Take Your Position

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can't win.  Folk will be against you.  They won't like you.  There are multiple reasons for it.  Maybe you said something they didn't like.  Maybe you've taken a position on something.  Uh oh.  I just said something.  The position you take doesn't have to be a strong one.  The fact that you took one will be too much for many folk.  But the question is, what do you do with what they say?  Let it tear you down?  Dwell on it?  Alter your course?  Defeat you?   No.  You were grinding before they showed up with all that hateration, right?  Then my message to you is simple.  Keep.  On.  Grinding.  But now, you're taking what they've said and grinding it up and using it as fuel. 

I use a variety of sayings and expressions when I teach.  One of my faves is from The Rock.  That's Dwayne Johnson to you.  When he was a wrestler, The Rock would say to his opponents, "Know your role and shut your mouth!"  Yeah, give 'em the People's Elbow, Rock!  Hit 'em with the Rock Bottom!  Sorry, I got caught up for a moment.  I'm back now.  Where were we?  Oh yeah.  Know your role. 

In class, I tell my students that leaders know their roles and when to shut their mouths.  I say the same thing to you, but with an addition.  You should be saying this to those who are riding you, because you dared to take a position.  I can hear y'all now.  "Eric.  Are you telling me that I get to tell folk to shut up?!"  Well, not...  "Too late, buddy!  I'm on it!  I like you more and more with each post!"  No, that's not exactly what I'm saying.  Here's what I mean. 

You can and should tell the voices that are haunting and stalking you to "Shut up!"  Yes, it's ok to tell them to shut up.  These voices are the remnants of what folk said when you took a position.  They're echoing in your mind and you've got to know your role and make those voices and the remnants thereof shut their mouths.  Just like you've taken a position with the people, you must take a position with the voices as well.  

You've got to stand!  Stand and know that God's got you covered.  Know that no weapon formed against you will prosper.  I can hear you.  "Eric, I'm tired of standing.  It's over!"  What the what?!  Naw, dawg!  The devil is a lie!  It ain't over!  We've only begun to fight!  Love will hold us together!  Jesus Christ's love for you and me!  That's it.  I'm taking you to the King.  Without Him, I never would have made it and I know He can and will help you too!  You'll get to the point where you'll be able to laugh again.  Always remember that you're not alone.  So when they ask, "What's your position?"  You tell 'em that you're standing.  You're standing, because you believe.  When they ask you, "What do you believe in?"  You can proudly tell 'em, "Oh, it's more than belief.  I know I'm good, because my hero changed my life.  And it's on Christ the solid rock I stand.  That's my position and I'm taking it."    

Bigger Things

What do you see here?  What's going on in this picture?  Is Spider-Man a goner?  Will he break loose from his chains?  Will Harry unmask him?  Tune in next week...  Gotcha!  You thought I was going to leave you hanging.  Ha!  You're so...Right!  I'm not telling you what's going on here.  That's for you to find out.  For those of you who've seen the 2004 movie, Spider-Man 2, you may think you know what's really going on, but we'll see.  For all of us, how about a little back-story?

Peter Parker is Spider-Man.  Relax.  That's not telling tales out of school.  He does whatever a spider can.  He lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (who's always proud of him), because his parents were killed when he was a little boy.  His best friend, Harry Osborn, is the son of billionaire, Norman Osborn, owner and CEO of Oscorp.  And of course, there's a girl involved.  Fellas, isn't it always about girl?  Don't front.  You know it's true.  We all do.  But that's another post for another time.  Where were we?  Ah, yes.  Peter Parker is Spider-Man.  As with all of our heroes, both the fictitious and real ones, he's a man of many layers.  He's conflicted.  He wants to do good and save lives, but by doing so, he endangers the lives of those he loves the most.  He wants to be a regular kid, but as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility.  What's a spider, er, kid supposed to do?  How do you reconcile what appears to be your calling with maintaining the safety and security of your loved ones?  In short, you do it, because you realize there are Bigger Things happening than what you see.  Stay with me.  I'm going somewhere.

In the scene from the movie captured in the picture above, there are BiggerThings happening.  It looks like Harry's about to kill Spider-Man, but is he?  If he's going to kill him, does he have a legitimate reason?  What's his "why"?  See.  Bigger.  Things.  In the book, Difficult Conversations, (Stone, Patton, & Sheen 1999) state, "...moving away from the truth assumption frees us to shift our purpose from proving we are right to understanding the perceptions, interpretations, and values of both sides."  In other words, from each of our perspectives we have the things that we know that we know that we know that we're right about.  Except for one thing: We're not right.  I can hear you now.  You're saying, "Babe, this Eric cat is crazy!  He said I'm not right.  We both know I'm right about everything.  Right, babe?  Babe?"  My man, the look she just gave you would cut through steel.  You really need to stay with me no matter where I'm going.  Let's get back to it, y'all, because he's gonna need some help.  

In understanding Bigger Things, we must come to know and accept that seldom is it ever about getting the facts right.  Here's what I'm saying.  No matter what your eyes see and your ears hear, there are Bigger Things going on in and with the conversation you're having with your loved one, coworker, clerk, service person, etc.  With what you just saw.  Here's another example.  I used to love the TV show Three's Company.  What was the premise of almost every episode?  You got it.  A major misunderstanding.  Usually, someone only had a portion of all the information they needed which led to a major misunderstanding for all parties involved and hilarity for the viewers.  But what was really happening?  Bigger Things.  There were Bigger Things going on.  

There are Bigger Things going on as to why you hate your job.  As to why you don't get along with that person.  As to why you continue to listen to that stuff, those things, and them folk, even though they continually hurt you and you're no longer a Bad Landlord.  As to why you've stopped chasing your dreams.  As to why you stopped believing in yourself.  Bigger Things are the reason why we have to get understanding.  Bigger Things are the reason why we need to listen more.  Bigger Things are the reason why we need to be more empathetic.  So the next time it's required of you to assess a situation (like you're probably doing right now), take stock of the Bigger Things.  Aunt May would be proud.

    

Please, Please, Please!

That's James Brown, y'all!  The cat who was known as The Hardest Working Man in Show Business!  Mr. Dynamite!  The Godfather of Soul!  Soul Brother Number One!  Mr. Please Please Please!  The man was bad long before Michael.  Wait a minute.  Did you just say, "Michael who?"  Oh, ok.  I was about to say!  Close call.  Now where were we?  Oh yeah.  Mr. Please Please Please.  Man, how James could beg!  "Please, please, please, don't go!", he'd implore.  He didn't want his baby to go.  Many of us can relate to that!  He would do anything to please her.  Certainly, there's some merit in that, right?  Sure there is.  But riddle me this.  How many of you seek to please, please, please folk so they're not angry with you?  You can't stand for anyone to be upset with you.  So you do whatever they say.  You bow to their every whim and whimsy.  They've got you wrapped around their little finger.  You're a puppet on a string.  A marionette.  You're dancing to their tune.  No matter how offbeat it is.   You are a people-pleaser.  I can hear you now.  "Eric, I am not!  Wait.  I'm sorry.  You're not upset with me are you?  I didn't mean to raise my voice.  Are you mad at me, Eric?  I'll do anything to make it right.  Just don't be upset with me.  Please, please, ple..."  Stop!  See.  Told ya.  People.  Pleaser.  I know.  It's a struggle, but maybe we can help you with the please disease.  

You need to know something.  It's alright to say no.  I know some of you just shivered, quivered, and quaked.  Anyone pass out?  No?  Good.  Because I'll say it again.  It's alright to say no.  In fact, it's good to say no.  Sometimes, it's even ok to say it a lot!  Stop smiling and laughing hysterically.  I see you.  Your first thought was, "Yes!  I'm gonna get my kids good with this one!  Eric said I could!"  Whoa there, Dr. No.  I didn't say get crazy with your no's.  You just need to realize that it's ok to use it more than you do now.  With whomever.  Who's the person or people that you hardly ever or never say no to?  You just pictured them.  That person.  Those folk.  Yes, even them.  You.  Can.  Say.  No.  To.  Them.  Even if they get upset with you.  Even if you think they won't like you anymore (If they don't, that'll tell you a lot about your relationship.).  It's tough, but at times, it must be done.  Don't worry about upsetting folk.  Even when you know it will upset them.  It's ok.  They'll get over it.  There are times that you need to be concerned about upsetting you.  Because here's the reality.  They're feeling fine, because they're getting what they want. But you?  You're miserable and upset, because you're doing something that you'd rather not do, flat out don't want to do or have forced yourself to do, don't have the time to do, and it's taking away from the things--watch this--you NEED to do.  Uh oh.  I just said something.

Some of y'all will forgo things that you need to do for yourselves just to "keep the peace" as you call it.  Ask yourselves, "Is it really the peace that I'm keeping?"  Or is it temporarily delaying yet another Katie Kaboom or Phillip Wellman-like outburst?  I can tell you what it ain't.  It ain't cool.  At all.  Let me be clear.  This is not to say that you should do your best Alfalfa routine.  Remember how he’d warm up before he sang to his boo, Darla?  He’d say, “Me, me, me, me, me.”  You’re not focused on yourself like that, but you must start considering yourself.  And don’t give me that, “I’d rather focus on other people” jazz either.  I know it’s true for some of us at times, but let’s be real.  We all need to focus on ourselves at times.  If we don’t, we’ll never be “in order” so we can truly help other people.  Seeking to be our best selves helps us to the kind of folk we need to be for other folk.

So take some time for you.  Say no every now and again.  Especially when you know you need to.  And do something you need to do or do nothing at all.  Doing nothing is a need sometimes to, ya know.  We all need rest.  It matters not what it is that you do once you’ve said no.  What matters is that you’ve taken some time to consider you.  When you do, other folk will too.  Here’s an illustration.  Sometimes, a quarterback has to "throw a receiver open."  We have to do the same with people in our lives.  That is, a receiver won't think he's open or can't seem to get separation from the defender.  The Quarterback--that's you--has to make their receiver know that they're open.  In other words, you make/help them know that they can make a play.  This same concept applies to folk in our lives.  We have to make ‘em know that they can fend for themselves.  That they're "open."  

Last thing.  The more you say no, that is, the more you get comfortable with it, the more folk will start to know that they're "open."  They'll start to respect you more.  They'll start to call on you less and that's a good thing.  Sometimes, you have to "make" folk grow up and stand up and KNOW that they can do it by themselves.  Those who really care about you will still love you, but something will change.  They'll truly respect YOU.  Not what you do for them.  They'll respect YOU and your position.  So go ahead and please, please, please say, “No.”  


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Friday, October 10, 2014

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Who Are You Sleeping With?

You wake up and roll over and you give them a kiss.  Don't you just love 'em?  They've done so much for you.  They've kept you going when times got tough.  They've made things seem new again.  They've inspired you.  And its all been a lie.  A fallacy.  You've been hoodwinked.  Bamboozled.  Run amok.  You've been sleeping with them for years.  How could this be?  You've been loyal.  Faithful.  But wait.  They just told you that this is your fault.  Your fault?  Your fault?!  Now you're incredulous.  After all you've done for them.  You caressed them.  You've held them.  You've talked to them when no one else would.  You've laughed and smiled with them.  Cried with them.  And now this?  This is what you get?  Yep.  This is what you get and it's your fault.  Yes, your fault.  Why?  Because you've been sleeping with them without any commitment.

Isn't that how it works?  You meet them.  You share common interests.  They inspire you.  They get you.  Where have they been your whole life?!  Finally, they're here and you're ready to give your life to and for them.  You're ready to give away all of your good stuff to them.  For free.  Here.  Take it.  It's all yours.  After all, they love you and you love them.  Well, at least you think they love you.  I mean, they're here so they must love you.  Right?  They wouldn't have come into your life if this wasn't right.  This day.  This minute.  Right now.

You saw them from a distance and thought they were ohhhh soooo fine!  You couldn't wait to get to know them.  There was no shame in your game!  You saw them and you had to have them.  You were going to do everything in your power to get them.  Nothing and no one could stop you.  After all, you could feel it.  It was destiny.  It was meant to be.  This is right.  They're right.  Just for me.  Until they weren't.  Things were good at first.  At least, that's what you told yourself.  You kind of thought things were a little tough.  Uneasy.  Your conversations were different.  They weren't as engaging as they used to be.  Their words no longer spoke to you as they once did.  Was it something you said?  Maybe it was that thing you did.  Maybe this was never going to be anything more than it was.  Casual.  You'd hang out now and again.  Hold each other close.  You'd have a good time.  A hookup in every sense of the word.  Is that what you really wanted?  A hookup?  A wham, bam thank you ma'am?  A whir, blur thank you sir?  Is that it?  Weren't you worth more?  Didn't you deserve more?  Of course you did.  But where did you go wrong?  Where did things go wrong?  You've given your all to them.  You thought y'all were on the same team.  This was your soulmate for crying out loud!  The one.  So, what happened?

You gave in too soon.  You saw this shiny new thing and you were smitten.  You didn't take the time to dig deeper to see if they were really it.  You just dove in sight unseen.  No exploration.  No waiting.  "Here, you can have it all," you said.  They created distance between the two of you, but you would have none of that!  Come closer was your command.  Every time they'd get away--which wasn't very long or far thanks to you--you snatched them right back to your side.  Didn't you know they were meant to fly?  To soar?  Of course, you knew.  You just didn't care.

So, what happened?  Why are you here now?  In this place.  This day.  This minute.  Right now.  Alone.  They're gone.  Nowhere to be found.  But why?

Because you stopped chasing them: Your Dreams.

Stop sleeping with them.  Chase them.  Set them afar off.  Chase them.  Allow them to soar and you will soar with them.  Chase them.  In the name of all things Steve Urkel, Chase Them.

Chase your dreams.

I Resign

Finally, I'm going to a place where all of my gifts, talents, abilities, education and experiences will be utilized.  My new employer has been after me for a long time.  In truth, they've wanted me for years, but I wasn't ready.  They offered me far more than I deserved, but I continued to thumb my nose at it.  They said they appreciate the refining that I've gone through here, because its made me the man I am today.  They said, now they can use someone like me, because the rough edges are gone.  They promised to keep working with me.  To help make me better. For other people, that is.  The fire inside of me still burns, they said, but it knows when to ignite into a raging blaze and when to remain a calming, warming, reassuring campfire. 

They also said something about knowing why.  That is, now I know my why.  I know why I'm here now.  Why I'm ready and able to join their firm.  I had no idea they were watching me as closely as they were.  It really surprised me. 

They said they saw my struggles with perfectionism and other things.  They were impressed by my drive, passion and work ethic, but they knew that it, my perfectionist manner, would dog me if I didn't rid myself of it.  So, they sent a few things my way to help loosen me up.  When they told me this, I started to get a bit scared.  Until they started to explain. 

They told me that at my previous employers, there were folk who knew me.  Some spoke well of me, but others did not.  With that comment, I hung my head low.  They said, "Pick your head up.  That's not a bad thing."  They said, "Although we take all things into account, we don't hold any of those things to your charge.  We look at the full you.  The complete you.  We see if and what you learned from those hard places and times.  We must admit.  Your hard places were doubly as hard, because you were quite hard-headed."  I smiled.

They said, "We know about the people you helped and those you tried to help."  I said, "Man, you guys are thorough.  They said, "We have to be.  This is no ordinary place to work or work to do."  When I tell you that they call your references, y'all, believe me.  They said, "We knew the day that you were ready to get in the car."  I said, "You know, I never thought the day would come."  And I didn't.  Ever.  Never.

Nevertheless, here it is.  They said, "We're glad to have you.  We're going to do amazingly, incredible work together.  Trust us."  I said, "Ok, great.  I do.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Its been a long time coming."  They said, "Yes, son. We know.  We're glad you're finally ready.  We need good men and women like you."  I replied, "Thank you for your kind words.  I'm honored to be working here.  By the way.  What should I call this place?"  They looked at me and smiled and said, "Grace Outwardly Displayed, Inc."

What Do You Look Like?

When folk ask us what someone looks like, what do we say?  When they ask us what do we look like, what do we say?  Tall.  Short.  Brown eyes.  Long hair.  Bald.  You get the picture.  But what do you really look like?  Do you look like the way you describe yourself or do you look like what you've been through?   Uh oh.  I just said something.  Do you look like the hurt, pain, hard times, and the failures you've endured?  When folk look at you, what do they see?   Better question.  What do you see?  Do you look like that stuff, those things, them folk?  Are you carrying the residue from it?  "Well, now that you mention, Eric, I am.  How do I get rid of it?"  I'll share with you a few ways to do this. But first, I want to congratulate you on your courage and language.  You said, "How do I get RID of it?" Shout out to you for taking charge and tossing that junk out for good!  Yay you!  Now, let's hit a few ways to get rid of that mess!

First, you've got to have a short memory.  For my football fans, you know that defensive backs say this a lot.  They have to.  When they're guarding the speedy wide receiver who burns them for a touchdown, they've got to use that short memory to get their minds right back in the game.  They can't focus on what happened on that play.  If they do, the receiver will likely beat them for the rest of the night.  The same is true for you.  When negative and untrue things are said or done to you, you've got a choice to make.  You can dwell on it and buy into the negativity or you can utilize your short memory to forget about that mess and press on like Lee Nails.

Second, you've got to have the mentality of a sifter.  You know, the little metal devices that you use to sift flour and similar ingredients.  Sifters break up the clumps of those ingredients.  Because you're not a Bad Landlord, you sift the things that attempt to come into your space.  You break down the clumps and determine what can stay and what must go.  You evict the junk that doesn't belong.  You tell it, "You don't have to go home, but you have to get out of here!"  You've got to realize that you're sifting for gold.  Have the mentality of a gold miner.  They're determined to find and only keep the gold they find.  That other stuff?  They toss it out.  But they've got to know the difference between the good stuff that needs to be kept and the pyrite or "fool's gold".  You've got to do the same thing.  Determine if what they said matters, should be sifted and kept or if it's worthless fool's gold that you should throw out.  I'll give you a hint: You're looking for GOLD!

Third, put your makeup on.  Fellas, calm down.  I know half of you just passed out.  I'll give you a few seconds to come to...  Back?  No.  Ok.  A few more...  Alright, breathe.  Stay with me.  I'm going somewhere.  A few years ago, I remember reading about a new type of plastic surgery called permanent makeup.  You heard me right.  Permanent makeup.  Plastic surgeons will outline your eyes and color your cheeks with a permanent pigment.  "So, Eric.  This is what you want me to do?"  No, that's not what I'm saying.  Peep.  I want you to put your permanent makeup on.  That is, the makeup that shows us what you really look like.  Make up your mind that you look like...Joy.  Peace.  Love.  Contentment.  Grace.  Faithful.  Kindness.  Warmth.  That's who you really are.  That's what you really look like.  If the previously mentioned types of makeup don't go well with your "skin", guess what?  There are shades for ALL skin tones!  And with your permanent makeup on, you're sure to shine and glow!  Yes, fellas.  Sometimes, even we glow.  Deal with it.  Uh oh.  I think they're down again.   

Lastly, mind your mouth.  That is, instead of spewing fool's gold or buying it from someone else, what if you said...I AM a great teacher.  I AM a good business owner.  I AM smart.  I AM a good student.  I WILL succeed.  I WILL graduate.  I WILL finish on time.  I WILL publish my book.  I WILL start my business.  Don't just say these things.  Write.  Them.  Down.  There's something very powerful about seeing them in black and white or whatever colors you choose.  Yes, I want you to speak those things, because there's much  power in the spoken word, but remember, I'm a sign guy.  I double up!  I speak those things and write them down.  Double coverage!  

So, the next time someone asks you, "What do you look like?"  A BIG, broad smile is going to break out all across your face.  Because you'll know exactly what you look like.  

You're A Bad Landlord!

If the title of this post sounds like an indictment, that's good.  Because it is.  Some of you are terrible landlords!  And if you aren't a bad landlord now, I guarantee that you have been in the past.  I can hear you now.  "Eric, you've lost it this time, buddy!  I've never rented an apartment or home to anyone!  So there, fella!"  Ok, so maybe you haven't rented a dwelling to anyone, but riddle me this.  When they said those mean and nasty things about you, how long did you let that stuff run around in your mind?   How long did you have their awful song on repeat on the music player of your mind?  When that cruelty was thrust upon you and it absolutely crushed your feelings, how long did you carry that hurt with you?  And finally, when the thing was said that made you super angry, how long did you hold on to that anger?  Uh huh.  Are those crickets I hear?  Bad.  Landlord.

How's that make you a bad landlord?  Simple.  You allowed that stuff, those things, them folk to rent space in your head.  Some of you remember how Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, former NBA greats, would battle whenever their teams met.  Dennis was always able to get inside of Karl Malone's head.  He'd give him fits!  He'd tangle up with him.  Trip him.  Head-butt him.  The refs would call fouls on Malone, because he'd allow Rodman to frustrate him.  He'd get caught shoving Rodman.  I know.  Some of you think Rodman was a dirty player.  Some of you think Malone was a dirty player.  That's a debate for a different time.  We can meet for wings and discuss it.  Let's get back to the point.  You were or are like Karl Malone.  You let the stuff they said or did get in your head.  You let it aggravate you to the point where'd you'd get caught committing fouls.  No calls in your favor.  And on the off chance that they weren't renting space in your head, your place was still occupied.  With what?  I'm glad you asked.  Your own negative thoughts.  Your own self-defeating prophecies.  Your own belittling and degrading words.  "I'm stupid."  "I deserved it."  "I'm nothing."  "I'm ugly."  "I'm fat."  "I'm skinny."  "I'll never make it."  "I'm too old."   "I'm too young."  "Why am I going back to school?"  "They're right.  My business will fail."  Your lists could go on for months.  There's at least one problem with all of that.  It's ALL lies.

Those aren't your words about yourself.  "Huh?  Eric, what are you saying?  I mean, those things are kind of true.  It was my fault.  I guess."  Even if you did screw things up, the end of the world did not occur.  Correct it.  Make amends and keep steppin'.  "But Eric, it's not that simple."  I know.  Peep this.  It is that simple.  All you need to do is change the frequency of the station you're listening to.  See, right now you're listening to WDVL.  That's Satan's station.  Yes, I said it.  Satan.  The enemy of your souls and mine.  Even if you don't believe he's real and that he's your enemy, he is.  As I tell folk, "Just because you don't believe something doesn't make it any less true."  You've been acutely tuned to his station for weeks.  Months.  Dare I say years?  I dare, because I know you have.  I know I was.  Tuned in to his frequency, that is.  Like some of you, I had his station on lock!  It was on my Favorites list!  I was jammin'!  All day.  Every day.  Until Jesus Christ set me free.  Yes, I just said that too.  Jesus Christ.  I tuned in to His station, W1JC!  More details on that in other posts.  Friends, it's Satan who hurling and railing accusations at you.  It's him who's lying to you about your self-worth and value and how much  God loves you.  Yes, I said it.  God.  Loves.  You.  And there's nothing you can do about it.  However, there's much you can do about Satan's lies.  Like what?  I'm glad you asked.

I know you're wondering, "Eric, I don't know about all this Satan jazz.  And God loves me?  I guess.  I just need to know how do I get the song that's on repeat to stop playing in my head?"  It's cool.  Stay with me.  I'm going somewhere.  You get the song to stop playing by shutting off the radio, music player, cd, 8-track, cassette tape, reel-to-reel, audio file, or whatever is your listening to.  You shut it off.  And destroy it.  You evict those things, that stuff, them folk.  For good.  Forever.  Just like in the pic at the top of this post.  For those of you who are followers of Jesus Christ, you know the deal.  Speak life.  You can only do that if you know what God says about you.  If you know who God says you are.  You can only do that if you stay fed up on God's word.  If you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, you might want to get to know Him.  He's pretty cool.  No, really.   He is.  Why not give Him a try?  No, I mean a real try.  I'm talkin' ALL IN.  You've already tried soooo many other things that didn't work.  Things that left you feeling broken, hurt, frustrated, angry, and alone.  Why not try Jesus?  No?  Ok, think on this tidbit and I'll leave you alone about it.  At least for now.  Got kids?  Know any?  Of course you do.  Ask yourselves if any of the kids that you know like being around anyone who's not fun?  Around anyone who they don't feel any love or warmth from?  We all know the answer to that.  No, they don't.  So, peep this.  The bible says parents brought their kids to him.  Now, ask yourselves this.  What parent in their right mind would bring their children to anyone they thought would do them any harm?  Just something to think about.

Ok.  So now, you've got your marching orders.  You've got the Eviction Papers ready to post on the door of the space that you've been renting to folk.  You're armed.  You've got truth.  You're going to find out who God says you are.  Because you're going to search the scriptures.  You're going to Speak Life.  You are going to exercise your power over the REAL Estate.  That precious piece of property between your ears.  You're going to stop allowing that stuff, those things, and them folk to rent, sublet, lease, board, put up, take shelter in, hang their hats, occupy, and chill, in the REAL Estate.  So, toss out and give the boot to Mr./Ms. Doubt, Mr./Ms. Fear, Mr./Ms. It's Too Late for Me, Mr./Ms. I'm Not Good Enough or any of the other no-rent payin', space-eatin', rude, disrespectful, freeloadin' chumps!  Put them and that mess out on the curb!  You're no longer a slumlord.  You're no longer a Bad Landlord.  Your new and permanent tenants are the best!  You are The World's Greatest Landlord!  You've even got the sign to prove it.

  

Popeye the Super...I mean, Sailor?

       Superhero.  The very mention of the word brings at least one of the mighty, powerful, mythical, men and women of great strength and fortitude to mind.  Superman.  Wonder Woman.  Spider-Man.  (Did you notice that I left out Batman?  Hmmm…).  All of the aforementioned, beloved characters have some kind of super power or powers.  Some aren’t even from this world.  Their powers make them special.  X-Ray Vision.  Magic Lasso.  The ability to shoot webs and climb like a spider.  Great “gifts” to have if you’re going to be fighting crime.  But.  What if?  What if all you had was your wits, detective-like skills, and a bit of scientific ingenuity?  Would those things make you a Superhero?  That, my friends, is the question I pose to you about another beloved character.  Popeye the Sailor.  Is he a Superhero?  Yes!  No!  Maybe?  I’ll let you stew on that one for a bit.  

           With forearms as big as battleship anchors and a chin to match, Popeye doesn’t exactly look like the superheroes we’ve come to know and love.  No, I’m not saying he’s a superhero.  Nice try though.  J  As he so famously says, Popeye is what he is.  A spinach-eating, Olive Oyl-loving, Bluto-beating, corncob pipe smoking sailor.  But is he super?  Or a hero?  I know.  I asked that already.  It’s the ultimate question of this post.  Well, almost. 

Remember, Popeye has no super powers.  Not as we’ve come to be familiar with them from the likes of The Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk, or Kara Zor-El (That’s Supergirl to you.).  However, he does obtain super strength when he eats a can of spinach.  Remind me to tell you the story of how I convinced my mom that I’d eat the can of spinach if she bought it for me, because I wanted to be strong like Popeye.  Ok, back to the point.  Did the spinach really give him super strength or just more confidence?  Or more regular strength?  Either way, he wasn’t able to beat his nemesis Bluto until he ate the spinach. 

Sometimes when I think of Popeye, I think, “Man, he fits in the bible quite well.”  Save the angry letters and listen for a few.  See, we tend to put folk like Paul, David, Peter, Moses and others on a pedestal as though they have superpowers.  Newsflash.  They don’t.  Well, not until they “eat”  their form of spinach.  Faith and the Word of God.  They’d be the first to tell you, “Superpowers?  Chil’ please!  I was scared to death!  Until I remembered who God said I was and what He said I could do!”  Whether they saw and walked with God in the flesh in the form of Jesus Christ as Peter did or studied and meditated on His word as did John and Paul, they all feasted on God’s word in some form.  Just like Popeye did with his spinach.  See, there aren’t any superheroes in the bible.  We tend to make them out to be, but they’re not.  They were men and women just like you and me.  We can and do have the same power they possessed.  Yes, it is available to us today.  I can hear you now, “Eric, are you sure?  How do we obtain this power?!  I want it!  I need it!”  I’m so glad you asked!  The answer is simple.  I’ll sum it up in one word: Eat.  

Yes, I said it.  Eat.  No, not spinach.  (Although, spinach is quite a superfood, if you will, but that’s a post for another day.).  To be super we must eat the word of God.   Daily.  We must develop a voracious appetite for it.  We must stay fed up on it.  Just like Popeye and his spinach.  When we do, Psalm 1.3 says, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”  Is that great or what?!  YES!  Give me some!  Surely, you can have it, but as with anything there’s a price to be paid.  Let’s back up a tad and look at verse 2, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  See, we’ll be like the tree and whatever we do will prosper, but only after we feed take pleasure in and delight in God’s word.  Here it is again in Joshua 1.8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  I can hear you asking, “Eric, thanks for the bible lesson, but get back to the point.  Is Popeye a superhero or not?”  I told you, that’s for you to decide.  But because I’m a nice guy, I won’t leave you hanging. 

Paul, John, Peter, Moses, David, and no one else in the bible was a superhero.  Like Popeye and his spinach, they fed on God’s word.  They prayed and meditated on it.  They had faith in what God said He’d do.  Just like you should.  Just like I should.  I guess you could say that they ate God’s word.  His truths.  His promises.  His grace.  His love.  Just like Popeye feasted on spinach.  It didn’t make him super or give him superpowers.  It made him stronger.  He had faith in it.  In what it would do for him.  In what it would allow him to do for others (Uh oh.  I just said something there!).  Just like Paul, John, Peter, Moses, and David.  They weren’t super.  They had not a single, solitary superpower between them.  But just like Popeye, they knew that by feeding on the Source of their strength day and night, they’d be powerfully super in what they were called to do and do greater things than leaping tall buildings in a single bound.  And so can you.  Just eat your spinach. 

Who Is Eric J. Watts?

Eric J. Watts was born and raised in Akron, Ohio.  He is a servant leader, inspirational speaker, poet, adjunct business professor, voiceover artist, print and on-camera model, mentor, and business owner who has also worked in the financial services industry for almost two decades. 

He is an oft called upon speaker and presenter.  Serving as featured and keynote speaker at the Ethical Leadership and Business Discussion, Northern Communities Youth Association (NYAC), Adult & Continuing Education Open House events, and more.  Most recently, Eric was the Keynote Speaker for the City of Worthington’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.  Eric has earned plaudits for his infectious, unique, real-world, and down-to-earth style that helps his messages resonate with his audience.

Eric is an active mentor who enjoys investing into the lives of men around the nation.  He teaches business leadership, business management, and conflict and negotiation courses at the undergraduate and graduate level as an adjunct professor at Ohio Dominican University.  He also serves the university as a leader on the Alumni Council-Student Retention Committee.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys singing, writing poetry, spending quality time with his friends and family, studying the bible, and is a voracious reader and researcher of all things leadership and business.   

In his voiceover business, Eric has voiced projects for companies such as Sony, Buick, Chevy, Reasoning Mind, OnPoint Digital, TiER1 Performance Solutions, National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), and FOX TV.

Eric earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness and Applied Economics from The Ohio State University, and his Master of Science in Management from Ohio Dominican University. 

Eric resides in Columbus, Ohio with his trusted Boxer named Bruizer.