Teaser

The Boss

… Paid the Cost to be the Boss

James Brown did the soundtrack to the movie Black Caesar. I remember seeing it when I was a kid. To me, the film wasn’t that good. However, I was a fan of Fred Williamson and wanted to be cool like him. It was the music that made it. One song, in particular, that stood out to me and stuck was, The Boss. Which is my favorite song by him.

The song’s first line is, “Paid the cost to be the boss.”

As an impressionable eighth grader, I thought that was the coolest line! However, at that age, I had no idea what the cost was to pay. Over time during my life’s journey, I learned what the payment was.

It wasn’t until much later in life and spiritual awaking that I figured it out. I looked back on the experiences that made me who I was and got me where I was at. I got over people pleasing, and not loving myself. In addition, taking my talents for granted and not valuing them.

There have been times I have shared experiences with a close friend and they looked at me in wonder. Then say, “Do you know what you did? Not many could’ve gone through what you went through. Most would’ve thrown in the towel.”

I just hunch my shoulders and replied, “I just got up and kept going. That was the only option.”

Their response was, “You don’t get it. Also, you don’t know how strong you are.”

I have sat and meditated to reflect on conversations like those. Sometimes it takes someone else’s point of view to show you how good you are and how far you have come. In one of those moments it hit.

This brings me back to James Brown’s The Boss. I can be proud of myself and what I have accomplished. In that feeling, I understand what he meant. Yeah, I have paid the cost to be The Boss.

What about you?