We recently connected with Sylvester Long and have shared our conversation below.
Sylvester, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I would say the most meaningful project I have worked on was my very first book titled “Out of Pain, Into Purpose”. It is something that I will forever be proud of. I’ve always wanted to write a book, but I never knew what to write or how to start. All I knew was that I wanted to share my testimony to people.
For a long time, the word “purpose” was engrained in my head, and I never knew why. It was just one word that stuck with me. My mom always told me that God will allow certain experiences to occur for a reason. It was to shape and mold us, and not to tear us down. There was a purpose behind it.
It was not until college and post-college where I finally understood why. It began to sink in. In the couple of years after my undergraduate career, I was really thinking about the process of writing my book. I had to just start by writing my thoughts down on paper. Starting from my days of being bullied to dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues, I wanted to lay it all out there for the most part.
It was long process but it was worth it in the end. God gave me the title for it. After reading through my thoughts and dividing it into chapters, a theme occurred: it was about how I got from out of that pain and into what God had for me and what He showed me. From what I experienced in terms of pain into what God turned into my biggest blessing. From out of my pain, and into my purpose. I released my book in December 2020 on Amazon.
Now fast forward 4 years later, I am working on my second book while still navigating through the journey of being a first-time author. I am open to any and opportunities to be able to share my book and testimony with people, as long as God sees fit!
Sylvester, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am from Columbus, Georgia, born and raised. I was there my entire life. Honestly, I feel that I come from a town where while it was considered one of the biggest cities in the state, it definitely was a small town at the same time. In saying that, it seemed like everyone was trying to find their path and find their purpose instead of just being a number or being a statistic. In my opinion, I felt like there wasn’t’ much to offer. I did my very best to create and cultivate as much opportunities as possible. I even stayed in my hometown to go to college (undergrad).
In that time, I always loved encouraging others and helping others see things differently. It was something that I enjoyed doing. In all honesty, that is where my purpose started, in doses bit by bit. At the time, I didn’t understand. My grandfather was a pastor and bishop. I admired him and wanted to be like him in so many ways. His care and love for people was top notch. His love for God was second to none. He passed away in February 2015. A year later, that is when I started my journey of public speaking. Whether it was going to different schools in the area, speaking to young black men on campus, etc, God always found a way for me to use my purpose to glorify Him and His Kingdom.
On top of my speaking, I am a podcast co-host and a musician. I find ways to utilize my gifts for the betterment of the Kingdom of God. Now I have been living in Miami for 2 years. And while this has not been an easy transition for me, I use it as a chance to get closer to God and grow as a professional, as a man, and most importantly, as a Man of God. I currently work at FIU in Athletics as Assistant Director of Ticket Operations. In doing so, I am also able to use my gift to work with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on campus, leading huddles with the baseball team. I love it! It has been a joy to help foster a community of believers and create more leaders for Christ.
What sets me apart from others is the fact that I have such a big heart to give to others, and I don’t ask for anything in return. I tend to do things out of love, because I know that’s what Jesus would do. I always ask “What would Jesus do”?.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
During my graduate school career from 2019-2021, I knew that it was not going to be easy. I knew that graduate school was not a cake walk. What I did not expect was the toll that it would take on me while working full-time. I had sleepless nights, up doing homework. In all of the classes that I took, there were 2 classes that really tested my patience and resilience. Those classes were Business of Global Sporting Events and Capstone. I took these classes during my final semester of grad school.
I never took a capstone class before. I only heard about it through other friends and classmates who took it during undergrad. I was not sure what to expect. The first half of my Capstone class required a lot of time to research my topic. It was a stressful semester because of the endless hours of research on my capstone topic as well as the assignments from Global sports. Along with this, I was dealing with personal issues in the midst. I had so much trouble in that class. No matter how hard I tried to meet certain deadlines, it was obvious to me and my professor that I was not understanding the instructions. My dyslexia problems were even trying to get to me. It got so difficult to the point where I cried about it. I emailed my professor to set up a meeting to explain about my struggles. He told me that I may not have a clear direction go where I wanted to go with my topic, which seemed to be the case for me. As it got close to the end, I struggled even more.
I contemplated withdrawing from the class. My professor understood and informed me that I will have to talk to the program director to let her know if I decide to. So I spoke to her about it, and she was very empathetic and willing to assist me. I also reached out to financial aid to see the process of withdrawing. With the way it was set up, I could not withdraw easily without having to pay back some money, and I was not in a position financially to do that. I wanted to start fresh the next semester when I was in a better headspace.
All of a sudden, I heard a voice speak to me at that moment. It was not just any random voice though; it was God. He reminded me of a specific scripture and placed it on my heart. It was 2 Chronicles 15:7, which says “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded” (KJV). Once I read this, I started to look at this obstacle as His way of reminding me that He knows how bad I wanted to finish my degree, and God was not going to give up on me. He didn’t want me to give up on myself. So, I changed my mind and decided to finish the last month strong.
In the end, I passed my project and the class with a high B, which is the grade I needed to pass any graduate level course in my degree. While it was the lowest grade I received out of my classes, I still chose to finish strong with God on my side.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the impact I can have on someone. You never know whose life you can chance by your words, your art, your music, etc. At the end of the day, we all have a gift, and that gift should be shared. We have a testimony. The first word you see in “testimony” is T-E-S-T. We all go through tests in our lives. It is all about how you are able to get through those tests.
I told myself that if I can help just one person, then that means I am doing something right. All it takes is just helping one person, no matter who it is. It makes me feel good whenever I am able to help someone the best that I can. All I can say is “Thank you Lord”. He’s given me the gifts to do so, and I intend on being purposeful with my gifts for the good.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Into-Purpose-Sylvester-Long/dp/B08TZMKFC2/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-hhR3pFJkkusa-33d0GyPpwaz2VZnB4p308RH5XWK_93kEWoB7r_JwSH6kicUSAmH3D-iAOiWTwZSOC8oF0f7F3Z8xAlvxE1yBn8Rpz3zq1L_z4Kcjr-XAHGunlngm8PWkGNQbfIaID9RbuESWFIgKewCBT7IUJbu8V3omw0hb7FLMvLO75Rn5tPRvc-8Af8Royl2XpOFIi79vaQ_Mvpnh5oTapuTIipr2qnBXzHqgc.JjvqUbEzbsyT5cgJKmP1UjMRf01_vwkMqBkYXFX-xhU&qid=1735617456&sr=8-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outofpainintopurpose/ & https://www.instagram.com/anointed_blackkingdrummer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outofpainintopurpose
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvester-long-jr-mps-04b8997b/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/purposedpain
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0VM8jVKDFwV1Z30GCi4frg
- Other: Podcast: https://beacons.ai/thepurposefuljourneypodcast?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2wO3Fygik7KmiOGLHexzFATmsPwDJP-1_oSupvxiCncy5MGbCHlQrvoQ8_aem_nBb7Dfn0Txcj1e2w5W1jbA
