As You Go Higher...

The Honorable Colin Powell passed on October 18, 2021 at the age of 84. So with much reverence to his extraordinary legacy, it is apropos for me to address the topic “As You Go Higher”.

As we examine Colin Powell’s life, we note that he served as a four-star general in the US Army and was ultimately appointed to serve as the 65th US Secretary of State, one of the highest offices in this country. We must acknowledge that he carried himself with a high degree of excellence and a strong sense of pride. He had an undeniable sense of duty, and no one could cause him to waver. This is because all of those traits started on the inside of him.

It can be observed from his life, that as you go higher in your career, more is expected of you. Oftentimes people inaccurately assume that as you go higher you will have less responsibilities, but this is not true. It is harder to stay with a career, to maintain and to elevate than it is to get to the first stages.

Everything that we set out to accomplish in life must start on the inside of us. Every internal battle or challenge, it is ultimately you against yourself. You are your hardest opponent. What you see in that mirror, what you think of yourself and what you feel on the inside will always manifest on the outside. Those internal thoughts and feelings manifest in both what you accomplish and in what you fail to accomplish.

As you go higher in any career or other life endeavor, it is critical that you become comfortable with yourself. You must be bold in addressing your own insecurities head on. You must address your fears and anything else that has kept you stagnant.

What is holding you back? The short answer is you. That little voice on the inside telling you what you cannot do is you. This negativity influences your energy, your surroundings and also the people within your inner circle. You may be inclined to think that the people and your surroundings are the source of the negativity you feel, but the reality is that it generates from you.

So, as you go higher in your endeavors, you must first address yourself. If you do not address yourself, it is impossible to elevate, to manifest greatness around you or to take the next steps into a bigger world.

Colin Powell addressed his inner demons very early in his life, and he was able to accomplish great things. Whether you are a black executive, teacher, lawyer, pastor, scientist, engineer or other professional, you have been destined for great work. In order to realize that greatness, silence your inner voice, which tells you what you cannot accomplish. Learn to ignore the naysayers and lean into your greatness, so that you can elevate higher in your career and life goals.

For more insight on my personal quest to "going higher", please purchase (available for order on Amazon) Destiny: A Guide to Realizing Your Purpose.

Let's go higher together and BE // Black Executive...