Procrastination, Laziness and Lack of motivation, were all trials I have faced.

My name is Hakeem Marcus Bryan; those three choices available are on many occasions not chosen when referring to me. The names that are used as substitutes are ‘Uncle’ and ‘Kheemy’. Uncle is derived from the timeless wisdom I offer plus the maturity that is embedded in my face. Kheemy on the other hand is a shortened version of Hakeem, with the letter H in the name reminding people that my name is ‘Hakeem’ not ‘Akeem’. I am twenty one years of age, might not look it but I assure you, I am. My hobbies including: writing, reading, watching movies, listening music and seizing opportunities. That last hobby was, until recently, just a dying promise to me. 2016 provided me with the equipment and mindset to breathe life into that promise. I finally turned that promise into action and have been acting upon it. I prefer calling it ‘2016 Get There’.

One of my most memorable moments of ‘2016 Get There’ was getting chosen to be a part of Talk Up Yout, a program with magnitude and focus that I have never been a part of. It allowed for me to make sense of my thoughts and to put them into structured content. My thoughts were a jumbled mass of nonsense and brilliance but it allowed me to realign everything. It also gives me a medium to share many of my experiences and zealousness. My experiences are broken down into trials, needs and struggles. My zealousness is broken down into passions, my mission for myself and vision for Jamaica.

Trials - Procrastination, Laziness and Lack of motivation, were all trials I have faced. These trials had jurors who were skeptical of me and leaning toward the verdict of guilty. The prosecution had an overwhelming case file filled with one conclusive finding “smart but underachieving time waster who won’t amount to anything in life”. This backed up with witnesses; teachers from high school plus relatives. It was a sure conviction for me. My attorneys-at-law, Confidence and Self-esteem were waning as the trial went out. It wasn’t until a surprise witness by the name of Talent took the stand, that my trial changed. Talent showed me all the things I can and will do with just effort. My attorneys, Confidence and Self-Esteem grew exponentially and I got a not guilty verdict. It wasn’t until I found my talent, that I realized I could conquer the world.

Needs - The only thing I need is a ‘buss’ not a bus but a ‘BUSS’. I just need opportunities to ‘leggo my career’. Talk Up Yout was one of those opportunities and I am very grateful for it, but I need more chances like this to publicize my brand and my skill sets in order to shape my country and my region in a positive light. Opportunities and proper advice are tools that every industrious youth needs to have in his toolkit. I don’t have both, just bits and pieces but I am still grateful for that because I know they will assist me to ‘leggo my career’.

Struggles - The hardships I face are no different from other trying youths. The hardships are: motivation, encouragement, positive ‘vybz’. These struggles leech on you and will bring you down if you let it. These struggles are needed, because you have to stub your toe many times in life before you achieve something big.

Passion: I talk with a lot of fervour when expressing my goals. My goals will be scored, as I am a top striker. My passions in this life are my writing and my brand. My written works will be the awe of the Caribbean as I aim to achieve and surpass great Caribbean authors before me. I’m indebted to my writing as it was the only thing I can say that assisted me in coming out of that dark place which I resided for many years. My writing and in the offspring of that which is my brand will be a force to reckon with, because I believe that my career will get leggo. This will be done with guile, hard work and making the right connections needed.

Mission Statement: “Leggo Career”

Definition - Achieving monumental success.

Vision for Jamaica: Jamaica is the land of my birth, the land that I have fallen in and out of love with during my twenty one years of life. Jamaica is on the rise but on a slow movement. This can be easily accelerated with a boost in positivity within the mindsets of our people. Jamaica will achieve that positive mindset only by seeing positive young people. Talk Up Yout must be partnered with by many other governmental agencies and corporate entities to showcase that positive image towards our people.

Talk Up Yout is vital to the development of Jamaica, as it showcases the different issues that plague our youths. Issues that have been swept under the rug or not highlighted enough or just issues that have been dealt with meekly and not boldly. Talk Up Yout is the shock factor for the Jamaican society. It is a building platform for the confidence of young people that have been on the show and for young people that have watched the program. It allows for a sense of comfortability and trust. Talk Up Yout needs to be broadcasted on a much wider platform, even regionally as this will assist our young people as a region. Talk Up Yout is great and I appreciate everything it has done for me and others.


Mhm a it.