List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
The Bible. It’s the word of God.
How to Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill. changed my life through my thinking
The Black Book of Communism – Various authors. It’s a scholarly account of the history of Marxist governments during the 20th Century.
If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?
This prompt reminds me of Brewster’s Millions, albeit a very simplified version of it. (Side note: I was originally thinking of the movie adaption that started Richard Pryor. I had no idea that there was book that the film was based on.)
If I had a million dollars, I would tithe (give 10%) to my church first. Then I would donate to charities and ministries that I believe and have helped me to grow as a person. After I’d give to local political candidates who are involved in the community.
What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.
I would go (back) to law school and get my degree and then pass the bar. Maybe if they were to truncate the requirements (e.g., 2 years plus internship instead of 3 years in the classroom).
We’ll see.
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
I believe that we are spiritual beings first and foremost. We should try to address the spiritual in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I think believing in God, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, is the first step. Then communing with him through prayer, meditation, and reading His Word are key. Those things will keep you sustained.
What details of your life could you pay more attention to?
Wow. 100 daily prompts.
I need to be mindful of my time. More often than not I have a framework for a schedule. I do it to be flexible; however, the flexibility gives me too much leeway with my activities. I.e., I don’t adhere to the schedule because I know I don’t have to start or end that activity on time.
Let’s take sleep as an example. I aim for 6-7 hours of sleep per day. But, it never pans out that way because I’m always doing something that eats into my allotted sleep schedule.
Anyway, I need to be more punctual with myself (and with others). The lack of punctuality means that I need to give greater attention to my time.
What’s your all-time favorite album?
Currently, I don’t have a favorite album. I listen to podcasts and sermons on my iPhone. Those are my favorite pieces of audio. But I can tell you vividly what my first favorite album was when I was 18. It was “Illmatic”.
I hadn’t really gotten into the album when it was first released in 1994. I was not buying albums until way later in life. (And even then it was few and far between. Spotify and Apple Music, and others have really changed the game for music consumption.).
When I first played it from start to finish for I was mesmerized first by the melody and then by the lyrics. Even though the album had some dark themes overall it was a pretty mellow one.
My favorite track there was “The World Is Yours”. That was an instant classic. I played it over and over during my freshman year of college. (I think I burned out my Winamp from playing it on my desktop so much.).
The song was a microcosm of how dope the album was with its lyricism and melodies. Illmatic was considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time with good reason.
What brands do you associate with?
I’m a Nike guy but I can get down with other brands.
This was a filler post.
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?
The last thing I searched was a picture of Scottie Pippen. I wanted to honor his birthday, which was yesterday.
What things give you energy?
Energetic people give me energy. I like to feed off it. Don’t get me wrong, I have to supply that energy too with the help of the Holy Spirit. But it becomes amplified when I am with someone who knows how to have fun and/or has a passion about something that they are doing. It is as if they are fully engaged with their body and their soul in order to get the task done.
How do you celebrate holidays?
Usually my family and I will go out and have dinner at a local restaurant. I treasure those times because they are the most memorable.
I wish that I was able to enjoy these moments with my mom. Unfortunately that won’t happen on this side of heaven. But I do look forward to when my entire family can get together and celebrate.