The wisest man I ever met in my life never made it past the third grade impacted tremendously me and my brother growing up right here in Valelle this this was our family.

My father wisest man ever met in my life left school in the third grade to help out on the family farm but just because he left school doesn't mean it education stopped Mark Twain once said I've never allowed my schooling to get in the way of my education.

My father taught himself how to read taught himself how to write decided in the midst of Jim Crowism as America was breathing the last gas for the Civil War.

My father decided he was going to stand and be a man not a black man not a brown man not a white man but a man.

He literally challenged himself to be the best that he could all the days of his life.

I want to share something with you this academy was our backyard going on that training ship and getting lost sneaking into the pool going to all the different places for nearly 30 years.

This was home and I want to tell you I know what it takes to get where you are and I need you to listen to me very carefully I have four degrees my brother is a judge we're not the smartest ones in our family.

It's a third grade dropout daddy saying this boys I won't have a problem if you aim high and miss but I'm going to have a real issue if you aim low and hit.

A country mother quoting Henry Ford saying if you think you can or if you think you can't you're right you say it takes knowledge and wisdom combined to grow your influence so that you will make up an impact you will be a ship mate that others can count on.

I learned that from a third grade drop simple lessons lessons like these son don't judge people the tendency of a person is to walk away from somebody that's different from them.

You stay there and you get to know them never judge then he dropped Jonathan Swift on me who said vision is the ability to see the invisible don't judge another lesson from this third grade dropout son you'd rather be an hour early than a minute late.

My father had the breakfast and lunch shift here at the academy he had to be at work at five o'clock we lived on Louisiana Street 15 minutes away.

My mother said for nearly 30 years my father left the house at 3.45 in the morning one day she asked him why daddy he said maybe one of my boys will catch me in the act of excellence.

Aristotle said you are what you repeatedly do therefore excellence ought to be a habit not an act don't ever forget that.

Lecturing what our universities are based upon is the worst kind of teaching method usually present company excluded.

That if you want to get the intended message across model the behavior my daddy a third grade dropout a cook was modeling excellence for his boys combining academic knowledge and old school wisdom.

That's what makes an impact an impact as you go all over the world you're not interested in making a nice impression you want to make an impact.

Lesson number three be kind to people he always told us kind deeds are never lost you know it stops me in my tracks when I see one of those rich folks show kindness.

It literally stops the world George Washington Carver said when common people do common things in uncommon ways they command the attention of the world I just describe your grandmother.

I know you're tough I know you're see worthy but always remember to be kind always don't ever forget that wisdom will come to you in the unlikeliest of sources a lot of times through failure.

When you hit rock bottom remember this while you're struggling rock bottom can also be a great foundation on which to build and on which to grow I'm not worried that you'll be successful I'm worried that you won't fail from time to time.

The person that gets up off the canvas and keeps growing that's the person that will continue to grow their influence.

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