Life is just a minute—only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon you—can’t refuse it.
Didn’t seek it—didn’t choose it.
But it’s up to you to use it.
You must suffer if you lose it.
Give an account if you abuse it.
Just a tiny, little minute,
But eternity is in it!
I’ve started every speech with these words for the past five years to remind myself of the importance of every moment. A lesson I’ve come to embrace along the journey to discover ME. Along the journey I have experienced inner turmoil, crippling disappointment, sadness, and dispair but I’m not here today to talk about those things.
I once thought that those things were my lot in life. Lucky, that road has lead me to overstand some thing about myself – I am truly blessed for having ALL of those experiences because it keeps me present to the “flip side” of that life. Using the words of Canadian Hip Hop artist, Sokrates, I’m in love with ME and I’ve never felt so free (Hip Hop artist Sokrates)
My story can be summed up by the lines spoken by Preach to Mr. Mason in the 1975 classic film Cooley High. You see Mr. Mason saw potential in his apathetic student Preach and in a moment of frustration asked him; “What are you going to do with your life?” Preach looked back at Mr. Mason and confidently replied, “I want to live forever!”
As soon as I heard the words for the first time, I knew that’s what I wanted. But how? Glynn Thurman’s character Preach seemed to have so many more talents than I did. But there was something about his declaration that was attractive to me. I knew if I could just tap into some thing hidden deep inside me, I too could find it.
How can I be more?
My earliest memory of my life is a story about my grandfather meeting me for the first time when I was two years old. It’s said that he looked at me and declared that I had ‘the call’: an expression in Caribbean culture that means I possessed some special ability to see things (at least that the definition for today’s speech).
I entered my adolescence feeling that MY “special” was my athletic talent.
By my mid twenties I figured I was a complete failure, as I had seemingly little to no evidence that my athletic talent had done anything. Although I had gone further than most, I wasn’t able at the time to see the success. I couldn’t see the SPECIAL and when I did, I thought special meant someone would need to hold a telethon for me.
My twenties would represent my greatest period of confusion. I hid from myself, walked around angry with the world for putting me on what looked like a forever road of disappointment caused by my own poor choices and circumstances that seemed extremely unfair.
After all, didn’t the universe know that I was special? I contemplated suicide twice during that time. Depressed and ready to let go of life itself I discovered something. It wasn’t clear and I certainly never thought anyone would be move by it. I discovered my ability to create laughter. Surely not the gift I was looking for so I never considered at the time that, it could free me from the conversation I was clinging to so tenaciously. But it did act as my refuge. It was my way of hiding my sadness. I became very sad so I also was extra funny. Perfect partners. I wanted more but I didn’t know how.
Laughter would occur even in my darkest moments. I never would have thought, at the time, that anyone would be really be interested in what I had to say. I’m just a little black girl from 1465 Beaverpond Drive in Gloucester Ontario. Nothing to notice about that! As a student at the University of Ottawa, I became infamous for ‘yucking’ it up in the Agora between classes. ‘Cuttin up’ between classes landed me the gig that landed the gig that landed me on the steps of CHUO radio in 1992 or maybe it was 1993. I still wasn’t putting credit where credit was due. The foundation for my life was being set.
Some people are fortunate enough to be able to pin point specific moments of change in their lives, the precise moment where they were changed forever. I can do that too. After some health challenges, I surrendered to some basic overstandings. If I wanted more, I had to do more. I could make no one else responsible for it. That caused me to get more comfortable. The more comfortable I became with myself, the more I allowed myself to dream, about MORE!
A Dream! Before when I allowed myself to Dream, it scared me so much I thought most of the time I was in a nightmare. It was different this time. People were relying on me. People held expectations for me as my visibility grew. The community depended on me. My dream though seemed to have no direction to it but at least I was dreaming. I was acting out of the deep responsibility I felt for Ottawa’s black communities but it was draining. I was reacting to things without a plan and what started out as “my duty” quickly started to feel like “my burden”. In 2002, I sat in a room for 4 days with black people from all over the world who had journeyed to Toronto for the International Black Summit. Throughout the weekend, I was being asked to identify my vision. When I began to look for it, I still didn’t see it. The things I did seemed so random, with no real connection. What was the connection! OMG – laughter! It’s always been there. My foundation has always been to empower myself through laughter. Wow! Just like what Mother Teresa expressed in her diary, it is just that simple. The thing that I once considered childish and immature allowed me to answer a Call to nurture the Youth in ME. As an educator, laughter is my greatest weapon against apathy. After all, if there were a support group for it or a 12-step program, I surely would be leading it. I have come nearly full circle. The thing about full circles though is when you come back around, what joins up to the other side of the line will not look like it did when you started drawing that line. I now can stand in front of an audience and own who I am. I am a student of my life. Every day I get to exercise a different kind of muscle. A muscle that tracks all of the ways my vision manifests itself in the world. I can live for ever as a result. The special I have is ME! I am the source of my vision and I want to be more!
Honest intention + sharing your vision + engaging the right people = Successful momentum
So… together we can Be more
Be more passionate to do.
Be more empowered to act.
Be more inspired to see.
Be more willing to transform.
Be more committed to support.
Be more open to accept.
Be more free to give.
Be more ready to receive.
Be more resourceful to achieve.
Be the stand to Be More...
Today somewhere in the world, the day began with a sunrise like this…today is a great day to start.
I am Adrienne Coddett
Founder and Opportunities Broker for 3Dreads and a Baldhead
Proud student of my teacher Aliai Lual
Leadership Ottawa – as long as I owe you, you’ll never be broke!--
