Staff Reports
MOULTRIE — Reaching youngsters with ideals and ideas is the specialty of Marcus Girard. He brought those abilities to Stringfellow Elementary on Tuesday where he told a group of young boys to seize the moment with great passion.
The motivational speaker and intervention counselor told his audience that the way to change the world begins from within themselves. The event was sponsored by the schools’ Gentleman’s Club.
Girard told the group of about 85 students, faculty and parents that problems often arise because boys do not like who they are. Having a self-image problem often leads to them acting out against others, and it starts at an early age and moves into adulthood.
“Some of you cause problems on the outside because you don’t like who you are on the inside,” Girard said. “The way I felt about myself carried over into everything I did.”
In addition to having a good self-image, Girard told the boys they needed to pay attention and do well in school. The key to a successful life is an education, he said. And he gave them an analogy relative to the subjects they study.
“The Creator who created your life loved math and He created you mathematically,” Girard said. “You are every subject school teaches you.”
Girard said history is also important to know because past struggles and the future of humanity rely on the present. The past struggles and all a family’s makeup have been passed down to you boys, and that history makes each of you a one-of-a-kind creation.
“Every one of you is special and unique,” Girard said. “You can search all over the earth and can never find another person like you. Each one of you is something special to behold.”
The way each person dresses has an impact on how they feel about themselves, said Girard. And having the best name brands does not make a person somebody. The best way a person can feel valued is to first learn that their true value comes from inside them, he said.
Life on the streets is never the way to go, even though popular culture and hip hop music often glamorize that life, Girard said. Young boys do not realize how their parents are doing everything they can to keep them off the streets and keep them away from the drugs and violence found on the streets.
“There has never been a generation as blessed as you,” Girard said. “The world is yours, all you have to do is want it. This is your moment.”
Girard concluded by telling the boys he wanted them to live a life that is full of passion and zeal to take on the world. Young girls want the “good life” more than boys, and Girard encouraged these boys to seize their chance now while they are young.
