FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
Ricardo P. Deveaux, M.Sc, C.D, L.H.D
Deputy Permanent Secretary at Bahamas Ministry of Education & Technical & Vocational Training and President & CEO at The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation
Your dreams are what can get you through even the worst days or period in your life. If you are struggling, your dreams are your reason to keep going. They are the reason why you wake up in the morning and try again. They are what makes your entire life worth living and not giving up, even when the dark clouds of doubt seems to be around you. Without our dreams, we are nothing.
If you decide to go and follow your dreams, you will give hope to others who want to do the same. You can serve as their example and their reason why they should not give up hope in their dreams and their abilities. You can help them, coach them, mentor them, inspire them, motivate them and encourage them to keep going.
If you step forward to pursue your dream, you will face challenges you never could have anticipated. You will allow nothing to stop you. You will shock yourself at your ability to walk into the situation that you were dreaming about.
Sometimes, you are frustrated because you see NO WAY OUT...YOUR OPPORTUNITY DOES NOT APPEAR IN SIGHT....Trust in an ALL POWERFUL, AWESOME GOD and in YOUR ability to make it happen.
Here is one of my testimonies of following MY DREAM......
On April 23rd, 1990, I graduated from Bethune-Cookman College with my Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology (with Honours). I will always remember my graduation ceremony, there was a gentleman by the name of James Williams - Chairman & CEO, Warner Lambert Company who was our Commencement Speaker.
The honest truth....We seldom remember our speaker or what they said but for me, I remember some of the advice that he gave but ONE THING HE DID...He inspired me to dream of one day becoming a Commencement Speaker at Bethune-Cookman. I purpose in my heart that one day, I would be announced as the Commencement Speaker.
Between my GOD and I, The Declaration was made.....I am happy to report that on Saturday, May 9th, 2009, at the age of 42, I was given the opportunity to serve as the 2009 Commencement Speaker. I was actually living MY SUPER DREAM.
I was following in the footsteps of individuals like the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Coretta Scott King; Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, Former Prime Minister of The Bahamas; Bill Cosby; Dr. Ben Carson; Governor Bob Martinez,; Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright; Earl Graves and Cecily Tyson, serving as Bethune-Cookman University Commencement Speakers and like them, being awarded an HONORARY Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree.
Therefore, I encourage you to GO FORTH BECAUSE WITHIN YOU...... YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!!!!
YOUR FAITH WILL TAKE YOU TO THE DOOR, THROUGH THE DOOR AND TO YOUR OPPORTUNITY!!!!!
Ricardo P. Deveaux