Environment

2 Pac used to say don't focus on my damage pedals, liking himself to a rose that pushed through the concrete. He would say marvel at the fact that I'm here and I grew through that!

As I thought about that statement, I wrestled back and forth with it. Reality is, roses push through concrete, the same as weeds do, but they grow underneath in the soil.

I won't dispute Pac's statement, but I would like to examine the soil. Recently watching the King Richard story, Venus and Serena's dad, I noticed how at a critical point of the story the family was moved to Florida, leaving Compton California behind.

It made me realize that in most stories about athletes, they are taken in by what seems to be a stable family in a safe environment. It's like the first thing that happens once the athletes are recruited. Before I understood what was going on, it made me feel it was a racist element, or even manipulative being that the host family was usually white. Not discounting that this may still be true in some cases, I don't believe it is for all.

The company we keep is so vital to our success, and although this has always been the case, I've recently opened my eyes to how true this is. I've made a few decisions in the past few years, not taking account to finances, but by leveraging faith to get to where I needed to be. Those were some of the best decisions I've ever made, because they put me in the environment where success was possible..

In my understanding, when reaching for a goal, you need to see it, you need to know that it's possible. Being in places and around people who have done it gives you the confidence and motivation that you need to do it yourself.