I don’t believe in wishes.  It’s not that I don’t believe in dreaming big, having high hopes, and “shooting for the stars”; but for more me, wishes imply that all you need to do to achieve a goal is to rely on luck; and I don’t believe in luck.  I believe in destiny.  That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in hope because sometimes hope is all we have to hold onto.  I believe in hope, high goals, but most of all I believe in the hard work required to achieve your “wish.”

Henry Hartman has been quoted as saying, “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” The way I interpret this is you pay your dues, you work hard, you don’t give up.  You don’t allow your environment or nay-sayers in your life to get you off track.  You don’t let the uphill battle knock you down.  Basically, you don’t make excuses.  You take the hand you’re dealt and you make the most of it–you’re a soldier, in every sense of the word.

I also  believe when Life sees you’re ready, everything will divinely fall in place.  One may say, “what a coincidence” or “I got a lucky break“, but I prefer to believe that everything plays out the way it’s supposed to and when you’re ready, you’re rewarded.

The gentlemen you see below (Disclosure: I have to brag and say the big guy is a great friend of our family) are all admirable men.  All of them grew up together (brothers, cousins, friends) born of very humble beginnings.  All sons of immigrants who came to the U.S. to provide their children with a better life. Even though they are all in different areas of law enforcement, they all have one thing in common–determination & drive.  They all share the determination to overcome their challenges, to not be a statistic or product of their environment, and not use their challenges as an excuse to be complacent.  Nothing they have achieved in life was ever handed to them.  Each of them worked hard, sacrificed time from loved ones, became sleep deprived,  and yet still pushed through the challenges even when they felt like giving up.  Most important they prepared themselves for the day when opportunity came knocking.  They didn’t just sit around daydreaming and  ”wishing for the best” they DID their best and their best has paid off.

Thank you to all the Law Enforcement, for your commitment to protect our communities, to put your lives on the line for your community each day; and thank you to the families of these men and women who also sacrifice so much. 

God Bless. 

~Peace, Love, Joy & Abundance~