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From speaking to teens from all over, I have realised that many put themselves in boxes because they believe that is where they belong.
I am talking about the “ghetto versus salad” and the “rural versus urban” mentality. I hear a lot of children from the high density, low density or rural areas saying some things are not for them.

Such teens shun some sports and other activities because they feel that these are not meant for them, because of what they think is their social class.

There is nothing wrong with being real about where you come from.
I am not for a moment suggesting that all teens should pretend that they come from rich families who can afford to give them a fabulous life.
Because the truth is that very few parents can do that and most are struggling to provide the basics for their children.

Even those in the low density suburbs face their own challenges.
But when you tell yourself that some things are not for you, you are limiting your dreams.
When you limit your dreams, you limit your goals and that means you will never know what you are capable of. Many people that we look up to today started in very humble beginnings but they had big dreams.

A good example is businessman Phillip Chiyangwa who is not ashamed of his very poor background.
He openly talks about how he used to go around barefoot selling vegetables in a small town.
But now he is a trendsetter who has set the Facebook page “Zvinhu Zvirikufaya” alight, inspiring other Zimbabweans to celebrate their success.
The list of people from disadvantaged families who have become successful is endless.

On the other hand there are also many people from rich families who end up dismal failures in life.
Many rich kids become spoilt brats who abuse drugs and lead miserable lives in the middle of all that money.
So learn to accept your current situation without letting it be a benchmark for your future.

If you have a goal, then you will make a plan to achieve it using the resources within your means.
It is not the economic class that you come from which matters, it is where you are going that counts.