A little more than a year ago, it was hard to believe my situation would get any better. I watched my mother lose her house and my father was struggling at work. There was nowhere for me to turn.

I always had this dream of becoming a writer and working on my own screenplay. Somewhere along the way, I veered off my path and had no motivation to do anything. At a crossroads in my life, I enrolled in school. I was reluctant to speak or even hold my head up in class. I was afraid someone might notice that I was broken and just here for no reason. As I became more involved in class, I started healing and hungered for more knowledge. These books I was exposed to in Humanities all told a story about the hero being down and out, unwilling to continue. What would these heroes have become if they just gave up like I wanted to?

I began to realize that the healing process cannot be done alone. Education reawakened the fire of my ambitions. I found inspiration all around me. Before I knew it, I was getting great grades and I felt happy again. I began socializing and pursuing hobbies that I would never have pursued had I not been in school. I met people who were struggling, as well, and was able to be there for them when they had nobody else to go to. Had I not enrolled in college, I would be doing what anyone else is doing to get by — keeping my head down and going through the motions. I started writing again, and spilling out all of the negatives onto a piece of paper helped me to remember what I always wanted to be. It was therapeutic to be able to say what I needed to say.

At the current moment, I would never want to be at the low I was and I am never going back to that again. The more I began to focus on myself, the better things got around me. To be able to concentrate on yourself and follow your goals is something we must not lose sight of. We all must be thankful to those around us that push us to become extraordinary.

If you are reading this and can relate to my point at all, just do something for yourself. Find a book, watch a movie or go out and treat yourself to a special night with treasured friends. All those extracurricular activities will remind you that it pays to stay in the game. It pays to let your mind and spirit grow. Always be there for people around you. Sometimes you will end up motivating someone without even realizing it. Being there to help people succeed is the most rewarding gift you can give yourself and others. I would not have realized these things had I not pursued an education. Having a passion helps us all to deal with the hassles of life and along the way, you will meet likeminded people. It is hard to keep focused with finances and social problems, but we can all try to help each other achieve our goal of an education. The next time you feel like quitting, look around yourself. Everyone has problems they face alone and we all need someone or something to inspire us to stay on track. Life can be extremely difficult, but if you follow your heart, everything will make sense. Never give up on yourself or your dreams and when you are having trouble, just remember that it is only hard because you are following your destiny.