On the Shoulders of Greatness

So I want to begin this episode with a process with an exercise that will engage your imagination and possibly activate some aspects of your spheres of visualization. It’s a self reflective exercise. So I want you to picture yourself 150 years into the future, I want you to begin to look over the family that has been born out of the seeds of today, your children’s children’s children’s children. And I want you to begin to see the benefit of the work that you put in today, yesterday, and tomorrow. And I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions. The first question is, how do you think the behavior and activities that you’re doing now will have affected these future generations? How far will you have driven for progress? which opportunities are available now as a result of things that you’ve created?

How many doors have you knocked down? How far have you advance the ball? At what cost? What did it take? And why did you do it? So these are very intentional questions that, you know, ultimately asked us to look at what we do in context with a broader, more expanded future filled with possibilities, where the dreams that we hold now are one day actualities and realities that our future generations can participate within. And the way we look at our lives and the way we look at the work which we are involved in. Sometimes we see it in terms of sacrifice for the greater good. Now I want you to imagine for a second five generations ago, the work that were being that was being done on your behalf, the work that was going to open up the doors that you so easily walk through today.

I myself am African American, and I know five generations ago, we’re talking about the beginning of a paradigm shift in this country, a paradigm shift of freedom. And I know through the adversity of that generation, bears fruit for the strength of this generation, and I love history and so I’m able to look at it through that context, I’m able to look at an individual like Frederick Douglass, and see the life that he had led, as a child born into slavery, challenge yourself to read at the threat of death, put that in perspective, put that in perspective, education, in the face of death, and I saw the great advancements he’s made. And I’ve seen a great advancements that other individuals to our path have made, lay down the found and groundwork Foundation and the groundwork for a lot of the things that we so openly and freely participate within.

And so, first off, I can’t go forward, without saluting the legacy of the shoulders that I stand upon, be it that far back, or the parents, so my grandparents are my community in my environment, that make what I do even possible. So as we stand on the shoulders of the greatness, which I describe, we are self are challenged, to be great. It may not be a switch that we can easily turn on. But it may be a level of luminance and incandescence that we ignite within us right now where we are this moment, and learn progressively through each day how to brighten that light so that its impact can be felt five generations from now, maybe not even five generations, but five years from now, or five days from now.

But what we have within our own capacity, is the ability to affect change. Now, it may be behavioral, it may be structural, it may just be an idea. It may be the way you live is an example that other people can look at and glean insight from we are at the most active time in human history, technology has never been so readily accessible. The democratization of education has never been so accessible. Yet I hear from my counterparts, my peers, I sometimes hear in the media, how will that we’re talking about a lack of opportunity? It’s crazy to think you’re talking about a lack of opportunity for education. With all the greatest institutions that we call the top of the top are giving away this education for free.

You can go into your local electronics store and pick up a video camera for virtually nothing broadcast quality. I look at different clubs and music, and I hear DJs just simply crossfading music. And I think about the generations that didn’t have those resources. I look at somebody like DJ Jazzy Jeff, who in the early 80s were was inventing styles with a simple crossfader and two turntables. And now we have Serato we have all this high tech equipment that we if we are to honor that legacy, we must take it forward, the message should not be getting any less clear than it’s been. It should be getting more accessible. So it’s up to us. We stand here, the children of our great nation, the children of all the great civilizations that have come before us in this moment today.

And we are tasked with the challenge to make that impact not only in our lives not only discover what’s available for us, but to leave a legacy to leave a blueprint to leave breadcrumbs so that future generations may follow so that we may understand the value of what you what has been fought for is appreciated. Or else. We’re going through the motions. We’re going through the steps we have all the structures in place. And now we are either compliant or rebels, rebels who want to figure it out their own way and spend half of their life when the blueprint has already been said. So in today’s episode, I want to challenge you to begin to think of how you want to be perceived five generations for now.

Not by your peers right now. What kind of impact are you capable of leading How do you want to make that impact? How will your your great great grandchildren speak upon you? What noble deed will you have done. And so shout out to all my ancestors, all the people that founded within their own sense of passion, to go out day to day, and do things which opened up my life right now so that I can be standing in front of this microphone, with access to every single person on the planet that is interested. That’s amazing. Just think about it. So we’re standing on the shoulders, we are standing on the shoulders of greatness. acknowledged or unacknowledged, understood, unaware, it doesn’t matter. So much has led up to this point in time that’s led you to listen to this today.

Think about it. Think about it. Think about the things that you can drive progress forward, how you can add to the legacy of what has become before you. So you can add to the legacy of clarity that has been expressed. So many things nowadays really celebrates the dumbing down of culture. You don’t have to. I know you, you’re my audience. We are of this halftime talks. kind of environment, the community and I know what you have within you, regardless of if your friends understand regardless of your peers understand there’s not a Class A crowd on the leading edge. So sometimes you’re gonna have to be that hero that goes out beyond the crowd. That leaves in cycling terms the peloton to win the race. Can’t carry everybody wants you, but you can take yourself there.

My name is Rahim. This has been another episode of halftime talks. Make sure you go to iTunes, subscribe, rate review, continue to share it. I’ve been seeing spikes and certain episodes. So I know you’re out there share that. And I humbly appreciate it. The more who know the more we grow. And it’s been a trip. It’s been a blast. It’s my honor to give these insights to share these perspectives with you. Take it take with this episode, what you will read listen to her go back to our archives challenge yourself to say he’s lost his minor and he’s got a point. I’m cool with either one. But engage with it. Ask yourself how you can begin to live it more fully daily behaviorally, because like I say there’s some special within you unique within you that you are here to share with the world.