Monday, July 13, 2009
Part II – “Successful”
“I want the money, money and the cars, cars and the clothes, the women, I suppose… I just want to be, I just want to be successful.”
Sadly enough in many communities across the country, success is defined by how much money you make, what kind of car you drive, and or the style/brand of clothes you wear. In those same communities, success has nothing to do with one’s education.
Drake raps that he’s the one to paint a bigger picture no HD, suggesting success for him will eventually mean earning the aforementioned things. But he’s never met Connie and Bonnie Sawyer. In fact, neither have I. But their story of family, faith, and education has given me new meaning to the word success. The Sawyers born nine children, all scholars who are all college educated or in college. And the education for all nine... it cost them practically nothing.
Read article here:
http://www.dailyadvance.com/features/nine-scholars-one-family-687071.html
So why do so many families fall short of achieving academic success? More specifically, how did 60% of eighth graders fail at a Chicago Middle School? Some believe the following was due to a poor education system. Others seem to think it’s due to an impoverished community where the resources are far few and in between.
Read article here: http://www.freshconservative.com/Fresh_Conservative/Fresh_Conservative/Entries/2009/6/17_60_Percent_of_Eight_Graders_Fail_At_Chicago_Middle_School.html
While on the surface as this article suggest the blame may seem to fall directly on the educators and the students, I personally believe it all starts at home. At home where parents are expected to provide a solid foundation of support and inspiration that suggest they care about their child’s future. A future that will not shine as bright without a college education, especially if you were born in the late 1980’s and beyond.
Some make it without education but they possess a commitment and determination that allow them to achieve success in different ways. They should be commended. Others don’t make it, but that doesn’t mean we give up on them.
Everyone has a chance to be successful, some more than others. I’m just not convinced that everyone understands what success is and what it takes to get it.
What does success mean to you?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Preciate the love, I'll definitely keep this blog in rotation.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is being better than your were a day ago, a week ago, a month ago, a year ago. Success doesn't make you a millionaire. But success makes you rich in mind, body, and soul.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is achieved by what you have learned from your past, the good and bad, and educating the ones in your sight! Success is achieved by giving back to your community and always lending your voice, ears, eyes, and heart to the public! Success can also be achieved by having the will to learn and not just from a professor's point of view but from your neighbors, friends, and family ! One has to also understand constructive criticism in order to be successful! In my eyes, all criticism is constructive because "Only God Can Judge You" ya dig!
ReplyDeleteMay 1, 1982
Great insight Ni....I'm loving the blog.
ReplyDeleteFor me, true success comes when you recognize what God's plan is for your life and you make a conscious decision to fulfill that plan. Of course we stumble and fall along the way, and some figure this out before others, but it's all part of the process of discovering yourself and what you stand for. Money and expensive things are all nice and there's nothing wrong with having it as long as you know WHO your source is. How can success be measured with something that can be here today and gone tomorrow? Your education is with you always and therefore is a CRITICAL/NECESSARY part of this journey toward success.