To The Silent Army:
You are not bound by the actions of others, but only by your own actions. You may not choose the lot you’re given, but you choose what to do with it and where you want your journey to take you from here.
Ignore the complainers; ignore the naysayers; ignore those that would hold you back simply because they refuse to go there first and tell you how it’s done; ignore those that excuse themselves by saying that your dream is reserved for a special class of people, as if you cannot become one of that “special class” by your own actions and decisions.
Despise not the rich, but rather despise the actions of both rich and poor that would abuse others for personal gain. Despise not the poor, but rather despise the action of refusal to connect with others and grow in character and knowledge. Despise not those who’ve chosen the middle road, but rather the actions of enforcing mediocrity on others and beliefs that crush dreams and brood contempt. Everyone has it within them to either squander for their own gain, or to connect with and add value to those around them. Everyone has the resources to push through the lies and bias and find the wealth they seek – whether that wealth is in family, freedom, money, or all of the above.
To label is to confine. To label without full knowledge of the why and how behind what’s being labelled is to box yourself in and excuse yourself from discovery and growth. To label without having been there yourself is ignorant and selfish, becoming the very thing that you say you despise, and stunting the growth towards freedom that you say you desire.
And as those you admire or detest have their own story far beyond the labels we give them, you are also much more than a label. You can become who you envision. You can accept your dream as reality. But only if you listen to those who have gone before you, utilize the amazing amount of resources you’ve been given, take hold of the massive amounts of knowledge available to you, decide to move forward regardless of the naysayers, and take action towards who you know you already are deep within – one step at a time.
~Draven Grey
