An Extraordinary Impact: Mr. Good Vibes is Here to Save Us All
Following in the footsteps of author Olivia A. Cole’s brilliant "Women of Wednesday" series, our own ongoing “An Extraordinary Impact” features people of color responsible for creating an extraordinary impact within their communities. By providing them with a platform to share their accomplishments, goals, and message, we hope to not only celebrate their achievements, but to galvanize support for their endeavors.
Mr. Good Vibes, Toronto
1. So what is it you’re doing and why are you so passionate about it?
I am leading a positivity movement as Mr. Good Vibes (currently 18 years old). I have seen the power of positive thinking and the results it can bring so I want to help others do the same and achieve their goals. When I was younger, I went through some hardships and realized that if I wanted to achieve something, I would have to work my butt off and trust that God knows what He's doing. After being cut from my soccer team, I trained day-in and day-out in order to eventually to become my high school's top scorer during my Senior years. I then received multiple Division 1 full-ride soccer scholarships to play in the States (before leaving and deciding to run my business full time). I was able to achieve these things because I stopped considering myself a victim of the world and started having a positive outlook on every situation while working hard and trusting in God. I have seen the impact that this positive mindset can bring and I really want other people to instill this way of thinking into their lives as well so we can all achieve great things.
2. What made you decide to pursue doing this work?
I decided to pursue this business full-time because I realized that there is a serious problem in the world: Negativity is currently much louder than positivity. Everywhere we turn we're hearing about another crime being committed, another death, negative comments about the presidential elections, and so on. The list keeps going. On social media, people like to rant or subtweet someone who's bothering them. It's very rare that we see positive posts. And sometimes when we do, people will criticize them. That’s a problem. I truly believe that most people are positive deep down and want to live a life filled with positivity, but they feel overwhelmed by all the negativity that's being put in our faces. I think that everyone who has something good to share or talk about needs to do so. We, as people who are positive, have a responsibility to make positivity louder. When we start doing this, the rest will follow. I feel that The Good Vibes Movement can change people's behavior for the better and we together, can create a world where positivity dominates.
3. Who have been some of your biggest influences and inspirations?
My biggest influence (aside from my grandmother), has been Gary Vaynerchuk, otherwise known as GaryVee. He is a serial entrepreneur and arguably the most influential person on this planet. He represents two main ideals: Self-Awareness and Hustle. After consuming his daily content on his social media platforms and executing on the advice he gives, I have learned more in the last year than I've learned my whole life in terms of business practices. GaryVee's message of self-awareness has helped my discover who I truly am: An entrepreneur. His other message, “hustle”, is pretty straightforward. You want something? Then go and work for it. Get it. Stop complaining. Stop being afraid. Stop whining. Just go out and work your butt off for what you want. You gotta put the time in.
4. What would it take for you to consider this endeavor a success?
For me to consider what I'm doing a success, it goes much deeper than just being wealthy. I'm doing it because I truly love it. I am in love with the journey and process of becoming a successful entrepreneur. I love the late nights, early mornings, high pressure situations, the days of uncertainty, the times when some people don't understand your vision. I am already considering myself successful. When you get to do what you wanna, and you're doing it well, then you've won. I'm doing what I wanna do with my life. I'm making my money. The business is expanding. We're bringing new people on board. We're developing our corporate programs to expand our revenue streams. I'm constantly building my personal brand as well (Mr Good Vibes), so that I can have the leverage to have another revenue stream in public speaking engagements while inspiring millions of people. When I do my speeches to high schools, youth groups or corporations right now, I have people come up to me and say I've changed their lives. They tell me how by listening to me, they feel inspired and unafraid to pursue their goals. That's much more rewarding than just money. I love that impact. That's legacy, and I care more about that, then the money that comes with this business. The greatest success will be knowing that we've impacted millions, if not billions of lives for the better.
5. How can interested parties support what you’re doing?
If anyone would like to join the Good Vibes Movement, we sell our gear on our website www.goodvibesenterprises.com. If anyone wants to contact me for anything, my email is mrgoodvibes@goodvibesenterprises.com. I'm sure there will be some students reading this, so if y'all vibe with the Good Vibes message, then let's talk about bringing it to your school. And if there's any adults involved with corporations, or the school board, I'm always open to coming in and inspiring more people through public speaking.
Are you making “An Extraordinary Impact” on your community and want to be featured in a future installment? Shoot us an email with your answers to the above questions to theextraordinarynegroes@gmail.com.
Mental Health Monday: Meditating kids, trap yoga, and boxers with bipolar disorder
Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer accepting the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture for Hidden Figures last week.
Happy Monday. Back to the grind. Here are a few morsels of goodness to help start your week on a sweeter note. This week: trap yoga, meditating kids, a talk between a boxer with bipolar disorder and his daughter, Wu-Tang, and so forth. And remember: ask for help when you need it and check in on somebody when you can. You're so pretty.
THIS WEEK'S GOODNESS:
Elementary school, like Chris Brown fandom, can be quite stressful. See what happened when Robert W. Coleman Elementary School replaced detention with meditation.
"Teen Designs a Colorful Way to Track Her Mental Health" by Jordan Davidson [The Mighty]
"The tracker, based off of a Pinterest “Year in Pixels” template, features eight different categories: “amazing, fantastic day,” “really good happy day,” “normal, average day,” “exhausted, tired day,” “depressed, sad day,” “frustrated, angry day,” “stressed, frantic day” and “sick day.”
“Using the tracker really helps my mental health, it makes me feel like every day I’m a new person,” Bailey told BuzzFeed. “This tracker has a huge impact on my everyday life – it’s a great way to keep track on how I am feeling during the week.”"
WNBA Star Chamique Holdsclaw discusses her mental health struggles in Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw. Learn more about the film and screenings here.
"How This Trap Yoga Studio Became A Sanctuary For Black People" by Lakin Starling [The Fader]
What are some things that you notice in your Trap Yoga classes? How does it impact the people who come to practice?
It’s amazing because I've never seen a multitude of different bodies in the same room like this that are all black people. It’s also great to see someone who is maybe overweight next to somebody who's been doing this forever, or who's never tried it, or does it every now and then. The way that the classes are set up, it's like everyone should be working hard and everyone should be feeling it.
The idea behind it is that it's a power yoga class, so in mirroring the trap music, it's intense. Honestly, while you're in the class, you don't really hear the music until you need to hear it because I'm talking. It may be in the background, but it becomes just that: background music. I'm helping you focus on your breath, and staying focused on the practice itself. It's interesting to see that people recognize, "I didn't even really hear what songs were playing." It wasn't the trap music that was working, it was just the fact that they felt the community ethic.
Years after his diagnosis with bipolar disorder, boxer Frank Bruno and his daughter Rachel had an open, frank discussion about his mental health journey and how it's affected their family dynamics.
"6 Actual Facts Show Why Mental Health Is an Issue in the Black Community" by Derrick Clifton [Mic]
"1. Black Americans are as likely to suffer from mental illness as whites. The American Psychiatric Association reports that as many as 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. will suffer from some kind of mental disorder each year. And, as the association notes, African-Americans are at least as likely to suffer from a mental health issue as their white counterparts.
That's why the myth that black people shouldn't worry about seeking professional mental health services — evidenced through statements such as "if black people could get through slavery, they can get through anything" and even the "strong black woman" trope, Mental Health America notes — are so damaging."
And here are two things you didn't know you needed: a Wu-Tang Clan coloring book and a Wu-Tang coaster set, from Paintings That Pop on Etsy, because self-care.
Do you have any other mental health-related content, events, or info we should know about? Hit us up here.
Previous Mental Health stuff:
Mental Health Monday: Hey, Go Check In On Someone
Mental Health Monday: Stock up on self-care. Winter is here.