WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN

If you are an individual like me, you have read books, studied quotes, listen to motivational speakers, watch tapes, and even had “DREAMS” about the next BIG THING in your life.

We have all heard the phrases: “It’s the POWER of your Dream”; “Think Big”; “Dream Big”; “Live your BEST life and Accomplish Your Dream” or “Follow Your Dream”. I learned long ago that there are two things that CAN and WILL impact your dreams. 1) You have to WRITE THEM DOWN and MAKE THEM PLAIN and 2) Surround yourself with people who will help you, encourage you, and inspire you to get to your goal.

Your friends will be like an elevator, they will either take you up or they will take you down. They will have a positive influence on you or their negative impact will cause you to lose focus on your purpose.

We are often told that we should dream big, that our dream should be SO BIG that it will scare us. You will go as high as you dream. But just what is a dream?

In researching the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it said that a dream is a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep; or an idea or vision that is created in your imagination and that is not real; or something that you have wanted very much to do, be, or have for a long time.

So a big dream is something that is your aspiration that you wish to attain, something that you believe you are capable of achieving through your hard work, focused attention, and something that will give you a sense of accomplishment.

I will always remember when I arrived at Bethune-Cookman College in August 1986, there was a student by the name of Kenneth Johnson, President of the Student Government Association. In my eyes, he was smart and had the most powerful and most influential student leadership position on the campus. I watched how he was seated next to the College President at most events and he spoke at every major campus event. There would be ONE thing that would be a hindrance, I was shy and could not speak in front of large crowds.

However, I wanted to be this individual in my senior year. So, as a “needy” little Freshmen, I wrote out a plan, spent many hours in the SGA Office talking with the SGA President, asking questions, taking notes, getting advice, and secretly mapping my way to this “BIG DREAM”.

It is amazing how people who see that you are “HUNGRY” for assistance will be the people to encourage your dream. The Vice-President of Student Affairs Mr. Clarence Childs and SGA President Kenneth Johnson found assignments around the office to keep me busy.

As Motivational Speaker Les Brown would say, “I was HUNGRY”. So, at the end of my Freshman Year, I decided to run for an office on the SGA Cabinet. The ONLY daring Freshman to run for an office and against a Junior. I won the election and was mentored by the next Student Body President Rudolph Ford during my Sophomore Year.

By the end of my Sophomore year, I knew that I had the position on the SGA Cabinet for my Junior Year. I had a choice to make, would it be Treasurer or Vice-President. In my two years of studying student government leadership, I found out that Vice-Presidents rarely become Presidents and people have a higher expectation of your leadership as Vice-President. I decided to run for Treasurer and won the office and for the next year, I watched and was mentored by the Student Government Association President Gerald Yancy.

At the end of my Junior Year, I knew that I would be ready to seek the Office of the Student Government Association President. There were three of us, the election was fierce, but I knew what my plans were and after three years, I was living out my plans in a three-week campaign. I won the election by over 900 votes and was inaugurated as the 1989/90 President of the Student Government Association at Bethune-Cookman College. I was following in the footsteps of some dynamic leaders but my historic election allowed me to become the third Bahamian to be elected President of the Student Body. (The first was Barton Duncanson – 1977/78 SGA President and the second was Greg K. Smith, from Freeport, Grand Bahama – 1985/86 SGA President).

In my Senior Year, I was living MY BIG DREAM. You can see the destination was conceived from my Freshman Year. I was inspired to accomplish this, I prepared, planned and executed. The fire of victory was in my belly and the road was traveled. Because I knew how to map this goal, this has assisted me to this date.

My advice to those who are looking at others and wondering, can I accomplish that Dream. Here are a few:

1) Write the Vision and Make It Plain.

2) Think Big, Dream Big

3) Believe in yourself

4) Make your dreams yours

5) Surround yourself with people who support and encourage your dreams

6) Know that God equips His Soldiers

7) Don’t Quit

Ricardo P. Deveaux, DHL

https://www.ricardopdeveaux.com

PHOTO

AFTER BEING INAUGURATED FOR THE 1987/88 STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN COLLEGE

Left to Right

Pictured: Ricardo P. Deveaux - Councilperson at Large, Greg Williams- Vice-President, Deneen Robinson - Outgoing SGA Vice-President, Rudolph Ford - SGA President, Kenneth Johnson - Outgoing SGA President, Carl Williams - Secretary, Moses Johnson - Student Representative to the Board of Trustees and Antonio Pringley - Treasurer

Seated: Miss BCC - Sheri McCree