Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 16, 2021 (SKNIS): Dr. Javeim Blanchette, Featured Speaker at the 2020-2021 Susanna Lee High School Scholarship Programme Awards Ceremony, shared what he termed as the four key ingredients for inductees to adopt if they are to be successful in life.
Dr. Blanchette, an alumnus of the Susanna Lee High School Scholarship Programme, introduced four ‘Ds’ that are unavoidable on the road to success.
“One of the first things you need to be successful is a dream. Having a dream is very important. On the road to success, you can consider a dream to be the car, it takes you where you want to go. A dream creates the blueprint of your life, it is what you imagine your life would be like in the future and as a result, you work towards it,” said Dr. Blanchette during the awards ceremony held at the Social Security Board Room on Thursday, November 11, 2021. “A dream is what gives you purpose, what motivates you, a dream is what reminds you not to quit even when you want to.”
The second ingredient is discipline. Dr. Blanchette stated that if a dream is the car on the road to success, then discipline can be considered the steering wheel.
“Discipline in the sense of self-control. Discipline is essential as it reminds you of what needs to be done to accomplish your dream. … You have to avoid distractions and remember your dream. Remember that vision of your life,” he said. “Without discipline it is quite possible that you will make a wrong turn, steering off of your dream.”
Reflecting on disappointments as the third element, Dr. Blanchette said that most people encounter them on their road to success.
“We can view disappointments as speed bumps on your road to success,” he said, adding that throughout life he encountered disappointments but instead of quitting, he used them to work twice as hard and as motivation to push him to be a much better person. “Disappointments will come but it is how you deal with them that really matters. You have two options – you can either let disappointments push you back or you can use it to motivate you like I did and work even harder.”
He then pointed to determination as the final ingredient, adding that it serves as the “engine and the fuel that moves the car forward. It is the extra acceleration” that will push any individual over their disappointing speed bumps.
Dr. Blanchette challenged the recipients to hold onto their dreams, be determined in life to overcome any obstacle placed in their path. He told them that if they remember the four ‘Ds” – Dream, Discipline, Disappointments and Determination – throughout their lives, success will definitely follow. “I dare you to dream, be disciplined, overcome your disappointments and be determined to accomplish your goals,” added Dr. Blanchette.
