I look back on my life now, so thankful for every opportunity that I seized, all the hard work that consumed most of my young life, and the sacrifices I made to get me where I am today. I remember the days like it was just last week, when I believed that one day I was going to become a rich and successful engineer.

Reminiscing form my memory, I was sitting in my sophomore English class, writing a list of twenty things that I believed in. Some of the topics that I jotted down were obvious things like “I believe the sky is blue” and “I believe that I can fly.” Another apparent focus that everyonealways scribbles down is “I believe I will be rich when I am older,” well that was one of my responses. But mine was different from everyone else’s in a way that they could have never predicted. My belief statement of “I believe I will be rich when I’m older” was going to happen. I wanted (and still want) to be that one person whose wildest dreams, no matter how wild, come true. I was very fortunate to have developed such a mindset that began my future plans at such an early age.

Year, after year, I kept accomplishing short term goals that I set, and as time went by I got even closer to my dream. I made logical decisions such as, which college to attend, what classes I had to take, and how to get started after school. I didn’t care about the length of time that it would take to become rich, because it’s only the actual status of being considered rich or wealthy in the end that truly mattered. I let time handle its self and just rode along as the time ticked by. You can’t take time for granted; you have to take advantage of the time that you are granted.

Anything can come about life. It’s what you do to attain that “anything” that makes it all worth the while. So that one day you can say, “When I was in my tenth grade English class, I believed that I could… and look, I did” also. Having more than one source of proof will encourage others to realize that it can happen as long as they believe.

Sometimes I look back and wish that I could have enjoyed my school years by partying and making dumb decisions, but none of that could compare to what I am allowed to do now. I’m the head engineer who gets paid top dollar. Now I am able to show off all my fancy gadgets and toys, and rub my victory in my former discouraging peers’ faces.

I hope that future generations of aspiring adolescents will be influenced by my success and words of wisdom to fulfill their own beliefs. Maybe that memory from that boring English class in high school will transpire to others’ lives and have a positive outcome also. Just one memory and one belief can lead one from wishes to riches.