Growing up in a small town mixed with the diversities of urban city, I learned one thing very quickly. Nothing in life was given. Nothing.

To the seeing the man who raised me evolve from a poor upbringing to owning his own successful business, to watching the life struggles of my mentally ill mother trip through life, it made me realize as a young child, you write your own story.

Of course, I watched as some people around me put in the time and effort. The blood, sweat, and tears to accomplish what they wanted to achieve. Not so much today, if any at all. Having also experienced those who feel everything up for grabs, they should have as well.

People are more and more having this sense from birth that they are owed something. This mindset is something I am unable to comprehend. If anyone is entitled to anything, it is those who were silenced. This is easy to distinguish, anyone other than a white male. Thing is, you still have to build your ship and make it strong. Making alterations along the way to allow it to sail through obstacles and survive the overall reality of life. When it sinks, you start over with in depth knowledge how to prevent that from happening again. Yet some cannot grasp the errors and correct them.

In truth, there can be a limit to what you can achieve. A limit? Yes and no. There is this invisible two-tier system that exists for most people in this country. A system of inequality. One that has existed for millennia. There exists a group of people that make up 10% of the population our nation. They are mostly born into it, or they join the club through a windfall of success. In this 10% lies the abilities to be able to not suffer consequences or duties of the other 90%. I promise I am not exaggerating; this is truth. Just to give you some real data, this 10% make up 93% of who owns stock in the stock market. They also make up the majority of people whom when faced with issues with law enforcement, spend no time in jail. They pay fines and move on. This 10% rarely see the consequences of anything the other 90% face or endure. Facts. Their ships come equipped with certain options at birth most do not have.

So, when building a ship, most try to emulate the architecture of those that sail in the 10% regatta. It is natural to human nature to do so. These blueprints start early, even more so now than ever with the existence of social media and influencers. It is portrayed that our lives must be a certain way, and this is what it looks like. In reality, your ship is unique and different to any other. This is where things get stressful, depressing, and cause anxiety for people. “Why can’t I have that?” syndrome starts to vibrate through the mind of people. Whether it be love, wealth, or health, it becomes a feeling of being jaded if you do not possess it.

I understand this, as I have been in this phase for majority of my adult life. Thing is that my ship sank. Had to build a new one. The goals I set to conquer were not meant to be with the ship I had built. The obstacles could not be overcome as I was unprepared. I had to build a new ship. One with a hull built on the knowledge of where I had come thus far, and how it was going to prevent catastrophic failure in the future. There is no law to how many times you can sink a ship. The goal is only to not do it often. To obtain that goal is key take-aways to humble yourself and expectations. The rest will come.

No one is born with an unsinkable ship, although more and more people feel they are entitled to have this. To live a life free of the reality of what it really is. There are those who think everything should be delivered to them on a silver platter, free of effort and labor. Blaming others to why they can’t have it, all the while letting their mental stability suffer. Some abuse of drugs and alcohol to counter this, as some turn to self-harm and destruction. You dictate the way your ship is built and what waters you can sail. You know the pre-existing conditions and complications; therefore, you must adjust for such. You can go anywhere you want; you just have to realize what your ship is capable of and make necessary adjustments.

Is your ship seaworthy?

dK