Written by: Travis Kendrick McCray, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In this article, I will be explaining the importance of gaining a higher education. Without a higher education, you will become less productive with learning specific business affairs. Learning is the ultimate key to success. When you come from humble-beginnings, an education could become a golden opportunity in order to elevate yourself with a prosperous future.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” ‒ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rising Above The Mediocrity With Gaining A Higher Education
Degrees! Graduations! Books! These are just a few words that come to mind as I think about gaining a higher education. Over the years, I have transformed my dreams into a highly-radiant reality for all to witness. A diamond in the rough from a small rural area called Days Crossroads Community. The importance of learning the key elements of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding is the genuine way of gaining a higher educational lifestyle.
Life has several different levels that are formed to use what you got in order to gain what you strive towards. Ever since I could remember, education has always played a major role such as expressing career goals by setting up your innermost mindset. Most business professionals are highly qualified and successful due to gaining a higher education. It is like placing “icing on the cake” once you extinguish your accomplishment points with an educational opportunity.
1. Wisdom
Wisdom is simply showing good judgment. Education is the ultimate root of the “WORD of GOD” which is wisdom. In the Biblical days, learning “The WORD of GOD” was the primary source in order to live in a righteous-filled manner. Now in the modern days these same biblical resources are still the root along with career pathways which still help elevate our society wholeheartedly by allowing the “Champions at Heart” to shine among each individual worldwide.
For instance, I grew up experiencing ignorance by family members and peers because my mindset exemplified the genuine definition of gaining a higher education. This certainly taught me to always strive for excellence due to the lack of encouragement from others. It became mandatory for me to conquer any educational opportunity in order to allow my light to simply “SHINE” even though I experienced negativity due to mediocrity. As you elevate your wisdom status, it creates mind-blowing results once you become isolated from the world at least for a season or two. Isolation has made my outlook on life gravitate into something so life-changing. Of course, I have a life of being known as a socialite, but I am assured that I take advantage of my “Me Time” in order to always show self-love. Wisdom can grant anyone “Blessing Assurance” by allowing the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit which is love, faith, joy, peace, goodness, self-control, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness in order to ensure a victorious legacy which will help inspire someone who may need it accordingly.
2. Knowledge
Knowledge is power. There are miraculous levels of knowledge that are reliable because you can begin uneducated then transform into a prime example of what the definition of educational success truly represents. For instance, knowledge from my late elders such as Elice B. McCray, Annie W. Mitchell, and Mr. Leroy Peterson truly impacted my lifestyle because they introduced me to “The WORD of GOD” at an early age. My late elders exemplified pure “LOVE” and supported me or anyone all the way 110% up until they ascended into Heaven.
These moments are to treasure because these corrective upbringings can accelerate your knowledgeable options in order to fulfill your destiny. Therefore, the rapid growth in knowledge can create an extraordinary universal lifestyle that could create honorary rankings such as back in 1995, C.C.I.A. The Morehouse School of Medicine Program was created. Former CEO Pastor Shirley G. Cody better known as "Mama Cody" used her knowledge to bring love, unity and educational opportunities from Atlanta, Georgia. This after-school program was an amazing experience to our small rural area called Days Crossroads Community of Southwest Georgia. Every moment in this particular program gave us hope and a magnificent future. She often taught us “it is not where we come from; it is where we are going.” Nevertheless, she provided that “Mother Teresa” vibe that made me know that “I Am” somebody and I am loved. We traveled areas all over the United States which I personally knew my family clearly did not explore due to mediocrity. Education was her first choice in order to proceed forward with adventurous field trips as our incredible reward.
3. Understanding
Understanding is the genuine definition of comprehension or simply understanding something. Most individuals in my family clearly misunderstood the concept of higher education by not taking advantage of living prosperous lives accordingly. After completing high school in 2006, I attended several colleges, but I did not complete them due to financial mishaps, the lack of a productive environment, or a clear mindset which led to an unbalanced lifestyle. These particular setbacks made me gain a much better understanding of living prosperously and I became more appreciative of any opportunity to accelerate my career opportunities. In the year of 2019, I was granted a second chance to simply break the generation curse of being the first African American male in my family to gain a higher education along with very high-end honors at the graduation ceremony.
These particular time-frames have definitely taught me to take full advantage of any educational opportunity at hand. Life is basically what we make of it and I simply choose to become a stupendous leader as I gradually accelerate into something regal or historical. Thankfully, I totally understood what my ancestors and early pioneers experienced by creating an educational legacy for everyone to witness or look up to. This provides several individuals the help to build some remarkable moments that translate the full understanding of living prosperously. For example, my late great grandfather Lawson Nell Brown clearly made me understand at an early age through his guidance of teaching me the importance of gaining an education and how to live my life without fear, but only fear GOD instead of man because he knew that I was chosen to strengthen positivity worldwide.
In Conclusion
The three important key elements are definitely wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in order to succeed in gaining a higher education. Our mindsets and lifestyles should be totally dependent upon gaining a higher education. Some businesses have decreased due to the lack of higher education, but the majority have accomplished over and beyond their highest potential. By any means, I must encourage or inspire anyone who depends on productivity as a business leader to always be mindful of how precious gaining a higher education could become their tools in order to become highly successful. My personal word of advice is “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13 KJV
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Travis Kendrick McCray, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Travis K. McCray is a genuine definition of an ambitious leader by exemplifying a compassionate heart person for others. He began his life in Southwest Georgia in a small rural community called Days Crossroads Community. In his early childhood, he totally realized that he was surrounded by poverty and the lack of opportunities which truly encouraged him to always strive for excellence. After the completion of high school, he attended Independence University to gain double degrees in Business Management and Accounting as a Summa Cum Laude Honor Graduate. Now he is the CEO of Days Cross Road Cooperative, LLC which provides services such as Business and Financial Consulting.
In the summer of 2022, he was nominated and won The Marquis Who’s Who of America Publishing Company Certification.
