Pilot Synopsis: “Get right within, you will win” emphasizes the fact that one cannot thoroughly become an asset to anyone or anything, let alone fully experience success if they are not balanced and secure within themselves.

Assata Imani: Thank you for tuning in with me, Assata Imani, to reveal this week’s truth. We will not only hone in on getting right within to win-but we will also reflect on a fellow Kent State University Flashes’ personal journey to success.

Assata Imani: As we all know, there are no shortcuts to success. During a NBA Championship game or Super Bowl, it is obvious when athletes are genuinely playing to win, you see the effort in their actions (playing harder, running faster, strategically making plays). 

Ironically, this concept is relative to your life, to our lives. We are all in a championship game against ourselves, facing the obstacles that come with being human. But are you playing to win? Are you making an effort to live a purposeful life? Or are you just running the court aimlessly? Crossing the field with no intention of making a touchdown?

To win, you must first make an effort to get right within, to gain inner strength, condition yourself and pursue your purpose limitlessly. You obviously intend to win something, to accomplish a goal. You are totally on the right track. You are making an effort, you are seeking guidance and insight to strategically equip yourself for successful pursuits.

“My life is fueled by my being and the being fuels the doing,” Oprah Winfrey said.

Assata Imani: I am here to remind you, regardless of any struggles that you may face, you are at Kent State University on a mission to succeed, on a mission to pursue your passion, and ultimately, on a mission to win by any means necessary.

The difference between success and failure is simply an ability to transform pain into passion-that is how you win, that is how you succeed.

Successful people face adversities too, but they do not allow adversity to consume and corrupt them. Successors take a “loss” as a lesson. When the Cleveland Cavaliers consistently lost NBA Championship games, they did not cancel themselves out and retire the team. That wasn’t even an option. They made an effort to strategically improve as a team, until they finally won. Successors do not see failure, they see an opportunity to learn, grow and become a better version of themselves. Likewise, self-inflicted failure is not an option for you.

You must open your mind to a new mindset, a winner’s mindset. Trust that any perceived “difficult” or unideal experiences are ultimately for your greater good. This is a winner’s mindset.

To obtain and live life with a winner’s mindset, you must first make an effort to get right within. When I say get right within, I mean thoroughly work on being yourself and bettering yourself. Do not change … elevate. Be who you are. The you who does not need validation from anyone to complete your mission. Stay true to yourself, but also accept areas in which you may need to grow.

You know you are destined to win because you are seeking guidance and insight that is conducive to your growth. You may even have a winner’s mindset, now it’s time to put the work in to win.

If you truly want to win your personal marathon to success, you must first work on becoming internally balanced and secure each day, the grind is conducive to the win. Internal construction is essential to success.

Assata Imani: You may understand that Internal construction is essential to success. You may be working every day to elevate your internal being and improve your external circumstances. Your intention to win is pure, therefore failure is non-existent. I have found it helpful to encourage myself throughout the process, during “preparation season.” I have even created an essential blueprint full of beneficial guidelines that I would like to share with you. I believe this blueprint will also help you get right within so you can win.

After studying a truck load of inspirational or motivational books, videos and sermons by notable professionals. I have constructed “A True Blueprint.” This blueprint is a key to you obtaining a winner mindset, featuring guidelines that will assist you in getting right within so you can win.

Approach this blueprint with an open mind. For it will only encourage you to become an asset to yourself and others, as opposed to a liability. You will put yourself in a position to win without compromising your truth.

Assata Imani: No one is exempt from A True Blueprint. You may find some keys more relative to your life than others. It’s cool, take what you can, take what you need, take what you know is beneficial to your growth:

1.) Trust the process. Of course, self-doubt may be present, but fear is nonexistent when you just trust that everything will work out in your favor as long as you put the work in. May sound cliché, but I have had the greatest opportunities and most successful experiences, when I finally decided to stop fearing the outcome and just trust the process.

 Take a lesson out of every “loss” and keep going.  Trust that even unfortunate, unideal, tragic experiences are ultimately for your greater good. This level of trust may require you to believe in a higher power. Utilize your religion or spirituality. Consider maintaining a relationship with a source outside of flesh. God, the universe, whatever you believe in, get closer to it, relinquish control and ground yourself into what you believe.

2.) Detach from Destruction. Let go of anyone and anything who is inflicting more harm than good on behalf of your well-being. If you are unsure of what or who to detach from, just continue to focus on your mission, focus on elevating and winning. Whoever or whatever is meant to stay on the journey to success with you will always be there. Any destructive people and circumstances will eventually cancel themselves out via actions, words, or unexplained detachment; trust the signs and allow them to eliminate themselves from your life. It may hurt, but that is where number one, trusting the process will become beneficial to your elevation.                      

3.) Don’t play yourself: if you know better, do better. Sacrifice your comfortability for success. You may know from experience, that pursuing your goals will not necessarily feel comfortable or convenient. Dedicate time to your passion, dedicate time to your peace of mind, your sanity. Do not hesitate, do not hold back-only strengthen what you lack. You cannot run from hardships, you must push through that invisible wall of doubt, insecurity, and failure. Expect to experience a new dimension full of abundance.

4.) Say less, do more. Speak what you want into existence, then do your best to pursue it. Stop saying what you want to do, followed by a million excuses for why you have not done it yet. Announcements without action are unnecessary. Procrastinating because you are unsure, fearful, or lazy on how, when, and where to get started is self-inflicted failure. “Desire without discipline is delusion.” Just do it. Whatever it is. Get more insight on how to get started if you are unsure books, videos, etc. … then make it happen. Listen to your intuition-you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

5.) Stay in the moment. “Focusing on the past leads to depression, focusing on the future causes anxiety, focusing on the resent creates contentment” (Deepak Chopra). Be grateful for where you are today, of course it is not where you necessarily want to be forever and you may have seen better days before. However, progress starts when you express gratitude for your current position while simultaneously moving forward day by day in a humble pursuit for more. There is beauty in the struggle. Anticipate what you can do to win and reflect a winner’s mindset with your actions each day.

Assata Imani: As you manifest A True Blueprint into your everyday life, you will become one step closer to winning. One step closer to accomplishing your goals, and most importantly one step closer to internal and external success.

Next up, will we reveal Ile-Ife Okantah’s Truth. Featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly-all that got her where she is today. You may find her journey relative to your own or her truth could inspire you to win just as much as it has inspired me. Stay tuned!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ile-Ife Okantah 

Assata Imani: Now Ife, I would say that you have experienced an abundance of success. Considering the fact that at age 23 you are currently preparing for your first TEDx Talk that will take place this February. You are also the co-editor of UHURU magazine, Vice President of NABJ, a Kupita Mentor-all while maintaining a 3.5+ GPA. You are any JMC major’s idol, hands down. We all know how great you are, but we do not know what your journey to success looked like. Thank you for agreeing to share your Truth with us all today. 

Ife: “”

Assata Imani: How did you become so prosperous at age 23? Did you create a mental blueprint similar to The True Blueprint? What internal guidelines have contributed to your success?

Ife: “”

Assata Imani: When and why exactly did you choose to get right within to win?

Ife: “”

Assata Imani: What would you say are some positive aspects of yourself? What are some aspects of yourself that are still a work in progress? How do you plan on elevating those aspects of yourself?

Ife: “”

Assata Imani: What is your ultimate career goal following graduation? How do you plan on pursuing this goal?

Ife: “” 

Assata Imani: Do you have any valuable words of wisdom or notable quotes that you would like to share with us all today?

Ife: “”

Assata Imani: Thank you again for revealing your Truth Ife! I wish you the best of success as you keep striving for greatness.

Conclusion

Assata Imani: Keep going, keep grinding, keep growing. Stop sleeping on yourself, you are elevating — even if it doesn’t feel like it. Thank you for tuning in guys, be sure to look out for the next episode of Truth, which will …