After all these years, I finally realized that sometimes the greatest gift that God gives us is OUR STORY. It is through His grace and our perseverance through the toughest of times that we are awakened to our true gifts. My name is Jermaine E. Martin and "American Mindset: Unstuck & Unstoppable" is my story.
From the very beginning of this crazy dance with life, my grandmother used to tell me that there is a blessing hidden in every trial in life, but you have to be willing to open your heart and mind to see it. For a little black boy that was born and raised in the 1970's by a single mother in one of the roughest public housing projects in Washington, D.C., those blessings were sometimes not so easy to see. Drug dealers on the corner, drunk deadbeat fathers hanging out in front of liquor stores, stolen cars burning in trash covered alleys, and kids having the time of their lives jumping up and down on filthy, stained mattresses left on the side of a trash dumpster —this was life in "the projects" and that black boy was me.
"American Mindset: Unstuck & Unstoppable" chronicles my unwavering fight to transcend and build upon that life. This is a real life journey of a boy born into struggle, but through God's grace, develops an unwavering mindset. One that sees and seizes hidden opportunities that are in front of him and uses those opportunities to become who he was meant to be. A mindset that finds peace when circumstances work against him, a mindset that seeks joy to provide the strength to keep pushing, and a mindset that maintains faith when nothing else works.
Throughout this inspiring real life story, the audience will witness up close, the strength and resilience of the human spirit, as the commitment to my journey is constantly tested by the harsh realities of life. In order to push forward, "Great things never come from comfort zones!" becomes my battle cry. As that boy from the projects grows to become a man, he will realize that true success is often born out of hardships and struggles. It will be revealed that every battle was equipping him with everything he needed to step into his greatness. At the heart of this memoir is the hope filled message that there is something to be gained from all of life's battles.