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...

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...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...

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