Life is full of trials and tribulations, alongside numerous factors designed to cause a person to deviate from themselves and their destiny. There are times in life when people wonder if they belong. I am here to tell you, yes, you do! Do not diminish your opportunity because anyone could have gotten it, but it was you because you earned it. Often, in life, we confuse ourselves with the moment and forget about the work we put in to have that moment. When our presence is in the building, make it count because we deserve to be there, and we are valuable. Always know your self-worth. A quote by Kobe Bryant reads, “We psych ourselves up too much. Like if you try to talk yourself into, ‘Oh, this is a big moment, this is a big shot,’ you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself. You shot that shot hundreds and thousands of times. Just shoot another one.” The quote reassures my point of confusing our work with the moment itself. It’s a necessity to take in and embrace our moment, but don’t diminish our work because it feels unbelievable. I am here to tell you it is not unbelievable because the day you were born, you were blessed with the gift of life to make a name for yourself and believe in yourself. Nothing is impossible if you put the work in for it. People doubted my dreams and aspirations in life because to the public, it seemed far-fetched or because of my background. It hurt at first, but I am the same person who got stronger from it and went out and built up my resume, built his journalism skills, and is now the leader and visionary in my current position as a sports editor. It is easy to throw in the towel, but how can the individual grow from that? A well-used statement is I am scared to fail. The response is that failure can’t last forever because you are more powerful than you give yourself credit for. It is alright to get told no 50 times, but when yes happens, remember you’ve been in the storm, and your work ethic showed in the end. It is okay for people to doubt, but it is never acceptable to make yourself feel inferior among individuals because we are all in this together. To clarify, you have dreams, goals, and milestones because you believe in yourself. One may ask how to overcome these obstacles and get better. The response to that question is to self-invest. If nobody gives you the time of the day, you better give yourself the time. Furthermore, anywhere you go, you walk -with confidence and self-esteem because nobody can do you and know you like you. Never diminish your accomplishment because nobody can take it away that you earned it. You don’t have to be on the dean’s list, favored, or in a prestigious organization. It is all about being yourself through life, holding yourself up to a high standard, and having the drive to get up and say, I’m going to get better. I am guilty sometimes of not embracing a moment, but I must stop myself and say, “You did this, You Belong, and You are somebody.” We are all extraordinary, powerful, and inspiring. A call to action for everyone is to be yourself and know you are somebody who will be a pioneer for whichever area in life you are destined to be. The motto Southern University lives by is, “We are the Standard.” The same applies to each one of us.
