Taking a Flight

       We have all had our fair share of childhood dreams, what we do between then and our adolescent stage is what will dictate whether we reach them or not. It is important to have aspirations, but it is also important to be realistic. Not to be blunt, but generally speaking, most of us do not reach these goals due to the fact that we do not believe in ourselves, we do not have the self-confidence within us to achieve these goals. We fail to realize our full potential as human beings. I recently watched an interview featuring one of my greatest role-models (Capt. Pollen), among the many things he said in the interview, he mentioned that he had always wanted to be a fighter pilot. It was a boyhood dream of his. As we grow up, we become more and more aware of the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to achieve those dreams, and some people, having gained this knowledge, choose to set those dreams aside and pursue other, more attainable goals. This is not what Capt. Pollen chose to do, he knew the risks, he knew the amount of dedication it would take, and instead he ultimately pursued his dream. He achieved his ultimate dream because he had the motivation, the hope, and the courage, that, through hard work and commitment, and a willingness to never give in, he would get there. It may not have been as easy as he initially thought it would be, but he got there. No matter the caliber of the obstacles we face in our lives, the grandest of those obstacles we face is ourselves. It is almost as if we set these artificial barriers on ourselves. It’s this very phenomena that little stare in the face and overcome. Capt. Pat Pollen demonstrated for us that, with knowledge, courage, and sheer determination, these artificial barriers can be overridden. While it is a whole lot easier said than done, the only thing preventing us from reaching that ultimate pinnacle is ourselves.

I would also like to add that, each and every single morning when I wake up in the morning, I have to motivate myself for school each and every time. Though I may perceive it as a bit of a pain in the rump at the time, I realize exactly how important education is, and how it is really the only thing in this life that will stick with me, throughout. The knowledge I attain now will be beneficial to me in multiple different ways throughout the course of my life (especially Mathematics and Physics), it will ultimately help me live a successful life. I am thankful for my education, I am glad to have a quality education available to me at little cost. Why am I glad? Perhaps because there are millions of kids my age and younger in third-world countries who would give their teeth for an education of this caliber. I give it my absolute all each and every single day of the school year, because I know I would feel guilty if I just sat back and procrastinated the entire time wasting away a quality education others would die for. Though some days I may be feeling quite exhausted and out of it, I still strive to put in as much effort as I possibly can, because it’s really not all that bad. I believe it is our duty, as the next up-and-coming generation, to commit ourselves to the general prosperity of this planet. Our education will play a fundamental role in this duty. We all possess our own unique sets of skills and talents, and I truly believe that if we use these to our advantage, not only will our great nation prosper, but our great planet Earth, so large, yet so small and fragile, will prosper as well. Achieve your dreams!
– Caiden Closs
 

The following link is a very inspirational speech given by Larry Smith (Professor of Economics at University of Waterloo) on “Why you will fail to have a great career.” This speech is blunt in nature, and it may even come across as somewhat pessimistic, though it is intended to provide the viewer with the awareness that we are our biggest nemesis.
http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_smith_why_you_will_fail_to_have_a_great_career#t-145531