This is probably the toughest blog post that I’ve written. Why? Well that’s because I simply just don’t feel that I have the energy or motivation to write tonight. However, that’s no excuse for not writing at all, and that’s what this blog is about. In order to fulfill my dreams of traveling the world, I need to stay committed, regardless of how I am feeling on the inside. Dedication is the ultimate element when it comes to achieving a desired goal, and for too long, I feel that although I’ve been dedicated to many things in my life, I haven’t been dedicated enough.
I’m trying to change that and am writing this blog post as best as I possibly can by the force and will of my cramped fingers and fried out brain cells. This is the toughest part of chasing your dreams. There are times where you’re not going to be in the mood to do something, but at the end of it all, you need to suck it up, remember WHY you’re doing this in the first place, and tell yourself that you’re doing this for a reason. That reassurance provides a sense of pride and tenacity, and you should use that to step forward, toss out all of the distractions or excuses that are aching for your attention, and do what you need to do.
I remember when I was in high school during my freshman and sophomore years. I watched this guy’s YouTube channel frequently. His name is Giavanni Ruffin. He aspired to play in the National Football League but was not drafted out of college. Despite that, he remained determined and continued to train day in and day out to reach his dreams. He filmed his workouts and placed a motivational voiceover over the footage, to create an inspiration piece for viewers to lean on in times of doubt. The epic music score used, the insane workouts he did and the speech that was going on in the background just culminated in a masterpiece that touched my heart. It made me realize that nothing is handed to you on a silver platter and you have to scratch, and claw and drive to whatever it is you so desire.
As I am writing this blog, I am now finding that drive to make this blog stand out more than any other blog post. It goes to show that mentality can change in the blink of an eye if you have something to look back on, if you have that little birdie on your shoulder reminding you why you’re here. Ruffin’s videos had a lot of memorable quotes that I still remember to this day. The biggest quotes for me were, “when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” That could not have been more true. In one of the videos, a guru describes a scenario. Say for instance you’re under water, and a wave comes crashing down upon you. You’re desperately trying to reach the surface but the water is making you work for that taste of fresh air. You want the air so badly, you’re desperate, you’re doing whatever you need to do to take it and then…you break through.
That’s the same mentality you need to have when it comes to down to chasing your dreams. You need to want it badly and trust me when I tell you, I do want to travel the world badly. There’s another inspiring quote in another one of Ruffin’s videos in which he states, “the poorest man isn’t the one without a penny, the poorest man is the one without a dream.” Money can’t buy happiness. Happiness comes from within, it’s natural, it’s a warm, comforting feeling we all crave for. I realize that that feeling for me comes from traveling and that’s why I do these blog posts.
I don’t just do them in order for me to get there, I do them to really reach you too. If you’ve made it this far reading everything that I’ve written, I feel that I’m doing my job. If not, then either I’m failing at that, or you’re not giving me a chance, which relates to my previous that I had written.
Ultimately, Ruffin’s quotes define life and dreams. You cannot not have dreams because then you’re not striving to do anything, you’re just going with the flow. Going with the flow may not necessarily be a bad thing but I’m out to do something so much more, and I want that to be the mentality you have too. So with all of that being said, here are the videos of Giavanni Ruffin.
The World is Yours 