Rico Sharp argues that self-celebration matters more than external validation, and that surrounding yourself with high-caliber people transfers their greatness to you. He calls this principle "association produces assimilation" and urges the audience to recognize their own worth and seize the moment.
Chapters
not giving 100% to you. I felt like dropping the mic right there. Let me give you this while I'm there. Never be more of a support to someone else than you are to yourself. Never believe in someone else more than you do yourself. Never be more of a friend to someone else than you are to yourself. And never be more of a cheerleader for other people's accomplishments than you are for your own accomplishments. That's right. I don't mind clapping my hands and taking my friends out to dinner when they do something great. I celebrate them because I'm not a hater, I'm a celebrator, not a sell-a-hater. Right. But if you ever want to see me dance and slide across the floor like James Brown and spin around like Mike— like Michael Jackson and holler like Prince, watch me accomplish something myself and I'm gonna show you how to do the Watusi, the Funky Bird, the Funky Chicken. I'm gonna come and go way back. back and pull something out that you ain't seen in a long time. I'll pull something out that'll make the Tootsie Roll look like a lollipop. I'm telling you, I will celebrate me and then I'll move on. All right, that's right. Trophies belong on the shelf, not in your hand for everybody to see. What do I mean by that? When you have an accomplishment, you reach a milestone, You celebrate, and then you put that to the side, and you stop looking for validation from other people, and you move on because your next level is calling you to something greater and higher than what you just accomplished and put on the shelf. How many of you understand that? Yes. When you surround yourself with the right people, the right people inspires you. They inspires you. Many years ago, I had a chance to meet Bishop T.D. Jakes. I used to watch him on television all the time, but when I finally was in a little small room with him and got to introduce myself and get to know him a little bit, then I began to realize something. Many years ago, I started mentoring professional athletes, and they started coming to seeking me out. And when I got to sit down with them and spend some time with them and get to know them, then I started realizing something. When wealthy men and millionaires started seeking me out for guidance, for counseling, for coaching, then I began to realize something. You want to know what that is I realized? Say, come on, bring it to me. Bring it to me. I realized that they saw in me what I didn't see in myself. I realized that sometimes you have to borrow other people's confidence in you Until your confidence kick in. I realize that sometimes you have to borrow other people's faith in you until you're able to use your own faith for your own dreams. I realize that it takes being around certain people of certain caliber in order for you to realize that you have the same stuff they have on them. Say, I have greatness on my life. The good book says a man's gift, a woman's gift, make room for them and bring them before great men. Yes. If I'm brought in the presence of great men and it's true that association produces assimilation, or as Daniel said, you are what you eat, if that is true, then if you're brought in the presence of great men, it can only mean one thing, that you yourself, ladies and gentlemen, are great. Amen. Look, look, look at the person sitting next to you and tell them, I'm going to charge you a great fee for sitting next to me. You sitting next to greatness. You sitting next to greatness. I'm going to charge you an association fee because you're sitting next to greatness. Can I tell you that there are people who signed up for this class that did not come? They changed their mind at the last moment. Can I tell you that there are people who signed up for this conference and did not come? They changed their mind at the last minute. The very fact that you are here, and I know that when I go to somewhere and speak, that people's destiny is getting ready to change. People's lives are getting ready to change. All right. People's stories are getting ready to change. When I go somewhere and speak, I know I'm going to speak to world changers. I'm going to speak to people who's getting ready to take the world by storm. I'm going to speak to people who are about to become millionaires and people who are about to become entrepreneurs. So when I knew that I was coming to speak to you, I knew that there was something great about your life, that you had to be here today because destiny has summoned you to come in and get this, this message so that you can be inspired to go back to your communities and go back to your workplaces and give life all you have to give. Amen! That's the word. It's the word. I got 10 more minutes.
