Many people struggle in life because of frustration and limits. Many don’t know how to deal with failure. Many are repelled just by the thoughts of failure. If there’s anything I’ve learnt in my coming to America, it’s that there’s always a way. Is the way easy? No, many times it’s not. It asks a lot for a lot from you and questions your resolve.
My dream, or vision as I prefer to call it started when I was in high school. Ever before we were near writing my finals. I always wanted to study overseas. This is something my friends and I always talked about. My friends debated on Australia, I was convinced North America was for me, particularly Canada. We’d always talk about it and look into it, but even after talking so much about it, it seemed nearly impossible. One dream, like many other dreams young people talk, which would soon fade away. When I was finally a senior, it was a tough year for my family and I was doing a course for a year, which everyone else took for two years, because I had missed too much school the previous year.
I wrote Cambridge exams as anyone who expected to study abroad would but still looked at the vision as a bit farfetched. I didn’t get the straight A’s I expected, that was a big blow to a kid who had such a huge vision. My dad, who wanted me to be a doctor seemingly lost his hope in his “vision” for me. I wasn’t moved because I had brought back to life a vision I had laid to rest several years before, the vision to play soccer at the highest level.
I remember telling everyone, that despite not doing as well as I expected from my finals, the vision continued. After a year of not playing soccer at all, I returned to training initially alone then, I joined an academy. The vision was starting to materialize. I trained almost six hours a day and improved very quickly. Many wouldn’t believe I took a year out. My parents however were not supportive of the idea of me going to Europe to play soccer. So, when the opportunity rose to come for soccer trials in USA, I welcomed it with much joy. My parents approved of the idea and paid for me to attend the trials.
That’s how I came to America to study and play soccer. Is this the end of the vision? Absolutely not, the vision continues. I know there’s a way for me to play at the highest level. I am talented, disciplined and determined enough to do it but that doesn’t mean I’ll abandon my studies. Athletes are among the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet, many of them however don’t know it. I do and I am going to be exceptional on and off the pitch.
There’s always a way. Nothing can stop a man who has made up his mind. There are challenges in the way, so we have to learn to embrace them because they only make the story more wonderful and exciting. Og Mandino said,” Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later”. I planted and reaped but the cultivation never stops. As the vision continues so does the planting and harvesting.
