Find Your Fight: The Ant's Guide to Building Something That Matters

Hey, Friends and Family.

Even in the months of the podcast season when things are slow, we have content for you. Our team thought it a great idea to start reviewing previous (but timely) episodes of our show during the times that Mista Yu is away from the microphone. All of these episodes (or beautiful Blasts from the Past) were previously broadcast, but we are sharing them with you at a time when you might need them most. Hope you enjoy!

One To Grow On:

Everybody is building something. The question is whether the building is one of quality or a series of bad habits and poor decisions that adversely affect one's future goals. I honestly believe this oldie but goodie wil bless your socks off or it will make you really upset with where you are. Or both. Let us know how this one lands.

We are all builders creating something every day through our actions, words, and habits, whether it's a legacy, relationships, or self-destructive patterns. Understanding what we're building and why is crucial for creating something of lasting value.

• What you build must have a strong foundation to withstand inevitable adversity
• Like ants preparing for winter, we must work diligently now for challenges ahead
• Our words have power to build up or tear down with consequences that last decades
• Finding your "why" is what gets you out of bed and keeps you going when others say quit
• Your "fight" - what makes you angry enough to take action - fuels purposeful building
• Nehemiah left comfort to rebuild Jerusalem because it mattered, despite opposition
• Dr. Myles Munroe: "When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable"
• Build something that serves others rather than just yourself

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts and our YouTube channel, and please leave a comment and a review. This episode was made possible by support of viewers and listeners, just like you. Thanks.

Chapters

• 0:20 Introduction and Election Season
• 2:13 What Are You Building?
• 4:18 Building with Purpose
• 9:41 The Wisdom of the Ant
• 14:19 The Power of Your Words
• 17:02 Finding Your Why
• 22:00 Finding Your Fight
• 25:36 Nehemiah's Example
• 27:40 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Thanks again for listening to one-on-one with Mr U and your Inspiration Station. I'm really excited about today's episode and a chance to share another compelling story with all of you that I really hope changes your tomorrow. Let's not waste another minute, let's get into it. What's up everybody? Happy friday. Another week in the books. Ladies and gentlemen, lock it down. You're on the road to your destiny and I'm your tour guide. Mr you, woo-ha Guys, thanks again for joining us again today. We love your support. We appreciate you guys.

Speaker 1: 1:03

Before we get started, I want to drop a little bit of knowledge in your ear real quick. We're in the election season. As you well know, november 3rd is officially election day. Many of us, like our family, have gotten out early and rocked the vote. We're pretty proud to have gotten that taken care of. After you scale back all the vitriol and all the politics, all of the drama, the social media debate and banter going back and forth, at the end of the day we got a tool and a privilege and a responsibility to use it. So, even though we're in a golden age of buck passing, make your vote count. Lock the vote. Let your voices be heard. That's all I'm going to say about that. Let's move on Now.

Speaker 1: 1:54

I got a question for you what are you building? You're probably sitting there thinking what is he talking about? I don't build. I don't even know how to use a hammer. You're building something Every single day of your life. You think you're just living your best life. Right now You're building something. You're building a legacy. You're building a heritage Through your actions, habits are being built. So what are you building today?

Speaker 1: 2:35

One of my mentees asked me a question a couple of days ago, excuse me. He asked me why do I do this podcast? My answer is way longer than the question was, but the bottom line was because I want to help people. I want to serve families. Perhaps I can be a door to a resource they desperately need. Maybe I have a life experience, or I interview somebody who has the key to unlocking a prison door they're living in right now. Maybe I can offer a little hope and encouragement. Maybe I can make you laugh, make you smile today when you don't feel like smiling.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Many of my peers that are podcasters as well. You know God bless them. A lot of them are chasing advertising dollars and big name sponsorship. I'm just hoping that every episode breaks the chain in somebody's life, I want them to experience real, honest-to-goodness freedom. That's why we focus on the five facets of health. I want people to be healthy and free and enjoy this life that we're blessed with. In order for that to happen, we have to tackle tough topics, sometimes talk about some uncomfortable things, so we can shine a light on it and perhaps find some ways to to get free of that, of those things, of that mindset. So that's my story. I'm sticking to it.

Speaker 1: 4:01

So what are you building? You could be building a relationship, a family, a business. Even if you're sitting at home right now with no plan, no desire to do anything in life, but watch your favorite talk shows and see if he is the father, you're still building something. It may not be something of value, it may not be something that most people want to pass on to their children, but you're still building something. So if you don't get anything else from today's episode, just know that you're a builder. Whether you're building something substandard or something of value, something of integrity and quality, you're still a builder. So, as a builder, you have a responsibility. I'm from Brooklyn, new York, y'all. In case you didn't notice, I know what a slumlord looks like. They build stuff and they don't care about the standard, they don't care if it's up to code. They just want to get the money and the revenue that comes from it. Don't be a slumlord. Don't build something substandard for your kids to live in, for your family to live in, for you to do life in. Think about the quality, think about integrity. We're going to talk about it a little bit today throughout the course of this episode. So are you building for the gratification of the right now or are you building a legacy for tomorrow? Are you catching just enough fish to last you a week or are you thinking about catching enough fish to last you for months?

Speaker 1: 5:35

I know a lot of folks that work multiple jobs, trying to start multiple businesses, neglecting their health, neglecting their marriage. I know folks that are waiting for the government to send them a check. I used to be a recruiter. I used to call them on the phone. They'd rather have a handout than the job that I was offering them. True story Some folks are waiting for their employers to finally give them that raise just because they show up. It's not because they work hard or they show any kind of business acumen. It's because they showed up. They want a raise just for showing up true story. I know some folks that are waiting for Prince Charming to bust down their door and sweep them away. That's a felony and a kidnapping charge. I'm just saying there's something to be said about being wise and prudent with what you have. That's a felony and a kidnapping charge. I'm just saying there's something to be said about being wise and prudent with what you have, what you've been blessed with. Most folks don't realize that they have tools that can help them in their situation.

Speaker 1: 6:38

Looking everywhere, outside, externally, everywhere, but within Every word, every action, every habit, every act of discipline. It plays a part in what you're building and if you're building can stand the test of time, if it can withstand the heat of those who don't believe in your vision, who may not even believe in you. Is what you're building going to withstand the floods of criticism and adversity when they eventually come against it? Because you know it will. Is what you're building going to crumble because you built it on sand, or is it going to persevere because you built it on a solid rock? I don't care what you're going to build, guys. I don't care what you're trying to build, what your goal is, what your ambition is in life, adversity is going to touch it. If you're trying to build something, adversity is going to touch it. It's most definitely going to happen. You want to have a foundation, and a strong one.

Speaker 1: 7:47

You know I'm a bit of a self-professed weather addict. I watch weather pretty much every day, throughout the day. I'm not quite sure why, but I do. You know one of the things that stick out to me about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that occurred in Louisiana some people are thinking the levees were compromised by the strength. About Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that occurred in Louisiana Some people are thinking that the levees were compromised by the strength and the force and the power of the hurricane, but the true story is the hurricane just exposed the fact that the levees were already compromised before the storm came. See, storms have an innate ability to expose what's already been hidden or what's not visible, what may be deficient. The storm just revealed it. The storm didn't make that happen. Even those same levees and I was reading up on this a little while ago those same levees are not going to be up to standard, up to code, until three years from now, maybe more. And every year the sea level is purportedly rising at a rate of two inches every year.

Speaker 1: 9:00

If you're praying for our country and you're praying for the people and the citizens within it, please pray for Louisiana as well, and every coastal city for that matter. Just something I'm thinking about. I'm thinking about the adversities of life and having a strong foundation, and for some reason that just came to mind. So no offense to anybody from Louisiana, it's just a thought and something for us to be praying about. So are you still building or have you given up? This is old proverb. It's actually in the Bible as well as proverb chapter six, verse six to nine. I love this.

Speaker 1: 9:37

It's all proverb that speaks to laziness. During my recruiting days as a matter of fact, I was in my supervisory days in the government I saw laziness ad nauseum. I you know it's something that I didn't. I wasn't raised to supervisory days in the government. I saw laziness ad nauseum. It's something that I wasn't raised to be. I wasn't taught that my mom had two jobs and she was going to school and I saw her work. I saw my grandmother work all the way to the end of her life. So when I see laziness, I think about somebody who doesn't care what they're building or it doesn't matter to them if they have solid, healthy relationships in their life and sustainable business and healthy families and integrity in the way that they treat people in friendships and networks. It gets to me and I've been seeing that a lot lately in various circles.

Speaker 1: 10:31

I won't go into specifics, but it's the reason why this episode is happening. I really wanted to share this and highlight some things where that's concerned. So the proverb goes kind of like this Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live. They have no leader, no chief and no ruler, but they store up their food during the summer getting ready for the winter. How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? And it goes on to talk about how poverty is essentially attracted to the lazy person. Poverty finds the lazy person like a magnet finds metal or metal finds magnet, whichever you prefer.

Speaker 1: 11:14

And I always think about the ant when I want to take a break and not do what I'm supposed to be doing, I think about the ant, I consider the ant. I think that's something that you should do as well. Think about the ant. You don't have a leader or a chief or a ruler, someone to supervise them and tell them what to do. But they know instinctively their survival DNA kicks in and they know that winter is going to come.

Speaker 1: 11:42

In our case, where we live, winter may not come, but we know that winter can be adversity, winter can be challenge, winter can be trouble. We know what's going to come If you have it in your mind before we even get to the end of this episode. If you have it in your mind that you're going to build something of significance, just know that winter's coming, just know that it's going to happen. I know it's summer now and you got your food all stored up and it's all good, but winter's coming, adversity's coming. If you try to build a healthy marriage with unity and respect and integrity, adversity is going to come. We try to build a great relationship that's going to last the test of time, or stand the test of time and last long and last for years. Adversity is going to come to that friendship, to that relationship. If you're trying to build a business that makes a difference In the city where you live, in your community, adversity is going to come. Stay with us, we'll be right back. Hey guys, it's Mr U. Adversity is going to come. Stay with us, we'll be right back. Hey guys, it's Mr U. You know how much Mr U loves his coffee.

Speaker 1: 12:54

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Speaker 1: 13:42

We just need to be ready for it and be prepared for it. Anybody that tries to build anything of significance needs to be ready for that. Does that make sense? I hope so. Excuse me. One of the reasons why we may not think about the fact that we're building something is because we don't really have a firm idea of the discipline that comes with that. One of those things is the way that we talk. You hear it and you probably going to find this information most anywhere now, because it's that prevalent but the words that we speak out of our mouth and the impact that they have. I can turn on my television set and look at the news or some kind of program and I'll hear people saying things that it's seen that there's no regard for what they're saying, where those words land.

Speaker 1: 14:39

Did it ever occur to you that your words hold power and influence? With your words, you can initiate war or peace. With your words, you can have a welcoming, nurturing household with your family or a place that resembles hell on earth. You can tear down a 20-year relationship or have an enemy for 20 years. With your words, you can build lifelong friendships. You can destroy or you can build. Your words have that kind of power. There's even a quote in the Bible that says in Matthew 12 and 37. It says that by your words you'll be acquitted and by your words you'll be condemned. What that tells me Is that our words have consequence, not just in the now but also in the later.

Speaker 1: 15:23

I know people who I've counseled, who I've coached as clients Paying clients for that matter In their 50s, 60 years old, even younger 30 and 40 years old and they still can't get that voice out of their head. That person has said you're never going to make it, you're not worth it, you're never going to be anybody. It's 10, 20, 30 years later and they're still thinking about that. That's the power of words in action in their life. So your words have a landing pad and they have a natural and eternal consequence. So think about that when you're on your social media and you're on your timeline talking to people or talking at people and you got that heightened emotion going on. Or you're talking about somebody who may not be there to hear what you're saying about them, or you're talking about somebody who may not be there to hear what you're saying about them. Think about that, because actions create habits. Are you building a healthy family or have you put your hammer down? Are you building a sustainable business? Have you put your tool down? Are you building friendships and networks with sweat equity or you just take, leaving it the chance that it's going to work out, it's going to be good? Are you building friendships and networks with sweat equity or you just take, leave it to chance that it's going to work out. It's going to be good. Are you building a marriage like that? Yeah, good luck with that.

Speaker 1: 16:43

Another thing that we need to understand in our process of being builders because we are builders, as we established early in any episode, it doesn't matter what you're building If you don't have the why. What do I mean? Your why is what gets you out of bed at 5 am in the morning without grumbling and without complaining. Your why is what drives you to face today, knowing that you're going to have drama on that job or drama in that business, but you know it's going to be worth it because at the end you win. Your why is the reason or the reasons why you keep fighting to the finish, even though everything in your life, everybody in your life that's close to you, is telling you to quit, or they're saying they don't think you should be doing this anymore, or the idea is foolish. You should just give up. Your why is the answer to that question, why you don't just give up and why you don't quit. You're wise. What you hold on to when giving up is so much easier.

Speaker 1: 17:37

Excuse me, dr martin, luther king jr had the amazing quote that I wanted to share with you guys, if you haven't found something you were willing to die for, you aren't fit to live. Let me say that again. Dr Martin Luther King Jr had an amazing quote and it says if you haven't found something you are willing to die for, you aren't fit to live. By all means, please take a moment pause. Drink that in. Find your fight. If nothing else to get out of this episode, find your fight. If nothing else, you get out of this episode. Find your fight. Are you willing to die for what you're building? See, that's when it gets real, man. Now it's getting real. It's actually getting hot in this room that I'm in right now. This is real. Are you willing to die for what you're building right now? If you're not, then why are you building it?

Speaker 1: 18:34

Almost every great movement or achievement began with somebody getting angry, saying I had enough of this, and standing up and saying I'm ready to fight and I'm ready to die for what I believe. David had his Goliath, dr King and Nelson Mandela had their monsters in racism and inequality. Rocky had Yvonne Drago and Clubber Lang and Apollo Creed, luke Skywalker and the Resistance had Darth Vader and the Empire. Find your fight. Find the reason that getting out of bed, when you can sleep in, is worth it. Find that adversary that's stolen from you and resist him. I spoke to a relative recently that was talking about their plans to start a family and build a business, and they recognize their adversary as fear. It's been holding them back for years now and they still haven't accomplished this goal nor taken significant steps toward it yet, because of fear. Another friend recently reached out and said their adversary is unforgiveness. They can't let go of what that person said that hurt them. So a real good brother of mine said his adversary is poverty. He sees it in his old neighborhood, in his family to a degree, and even where he lives now, and he is tired of it and he wants to rally against it.

Speaker 1: 20:01

What's your fight? Equal rights, climate change, homelessness, social injustice, sex trafficking. What's your fight? There are plenty of enemies to fight against. Change, homelessness, social injustice, sex trafficking. What's your fight? There are plenty of enemies to fight against. Hopefully you get the point of this. Find your fight. I honestly believe this with all my heart and I say it as many times as I can If you want to change your outcome, you will need to change your investment. Get invested. When Rocky knocked out Yvonne Drago, or the Avengers took out Thanos, didn't you jump up in that chair with your hands in the air Like, yes, you got invested. A good enemy is a perfect switch to flip you into pushing harder, going further and standing longer than you normally would. What makes you fight? What makes you angry? Don't get into endless battles on social media. Build something that serves somebody else. Be a voice to the voiceless.

Speaker 1: 21:06

You guys remember that old story of the three little pigs. Be honest, I know you do be honest. Most of you guys just remember the wolf trying to blow the house down, but in the original story there was a little bit more to it. The wife tried to get them to come out. The wolf tried to get them to come out so he can eat the pigs that failed. So the wolf tried to get them to come to a meeting in the woods so he can ambush them and, of course, eat the pigs that failed. Then he tried to blow the house down, but since it was made of brick, that also obviously failed.

Speaker 1: 21:40

There's a friend of mine named Nehemiah. I don't know if you've heard of him before, but he was working for a king and had the cushiest job out Everything he could ever think of and desire. He was set for a king, had the cushiest job out Everything he could ever think of and desire. He was set for life. He worked for the king, talking about job security. As long as he was a king he had a job. Well, he had a heart for somebody other than himself.

Speaker 1: 22:10

The city where he was from had been destroyed, and it's been. It stood that way for 152 years. That's more than triple our lifetimes for a lot of us. The city of his heritage was destroyed for 152 years and he was distressed, couldn't even do his job, couldn't even serve the King in a in a worthy manner, because he was so distressed about this and cared so much that he wanted to leave that job working for the King to go and rebuild a city that nobody seemed to care about for over 150 years. There are people who tried to get him, to try to talk him out of rebuilding the city. They spread rumors so the builders would start fighting against each other, even threatened Nehemiah with bodily harm and even death. Tried to get him to start working, meet him in a small city to have a conference so they can kill him.

Speaker 1: 23:05

Does that sound familiar yeah, the wolf and the three pigs. Exactly, you got a hammer in your hand and hopefully you have a purpose for it and you found your why. Hopefully you care enough about your legacy to help build something that doesn't only benefit you. Think about what you're building, who you're allowing to be in the process, who you're spending time talking to when you should be building, what arguments you're getting into when you should be building. There's an old saying about one of my old mentors. He passed away several years ago, dr Miles Monroe. Really miss him and his teachings, but he says something that I still hold on to today, and one of his most popular quotes is that when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable, and I want to end this thought with that. If you're going to build something, we need to know what we're building, we need to know why, we need to know what it's for, we need to know why it's valuable.

Speaker 1: 24:22

Nehemiah left everything that he knew and everything that was comfortable and and without a care, without a concern, but he cared about his heritage. He cared about a city that essentially had God's name on it and he wanted to build it, bring it back to the prominence where it should have been. He get no credit for that. He may have gotten no honor for that, but he wanted to do it because it was the right thing to do and he cared. He cared not to leave all of his possessions and all the things that were that mattered to him to go and do this work. What are you building today? Please think about that as we go forward. If you'd like to, we can discuss it on our Twitter page at TCM M-I-S-T-A-Y-U, tcm, mr U, or on our Facebook page at TheyCallMeMrU. We love to discuss it with you. Go into a little bit more detail, have some great conversations. We look forward to that.

Speaker 1: 25:24

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Speaker 1: 26:08

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Speaker 1: 26:34

So, guys, hope this encouraged you today. I hope you were encouraged to think about what you're building. I hope you were encouraged to know that, know your why and why you do what you do, and also to find that fight. What drives you, what are you passionate about? What takes you off. Let's build something that serves somebody else. Let's be a voice to the voiceless. Can we do that, guys?

Speaker 1: 27:07

Thank you so much for your time again this week. Thank you for supporting us on our social media. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast. You can do that on apple podcasts. Thank you also for the ratings and the reviews. A five-star rating would be very nice. Thank you so much. Also an apple podcast. Guys, have a great week, great weekend. Really appreciate you guys. Look forward to hearing some more of your questions and your topic suggestions. Can't wait. I'm your coach. Get back in the game, coach out. Oh chai. Hi, it's Mr U. Hope you were inspired by what you heard today. If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts and on our YouTube channel, and please leave a comment and a review. This episode was made possible by support of viewers and listeners, just like you. Thanks.