No matter what your biggest dream is, dream even bigger. In fact, have multiple big dreams.
One of my most significant dreams and goals was to play sports professionally, whether it was football, basketball, or track. And that dream did come true. And honestly, it wasn’t difficult. I simply had to make the choices necessary to reach my desired destination. This makes me wonder what I could achieve if I dream even bigger.
Sometimes, I think that when I was striving to achieve my goal of playing a professional sport, I had tunnel vision to a fault. And honestly, it wasn’t entirely my fault. When you have a natural talent for something, people often try to pigeonhole you. They may have good intentions, but their support is often limited to what they think is best for you. For me, and many athletes, that was football.
When you excel at football, society makes life easier for you. It becomes easier to progress in school, gain acceptance into college, and even face consequences for mistakes. They confine you within this artificial world. That’s why many players struggle with identity issues when they’re done playing football and have no idea what to do in life afterwards.
I never had that problem. Football was always just a sport I loved to play, nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t invest my entire identity in it, and it wasn’t the foundation of my life. God was and still is. That’s why I didn’t have a mental challenge transitioning to other things after football.
I had God before football, during, and after. I’m grateful that I attended Sunday school and Wednesday Bible study during my childhood. It helped shape me.
There are numerous other dreams I had (and still have) in life that were put aside for football. I wish I had pursued them at an earlier age. But, as I mentioned, I was often confined to a box, focused solely on sports.
Some kids, like myself, manage to break free from that box and find their own path. I always had wisdom and academic intelligence. However, some children are the opposite. They get trapped in that box and are simply pushed along, often lacking other qualities such as academic intelligence or the right morals and values. So, once football or whichever dream they were pursuing is over, they feel lost. They don’t have the tools to pursue their other dreams and goals. Even worse, they were never shown that they could have other dreams and goals.
Therefore, I ask you, what is one dream or goal that you have always had but have been hesitant to pursue? What steps can you take today to move closer to realizing that dream or goal?
FLY, BLACK BOY 