| You are sixteen years old and up to this point | | | | a few things, adjusted my mindset and promised |
| your life has been a living nightmare. All through | | | | myself the following: |
| middle school and into the waning days of your | | | | 1. I promised that starting immediately I would |
| miserable existence as a sophomore in high school | | | | give 100% effort to my schoolwork because I |
| you felt different from most other kids. | | | | realized education was the key to my success. |
| You know the kids I am talking about, the one | | | | However, I did not realize this until I had already |
| whose parents always showed up at the school | | | | dropped out of high school. At age 23, I went |
| functions, met with their teachers and were | | | | back to school and received my GED. I then went |
| always involved, the moms and dads who held | | | | on to college earning a BA in Criminal Justice. |
| good paying jobs and were involved in their | | | | 2. I promised not to look back and dwell on the |
| teenagers lives. | | | | past. It was over, water under the bridge and a |
| You noticed the difference because it was like | | | | waste of time and energy, I squandered precious |
| night and day. They were living in a single-family | | | | time being angry at my situation. Especially at my |
| home on a beautiful tree lined side street in | | | | dad who chose not to be in my life, so I made |
| suburbia wherever. You, well you survived in that | | | | my own choice. I chose not to possess the |
| triple decker second floor five-room apartment on | | | | "Whoa is me" attitude regarding the past and I |
| the avenues in the inner city. | | | | took the position it was my dads loss not mine. |
| They looked forward to their father walking | | | | 3. I promised to accept the things I could not |
| through the front door at five o'clock each day. | | | | change and that I had no control over. I could not |
| You haven't seen nor heard from your dad since | | | | change my childhood. However, I did have control |
| the divorce, what has it been ten years now? | | | | of the present so I began to focus on that in |
| They have two brand new cars sitting in the | | | | order to make my future brighter. |
| driveway; one is black the other white. You also | | | | 4. I promised to work extremely hard and do |
| have a black and white sitting in your driveway, | | | | whatever it took no matter how difficult it |
| only it has the reflective words "Police" glowing all | | | | seemed in order to "move the ball forward" |
| over it. | | | | everyday and better me, my circumstances and |
| The other family sits down at night and has | | | | my life. I plugged into a positive mindset reading |
| supper together at the kitchen table it is a ritual. | | | | positive books, listening to positive music and |
| You sit in the living room recliner in front of the | | | | following successful peoples examples. I tried to |
| television eating a bologna sandwich, ditto. | | | | do something everyday to improve my situation |
| They make high honors at school; you just | | | | no matter how small it was allowing me to keep |
| received your second five-day suspension in less | | | | moving in a forward direction. |
| than a month. | | | | 5. I promised to absolutely, positively refrain from |
| Society has several names for you they call you | | | | the use of any illegal drugs or alcohol and I |
| an at-risk kid, a troublemaker that kid across the | | | | removed myself from situations where those |
| street. However, understand that although you | | | | life-destroying substances were present. No |
| may be from a different side of the tracks than | | | | matter how bad it became, I never gave in to |
| some others, deep down inside you have the | | | | substance abuse. |
| capabilities of accomplishing great things. | | | | The five promises I made to myself worked. |
| Nevertheless, to get there you have to change | | | | They were the guidelines I followed that allowed |
| your way of thinking which is necessary in | | | | me to crawl out from under the unmistakable |
| producing better results and that preferable | | | | disadvantage my parents placed me. |
| outcome begins with making choices that are | | | | Now, here you go, I am passing them on to you. |
| more suitable. | | | | Look them over and make your own |
| By making positive choices it will allow your | | | | adjustments but please make the choice to give |
| self-esteem to build, this in-turn will develop a | | | | them a chance allowing you to take that first |
| positive attitude. | | | | step towards your own success. |
| A positive attitude will create passion and passion | | | | If all five seem overwhelming and you cannot |
| is the fuel that we place in our tanks that drives | | | | handle them all at once, then pick one, incorporate |
| our enthusiasm. | | | | it into your life and work it at your own pace. |
| Our enthusiasm helps us build a belief base, which | | | | By doing so, you will be making that positive |
| allows believing there is absolutely, positively | | | | adjustment, a great choice. You will be choosing |
| nothing we cannot accomplish. | | | | right now this very second to allow your life to |
| How do I know all this? Well, I was you 36 years | | | | rock. |
| ago. I was that kid across the street on 7th | | | | You will begin to write the lyrics to your life's song |
| Avenue in Haverhill, Massachusetts and my life | | | | and it is going to be a number one hit with |
| was burning out of control faster than a wind | | | | slamming power chords and a hook so exciting |
| driven wild fire in the hills of California. | | | | that it catapults you to the number one spot on |
| When it became apparent my teenage life was | | | | billboards chart topper of life. |
| going up in flames, and that I was traveling | | | | Choose to believe you can do it, choose to |
| towards a head-on collision with Haverhills finest, I | | | | understand it will not be easy and now choose to |
| made the choice to alter my direction and take | | | | go after it. You are not unlike those other kids; |
| control of my life. I made modifications, tweaked | | | | your circumstances were just different. |