Sunday Reflections: DISCLAIMER: This Is Not Your Blessing

Picture this. There was once a little girl. She lived in a poor neighborhood, watched those around  her struggle, and struggled with her own demons. Those demons came from being molested as a kid,getting pregnant, and having a miscarriage. Later on that little girl became a woman who started her first big job as a reporter, started up her own television and movie studio, and owns her own television network .That woman is Oprah. Oprah is now a billionaire who's success is unstoppable. She was blessed with gifts that she learned to conquer in order to fulfill her success. Was her gift yours? Can you be a talk show host and produce the show at the same time? Can you interview people in front of millions of others? Can you own your own television network and be in a countless amount of movies? Do you make as much money as Oprah? If you said yes to any of those questions, that's good for you but you're not Oprah. Because your name is not Oprah Winfrey and you're not living her life, didn't go through her struggles, and you're not on her level, that blessing is not for you.

Oprah's blessing is not yours and anyone else that has achieved a level of success that you admire is not a representation of you. Oprah had a passion and that is what got her to the point of where she is today. It's the same for Gail Mathis.

Ms. Mathis has become a millionaire off of several health products, such as her famous health drink Le Vive. Her key to selling products is showing that world that she uses everything she sells. She's the CEO, one of the employees of the company, and a consumer. That's how she has built her success and that's how much she loves her products. Has Ms. Mathis success helped you to be successful? Are you getting money and respect off of her goals? No, because that's her blessing. Just because you're inspired doesn't mean her life is your life.

For some reason many of us have that impression though. We believe that just because others can do something, we can easily achieve it too. If not achieve, we believe we can easily be accredited for it also. Some of us think we should be at the top of our game just because Oprah and Gail Mathis made it. We feel like we're entitled to respect just because Jay-Z is worth $450 million and Beyonce is his wife. We tell the world we made it just because Lil Wayne, P. Diddy, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, and even Necole Bitchie made it. However, they all made it in America by using their blessings. Their gifts are all different. Your life is different from theirs, so therefore their blessing are not yours. Now get over it and find your own path by using your own thoughts.

Wait, I'm not finished yet. Just like their blessing is not yours, others wrongdoings is not you problem. Many people in the African American community think T.I.'s actions affect all of us. If you didn't know T.I. originally went to prison on gun charges, was set free and then broke the law again while he was on probation, just got let out of prison a few days ago, but returned back the very next day. As stupid as his actions have bee, we have to understand that T.I. is not a reflection of all of us.

I get so tired of hearing how blacks are supposed to be embarrassed every time something happens to one of us. T.I. takes guns into an airport and blacks are stupid. Soulja Boys does cocaine and blacks are drug addicts. Obama has only achieved one goal since becoming president and all blacks look bad. One black person gets on welfare and all of a sudden we all need government assistance. One black woman decides she wants to date a man with a career and all of a sudden we're all gold diggers. Do you get my point? The messed  up choices of others, does not affect us all. So stop feeling like it's your fault when Lil Wayne takes another sip from that cup and comes out sounding like a 10-year-old trying to be grown.

Remember this is not your blessing. If you haven't yet, go discover your passion, so you won't feel entitled to someone's else's success. Also, remember someone's else's crime is not yours. Don't take responsibility for what you didn't do.