by Kobby Obiri-Mainoo

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 22, 2009

Remember when you were young and you wanted to be a Doctor? An Astronaut? A Pilot or an Architect? And of course the almighty President of the United States? Remember when you could look into the sky and imagined that everything was possible because Mommy and Daddy said so? Their constant chastisement for your seemingly disinterest in your work as you sulkily said you can't do it. "You can do anything you want, child"

So now as you look around you, 25 years old, college drop out, fitting all the stereotypes of a loser, working at some fast food joint. A person without any goals, a person without any future, just living in the minute and loving every second of it. And yet you sometimes feel lonely as you stare into the skies, watching the clouds slowly going by, the birds flying freely and you take a big sigh. "A Doctor, a pilot, an Astronaut, the president of the Almighty United States", what the heck was I thinking about! Then all of a sudden, your mother's words run through your mind, "get up honey, it's time to study.", "Honey, did you study yet?", "Baby, when are you going to finish your homework?" Remember your response 99% of those times? "I can't do it Mom!" It's too hard!

Then your mother bent down to your level, gently grabbed your hand with a gentle squeeze. She looked straight at you and with a smile on her face, almost as if she was revealing some important secret to you, she said "You can do anything child. You can do whatever you set your mind to do. You go accomplish any task you seek to conquer. You can do it!" You smiled back and went to your studies, determined to get that gold star from the teacher. Do you think your Mom was wrong? Do you think she lied to you? Why aren't you a Doctor? Why aren't you a Pilot? The freaking president of the United States! Why not?

Hmm. Okay then. Remember when Lil' Bow Wow became the center of your world? You couldn't wait to turn the TV on to see the newest music video featuring that hot boy, put a name here because realistically, you thought every boy on that channel was hot. Your mind started being filled with things other than your studies. Your attention was now on chatting on-line, chatting on the cell-phone that you spent half of your paycheck on and oh yes, and the Friday night clubbing.

I am here to tell you that you CAN accomplish anything you set your mind to. It is not going to be easy. The difference between you as a child and you as an adult is that you realize that life is not easy. You have to work hard to get what you want. You need to demand perfection from yourself. YOU CAN DO IT! It's easier said than done, I know but it's not too late to go back to school. It's not too late to start respecting yourself. It's not too late to become the person you want to be. Remember that cute little girl being asked what she wanted to be when she grew up? A Pilot, an Astronaut, an Architect and the freaking President of the United States.

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