“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” 

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

During the middle of my teenage years and early 20s, I wasted a vast amount of time due to childish, immature decisions and floating by without a care for the future, only the present. 

Through life experiences and reaching a clear mindset in the past few years, I’ve begun to think further into the future. Who do I want to be? What do I want to experience? What legacy do I want to leave behind? What will make my soul happy? 

What career will provide me with joy and contentment instead of simply waking up, going into an office, returning home unsatisfied, falling asleep with no excitement for the upcoming day and rising in the morning to simply repeat the same cycle over and over again?

My dream is to be a writer in every aspect of the word, including books, poetry and storytelling. I aim to continue being a journalist, but most importantly, an individual who uses my words to create change. I hope to be granted the ability to use my platform to connect with others, provide encouragement, tell absolute, raw truths, remind individuals they’re not alone and leave some form of positivity on this earth once I’m gone.

I’ve held myself back from conquering my dreams for a lengthy amount of time due to self-doubt, insecurity, fear and procrastination. 

I’ve clipped my own wings for far too long, but I now believe I can soar to great heights. It’ll take belief in myself, a massive amount of drive and putting positive thoughts out instead of negativity by saying such and such won’t happen. It’ll take effort and conviction to conquer the fear, which is always a part of taking a leap of faith. However, the hope of achieving my dreams must be fearless.

No job is perfect, and it’s not always a good day. Covering wrecks with fatalities caused a vast amount of pain in my heart and conscience for several days. I still fear for anyone I love to be on a motorcycle as a vision appears in my mind of one young man lying on the street, covered with a white cloth, the wreckage of his motorcycle strewn across the pavement and his backpack containing personal items and an ID to identify him.

However, there is happiness in writing about those who’ve overcome struggles, found strength, are survivors, accomplished such amazing things and have those stories to tell. I’m lucky enough to be able to give them a voice by shining a light on their experiences through my writing. 

I’m ready to continue telling these stories and focusing on what’s important to me by moving forward in my work and my life. I’m ready to take that leap into the unknown, be brave and use my words to make a difference. I’m willing to forgive myself, let go of the past and believe in myself enough to follow wherever my dreams may lead me. I’m ready. 

Standard reporter Atlanta Northcutt can be reached at 473-2191.