- So 19 years ago on this exact same day
right about this exact same time
I was in New York City
and I remember the day like it was yesterday.
It was a sunny, crisp day with blue skies.
And I was on Houston Street in Avenue A
raising my hand to flag a taxi when the first
of two planes flew into the World Trade Centre
and I remember being in my taxi,
driving across town and I saw people out on the streets
looking up, looking up and I looked down
and I saw a black hole in one of the Twin Towers
and my taxi driver said
a plane just went into the World Trade Centre
and I thought, hmm okay.
I remember a plane had gone into the Empire State Building
in the 30s and I thought, okay that's strange.
And then we kept driving for a few more minutes
and he said a second plane just went in
and that's when I thought okay,
something has drastically gone wrong today
and immediately tried calling my friends,
all the cell towers went out and it was,
it was quite a day in New York City.
I ended up going into work and went to the rooftop
and actually saw one of the towers fall from there
and ended up walking home that day
because they closed all of the public transport down
and the only way to get home was walking
and so we all walked in silence.
The entire population of New York City,
we walked home in silence, in a sunny, crisp, blue day
and I went home to my place and house
and I went on the roof deck and I watched the towers burned
and it was a dark day and a dark time in New York City
and the reason I'm talking about it today
is 'cause it was a really dark time in my life.
I remember Brian Rose back in 2001
and I didn't like that guy.
Nobody liked that guy, you wouldn't have liked that guy.
That guy is completely unlike anything I am now
and I don't think that guy could have ever
created the things that you know me for.
But that was me and I was really struggling at the time
with who I was and my identity and my demons,
like a lot of us do every single day and I still do.
It's just I don't do it to the extent
that I used to.
And he was a confused person.
He was in a lot of pain and the way he chose
to deal with that pain was by changing his consciousness
through substance abuse, alcohol, heroin.
That was, that's what I did.
And because I couldn't face my pain and trauma
of being not everything that I thought
I should've been at the time.
I expected more of myself
and I wasn't very impressed with myself
and I'm a real bully to be around sometimes
as some people can attest and I'm pretty bad on myself.
So I was really harsh
and it was a really hard time in my life
and 9/11 marked one of the low points of my life.
I had just been fired from my job,
from my best friend, my girlfriend of four years
had left me and I was literally alone
and this happened as well.
So you know, it was a dark period but I'm here today
and that's the message I guess I wanna put out to people
as well as sending out my condolences
and my love and support to all the families
of the victims and the first responders
that lost their lives that day
and I knew people up in the top
of those buildings as well.
But I also wanna say to the person maybe watching
or listening right now is that,
it's never too late you know?
Even when you see or you think it's the darkest time
or the darkest day of your life
and there's no way it can ever get any better
than this, it can.
Because look at me.
You know, here I am now, a lot of people know me
as the founder of London Real.
I've got beautiful children, I'm sober for three years now.
I live a really blessed life
and it was one of my own design you know?
I deserved everything that happened to me before
and I took ownership in time
over everything that happened to me before.
It was no one else's fault but mine
that I was in that situation in 2001
and that's why I feel so great today
because it's nobody else's fault but mine
that I'm where I am today
but it came with a lot of growth,
some great mentors, some soul searching.
Some work, some discipline.
Not taking my own excuses.
Not taking the easy way out and really pushing through
and so that's what I remember on today,
September 11th I remember this rebirth that I had
and also the rebirth that New York City had
and hopefully the family members
and the people who knew the victims
and hopefully they found a way to,
to pursue their lives and to go on further
because that's the essence of the,
of the human spirit is to find ways and solutions
through what looks like the darkest days
that can never be repaired but they can
and so those are my thoughts today.
It's always a time to remember when this day comes around
and again, sending out lots of love and support
to the families that they went through this,
this traumatic time and that's exactly what
this day is about for me.
It's about this evolution that I made
and that we all can make and I know you can make as well.
So wherever you are in the world right now,
just remember there's always a way.
You just have to, you have to just keep going.
Tomorrow can always be a better day.
Look in the mirror, stop being the victim,
stop blaming others and take ownership for your situation
and then take action to get yourself out of it.
A little every day, a little every day, a little every day.
Surround yourself with great people,
get a physical practise, get a meditation practise.
Put good things in your body,
put good things in your mind and you'd be amazed
what you can accomplish, amazed what you can accomplish.
You know, you're looking at a guy who was you know,
two overdoses in to a horrible life you know?
Really I thought it was all gonna end that year
and I've managed to rebuild the life
that I never thought possible
and something I'm really proud of
and I'm just getting warmed up you know?
And it was all because I had the power to keep believing
and to keep fighting and not give up.
So make sure you do the same.
Today could be the birth for you today you know?
But again, it all starts with you
and when you take that ownership and say you know what,
it's up to me and I take responsibility
for where I'm at today because your life today,
let me say this.
Your life today is a product of every single decision
you've ever made, nothing else.
Nothing else, so you own that life.
So own it, don't blame it on anyone else.
You own that because you made those choices
and if you want to live a life you're proud of
start making new choices.
That's it, that's all, that's all life is about.
All right, so I appreciate you all
and I'm just, I feel lucky and blessed to be alive.
I'm grateful to have all of you,
I'm grateful to have my family,
I'm grateful to be walking around breathing
in this beautiful day in London
and I sent peace out to all those people
who lost lives and lost loved ones
in New York City and I just encourage them to keep going
and keep pursuing because you know,
these things also serve purposes
and those dark days for me allowed me to appreciate
what I have now and they allowed me
to go on for the great things.
If I hadn't have felt those lows,
I don't think I would be where I am today.
I don't even think London Real would exist
without those lows I hit in New York City in 2001
in those later months and so again,
there's always hope, there's always belief.
Believe in yourself, take action, stay positive
and remember tomorrow
could be the most beautiful day of your life.
So, so, so let's make sure it happens okay?
Make sure it happens for you.
All right, sending out lots of love and peace.