Put God in your life and become a leader

Black Collegian, Apr 2001 by Jakes, T D

THE FAITH FACTOR

Life is as fast as a speeding racecar whizzing down the highway of time. We, like travelers fastened in seatbelts, are helplessly hurled through time and space watching weeks, days, moments, seconds and even people pass away. Fleeting youth stand oblivious to the fact that every day is a check cashed and a second spent. While many are aimlessly changing lanes, running out of fuel or getting repossessed, others are pressing their way with passion, purpose, power and people in their passenger seats. In the richness of your African heritage, you, young, gifted and Black scholars, must fasten your seat belts and get into the High Occupancy Vehicle (H.O.V.) lane which does not allow you to arrive at destiny's door alone.

The fastening is symbolic of preventive precautions against mishaps that would threaten your purpose and mission. The MON. lane is an alternative lane reserved for two or more travelers in one vehicle in some cities with congested corridors. This is quite a metaphor for those of us who recognize our need to be inclusive. This is a poignant path for you to deliver and discuss shared dreams with like-minded constituents. Collectively, we must dare to escape the sojourn of many whose plans were aborted by the injuries of family problems, greed, financial devastation and sexual promiscuity or abuse. There is no one moment, nor is there a temporal sense of self-gratification that is worth jeopardizing your ultimate destiny.

Opportunities do not wait for those who muse and pause for deliberation. Oh no, the secret of success in life is to be ready for opportunity when it knocks. There is no time for quick trips backwards to reclaim things we should have carried from travel's onset. You may never have a second chance to redo the errors of this moment. Make certain you have packed what is needed, and have a travel plan and compass to get to your destination. This is indeed a journey of a lifetime filled with pitfalls, bumps, potholes, and winding turns. It can be a joy ride, however, if proper provisions are made along the way.

Now load your trunk, and fill your gas tanks with premium. It is time for you to put the pedal to the metal, and let her rip. Although African Americans have made significant progress in this era, we have major opportunities for advancement. Recent statistics indicate:

* Black households have an average of $117,000 saved or invested, while the average white family has $224,000 socked away. (Charles Schwab &Co., 1998)

* Minorities, (Asians (4.4%), Blacks (6%), and Hispanics (6%), are still underrepresented in the ranks of the self-employed. (SBA Office of Advocacy).

* Almost 36 percent of all AfricanAmerican households and 10 percent of all white households are single-parent homes. (Sources: 1995 Statistical Abstracts and U.S. Bureau of the Census)

Therefore those of you who are going to drive this mean machine must be prepared to take the high road of excellence, and accelerate forward with direction and discretion. There will be no coasters or floaters allowed on this road. This is a narrow path for those with clear vision and a full tank. It is for the few who are not afraid to put their head in the air, and their foot in the tank. Yet as we chart ahead, we must not sojourn alone. We must hit the High Occupancy Vehicle lane. This lane is purposed to speed the transport of vehicles who were deliberate about pooling resources, and conserving time and energy. In a similar way it is important that we develop a team mentality, and alleviate an inclination to be self-consumed focusing primarily on our own objectives.

Embrace our rich heritage. We of African descent are tribal by nature, and have the propensity to develop comrades, villages and networks. We are innately communal and inclusive allowing others to war and win with us. This is evidenced in the lives of Martin, Nelson, Medgar, Rosa, and Harriet Tubman herself traveled the H.O.V. lane. She understood that she was not free until her brothers and sisters were liberated. Tubman resolved to return to the South and rescue other slaves, beginning with her family. Armed with a revolver, she made 19 trips in all, rescuing more than 300 men and women.

Emerging young leaders must go into our communities armed and prepared to rescue and empower. And like Harriet, we must keep going back again and again with fueled passion and determination. Take the time this year to include and encourage others who have the same challenges you do. Sojourn in the MON. lane. Too often, like hit and run drivers, we crash into each other, and leave one another wrecked on the side of the road. The dents include fatherlessness, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, date rape and molestation, to name a few. I dare you to share the pains and fears of another, to share hope with the hopeless, and to resurrect our underserved communities.

We must be like the ants and prepare for tomorrow today. I know a lot of people who failed to be like the ants, and in the winter of their lives were depressed and resentful, cursing their wasted youth. They didn't invest in the future and later in life found themselves in a financial, emotional, and spiritual state of poverty. They died poor, bitter, and complaining for lack of an invested life's plan.