I'm not a movie star and I know that.
I was raised by a mother who was a Sunday school teacher and a father who worked hard. Together they taught me to give back.
My father was married to mother 'til the day he died, for over 64 years. He's why I kept trying to get the marriage thing right. All I knew growing up was that my father was married to and loved my momma, period. He worked hard, made some money, and put it on the dresser. She spent it on the family, and he went out and earned some more. He taught me the most about love.
I was always a dreamer with high aspirations, but I kept coming up short my whole life.
I'm a old hoodlum, so I will jump on you if I have to.
You can tell me anything you want to about investment, but you can't move no money of mine, so I know where all of mine is. Now, if we ain't got a lot, it's our fault.
I don't let nobody sign for my money. Me and my wife write our own checks. So, if there's some money missing, we know how it got missing.
I've had my share of problems along the way. Don't get me wrong, because there is no school for this. You go from a poor person to a rich person. My parents didn't have no money; didn't tell me nothing about investments.
When I first got money, I went through it like everybody else, because I didn't know. But, right now, I've educated myself and placed smart people around me. I surrounded myself with people who not only are intelligent and effective about finances, taxes, and money management, but they (also) love me.
God does things for us because He trusts us; that when He gives it to us, that we will do the right thing. We'll open up our eyes and see the plan He has for us. If we're not going to open up our eyes, don't worry - you're not going to have it long. You're short-lived.
You think that God positioned you here so you can just have it all to yourself? God blesses you to become a blessing. That's the deal.
A lot of times we expect people who get money and fame to suddenly become this "role model" or this "icon." That ain't how it works. Money and fame - all it does it just allows you to be more of who you really are.
If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to be more sharing. If you're a coward, you're just going to be a bigger coward. That's all money and fame does.
If you ain't nothing when you get money and fame, you're just going to be more nothing. If you don't stand for nothing, when you get money and fame, you ain't suddenly fin to stand for nothing! You're just fin to be richer and more famous - standing for nothing!
I've always been this way. My father taught this to me. Here's the thing, you have to understand; the thing about having money: Money and fame don't change you, all it does is allow you to be more of who you are anyway.
Through a lot of conversations with the Minister [Louis Farrakhan] you've got to know when to say something. But if you are forever going to be afraid to say anything, then you become irrelevant - as a force. I mean, so the God-given gift that you got, you're not a relevant player in the game - you're just a dude whose got money, got a big house and some cars.
You have to pick your places to "step up" and you have you pick your spots. If you're just going to run out there, and, just be what/who you want to be, then you won't be that long.
I talked to Minister [Louis] Farrakhan many times about this subject - there is our reality that we have to deal with on an ongoing basis because we have to exist in order for certain things to get done.
At one point in time, you've just got to be a brave soldier, and speak up. What are you scared of, you know? So many of our entertainers have that fear because we're afraid of opposition.
I think that once you lose your fear, and understand that your position is God-given, then, if you lose your fear of what man can do, it enables you to do some things that God wants you to do.
Man didn't put me in this place [in entertaining industry]. I'm in this position because of God. And so, if man didn't put me in this place, I really don't see no man that can take me out of here.
The mentoring program [of the Steve Harvey foundation] is to teach young boys the principles of manhood.
If you think "sagging," and, how many women you've got, and how big a chain you've got, and how much dope you're slangin', and how much money you've got in your pocket makes you a "man," then you're sadly mistaken. You're going to be a misguided soul your entire life.
The hip hop community is not at fault here - I'm definitely not blaming them. But, that can't be the only view of manhood for our young men.
Our only teachers and role models for our young men cannot be, you know, videos, and, the hip hop community.
Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Every day we present the best quotes! Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends
or simply: