Kantis Simmons | How to Overcome Your Mess to Get What You Want

Kantis Simmons - Get Over Your Mess

Born with 7.25 fingers, school motivational speaker Kantis Simmons shares the life-changing moment his mother burst into his room to teach him how to truly embrace himself.

Transcript:

"My son is missing some of his fingers." Yep. That was my mom a few years ago. Now, you say to yourself, "Why did the black guy with the pink shirt on and purple bow tie come out here and just pop some fingers on us like that?" Well, first of all, this is all that I have. Number two, I want you to realize that for years, this finger mess was the thing that stopped my success. 

You see guys, I remember in the ninth grade I saw this fine girl in school. That's it guys you know how we do when we step to a young lady. You gotta have that little swag ya know. Damn! Fine! 

I was like excuse me miss, what's your name? Hello my name is Kandis.

She was like Hold up wait a minute! What is wrong with yo fingers!? Ooh I can't do it. You have the cooties. Tah-Tah.

Hooouuhh! So now in high school I'm growing up thinking that I have the cooties. I'm gonna do something about this. So I went home and I grab some scissors, some needle and thread, yeah, today is the last day of these flapping fingers. Yes, sir. So I pull the scissors and I have my glove up and I was about to cut these flapping fingers off. And as I was about to cut the flapping fingers off my mom, she bust in the bathroom, BOWH! Boom! Son! What in the world are you doin? I'm like Mom I'm cutting my flapping fingers off. She said What!? I said my flapping fingers. She said, HUH!? I said Momma, I'm cutting my fingers off 'cause all the people at school talking about me.

She said child please. Put the scissors down, put the needle and thread down. She said son I want you to hear something. Don't you ever forget it. Quit looking at what you don't have and think about all the things you do have. Quit looking at what you don't have and think about all the things you do have. And those words, through high school, through college, through grad school, quit looking at what you don't have and think about all the things you do have. When I saw that next girl, I was like uh, quit looking at what you don't have and think about all the things you do have. You got a nice big old head. Quit looking at all the things you don't have and think about all the things you do have.

And as I sat there, at my first job interview, blue suit, gray pinstripes, white shirt, blue tie, black shoes, they were shiny. I was so fresh and so clean. There was a guy sitting there interviewing me, asking me questions. The only thing I could hear was wah wah wah wah, wah wah wah wah wah, wah wah wah wah, wah wah wah. As she was talking to me I just zoned out. I started thinking about my mess. I started thinking about when I felt like I can't or I won't or I never. 

Then I heard the words from my mom, quit looking at what you don't have and think about all the things you do have. I realized that my fingers, that was my mess. That was the thing that played on my psyche. See you may not have finger mess. You may have low self esteem mess. You may have financial mess. You may have baby daddy mess. You may have ooh we don't like my classroom my teacher mess. You may have forehead mess, or five head mess. You may have booty do mess. That's when your stomach sticks out further than your booty do.

See listen we all have mess. But here's the thing I want you to realize today. That if you're ever going to play your A game in school, if you're ever going to play your A game in life, you have to get over your mess. Right now I don't care what you think. I'm the coolest guy with seven point two five fingers.

What's the thing that's holding you back? What's the thing that plays on your psyche? What's the thing that tells you I can't, my family's gonna struggle. I can't do it, I won't be able to do it. You know honestly is thinking about your mess but you. And for years my mess was bothering me and you know what young people, it stops today. I want you to think about the things that are holding you back from being you're best. You see I don't believe you should be the best in life. How can you measure the best? You can't measure that. But I'm encouraging you to be YOUR best. And the only way you can be YOUR best is if you get over your mess.