The Original Jewel Dropper: Emmett Lee King
In the spirit of celebrating the original jewel dropper.
I shared in a previous blog so many jewels that my grandfather crowned me with, it is only right that I elaborate on some of those jewels:
Jewel #1: Confidence. He taught us to have confidence in ourselves. Our destiny was in our hands, we did not have to wait for the world to tell us who we were. He made sure to affirm within us that we are smart, we are real and he never let us forget that no matter how many times was teased on the bus. I wish I would have kept this key close to my heart as I entered Corporate America!
Jewel #2: Document Your Journey. He knew the importance of the quote, "picture has a thousand words, "he believed that you should track your journeys with pictures. Our grandfather would get so upset with us when we went on vacation and had nothing to show us but souvenirs, he wanted us to track the journey and take pictures so he could go get the film developed for us. I cannot count the many times he expressed the importance of taking pictures. The reason why I am so photogenic is that I have been posing ever since I could remember.
Jewel #3: Show Up. He modeled what it meant to show up for those you loved, he never missed any of my award ceremonies with his camera. My "paw-paw" was always at my award ceremonies taking pictures before, during, and after the ceremony. He showed up and in his consistency in showing up people knew and respected Mr. King. He didn't have to go around and pump himself up he was such a humble man.
Jewels #4: Money Management. He showed us the importance of effective money management skills. There were plenty of trips to Baker, Louisiana Chase Bank, he opened my first bank account for me and shared with us the importance of having a rainy day fund savings and checking account. This is one lesson I wish I kept close to my heart during college as I went to open credit cards as an intern.
Jewel #5: Self Awareness. Our grandfather was a force to be reckoned with in his own right. He knew who he was, he was aware of his skills and the skills he did not have he knew how to outsource them to the experts and pay them for their services friends or not.
Who are the people that crowned you with jewels?
What are the lessons they crowned you with?