Keep Your Dream

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Isidro. He often lets me use his ranch to host events that raise money for programs helping youth at risk.

The last time I visited, Monty introduced me by sharing a story from his past. He said:

“When I was a young boy, my father trained horses for a living. We moved around a lot, from one stable to another, which made it hard for me to stay in one school for very long.

One day in high school, my teacher asked us to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up.

That night, I wrote a detailed paper about my dream of owning a horse ranch. I even drew a map of a 200-acre ranch, showing where I’d build the stables, the track, and a large 4,000-square-foot house. I put my heart into that paper.

Two days later, the teacher gave it back—with a big red F on the front and a note that said, ‘See me after class.’

I asked the teacher why I got an F. He told me, ‘This is an unrealistic dream. You have no money, no resources. Your family moves around too much. You’ll never afford a ranch. If you rewrite the paper with a more realistic goal, I’ll change your grade.’

I went home and thought hard about it. I asked my dad what I should do. He told me, ‘Son, this is your decision. But it's an important one.’

After thinking it over for a week, I handed the same paper back to the teacher—without changing a single word. I told him, ‘You can keep the F. I’ll keep my dream.’

Now you’re sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house, right in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. That school paper is still framed above my fireplace.”

Then Monty smiled and said, “The best part is this—two summers ago, that same teacher brought a group of 30 kids to my ranch for a week-long camp. As he was leaving, he said to me, ‘Monty, I used to be a dream-stealer. I discouraged a lot of kids. I’m glad you weren’t one of them.’”

Moral of the story:
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. No matter where you come from or what others say, if you believe in yourself and work hard, anything is possible. Follow your heart and never give up.