The teacher looked at her students and said, "You will not make it."
"You will not be the next R&B star, a famous football or basketball player. You will not become the next Snookie or The Situation. You will not be discovered as a famous model/artist/musician/actress/fill in the blank after a year of struggle in New York City, where you went to 'find yourself.' You will not write the next great American novel. You will not become a billionaire."
The students threw bullets with their eyes that screamed a silent defiance. How dare you?
"You are going to need to push aside all of your self-importance, your perception that things in this life are 'owed' to you, that people care. You will have to learn the skills to live in a world that doesn't need you, doesn't want you, and will not put up with your puffed up ego. You will need to learn to show up on time, do your work and do it well, you will need to be respectful, whether or not it is given, you will need to learn to put aside your pride, you will need to work for a boss you hate, take a job at McDonald's, or sell shoes. Giving up on these jobs because 'you are better than that' is a slap in the face to the worker. You need to grow up, support yourself and your family. Then, when you have done this, you will be successful. You will have learned to put your wants aside."
It was the best advice she ever gave.