As a child, Lucy bought into everyone's expectations of her and aimed to please everyone around her. Reflecting back, she has learned that we all have the potential to live the lives of our dreams if we just "act as if..." Our brains are powerful beyond measure and they have the ability of making things come to past if we just believe in ourselves and relentlessly work towards accomplish our goals. In this talk, she will share examples of students in her classroom and how their determination led them to the success they were hoping for by just believing in themselves. In the same fashion, Lucy challenges all of us to believe in ourselves and others. Lucy is an English, Mock Trial, Academic Competition, and Public Speaking teacher at Colton High School in California, USA. She is also a mother, a fiance, and proud daughter. Lucy holds a BA in English from California State University San Bernardino and a Masters in English Literature from Cal Poly Pomona. In her 25 year tenure in education, she has served a diverse population of students that have inspired her through their own personal stories. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx