I was born ten days before Valentine’s Day in 1960, an era when our society was trying to live together like God intended. On February 4, wrapped up in a light blue blanket, I looked like a sweet piece of chocolate Valentine’s candy ready to show my love and respect for being alive. I approached life cautiously and quietly, working hard at whatever I tried to do. Even through elementary, middle, and high school, I believed that living simply and enjoying the love of friends and family was the only way to live. I was fortunate to fall in love with my high school sweetheart. We got married shortly after high school, and a baby boy came along later. We were truly happy and blessed.
I found out quickly that life was not going be a bed of roses. My wife and I decided to end our marriage and go our separate ways. Having a son to take care of was a wonderful task to have. I was approach by a gentleman about a job interview for a Fortune 500 company in the oil and gas industry. I fell in love with Shell Oil Company, its culture, and the yellow Shell pectin. Shell Oil management launched me into the supervisor development program to development my leadership and interpersonal skills. I worked in four different states. I have met hundreds of different people along my journey with Shell Oil Company.
During the month of February, people begin to think of love and romance, but it was in the month of May when I met my wife and her lonely and wonderful children. I fell in love with her and her kids. I am grateful to have three kids to call my own.
When you read any book that I have written, the word of God will be in the first paragraph or chapter. He is the only source from which my help and protection come. I have belonged to many churches during my travels and listened to different pastors and preachers. The one who stands out is Pastor Baines of Macedonia Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio.
I recognized that all people need help all over this world, so I started looking for ways to help people in need. I joined the Texas Prisons System Ministry to help the inmates develop certain skills that they would need before being released back into sociality. Unfortunately, I did not get involved like I had planned. I continue to seek organizations and programs that I can use to help develop myself into the person God wants me to be. I joined the Toastmaster Organization to improve my public speaking and leadership skills.
The month of February is the shortest month on the calendar, typically twenty-eight days; however, I was born on the fourth day of the month, which left me twenty-four days until the end of the month. These remaining twenty-four days remind me of twenty-four hours that we have each day. I try to make each hour of the day that I am awake count for something positive.
There were so many topics to write on, which made this book a challenge. So I decided to write about something that made me happy and brought me joy. In addition, I had fun doing it. I hoped it would not take very long to write what I consider a special self-awareness and powerful book once I made up my mind to share these principles of success with the public. The reality is it took several years to pen down what I knew worked.