Growin' Up Gregory

This year will mark the first time that the students on the Jr. Board of Directors the bank sponsors in our local high school are half my age. Yes, half. I said it, and it hurts. I'm getting old, which beats the alternative so I'll do my best to embrace it. That being said, I want to share some advice, tips, and insights I've gained over the years with Gen Y, Gen Z, iGen, and others coming along. People matter more than devices. New phones, computers, and other gadgets will continue to be released and evolve at the speed of light. Value your friends, your family, your mentors, and the people in your community because machines can only contribute so much to your life. TI > AI (true intelligence is greater than artificial intelligence). Be mindful of what you put on social media. The comments, posts, and pictures you share may not be as private as you think. Employers, colleges, and even peers may hold your past against you. Don't let your 17 year old self cost yo...

I have done a lot of observing over the past few years of my life.  Experience is a great teacher, but I believe that if I can learn from the experiences of others that I may be able to avoid some of the 'hard' lessons of life.  The lessons I've learned from watching others have certainly helped me grow and shaped some of my thoughts and beliefs.  A few of those have changed how I believed I could change the world and those thoughts are below. 1.  I used to believe that in order for me to change the world, I would need a fancy title or high ranking position.  I thought that I would have to become an executive officer, start a successful business, or make lots of money before I would have enough clout to influence those around me.  Guess what, the people I thought I needed that status to influence are often so set in their ways that nothing's going to change them.  Remember the saying, "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks." Through my current m...

Most athletes, or even us non-athletes who've played some sports, can sit around with our buddies and share stories of the biggest hits we've had or the best plays we've ever made.  We remember the good ole days whether it was Dixie Youth, Rec League, high school, or even backyard pickup games where we made some of our most amazing plays ever.  And for high school athletes looking to earn college scholarships, coaches will often go through hours of film to pull out the plays that showcase their player's talent, skill, and strength at its best.  Sportscenter has become famous for its daily top 10 plays.  We all like to see the highlights.   But the highlight reels that we often see leave something out.  They leave out our failures.  They leave out our grind that it took to develop the skills to make those big plays.  You don't just get up off the couch one day and decide you'll go play a sport or compete in an event at a high level.  It's...

This topic has been in my studies and on my mind for several weeks now.  I talked about it on Mother's Day at church with a friend who was party to some of the stories I could tell (don't worry I won't call you out here lol), had the pleasure of teaching it in Sunday School and even sharing with our older crowd at a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. It's a story that many of us have lived, admittedly or not, proudly or not, but nevertheless we have lived it.  It's a story of transformation and renewal.  If you ask people who know me about the 2018 John Gregory, they will likely tell you many good things.  I have a successful career, a happy family, well educated, kind, polite, and serve in various roles in an effort to give back to my community. But that wasn't always me.  Yes, I was one of the "good" kids in high school, college, and even shortly thereafter to some extent.  I never committed any major crimes and stayed out of trouble for the ...