The people in your CIRCLE MATTER

 Let me be blunt.  I did NOT think I was going to graduate from law school.  

It had nothing to do with bad grades.  It had nothing to do with difficult classes.  It had nothing to do with tough teachers.

I had made this determination the moment I sat in my classes at Florida State University College of Law.

I had convinced myself that I did not deserve to be there.  It did not matter that I had a Bachelors degree and Masters Degree.  It did not matter that I had served in the military.  NONE of those things mattered.  

What mattered was that I was attending one of the top law schools in the State of Florida and I had already decided that I would be lucky if I made it through the first semester.

Despite my paranoia, I had the one thing that would ensure my success.

I had a Personal Circle.

Jerome (R.I.P.) and I during our 2nd year of law school.

Stacey, Cherie and I studying during our 1st year of law school

Sitting in the break area of the Tampa Convention Center waiting to take the Bar Exam

Hanging with my frat brother, Keevin, during my 2nd year of law schoolMy, then, girlfriend (and eventual wife), Carroll at my law school graduation

During those first few weeks, I met and became close with 6 young ladies:  Stacey, Cherie, Hilda, Jennesia, Sonya, and Tionis.  I, also, met and became close with my road dawg, Jerome.  One of my frat brothers, Keevin, relocated to Tallahassee.  And, I also was dating (and would eventually marry) a young lady named Carroll.

Now, at the time, I did not know how impactful these people would be in my journey through law school.  I was so worried about everything else.  I had no clue.

Fortunately, these people would become my foundation.

I studied every semester, including preparation for the Bar exam, with my POWER 6 women.  Jerome and I would hang out at his house to watch wrestling (Yep, WWE) every week as a study break. My frat brother (who graduated from FSU College of Law) regularly broke me out of my rut.  And my wife regularly sent me care packages and visited.  

Before I knew it, I was now graduating from law school. 

And I owe it all to my personal circle!

The reality is that most of us do not succeed alone.  We may be driven but we often need people to help us DRIVE! 

So when you are working towards achieving your goals and your dreams, remember that the people around you matter.  You can’t drive alone and you shouldn’t try.