I  was visiting the Mighty Sequoia National Forest not long ago with my family.  This is the type of trip that never gets old for me.  While walking the “Trail of the Giants” I suddenly had a “Hallelujah moment of clarity.”  Some of those great trees are a few thousand years old and almost 400 feet tall.  Although the great Sequoia Redwood trees hold the illustrious title of tallest trees in the world, the life of all of them started by one single seed.  A Redwood seed is only the size of a small oatmeal flake but overtime under the right conditions of soil, sunlight and rain they’re able to grow to the massive giants we see today. 

Then this thought suddenly hit me.  If it is true that we humans are God’s greatest creations, then inside of us we should have the potential to do things in this world that would dwarf the massiveness of the world’s largest trees.  I believe that we all are born with a seed of greatness lodged inside of us.

I heard a great speaker once say that the wealthiest place on the planet is the graveyards and cemeteries. This is because most people die without ever realizing the full potential of their seed of greatness. Most people leave this life with all of their potential still locked inside of them only to be claimed by the grave.  Only our creator knows what could’ve been created or accomplished had they realized their full potential. We must not let this be our fate.  We must commit to finding our purpose and “Why” for living and develop our full potential in this life as if our lives depend on it because our quality of life actually does depend on it.  

While on my trip to the Sequoia’s, I felt inspired to create a reminder of the seeds that created the giant trees of the Sequoia National Forest and use it to remind us of the “Seed of Greatness” that exist in all of us.  I proudly display this “dream novelty” in specific places that I can see and be reminded regularly to continue to fill my day with purpose-filled actions and pursue my goals, gifts and greatness. 

These crystal resin crafts all have one single authentic seed from a Sequoia Redwood Tree and are all hand made with love.  Only a limited number is available so start your collection today and share one with a friend or two as a gift.  We can all use a little friendly reminder every now-and-then to keep us on track and on task in this “Life” thing, especially if you’re a part of a team/organization.  We only get one time through, so let’s make our best effort to make it GREAT!

www.CedricCrawford.com/Products

D id you know Circus Elephants are trained as babies by setting a “Limiting Belief” in their mind that change is painful. The trainer ties a tourniquet to the elephant’s leg and the harder it pulls away from its position, the tighter the tourniquet gets.  This action securely lodges a limiting belief in the elephants mind that trying to escape his chains can cause severe pain.  So, ultimately the elephant gives up all hope of breaking free from his captors.  The only way to break this belief is if you induce a state of panic in the elephant by threat of death.  Unfortunately, the elephant was not given the ability to reason on a level that would allow it to endure the short period of pain in order to free itself from the bonds of its chains.

The great thing about us human beings is that our creator may not have given us the size and strength of an elephant or the speed of a cheetah, but he did give us a large brain and the ability to process complex thoughts and reason with it.  Thank God that we understand that we have to be willing to endure temporary pain to achieve our desired gain and aim.  There’s no need for us to wait for imminent danger or a death threat if change is necessary for us.  Just make the decision to start the process today and strive to make it GREAT!

My new book (Make it GREAT) is loaded with content that’s specifically created to make you better today than you were yesterday in every way, so pre-order today.  Your best investment is the one you make in your own knowledge, guaranteed.  Let’s Make it GREAT!

www.CedricCrawford.com/The-BOOK/

A s we approach yet another welcomed week I would like to give you unbridled permission to have an “Unrealistic Dream“.  If our goal is noble and of great significance we have to be comfortable with it being “unrealistic” in the eyes of most of those around us.  

The thought that we could light up a room by the flip of a switch was definitely unrealistic for it’s time, but thank God Thomas Edison dreamed it was possible.  The idea that a human could achieve flight in a vehicle made of metal was inconceivable to many, but the Wright brothers not only conceived and believed it, they ACHIEVED it.  The very notion that a person could communicate voice-to-voice with another person hundreds of miles away was nothing short of ludicrous, but Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant Watkins weren’t laughing.  They worked to make it happen.

So, I say to you today, don’t be discouraged if others don’t believe in your dream or can’t see your vision.  Don’t let their lack of vision cause a lack in your vision. 

Be sure to stay focused on your goals and dreams and keep your vision clear because cloudy vision will result in a rain on your parade.  Believe it’s possible and it then becomes possible for you. Got Goals?  Got Dreams?  Got Milk?  Make it GREAT.

Pre-Order the Book today and be the first in line:

www.CedricCrawford.com/The-Book/

I ’ve observed over the years that the poorly educated are often easily manipulated and violated and victimized due to the lack of the knowledge that would afford them the ability to make better choices and decisions. 

It appears to me “most people” believe that education stops with graduation, but I believe this couldn’t be further from the truth.  For years this belief has been the show-stopper for advancement in the lives of many across the globe.  And many, many more will continue to subject themselves to manipulation and victimization by those who have made it their business to prey on the poorly educated.  There is no doubt that to continue down this slippery slope will ultimately lead to the undoing of once-stable communities all around the world.  So what is the antidote?  Well, it’s quite simple.  Continued, Never-Ceasing, Self-Inflicted Education.

In many cases it may not be entirely our fault that we’ve received inadequate education in the past but I believe it is solely our fault if we don’t intentionally seek out more education for our future.  I believe that we Know-not because we Read-not and we Hear-not because we Listen-not.  Knowledge and education doesn’t have any feet so it can’t walk to us or meet us half-way, we have to go to it and seek it out.

So I invite you today to make the act of seeking out more knowledge, wisdom and education part of your ever-so-important daily disciplines, for the best and most lucrative investment you can ever make is an investment in yourself.  Ignore this universal truth at your own peril.

We only get one time through this “Life” thing so let’s keep seeking the knowledge to make it GREAT!

Better Education = Better Choices = Better Results = Better You = Better LIFE.

Pre-Order the Book Today:  “Make it GREAT”

www.CedricCrawford.com/The-BOOK/

I was having a casual conversation with my friend Michelle recently about some of the inherent perils of the information-driven internet and other content-driven mediums of today.  I absolutely love having adult conversation with like-minded people who are seeking to get better because it always helps me to get better too.

During our conversation I suddenly had one of my “Hallelujah Moments of Clarity” and realized something that we should all be aware of.  So I invite you to consider the following today as you go about your daily, content-creating life.

What we say is not always what other people hear and what we write is not always what other people understand when they read it.  It’s clear to me that every verbal word we speak and written word we write is at the mercy of the interpretation of the reader.  The person on the receiving end of your spoken or written words will ultimately draw their own conclusions (good or not-so-good) based on their prior experiences and current mental mindset. 

So as a result, I feel compelled to offer you a bit of unsolicited advice today.  It would be wise for us to take the time to choose our words wisely before releasing them out into the unforgiving realm of cyberspace.  Not many things can cost you more in this life than the price you could pay for being “Misunderstood”.

Don’t “misunderstand” the words and meaning of my message today as you continue in your efforts to make it GREAT.

The Book:   “Make it GREAT”

www.CedricCrawford.com/The-BOOK/