Eric Thomas is a well-known powerful motivational speaker. He came from a humble background. His teenage years were filled with struggle when he lived in a cardboard box and lived through the cold, harsh winters of Detroit, Michigan without a home. Eric Thomas was unwilling to accept defeat in life. He overcame. Not only did he overcome, but he has devoted his life to encouraging others to overcome. He reminds people that success does not come easily. Success requires hard work. Doing what is easy keeps people stuck in mediocrity at best. Why settle in life?
When I hear about Eric Thomas, I am reminded of one of the students I taught in my ASVAB prep course. He came to me for ASVAB math help with a dream of enlisting in the military. He had a few obstacles to overcome. His family did not approve of his desire to enlist. He had been laid off his job. He had nowhere to live. He was sleeping on a friend’s couch while trying to improve his situation. It looked like his situation was hopeless. One moment changed my mind about his situation. I looked down at his phone and saw his screensaver. He had a quote from Eric Thomas on his phone, “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” At that moment, I realized that in spite of his situation, he had the mindset he needed to overcome his situation. I knew from that moment on that he had the drive to overcome the adversities he was facing. Needless to say, he passed the ASVAB. He joined the military and now is a proud United States Army soldier. Years later, I still receive messages from him on holidays reminding me how happy he was that he selected me out of all the ASVAB tutors out there. He is a success story, and I look at Eric Thomas as one of his sources of inspiration.
