Inspiration Thursdays: Ben Carson’s resounding advice to me

As a child, my mom used to speak to my brothers and me about Ben Carson. He was the perfect example any mom could use to inspire her child(ren). When I got admitted into the university in my first year there about our Alumni invited Ben Carson over to the school.

I ensured I took a sit close to the aisle so I could see him pass or touch the hem of his garment. That is a little bit exaggerated but I was eager to catch a glimpse of him. I had dreamt of meeting the likes of Nelson Mandela (so sad that he is late), Ben Carson…I was ready to soak in every word he was going to say. Before I share what he said on that  day, I would like to give a brief history of his life so far:

Dr. Benjamin Carson is a retired neurosurgeon. He is the first doctor to successfully separate twins conjoined at the head. He also propounded the technique for controlling brain seizures. He was also the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. He has received numerous awards one of which is the Presidential Medal of Honour.

Ben Carson was from an extremely poor background and had to deal with racism while growing up. He and his brother Curtis were raised by their mother, Sonya, a single parent. His mother married his dad at the age of 13 and divorced his dad after she discovered that he had another family.

Ben Carson had a bad temper while growing up, in ninth grade, he nearly stabbed his friend during an argument. He also attempted hitting his mother with a hammer on the head over which clothes he should wear. His life took a turn around when he prayed about his anger and started reading the book of proverbs. He also notes that his mother was a woman of prayer. 

While in elementary school Ben Carson was referred to as a dullard. After bringing home a bad report card twice his mom stopped Him and Curtis from watching TV except it was an educational channel and instructed them to read/summarize at least two books per week from Detroit Public Library. In his words he began to enjoy reading, he says “I was able to escape poverty and travel anywhere and be anybody just by reading a book“. He later discovered that his mother could barely read.

He started to take interest in Geography. During a class in school, he was able to answer a tough question about a type of rock that his peers couldn’t answer. After that, he suddenly discovered that he had potentials and with in a year and a half he was topping his class. He is currently a Presidential candidate for 2016 United States election. He has written over six books and serves on the board of numerous organisations.

 I believe that there are a lot of things to learn from the life of Dr. Ben Carson. Here are a few things I have learned from studying his life:

• Make God your foundation
• Your background does not determine your altitude
• A failure today can become a success story tomorrow
• You have greatness on your inside waiting to be unleashed

I admire this man on all levels. He couldn’t speak for more than five minutes but those five minutes were resounding, something to hold on to. He shared a scripture that he said has been an integral part of his life and success. Though I wasn’t the only one in the audience, the advice spoke directly to me and I have since adopted this scripture:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

See Also

2023: Three Reminders For When The Year Does Not Go As Planned

Proverbs 3:5-6

I recommend that you read Think Big and Gifted Hands by Ben Carson. You can also watch the movie “Gifted Hands”.

*A friend sent a link to this video this morning and I decided to include it in this post though I published this article yesterday. I think it is a must watch. I was impressed when I heard the man introducing Ben Carson say “He is a Christian” before he was called to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast. Can people introduce you and say – He is a Christian, irrespective of what field you are? How exemplary is your life of the faith that you profess? It’s time to stop undermining your role in the body of Christ. What you do is just as important as what a Pastor does (Spreading the gospel, which is the goal of every Christian). You can use your career as an avenue to shine the light to a dying world. Click here to discover how important what you do is.

It was nice having you on Inspiration Thursday. I am sorry this post came late (planning something great on Inspiration Thursdays). Hope to hear from you in the comment box below.👇