Believe In Your Dreams – Positive Reflection Of The Week
Pauline’s Message: ‘Believe In Your Dreams’
Life is a journey that requires courage, determination and opportunities to be successful. Everybody loves success, but very few, are always willing to pay the price to achieve their desired goal in life. I grew up admiring Oprah Winfrey and every hardworking person I came across, I loved their story, their humble beginnings and how they managed to achieve all they had. I wanted to do more with my life, not to be like them but to find inspiration from them to achieve my desired goals.
Growing up in a very humble background, I learnt to appreciate every opportunity life gave us. My mother always taught me never to stop believing in myself and my dreams no matter what life throws at me. At the age of 9, my dream was to have a children’s home and live with a lot of children whom I saw on my way going to school, sleeping on the streets. The first time I told my mom about it, she laughed and called me a candle, she encouraged me to work hard in my education and never to lose sight of the beauty of every struggle.
Life didn’t go as planned but definitely, in every scar, struggles left me with a star within me to give light to the world. Through every pain, life has given me a purpose to live for and appreciate every little step I take to achieve my desired goals. I had a dream at the age of 9 to have a children’s home, at the age of 23 I had the same vision that I wanted to shelter girls who have undergone sexual and domestic violence.
The first time at 23, I had the vision of a shelter, I was terrified, maybe because I was no longer innocent and I understood the reality more than when I was 9, but I made up my mind never to look back. I took the first steps to start training young girls building their confidence and communication skills through modelling. I started speaking my dreams and looked out for every opportunity to share my vision with people who could help me.
The journey has not been easy but it has been worth it! I have fallen so many times but learnt on the way. I have given up on so many luxuries to achieve the satisfaction I get from being a candle to someone else. I have had moments where I watched myself fall apart just to find the strength to recollect myself again and rise up stronger than before.
I find success in uplifting other people & it was my mentors who helped me find out that I am a social entrepreneur and my success is uplifting those who need me. I am a candle in this world, and I am never alone & to burn brighter I have other candles around me that have never given up on me and have sacrificed to see every vision I have come to fruition.
I am not where I wanted to be, my shelter now has two girls and I am more than humbled to watch them grow. The beauty of this journey is that am not where I used to be, that I am making steps as little as they are, I am moving towards success, and my greatest lesson has been to believe in my dreams, speak my dreams until they have no choice but to manifest.
“The beauty of life is not how strong we are but where we get strength when everything falls apart.”
Pauline Juma, Age 25, Founder of ‘Rebirth Of A Queen’