The Formidable James “Ghost” St. Patrick And Lessons Learned From Power

That recent episode of Power was something, wasn’t it?

Things definitely didn’t play out the way I thought they would, but I have to say, it was nice to finally see things coming together for James “Ghost” St. Patrick.

James is handsome, charming, intelligent and street-smart, and I admire his ability to move through controversies and conflict, and still rise to the top, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles. While he has had some questionable business practices and compromising ethical choices when it’s come to running a business, finding love, taking care of his family, and doing his best to protect everyone he loves, as a major decision maker he teaches three important lessons I believe many of us can benefit from.

1. Know How To Be Strategic. On Power, James is a businessman who also happens to be an impressive criminal. Whenever he had a business deal go bad or crossed paths with anyone who threatened his family or way of life, he was usually able to outsmart them. And it was because he thought and moved strategically. He knew how to make business deals with the wealthy and elite and he knew how to move on the streets. He covered his tracks whenever there was a mess that needed to be cleaned up and at different times was able to turn certain enemies into allies. Strategic thinking is a great skill to have because if you have a good strategy in place? You can handle almost anything that comes your way.

2. You Will Always Have Enemies. James was successful, therefore, he had enemies. On each season of Power, there was always someone coming for James, his business, his influence, or someone he loved. The more successful you become? The more enemies that will follow. James remained a target because he was always working towards bettering himself. And this inevitably caused his old world and new world to clash. If you’re going to succeed at anything in this life or are aiming to be successful at whatever it is you’re working towards, you too should be ready for the enemies that will be waiting. Acknowledging that they will be there can at least help you prepare with how you’re going to deal with the conflicts and challenges that will come.

3. Don’t Let Love Blind You. A major stronghold for James throughout Power has been being blinded by love. It blinded him to some harsh realities about his son Tariq, his longtime friend Tommy, his wife Tasha, and his mistress Angela. All of whom were either hurt, harmed, and negatively impacted by being connected to James. Sometimes love can blind us to the truth about different people in our lives that we may need to distance ourselves from or let go of. To continue relationships with some of those people would just be painful and cause more harm than good. It’s okay to know when to let go.

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut

The Best Relationship Advice I’ve Ever Received

I dislike almost everything about what’s now considered “modern dating.” Dating apps. DM sliding. Exchanging thirst traps. Hookup culture. The talking stage. Lingering indecisiveness in the “what are we doing and where are things going?” conversations. And the mindset that anyone and everyone is technically “fair game” if they’re not married (even if they’re “technically” already spoken for…) I’ve moved through some of the things listed above and have found the modern dating world draining. And while I’ve approached dating the “Christian way,” cried out to God, tried being more open, and out of frustration, jokingly considered having a ho phase for fun ( no worries – I’m way too much of a God-fearing church girl to follow through with that life, but I also don’t judge those who do partake ), one evening as I was nursing some hurt feelings after a guy I’d spent some time with suddenly bailed, I remembered some sound relationship advice my dad gave me when I was 18-years-old. And

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

Making Waves