"I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. My past is full of mistakes. I had a bad attitude and disciplinary problems, but I have learned that your character will make room for you. Character building is so important to becoming a better person. My purpose in life is to always be authentically me. Whether thats through art, spoken word or music. My work has inspired people to follow their dreams. My past has elevated me and has helped me to become a beacon of light to others. I would encourage other artists pursuing their gift to do the same. In order to give light, we must first receive light. Appreciate the process and gain understanding. It will all be worth it." - Venus Blu, Poet, Musician, Singer, Songwriter
Finding My Purpose Part 1: College
At 17 I stepped onto the University of Toledo campus 2 months early, to begin taking summer courses. I wasn’t on a plan to graduate early. I was running away from the pain of my childhood and needed to reframe my life.
I was the first in my family to go to college, and the journey to arrive on campus was a challenge in and of itself. I asked myself could I even afford it? What about financial aid and what college should I choose? With focus, I made college happen. I was ready to redefine my life on my own terms, to be free of the negative talk and experiences I’d been stuck in for so many years.
There was only one problem: I lacked direction in my career choice. Sure, college was consistently lectured to me by educators as the key to a better life, but what did I want to do? No one ever discussed personality, natural talents, gifting’s, passion, or job outlook with me in depth. They mentioned the idea, but I never navigated the path for myself. What was my professional identity?
This led to my almost weekly change of major. You could find me walking across campus to the different colleges within the university, to meet with their advisors and to officially fill out paperwork for the registrar office. I covered the gamut too – I was great at picking major; from accounting and finance to occupational therapy, social work and psychology. I was sporadic, spontaneous, and all over the map.
And this wasn’t just freshman year – all the way up until my senior year I considered changing my major, although less frequently as the years went on. After all – I was slowly but surely getting closer to having a degree!
It took five years, but ultimately I decided to major in something I was passionate about without regard to job outlook. I didn’t know what I would do with it, but I knew if I was going to spend my time studying a subject, I had better enjoy it. I landed on Religion with a minor in Psychology because I loved to hear more about ethics, how people thought, and the role faith plays in this process.
Did I have a job lined up? Nope. But was I happy in my classes? You bet. And I knew finishing any degree was smarter than dropping out from not focusing.
Part 2: Coming in March.
By Guest Writer: Michael Tatonetti
Journey to the NFL
"I lost all of the college scouts, my senior year of high school. A coach that left took all of the film, so with no footage to submit, recruiters lost interest. My freshman year at ASU, I had the hardest training camp ever. When I left college I didn't get drafted or even a try out as I was projected to. However, in every instance I stopped and asked myself did I want to keep going? The answer was always yes, so I devised a plan and mapped out worst and best case scenarios. I built contingencies to manage my expectations. I've never been a quitter and I've always had a support system, so that keeps me going. Plus I am very realistic with myself, so if I decide I can do something, it's because I really can." - Edward Mosley III, Pro Arena Football Player