One of my good friends told me to watch an encouraging video. So, like any good friend would do, I found the video on YouTube and watched it. The video is actually an old audio lecture on positive thinking and successful living. You can view it or listen to it below. The recording is called The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale, and he says this is the secret to living the best life…

“The strangest secret in the world is actually the secret of success. That a man is what he believes or thinks. You are and will become what you think about.”

Earl Nightingale

While listening to the video (or audio lecture) I took notes, and I actually did learn a lot from it. Certain things he proposed I agreed with and others I didn’t. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting lecture, I would advise anyone to view it.

Now, I truly believe most of what he said to be valid and truthful. However, listening to him make points gave me a revelation on how vastly disproportionate life can be for the average white middle-class American (the majority) compared to the average American person of color (the minorities). His words indirectly acknowledged his unsaid belief that we all receive equal pay for equal work, or equal repercussions for our mistakes, or the same interest on our investments. All of which is NOT true.

Earl Nightingale also said “…success comes at a price“. I agree with that. I feel anything worth having will cost you something. The following points are what he believes to be the costs of success.

1. Understanding our emotional well-being. That we literally become what we think about.
2. Become accountable for your thoughts and actions. Cutting away all feathers from your mind and realize that all limitations are self-imposed.
3. Be positive. Using all your courage to think positive and set a clearly defined goal.
4. Save money and spend wisely. Everyone should save 10% of every dollar that you earn.

Earl also stated that… “only 5% of all people achieve success. And, that success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal…. our limitations are self-imposed… Success is a person who follows their dream… Success is anyone who does a predetermined job that they wanted to do it deliberately… A successful person has goals.”

I feel like if he defines success in this manner, then not all successful people are financially secure. I would argue that ALL people who are considered successful are financially secure. He also takes for granted the belief that certain opportunities are the same for everyone. Which is definitely NOT true. Now, I feel he is free to have his own opinion of success, but some of his views only tell me that he wasn’t thinking of me, my family nor my local community when he gave this lecture.

Listening to Earl’s lecture gave me a revelation on how separate we are as a nation not just in our pocket books but also in our thinking, how unequal we truly are as American citizens, and how ignorant many are to the life injustices people of color regularly endure on so many levels… and are expected to overcome.

It also made me think of all the things I need to change in 2019.