We shine our brightest when we are transparent. Every one of us has a story within us. Many of us have become prisoners to our story. Not hiding from your narrative opens the door to personal growth. It allows us to become transparent and allows others to see all of us; hiding nothing, feeling anxious about nothing, and meeting self-disclosure (when appropriate) head-on. I have vowed to attempt to live a self-actualized life whereby I am open and transparent to others as well as to myself… Here goes!

The Story Behind... the Man

Doc's life can be best described as going from the 'guttermost' to the 'uppermost.' As an often wayward but intelligent youth, Doc's poverty-stricken childhood was turbulent. His father left when he was 2 and his oldest sibling and only brother was killed when Doc was 11. Doc had a choice to be bitter or better. He began to try to be better. As Doc realized education was one of the keys to success, coupled with his hard work and faith, he attended college. While in college Doc became a father well before he became a man. The next time Doc was faced with this scenario, he decided to marry as a direct result of not becoming the man he believed his father to be. Based on Doc's reasons, the union was short-lived. The only thing left to do was to experience a Breakthrough! Doc was extremely bruised by life and many of the bad choices he had made, however, he was not beaten. Today, the Doc known to many as the world renowned professor, dean, and speaker, simply considers himself a "Miracle of Hope," realizing just because you mess up doesn't mean you have to give up. Doc finally became the man he was destined to become and humbly returned to his college sweetheart asking her hand in matrimony. With a large blended family, a loving and devoted wife, Doc found out how to be more of who he really is and uses this to be of service to something greater than himself…hence, a genuine Master Teacher and Motivator!

So, I hope I've provided a short example of transparency, minus every hit that I have taken, every defeat I have suffered, or every disappointment I have experienced. Make every effort not to change your thinking as a result of one's story because you find out some things about them that may not be entirely flattering. What has often happened is that someone you may have thought was super-human is more human than you originally thought with everyday normal life issues. I have grown to learn that I am a human being, AND BEING HUMAN IS ONE OF THE GIFTS I GIVE THE WORLD!

What's Your Story? The ending is still up to you.