He’s fulfilling vision with Community Works
“In 2018 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They were talking about surgery. Then two days before Thanksgiving, my doctor called. He said, ‘The team working on your case looked at your scan from three days ago, and your tumor has shrunk to half the size. So you don’t need surgery. Happy Thanksgiving.’ It felt like one of those miracle things. It was the ultimate thankful moment.
“But at one point in the process, while I was laying in this tube getting an MRI, my life kind of flashed before my eyes: my wife, my children, all of that. I was thinking about all the things I wanted to do, all the visions I wanted to bring to fruition. And I hear this voice say, ‘Why not you?’ I had always given myself reasons why I couldn’t do certain things: I don’t have enough money, or I haven’t finished my degree yet. But this voice just kept saying, ‘Why not you?’
“I’ve always wanted to be a motivational speaker. So I started a motivatational speaking business. My banner statement is, ‘Why not you?’ Prior to COVID hitting, I was going around to schools, organizations, businesses, and encouraging people to capitalize on the power of you. Stop telling yourself all the reasons you can’t do something, and start telling yourself all the reasons you can.
“I really took that to heart when I launched Community Works this summer. The organization comes from the idea of people coming together and working toward one common cause. Our main focuses are mentorship, education, advocacy and youth enrichment. Through various activities, I want to bring more awareness to the power of unity. I want to reach across cultural lines, age lines, political lines — all aspects of our community. I want to remove barriers and see people working together.
“It may be a lofty idea. I know there’s no such thing as a utopian society, because you can’t make everyone happy. But if we can work hard to make everyone feel included, then we’ve achieved one of our goals. At their core, people are good. But when there’s no opportunity to show your goodness, then you’ll never see it. I’m all about finding those opportunities.”
— Sherman Gray III
Sherman’s tumor was benign, and he’s doing well today.
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