See It Through in 2016

The year 2016 is off and running — we’re already halfway done with January and before you know it, we’ll be wearing shorts and tank tops again. But before we have fun in the sun, I’d like to share with you my personal mantra for 2016: SEE IT THROUGH.

No matter what life brings you in 2016, see it through fearlessly. Disclaimer: this doesn’t mean accept disrespect, mediocrity or toxicity. Seeing it through is about embracing your dreams and supporting your passion behind those dreams. We are all placed here on Earth to accomplish great things. We must believe in ourselves in order to SEE THE DREAM. On Monday, January 18th, we celebrate the great man who had a dream in 1963 for us to end racism in the United States. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was that great man. He wanted the entire nation to see past the color of one’s skin. Dr. King wanted everyone to be evaluated by the content of their character — one’s integrity, soul and heart.

Seeing the dream was only the first step: Dr. King wanted us to MAKE IT WORK. Black. White. Brown. Any color in between. Together. His vision was for a world to live in racial harmony, listen to each other’s issues and respect each other’s differences. In some ways, America has made it work. President Barack Obama is finishing up his 2nd term in the White House as the first black President of the United States of America. The overall racial climate has improved since the Civil Rights Movement. At the end of the day, these are facts. However, we have witnessed some recent dark days of racism that suggest otherwise.

Violence and racism against black people in America has sent the entire country THROUGH THE FIRE. It’s been almost 50 years since the assassination of MLK in 1968. Unfortunately, not much has changed when it comes to police brutality and blatant racism against black people. We know the names. We know the stories. We know the unfortunate outcomes. It’s like watching a bad movie over and over again – it absolutely sucks. It’s time for these types of movies to cease forever.

If Dr. King were alive, I’m not sure what he would say about our world today. I think he would be a huge supporter of #BlackLivesMatter. I also think he would be a supporter of #AllLivesMatter. Dr. King went through the fire of every situation that life brought him. King understood that he had a purpose, a destiny, a responsibility. Not everyone agreed with him. Not everyone liked him. MLK received lots of love but also had haters.

When life gets tough, it’s imperative to know yourself and stand up for your truth. If you have a dream in life, be sure you visualize it daily. Make it work for you, no matter the situation or circumstance. Life will deal you a bad hand at times – run through the fire in order to strive for your personal greatness every single time. King did it. Kendrick is doing it. So can you. Dream on and See It Through in 2016!