We are formed by many hands and hearts

After I'd given a speech to a business group,a well dressed guy came up to me and introduced himself. He told me that he really enjoyed my presentation. He said he planned to use it in business. I asked him what I did.

He puffed out his chest and said,"I am a self made man.

"You are?"

"Yep!"he said proudly.

I'm sorry,but no one makes it alone. Siegfried has Roy,Ben has Jerry,and Barnes have Noble. No man,woman,is an island. We all need people in our lives. We need their perspectives,their wisdom,their honesty,and their support. The strength of our relationship is one of the greatest measures of the quality of our lives. To a large degree,the attitudes we have about ourselves and about the world are the result of the feedback we get day in and day out from the people around us. To build a winning attitude,you have got to have strong relationships with people who share your trust and interests. I call my supporters my Attitude team or simply my A team.

To build your A team,you sometimes have to let go of ego and adopt a new attitude of humility,or one of service. You have to communicate honestly and tactfully. You have to trust others as well as yourself. Remember,if you are student and we all play the role of student from time to time-let the teacher teach. Even though you may not understand the lesson being taught at any given moment, eventually you will.

My A team consist of the people with whom I share the greatest trust and confidence. Our relationship have withstood the tests of time and temperament. My team is diverse. It's composed of women and men of all ethnic groups and social classes. Wise women have always been the core of my team,starting with my grandmother when I was a young boy,my mom,my aunt's,and my sister. I have learned a lot from women,they seem to understand the nature of relationship and feelings. The members of my A team whom I have already mentioned include;

. My mom,who sent me to kindergarten feeling I was different because I stuttered,I was special. She taught me not to focus on the problem but on the solution and the necessary steps to meet the challenge or overcome the obstacle. She was the first person I knew who talked about keeping the end result in mind. She also taught me to use visualization: Now Mubarak picture yourself standing up clearly and people listening because you are speaking with confidence and enthusiasm. You are going to standing up saying your name as loudly as you can and people will be clapping with approval." I always felt that my mom had confidence in my future success. It was as if she could see it coming,and she helped me see it too. She taught me to.stay focused on the steps to make it happen,she taught me how to practice with a purpose.

. My cousin Ayomide,who gave up his Saturday mornings to come and help me to prepare. He encouraged me to develop my skills,he became my career goal model. Ayomide helped me understand my weaknesses and develop them into strenght. In the beginning,he believed in my potential more than I did.

. One of my best friends, Michael trusted me by sharing something that as very personal to him. U will tell you the story another time. It wasn't so much that he told me that mattered,it was the fact that he trusted me enough to share information that could bring criticism or mocking from others. We have been friends for 16 years and it is all built on our mutual trust,shared vision and core values.

. My dad. My father wasn't overly impressed with my results and athletic accomplishments because he was more concerned about getting a good education. He would always tell me,"you had better get an education because even if you are blessed to play at a college level,you are going to have good grades. And even if you are abundantly blessed and able to play professional football,you have to have something to fall back on. You can't play basket ball a your life".

Today, I am the creation and product of many loving,supportive,and dedicated people. I have a strong support team. I appreciate the value of having people who support me in my personal life.

Thanks for reading!