"Educated In a Small Town"

Too many times in life we are left dwelling on what we don’t have rather than what we do. We are so focused on what we want rather than appreciating the things and people we are fortunate to have in our lives. Being raised in a small town and going to a small high school, all anyone ever said was, whatever you do, you have got to get out of here. There is nothing here for you. There are no jobs. There’s nothing to do. The weather is terrible. There’s no money. I can’t exactly say they were wrong. There certainly isn’t much to argue with any of those points.

However, I want to talk about how fortunate I am that I was able to grow up where I did. I learned so many invaluable life lessons that I wouldn’t trade for anything. The first is that, not only are you no better than anyone else, but no one else is any better than you. This seems like such a simple idea but I’ve seen so many people that understand one side of it, but not the other. If you’re a businessman you don’t treat the janitor any differently than you would treat the CEO of your company. Both men, or women for that matter, are neither inferior nor superior to you. Do not be intimidated by anyone. You will encounter many people in your life convinced that they are above you. Perhaps they have a higher salary or a better job title. There will be other ways in which they cannot hold a candle to you. Maybe it’s your passion or your creativity or the way you make people feel. You will encounter many people in your life convinced that they are inferior to you. Treat them in such a way that when they walk away they feel like an important part of your life. Go out of your way to put a smile on their face and make them feel special. They probably have just as much to teach you as you do them.

Nothing is ever handed to you. You have to fight for everything. They call it “blue-collar.” I call it the only life I know. It’s kind of funny but I always feel like I get exactly what I earn, nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but sometimes my losses are “earned” just the same. You are entitled to nothing. Because of these things, you learn the value of a dollar. That alone is an idea so foreign to many that the smallest setback throws them into a financial panic.

I learned what it means to compete and to believe in yourself. There will always be someone out there more talented than you but that doesn’t mean you can’t win. It is said best in one of my favorite poems, “Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but soon or late the man who wins is the one who thinks he can.” It doesn’t matter what anyone else believes. The tale of the tape is insignificant. No one can measure what you have inside of you. Neither heart nor passion are measurable entities but their importance is far greater than anything that can be quantified.

There are times when you are going to get hit and get hit hard. How you respond is what determines your fate. It’s in your hands. When you get knocked down the choice is yours. You can stay down and let them ring the bell or you can get back up and fight. When you climb back to your feet at a time when no one would blame you for giving up and throwing in the towel, that’s when you define your character.

I can’t say that I wouldn’t have learned these things growing up anywhere else, but I can say that I owe it to where I’m from and the people I know that I did. I know that I’m a lot more prepared for anything that life might throw my way because of the strength that was instilled in me. I know that everything happens for a reason and whatever happens, I’m prepared.