12 CityLight.org
march 2012
B
orn in Grand Rapids, and raised in
Detroit, Michigan, Henry Flowers IV
is a husband and father of five, a profes-
sional speaker, singer, and life coach. Or-
dained into the ministry on July 18, 2001,
Henry has since followed a calling to share
his message to listeners around the world
as well as in the church. Through his own
powerful life story and experience, he in-
spires us all to pursue excellence in every
area of life.
In 2008, Henry was one of ten speakers
from around the world to compete for
Toastmasters International, World Cham-
pionship of Public Speaking, which was
held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Prepare your minds to be enlightened, your
hearts to be enriched, and your lives to be
empowered by "The Motown Motivator"
Henry Flowers IV.
My FIrst tIMe
Tapping Into the Power of Encouragement
by Henry Flowers
I
have very good vision. When I look
into the mirror, I can see that the size
and shape of my head is...well...unique. I
walked into first grade classroom for the
first time and they could see it too. From
across the room I hear..."hey look every-
body, it's Mr. Potato Head!" "Hammer
head, hammer head!" "hey, is that your
head or are you wearing a watermelon?"
Finally a teacher stepped in. "Don't worry
about it young man; your body will catch
up with your head one day. If not you can
always join the circus!" My friend, it took
me eighteen long years to realize that there
was something missing from my life. It
was something as simple as... encourage-
ment. By the time I was eighteen years old
I had lived with twelve different relatives, in
twelve different houses; and I was the con-
stant focus of ridicule. I felt unwanted...
worthless. I didn't even believe the Navy
wanted me. But there I was, standing in
formation in bell-bottoms and a bowl cap.
There were hundreds sailors standing in
flawless formation. A group of five sailors
marched in front, and then they turned and
faced us all. The two on the ends were spin-
ning their rifles with perfect precision. The
three in the middle were holding their flags
with pride. The air was electric! You could
Henry
FLoWers
"The Motown Motivator"