"Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose" -Nelson.

Meaning, success comes to those who earn it. It isn't served on a silver platter -- it takes effort, hard work, dedication and a strong support system.

In order to succeed, you need to first dedicate yourself to success. Do you want to succeed? What do you want to succeed in? Where do you want your success to take you? Make a plan, create a list of steps you can take in order to reach your goal. Take those steps and repeat them daily. If things get difficult, remember you set the goal for yourself, in order to achieve greatness.

Effort is another vital thing to becoming successful. You must put forth the hard work in order to get somewhere. You have one life to live; why not give it your all every chance you get? Every day or every time you feel like giving up, try to remember the person who pushes you to succeed. While you remember that person or those people, get up, stand up and keep moving. It's never too late to try again.

Last but not least, you need a support system. In my opinion, this is the most important thing you need in order to become successful. A support system is one person or a group of people who support you and push you to do great things. This could be family (sister, brother, parents, or other relatives), friends, or people who obtain a part in your life, (teachers, co-workers, famous people). The greatest part about having a support system is that they don't only push you in the right direction, but they also inspire you in ways you didn't know they would. Sometimes, due to their encouragement, you find yourself working harder in order to show them how much they mean to you. This will not only push you to succeed, but also show them that they matter to you.

Every day you wake up and get a chance to take on the world's tasks is a good day. Don't spend it wasted. Take that privilege and make the day count. Do something to improve yourself and don't be afraid to take chances. Chances can be scary, but sometimes the scariest things are what lead you to a great success.

A special thanks to the people who have supported me my entire life -- family, teachers and friends. I may not say it enough, but you all have improved my life. You have pushed me to take steps I probably wouldn't have taken myself, and for that I couldn't be more thankful.