I am a man who had many aspirations in his life and I can honestly say that in retrospect some of those aspirations weren’t really mine. When I was in 4th grade I had the privilege to take part in a talent show at my school. My friends and I did a rendition of “I’ll make love to you” by Boyz II Men, though we were way too young to be singing that song. I remember the praise I received for the way I sang my verse and it was the first time I knew what I wanted to be when I got older, an R&B singer. I remember going home telling my parents my dream and them telling me I should try to be something more practical like a doctor or a lawyer, coming from Haiti those were the top professions in their eyes.

By the time Junior High came around, I switched my focus from singing to playing the trumpet the way my dad did. I quickly realized I hated it and started playing the tenor saxophone instead, My dad was none too happy about that. Navigating life decisions in the 6th grade was a little intense for me, but I felt like I had to choose a career path. My parents’ friends would always ask me what I would be when I grew up and I’d just tell them I’d be a doctor, rolling my eyes internally. I remember drawing comic strips with my best friend Michael in art class discussing video games and comics we could create together, honestly, that was one of the big reasons I started studying Software Engineering. Creating things from scratch through nothing but imagination has been the one true constant throughout my life. I didn’t realize it then, but that was the beginning of something amazing, I was just too young to put 2 and 2 together.

When High school was upon me I was going to be a basketball player, because all my friends were going to be and I hadn’t noticed I caught the bug. I wasn’t really good when I started, but I practiced hard to make that dream come true even though I wasn’t working on my grades in the same way. When I got my grades up and made the team that felt like a sure sign from God that this was the path I supposed to take. Even my coach told me that I could play on the college level and boy did I feel like I was on my way. Then college started and I did what my parents told me to do when I was a kid I looked into what was practical and viable, Massage Therapy. Two semesters in and I was out of there, I couldn’t follow my parents’ dream I had to find my own way to success whatever that might be. Since then I’ve been a carpenters apprentice, a cook, a painter, a starving artist, security officer, armed guard and none of them have stuck.

I realized recently that not one of those Way/ve’s were mine they were never meant for me, so I would never have that fire for those things. This summers past I felt that fire for the 1st time in my life so fervently that it has propelled me to open up to so many other ideas. I’m a 34-year-old student who is chasing a Way/ve that some younger people should probably chase, but this is where God has led my heart and there is a reason for that. All those artistic skills and talents I’ve been born with are now being used like never before. Once I found the path that was truly mine and mines alone nothing could deter me from it. So I say to anyone who feels like they’re directionless when it comes to your life’s passion, don’t be discouraged you’ll find your way and when you do you will be unstoppable.

Thank you for spending some time to read this blog today, my appreciation for you is immeasurable. God bless and don’t forget to keep”Chasing God’s Way/ve.”