For The Children...My 10th Year Anniversary Thanks to Nightingale Conant

Heeey my name is Deremiah *CPE and this is my 10th year Anniversary Thanks to Nightingale Conant and I Welcome you to Celebrate it with me!

Very few people have had the opportunity to have such a rich and exuberant life giving to our youth. But I've really been fortunate to have some AMAZING things come back to me as a result of giving my heart to children. I can assure you there have been no regrets. I don't believe in regrets...I just believe like my mentor Benjamin Franklin, that we have to "Pay it Forward" and pay it forward I have.

Back in 2004, when I was in my second year of mentoring over 98 boys at an all boys school in America, I unexpectedly received a phone call from Nightingale Conant the company that birthed the Professional and Personal Self Development Audio Industry right out of the backyards of the Great Lakes in Illinois. By 2004 I had already been a part of the Nightingale Conant family for 5 years.

They instantly recognized my talent for speaking, my gift for changing peoples lives and also my exuberant Passion to Live what I believed as I marched to the beat of a different drummer. They immediately put me on their roster and placed me on some recordings with some of their Top Speakers like Brian Tracy, Denis Waitely and the legendary master of speaking Earl Nightingale...of course I was honored by this.

But on this particular day that they called me I was totally caught off guard when Dan Strutzel told me that after they looked at their Roster of hundreds of Top Speakers their executives had decided that there was no one who deserved their coveted "Acres of Diamonds" Award more than me. I must say that I'm not into comparing myself with others and never even knew that they had such an award until I got the call. I quickly told them that I would only receive the award under one condition...and that would be that they would allow me to invite several kids I mentor to the award ceremony...(because the children were one of the primary reasons why I was getting this award). I quickly said that if there were no Children At-Risk I could mentor or educate this award would not even be possible for me to receive....and since this Life Time Achievement Award by them was in part given to me for making a contribution to our world through serving children, having children there would reflect what I'm about. Well fortunately for me they agreed and that's how these young children who appear with me in these pictures got their chance to make history with me.

Some of these young boys are now young men...a few have Graduated from college and have followed in my foot steps by going on to serving our youth by teaching. It's really quite surprising what happens to the life of a child in 10 years but I'm sooo glad I've been there for so many of our youth. I know some of you have never truly got a chance to hear this story of how Nightingale Conant so graciously came to this decision in my favor in 2004 but that's how it happened and now you know.

They say in life there are three reasons why most people never do what they believe they should be doing or what they Dream. First they "Don't Believe" what they'd like to do could happen for them. Second they're "Not Clear" about what they really want to do...and Third "They're Confused" about the step-by-step actions they need to take in order to get there. So if you could begin by getting clear about those three things you should be on your way to over coming anything else that may arise. I hope you have enjoyed what I've shared and remember now more than ever our children everywhere across this earth really could use your support or volunteer efforts.

I would only like to add one more thing and that would be that as you reflect on your childhood consider taking a step up and "Paying it Forward" to youth in your community. If you don't know how to do that effectively please feel free to invite me out to your community, schools, churches or synagogues, Boys & Girls Clubs or Kiwanis meetings where I can INSPIRE other adults like you who truly wished they knew how to go about it. If you or your community need a little more Inspiration in order to gain the confidence and motivation to "Pay it Forward" and make a significant difference in the lives of children please send me an email on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or Google Plus and I'll be in contact with you as quick as I can....I love you and KEEP SMILING for the children!!!

Lovingly Deremiah *CPE 

PS

To learn more about me on the Nightingale Conant website please go here: http://www.nightingale.com/authors/deremiah-cpe/

PPS

To introduce me to a School Principal in your area who may be interested in having me come out to share my story which has been proven to lead a child away from the perils of Suicide or rescue them from a disastrous life of Drugs or Gangs reach out to me on social media at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deremiahcpe ,  http://www.youtube.com/user/DeremiahCPE ,  http://twitter.com/Deremiah_CPE 

Deremiah *CPE Speaks Out On Donald Sterling scandal joining Spike Lee & Michael Jordan.

While most people who have not lived in the Black Community are not aware of how we SERVE one another they may be mislead by what they've heard on CNN as it relates to the recent interview with Donald Sterling. But I would like to add my voice to Spike Lee's and Michael Jordan's. 

While I can't speak for all Black Americans in business I can say that the methods I learned about Serving people in our Community and SERVING Customers actually was handed down to me by my blind Great Grandmother Mahalia Thomas whose Father was a slave. What she taught me was really quite remarkable. For someone who had no formal education at all just a long life of contributing to the black community. I remember her telling me often saying that we have an obligation to help all people in our community regardless of their color, race, gender or religion. She also taught me that all success has a far reaching impact not only into your community but even far beyond the next generation. For someone who had a life of ignorance forced upon her through the American legal system she was quite clear that the impact was much Greater than the material benefits it brings you alone.  

With what my Great Grandmother taught me I am honored to say that the multiple community awards I have won (American Red Cross Hometown Hero "Educator" Award and the "Acres of Diamonds" Lifetime Achievement Award by Nightingale Conant) are all a reflection that was anchored deep into my heart because of the Black American History given to me by Mahalia Thomas. But I've also won the highest Awards in the nation as a Customer Passion Evangelist for the companies I've worked for and this is because Serving was handed down to me as a tradition of the Black American experience. We not only believe in helping those in our community but we believe in helping All Cultures. We not only believe that it is our obligation to give back to our community but we believe it is our responsibility to give back to the world. 

Here's an example of the kinds of things we do in the black community. Last weekend I traveled out of town just to attend a College graduation by a young man I started mentoring in 2002 named Cody Jeralds. I left a well paying job in Corporate America as a leading Security Consultant for ADT and a Speaking Career. I even left my home just so I could go and live with this young man over seeing him as a father figure, houseparent and teacher when he was just in the fifth grade. I not only sacrificed an opportunity to make hundreds of thousands of dollars but I put on hold all of my desires to continue a very lucrative future as a successful speaker & trainer and for the next 12 years of his life I poured a lot of my time and energy into his. Over the 12 year period I've mentored over 1,131 children for a minimum wage life style just so I could see him walk across the stage of NIU (Northern Illinois University) and receive his degree in Business. Now that's what we do in the Black community...in a world where we often have to hear people spout off all kinds of negative things about the Black culture. I can tell you it get's old quick. Might I also mention that during that time period I cared for Cody just like he was one of my sons and he'll tell you the same. I really don't need to mention that Cody was white but a third of the children I mentored are white...the other third are hispanic & asian and the other third are black. Personally none of that makes a difference but it is important that you understand this so that you can see the story more accurately...the part that reflects that a black man leaves everything to mentor children not only from the black community but from all communities. Finally allow me to also say that I was raised that all people are my community and that this notion of community far transcends race.

So it appears that SERVING people in our Community is a strong part of our tradition in the Black culture.  We not only believe in helping people in our community but we are firm believers in helping all people in our community.  Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan, and Lebron James are all living proof that when Black American's have an opportunity to make a difference in their community (like all normal people from all other cultures do) we not only help Black people we also help people of other cultures too! 

If you just examine what Martin Luther King did you can easily see how many other cultures benefited from what he did. Not only have people outside of the Black Community benefited but genders, ethnicities, religions and even countries have benefited from what Martin Luther King did. Unfortunately in Donald Sterling's Interview with Anderson Cooper he mis-referenced Magic Johnson as someone who has not done anything to help the Black community but that is far from the truth. Just GOOGLE Magic Johnson's Foundation and you'll see what I mean. 

I stand in agreement with Magic on the fact that we have to forgive Donald Sterling and I'll go one step further...we also have to Love him...that's what Martin Luther King would have did.