SOAR

Martez Gerard

Description

Martez Gerard wrote this book out of obedience. What was meant to help others, truly changed his life for the better. SOAR is a transparent look into the life of mistakes, trials and successes that Martez leads. His willingness to share his shortcomings has freed him from living a life of shame and despair. He now understands that, "The only thing that can stop me from being great is my own perspective."

Sujets

• Employabilité, métiers et formations

Informations

• Publié par: Spirit Reign Communication
• Date de parution: 17 juillet 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780983932338
• Langue: English

Extrait

Copyright © 2017 Martez Gerard.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cover Design: Daryl Anderson
Interior Page design & layout: OA.Blueprints, LLC
Printed in the United States of America
978-1-940002-85-0
CONTENTS
SUCCESS OBJECTIVES
Forgiveness
Integrity
Friendship
Interactions
Preparation
Sacrifice
Progress
Obedience
Self-Identity
Plan
Strength
Contentment
Purpose
Joy
Discipline
Drive
Perseverance
Reflection
Open-mindedness
Consistency
Listening
Celebrating
Transparency
Focusing
Understanding
Decision-making
Help somebody
Pass the test
Thinking critically
Faith
Endurance
Peace
Structure
Soundness of mind
Investment
Training
Hard work
Value
Prayer
Reformation
Service
Get prepared
Confidence
Self-actualization
Conviction
Tough decisions
Keep going
My story
Keep Calm
Love
ARTICFICIAL RESTRICTIONS
Bitterness
Selfishness
Bad habits
Time
Isolation
Fear
Apprehension
Insecurities
Attitude
Obligations
Weakness
Delay
Addictions
Rejection
Emotions
Leaving
No
Starvation
Limitations
Resistance
Envy
Assumptions
Self-blocking
Miscommunication
Humiliation
Ignorance
Temptation
Failure
Comparisons
Fitting in
Mistakes
Losing
Caring
Inequality
Hurt
Words
Accommodating
Gossip
Sex
Jack-Of-All-Trades
Second hand information
Good looks
Cycles of ignorance
Secrets
Camouflaging
Environment
Tired moments
Complaining
Mental stability
Current situations
DEDICATION
To every black boy who is being raised by a single parent and who thinks that he isn’t good enough or that he doesn’t have what it takes to succeed, this book is dedicated to you. Know that you are great, and the only thing that can change that is your perspective.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
God
My Mother Debbie
My Father Earnest
My Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Siblings, Nieces, and Nephews
All of my Spiritual and Adopted Mothers
All of my Mentors
Dr. Wendy R. Coleman
Bishop Victor Powell
My Best Friends
My Bruhs and Bros
All of my Teachers and Teacher Friends
Jeremy Anderson
You
WHO IS MARTEZ GERARD?
I wasn’t supposed to be here…a black boy born to a single mother who had to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. I wasn’t supposed to be here…making a REAL difference in the REAL world. I wasn’t supposed to be here… standing strong as a black man who graduated from high school, college and graduate school at the top of his class. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I was supposed to be in the grave after that car accident at the age of sixteen when my vehicle was hit at full speed and spun around three times, jumped the curb, and missed a tree by less than two feet. I was supposed to be an alcoholic spending every dime I had trying to drown away my sorrows in local bars. I was supposed to be in jail for a crime that I did not commit. I was supposed to be jumping from house to house living with 5 different baby mamas and complaining that I was out of work, so that I wouldn’t have to pay child support.
But when God has a plan for your life, no weapon, situation, lie, plot or scheme can stop you from reaching your destiny. I did not get here on my own. I had a team of strong women praying for me. I was supposed to be a part of the 71% of high school dropouts that come from fatherless homes, but my grandma prayed for me. I was supposed to be a part of the 63% of youth suicides that come from fatherless homes, but my aunties prayed for me. 85% of the youth in prison come from single parent homes, but I wasn’t one of them because my mama prayed for me.
We don’t know what people go through, have gone through, or are currently going through. We’ve got to learn to love a little more and judge a little less. In order for us to change our current situation, we must change the way we see our brothers and sisters. We cannot expect for our children to get along with each other and grow up to be productive citizens when we walk past each other and don’t even speak. How can we expect to increase our productivity without changing our personalities?
Writing this book is an accomplishment, but it is not the end; it is merely the beginning. I have a long road ahead, and I am ready to take on the challenge of bettering our schools, our districts and our communities. I am grateful for all of the failures that I have experienced in my life because they have allowed me to really appreciate this win. In the words of Fantasia, “Sometimes you have to lose to win again.”
Though I come from humble beginnings, I am proud to say that this first generation college graduate is an Assistant Principal and owner of his own consulting company, iLive Consulting, LLC. This book is a true testament of who I am, where I’ve been, and how I made it through. I wrote this book out of obedience. I prayed and prayed that God would give me guidance and take complete control of the downward spiral that was once my life. He instructed me in December of 2014 to become transparent with my struggles and that through my transparency I would be set free from every hindrance that was keeping me from reaching my destiny. What I learned from this experience is the fact that the only thing that can stop me from being great is my own perspective. Outside forces can only stop me if I allow them to. I had to learn how to get out of my own way. Through this process of sharing my story with others, I learned how to Successfully Overcome Artificial Restrictions.
LET’S GET STARTED…..
This book is divided into two sections. First, let us explore the concept of success and the act of overcoming. Success is the idea of achieving a goal or reaching a great feat. Overcoming is the act of making the impossible happen or learning from a mistake and making a change. This idea and act combined create an unstoppable force. This book will provide you with tips and tools on how to successfully overcome obstacles that tend to hinder progress. The revelation that I received with writing this book was that success stems mostly from an internal drive and not always external forces. Take this self guided tour into making your dreams come true. During the journey of reading this book, you will have to ask yourself some tough questions, set goals to make adjustments to your daily habits and decision making processes, and give yourself a deadline for making the change happen. Are you ready to change your life forever?
SUCCESS OBJECTIVES
1
FORGIVENESS
F orgiveness is the key that unlocks so many doors. For so long I held grudges against people who I didn’t see eye to eye with, and I watched myself get passed up on opportunities that I desired to experience. I have since learned that if I want to be blessed and forgiven by God, I have to do the same for His people. As an educator, this has become very important to me. Each day is a brand new start for me and everyone with whom I come in contact.
How does forgiveness relate to your daily living? Is there someone that you need to forgive? Do you need to ask for forgiveness? What do you need to work on in regards to forgiveness? Use the space to respond to the questions and to set goals. Be sure to give yourself a deadline to accomplish your goals.
2
INTEGRITY
I ntegrity is a quality that I have learned that is quite rare and unique in its usage. So many times, I was tempted to slack off and take shortcuts when it came to educating children, but I had to constantly remind myself of how I felt in school when I didn’t receive the best from my teachers. I taught with skill, fidelity, passion and love even when no one knew I existed. It was not because I was being observed or that the principal was in the hallway. It was because it was my job.
What does integrity mean to you? Is integrity used your daily living? How can you increase or establish your level of integrity? Use the space to respond to the questions and to set goals. Be sure to give yourself a timeline to accomplish your goals.
3
FRIENDSHIP
F riendship is an idea that I have struggled with for a long time. It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I really understood why great people are usually extremely isolated people. I was always told that I couldn’t do what others do. I thought it was because of some spiritual or moral reason. However, I have found that the closer people are to me, the less likely they are to respect my gifts and talents. Familiarity often times jades vision. Birds of a feather really do flock together; therefore, I must befriend people whose destinies are similar to mine. If I am destined to be an eagle, I cannot afford to spend time with chickens.
What type of relationship do you have with your friends? Do they understand the greatness that lies within you? Are they beneficial or detrimental to your success? Use the space to respond to the questions and to set goals. Be sure to give yourself a timeline to accomplish your goals.
4
INTERACTIONS
I nteractions with people have taught me that I cannot expect for them to see things from my perspective when they have not been where I’ve been. I’ve learned to meet them where they are. Seeking to understand is more beneficial than seeking to be understood. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect even if they don’t know it.
Are the majority of your interactions with people positive or negative? What are the contributing factors for the types of interactions that you have most often? How can you improve them? Use the space to respond to the questions and to set goals. Be sure to give yourself a timeline to accomplish your goals.
5
PREPARATION
P reparation trumps skil