Denzel Washington, Hollywood Actor: If you have a dream and no goals, it's just a dream

Train your child at an early age, and set him on the path he ought to pursue, so that in old age he will not stray from it." It's one of my favorite lines in the Bible. It shines with experience and wisdom, doesn't it? . It reminds us how important it is to set a direction for our children to pursue from an early age. This statement has been proved in my case. Every time I think of these words, I think of the place where my dreams were born and the friends who were my mentors. They gave me the moral strength to get me where I am today. I've also learned over the years that no matter what you do for a living, if you do it well, someone will cheer you on.

The playground of my childhood was the Boys' Club in Mount Vernon, New York. I spent many happy times there. My parents are always away. Their work is always busy. My mother works in a beauty salon. My father was a pastor. He had two churches, one in New York State and one in Virginia. Not only that, he works at least two full-time jobs. The boys' club has been my whole world since I was six. That's where I learned how to play football, the importance of focusing on one goal, the consequences and the difference between right and wrong. The soul of this place is Bill Thomas. He made every one of us feel special. Bill Thomas made such an impression on me that I began to imitate him. I copy the way he walks, the way he sits, the way he respects other people as he does. I even practiced signing my name like Bill. His handwriting looks beautiful with a flourish, and I worked hard to imitate it, so my signature today looks like this. One of Bill's great innovations was to hang university prize flags - given to him by his college-bound "kids" - on the walls of the main entrance to the club. Bill made a deal with you when you first entered the club. When you graduated from high school and went to college, you had to give Bill a prize flag. Bill would hang it proudly on the wall for us kids who had not yet gone to college to see. Over the years, kids from the club went to Boston University, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Marquette... Many of them are schools I've never heard of. I often look at these names and say to myself: A man, anything is possible! Gus Williams, my neighbour and a brilliant player, joined the boys' club two years before me. He won a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Southern California. I still remember standing in that hallway that day, looking at the "University of Southern California" flag Gauss had given Bill, and making up my mind that if Gauss could get into the University of California, so could I. Even though I'd never been there and didn't even know California was there, that guy from Mount Vernon was able to get a scholarship to a great college. Why couldn't I? On Third Avenue in Mount Vernon there is a barber shop called Modernism owned by Jack Corriman. I started working there at 11 o 'clock because I wanted to make some money. Jack Corriman was like a mother to me, and I thought it was the best job in the world. I'm Mr. Corriman's cleaning buddy, but the real money comes from customer tips. When Mr. Corriman finishes cutting customers' hair, I use a little sweep to clean their collars and say, "You look great, Sir. Is there anything I can do for you?" You'll get paid throughout the day, especially if you're being polite and attentive. And I've seen what Mr. Coryman is doing to keep his business afloat. Not only was he the barber, but he was like a modern master of ceremonies, often presiding over wonderful and eccentric soul parades. He is a man with a strong sense of time and is true to his word. The barber shop usually closes at half past six, when the barber goes home to his family. I'll never forget what he said when someone came in for a haircut at six thirty. "Am I late?" "Asked the customer. "No, you're here early. You're the first." "You're the first one tomorrow morning." Seeking guidance After high school, I went to Fordham University in the Bronx, New York City. There, I wanted to be a doctor first, then a lawyer, or maybe a journalist. I was asked to leave college for a while in the middle of my freshman year until I could decide what I wanted to major in -- which was a good thing to do during the college trial period. But before I dropped out, I took a public speaking class. I heard that B's are easy to get in this class. After I returned to school, I continued to attend the class. I've forgotten the name of the old man who taught that class. His behavior seems a little odd, but his ideas are very orthodox. He likes Shakespeare very much. One day he asked me to act out a scene from Hamlet. I was filled with terror. I didn't think I could do what he had given me, but he must have seen something in me that I hadn't. After the performance, I ran out of the classroom as fast as I could. I swore that I would never do anything like that again. But that summer, at camp, I was a counselor, and I was on stage with the kids. We did skits and I started to really enjoy being on stage. Maybe that's what I can do. After a performance, a man came up to me and said, "Have you ever thought about becoming an actor?" "Well, as you say." I quipped, "Lead a class at college and play Hamlet." I believe I have a lot of drama on campus at Fordham University. When I returned to Fordham, I became fascinated with acting. Bob Stone, my English teacher, worked on Broadway with two great stars, Paul Robertson and Jess Ferrer, and achieved many things together. I told him I really wanted to be an actor, and he encouraged me. And I was even more impressed that he believed in me. After I appeared in a student production of Othello, he wrote a letter of recommendation for me to graduate school. In the letter, he said: "If you do not have the talent to nurture this young man, then do not accept him." I've read that letter a hundred times. Every time, I think: wow! If he thinks I'm that good, then I have to make those words a reality. He lit a fire in my belly. I kept that letter in my pocket all these years -- and still do today. Whenever things get tough, I take it out and read it. There were times when I wondered if I would ever be able to do better than Glory (for which Denzel Washington won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best supporting Actor in 1990). But Bob's words kept me going. I keep telling myself: Keep pursuing, and greater glory will come. Yes, I work hard. I made some sacrifices until I finally got it (Denzel Washington won the Best Actor Oscar in 2002). (Translator's note). Yes, you might say I had a bit of luck. But there has been tremendous help along the way. Behind every great success, there was someone, often more than one, who had my back. They are parents, teachers, coaches, role models. My path begins somewhere. As the Bible says: Train your child from an early age, set him on the path he should pursue, so that he will not stray from it in old age. About the author: Denzel Washington is a famous Hollywood actor. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York on December 28, 1954. In 1981, he began to make his first film Black Son. In 1990, he won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in "Glory", becoming the first black actor to win the second award in the Academy Award history. In 2002, he made his first appearance as a villain in Training Day, and his vivid performance finally won him the best actor Oscar, becoming only the second black actor to win an Academy Award, after Sidney Poet.