Eight Questions With Eric Thomas

Fresh Manna – Managing Extraordinary People In An Extraordinary World

Eric Thomas (USA) is a world wide know Motivation Speaker who devotes his life to the encouragement and transformation of others through his words of wisdom and life experiences. He is on a UK Tour organised by AJ –http://www.incipioacademy.com/about/  the last day will be on Saturday 28 April, Eric Thomas aka ET took some time out to be interviewed by Jeaulina Cato.

Eric Thomas – The Mermaid Conference Centre

What’s has the tour been like so far?

Unbelievable, Amazing…all of that, huge!

What do you love about London and hope to bring to tomorrow’s conference?

You know one of the things I love about London is the history; you know the history is so important to me, that the more I get into the history the more I get into the depth of a person. I want to remind people of who they are and where they are.                            

This is a rich place, with rich heritage. So much of the world that we know started here. A part of civilization started here, this place is phenomenal. I just think people get here and you’re part of this and it becomes so much a part of who you are, that you forget where you are. I want to remind people look around; it’s so mundane it’s so routine going through life that that you are not thinking about where you are and who you are. So for me I want to remind them this place is phenomenal, you are phenomenal so be who you are.

Most people think to move out to start something, but they don’t realize the amount that is already in here.

You heard the story of the guy who wanted to be rich and he sold his property and he moved all over the world looking for riches, gold and oil. Somebody moved into his home and years later they were digging in the backyard and discovered oil. It was there all along.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

This place is so brilliant, it’s beautiful and magnificent. And everybody needs to take advantage of the opportunities they have here in London

What was it like for you growing up and what helped you get to where you are now?

Well for me growing up there was a lot of pain, a lot of anger. My mother was a teenage mother, she wasn’t married. She married when I was about 5 years old. Her husband adopted me. My mother hid the identity of my biological father, I discovered it when I began a pre-teen, it devastated our relationship and it devastated my life. I became very disruptive in school, I began to become involved in illicit activities and I really went down the wrong path.                                                                                                                      

 One day I had a mentor come in my life and say to me ‘You’re a Phenomenal person, you have a gift, you have a calling on your life and I want to help you to transform your life and help to get you from where you are to where you need to be his only request was that ‘when I help you change your life I want you to do for as many people what I did for you’. When my life changed, it was phenomenal and I remember what he told me that he wanted to help as many people as I could,  it’s why I do it with such passion because I’m literally trying to pay back the person who was responsible for changing my life forever.

How has your relationship with God impacted your Motivation Speaking when you speak people?

My relationship with God is everything! First and foremost I believe God was the one who told me I was somebody. Having your biological father not wanting to be in your life and not step up to the plate….you know I saw these other kids with their dads, I saw these other kids with what I thought was a perfect family and here I am without my father I had a low self-esteem. There were certain issues that came with that low self-esteem God was the one who told me that ‘you are phenomenal beyond measure and before your mother knew you I called you’.  I felt 1.  This sense of purpose; an identity.  2. This calling, God was saying this is what I have called you to do, this is why I created you, these are the gifts I’ve given you that I want you to use these particular gifts.

 God has given me a sense of not only purpose, but this conscious of  ‘Eric you have to look out for other people, love others and be a light, you have to perfect yourself to keep getting better’.  My relationship with God has meant the world to me it has literally been the life saver for me.

What keeps you going to work every day? 

That with the power of hope, I can change somebody’s life or I can add value to somebody’s life because there are people who are doing very good, but they have become content with good. I challenge them; I dare them to go from good to great. There are people who have not even started with life they have given up on life, they don’t know they are beautiful, they don’t know they are special, they’re unique and gifted, in that, the world wouldn’t be the same without them. Without those words of encouragement I must become that person. Everyday I’m looking for those people to touch, everyday that I’m in London, I’m walking and looking at people’s eyes on the train, I’m looking at somebody I can encourage.

I saw a young man yesterday who couldn’t have been more than 14/15 grabbing a cigarette and I knew that was my chance to tell him how special he was, how beautiful he was, how special and unique he was. That’s the energy, that’s the passion, that’s the drive to be able to help as many people as I can while I’m alive to make this world a better place.

How important is Reading and what is your favourite part of the Book ‘The Outliers’?

Well you know of course what reading is for me, I believe education is the great equalizer. You know for people who feel like they’re not where they want to be in life and people who feel like they were not born in the right side of the tracks. They don’t have what other people have and they long to live a different life. I say to them reading, education and learning is the great equalizer. In the USA, my ancestors didn’t have a chance to go to school so during Martin Luther King’s time and the Civil Rights Movement all the ever wanted was to learn and a chance to go to school. School learning is the greatest equalizer in the world. I teach young people, readers are leaders, the information you obtain it changes everything.                                   

I read about London before I came to London so I literally attracted London by reading London. I read about Bermuda before I went to Bermuda so I think the principals you need, the values that you need to be successful in life are through books.  So for me of course (the book) The Outliers – ‘10,000 hour rule’ is probably the greatest section of the book for me, no one becomes successful without hard work, without investing sweat blood and tears, without putting in a certain amount of time.  The Beatles, MJ, Bill Gates to now Eric Thomas, I feel like I’ve put in my 10,000 hours and as a result I am here in London.

Would you ever consider doing conferences for your YouTube segment ‘Thank God I’m Married’?

Absolutely! I get so many request and I have to be honest I’ve been somewhat negligent as it relates to that. For whatever reason I’ve leaned more to the ‘Thank God It’s Monday’ but I must say, I shall do a better job in the upcoming months. 

Even as I travelled here from Detroit I met the gentlemen from London who is visiting Chicago for a conference and the first thing he said to me was ‘You literally saved my marriage, you literally saved my family’. He talked about how he had a three year old & a three month old and the challenges he and his wife were facing and how he has becomes a new husband as a result of the T.G.I.M (Thank God I’m Married). So 2014 is going to be my breakout year for Thank God I’m Married. 

Lastly, what is next for E.T (Eric Thomas)?

What’s next for ET – is just growth. I want to redefine the grind for Eric Thomas, I want to develop in those areas of weakness because I feel the work that I do the reach is so great and that the more I perfect myself as a human the greater my gift will be. I really want to look where I can grow, where there is growth opportunity. Yes I have been doing a good job, but what am I not saying?  What am I not doing? How can I maybe say less, but say more at the same time? What’s next for me? – is this re-learning of myself so I can redefine myself. 

 

NB: More information on Eric Thomas http://etinspires.com/

The Fear Of Trying

I believe that people don’t fear success but they fear trying. ‘On the other side of fear is success’ – Farrah Grey. When an idea erupts the mediocre thoughts of your mind you start to imagine this thing, and rail up excitement and enthusiasm towards it. You think where this idea can take you? What life it will give you? How you can change the lives of others around you?  You begin to write down ideas and then when you tell a person or two – your anxiety starts to build when they ask you ‘How will you do it?’

Do not think so far ahead of what you want. I am not saying do not be visionary or see the goal completed, but don’t get ahead of your thoughts as you will be overwhelmed. You will never do an ‘experiment’ and know the outcome. However, if you do know the outcome, then it’s not an experiment. Experiments are defined by tests or trials to make discoveries or test if a theory is correct (Encarta Dictionary). What you can do, is have faith. If you believe that ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengths me’ then why are you thinking of 21 things you have to do rather than doing one task at a time.

Take adequate steps towards your goal. The reason I highlighted ‘your’ is simply because people live in this world where they forcibly try and live up to the expectations of others before they live up to their own. If you cannot live up to your own lifestyle then how must you surpass people’s expectations of yourself?

There are people ready to take on a new career or venture, but they haven’t found a ‘suitable job’. What we must do daily and as often as possible is put our talent to work. It’s not about doing something ordinary. Nor is it about trying to do something extreme.  When you know what gifts you’ve been given you need to exercise it everywhere you go. If you are charismatic, bring your charisma. ‘A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great’ (Provb 18:16).

‘Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Provb 22:29). You may not necessarily take up a career in the things you see yourself studying. People spend years, lifetimes trying to figure out what job they should do. Don’t focus on that. Use what is in your hand. Sometimes you are called into a particular place that you may think has no use to what you want to do in the future.  But your purpose there is to simply exercise the gift that is within your hand.

 © Jeaulina Cato 2013 all rights reserved

Applied Knowledge Is Power.

Our ancestors were more hungry for this ‘opportunity’; they believed in the freedom that could be found in the education of our minds. We failed to take advantage of the educators, our successors and wise people. Our people sacrificed their lives for us to be able to learn, study and teach others. Education is more than attending a institution.
Now hours of life are invested in reality shows, idolism of celebrities and self-gratification through taking and looking at a myriad of pictures of oneself. Are we in the world or are we of the world?  We believe in a unknown opportunity that hasn’t been presented to us. Yet we don’t acknowledge the ones around us. In order to create the opportunities we want we must use what we have. Change is a expectation that must be fulfilled in self before seeking it in one another.

To value the mind is to invest in it. Who are our  role models? What is shown to us that represents where we came from and where we are going? We are a mirror of the things we listen to, see and hear. If you are spoon fed then you will never know what you are digesting, but if you seek out what you want to be filled with, only then will you know what’s being manifested inside you.

Let our hearts not be content with living a life that we follow to suit peoples requirements. ‘Remain a slave and do what’s required of you, do more than what’s required of you and be free’.
We go through stagnant periods of life because we continue to do the same things. ‘Reading is critical – To avoid making the same mistakes you need new information. Information changes situations’- Eric Thomas.
We cannot expect change to be brought about. Change starts with you and I, the people.
Only we are accountable for the ways in which we utilize what God has given us.

© Jeaulina Cato 2013 all rights reserved on written work