Since the beginning of time, the use of language has been the most powerful weapon known to man. History vividly illustrates how those in commandeer of language were not only masters in persuasion and influence, but incredibly powerful. Even among the uneducated, uninitiated, and disenfranchised, men and women who mastered language defied the odds and accomplished the unimaginable. The masters of language, whether good or bad in nature, had the world at their fingertips. We see and hear this language from the Pharaohs of Egypt, many being sinister leaders, to Al Capone, a man whose name is remembered for his ruthless presence in the underworld; from George Washington, a man who rarely spoke a word, to Barack Obama, a man who captured American sentiments of hope in one phrase, “Yes We Can.”
When we think of language mastery, we instantly refer to the mastery of spoken tongues, excellent writing skills, science, and mathematics. The names that cross our minds include Cornell West, Dr. M. L. King, Jr., James Weldon Johnson, John Grisham, Stephen King, and Tom Clancy. Others may think of preachers like T.D. Jakes, or Joel Olsteen, while some think of Johnnie Cochran and the most widely respected, and coveted theme ever successfully used in a courtroom, “If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.” Many of my closest friends would think of Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, The Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Ben Carson, and John Nash. Indeed, all these people have accomplished much and are masters of language.
Perhaps, the most well known situs of sophisticated language mastery, by a nation, known today, began with Egyptian civilization. Not a single day passes where some component of Egyptian language is not spoken, taught, learned, occupied, or used. Egypt represents the origin of advanced medicine, complex mathematics, unique political structures, superior masonry, jazz music, and artistic expression. All these accomplishments were direct products of mastering spoken tongues, writing, science, and mathematics.
Fortunately, this book is not about outstanding scientific discoveries or scholastic undertakings. It is not about fluff filled writings with iambic pentameter, nor is it about mastering the use of rhetoric. This book will not discuss how to speak like Joel Olsteen or Barack Obama, or how to mimic the successes of others. However, you will learn a new language: a secret language, spoken only by those who are successful and those who genuinely aspire to achieve their greatest potential.
Heed this warning! Despite your starting point in life, no special accolades will be bestowed upon a person simply because they can read and comprehend on a high level. There are many highly educated scholastic icons that have been successful at nothing, except failing. Just as knowledge alone is not enough, neither are gifts and talents! There are many who possess great gifts and talents who still fail because they cannot avoid making foolish statements and bad decisions. The Language of success is more than the mastery of textbook knowledge or the possession of talents and gifts.
What is language? How is the word defined? If you research the word “language,” almost every source will trace the etymological origin of the word back to the 14th century, as derived from the Anglo-French, and the tongue of Latin. The terms and phrases most often used to define “language” states: language is “a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventional sounds, gestures, or marks that have understood meanings in their community.” This definition is fairly straightforward. Basically, language is the vehicle we use to send messages to each other. Almost every human, whether literate or not, can make basic statements to help them get what they want. So, why are so many people unsuccessful? The answer is simple. They have never learned and mastered the language of success. The language of success is not based on words. Words are too easy to manipulate. Words cannot be the basis of trust. For instance, any fool can master the art of begging with words, or intimidation with words, or invoking anger with words, or simply connecting with people with words.
Such being true, the words of the wise have no deeper meaning than the same words spoken by a fool. Do we label a prudent man “wise” based on what he says alone? The answer should be a resounding NO! Wisdom maybe expressed in words by any fool, but only a wise man can demonstrate the tenets of wisdom. Do we label a religious man or woman a “devout worshipper” simply because he or she proclaims to be devout? Or do we examine their actions for demonstration of a devout religious lifestyle? Do we call a 100-meter runner the “fastest man in the world” just because he says so? Or do we watch to see if he wins Olympic Gold in the 100-meter dash? Do we label a man a “truth speaker” simply because he says I am speaking the truth? Or do we try his statements against the known facts and assess his tendency to speak the truth over a period of time?
For example, a man can call himself a doctor until he turns blue in the face, and he would be no closer to practicing medicine than a zygote. Unless he endures college, fours years of medical school, several board exams, and residency, he will only be successful at turning blue in the face. Action is the voice and tongue of success. Why can’t all those who master the art of talking be successful? Why do some achieve success while others seem to be hassled and detrimentally affected by every hazard in life? The answer is simple. Talk is Cheap. In fact, talking is absolutely FREE!!!! Here is a small nugget about the Language of the Successful and why talk is cheap.
This illustration is taken from the movie “Talk To Me”, based on a true story. The movie is staged in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, during the late 50’s and mid 60’s. During the movie, Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene, who so candidly referred to himself as only a con and a thief, wanted to be a DJ with a popular D.C. radio station. “Petey” did everything in his power to get hired as a DJ with WOL, now known as Radio One. In fact, “Petey” even hosted live protests in front of the radio station building until he got the job. Once he was hired, “Petey” was incredibly successful. He touched the entire country and is credited with saving D.C. from catastrophic riot damage after Dr. King was assassinated. “Petey” also hosted a nationally syndicated talk show, and even appeared on the Johnny Carson show, during a time where black people were openly discriminated against. However, before “Petey” was hired, he was given three pieces of advice by his new boss, (1) Always know more than your audience, (2) Never underestimate a man, and (3) If you talk “shit”, you better back it up!! Whenever “Petey” talked bad about somebody or some event, or whatever, he not only talked enough trash to fill a landfill, but he had accredited research to support every contention he ever made. When he talked shit, he backed it up.
The most counterproductive force on the road to success is the failure to meet expectations. The world does not set these expectations. We establish them ourselves. The successful are masters at setting and exceeding expectations. Failures are masters at overstating what they can do and severely under-performing without any slightly acceptable reason. Let’s think about it on a basic level. How would you feel if your friend promised you a ride to work and he/she never showed up? How could that affect your employment? Would you trust that person to come through next time? How would you feel if you loaned someone money for two weeks and they never paid you back or even mentioned the debt? How could that create problems for you? How would you feel if your mother or father promised to spend time with you, but never did? How would you feel if you interviewed someone for a job that sounded like a good fit, only to discover they have no idea how to do the job? How would you feel if you invested money on a project and it flopped because your partner was lazy?
Chances are, you would be disappointed, angry, annoyed, frustrated, flabbergasted, sad, confused, nervous, skeptical, pessimistic, pre-antagonistic, bitter, and possibly ready to write the person off for good. The lack of dependability, can and will single handedly destroy your chances for success.
Look at how contracts are treated today versus 50 years ago. In the past, men and women used to shake hands on a deal, and their word was bond. Things have changed in today’s world. A man’s word does not have nearly as much value as a signed writing. The power of a handshake no longer binds two parties to an agreement. The truth is people don’t trust each other anymore. The absence of dependability has poisoned the realm of contract negotiations forever. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, when people say they are going to do something and fail to at least try, they are talking “shit” with no intention to back it up.
To help you understand, let me tell you about the most life savvy man I know, my friend, my Pastor, and my granddad. My grandfather used to be a supervisor at Kemco Factory in Memphis, TN during the most heated and race tattered time in our Nation’s history. Today, my granddad is a Pastor of a Church, Spiritual Advisor to the Late Night Ministerial Association in Memphis, and advisor to several local Pastors. I call him granddad, but almost all his children call him Sammie. I remember hearing him explain how, with an eighth grade education, he was promoted to a supervisor position within his company. I heard this story over 40 times since I was a child. Thanks to his persistence and desire to teach me the secrets he discovered over 4 decades ago, I finally understand the lesson. I will spare you the details of the Kemco story, but I will share with you five ways to ensure when you talk “shit,” you can back it up, as explained by granddad.
The Language of Success: Verbs & Pronouns
**Make Your Word Become Something People Can Believe, and Depend On**
(1) Learn to say what you mean and mean what you say.
(2) Be fair. It is ok to be “hard,” so long as you are “hard” to everyone on the totem pole, from top to bottom.
(3) If you act with tact, you can never be attacked.
(4) Learn to do without supervision what others can only accomplish with a taskmaster.
(5) To truly understand these concepts, you must read the entire book and revisit its contents regularly.
“Sammie” still lives by these principles. I remember him telling the story of an experience he often uses as a teaching tool at bible study. One day, while he was in line to get a drink at a water fountain, people were continually skipping him. Finally, having gotten fed up, he said, “the next one of ya’ll cut this line, I’m going to shoot.” Realizing what he said, he then began praying, “Lord, please don’t let this man cut in front of me again in this line. I said I was going to shoot the next person who did this, and I have to keep my word.” Although my granddad was acting in accordance with the quick temper that almost seems hereditary in our family, he always had the intentions to do what he said he was going to do. The Lord heard his prayer!!!
As he matured, he also endeavored to make his word something dependable by being late to work only one time over a 30 year period, developing excellent credit, being a dependable father, and only missing church two times over a 55 year period. Despite having little education, my granddad is one of the most well read ministers I know. He is respected everywhere he visits or calls home. He has a strong family, with deeply rooted values. Although he is not as wealthy as say Warren Buffet, he has definitely achieved the ever-elusive victory within. “Sammie” is successful because of the message he sends through his actions.
The same was true for Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene. He was successful because he always said what he intended to say and it always came from the heart. Petey Greene talked shit on every show, and he always backed it up. In fact, each show ended like this, “So grab your head, and make a fist. Listen to me and remember this. I’ll tell it to the hot. I’ll tell it to the cold. I’ll tell it to the young. I’ll tell it to the old. I don’t want no laughing. I don’t want no crying. Most of all, I don’t want no signifying. Achtt!!! This is Petey Greene’s Washington.”
This book, read with an open mind and a willing heart, will reveal the secret language that unlocks the doors of success in a world where everyone speaks the same spoken language. The world is filled with secrets and the language of success is the most openly exposed secret there is. There are secret societies, secret handshakes, secret hideouts, secret lovers, and the list goes on. Unlike other secrets, the Language of Success can be shared. The more people you share it with, the more successful people you will know. The more successful people you know, the more successful you will become. What if I told you that all failures in life speak the same language too? You also need to learn the secret language of failures. Knowing this language will help improve your selection of friends and help you recognize the best way to handle difficult people.
What language did Abraham Lincoln, M. L. King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Malcolm X, Henry Ford, Lynden B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and John D. Rockefeller speak? What language do Bill Gates, Hilary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Fred Smith, Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Chris Gardener, Farrah Gray and Barack Obama speak? They all speak the English language, but what secret language do they speak? They speak the language of the success.
The language of success is not based on the ability to speak words, but on the ability to live them. The language is spoken through actions. For instance, Hilary Clinton failed the New York Bar Exam three times. Even though she missed the mark three times, Hilary was not a failure. Hilary did not change career paths or decide to give up. Instead, she continued to study and fight, till she finally passed the New York Bar. Not only did Hilary Clinton go one to have a successful career as an attorney, she is now the Secretary of State for the United States of America. She was speaking the language of success by being resilient. Failures could not understand what she was saying, but the successful understood it loud and clear.
The same is true with the actions of Chris Gardner, Wall Street mogul and entrepreneur. As an adult and single parent, Gardner was broke, busted, and disgusted. Times for Gardner were so bad; he lived homeless with his two-year-old son in California, a state known for a huge skid row population. Despite the odds, Gardner pursued his dreams of financial stability by sleeping in subway trains, train station restrooms, and shelters. He did all this with his two-year-old son, while he studied to become a successful stockbroker. Today, Chris Gardner is a partner/founder of Gardner Rich brokerage and investment firm, based in Chicago. Not only is Chris Gardner financially stable, he is a multimillionaire so many times over, he is considered wealthy. Will Smith, actor/producer, starred in the movie “Pursuit of Happyness,” based on Chris Gardner’s life.
Of the many aforementioned names of successful people, the most unique success story is that of multimillion-dollar business mogul, Farrah Gray. At the tender age of seven, Gray learned action speaks and words merely describe. Growing up in the Chicago ghetto was a trying time for Gray and his mother. Even with her many attempts to support her children by working, she was unsuccessful and very ill. Knowing something had to be done, seven-year-old Gray decided to launch a business so he could help his mother pay the bills. By the time Gray reach the age of fourteen he was a millionaire. Today, Farrah Gray is one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the country. In addition, he owns a real estate investment company, is executive director of his own nonprofit organization, and has recently been appointed to work with White House Officials on minority business owner issues.
The language is simple. Even seven-year-old Farrah Gray recognized it. We are not what we say, but what we believe, because people only act on what they believe. Success is the result of believing, and acting on the right principles. Accordingly, failure is the result of believing and acting on the wrong principles despite. All failures speak the language of gossip, judgmental-ness, cursing others, complaining, revenge, discouragement, lies, unnecessary arguments, doubt, pessimism, and finding the worst in everything. Learning the language of success requires you to do the opposite, believe the opposite, and act on the right principles.
The language of success, is the demonstration of truth speaking, non-judgmental approaches to dealing with others, avoiding the tendency to complain, having a forgiving heart, welcoming competition, encouraging others, being honest with yourself, effective verbal communication, faith, optimism, and being critical without becoming cynical. Embrace the journey as we observe and discuss the Language of the Success.
