Speaker 1: My League Books has how the knowledge you want. Malik
Speaker 1: Books has how the knowledge you Needle Books. Yeah, they
Speaker 1: have all the books that the whole wild world want
Speaker 1: to read. Lead Books. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to Malik's Bookshelf,
Speaker 1: bringing a world together with books, culture and community. Hi,
Speaker 1: my name is Malik Mohammed, your host of Malik's Bookshelf. Well,
Speaker 1: we got another episode and it's twenty one. That's right.
Speaker 1: Everyone that I do is a landmark. And on this
Speaker 1: episode number twenty one, I did an interview because we
Speaker 1: hosted Garcela at Malik Books and it was a huge, electric,
Speaker 1: powerful event. It lasted three hours. She signed books, we
Speaker 1: had a discussion and moderator Christine Quinn and Sherry Shephard
Speaker 1: was here and it was just bus full of people,
Speaker 1: full of fun, laughter, joy, and it was just an
Speaker 1: awesome evening with Garcelle. And so I was able to
Speaker 1: get an interview with Garcella here at My League Books,
Speaker 1: and so I'm gonna share that as part of this
Speaker 1: episode because her new book is called Love Me As
Speaker 1: I Am, and we kicked off the book tour for
Speaker 1: Love Me as a Book tour right here at my
Speaker 1: leak Books April eleven, And also on this episode, I
Speaker 1: did a piece call I'm in the Trenches. I'm in
Speaker 1: the Trenches. It is filled with a lot of what
Speaker 1: I'm feeling and going through and opened it you find
Speaker 1: it very inspiring and moving and motivating, um and touching.
Speaker 1: Now my book we've you for episode one. It is
Speaker 1: Atomic Habits, An easy improving way to build good habits
Speaker 1: and break bad ones by James clear Now. He sold
Speaker 1: over four million copies of this book. And this approach
Speaker 1: is simple, tiny changes, remarkable results. And that's my book
Speaker 1: review for this episode. So enjoy episode one. Coming to
Speaker 1: you the day was the kickoff event for the Love
Speaker 1: Me As I Am Book Tour. I got Gordcelle in
Speaker 1: the house the first question off the back and this
Speaker 1: is former Leak's book show bringing a world together with books,
Speaker 1: culture and community. How did you enjoy your kickoff Aleek book?
Speaker 1: Let me tell you this is like feeling like I'm home.
Speaker 1: This book store is beautiful, well edited. Everybody's happy to
Speaker 1: be here. Malik, You've discovered something here. It's amazing. I
Speaker 1: love being here and this is actually the kickoff of
Speaker 1: Love Me as I Am, and I'm doing it with you.
Speaker 1: Hello in the community at Malik Books. The kickoff book
Speaker 1: tour started right here in the Westfield, Cope City more
Speaker 1: at my Leak Books. WHOA, I'm glad you're Jordan. The
Speaker 1: people came out. We consider this not only just a
Speaker 1: discussion of books signed, but we considered this a community event.
Speaker 1: Absolutely a community It felt like I, like I said,
Speaker 1: like I was home. Everybody was happy to be here.
Speaker 1: And you had some customers who love what you do
Speaker 1: and the programs that you put out here. It's really great.
Speaker 1: I'm happy to be here. Wonderful one. And we had
Speaker 1: Shirry Shepherd and Christina and Quinn moderating can you speak
Speaker 1: on Heaven some of your close and dearest friends. You
Speaker 1: know what, in Hollywood you always think, do you really
Speaker 1: have friends in Hollywood? I definitely have friends in Hollywood.
Speaker 1: Sherry Shepherd is one of them. She supports women. She
Speaker 1: is an amazing girl. I love her so much. Christine
Speaker 1: we just met, but the minute I asked her, she
Speaker 1: was like, no problem, I'm in. And you don't get
Speaker 1: that a lot. So it was really beautiful. And also
Speaker 1: women supporting women, it's always a beautiful thing. And see
Speaker 1: I did my book with You just came out the
Speaker 1: day and I did you don't love me as I am?
Speaker 1: And since you were speaking on friends, I read that
Speaker 1: I was one of your gyms Garcella Jims. But you know, people,
Speaker 1: it's not friendship is not one way, it's two ways.
Speaker 1: And how you're real and say, hey, you gotta put
Speaker 1: the same energy and if we if we consider friends
Speaker 1: and so your Garcella Jims really stood out to me
Speaker 1: in the book had a lot of good advice. I
Speaker 1: see you talked about you being I wish you can
Speaker 1: go your letter to self when I did the audio book.
Speaker 1: When I did the audio audiobook, that's the one that
Speaker 1: I teared up. And that's the one that got me emotional,
Speaker 1: not only speaking to myself but also my mom if
Speaker 1: she was here to see me. Now, you know, she'd
Speaker 1: be pretty proud of when you point it out at
Speaker 1: five going back and rewinding, you said straight up, Um,
Speaker 1: you are enough. You didn't know that. So many times
Speaker 1: we don't know we're enough. So many times we're trying
Speaker 1: to find that thing outside of us when we had
Speaker 1: it all along. Absolutely, that's and it's funny. That's one
Speaker 1: of the books there put out by Grace Myers of
Speaker 1: Grace Buyers. Um, I am enough seriously selling great children
Speaker 1: book and just like I love I am children. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Speaker 1: you're targeting children and books. Is all about the youth.
Speaker 1: And the children you know is our kids. That's our
Speaker 1: generations from the next generation. You gotta feed them so
Speaker 1: they can go out and do their thing. Yes, yes, Carsel,
Speaker 1: thank you, thank you, thank you. We are appreciative. I
Speaker 1: had stars up in here, don't you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: Thank you for having us, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1: I really love your space. This is beautiful. I appreciate
Speaker 1: great energy, great people and great being here Garcella and
Speaker 1: her team, and I have I believe Nicole Smith and
Speaker 1: how who's also? How should I say you? Part of
Speaker 1: the writing for the book is where I am Coot
Speaker 1: co pilot. That's what's up. That's what's up? And how
Speaker 1: did this come about? You know? She she's my best
Speaker 1: friend and she we met at school. We met at school,
Speaker 1: kids and friends every since and friends ever since. And
Speaker 1: she got this opportunity to write books. And when I
Speaker 1: tell you, this girl walks the walk. She doesn't just
Speaker 1: talk to talk. She gave me an opportunity to fly.
Speaker 1: And she believed in me, and so I could believe
Speaker 1: in me and I wrote this book. That's my first book.
Speaker 1: And now yes, yes four more about that. Well, you know,
Speaker 1: pulling other people up, it's a beautiful thing. We should
Speaker 1: help each other. It's more together. And so that's why
Speaker 1: the community came out and gave the love that they
Speaker 1: did more together, working together for a common goal and
Speaker 1: common cars. See y'all, team work, make the dream work.
Speaker 1: Let me as I am bunked at my leg box.
Speaker 1: Sometimes in life you just got the fight. And let
Speaker 1: me tell you, I'm in a fight and I'm telling
Speaker 1: all kind of emotions. I can't sleep, but I'm in
Speaker 1: the fight to win. And sometimes that's the attitude and
Speaker 1: passion you have to have. This has been an emotional week,
Speaker 1: but that's what life is all about, you know. For
Speaker 1: its Gump said it best. You never know what you're
Speaker 1: gonna get next in the box of chocolate. Life be
Speaker 1: going one way and then they go another. But the
Speaker 1: reality right now, I am in the trenches. I am
Speaker 1: going to fight and I'm a winner. I'm was born
Speaker 1: to be a winner and I know how to win
Speaker 1: and to win it is all is on my mind.
Speaker 1: I got a standards, though I don't say when at
Speaker 1: all costs because their lines and I'm not willing to cross.
Speaker 1: But I am here to win. I'm here to do
Speaker 1: it in a dignified manner. I'm here to win in
Speaker 1: a respectable manner. But I'm here two win because some
Speaker 1: things are important and they mean a lot, and they
Speaker 1: are they cut deep inside. And right now I'm going
Speaker 1: through an issue in a situation in my life that
Speaker 1: I have no choice but to do what I think
Speaker 1: is best. And I got to come up and go
Speaker 1: against these forces that, yeah, are competing against me in
Speaker 1: this sense. And you know, I don't want to give
Speaker 1: out too much of my personal matters regarding this, but
Speaker 1: I want to talk mostly about how I'm feeling and
Speaker 1: what I'm going through. Man. This feeling is strong, you know.
Speaker 1: Sometimes man, when I say feelings are real, well man,
Speaker 1: it feels like you know, you can feel it and
Speaker 1: you can cut it, and it's thick and it's strong,
Speaker 1: and it's overwhelmed me and it's powerful. I mean, I
Speaker 1: can't sleep, and when I do sleep, it's not good sleep.
Speaker 1: But hey, I'm not complaining because you know what this
Speaker 1: is what we must do to when this is what
Speaker 1: we must do to overcome. This is what we must
Speaker 1: do to take our situation and make it better. You understand,
Speaker 1: sometimes you don't. You're not gonna like your set you
Speaker 1: but the question is what you're gonna do to make
Speaker 1: it better, what you're gonna do to overcome. Right now,
Speaker 1: I am in the trenches and I intend to win.
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna give up. I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna fight because people depend on what's going on.
Speaker 1: Their lives depend on the outcomings. Lives depend on how
Speaker 1: this go down. Lives depen on making this stand. And
Speaker 1: I'm making a stand and I'm dugging the trenches and people, listen,
Speaker 1: everybody got different sizes, everybody has. You know, we got
Speaker 1: that public, and we got that probably few of ourselves.
Speaker 1: And right now, you know, this is a very personal issue.
Speaker 1: It's not a public issue. Or I'm just talking about
Speaker 1: the feelings that I'm going through and what I'm feeling
Speaker 1: and how I'm feeling, and I'm you might hear the
Speaker 1: noise in the background. I can't control that. I can't
Speaker 1: control that. I'm doing my best over targets just so
Speaker 1: you can primarily hear me. But I can't control that.
Speaker 1: But I'm in the trenches. I'm in the trenches, and
Speaker 1: duty calls, and sometimes these situations people call. You're called
Speaker 1: to step up and do something about for the welfare
Speaker 1: and the well being and the in the benefit of
Speaker 1: someone else. And let me tell you. You You got the
Speaker 1: answer to that. You got the answer to that. You know,
Speaker 1: I remember when it was a case UH that took
Speaker 1: place in some man I forgot his name, saw something
Speaker 1: happening in uh a locker room and he knew it
Speaker 1: wasn't appropriate, he knew he wasn't approke and did nothing it,
Speaker 1: walked out and told some other people and they didn't
Speaker 1: even call the authorities. My my first immediate response and
Speaker 1: my mind was like, what man witness something that appears
Speaker 1: to be thoughts harm of a child and walk away
Speaker 1: and don't make a stand? What man? Are a kind
Speaker 1: of man are you? What? What kind of man are you?
Speaker 1: Do not accept the challenge at that moment and stand
Speaker 1: up for the innocence? What kind of man are you?
Speaker 1: Did you would walk away and act like you a
Speaker 1: man when you walked away from a challenge, do you
Speaker 1: admit to step into and help innocent child. I'm you
Speaker 1: know that ain't got nothing to do with me. I'm
Speaker 1: just saying that as an examt I'm saying as an example,
Speaker 1: we have choices in this world. We have and and
Speaker 1: and sometimes we don't choose the right choice. And you
Speaker 1: gotta be held accountable. You don't get promoted. You don't
Speaker 1: get promoted because they want to silence you. Because that's
Speaker 1: the only reason why he got promoted and gave you
Speaker 1: out a position, is to keep his mouth closed. Because
Speaker 1: he knew he's witnessed a crime and didn't do nothing,
Speaker 1: walked away, allow the innocence of a child to be criminalized.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. And then they promote him
Speaker 1: and give him a job. That's not no man, but
Speaker 1: all I'm saying, I ain't got nothing doing that. That
Speaker 1: ain't got nothing to do with my situation. I'm telling
Speaker 1: you how I feel, and I'm telling you that I'm
Speaker 1: faced with a situation where I had to step up
Speaker 1: or step back, you know, step up or step back
Speaker 1: and the trenches because I believe it's the right thing
Speaker 1: to do, and I need to win before good reason.
Speaker 1: I need to win because something might be irreportable. You know,
Speaker 1: I need to win because to protect the innocence. So
Speaker 1: that's all I have to say. I just wanted to
Speaker 1: get that off my mind, in my heart because I'm
Speaker 1: in the trenches. Book review time Melik's Bookshops tries to
Speaker 1: consistently do a book review with every episode this week,
Speaker 1: and this is episode one my book review. It's a
Speaker 1: book that try to produce good habits and break bad habits.
Speaker 1: It's a new book. This sold over four million copies already.
Speaker 1: The title is called Atomic Habits, An Easy Improving Way
Speaker 1: to Build good Habits and Break bad Ones by James Clear.
Speaker 1: His approach is tiny changes, remarkable results. It sounds simple,
Speaker 1: but it's not as simple as you think. The key
Speaker 1: is to be consistent and to focus on one day
Speaker 1: at a time, and to make it easy so that
Speaker 1: you can be consistent no matter your goals. Atomic Habit
Speaker 1: offers a proven framework for guinea one percent better every day. Now.
Speaker 1: One percent better is all it takes in order to
Speaker 1: make a huge and significant change. Tiny changes, remarkable results.
Speaker 1: James Clear, one of the world's most leading experts on
Speaker 1: habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach exactly how
Speaker 1: to master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
Speaker 1: That's what this book does. Sometimes it's difficult to get
Speaker 1: up and just run. Why not just get up and walk.
Speaker 1: At least you're doing something and you make it consistent.
Speaker 1: Walk ten minutes is easier than the walk thirty minutes.
Speaker 1: Sometimes thirty minutes it's too much and you can't form
Speaker 1: a habit. So why not just walk ten minutes? You
Speaker 1: get him a point. Remarkable changes can happen, but you
Speaker 1: have to start one day at a time, and you
Speaker 1: have to be consistent and make it easy. So you
Speaker 1: can't be consistent. If you're having trouble change in your habits,
Speaker 1: the problem isn't you, The problem is your system. Bad
Speaker 1: habits repeat themselves, not because us you don't want to change,
Speaker 1: but because you have a wrong system for change. You
Speaker 1: do not rise to the level of your goals. You
Speaker 1: fall to the level of your systems. In atomic habits,
Speaker 1: you'll get a plan that can take you to new heights.
Speaker 1: Automic habits reshape the way you think about progress and
Speaker 1: give you the tools and techniques you need to transform
Speaker 1: your habits. Whether you're an athlete looking to win championships,
Speaker 1: a leader hoping to opimize an organization, or individual wishing
Speaker 1: to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress and achieve success
Speaker 1: that lasts. This book, Atomic Habit is a must read.
Speaker 1: Change your habits by changing your system. So I love
Speaker 1: this book because it's given me a different approach on
Speaker 1: changing the system that I'm implementing and implying versus rather
Speaker 1: than looking at me as the problem. So pick up
Speaker 1: your copy of Atomic Habits, An easy, improving way to
Speaker 1: build good habits and break bad ones by James Claire.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshelf where topics on the Shelf,
Speaker 1: our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and
Speaker 1: leave me a review. Check out my Instagram at Milik Books.
Speaker 1: See you next time,