[Music]
[Music]
given my circumstances if my birth
parents came down this out right now I
would not know either one if my daddy
came up here well my mother came up here
given the fact that I was born and
abandoned building on the floor being
labeled a troublemaker retarded
[Music]
she said no one could have convinced me
that day when I walked in that house and
this lady was holding you and your
brother and she said ma'am I want you to
promise me two things and she said what
is it
she says one promised me that you won't
separate him she said I want him raised
together we were him to know each other
I got pregnant while my husband was away
in the wall and I can't keep him promise
me that you won't separate them she said
I promise I won't I've never had
children I promise I won't separate him
and she said promise me that you'll
never tell him about Who I am because if
my husband ever found out he would kill
me she said I promise and she said that
she gave him to us and and she kind of
cried and and she was walking out the
door and she looked at my doctor mother
sheets ahead remember don't use
separator
she says swear to God I won't
I won't separate about keep them
together and she said as I held you all
in my arms I never had any children my
own I didn't know how I was going to do
it and I know what they help of God I
will do it ladies and gentlemen
I've never had a dream of having
children and raising us she didn't know
how she's going to do it
see when I was in the fifth grade I was
identified as EMR labeled educable
mentally retarded put back from the
fifth grade to the fourth grade I failed
again when I was in the eighth grade
I have no college training and a man
changed my life and I'll never forget
his name mr. Liu I Washington he's in
his 80s now and and he's blind from
glaucoma but he he gave me a different
vision of myself I was in his class
waiting on another student he came in
and said young man go to board to work
this problem up for me I said Oh sir I
can't do that said why not I said I'm
not one of your students said look at me
yes sir go to the board and work the
problem out anyhow that's it sir I can't
do that he said why it's absurd because
I'm a jerk about mental retarded sir I'm
in special education and the students
started laughing they said that's Leslie
that's not Wesley
he's DT Wesley is too smart when he said
what does DT stand for I said um I'm the
dumb twin sir and as the students
laughed at me he came from he had his
desk he looked at Ben he said don't you
ever say that again
someone's opinion of you does not have
to become your reality on one hand I was
humiliated but on the other hand I was
liberated because he looked at me with
the eyes of Goethe who said look at a
man the way that he is he only becomes
worse but look at him as if he were what
he could be then it becomes what he
should be and so we developed a
relationship and one of the things that
I can just tell you as you think about
your goals and dreams all of us can say
in the spirit of integrity that it's
possible
that if anybody didn't wanted time live
their dream then it's possible that I
can live mine and what I did was I made
a mistake I looked at my goals and
dreams and my mind said how will you do
that I went from my heart to my mind and
I stayed up there for 14 years 14 years
I can't bring those 14 years back those
years are gone and I've made a mission
in my life to help people stop putting
it off and procrastinating
you
[Music]
the first time I set up the speech I
stood up and my mind set down I looked
at the audience and I panicked I had to
introduce a play at school will papa
the story
ran up mr. Washington mr. Brown where
are you going on mr. wash and I
I can't think so I don't know did you
rehearse
I don't know I just got it then I looked
at them and everything like we let me do
it another day please sir no go back up
there mr. prom mr. Washington how miss
appley circle don't don't don't send me
out there now I'll mess up mr. Brown if
you run now you will always be running
anything that's worth doing it's worth
doing badly until you get it right
sir mister
yes sir
[Music]
I started playing called 12 million
directed by mr. Miller Washington
that ran off the next day they dogged me
out they talked about me so bad the next
time another event came up mr.
Washington mr. Brown you were up
I said no mr. Washington everybody says
no not him I said there right mr.
Washington not me he said mr. brown yes
sir and I went out and pretty soon with
people laughed at me didn't bother me
they would throw paper and I couldn't
catch it without losing my concentration
and then one day I came out and a hush
went across the audience because it must
have been something about me that
indicated that I had come to myself and
mr. Washington had been practicing with
me to give a presentation and I looked
at the audience and I said I choose not
to be a common man it's my right to be
uncommon if I can I seek opportunity not
security I do not wish to be a kept
citizen humbled and dull by having the
state look after me I want to take the
calculated risk to dream and to build to
fail and to succeed
for present challenges of life to the
guaranteed existence to the state
economy
master
it's not harissa standard
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
but people who had college degrees were
more intelligent than me I remember
going to see the late dr. Norman Vincent
field the author of the book the power
of positive thinking
and I used to look at him up on stage
and I said I could do that I would love
to talk to people I'd love to talk to
people and I said I could do that but
then when I started going back to my car
my mental conditioning activated itself
and it said les Ron you can't do that
you don't have a college education
les Ron you can't do that you don't have
the training you'll never work for a
major corporation you can do that what
makes you think you can earn five ten
fifteen twenty thousand dollars in an
hour you don't earn that not working for
two or three months I had to retrain my
thinking because of what I saw studies
indicating the decisions we make in life
is directly related to the things that
we saw the things that we experienced
the conversations who have been exposed
to between age zero and five and so as a
result of that my experience I had to
begin to engage in a process of
retraining my mindset and I don't even
know what I was doing
[Music]
it's very important for you to believe
that you are the one to make this happen
I remember this high school teacher mr.
Leroy Washington at the end of school
one June was just a few days before we
were supposed to leave and I just got my
report card and it indicated that I'd
failed history and I fail English and I
would have to go to summer school
and I was feeling within myself that I
was a failure that I'm slower than most
people and getting paperwork and and I
was feeling down on myself and and very
negative and mr. Washington was giving a
speech to the graduating seniors and I
was in the 11th grade and even though I
wasn't supposed to be in there I went in
there because the speech he was giving
that speech was for me
[Music]
and as he talked my heart began to beat
fast tears begin to run behind my eyes
and I was in the back just listening to
him he said as graduating seniors of
Booker T Washington High School I want
you to know the joke bless
and that as you go toward the future
begin to know that you have greatness
within you and if just one of you here
begin to envision yourselves as being
blessed and highly favored to reach your
goals if just one of you capture the
essence of what that means that you have
greatness within you and responsibility
to manifest that greatness that you can
make your parents proud you can make
your school proud you can touch millions
of people's lives and the world will
never be the same again because you came
this way and the students gave him a
rousing standing ovation and as he left
the auditorium I ran down the steps and
I caught him in the parking lot and said
mr. Washington he said yes I said do you
remember me sir my name is Leslie Brown
my mother she works in the cafeteria
here I'm wondering twins
Leslie Wesley I said Miss Washington
bakudo you know I got these big dreams
you know I like talking to people I love
people who said I want to work with
people and I got this beam behind my mom
my home could could I do that mr.
Washington
he said it's possible this crowd
and as he walked away I called him again
I said mr. Washington he said what do
you want now
[Music]
I'm the one sir I said I'm the one you
you remember me sir I'm this baby browse
for us I'm the word and the word
[Applause]
[Music]
my first major gold
was to buy my mother a home and let me
tell you something ladies and gentlemen
what what will reasons do less Nietzsche
said if you know the rifle doing you can
endure almost any house what do you mean
by that
if you know why you're doing something
when the hard times come and they're
going to come when the disappointments
and the rejections come and they're
going to come by the truck blows your
reason's will be a rod and staff to
comfort you to pick you up once again I
got a saying on one of my tapes of life
knocks you down try and land on your
back because if you can look up you can
get up let your evens get you back up
[Music]
mr.bad really way to 11 that said I
could depend the district to that I said
because I wrote the back not never had
he said Gary listen to Paul habit here
my party's burning fire beauty comes on
every day why because if you have these
successes study the people that are
doing what you want to do he's the best
in the world when it comes to
communication I suggest to you you look
at what you want to achieve look at the
top achievers understand and know they
are only an example they are not an
exception they're an example of what you
can do because success leaves Clues
follow the system watch the leaders and
study them I did that and he said Mr
Brown detoxify your life let all the
negative people in your life go can I
change him no it's a full-time job
changing yourself he's right
all my life people have always compared
me to my brother because I'm not smart
like if it takes me longer to get things
than most people I have to hear it again
and again but once I got it sir I got it
you feel the only person that never
called me stupid and dumb you never
called me DT the dumb Tramp
you you look at me like like I'm
somebody
I've never had a father and I I watch
you and I want to be able to talk like
you I get choked up sometime because I
can't get my thoughts out sir
I want to do what you do and I want to
make my mama proud he said you can do it
mr. Brown I've given you all you can get
from me now it's on you if you want to
be at this job you go out into the
marketplace
I became the errand boy for the disc
jockeys I'd go get their lunch and their
dinner and I stand in the control room
watching them move their hands knowing
my time will come one day it was a
Saturday afternoon a disc jockey by the
name of rock and Roger was drinking
while he was on the air he began to slur
his words he got to a drug he was about
to fall off the chair and I was the only
one there looking at him through the
control room window then pretty soon the
phone ringing with the general manager
and answer phone I said hello
he said Rock can't finish the show I
said I know I called my mom and my
girlfriend Cassandra said y'all come out
on the front porch and turn on the radio
I'm about to come on the air he's a
young boy
United work at controls I said yes sir
he said gone and said wait the records
don't you say nothing here I put on a
fast record I said look out this is me
Tripathi what's around your platter
playing papa
there were none before me and there will
be none out to me
I remember when I bought the home for my
mother and she came out of the car when
I open the door said mama I think I know
these people in his house that's my
first major goal and then I couldn't
conceal it anymore I said mom I got this
for you and as she went from room to
room looking at the house and saying
thank you Jesus thank you Lord no one
ever could have convinced me that this
could have happened to me
I remember when I was in broadcasting
when I was a disc jockey I became very
controversial not only being a disc
jockey but I felt that radio was
something that you not only entertain
people with but you also empower them
you educate them and I got fired now to
just leave they fired me they took my
microphone I thought that was who I was
no no ladies and gentlemen it wasn't I
had to do something else and I didn't
know what else I could do
see life and moved on and said let's
Brown you have outgrown this it's time
for you to do something else and so I
suggested Tiffany he said last don't you
run for office now here's what I'm
suggesting I ran you got to do what you
can where you are with what you have I
didn't have any money I didn't know
anything about the political process I
didn't even have any support but here's
what the guy told me it's possible you
could win
that's all I was running against an
endorsed candidate he wasn't incumbent
he had the newspaper support all of the
leadership in the community and I was
challenging this guy so I had a saying
when I was on radio stand up for what
you believe in because you can fall for
anything and I would go door-to-door I
have my kids on one side of the street I
would be on the other not I'd knock on
door hello my name is Lester I'll tell
everybody I'm still standing
see I'm saying just just keep moving
don't stop feeling sorry for yourself
don't spend time blaming and talking
about what happened to you see whatever
you talk about that's what you multiply
and expand in your life experience so
don't talk about stuff unless you wanted
to keep all happen to you all right
have my children with me we're going
door to door didn't have enough money
eventually we got close to the election
and something happened that really
surprised guys who I thought were going
to either support me I'll stay out of it
various powerful community leaders they
became involved in it and they endorsed
my opponent
devastated that's gonna happen to you
when you're working on your dream things
are gonna happen that's gonna catch you
on the Blind Side I was shocking to me
usually in the state representative race
maybe three or four thousand people will
come out to vote in a primary and that
primary race over 27,000 people came out
and loaded our wire ladies and gentlemen
so you've got to be willing to stay
focused to be creative to be relentless
because things are going to happen to
you when you're working on your dream
and so the things happen in life when
you have goals and dreams things happen
have no idea
Midway of my third term my mother became
ill she was diagnosed with breast cancer
my brothers and sisters called me and
said they're gonna put her in a nursing
home and I said no they said we thought
you would say that we've interviewed the
best nursing homes in Dade County I said
I said no it's at a problem how can one
woman raised seven children who couldn't
take care of themselves but seven grown
people could take care of one woman I
had a problem with that so I resigned
from the Ohio legislature and I came
back to Miami to take care of mama and
took care of until 89
but when I decided to become a speaker I
didn't just quit my job and just ran out
and say I'm a motivational speaker know
what I did was I decided to start
looking at other people that were
involved in the speaking profession I
volunteered to work with some speakers
so that I could learn I've been an
entrepreneur for 20 years it's my 21st
year I could have been speaking and
training for 34 years
but for 14 years I was living in my head
for 14 years I stopped myself
for 14 years I used to go see Zig Ziglar
that I considered a number-one
motivational speaker on the planet Zig
Ziglar and Tony Robbins they're the best
on the planet Bob Proctor they are the
best of the planet Jack Canfield Mark
Victor Hansen TR Beckett I would go and
see them and then I would leave and my
conversation with myself was my heart
would say I can do that and then my mind
would ask how
how would you do that Les Brown
what will they listen to me for and
that's the way I felt and so I had to
visualize myself speaking before them
speaking before various audiences that
had more going for them than I did and
realize and appreciate my own value and
that I was a worthwhile person even
though I didn't have all going for me I
didn't have the money I didn't have the
education that they had so part of the
process is seeing yourself being worthy
[Music]
I never worked for a major corporation I
want to speak for corporations I was
afraid I would I would be exposed
because I don't have a college education
I felt inferior because of the fact that
I don't have a college education I
allowed a bad level of fear of failure
to stop me and because I never had an
experience in it I assumed that I could
not do it
I was paralyzing myself by believing and
assuming the limited part of myself as
opposed to believing that I had
something special it's hard changing
your life
it was hard when just over three years
ago in the Penobscot building in Detroit
Michigan where I was operating my
business and I fell on some hard times
and I was sleeping in my office
it was hard coming into the lobby and
the security said scuse me mr. Brown can
we see you for a moment and I said yes
and I walked up to the counter and he
gave me an envelope and he said would
you mind reading it here and I opened
the envelope and the envelope was from
management that says this is an office
tower it's not a hotel please do not
sleep in your office and I said excuse
me sir I said I just worked long hours
in creating my business I'm an
entrepreneur and right now things are
bad for me but they're not going to be
this way always and I just asked for the
opportunity to continue to operate like
I'm doing I'm not trying to make this my
home and it was hard coming through the
lobby and sometimes they would laugh
there's a guy talking about becoming
successful and look at it he's bathing
in the bathroom upstairs on the 21st
floor he sleeps on the floor him and two
other dreamers up there look at him
it was hard ladies and gentlemen coming
to speak to people and I was facing
financial difficulties in my own life I
was behind on my bills and my dreams and
I'm saying to them you can live your
dream it was hard ladies and gentlemen
it was very difficult to pick myself up
each day believing that I can do it
there were times that I
I say God why why is this happening to
me I'm just trying to take care of my
children and my mother I'm not trying to
steal a rock from anybody that didn't
have to happen to me it was very hard
and here's what I want to say to you for
those of you that have experienced some
hardships don't give up on your dream no
one could have convinced me by holding
on by continuing to push forward by
continuing to run toward my dream that
one day
have my own talk show it's a long shot
ladies and gentlemen from Liberty City
an abandoned building Auto floor
never knowing my mother or father it's a
long shot
being here with you today in this dome
in Atlanta it's a long shot no college
training labeled educable mentally
retarded but I kept running toward my
dream
goes down
good staff
don't stop running toward your dream
[Applause]
it's very important as you hold on to
that dream there are moments when you're
going to doubt yourself they're rough
times are gonna come but they have not
come to stay they have come to pass it's
very important for you to know that
don't say I'm having a bad day say I'm
having a character-building day and I
remember when PBS first played one of my
specials called you deserve one Sunday
afternoon in Miami Florida and he
watched the program he called me in
Detroit and I answered the phone I said
hello he said may I speak to Les Brown
please I said who's calling he said you
know who this is I said Oh mr.
Washington it's you he said you were the
one weren't you I said yes sir
if you want a thing bad enough to go out
and fight for it to work day and night
for it to give up your time your peace
and your sleep for if all that you dream
and scheme is about it and a life seems
useless and worthless without it and if
you gladly sweat for it and fret for it
and plan for it and lose all your terror
of the opposition for it and if you
simply go after that thing that you want
with all of your capacity strengthened
sagacity Faith Hope and confidence and
stern pertinacity if neither cold
poverty family shove Galt sickness of
pain of body and brain can keep you away
from the thing that you are the dogged
and grim you beseech and beset with the
help of God your giving
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