today.


Maybe we're waiting for the economy…

The government…

The company…

The relationship…

The bank account…

The opportunity…

Or simply “them”…

to change before we give ourselves permission to live.


And perhaps without realizing it, we're saying:

“They won't let me…”


BRING YOUR POWER HOME
Beautiful One, what if today we bring some of that power back home?

Not through anger.

Not through blame.

Not through pretending that difficult circumstances don't exist.

And certainly not by trying to control other people.

Quite the opposite.


Maybe empowerment begins when I finally realize:

I don't need to control you in order to be ME-IN-POWER.


You get to choose your behavior.

I get to choose mine.

You get to choose your words.

I get to choose what meaning I attach to them.

You get to choose whether you support my dream.

I get to choose whether I continue pursuing it.

You get to choose whether you apologize.

I get to choose whether I continue carrying the pain.

You get to choose whether you speed up.

I get to decide what I do next.


Now THAT is power.


A PROFESSOR MOMENT
So today, I want to leave you with a question.

Maybe even grab your journal and spend a few minutes with this one:

Where in my life am I still saying, “They won't let me…”?


Don't rush past it.

Pause.

Reflect.

Listen.


Who—or what—have you unknowingly given power over your peace, your joy, your dreams, your confidence, or your future?

And then ask yourself one more question:


What is actually within MY power?

Maybe you can't control the car beside you.

Maybe you can't control the person who disappointed you.

Maybe you can't rewrite yesterday.

Maybe you can't determine what tomorrow brings.

But you can decide what you do with THIS MOMENT.


You can choose your next thought.

Your next response.

Your next action.

Your next step.

Your next lane.

And sometimes…

that is all the power we need.


Today, I choose to live a little less from the outside-in…

and a little more from the inside-out.

I choose…

ME-IN-POWER.

Perhaps you will join me.


Until our next cup of coffee…

Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And above all…

Keep Your Power.


Let's Transform This World Together… Starting With…

YOURS... MINE... OURS!!!


-The Professor


PS...


Join our Telegram Channel:

https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor


If you missed our last Coffee With The Professor Video Post, you can view that here:


https://youtu.be/-NnDr6mJro4?si=BVhDks8sizToZWRn

Good morning Beautiful People. Here is what I meditated to this morning. This is such a powerful message from one of my mentors from afar... Dr. Wayne Dyer. It is over one hour. I listen and meditate to this in segments. 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes... whatever works for you. What a way to start one's day.

Good Day Beautiful People,

I had every intention of having a new Coffee With The Professor Video Post waiting for you this morning.

But sometimes… the Professor has to listen to the Professor. 😊

Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling quite 100%, and rather than push myself simply because something was on the schedule, I decided to honor what my body was telling me.

Pause. Rest. Reset.

Interesting how life gives us opportunities to practice the very things we so often talk about.

So, I didn’t record yesterday.

And that’s okay.

The new plan is to record our next Coffee With The Professor and have it ready for you Sunday morning.

Perhaps there is a little Professor Moment in this for all of us:

Everything doesn’t have to happen exactly when we planned for it to still happen beautifully.

Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to push.

And sometimes wisdom is knowing when to pause.

I’m feeling better today, and I’m looking forward to sitting down with my cup, turning on the camera, and continuing our conversation together.

So grab your coffee, tea, or favorite beverage and meet me back here Sunday morning.

Until then…

Keep pausing.
Keep reflecting.
Keep growing.

And when necessary… give yourself permission to RESET.

Let’s Transform This World Together… Starting With…

YOURS!!!


The Professor

Good Day Beautiful People,

I want to begin today with a question.


Who has your power?


Or perhaps a better question is...

Who have you unknowingly GIVEN your power to?


A few years ago, I was driving my daughter to school.

I was already a little irritated that morning. I don't even remember why.

As we approached the school, I needed to move from the left lane into the right lane. I turned on my signal, checked my mirrors and blind spot, and it appeared that the driver behind me in the right lane suddenly sped up.

And I exclaimed...


“Doggone it! They wouldn't let me...”

My daughter asked:

“Dad, what's wrong?”


And before I could finish my sentence...

Something hit me.


“THEY wouldn't LET ME...”

Those four words revealed something about how I had been living much of my life.


They wouldn't let me...

He did this to me...

She did that to me...

That's not fair...

Without realizing it, I had been placing my power somewhere OUTSIDE OF ME.

I Carry The Weather Inside Of Me
One of my favorite teachers from afar, Louise Hay, said something that has stayed with me:


“I carry the weather inside of me.”


Beautiful People, I don't get to dictate everything that happens around me.

Neither do you.

There will be storms.

People will sometimes disappoint us.

Relationships may change.

Plans may fall apart.

People we love may leave this side before we're ready.

Life will sometimes happen in ways we never would have chosen.

And acknowledging that does NOT mean pretending the pain isn't real.

It doesn't excuse what someone may have done.

It doesn't mean that something unfair suddenly becomes fair.

It simply raises a different question:


Who gets to determine the weather INSIDE OF ME?

That is where today's Coffee With The Professor conversation takes us.


☕ Coffee With The Professor — The Conversation Continues
In our latest video, I share the story of that morning with my daughter and the realization that followed.

We talk about...

DIS-EMPOWERMENT.

Disconnected from power.

And...


EMPOWERMENT.

ME-IN-POWER.


We talk about learning to live more from the INSIDE OUT instead of allowing everything happening outside of us to determine what's happening within us.


We talk about storms.

Loss.

Relationships.

Forgiveness.

Faith.

Compassion.

Green pastures.

Still waters.

And yes...

I even talk about why I have conversations with bees and wasps. 😂


It's Coffee With The Professor.

You never quite know where the conversation is going to take us. ☕️😂

But beneath all of it is a question I invite you to sit with:

WHO—or WHAT—have I allowed to have too much influence over the weather inside of me?
Grab your coffee.

Your tea.

Your cappuccino.

Your frappe.

Or whatever your favorite beverage may be.

Come have a seat.



Let's pause.

Let's reflect.

And let's have another transformative conversation.



WATCH HERE:

https://youtu.be/47j1qhVkQyw


And after watching, please leave me a comment.

Tell me what resonated.

Tell me what challenged you.

Tell me what made you think.

Your comment may become the catalyst for our next conversation.


And if you're finding value in Coffee With The Professor, please LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to the channel and SHARE it with someone you believe could benefit from our conversations.


We're building this community one beautiful person at a time.

And I am grateful that you're one of them.

Until our next conversation...

Carry the weather inside of you.

The storm around you doesn't have to become the storm within you.


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And...


Let's Transform This World Together... Starting With...

YOURS!!!

MINE!!!

OURS!!!


☕️ Keep On Sipping.

Join our FREE Telegram:



https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

☕ Coffee With The Professor: The Journey Is The Lesson

Good Day Beautiful People,


Come on in.

Have a seat.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, tea, water, or whatever beverage makes you smile.

And before we do anything else...

Pause.

Take a slow breath in.

And release it.


One more.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Now...


Welcome to another Coffee With The Professor. ☕

Over the past several weeks, you and I have been having quite the conversation.


We have talked about releasing.

We have talked about forgiving.

We have talked about gratitude.

We have talked about knowing that we are worthy.

We have talked about being present.

We have explored the difference between RE-ACTING and RESPONDING.

We have talked about EMPOWERMENT — ME-IN-POWER.

And most recently, we have talked about the power of a RESET.

At first glance, those may seem like completely different conversations.



But are they?

This morning, I invite you to look at them differently.

Perhaps they aren't separate conversations at all.

Perhaps...

They are all part of the same journey.


The Journey Is The Lesson
As you read this, I am preparing to spend the next few days on the road.

There has been quite a bit going on in my personal world over the last several days, and now I will be helping my lady friend and her two daughters move across the country.


So there will be highways.

There will be stops.

There will probably be traffic.

There may be detours.

There will undoubtedly be moments when things don't go exactly according to plan.


And somewhere in thinking about this trip, another thought settled into me...

Isn't that life?


We spend so much time trying to get somewhere.

Trying to reach the destination.

Trying to accomplish the goal.

Trying to get through the difficult season.

Trying to get to the place where everything finally makes sense.

But what if some of our greatest transformation isn't waiting for us at the destination?


What if...

The journey is the lesson?

Think about that for a moment.


Look How Far You've Traveled
Sometimes we become so focused on where we are going that we forget to appreciate how far we have already traveled.

That is one reason I believe reflection is so important.


When we PAUSE, we create space to see.

When we REFLECT, we create space to understand.

When we RELEASE, we stop dragging yesterday into tomorrow.

When we practice GRATITUDE, we begin recognizing what is already good.

When we remember that we are WORTHY, we stop requiring the outside world to validate what must first be known within.

When we become PRESENT, we stop allowing yesterday's regrets and tomorrow's fears to steal today.

When we learn to RESPOND instead of RE-ACT, we reclaim our ability — our power — to choose.

When we practice EMPOWERMENT — ME-IN-POWER, we stop handing the steering wheel of our lives to THEY... HE... SHE... THEM... or IT.

And sometimes...

We simply need to hit RESET and begin again.


Do you see it?

It's all connected.

Perhaps Coffee With The Professor has never really been about a collection of topics.

Perhaps we have simply been talking about different parts of the same journey:


BECOMING.

Becoming more aware.

Becoming more conscious.

Becoming more intentional.

Becoming more loving.

Becoming more forgiving.

Becoming more peaceful.

Becoming more empowered.

Becoming more...

YOU.


Who Is Driving?
Since we're talking about road trips, let me ask you a question.

Who is driving your life?


I don't mean who is sitting behind the steering wheel of your car.

I mean...

Who or what has their hands on the steering wheel of YOU?

Is it fear?

Is it something that happened years ago?

Is it someone's opinion of you?

Is it disappointment?

Is it anger?

Is it regret?

Is it the need for someone else's approval?

Is it uncertainty about the future?

Or...


Are YOU behind the wheel?

That's empowerment.

ME-IN-POWER.


Not controlling everyone around me.

Not demanding that life always cooperate with my plans.

Not pretending that difficult things don't happen.

But recognizing...

I get to choose who I will BE while they are happening.

I may not control the traffic.

I may not control the weather.

I may not control the detour.

I may not control what someone else says or does.

But...

I carry the weather inside of me.


The storm around me does not have to become the storm within me.

That doesn't mean I will always get it right.

I won't.

Neither will you.

And that's okay.

Because this journey isn't about perfection.

It's about transformation.

It's about becoming.


Your Professor Moment
So today, wherever you happen to be on your journey, I invite you to ask yourself:

Where am I?


Not geographically.

Internally.

Emotionally.

Spiritually.

Relationally.

Financially.

Where am I?

And then ask:



Where am I going?

And finally...


Who am I becoming along the way?

Don't ask those questions from a place of judgment.

Ask them from a place of evaluation.

Because maybe you aren't where you ultimately want to be.

But Beautiful One...

You're not where you started either.


Celebrate that.

Perhaps you have learned to pause before responding.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to forgive.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to release something you've carried for years.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're beginning to recognize your worth.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you're learning to remain calm while the world around you is chaotic.

Celebrate it.

Perhaps you had to hit RESET yesterday...

Or maybe you need to hit it today.

Celebrate that too.


Because even recognizing that something needs to change...

is evidence that you are becoming more aware.

And awareness creates the possibility for choice.

Choice creates the possibility for change.

And change creates the possibility for transformation.


Before We Finish Our Coffee...
Over these next few days, I'll spend a lot of time looking through a windshield.

There will be miles ahead of me.

There will also be a rearview mirror reminding me of the miles already traveled.

And maybe there is another lesson hiding there.

The windshield is much larger than the rearview mirror for a reason.

We can glance backward.

We can learn from what is behind us.

We can appreciate where we've been.

But we weren't designed to drive forward while constantly staring backward.

There is more road ahead.


More life.

More love.

More lessons.

More opportunities.

More growth.

More becoming.

So Beautiful One...


Keep your hands on the wheel.

Stay present.

Release what needs releasing.

Forgive what needs forgiving.

Be grateful for the scenery.

Remember that you are worthy.

Respond instead of react.

Reset whenever necessary.

And above all...

Enjoy the journey.


Because perhaps the destination isn't the only point.

Perhaps...

THE JOURNEY IS THE LESSON.


Until our next cup of coffee...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

And remember...

It's not about being perfect.

It's about being on the journey.


Let's Transform This World Together...

Starting With...


YOURS.

MINE.

OURS.

☕❤️

Join our FREE Telegram:


https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

Good Friday Beautiful People. I will be getting on the road early tomorrow morning for a cross country trip. I have prepared a "Coffee With The Professor" post that will be emailed on Monday. However, I wanted to get it to you before I get on the road.

I want to thank all of you for your subscribing to this channel. For reading the posts and more importantly internalizing the posts. One of our community members has consistently provided her insight to Coffee With The Professor. So with this post, I want to feature, Josie. I have come to call her responses back to me as "Tea With Josie." I know you will find value in this post. And since I believe you will... I am going to ask you to also forward it to someone that you love along with this Telegram link. Thank you for that consideration.

☕🫖 Coffee With The Professor... With a Little Tea With Josie

Good Day Beautiful People,

Come on in.

Pull up a chair.


You know the routine by now.

Coffee? ☕

Tea? 🫖

Water?

Or perhaps something else that makes your soul smile?

Today, however, I think I may pour myself a little tea.

Why?

Because today...

We're having Tea With Josie. 🫖💛


Sometimes The Student Becomes The Teacher
Beautiful People, one of the things I have loved most about our Coffee With The Professor journey is watching these conversations become more than words in an email.


You read.

You pause.

You reflect.

You challenge yourselves.

You share.


And occasionally, someone sends something back to me that causes The Professor to become the student.


One person who has consistently done that is our beautiful community member, Josie.


Josie has responded to Coffee With The Professor posts again and again with thoughtful reflections of her own.

Her responses became so consistent—and so good—that somewhere along the way, I started calling them...

Tea With Josie. 🫖😊


After our most recent conversation, “The Journey Is The Lesson,” Josie sent another response.

And as I read it, I thought...

This shouldn't remain in my inbox.

There is something here for all of us.

So today, I'm going to move my coffee over just a little bit...

Make some room at the table...

And allow Josie to pour the tea.


🫖 Tea With Josie

Josie wrote:

Hello, Professor! ☕💛

What an amazing discussion—another Coffee with the Professor masterclass.


I love how you used the journey you're about to take as a reflection of the journey of life. As you spoke, I thought again about the importance of responding versus reacting and the empowerment that becomes available to us when an encounter occurs.


Think about the highway: every car has a driver, and every driver is making choices. Someone changes lanes, traffic slows down, an unexpected detour appears, or another driver behaves in a way we didn't expect. We cannot always control what the other driver does, but we can choose how we respond.


In many ways, the highway on the road reflects the highway of life. How we navigate what happens around us can reveal our reactions, responses, behaviors, and even our character.


There is so much in what you shared that I could continue writing, but I'm going to practice what we've been talking about and Pause and Reflect. 😊 There is a lot here to breathe in, reflect upon, and allow to become part of the journey.


And one more important thought as you prepare for your trip: may you remember that God is with you in your going out and your coming in. May the journey be safe and filled with laughter, good conversation, singing, and beautiful moments along the way. 🙏🏾


Thank you again, Professor, for continuing to be a beacon of hope and light to your community.


The journey is the lesson. So enjoy the journey. ☕🚗


Beautiful People...


Did you catch it?

There are several nuggets in there.

But one sentence grabbed me:


“Every car has a driver, and every driver is making choices.”


WOW!!!

Josie...

You'd better TEACH!!! 😂🫖


Who's Driving?
Let's stay with Josie's analogy for a moment.

Imagine yourself traveling down the highway.

There are hundreds of vehicles around you.

Every vehicle has a driver.

And every one of those drivers is making decisions.

One speeds up.

Another slows down.

Someone cuts you off.

Someone refuses to let you merge.

Someone is driving 47 mph in the passing lane...

Okay...

Professor...

PAUSE AND REFLECT. 😂😂😂


But you get the point.

I cannot control the person in the vehicle beside me.

I cannot control the person behind me.

I cannot control the person in front of me.

But there is one vehicle for which I have responsibility.

MINE.

And there is one driver whose choices are ultimately my responsibility.

ME.

Isn't that life?

We spend an enormous amount of energy attempting to control other people's vehicles.


Why did THEY do that?

Why didn't HE do this?

Why did SHE say that?

Why won't THEY change?

Why don't THEY understand?

Why can't THEY see it?


And

while we're busy watching everybody else's vehicle...

Who's driving ours?


Response Reveals Character
Josie made another observation that I don't want us to miss:


“How we navigate what happens around us can reveal our reactions, responses, behaviors, and even our character.”


That one deserves a pause.

Because empowerment isn't simply about what we say when everything is going our way.

Character often reveals itself when someone...

cuts us off.

Not necessarily on the highway.


Maybe someone disappoints you.

Maybe someone says something hurtful.

Maybe someone doesn't keep their word.

Maybe the opportunity doesn't materialize.

Maybe the relationship changes.

Maybe the money doesn't arrive when expected.

Maybe life suddenly puts up a giant orange sign that says:

DETOUR.


Now what?

Do I automatically RE-ACT?

Do I replay an old pattern?

Do I allow someone else's behavior to determine mine?

Or...

Do I PAUSE?

Do I REFLECT?

And then...

Do I consciously choose my RESPONSE?


Beautiful People, THAT is...

ME-IN-POWER.

Empowerment Doesn't Mean Control
This is an important distinction.

Being empowered doesn't mean:

I control everything that happens.

It means:

Everything that happens doesn't have to control me.


Read that again.

Everything that happens doesn't have to control me.

Someone else may choose anger.

I can choose peace.

Someone else may choose disrespect.

I can choose how I respond.

Someone else may choose chaos.

I don't have to invite that chaos to move into my internal home, unpack its bags, put its feet on my furniture, and start rearranging the place. 😂

I can observe it.

I can learn from it.

I can establish boundaries around it.

And sometimes...

I can simply keep driving.


Maybe That's The Bigger Lesson
Something else happened while reading Josie's message.

I realized that Tea With Josie represents exactly what I hope happens through these conversations.


I don't want you simply reading Coffee With The Professor.

I don't want these to become motivational words that make us feel good for five minutes before we return to life exactly as we were.

I want us to...


PAUSE.

REFLECT.

QUESTION.

INTERNALIZE.

PRACTICE.

And ultimately...

TRANSFORM.


Josie took something from our conversation and looked at it through her own lens.

Then she handed it back to me...

And helped ME see something else.

That's community.

That's conversation.

That's growth.

The Professor doesn't always have to be the teacher.

Sometimes...

The Professor needs a little Tea With Josie. 🫖💛


☕ Your Professor Moment
So before we finish our coffee—and our tea—today, I have a few questions for you.

Think about the highway of your life.


Who is driving?

Are you consciously choosing your direction?

Or are the actions of other drivers determining how you drive?

When someone cuts you off emotionally...

Who do you become?


When life sends you on an unexpected detour...

Who do you become?


When traffic slows and your timeline doesn't unfold as quickly as you hoped...

Who do you become?


When you encounter something you simply cannot control...

Who do you become?


Maybe that is one of life's greatest classrooms.

Because the journey doesn't only reveal where we're going.

Sometimes...

The journey reveals who we're becoming.


And THAT...

Beautiful People...

may be the lesson within the lesson.


One Last Sip...
Josie ended her note to me with these words:

“The journey is the lesson. So enjoy the journey.”

I receive that, Josie. ❤️

And I thank you.


Thank you for reading.

Thank you for reflecting.

Thank you for consistently contributing to this conversation.

Thank you for reminding The Professor that sometimes...

he needs to sit down, be quiet, and drink his tea. 😂🫖


And to every Beautiful Person reading this...

Today...


Drive your vehicle.

Stay in your power.

Pause when necessary.

Reflect often.

Respond consciously.

Take the detours when life requires them.

Look through the windshield more than the rearview mirror.

Enjoy some scenery along the

way.

And remember...


You cannot control every other driver on the highway.

But you get to decide who sits behind the wheel of YOU.

The journey continues.

And...

THE JOURNEY IS THE LESSON.


Until our next cup...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.

Keep sipping


Let's Transform This World Together...

Starting With...


YOURS.

MINE.

OURS.

☕🫖❤️

The Professor


Join our FREE Telegram:


https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

☕Coffee With The Professor ☁️ Thank God for the Gray Clouds

Good Day Beautiful One,


Come on in.

Have a seat.

Make yourself at home.

Would you prefer coffee, tea or some other beverage?

As for me, I'll have my coffee with French vanilla creamer and four packs of stevia. ☕️

Settle in.


I recently returned from an 18-hour road trip from North Carolina to Central Texas.

And Beautiful One...

I came home with STORIES.


But more importantly, I came home with lessons.

Some made me laugh.

Some made me cry.

Some challenged what I thought I knew about myself.

Some reminded me how far I've come.

And a few showed me that Professor still has some transforming to do. 😂


Over the next several Coffee With The Professor conversations, I'm going to take you on portions of that journey with me.

Today, I want to tell you about the gray clouds.


THANK GOD FOR THE GRAY CLOUDS
For the first day of the trip, I was driving an older Dodge Grand Caravan.

There was just one little problem.

The front air conditioning wasn't working.

Now, perhaps "little problem" isn't the appropriate description when you're preparing to drive hundreds of miles across the southern United States in August. 😂

My traveling companion for the day was Dr. Baby's 17-year-old daughter.

I warned her before we left:

This could get uncomfortable.

We originally planned to leave around 5:30 in the morning so we could take advantage of the cooler temperatures.


Well...

5:30 became closer to 10:00.

You know how plans work sometimes. 😂


So off we went.

North Carolina to Mississippi on Day One.

As we drove, I noticed something.

The skies were gray.

Cloudy.

The kind of day we sometimes describe as gloomy.


And then something shifted in my thinking.

I realized...

Those gray clouds were protecting us from the heat.

Had the sun been beating directly through that windshield, our drive without front air conditioning could have been miserable.

Suddenly, I wasn't disappointed that I couldn't see the sunshine.

I was grateful for the clouds.

I found myself saying:


Thank You, God, for the gray clouds.


And Beautiful One, somewhere along that highway, the Professor had himself a Professor Moment.

☕️☕️☕️


How often have I looked at the gray clouds in my life and assumed something was wrong simply because I couldn't see the sunshine?


How often have I prayed:

God, move this cloud!

When perhaps I should have at least considered asking:

Is there something this cloud is allowing me to see—or perhaps something it is shielding me from?


Now, I want to be careful here.

I'm not suggesting that every disappointment was divinely orchestrated.


I'm not suggesting every closed door was God protecting you from something terrible.



I don't know that.

And neither do you.


But I AM suggesting that perhaps we don't always have enough information in the moment to determine what something ultimately means.


That relationship ended.

Gray cloud.


The opportunity didn't materialize.

Gray cloud.


The business plan changed.

Gray cloud.


You didn't get the job.

Gray cloud.


The timeline got pushed back.

Gray cloud.


Something you were absolutely certain was supposed to happen...

didn't.

GRAY CLOUD.


And because you couldn't see the sunshine, you concluded:

Something has gone wrong.


But Beautiful One...

what if we don't know yet?

What if something that looks like it's blocking the sunshine is actually protecting us from some heat?


☕️

Read that again.


What looks like something blocking the sunshine may actually be protecting us from the heat.

WHEW!!!

I had to sit with that one myself.


Because transformation sometimes requires us to become willing to question the meaning we've automatically assigned to what happened.


The cloud is a cloud.

But "terrible"...

"unfair"...

"disaster"...

"the worst thing that could have happened"...


Those are interpretations we may have attached to the cloud.


Sometimes appropriately.

Sometimes prematurely.

And sometimes life gives us enough distance to look backward and say:


Ohhhhhhhhhh.

Now I see something I couldn't see

then.


A PROFESSOR MOMENT
Beautiful One, is there a gray cloud hanging over some area of your life right now?


Something didn't happen the way you wanted.

Someone disappointed you.

A door closed.

Something has been delayed.

Your plans changed.

And you've been staring at those clouds asking:

Where is my sunshine?


I'm not going to tell you to pretend the cloud isn't there.

I'm not going to tell you everything happens for a reason.

And I'm certainly not going to tell you that you shouldn't feel whatever you're feeling.


Instead, I'm going to invite you to do something much simpler.


Pause.

Breathe.

Observe.


And leave a little room for another possibility.

Maybe you don't yet know everything there is to know about this cloud.


Maybe its meaning hasn't fully revealed itself.

Maybe one day you'll look back and understand it differently.

Or perhaps you won't.


But you don't have to allow the absence of visible sunshine to steal the peace available to you right now.


As my bonus daughter and I continued driving, those gray clouds stayed with us for much of the day.


Same clouds.

Different perspective.


And suddenly...

what could have represented gloom became something for which I was profoundly grateful.


Thank God for the gray clouds.

☁️☕️❤️


Beautiful One, as you move through this week, remember:


Not everything that feels uncomfortable is necessarily working against you.

Not everything that interrupts your plan has ruined your journey.

Not every delay requires frustration.

Not every gray cloud means the sunshine has disappeared.


Sometimes...

the sun is still there.

You simply can't see it right now.


And maybe...

just maybe...

that's okay.


We'll talk again soon.

I have quite a few stories from this journey to share with you.


There was traffic.

There were tears.

There was laughter.

There were strangers who became teachers.

There was a spider.

There was a wasp.

There was an ankle dog named Girley who apparently has a Ph.D. in emotional intelligence. 😂


And there was an old Dodge Grand Caravan that preached so many sermons along the highway that eventually got ordained to:


The Right Reverend Archbishop Dodge.

😂😂😂


Oh, Beautiful One...

we have MUCH to talk about.

Until our next cup of coffee...


Keep pausing.

Keep reflecting.

Keep growing.


And when the clouds appear...

before deciding they have come to ruin your day...

perhaps whisper:


Thank You for the gray clouds.


Let's Transform This World Together...

Starting With YOURS!!!


The Professor ☕️

Amen.

Awomen.

And after this particular road trip...

A-Dodge. 😂


Join Our Telegram:


https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

Good Day Beautiful People,


Most of us love the sunshine.

We celebrate when the clouds break, the storm passes, the answer comes, the relationship works, the opportunity opens, and life begins to look the way we hoped it would look.


But what about the gray clouds?

What about those seasons when things don't work out the way we planned?

What about the heartbreak?

The loss?

The disappointment?

The unanswered questions?

The moments when we look toward the heavens and ask:


"Where the heck is the sun?"


☕ A Professor Moment
Sometimes we don't recognize the purpose of the gray clouds until we're far enough down the road to look back.

And then we realize...

Maybe those clouds weren't simply blocking the sun.


Maybe they were shielding us.

Maybe they were slowing us down.

Maybe they were giving us permission to pause.

Maybe they were preparing us for something we couldn't yet see.

And sometimes, the pain we experienced beneath those clouds develops an empathy, compassion, passion, and purpose that we could not have developed any other way.


Over the past couple of weeks, I've shared pieces of the 18-hour journey that took me from North Carolina to Central Texas.


Well, family...

The Right Reverend Doctor Archbishop Cardinal Dodge had one more sermon to preach. 😂

And this one was personal.


☁️ THANK GOD FOR THE GRAY CLOUDS
In this Coffee With The Professor conversation, I share some very personal reflections about love, loss, heartbreak, depression, healing, gratitude—and what those gray clouds have taught me about my own journey.


There's one thought in particular that I want you to carry with you:

The sun never stopped shining. Sometimes, we simply couldn't see it.


▶️ WATCH: THANK GOD FOR THE GRAY CLOUDS | Coffee With The Professor


https://youtu.be/izCrMv_cCVY


As you watch, I want you to think about your own journey.

What are some of the gray clouds that have appeared in YOUR life?


Perhaps there was a time when you cursed them.

Perhaps you begged for them to disappear.

But when you look back today...


Can you see something differently?

Can you see growth?

Can you see protection?

Can you see transformation?

Can you see purpose?


Maybe—just maybe—you can even whisper...

"Thank God for the gray clouds."


Family, if this Coffee With The Professor conversation resonates with you, please LIKE the video, SUBSCRIBE to the channel, and leave a comment sharing one of your own gray-cloud moments.


And if you know someone who may be standing underneath some gray clouds right now, share this conversation with them.


They may need the reminder that just because they can't see the sun...

doesn't mean the sun has stopped shining.


I love each and every one of you.


Let's Transform This World Together… Starting With YOURS!!!


The Professor ☕


Join Coffee With The Professor Telegram:


https://t.me/CoffeeWithTheProfessor

Coffee With The Professor ☕ It Still Got Me There

Good Day, Beautiful People.


Grab your coffee, tea, water—or whatever you are sipping on—and spend a few minutes with The Professor.


As always, I am not here to teach you.

I am not here to preach to you.

I am simply inviting you into another moment from my journey.

A moment to Pause. Reflect. Transform.


A few weeks ago, I made an approximately 18-hour drive from North Carolina to Central Texas.

Now, I need you to understand something about my transportation.

I was driving an older Dodge Grand Caravan.


The front air conditioning wasn't working.

The radio wasn't working.

And this was August.

In the South.

For 18 hours.


Beautiful People...

That van was not exactly giving me "luxury road trip experience." 😂


At some point during the trip, I jokingly gave it a new name:

The Right Reverend Doctor Archbishop Cardinal Dodge.

Because after enough hours together, I figured if that van was going to make it all the way to Texas, it deserved an honorary title.


But somewhere along those miles, I began thinking about something.

The air conditioning wasn't working.

The radio wasn't working.

The van was old.

It wasn't the vehicle I would have chosen for an 18-hour road trip.


But it was still moving.

And eventually...

It got me there.

That'll preach.
How often do we look at our lives and focus primarily on what isn't working?


This didn't happen the way I planned.

That relationship didn't work.

That business didn't work.

That opportunity didn't work.

I don't have what somebody else has.

I thought I would be further along by now.

I thought life would look different by this age.

I thought I would have more money.

More success.

More certainty.

More comfort.

And sometimes we can become so focused on everything that isn't working...

that we fail to recognize what IS.


The Dodge didn't have everything I wanted.

But the engine worked.

The wheels worked.

The steering worked.

And mile after mile...

it kept moving forward.

What if you are doing the same thing?
Maybe everything in your life isn't working exactly the way you want it to right now.

But Beautiful People...

YOU are still here.


You have survived some things.

You have learned some things.

You have grown through some things.

You have cried some tears nobody saw.

You have had some plans fall apart.

You have had some people leave.

You have had some doors close.

You have experienced some moments when you weren't quite sure how you were going to make it.

And yet...

Look at you.

Still moving.


Maybe not as fast as you wanted.

Maybe not as comfortably as you wanted.

Maybe without all of the amenities you thought you would have by now.


But...

YOU. ARE. STILL. MOVING.


And there was another lesson somewhere between North Carolina and Texas.

Comfort and capacity are not the same thing.
We often judge our capacity by our comfort.

When everything feels good, we believe we're doing well.

When everything becomes uncomfortable, we begin questioning ourselves.

But discomfort doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.

Sometimes discomfort simply reveals something you didn't know about yourself.

You can handle more than you thought.


Now, don't get me wrong.

If somebody had pulled alongside me somewhere in Alabama and said:

"Professor, would you like to trade that Dodge for a brand-new vehicle with ice-cold air conditioning?"


Beautiful People...

There would have been no prayer meeting.

No meditation.

No need to "seek clarity from the Universe."

I would have said:


YES! WHERE ARE THE KEYS? 😂


Because transformation doesn't mean we have to pretend discomfort is comfortable.

It doesn't mean we shouldn't desire better.

I absolutely wanted some air conditioning!


Transformation simply means I don't have to postpone my gratitude until everything is perfect.

I can appreciate what is carrying me while still believing something better is ahead.

That's a lesson I want to remember.


Because sometimes we look at the scratches, the dents, the mileage, and the things that aren't working...

and forget