Dream Big, Dream Often!

“No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.”

                                                -Lupita Nyong’o

I am a dreamer! I have so many goals and aspirations they could fill up an entire page. I dream big and I dream often because I know, somehow, someway, I will accomplish one, if not all of my goals. But I haven’t always been this way.

I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times I have been shut down or have had people doubt me and my abilities. I can vividly remember a time in high school when a group of “friends” talked about me behind my back, and not in a pleasant way. “She’ll never amount to anything”, “She’ll drop out of school and get pregnant," whatever you can think of that is negative or mean, was probably said. I felt extremely sad and upset and at that point wanted to completely give up.

I shut ALL the way down and at one point had begged my mom to send me to another school in another city, the whole nine! I wanted to get away, I felt alone, my best friend was at another school, and these “friends” had shut me out. My mom said she would consider it if that was what I really wanted to do but asked me to really think about it and made note that I could let them “win” or I could shut them down and prove them wrong!

Needless to say, I decided I would prove them wrong. Graduated from high school, went to college on a softball scholarship and graduated. Now I am a personal trainer doing what I love as well as pursing a master’s degree in business with dreams of opening my own facility/business. I am also engaged to an amazing man who loves and supports all of my hopes and dreams 100%. I have a family who backs me 100% still.

I wrote this in order to say: people will do and say anything to see you fail (not everyone of course) and make you feel invalid. My message to you is DON’T let them! Never let someone say that you can’t do something or that you will never amount to anything, that you are wasting your time. Never think you can’t do something because of the ignorance and negativity of someone else because chances are, if you keep going, keep working hard, keep trying, and use all of that negativity and hatred to fuel you, you will amount to GREAT things and all of your dreams will come true!!!

-Shoni Johnson

Age 24