COLUMN: As I say farewell, I want to inspire you
I could tell you about my accolades and awards.
Or my internships at the Detroit Free Press and Colorado Springs Gazette.
That wouldn’t be difficult, but it’s boring, right?
OK, maybe some people care, but you get the point, don’t you? Everyone is so wrapped up in themselves. We put ourselves first. That’s humanity. So, as you’re probably already thinking about what’s next on your agenda, there’s no reason for me to tell you about my accomplishments.
I want to inspire you.
People will tell you college serves as the best days of your life — the parties, the friendships, the moments you’ll never forget. Sure, those are important. Don’t take them for granted.
When I look back though, I don’t believe they will be the best days of my life.
The best day of my life will be when I look at my child for the first time. I don’t know when that will happen, but it’s going to be pretty damn awesome — as will all the days that follow. Another will be my wedding day. And when I become a grandparent. And the day my father finishes his doctoral degree. And when my mother finally opens the small-town boutique she has always wanted. And when my younger brother, currently a reckless teenager, gets a girlfriend. Oh, and I can’t forget about my sister, even if she’s a Western Michigan Bronco. … She is going to be a great mother someday.
Those days, as they've slowly began to unfold over the years, already inspire me to strive for greatness and chase my dreams.
And never stop doing so.
That’s the thing about dreams. They can’t be too big.
You need a formula, though. A rare combination of your passions, work ethic and people to help you along the way. That’s something I dearly thank Central Michigan Life for giving me.
It comes back to you though. You determine if you catch your dreams.
Through hard work, and despite plenty of uncertainties and more failures than you could imagine, God has blessed me with an opportunity to live my dream in recent months. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.
It could be 40 years or five days.
Sometimes, for no reason other than fate, a dream slips away. Or there will be dreams within dreams — a continuous cycle in an attempt to achieve greatness. Or entirely new dreams.
But there will always be moments that inspire me, and I look forward to my never-ending adventure in making those discoveries. With the right amount of inspiration comes an epic chase to accomplish my goals, whatever they might be throughout my life, and a reason to wholeheartedly believe a dream is never too big.
These words would have inspired the kid that walked onto campus as a freshman with really big dreams.
I hope they do the same for you.
