What Is Your Lottery Ticket?

Whats up everybody? Mr. Cream Of The Crop is back with another post. I know it has been a minute since I shared my thoughts with you, but I wanted to wait until I had some topics you could let marinate in your spirit for a while.

Anyway, I recently went to go see the movie "Lottery Ticket" with a female friend of mine and we both felt the film had some messages that everyone who has dreamed of winning the lottery should keep in mind. I won't give the movie away, but I will share one interesting scene with you. There is a scene where a guy and a female are about to get "hot and heavy" and the guy realizes that the female just wants to have his baby because he has money now. When the guy turns her down she responds by saying "I dont understand how all these other females can become baby mamas, but all of a sudden I'm not good enough" She then points to her attractive frame and says "This is my lottery ticket right here and I'm trying to get paid!"

Now I'm sure you have heard of a situation like this before about a local neighborhood female who sleeps around or project pimp who seems to pull every woman in a skirt, but have you ever considered that your body and talents are very much like a lottery ticket?

It's not so much the actual "lottery ticket" that can get you where you need to go, but really whatever you counsider valuable. I consider my college education my big ticket, while some may prefer their looks, talents, connections, vehicle or even money.

Whatever you confess daily and believe in your heart will get you to the next level, then that may very well be your winning ticket or stepping stone to becoming successful and achieving your goals. Remember above all that God is our ultimate source and even if you don't feel you have a special talent or gift, he has a specific purpose for you. Here is another thought to consider: It's not the people who win the lottery that change it's actually the individuals around them like family and friends who start to show their true colors.

Some people are quick to say "Hey I remember when you didn't have money and I looked out for you, but now you act like you can't help me out." Those who pull this magic card or guilt trip have already began to change in character and don't even realize it. Use the skills God gave you and be mindful of those who all of a sudden want a handout or piece of the pie. If they were no where to be found when you were on the grind, fighting through the struggle and making moves then that should tell you a lot about them.

Who Do I Work For Next?

I don't know about you but how Lebron James went about making his announcement regarding who he would play with on ESPN has truly inspired me. The reason why is because he knew he was one of the most targeted NBA players that half a dozen teams were salivating over to come play for their team. Besides being one of the many free agents, he also was the most talented at his position. What franchise would not want to sign or trade draft picks for a player who is 6ft 8inches 240LBS and can play at least 4 different positions?

In the same way I believe that we as employees are no different than Lebron especially if we feel that we're skilled, experienced, hardworking, and committed to helping our employer take the company to the next level. However, sometimes what you bring to the table does not matchup with the amount of money you are making. I'll use myself for example. I have been with my job the past 2 years. I started out as an intern and stayed on part-time to become a communications associate. Now since I have been promoted to an associate and graduated from college with my degree, I have yet to be given a raise or company benefits. Sure things have been difficult and my boss has reduced hours to keep everyone employed, but it has been challenging in my part.

I have applied to various jobs who will pay me more money and give me full time status. I'm still waiting to hear back from the right one. Lebron was not in this situation because teams were waiting on him to choose what NBA uniform he would be wearing next season. Yet, Lebron in my opinion told Cleveland I have taken this franchise to the finals in 2007 and have played a huge role in having the best record in the eastern conference two consecutive years. Lebron didn't care about the money, which he showed after signing his 6 year deal with the Heat for 110 Million. The Cavs were offering him $130 million to stay but, he wanted to play for a team that would give him the best chance to win championships.

Don't you feel like Lebron when it comes to your performance at work? Sure times are tough with the economy, but people are still getting promotions despite what is happening in the job market. So why not seek other companies who will offer you more money, benefits and opportunities to do new things. Maybe it is not about the money in your situation. It could be exposure, experience or you're looking for a new challenge.

So rather then ask yourself how will I make it on this salary or wage?, why not ask Who Do I work for next? Especially If you're confident and well equipped to do the job. What do you think? Post your thoughts and comments.

It takes three to compete, here comes the Heat!

Well the Lebron James-Sweepstakes finally came to an end. Thank God. With all the ESPN analyst constantly generating several reports it was becoming quite nerve wrecking for some fans and even cities like New York and New Jersey who were desperately trying to bring King James to their team. However, It was fun to read all the speculations, rumors and media coverage. I’m not a heat fan, but Miami will be the city to live in with Wade, Bosh and James playing down at the American Airlines Arena.

I believe NBA free agency got more attention then some of these reality television shows. At times it seem like a reality show if you ask me. There were just no cameras present. I would not be surprise to see a documentary created to show how Wade, Bosh and Lebron went about handling the different sales pitches. I mean the Chicago Bulls had a website dedicated to bringing Lebron to Chicago for crying out loud. Everything from t-shirts, photos, coffee mugs and even a mural that had King James's face on it. Talk about Lebron-mania. Anything more and there would have been a Lebron statue right next to Mj’s.

Isn’t it crazy how Miami Heat tickets are already SOLD OUT and the season does not start until like October? My guess is that a lot of tickets to the preseason games will be sold out as well. It’s gonna be crazy on South Beach and Downtown Miami at the arena. Every night club, bar, restaurant and popular venue will be flooded with heat fans. Oh the flip side, poor Cleveland they had seven years to get Lebron a championship ring and now their ticket sales will surely take a hit. Speaking of hit how about the Cavs owner telling Lebron he was a coward. At least they got the Cleveland Browns and Indians to cheer for.

On another note, 3 seems to be the magic number. If you look at all the teams from the early 80's till now they all won at least two titles because they had three mega stars. The heat realized that which is why they eliminated 90% of their roster just to keep Wade, reel in CB4 and hook King James. I honestly feel that in the next year or two this heat squad could become a younger version of the 2008 Celtics team that won it all. They just got to find some quality veteran players to help them. Is PJ Brown, James Posey and Eddie House still available?

Offense sales tickets, defense wins games and 3 superstars build dynasties. Remember the Detroit Pistons, Lakers and Celtics of the late 80s. Each franchise had three perennial all stars. Pistons had Isaiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn. Lakers had Magic, Kareem and Worthy. Celtics had Bird, Mchale and Parish. The Bulls of the 90s had Jordan, Pippen, Rodman. Rockets had Akeem, Drexler and Kenny Smith. Lakers during their championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 had (Shaq, Kobe and fisher) Spurs had (Duncan, Parker and Ginobili when they won in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Even the current Lakers squad is set to compete for a 3rd consecutive title because they have “3” stars (Kobe, Gasol and Fisher).

The Heat will be next now that they have (D-Wade, CB4 and King James). Of course all these teams had role players and veterans that understood their role and stepped up when needed.

Some say Lebron took the backdoor out of Cleveland in the middle of the night. Did you know his hour long special on Espn had 10 million viewers? I wonder how many people didn't watch "The Decision." The fans in Ohio certainly were viewers especially when they started burning up his #23 jersey. Call it what you want. King James is now in Miami getting acquainted to the South Beach life and admiring the palm trees. So long Cleveland and goodbye cold weather at least until he has to play a game in Ohio.

Your Favorite Song Is Popular Because Of A 'Catchy Beat", But Have You listened To The Lyrics Lately?

Ever notice why songs that degrade women, promote sex, drugs and violence get so much play on the radio? Well if you are thinking because it is what sells or how artist can make money, then you have been mislead. In actuality it is the lyrics or chorus that will appeal to the listeners. The catchy beat often covers the lyrics, but if we take the time to examine the words of our favorite rap song or R&B jam we will notice that what the singer or artist is saying is actually producing more harm than good.

What we listen to on the radio often is the reason why we are discouraged, envy of one another, out of control and feeling completely defeated. Like they say "success does not happen overnight" and the same holds true for the harm that the some of the music played on the radio. Now don't get me wrong not all songs are bad, but if we think about it, normally a song that is extremely popular is because of the beat, or dance routine.

Music is a powerful tool and can be used in many ways, but what we listen to can be the difference between rising above a situation or letting the problems we deal with become overwhelming and stressful. If we continue to allow certain songs to reside in our mind and spirit we could find ourselves acting out the verses of these songs.

What do you think about some of the music being played on the radio today? Would you actually listen to the songs being played if the beat was not hot? Feel free to comment on this subject. I'm sure you have read similiar blogs about this topic, but seriously how can we make a difference in the choice of our music?