Despite what you may have think of T.D. Jakes. This individual is one of the most inspirational influences in our nation today. Author, Speaker, Filmmaker and American Pastor, He is the Bishop of “The Potters House” with over 30,000 members and counting. He puts on conferences for leaders around the world to empower them to go to their next level that also draws over 100,000 in attendance.1453695048507 He has a voice in every medium of social media. However one day while watching one of his messages, what he spoke about really impacted me as a millennial myself on what steps I would need to be great while I am still young. Of course with his kind of track record of consistency and longevity I had my pen and notepad ready! T.D. had come up with 11 keys of greatness for any young adult to make impact in their generation and I wanted in! These keys really reach out to the millennials as we shape our communities. I have listed them below along with my own take on the keys. Enjoy!!  

  1. FOCUS FAST 

Being in such a microwave world demands that we need to focus into our calling in a quick manner. I often say that the two most important days in your life are the day that you were born and the day you find out why. Once you find that “why” you have automatically found your focus. Your focus can be speaking, art, decoding technology, cooking, etc. Now is the time to dive into your gift and read, do and seek all you can to get the most out of your new found focus. No time to waste! 

 

2 – SUBSTANCE

When you have substance with your gift, whatever you present to the world is more believable. You will gain others trust with what you know. It doesn’t look good when you are so deep that you drown in shallow waters and all you had to do is sit up. People want to know that you can rescue them if they were to fall into the sea of your “gift area“. You need to instill confidence in them that you are willing and able to save them if they question your knowledge.

 

3- PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT, TILL YOU MOVE YOUR LIMIT BACK

When you find your focus, you must go all the way in without looking back. You have no time to make excuses why not to take that leap of faith in your “gift area“. People need you to step into your calling and when you take the limits off, you are then able to see how far you can go as you stretch your capacity. The sky is not the limit, you are!

4- FIGHT FOR IT

Having a focus is never easy! It also is not supposed to be. Being focused in your “gift area” will require you to fight. You must be on guard at all times as the competition is fierce and others in your arena may consider you a threat. As you advance into uncharted territory the distractions will come at you by the truck loads in order to knock you off your course. Get into the ring of destiny and stop hanging on the rope!

 

5- IT COST WHAT IT COST 

Continued education on your “gift area” is essential to your growth and sometimes it will cost a bit to attend the next class, conference, coarse, book and etc. Do what you have to do to get the information you need to stay relevant. Begin to turn your expense to an investment because the greatest investment that you can make is in yourself. Hands down!

6- DON’T PREACH WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

If you have not studied, experienced or meditated on what you are going to deliver, don’t bother trying to sound cool with what you don’t know. Merely glancing over material or grabbing what another person has said or done and claiming it as your own will not get the job done. Nuff said!

 7- DON’T TELL ME WHO YOU ARE, LET ME HEAR ABOUT YOU

Many people self – promote and that is OK, but as influential T.D. is, he is inundated with people trying to get in front of him, but he has to know where your influence is. The greatest testimony is what someone else can speak well about you when you’re not around. Influence allows your name to proceed you, so just as a stampede, let me hear you coming before you show up.  Now the only way to have a stampede, is to act upon your “gift area“. So get to work!

 

8- GOD WANTS WHAT’S IN YOU 

God’s gift to you is the seed He planted inside you. Your gift to Him is to germinate the potential of that seed.

 

9- STAND UP AND LEAD THIS GENERATION

Being in your prime years (millennial) requires you to go for what you want in life. This is the time to make the mistakes, fail forward and build a foundation in your “gift area“. This is the process we all must take in order for impact to happen. Whether you start now or later in life, don’t be like the old man still going to the club single and ready to mingle. That just looks bad and now this guy is trying to act like he has the energy to hold 4 jobs just to keep up with his life. Do yourself a favor and start now, because the “shoulda, coulda, woulda,” club is waiting for you on the other side. Don’t be their next recruit!

 

10- SACRIFICE 

Leading in any area in life will require a sacrifice. Now you don’t have to slit your wrist just to sprinkle your blood on an altar, but you may have to miss that party for the sake of your studies. Making a sacrifice really means to practice “Delayed Gratification“. This simply means for you to hold off for what you want now to do what is necessary to benefit for later. You may have to hold off the shopping spree when you get that bonus and drop that lump sum into a savings account less you find yourself in a drought in the coming months or an unexpected bill that requires immediate payment. You may have to hit up that grocery store with coupons in hand rather than going to get fast food that never agrees with your stomach. Part of the sacrifice is going to show up in your priorities. Using self- discipline to accomplish what you set out to do, will keep you stay on track to your personal success. In life you will have two pains, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret… your choice!

 

11- YOU LEAD THE PACK 

I had a mentor tell me “if you stay behind, all you will see is behinds“. Everybody has the ability to become a leader, just as everybody has the ability to become a millionaire. However not everybody has the willingness and discipline to attain such things. It doesn’t take a special kind of person, but a willing one with determination. People who lead the pack use what they have to get them to where they want to be. They seize the opportunity when the door cracks and shows up when least expected. This leader starts with the mindset to win and excuses are left at the door of the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” club. When you throw your whole self into your craft, you will come out leading the pack!

 

  • What key do you relate to the most?
  • What key do you need to work on?

 

Selah: A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. Proverbs 18:16

 

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