I have so much to say. It's the end of the year. The end of a decade that has held many things, good and bad, for me. I have graduated High School, College, got accepted to Medical School, started my own business, traveled to over 30 states in less than three years, taken pictures of celebrities, been published in People magazine, shared dinner with senators, Hollywood stars, been to Arnold Schwarzeneggers house, held two newborn babies in my arms, bought my mother a car, took my mom to North Carolina, and here I am. I do not mention these things to brag. I say these things to show that dreams still happen if you fight for them. That a poor kid from the streets of Detroit can live more of a life by the age of 23 than most live in a century. I'm no different from you. We're in this together, learning, fighting, hurting, loving, dreaming. This world is here for the taking, so I challenge you: take it.
With that I will also say this: I've been hurt, I've forgotten dreams and discovered new ones, doors have closed and never been reopened, I have left home, I have wandered to places I never thought I'd go and made mistakes I would certainly take back. But once again, here I am. I am me. I am a stronger, better man, because of it.
...That's all I will say. The rest, I will wrap neatly away in the deepest parts of my soul. For now, I'm afraid that is where they belong. You are there too, and maybe one day, you will know that.
"When you know that language, it's easy to believe that someone in the world awaits you, whether it's in the middle of the desert or in some great city… without such love, one's dreams would have no meaning."
“Continue in the direction of the Pyramids”, said the alchemist. “And continue to pay heed to the omens. Your heart is still capable of showing you where the treasure is.”
“Is that the one thing I still need to know?”
“No”, the alchemist answered. “What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.’
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
That's from my favorite book, The Alchemist. And I will leave you with this, dear friends:
Live. Breathe. Laugh. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Breathe until your lungs burn with air so fresh you feel they may burst. Take it all in. It moves so fast. Tomorrow is never promised, we are given today to wrestle with our demons and fight for our dreams. That is it. Love deeper than you ever thought you could. Love without regard. Don't worry about being hurt, time will heal those wounds, but time will not give you back moments you were guarded and hid yourself away.
