When you want succeed as bad as you want to breath

Eric Thomas is also known as “ET the Hip Hop Preacher.” For all those who’ve never heard of this man, remember his name because he will change your life forever. Thomas is a renown motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and minister. What makes him so inspiring is not his list of accomplishments but his insatiable desire to constantly improve himself.

In his novel, The Secret to Success, Thomas recounts his story of growing up in Detroit, Michigan and how he overcame the multitude of setbacks and challenges life laid out for him. From being a high school dropout to being homeless, Thomas’ life has been nothing short of a struggle. But in his autobiography, he reveals how he overcame his personal challenges and achieved his high level of success.

What makes this book so satisfying is the depth of realism in Thomas’ story. He doesn’t sugar coat any detail of his life and doesn’t glamorize his road to success. He dives straight into the hardship and emotional struggles he felt as he overcame his personal, financial, and educational obstacles. Because the story is told from a first-person perspective, it creates a sense of intimacy as you read your way through Thomas’ life. As you read his story, it’s hard not to compare your life with his. By doing so, you begin to realize that the lessons Thomas learned can be applied to your own life as well. He continuously emphasizes the importance of hard work and how that can make or break one’s life.

This book is fantastic for anyone regardless of their age or background. Thomas looks to inspire others by using his own life as an example of how to overcome any kind of hardship. He repeatedly demonstrated the hard work, determination, and perseverance necessary to turn one’s life around. What makes this book so versatile is the underlying principles that Thomas constantly revisits. They encompass a multitude of different areas including how to get the most out of being a student to the necessity of creating a positive environment. This allows them to be applicable to any aspect from anyone’s life.

Thomas’ story acts as a reminder that irrespective of what life hands to you, you are ultimately the sailor of your ship. It’s your decisions in life that dictate the level of success you can obtain. His honesty and unique story ultimately hooks you from the beginning to the end. What makes his story even more genuine is that Thomas advocates what he teaches through his own lifestyle.

Today, Thomas is still actively pursuing his dream of becoming the best motivational speaker out there. He is constantly traveling, speaking, and inspiring many youths and even those from fortune 500 companies. To further his repertoire and reach he even runs his own YouTube channel with an ongoing series called “T.G.I.M” which stands for Thank God it’s Monday. This just proves the legitimacy of what Thomas preaches and his success is a result of his commitment. Thomas is nothing short of inspiring and delivers a story of success that is truly unbelievable. The Secret to Success was the beginning of Thomas’s life and maybe, it can inspire the start of yours.

By Paul Mai

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