Everything in life has a price. Every ambition, goal, aspiration, or anything you want to achieve in life, there is a price for it. Through my life and my experiences, I’ve learned you just have to keep your head down and keep working. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” You can never beat a man who doesn’t quit or give up. There are times of adversity, and there are times of having to be patient. There are also times of having to be more patient, there are times where you have to deal with hate/jealousy, there are times where you have to make sacrifices whether it is financially, socially, or whatever the case may be. Everyone has to go through challenges to reach their destinations, I believe they are necessary. I look at it as God just preparing me for the man/athlete he wants me to be. Michael Jordan said, “In life there will be roadblocks, I’ve had them, everyone has, but obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall don’t turn around and give up, figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

            I’ve learned at the end of the day, the only person that you can control is yourself. You can’t control how others see you nor can you change the way people are. The only thing you can do is control how you go about your day and ask yourself ‘did I get better’ or ‘who did I impact today’. I believe it is important to always try to encourage and lift up other people around you. People have different motivations, if you know what theirs’ are, use that to fuel them to keep going when you see them wanting to give up or not willing to make those sacrifices. I think in life it is vital to realize what is important and what is not so important and focus your attention on the things that are. I’ve learned too it is important to keep solid people around you and have people who will push you even if it feels uncomfortable. Nothing good happens in complacency or feeling of comfort. I hope whoever is reading this, if you have a dream or goal you want to accomplish, don’t let life or other people cause you to give up. Let the adversity mold you, and motivate you, use it to your advantage and most importantly always, always, always PRAY and have Faith. Just because you can’t see or hear God, doesn’t mean He doesn’t see or hear you.

-Jeremiah 29:11