Your environment isn't an excuse

You come across a young person, and ask why he isn't making moves for himself, why his life is messed up, why he is doing all the wrong things, and he says it because of where I come from.

The environment is an encompassing factor that comprises of the family, peers, etc.
The environment plays a huge role in the life an individual, it is the contributing factor to the outcome of most behaviors that pose a huge threat to the society.

It's no doubt the foundation of a child matters a lot, even the bible says "if the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do?" but then if you find yourself in an environment that is all wrong, where all sort of evil vices are exhibited ,what do you do? Join them?

While growing up, my mother used to tell me "know where you're coming from, and know where you're headed" that has been a major driving force for me. You come from a ghetto does not mean you should end up in a ghetto.

As an intending parent or a parent,you're gonna be responsible for whatever life your children come to find themselves in. It's your duty to give your children the kind of life they deserve, you shouldn't be so wicked to bring your kids into the environment you dread so much, the goal is to be better than our parents. Don't be the kind of parent your kids wish they never had.

This is the best time to invest. Invest your time, your intellect, your ability, everything, for a better tomorrow. Most people suffer a whole lot due to misplaced priorities, doing the right things at the wrong time, doing the wrong things at the right time. Young persons are usually prone to different behavioural influences ,we allow ourselves to be blinded by youthful exuberance. This isn't the time to sleep, but the time to get your ass to work, and make some good investment for yourself. You do not need friends that don't challenge you to make money moves, any friend that isn't adding any thing positive to your life, should be kept afar.

Many of the wealthiest and influential persons in the world are product of the slums, I did a little research to confirm this.

We all know the famous Abramovich
Russian business tycoon and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich was born into poverty and orphaned at age two.
Abramovich was born in southern Russia, into poverty. After being orphaned at age two, he was raised by an uncle and his family in a subarctic region of northern Russia.
While a student at the Moscow Auto Transport Institute in 1987, he started a small company producing plastic toys, which helped him eventually found an oil business and make a name for himself within the oil industry. Later, as sole leader of the Sibneft company, he completed a merger that made it the fourth biggest oil company in the world. The company was sold to state-run gas titan Gazprom in 2005 for for $13 billion.
He acquired the Chelsea Football Club in 2003 and owns the world's largest yacht, which cost him almost $400 million in 2010. Networth - $8.2 billion

Born into poverty, Oprah Winfrey became the first African American TV correspondent in Nashville.Winfrey was born into a poor family in Mississippi, but this didn't stop her from winning a scholarship to Tennessee State University and becoming the first African American TV correspondent in the state at the age of 19.
In 1983, Winfrey moved to Chicago to work for an AM talk show which would later be called "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Net worth - $3 billion

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison dropped out of college after his adoptive mother died, and he held odd jobs for eight years.Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a single mother, Ellison was raised by his aunt and uncle in Chicago. After his aunt died, Ellison dropped out of college and moved to California to work odd jobs for the next eight years. He founded software development company Oracle in 1977, which is now one of the largest technology companies in the world.
Net worth: $49.8 billion

Ralph Lauren was once a clerk at Brooks Brothers dreaming of men's ties.
Lauren graduated high school in the Bronx, New York, but later dropped out of college to join the Army. It was while working as a clerk at Brooks Brothers that Lauren questioned whether men were ready for wider and brighter designs in ties. The year he decided to make his dream a reality, 1967, Lauren sold $500,000 worth of ties. He started Polo the next year.
Net worth - $ 6.8 billion
http://www.businessinsider.com/17-billionaires-who-were-once-dirt-poor?IR=T

Let the above analysis inspire you. The above mentioned people,all came from poor homes, but that wasn't an excuse for them to be poor. Excuses are awesome, they help us procrastinate, they give us a reason for not doing everything, they make us feel very comfortable even in failure, they make even poverty look attractive,a lazy man will come up with an excuse why he is so lazy. There is no excuse for being poor, the fact your parent did not give you the best of life, should be enough reason why you should hunger for a successful life.

http://spmcommunications.com/the-excuse-for-no-excuses/

Never give up
Keep believing
Never be afraid to take risk
Patience and Consistency is all you need, you might get tired, you might get frustrated, at some point you might lose hope, never relent.
someday you'll look back, and be glad you took those decisions.