Top 3 Easy Ways To Show Humility

Humility asks that you think of yourself less and others more.

My #1 easy way to show humility is to initiate a hello when someone is within 10 feet of you.

My #2 easy way to show humility is to initiate a smile when someone is within 10 feet of you.

My #3 easy way to show humility is to initiate opening the door for someone when they are within 10 feet of you.

Faithful L.E.A.D. supporter Mary Jo Walker learning to hit a baseball from a L.E.A.D. Ambassador

My Top 3 Stupid Things That I Did Before Age 30 That Yielded 0 Return

stupid[ stoo-pid, styoo‐ ]

adjective [stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est.]

1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.

2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.

3. tediously dull, especially due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.

Here are my top 3 stupid things that I did before age 30 that yielded 0 return.

1. Failure to Submit to Christ

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27 NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT)

In my pre-30 age, you couldn't tell me nothing. I thought that I created mankind and it was and will always be a stupid mindset.

Life is easier for me now that I have submitted my life to Christ. My prayer method is A.C.T.S. Acknowledgement, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication (Asking) in that order. I got that from Elizabeth Baptist Church.

2. Failure to Maintain Healthy Relationships

We all know right from wrong. One of the toughest things that I had to deal with in my pre-30 age was being corrected. I cringed even with constructive criticism.

My mindset now as a follower of Christ is found in being humble.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2 ESV)

Humility allows me to listen more than talk. I stopped a lot of amazing people from helping me because I didn't want to be corrected. That's stupid.

I'm not perfect now at age 38 by any means however I am wiser. Now that I know better, I do better.

Don't waste quality time being stupid. Keep good folks that love you enough to correct you in your life.

3. Not being a good Steward of my Time, Talent and Treasure

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? (Luke 16:11 ESV)

I wasted so much money buying stupid stuff pre-30 age. Stuff that yielded 0 return.

I should have been saving for a house, life insurance and a college education for my children. I didn't though and that's stupid. I was looking good though while being stupid.

I had great people tell me that I need to do this and do that. Teaching is more powerful than talking though.

By the grace of God, I have chosen to spend quality time with a lot of quality people that model success and are good stewards of their time, talent and treasure.

Hang around excellent folks if you want to be excellent. Hang around a lot of failures if you want to fail.

Pray for me and I will pray for you.

Top 5 successful ways to prevent youth from reaching their full potential

I am convinced that everyone on earth wants to be significant. I find my significance by submitting my life to Christ. It's not easy though.

My personal mission in life is to be significant and to serve millions. This life mission began as early as I could remember.

I had a lot of doubters in my life as a youth but fortunately I had a relationship with God and more people that believed in me to trump the doubters.

Here is my top 5 list of successful ways to prevent youth from reaching their full potential.

Yapping

When teachers talk, you should listen. When educators teach, you can learn. You can achieve amazing goals with information gained by learning while listening keeps you ignorant. When you are ignorant, you can't do much. Teaching requires development rather than equipment. Youth want to be developed.  They crave it. Development requires commitment to the whole person.

Who is the biggest yapper that you know?

Hurting people hurt people. -Dr. Craig L. Oliver, Elizabeth Baptist Church

You have to be aware that you are hurting to prevent yourself from hurting others. We are all battling with some type of emotional baggage from the past. I get my emotional fix by filling my spiritual, physical and relational buckets.

Who or what do you turn to when you are hurting?

Wake Up!

Ever had an amazing sleep with an amazing dream only to be awaken in the middle of it? There are millions of adults that are living a life that they don't want to live because they didn't reach their full potential for one reason or another. Youth take their dreams to adults all the time for encouragement only to be discouraged with words like "you need a backup plan" or "that's too hard".

What is your long term goal (5-10 years)? State one goal please.

What can prevent you from achieving your goal?

Simplistic statements aren't simple

Simplistic statements like "hard work pays off" and "believe in yourself" are temporarily encouraging at best. When you make these statements complex by questioning them you realize that they are only half true. There are millions of hard working people in this country that are struggling everyday. In order to help youth, you have to make things simple so that they can actually do something with the statement. For example, if you attend school everyday with good behavior, be engaged while in class and spend 2-3 hours per night on homework, you will be able to attend a top rated college and most likely for free. It's that simple and youth can do it.

What's a simplistic statement that you use often?

What are 3 simple ways that you can convert your personal potential to productivity?

Expect nothing. Give compassion. Deny consequences.

I have found that youth work hard when there are high expectations and consequences for not meeting the expectations. They become boxed in between the two realizing that excellence is the fulfillment of expectations. If they trust you, they will allow you to coach them to victory. Adults often forget to establish expectations though and are deathly afraid to discuss consequences until something has been done wrong. That reminds me of another trite simplistic statement "we will cross that bridge when we get there". I believe that criminal activity is birthed when there is a whole lot of compassion without consequences.

What high expectation do you have for yourself? State one please.

If you fail to fulfill that expectation, is there a self inflicted consequence?

L.E.A.D. Ambassadors with Major General Ronald Johnson, Taz Anderson and I at the 2013 SCOGA

My birthday request 2014

Did you know that it cost the state of Georgia $100,000 per year ($273 per day) to incarcerate one juvenile? Did you also know that youth from the 30310, 30315 and 30318 zip codes grow up to represent 80% of the prison population? With 60% of African-American males from the Atlanta Public School System not graduating or not graduating on time, it is time to invest in organizations that are delivering change.

Since 2007, L.E.A.D. has graduated 100% of our Ambassadors from high school with 100% of them enrolling into college. 90% of the Ambassadors have enrolled with a baseball scholarship.

The problem is obvious and through L.E.A.D. the solution is even more obvious.

On Thursday, April 10th, I will turn 38 years of age. For my birthday, I would like for 273 people to march with L.E.A.D. for our 4th Annual Inner City Youth Baseball March on Saturday, April 19th. For $273 per day, you can incarcerate a juvenile. On April 19th, you can encourage over 273 Atlanta Public School African-American males to graduate from high school, enroll into college and live a life of significance.

"Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you." ~ Aldous Huxley

Baseball has giving me purpose throughout my life and I have committed my life to serving youth through baseball. Without purpose and hope, you have nothing and graduating from high school becomes less important.

March under the representation of your family banner or march with your youth baseball team. March to empower L.E.A.D. to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their city.

Email Kelli.Stewart@Lead2Legacy.org to register your family and/or team today.

L.E.A.D. is a 501c3 tax exempt non-profit organization.

I hope I can shake your hand on April 19th. Click here to learn more about L.E.A.D.

Holding Atlanta's Future Leaders Accountable Today