Present Circumstances by Jenna

Present Circumstances by Jenna - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

There is always a time that people go through which is what they believe to be the most miserable of their life. They struggle and drag themselves through their trouble, and if they are strong enough, they come out wiser and unscathed. There is a quote by Nido Qubein that says, “Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”

I fully believe in what Qubein has stated. Even though us humans clash with the world around us, constantly trying to better it and ourselves, the only real thing holding us back for what we truly desire is ourselves. Your past is not what defines you, it is merely the start of your great expedition.

There are many people that have gone through more than most people could ever imagine. There are people who have lived through ravaging wars, vast poverty, and odious dwellings, but they still manage to live their lives and prosper. I have personally never been through any of those horrible things, but I was also not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I've known the fear of waking up to no water and electricity simply because the bills couldn't be paid, or getting notices from the landlords saying that our home was about to be taken away from us.

I've had to work to help keep my home, to keep our utilities on. But this doesn't stop me from looking towards my future. By wanting to make myself better than what I was raised with.

I read this quote, and it gives me hope for the future. Not only for mine, but for others that have gone through dreadful circumstances, circumstances that make people think that they will never amount to any real value.

Nothing can make us be something were not. People who were born artists can’t be stuck in offices, and though who express themselves cannot work in montone. Nothing can determine what we are; not our parents, our past, or the amount of money we have in our bank accounts. We as humans were made with the chance of advancement. This is a right that is given with our freedom, and can only be taken away with the chains of slaves.

We are who we make ourselves to be. It is our choice, and ours alone. Your past is only a piece of you, a building block in the towers of your soul. With this, it is your choice on whether or not you want to soar.