OVERCOMING OBSTACLES AND BREAKING BARRIERS A GIFT FOR FATHER’S DAY
STEPHEN R SMITH
AUTHOR, SPEAKER, CEO, FOUNDER, BROADCASTER
Copyright by Stephen R Smith
work to manifest these intentions in your life.
Today is a new day and we can paint the canvas of this picture any way we choose. I choose positivity and gratitude – Stephen Smith
For myself, it took decades to arrive at the level of gratitude, joy, and serenity that I possess today. However, it does not have to be like that for everyone. The truth is, I would take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. If you can relate to this, do not give up. Failure is a step towards success. I did not apply the wisdom and good advice I had been given on any consistent basis. For most of my life, I used alcohol and drugs to help me cope with feelings of worthlessness and self-hatred. Alcohol and drugs helped me hide behind a mask that made everything seem good, even though it was not good. I struggled with anxiety. I endured mental and physical pain accompanied by deep depression at times. I came to the point where I recognized that my life was completely unmanageable, so I turned my life and my will over to the care of God as I understand him.
Most people have built walls to create a safe zone to protect us from our adverse and painful experiences. However, every moment is an opportunity to learn and grow. This is based on the fact we are willing to make a positive transformational change and work towards goals we have dreamed about. In my case, for several years I would tell myself “life sucked and I’m a bad person”. This would occur many times throughout the day. I contemplated suicide and the thought of death swirled in my mind. It seemed like a logical answer to end my suffering. I must have said “The world would be better off without you Stephen” a thousand times. I considered myself a failure to mankind. As I was writing this article, music was playing, and this wonderful song came on. As it played on, tears came to my eyes when I realized that it was relative to what I am about to share with you. The song by The Pretenders is called “Show Me”. The first line goes like this; “Show me the meaning of the World”. Everyone wants to know the answer to this question, right? When we turn on the TV or read the news on our internet feed, we see turbulent days. It is filled with Disease, Social Distancing, Quarantine, Homelessness, Hunger, Riots, Crime, and hatred spewing everywhere around us. There appears a clear division amongst the masses and we wonder why is this happening? The next verse states “Welcome to the Human Race with its wars, disease, and brutality”. The melody plays on and the singer Chrissy Hines, exclaims “I WANT LOVE”. I believe that deep within us we all want to be loved and admired by our families, our spouse, partner, and our children if we have any. We desire to be healthy and strong in mind, body, and spirit. The fact is that many people dream of this lifestyle, but very few obtain it. The reality is that we all possess seeds of greatness and the ability to achieve a higher quality of life that will make us proud and not feel threatened. To achieve this state of Nirvana will take a lot of
22 INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE MAGAZINE
My bottom out was when I found myself homeless, living in the woods. My decision to drink and drive had caught up to me. I had lost most of my possessions, my job, and the meaningful relationships I had with family and friends. Throughout my life, I had made many good decisions, but I had made poor decisions as well. I lost businesses, two marriages, and everything else imaginable. On the other hand, I survived a few near-fatal car accidents, dependence upon alcohol and drugs, and forgave myself for the poor decisions I had made. I had found that love that I was looking for in all the wrong places. Having for the most part lived an abundant, blessed life, I am a survivor. When I tore down the walls, got honest with myself, and made amends to the persons I had wronged, my burdens were lifted. I began to take better care of myself and live each day like it was my last. Living in the present moment is a gift and I am grateful to be alive and well. Daily, I strive to become a better person and to embody positive transformational change. This behavior resulted in a lust for life and my desire to become a role model for others and my community. Over 2 years ago I started broadcasting live videos on Facebook. I titled them “Live with Nature”. Each episode started with the statement that the broadcast offered a connection to Nature, Source, and
