The Sayings That I’m Reflecting On The Most

The times we are in are causing everyone to reflect on life. Indeed, who would have ever thought that the world would be confined to their homes? It’s something out of a movie. Life is now imitating art. In my reflections, there are three things people have said to me over the years that have been going through my mind:

1. The elders at the church I attended during the middle to late 1960’s (when I was no more than 8 years old):  Always started anything they said by thanking the Lord for what I thought at the time were the simplest of things. (e.g., for His grace and mercy, for putting food on the table, etc.) All of them had gone through the Great Depression and WWII.
2. My wife’s words of wisdom: To never go to bed angry with a loved one. Even when she was madder than a hornet at me, she would give me a kiss before we went to bed. She did because she had a co-worker whose husband had a heart attack on his daily morning jog and passed away. 
3. My basketball coach in college: Always told us to “Play Big!” I will always remember one game in particular in which they announced the starting lineups. When it came to me, the announcer said, “James Dallas, 6’10”, starting at center!” After I ran out and came back to the bench, I said to coach that they got my height wrong. (I’m 6’7” tall.) Coach looked me straight in the eyes and said, “That’s how big you need to play tonight for us to win.” Needless to say, we won that game. 

You can sum up my reflections into these three words: “Faith, Family, and Fulfillment”. Their sage words of yesterday are serving as my anchors today, tomorrow and forever.  

I’m sure you are also having reflections. Feel free to share them in your comments. God bless and stay safe, James

#WednesdayWisdom 

James Dallas is the author of Mastering the Challenges of Leading Change: Inspire the People and Succeed Where Others Fail and an accomplished senior executive. As president of James Dallas & Associates, he consults with and speaks to companies and organizations about managing change. He has been named one of the most powerful black men in corporate America several times in his career by Black Enterprise and Savoy magazines.