When I was eight, I had asthma and doctors told my parents that I would not be able to play sports like other kids my age. This made my parents keep me under special supervision, monitoring my every move, making sure I didn't include any physical activity that would inflame my asthma.

But my love and passion for sports outweighed logic and my doctor's prediction. To everyone's surprise, I grew up to be a sports man. For 11 years straight, I was among the best athletes in my school.

Before university, I was told that I wasn't smart enough to be among the best because I had my fingers in too many pies. Four years later, I managed to grab a distinction impact award at my graduation, solely due to my passion and my belief in myself.

I wanted to inspire others, so I became a motivational speaker and a blogger in the quest to help by sharing my life experiences with them. I was not surprised to see how many people laughed and discouraged me, telling me there are a million others doing the same and I could never make a name of myself. But, I wasn't doing it to make a name; I was just trying to help others learn from my mistakes and from my experiences.

As Thomas Jefferson once said: I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have it.

Once again I got lucky. Within a few months, through persistence and determination, I am writing for a national career magazine and several professional associations.

Yesterday a friend of mine reminded me of the challenges and struggles I had to go through. To tell you the truth, I used those foreseeable difficulties to fuel my passion, which is the inspiration behind this blog post. Some people see possibility in every opportunity where others see difficulty.

Life is tough'that's a given. It will push you to your knees and keep you there, if you let it. I never discount the fact that it is tough'of course it is'but so is getting up to get a glass of water. To get a glass of water, you have to leave your favorite show, get up from the couch, and make an effort to get what you want.

Similarly, in order to get what you want in life, you have to leave your comfort zone and persevere.

The odds may be stacked against you'fair enough. But what the odds don't know is this: life is not a math test. Life is a completely different kind of test where passion has a funny way of triumphing logic. The results don't always add up, no matter what the stats may say or what your friends may have predicted.

Sharique Khan is a motivational speaker and a blogger. He blogs at Jobpostings, Canada Pakistan Professional Association, and at shariquekhan.com. He hopes to continue inspiring people through his writing and helping them succeed in their endeavours. You can reach him through email at shariquekhan@dal.ca or connect with him on LinkedIn.