LEVEL 5 Elective Project – ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
5-7 minutes
Intro: Most of us know Curtis as a friendly guy who loves to uplift and inspire people, or maybe we know him because of his best-selling books on leadership & personal development. But can you picture him starting a fistfight with 4 grown men? I’m looking forward to hearing this!
Objectives: In this speech, my goal is to be less rehearsed & professional, but simply tell a story that helps my audience to connect with me (and maybe even put themselves in my shoes for a few minutes).
I hope to use fewer filler words, and simply “be real”. I hope you enjoy this true story!
HEY! – WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?
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“I’m giving you one chance not to say something stupid… Say you’re sorry, or I’m gonna take everything you’ve got & leave you laying in this parking lot.”
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These are two separate parts of a conversation I recently had, and I’d like to share what lead up to me acting like a maniac. – I’m a nice guy, but I choose not to be a doormat!
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I was driving home from an incredible men’s retreat, where I spent 3 days hanging out with 40 Christian buddies. We sang praise & worship songs, ate incredible meals together & had an excellent time connecting with The Lord & bonding with each other.
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I had been driving for about 3 hours and stopped at a gas station in De Beque because I needed to check some emails & take care of business before I got back on the road.
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My windows are dark, and I parked in the farthest parking spot from the entrance, so no one banged the doors of my car.
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I always park far from other vehicles because I’m driving one of my dream cars. I had saved up & looked for this car for a couple of years before being able to pay cash for my beautiful BMW 550i xDrive with the M-Sport package.
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It’s got a Twin Turbo V8, a custom-built exhaust system, airconditioned massage seats, and every possible upgrade. I’ve even got vanity plates that say, “INSPIRE” – I love this car!
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As I was checking some emails, some thugs smashed the door of the hooptie they were driving (twice) into my car. I looked out the rear passenger window before they smashed it the second time to see the guy swing his door with everything he had to inflict maximum damage on my car. This was no accident!
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That’s when I jumped out and yelled, “Hey! What are you idiots doing?”
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A big ghetto chick said, “It’s not like you can’t afford to fix it.”
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An older man was riding with them (who looked like a pimp). He said, “Nice car, brother! What’s that thing cost? – A hunnid thou?” ($100k)
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That’s obviously much more than my car is worth, but it was a brilliant way to deescalate the situation because I was furious & ready to fight, although there were three young guys, the older man, and the rude ratchet chick with them. I’d have probably got whipped, but I was ready.
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I told the dude that hit my car with his door after he mouthed off, “I’m giving you one chance not to say something stupid… Say you’re sorry, or I’m gonna take everything you’ve got & leave you laying in this parking lot.”
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It may have had the old man concerned that one business guy in a BMW jumped out and threatened 5 thugs while wearing pressed slacks & a polo shirt. Maybe he thought I had a gun?
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I did (and I always do), but I would never use it to attack anyone. It’s for personal defense only.
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The old man made him apologize, but I got in my car & followed them until they pulled into a motel parking lot, where I parked behind them (hoping to look ominous).
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I learned something from that old man that day. Even after they had intentionally banged my car twice, the guy who showed some respect took my mind off being so aggressive. He’s an intelligent guy!
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As I was driving home, I said a prayer, thanking God that I didn’t get myself shot or arrested for harassment, but I hope they think twice before damaging someone’s car, just because it looks nice. Hopefully, they learned a lesson? I know I did that day!
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Last week, I got another chance to see how I’d react when someone did me wrong.
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I drove across town to write a couple chapters of my next book at a great little coffee shop. I washed my car on the way to get coffee & when I got inside, I ordered a hot cup & had a great chat with the barista as I ordered my drink.
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I was there for a few hours & really enjoyed myself because I met several friendly folks who seemed to be in the same great mood that I was in!
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I made excellent progress writing and hummed “Good God Almighty by David Crowder” as I walked to my car. It was sparkling in the sunlight when I noticed that someone had poured coffee all over the hood. I walked around the back to put my laptop in the back and saw they had poured it on my trunk as well!
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Thinking about the previous encounter when someone tried to damage my car just because it looked nice, I felt empathy rather than anger or contempt this time.
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On the way home, I felt thankful that they hadn’t keyed my car or kicked the door, but I also felt sad (that whoever did this) chose to feel jealousy or resentment instead of inspiration.
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I hope I see them pouring coffee on my car again soon. I’d like to talk with them & maybe take a short drive together.
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I’d like to let them know that anything they want to achieve in life is possible, and simply focusing on the good instead of what they don’t have will help them attract better things in their lives.
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I hope my rendition of these 2 situations inspires you to know the same thing! Your attitude significantly affects your direction in life!
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Make it a great day!