Courage and hope. Although they may sound different, the meanings of both of those words are often attributed to the the determination that keeps us moving forward. In Language Arts I often wrote stories about fictional characters without telling about my own story. The truth is I often don't talk about it because I do not know how to explain it myself. I've gone from bad times when I was younger with family drama and getting bullied, to the confident and happy young man that we all see today. It may sound cliche, but courage helped me move forward. I needed to have the courage to explore areas I would never have gone before. I needed to talk to people I would have never talked to before. This growth is not something that we can achieve within a day or week, it will only come once you are willing to move forward in your life. You cannot force it, but when the day comes you will know.

-Dillon Johnson