In some ways, I am a very lucky guy. Almost every morning I go to a local coffee shop where I enjoy coffee and conversation with a group of men who are long-term residents of Redlands. They are all older gentleman and at 44 I am the second youngest in the group, by far. These men are an invaluable part of my informal mastermind group. I learned a long time ago that it was crucial to have a group of older men around, who can pass on their knowledge and experience in both professional and personal terms. Like riding in a car for hundreds of miles with wrestling veterans or enjoying a cigar with learned men, I find these kinds of settings are where most learning really takes place.

Recently, the one member of our group was leading a conversation. He is a blue-collar guy with a hunger for knowledge and the kind of drive and ambition that you just know will lead to big things. On this day, he was lamenting an experience in which he was not being paid fully for his labor by an employer. We discussed how he was hoping things would change and some of his other options, including moving on. As he struggled with this, I looked at him and asked him something that the great Dr. Jerry Graham told me once. “Do you know what role you play?” I asked him. He looked puzzled, and I went on “See, I’m a whore. I could be almost anybody’s whore. What I will NOT be, is anybody’s bitch. So, are you a whore or a bitch?” Continue reading “Which role do you play? (Warning: Graphic Language included)” →