“Ali, what are you going to do after you retire from boxing?”
“… I’m going to prepare myself to meet God… God doesn’t care whether I beat Joe Frazier… he cares about how I live my life, how I treat others and how I take care of his people.”
Rest in Peace Ali.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Maybe this part of the journey isn’t about learning new habits.
Maybe this part of the journey is about unlearning old habits.
Sometimes the best way to clean up – is to throw it all away,
and start over.
Maybe this part of the journey is about starting over.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
True Story.
A freshman student. Female. Very unpopular. Walks by a group of upperclassmen who by all appearances were within the “in crowd.” As she walked by, one of the popular students said something, and the rest of the group began to laugh and snicker.
The disfavored student stopped. Turned. And spoke up for herself.
I didn’t hear the entire conversation but I saw everything – almost in slow motion. By the time I made it to the scene to end this drama, I heard the freshman conclude – “Stop trying to blend in, blend out!”
Unknown to the young student, her wise words inspired me and totally changed the trajectory of my life.
Inside a Great School, everyone learns. Everyone.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Impoverished Crawl through life.
The Working Poor Walk through life.
The Middle Class Run through life.
The Wealthy Fly.
Our Mindset, Education, Focus, and Grit determine our mode of transportation.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Slave- a person entirely under the domination of an influence or person. (Dictionary.com)
I need you to become a slave.
A good slave.
A slave that serves three masters.
Your ultimate master and “master of all masters” is God.
Your second master is your craft and the gifts/calling God has bestowed upon you.
Your third master is you, yourself.
Serving the Ultimate Master
Ignore your pride and learn to serve God. Submit yourself entirely to his domination and influence. Learn all you can about his word and his commandments. Read and re-read the stories within the Bible and apply the lessons learned to your life.
When was the last time you “took notes” or wrote down God’s word? When was the last time you studied God’s word? Allow God to become your teacher. Allow God to become your master.
Serving Your Craft
Everyone has a gift. Everyone has a calling or mission. We must take our gift, our calling, and mold it into our craft. We then must develop our craft and use it to make an impact on our city, our state, our world.
Are you a slave to your craft? Are you committed to your craft? Do you only work on your craft when “you feel like it?”
Please commit to your craft.
Please commit to becoming the best in your field.
Please commit to transitioning from a “slave to your craft” to a “master of your craft!”
As you master your craft, your impact will begin to swell.
As you master your craft, your impact will begin to intensify.
As you master your craft, you will then bear witness to breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough…
Serving Yourself
Do not become a slave to the person you are right now. Do not become a slave to your lust, your wants, and the desires of “now.” Learn to serve the person you are meant to be.
Become a slave to the person you must become in order to make your mother proud.
Become a slave to the person you must become in order to make your fathers proud – your earthly father and your heavenly father.
Become a slave to the person you must become to be a great parent, yourself.
Become a slave to the person you must become in order to consistently follow through on your goals.
Become a slave to the person you must become in order to be a leader of men.
I need you to be a slave.
A good slave.
A slave of all three masters, until you are deemed a master, yourself.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Student- any person who studies, investigates, or examines coursework thoughtfully. (Dictionary.com)
The Teacher’s Duties:
The teacher is responsible for exposing you to new information.
She shares information.
She asks questions.
She answers questions.
She may spark a conversation with you to talk about the information.
She will test you over the information one day soon.
At this point, her job is complete.
The Student’s Duties:
The student’s job is to listen, take notes, ask questions, and learn.
Second, the student should take his butt home and study.
He should study everything the teacher talked about.
He should study everything he wrote down in class.
He should study everything that was discussed.
He should make sure he is ready for the upcoming test.
Bottom Line:
If the student does not study – the teacher wasted her time.
If the student does not study – the student wasted his time.
If the student does not study – it all was a waste of time.
If the student does not study, he really isn’t a student at all (See definition above) but, a child looking to be spoon fed by his babysitter. Yet, he left daycare a long time ago.
It’s time to grow up.
It’s time to be a student.
Please don’t waste your time. Study!
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
If you’re looking for that guru that will change your life forever, go to the nearest bathroom and look in the mirror.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” -Bruce Lee
F.O.C.U.S.
F ollow
O ne
C ourse
U ntil
S uccessful
Focus all of your energy and efforts on improving your craft. Being well rounded is over-rated. Become a master at your craft, your gift, your calling, your business, yourself.
As you begin to master your craft – more opportunities will present themselves, more doors will open.
What is that “one kick” you will master?
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I choose not to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon, if I can.
I seek opportunity, not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed…
I will never cower before any master nor bend to any friend.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done.
– Dean Alfange
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Success is difficult.
The process is strenuous, tiresome, and often boring. Becoming a great student, teacher, mother, father, businessman, lawyer, doctor, etc., etc., etc. – is slow, gradual, and heavy. Please don’t misunderstand me. If you choose the path to success, you will enjoy small triumphs along the way. Greatness is achievable for us all, however shortcuts do not exist.
Secrets do not exist. The right information is paramount, but information without action is worthless. Action, combined with time is how we escape mediocrity.
Today is Sunday which marks the beginning of a new week. Today is the perfect day to build new behaviors and form new habits. Today is the perfect day for us to ignore average and increase our work ethic.
We get out of life what we put into it. If we want extraordinary results, we must put in extraordinary work.
Let’s begin today.
Maurice Guest Jr., is an education administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Maurice Guest Jr. 