“You’ll never be a doctor.”

“You’ll never be a lawyer.”

“You can’t become an engineer.”

“You’ll never be famous.”

“You’ll never be successful.”

“You should just aim a lot lower.”

“You. Just. Can’t. Do it.”

How many people have told you that dreams are for children? How many people have told you that you’re thinking “too big,” and you need to examine the world from a more “realistic” perspective? How many times have you doubted yourself? How many times has the world tried so hard to tear you down when you’re just trying to build yourself up? How many times have you felt like just throwing in the towel?

If you are one of the people faced with this issue, I have three simple words for you:

Don’t. Give. Up.

Welcome to college, home of some of the best and brightest from across the nation, who all come together to better themselves and chase after their futures. It’s also the home of many men and women who dream of climbing the ladders of success and becoming the best of the best in their respective fields. But for every one dreamer, there’s always someone who doesn’t believe in dreams. They are the ones who remain in an “ultra-realistic” state of mind at all times, and they cannot imagine anyone being able to accomplish something greater than working in an office for the usual nine-to-five. Clocking in, clocking out, then going home to their suburban families until they do the exact same thing tomorrow. And maybe that's enough for some - maybe that’s their goal. For others, however, they dream much higher than that. But having dreams in college can seem like taboo at times. Almost as if no one should even have them at all. Why? Because the chances of succeeding are so low that they might as well aim lower and feel more reassured in their life, accomplishing nothing but at least having the ability to say that accomplishing nothing was what they wanted all along.

But don’t allow those thoughts to impact what you believe in.

We didn’t come to college for mediocrity. We came for the pursuit of success, to accomplish our dreams. To live up to the standards we’ve set for ourselves. To make an impact on people’s lives - even to save lives. So, why settle? Why shoot for the bottom instead of the top? Because someone said “you can’t do it”? Did Martin Luther King Jr. not have people tell him he was a fool on a fool's errand? Did Bill Gates just give up when people told him it wasn’t worth chasing after his dreams? Did Steve Jobs? Walt Disney? What successful individual in this world hasn’t been ridiculed, insulted, or shot down for having dreams that far exceed what was considered the “norm”?

Turn your dreams into goals. Turn your goals into reality. Don’t allow yourself to get hung up on those around you. Don’t allow all the stress culminating in your mind for your five finals this week convince you it might be time to give up. Don’t allow the rough patches of this storm convince you to turn back. Because I won’t lie to you, things are going to get even tougher. The higher your goal, the rougher the storm is going to get. Sometimes you’ll fail. Actually, you’ll probably fail a lot. But every failure is just another learning experience, something that you may use as a stepladder towards your success. Turn your failures into your motivation to keep pushing forward instead of allowing yourself to be discouraged by them. The journey to success is the road less traveled for a reason. But the end reward is much greater than any of the pain you may have suffered along the way.

So what exactly am I rambling about? Why did I write this article? Well, it’s to serve as a motivator - for you, for the stranger sitting next to you in class, for your roommate, for every single person currently in college right now and yes, even for myself. We all have times when we think we may have chosen the wrong path. Where we may think things such as, “Man, things are just too hard. I should just quit,” or imagine ourselves in a completely different field of study. But it’s these times that truly define us for who we are. Anyone can coast through life when things are easy or simple, but who you really are is made truly evident when you are faced with adversity. So face adversity with a wide smile across your face and don’t back down. Don’t give up. Keep pushing for whatever your goal happens to be. Something inspired you to pursue that goal, so why the hell are you going to back down now just because the storm is starting to get a bit rough? You haven’t even made it to the halfway mark yet. You just need to remember there's always a calm eye in the center of this cyclone called life.

So get back out there, champ. Show the world you’re something different, that you didn’t give up on your dreams, that you

are capable of success. Whether that success lies in becoming a world-renowned surgeon, the President of the United States or even a champion bodybuilder, keep pushing. Set an example, and help inspire others to accomplish their goals as well. Never settle, because we’ve only got so much time in the life we’re given, so make the most of it. Live. Love. Succeed. This is the only shot you're going to get, so don’t waste it just because things are getting tough. Keep going. And then maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to look back on your life and smile at the little things that almost prevented you from reaching your goals. But due to your perseverance, your dedication and your motivation through it all, you managed to make it through the storm, each challenge along the way fundamentally changing you, bettering you, and shaping you into the man or woman you are today. And, truthfully, you wouldn’t want it any other way.