I Am in the Trenches

Everyone that I do is a landmark. And on this episode number twenty one, I did an interview because we hosted Garcela at Malik Books and it was a huge, electric, powerful event. It lasted three hours. She signed books, we had a discussion and moderator Christine Quinn and Sherry Shephard was here and it was just bus full of people, full of fun, laughter, joy, and it was just an

awesome evening with Garcelle. And so I was able to get an interview with Garcella here at My League Books, and so I'm gonna share that as part of this episode because her new book is called Love Me As I Am, and we kicked off the book tour for Love Me as a Book tour right here at my leak Books April eleven, And also on this episode, I did a piece call I'm in the Trenches. I'm in

the Trenches. It is filled with a lot of what I'm feeling and going through and opened it you find it very inspiring and moving and motivating, um and touching. Now my book we've you for episode one. It is Atomic Habits, An easy improving way to build good habits and break bad ones by James clear Now. He sold over four million copies of this book. And this approach is simple, tiny changes, remarkable results. And that's my book

review for this episode. So enjoy episode one. Coming to you the day was the kickoff event for the Love Me As I Am Book Tour. I got Gordcelle in the house the first question off the back and this is former Leak's book show bringing a world together with books, culture and community. How did you enjoy your kickoff Aleek book? Let me tell you this is like feeling like I'm home. This book store is beautiful, well edited. Everybody's happy to

be here. Malik, You've discovered something here. It's amazing. I love being here and this is actually the kickoff of Love Me as I Am, and I'm doing it with you. Hello in the community at Malik Books. The kickoff book tour started right here in the Westfield, Cope City more at my Leak Books. WHOA, I'm glad you're Jordan. The people came out. We consider this not only just a discussion of books signed, but we considered this a community event. Absolutely a community It felt like I, like I said,

like I was home. Everybody was happy to be here. And you had some customers who love what you do and the programs that you put out here. It's really great. I'm happy to be here. Wonderful one. And we had Shirry Shepherd and Christina and Quinn moderating can you speak on Heaven some of your close and dearest friends. You know what, in Hollywood you always think, do you really have friends in Hollywood? I definitely have friends in Hollywood.

Sherry Shepherd is one of them. She supports women. She is an amazing girl. I love her so much. Christine we just met, but the minute I asked her, she was like, no problem, I'm in. And you don't get that a lot. So it was really beautiful. And also women supporting women, it's always a beautiful thing. And see I did my book with You just came out the day and I did you don't love me as I am? And since you were speaking on friends, I read that

I was one of your gyms Garcella Jims. But you know, people, it's not friendship is not one way, it's two ways. And how you're real and say, hey, you gotta put the same energy and if we if we consider friends and so your Garcella Jims really stood out to me in the book had a lot of good advice. I see you talked about you being I wish you can go your letter to self when I did the audio book. When I did the audio audiobook, that's the one that

I teared up. And that's the one that got me emotional, not only speaking to myself but also my mom if she was here to see me. Now, you know, she'd be pretty proud of when you point it out at five going back and rewinding, you said straight up, Um, you are enough. You didn't know that. So many times we don't know we're enough. So many times we're trying to find that thing outside of us when we had

it all along. Absolutely, that's and it's funny. That's one of the books there put out by Grace Myers of Grace Buyers. Um, I am enough seriously selling great children book and just like I love I am children. Yes, yes, yes, yes, you're targeting children and books. Is all about the youth. And the children you know is our kids. That's our generations from the next generation. You gotta feed them so they can go out and do their thing. Yes, yes, Carsel,

thank you, thank you, thank you. We are appreciative. I had stars up in here, don't you know what I'm saying. Thank you for having us, thank you for having us. I really love your space. This is beautiful. I appreciate great energy, great people and great being here Garcella and her team, and I have I believe Nicole Smith and how who's also? How should I say you? Part of the writing for the book is where I am Coot co pilot. That's what's up. That's what's up? And how

did this come about? You know? She she's my best friend and she we met at school. We met at school, kids and friends every since and friends ever since. And she got this opportunity to write books. And when I tell you, this girl walks the walk. She doesn't just talk to talk. She gave me an opportunity to fly. And she believed in me, and so I could believe in me and I wrote this book. That's my first book. And now yes, yes four more about that. Well, you know,

pulling other people up, it's a beautiful thing. We should help each other. It's more together. And so that's why the community came out and gave the love that they did more together, working together for a common goal and common cars. See y'all, team work, make the dream work. Let me as I am bunked at my leg box. Sometimes in life you just got the fight. And let me tell you, I'm in a fight and I'm telling all kind of emotions. I can't sleep, but I'm in

the fight to win. And sometimes that's the attitude and passion you have to have. This has been an emotional week, but that's what life is all about, you know. For its Gump said it best. You never know what you're gonna get next in the box of chocolate. Life be going one way and then they go another. But the reality right now, I am in the trenches. I am going to fight and I'm a winner. I'm was born to be a winner and I know how to win and to win it is all is on my mind.

I got a standards, though I don't say when at all costs because their lines and I'm not willing to cross. But I am here to win. I'm here to do it in a dignified manner. I'm here to win in a respectable manner. But I'm here two win because some things are important and they mean a lot, and they are they cut deep inside. And right now I'm going through an issue in a situation in my life that I have no choice but to do what I think

is best. And I got to come up and go against these forces that, yeah, are competing against me in this sense. And you know, I don't want to give out too much of my personal matters regarding this, but I want to talk mostly about how I'm feeling and what I'm going through. Man. This feeling is strong, you know. Sometimes man, when I say feelings are real, well man, it feels like you know, you can feel it and you can cut it, and it's thick and it's strong,

and it's overwhelmed me and it's powerful. I mean, I can't sleep, and when I do sleep, it's not good sleep. But hey, I'm not complaining because you know what this is what we must do to when this is what we must do to overcome. This is what we must do to take our situation and make it better. You understand, sometimes you don't. You're not gonna like your set you but the question is what you're gonna do to make

it better, what you're gonna do to overcome. Right now, I am in the trenches and I intend to win. I'm not gonna give up. I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight because people depend on what's going on. Their lives depend on the outcomings. Lives depend on how this go down. Lives depen on making this stand. And I'm making a stand and I'm dugging the trenches and people, listen,

everybody got different sizes, everybody has. You know, we got that public, and we got that probably few of ourselves. And right now, you know, this is a very personal issue. It's not a public issue. Or I'm just talking about the feelings that I'm going through and what I'm feeling and how I'm feeling, and I'm you might hear the noise in the background. I can't control that. I can't control that. I'm doing my best over targets just so you can primarily hear me. But I can't control that.

But I'm in the trenches. I'm in the trenches, and duty calls, and sometimes these situations people call. You're called to step up and do something about for the welfare and the well being and the in the benefit of someone else. And let me tell you. You You got the

answer to that. You got the answer to that. You know, I remember when it was a case UH that took place in some man I forgot his name, saw something happening in uh a locker room and he knew it wasn't appropriate, he knew he wasn't approke and did nothing it, walked out and told some other people and they didn't even call the authorities. My my first immediate response and my mind was like, what man witness something that appears to be thoughts harm of a child and walk away

and don't make a stand? What man? Are a kind of man are you? What? What kind of man are you? Do not accept the challenge at that moment and stand up for the innocence? What kind of man are you? Did you would walk away and act like you a man when you walked away from a challenge, do you admit to step into and help innocent child. I'm you know that ain't got nothing to do with me. I'm just saying that as an examt I'm saying as an example, we have choices in this world. We have and and

and sometimes we don't choose the right choice. And you gotta be held accountable. You don't get promoted. You don't get promoted because they want to silence you. Because that's the only reason why he got promoted and gave you out a position, is to keep his mouth closed. Because he knew he's witnessed a crime and didn't do nothing, walked away, allow the innocence of a child to be criminalized. You know what I'm saying. And then they promote him and give him a job. That's not no man, but

all I'm saying, I ain't got nothing doing that. That ain't got nothing to do with my situation. I'm telling you how I feel, and I'm telling you that I'm faced with a situation where I had to step up or step back, you know, step up or step back and the trenches because I believe it's the right thing to do, and I need to win before good reason. I need to win because something might be irreportable. You know, I need to win because to protect the innocence. So

that's all I have to say. I just wanted to get that off my mind, in my heart because I'm in the trenches. Book review time Melik's Bookshops tries to consistently do a book review with every episode this week, and this is episode one my book review. It's a book that try to produce good habits and break bad habits. It's a new book. This sold over four million copies already. The title is called Atomic Habits, An Easy Improving Way to Build good Habits and Break bad Ones by James Clear.

His approach is tiny changes, remarkable results. It sounds simple, but it's not as simple as you think. The key is to be consistent and to focus on one day at a time, and to make it easy so that you can be consistent no matter your goals. Atomic Habit offers a proven framework for guinea one percent better every day. Now. One percent better is all it takes in order to make a huge and significant change. Tiny changes, remarkable results.

James Clear, one of the world's most leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach exactly how to master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. That's what this book does. Sometimes it's difficult to get up and just run. Why not just get up and walk. At least you're doing something and you make it consistent. Walk ten minutes is easier than the walk thirty minutes. Sometimes thirty minutes it's too much and you can't form

a habit. So why not just walk ten minutes? You get him a point. Remarkable changes can happen, but you have to start one day at a time, and you have to be consistent and make it easy. So you can't be consistent. If you're having trouble change in your habits, the problem isn't you, The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves, not because us you don't want to change, but because you have a wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You

fall to the level of your systems. In atomic habits, you'll get a plan that can take you to new heights. Automic habits reshape the way you think about progress and give you the tools and techniques you need to transform your habits. Whether you're an athlete looking to win championships, a leader hoping to opimize an organization, or individual wishing to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress and achieve success that lasts. This book, Atomic Habit is a must read.

Change your habits by changing your system. So I love this book because it's given me a different approach on changing the system that I'm implementing and implying versus rather than looking at me as the problem. So pick up your copy of Atomic Habits, An easy, improving way to build good habits and break bad ones by James Claire. Thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshelf where topics on the Shelf, our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and

leave me a review. Check out my Instagram at Milik Books. See you next time,