Speaking It Into Existence: The Words That Killed Tupac

The Christian bible says in Isaiah 55:11 - ​​
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it."

In other words, you get what you ask for. 

There is even a belief that the magical" word "Abracadabra" may derive from an Aramaic phrase meaning "I create as I speak"
Again, in other words, you speak things into existence. 

​I say all this because, on this date 20 years ago hip-hop legend Tupac A. Shakur died. He was gunned down at age 25.
During his short life he spoke, wrote and sang prolifically about dying young.
Just a few examples of the titles or lines of his extensive catalog of songs and poems are:

• Me Against the World
• If I could choose when a nigga die, figure I'd
  Take a puff on the blunt, and let my trigga fly
• Livin' every day, like I'm gon' die
• "Even if they kill me/They could never take the game from a young G"  
• "...I wonder will I make it to 23?"
• "How long will they mourn me?"
• "Does Heaven have a ghetto?"  
• "If I Die 2ight"
• and of course "I See Death Around The Corner"

Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace was killed less than a year later. Similarly and just as prophetically,  he also wrote many songs and spoke incessantly about dying young like it was predestined. His two albums named "Ready to Die" and "Life After Death" had songs titled "Suicidal Thoughts" and "You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You".

On the flip side of the hip-hop coin, you have Jay-Z whose net worth is somewhere around HALF A BILLION dollars. Ever since his first album "Reasonable Doubts" he has written songs about his current success. He idealized, visualized and spoke about his fame, wealth and influence as if he already had it years before it existed. ​

Will Smith, one of the top grossing actors in Hollywood has been quoted as saying
"In my mind, I've always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y'all just didn't know yet."
There's a famous saying that says
"You must watch your thoughts for they lead to you words. Watch your words because they lead to your actions. Watch your actions because they lead to your habits and watch your habits because they lead to your character. Watch your character because it leads to your destiny."

"In my mind, I've always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y'all just didn't know yet."

I regularly speak about dangers of telling young black men that they are part of an endangered species and suggesting to them that they are undervalued in society's eyes because it creates a hopeless paradigm which leads to underachievement and recklessness.

Last school year I facilitated an after-school goal setting workshop with 4th and 5th grade boys of color. At the rite-of-passage ceremony, each young man stated his name and declared "I am better than average! I am destined for success!" because I empowered them with success skills like goal setting techniques and personal development training. Each one was awarded with a certificate of accomplishment recognizing them as being "Better Than Average"

A couple of school years ago I facilitated an after-school goal setting workshop with 4th and 5th grade boys of color.
At the rite-of-passage ceremony, each young man stated his name and declared "I am better than average! I am destined for success!" and was awarded a certificate of accomplishment recognizing them as being "Better Than Average"
I have continued that affirmation ritual at every single workshop and seminar which I have facilitated since.  

Each time the young men emphatically announce "I am better than average" they are empowered with a strengthening and resolve of their identity."

​Each time the young men emphatically announce "I am better than average" they are empowered with a strengthening and resolve of their identity . That is the first step in changing how they perceive themselves, what they believe they can and deserve to accomplish, what motivates them to achieve and how willing they are to do what is necessary to be successful.

We as parents, teachers, pastors, mentors, community leaders and as a society in general must teach our young people to think and speak about themselves with their ideal success at the front of their minds so that they breathe life into those futures -- not death. We must teach them to think of themselves as capable architects of the lives they want to live because when it comes down to it; they are what they think, say and do.