else's path? Follow your own and things will always work out. The key is to recognize your gifts and abilities, then go to work. Think about that this week. Have a great week! --O

Thought of the Week 5/3-5/9

"We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are" -- Max DePree

This Quote was brought to my attention by the Rev. Daryl Dandredge this weekend and especially spoke to my soul. I battle with wanting to be so much better, but not changing the core fundamentals of me. Until you can change your core DNA, the you that you want will continue to elude you. That's because it takes change to make a change. Remember that this week! Have a great week! -- O

Thought of the Week 4/25-5/2

" On the mural of life, I'm God's work of art. So are you. . . He keeps painting us till we become masterpieces. We keep unfolding."-- Author Unknown


I am really blessed by this thought today. I am still continuing the unfolding process of who I am and I truly operate by the mantra of, "more of him, less of me". I am excited to see what masterpieces I continue to evolve into. --O

SUPER HERO

Have you ever met a Super Hero?...I have. Do you remember your favorite block of time in your childhood? When I was growing up, I loved Saturday mornings. Why? Because it was the only time that belonged expressly to me. I was very busy in my youth with activities and responsibilities, so I did not get much “me time”. Monday thru Friday? School. Sunday Mornings? Church. Saturday mornings were my only oasis. So how did I spend Saturday Mornings? Watching Saturday Morning Cartoons! I could settle in on the couch with a bowl of cereal and transport myself to another place. Like any other American Boy, my favorite cartoons were… The Super Hero Cartoons! Why? Because Good could defeat Evil in a 30 minute block of time with 8 minutes for commercials! That was just enough time for my attention span and always took me to a great place.

There were 3 Super Hero Cartoons that I cherished. First was the Man with the “S” on his chest, The Man of Steel, Clark Kent, who would jump into a phone booth and come out as, that’s right, Superman. He was faster than a speeding bullet, flying through the air, leaping tall buildings with a single bound… He even had x-ray vision, which I wished for later on in Junior High standing outside the Girls locker room. He used all those powers to defeat the likes of Lex Luthor every week. Every Week I could depend on him prevailing.

My second favorite Super Hero was mild mannered Peter Parker, but you all know him as Spiderman! He would shoot spider webs from his wrist, swing from building to building, and save the girl. Every week he would take out the likes of the Green Goblin and his crew. Every Week he would win.

But my favorite Super Hero was one I know you know. I am going to sing his theme song, and feel free to finish it off for me…(Theme Song). That’s right Batman. Why was he the greatest? First off, he was attainable. He wasn’t an alien from the Planet Krypton, or bitten by a genetically mutated spider. Besides having a bad childhood and being exceeding rich, Batman was just Bruce Wayne in a mask. He was the thinking man’s Superhero. He used his Bat Gadgets to take out the likes of the Joker every week. Every Week I could count on him.

I spent my entire childhood praising these cartoon Super Heroes every week, and I didn’t realize the there was a real Super Hero right underneath my nose every day.

Who was he? Well he also wasn’t an alien from the Planet Krypton, or bitten by a genetically mutated spider, he wasn’t even exceedingly rich.

My Superhero did things like put 8 boys on the back of a pickup truck and take us to baseball practice three times a week.

My Superhero taught me a word of the day every day, so that I could properly pontificate to an assemblage such as yourselves.

My Superhero never missed an academic or athletic competition from the time I was six until I was through College, anywhere in the Continental United States.

My Superhero managed to find another Superhero to marry, so that they could be a shining example to me, my friends, and my community of what a loving, happy, relationship is.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, My Superhero is my father, David Carr, Sr.
On April 10, 2007, My Superhero became an Angel. I was distraught mostly because I was selfish and wanted more time with him. After the funeral, it hit me and I realized that I never asked him what his Super Power was.

At that same time, I was being fitted for the cape. I had a family of my own. I never realized how heavy the head was that wore the crown of Superhero. You see there is no Black and White. There was no Lex Luthor, no Green Goblin, no Joker, only shades of Gray. I was in the battle of my life! Dodging, ducking, moving, only to realize that I wasn’t being the Superhero I needed to be. I became depressed until one day I looked to the heavens and heard the voice of my father. He said to me, “Oginga, my super power was love.”

I present to you that if you love your family as hard as you can and the best way that you can, If you put your family first in your thoughts and in your actions, your love can grow into a super power and you too can wear the cape… So Who’s Your Superhero?

Thought of the Week 4/19-4/25

"Wherever your imagination goes, your manifestation flows..."-- Author Unknown

Your thoughts truly do lead you in this life. If you truly concentrate on moving in a positive direction, you will flow that way. It is our manifest destiny to be whatever we we focus on. So try it. Focus on a positive outcome. Not only focus on it, work on it. I bet that you move closer to it... Have a great week!-- O

Thought of the Week 4/12-4/18

" Failure is like an unwanted teacher; no one likes it. But if you want success, you must learn from it."--Johni Pangalila

We must all fail in life to truly appreciate the successes. Failure is a necessary evil to give us the contrast between it in success. Have you ever noticed how bright the light is coming out of darkness? That is just like stepping into success from failure. How Sweet it is! Have a great week! --O

Thought of the Week 4/5-4/11

" Enthusiasm is greatest asset in the world; it is the difference between nonexistence and excellence." -- Marita Domingo

Good Morning Family! Isn't it amazing how big of a difference enthusiasm makes in your life? By taking on things with a zest for life, it gives you a great perspective on how to get them done quickly. Go out and take on life. It is waiting to challenge you. Just be up to the challenge and attack it enthusiastically. Have a great Week!--O

Thought of the Week 3/29-4/4

"Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's *because* they sat there that they were able to do it."--George Clooney in "Up in the Air"

The moment when this line is stated in the movie is after the person has been fired. It struck me, because eveeryone who has ever succeeded in life has failed at some point or another. Even though the motives behind the statement may be debatable in the movie, the spirit of that statement struck me. We all are just a stone's throw away from failure or success. It just depends on our path.

Thought of the Week 3/22-3/28

"Tired is not a condition of the body, it is a condition of the soul." -- Iyanla Vanzant

It was my great honor to get to her Iyanla lecture at Philander Smith College for their "Bless the Mic" Lecture series last week. Just like when reading her books, I pulled many things out of her lecture. The reference in this quote was to being tired. She said that you are tired when you have no vision and you are spinning your wheels in life. When you are headed down a certain path and your days have purpose, you work until EXHAUSTION. Exhaustion is what we should be aiming for, because at that point we refuel ourselves and go out again. I am employing this concept in my life, as I was truly tired with some things in my life. Now its time to follow my dreams daily until exhaustion. So have a wonderful week! --O

Thought of the Week 3/15-3/21

"Take your hand off of the pen and let God write your life's story. It's assured to be a best seller." --Rev. Daryl Dandredge

All I can say is wow. I happy that I know Bro. Dandredge and can be exposed to his wisdom. By letting God be the captain of our lives, we are sure to be on the right track. It does not mean that we stop effort. It just means that we release control. By working our efforts we will get there even faster. -- O

Thought of the Week 3/8-3/14

Success is a battle between two entities... You and Yourself.-- O

Many people wonder what the key to success is. To me, success is all about how you manage the battle with in you to give 100% effort versus making excuses. It is so comforting to make excuses about why things can't be done. Success hinges on giving maximum effort through that feeling. Choosing stretching instead of the comfort of staying the same. Have a great week!

Thought of the Week 3/1-3/7

"Take each day as it comes. Interview it, hire it, work with it by managing it, see that its not a good employee and fire it." -- Rev. Daryl Dandredge

Bro. Dandredge gave me a lot to think about with this one. I like the concept, but I would tweek it just a little. I think you should treat each day as a day laborer, since each day is unique. By working with that laborer you should be able to find out what special talents it has and use it. At the end of the day, you and laborer part having contributed what you needed to each other. Either way it goes, take advantage of the day, its the only one like this that you will have. Have a Great Week! -- O

Thought of the Week 2/22-2/28

" Anyone can take away anything around you, but your motivation is your spirit - NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY!"- Sekola Phakoe

Motivation is the fuel that drives us in life. If we are lacking in motivation, we will not get to our destination. We must remember that this precious resource is ours alone and not allow others to take it away, because if you allow others to steal it, your motivation will cease production. The more you use motivation, the more it produces. We must retain our motivation in life. --O

Thought of the Week 2/15-2/21

"Power is not corrupt. Power only accentuates your personality traits more. --O

People are always talking about the difficulties in handling power. I think that power only exposes us as who we are. If Arrogance is in you, Power will expose it. If Cruelty is in you, Power will expose it. Conversely, if Goodness is in you, Power will expose it. Maybe the reason that you haven't received that Power in your life that you feel you so richly deserve is the fact that there are some traits you need to correct before you take it. Have a great Week!

Thought of the Week 2/8-2/14

History is a choice. You make history every moment, every hour, every day, and every year with the choices you make. Make History Today! -- O

This month is a time when we concentrate on African American History. It struck me that everything we do is history. At any time we can have a negative or positive effect on our own life, thus making history. Decide that Today you are going to make that change that you have been thinking of. You can look back at today as a historical moment. --O

Thought of the Week 2/1-2/7

"Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the presence of fear, yet the will to move on." -- Martin Lawrence, Black Knight

You find golden nuggets in the strangest places. I was flipping channels this weekend while I was iced in, and hit Black Knight right at the moment Martin Lawrence turned around and said this line. No truer words could have been said. There will always be fear involved when you make moves in life. The trick is to move on in spite of that fear. That is true courage. Be courageous this week!
--O

Thought of the Week 1/25-1/31

" Life doesn't deal the hand you want, it deals the hand you need. Whether you believe it, accept it, want it or not, it is what it is. Be content with your own hand. "--Antonio Talbert

You are the only person that could live out the circumstances of your life. We succeed because we accept the circumstances of life and decide to move forward either in spite of or because of them. Everyone has circumstances in life. Its how you react to those circumstances that shows your true colors. --O

Thought of the Week 1/18-1/24

Everyone has the opportunity to rise from their inequities and improve. Progress is a choice! --O


There is not some magic potion to making change or progress in your life. Every moment you are on this earth, you have the option to take a step in a different direction. It truly starts with one step. Make that step today! My prayers go out to the citizens of Haiti and I hope that everyone has peace in their thoughts on the celebration on Martin Luther King's birthday...--O

Communicating in the Twenty Tens

I am so excited about the talk that Daryl Dandredge and I have planned for the Central Arkansas Project Management Institute this morning. We have a 30 minute presentation that is going to be action packed! Can't wait to get there!

Thought of the Week 1/11-1/17

"Attitude is a choice Everyday"-- Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger


As simple as that statement seems, it is real profound. We are the master of our days. It really is true that you attract what you put out there. Have you ever had a day when it seemed like from the moment you got up things were wrong? Believe it or not, that might have started with your attitude when you woke up. Give it a try. Wake up and tell yourself, I am the master of my domain. Take control of your attitude today!--O

Thought of the Week 1/4-1-10

" Your real work is to decide what you want and then to focus on it. For it is through focusing on what you want that you will attract it. That is the process of creating."Esther Hicks

Decide. That is a verb that is highly necessary in this life. By picking a direction and moving, it trains your focus on a goal. With focus, you can maximize your potential and win at the game of life... --O