Dear "Un-believers",

Do you remember the times you told me that I shouldn't? Or maybe the times you told me that I wouldn't? Or possibly the times you told me I couldn't?

You may not, in which case I'll just smile, knowing that I've accomplished far more than you ever tried to make me believe I would, and that I am satisfied with myself for becoming the person you reiterated that I'd never become. Thank you for the motivation you gave me. But chances are, you do remember. You remember every insult, every jab, every word you spit into my face in order to try and knock me down. And right now reading this, those words may be slowly creeping back into your mind. Maybe you're regretting them. Maybe you're not. But the point of this letter isn't to get you to swallow your own words. Just because you tried to make me do just that doesn't mean I'm here to turn around and attempt to force-feed you spoonfuls of your own toxic medicine. On the contrary, that would not make me the better person at all. The point here is that words hurt, un-believers. But not as much as unintentionally proving that the wrong words were right. So here I stand, defiantly in my happiness as I reminisce in the fact that I've finally proven your every word wrong. And here I am in a position that someone told me I'd never be in, with an amazing group of friends someone told me I'd never have, laughing in my uncontrollable happiness someone told me would never fill my heart. Here I am studying for classes someone told me I'd never be good enough to take, doing work that someone told me I'd never be able to do. Here I am, a masterpiece, a skyscraper; built over a foundation of lies and "can't's" and "wont's". Here I am, writing an open letter to all of you. Never tell people they cannot. Never tell people they will not. Because your assurance of their failure will only do one thing - compel them to prove you wrong. And that is exactly what I did.

I'm not here to tell you that you cannot be successful in your endeavors just because you didn't believe in me. On the contrary, follow your dreams. Chase them. Don't let small minds tell you that your dreams are too big. But there is one thing I will tell you you can't do, and that's bring anyone down. Just because you did not believe in me doesn't mean that I won't. In fact, I will only believe more. I believed that I could even more because you said I could not. I poured every molecule of my heart and mind into convincing myself that I could, and that I would. So thank you for your motivation and inspiration, un-believers, because without you, I probably wouldn't have the same amount of motivation I have today to keep pushing myself to become better.