Al Bala

With Conceição Jorge - Vida Saudável – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

There is a space inside every one of us…
A place no success can satisfy.
No money can secure.
No recognition can fulfill.

Blaise Pascal called it “a God-shaped vacuum.”
And he was right.

Because you can have the car…
the money…
the applause…
the influence…

…and still feel empty.

Why? Because you weren’t created for things.
You were created for Him. Until God fills that space,
everything else is just a temporary substitute.

✨ Success without God is still emptiness.
✨ Achievement without purpose is still wandering.
✨ Possession without connection is still lacking.

But when God is at the center…Everything changes.

You don’t just live…
You become aligned.
You become grounded.
You become whole.

Nothing in this world can take His place.
And once you understand that…
you stop chasing—and start living.

🎉 Birthday Tribute to Olivier Bala

Today we celebrate not just a birthday…but a life of calling, conviction, and consistency.
Happy Birthday to my brother, Olivier Bala ,born March 23, 1962…and born with a purpose that was clear even from the early days.

From our teenage years in Senegal,
I watched you walk a path that very few have the courage to follow.
While many were still searching…
you already knew.
👉 You were called to serve.
👉 You were called to lead.
👉 You were called to shepherd others.

And you’ve honored that calling faithfully as the Senior Pastor of
Hope Community Baptist Church in Providence.
Through every season…
you’ve remained grounded in your faith,steady in your leadership,
and humble in your walk.

We’ve always been the three musketeers, you, Robert, and me.
But you’ve always carried a special role among us…
the spiritual anchor,
the steady voice,
the one who reminds us what truly matters.

And then… over the last six years…
you showed us something else:
That it’s never too late to challenge yourself at a whole new level.
Training.
Discipline.
Sacrifice.
Two Boston Marathons completed…
and now preparing for another in 2026…..That’s not just physical strength, that’s mental toughness and spiritual endurance.

You inspire me not only as a brother…
but as a father to Christine and Kelsey,as a son who honored our mother so beautifully, and as a man who continues to grow, evolve, and lead by example.

I am proud of you….I respect you.
And I thank God for you.

Here’s to many more miles…
in life, in faith, and on the road ahead.

Happy Birthday, my brother. ❤️

https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/6994847

A Father’s Moment of Pride

Tonight , as I watched the premiere of Rooster on HBO starring Steve Carell, I felt something far deeper than excitement about a new comedy series.

I felt the quiet pride of a father watching his son’s dream come to life.For the past ten years, my son Alain Bala has been walking the long and uncertain road of becoming a writer in Hollywood. Anyone who understands that world knows it is not a straight line. It is filled with rejection, rewrites, waiting, and constant tests of belief.
His first breakthrough came when he worked on the HBO Max animated series The Prince, which earned him admission into the Writers Guild of America , a milestone many writers spend years chasing.
But the journey also had its valleys.
Two years ago, during the Hollywood writers’ strike, Alain came back home to Boston. The industry had shut down, projects were paused, and like many creative people he found himself in a season of uncertainty.

Yet that difficult moment turned into something deeply meaningful for both of us.During that year at home, Alain and I worked side by side on my book The Motivation Equation. What began as a writing collaboration became something much deeper — a father and son sharing ideas, stories, and lessons about life.

Throughout my life, I have always held close a principle from one of my favorite books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho:
“The night is always darkest just before the dawn.”….. I have lived by that idea for many years.And in that difficult season, I watched my son live it too.
Then came tonight…..
Seeing Alain’s name appear on screen as Executive Story Editor with his childhood friend and writing partner Tom McDonald for Rooster was one of those moments every parent treasures , not because of the credit itself, but because of what it represents….. A decade of perseverance. The courage to stay committed to a calling.�The willingness to walk through the dark nights that come before the dawn.

The greatest joys in life is realizing that the principles that guided your own journey are now being carried forward by the next generation.

Alain stayed in the arena, He kept writing, He kept learning, He kept believing.
And today he is part of an extraordinary creative team bringing stories to life for audiences around the world.

I couldn’t be more proud of the man he has become………Congratulations, Alain.
The dawn has arrived — and this is only the beginning…. The Best is yet to come !

Proud Dad