At the age of 20, I was shipped off to prison. A self-destructive young Black male with no aim or purpose, who was thrown in one of the most negative environments that ever existed. Ironically, this was my defining moment.

It was in that moment that I had to decide whether to sink or swim, to be a prisoner of my circumstances or to be more than my circumstances. As you can probably guess I decided the latter. In that single choice I became aware of how many people in prison and in society fall victim to their personal prison. They remain trapped in some form or another to something that keeps them from reaching higher heights, or worse, they sink.

For those who may be in such a situation or who may just feel to worn down to push on. I offer this;

1. YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. Do not let your prison (hardships, struggles, and setbacks) define who and what you are.

2. UNDERSTAND THAT CHANGE IS A PROCESS. Your setbacks are a part of the process that is your growth and development. Don’t beat yourself up because of your setbacks, mistakes, and don’t stress what people think. A fact that I have learned is that negative people criticize to cover their own flaws. Their criticism is more about them than you.

3. “EVERY ADVERSITY, EVERY FAILURE, AND EVERY HEARTACHE CARRIES WITH IT A SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT BENEFIT. ” This quote I borrowed from Napoleon Hill. It became a type of mantra for me. It implies that adversity, failure, and heartache are lessons, and if we see them as such we will see the benefit of growth in them.

In a nutshell, what I hope to pass along are the steps to free yourself from your prison. Life has beat so many of us down that we too often become imprisoned by our hardships. Please never let your prison define you. Your power always lies in your ability to define yourself and your all-around character. For me, prison has become my university and a passport to a better me.