Transcription
Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude is my number one state of mind, my number one thought process. I hold on to gratitude. Gratitude to God for how he continues to protect me and bless me despite my inadequacies and the series of pain I continue to find myself in. Gratitude to those who have supported me, who have loved me, who have blessed me, who have prayed for me. Gratitude keeps me grounded. It keeps me from being distracted because life, I have learned, is full of continuous challenges and pain. But gratitude reminds me that purpose is greater than pain.
I'm grateful to God for using me to make a tremendous impact in nations from Dominica to Jamaica and across the Caribbean, from Nigeria to Ghana and across Africa, Malawi, South Africa, and Kenya, across Canada, from coast to coast to coast, and across the United States and even Europe. I am grateful for my purpose. I'm grateful for my dream. I'm grateful for my family. I'm grateful for myself.
The higher you want to go in life, I have learned, the more challenges you're going to face. Not just resources or hard work, but betrayers upon betrayers upon betrayers. Your heart will be broken time and time and time again, as mine was, by those you love. And then I had to endure the pain of losing my parents, especially my mom, the epitome of love, the one who taught me love, the one who was love for me. I have learned that if you choose to ascend the top of your mountain, be prepared to travel alone. And alone have I traveled all my life since I left my mom as a teenager. But no one I found myself with has made enough effort to support my journey. Love, my friend, I've learned, is beautiful. But without boundaries, quite dangerous. Yet through it all, I choose gratitude.
I am grateful. Grateful that I had the opportunity to raise these children, children who are doing very well academically and in every way, shape, or form. I thank God for that opportunity to be a father. My greatest accomplishment is to be a father to them. And today, they are all doing well. So I'm grateful to God. Grateful to God.
Just last year, I had a near-death experience. I fainted and for up to 7 minutes, I was unconscious. It happened right before my beloved son, my little boy who was 8 years old there, Noah. Were it not for the paramedic who showed up on time, I wouldn't be having another birthday today. So I am grateful. Grateful to God for another chance.
So as I celebrate my birthday, I ask that you don't just celebrate with me, but you celebrate yourself. That you celebrate with your family. Celebrate your family and those you love. Celebrate your purpose because life, I said, is short. Five quick things I want to leave you with, even as I celebrate my birthday this year: a celebration of purpose and grace.
Number one is the brevity of life. Life is short. Eat your dessert first. Les Brown once said, "For I almost passed away last year, and I wouldn't be here today." The second one is the wickedness of the world. Kindness, I have learned, does not shield you from wickedness. In fact, without boundaries, kindness attracts hurt, attracts pain, attracts disappointment, and attracts wickedness. That the kinder you are, you would expect the more people love you. But no, the more people want to take advantage of you. That those who give, like I do, should set boundaries because those who take, like many people out there, have none. The truth is, the more you love, the higher the chances of being wounded. But love anyway is what I choose.
The third one you must know is the inequality of life. My mom will often say, "Look at the fingers, none of them are even equal." Even God did not create them equal. The poor you will always have among you. Jesus once said, "Sometimes life tilts your way." I know that well, and sometimes it tilts against you. I know that very well. The key is to accept the reality with gratitude.
The fourth one is the abundance of life. Yes, there are many people who are poor and poor and poor. Yes, there are diseases everywhere. But there's enough resources in this world to eliminate hunger, to eliminate all forms of diseases. But some choose to hoard, choose to be greedy, and choose to sit on the wealth. But there's abundance anyway. And the lesson is, we must live from an inner place of abundance.
And the fifth one, my friend, is to live life to the fullest. When you pursue your dreams, when you stay focused, when you strive to be a good person, everything comes at you: challenges, distractions, and pain. In your deepest pain, I have learned, lies your purpose. What pains you the most is what you were created to be a solution for. For in your mess is your message. You must face it to reveal your greatness. My friend, in your story is your glory. For you must overcome them with your mindset, a mindset, a mentality, your faith in God, and confidence. For the Bible itself reminds us. God says, "You will never leave nor forsake us."
So everybody, for me, is not just a celebration of life but a celebration of purpose and grace. And this year, I am more focused than ever, not just to fulfill my purpose, but to expand it. Whether it is through the books I've lined up to publish within the next 3 years or the 40-day city plan across 21 nations in 2026, God willing, my dreams are growing bigger, my determination growing stronger, fueled by the darts and the arrows that are shot against me and the misunderstandings I continue to endure.
My greatest accomplishment beyond my relationship with God is that I finally took my power back. I walked away from abusive relationships, relationships where I was an option and not a priority, to build the confidence to say goodbye. Not out of bitterness, but to protect my mental health and strengthen my emotional stability. No matter how much I love you, if leaving you will preserve my peace, goodbye. Goodbye. It's no longer hard for me to say.
Now, as I look into the future, to the next 10, 15, 20 years, I hold on to the prayer of Jabez: "Oh Lord, bless me and enlarge my territory." I hold on to the words from Isaiah that the fires will come and not burn me, the waters will come and not sweep me, to the words of Jeremiah that his plan is to prosper me and not to fail me. I hold on to His words that He will never leave nor forsake me. I am a living manifestation of the promises, a legend in the making. Years ago, I made a commitment to follow Christ, and I will do so for the rest of my life, to make a difference, to live a life of impact, to be the legacy that will impact generations to come. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for giving me another day, a celebration of purpose and grace. I look forward to being led by You, to be blessed by You for many, many more years to come.
I have realized that I'm stronger than the pain I endured. I am greater than the betrayals that I have suffered. I am wiser because of every misunderstanding and more resilient because of every setback. I am not defined by my past but refined by it. That my scars, my friend, are not signs of defeat but proof of my survival. That the same God who carried me through the storms has destined me for even greater work. And if He did it for me, He can do it for you. I am a vessel of purpose, a light to the nations. I'm a builder of legacy, a manifestation of God's promises. I'm a living testimony that your story can become your glory. And as I move forward, I do so with gratitude, with faith, and with unshakable certainty that the best is yet to come. Welcome to greatness. Thank you for celebrating my birthday. God bless you.