Who Gon Stop Me HUH??
Thirty miles. Five buses and a rapid. Everyday, for the next two years...
Baldwin Wallace University is located in Berea, Oh. The Cleveland Browns actually practice right behind the campus. I'll be attending this school in less than thirty days.
The campus is approximately 29.66 miles away from my front door step, and I don't plan on missing any days. I'll have to commute to school twice on Mondays and Tuesdays because I have a night class that starts at 6:00pm.
I've said all that to say, nothing will stop me from getting this Bachelor's degree. There will be zero excuses made.
I refuse to use the fact that I don't have a car right now to stop me from making this happen. I will gladly rise each morning at 4:30am, get myself and my son ready for the day, catch the two buses to get him to daycare, another bus to the rapid, and another bus to the BW campus. There is no other way right now. I'm doing what I have to do.
Today my pastor preached about stepping out. Before getting accepted to BW, I was already stepping out on faith by taking the advice of my mentor. She heard an ad on the radio as she was driving one day, about a program that BW offers called A2BW. It's a program that allows transfer students with an Associate's degree from a local community college to have a smooth transition to BW to earn their Bachelor's degree. I didn't hesitate to sign up. I didn't know how it all was going to fall into place, but I knew that somehow, it would.
Pastor Humphrey said that the conditions for stepping out will never be perfect. If you're waiting on for things to fall perfectly into place before you decide to take action, you'll probably be waiting forever. If I had waited until I paid off past debts, or waited until Ryan starts kindergarten, or until I had a car, I know I would have missed this opportunity to further my education.
Do I know how this daily commute is going to workout? No. But I trust that the Universe has not set all of this up just for its entertainment. I'm still not sure how I'm going to do this 30 mile commute, get my son back and forth from daycare, and still go to work part time. Mind you, I'll be doing all of this without a car.
I've heard many stories of how some super women have three kids, work two jobs, do hair on the weekends and still go to school. I never considered myself to be that type of woman. I can't picture how life is going to be with studying, working, building my Ladybug brand and being a mom. I've never had to do this much before in my life. However, the saying goes, "If you want to have the things you've never had, you're going to have to do the things you've never done." Am I fearful? No. Anxious? Not really. I'm up for the challenge. Some of the best rewards in life come from overcoming impossible obstacles, or surviving through unexpected struggles.
I want this degree with all of my being. Why? Because having a Bachelor's degree will afford me the opportunity to compete for and select a career where I can utilize my gifts and talents, and make a more comfortable life for myself and my son. I'm tired of living life half way. Do you ever just get tired of asking people for favors? Have you ever been super focused and determined to be independent and able to take care of yourself? How many of you want to be the lender and not the borrower? I'm ready to improve my skills and learn something new that will help me build The Ladybug Speaker LLC.
I'm ready to turn in my Ohio Direction card, and turn over my daycare voucher to the next single mother in need. I'm ready to go to the dealership, choose whatever I want, and not have to pray that a bank will finance me and bury me in interest rates. I'm ready to pay for my son's swimming lessons, music lessons, basketball camp and Montessori school all out of my own pocket. I'm ready to wear clothes from New York & Company to work everyday, instead of some horrible bright red button down shirt and sneakers. I'm ready to SHINE SISTAH SHINE!
No grind, no shine. If I don't work hard for the things I want, there will be no value, no glory, no appreciation. After it's all said I done, I'll have a testimony that will encourage the next student to pursue his or her dream no matter what. I will be able to say that my drive outweighed a dream. Dreams don't make themselves come true. It's going to take some action.
Whatever it is that you truly want to do, become or accomplish is just an action away. The thing is, you have to have a burning desire to obtain it. If there is a passion for it burning within you like lava ready to explode from a volcano, then NOTHING will keep you from going for it.
I know the benefits of not only a degree, but of the college experience in it's entirety. The people you meet, the internships, the networking, will all help mold me into a better person. I strive to be better everyday. I want to finally be in a career that is challenging, a career that makes me feel like I've made a difference in someones life. I don't feel that way bagging and scanning groceries. I need to walk in my purpose. I need to be speaking and writing and serving.
These next two years probably won't be easy. There will probably be days where I get frustrated, tired and lonely. There may be days where I can't see the finish line, and the race will become exhausting. There may even be days when I wished I would've never enrolled in school and just stayed at Marc's. But no matter how I feel temporarily, that burning flame never goes out. I may shed a few tears, have a loud conversation with God, and be angry, confused or sad, but I will never give up. I will never stop reaching for my goals. I will never stop following my dreams. I will never give up on myself.
I know full well that I have a purpose and I can't let go of my vision.
If I have to catch four or five buses from city to city, wake up at the butt crack of dawn, sacrifice going out to eat with friends and spend hours and hours on campus studying, that's what I'll do. I'll do what it takes to achieve my goals, excel and get ahead in life. I'll consecrate two years of my life in order to successfully set up the next 60 or so.
I'll continue to step up and step out, not waiting for the perfect conditions. I won't let myself get in the way of my success.
Will you?
Baldwin Wallace University is located in Berea, Oh. The Cleveland Browns actually practice right behind the campus. I'll be attending this school in less than thirty days.
The campus is approximately 29.66 miles away from my front door step, and I don't plan on missing any days. I'll have to commute to school twice on Mondays and Tuesdays because I have a night class that starts at 6:00pm.
I've said all that to say, nothing will stop me from getting this Bachelor's degree. There will be zero excuses made.
I refuse to use the fact that I don't have a car right now to stop me from making this happen. I will gladly rise each morning at 4:30am, get myself and my son ready for the day, catch the two buses to get him to daycare, another bus to the rapid, and another bus to the BW campus. There is no other way right now. I'm doing what I have to do.
Today my pastor preached about stepping out. Before getting accepted to BW, I was already stepping out on faith by taking the advice of my mentor. She heard an ad on the radio as she was driving one day, about a program that BW offers called A2BW. It's a program that allows transfer students with an Associate's degree from a local community college to have a smooth transition to BW to earn their Bachelor's degree. I didn't hesitate to sign up. I didn't know how it all was going to fall into place, but I knew that somehow, it would.
Pastor Humphrey said that the conditions for stepping out will never be perfect. If you're waiting on for things to fall perfectly into place before you decide to take action, you'll probably be waiting forever. If I had waited until I paid off past debts, or waited until Ryan starts kindergarten, or until I had a car, I know I would have missed this opportunity to further my education.
Do I know how this daily commute is going to workout? No. But I trust that the Universe has not set all of this up just for its entertainment. I'm still not sure how I'm going to do this 30 mile commute, get my son back and forth from daycare, and still go to work part time. Mind you, I'll be doing all of this without a car.
I've heard many stories of how some super women have three kids, work two jobs, do hair on the weekends and still go to school. I never considered myself to be that type of woman. I can't picture how life is going to be with studying, working, building my Ladybug brand and being a mom. I've never had to do this much before in my life. However, the saying goes, "If you want to have the things you've never had, you're going to have to do the things you've never done." Am I fearful? No. Anxious? Not really. I'm up for the challenge. Some of the best rewards in life come from overcoming impossible obstacles, or surviving through unexpected struggles.
I want this degree with all of my being. Why? Because having a Bachelor's degree will afford me the opportunity to compete for and select a career where I can utilize my gifts and talents, and make a more comfortable life for myself and my son. I'm tired of living life half way. Do you ever just get tired of asking people for favors? Have you ever been super focused and determined to be independent and able to take care of yourself? How many of you want to be the lender and not the borrower? I'm ready to improve my skills and learn something new that will help me build The Ladybug Speaker LLC.
I'm ready to turn in my Ohio Direction card, and turn over my daycare voucher to the next single mother in need. I'm ready to go to the dealership, choose whatever I want, and not have to pray that a bank will finance me and bury me in interest rates. I'm ready to pay for my son's swimming lessons, music lessons, basketball camp and Montessori school all out of my own pocket. I'm ready to wear clothes from New York & Company to work everyday, instead of some horrible bright red button down shirt and sneakers. I'm ready to SHINE SISTAH SHINE!
No grind, no shine. If I don't work hard for the things I want, there will be no value, no glory, no appreciation. After it's all said I done, I'll have a testimony that will encourage the next student to pursue his or her dream no matter what. I will be able to say that my drive outweighed a dream. Dreams don't make themselves come true. It's going to take some action.
Whatever it is that you truly want to do, become or accomplish is just an action away. The thing is, you have to have a burning desire to obtain it. If there is a passion for it burning within you like lava ready to explode from a volcano, then NOTHING will keep you from going for it.
I know the benefits of not only a degree, but of the college experience in it's entirety. The people you meet, the internships, the networking, will all help mold me into a better person. I strive to be better everyday. I want to finally be in a career that is challenging, a career that makes me feel like I've made a difference in someones life. I don't feel that way bagging and scanning groceries. I need to walk in my purpose. I need to be speaking and writing and serving.
These next two years probably won't be easy. There will probably be days where I get frustrated, tired and lonely. There may be days where I can't see the finish line, and the race will become exhausting. There may even be days when I wished I would've never enrolled in school and just stayed at Marc's. But no matter how I feel temporarily, that burning flame never goes out. I may shed a few tears, have a loud conversation with God, and be angry, confused or sad, but I will never give up. I will never stop reaching for my goals. I will never stop following my dreams. I will never give up on myself.
I know full well that I have a purpose and I can't let go of my vision.
If I have to catch four or five buses from city to city, wake up at the butt crack of dawn, sacrifice going out to eat with friends and spend hours and hours on campus studying, that's what I'll do. I'll do what it takes to achieve my goals, excel and get ahead in life. I'll consecrate two years of my life in order to successfully set up the next 60 or so.
I'll continue to step up and step out, not waiting for the perfect conditions. I won't let myself get in the way of my success.
Will you?
May God continue to bless you. This was such an inspirational and motivating blog post. Just remember that you are blessed and highly favored. Like Les Brown says "if it is hard then do it hard". Eric Thomas says "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful". Much peace, love, and joy flowing your way!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian! Loving this encouragement!
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