Meet Khalil Barksdale

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Khalil Barksdale. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Khalil, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

From the moment I was born into the world I’ve had to stare in the face of some of the worst aspects of human nature and the world alike. For over two decades I’ve had to bear the weight of; abuse, abandonment, alienation, depression, discrimination, separation, exploitation, and even extortion. All of which, not only exposed me to the raw reality of life at a young age but it helped me peer into the depths of who God made me to be. On the days I’ve had nothing and no one, it was because of my faith in God that morphed me into a man that could, with every adversity, overcome the darkest parts of this world and even myself. The mirror that the Lord has shown me allowed me to understand he made me be a; lover, leader, empathizer, motivator, innovator, mediator, philosopher….etc. All starting with a prayer to the lord, coming from a young child with a soul full of agony to one day become a beacon of peace, love, and joy for everyone.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Currently, I am a Biology Pre-Medicine major at Jackson State University and currently serve as Vice President for the Men of Excellence(MOX). Post graduation, I aspire to graduate from medical school, becoming a trauma surgeon while getting my PH.D in medical philosophy and one day opening my own innovative hospital. I have many other hobbies that I plan to incorporate in businesses that are within the fields of art, mechanics, and construction as well. As of right now I’m closer than ever to launching my business, “Don did it: Automotives”. It’s currently centered around providing automotive enhancements and automotive maintenance, with roadside assistance being available in the future.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Be genuine in every facet, whether it may be kindness, integrity, assistance…etc. Being genuine can create or solidify any relationship that you may encounter. This means you also have to embrace being genuine to yourself as well. That will help with the process of learning who you are and what you’re meant to do. In addition, it assists with adversity and allowing yourself to evolve with every experience.

See life in every color and frequency it’s born in. This means to have under control a multifaceted prospective. This will assist with many aspects of mental, emotional, and social health. This is what allowed me have and give grace, confidence, and wisdom to myself and others around me. If it is in your desires to be an innovator, visionary, or even acquire a sense self identity it is important to cultivate this skill.

Be malleable. Being malleable allows you to dissolve the ceiling on your potential and growth. Understand that limitations are inevitable but so is evolution. I’ve been able to equip myself with a multifaceted bank of wisdom that I use to not only help me navigate through life but to help others around me as well. You’ll also be able to connect with different people of varying walks of life that will feed your well of wisdom and wellness. Life shows no mercy in recreating life around us at any given moment, give yourself a fighting chance to evolve beyond it while healing any scars it may cause along the way.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Knowing that I started out with nothing and demand a lot out of life I’ve grown accustomed to the feeling of being overwhelmed. Once I recognize the familiar feeling I take a moment to understand my position and my direction. Once I’ve done that I plan everything out in a path of least resistance, while not compromising the level of work I must reach to complete all of my goals. Once this is complete I do something that brings me joy so I can then take on my objective with a more free and uplifted spirit. I also passively live by a quote I created, “The concept of impossible only exists within the realm of your own understanding”.(Barksdale 2019) This allows me to overcome the suffocating feeling of being worried about the unfamiliarity of how the course of events are at the moment and how they will unfold.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Thereal.prodigy