Inspiration - Shola Richards

October 10, 2022October 27, 2014 by Shola Richards

Red Velvet Ropes Blocking Off The Red Carpet

If you’ve ever been to a nightclub before, then I’m sure that you’ve heard of the VIP (aka, Very Important Person) section before.

If not, the VIP section of a nightclub is the section of the club where some very lucky people get to enjoy some very cool perks.

People in the VIP section don’t wait in line like everyone else.

People in the VIP section are given super comfortable seats and a table with specialized service, just for them.

Most importantly, people in the VIP section get to enjoy the absolute best that the nightclub has to offer.

Make no mistake, it’s an honor, privilege, and a pretty incredible experience to enjoy VIP access.

At this point, I wouldn’t blame you if you were wondering, “umm okay, I haven’t been to a nightclub in years. What in the hell does this have to do with me?”

A lot, actually.

You might not be in charge of the VIP section for a fancy nightclub, but you’re in charge of the VIP section for something that’s far more important:

You’re in charge of the VIP section of your life.

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December 1, 2020September 29, 2014 by Shola Richards

Words "Too Late" On a Chalkboard Crossed Out

Never Too Late — Do you think that it’s too late for you? Think again.

It is always too early to decide that it’s too late.” -Unknown

I remember reading the above quote on the Facebook page of one of my favorite blogs, and ever since then, I cannot stop thinking about it.

In life, it is far too common for people to believe deeply in the myth of “too late.” Maybe you’ve believed in it too. I know that I used to believe in it at one time.

Be honest with yourself, have you ever said or thought any of the following things?

It’s too late to completely change careers.

It’s too late to start a new diet and/or exercise program.

It’s too late to fix my credit.

It’s too late to get a college degree.

It’s too late to tell (insert person here) that I’m sorry.

It’s too late to write a book.

It’s too late to find true love.

It’s too late to move to a new city with warmer weather.

It’s too late to learn a foreign language.

It’s too late to start my own business and be my own boss.

It’s too late for me to be a better mother/father to my kids.

It’s too late to stand up to my coworker who is making my work life a living hell.

It’s too late to leave my significant other.

It’s too late to travel the world.

It’s too late to make any meaningful changes in my life.

It’s too late to have a bigger impact on the world.

It’s too late to be happy.

If so, stop it.

It is never too late for you. Yeah, I said it. Never.

In the words below, it’s my hope that you’ll see exactly why that is true.

October 10, 2022September 22, 2014 by Shola Richards

Boy Sitting in Empty Room With Face In HIs Hands

Sad boy alone in a bare room — What you’re running from will find you.

Do you know what I used to believe with every fiber of my being?

That I could run away from all of my problems.

It didn’t matter to me if it was an unhealthy romantic relationship, a bill collector’s phone calls, a nagging toothache, or a persistent sadness that I couldn’t seem to shake off, my solution was to avoid feeling it.

That’s because I believed that if I avoided my pain–or worse, if I ran in the opposite direction of my pain–it would eventually go away.

It didn’t.

Yours won’t either.

If you’re running away from your demons right now, I can promise you that they will be waiting for you when you finally decide to stop running.

Even worse, at that point you’ll probably be too exhausted and too burned out to deal with those demons.

And it’s at that moment when they’ll win.

There’s a much better way, and just like everything else on this blog, it’s going to require some courage in order to make it happen.

Ready?

October 10, 2022September 1, 2014 by Shola Richards

Cartoon Girl Looking Sad While Two Other Cartoon Girls Talk About Her

outcast girl — Do you know what judging others reveals about you? A lot.

Judgment can really be an ugly thing.

A few months ago, I was line at the gym waiting to swipe my membership card to enter the gym for my morning workout when I heard something disturbing.

Two women who were ahead of me in line started chuckling to themselves and commenting about a woman inside of the gym.

Lady #1: “I wonder if fat-ass Shamu is here this morning.” (Side note: In case you didn’t know, “Shamu” is the name of the huge orca at Sea World.)

Lady #2 (pointing at an overweight woman on an elliptical machine wearing a black-and-white outfit): “Yep, there she is! God, she is such a pig!”

Then they both swiped their membership cards and chuckled their way inside of the gym.

Yes, these were grown women in their 30’s, who got their jollies by making fun of a woman who presumably was working hard to positively deal with the issue that they were currently laughing at her for (if that makes any sense.)

Yes, judgment really is such an ugly thing.

Unfortunately for those two women, what they didn’t realize is that their comments about that woman told me (and the world) so much more about them than it did about that woman.

December 1, 2020June 30, 2014 by Shola Richards

Boy in Superhero Outfit Sitting on a Roof Overlooking A City

Little Superhero — I think that I know why he’s not jumping.

“Hey Shola, how do you stay so motivated to make the world a more positive place?”

I get that question a lot for some reason.

Motivation is such an elusive thing for many people. Some people can find the motivation to create a million dollar business from scratch, to lose 200 lbs, or to become a Ph.D before they turn 30. Other people can’t find the motivation to shower on a daily basis or get out of bed in the morning.

Weird, right?

Speaking of “weird,” here’s my answer to the question at the beginning of this blog post:

I’m really not motivated to make the world a more positive place.

Wait…what did he just say?

It looks like I have some explaining to do.

December 1, 2020June 23, 2014 by Shola Richards

Large Waterfall With River Flowing Away Towards Sunset

Better Than You Found It — Beautiful, isn’t it? You can create the same beauty in the world right now.

Last week, I talked about how ridiculously hard it is for most people to live a life of consistent positivity.

If you’re one of the many people who are currently living a life of positivity, then you probably know how hard it can be. That’s why it’s worth saying it again:

Being negative is the easy route.

The real challenge in life is finding the inner strength to be positive enough to make the world a better place, even in the face of unrelenting negativity.

Since it is a challenge, my goal is to make living a positive life as easy as humanly possible for as many people as I can reach.

Last week, I shared three simple, but very powerful tips to stay consistently positive. This week, I’m going to take it a big step further by giving you one simple rule to instantly (yes, instantly) make the world a more positive place.

Anyone can do it, you don’t need any talent/skills/connections/education/etc, and most importantly, you can apply this rule the minute you’re done reading this blog post.

Sound good? Let’s get to it.

October 10, 2022May 12, 2014 by Shola Richards

Stop taking yourself so seriously - Funny Portrait Of Rich Man With Serious Face Expression Smoking A Cigar

Stop taking yourself so seriously — This guy is taking himself WAY too seriously.

I will never forget it.

A couple of years ago, I was giving a speech to 200 people, and less than 30 seconds after I got on stage, I noticed a group of people in the front row who were chuckling, whispering to each other and pointing at me.

This couldn’t be good.

Mind you, at this point, all that I said to the audience was my name and why I was there. I didn’t say anything funny at all (not yet, anyway), so what in the hell was so damn funny??? I was so distracted and it was driving me crazy until I finally figured it out.

Yep, my fly was down.

Good lord…

Here I was on stage with my zipper completely down, more and more people were noticing my “wardrobe malfunction” with each passing second, and at this point I was completely thrown off my game because I couldn’t. Stop. Thinking. About. My. Zipper!

Even worse, there was no escape.

December 1, 2020April 21, 2014 by Shola Richards

Woman silhouette waiting for summer sun on meadow

I'm Still here — Through it all, you’re still here.

Many years ago, I saw an interview on TV that changed my life.

I wish that I had more details, but to make a long story short, a woman who had been through unspeakable horrors (rape, repeated abuse, false imprisonment, etc.) was being interviewed about her horrific ordeal.

I was actually flipping through the channels trying to find the Lakers game, but something about that woman’s inner strength, poise, and unshakable positive energy caused my thumb to freeze and stop pressing the “Channel Up” button as I listened to her voice.

After watching about 5 minutes of the interview, the interviewer asked the woman a difficult question with sincere curiosity:

“How it is possible for you to move on with your life after going through the hell that you went through?”

Without even the slightest pause, the woman looked directly at the interviewer and responded with the poise and grace that made her strength impossible to forget. Her response to that question has stuck with me ever since I saw the interview years ago:

“Because I’m still here.”

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December 1, 2020March 31, 2014 by Shola Richards

Clock on Windowsill In Front of Ocean View

The Thing That You Should Value Most — Is there anything in the world that’s more valuable than this?

Do you know what the most valuable thing in the world is?

Is it money? Happiness? Love? Positivity?

All of those things are great, but they’re far from the most valuable thing that this world has to offer.

I’ll give you a hint:

You use it everyday, using it well has the power to change your life, and even though it is insanely valuable, most people actually value this thing the least in their lives (I know…crazy, right?)

Yep, you guessed it. The world’s most valuable, and least respected resource can be summed up in one word:

December 1, 2020December 2, 2013 by Shola Richards

Man in Hoodie With Head Bowed Down Sitting on Top of Steps In Front of Abandoned Building

You’re here to save the world.

That’s quite a responsibility, isn’t it? Are you up for it?

Man, I hope so.

Truthfully, it took me a long time to accept this responsibility, but I’m ready for it now.

In order for me to become ready, I needed to learn a life-altering lesson from a complete stranger first.

I’ve always believed that all of us are teachers in our own special way, and there is not a teacher alive who would not give anything to have the kind of impact on his/her students that this complete stranger had on me.

My hope is that he’ll do the same for you too.

If the lesson is successful, you’ll be ready to accept your incredibly critical role as a “world-changer.”

And as a “world-changer,” part of the gig is realizing that you’re here to save the world.

I know that it sounds overwhelming, but don’t worry–you’ve got this.

Either way, one thing is for sure:

There is no one else besides you who can do it.

Hi! I am Shola

I uncovered a power within myself

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