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.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Dear Young Black Professionals

As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...

Black Male Athletes And Their Dating Preferences

In the 2017 horror film Get Out , there’s an unforgettable scene when one of the film’s villainous characters, Rose, a young white woman, is seen eating Fruit Loops and drinking a bottle of milk through a straw as she searches the internet for “Top NCAA prospects.” This moment in the film is frightening because the purpose of Rose’s search is to ultimately lure young and unsuspecting Black men to a deadly fate after she begins dating them. If you’ve seen the film, you know how everything ultimately turns out, but if you haven’t, you’ll have a better understanding of the bigger picture. Recently, college football superstar and future NFL prospect, Travis Hunter, became a source of media scrutiny and controversy regarding his relationship with his fiancée, Leanna Lenee. Much of the criticism was around his fiancée and comments she shared about how she wasn’t initially interested in Travis before they started dating. Additionally, she received backlash regarding the couple’s interact...

Making Waves