Students, no matter who you are and no matter the depth of sadness and struggles that you face, please allow me to be one of many adults who stand in testimony that better days lay ahead.
The pangs of youth bring so much heartache that it is a wonder how any of us survive it. The hard realities of poverty, the gripping tensions of strained relationships, and the gross amalgam of competing messages from parents, teachers, friends, and social media know-it-alls have you struggling to sort it all out.
No matter what you hear, trust me on this one. There is a place for you in this world.
And you too can be free.
When I was a child, I witnessed and survived a great many struggles. Those struggles stole my confidence and convinced me that I was not smart, nor privileged, nor special. After many years of questioning my worth and future, I discovered something that I want you to know. Those other people were no smarter than I was, and they are no smarter than you. They only sound smart because they’ve read a few more books than you have, something you and I can do as well.
Though this may see obvious coming from a teacher and school principal, I promise you that education, learning, hard work, and resilience are the key ingredients to navigating your way out. The problem is, you must own it. You cannot just wake up one day and expect to be brilliant and successful.
Being successful requires action, not luck
With your futures in mind, here are two actions you can take now that I promise you will lead to better things:
1.BE CURIOUS
Successful people are curious. Yes, some of us will go to college and some will not, but a formal education is not what separates the most successful people from those who are not. In fact, many who go to college never graduate, while others obtain a degree without knowing much at all. That’s another thing that no one ever tells you. A key first step then in being successful is learning new things because you are interested in knowing more, not because your teacher thinks it is important.
Take pride in yourself by taking pride in learning, in knowing a little bit about a great many things. And not because knowing things is an outward display of intelligence, but because knowing things is an outward display of curiosity. And people always, always find curiosity alluring. Curiosity is one of those great gifts that separates us from, you know, rocks and things. In fact, what they may not tell you in school is that curiosity is exponential. While you might be interested right now in just sports or dance or music, push yourself to read more about those things and you will unravel the threads that weave each of them together. Give it a try. Read about the finances of sports or the different musical genres or maybe the history of dance and you will see what I mean.
2. BE RESOURCEFUL
Successful people are rarely lucky. Yes, I know, it seems that way from our perspectives but, trust me, most people don’t just hit the lottery. Most really do earn their success by standing out somehow, usually by working hard and inspiring creative ideas. These are the things that we don’t always see from the outside looking in. What you may not realize is that your reputation is being formed right now and how people perceive you matters a great deal in life. Whether you are working the register at a fast-food joint, picking up equipment after practice, or stacking chairs after a youth group meeting at church, do it well. Don’t shortcut it. Don’t do things sloppy in five minutes when you can do them perfectly in ten minutes. Yes, even when no one is around.
Along the way, explore your faith and political beliefs, test out some new ideas of your own, and don’t read someone’s online post and take it as true or even inspired. Shakespeare warned us about that. If you do this right, a world of interesting ideas will arise, your vocabulary will expand greatly, and your interest in doing something special with your life will appear before you.
Whatever you decide, do not ever think that the struggles you know today will follow you forever. To provide some perspective, let me introduce you to a man named Bill Strickland, the former executive director of an inner-city community center for at-risk youth. He was once asked about all the windows he was installing in the center’s new building. He said he wanted the windows to let in the sun, and so he could look those young adults in their eyes and give them hope.
- This is what he said: “Hey man, you’re worth something. Hey man, I care about you. You’re going to college. Your life’s going to change. We’re going to turn the sunshine on and let it bathe you; you’re going to be bathed in sunshine. Sunshine is free, it doesn’t cost nothing. You don’t need to be rich to walk in the sun. You can be anybody to walk in the sun.”
Of course, none of this will happen quickly. So be patient a bit longer. Because you are still young, you will have to listen to others prattle on about how much better, or smarter, or prettier they are than you. Don’t mind those people, for they will have their day. Trust me, life has a way of evening the score.
So be strong. Tune out the clang of prejudice, the unsettling drum of superiority, and the cynical sneers that will come your way. Focus not on them but on you.
And know this. Though you are blind and cannot see, there is a place for each of us in the offering. You will somehow escape the treachery. You will somehow reap your reward.
You will walk in the sun.
And you will be free.
