The video above is a TED talk by Bill Strickland. It was introduced to me during a presentation course I was taking. We watched a quick snippet of the video to show that there are different types of presentation styles–he is a pretty mello dude, but effectively gets his point across.
A few days later I decided to watch the whole clip (35minutes). Man, if I’m playing cool, I’ll say, “That was powerful,” If I’m being neutral I’ll say, “man my allergies were acting up during that video and my eyes keep watering. If I’m 100 percent honest, I’ll say “I couldn’t stop crying.”
Why?
There are only 2 times in my life that I’ve found myself in a position where I couldn’t stop crying and couldn’t explain it. The first is what i’ve dubbed, “The Day I Found Out I Was Haitian.” You can see the clip on YouTube by hitting the linked title (people seem to like it as it’s my most popular video with over 20K views). The second, now belongs to the time I watched the video above. A nerve was hit that I didn’t know was so exposed.
Three things hit home:
- The video really resonated with my feeling of giving people what they deserve. Helping them to see that they have greatness in them and they deserve great things. The specific and maybe small example is what I see at my workplace as an operations manager. There is a computer area that is often left messy, chairs all out of order, etc. I’ve occasionally walked over and fixed it saying to myself, “don’t you think you deserve better.”
- He is making a difference in a big way. He is taking care of home (mind you, I did not read up on Bill Strickland, his accomplishments, how much money he has, etc. That may or may not matter) which made me think of a Jay-Z lyric (surprise, surprise), “There are much bigger issues in the world, I know, but I first had to take care of the world I know.” So What? The what for me is going home (Brooklyn) and seeing my people suffering, physically and mentally. It’s the thought that runs through my head, “If only I could teach them how to do for self, to become entrepreneurs. But I don’t know enough. I haven’t made it as a successful entrepreneur so what can I teach them.”
- It’s all about me: As I’m sobbing, i’m filled with mixed emotions; save the world or save myself. I haven’t totally come to grips with the abundance mentality or the “genius of AND.” I haven’t fully embraced–brace yourself--another Jay-Z line, “I can’t help the poor if I’m one of them; so I got rich and gave back, to me that’s the win-win.” At times like these I need a life line so I do what any person in my situation would do. I send a message on Facebook, it was a private message, to a trusted advisor.
So now what? What did ya learn
- I learned that I am so human. That even though I wear blue tights and a red cape and have an “A” on my chest for “Ambassador,” I too have kryptonite. The cool thing is that this kryptonite doesn’t weaken me, it reminds me and if anything fuels me.
- I learned that there is always more to be done, but not to overlook what I’m already doing. While I was playing Willie weepy eyes (trademark pending), I totally neglected to give myself credit for the work I am doing with my bow tie line, “The Bow Tie Flow,” that is coming out on July 7th (Yep, that was a shameless plug) where 20% of the proceeds go back to charity. Not just any charity but one that is close to my heart and life–The Brooklyn Skyhawks Youth Football program. It’s the place where I got my start as an athlete and becoming a disciplined human being. It’s an opportunity to support a young man who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to play (and by play I really mean being able to learn discipline, hard work and self-worth/confidence). Yeah I’m doing that and I’m not doing it alone. I’ve partnered up with someone who compliments my skills (xoelle) in order to reach a worthwhile goal.
Last Words (A Tweetable)
“Find the things that move you and let them move you. Let them move you to action aka #RunThePoint!” @AmbassadorBruny (Tweet it by clicking HERE)
“Support the @AmbassadorBruny #bowtie project. 20% goes to charity; 100% makes you look good 
www.AmbassadorBruny.com/bowties” (Tweet it by clicking HERE)
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As always my goal is to help you Run the Point (take action) from where you are, with what you have.
Sincerely…
Your Ambassador,
M.Ambassador Bruny
