| When I was twelve years old, I decided to | | | | you may have to change direction but always |
| start thinking about my future profession. | | | | remember your final destination. I stayed in |
| In my young mind, that meant deciding between | | | | school, dropped one of my classes and got a |
| being a doctor and being a lawyer. Since I | | | | tutor. When finals came around, I passed |
| hated most things having to do with science | | | | them all and I never saw another ?F.? |
| and math, the choice became clear to me ? I | | | | |
| would become the first lawyer in my family. | | | | ? Believe that you can fulfill your purpose. |
| I loved reading and there was nothing better | | | | You were created to fulfill a special |
| than standing in front of an audience and | | | | purpose. Discover what your purpose is and |
| putting on a show. I could almost see myself | | | | fight to make sure that you are living it, |
| making a closing argument to a jury. From | | | | walking it and speaking it every day. Don't |
| that point on, everything I did had to help | | | | allow temporary circumstances to keep you |
| propel me towards achieving my big dream of | | | | from fulfilling your purpose. I knew that I |
| becoming an attorney. I was rewarded for my | | | | was destined to be a lawyer and even in the |
| hard work by being accepted at the college | | | | face of failure, there had to be a way for me |
| and law school of my choice. | | | | to realize my dream. I just had to find it. |
| | | | |
| The first year of law school was a lot of | | | | ? Speak positively about your dreams. You |
| hard work but I believed I was handling it | | | | have to believe that your dream can come |
| well. Midterms were around the corner. I | | | | true. That includes not speaking negatively |
| studied harder than I've ever studied before | | | | about your chances of being successful. Even |
| or since and I knew I was ready. The exams | | | | if you're thinking negative, doubtful or |
| came and I felt pretty good when they were | | | | fearful thoughts, don't speak them. When I |
| over. Then I received my grades. I got an | | | | told my mom that I needed to drop out of law |
| ?F? on all of my tests. I had never received | | | | school because I had flunked my mid term |
| an ?F? on anything in sixteen years of | | | | exams and I was never going to become a |
| school; how could I have flunked? | | | | lawyer, she reminded me that what we speak |
| | | | becomes our reality. I needed to speak |
| I found myself fighting fear, doubts and | | | | positively and eventually my thoughts would |
| questions. Did I choose the wrong | | | | become positive and my beliefs would too. |
| profession? Maybe I was not cut out to be a | | | | |
| lawyer. Did I set my aim too high? Should I | | | | In the more than twenty years since I |
| drop out? Perhaps this was the wrong dream | | | | graduated from law school, the lessons I |
| for me. But it was my dream and it had been | | | | learned that first year have benefited me |
| my dream for many years. I was not ready to | | | | more than any lessons learned about legal |
| give it up. Instead, I was ready to learn | | | | cases. Because of that experience, I know |
| some lessons that I've remembered every time | | | | how to fight for and achieve my goals and |
| I've found myself faced with fear, doubt and | | | | dreams. As you set out to make your dreams |
| questions when pursuing a goal or dream. | | | | come true, remember to never give up and |
| | | | believe that failure is not an option. Yes, |
| ? Be tenacious in pursuing your dream. There | | | | your dream can come true! |
| may be times of uncertainty and doubt but | | | | |
| don't let those times deter you from the path | | | | ? 2006 Joyce M. Averils, JD. All rights |
| you know you were meant to take. Sometimes | | | | reserved. |