Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Go Get Your Dreams


Yesterday, I posted this as my Facebook status:
Got a new job offer!!! Sorta the same position (Dean of Students/Assistant Principal), more money, more responsibility, different charter school network. One of the best parts? I get to move into a Leadership Residency position within a year, where I'll learn how to run my own school to either take over one of the network's existing schools OR start my own school within the network. Really cool since it's totally what I want to do when I grow up.

Just accepted the offer so I'm feeling pretty good, blessed, and favored right now. Started from the bottom...
(That last sentence was a Drake reference, by the way.)

Education has always been "my thing." For as long as I could remember, I wanted to work in education to help children and families achieve at their highest level. I like seeing people succeed and I'm good at helping them get motivated to do so. And I've always worked in education in some way, shape, or form because I knew it would help me to be highly qualified to eventually do what I've always wanted to do -- become a school principal/head of school.

So when I got a new job last year, I was ecstatic. 

Y'all know some of my story: I was raised in foster care because my parents were drug addicts (very prevalent in the 80's). I "defied" the odds, got a scholarship, went to college, and graduated. Then I got pregnant -- by surprise -- and became a young mother. Then I found myself in an abusive relationship. Then I went to grad school and finished. Now, I'm a single mother and trying to raise a kid the best way I know how.

Not exactly society's recipe for success.


But it's my recipe.

Nothing should deter you from achieving your goals in life. Nothing. Not motherlessness, not fatherlessness, not unexpected pregnancies, not abusive relationships, not young motherhood, not single motherhood.

Nothing. 

Go get your dreams!

If you have goals and hopes and wishes and dreams... figure out a way to achieve them. If something unexpectedly comes up, so be it. That's life. Things happen. We have to learn how to deal with it and move on. If Plan A doesn't work, find a Plan B. Or C. Or D. If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else. Try a little harder. Work a little smarter.

But... go get your dreams!

I’ve been through a lot in my short little life, but I’ve learned a lot of things and I’ve tried my hardest to stay focused. I’ve gotten off track, yes. I’ve fallen, yes. But, I’ve gotten back up again and kept going.

Resilience... It’s damn near half the battle.

For those of you waiting for the "right time," don't. If not now, then when?

This is your life. Live it. On purpose.

And go get your dreams.

13 comments:

  1. go the hell on Alicia. I'm so happy and proud of you. You are making your own path, your own way and NOT making excuses for the way things turn out. You are driving the wheels of this truck lady and you're steering in the right direction.

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  2. ***Stands up and applauds***

    Dream it. Do it.

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  3. I love when you make post like this and remind readers where you can from and also where you are going. You are such an inspiration!

    Btw our lives have many parallels from being in foster care, unexpected pregnancy, graduate school with a small kid and more.

    I'm so happy to meet other people who counts themselves in when others count them out.

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    1. Yikes. Sorry - I am typing from a phone -- please forgive all those spelling and grammatical errors

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  4. Yassss!! So proud of you. This is so inspirational as I find myself in one of my ruts again where I am pondering my purpose. Congrats to you!

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  5. Congrats, am so happy for you. You're achieving your dreams! - Bicultural Mama

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  6. You go mama!!! Congrats on the new job. I'm so proud of you and all that you are accomplishing. Our obstacles can only hold us back if we let them. Where there is a will there is always a way!!

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  7. Hi Alicia! Just hopped over and I think you are officially my idol for the day. What a rockstar you are and look at all you've accomplished. Anyway, your son is SUPER adorable and wanted to let you know that tomorrow I'm hosting a Stella and Dot giveaway. Hope you'll stop by and join in!

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  8. I just installed feedly on my phone and this post was the 1st to pop up. Congratulations on living your dream and making a difference! I'm a fellow 80's/fatherless (he used drugs) baby as well. My unplanned pregnancy was a blessing for me because I honestly didn't know where I was going careerwise and wanted to skip over to family life. I was living my life to make mama proud and I truly wasn't ready for/happy in college. Some day I will return now that I've aquired quite a bit of interests. But for now, I'm enjoying entrepreneurship. Anywho, I'm rambling, hahaha. Continue being amazing, you make us young mamas proud :-). *turns up music* Started...

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  9. Wow, you are on fire, congrats! So happy for you. Lol, feels like some new fire has been lit under my butt. And we all need that sometimes.

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  10. Oh, the many reasons I love me some Alicia Harper. She loves education, I love education. She's works her arse off, I work my arse off. She's the bomb, I'm the bomb. Ha! :)

    No, seriously, I am so, so proud of you. I didn't exactly know your background until recently, so of course I'm even more impressed. That had to be kinda tough (which I'm sure is an understatement). I've been coming across a lot of devotionals/sermons that have been telling people to STOP blaming their fears and failures on their past. Everyone's got a story, but only the strong work past it.

    You are a shining example of this. So many things have happened to you that people would consider deal breakers...but naw. Not Alicia Harper. You're the epitome of "getting it done."

    I! LOVE! YOU! and am so inspired by your dedication.

    (By the way, is it weird that I have no desire whatsoever to be an administrator? I love the classroom SO MUCH, I'm not sure I'd be happy in any area of administration. Maybe the desire will come one day...)

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