Surrounded by the Dallas Housing Project, this 12-year-old guy pictured here wearing his favorite brown sweater had to overcome a few struggles early-on in his young life. Poverty, drugs and violence was common-place and being ready to defend himself against would-be attackers, drug-dealers and neighborhood bullies was the norm.
Nevertheless in spite of it all, this little guy was still able to maintain his big, toothy signature smile. At least on the outside that is, but, on the inside he considered himself at somewhat of a disadvantage because of his struggles in his life as compared to others who did not have to endure the same.
Never did he consider himself to be the cutest, smartest, biggest, strongest or fastest in his group but pleasing people and making others smile was something that gave him the necessary drive and energy to get him through the day.
His daily situations and circumstances caused him to also struggle in the mental area of questioning whether or not big things were possible for him. He had big goals and dreams but his outside environment was putting a significant strain on his belief in those big goals and dreams.
But the good news is that this little guy didn’t stay little for long. As we all must do eventually one day, he grew up to become a man. Over the years of his development he started to pick up little positive tools, and small tips and techniques and takeaways. He started to engage in the practice of reading good books about overcoming struggle and listening to good speakers talking about what it takes to extricate oneself from “stinking thinking”.
He started to attend and participate in different events that were designed to make him better in everyway. And, most importantly he started to hang around positive people who were dream-driven, passion-pursuing, goal-getters on a mission to better themselves.
As a result, he started to adopt some new philosophies and principles that helped him to see and believe that his stress, strain, struggle and pain as a youth was not a disadvantage at all. But to the contrary, it was an advantage that was equipping him and setting him up to be the guy he needed to be to succeed in a big way by overcoming the struggles of his life that he would have to face as an adult.
This new-found philosophy set him on a course that would ultimately lead him to making those goals and dreams of his come true, and now his life’s mission and passion is to help others find their life’s mission and passion and to Make it GREAT!
No, special he is not, but similar he is to so many who have had to endure and overcome hardships and he’s here today to say that his story is definitely one of “You Can Too…” Yes my friends far and near please lend an ear and understand that it’s not where you come from that’s most important, it’s where you’re going that rules the day.
He would like to encourage you today to set your course to where you want to be and what you want to see and leverage your checkered past of struggle and strain and be prepared to overcome and endure until you WIN. And never forget to Make it GREAT!!!
Oh, by the way that little 12-year-old boy was me. 😉
Make your weekend GREAT!!!
