“You’ve got to dream like you’ve never seen obstacles”

Jermaine Cole, known as J. Cole, rapped these words in his song titled “The Autograph.”  This quote is very inspirational and powerful because fear is ultimately what tackles the young generation today.  We tend to not have dreams because of the possibility of not reaching them.  We escape the journey to obtaining success because we’re afraid of losing the game.  When it all boils down to it, no one wants to lose so instead they just forfeit and never play the game at all.

Being a college student success seems just an arm length away, yet impossible to grasp at the same time.  The fear that always shadows success is the possibility of not reaching our dreams.  In a nutshell, the fear of failure continues to hunt us, as Americans and humans. I myself tend to have doubts and uncertainty in reaching my goals.  I find myself questioning, “Sure, I have goals, however doesn’t everyone?” I recollect asking my mother, “Did you capture all your dreams?” Her witty response was, “all I ever wanted was a husband and family.” Maybe this is true and in that case she has been successful.  However, I find myself wondering if this is all she has always yearned for as a child.  I, at 18, have dreams that can sell out the Dallas Cowboy’s stadium within minutes! These goals range from traveling to poverty stricken countries and aiding in making their lives better to being a CEO of a top business corporation known around the world. Along with opening many fast food franchise restaurants in several states across the United States and beginning a lupus foundation in my hometown in memory of my sister who lost her battle to the horrible disease five years ago. So will I be deemed unsuccessful if I don’t check all of these items off my forever-growing list?

According to Webster Dictionary, success is “the attainment of wealth, favor, and eminence.” However, success is not necessarily monetary benefits, although this is sometimes a very nice result of being successful. Success is much deeper than that. It isn’t how many people around the world know your name. Instead it is how many people around the world look up to you. Nowadays many people are straying away from the true meaning of success mainly due to the media.  Across magazines and televisions everyday there are people wearing flashy jewelry and foreign cars with shiny rims.  However, this isn’t success at all; they are mere material possessions that can be taken away at any moment.  Success is reaching your full potential and not stopping until you have.  It isn’t about checking completing every goal you have, but it is about trying to.  In order to be successful one must be competitive and a good communicator.  Ultimately, you must be a hard worker that never settles for ordinary.  To become successful one can not be afraid to dream big and make risks that others are afraid of making.

All high school seniors experience the difficult task of choosing a college.  It is a very stressful and arduous process.  I mean it is where they will be spending the next four years of their life.  They have the tasks of writing countless college application essays, visiting several colleges around the world, and deciding which college fits them best.  However, this was an experience that I did not endure.  Considering I graduated early, as a junior, I did not understand the importance and necessity of visiting and ultimately choosing a college to attend.  Everyone around me viewed this accomplishment, of graduating early and receiving a full scholarship to Rhodes College in my hometown of Memphis, TN, as astounding and wonderful.  I recall my friend Elisa stating, “You’re so lucky and smart.  You’re basically getting a head start on everyone else.” I, being a very nonchalant and only living in the present type of person, did not see this so called “success” for what it truly was.  Sure, I got accepted into college at 17 years of age while my classmates and most of my friends were preparing for another year of high school; however, I only applied to one college and didn’t think twice about.  This one decision had cost me a lot. My first semester at Rhodes I realized that this was not the best fit for me.  Instead of settling for the well-known college in my hometown I should have thought bigger and took a risk of moving away from home.  Next semester, fall 2011, I will be attending Howard University in Washington, DC in the School of Business.  Now I must enter a new college as a junior and adapt and make friends that could have been made as a freshman.  My dreams of being a big CEO will be easily attainable at a well-known college in a big city as compared to an unknown small school. As a result of my proclaimed “success,” I am now faced with the issue I thought I would never endure:  having to pay for college.  I worked extremely hard in high school so I wouldn’t have to deal with this issue and now it is looking me in the face.  Nevertheless, my decision to graduate early and only apply to one college was a complete failure.

However, with every failure there is always a lesson and message received.  I learned that I need to dream big and never settle for what others want of me.  Instead of listening to my parents, I should have applied to more schools in several states and visited several campuses in different states.

Although I believe that success is something that everyone should strive to obtain, it is not necessary for happiness.  Happiness is something that is within.  It isn’t what others or material things can bring to you, you must go and get it yourself.  It’s all in how we view things and situations. However, success does bring happiness to oneself. Two people can experience the same event yet one can come out happy and the other sad and depressed. In order to have happiness one must be optimistic and hopeful. So, it all depends on if your glass if half empty or full.  In order to be successful one must have an optimistic mindset because like J Cole stated we can’t let the obstacles in the world hold us back from dreaming and having goals.  We all must dream like we’ve never seen obstacles!