Anything Is Possible with Belief In Yourself
Benjamin Franklin said “Lost time is never found again,” and although there is truth in these words, there are moments in our lives where we come face to face with what we thought was gone forever. On Friday April 15th, 2016 the halls at Elm Place Middle School smelled no different than they did 22 years prior. The pay phones near the main entrance were replaced with vending machines, and the library had undergone a minor facelift, but all in all this was still home. This was still the place where the most formative years of my life unfolded. The place where I learned many lessons that only became realities once I left the confines of those walls.
As I walked past the doors that once lead to test anxiety, homework assignments, and teachers that seemed to control the very fabric of existence, I couldn’t help but hear the voices of Jimmy, Patrick, and Brandon. Are the ghosts of our former selves still walking the halls of this 147 year old institution? The long corridor which lead to the auditorium, where I would soon address the entire 8th grade class, was a trip down memory lane. The hardness of the clay while cutting it with wire in Mr. Walsh’s art room,and singing Señor Don Gato in the music room with Mr. Reed were all right there. I could feel the moments, and hear the echoes.
When I walked into the large dimly lit auditorium I knew the moment had finally come. This was the moment I would come face to face with the former me. The child that didn’t believe anything special waited for him in the future. The boy that new he was smart, but lacked the self-confidence to apply himself. On Career Day 2016, I spoke to those kids about the world of infinite possibility. I told them that all I saw in their faces was potential. I assured them that if they had the courage to dream, and the toughness to endure failure, that anything was possible.
After 45 minutes of making my case, I was rewarded with applause and thanks, but it wasn’t until the last student left the room, that I got my true reward. Unbeknownst to the 140 students in that small auditorium, my wife and 2 sons were sitting in the back. They made the effort to come hear me speak on that crisp Friday morning. As my boys came running down the aisle with arms open wide,I could see the pride on their faces. As I picked them up and embraced them both I knew my ghost was there. With a smile on his face, I knew that he was watching me.
“This is your moment Christopher Falcon. When I look at you all I see is potential. You can do anything if you have the courage to dream. You can be anything if you have the toughness to endure failure. Anything is possible for you…anything.”
Chris Falcon is a Certified Personal Trainer and Youth Exercise Specialist. He is founder of Reactive Performance Enhancement Center, and creator of The Multi-Mode Method of Eating™. Chris is a motivational speaker dedicated to helping people feel their best through healthy living on all levels.
