“Don’t limit yourself. It minimizes your potential and the opportunity to prove to others—and yourself—that you have what it takes to succeed.”
I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was my senior year of college, and I had decided I wanted to pursue an internship in the Criminal Justice field. I believed this opportunity would deepen my understanding of the profession and help guide my path after graduation. With excitement and determination, I scheduled a meeting with the program chair—only to receive a rude awakening.
Sitting there as a young, Black, first-generation college student, I eagerly shared my aspirations and asked questions about my options. Then it happened. He said, “Well, looking at your grades, you have no chance of getting an internship!”
In that moment, I felt crushed, humiliated, and borderline defeated. His bluntness stunned me. Was he right? Had I truly squandered my chances? As anger and self-doubt took hold, I couldn’t help but wonder: Couldn’t he have delivered this news with a little more compassion? Still, his words forced me to confront some hard truths. Why hadn’t I performed better? What had derailed me from meeting the 3.0 GPA requirement?
I realized I had two choices:
- Accept his words as my reality and give up.
- Prove him wrong and find another way to achieve my goal.
I chose the latter.
Although his words stung, I refused to let them define my future. As Myles Munroe once said, “Never let someone’s opinion become your reality.” Too often, we allow negative opinions to defeat us, sabotaging our dreams and aspirations before they even have a chance to flourish. But here’s the truth: if you can dream it, you can achieve it.
Leaving that office, I made a decision. I would not let his judgment dictate my future. I immediately started working on a plan to prove him wrong. Through persistence and determination, I landed an internship with the Department of Natural Resources, assisting with their law enforcement unit. That experience turned out to be one of the most rewarding of my life—and it happened only because I refused to accept defeat.
This taught me an important lesson: “Don’t limit yourself. It minimizes your potential and the opportunity to prove to others—and yourself—that you have what it takes to succeed.”
Life is full of moments where we’ll hear “no.” It’s disheartening, even devastating at times, but it’s not the end of the road. As Raven-Symoné once said, “If someone tells you no, it just means you’re talking to the wrong person.” When faced with rejection, remember that “no” is often just a detour on the road to “yes.”
Success requires resilience. The journey will test your character and develop the tenacity needed to overcome obstacles. Whether it’s a failed attempt, a closed door, or a lack of support, you must keep moving forward. Never let setbacks diminish the greatness embedded within you.
Whatever path you’re on, don’t give up on the things that matter most to you. With relentless effort and focus, success is inevitable. It might take longer than expected, but the destination will be worth the journey.
So, to anyone facing doubt, rejection, or obstacles: don’t limit yourself. Be relentless. Be determined. And above all, be successful anyway.