I think that kids who are at smaller schools or don't have

Hear, O seekers of perseverance, the words of Josh Allen, who declared: “I think that kids who are at smaller schools or don’t have offers from big schools can look at my story and continue to work hard. I preach to them that it doesn’t matter where you come from: it matters how you play and how you apply yourself.” These are not idle words, but the call of a man who rose from obscurity to glory, a voice that reminds the humble and the overlooked that destiny is not sealed by origin, but forged by effort and spirit.

The meaning of this saying shines like a torch against despair. Too often, the world whispers to the youth: “You are too small, your school is too unknown, your opportunities too few.” Yet Allen speaks as a living witness that circumstances do not bind greatness. The field is leveled not by reputation but by determination. Where you are born, the name of your school, the grandeur of your beginnings—these are but shadows. What truly endures is the fire of your labor and the way you rise when called to prove yourself.

The origin of these words flows from Josh Allen’s own journey. He was not the darling of recruiters, not crowned early as a prodigy. He grew up on a farm in Firebaugh, California, far from the mighty football kingdoms that birth legends. He was overlooked, underestimated, and told “no” more times than he was told “yes.” But he refused despair. He honed his craft with relentless discipline, seizing his chance at the University of Wyoming, a school small in name but mighty in the opportunity it gave him. From there he rose to become a leader in the NFL, proving that the seed of greatness can bloom in any soil, if only it is watered with sweat and guarded with faith.

History too bears witness to this truth. Recall Abraham Lincoln, born in a log cabin, with no access to wealth or prestige. By all measures, the world said he would remain in obscurity. Yet through study, resilience, and tireless application, he rose to lead a fractured nation and inscribe his name among the immortals. Like Allen, Lincoln’s life proclaimed that it is not the size of your beginnings but the strength of your striving that determines your place in history.

The lesson, therefore, is radiant and clear: do not despise your small beginnings, nor envy those whose path seems gilded. Greatness is not the inheritance of the privileged but the prize of the relentless. Whether you labor in a small town, a forgotten school, or an unnoticed corner of the world, your effort and dedication can still lift you to heights beyond imagination.

Practical wisdom follows. To those who dream, be steadfast in your practice. Work while others rest. Train your body, sharpen your mind, discipline your habits. If the great doors of opportunity do not open, knock on the smaller ones, and through them, carve your way forward. Do not be paralyzed by rejection; let it become fuel. Remember always: it is not where you start but how you apply yourself that will write your story.

So let Josh Allen’s words resound through the ages: origin does not define destiny. What matters is the fire in your spirit, the labor of your hands, and the faith with which you rise each day. Walk boldly, no matter how small your beginning, for the world remembers not where you came from, but what you became. And those who endure, who give themselves wholly to their craft, will one day stand as living proof that greatness can be born anywhere.