Prologue

In life, we all face certain barriers to success. These barriers are walls that stand between us and our next level of growth. My father taught me that, if you look hard enough, you will see that there are always cracks (weak points) in the wall. The goal is to persist in finding those cracks in the wall and pressing our way through them. We can’t accept the notion that a wall has no cracks. Nor can we make excuses or blame others for the walls. We must make every effort to breach them. I’ve carried this advice in my heart all my life. Throughout my journey, I’ve come to understand more about these walls, and the people on either side of them. On one side of the wall, there are Hidden Gems. Underprivileged, disadvantaged individuals, facing tough situations with tenacity and perseverance but obscured by their circumstances or the preconceived stigma surrounding it. On the other side of the wall, there are Gem Seekers, successful individuals that are blessed with the ability to dig deeper and seek out the potential that lies beyond the surface of these Hidden Gems’ perceived lack of aptitude, in part, due to their impoverished circumstances. The walls can appear overwhelming with oppressive forces. But thank goodness these walls are not insurmountable; there are always cracks in the wall. This is an uplifting, motivational and inspirational book by a Hidden Gem who was raised by an elderly father in the South during the 1960's, and became a Gem Seeker. Ronnie overcame extreme poverty, homelessness, and illiteracy, and achieved success as an engineer, vice president of a Fortune 100 company and philanthropist. The lessons in this book are cross-racial, cross-generational, and are relevant to both ends of the socio-economic spectrum with its simple, powerful message:

REACH THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THE WALLS THAT DIVIDES US.