Photo by Robert OToole

Known as one of the most innovative groups that changed the sound of music, they have been described as one of the greatest ever.

Founded in Chicago in 1969 and previously known as The Salty Peppers, they won six Grammys, four American Music Awards, and have been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and the N.A.A.C.P. Image Award Hall of Fame.

They sold over 90 million records and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of their songs has a very encouraging message that will help you get ready to soar: “You’re a shining star, no matter who you are, shining bright to see what you could truly be.”

If you haven’t guessed the group, they are Earth, Wind, and Fire, and the song is called Shining Star.  Listen to them sing it here!

In the last part of this three-part series on “Having Self-Worth”, we discuss being ready to soar. The bridge of that song explains that we all have an inner star that illuminates within us.

This shining star fuels the imagination of our dreams and helps us to bring to fruition the prophecy we seek over our lives. It’s what transforms you to be the B.E.S.T. 

( To understand B.E.S.T., see part two of this series, “I Believe In Myself”, here. Part I of the series on “Having Self-Worth is here!)

The concept for the song came to Maurice White while he was looking up at the starry sky; however, don’t miss the meaningful message.

White conceptualized. He had an idea. He wasn’t nebulous, looking around, hoping that something good would happen. His mind was already dreaming about writing songs that the world could hear and enjoy. Having a concept is the key to being ready to soar. 

You remember the dreams you had as a child? Well, even if those dreams have changed as you matured, the desires of those dreams are still there. Though psychologists vary over what they believe dreams provide us, Sigmund Freud, who developed the discipline of psychoanalysis, felt that dreams manifest one’s deepest desires and anxieties.

As we seek to achieve the goals we’ve planned for ourselves, we conceptualize it. As humans, we conceptualize so much that we even daydream.

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology published a study that suggested a strong correlation between a person’s tendency to daydream and the strength and efficiency of their brains.

Getting Into Position
The simple fact is that we continuously think about things that are important to us, and being ready to soar, reaching our potential, is at the top of that list.

Okay, enough history. How do we set ourselves into a position to soar? Paul the Apostle wrote that we must “call those things which be not as though they were.”

We not only dream them; we bring our dreams into existence. We conceptualize, develop a plan to soar. King Solomon wrote, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We speak life into ourselves.

We think ourselves happy, and contrary to what the rap group Public Enemy says, yes, we believe the hype. I know they were talking about something else, but “the hype” here believes in an extravagant claim about a person, and in this instance, it’s you, so believe you can do all things. To be ready to soar, you first have to believe you can soar. 

Eleanor Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” The power to soar is within you, not in the permission of others.

Remember the old adage, “Sticks and stones maybreak my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This quote was meant to protect us from the cruelty of others, but if we listen to the jeers and sneers from within, those sticks and stones become unremovable obstacles.

The key to conceptualizing our dreams is how you speak to yourself, what you speak, and how to go about bringing those spoken words into existence.

How You Speak To Yourself
I love this quote by the author Christine Caine: “Sometimes, when you are in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” How you look at things changes your perspective on how you perceive them – if you’re in the position of being a victim or victorious.

There is nothing wrong with having a high level of confidence…and don’t let anyone tell you that’s being conceited. Conceited is someone displayimg excessive pride or being braggadocious about their appearance, abilities, or worth. Confidence is the inner-feeling that you believe in your aptitude to soar.

Confidence!

A biblical question was asked: “Can these dry bones live?” Then it said, prophesy, speak life into them. It suggests that we have the power to bring life back into a situation by the words we speak. 

Can you speak life when everything around you seems dead? Can you motivate in moments of despair? Your words are more powerful when they are spoken by you, to you. Speak life into your spirit and lay down a foundation that can’t be destroyed by sticks and stones from others. 

What You Speak
A person asked me, “Why do you always seem so happy?” I told them because it’s too hard to come back from being sad. I made the decision to continuously focus on how I speak to myself and others. What you speak has more to do with the healthy communication you allow to be expressed.

You can’t convey encouraging words into your spirit if your regular dialogue is unhealthy. You have to change what you speak. If you want to express affirmation, you have to speak affirmatively.

The Bible tells us to “Train up a child…and they will not depart.” I trained the child in me so that when I face times of unhappiness, I can bring myself back from depression, from the fears of hopelessness or worrying over things I can’t control, by remembering the training of how I speak to myself.

Before you can soar, you must first train yourself to fly. You have to strengthen your wings by fostering a daily inspirational purpose to accomplish a pattern where you practice what you speak. If you want to soar, don’t make empty promises; instead, fill your words with practical opportunities.

Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

How To Bring It Into Existence

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

If you are ready to soar, you must step out on faith. Take the first step into your new existence that you envision.

King also said, “The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.”

Open your eyes to the possibilities that life isn’t just a desert; it’s an oasis of opportunities that you can reach, one grain at a time.

You bring your existence into a position to soar by choosing to surround yourself with people that are rising above the obstacles. People in leadership that fought against adversities and laid a trail of success, i.e., you follow the leader.

Follow The Leader is a children’s game where a leader is chosen to be at the head of the line. All of the other children line up behind the leader. The leader then moves around, and everyone has to mimic the leader’s actions.

Find a person you believe has led a life similar to what you desire to achieve and follow that leader. Mimic their success until you feel you have the tools to be your own leader. I don’t follow people so they can inspire me; I follow those that have already been an inspiration. 

Dr. King was the person I admired, and I wanted to be just like him. “I haven’t reached the mountain top, and I’m sure there will be some difficult days ahead,” but I’m not worried, because I’m following the leader who made it to the mountain. If you want to know how to soar and bring it into existence, follow those that have gotten to the Promised Land.

Paraphrasing Hamilton, “If you are not in the room when it happens, things will happen in the room without you.” Be where people are soaring, or they will soar without you.

Being ready to soar is all about finding those that have shown us the way, following their pathway of success, yet still having the faith and confidence that you can leave your own footprints.

You can do it! As long as you keep your head to the sky!

Rick McCain

Editor’s Note: Rick McCain has been in the ministry for 30 years, with over 20 years of counseling experience in marriage and singles ministries. He has been married for 25 years to his wife, Brenda McCain, and they share words of wisdom on their internet radio show called Let’s Stay Together Talk.

Educated in Speech Communication and Religious Studies and certified as a religious counselor, Rick has a strong desire to help others reach their potential by providing encouragement, sound advice, and the knowledge he has gleaned from his counseling experiences.

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