SamThePapillon

I honestly believe there’s a strong correlation between thinking, moving, and doing when it comes to your dreams. The truth is, we’re often afraid of the first step, but how bad do you want it? Some babies are perfect examples of first steps. My baby cousin was really the type who knew how to crawl but wanted to learn how to stand at three months, way beyond his time. I can’t tell you the times he cried to stand so he could walk but he wasn’t ready yet. Are you trying to run when you haven’t mastered how to crawl yet? It used to bother me that some of the things I had to work harder for to achieve would take someone else less than half the time it would take me to get it right. I used to be so frustrated about the process and just wanted to get to hitting the ground hard. I mean, I had all these visions, goals, and aspirations. Shouldn’t I start running? The reason why some of us are afraid to try is because there is a process, a sacrifice, to be great. No one likes the dirty ...

My book, Storm of Fire is out now! It’s a book full of surprises, especially to all my friends and family. There are pieces of me in this book, the unapologetic side and the one who hopes we can be friends on the jungle gym. I’ve wanted to be an author for so long, be a person I could admire. And now I look at me and say, “Wow, I did that.” It’s a nightmare to care about what people think about you all the time. If I had listened to everyone else, I wouldn’t have pursued a few of my dreams. I went to Korea and soon after, traveled the world- I even climbed the Eiffel Tower! I met new people, stayed out all hours of the night on the busy Korean streets of Busan, and sipped wine in Paris. I did things I never dared to dream. I saw things I heard about and got to see them for myself. I was able to cultivate my own opinions about how I see the world and my part in it. It isn’t until you look back do you truly see a far greater tapestry of this thing called life. My God, I can’t e...