“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world”

—Harriet Tubman

• • • Sir’s philosophy: Don’t worry about money, it should never be something the inhibits you from pursuing a dream or an opportunity. The money will always come
    • Can work twice as hard, and pursue your dreams through side hustles. Have a job for financial stability, but then use the rest of your time to work incredibly hard to achieve your dream. 
• • As a teenager, here are some practical things you can do to inspire you to dream bigger: 
    • Explore and educate: Read books, watch interviews, listen to interviews, etc. about a subject that interests you. Take advantage of our collective intelligence, and let’s use our phones (that are always glued to our hands) to watch content that educates and inspires us. This gives us a clearer understanding of our field, helping us dream better.  Watch ted talks instead of tv shows
    • Find events that inspire you- There may be many networking and motivational events in your area that are geared towards helping you become inspired. Whether it’s author’s visiting libraries, a renowned figure speaking at a local college, or a dynamic musical performance at the theater, take advantage of these events within your community. Hearing these people’s stories can kickstart yours. 
    • Find a mentor- Whether it’s a teacher, parent, coach, or other important figures, find someone that can guide you and inspire you. Utilize their wisdom and life lessons to build upon your dreams, and use them to hold you accountable to your dream
    • Learn about your role model- The difference between this and a mentor, is you don’t need to actually know your role model. Have this person be someone who is at the top of their field, especially one who is recognized at the national or international level. Learn more about their lives, through autobiographies, documentaries, or interviews. Seeing someone who dreamed big and “made it” can help inspire you to dream big as well. 
    • Travel the world- Especially through study abroad, school trips, or any other international programs, take advantage of these opportunities to experience new cultures. Understanding the needs and lives of people around the world can help inspire your dream so that you can make an impact and improve lives on a global scale. 

• Seek real-life experience- Instead of getting a summer job at your local fast-food restaurant, aim to spend your time on an internship or shadowing experience. This can give you more insight into how the real world works, and allow you to grow professionally. Moreover, this can allow you to explore more within your craft, allowing you to dream bigger. 

• • • Build and explore your passion- Especially to turn an interest into a passion, take it to the next level by exploring, learning, and practicing your passion. Sign up for something that may push you out of your comfort zone, but will improve your craft. For example, I used to only have a slight interest in dancing when I was younger. But then, I attended an intense week-long workshop by a world-famous dancer. Even though this intimidated me and was a challenging experience, that opportunity turned my interest into a passion.

• Create a dream team- If you have a dream, find others that share the same passion as you. Use this common interest to cultivate innovation through collaboration. This allows you to create more progress towards achieving your dreams and creating an accountable community to support your dreams. 
• Dream big but start small- For many teens, a big dream can be intimidating, which is why we don’t pursue it in the first place. But start small. Create short-term and long-term goals, and do some work every day. Aim for progress, and then turn that progress into achievements. Starting small doesn’t mean not working hard, but it’s about turning a dream into realistic checkpoints.

• Add a dream into your life. Take a second to write down your dream. That’s the first step to making your idea a reality. Create a vision board, a long-term plan, and an aspiration. Continue to feed your drive to succeed, and take your dream and run with it. Many people delay their dreams, until next month, next week, or next year, until they think it’s too late. But the truth is, you will never be ready to start your dreams. Instead, just start now, start today. And once you have your dream, take it, and run like hell with it.