Introduction and Mindset as Master Power
Taryell Simmons: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. Today we have a brother in the building who feels like family. The way he speaks and carries his insight reminds me of a modern-day James Baldwin. Mr. Ron Britton is in the house. Welcome, sir.
Ron Britton: I am doing great, my brother. I am truly honored to be on your podcast. It has been a long time coming, but the change has come.
Taryell Simmons: You have a foundational passage that sets the tone for your life and work. Could you share that with our listeners?
Ron Britton: This is from James Allen, one of my mentors I never met in person, from As a Man Thinketh: Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, and man is mind, and evermore he takes the tool of thought, and shaping what he wills, brings forth a thousand joys or a thousand ills. He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass; his environment is but his looking glass. As a man thinketh, so he becomes.
Taryell Simmons: What does that mean to you, and how has it shaped the man you have become?
Ron Britton: It reminds me that the human mind is master powerful and unlimited in its creativity. Whatever you can genuinely imagine, you can accomplish. Too often, we talk ourselves out of things instead of talking ourselves into them. You either operate in fear or in faith. Fear says you are not qualified; faith says you can do anything if you take practical steps. Conviction without effort is worthless. If you are persuaded about a vision, you must back it up with corrective effort.
Ron Britton: Faith and effort go hand in hand. The graveyard is the wealthiest place on earth for gifts and talents that were never developed. Countless people die with bestselling books, hit songs, brilliant plays, and masterpiece poems buried with them because they were too afraid to take action.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs and Cultivating the Mind
Taryell Simmons: That hits deep. When I worked with youth at the San Diego Workforce Partnership, helping young people from underserved communities and juvenile detention, I constantly encountered limiting beliefs. Even adults projected their own fears onto what those kids could achieve. How do people break out of that conditioning and tap into their gifts?
Ron Britton: You must recognize the difference between naysayers and faithsayers. Naysayers talk you out of your vision, while faithsayers—true mentors—talk you into it. To break free, change your circle and your environment. As James Allen wrote, your mind is like a garden: it will grow weeds or flowers. Weeds choke out seeds unless you prune them away.
Ron Britton: Surround yourself with voices that speak directly to your dream. For me, mentors like Napoleon Hill, Dr. Dennis Kimbrough, Dr. Cindy Trimm, Dr. Tony Evans, and Mike Murdock speak to my vision. Romans 12:2 says: “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” When negative talk introduces glitches into your thinking, you must delete, reboot, and update. Reading is the ultimate privilege because reading cultivates leadership.
Taryell Simmons: Reading is essential. Just three generations ago, our ancestors were legally prohibited from reading in this country. Speaking of books, you have authored several works. Where did that journey begin?
Ron Britton: My first book, published in 2010, was Man or Monster. It examines young boys and men, fathers and sons, relationships, and the penal system. I was working in an office, heard colleagues talking about a troubled youth, and the phrase “man or monster” struck me. A mentor heard the poem and told me, “I see a book, and I see a website.” That conversation changed my life. In 2011, I published Novelty Worth of Passion for Her, exploring relationships, love, and discernment. In 2017, I finished Dark Journey to Blackness, dedicated to our culture and our resilience through slavery and institutional oppression.
Navigating Systemic Injustice and Cultural Resilience
Taryell Simmons: In diversity, equity, and inclusion work, we address both mindset and systems. Historical systems were never engineered for Black excellence to flourish. When people are trapped in survival mode, reaching self-actualization is tough. Yet there is an enduring resilience. They tried to bury us, but they did not know we were seeds.
Ron Britton: That is the power of a seed. You can drop a seed on concrete, and the life inside that seed will break the concrete. Seeds reproduce after their own kind. Nobody can stop a vision that refuses to surrender permission. Too often, we give others permission to define us. I love who I am—Black, male, strong, intellectual, and a thinker. Don’t judge a book by its cover, because one day you may need that book.
Taryell Simmons: Why do so many of us give our power away, and how do you reclaim your authority?
Ron Britton: When I feel that battle, I pause and ask two questions: “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” To understand the purpose of a creation, you consult the creator. If you want to know how a car functions, you go to Ford or Toyota. When I want to know my purpose, I go directly to God.
Ron Britton: In 2000, while working as a factory machine operator, bored with routine, I wrote a poem called “Roboticillicistatisis” about feeling like a robot going through mundane motions. In 2005, while reading Stephen Covey, I felt challenged to write poetry again. An epiphany hit me: poetry is my voice. Ever since 2005, I have never stopped writing.
Taryell Simmons: That question is transformative. When I mentor youth in juvenile halls, I ask them that exact question: “Who are you?” When I was young, my father was incarcerated, and my Nigerian stepfather was a strong provider but emotionally distant. I turned to the streets seeking identity. My grandmother sat me down and asked, “At home you are joyful and funny. Why are you on the corner with angry young men? Who are you?” That question saved my life.
Ron Britton: Media bombards us with toxic programming. If you do not discover who you are, you assimilate into those images. You must learn from your past, work your present, and strategically plan your future with wisdom.
Preaching Truth Versus Cultivating Bondage
Ron Britton: Look at what happened in recent years: hundreds of gifted young rap artists were murdered. Their environments and mindsets destroyed them. I love rap, but when you rhyme, you are either preaching the gospel or preaching gossip. Preaching gossip glorifies violence and destructive stereotypes. Preaching the gospel speaks the truth about who we really are. Truth brings liberation; lies bring bondage. People trade their souls for short-term dollars.
Taryell Simmons: In the early nineties, hip-hop celebrated Black empowerment. Then corporate record labels partnered with the expansion of privatized prison systems. Amplifying destructive street narratives created a pipeline that kept those private facilities filled for profit.
Ron Britton: Exactly. We see the system at work. The solution is knowledge. You can be incarcerated in your body while free in your mind, or walk physically free while trapped in mental captivity. I choose freedom inside and out. Knowledge of self breaks the chains.
The DDI Framework: Discovery, Development, and Implementation
Taryell Simmons: Let us talk about your beginnings. People assume authors started with advantages. What was your very first job?
Ron Britton: In 1974, my first job was cleaning a school cafeteria. My first paycheck was ninety-six dollars. When I discovered poetry, it ignited a fire in me. I had survived trials, and writing became my outlet. I wrote on anything—paper scraps, cardboard, napkins. While working in a factory assembling banjos, I kept cardboard beside my machine so I could write verses between tasks.
Ron Britton: Through that journey, I formulated the DDI framework. The first D stands for Discovery: discover who you are and what your gifts are. The second D stands for Development: read books, seek mentors who hold you accountable, and sharpen your craft. The I stands for Implementation: execute a practical plan to release your gift. When you execute Discovery, Development, and Implementation, the outcome is Manifestation.
Taryell Simmons: Discovery, Development, Implementation, leading to Manifestation. You also served in the military and the justice system. How did those chapters shape your work?
Ron Britton: I am a proud Army veteran, and I also served as a juvenile detention officer. Those experiences inspired my upcoming book, The Memoirs of a Vet: Mind Wars, confronting PTSD and emotional triggers. Beyond prose, I am also an active lyricist with sixteen copyrighted songs and ten more in development.
Mastering Your Gift and Breaking Conditioned Limits
Taryell Simmons: What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?
Ron Britton: Connecting with your passion on assignment is the only thing that brings true satisfaction. Society constantly attempts to assimilate us into robotic cogs, demanding surrender like the Borg in science fiction. During slavery, oppressors forbid our ancestors from reading because literacy gave power to dismantle their control. Wisdom and understanding remain the principal things.
Taryell Simmons: What advice do you offer someone building a career as a writer, speaker, or creative mentor?
Ron Britton: Whatever your gift is, master it until you are an expert. Society compensates experts for what they know. In a job, you trade hours for dollars. When you cultivate specialized expertise, you gain leverage and solve substantial problems. If you solve small problems, you get small money; if you solve large problems, you get large money. Scripture says your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men.
Taryell Simmons: That reminds me of Steve Harvey’s flea illustration. A flea naturally has a thirty-six-inch vertical leap. Put that flea in a glass jar with a lid, and after repeatedly hitting its head, it conditions itself to jump only as high as the rim. Its offspring mimic that ceiling even after the lid is removed. Our communities must unlearn those artificial ceilings.
Ron Britton: It also mirrors the frog in warming water that stays comfortable until it boils to death. Outside conditioning limits our trajectory only if we accept it. When I enter juvenile halls, my mission is to renew minds so young men can break out of mental captivity. People often know their inherent worth, but they wither waiting for affirmation. Words shape thoughts, thoughts govern actions, and actions determine destiny.
Memoirs of a Vet and Healing Through Words
Taryell Simmons: How can listeners connect with your work, and what should they look out for next?
Ron Britton: Connect with my work through Megas Adelphos or reach out on LinkedIn. Look out for my upcoming book, The Memoirs of a Vet: Mind Wars. It addresses the psychological battles veterans face, especially Black servicemen who fought bravely abroad only to return home to systemic hostility. Our contributions were pivotal in every American conflict, and our healing must be prioritized.
Taryell Simmons: What final words of wisdom or spoken piece would you like to leave with our audience today?
Ron Britton: I want to close by reciting an excerpt from my piece titled “Semantics”: The semantics of others can inflict crippling wounds through indoctrinated pain. The potential of words can kill at will when permitted to penetrate the conscious walls of the mind, leading to cognitive strychnine poisoning that bleeds directly into the heart, producing emotional congestion and severing our capacity to walk in full liberty. Death and life reside in the power of the tongue. Be deliberate about what you release into the atmosphere. Your words can either destroy a community or bring revelation that rescues a generation from hopelessness. Choose to be a healing balm with your tongue to your community, your people, and yourself.
Taryell Simmons: Life and death are truly in the power of the tongue. Thank you, Ron Britton, for blessing Rise Urban Nation with your wisdom, your poetry, and your spirit today.
Ron Britton: Thank you, Taryell. The honor is entirely mine, my brother. Peace and blessings to you and the listeners.
