Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

Posted by | Posted in A Thumbs Up, Acts Of Faith, All About Love, Art of Teaching, Book Excerpts, Book Reviews, Book Signings, Christianity, Creative Excellence, Creative Writing, Critical Thinkers, Cultural Diversity, Education, Heroes And Sheroes, Inspiration, Leadership, Male-Female Relationships, My Big Dream, Personal Development, Personal Leadership, Photography As Art, Quick Questions, Self-Esteem, Social Justice, Steppin' Out Of The Darkness, Taking A Stand, The Challenge, Think About It, Wise Words, Writing As Art | Posted on 17-12-2007

Here’s a thumbs up from North Carolina about Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness, “When Good People Become Great.”

“It has been years since a piece of literature has evoked such thought and inspiration in me so to you…I am grateful. After completing the book, I was eager to share this with everyone I know. I let one of my family’s long term friends (a pastor) read the book. She was so moved that she decided to focus a few of her bible study and sunday school lessons around your work. This is truly a labor of love that has been well worth it.” –Ms. Dywanna Sheridan

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Click Here To View Back Cover


My gratitude to all whom have already invested in their “autographed copies” is beyond words. Click on “Always Expect The Unexpected” to read the Prologue to this introspective, inspirational story about personal leadership.

** Note: This is a “Sticky Post.” Please scroll through the “Calendar” atop the sidebar on my Home page to locate all the previous posts stored in my archives.

Copyright © 2007-08 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Because Change Was Inevitable

Posted by | Posted in Acts Of Faith, All About Love, Bloggers And Blogging, Change, Leadership, Personal Development, Personal Leadership, Technical Difficulties, The Challenge, WordPress 2.7 Upgrade | Posted on 27-12-2008

As much as I truly loved the feel, the look, and the unique design of my blog’s last theme, a mandatory Wordpress 2.7 upgrade has required me to “change” my blog’s beloved template.

For those of you who watched me struggle to build this blog from scratch during 2007, you know it took many weeks to tweak my last “customized” theme.  Because Change was inevitable, overcoming my perfectionistic tendencies became “mandatory.”  There are still many features that still don’t work. To view the “archives,” you must still use the Calendar in my Sidebar.

I’m cracking up right now because I remember how many times I’ve talked about “personal leadership” or  personally challenged many of you to “face your fears and embrace Change.” Because Change was inevitable, exposing my “public failures” has gifted me with a plethora of “private victories.” What are some of the private victories you achieved during 2008?

Because Change is inevitable, what bad habits, fears, and self-imposed limitations did 2008 challenge you to overcome? How many “Big Dreams” did your fears of Adversity, Setback, Failure, and Poverty prevent you from birthing during 2008 because you’re still afraid to face your fears and embrace Change?

How many of you still find yourselves listening to the negative voice of your internal critic? Why? Who are you still trying to please? Why? Whose “attention, approval, and acceptance” are you still frantically trying to gain in vain? Why? How many of you still haven’t finished “writing the vision” God gifted to you many full moons ago?

Because Change was inevitable, I’ve been extremely busy researching and developing a new professional set of technical l skills to effectively employ during 2009. So, if you don’t like what you see, don’t worry.  Neither do I.  The current look and feel of this new theme is only a temporary “quick fix” until I can finish customizing a new template to accommodate all the new features we will gradually roll out next year.

Once again, you’ll get to watch an imperfect person like me with good intentions and bad habits  like mine share yet another humbling series of public failures. Why? Because I love you.  Love still inspires me to get up, show up, and challenge other humbled beginners like  you to “honestly believe it’s possible to beat impossible odds with God’s help and achieve Greatness.”

“But by grace still go I.”

Copyright (c)2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

America’s Defining Moment

Posted by | Posted in Acts Of Faith, All About Love, B.M.A.D.™ In 2008, Book Excerpts, Christianity, Conflict Resolution, Critical Thinkers, Cultural Diversity, Education, Historical Celebrations, Human Rights, Humanitarian Causes, Inspiration, Leadership, My Big Dream, Personal Development, Personal Leadership, Politics, Social Justice, Steppin' Out Of The Darkness, Taking A Stand, Think About It, Wise Words | Posted on 04-11-2008

“Nevertheless, there is at least one defining moment that occurs in the life of every generation when limit-testers, who honestly believe there are destined to become great, will choose to face their fears and embrace Change for the first time.” — Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

After almost 2 years of waiting, what I’ve been calling “America’s Defining Moment” for 2008, has finally arrived. On Election Day 2008, American voters will get up and show up at polling locations to choose the 44th President of the United States Of America. During America’s Defining Moment, the whole world is watching America right now and anxiously waiting to see whether or not American voters will choose to face “our deepest fears,” overcome our biggest fears, and embrace Change. For our children’s sake, our generation cannot afford to get it wrong again.

Please click on “The Inspiration For Change if you’re a first-time visitor or just simply don’t remember what inspires Change.

For the first time, our generation can do something tangible to galvanize our fractured, financially faltering country, a country that has been racially polarized and emotionally divided from within for too long and for all the wrong reasons. For the first-time, our generation can achieve what the diligent descendants of our enslaved, albeit resilient, ancestors had enough faith in God to believe that the inspiring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech would one day become a reality.

One of my “Big Dreams” for 2008 was to live long enough to witness President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk side-by-side into their destiny by beating impossible odds and completing the task before them with God’s help. The Obama family has done their part to give all Americans a reason to remain hopeful, a reason to believe that better days are coming, a reason to believe that we can all achieve great things. Matters not the colour of the skin our gifted souls are wrapped within.

My wife, KWiz, and I voted early. We both chose to cast our votes for President Barack Obama. Now, it’s up to each and every one of us to do our part to help the Obamas make history today as we pray on bended knee. Together, we can begin the arduous process of tearing down the imaginary wall that has divided America from within. Imagine the endless parade of possibilities that will appear if we choose to honestly believe that our generation can “achieve greatness.” But be forewarned.

“To impede Change, the predatory employees of Ain’t Fairusee’s mega-corporation must keep you and your generation from achieving greatness. Since your antagonists still believe the end always justifies the means, choose the battles you fight and the paths you walk wisely.” — Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

Since Power concedes nothing without a struggle, will you have the presence of mind to choose the path you walk and the battle you fight wisely? Can you stop going-along just to get-along with the spiritually-blinded status quo who remain shackled and chained to a “win-at-all-costs slave mentality?” During America’s Defining Moment, what will you choose to do when Adversity strikes, when your cars get booted and towed away, when poll workers lack the resources they need, when the ballots are printed incorrectly, when the weather refuses to cooperate, when the police set up road blocks to intimidate you? Think about it.

During America’s Defining Moment, will you choose to love loving one another instead of loving to hate another person just because of the colour of their skin? Will you choose to do the right thing by casting your vote for Senator Barack Obama because voting for Senator John McCain simply doesn’t pass the common sense test? Do you have the inner strength of character, the confidence, and the courage to cross politically divisive party lines and dance to the beat of a different drum? I hope so.

For the first time, our generation can choose to elect a brilliant person, who just happens to be a Black man, as the next Commander-In-Chief of the United States Of America. Imagine that! Only God truly knows whether or not the culturally diverse members of humanity’s global village will choose to walk together in peace by faith and work together as one for the greater good during “our journey towards greatness.”

During America’s Defining Moment, always expect the unexpected to happen when least expected. Matters not what happens next. Trust God.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Copyright (c) 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

“The Inspiration For Change” Reposted

Posted by | Posted in Book Excerpts, Conflict Resolution, Inspiration, Leadership, Personal Development, Personal Leadership, Steppin' Out Of The Darkness, Think About It | Posted on 01-11-2008

THE INSPIRATION FOR CHANGE

“Our generation’s fears of what’s lurking in the shadows of Change made Failure, Poverty, Rejection, and Violence our closest companions. But that was before Pain became greater than our individual fears of what follows seasons of Change. Until Pain inspired us to face our biggest fears and embrace Change, the strong and weak alike felt content to strike the same defiant pose behind our silent and violent peers just to avoid Rejection. But our vain efforts to avoid the inevitable failed. Without Pain to inspire Change, we found no reason to conquer our fear of Failure due to our constant failure to overcome Fear. Minus the inspiration for Change, our socially alienated souls never negated what emotionally divided the blended extended families of humanity’s global village from within.

Without Pain, nobody became strong enough to rise above the rim of self-imposed limitations just as the previous generations who never overcame their addiction to Pleasure. So, the weakest of the weak failed to become bold enough to speak those things that are not as though we had already achieved what our peers believed was impossible. Alas, it didn’t take long before the weakest of the strong forfeited the right to make better choices once Fear silenced our voices. Imagine how hopeless the weakest of the weak felt after hearing the rumor, half-truth, and true lie that only the strongest of the strong would survive the longest.

Nevertheless, Pain and Change kept working together for good until our generation realized that we could trust God without reservation. With all humility, we asked the Almighty to give us the strength we needed to beat impossible odds. So God made us struggle until the weakest of the weak became strong enough to keep risin’ after every fall. We kept embracing Change until we overcame the same fears you’re facing during your dark nights of the soul when all appears lost. Can you imagine how peaceful the world became once our generation stopped repeating the self-defeating cycle of self-destruction you’re trying to break?”

Copyright © 2007- 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

11th Circuit Court Of Appeals Intervenes On Behalf Of Mr. Troy Davis

Posted by | Posted in Acts Of Faith, B.M.A.D.™ In 2008, Bloggers And Blogging, Conflict Resolution, Critical Thinkers, Human Rights, Humanitarian Causes, Inspiration, It's The Law, Journalism, Leadership, Personal Leadership, Politics, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Taking A Stand | Posted on 24-10-2008

Breaking News Update

Less than one hour ago, the 11th Circuit Court Of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia issued yet another “Stay Of Execution” for Death Row inmate Mr. Troy Anthony Davis. Click on “Stay Of Execution” to read this CNN breaking news report.  Click on AJC for additional information about today’s surprising decision.

Please scroll through the Archives to read the previous posts about Mr. Davis’ story. This particular post will be updated as this international news story develops. It’s true! God always does the unexpected when we least expect it. It’s always too soon to quit.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

A Creative Writing Exercise To Challenge You

Posted by | Posted in Book Reviews, Creative Excellence, Creative Writing, Critical Thinkers, Inspiration, My Big Dream, Personal Development, Personal Leadership, Steppin' Out Of The Darkness, Writing As Art | Posted on 04-10-2008

“Somewhere between the yawn of yesterday and the early morning dew that signals the dawn of a new day, …” — Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

Quick question. As the creative, imaginative person that you are, how would you choose to write the familiar phrase “Once upon a time, …” in order to leave a lasting impression on the minds of your readers?

Copyright (c) 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.