A young T.D. Jakes set out one year to buy his mother a suede jacket for Christmas. He put it on layaway and slowly paid it off, eventually bringing it home. But when she opened her present, Jakes noticed a flaw in the garment.
“I was disappointed,” he remembers. “And my mother told me, ‘Look at the tag.’ On the tag it said, ‘The flaws in this garment prove the authenticity of the product.’ I don’t know why I knew at that early age of maybe 8 or 10 how important that statement was, but I never forgot it. Had it been synthetic, it would have been flawless. But the reality is proven in the flaws. That’s how you know it’s really suede. Wow.
“That’s true about me, too. If there are no flaws, then I’m synthetic. Your realness is proven by your imperfections.”
Related: T.D. Jakes Wants You to Suffer
Read on for more tidbits of wisdom from “America’s Preacher.”
1. “A setback is a setup for a comeback.”
2. “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”
3. “Never make a permanent decision about a temporary situation.”
4. “Silence isn’t golden and it surely doesn’t mean consent, so start practicing the art of communication.”
5. “To those of us who often procrastinate on the decision we feel intimidated by lack of education or any area of weakness. I relieve you with this statement: It is not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but rather how much you ask. Ask questions.”
6. “The art of avoiding extremes is an art that is drawn on the canvas of maturity and painted with the abstract strokes of many experiences.”
7. “Sometimes what makes us insecure and vulnerable becomes the fuel we need to be overachievers. The antidote for a snakebite is made from the poison, and the thing that made you go backward is the same force that will push you forward.”
8. “When you begin to realize that your past does not necessarily dictate the outcome of your future, then you can release the hurt. It is impossible to inhale new air until you exhale the old.”
9. “Others can inspire you, but ultimately the only thing that empowers you is what lies within you and learning how to better utilize what you’ve been given.”
10. “Destiny is not for comfort seekers. Destiny is for the daring and determined who are willing to endure some discomfort, delay gratification, and go where Destiny leads.”
11. “Share your dream with people who want you to succeed.”
12. “Once you have the confidence in your instincts, you must never allow other people’s refusal to believe, or their data to refute, what you instinctively know is true.”
13. “Big ideas come from forward-thinking people who challenge the norm, think outside the box, and invent the world they see inside rather than submitting to the limitations of current dilemmas.”
14. “Be strong enough to stand up again, even after haters make you drop to your knees.”
15. “Unfortunately, many of us often spend our lives doing what we were trained to do. Some do what they were asked to do. And most of us do what others need us to do. And all the while, we wonder why the feeling of fulfillment eludes us.”
16. “Nobody likes hard times, but it’s the unpleasant experiences that are often the catalysts to build the character required for our Destiny.”
17. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it. The secret to recapturing our dreams is to enjoy the pursuit of the dream, rather than to focus on the outcome.”
Related: Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Powerful Advice for Leaders: ‘Learn From the Lows How to Handle the Highs’
