"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." - Goethe

The above quote represents the attached story revision included in my 2023 upcoming book, "Conversations With Cleo." I hope you enjoy this story of grit, determination, dreams, and generational excellence, and looking forward to hearing your stories of inspiration as well! Good reading...

"I prayed for freedom for twenty years and received no answer until I prayed with my legs." - Frederick Douglass

The above-quoted words represent the unquenchable fire that roared brightly inside America's most extraordinary self-made man: Frederick Douglass, an orator, abolitionist, and African-American leader. Douglass was born during a time when one of our country's greatest sins (slavery) reigned, yet this did not deter him from his life purpose and pursuit of greatness.

He was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818 and lived until 1895. Douglass accomplished a great deal during his lifetime despite witnessing the vile atrocities perpetrated upon? African-Americans. During Douglass's lifetime, he became a free man and fought tirelessly against the institution, policies, and structures that enslaved him and his African American brothers and sisters.

Douglass's exemplary life epitomizes this chapter's title, "If you can't wait, then you better create," perfectly! Obtaining an education during this period of American history was forbidden for enslaved African Americans, though many did so secretly, knowing this was a deadly pursuit. Yet, Douglas did not let this difficult circumstance affect him, as he privately taught himself how to read and write, knowing if this pursuit came to light, it would have cost him his life. In 1838, Frederick escaped slavery (a criminal act), fled northward to pursue his freedom, and became one of our country's most incredible activists and influential abolitionists of his time.

For example, Douglass specifically targeted his anger and ire at those who advocated preserving the despicable and horrific practice of enslavement with his eloquent writings and powerful public speeches. His words painted a picture of the brutality and inhumanity of slavery. However, they also showed his rage had no boundaries, as many of his public speeches and writings targeted President Abraham Lincoln.

Frederick repeatedly criticized Lincoln for moving too slowly to free the enslaved people. At the same time, he rallied and recruited African American men to fight in the Union Army with his cry of "Men of Color, To Arms." In addition, he relentlessly petitioned and debated with Lincoln on eliminating the Union's army's discriminatory practices of paying black soldiers half what white troops earned. Douglass also opposed the lack of recognition and promotions of black soldiers to officer ranks, no matter how bravely they fought in battle and how honorably they served with distinction.

Now, let us pause for a moment and imagine any (well-spoken or not!) black man during this era directing his outrage towards a white man, the President of the United States, nonetheless. These actions required tremendous confidence and courage or indicated a man looking to live a short life.

I have always admired the tenaciousness, clarity of purpose, and fierceness of Frederick Douglass. I also admired his low tolerance and impatience for those unwilling to take a stance and act upon the things they believed. However, Douglass was no simpleton for his times. This bold provocateur and firebrand was well ahead of his time. He knew his limitations, but he also understood the methods and tools of persuasion while pushing the buttons to stimulate action. He understood he could not wait and decisively induced others to join arms with him.

Douglass also knew that you must resolve your problems rather than expecting others to come to your rescue with their help. He understood that although I may be a victim of my time, I'll be damned if I will be victimized during the remainder of my time by not taking the initiative to help myself before asking others to help me! So, if it is to be, then dammit, it is up to me to do my part and act now. That is why Frederick was the personification of "applied action."

I can remember a moment of my youth perfectly when someone I admired also shared the same spirit and powerful adage embodied by my hero Frederick Douglass, but first, a bit of context.

My grandmother Marie Franklin was the daughter of my great-grandmother, Repsie Moore. She was born on the many acres of land they owned in Casscoe, Arkansas, that still resides in my family, acquired by Repsie's parents (my great-great-grandparents) George and Clara Lee.

George and Clara Lee were like-minded and embraced that solid and determined resolve similar to Frederick Douglass. Maybe it was because they were born into the same era and generation of African American enslavement and shared a "seize the moment" spirit.

My great-great-grandparents were born into slavery near Raliegh, North Carolina. However, this horrible institution did not repress their dreams. They knew that dreams would never stop, sit, and wait for you. Dreams instead move on and will leave you behind if you wait too long.

They firmly believed that once the window of opportunity opens, it will not remain open; as each minute passes, the window becomes smaller and smaller and eventually closes.

After serving in the U.S. 3rd U.S. Negro Heavy Artillery Division in the Civil War, George did not wait to decide on his life and his family very long after the war. Instead, he envisioned a better life for himself and traversed westward from North Carolina toward a better future for himself and his wife Clara as they migrated to Arkansas.

When they arrived, they each worked on a plantation and spent their money purchasing forty acres of land in Casscoe, Arkansas. I can imagine his pride in knowing his accomplishment in transitioning from being enslaved…to an army soldier and now a freedman, farmer, and landowner!

Words fail me, as I cannot comprehend or grasp the hazards, challenges, and countless hostile hurdles he had to deal with. I also know it took an unbending belief and a lifetime of faith filled with prayer. Yet, this did not prevent him from putting forth an unyielding to bring his dream to fruition.

However, this extraordinary achievement was not given to him, nor was the result due to happenstance. Instead, George & Clara Lee's self-initiative and unbreakable gumption made their dream materialize, and this dream compelled them to travel across half the country and endure many obstacles along the way.

This brings me back to George and Clara's granddaughter Marie Franklin (my grandmother), as I remembered complaining to her one day about my younger brother Emory. He was annoying me and others in my family by making a spectacle of himself as his Godfather gave him some money as a gift for no reason at all. Of course, we would not have known this vital piece of information; however, Emory unsolicitedly made sure we all heard the news!

Growing up, money received in my household was hard-earned and did not come to us easily (from my parent's hands to yours) or frequently. Therefore, any extra coinage received was not only an anomaly but one not to make any public declarations or celebrate. This behavior could result in unnecessary inquiries and unsolicited requests of "wealth distribution" from big brothers and sisters who also could strong-arm a nickel or quarter from you at will!

And to further exacerbate and compound my anger, my brother prattled about like a parrot incessantly around the house showcasing his prize, letting it known that he had something we had little (or none) of which we all coveted: Cash!

Little did I know that my grandmother witnessed this personal assault on my fragile pre-teen ego as she saw my aggravation and fury growing. I remembered her calling out and saying, "Cleophus, come to my room, boy. I have something to talk to you about."

So, as I sulked, she took me by the hand and said, "I heard your brother bragging about the little money he got. He is excited about this, but I see you are not sharing his excitement. What I want you to know is that what he has is his. Don't ever be angry or jealous about what others have. Instead, be happy for them and remember that sometimes what you get is only for you and not for anyone else. Believe me, if you were the one celebrating, understand there may be others like you right now who would be jealous and want what you have too. But instead, Cleophus, I want you to think about how you can get what is yours and take the right steps to get you to your goal. Sometimes, you need to go out and get it because the Lord helps those who help themselves. So, here is what I want you to do and always remember. I want you to calm yourself down, get yourself together, and go to the store and get me everything I have written on this list".

Now, here I am, still mad as a hornet but attentively listening to my grandmother's voice, as what she said next caught my attention. "Cleophus, I will pay you the same amount of money your brother has for going to the store for me." But there was a catch as she said to me, "But understand, what I am giving you is not free money. I am giving you money to do a specific job. But

I also want you to always remember this lesson. In life, if you see something you want, work towards it, and don't depend on or wait for somebody to give you something for free. There are no free lunches in life because life isn't free, and you get what you earn. So get on to the store, bring back what I wrote on this list, and earn your money."

?"Well damn," I thought to myself as I smiled and tried hard to absorb my grandmother's indispensable wise life lesson. What was fresh on my mind made me feel good that I could now wave some well-earned cash in my brother's face with unabashed retaliation!

However, something different was stirring inside me, and that was the purpose and pride injection my grandmother gave me. This money was earned and not a gift.

Yes, I grew a little taller that day, but little did I know the essence of her small lesson and the impact it would have on my life and career. It provided a construct of guidance to be diligent and not to settle quickly. But to persist towards the things you are passionate about. Her lesson fueled my passion for only expecting something by working for it. And to go out and get after the things that I was passionate about and not expect anyone to hand them to me.

I thrived and enjoyed my time working at John Deere. It was a place where I learned so many invaluable lessons as I worked there for twenty-one years and helped launch my ascent to become an executive. My time there spanned four divisions (The Agriculture, Financial, Commercial, and Consumer Divisions), as I fast-tracked successfully with fourteen different positions and seven promotions during my tenure. I also relocated during this time (a record back then) for eleven of my twenty-one years and never asked for a job. My career ascent was not given to me but earned…and in return, I gave my best and more in every position I was blessed to receive.

However, in 2009 I did the unthinkable. I left John Deere. One of the most admired companies in the world to work for, with a solid career and track record. Why did I leave? Because, like my ancestors, I found that I was at a pivotal point in my career when what I wanted was something different and beyond what was earned and provided to me. And the something I was looking for was a thing I would have to wait for, with no promises that it would ever arrive if I stayed with the company.?

So, I could no longer wait and began to create…as it was time for me to go. When I issued my resignation, many, internally and externally, thought I had lost my mind. Most rational people would not consider leaving a reputable company like Deere after twenty-one years, with a solid career path of growth, good pay, and plenty of opportunities. John Deere is a place most would dream of spending thirty-plus of their working years filled with security that many people hold onto like precious gold.

But this was different for me, and I was (and continue to be) different. My career experience was thoroughly positive. However, my quest to become a game-changing and transformational global executive required another struggle filled with challenges and experiences that only a new opportunity in a new place could provide. So, I rolled the dice, bet on myself, departed from the company, and never looked back. When I left, my career expanded globally to the executive ranks, and I gained unique experiences and accomplishments. These invaluable gifts of experience may not have come to fruition if I had stayed and waited.

In summary, there are times in our lives when we must take a chance with or without full knowledge of the risks before us. Why? Because deep down, we know we must pursue it in our hearts. This makes me think of George Bernard Shaw's quote, "Don't wait for the right opportunity. Create it." Yes, I always loved this quote, which still resonates.

That is why Frederick Douglass continues to be one of my heroes. During one of our country's greatest atrocities, Douglass prayed for freedom. But freedom never came through his door, so he decided to pursue freedom "with his legs." The life lesson I learned from Frederick Douglass is that what matters most is what you do with what you have and the moments that come to you. Don't get me wrong. I still admire those who wait, but for me, I rather take action and do all I can to create.

#donotwaittocreate #alwaysbecreating #takeaction #coffeewithcleo