OGDEN -- Eric Thomas made the mistakes, and his goal is to keep young people from doing the same.
Thomas, aka the Hip Hop Preacher, spoke Thursday to Weber State University students and to groups bused in from area high schools, including charter school DaVinci Academy of Science & the Arts.
"Dream," said Thomas, a motivational speaker known for his YouTube videos. "Go into your future and see what you want to be, then step back and work to make it happen."
Thomas, the son of a teen mother in Detroit, was a high school dropout at 16 and spent two and a half years homeless. After he earned his GED, it took a dozen years to get his bachelor's degree, and at 40, he is just finishing coursework so he can add Ph.D. to his title.
Martin Luther King Jr. had his doctor of philosophy degree by age 26, Thomas said. "He knew at a young age what he wanted to be."
He added: "It's magical. When you know what you want, you get it. When you know what you want, the sooner you start working for it, the faster you get it."
Thomas cited the example of Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, who focused on a basketball career when he was young and worked long hours to perfect his skills.
Even now, Bryant arrives at practice early and has been known to stay late to practice a shot he missed during a game, Thomas said.
For young people, school is their main job and the one that requires success, Thomas said. Earning 80 percent on a math test should spark extra practice, review of the material not mastered and a meeting with the math teacher on any concepts that remain weak.
"My son can spend 30 hours playing 'Call of Duty,' but not on his Spanish homework," Thomas said, referring to the popular video game. "There are no degrees in 'Call of Duty,' no jobs waiting."
Thomas recommends that young people write down what they are going to be, share it with a trusted friend or family member, and often reread what they have written to keep themselves focused and on track.
"I don't care if you started strong. I don't care if you started weak," he said. "Starting today, you can do it."
Thomas said a key is to break unproductive cycles and to associate with those who are getting top grades and achieving their goals, as people tend to adopt the study habits and attitudes of their friends.
"Be upset the next time you don't get an A, and say in your heart, 'I'm going to get it next time.' If you miss a scholarship, get upset. Hang out with the 4.0 students and the students getting scholarships."
Thomas talked about Oprah Winfrey, who had been told by an early boss that she was too ugly to be on TV.
"Oprah said she would create her own TV, and now she has a network."
It's easy to give up, and Thomas said he surrounds himself with motivational books and movies on DVD, and keeps a collection of positive songs on his iPod.
Those tools help keep him on track, motivated and moving forward, he said.
"You can be, do, accomplish whatever you want if you put in the sweat equity."
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